Is your scalp more oily since you went CG?

DCWavyLady

This is driving me nuts! I'm still happy with my hair at the end of day 2, but my scalp is too oily to not wash. It's particularly noticeable at the front. By the middle of day 2, it just looks ew in that area! I tried two waterless shampoos without success. Any ideas to help prolong the time between shampoos? I try to wet my hair as infrequently as possible because it takes forever to dry!

Lynaea

What are your hair properties? What products and routine are you using? My scalp has been less oily since starting CG and I've read posts saying the same. If you didn't have this problem before it may be your cowash is to heavy or your getting buildup. More info on your situation would help.

DCWavyLady

I'm a 3a/3b and use devacurl low poo followed by either GVP conditioning balm or tressemme smoothing conditioner depending on whether my hair seems to need moisture. I use devacurl low poo every time I wash because my hair is easily overconditioned. ...the same reason I use two different types of conditioners. For styling, I use herbal essences curl scrunching gel before plopping and herbal essences set me up gel when I'm touching up the next day. Before CG, my scalp was a mess! Very flaky and itchy...and not dry scalp. It seemed more like oily flakes and my scalp was easily irritated if I scratched. Sorry for the TMI, but I'm hoping this will help!

Jas76

I found my scalp got oilier before it got better, so if you haven't been doing it very long, that may be it. It balances out after a while when it realizes it doesn't need to produce so much oil to compensate anymore.

If you are co-washing, be sure you are thoroughly massaging and then rinsing completely. Apply more conditioner after if needed, of course.

It could be you are co-washing with something that was too heavy, as well.

I think I read you are using Deva stuff - I had no luck with Deva products. My hair didn't feel clean, and the products left me feeling "gunky".

anonymous_133347

I think you should switch to a different low poo. Seems like those deva products have mixed results. Not everybody's hair likes them. Or you could clarify more often. I recommend a tea tree oil massage treatment though if you want to regulate sebum. You could also try putting some in your deva low poo or your co wash of choice. It's good for oily or dry scalp. I try to do the scalp treatment at least once every two weeks even though my scalp was pretty normal before CG and now after.

DCWavyLady

Thanks, everyone! I've been CG for about 6 months, so it sounds like my best bet is a different low poo. Any recommendations? I thought Devacurl was the only manufacturer that makes a low poo. I'm so excited! Maybe Deva is to blame for my gunkiness...which is actually a better way to describe what's going on!

Jessiebanana

My scalp and skin over all, I'm prone to eczema, are naturally dry so I might not be the best judge, but the Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream is great! It's a low-poo, not a cleansing conditioner.

hambo02

yep, oily scalp and face break outs and oily face. so i have to use a face wash and just wash my hair with some type of mild cleanser every other day

anonymous_133347

Maybe we should start a favorite low-poo thread to help you out. I like Shea Moisture's Moisture Retention and their Yucca Baobab one. The MR does not lather as well as the Yucca one and I prefer the Yucca smell, but I think the MR one is slightly more moisturizing. . . The Yucca one gives you better root volume though. I've also heard good things about the Nature's Gate low poos. Particularly the chamomile one but they have several and I believe they're all sulfate free. They go on sale too. I got some for a friend for $5 at Whole Foods.

Jas76

DCWavyLady wrote: »

Thanks, everyone! I've been CG for about 6 months, so it sounds like my best bet is a different low poo. Any recommendations? I thought Devacurl was the only manufacturer that makes a low poo. I'm so excited! Maybe Deva is to blame for my gunkiness...which is actually a better way to describe what's going on!

WELL!! Then I'd recommend the SM low poos, for sure! You may find you want to alternate with another low poo - I use Organix Shea shampoo.

Honestly, any non-sulfate poo is a "low poo". Some are more gentle than others. I find the SM ones to be very gentle, where the Organix one has a little more cleansing agents in it, but still a lot gentler than sulfates.

HTH!

Jessiebanana

Jas76 wrote: »

DCWavyLady wrote: »

Thanks, everyone! I've been CG for about 6 months, so it sounds like my best bet is a different low poo. Any recommendations? I thought Devacurl was the only manufacturer that makes a low poo. I'm so excited! Maybe Deva is to blame for my gunkiness...which is actually a better way to describe what's going on!

WELL!! Then I'd recommend the SM low poos, for sure! You may find you want to alternate with another low poo - I use Organix Shea shampoo.

Honestly, any non-sulfate poo is a "low poo". Some are more gentle than others. I find the SM ones to be very gentle, where the Organix one has a little more cleansing agents in it, but still a lot gentler than sulfates.

HTH!

I disagree, there are a lot of non-sulfate shampoos that use cleansers just as harsh, soaps, or that use a larger amount of gentle cleansers for the same effect. To know if something is low poo you have to look beyond "sulfate free".

anonymous_133347

I read in some instances olefin sulfoconate can be harsher than a traditional sulfate. Or some poos like Kinky Curly's Come Clean can be way harsh even though they contain no sulfates. (That's why I'm afraid to try it.) But I think it is true a lot of gentler natural shampoos, say the kind you do find at Whole Foods, are easier on the body of your hair. I was reading through the ingredients lists when browsing the aisles and it seems like there's a lot out there for me to try. Also some people cocktail their low poos with oil to make them gentler. But the Shea Moisture ones are super gentle. I can verify that.

Jas76

Ok then: "low poo" means no sulfates, OR harsh detergents, and gentle formulas. Better?

Perhaps I over-simplified. My point really was that there are other options than the Deva stuff, and that just because it doesn't say "low poo" in the name doesn't mean its not one. Many poos marketed as sulfate free fit the bill - but it is a very good point to say that doesn't mean all of them are adequately gentle! I have tried a couple that indeed seemed worse!

There are several threads on here that give good recs, one fairly recent, in fact!

Good luck!!

DCWavyLady

Does SM low poo stand for Shea Moisture? I picked up a bottle of Jessicurl's hair cleansing cream yesterday. I can't wait to try it! I washed my hair yesterday early afternoon and the front already looks oily!! Do any of you use loreal's sulfate free shampoo?

anonymous_133347

Yeah it does. Let us know how the Jessicurl cleansing cream works out. And your oil levels will balance out eventually, I'm sure, once you find ingredients that your hair really likes.

tiara98

Maybe? Almost immediately, my hair overall feels less fried/dry (feel like that's a good thing!!), so the roots do seem to need cleansing more often.

flippacious

DCWavyLady wrote: »

Does SM low poo stand for Shea Moisture? I picked up a bottle of Jessicurl's hair cleansing cream yesterday. I can't wait to try it! I washed my hair yesterday early afternoon and the front already looks oily!! Do any of you use loreal's sulfate free shampoo?

The only one I have tried is this one:
L`Oreal Paris EverCreme Sulfate-Free Moisture System Intense Nourishing Shampoo - NaturallyCurly.com

I didn't like it. I bought it early on before I was very familiar with ingredients, and how my hair reacts to them. First off, it has amodethicone and several polyquats. Some people don't have problems with these ingredients, but I've found they build up on my hair pretty easily. It also has a *ton* of cleansers in it. Even though it's free of sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, etc, I found it to be too drying.

I second the Shea Moisture Moisture Retention shampoo. It is super, super gentle. If you want to use a low poo very often, I recommend that one. The smell is pretty strong, though.