Squish to Condish: The Video for Straight, Wavy and Curly Hair

 I have a post somewhere around here about the Squish to Condish conditioning/rinsing technique, named by Melissa Stites, Michigan-based artist of curly hair.

I've meant to make a video for a while. This is the Straight to Wavy to Curly version.

What I want to emphasize is how the hair changes through the process, and how simple it is. There's a before and after photo at the end. I began with hair that was shampooed, conditioned and rinsed without using the technique.

This technique can reduce frizz, help dry or damaged hair feel better hydrated (more moisturized!), and help distribute conditioner for softer, shinier hair.

If my 1-handed technique on wobbly hair can get results like this, imagine what it can do for you. 

Short hair? Men's hair? This can work for you too!

Some people rinse well after this, some don't rinse much afterwards.


Comments

  1. This is really great advice - I noticed way less frizz after trying this!

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  2. hi
    i don't understand chemistry so i need to ask you some question pls

    i live in cairo Egypt , and idk if i have hard water or not, we use this water from childhood, my problem is, i want to know if the hard water makes my skin and hair water proof , and what about using shampoo contain sodium lureth sulphate
    does this shampoo would build up on my hair or it's just the water and the shampoo would go on
    the same thing with the hand wash and shower gel we are use water all the day on our hands,
    so pls if you can give me the answers on my questions I can't use distilled water and I also don't know what detergent to use.

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    Replies
    1. Hello, You probably have hard water where you live. It does not make your skin or hair water proof. But it may cause your skin to be dry, and it can make your hair feel dry or stiff. Shampoos with Sodium laureth sulfate and other anionic detergents can be more difficult to rinse off in hard water.
      Detergents like Cocamidopropyl betaine, Lauramidopropyl betaine, Decyl glucoside, Lauryl glucoside, Lauramidopropyl hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate are good detergents that may rinse off better in hard water.

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    2. what if the shower gel i have contains sodium lureth sulphate and cocamidpropyl betain
      like this one
      Sodium laureth sulphate. Cocamidopropyl Betaine, aqua, sodium benzoate, glycerol, citric acid, fragrance, sodium chloride, colour, EDTA
      and does sulphate when it stay on our body or hair it make them water proof too
      because i think all the Toothpastes contains sulphate like sensodyne

      But when I use soap, shampoo, or toothpaste after rinsing, I don't feel any foam or sticky layer on my hands. The toothpaste also lathers well in my mouth. I also ran a test to see if my water was hard. ChatGPT advised me to fill a clear bottle one-third, but not all, of it with tap water, add a drop or two of liquid soap, and shake it for 10 seconds. I noticed that the bottle was full of foam, and the water I added was clear.idk if this test effective or no

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  3. what about if the shower gel or shampoo contains cocamidpropyl betain and edta, like this one

    Sodium laureth sulphate. Cocamidopropyl Betaine, aqua, sodium benzoate, glycerol, citric acid, fragrance, sodium chloride, colour, EDTA
    also what about Micellar Water and Blue Ginger Shampoo for Hair
    Share from herbal essence

    But when I use soap, shampoo, or toothpaste after rinsing, I don't feel any foam or sticky layer on my hands. The toothpaste also lathers well in my mouth. I also ran a test to see if my water was hard. ChatGPT advised me to fill a clear bottle one-third, but not all, of it with tap water, add a drop or two of liquid soap, and shake it for 10 seconds. I noticed that the bottle was full of foam, and the water I added was clear.
    Does shampoo that contains sulfates never rinse out with hard water like silicone or does it just take time? And how long? More than half an hour for example? And regarding the vinegar rinse, can I mix it with tap water or water filtered water, because I can't get distilled water? Also, when rinsing the vinegar from my hair, can I use the same tap water?I don't care about mineral deposits now as long as they don't form a water-resistant layer. What I care about now is removing shampoo or shower gel deposits if they are present and I don't see them. sorry if i have alot of questions

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    1. A shampoo with this formula has been adjusted to work well in hard water because it combines detergents and uses EDTA (a chelating agent) to avoid interacting with minerals in the water. It will rinse out quite well.
      The water hardness test you did works for very hard water, but not well for moderately hard water, which is more likely what you have. One must natural soap for that test, not a soap-free detergent (like shampoo or body wash) for the test to work. Natural soap is the most reactive to hard water. If you want to test your water at home, you can find test strips for swimming pools or aquariums that will give you a good measurement. It's fun to do.

      Water hardness can vary a lot over the year, especially if your water is surface water - from reservoirs or rivers.

      Shampoo like the one you posted the ingredients for, should be fully rinsed when all the lather is gone. That shampoo would do a good job removing silicones, which will rinse away with the shampoo.
      It's important to know that everything we use on our hair or skin *may* leave a little residue behind. For hair conditioners - they must leave a little conditioner on our hair or they would not work. None of that is a problem unless you *do* feel an unpleasant feeling in your hair or on your skin. Don't worry about residue unless you notice a problem. They are not water-resistant layers. They are tiny, tiny, microscopic particles that "stick" for a while.
      Some people actually like the way hard water gives hair a little more fullness.

      You can mix a vinegar rinse with tap water! And you can rinse it out with tap water.
      If you have questions - ask them here!
      Nice to hear from you.

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  4. thanks wendy

    does the Lightening cream for sensitive areas
    the ingredients
    vitamin c, manjakani extract, alpha arbutin, collagen, licoric extract, niacinamide, shea butter, vitamin e, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, panthenol, glycerin, chamomile extract
    If I use it once a day, will it build up on my skin and become water-resistant, forming an invisible layer, or will it already be absorbed, so I don't need to use soap to wash the area?

    The same applies to feminine wash foams for sensitive erea if they contain lavender or sweet almond oil.

    Also, moisturizers containing ceramides or silicones: are they water-resistant and form an invisible layer, or will the skin absorb them completely, or will they disappear over time?

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    Replies
    1. Oils on your skin do build up until you wash them off or they are rubbed off. Some portions of oils are absorbed into skin, some are not. But skin cells also shed - fall off - on a regular basis and are replaced by new skin cells. Build-up on skin is less a problem because of that.

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  5. hi wendy I'm sorry, I have another question. I noticed this. Now, when I wash my hands only after eating with the shower gel that I told you about its ingredients, I use a very small drop and rinse my hands very well. I really don't feel anything sticky, nor do I see foam or anything white, but I don't know why I decided to do this. I wait for my hands to dry from the water a little, then I rub them with this little water . Very small drops appear, like murky water. These drops are not many, one or two at most, and they are very small and disappear quickly or remain for a short time on the skin.Is this a deposit of sulfates or is it the effect of the glycerin and perfume present in the shower gel, or is it the skin of my hands due to exposure to water and detergents that is soft so it comes out when rubbed with a little water in this way, this is because if I wait for a period of time like an hour or so and try to do the same movement nothing comes out, and if it is a deposit of sulfates, is it temporary or permanent? It will not go away and will remain on my hands forming a layer that I do not see، i hope its normal and its not a sulfate

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  6. because While doing this, when I rub my hands, if they're dry, white flakes appear, so I thought they were skin. Also, when I shower or use this cleanser frequently, these white spots don't appear, or they barely appear.

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    Replies
    1. It sounds like something is not rinsing off well, from your description. Do you have the ingredient list for the shower gel?

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    2. Look, I wash my hands with this shower gel and I wash my hands well and I don’t feel anything, then immediately after that I add a little water and rub my hands. A drop or two comes out like white water that only comes out with rubbing.On the other hand, if I wash my hands with the same shower gel and then do not do the same experiment immediately after washing and wait for two hours, for example, and try to rub my hands with some water, nothing comes out, so I conclude that this is from the glycerin or perfume present, which disappear with time by evaporation.

      ingredients: Sodium laureth sulphate. Cocamidopropyl Betaine, aqua, sodium benzoate, glycerol, citric acid, fragrance, sodium chloride, colour, EDTA

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    3. If these are residues from sulfates, for example, do they build_up over time like silicone or cationic , or are they temporary and disappear over time?

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    4. If that white water only comes off your hands right after washing, it could be "soap scum" - that interaction between minerals in hard water and detergent. Once it has dried on, it needs more detergent to become visible again.

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    5. Is this reaction caused by sulfates and minerals temporary or will it stay on my skin or hair all the time and accumulate, because after a while if I rub my hands with some water again nothing comes out at all, and does this, no matter how much it accumulates, make the skin or hair not allow water to pass through, but this shower gel contains citric acid and also EDTA

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    6. Nothing appears immediately after washing my hands. My hands are completely clean, and there is no white water on them. Then, I rub my hands a little, and two or three white dots appear. If I hadn't rubbed my hands, I wouldn't have noticed anything.
      Is this reaction caused by sulfates and minerals temporary or will it stay on my skin or hair all the time and gonna build up because after a while if I rub my hands with some water again nothing comes out at all, and does this, no matter how much it accumulates, make the skin or hair not allow water to pass through, but this shower contains citric acid and also EDTA

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    7. You'll wash it off next time. Or you can do what you've done - rinse a little more. It won't keep the water out of your skin or hair completely. Citric acid and EDTA in smaller amounts help the shampoo or body wash foam (lather) - but they may not prevent that interaction between water and detergent. A hard water shampoo or swimmer's shampoo might prevent that from happening, they are designed to manage minerals better.

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    8. There are no shampoos for hard water in my country and the swimming shampoos here contain ingredients that can build up on the hair, so what about Herbal Essences Purifying Shampoo with Ginger if you have seen its ingredients?

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    9. and what do you mean about completely, do you mean it's water proof or resistant layer? and does it builds- up

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  7. if you can pls till me because this make me scared if its make a water proof layer and if it build up like this

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    Replies
    1. The hard water residue will *not* cause a waterproof layer on your hair or skin. Here is why: Herbal Essences Blue Ginger Shampoo contains EDTA, Citric acid, and Sodium citrate - 3 ingredients to reduce hard water build up in your hair. The pH of the shampoo probably helps too. That one is a good choice if it works well and you like the fragrance.

      We lose skin cells every day - and those take mineral residue with them. So your skin will not become waterproof from hard water residue.
      If your hair feels like it is not absorbing water very well, it might need an acidic rinse, such as 1 tablespoon vinegar (15 ml) in 1 cup (230 ml) water. I have a post about using those - go to the bottom of this page: https://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2025/02/budget-friendly-haircare-part-5-hard.html

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    2. i mean the soap scum i told you about does it water proof layer i cant see?

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    3. As I told you, there is no sticky residue, and I don't see any trace of it. It just comes off with a little water and appears as a small white dot. She told me that this is a soap scum from the shower gel.

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    4. Will this be an invisible waterproof layer if I don't wash it more than once?

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    5. If you can confirm this information for me too because it makes me scared , I'm so sorry

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    6. Think of a drinking glass or a cup that is washed regularly. The hard water residue is minimal. But a water faucet that is not washed often accumulates a waterproof mineral layer. Washing helps reduce mineral residue.
      Even if there is a tiny amount mineral residue left - it's not enough to waterproof your hair or skin.
      In parts of the world where water is extremely hard, dilute vinegar rinses can help.

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