Please help, I’ve ruined my hair with a shampoo bar and now it won’t wash out

[yoghurtflavours]

I tried one of these eco-friendly shampoo bars from Ethique. Not only did it make my hair greasy, but it’s also built up this sticky residue which I can’t get rid of. Stupidly, I was determined to persevere with the shampoo bar so I kept it up for four or five washes until I finally decided enough was enough.

Yesterday I went back to my normal shampoo in a bottle and it doesn’t seem to have worked. The sticky residue is still there and it feels like there’s more and more buildup. It feels horrible.

Please tell me this will get better and it’ll wash out eventually? Otherwise how can I get it out of my hair and get things back to normal?

I’m allergic to lots of stuff and I should’ve left well alone. Lesson learned.

[dementedpixie]

Could you try washing up liquid?

[PlateBilledDuckyPerson]

Have you tried an anti-build up shampoo? OGX do an apple cider vinegar one.

[Tontostitis]

I guess just keep washing it didn't want to read and run hope you get it sorted

[Indoorcatmum]

Head & Shoulders shampoo.
Leave on for 10 minutes (just on scalp to mid).

[WhatCanWeDoNext]

I think you need a clarifying shampoo

[Harp1977]

I second washing up liquid, I have used it in the past and my hair was fine,

[Newjobformoremoney]

Apple cider vinegar rinse will strip it out. It’s down to the hardness of the water.

[BluetheBear]

I was going to suggest a build up shampoo but washing up liquid might help if you need to sort it and can't get any.

I'm surprised Ethique has done that as I've used the shampoo and conditioner bars and they were fine. Was it definitely a shampoo bar?

[CoffeeBeansGalore]

Try a clarifying shampoo. A quick google will give you some recommendations.

[t245klj]

Had a similar experience with a different shampoo bar and hard water, so I read up a lot and spoke to a few hairdressers.

They recommended Malibu hair sachets for hard water (these worked for me). Or clarifying shampoo.

I'd be careful with washing up liquid and vinegar - it's fine for some people but can damage certain hair types. Good luck!

[yoghurtflavours]

@BluetheBear Yes it was definitely a shampoo bar.

@Newjobformoremoney How exactly do you do an apple cider vinegar rinse? Do you literally just pour vinegar into your hair?

[FatAgainItsLettuceTime]

You need something to remove the build up, then you need to condition the ends.

There's a few options to do this with ingredients you'll likely have at home

• vinegar rinse - apple cider as first choice, but malt or white vinegar will do it's just going to be a stronger more chip shop smell. Mix vinegar with warm water and pour over head, massage in then rinse off,

• lemon juice - as above mix with water. If you have hair dye then this isn't a great option as it can have a very mild bleaching effect

• baking soda mixed into water

• vitamin c tablets dissolved into water, if they aren't the dissolving kind you'll need to crush it first - again can strip hair dye a little so avoid if you've coloured your hair.

[Username24680]

I had similar with a different shampoo bar @yoghurtflavours - they just don’t seem to agree with my hair at all 😳

I used Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo to sort mine out.

[yoghurtflavours]

@FatAgainItsLettuceTime Actually, lemon juice appeals to me more than vinegar, thank you. Do you dilute it first?

I’ll look up some clarifying shampoos but I’m allergic to a lot of ingredients, I can’t use anything with perfume and that includes ingredients like geraniol and cinnamol. I usually use a baby shampoo.

[yoghurtflavours]

Sorry I’ve just seen, you said to mix the lemon juice with water. Well at least I know I’m not allergic to lemons.

My hair feels horrible. Lesson learned, never again.

[FatAgainItsLettuceTime]

Yes just mix with some warm water, you want it warm otherwise it's a bit shocking when you pour it over your head 😀

It will make your hair feel dry so you need to make sure you condition the ends or it will be tangly and difficult to get a brush through.

[Izadrennan]

Baby shampoo, put it on whole head of dry hair, leave it for 30 minutes, then rinse & shampoo with regular shampoo, this was recommended to me by a hairdresser and has always worked when i have a build up.

[yoghurtflavours]

@FatAgainItsLettuceTime Thank you very much, I think I’ll give that a try tomorrow. I can cope with it making my hair dry as long as it solves the problem, then I’ll go back to normal with the next wash.

[MisgenderedSwan]

I've been using this for me and my daughter's hair, use it once a week or so. She was having problems with build up and it has completely cleared it, and her dandruff. It's also made our hair super silky.


The INKEY List 7% Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Scrub to Remove Dead Skin and Product Build Up 150ml amzn.eu/d/9ZMAYlw?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Beautiful3]

Mix a cup of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water, pour onto your hair and scalp. Wait for 15 minutes, before rinsing off.

[yoghurtflavours]

@FatAgainItsLettuceTime Sorry, can I just ask how many parts lemon juice to how many parts water? I really need to get this right.

[Whooyou]

Bicarbonate of Soda.
Make up a jug and put your head over a bowl just keep rinsing with it

[ClickClacketry]

Natural yogurt would probably work too - massage in and leave for 10 mins then rinse and shampoo as normal

[Neighbours87]

I’ve heard great things about the christoph robin scrub

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I bought the Body Shop Ginger scrub when it first came out , I use the Ginger Shampoo/Conditioner if my scalp flares up , so I was unreasonably excited to try this .
£15 later and my first try ........ it was the worst thing I have ever put near my head . I could not put my fingers through my hair let alone a comb

I had to ladle on a load of conditoner to tease out the matts then rinse

And I was finding the gritty bits for days .