What are you using for curl definition and to rid dryness?

[naturalgirl575]

For those of you with coily heads, just curious as to what you're using for curl definition. After the big chop last May, my hair was really coily, but it's a bit longer now. I used to use Sebastian Wet to define my coils after rinsing, but it seems to not be working any more as my hair gets longer. I've got to be pretty heavy handed with it now and I don't like how it feels on my hair anymore. I've tried gels and they dry my hair out too much (tired of the morning extra crisp hair) Anyhow, I'm now using a leave-in and glycerin after rinsing and then I'm off with my hair drying into a frizzball with coils mixed in throughout. The frizzy areas are not like the other coils. The frizz are big patches of hair that aren't sure what they want to do. The curl pattern there is loose, but frizzy. I'm not sure if this is normal or if there's anything to tone it down.

And last thing...I think my hair is lacking or reacting to something, making it extra dry. After my hair dries after no-pooing, it starts to feel pretty dry and by the next morning, it's extremely dry with my scalp feeling itchy making it a must to drown in water. I apply a little oil, but it seems like my hair isn't really absorbing it. Even plain spritzing doesn't work since it's not absorbing well anymore. It feels sort of wire-ry (not quite like straw), has some softness, and looks dry. Now I understand that natural hair isn't going to feel like freshly relaxed hair. But I'm thinking I must be missing something. I honey/oil, shampoo, ACV rinse, deep condition, and leave-in about every 5-6 weeks or so. I rinse and use leave-in/glycerin with a little almond oil every day. I deep condition again every 2 weeks. I do trims often and sleep with a satin cap. I haven't tried activators because of the greasy feel some have talked about. Is there anything else I can try to rid my head of this dryness? I'm sure the dryness has something to do with the frizz. But there must be an alternative to keeping a wet head all day long:) Didn't mean to be so long, but thanks all!

[littlefish]

You sound like you're describing my head! I'm looking forward to the responses ...

Anyone? Anyone?

lf

[Mrs. Tang]

Dear Natrual Girl...,
I always keep my hair extra moisterized..here are some of my tips that I use that may help with your problem..
Everyday I rinse with Suave Awapuhi..I wet and saturate my hair with it first and then I wash/shower and rinse right before I get out....I never dry with a towel, I just use my hands and wipe forehead and neck for drips. Then I apply Abba Nourishing Leave-on Moisturizer while wet...I can then proceed to put on clothes etc. I then apply either Carols Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey (which lasts and moisterizes all day long...I love this stuff) or Hollywood Beauty's Olive Oil. I spray a lttle Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil and pick....I use the no-poo all week, however, every Sunday night I use Dr. Brooner's Peppermint Soap. After Shampooing I apply Elasta QP Deep Penetrating Remoisturizer and a plastic cap....I put another cloth elastic cap on and sleep with the conditioner in my head( I hate sitting under the dryer) and rinse the next morning...I think applying the leave on (ABBA) everyday helps. I also sleep with a satin scarf every night. Hope this isn't too much but its my routine and I never have a dry spell :D

[blakgirl]

i read on another post that glycerin, depending on where you are, humid or not, may be drying to your hair.

blak.

[rzlushn]

I use

Sebastain 9 (Sally's Generic Version) = tight coils

Herbal Essence Mouse = Dry's quicker, for those late night parties

Paul Mitchell "The Conditioner" (Generic Version) = Adds some coils when hair is dry (not wet) Bed Head, for those early morning rendevouzs

Ion Reconstructor Treatment = Conditioning Hold, with extremely defined Coils (the secret with this one is that you cant be afraid of the foam, it will really foam on you, just lightly wipe off the excess and dry, simply lovely)

[rzlushn]

Also try using a "Diffusser" if you blow dry

[GalaxyGirl2010]

Overnight treatmeants with extra virgin olive oil (a plastic cap and 3 scarves to keep it all on) has worked WONDERS for my hair; it's not at all dry.

Ive also heard that about glycerin..maybe try using some products on half your head only to campare and contrast how dry your hair gets with which products.

As for definition, the Aveda knock off elixir combined with shea butter oil is working wel for me

[Brit]

And last thing...I think my hair is lacking or reacting to something, making it extra dry. After my hair dries after no-pooing, it starts to feel pretty dry and by the next morning, it's extremely dry with my scalp feeling itchy making it a must to drown in water. I apply a little oil, but it seems like my hair isn't really absorbing it. Even plain spritzing doesn't work since it's not absorbing well anymore.

I have to break this down to respond to it, but it sounds like the rinsing is not pleasing your hair, or your scalp for that matter. Do you think you have hard water? Maybe you need to switch conditioners or simply not rinse so much. EXPERIMENT EXPERIMENT EXPERIMENT until you get it right. Your hair is speaking, so listen until you find out what it likes. Btw, what is the weather like where you live? Are you exposing your hair and scalp to winter elements that are having a neg effect?


I deep condition again every 2 weeks.

Again, what product are you using? Does it have a lot of protein? Or maybe your hair needs to be deep conditioned more often. (I deep condition every week).


Is there anything else I can try to rid my head of this dryness? I'm sure the dryness has something to do with the frizz. But there must be an alternative to keeping a wet head all day long:)

OOOO lastly, are your products natural? Maybe your allergic to one of the chemical ingredients in your products. Try some natural stuff like deep conditioning with a hair smoothie (banana, honey, and olive oil blended together) and then moisturizing with pure shea butter or mango butter. The more moisture you have the less frizz. HTH some.

[thighslikewhat]

Galaxy Wrote:



As for definition, the Aveda knock off elixir combined with shea butter oil is working wel for me


What is your hair type?

[naturalgirl575]

I have to break this down to respond to it, but it sounds like the rinsing is not pleasing your hair, or your scalp for that matter. Do you think you have hard water? Maybe you need to switch conditioners or simply not rinse so much. EXPERIMENT EXPERIMENT EXPERIMENT until you get it right. Your hair is speaking, so listen until you find out what it likes. Btw, what is the weather like where you live? Are you exposing your hair and scalp to winter elements that are having a neg effect?

Again, what product are you using? Does it have a lot of protein?

A big thanks to all for the suggestions:) The ideas are refreshing. I've been pretty frustrated lately.

Brit, I don't believe I have hard water, but if I do would I need a filter system for my entire house? I've tried switching conditioners. The only problem is that I have to rinse each day since my hair is so dry and stuck to my head every morning, and for product buildup. I like to have a fresh start each day. Spritzing is a waste since I need the drenching to get rid of the dryness. But deep conditioning more often and perhaps with more natural elements may be the key. I'm currently conditioning with suave tropical coconut, iso nourishing daily cond or redken allsoft cond. I also deep condition with either one of those or aubrey GPB. The GPB I only deep condition with every 2 months or so. Leave-in is Abba. I generally shampoo with ebene naturals shea butter or jojoba shampoo and follow with an ACV rinse. I live in the south, so no extreme harsh winters here. I've used kemioyl's shea butter pomade and it usually eliminates the dryness for a day or two. But my hair and scalp continues to get extra dry during the day and overnight. I used to think it was something sucking the life out of my hair at night, but I don't think it's the satin cap I use every night. So today I'll try the natural deep conditioner you suggested and continue to experiment, experiment experiment :D something should give way!

[Brit]

hey gurl! if you have hard water, you don't have to filter the whole house, maybe just wherever you wash your hair, i.e. a shower filter or a kitchen sink filter, whatever. but i do know what you mean about needing to rinse your hair, because when i have twists in if i don't rinse my hair, i will look crazy for the entire day. do you think you may be allergic to one of your products? maybe you should start all over again and use a different product every week. i mean like use acv rinse and suave one week. the next week eliminate the acv rinse and use baking soda and suave. that way you can see what specifically works and does not work. btw, how often do you do acv, do you add oils to the acv, maybe the acv is drying out your scalp. do you ever massage your scalp to stimulate oils? that may help or add a little peppermint oil to the mix to get those glands producing oils. sweetie, just don't give up, you'll get it. i know what it is like to be totally at a loss for what's wrong with your hair and/or scalp. just pm me to let me know if you see any change and if i think of anything else i will let you know. hth

[GalaxyGirl2010]

Galaxy Wrote:



As for definition, the Aveda knock off elixir combined with shea butter oil is working wel for me


What is your hair type? I think my hair is primarily 4a but Im not sure since it's not very long. the curl pattern is abit larger than coffee stirer size. I guess i should wait until i have more growth so i can really tell?

[sugarNfeist]

Perhaps your hair could benefit from a good shampoo as well. Unfortunately I don't think no poo works for everyone, it didn't do so well with me. Afterwhile my hair started to feel dry(maybe i was using too much acv in my rinse??) and my scalp felt itchy and coated. I tried switching to baking soda + water, but it worked bout same as acv rinse except i felt like i could never fully wash all the baking soda out. Perhaps i was doing my rinses too often, but i couldnt help it my scalp itched horribly and witch hazel just wont cutting it to get my scalp clean between washes.

[Honeycomb]

I am using Long Aid Curl Activator gel, and a little generic Potion #9 and I have no problem with dryness on my almost 3" curly twa.

[Milcah]

Maybe you need a good clarifying shampoo? I noticed that after I stopped using the extra moisturizing shampoos and started using non-drying shampoos that don't leave a residue, my conditioning products worked better and my hair didn't dry out due to the buildup. I don't even use oils on my hair now and my hair stays soft and feels smooth.

I use the Giovanni Triple Tea Treat and Moisturizing Shampoos. They are not creamy but they don't dry the hair out because they don't leave a residue. The Doctor Burt's Feelin Flaky is a good clarifying shampoo and really cleans the scalp although it is very gentle.

[Amarige]

I notice the most coil definition when I use the Honey/Olive Oil pre-treatment.

[nubian indigo]

Hey naturalgirl575...Cheer Up!!! :D

Have a few suggestions for your dilema:

Scalp Itchies...

9 - 11 drops of tea tree essential oil

9 - 11 drops of rosemary essential oil

7 - 9 drops of grapefruit seed (or grapefruit) essential oil

5 - 7 drops of orange - or - ginger - or - peppermint
**CHOOSE ONE NOT ALL essential oil**(for scent purposes...but please do not use FRAGRANCE OIL to substitute BIG difference)

4oz of base oil...extra virgin olive oil...very light and won't clog pores...any brand will do as long as it's extra virgin olive oil. Jojoba oil is a wonderful choice as well but extremely expensive... :shock:

Mix together and apply to your scalp ONLY for direct effect to the targeted area...your dry scalp. Use this every night right before getting into a steamy / hot shower bath. The heat opens up your pores so that your scalp can just drink this in. This should take care of that part.

Use as needed...

**This is not a pre-shampoo treatment...this is meant as a scalp treatment to be used with your hair already styled in twists / cornrows / braids / etc. Do Not Wash Out...Please use an applicator bottle to get right to your target area - the scalp only - **

************************************************** **************
Dry Hair...

You should use a moisturizing shampoo lather up WELL and rinse ONCE...stay away from anything that has alchohol in it. Use something that is 'fatted' up with natural 'fatty' ingredients that you can easily understand...if you gotta guess, put down that mess. Look for ingredients like jojoba oil, olive oil, avocado oil, shea butter, mango butter, honey, glycerin, molasses, along those lines...as one of the top ingredients.

(I don't believe that a clarifying shampoo would be a good idea because I feel that it will do more harm than good and dry your hair out)

Follow up with a moisturizing conditioner...I recommend Nature's Gate Herbal Conditioner or Aveda Sap Moss...they are both wonderful and enriching...excellent for a smoother comb thru while retaining moisture. Conditioner works best when the hair / conditioner is warmed up...this way you hair shaft will literally open up and soak in all of the conditioning goodness...then rinse well with warm water.

If you don't get every little drip drop of conditioner out ...it's so o.k...for your dilema you will need it...please don't rinse 'till it squeaks...BIG NO NO! Also do not rub dry with a towel...gently squeeze / pat with a small towel (hand towel is good enough)


Follow up still with a moisturizing leave in 'soft & fatty' butter / honey like mimosa hair honey by carol's daughter. You can even use plain ole extra virgin olive oil - or - 100% pure coconut oil - or - sweet almond oil / vit. e.

Rub throughout your HAIR ONLY NOT SCALP, that's what the scalp oil is for. Pay attention to your ends, make sure to rub in the mixture / soft & fatty butter hair honey into the ends as well...especially while styling.
(You may not be able to concentrate the exact same product that you would on your scalp, on to your hair, and vice versa...there is a method to it that makes a difference)

Now style it up...I suggest that you lay off of any 'out styles' for the moment and give your hair a chance to recoup. You can follow this regimen with any braided / cornrowed / twisted / etc. (no extensions--would dry you out right now) style of course. You could be the first to initiate the leave it alone challenge on this board 8)

Your spritz should have 'fatty' ingredients as well...try...

4 parts water
1 part glycerine
1/2 part conditioner
1/2 part extra virgin olive oil - or - sweet almond oil
**3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance if you choose but not needed to be effective.

Mix it up in your spray bottle and your good to go.

Glycerine, Honey, Or any humectant can become drying only if it does not have moisture to feed on. So just using glycerine alone or with out enough moisturizing components will result in the glycerine in having to retain moisture from it's closest source...your hair...that is what causes that problem. Proper mixing and application are extremely important.

Did I forget anything :D ? I really hope that helps you out...please post with results if you decide to try this regimen out.

I would expect that you should see positive results right away and I recommend that you keep this up for at least 6 weeks for optimum staying power while you should see improvements before that time.

Also...tie your head down with a SILK scarf every night.

Satin / Polyester / etc. are great for non breakage, smoothness, but only silk will actually enrich your dry hair and help the mixtures to do their work -- keeping your hair / scalp properly moisturized...HTH

8)
ETA: corrections

[sugarNfeist]

nubian indigo you been working overtime in that kitchen haven't you :)

[atoiK]

nubian indigo you been working overtime in that kitchen haven't you :)

You ain't kidding! I'm making a printout right now so I can experiment this week. YEAH!!! NUBIAN!!!! :lol:

[nubian indigo]

Yep... :lol:

I'ts all good in the sistah hood... 8) Don't sleep... :wink: lol and chuckling...

Peace

ETA: response to the very last post above...

[GalaxyGirl2010]

My hair has grown a bit more so I'm noticing more and more frizz, but since Ive been snowed and colded in :mad: , Ive been experimenting with a few things at home and discovered a couple of things 8) :idea:

1) I have less frizz when I allow my hair to completely dry before going out in the cold. Id say that it cuts down on 40-50% of the fuzzy attack.

2) The Aura elixir works FAAABUUU with the other stuff I added in: honey,rosemary EO,geranium EO,rosewood EO,shea oil,glycerin. I'm not sure what measurements I used, but I mixed it all in a litter plastic bottle and the results resemble milk. I put this on my hair when it's soaking wet and its great for sealing in moisture and basically freezing my lil coils into shape. Hair's a bit crispy and crunchy but hardly any frizz ESPECIALLY if I wait until it's dry to leave. The only set back is that I put a little too much rosemary EO in and I smell antiseptic until it dries :cry:

3) My hair is finally at the stage where it feels soft and doesnt look dried out, EVEN when I just shampoo (shampoo only no conditioners or leave-in), so something's working right :D

4) I tend to create some of my own frizz by continually messing in ma head. One of my co-workers even remarked that I must love my hair because everytime she sees me I'm always playing it.

[Lottacoils]

First, I apologize for the length of my reply. I'm just throwing out a bunch of suggestions; I hope they will help.

You know, the problem could be too many products that you're using on your hair. Some people can handle a lot of different products and some can't. Perhaps keeping it simple as possible will help either eliminate the dryness or at least diagnose what is making your hair dry. Maybe just try two natural-based shampoos (one for winter, one for spring/summer, plus a clarifying shampoo once a month), a regular conditioner, a deep conditioner, oil and a moisturizing spritz. I've hear that a regular conditioner can be used as a deep conditioner if you apply a heat cap or hot, wet towel. You can use the Cornrows and Company Mint Condition conditioner that way (see below).

I've been all natural since late 1995. I have very thick hair with coils ranging from coffee stirrer to just smaller than drinking straw size. For me, my ends always seem a bit dry. I'm a product junkie from way back in the relaxer days. I've tried different natural oils, and I'm finding that olive and jojoba oils work best. So once I finish up the grapeseed oil, I'll move on to what's best for me oil-wise. I like Earthly Delight herbal shampoo in the summer (I buy it at a health food market, Whole Foods), Cornrows and Company coconut oil shampoo in the winter, Kiss My Face conditioner for dry/damaged hair (excellent for detangling my hair), and Cornrows and Company Mint Condition for deep conditioning. Then I use the liquid oil several times a week, and the conditioner/oil/glycerine/water spritz as needed (I also use the spritz as a setting lotion at night when I roll my twists on sponge rollers. I cover with a satin cap. I let the curls go for two to three days before I roll them again).

This sounds like a lot, but the key is for me to not use them all at once (I deep condition once a month because I'm pretty busy). I try also to use my products sparingly because I have a tendency to be heavy-handed. I like Cornrows and Company products (www.cornrowsandco.com); the conditioner has oils, and once you rinse it out, you don't need to apply a oil afterward -- maybe just the spritz on your ends. C&C also sells a Sweet Orange leave-in that I've used before and I like (smells great), and a light oil pomade called Lite Citrus or something like that. If it's still the same, it smells great and lasts a long time, but it's not heavy. Beware, however, of the Mint Condition -- a little goes a looonnnggg way because it's so oily.

BTW, I've used the Giovanni Tea Treat Triple Treat Shampoo, and it's a good clarifying shampoo (that's another option; you may have product buildup), but it dries out my scalp.

If you use gel, make sure it's alcohol free. Queen Helene keeps the crimps defined in a twist-out, and the hardness goes away after a day or two. If sections of your twist-out get frizzy, retwist those sections only by wetting and applying a little gel. I am also a fan of Long-Aid curl activator gel for my twists to keep the curly ends after I wet-twist. It may feel greasy at first, but that goes away after a day or so. I use it with the Mizani's Rose H2O (yet another product, what can I say) on my twists and shower without a cap. One last thing as an alternative-- Miss Cool setting lotion can be good for a twist-out (on wet hair) and a dryness buster. It's very good.

I know I wrote a book. But this is a great forum, and I appreciate the opportunity to pass on the results of my trial and error.

But, can somebody tell what a no poo is?

[GalaxyGirl2010]

lotta: that sound like too bad of a routine..did you check out the link to traci ross' routine? lol :lol:

no poo is basically not using shampoo on your hair when you wash it and just using conditioner. the action of you rubbing the conditioner into your hair is enough to get a clean. i think those who do it usually clarify their hair a few times a month, but it depends on the individual.some people say that it helps with dryness and cutting down on frizz. i really havent noticed any difference when i shampoo and not shampoo, but that could just be because i dont have that much hair.

[Catalyst]

You say that you are using Suave Coconut conditioner and Abba Nourishing leave in. Both of these products separately make my hair crunchy because of the protein. When I used them together my hair was definitely dry.

[sugarNfeist]

You know, the problem could be too many products that you're using on your hair. Some people can handle a lot of different products and some can't. Perhaps keeping it simple as possible will help either eliminate the dryness or at least diagnose what is making your hair dry. Maybe just try two natural-based shampoos (one for winter, one for spring/summer, plus a clarifying shampoo once a month), a regular conditioner, a deep conditioner, oil and a moisturizing spritz. I've hear that a regular conditioner can be used as a deep conditioner if you apply a heat cap or hot, wet towel. You can use the Cornrows and Company Mint Condition conditioner that way (see below).
But, can somebody tell what a no poo is?

You are sooo right about overproduct use I had completely forgot how true that is. I'm down to three products (other than shampoo, conditioner,deep conditioner) My water/glycerin/conditioner mix I use as needed, longaid curl activator which I bought recently and love, oil moisturizer, for those times when I need it. I recently started using elasta qp mango butter, as my oil moisturizer, its ok. I bought it for $3.63 at walmart but would not pay $6.00 for it. At this point I've given up on the idea of getting completely frizz free curl definition and am just trying to keep my hair healthy enough til it gets to the the point i can put twists in. :) Then I can give my self a twist-out or braid-out if I want that curly hair look.

no poo is basically cleansing your hair with conditioner rather than shampoo. basically you just add a lil lemon juice or baking soda to the conditioner to cleanse your hair. or do a rinse with apple cider vinegar and water. I think those that do no poo can better explain it. Read some of the replys on the board, and do a search for no poo on the message board you will probably find lots of topics on it.

[Lottacoils]

Thanks for the explanations of no poo! I'm remembering I used to do that when I had braids and took swimming lessons a couple times a week to minimize shampoo dryness (duh!).

BTW, I did get some twist and lock gel by ORS for my wet twists, thanks to what I read in this forum. Yet another product. But I was very impressed, because it provides moisture and gel. I did the twists on Sunday and will undo them tonight for a twist-out. A different hold than Long Aid but not hard-feeling.

I forgot one more thing -- I love Long-Aid for the single-strand hand rolls. My hair has movement and softness. But those hand rolls for me are like braids -- when it comes time to take them out, it's forever!

[NaturalSerenitee]

what has really worked for me is nightly applying LeKair Cholesterol Creme to my damp hair every night and leave on all nith with a shower cap. The next morning I no-poo withj Pantene's Daily Moisturizing Conditioner. Hope that helps!

[fjasmint]

Sounds like my hair. I shampoo with whatever once every two weeks. I condition-poo daily and comb through while my hair is soaked and conditioner is on. Rinse and hand wring my hair. Lately I am using a combo of carols daughter and garnie fructic to give me definition and control the frizz. I am very happy with it. My hair drys within two hours.