There’s always a new trend going around in the natural hair care world.
When it comes to cleansing hair, we’ve done co-washing, clay washing, honey washing, baking soda cleansing, and ACV (apple cider vinegar) cleansing.
This is all aimed towards achieving clean hair without the use of harsh chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS). Now, we have water-only washing.
This trend has been around for some time but it never really registered with me because it just seemed odd to clean hair with only water.
However, in recent months, there’s been renewed interest in the water-only washing method.
Naptural85 started practicing water only washing some time last year as well as several other YouTubers.
What’s the Water Only Washing Method?
Water only washing means exactly what it implies. Washing the hair with only lukewarm water and then rinsing it with more water.
When I hear this, I think of itchy scalp, build-up, smelly hair, dry hair from build-up, dull hair from build-up, etc yet there is a following for this method so it must work on some level, right?
6 Benefits of Water Only Washing
1. Regulate Your Scalp
The point of water only washing is to allow your scalp to naturally regulate itself.
This will help the scalp produce natural oils that will nourish and moisturize your scalp and hair since shampoo and other no-poo methods have a tendency to strip those oils.
2. Balance Scalp pH
Additionally, it should balance the pH level of your scalp and protect it from any infections fostering an environment for better hair growth.
3.Better Detangling Sessions
Effective detangling sessions and the more you wash with water only, the fewer tangles you have.
4. Soft Hair
Your hair will become the softest it’s ever been, making it even more manageable.
5. Eliminates Dry Hair
With a balanced scalp and hair, your dry hair problems will melt away.
6. Saves You Money
Since you will be giving up your 5,000 bottles and jars of hair cleansing stuff, your wallet should thank you eventually.
How to Wash Hair With Only Water
In the video below, naptural85 demonstrates how she washes her hair with only water.
Can Curly Hair Be Washed With Just Water?
While I haven’t discovered any science backing the claims above, the benefits above sound interesting enough to give water washing a try.
I’m taking out my braids this week and will be giving my hair a month’s rest from the protective style challenge.
At that time, I plan to practice the water only washing routine and see if it lives up to all the hype.
If you’re planning to give this a go, it’s important to note you need to remove all the product build-up in your hair initially with a good clarifying shampoo.
If you’ve tried the water washing method, please share your experience in the comments section.
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