Wurly and Curly thread!!!

[darkwaves]

Have any of y'all tried this flaxseed gel?

Not that one -- I tried one popular flaxseed gel (jessicurl? my spelling is likely off) but my hair is just too fine and the curl too light to handle any of the formulations long term. Weighed my hair down and made it look (but not feel) greasy.

Well, the only curl creme I know of that's been good for
me has been Boots Curl Creme.

I tried that when I was in the UK last year, but with my hair, mmm, well, nothing. Dryness, but no significant anything else. Aveda's Be Curly works geat for me as a creme, but as I recall it has cones, which is why I've put it temporarily on hold while I play with no cones again. (Last night's experiment -- AG: recoil again! Yes, I like this... Have for years.... Keep forgetting that, though!)

[GlassEyes]

It works pretty well for me, actually. I usually mix it with conditioner for deep treatments, and usually use it with some amount of conditioner anyway, but I like the moisture seal it can give, and they can make my hair really soft.

I also use it on dry hair to help get rid of some of my product crunch, and to add some softness and shine. So yeah, it works for me. Straight oil on dry hair probably wouldn't, and it works better with conditioner.

Have you tried oiling with a mix of oil and shea butter? It seems to help things smooth better to help the oil work, since shea butter is an emollient and makes the cuticle lie flatter, thus letting the oil oat and smooth...or something like that.

[darkwaves]

Do any of you other curlies find oiling to be a waste, or only a minimal performer? Or am I just weird. Or, is it both, lol.

I think I am more wurly than curly, but oiling to me is only good for potentially sealing the moisture into the ends of my strands. Does nothing at all for my curls. So, not a waste -- but certainly not a curl enhancer.

[darkwaves]

Well, I promised pictures.

Ah, such gorgeous ringlets, GlassEyes! I wish my hair fell into such tight, well formed curls!

[GlassEyes]

I tried that when I was in the UK last year, but with my hair, mmm, well, nothing. Dryness, but no significant anything else. Aveda's Be Curly works geat for me as a creme, but as I recall it has cones, which is why I've put it temporarily on hold while I play with no cones again. (Last night's experiment -- AG: recoil again! Yes, I like this... Have for years.... Keep forgetting that, though!)

I got dryness from it too, which is why I mix it with conditioner. It DOES contain alcohol, and not the good kinds, but it's one of the last ingredients. I use it sparingly, and in small amounts with a good dollop of conditioner over leave in, and then gel over that, and it works pretty well.

[Proginoskes]

Hey, we know each other.

I'm more loyal there than here, but post on both. Good to see you here!

Yes we do. I was trying to make it a little obvious, lol.

Good to see you too! I've missed chatting with you about geeky hair stuffs, as well as other things. How's your eye?

I tried Boots Curl Cream (the pink one, not the old everybodys-HG white one) but it did nothing for me. So many curl creams are too heavy for my hair, and have too little hold for it. The closest I've come to success with one is the Recoil. But that gave me horrible frizz along with the curl and clumping enhancement -- and I'm someone for whom frizz isn't even usually a big problem.

Oops! Forgot to add that I only oil my hair sporadically, and even then it's with the lightest-weight oils the night before a shampoo. So far my best success has been with meadowfoam and kukui nut oils. It's nice enough when I do it, especially when it's dry out, but it's not exactly a cornerstone of my routine.

[redcelticcurls]

Yes we do. I was trying to make it a little obvious, lol.

Good to see you too! I've missed chatting with you about geeky hair stuffs, as well as other things. How's your eye?

I tried Boots Curl Cream (the pink one, not the old everybodys-HG white one) but it did nothing for me. So many curl creams are too heavy for my hair, and have too little hold for it. The closest I've come to success with one is the Recoil. But that gave me horrible frizz along with the curl and clumping enhancement -- and I'm someone for whom frizz isn't even usually a big problem.

Thanks for asking!

My vision is pretty normal, and am STILL waiting for an MRI on the still-inflamed optic nerve.

My HLA-B27 came back positive and now they are ruling our sarcoidosis and ankylosing spondylitis. Nothing fixable, but neither should kill me either. Sarcoidosis can be qutie serious in Black males, but is usually not so bad in white women.

ETA:

Wasn't there a curl cream by Alaggio that a lot of people liked? It had waaay to much protein for me, but it gave nice clumpy definition to others.

There was one by Innersese too if I recall. Quiet Calm Curl or something like that.

[Roseate]

Ya know, I see oiling mentioned on this board as one of the be-alls and end-alls of hair care.

But, to be honest, it usually doesn't do a thing for me it most circumstances. I kind of like sealing, and that's about it. A decent conditioner will beat an oiling for me any day, and a good DT beats an oil soak for me as well.

I didn't know if this was a texture thing or an individual preference.

Do any of you other curlies find oiling to be a waste, or only a minimal performer? Or am I just weird. Or, is it both, lol.

Oil usually works better for me mixed with something- I use the Fox's Conditioning Cream recipe to make a shea butter/coconut oil leave-in that is great, but coconut oil alone isn't great for me. Same with jojoba- I use it in a mister with aloe and glycerin and it's great, alone, meh.

No contest, DT over an oil soak, hands down. Oil soaks do zero good for me.

I just recently got some camellia oil because I saw it for sale in Japantown and I'm a sucker, but that has turned out to be the only oil I've had luck with on dry hair- I can actually use a few drops on my palms, then smooshed on my hair, and actually get some shine and softness out of it.

[Roseate]

Not that one -- I tried one popular flaxseed gel (jessicurl? my spelling is likely off) but my hair is just too fine and the curl too light to handle any of the formulations long term. Weighed my hair down and made it look (but not feel) greasy.

Well, I went ahead and ordered that one, so we'll see how it goes. My hair is definitely not fine, so I might have better luck with it. The problem I usually have with products is dryness, and this one sounded pretty moisturizing, I liked that about it.

[Jenny.Wren]

Ya know, I see oiling mentioned on this board as one of the be-alls and end-alls of hair care.

But, to be honest, it usually doesn't do a thing for me it most circumstances. I kind of like sealing, and that's about it. A decent conditioner will beat an oiling for me any day, and a good DT beats an oil soak for me as well.

I didn't know if this was a texture thing or an individual preference.

Do any of you other curlies find oiling to be a waste, or only a minimal performer? Or am I just weird. Or, is it both, lol.

I'm probably with you on this one. I love using coconut oil but more of an overnight or pre-wash treatment. If I apply to towel dry hair or dry hair, it doesn't really tame my hair enough like products do. Still trying to find the right product

The shea butter and oil combo sounds like it may be worth a try (as GlassEyes suggestion). I have 100% natural shea butter at home - is this the stuff to use?