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Shampoo Help Page

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

Q.My hair feels oily after using your shampoo. What should I do?

A. If you just started using our shampoo, it's most likely the chemical residue from previous hair care products starting to come loose. There is a detox period that can last from a couple days to as long as two weeks. During this time these chemical residues and coatings are being removed. Symptoms during this period can be puffiness, oiliness, static in your hair.

If you've used our shampoo for a few weeks and the oiliness hasn't gone away, it's most likely your water. Soap residue, also known as soap scum, can stick in your hair if you have extremely hard water. Luckily, there are several ways to fix the problem so you don't have to go back to chemical detergents:

1. Use baking soda to soften your water. Baking soda will combine with calcium deposits in your water so they can't react with the soap and leave soap residue on your hair. Use 1 tbsp of baking soda in a pitcher full of water to wet your hair before washing. Lather up with the shampoo. Then, rinse with the same combination--1 tbsp of baking soda in one pitcher of water. Then, follow up with your vinegar rinse and rinse with plain water.

OR

Instead of the pitcher method, some people have found that mixing baking soda in their shampoo works well. Just add a pinch of baking soda (the harder your water, the more baking soda to use) to the shampoo in your palm, mix in, and lather up as usual. Rinse well and then follow up with your vinegar rinse.

2. Install a water softener. Of course it's the most expensive option, but you'll notice your skin will be less irriated and dry, your clothes and dishes will come out cleaner, and our shampoo will work flawlessly.

3. Install a shower head filter. This is a great option if you don't want to invest in a water softener but still want the benefits of soft water in your shower. These filters can be found at your local hardware store like Lowe's or Home Depot and run from $20 to $60. They work differently than a water softener, not removing the calcium deposits, but re-shaping their crystalline structure so they don't bind to the soap as much and create less soap scum. Look for KDF filters like these.

If you're having a hard time getting the residue out of your hair, the best thing to do is to wash with baking soda. Apply liberally to your hair and rinse well until your hair doesn't feel slimy any more. Then, do a few vinegar rinses to re-acidify and condition your hair.

Q.What about hair spray and other styling products. Will these products undo my hair's detox process?

It's hard to say because there are so many styling products out there with thousands of combinations of chemicals that react differently to your hair.  That said, styling aids are usually different than shampoos and conditioners in that they're not really meant to coat the hair permanently and are designed to wash off.  Our shampoo should be strong enough to remove regular styling aid that you'd use every day. You may have to do some experimenting and see.  Try a few days with styling products and a few days without and see how your hair feels.  Of course, many (most) of these products are the sythnthetic chemicals that you're trying to avoid by using our shampoo.

Q. What's this empty bottle in my package for?

A. This is a bottle for your vinegar rinse. You'll notice this bottle has a little black line on the bottom. Fill to the line with vinegar and then fill the bottle with water. Pour the entire contents of the bottle on your hair. If your hair doesn't feel slippery or clean, repeat the rinse until it does. You can leave the vinegar in your hair or rinse it out.

If you're using an organic apple cider vinegar like Bragg's, be sure you don't pour the "mother" on your hair--it'll leave goop on your hair that's hard to rinse out.

Q. What's the difference between a soap and a detergent?

A. Detergents are synthetic compounds that have been created in a lab through numerous chemical processes. The most widely-used detergent, sodium lauryl sulfate, is created by reacting sulfuric acid with dodecanol (a fatty alcohol), adding a few other chemicals, heating it up, adding more chemicals, and so forth. Not only is sodium lauryl sulfate a harsh degreaser, it can be contaminated with chemicals like nitrosamines during its synthesis. On average, there are about ten steps between the original raw materials and the final detergent. Soaps on the other hand, are created by mixing a fat (usually a vegetable oil) with caustic soda (like lye or potassium hydroxide). Soaps have been created like this for hundreds (maybe thousands) of years. Detergents, on the other hand, have only been around for a few decades. Detergent-based shampoos were created in the 1930s because they were cheaper to produce than soap. They also gave the consumer the perception that they worked better because they lather so easily. Most detergents used in shampoos today, however, are so harsh that they require you to use conditioner to cover up the damage that the shampoo has done to your hair. These conditioners coat the hair with various chemicals to make it appear stronger and smoother, when in reality your hair can be damaged underneath.

Q. Do you need to use conditioner with your shampoo?

A. We have found that conditioner is not needed with our shampoo. Simply rinsing with vinegar will restore your hair's luster and even let you comb through it when wet. If your hair needs extra conditioning, simply spray a fine mist of jojoba oil to the tips of your hair before drying. We reccommend against using a typical conditioner because all it does is coat the hair with unneccessary chemicals.

Q. Can I use your shampoo if I color-treat or perm my hair?

A. Most shampoos and conditioners for color-treated hair have special chemicals that coat the hair to keep the color treatments in place. Our shampoo is gentle enough that it won't strip your color, but it won't protect it either because it contains none of these chemicals. Most color treatments and perms can damage the hair's outer cuticle, while special chemicals in shampoos and conditioners coat the hair to hide the damage. Our shampoo will remove these coatings and may reveal damage. Keep in mind that it's not our shampoo damaging your hair--it's simply revealing existing damage. Unfortunately, there is no way to truly repair hair, so we recommend staying away from chemical treatments like perms and colors and using natural hair dyes like pure henna to darken and lemon juice to lighten.

Q. Can I use your shampoo on my children?

A. Yes, our shampoo is safe for people of all ages. However, it is not tear-free, so use care when using on small children.

Q. Do I have to use vinegar to rinse my hair?

A. Some of my male testers have found that they don't need to rinse with vinegar, simply because their hair is short. However, we have found that people with long hair will definitely get better results with the vinegar.

Q. What kind of vinegar should I use?

A. An apple cider or white vinegar will work just fine. My personal preference is simple distilled white vinegar, but you're welcome to use apple cider vinegar as well.

Q. How much vinegar should I use?

A. I use about two tablespoons of vinegar per cup of water. Your shampoo kit will include a fill line on the bottle. Just fill to the line with vinegar and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Instructions are included with your shampoo.

Q. How often should I use the vinegar rinse?

A. I use it every time I use the shampoo. It restores your hair's pH, giving it strength, shine and luster. You're using the vinegar in place of conditioner.

Q. What if I have hard water?

A. We don't recommend using this shampoo if you have hard water and don't have a softener. However, if you really want to try, we've found that the best thing to do is to add baking soda to the shampoo. Pour the shampoo in your palm, add a bit of baking soda to the shampoo and mix it together, and then lather up as usual. The harder your water, the more baking soda you should use. Rinse well, and then follow up with your vinegar rinse. Because the baking soda is alkaline, you may need to do more than one vinegar rinse to re-acidify your hair and make it manageable.

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