I know some of you do AO only and swear by the results. I've tried it and wasn't all the thrilled with the outcome. I'm not sure if it's the well water or if it's that AO only just doesn't give me the results I am looking for. I love the idea of the AO philosophy. Natural just seems good to me. But when I used it day after day, my hair didn't look better it looked worse and worse. It got drier and duller and limper. I lost my shine and bounce. I tried adding all sorts of things to my AO products. Distilled water, aloe vera juice, jojoba oil, gylcerine. You name it. Some things helped a little with "slip" but still didn't give me the shine and bounce I crave.

What I am wondering is do any of you guys rotate your AO products with salon and or other products? If you do, do you keep it an AO day ( AO products only for the day) or do you maybe use an AO shampoo and conditon with something else? So far I have felt that AO products are made to work together and I should be using them together. I'd like to hear from anyone who either mixes AO and other lines within a shampooing or who uses AO in their product rotation. I'd like to hear why you do it and what you think are the benefits of using AO in your hair care routine. I don't know that I am getting a lot of benefit from my AO things. And it just may be my hair type and my expectations of my products and also the well water. ( I have a Culligan softener. Sometimes I run out of soft water at the end of the 2 weeks.)

I hadn't used any AO for a few weeks and today I used the Mandarin Magic Ginko Leaf and Smoke shampoo and GPB mixed with jojoba and glycerine to condition and ended up with a little spray of Tangle Go. My hair is less shiney and very light and fly-away on the ends today. The positive side of today's shampooing is my hair is very soft and there is a faint lingering scent of the GPB. After I had shampooed and let my hair dry today and it just wasn't looking it's best I was thinking maybe a lot of the AO things just aren't for me at this time. I am tempted to start using the shampoos as body washes. I think I am disappointed in myself and my expectations. I've wanted to like AO so much. If anyone has any ideas on using AO along with other things please let me know. I would love to know what you mixed it with.

I use AO white camellia (sp) and jasmine shampoo with L'oreal Natures therapy conditioner. I love this combo; however, I can't use the AO with any other conditioner. It was just awful on my hair otherwise. It left imy hair tangly, dry and frizzy. Surprisingly enough, when I combine the two, I get the softest, shiniest, bounciest hair ever.

I love the GPB and the Island Spice. I don't use the shampoo though. I have used the Island butter shampoo before.. but I use just about any kind of shampoo.. I do love to use these conditioners. In the beginning I didn't use them very often. I wasn't sure about them either.. I always got compliments on the smell of my hair when I did.
I started using the GPB and Island Spice again and I have been using them quit regular now. I just ordered another bottle of each. I use the the GPB every week or two sometimes I even put a little of on or the other in my hair when its dry. Just to keep it smelling nice. I have noticed my ends look much better when I use it.

I do use different kinds of shampoos.. I am always trying different ones.. don't really have a favorite yet. Actually.. I used the Premier Shampoo by Eqyss and I think I liked it about as good as any I have used. I shampooed with this yesterday and followed up with the GPB and my hair felt great and was so shiny.

I think Fox and her sisters have used alot of the AO products so she could probably tell you more about them.

Take care
Skeeter

Are you all referring to Aubrey Organics shampoo? I just did a check-up on their ingredients, and almost all of them have a coconut soap base as the main foaming / cleansing agent.

I've made my own shampoos / liquid soaps before, and I know that stuff made with coconut oil is *very* drying to the skin... let alone the hair. Also, the ph of soaps is quite alkaline, which can be damaging to the hair - leaving it brittle and very dry.

If you are experiencing unusual dryness with these shampoos, that might be the problem. However, using an acidic rinse (or a conditioner, or following with a regular shampoo) can combat the dryness caused by the coconut oil.

Just wondering if you all knew that about the coconut oil! :)

Rachel

Are you all referring to Aubrey Organics shampoo? I just did a check-up on their ingredients, and almost all of them have a coconut soap base as the main foaming / cleansing agent.

I've made my own shampoos / liquid soaps before, and I know that stuff made with coconut oil is *very* drying to the skin... let alone the hair. Also, the ph of soaps is quite alkaline, which can be damaging to the hair - leaving it brittle and very dry.

If you are experiencing unusual dryness with these shampoos, that might be the problem. However, using an acidic rinse (or a conditioner, or following with a regular shampoo) can combat the dryness caused by the coconut oil.

Just wondering if you all knew that about the coconut oil! :) Rachel

Yes I did know about the coconut oil. I am doing sort of scalp washing. I put the shampoo just on the scalp and don't lather it over all my hair. So I'm thinking it would be good for my oily scalp. I have dry ends so I need things that are full of moisture on them. I have used AO's rinses and I have made my own ACV rinses and that seemed to combat dry ends a bit. In past expereinces with other shampoos, soft water has made a huge difference in how well they work or don't work.

I do have a question for you. I have a jar of coconut oil. It's in a maynaise type jar and is quite solid at room temp. It says for use on skin and hair. I occasionally use it on my ends for an overnight braiding treatment. I sometimes layer it over jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. Would that be drying for me ends?

Do you use a rinse with the Aubrey?
I have been switching between AO and Phyto right now but before the Phyto I used Aubrey pretty much exclusivly for months.
I mix my shampoos 50/50 with Aloe vera juice. I find that they are so thick that they don't spread if I don't do that. Also I know that Aubrey recomends using a rinse with there products. They sell them and I love there rinses but they are expensive so I use a ACV rinse or lemon juice rinse with EO's added. It helps to get the soap residue off and give you more shine.
Also about the coconut soap base. I remember a discussion on the boards about that and something was said about there being a difference in the types. I don't remember, I wish Martine was around because I think it was her that commented about it.

vivid color shampoo and leave in with AO Rosa Mosquita and Mandarin Orange Jelly :D

When I started using AO a long time ago, (I don't use it anymore) I had great results and I was using it exclusively. After a period of time, I think it was a couple of months, I noticed my hair felt gummy. I tried using vingegar rinses but that didn't help. I finally had to use some Neutragena anti-residue which solved the problem temporarily but it would go right back to feeling yucky very soon after and I got tired of it.

I agree, the philosophy is what attracted me in the first place and I wanted to go cone free, I just don't think the AO is all that great for long hair.

I have tried rinses both the AO ones which I liked but were pricey for a bottle of herby watery stuff, and homemade ones. I used distilled water, SCV and herbal diffusions or tea. Both did cut the soap scumminess. I do think AO works better in soft water. I have it part of the time but always run out at the end of two weeks and have to wait for the Culligan man to bring more. I thought the AO shampoos worked better with aloe vera juice added. The conditioners either needed glycerin or jojoba oil added to them. I seemed to be doing so much "tweaking" and not getting the results I wanted. I'm going to try a few days of AO 'poos mixed with the aloe vera juice, followed by some kind of ACV rinse and then a non AO conditioner. Then I think I will experiment with other shampoos followed by AO conditioners. I'm thinking this might be the way to go. The shampoos can always be used as shower gel. I have the Eqyess Premier Shampoo that I had forgotten about so I'll get that out and give it a try again followed by an AO conditioner. I think I'll try some AO conditioner with something like L'Oreal Mega Moisture or Redken Heavy Cream on the last 6-8" of my hair.

I know this is totally ridiculous but I feel kinda guilty for not liking AO as much as I want to. I wanted to love it and embrace it whole heartedly. I know I am the consumer and once I've purchased the product, it's mine to use as I see fit. I guess I saw myself as this all natural product woman who was doing great things for her skin and hair. And maybe to some extent I was doing good things for my hair but I was not willing to giving up my shine and bounce to go all natural. I'm still going to mess around with seeing that I can do to the AO products to make them suit my needs. I'm sure I'll have times of going all natural. But with the water I have and the way I want my hair to look I just can't do AO only at this time. Sorry Aubrey! :D