A while ago I wrote an article to explain everything about the sebum cure : why I decided to do one, what I expected from it and, above all, some advice to make it go well. I scrupulously followed all the advice given to me by people for whom it had worked.

Please note that I took advantage of this exceptional confinement situation to test the treatment, but I do not recommend it to people who work in contact with the public during an epidemic. Here is my feedback, step by step on the sebum treatment .

Before the treatment

As I was creating the formula for LAO shampoos , I had recently switched to 100% natural, silicone-free shampoo and conditioner . I washed my hair about every two days because it is quite fine and gets greasy quickly.

My hair was soft , quite shiny, easy to detangle, but a little thin, and I wanted to use the treatment to give it a little pep to stimulate growth and gain even more softness and suppleness.

To avoid over-processing the treatment, during my last shampoo (and the previous ones) I didn't use a mask, conditioner, or even an oil bath or treatment. I left my hair as raw as possible so it could absorb the sebum.

During the treatment

Unsurprisingly, my hair is having a whale of a time and gets greasy very quickly; after just a few days, my whole head is covered in sebum , which I spread morning and evening (sometimes also in the afternoon) with my horsehair brush. I air my hair several times a day by massaging the scalp .

After a week, the sebum had reached half of my length (my hair is down to my back!), and after 23 days, my entire head of hair was soaked; my hair was silky despite the oiliness and perfectly detangled. I also feel like I'm losing a little less.

Throughout the treatment, no itching or dandruff to note !

After the cure

A week ago, I decided to stop the treatment after 23 days.

When I get in the shower (I can't describe the intense happiness), my hair is soaked with water and is very, very smooth and soft, as if I had just done a mask. I wash my hair and then film the second part of the video on the subject (soon below). Happy to have my hair clean again, at that moment my hair seems lighter and shinier , but not lighter or softer.

It's now been a week since I finished my treatment, and my opinion is clearly mixed.

No shampoo spacing for me, my hair felt greasy after two days , as if I hadn't done anything! Even worse, it feels "heavier".

My hair even feels a little drier than before, and it gets tangled very quickly. My hair looks duller and I feel like I have more split ends than before. I don't understand why this didn't work for me!

EDIT: 2 months have passed since my sebum treatment, and I have some significant adjustments to make to this article.

I noticed that my scalp , which had no problems before the treatment, began to itch; some kind of pimples appeared. At the same time, my face, especially my forehead near the hairline, became covered with small pimples. I had never had this type of acne before.

It took me almost 3 weeks to recover my scalp , and I have not yet finished getting rid of the traces of acne most likely caused by this treatment.

I have spoken to many people following the treatment, and even if the experience turns out to be positive for some, it is clearly not a practice that I recommend.

My hypothesis? The sebum , which is very acidic, attacked my scalp (which reacted by giving me pimples), and it migrated to my forehead. Namely, and I wrote an article on the subject, that the pH of sebum is more acidic than the pH of the skin. See my article on pH.

In order not to mislead you and because I do not want to generalize my case, I have called upon external testimonies.

Women, men, long or short courses, success or disappointment, there is something for everyone!

You were very (very) many to send me your testimonials and I thank you for it, I have put as many as possible here, grouped into positive / mixed opinions. Do not hesitate to share your own testimony with me in the comments here, specifying the duration of your treatment!

For my part, after reading all the reviews, I would say that each experience remains very personal, and that if the treatment tempts you, it doesn't cost anything to try! Objectively, about 2/3 of the testimonials were positive and 1/3 negative.

You can also try spacing out your shampoos , but always remember to brush your hair regularly to spread the sebum !

Reviews of the sebum cure are below:

Positive Reviews

Marie. L “I lasted a first week (knowing that I am a very bad student, sometimes washing my hair once a day) and then I tried washing it with hot water, I was very pleasantly surprised by the fact that the water really washed my hair! Well, it doesn't come out with the same effect as shampoo, but it's enough to start another week without shampooing, and I think I can last longer, I can already see that it gets greasy less quickly.”

Manon. R "Personally, I didn't do 1 month but rather 8 days (knowing that I usually wash them every 2 days). It's true that resisting the last few days is not easy, but once they are washed, mine are super soft and shiny. I did it 2 times in a row, and they already last (that is to say, remain clean and presentable) 1 day longer than before."

Sarah. G "For my part, I didn't try to do a real cure (1 month) but I lasted two weeks between washes. My hair was greasy after 2 days (I have bangs and it gets frizzy) the rest of my hair was 2cm of oil. After 2 weeks the sebum had reached my ears. Ideally, to reach the ends, I would have had to last another 2-3 weeks.

After washing my hair was soft, supple and surprisingly light."

> I am very very jealous of Sarah

Tara. D “Hello, 1 month and I'm very happy with it. My hair is in much better condition, softer and lighter. I even feel like it's lightened!”

Perrine. H "I did the treatment for 28 days. I find my hair longer and fuller. My hair is less oily too. I brushed my hair morning and evening, cleaning my brush well with soap and water. I made myself some rinses (cider vinegar + water, green tea) to avoid itching and odors."

Perrine recommends using a rinse made from cider vinegar, water and green tea !

Agathe. B “I did it and I find that my hair has grown and so I went down to shampooing once a week instead of 2-3!”

Viviane. S “I did it for 3 weeks and my scalp no longer feels tight and dry like before. I find that my hair is “thicker” than before (it was very fine and dry). I went from shampooing every 2-3 days to shampooing every 5-7 days, depending on how much I exercise.”

Joris. D "For my part, a 1-month sebum treatment. Hair is softer and shinier, but above all, it gets greasy less quickly. I can easily go a week without shampooing, or even more. Before, 3 days. After that, I wasn't expecting much; it was mainly a step I wanted to take before going 100% natural."

Indeed, the sebum cure is the right time to switch to natural hair products!

Laury. D "I only did it for 15 days and they are thicker and less greasy, I was able to space out my shampoos too! On the other hand, I had dandruff the first week after, but today I have none anymore."

Noah. E "I had done a sebum treatment after a series of bleaching and coloring my hair. I didn't wash it for 4 months because it never got greasy. After that, it was refreshed and got greasy very slowly (I sometimes go a month without washing it without any trace of grease). In any case, it worked well on me."

Claire. W “I lasted 4 weeks. After shampooing, my hair felt light (crazy volume) and stronger at the same time. My hair would get greasy the day after shampooing. Now, I can go 4 days without shampooing. It really made me feel less self-conscious about greasy hair. I lasted a month without shampooing, and I don't care about having dirty hair one day anymore.”

Mixed reviews

Daphné. R "I did my first treatment about 4 years ago when I decided to go no-poo. A clarification, a straightening treatment because styling curly hair dry is hell. And that was it. I lasted 28 days and the sebum was absorbed as it went down. All my lengths had some at least right after brushing but I only had any left up to about my shoulders. After washing, the treatment effect seemed effective for the part that had been impregnated but my lengths were still ultra dry. For organization, it was a shift with a wide-toothed comb then a boar bristle brush morning and evening in all directions."

Daphne is starting her second sebum cleanse during lockdown and recommends using a tangle teezer (a type of hairbrush) instead of a boar bristle brush. She also recommends tying your hair up at night.

Sylvie. G “I lasted 19 days and apart from ending up with lots of dandruff, there was no change, my hair still gets greasy just as quickly.”

Marine. C “I lasted 2 weeks (that was my max), because itching and I couldn't stand it anymore... I wasn't satisfied with the result!!! My hair was the same or even drier than before... I think that favoring a good hair routine (washing your hair with a good shampoo - hello LAO - + doing jojoba/coconut oil baths once a week for shine and hydration) is more than enough!

Delphine. G "I did a sebum treatment during lockdown. 34 days. But I didn't see any difference. It was just as damaged as before. The sebum had definitely gone down all over my hair, though."

Jenn. M "I tried it during the first week of lockdown: fine hair. On day 5, I cracked because I was scratching so much: since then, I've had dandruff that won't go away... I only use professional shampoo though. This experience wasn't for me, which is a shame."

Elodie. N “I did two 15-day treatments (thanks to the Skype interviews) on chin-length hair, unfortunately no results... my hair got greasy after 2 days, dandruff appeared and still as much hair loss...”

Romane. A (who responded to the comment above) "It reassures me that I'm not the only one to have seen dandruff appear when I'd never had it before... I only had one in 1 month, but the results are the same."

Léa. B “Personally, even after 3 weeks of treatment, I had no effect... I wash it every 2/3 days... and yet I have short hair!”