Beauty

[HonnyBrown]

KJPA and Denise, that's exactly how I use Wen: I massage it into my scalp well. I use my fingertip pads, go in a clockwise motion, then counterclockwise, then back and forth between my fingers. The better I like the scent, the longer I scrub. With Fig, I hold my breath.

I use more than the suggested number of pumps for my hair, and I rinse, rinse, rinse. And rinse some more.

It took close to ten months, but I still got build up on my scalp (Tea Tree no longer tingled) and hair (my grays were yellowed).

It happened so gradually that I didn't put two and two together. I asked here, and got great suggestions, but none were to address buildup.

When Fig dried my hair out and Lav gave me awesome hair, I knew I needed a clean slate.

The shampoo got rid of the buildup, allowed Wen to work to its capacity, and all has been great since!

[WenDoll10girl]

On 9/12/2014 Denise from Canada said:

On 9/12/2014 KJPA said:

I'm going to post this for newer users in case they read this thread and think the only way to get rid of buildup is to use shampoo. I'm not saying for any particular person that might not be true. We all have different hair/skin/needs/etc. But when I cleanse with anything I always scrub my scalp. Not harshly but I use my fingernails to lightly scrub all over my scalp and it feels great! Honestly, I've never had a buildup with Wen other than maybe the first week or so I was learning how to use it It's now been 6 months without any other shampoo/treatments other than Wen and my hair is softer, silkier, shinier than ever. And I'm in my mid-50s!

If you haven't tried this yet please gently scrub your scalp to remove the dirt and oils. Really work the Wen into your scalp and let it soak in as described by others on this thread. It is a treatment and it's good to let it soak in. Then rinse completely. You may be one that finds you never need shampoo again.

I was just going to post something along the same lines, so thanks for doing all the typing! I have been using wen for 4 years now and have never had an issue with build up. I have very baby fine thin hair and my hair and scalp always get clean with wen. I always use my finger tips to give my scalp a good scrub, not overly hard, the same as a stylist would do when you get hair washed at a salon.

The same for me. I cleanse and repeat. No build up.

[Denise from Canada]

On 9/12/2014 HonnyBrown said:

KJPA and Denise, that's exactly how I use Wen: I massage it into my scalp well. I use my fingertip pads, go in a clockwise motion, then counterclockwise, then back and forth between my fingers. The better I like the scent, the longer I scrub. With Fig, I hold my breath.

I use more than the suggested number of pumps for my hair, and I rinse, rinse, rinse. And rinse some more.

It took close to ten months, but I still got build up on my scalp (Tea Tree no longer tingled) and hair (my grays were yellowed).

It happened so gradually that I didn't put two and two together. I asked here, and got great suggestions, but none were to address buildup.

When Fig dried my hair out and Lav gave me awesome hair, I knew I needed a clean slate.

The shampoo got rid of the buildup, allowed Wen to work to its capacity, and all has been great since!

The fact that your grey hairs were yellowing sounds more like a water issue, many minerals in water can not only discolour blond or grey hair but also leave a build up on hair and scalp. Years ago my sister had horrible water and went through three different filters before finding the right one for her water issues, her hair was horrible and her highlights went greyish in color and her blonde went very dark, drinking it was fine, but the water was leaving a film on everything. She had to use a product to remove the well water mineral build up, she would do a treatment every two weeks. It's been years since she has had to do that, they now have a good filter, and no more hair issues. Maybe the issues you have had are with your water?

[HonnyBrown]

On the surface, it does sound like hard water!

The water report from our city doesn't indicate hard water, and I installed a filter on our shower heads when I moved in with DH.

Also if it were the water, my hair wouldn't have brightened when I stopped using Pantene Curly.

I also think my skin would have been affected. When I go snowboarding, the area where we stay has very hard water. I notice the effect on my skin right away.

It was baffling!

[ChynnaBlue]

I'm glad that works for you! I know Isabella, of the Musings of a Muse blog, also likes to use a clarifying shampoo.

I never liked them, even when I used shampoo, but I also deal with scalp buildup. I use a brown sugar scrub to help with that. As someone mentioned with the clarifying shampoo, once I do the scrub, I feel the WEN tingle again.

I DIY my scrub with brown sugar and grape seed oil, but you can also mix the brown sugar into your WEN. Here's the conditioner DIY recipe from Lorraine Massey's Curly Girl Handbook:

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons conditioner

1. mix together to create a thick paste
2. wet hair in the shower, then rub the paste on your fingertips. Apply to scalp and massage gently in a circular motion, starting at the nape of the neck and moving upward. Linger on any spots that seem tense or tingly.
3. Rinse thoroughly, then condition

When I use oil, I do an overnight oil treatment and then do the scrub in the morning. I do it in the shower so that I don't get sugar everywhere, and I don't use 3 tablespoons of oil. You can use any hair oil, including WEN. I like grapeseed because it's inexpensive and available at many stores. I like to add some pure tea tree oil, too.

[Denise from Canada]

On 9/12/2014 HonnyBrown said:

On the surface, it does sound like hard water!

The water report from our city doesn't indicate hard water, and I installed a filter on our shower heads when I moved in with DH.

Also if it were the water, my hair wouldn't have brightened when I stopped using Pantene Curly.

I also think my skin would have been affected. When I go snowboarding, the area where we stay has very hard water. I notice the effect on my skin right away.

It was baffling!

Chlorine in water can actually turn grey hair yellow. I do not recall my sister commenting at all that she noticed any skin issues with her water, just the hair and laundry, it was getting a dull cast to the whites and some of her dishes were developing a film from the dishwasher. There is also a bacteria that can form in water pipes and systems from iron, it's black and can cause issues, the water will look clear, the bacteria is not harmful to drink but causes issues with pipes and build up on household appliances that use water. The filters you have put in may not be the right ones if there is a specific water issue causing your troubles. You might want to have your water tested privately to see what's going on.

[HonnyBrown]

Mousse Musings!

I don't like clarifying shampoos either. I used one without the matching conditioner (prior to Wen) and my scalp was cheese grater itchy. Pantene Curly has never disappointed me, so I still use that.

How frequently do you do the scrub?

The Naturally Curly website has a section with billions of recipes for every hair need you can think of!

[ChynnaBlue]

On 9/12/2014 HonnyBrown said:

Mousse Musings!

I don't like clarifying shampoos either. I used one without the matching conditioner (prior to Wen) and my scalp was cheese grater itchy. Pantene Curly has never disappointed me, so I still use that.

How frequently do you do the scrub?

The Naturally Curly website has a section with billions of recipes for every hair need you can think of!

I love Naturally Curly. I joined that site years ago and was so glad I did. I don't think I'd have tried WEN at all without them. They're also based in Austin, where I live, so I knew that when Gretchen or Michelle talked about humidity, we were on the same page. It also means that there are a lot of local salons listed in their recommendations page.

The scrub is recommended weekly, but I'm always running late in the mornings and usually wind up doing it monthly. That seems to work well for me. I found a box of 12 smaller individually packaged brown sugar bags at the grocery store and have been using that. It's about $1 more expensive than a 1-lb bag of sugar, but I can open one small bag and get several uses out of it and not worry about the moisture turning a pound of sugar into a brick if I leave it in the bathroom.

[HonnyBrown]

ChynnaBlue, I frequented their sister site, Curly Nikki. They got rid of the app and the site went downhill, as far as participation and updates. I loved how Naturally Curly broke down humidity by dew points! WOW!

Thanks for explaining the scrub! I like the idea of the small packets. I can use brown sugar for one dessert before it solidifies.

[RyBelle]

On 9/12/2014 ChynnaBlue said:

I'm glad that works for you! I know Isabella, of the Musings of a Muse blog, also likes to use a clarifying shampoo.

I never liked them, even when I used shampoo, but I also deal with scalp buildup. I use a brown sugar scrub to help with that. As someone mentioned with the clarifying shampoo, once I do the scrub, I feel the WEN tingle again.

I DIY my scrub with brown sugar and grape seed oil, but you can also mix the brown sugar into your WEN. Here's the conditioner DIY recipe from Lorraine Massey's Curly Girl Handbook:

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons conditioner

1. mix together to create a thick paste
2. wet hair in the shower, then rub the paste on your fingertips. Apply to scalp and massage gently in a circular motion, starting at the nape of the neck and moving upward. Linger on any spots that seem tense or tingly.
3. Rinse thoroughly, then condition

When I use oil, I do an overnight oil treatment and then do the scrub in the morning. I do it in the shower so that I don't get sugar everywhere, and I don't use 3 tablespoons of oil. You can use any hair oil, including WEN. I like grapeseed because it's inexpensive and available at many stores. I like to add some pure tea tree oil, too.

I remember awhile back Redken had one of those scalp scrubs that was all-natural (which is weird because as a brand they usually aren't) and it was awesome!

I was actually thinking about it the other day, and it's since been discontinued, but now that I have this other recipe I'll give it a shot!

Thanks CB!