Any poo=lowpoo!

IAgirl · 01-20-2011, 10:50 AM

How many of us have switched to lowpoos to find them too expensive, hard to find, itchy, or somehow lacking?
This is a spinoff from TealDolphin's thread about inexpensive lowpoos.

I tested a lowpoo concentrate and Prell. Pics (under microscope) follow, but here's what I found, including some surprises!
1) The lowpoo straight (no dilution) gave some of what people call "ruffled cuticle" or visible lifting of some of the hair surface. Diluted lowpoo did not. The dilution of the "Coco glucose" which also contains glycerin I used was 1 teaspoon in 1 cup water and this gives gobs of lather, so no problem.
2) Prell (my sulfate 'poo), applied to my now healthy hair straight out of the bottle, did not do the damage it did in the past when I photographed it on my brushed and more damaged hair!
3) In order to get the sulfate 'poo to not show visible damage, I had to dilute it 1/2 teaspoon in 1 cup of water.

What I'm tentatively concluding here is that you can use any shampoo you like, (if you shampoo at all) and turn it into a lowpoo by diluting it sufficiently. (Silicones and other things you might want to avoid notwithstanding). And then one bottle will last you forever.

You'd have to play with the dilution (the less 'poo you need to get as clean as you want, the better), but the one which worked in this case was 1/2 teaspoon shampoo in 1 cup water for sulfate 'poo and 1 teaspoon in a cup of water for a lowpoo.

If you want to mix this up at home and put it in a bottle (a squeeze-top bottle seems ideal) you need to boil some filtered or distilled water for 3-5 minutes (make sure there's still a whole cup there) and then mix it with the shampoo. You want to kill any bacteria because you'll be diluting the preservative, so it's best to shake up some straight vinegar or bleach solution in your bottle to sterilize before filling. Refrigeration of your lowpoo would be a good idea unless you're going to use it up right away.

If you have dry scalp, you'll be less itchy post-shampooing (but still remove flakes and dead skin) and it distributes much better and rinses out better diluted.

If you cannot cope with the runny-ness, you could thicken with some guar gum or xanthan gum, but then you need to consider preservation and would want to keep it in the fridge for sure.

Oh, and you could get really fancy and add a bit of gelatin or glycerin or use herbal tea instead of plain water, or add honey or some oil or whatever trips your fancy.
These pics are the lowpoo pics, first undiluted, showing the surface and the edges where you look for "frayed" bits of cuticle. Sulfate 'poo pics must go in another post.

IAgirl · 01-20-2011, 10:54 AM

These are the sulfate 'poo pics. I'm showing the undiluted shampoo, then diluted 1 teaspoon in 1 cup water, finally 1/2 teaspoon in 1 cup water (that was the best). It's a little harder to photograph than to see in real life.

But to wash, you only need a little bit. Per use, we're talking several drops of shampoo in a couple tablespoons or more of warm water.

HTH, wavies (I posted it here because more wavies shampoo!)

If anybody tries it, would love to hear your results.

wavysue · 01-20-2011, 03:55 PM

excellent information thanks so much IAgirl! i like the idea of just watering down what you need in your shower so there is no chance of pesky bacteria. i have a small bottle i use in the shwr to mix up daily fix already as was suggested for easier distribution

Dolphin · 01-20-2011, 06:21 PM

Thanks for posting this! Will have to try it!

porque_pig · 01-20-2011, 07:16 PM

You know, I've been toying with the idea of switching back to a sulfate shampoo, and this makes me feel like less of a failure for doing so. My hair is super-healthy and easily weighed down, and a lot of traditional low-poos just don't do it for me. Also, the sulfate-free shampoos are more expensive, and I've had more allergic reactions with them. I may just dilute a regular shampoo at some point in the future!

IAgirl · 01-20-2011, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porque_pig

You know, I've been toying with the idea of switching back to a sulfate shampoo, and this makes me feel like less of a failure for doing so. My hair is super-healthy and easily weighed down, and a lot of traditional low-poos just don't do it for me. Also, the sulfate-free shampoos are more expensive, and I've had more allergic reactions with them. I may just dilute a regular shampoo at some point in the future!

Ditto to everything you said! And I meant to compliment you on your pic, you and your hair are so lovely!

I don't see using a sulfate 'poo as a failure at all. The CG dogma says "no sulfate 'poo" but dogma is meant to be questioned and tested. More than one means to the "end" of healthy hair.

Surfactants are surfactants. Some are better degreasers than others. Dilution makes a surfactant less able to remove oils completely, thus a lower-poo.

Saila · 01-20-2011, 09:33 PM

I've been doing this for a while! I like it. It's always refreshed my hair. I'm also an ACV fan for clarifying. In my experience, ACV removes hardwater buildup while diluted sulfates remove product buildup.

nikske · 01-20-2011, 09:48 PM

IAgirl, thank you soooo much!

I usually dread the outcome when I poo, which is only every 2-3 months. My hair just won't behave for days when I do, it gets all tangly and dry and frizzy... When I try this, I will definitely let you know how it turned out.

JLeighs · 01-20-2011, 10:11 PM

I use a sulfate shampoo once a week (Davines Alchemic Red) with no problems, BUT I wash my hair differently when using it. I make sure my hair is soaking wet, and then I massage a small amount into my roots only. Then I sort of squeeze it down the length of my hair with absolutely *no* scrubbing whatsoever. Then I rinse it out. Sometimes I just massage it into my scalp and then rinse it down the length of my hair with no squeezing at all. Both ways work fine for me, but the rinsing without squeezing is gentler. Then I just follow with the Davines Red condish (after scrunching out excess water), which I leave in my hair for 6-8 mins. That's the only conditioning I do until it's time to use the sulfate again, and my hair is just fine.

jerseygirl07067 · 01-20-2011, 10:31 PM

I do this a lot too, in terms of diluting the shampoo. Or I just use a really small amount, I try to keep it at 2 nickel sizes, one for the top of my scalp, (and really get my hair super wet and add lots of water to distribute) - one for underneath. It seems to get it clean with much less stripping.

IAgirl · 01-20-2011, 11:00 PM

Great shampooing ideas! It seems that healthy hair can take even sulfate 'poo if not too often, my suspicions are confirmed.

porque_pig · 01-21-2011, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IAgirl

Ditto to everything you said! And I meant to compliment you on your pic, you and your hair are so lovely!

Thank you muchly, ma'am!

iPol · 01-21-2011, 08:36 PM

Thanks for experimenting for us.This will probably end up saving my butt while I'm abroad.

IAgirl · 01-21-2011, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iPol

Thanks for experimenting for us.This will probably end up saving my butt while I'm abroad.

Yes, well you'll have far more new things to occupy your attention in that case! And vying for your $$$.