Hair Conditioner for use after medicated shampoo

[justjacqui]

Here is some information for anyone who is interested on why oils aren't a great idea for treating Seborrheic Dermatitis.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/1308503

 

[Obsidian]

Okay, so lemme ask a newbie question... I know many conditioners have at least a little bit of oil in them, so do you try to find conditioners that are specifically labeled oil free? Or do other ingredients in conditioner also cause trouble?

I know you can use just BTMS and water to make a very simple oil-free hair conditioner. Would this type of conditioner be an option to try?

I have tried to find oil free conditioners but that doesn't seem to help in my case. Its the heavier ingredients that coat the hair and skin that give me the most trouble.

Cones of all kinds are awful, even the water soluble ones. Polyquats seem to be a issue too but I haven't narrowed which ones.

I don't think any of the conditioners I've tried contains BTMS but I'm not sure. I've been a bit afraid to try it, I've had such bad luck with new ingredients. I suppose I should try though.
Maybe I could find a sample size on Amazon.

The new conditioner I'm getting today is mostly oils and cetyl alcohol. It has great reviews about being lightweight so I'm hoping it rinses clean.
Once I grow out the bleach damage, I'm done with conditioner all together.

 

[DeeAnna]

BTMS is an emulsifier, but it is also a "substantive" material, which is a fancy way of saying BTMS is able to chemically stick to hair.

When I started to make my own hair conditioner, my first batch or two were essentially BTMS and water. And then I got sucked into the "add lots of fancy additives to make it even better" mindset.

Some of these additives have proved to be helpful to my scalp and hair, but the BTMS-only conditioner wasn't too bad. It is very light on my fine, wavy hair.

A refinement of this super simple BTMS and water recipe would be to also include a little cetyl alcohol as a thickener. That will make the emulsion a little more stable and smooth out the consistency. But just BTMS + water will work.

I'm not mentioning preservative in my comments ^^ but I always also use a preservative.

 

[cmzaha]

Obsidian, what about a conditioner similiar to my oil-free lotion using BTMS 50, no IPM a low percentage of silicone to add a little slip and shine with the BTMS 50?

I also do best with pyrithione zinc 1% instead of Selenium-based when my eczema flares on my scalp. Granted I do not have the oil issue but do have to be careful what I use on my scalp.

ETA, should have read Obsidian's answer before asking the above question. What about a touch of IPM which is a synthetic Oil with BTMS? Maybe I will do some playing in the next week or so.

 

[Obsidian]

@cmzaha I was actually wondering the same thing just yesterday. I plan on trying the lotion as a leave in first, just to see how it feels in the hair.
I have to wait until this flare is healed though, guess its time to break out the steroids.

I really do think the problem is just inherent to conditioner. Its made to coat hair, it also coats skin and thats the cause of my issues.

I can use cones if they are way down on the list and I rinse it out quickly but I have to clarify my scalp almost every wash.

I've never tried IPM, in fact I've never tried any kind of handmade hair product but I'm willing to try almost anything. You never know when I'll come across the perfect product.

 

[beckster51]

So far my new conditioner has not caused a flare. It is silicone free and paraben free. Like Obsidian, I cannot use anything with silicone, but I am not familiar with the other "cones". I also cannot use anything on my hair with any oils in it. I have no idea about BTMS or IPM since I have never used either to my knowledge. I think this conditioner may work better for me because of the salicylic acid content. I think that it most likely has a clarifying effect on the scalp. I am due to wash my hair tonight, and I will use it again and report back. It's nice to have normal looking hair for a change without itching, scaling and hot, red thick blotches all over my scalp. My hair is so thin, the redness is usually visible, at least to me. I do try to remember that other people are not "studying" my scalp like I do.

 

[DeeAnna]

Maybe they're not, but you are! Anything that makes you less self conscious, more comfortable, and more confident is a good thing.

 

[Dahila]

BMTS-50 inci name; Behentrimonium methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol (and) Butylene Glycol
behentrimonium methosulfate 45 - 60%
cetyl alcohol 35 - 40%
butylene glycol 5 - 10%
Catonic

 

[beckster51]

Exactly! Thanks for understanding!

 

[Obsidian]

Well, my testing of the trader joes tea tree products is a bust. They don't irritate my scalp which is great but they leave my hair a frizzy, dry mess. It actually is better without any conditioner then this stuff.

 

[beckster51]

Well, my testing of the trader joes tea tree products is a bust. They don't irritate my scalp which is great but they leave my hair a frizzy, dry mess. It actually is better without any conditioner then this stuff.

Well, that is a bummer, Obsidian. I can't use many products with tea tree oil. They really dry my skin, scalp, and hair a lot. I have tried several preparations, and maybe I just haven't found the right one yet with tea tree. I used the conditioner again last night when I washed my hair, and all is well so far after two uses. Last night I used a little too much, so my hair is a bit weighed down (my fault), but still no flare, no itchiness, no scale. I may not be able to use this after every wash, but I will just have to wait and see. So far, I like it very much. And calculating how much I use and how big the bottle is, it should last me about 10 years - LOL.

 

[xuledywo]

My hair is fine and thin like a baby's, no exaggeration. I have tried a teeny tiny bit of oil or lotion, but even a whisper of oil makes my hair look more thin, or as my mother used to say, like a cat has been sucking on it. HA HA Thank you for the suggestion, but it doesn't work for me.

I went to the drugstore and looked for all 3 products that Obsidian suggested, and they didn't have _any_ of them. But, I did find a new product from H&S that I used last night, and I really like it. They are now making a conditioner to match a new shampoo. I did not buy the shampoo because I have plenty. The conditioner is called RE-fresh Scalp Care and Conditioner, and it looks like this:

It is very light, contains 2% salicylic acid, and it left my hair shiny, and with increased volume. No more straw hair! So far, so good, no flare. We shall see over time, I guess. Thanks, Obsidian, for suggesting those products or I would never have found this dread locks products. I will still look out for the ones you suggested. Thanks everyone, I appreciate your assist!

A friend of mine was asking me how I get my hair so smooth because her hair is so dry. I explained to her about my method of washing my scalp, and conditioning my length, and some suggestions on products she could use. Then I come to find out that she doesn't even use conditioner! I remember there was a time when I didnt use conditioner either because I thought it made my hair too greasy. Then I realized if I didnt use it around my scalp area then my hair really benefited from it, especially my ends! I have a naturally oily scalp. Does anyone here shampoo only? Or was there a time when you remember being against conditioner for any reason? Now I couldnt imagine going without my conditioner!!

 

[Kcryss]

A friend of mine was asking me how I get my hair so smooth because her hair is so dry. I explained to her about my method of washing my scalp, and conditioning my length, and some suggestions on products she could use. Then I come to find out that she doesn't even use conditioner! I remember there was a time when I didnt use conditioner either because I thought it made my hair too greasy. Then I realized if I didnt use it around my scalp area then my hair really benefited from it, especially my ends! I have a naturally oily scalp. Does anyone here shampoo only? Or was there a time when you remember being against conditioner for any reason? Now I couldnt imagine going without my conditioner!!

When I'm using my shampoo bars, or herbal infusion with rye flour, I do not use conditioner at all. If I'm out of my shampoo bars and in a hurry, I use store bought and then I will use ~1/8 of an inch of conditioner just on the ends and rinse while putting it on. I have very very fine hair and commercial shampoos suck the life out of my hair and make if flat and stringy.