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Writer's pictureShay

Reverse shampooing

All our lives we've been taught it was shampoo first and conditioner second.


But since I started making my own shampoos and conditioners, I sometimes have had to reverse the order. Turns out this is a thing. It's called the reverse shampoo method.


I put on my hair mask and let it sit for 30 min. Then I rinse it out, but because it doesn't contain all the convenient chemical stuff of commercial conditioners to make it rinse clean, my hair feels greasy unless I wash it.


Commercial conditioners contain insoluble silicones to make your hair FEEL thicker, FEEL stronger, smoother and make you feel better about the fact that you've conditioned your hair. However, what you've really done is coated your hair strands with PLASTIC! That plastic isn't gonna wash out unless you use a shampoo containing SULFATES, which is drying and damaging. So you enter this typical poo cycle.


The silicone makes it hard for your hair to absorb any real nourishment or moisture. So it doesn't matter how much argan oil, rosemary, thyme and basil (still awake?) you're putting in your hair and scalp--you're not gonna benefit from it!


Even if you use store-bought products, you could give reverse shampooing a try. It's a huge paradigm shift in itself, I know!

The first morning after I tried reverse shampooing, my hair had some mad volume. My son kept telling me "Did you brush your hair? It's super frizzy today." I wasn't even insulted. All I could think was, "It worked!"

Benefits of reverse shampooing

  • You get the nourishment of the good raw ingredients you're putting in your hair treatment/DIY conditioner.

  • You get the cleansing benefits of your DIY shampoo, while also removing the excess oils.

  • Your shampoo won't be stripping your hair's natural oils, just the excess ones (there's a fine line)

  • Your hair won't be weighed down by too much good oils---no flat hair, please!

  • Prevents build-up and product residue that makes your hair dull and lifeless AND CLOGS YOUR HAIR FOLLICLES. (Horrors!)

  • You can go longer between washes.

  • Your hair may have more volume, shine and LIFE.

“Even if you don't make your own hair products, you could give it a try. It's a huge paradigm shift, I know!"
The moment Dave caught me taking a picture of my volumous hair in the bathroom mirror. "Oh and what are you doing?"

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4 Comments


Corinne Ehara
Corinne Ehara
Nov 18, 2019

Look at the volumne. Woot! Woot!

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JoAnne Wong Henein
JoAnne Wong Henein
Nov 13, 2019

Oh, is that so? OK, DIY Bebe ;) And btw, you look HOT with your wavy voluminous hair!!! :)

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Shay
Shay
Nov 13, 2019

Honestly the ingredients in that Pono conditioner look so good you should let it sit in your hair for a good half-hour before you shower. Makes me want to get it!

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JoAnne Wong Henein
JoAnne Wong Henein
Nov 13, 2019

Very interesting! Since I am not as robust with DIY at the moment, I'm using conditioner from the zero-waste company Pono Home Essentials, and also a "clean" no-bad-stuff shampoo from Young Living...till I run out of that...I'll restock from Pono. Conditioner Ingredients: Purified water, Coconut Oil*, Glycerin, Pine Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract*, Nettle Leaf Extract*, Dandelion Leaf Extract*, Clover Flower Extract*, Apple Cider Vinegar, Hawaiian Noni Fruit Juice, Hawaiian Noni Seed Oil, Olive Fruit Oil*, Pumpkin Seed Oil*, + Plumeria or Mango scented oils (the artificial fragrance is the only thing I don't care for)... But will try the reverse method! And I am onto your ACV recipe for clarifying effects!

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