Looking for more slip in my hair...suggestions?

[Imalath]

I've been searching the forums and haven't been able to find a good thread on this, even though I remember reading them in the past, so here we go again:

I recently swapped to sls and coney-free products, and my scalp is happier than it's been in a long, long time. I can see a little more damage at my hemline, but not as much as I was expecting now that I don't have all the cones built up over the ends.

However, I have noticed more shedding and breakage; the last time I went cone-free and tried CO I gave up after six months because I was losing fistfuls of hair daily, and I like my new products and don't want to go back again if I don't have to. The hair loss isn't nearly as bad now, but I know I can lose less on a daily basis.

I am looking for ways to create slip in my hair without using cones and preferably without breaking the bank. I have medium hair with a wave pattern that ranges anywhere from 2A-3A depending on the day. I currently CWC, followed by a small amount of leave-in conditioner and coconut oil; sometimes i use a little bit of coconut oil as a pre-poo as well. I have tried catnip tea, but it didn't have any effect on my hair even after two months of using it 3-4 times a week as both a pre-wash soak and a final rinse.

Does anyone have any suggestions or products they've found that works?

Thanks in Advance,
Imalath

[Night_Kitten]

Have you tried adding olive oil to the coconut oil (about 2 spoons to a jug of coconut oil)? It should increase the slip and shine (in theory at least) so could be worth a shot... If olive oil is too "heavy" for your hair even when diluted by the coconut oil, perhaps Jojoba could be a good choice instead of the olive oil, or some other "lighter" oil...

[Othala]

Kinky Curly Knot Today. Its a leave-in de-tangler without cones and makes hair slippery smooth.

[ladyfey]

Kinky Curly Knot Today. Its a leave-in de-tangler without cones and makes hair slippery smooth.

I second this - love this stuff!

[Anje]

I like conditioners with ingredients like behentrimonium methosulfate for serious slip.

That said, any chance you need to clarify?

[lapushka]

However, I have noticed more shedding and breakage; the last time I went cone-free and tried CO I gave up after six months because I was losing fistfuls of hair daily, and I like my new products and don't want to go back again if I don't have to. The hair loss isn't nearly as bad now, but I know I can lose less on a daily basis.

I am looking for ways to create slip in my hair without using cones and preferably without breaking the bank. I have medium hair with a wave pattern that ranges anywhere from 2A-3A depending on the day. I currently CWC, followed by a small amount of leave-in conditioner and coconut oil; sometimes i use a little bit of coconut oil as a pre-poo as well. I have tried catnip tea, but it didn't have any effect on my hair even after two months of using it 3-4 times a week as both a pre-wash soak and a final rinse.

If the sl(e)s free and cone-free routine is making you shed, I'd just go back to what you were using before that, which is sl(e)s and cones. You may want to use sl(e)s and cone free products, but your hair is obviously protesting. Ultimately you need to go with what your hair wants.

I wish I could CO-wash and go milder but my scalp is having none of it. I need harsh sl(e)s cleansers to keep my SD at bay. It is the way it is.

[Marika]

I don't know how widely available Alba Botanica products are in US (I mean in "regular" stores) but I've ordered them to Europe from iHerb. I'm in love with the leave-in conditioner and the replenishing conditioner. They both have behentrimonium methosulfate which is the best ingredient for slip in my opinion too. My hair is actually almost too slippery! :D Here are links to iHerb to see the ingredient lists and other info:

http://www.iherb.com/Alba-Botanica-Leave-in-Conditioner-Fragrance-Free-7-oz-198-g/9497

http://www.iherb.com/Alba-Botanica-Replenishing-Conditioner-8-5-oz-241-g/24495

[Panth]

If you need SLS-free for your scalp, try shampoos with cocoamidopropyl betaine. That is non-SLS, far less irritating than SLS but, critically, will remove 'cones. Then you can use all your old 'coney conditioners at will. Alternatively, continue to use your new SLS-free shampoo and pair it with conditioners containing water-soluble 'cones (PEG-cones) or 'cones designed to avoid build-up (e.g. amodimethicone).

It really doesn't have to be 'happy scalp and unhappy hair' or 'unhappy scalp and happy hair'. You can have both be happy...

[ravenreed]

My scalp HATES SLS shampoos, but my length is much happier if I use them from time to time. Once or twice a month, I shampoo from the ears down, but still use conditioner on my scalp. Otherwise I CO.

Catnip gives me amazing slip. Did you try it as a leave in? What I do is the night before I put approximately a tablespoon of catnip in a mason jar , microwave it for 3 minutes, and let it sit over night. The next morning I strain it through a coffee filter. When I am done with my shower, I lightly squeeze the water out of my hair, pour the now cold catnip rinse over my hair from scalp to ends, and hop out of the shower.

[Imalath]

Thank you for all the replies! I finally found the worst offender for the extra hair loss; my new job requires me to wear a roughspun cotton cap that has been rubbing against my bun...on days I don't work or wear the cap, my hair loss is much less. I am experimenting now with braided buns to minimize contact with the cap, and maybe investing in a satin bun cover in a color similar to my hair.

I am planning on working through all of your suggestions because I can still use extra slip, especially for detangling. I can't find any jojoba oil locally, so I picked up a bottle of olive oil to start using. If I don't see a difference after a few weeks, I will try the next suggestion :)

To answer questions, yes I clarified when I first noticed the extra hair loss with no effect, and yes I did try catnip as a leave-in. I was hoping the catnip would do more than it did for me...it just had no effect on my hair at all, really.

I am still experimenting with methods to keep both my hair and my scalp happy; right now my hair likes sulfates and cones, but my scalp hates them, and vice versa. I will find the right balance eventually, I just need to keep tinkering with my routine.

Thanks for all the advice!

[Beborani]

Seconding, thirding or fourthing Kinky Curly Knot today--magic in a bottle.

[kitcatsmeow]

Baby oil works like a maricle for me. I seal it with pure Argan and my hair is softer and smoother than anything I've ever used even pre chemical free.

[Katrina]

Have you tried white wine vinegar as final rinse? I don't use cones and have noticed that vinegar rinse gives more slip. You could also give Giovanni's Smooth as Silk conditioner a try. It makes my hair really slippery and I love it. My hair it not naturally slippery at all.

http://www.iherb.com/Giovanni-Smooth-As-Silk-Deeper-Moisture-Conditioner-8-5-fl-oz-250-ml/6403#p=1&oos=1&disc=0&lc=en-US&w=giovanni%20smooth%20as%20silk%20deeper%20moistur e%20conditioner&rc=4&sr=null&ic=1

[Weewah]

Kinky curly knot today is what I call lube for the hair. I use it daily and I will repurchase it forever

[jacqueline101]

I was going to suggest keeping your normal products and adding a shine or cone spray. I use a cone serum if and when I need extra slip I like Pantene argan oil it's in the ethnic care section the other one is tressemee shine spray.

[Imalath]

Baby oil works like a maricle for me. I seal it with pure Argan and my hair is softer and smoother than anything I've ever used even pre chemical free.

I use baby oil on my skin in the winter, but have never tried it on my hair. I have some somewhere in the jungle of hair products that lives under my bathroom sink; I will give that a try in a few weeks if the olive oil doesn't work out.


Have you tried white wine vinegar as final rinse? I don't use cones and have noticed that vinegar rinse gives more slip. You could also give Giovanni's Smooth as Silk conditioner a try. It makes my hair really slippery and I love it. My hair it not naturally slippery at all.

http://www.iherb.com/Giovanni-Smooth-As-Silk-Deeper-Moisture-Conditioner-8-5-fl-oz-250-ml/6403#p=1&oos=1&disc=0&lc=en-US&w=giovanni%20smooth%20as%20silk%20deeper%20moistur e%20conditioner&rc=4&sr=null&ic=1

I used an ACV rinse with my coney products because it helped soothe my scalp, but dropped it a few weeks before I switched to sls and cone-free. I wanted to see what the difference between shampoo and conditioners was without anything else in my routine; when I started shedding I added oil back at once, but not the vinegar. I didn't think that the vinegar would add slip, but I suppose if it flattens the cuticle it might at least make my hair less "grabby." Thanks for the product rec!


I was going to suggest keeping your normal products and adding a shine or cone spray. I use a cone serum if and when I need extra slip I like Pantene argan oil it's in the ethnic care section the other one is tressemee shine spray.

Thanks for the product rec, I know I can get both of those locally. I will add them to my list of things to try once I get done with the oil. It's really hard to stick with one change every two weeks when I have so many awesome suggestions to try.

Thanks for all your help, everyone :) :blossom:

[jacqueline101]

I use baby oil on my skin in the winter, but have never tried it on my hair. I have some somewhere in the jungle of hair products that lives under my bathroom sink; I will give that a try in a few weeks if the olive oil doesn't work out.



I used an ACV rinse with my coney products because it helped soothe my scalp, but dropped it a few weeks before I switched to sls and cone-free. I wanted to see what the difference between shampoo and conditioners was without anything else in my routine; when I started shedding I added oil back at once, but not the vinegar. I didn't think that the vinegar would add slip, but I suppose if it flattens the cuticle it might at least make my hair less "grabby." Thanks for the product rec!



Thanks for the product rec, I know I can get both of those locally. I will add them to my list of things to try once I get done with the oil. It's really hard to stick with one change every two weeks when I have so many awesome suggestions to try.

Thanks for all your help, everyone :) :blossom:

You're welcomed.

[picklepie]

Just chiming in on the vinegar rinse-- for me it's very effective for adding slip. Kinky Curly Knot Today I found to be very sticky. I had to use oceans of it (thinking about how much it cost all the while) to get it to distribute in damp hair, and could hardly finger-comb with it in. So ymmv, as in all things. (My hair is WL, virgin, 3a.)

[Imalath]

Update: olive oil adds great shine to my hair, but nothing in the way of slip when applied to either wet or dry hair. Am heading into week two of the vinegar trial. Vinegar helps a little, but I am still losing way more hair on a daily basis than I'd like. My scalp likes it a lot though, so I will probably keep it in my routine. I will try mineral oil next, since I have some on hand.

Maybe I need to accept the fact that this is not an issue of slip and I'm shedding for some other reason? :confused:

[pinchbeck]

Products with quats (quaternary ammonium compounds) are excellent for slip, however they leave a 'coating' on my hair. Behentrimonium methosulfate is an example of one that was mentioned in an earlier post.

If you like how cones behave and want an alternatives read up on broccoli seed oil. Like you I need slip. My hair is very difficult to manage and snarls easily.

Apparently semi-permanent hair dyes make hair more manageable because they temporarily fill in lifted cuticles which I think I have because of my numerous tangles. However, I am not sure I want to try semi-permanent because when it comes out it leaves a red hue behind.:(

[leilani]

Redken diamond oil conditioner& shatterproof shine serum. Cone free and amazing.