Post recent changes to your hair-care routine

**emilyann** · August 23rd, 2013, 06:30 AM

What have you recently changed about how you care for your hair? Why did you make the change? What were you doing before?

List those changes you have made and the result you've seen, good or bad. It may help to list your hair type, and products you used/avoided, and what you are trying now.

For example:

Hair type: 1c-2a/M/ii; aaaalmost BSL, so close!

Before: Diluted shampoo and heavy condition every 3-4 days, using Herbal Essences "Honey I'm Strong" S&C. Hair was really greasy on day 3 and the ends were dry and crunchy. Probably because of the sulfates and cones. I had to clarify almost once a week with a clarifying vo5 shampoo to get it to feel anything like nice hair, and that effect was starting to fade.

Recent change: Cowashing with TJ's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner every 2-3 days. So far it's been working out really well; my hair feels really clean on day one, thanks to the advice that I rinse REALLY well. It just starts to feel a little greasy the end of day 2. I've also starting using a tiny bit of BJCO and aloe mixed together in the palm of my hand, spread thinly along the lengths. It was a random idea, haven't read to try that anywhere. The ends feel more moisturized, but I know the aloe is kind of like hair gel. It gets them to hold their wave a little better, but also gets a little crunchy gel feeling. So if I don't like that aloe feeling in a few more days, I'm going to try a smidge of coconut oil on the lengths instead. Which I do at random anyway, it makes the ends tangle a little less.

Stayed the same: I still use a protective updo with a hair stick or fork almost daily. I have to continue to detangle slowly and very gently with a comb or tangle teezer. Still avoid heat styling.

What changes have you tried recently?

**Firefox7275** · August 23rd, 2013, 07:59 AM

Hair type: 2a to 2c, little past armpit length, porous and colour treated.

Before: conditioner only washing, leave in conditioner avoiding silicones, butters, waxes, some polyquats, petrolatum/ mineral oil. No brushing nor combing nor terry towels, sometimes a Curly Girl friendly gel styler, styling from wet, air dry. Lazy on the deep treatments - arguably benign neglect - did pre-treat with coconut oil before colouring tho. Roots only weak blonde box dye (no sulphates, silicones, ammonia), roots only high pigment semi permanent pulling through the lengths at the end to 'refresh'.

Recent changes: kicked off because my favourite leave in conditioner got reformulated, horrible hair with build up, released my inner product junkie searching for a replacement. My hair wasn't looking consistently great before anyway, 2a back section has always been unmanageable. Time for an overhaul since I've now grown out the worst of the damage.

Adding coconut oil to the box dye - hopefully reduce damage but won't see the benefits for months or years. I just don't like coconut oil soaking my root area.
Komaza Care Matani repair treatment spray (hydrolysed protein, ceramides, panthenol) - hopefully strengthen and replenish hair but won't see the benefits for months or years. I think it's done something positive but that could be placebo since the rest of my routine has been evolving.
Switching from microfibre 'plopping' to scrunching with flour sack towels, then to plopping with flour sacks but wetting down the nape - less frizz, neater curls, doesn't dry out too fast.
More hydrolysed protein in my leave in conditioners - some sausagey ringlets in the underlayers, bouncier and shinier, getting more root wave! On the flip side went a bit nuts and got protein build up - increased frizz and slightly velcro ends, improved on clarifying.

Stayed the same: Fundamentally still 'strict' Curly Girl, still do everything upside down, only heat styling is occasional diffusing on medium heat to partly dry, still limiting mechanical and chemical damage.

**jacqueline101** · August 23rd, 2013, 08:06 AM

Before
Daily oiling
Daily combing
Daily Monistat
Shampooing length
Conditioning length

After
Monistat diluted Monday Wednesday and Friday too costly
No oiling hair hated it
Monday Wednesday Friday combing wear up braided
Wash scalp condition length only
Monthly cholesterol treatment and deep conditioning treatment
Stay the same
Weekly shampoo and condition
Multivitamin

**sourgrl** · August 23rd, 2013, 08:19 AM

The only change I've made is when I use coconut oil in my routine. I was using it to seal after s&c but it started to make my ends crunchy. Now I use it pre-poo. So I reap all the benefits without the crunch.

**sarahthegemini** · August 23rd, 2013, 09:10 AM

Previously:
-S+C daily with Tresemme 24 Hour Body 'poo (sulfate) and co (cones)
-Weekly deep treatments
-Overnight oilings a few times a week
-Towel drying roughly
-Left hair down or shoved up in a pony elastic
-Sleeping with hair loose
-Using a plastic fine tooth comb

I felt unhappy with my hair. For a start, the 'poo was too harsh and dried me out, and the co wasn't moisturising enough. I was probably causing a lot of mechanical damage too. My hair was a bit meh :-/ I decided I needed a BIG change ...

Now:
-CWC daily
-Using a leave-in co
-Cone free products
-Less deep treatments
-Gently scrunching/removing excess moisture with a MF towel
-Wearing hair up more with scrunchie or claw clip
-Wearing hair in a scrunchie bun, and a satin sleep cap overnight
-Using a wooden wider tooth comb

My hair is so much better. So much improvement. These changes have been implemented over the past couple months, although the decision to CWC and go cone-free was more recent and made the biggest change. My hair is soft, smooth, shiny, has slip and has so much body! Cones were evidently weighing my hair down. I couldn't believe my hair could go from looking thin and lank to thicker and fuller. I've been a bit slack with deep treatments and overnight oilings simply because my hair really hasn't needed them. But I would like to get back into the habit of doing a treatment once a week or so.

Staying the same:
-Washing it daily
-Combing hair once dry
-Sealing with S.A.O

I have tried stretching my washes to every other day, and my hair loved it. The greasiness just stopped one day so I thought, hm an opportunity to stretch. However my scalp shedded approx 5x more hair on wash days so I went back to daily washing. I still comb my hair once dry although I comb only once. After this, if my hair needs neatening, I fingercomb. I seal with oil because I think it aids shine and I want to keep in as much moisture as poss. I tried a LOT of oils but I found S.A.O to be the best.

Things to try in the future:
-Cassia (I've got some to hand but I'm a little nervous)
-Sulfate free 'poo
-AVG to enhance my waves

**Nae** · August 23rd, 2013, 10:47 AM

You all have such nice, well organized posts.

And here I am all, "I haz dumped catnip tea on my head. Hair is happy!!"

.....Oh wait, I need to organize this somehow? Umm, I use henna and I umm have oils? Lots of stuff and stuff.

Never mind, carry on.

**millyaulait** · August 23rd, 2013, 10:57 AM

I'm giving CO washing another try right now.

The conditioner I'm using is a little *too* cleansing on my ends, so I'm going to start using Biolage CB on them afterwards, then sealing with oil.

The upper quarter of my hair is super gross just after a few days, while the rest is very dry. I might have to just shampoo the top but CO the bottom.

Experiments, experiments.....

**patienceneeded** · August 23rd, 2013, 10:59 AM

My most recent change was switching to Giovanni's Tea Tree shampoo. The stylist I saw recently recommended Tea Tree shampoo to help stretch washed further. Something about Tea Tree balancing the scalp's Ph naturally and therefore slowing oil production. Figured it wouldn't hurt to try. Plus, the Giovanni Tea Tree shampoo is sulfate-free. Bonus!

Other than that I haven't done anything. I'm pretty boring with my haircare. Benign neglect here.

I did cut off almost 4" however. Back to BSL and virgin hair (finally).

**henné** · August 23rd, 2013, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by patienceneeded

My most recent change was switching to Giovanni's Tea Tree shampoo. The stylist I saw recently recommended Tea Tree shampoo to help stretch washed further. Something about Tea Tree balancing the scalp's Ph naturally and therefore slowing oil production. Figured it wouldn't hurt to try. Plus, the Giovanni Tea Tree shampoo is sulfate-free. Bonus!

Other than that I haven't done anything. I'm pretty boring with my haircare. Benign neglect here.

I did cut off almost 4" however. Back to BSL and virgin hair (finally).

I LOVED that shampoo when I could still buy it. I can't find it here in Sweden. If I could, I'd definitely buy it again.