Water Only/ Rinse Only Method (no poo) problems

As I said in my last post, I quit shampoo on 23rd November 2014, and went Water Only.

This was my routine:

1. Before my shower I would 'scritch' and 'preen' (okay, I haven't quite kept on top of the preening).
2. Then I'd jump in the shower, part my hair into 3 or 4 sections, and wash each section with water as hot as I could stand. I would scritch again, and then run my fingers through my hair under the water, to help the dirt out, and distribute excess sebum through it at the same time.
3. I'd finish my shower, dry my hair with a t-shirt, and 'plop' (um... contrary to how this sounds, it's actually a method used by curly girls to avoid frizz and bring out the best in their curls. You lay a t-shirt down - I do this on the bed - and then 'plop' your head upside down in the middle, with your hair piled underneath. Then fold in the bottom of the t-shirt, fold the top over the back of your head, and then roll the sleeves inwards into sausages at both sides, securing them at the back of your head with a hair tie. There are lots of tutorials online if you Google 'plopping'. It's not the most attractive look; even my 2-year-old nephew's only comment was 'yuck' when he saw the photo of me in my makeshift headgear! But it gets the job done.)
4. I bought a satin pillow case to sleep on, to lengthen the life of my curls. And then about three days after washing my hair, I'd brush it through with a boar bristle brush. I take about 30 minutes doing this sometimes, in the evenings while we watch TV. I find it so relaxing, and it's probably why my ends feel so soft so quickly, but you really don't have to take that long!!!

The first several washes were fine, and I went a month with no problems at all. That was my routine. And it worked. Until one day, about four weeks in, when I was brushing my hair, I looked down at my lap and saw... flakes. Loads and loads of them, all over my lap.
Suffice to say, I wanted to cry. I haven't had an issue with a dry flaky scalp since I was a teenager of about 14. I was devastated. And over the next week, my head was just so itchy, with flakes showing up in my hair.

Miserable, I went online and looked up no poo problems, and dandruff solutions. I ascertained that I wasn't suffering with actual dandruff, which is fungal, but rather a dry and flaky scalp, which was probably caused by the hard water here in London, messing with the pH balance of my sensitive scalp.

There was a lot to choose from, but I settled on this moisturizing honey and aloe recipe from Alex Raye. I lovingly massaged it into my scalp, sat with my hair wrapped in a towel while we settled down to brunch, and then washed it out with water after about an hour or so.
The result was shiny hair, and a scalp that felt happy and refreshed. I was so pleased.

But on day 4 after that treatment, I brushed with my BBB, and the flaking was WORSE! I ran into the bathroom to check the damage in the mirror, and I think this time a tear may have come to my eye.

I was desperate. I badly wanted no-poo to work, after I'd invested so much time in it, and seen such good results, but my resolve was failing me. Back online I went.
And then I realised, even though I'd read this on Alex's and others' blogs so many times... the hard water just wasn't doing my scalp any favours. I knew that many can WO wash in hard water with no problems, but I have sensitive skin already, which may be part of the problem.
I also read that the honey and aloe mix can help to lift buildup from your hair, so for some that could mean buildup from hair products, and for me I think it was from the hard water. The buildup can show up as flakes. So the recipe worked, to a point.
I also found out that your scalp is actually slightly acidic, and shampoos are marketed as 'pH balanced' as they, too, are slightly acidic. The no-poo answer to this?
Apple cider vinegar (ACV). ACV is lightly acidic, so it balances the pH of your scalp (without pickling it!), and as your hair is slightly acidic, it acts as a conditioner, as well as closing the hair shaft to give you smooth, shiny hair.

So I gave it a whirl, pouring a diluted mixture (one part ACV to 3 parts water) onto my scalp, scritching, and rinsing as normal. And...?

And it worked!!! After a few days when I brushed my hair, there were just a few flakes, probably leftovers from last time.

The next week, I just used the aloe vera gel, and ACV rinse, and invested in a shower filter that attaches to my shower head, and filters out the chlorine and other chemicals that can damage hair.  And the week after that, I skipped the aloe, diluted the ACV mix a little more and added a few drops of both rosemary and lavender essential oils to the mix (here's the recipe). After washing, my hair smelled wonderful, and a week later, still no flakes! *Big grin*

So. I'm going to use the mix on my hair again today, to make sure my scalp is back to normal, and see how I go from there. 

I'm using water only, with an ACV rinse on my scalp, and my hair is so shiny and soft, it's so worth it.