Isn't it so good? The detangling process is what would either make or break me retaining my hair and now since the water only washing I have been able to retain length without breakage. I love that you've been doing it for 5 months. How long do you plan on doing it for in total?
Thank you so much for making this video. Im only 15 and I'm trying to learn what's best for my 3c/4a hair. Anyways I started this method after watching your video and I can say that my hair is much softer and healthier. Thank you sooooo much for making this video!!!!!!!!!!!!
+Trinitee Jones You are sooooooo very welcome. I couldn't be more grateful that you watched the video, started the method, and have much softer and healthier hair. To this day I have not put shampoo on my hair and it feels incredible! I wish you tremendous blessings and love
I've been soap free for pretty much my entire life. My Husband was was surprised when he learned that i don't use soap because to quote him "you smell great, you're never dirty, your skin is soooooooo soft". Now he is even slowly transitioning to water only body washing. My plan is to transition to water only I'm just in a country where the water isn't the best quality.
I looooove that you are water only washing your body. Just as your husband, mine was very surprised that I can smell so good without soap. Soap totally dries out my skin and was just no good for me. Which country are you in?
I'm a Canadian living in Mexico, so it's the equivalent of bathing in bottled water to something you can't even try to drink. I don't even use perfume (body spray occasionally) and if I drink enough water I find I don't even require deodorant. I was the same way I found that soap just dried my skin, caused irritation then I had to use body lotion and my natural scent changed. Life is just easier
Yes, life is so much easier without soap. You live in Mexico? That's quite a different environment than Canada. It's the simple things in life that I gradually moved away from with the years that I spent on this earth and now I'm getting back to that simplistic lifestyle.
I couldn't agree more. I've slowly moved towards a more natural lifestyle. I've transitioned to vegan lifestyle, I've stopped wearing a lot of makeup. It is very different, I miss the cold (I have a hard time with the heat)
kennyrosita I kid you not when I say that I just decided to go back to a vegan lifestyle. I am transitioning now so I'm not fully vegan but I'm getting there. How about I give you the cold here in Maryland and you give me the heat there in Mexico :)
Seriously about 2 months now. Off and on about 2 years. I was doing it and DIY's and had no idea it was a method. I wore locs for 10 years. So I was accustom to water wash only already. But great video and thanks for sharing.
Hi, I water wash. I haven't been able to use soap since I was a child, allergies and eczema. The doc recommended a coal tar solution for hair. It just left hair feeling like straw and the scalp stayed dry and flaky. A couple of years ago I decided enough was enough no more coal tar stuff. It's water only even though I have hard water. Because of my abnormally dry skin I also use coconut oil, olive oil and almond oil. Once a month or so I do a mild vinegar rinse and I do a weekly conditioning treatment using banana, alternating with yogurt and fenugreek the following week. I've also done some henna glosses with henna and coconut milk.
K Rob That's great that you water only wash. You have sensitive skin like myself and I have been using just water for over a year and will NOT go back to soap, PERIOD! I will have to try the yogurt and fenugreek one of these days and let you know how it turned out :) Thank you so so much for watching the video and commenting. Blessings and love to you and yours
I was doing water washing for three years and you are correct. My hair was much healthier and manageable. I don't know why I went back to a perm. I am really considering doing a big chop and starting all over. Thanks for the video and reminding me of water washing. When the weather breaks we have to do lunch again.
3 years? That is what I'm talking about! My hair is thriving without products of any kind, it's much healthier and easier to manage...I just might go the rest of my life with water only washing. Please do me this...if you do a big chop PLEASE film it and put it on here? I would so love to see it? I can not wait till the weather gets better girl because I would love to hang out again with you
Thank you so very much! Thanks for sharing about washing your hair with water. I did that for awhile and stopped now I am going back. My skin is sensitive too. The water only washing is the best. My hair has been dry since I needed to replace my shower filter.
I was not expecting to laugh so much at this video😂😂 But yes, I understand your reaction completely! I recently just started the Water Only Method. I had extremely low expectations, to say the least, but when I started I was like what the &$!% I cant believe this♥️
Very beautiful lady. I'm on the water only hair washing method. I've noticed you have braids. How do you maintain this method on your protective style?
God bless you Havalyn. You are absolutely wonderful for saying such kind words. How long have you been doing the water only washing method? I find it real easy to maintain this method with my braids...it's extra simple. I just get into the shower, soak my hair/braids with water while preening the sebum down each braid, get out of the shower and let my braids dry naturally. I loooooooove it :)
Oh ok. Cool. I've been doing the method for almost a month. I don't think I can ever go back to products. I have 4c hair and as you know, our hair is coarse!!!! Lol. But my hair is so soft and manageable now. I love the fact that you're doing it with braids. I've just never seen anyone do this method with braids. Thank you so much. I loved this video and thanks for your response back♡♡♡♡♡♡
You are so very welcome! I am happy you enjoyed the video and love the fact that you don't ever plan on going back to using products. Though I said in the video that after a year I may try products again, I don't think I will. I love the way my hair feels on this method and like you, my hair is much more manageable now. Bless you always :)
so I've been doing it for almost 5 weeks and my hair is stronger, I haven't gotten total sebum coverage but this whole time I haven't been doing daily rinses which is how I started out. so I'll go back to doing that. but detailing is a breeze and I've noticed an improvement overall. question, since you've gotten your braids have you noticed any interference with the sebum coverage?
Hi Alicia :) I love that your hair is stronger and that detangling is a breeze. That alone is why I continue and will continue doing water only washing. Since I had the braids in I have noticed slight interference with coverage so what I do is preen preen preen like crazy lol. I take down my nape and edges once a week to make sure the sebum isn't caught because those are the areas that are most sensitive to trapping dust/sebum and stuff. I really hope this helped. If not and you would like to ask any and all questions, please do? Blessings and love to you
I've watched more than a few videos about water only washing hair and I am beginning to think it is the right thing for me. I always feel like when I wash my hair that within a week or less, like my scalp is dry and have build up and I don't even put product onto my scalp. I also noticed less breakage and shedding when just finger detangling, but then I always go back to the wide tooth comb.
XOXOtianna Before I started the method, I too watched a ton of videos from wateronlyhairwash's channel and decided that it was definitely for me. How long have you been doing the method and for how long do you plan on doing it? I feel you on the wide tooth comb thing. Finger detangling could become quite tedious but I also found that with this method the detangling process is much much easier for me :)
Great video! I love how you kept cussing and then apologizing immediately afterwards. Lol :) I would love to give this a shot but I am not sure it will work for my very low porosity hair. Most of the times when I let my hair air dry it takes a full day to completely dry.
Buhahahaha....girl I've got to watch what I say. It just comes out and then I realize that I am filming. Your hair takes a full day to completely dry? Goodness I wish my hair held water for that long. If you do try it I would LOVE to know about it, please? God bless you for watching and commenting, and accepting me for who I am i.e. someone who cusses
LMAO I do the same exact thing all the time! It just comes out sometimes you know! lol Yea my hair can take a full day to completely dry smh but it's mostly in the winter time that it takes that long. I have havana twists in my hair right now but as soon as i remove them I am going to try this and I'll let you know how it goes. :)
Thank you for sharing your experience! I wish I had seen this 2 months ago! :-) I just started the water only method yesterday after trying to figure out the most minimalist hair care method. It doesn't get any more minimal than just water! I'm excited to get rid of my products. I do still use soap but I make it myself and I'm using jojoba oil as my moisturizer. I'll look into the water only method for body washing as well. I'm active and a heavy sweater so I really hope it works!
Simora Cheeks Hi Simora :) You are ever so welcome. Believe me when I tell you that water only body washing works like an absolute charm. I too am quite active and just washing my body with water has done wonders on my skin. Washing my hair with just water has truly been an enlightening experience for my hair.
What about for your face? Do you use the water only method ? I tried it & my face broke out so I had to go bck to using soap. I'm from hot hot Jamaica! Lol
I too haven't used soap on my face in over a year...I have dry skin and haven't found a cleanser that doesn't dry out my face even more. I wish I was in Jamaica :) If using soap works for you, then by all means girl, use it
First of all, I must say you have very beautiful skin and pretty, white teeth. What are you using on them? Lol OK so I have been doing water only rinsing for a week now and I really like it. I have 4c, coarse, wirey textured hair and I must say, for any of you having issues to please use filtered water only. My hair was a tangled mess when I first tried this, but then I used filtered water and I noticed a huge difference! At least try rinsing with bottled water first and if it works, go out and get a filtered shower head. Also, to detangle, I spritz with filtered water and dab a tiny bit of avocado butter (I hate shea butter), on my ends to. So far this works great.
Stephanie S Bless you :) :) I use TOM's toothpaste. You just offered the BEST information ever!!! Thank you so much for that! I need to pass this along to a fellow youtuber and hope you don't mind if I reference you?
I know this is a very late comment. I started water only washing my body over three years ago when I found your video and watched it. I restarted the water only hair washing about 7 days ago and so far, both washing my body and hair with water is working perfect. Are you still water only washing your hair and body?
UrSula Artson Hi :) Maybe you can try using vinegar on your scalp, even baking soda helps real well. Also it is perfectly fine for you to add some jojoba or coconut oil to your scalp if you feel it needs it. PLEASE let me know if this helps?
Do you ever deep condition your hair? Have you experienced excess sebum? If so, what did you do to get rid of it? I used the maximum hydration method or some version of it for almost 6 months. I did the water only method for about 1 month, loved it, but went back to clay rinsing and flax seed gel. I am back on the method now. I am washing my hair with water only and using flax seed gel to seal and style. I only wash my hair in twists. I plan to use the cherry lola caramel treatment every 2 weeks to condition my hair. 30 day challenge.
Hi :) I don't deep condition my hair. To be honest this water only washing method has taken over the wash and condition process completely. I have got to try the cherry lola caramel treatment you are talking about! As far as excess sebum, the only time I experienced excess sebum was way before I began the water only washing method...I was washing my hair with my favorite wash, Terressentials, for the longest time. Little did I know that sebum had taken over every strand on my hair, so when it was time for my weekly wash, I began washing my hair with the Terressentials and all the sebum remained on every strand so I had to wash my hair with a shampoo that lathered up. I really love this method. It has done wonders on my hair :) Thanks so very much for watching!
I also did water only for about a total of 8 months, I was recently enticed by MHM for the 2nd time. So I decided a couple of days ago to return to water only and twisted my hair up to try to get my sebum going again. I have a google+ community, Water Only Washing for Black Girls, I would love if more ladies could join so we can share share share!! There is no going back for me, no more falling off the wagon, no more jonesing for some smell good conditioner. I was doing awesome with my banana conditioners and so on, so back I go!!
I definitely want to try this method soon. Do you use any products after you water-only wash to keep the moisture in? Or is the sebum enough? I don't want the winter air to dry my hair out... Also, would I have to have a water softener for this to work? Thanks for your feedback and the video. God bless!
Thank you so so much for watching my video :) As far as using any products to keep in the moisture, I don't use any because the sebum should be just fine. It took a long time for my sebum to cover my strands. While I was waiting for the sebum I suffered through the "dry" feel but was realizing more and more everyday that though it felt dry my strands were stronger. I completely understand about not wanting the winter air to dry out your strands and so if you feel (it's all about YOU) like you want/need additional moisture, by all means, applying your favorite oil should be perfectly fine. If you have hard water then maybe you can purchase a water filter but my sister does water only washing too, she has hard water yet her hair is thriving! I hope this helps? Please ask me any more questions that you would like, I would looooove to answer them. God bless you as well
Hey beautiful, happy to see you! I've thought about water washing only for my hair, but I sweat like a volcano while working out I'm afraid of the sweat smell left in my hair. I may give it a try in the summer for 1 month only and I will definitely let you know.
Heyyyyyy!!! So happy to see you too :) Girl let me tell you I exercise ALMOST (I stress the almost lol) everyday and my scalp sweats too. The great thing about water only washing is that you wash everyday so whatever scent you may think you are going to have it will wash out without a doubt. You will be amazed at what just water can do for your hair
Hi Danyale_85 how are you? I completely understand your concern about water washing with crochet braids and the smell. I am happy to say that I have not experienced a bad odor while water only washing with these braids. I let the warm water run over my head while massaging my scalp and glide the sebum down my braids. I hope this helps :)
Thanks for the video. Do you do the water only washing while you have your braids in? I want to continue water only washing when I get box braids, but I thought it would make them fuzzy with daily rinsing. Please let me know. I am very interested to know if you do/did that with braids.
You are so very welcome. I do water only wash with my box braids, and yes they do begin to look fuzzy but when I put my silk scarf on before bed, and my hair is still a bit damp, it presses whatever fuzziness back into place. It's definitely not as neat as when they are first braided but I just pay that price especially because I need my hair moisturized and it doesn't look bad at all. I hope this helps? :)
I also have sensitive skin. I was wondering what do you use to clean your body with - a washcloth? brush? Also, do you still have use a moisturizer on your skin?
I run warm/hot water over my skin without using anything but my hands but in the beginning I did use a loofah. On my skin I use cocoa butter and coconut oil and when it's time for me to shower the warm/hot water rinses me down to perfection.
Thank you so much for your response. This helps me a great deal. Do you do any protein deep conditioning with using this method? Not every week or anything, but maybe every month? I wasn't sure if I could incorporate this in with the WOW or just stick with the sebum? You have been so helpful to me in this new part of my natural hair journey, thank you so much. Be blessed!!!
Hi :) Does this mean that your hair will always have to be out sicne you have to run your fingers through it? Can you do any kind of protective styling while also doing water only? How would that work??
Taz A Hi :) You can definitely wear a protective style when you're water only washing. Though you do pull the sebum down your hair strands with your fingers, the warm water along with your preening will bring the sebum down your hair. I do recommend a protective style where you have access to your hair ie braids, mimi twists, etc. I really hope this helps. Please let me know, yes?
Hi all, I'm maybe out of my depth here but I am a man who has not used shampoo for maybe 2 years now. I was suffering with an itchy scalp, and no matter what products I tried, same old problem. It was my barber who suggested ditching all product and just using water. It realistically took a month to break the cycle of my hair over-oiling because of shampoo drying it out. Every time you use shampoo, you strip the hair and scalp of the natural oils, hence your body fights back by producing more. This is why you get greasy hair quickly. All I do now is vigorously rub my hair whilst in the shower, and gently massage my scalp with my fingernails at the same time to clear any dead skin from the pores. My hair is thicker, shinier and most importantly, no itchy scalp. Hope this helps somebody out there.
I've been water washing my 3c hair for 3 weeks now, and WOW! It's just amazing! You can feel the difference after a few days, but after 3 weeks! I let the warm water just run through my scalp and hair then pull and scritch as the water flows through. I have DEFINITELY noticed that my hair detangles much easier and there's less shedding too. I do this every day as well. You'd expect that this would be too much, but trust me it isn't. My hair thought it was Christmas! I also use my own mixture of oils too and it works wonders. Please try it! It really does work!!!!! 💆🏽
Elisa Woods You're the beautiful one...thank you so much. I loved doing the water only washing in my braids. I believe it's more beneficial to have your own hair in braids and not extensions while on this method but I didn't let the fact that I had extensions deter me from continuing on my water only washing journey :)
Hello! I have been doing the water only method for some time now but I have not been waking my hair everyday (I know, horrible lol). I definitely see major positive results but I was wondering if you could answer some questions? 1) How do you know when you've reached total sebum coverage & 2) do you dry your hair after washing or just let it air dry? Thanks!
Miriam Iroche Hi Miriam! That is so cool that you are on this method. I wouldn't worry too much about not washing it everyday especially if you are getting positive results. You should be able to feel/see the full coverage of sebum on your hair...it's sometimes thick yet when you do your preening it should thin it out over the strands. I let my hair air dry but if I'm in a rush I will put a t shirt on my head for about 30 seconds and then let it air dry :) I hope this helps?
Hi Dayna! In the beginning I wore my hair out daily. After about a week I was getting a bit tired of my night routine of braiding up my hair etc. so I decided to put mini twists in my hair. I found that once I had twists in my hair the sebum was running down the strands much quicker :) I hope this helps
sam heart Hi Sam!!! When I water wash and I feel that I need more moisture I do add jojoba oil until I get full sebum coverage. My absolute favorite go-to hair style is the bantu knot twist out! I looooooooooove it!!! Please let me know if this helps you in any way?
Hello, I'm doing the water wash only and want to wear braids wigs. Seeing that you wearing box braids I was wondering how did u clarify your hair without it stripping the sebum. The reason why I'm asking Bc when when normally apply the braids after a month there's some gunk maybe Bc of the products but is it different with just sebum thanks:)
Hi Jay O I clarified my hair before I put my box braids in...needless to say, you can clarify with your braids if you'd like. Though I always wish for no build up while wearing box braids, the sebum and lint and whatever else always seems to make it's way into the braids so I often take out braids individually to pull apart what the build up has caused and I do this before it gets to the "loc" stage. I really really hope this helps. Please ask me anything else if I haven't answered correctly :)
Do you think this will work on locked hair? Do you use any oils (Natural Oils) after you rinse or do you find that water dries out your hair like some people who have tried it? I think I want to try the no soap method on my skin too.
+hear fan Hello. Please forgive me for the late response. I truly do believe this will work on the loc method though I do not have proof. I know that my aunt and uncle both had locs and their sebum produced quite rapidly and though they used external oils they easily could've used their own sebum. In the beginning you will probably feel like your hair and scalp are dry but stick to it and you will see a 180 difference
Thanks. I actually tried it and it worked but I sort cheated and slacked off a little and started using shampoo. I guess old habits die hard, lol.. I'm going to try it again though because I think it's very beneficial
Hi there. First of all, thank you so much for taking time out of whatever your schedule is to make videos for our benefit. My question is, if I am massaging, scritching, preening while watching t.v. (or some other random time), do I need to then immediately get into the shower to distribute the sebum through my hair, or can there be a time lapse just in case I am not able to get right into the shower. Thank you again. Btw, I am only still gathering information at this stage but am completely enticed by all of the wonderful hair benefits it offers as well as the money savings. Phew...I'm scared to know how much money I've spent on hair care and products to date (and I've raised two girls, too..lol).
You are ever so welcome!!! I am beyond grateful you watched the video and hopefully got anything from it. I do not believe you have to immediately get into the shower after massaging/scritching/preening by any means. All that pre-shower work will not still be in place by the time you decide to get into the shower and wash your lovely hair. I too massage throughout the day and when I'm ready to take my shower, I do so. You and me both have spent too much money on hair products and I just about had it LOL. Gather as much information as you can and PLEASE ask me anything!!!! I am more than happy to help and if I don't know the answer I will research to find it for you. Blessings and love to you
Max Zavtur Hi :) I am sorry the smell of sebum isn't pleasant for you. Have you tried to mix vinegar with your water only washing method to rid of the smell? If you haven't tried it yet, please do and let me know how it turns out? I truly hope this helps
Isis4love Hi :) I use a leave-in every now and then whenever my hair feels too dry. I do wash and gos every day lol...I love them. I also do bantu knot outs
Hi BellaJournista :) Since it is cold outside it would be best to only wash at night so that in the morning it will be nice and dry before going out in this awful cold weather. Also now I only water wash every other day or ever two days...it depends on what my hair/scalp is communicating to me. If it feels dry then I wash it but if it feels like it can go another day without washing then I will let it go another day. I hope this helps? Please let me know
SuperCurlyGurl fantastic! I was going to hear that. Wish me luck! I clarified last night and applied jojoba oil to my ends. I'll do my first rinse tonight. :-) I think I might do a hot oil/ honey treatment before hand. Bad idea?
I have been natural for four years now and this is the easiest time I have had dealing with my hair. I don't see a reason to change what I have been doing. I'm in it for the long haul. I am very curious to see how my hair behaves during the Summer months using this method.
I totally feel you there!! If it isn't broke why fix it :). I would love to know how this method works for you in the summer as well. Would you mind keeping me posted? Blessings and love to you
this method seems so great but I just don't understand how I would wash my hair everyday considering that my hair type doesn't do well with wash and gos :( also do you think this method would work for someone who constantly works out ? My scalp gets so dirty.
Thanks for this video. I am a recovering product junkie so I'm hoping this method will deter me from buying any more hair products lol. I have a question: after you finish water washing your hair, do you add any conditioner, leave in or oils to seal in the moisture, or is it just water and nothing else?
Joy Keel Girl believe me I know how you feel about being a product junkie...i had every product under the freakin sun LO. I still have those products but I haven't purchased any new ones in MONTHS!!! and it is glorious on my wallet :) As far as adding anything after water washing, right now I don't but I used to in the beginning because that transitioning process of only water was a shock to my hair...I added coconut oil to the ends or jojoba oil. You can use anything you wish on your hair if you feel that it needs it. By any means do not deprive your hair if the water only isn't enough! I truly hope that helps? Please keep me posted?
***** Hi Latoya. I wear my hair out half the time and up in twists/braids the other half...50/50. When it's out, I bantu knot it up at night in the morning it has nice curl to it and I rock that style for 2 days :) in other words, I don't give it a chance to get matted or tangled. I hope this helps.
I'm on my 4th day and my scalp is so dry and flaky :( You mentioned it took some days before you noticed your sebum... The pads of my fingers are d-r-y after rubbing my scalp! How long until you noticed your sebum? I'm trying to stay encouraged but am wondering if this will work for those of us with dry scalps and/or dandruff. Thanks for the video!
I just saw an earlier post and you said it took you 4 weeks! Did you have any dryness during that time? I've been wondering if I should add oils, or if this won't give my scalp the chance to produce sebum as it should.
Nyeva B. I am so happy you asked...I COMPLETELY understand when you say your fingers were dry after rubbing your scalp. It took a good 3 1/2 4 weeks till I saw/felt any sebum. I didn't give up because I knew I had sebum from when I used to press my hair back in the day and the very next day sebum would appear so I knew I could produce it. You are more than welcome for the video. Thank YOU for your comment
8 weeks.. I used aleo vera gel to lay my hair down for work cause i cant wear twists to work. I was using dyi flax seed gel but was told that it would strip my sebum. i did a avc and water wash but i dont know what is safe to use that will strip my sebum...Thank you for you reply..
***** 8 weeks is ample time to produce sebum and if yours is not producing at the speed of your liking, please supplement with jojoba and coconut oil. I too use the acv and water rinse to clarify ie strip everything off of my hair. I am going to do some more research to find what you can do to get your sebum coming along. Bless you in every way
***** Hi again! @Stephanie S mentioned that she only uses filtered water on her hair and she said it works like a charm. Maybe that would be good on your hair too?
Hi! 😊 Yes you can definitely do this method with braids I just recommended to leave the braids in for no more than a month just so the sebum that is built up at your roots that won't make it down from preening could be released 😘
Hi fran.chesca you don't have to clarify before starting this method, though I do recommend it, just so that you are beginning the method with absolutely nothing on your hair. It's totally up to you :)
I thought it was funny when you cursed, haha. I've been doing this for about two weeks and I already feel sebum. I didn't clarify, though, so I wonder if some if it is residual product. It is already much easier to detangle, as you mentioned. With product I was losing so much hair from breakage. However, I don't rinse every day but only when I feel like my hair is starting to feel dirty (so every 2-3 days, just about). My hair is 4a, 3c, and 3b and about 2 inches long when curly [14 inches pulled straight (I measured it with a ruler) - major shrinkage!]. I'm glad you mentioned not using soap. I've been wanting to try that, also!
Brittany Harrison Hi Brittanly! I am so sorry for responding so late...I let my hair air dry over night. Sometimes it isn't dry the next day and that bothers the "you-know-what" out of me. My dry time normally takes 6-8 hours over night in it's bantu knot style. If it's just out riding free it takes 2-3 hours to dry. :) I really didn't notice too much of a difference of drying time from water only washing as opposed to washing with products.
I tried the WOHW regime several months ago, but after about 1 month I stopped. I never saw any sebum and got discouraged. I'm ready to try again, but would like some input on what I may have been doing wrong. My hair is very fine. Help!
I am so so sorry that I am just now responding to your comment. I too have fine hair and was discouraged in the beginning with my sebum not covering my strands. I can't stand that "dry" feeling of my hair but with just the water only washing I have found that detangling my hair is super easy, my hair is stronger though it's fine, and my hair is much healthier. Have you massaged your scalp and preened your hair everyday for ten minutes? They say we should do that, I just don't have the patience though it may help your sebum produce more which can hopefully help you get full coverage if you choose to do this method again? Please keep me posted?
I washing/clarified my hair last night with ACV and I'm ready to jump back on the bandwagon. I will take your advice by massaging my scalp every night for up to 10 minutes. I hope this time around I'm more successful with sebum production. I'll keep you posted. It is encouraging that we share similar hair textures and you've achieve sebum production. That's certainly encouraging t hear. I'll stay in touch.
I am so so so excited that you decided to do the water only washing again. Yes, my hair is real real fine yet strong because of this method. I can't wait to hear updates :)
Hmm...I wonder if I should try this on myself and my daughter. She's biracial and her hair gets super dry and since she's only 14 months old I don't necessarily want to use a whole bunch of products on her.
Carmala Goins Hi Carmala, my sebum didn't produce fast either and it was driving me crazy. I stuck with it and finally was noticing the sebum as I was running my fingers through my hair in the shower...it was nice and slippery. All that to say apple cider vinegar if used excessively may strip your hairs sebum but if you use it moderately you should be just fine. Please let me know if this helped in any way?
Hi, I've been watching a few videos now about water washing and I am considering it, the thing is that I don't have heat settings in my shower which means that I have basically only cold water ( not ice cold because I don't leave in a cold country, but in the islands, so the water is not icy ). Now you said that one needs warm water, is that going to be a problem if I only do it with cool water ? or it absolutely must be warm. I am not seeing myself heating up a pot of water every day to put it on my head :/
Priceless I mention warm water because it melts the sebum enough for you to preen it down your hair strands, but if you don't have warm water I would not let that deter you. Cold water is excellent on our hair for it closes our cuticle so if you just preen before entering the shower then rinse for about 5 minutes I am sure you will be just fine
SuperCurlyGurl Thank you for your help :) I finally decided to try it (it has been four days now ) and for now my hair is dry but I think it's because I don't take the time to massage my scalp correctly, I am still adapting myself to the routine :D But It's coming :) Thank you for your help and time :) I will be using your advice in my future washes :)
I am ever so sorry for the late response. You are very welcome and if there is anything I can do please let me know. I am happy to hear that you started this journey and I truly pray it works just as well for you as it does for me
I've been natural for a year and my hair isn't as long so do you have any tips as to what I should do if u have shorter hair? Or should I just braid my hair the same way? Also would it be ideal for me to detangle with MY hands if my hair isn't long. Seems like I'm having a problem getting the method due to my length..
Key Vlogs Hi! Your hands are absolutely the best tool to detangle your hair at all lengths :) May I ask with what exactly you are having a problem? I would love to know so that I can help you fully. If you would like to put your hair in braids while doing the water only washing method that would be great! While my hair was in braids it was super easy for me to do the method because all I had to do was massage my scalp and get into the shower with the warm water running down my braids as I pulled my sebum down the strands. I am looking forward to you getting back to me. Thanks so much!!
Well I was just concerned because I haven't saw anyone with shorter or mid length hair do this so I needed to know if there was a different method I should use due to length. But actually my hair has grown quite a bit since I left this comment so maybe I won't have as much as a problem as I thought I would. Oh and do you use conditioner? SuperCurlyGurl
I love water washing on my hair! It's just amazing to have sebum coverage. I've been using honey lately to dye my hair, which is going to take another month or two to get the color I want. It's keeping more oil off my hair than I would like. But I still have decent coverage, so it's cool. I will NEVER use commercial products on my hair ever again, they're just so unhealthy...
Do you think this would work if I wash my hair with lukewarm water instead? I dont really have access to hot water in the shower and having to heat the water every day in the oven seems like such a pain! (yes Im lazy like that lol)
Hi!! It most certainly will work with luke warm water. I highly suggest before getting in the shower, to massage your scalp and preen/pull with fingers the sebum down your hair strands first (you know where in the video I said I should do that but it takes ten minutes? Lol) I completely understand you on the lazy aspect lol. I too get lazy and don't feel like preening or anything and that's why I use the hot water. Blessings and love to you.
SuperCurlyGurl thanks for answering! I actually made my dad bought me a water heater so that's not a problem anymore hahaha (daughter power! lol). so its only been three days of washing with water (only two with warm water) and Ive noticed something. my sebum feels really thick! it feels like if I had a heavy and thick cream on my hair while I wash it, I thought it would feel more like a thin oil but it doesn't feel that way (and when my hair dries it feels like if I had applied a really hard gel to it), is it normal? you think the thickness feeling will get better as I keep washing it? *It's also strange to me that it feels that way because its only been three days and I shouldn't have much sebum, yet my hair feels "heavy". its just weird.
Naturalpromise You have sebum already? You're so lucky!! And don't worry one bit about having thick sebum...the great thing with having thick sebum is that you have a lot to spread around all of your hair strands, so I would definitely recommend massaging your scalp and preen your hair (bring the sebum down your strands) before washing your hair the next time. If it gets to a point where you just can't take the thickness, do a vinegar rinse and that should loosen up your sebum a bit. Please oh please let me know what happens? #DaughterPower
SuperCurlyGurl You know what I think the problem is? I didnt clarify my hair. Because I wasn't using hair products (I was washing my hair with soap.....Im talking about soap made for the body....what?! it made my hair feel soft! LOL) I didnt think it was necessary to clarify. so I washed my hair today with water only and my hair just felt NASTY! like if it had gunk and glue in it. I know thats not my sebum because I know how my sebum feels and its not that sticky (mine its kinda waxy but never to that extreme...besides its only been a few days so it doesnt make sense that all my hair would be covered in sebum already). so I used shampoo and I could see all the dirty water running down! my hair was just dirty for what it seemed ahaha I used a vinegar rinse afterwards to clarify and now I'll just start over. I won't wash my hair for a week to make sure I have enough sebum to start out. hopefully this time things will work.
I hope it works out this time for you too. The great thing is you know what happened and what you needed to change. Thank you for keeping me posted. Please continue to do so? I really want to know
Hi Imoni, in the beginning (first 10 days or when you notice you have full sebum coverage) wash it everyday and then you can ease up from washing everyday to when you feel your hair needs a wash again :)
Help!!!! This is not working for me!! I dont think i have any sebum..LOL,, been using jojoba oil but it does not seem to be helping,, my hair is dry dry dry!!
***** I COMPLETELY understand what you are going through...I didn't think I had any sebum either. It took my sebum 4 weeks to kick in and even then I didn't have full coverage. I too supplemented with jojoba and coconut oil. How many weeks has it been for you now?
did the jojoba oil and coconut oil cause build up? did you use the ACV rinse again after starting this routine? what ratio of ACV to water do you use? Great video, I am trying this method right now with sweet almond oil on my hair and scalp before i water wash because my skin produces minimal sebum.
Hi Super Curly Gurl, congrats on your 4 months of WOHM. I've been doing the Water only method for 3 months now, and I'm starting to see the benefits the more. I too had a low sebum production, but like you, because my hair shedding was significantly reduced with WOHW method, I'm sticking with it:) Please check out my new channel with my Water Only journey. Enjoyed your video!
Hi Ila :) I am very happy to know that you too are on the WOHW journey and that it is benefitting you. Thank you so much for watching my video. I am going to go and check out your channel right now :)
That takes 10 got damn *opps* that takes 10 min. I almost fell out my chair from laughing
I had to pause it lol
I know this video is old, but it still makes me smile lol Thank you! I've been loving the water only washing💜 Glad I was guided to you channel!
I’m so thankful this video makes you smile. That brings my heart most joy 💕💕💕
I'm going to do this right now. I am soooo pumped!!!!!
Jessa Stephens YAY!! Please keep me posted?
I have been using water only for five months now. I agree with you detangling has become so much easier.
Isn't it so good? The detangling process is what would either make or break me retaining my hair and now since the water only washing I have been able to retain length without breakage. I love that you've been doing it for 5 months. How long do you plan on doing it for in total?
Yep...it's settled. I'm starting the water only wash method today. After watching so many videos I think that this would be the best method for me.
treschictima That's so great!!! I would greatly appreciate it if you kept me updated...that is only if you have the time? Thanks so much!!
me 2 ill start it today
Love your video!! Water washing has brought back my curls by moisturizing my dry hair.
Mystic Crystal Awe.....thanks so so much!! I love hearing that you do water only washing too and that it revitalized your beautiful curls...awesome!
wonderful idea. I might just try it. glad to see you back. hair looks beautiful.
God bless you. If you do give it a try please let me know? Thanks so much!
natural scent is amazing water only give your hair and skin a perfect PH balance.
Thank you so much for making this video. Im only 15 and I'm trying to learn what's best for my 3c/4a hair. Anyways I started this method after watching your video and I can say that my hair is much softer and healthier. Thank you sooooo much for making this video!!!!!!!!!!!!
+Trinitee Jones You are sooooooo very welcome. I couldn't be more grateful that you watched the video, started the method, and have much softer and healthier hair. To this day I have not put shampoo on my hair and it feels incredible! I wish you tremendous blessings and love
I've been soap free for pretty much my entire life. My Husband was was surprised when he learned that i don't use soap because to quote him "you smell great, you're never dirty, your skin is soooooooo soft". Now he is even slowly transitioning to water only body washing. My plan is to transition to water only I'm just in a country where the water isn't the best quality.
I looooove that you are water only washing your body. Just as your husband, mine was very surprised that I can smell so good without soap. Soap totally dries out my skin and was just no good for me. Which country are you in?
I'm a Canadian living in Mexico, so it's the equivalent of bathing in bottled water to something you can't even try to drink. I don't even use perfume (body spray occasionally) and if I drink enough water I find I don't even require deodorant. I was the same way I found that soap just dried my skin, caused irritation then I had to use body lotion and my natural scent changed. Life is just easier
Yes, life is so much easier without soap. You live in Mexico? That's quite a different environment than Canada. It's the simple things in life that I gradually moved away from with the years that I spent on this earth and now I'm getting back to that simplistic lifestyle.
I couldn't agree more. I've slowly moved towards a more natural lifestyle. I've transitioned to vegan lifestyle, I've stopped wearing a lot of makeup. It is very different, I miss the cold (I have a hard time with the heat)
kennyrosita I kid you not when I say that I just decided to go back to a vegan lifestyle. I am transitioning now so I'm not fully vegan but I'm getting there. How about I give you the cold here in Maryland and you give me the heat there in Mexico :)
I too love the water only washing method
That's great! How long have you been doing it?
Seriously about 2 months now. Off and on about 2 years. I was doing it and DIY's and had no idea it was a method. I wore locs for 10 years. So I was accustom to water wash only already. But great video and thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for watching! So you were doing the water only washing method long before we all caught on to it....love it!
Hi, I water wash. I haven't been able to use soap since I was a child, allergies and eczema. The doc recommended a coal tar solution for hair. It just left hair feeling like straw and the scalp stayed dry and flaky. A couple of years ago I decided enough was enough no more coal tar stuff. It's water only even though I have hard water. Because of my abnormally dry skin I also use coconut oil, olive oil and almond oil. Once a month or so I do a mild vinegar rinse and I do a weekly conditioning treatment using banana, alternating with yogurt and fenugreek the following week. I've also done some henna glosses with henna and coconut milk.
K Rob That's great that you water only wash. You have sensitive skin like myself and I have been using just water for over a year and will NOT go back to soap, PERIOD! I will have to try the yogurt and fenugreek one of these days and let you know how it turned out :) Thank you so so much for watching the video and commenting. Blessings and love to you and yours
I was doing water washing for three years and you are correct. My hair was much healthier and manageable. I don't know why I went back to a perm. I am really considering doing a big chop and starting all over. Thanks for the video and reminding me of water washing. When the weather breaks we have to do lunch again.
3 years? That is what I'm talking about! My hair is thriving without products of any kind, it's much healthier and easier to manage...I just might go the rest of my life with water only washing. Please do me this...if you do a big chop PLEASE film it and put it on here? I would so love to see it? I can not wait till the weather gets better girl because I would love to hang out again with you
love the presentation awesome I'm not natural but my daughter is I will defiantly be sharing this with her thanks
Hello gorgeous :) Thank you so much. I use water only on my daughters too and like mine, their hair is thriving!!
Thank you so very much! Thanks for sharing about washing your hair with water. I did that for awhile and stopped now I am going back. My skin is sensitive too. The water only washing is the best. My hair has been dry since I needed to replace my shower filter.
Bridgette S You are more than welcome
I was not expecting to laugh so much at this video😂😂 But yes, I understand your reaction completely! I recently just started the Water Only Method. I had extremely low expectations, to say the least, but when I started I was like what the &$!% I cant believe this♥️
Very beautiful lady. I'm on the water only hair washing method. I've noticed you have braids. How do you maintain this method on your protective style?
God bless you Havalyn. You are absolutely wonderful for saying such kind words. How long have you been doing the water only washing method? I find it real easy to maintain this method with my braids...it's extra simple. I just get into the shower, soak my hair/braids with water while preening the sebum down each braid, get out of the shower and let my braids dry naturally. I loooooooove it :)
Oh ok. Cool. I've been doing the method for almost a month. I don't think I can ever go back to products. I have 4c hair and as you know, our hair is coarse!!!! Lol. But my hair is so soft and manageable now. I love the fact that you're doing it with braids. I've just never seen anyone do this method with braids. Thank you so much. I loved this video and thanks for your response back♡♡♡♡♡♡
You are so very welcome! I am happy you enjoyed the video and love the fact that you don't ever plan on going back to using products. Though I said in the video that after a year I may try products again, I don't think I will. I love the way my hair feels on this method and like you, my hair is much more manageable now. Bless you always :)
so I've been doing it for almost 5 weeks and my hair is stronger, I haven't gotten total sebum coverage but this whole time I haven't been doing daily rinses which is how I started out. so I'll go back to doing that. but detailing is a breeze and I've noticed an improvement overall. question, since you've gotten your braids have you noticed any interference with the sebum coverage?
Hi Alicia :) I love that your hair is stronger and that detangling is a breeze. That alone is why I continue and will continue doing water only washing. Since I had the braids in I have noticed slight interference with coverage so what I do is preen preen preen like crazy lol. I take down my nape and edges once a week to make sure the sebum isn't caught because those are the areas that are most sensitive to trapping dust/sebum and stuff. I really hope this helped. If not and you would like to ask any and all questions, please do? Blessings and love to you
I've watched more than a few videos about water only washing hair and I am beginning to think it is the right thing for me. I always feel like when I wash my hair that within a week or less, like my scalp is dry and have build up and I don't even put product onto my scalp. I also noticed less breakage and shedding when just finger detangling, but then I always go back to the wide tooth comb.
XOXOtianna Before I started the method, I too watched a ton of videos from wateronlyhairwash's channel and decided that it was definitely for me. How long have you been doing the method and for how long do you plan on doing it? I feel you on the wide tooth comb thing. Finger detangling could become quite tedious but I also found that with this method the detangling process is much much easier for me :)
Great video! I love how you kept cussing and then apologizing immediately afterwards. Lol :) I would love to give this a shot but I am not sure it will work for my very low porosity hair. Most of the times when I let my hair air dry it takes a full day to completely dry.
Buhahahaha....girl I've got to watch what I say. It just comes out and then I realize that I am filming. Your hair takes a full day to completely dry? Goodness I wish my hair held water for that long. If you do try it I would LOVE to know about it, please? God bless you for watching and commenting, and accepting me for who I am i.e. someone who cusses
LMAO I do the same exact thing all the time! It just comes out sometimes you know! lol Yea my hair can take a full day to completely dry smh but it's mostly in the winter time that it takes that long. I have havana twists in my hair right now but as soon as i remove them I am going to try this and I'll let you know how it goes. :)
ahabahshiloh I can't wait to hear how it goes. Thank you for keeping me posted :)
Thank you for sharing your experience! I wish I had seen this 2 months ago! :-) I just started the water only method yesterday after trying to figure out the most minimalist hair care method. It doesn't get any more minimal than just water! I'm excited to get rid of my products. I do still use soap but I make it myself and I'm using jojoba oil as my moisturizer. I'll look into the water only method for body washing as well. I'm active and a heavy sweater so I really hope it works!
Simora Cheeks Hi Simora :) You are ever so welcome. Believe me when I tell you that water only body washing works like an absolute charm. I too am quite active and just washing my body with water has done wonders on my skin. Washing my hair with just water has truly been an enlightening experience for my hair.
What about for your face? Do you use the water only method ? I tried it & my face broke out so I had to go bck to using soap. I'm from hot hot Jamaica! Lol
I too haven't used soap on my face in over a year...I have dry skin and haven't found a cleanser that doesn't dry out my face even more. I wish I was in Jamaica :) If using soap works for you, then by all means girl, use it
First of all, I must say you have very beautiful skin and pretty, white teeth. What are you using on them? Lol
OK so I have been doing water only rinsing for a week now and I really like it. I have 4c, coarse, wirey textured hair and I must say, for any of you having issues to please use filtered water only. My hair was a tangled mess when I first tried this, but then I used filtered water and I noticed a huge difference! At least try rinsing with bottled water first and if it works, go out and get a filtered shower head.
Also, to detangle, I spritz with filtered water and dab a tiny bit of avocado butter (I hate shea butter), on my ends to. So far this works great.
Stephanie S Bless you :) :) I use TOM's toothpaste. You just offered the BEST information ever!!! Thank you so much for that! I need to pass this along to a fellow youtuber and hope you don't mind if I reference you?
No I don't mind the reference at all. And thank you again for your videos.
Can you do an informational video about washing your skin with just water?! I have really sensitive skin too...
I most certainly will do a video...just for you
Thank you for making me feel so special!! Lol!
You are ever so welcome, for you ARE special :)
Hi you
Thank yoouu!! I'm heading over to see it! :D
I know this is a very late comment. I started water only washing my body over three years ago when I found your video and watched it. I restarted the water only hair washing about 7 days ago and so far, both washing my body and hair with water is working perfect. Are you still water only washing your hair and body?
I have been washing with water only for two weeks. My scalp is very itchy. Any ideas as to what to do for an itchy scalp?
UrSula Artson Hi :) Maybe you can try using vinegar on your scalp, even baking soda helps real well. Also it is perfectly fine for you to add some jojoba or coconut oil to your scalp if you feel it needs it. PLEASE let me know if this helps?
Thank you
Do you ever deep condition your hair? Have you experienced excess sebum? If so, what did you do to get rid of it? I used the maximum hydration method or some version of it for almost 6 months. I did the water only method for about 1 month, loved it, but went back to clay rinsing and flax seed gel. I am back on the method now. I am washing my hair with water only and using flax seed gel to seal and style. I only wash my hair in twists. I plan to use the cherry lola caramel treatment every 2 weeks to condition my hair. 30 day challenge.
Hi :) I don't deep condition my hair. To be honest this water only washing method has taken over the wash and condition process completely. I have got to try the cherry lola caramel treatment you are talking about! As far as excess sebum, the only time I experienced excess sebum was way before I began the water only washing method...I was washing my hair with my favorite wash, Terressentials, for the longest time. Little did I know that sebum had taken over every strand on my hair, so when it was time for my weekly wash, I began washing my hair with the Terressentials and all the sebum remained on every strand so I had to wash my hair with a shampoo that lathered up. I really love this method. It has done wonders on my hair :) Thanks so very much for watching!
I also did water only for about a total of 8 months, I was recently enticed by MHM for the 2nd time. So I decided a couple of days ago to return to water only and twisted my hair up to try to get my sebum going again. I have a google+ community, Water Only Washing for Black Girls, I would love if more ladies could join so we can share share share!! There is no going back for me, no more falling off the wagon, no more jonesing for some smell good conditioner. I was doing awesome with my banana conditioners and so on, so back I go!!
That's what I'm talking about!!! Water Only Washing ALL THE WAY
I definitely want to try this method soon. Do you use any products after you water-only wash to keep the moisture in? Or is the sebum enough? I don't want the winter air to dry my hair out... Also, would I have to have a water softener for this to work? Thanks for your feedback and the video. God bless!
Thank you so so much for watching my video :) As far as using any products to keep in the moisture, I don't use any because the sebum should be just fine. It took a long time for my sebum to cover my strands. While I was waiting for the sebum I suffered through the "dry" feel but was realizing more and more everyday that though it felt dry my strands were stronger. I completely understand about not wanting the winter air to dry out your strands and so if you feel (it's all about YOU) like you want/need additional moisture, by all means, applying your favorite oil should be perfectly fine. If you have hard water then maybe you can purchase a water filter but my sister does water only washing too, she has hard water yet her hair is thriving! I hope this helps? Please ask me any more questions that you would like, I would looooove to answer them. God bless you as well
Hey beautiful, happy to see you! I've thought about water washing only for my hair, but I sweat like a volcano while working out I'm afraid of the sweat smell left in my hair. I may give it a try in the summer for 1 month only and I will definitely let you know.
Heyyyyyy!!! So happy to see you too :) Girl let me tell you I exercise ALMOST (I stress the almost lol) everyday and my scalp sweats too. The great thing about water only washing is that you wash everyday so whatever scent you may think you are going to have it will wash out without a doubt. You will be amazed at what just water can do for your hair
hello how are you? but i have crochet braids, i'm afraid my braids going to started smelling I see you have braids what do you do?
Hi Danyale_85 how are you? I completely understand your concern about water washing with crochet braids and the smell. I am happy to say that I have not experienced a bad odor while water only washing with these braids. I let the warm water run over my head while massaging my scalp and glide the sebum down my braids. I hope this helps :)
Do you still do this method with braids and if so, how? PRETTY PLEASE ANSWER BACK!
+Liberty Davis Hi :) Yes I still do this method but I don't have braids in my hair presently :)
Thanks for the video. Do you do the water only washing while you have your braids in? I want to continue water only washing when I get box braids, but I thought it would make them fuzzy with daily rinsing. Please let me know. I am very interested to know if you do/did that with braids.
You are so very welcome. I do water only wash with my box braids, and yes they do begin to look fuzzy but when I put my silk scarf on before bed, and my hair is still a bit damp, it presses whatever fuzziness back into place. It's definitely not as neat as when they are first braided but I just pay that price especially because I need my hair moisturized and it doesn't look bad at all. I hope this helps? :)
I also have sensitive skin. I was wondering what do you use to clean your body with - a washcloth? brush? Also, do you still have use a moisturizer on your skin?
I run warm/hot water over my skin without using anything but my hands but in the beginning I did use a loofah. On my skin I use cocoa butter and coconut oil and when it's time for me to shower the warm/hot water rinses me down to perfection.
SuperCurlyGurl Great, thanks!
lrt12345 You're very welcome :)
Thank you so much for your response. This helps me a great deal. Do you do any protein deep conditioning with using this method? Not every week or anything, but maybe every month? I wasn't sure if I could incorporate this in with the WOW or just stick with the sebum? You have been so helpful to me in this new part of my natural hair journey, thank you so much. Be blessed!!!
You are so very welcome
Hi :) Does this mean that your hair will always have to be out sicne you have to run your fingers through it? Can you do any kind of protective styling while also doing water only? How would that work??
Taz A Hi :) You can definitely wear a protective style when you're water only washing. Though you do pull the sebum down your hair strands with your fingers, the warm water along with your preening will bring the sebum down your hair. I do recommend a protective style where you have access to your hair ie braids, mimi twists, etc. I really hope this helps. Please let me know, yes?
Hi all, I'm maybe out of my depth here but I am a man who has not used shampoo for maybe 2 years now. I was suffering with an itchy scalp, and no matter what products I tried, same old problem. It was my barber who suggested ditching all product and just using water. It realistically took a month to break the cycle of my hair over-oiling because of shampoo drying it out. Every time you use shampoo, you strip the hair and scalp of the natural oils, hence your body fights back by producing more. This is why you get greasy hair quickly. All I do now is vigorously rub my hair whilst in the shower, and gently massage my scalp with my fingernails at the same time to clear any dead skin from the pores. My hair is thicker, shinier and most importantly, no itchy scalp. Hope this helps somebody out there.
Damn... I could never do that. I adore the scent left in my hair after washing it. :3
+Chaos Valley :) It's definitely not for everyone.
Good on you for doing it though! :)
I've been water washing my 3c hair for 3 weeks now, and WOW! It's just amazing! You can feel the difference after a few days, but after 3 weeks! I let the warm water just run through my scalp and hair then pull and scritch as the water flows through. I have DEFINITELY noticed that my hair detangles much easier and there's less shedding too. I do this every day as well. You'd expect that this would be too much, but trust me it isn't. My hair thought it was Christmas! I also use my own mixture of oils too and it works wonders. Please try it! It really does work!!!!! 💆🏽
Hello beautiful! Do you use the water only daily method while your hair is in braids?
Elisa Woods You're the beautiful one...thank you so much. I loved doing the water only washing in my braids. I believe it's more beneficial to have your own hair in braids and not extensions while on this method but I didn't let the fact that I had extensions deter me from continuing on my water only washing journey :)
Hello! I have been doing the water only method for some time now but I have not been waking my hair everyday (I know, horrible lol). I definitely see major positive results but I was wondering if you could answer some questions? 1) How do you know when you've reached total sebum coverage & 2) do you dry your hair after washing or just let it air dry? Thanks!
*washing
Miriam Iroche Hi Miriam! That is so cool that you are on this method. I wouldn't worry too much about not washing it everyday especially if you are getting positive results. You should be able to feel/see the full coverage of sebum on your hair...it's sometimes thick yet when you do your preening it should thin it out over the strands. I let my hair air dry but if I'm in a rush I will put a t shirt on my head for about 30 seconds and then let it air dry :) I hope this helps?
SuperCurlyGurl you helped tremendously!! Thank you :)
That's wonderful! You are so so very welcome
SuperCurlyGurl btw, have you ever tried to do wash and go with this method? I'm curious to know if it works. My hair is 4c I believe.
3:28 haha loved your honesty :D
LOL...sometimes it just slips out :) I am very happy you enjoyed it, though
SuperCurlyGurl Did you wear your hair out daily? Or in twists (or any other style)?
Hi Dayna! In the beginning I wore my hair out daily. After about a week I was getting a bit tired of my night routine of braiding up my hair etc. so I decided to put mini twists in my hair. I found that once I had twists in my hair the sebum was running down the strands much quicker :) I hope this helps
Okay. Thanks!
Dayna Palmer Anytime :)
I want to start but I have a question. Do you use any other products when your done water washing your hair? Also what type of hair styles to do?
sam heart Hi Sam!!! When I water wash and I feel that I need more moisture I do add jojoba oil until I get full sebum coverage. My absolute favorite go-to hair style is the bantu knot twist out! I looooooooooove it!!! Please let me know if this helps you in any way?
Okay thanks. I have just been putting my hair in a bun. But I would try that now.
sam heart If you feel like it, could you send me a pic of the results?
I'll will when I figure out to.
sam heart I am looking forward to it :)
Hello, I'm doing the water wash only and want to wear braids wigs. Seeing that you wearing box braids I was wondering how did u clarify your hair without it stripping the sebum. The reason why I'm asking Bc when when normally apply the braids after a month there's some gunk maybe Bc of the products but is it different with just sebum thanks:)
Hi Jay O I clarified my hair before I put my box braids in...needless to say, you can clarify with your braids if you'd like. Though I always wish for no build up while wearing box braids, the sebum and lint and whatever else always seems to make it's way into the braids so I often take out braids individually to pull apart what the build up has caused and I do this before it gets to the "loc" stage. I really really hope this helps. Please ask me anything else if I haven't answered correctly :)
What product do you add afterwards for moisture? For instance, before bed? My hair ends up really dry in the morning and ugh it's annoying!
+mabrymy123 Hi :) I use jojoba oil but you can use whichever oil you find works best on your hair.
Do you think this will work on locked hair? Do you use any oils (Natural Oils) after you rinse or do you find that water dries out your hair like some people who have tried it? I think I want to try the no soap method on my skin too.
+hear fan Hello. Please forgive me for the late response. I truly do believe this will work on the loc method though I do not have proof. I know that my aunt and uncle both had locs and their sebum produced quite rapidly and though they used external oils they easily could've used their own sebum. In the beginning you will probably feel like your hair and scalp are dry but stick to it and you will see a 180 difference
Thanks. I actually tried it and it worked but I sort cheated and slacked off a little and started using shampoo. I guess old habits die hard, lol.. I'm going to try it again though because I think it's very beneficial
You're very welcome. I would really like it if you could keep me updated?
no problem
Thank you :)
Hi there. First of all, thank you so much for taking time out of whatever your schedule is to make videos for our benefit.
My question is, if I am massaging, scritching, preening while watching t.v. (or some other random time), do I need to then immediately get into the shower to distribute the sebum through my hair, or can there be a time lapse just in case I am not able to get right into the shower.
Thank you again. Btw, I am only still gathering information at this stage but am completely enticed by all of the wonderful hair benefits it offers as well as the money savings. Phew...I'm scared to know how much money I've spent on hair care and products to date (and I've raised two girls, too..lol).
You are ever so welcome!!! I am beyond grateful you watched the video and hopefully got anything from it. I do not believe you have to immediately get into the shower after massaging/scritching/preening by any means. All that pre-shower work will not still be in place by the time you decide to get into the shower and wash your lovely hair. I too massage throughout the day and when I'm ready to take my shower, I do so. You and me both have spent too much money on hair products and I just about had it LOL. Gather as much information as you can and PLEASE ask me anything!!!! I am more than happy to help and if I don't know the answer I will research to find it for you. Blessings and love to you
Hi, I wash my hair with water too. But I have not very pleasant smell from them. It's smell from sebum. Can you suggest something?
Max Zavtur Hi :) I am sorry the smell of sebum isn't pleasant for you. Have you tried to mix vinegar with your water only washing method to rid of the smell? If you haven't tried it yet, please do and let me know how it turns out? I truly hope this helps
Do you use any leave ins now that you ahve total sebum coverage? Are you doing wash and goes when you are not in braids?
Isis4love Hi :) I use a leave-in every now and then whenever my hair feels too dry. I do wash and gos every day lol...I love them. I also do bantu knot outs
at what point do you stop rinsing your hair every day? I don't think my hair/scalp likes being wet so often especially with cool weather.
Hi BellaJournista :) Since it is cold outside it would be best to only wash at night so that in the morning it will be nice and dry before going out in this awful cold weather. Also now I only water wash every other day or ever two days...it depends on what my hair/scalp is communicating to me. If it feels dry then I wash it but if it feels like it can go another day without washing then I will let it go another day. I hope this helps? Please let me know
SuperCurlyGurl fantastic! I was going to hear that. Wish me luck! I clarified last night and applied jojoba oil to my ends. I'll do my first rinse tonight. :-) I think I might do a hot oil/ honey treatment before hand. Bad idea?
I wish you all the luck
I have been natural for four years now and this is the easiest time I have had dealing with my hair. I don't see a reason to change what I have been doing.
I'm in it for the long haul. I am very curious to see how my hair behaves during the Summer months using this method.
I totally feel you there!! If it isn't broke why fix it :). I would love to know how this method works for you in the summer as well. Would you mind keeping me posted? Blessings and love to you
How long do u wash your hair when doing the water only washing?
Hi Brittany-Jolly :) I wash my hair for about 8-10 minutes.
this method seems so great but I just don't understand how I would wash my hair everyday considering that my hair type doesn't do well with wash and gos :( also do you think this method would work for someone who constantly works out ? My scalp gets so dirty.
yournextsmile My scalp gets sweaty and dirty as well. I do skip days but in the beginning I did it everyday.
Okay thank you ! :)
Thanks for this video. I am a recovering product junkie so I'm hoping this method will deter me from buying any more hair products lol. I have a question: after you finish water washing your hair, do you add any conditioner, leave in or oils to seal in the moisture, or is it just water and nothing else?
Joy Keel Girl believe me I know how you feel about being a product junkie...i had every product under the freakin sun LO. I still have those products but I haven't purchased any new ones in MONTHS!!! and it is glorious on my wallet :) As far as adding anything after water washing, right now I don't but I used to in the beginning because that transitioning process of only water was a shock to my hair...I added coconut oil to the ends or jojoba oil. You can use anything you wish on your hair if you feel that it needs it. By any means do not deprive your hair if the water only isn't enough! I truly hope that helps? Please keep me posted?
***** Hi Latoya. I wear my hair out half the time and up in twists/braids the other half...50/50. When it's out, I bantu knot it up at night in the morning it has nice curl to it and I rock that style for 2 days :) in other words, I don't give it a chance to get matted or tangled. I hope this helps.
Yay!! You are more than welcome
in Dominican Republic you wash once a week or twice a month only!
Do you still deep condition?
Hi black47young :) I have not deep conditioned since starting this method but I do plan on deep conditioning in the next couple months :)
Wow, sounds good.something I would like to try for the summer. Thanks for sharing.
Please let me know if you try it? I would love to hear about your experience. You're more than welcome for sharing, and thank you for watching
I'm on my 4th day and my scalp is so dry and flaky :( You mentioned it took some days before you noticed your sebum... The pads of my fingers are d-r-y after rubbing my scalp! How long until you noticed your sebum? I'm trying to stay encouraged but am wondering if this will work for those of us with dry scalps and/or dandruff. Thanks for the video!
I just saw an earlier post and you said it took you 4 weeks! Did you have any dryness during that time? I've been wondering if I should add oils, or if this won't give my scalp the chance to produce sebum as it should.
Nyeva B. I am so happy you asked...I COMPLETELY understand when you say your fingers were dry after rubbing your scalp. It took a good 3 1/2 4 weeks till I saw/felt any sebum. I didn't give up because I knew I had sebum from when I used to press my hair back in the day and the very next day sebum would appear so I knew I could produce it. You are more than welcome for the video. Thank YOU for your comment
Nyeva B. I would definitely add some oil. Do what you gotta do girl, DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO! :) :) BTW, I love your name
8 weeks.. I used aleo vera gel to lay my hair down for work cause i cant wear twists to work. I was using dyi flax seed gel but was told that it would strip my sebum. i did a avc and water wash but i dont know what is safe to use that will strip my sebum...Thank you for you reply..
***** 8 weeks is ample time to produce sebum and if yours is not producing at the speed of your liking, please supplement with jojoba and coconut oil. I too use the acv and water rinse to clarify ie strip everything off of my hair. I am going to do some more research to find what you can do to get your sebum coming along. Bless you in every way
***** Hi again! @Stephanie S mentioned that she only uses filtered water on her hair and she said it works like a charm. Maybe that would be good on your hair too?
do you water wash everyday with the braids in?
Could you do this with braids in like you had
Hi! 😊 Yes you can definitely do this method with braids I just recommended to leave the braids in for no more than a month just so the sebum that is built up at your roots that won't make it down from preening could be released 😘
Do you have to clarify your hair before starting this method?
Hi fran.chesca you don't have to clarify before starting this method, though I do recommend it, just so that you are beginning the method with absolutely nothing on your hair. It's totally up to you :)
I thought it was funny when you cursed, haha. I've been doing this for about two weeks and I already feel sebum. I didn't clarify, though, so I wonder if some if it is residual product. It is already much easier to detangle, as you mentioned. With product I was losing so much hair from breakage. However, I don't rinse every day but only when I feel like my hair is starting to feel dirty (so every 2-3 days, just about). My hair is 4a, 3c, and 3b and about 2 inches long when curly [14 inches pulled straight (I measured it with a ruler) - major shrinkage!]. I'm glad you mentioned not using soap. I've been wanting to try that, also!
Do u diffuse or air dry? My hair takes literally all day to air dry over 8 hours. Did u notice a difference I. The drying time?
Brittany Harrison Hi Brittanly! I am so sorry for responding so late...I let my hair air dry over night. Sometimes it isn't dry the next day and that bothers the "you-know-what" out of me. My dry time normally takes 6-8 hours over night in it's bantu knot style. If it's just out riding free it takes 2-3 hours to dry. :) I really didn't notice too much of a difference of drying time from water only washing as opposed to washing with products.
I tried the WOHW regime several months ago, but after about 1 month I stopped. I never saw any sebum and got discouraged. I'm ready to try again, but would like some input on what I may have been doing wrong. My hair is very fine. Help!
I am so so sorry that I am just now responding to your comment. I too have fine hair and was discouraged in the beginning with my sebum not covering my strands. I can't stand that "dry" feeling of my hair but with just the water only washing I have found that detangling my hair is super easy, my hair is stronger though it's fine, and my hair is much healthier. Have you massaged your scalp and preened your hair everyday for ten minutes? They say we should do that, I just don't have the patience though it may help your sebum produce more which can hopefully help you get full coverage if you choose to do this method again? Please keep me posted?
I washing/clarified my hair last night with ACV and I'm ready to jump back on the bandwagon. I will take your advice by massaging my scalp every night for up to 10 minutes. I hope this time around I'm more successful with sebum production. I'll keep you posted. It is encouraging that we share similar hair textures and you've achieve sebum production. That's certainly encouraging t hear. I'll stay in touch.
I am so so so excited that you decided to do the water only washing again. Yes, my hair is real real fine yet strong because of this method. I can't wait to hear updates :)
Hmm...I wonder if I should try this on myself and my daughter. She's biracial and her hair gets super dry and since she's only 14 months old I don't necessarily want to use a whole bunch of products on her.
Will the AVC strip my sebum? I've been doing the water only method for a month. And it seems that my sebum isn't producing fast.
Carmala Goins Hi Carmala, my sebum didn't produce fast either and it was driving me crazy. I stuck with it and finally was noticing the sebum as I was running my fingers through my hair in the shower...it was nice and slippery. All that to say apple cider vinegar if used excessively may strip your hairs sebum but if you use it moderately you should be just fine. Please let me know if this helped in any way?
Hi, I've been watching a few videos now about water washing and I am considering it, the thing is that I don't have heat settings in my shower which means that I have basically only cold water ( not ice cold because I don't leave in a cold country, but in the islands, so the water is not icy ). Now you said that one needs warm water, is that going to be a problem if I only do it with cool water ? or it absolutely must be warm. I am not seeing myself heating up a pot of water every day to put it on my head :/
Priceless I mention warm water because it melts the sebum enough for you to preen it down your hair strands, but if you don't have warm water I would not let that deter you. Cold water is excellent on our hair for it closes our cuticle so if you just preen before entering the shower then rinse for about 5 minutes I am sure you will be just fine
SuperCurlyGurl Thank you for your help :) I finally decided to try it (it has been four days now ) and for now my hair is dry but I think it's because I don't take the time to massage my scalp correctly, I am still adapting myself to the routine :D But It's coming :) Thank you for your help and time :) I will be using your advice in my future washes :)
I am ever so sorry for the late response. You are very welcome and if there is anything I can do please let me know. I am happy to hear that you started this journey and I truly pray it works just as well for you as it does for me
Hi I started wash only method too..
But I dyed my hair a couple of days ago .. Will this change now?
What is sebum?
Sebum is a natural oil produced by the sebaceous glands on your scalp
Everyone wow has LONG hair lol!! So idk... ijs, and dont wana argue about it lol
I've been natural for a year and my hair isn't as long so do you have any tips as to what I should do if u have shorter hair? Or should I just braid my hair the same way? Also would it be ideal for me to detangle with MY hands if my hair isn't long. Seems like I'm having a problem getting the method due to my length..
Key Vlogs Hi! Your hands are absolutely the best tool to detangle your hair at all lengths :)
May I ask with what exactly you are having a problem? I would love to know so that I can help you fully. If you would like to put your hair in braids while doing the water only washing method that would be great! While my hair was in braids it was super easy for me to do the method because all I had to do was massage my scalp and get into the shower with the warm water running down my braids as I pulled my sebum down the strands.
I am looking forward to you getting back to me. Thanks so much!!
Well I was just concerned because I haven't saw anyone with shorter or mid length hair do this so I needed to know if there was a different method I should use due to length. But actually my hair has grown quite a bit since I left this comment so maybe I won't have as much as a problem as I thought I would. Oh and do you use conditioner? SuperCurlyGurl
Hi. I do use conditioner but very sparingly :-) I love hearing that your hair is growing so quickly!
SuperCurlyGurl thanks for all of your help! 😄
Absolutely! I am happy to help so please do not hesitate to ask me anything
I love water washing on my hair! It's just amazing to have sebum coverage. I've been using honey lately to dye my hair, which is going to take another month or two to get the color I want. It's keeping more oil off my hair than I would like. But I still have decent coverage, so it's cool. I will NEVER use commercial products on my hair ever again, they're just so unhealthy...
Do you think this would work if I wash my hair with lukewarm water instead? I dont really have access to hot water in the shower and having to heat the water every day in the oven seems like such a pain! (yes Im lazy like that lol)
Hi!! It most certainly will work with luke warm water. I highly suggest before getting in the shower, to massage your scalp and preen/pull with fingers the sebum down your hair strands first (you know where in the video I said I should do that but it takes ten minutes? Lol) I completely understand you on the lazy aspect lol. I too get lazy and don't feel like preening or anything and that's why I use the hot water. Blessings and love to you.
SuperCurlyGurl thanks for answering! I actually made my dad bought me a water heater so that's not a problem anymore hahaha (daughter power! lol).
so its only been three days of washing with water (only two with warm water) and Ive noticed something. my sebum feels really thick! it feels like if I had a heavy and thick cream on my hair while I wash it, I thought it would feel more like a thin oil but it doesn't feel that way (and when my hair dries it feels like if I had applied a really hard gel to it), is it normal? you think the thickness feeling will get better as I keep washing it?
*It's also strange to me that it feels that way because its only been three days and I shouldn't have much sebum, yet my hair feels "heavy". its just weird.
Naturalpromise You have sebum already? You're so lucky!! And don't worry one bit about having thick sebum...the great thing with having thick sebum is that you have a lot to spread around all of your hair strands, so I would definitely recommend massaging your scalp and preen your hair (bring the sebum down your strands) before washing your hair the next time. If it gets to a point where you just can't take the thickness, do a vinegar rinse and that should loosen up your sebum a bit. Please oh please let me know what happens? #DaughterPower
SuperCurlyGurl You know what I think the problem is? I didnt clarify my hair. Because I wasn't using hair products (I was washing my hair with soap.....Im talking about soap made for the body....what?! it made my hair feel soft! LOL) I didnt think it was necessary to clarify. so I washed my hair today with water only and my hair just felt NASTY! like if it had gunk and glue in it. I know thats not my sebum because I know how my sebum feels and its not that sticky (mine its kinda waxy but never to that extreme...besides its only been a few days so it doesnt make sense that all my hair would be covered in sebum already). so I used shampoo and I could see all the dirty water running down! my hair was just dirty for what it seemed ahaha I used a vinegar rinse afterwards to clarify and now I'll just start over.
I won't wash my hair for a week to make sure I have enough sebum to start out. hopefully this time things will work.
I hope it works out this time for you too. The great thing is you know what happened and what you needed to change. Thank you for keeping me posted. Please continue to do so? I really want to know
SuperCurlyGurl Do you have to do this everyday or do it whenever you get ready to wash your hair?
Hi Imoni, in the beginning (first 10 days or when you notice you have full sebum coverage) wash it everyday and then you can ease up from washing everyday to when you feel your hair needs a wash again :)
Ok thanks
You're very welcome :)
Well I just had to chime in and tell you how beautiful you are. Please keep making more videos!
Well gosh damn sista I love youuuuuu
Thank you...
I also finger detangle so comb is redundant, no brushing either.
K Rob I would loooooove to see your process?
Help!!!! This is not working for me!! I dont think i have any sebum..LOL,, been using jojoba oil but it does not seem to be helping,, my hair is dry dry dry!!
***** I COMPLETELY understand what you are going through...I didn't think I had any sebum either. It took my sebum 4 weeks to kick in and even then I didn't have full coverage. I too supplemented with jojoba and coconut oil. How many weeks has it been for you now?
***** Drinking water makes a huge difference...you're right!
did the jojoba oil and coconut oil cause build up? did you use the ACV rinse again after starting this routine? what ratio of ACV to water do you use?
Great video, I am trying this method right now with sweet almond oil on my hair and scalp before i water wash because my skin produces minimal sebum.
💜💚💙
Hi Super Curly Gurl, congrats on your 4 months of WOHM. I've been doing the Water only method for 3 months now, and I'm starting to see the benefits the more. I too had a low sebum production, but like you, because my hair shedding was significantly reduced with WOHW method, I'm sticking with it:) Please check out my new channel with my Water Only journey. Enjoyed your video!
Hi Ila :) I am very happy to know that you too are on the WOHW journey and that it is benefitting you. Thank you so much for watching my video. I am going to go and check out your channel right now :)