Gentle shampoo, good conditioner for fine hair?

Jan 3, 2017

Kate L.

I have a lot of hair, but my hair is very fine, so I have to wash it every day otherwise it becomes uncomfortably oily. Yet my hair is very dry despite the oiliness. Can you recommend a very gentle shampoo that will not strip my fine hair so I can use it daily? I have fallen in love with bioderma micellar water for my skin--I only wish there was something like that for my hair if that makes sense!

I also prefer fragrance-free or very light scent shampoo and conditioner, as I am very sensitive to fragrances. I currently use Giovanni triple treat shampoo and honey-do conditioner by A Beautiful Life, as the scent of these products are very light, but my hair is getting dried out.

Jan 3, 2017

Anna D.

I would recommend Simple shampoo and conditioner becaue they mostly do skin products but they do, do it. They are fragrance free too! I know you said you have to wash your hair everyday but try not to because your stripping your hair of its natural oils which causes it to become very dry and you will get lots of oil becaue it's trying to replace the oil you have stripped from your hair if that makes sense. Once you get into a routine of washing your hair once every three days or something it will get better and in the meantime use dry shampoo (yeah I know this will be hard). Also try hair masks (only apply to the bottom half!!) to moustirise your hair. Hope this helps:) ♡

Jan 3, 2017

Kate L.

Oh I didn't know Simple made hair products too! I will look for those and keep those other things in mind, thank you.

Jan 3, 2017

Kate L.

I would love other recommendations if anyone else has them, thanks!

Jan 4, 2017

Anna D.

No problem! ♡

Jan 5, 2017

Jessica D.

I think you and I have similar hair, so this is what works for me if you want to try it for yourself :)

1) First, do an olive oil treatment to put moisture back in (I'll explain if you ask), repeat every two weeks

2) If you do that and your hair is still not shaping not up, you could try using a cleansing conditioner primarily and only use real shampoo every couple of days

3) Another thing to consider is build up! If you've been using the same shamp/cond for a long time, try switching up for a bit.
*If THIS one works for you, then do what I do and just buy trial size bottles of different types of shampoo and it's matching conditioner, and change it up every couple of washes. This is a big one for me too

4) I know that people with oily hair that wash it every day hate hearing this lol, but just for reference, me having what sounds like similar hair to you (fine strands but a lot of it), I can get away with a good 3 days until my hair starts getting noticeably oily. I keep it in a bun for the next day or two to sit in its own repairing oils (and sometimes I add a conditioning oil to the ends for that day or two to help the whole strand). Fact of the matter is that our skin and scalp produce more oil when we strip it away constantly, because it thinks it needs it, because we keep taking it away, and enter vicious cycle. This is why oil cleansing and moisturizing is good for oily skin - you're giving it what it's telling you it needs. Same with your hair. Your scalp could be telling you that it's in fact TOO dry, and washing it daily could be making it worse. If nothing else works out for you, this might be your answer. Use dry shampoo and ponytails for your dirty days until your scalp gets used to being washed less. Try going every other day to start, and keep going until you and your hair are content. It'll take a while to get used to, but trust me, not having to wash and style a mane every day is so worth it lol. And! Your hair can keep the moisture in the strands longer, and therefore look and behave much healthier and cooperative :)

Jan 5, 2017

Kate L.

Jessica-- I tried a while back to not wash my hair every day, but maybe I will have to try it again. But even though I wash every day currently I am very careful to lightly shampoo only very close to my roots, I never suds up all over, but my hair is still unmanageable. Maybe buildup isn't helping like you said. I did just buy a cleansing conditioner the other day so I will be giving that a shot too!

Does olive oil work well for you? How exactly do you do it? I have tried coconut oil treatments but somehow that left my hair feeling worse, straw-like. It's like my hair is so damaged that it won't absorb moisture anymore, yikes!

Jan 5, 2017

Jessica D.

Kate! Your hair is mine! Listen up(:

Our hair rejects protein, which is why coconut oil does this to us! This happened to me also a few years ago; I heard the hype, did it once, and my hair was WRECKED for literally months. Brittle, uncharacteristically not soft, much like you said. It's rare, but if coconut oil doesn't work, use olive oil. It's a moisture treatment rather than protein :) hair needs both, but hair like ours just has enough and that's why more messes with it. (People might not believe you bc it's so rare and little heard of. My teacher in cosmetology school tried to make me do a new protein treatment like everyone else, and I told her no, and she called me out in front of the whole school because someone else said my hair was "too healthy," not even me. Just be ready for it.)

Yes, I love what olive oil does for my hair. Make sure it's extra virgin and organic. I pour some in a small glass or ceramic bowl and put it in the microwave (warm penetrates better). I put my hair up with a little down, working my way up my head (more organized, less mess). Then just coat your hands and go to town! (Soft hand treatment while you're at it😉)

I start on my scalp and rub it in a little bit up there, and then just drag it down to my ends, making sure it's soaked throughout. It takes about a half hour for me to get through (but I'm meticulous lol), and you can leave it in as long as you want lol. Some people do 20 minutes, some do overnight, I do about an hour.

I then put it in two "Miley Cyrus buns," as a friend of mine calls them haha. Put on a disposable shower cap, and wrap a warmed towel on top of that. Again, warm is better.

I do it on dirty hair bc I'm going to wash it anyways lmao

When you wash it out, DO NOT GET IT WET FIRST. Get some clarifying shampoo and apply that to your hair BEFORE the water. Focus on your scalp mostly, otherwise there's residue. I wash once like this with clarifying shampoo, and then like normal with moisturizing s/c and a leave in cond to top things off.

The first time you do this, I suggest doing it at night and letting it air dry before you go to sleep, and you will feel and see the difference in the morning, no doubt. You'll fall in love like I did and have great hair ever after 🌹😏☺️

Jan 5, 2017

Anna D.

Yeah I agree with @Jessica D try not to use shampoo to often- just as much as you need. And yeah it might help switching up the products you use regularly. ♡

Jan 6, 2017

Kate L.

Ahh thank you Jessica! I'm so excited haha, it's great to get a tip from someone who has had the same problem! Awesome I will try this very soon. Thanks again!

Jan 8, 2017

Lainee I.

I also have fine hair, but just lots of it. I am not sensitive (when it comes to shampoos and conditioners) to fragrance, and it's been a while since I used it. So I am so sorry if it has a stronger smell than what you want 😶but I used to use the Desert Essence Coconut conditioner( I forgot the exact name, but it's in a partially brown tube, with a coconut on it 🙃) and as for shampoo, I use dandruff shampoo😐(head and shoulders, I use to use the purely gentle scalp care in aloe Vera, but now I am trying an almond one 🙃) I am the same way with the coconut oil treatment, I tried it once, and my hair was so greasy and nasty for like 3 days 😶I was kinda mad...and as far as dry shampoo goes, Batisite is a good one, or I am currently using the Not You Mothers Clean Freak Dry Shampoo( that one is a little less,"powerful?", like you need to use a little bit more than you do with the batiste, but it's cheaper and in a bigger bottle...) I hope you can get it figured out ☺️

Jan 8, 2017

Jessica D.

Another dry shampoo to try is the one by Aussie. It's on the cheaper side and smells amazing 😍

Jan 8, 2017

Jessica D.

And your welcome, Kate! Share your results? :)

Jan 11, 2017

Kate L.

Lainee--thanks for the suggestions! I will check out that desert essence line.

Jan 11, 2017

Kate L.

Jessica--I want to do the olive oil treatment soon. Do you apply the olive oil to damp hair? And you really don't wet your hair before you shampoo it out?? That sounds so scary lol I've never put shampoo on dry hair before

Jan 11, 2017

Jessica D.

Nope, have to be dry. Oil and water don't mix remember lol water will repel the oil from the hair and be counterproductive :)

Yep do shampoo your dry hair for a minute lmao. It is weird to get used to, but it's kinda like just coat your scalp in it before you introduce the water. I add the water little by little and make a good lather on the scalp. It's the oil and water thing again, if you get it wet first, it makes it harder for the shampoo to grab the oil, and that contributes to residue