ANTI-SHAMPOO =)

I had been reading online about this for a while, but I never tried it until today after I got done cleaning out all that junk from the garage. It really worked! This is how it looked after I washed it (bad lighting and no make-up, sorry haha). My hair was blown dry for a few minutes after being allowed to dry mostly on its own, and then I did straighten it (I don't do that often).

My brother, Joe, came to our most recent family dinner and I couldn't help but notice how his hair had grown and how healthy it looked... He told me he had only been using conditioner! I wondered if it would make my long hair grungy, but it didn't! Even after I had been sweating all day!


I should tell you that I don't wash my hair every day, or even every other day. I would typically only wash my hair maybe once a week, and that would be only to keep my scalp clean. I know it seems kind of nasty, but honestly the less and less I washed my hair, the less and less oily it got. Once I got into college, I valued sleep over "hygiene" and started skipping the morning 1-hour hair routine- the best decision ever! It would typically only get oily if I had done strenuous activity (workouts). I just felt like skipping washes was making it healthier and helping it to grow more... Maybe the growth I am experiencing now is from my prenatal vitamins, but I think my wash routine helped, too!

Along with the extended periods of time between my washes, I cut out something else- the blow dryer! Again, if I was going somewhere and wanted to style my hair in a hurry, I would use it, but for days when I knew I'd be at home long enough to allow it to dry on its own, I wouldn't. I also quit using the flat iron and allowed my hair to do what it naturally wants to, and apparently it likes being curly/wavy. After it's dry, I may rub just a little gel between my hands and distribute it throughout my hair, giving me beachy-like waves.

This is how I did the conditioner routine a couple hours ago: I simply massaged my scalp when it was dry (and oily) for a few minutes, then used my pure bristle brush to distribute the oils from the scalp all the way down the shafts. I wet my hair with hotter-than-normal water and then used the conditioner as I would my shampoo, but with more massage action. I actually found that I used a lot of conditioner, but that may not be so necessary. I just wanted to make sure I saturated my head, because I was afraid of leaving behind any grime. I also massaged with my fingertips, not my nails! I recommend using Alberto VO5 Clarifying Conditioner in Vanilla Mint Tea... for no particular reason other than it was what was in my shower at the time, haha. It's also really cheap and widely available, which is great for me because I have long hair and it looks like I'll be using a lot of the stuff.

At first, you hair might feel kind of dirty to you, especially if you're an every day or every other day washer. I didn't have this issue, but I've read where it can take up to a couple of weeks for the transition to make your hair feel "clean".

My hair looks and feels amazing! I can tell it's a little static-y, but after a few more washes, it will level out again, I'm sure. It is just used to having all its oils stripped for so long! I recommend everyone to try it!