hair mask/treatment what should i look for?

[pri108]

Hello,

So i normally just oil and shampoo my hair. Until a while ago i used D-I-Y masks often so my hair was good without any products. but recently i struggle with my studies, part time job and household chores so i don't use oil as often (no D-I-Y masks at all) and my hair looks lifeless and dry adn my scalp gets very oily.

I will be moving to a big city soon for my first job after graduation. At the moment it doesn't matter how my hair looks (sometimes frizzy; sometimes wavy; sometimes dry lifelesss and oily scalp; sometimes nice shiny and soft), but soon i will need to have it looking good all the time.

i am guessing oil treatments will become more rare because of lack of time. my mum has ordered a homemade conditioner for me and to maintain extra shine, no-frizz I was thinking I should use a mask/treatment.

Have never bought a mask before so i don't know what to look for in it.

should i stick to known brands? or can i experiment?
Do you buy products from not so well known brands? how do you choose them?
Is a mask/treatment right for me?
do i need it if i use a conditioner? why do you use mask/treatment?
do i need to buy the mask/treatment from the same range/collection like the shampoo and conditioner?
what should i look for in the mask/treatment?


i don't want to spend lots of money and be stuck with something i don't like. so i want to do my research before i take the plunge. how often does it happenthat you dont like a treatment after you have bought it?

would love to hear your suggestions...

Thank you

[picklepie]

What is your hair type? Mentioning frizz makes me wonder if you've looked at co-washing or the curly girl method.... Congrats on graduation and your new job!

[pri108]

thanks a lot.

my hair is straight. virgin. and normally i don't get frizz but recently i have started getting it, so it worries me. and normally my hair has a natural shine without any products. but now its matt.

[YumiYume]

congratulations :)!

I dont know how it would work on straight hair but my best hairmask is Tresemme naturals conditioner (bought in food/mixed stores) blended with fairy dust (from nightblooming, etsy shop) then leave it on for an hour :). it is pure magic

[Henwyn]

Is it possible that you just need to clarify? Shampoos often have ingredients that can cause build-up.

[Johannah]

You could stick to brands you know, but you can experiment as well. It's just what you like. The best conditioner I've had (which I use in SMT's a lot), is from Petal Fresh and isn't known at all (in Belgium). If you say your hair isn't that great when you don't use masks, you'll probably need it. It should be from the same collection, just experiment and find out what your hair likes. Everybody's hair is different and need different things. If you like heavy oiling and DIY masks, use them. If you don't have time for heavy oiling, you could just oil your ends and wear it up in a bun. I've done this a lot in the past and you really can't tell there's oil in your hair.

Like picklepie said, CO could be something you could try. Frizz could be caused by lack of moisture, since you say you don't use masks anymore. SLS (in normal shampoos) can be drying. CO doesn't contain SLS and off course - because it's a conditioner - it could be an extra moisturizer. I've done this for a while (but quit because of massive build-up) and I didn't need heavy oilings/masks as much as before.

[pri108]

thank you all! wow lots of terms i don't know what they mean. I really need to spend more time on here to learn what co-washing, SMT etc means and try them. sounds like a mountain of a task to achieve, to find a routine and products that would suit my hair.

I am waiting for my shampoo bottle to be over(i buy in bulk) and i am switching to a new one a natural one and will buy a conditioner too. and next buy a mask.

[ARG]

Here's the link (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128) to the SMT thread, its a recipe many members swear by. CO-washing is when you use Conditioner Only, no shampoo, just conditioner to cleanse your hair.

My treatment of choice is a heavy oiling of organic unrefined coconut oil, from my ear lobes down my ends, and bunned. I wear it like this for 24+ hours then wash it out.

Good luck figuring out your new routine and congratulations on graduating and your new job!

[kidari]

A lot of the fun is in experimenting. Some of my most effective treatments have been simple ingredients from the kitchen. You can experiment with oiling and diluted vinegar rinses to start. Don't go overboard and do too much too often though. It sounds like what you may need is a clarifying or chelating shampoo followed by a deep treatment. If you add the aloe and the honey to your regular conditioner (the SMT basic recipe) and leave it in an hr or so, it turns your conditioner into a deep treatment, eliminating any need to buy one. Also, a diluted vinegar rinse can help smooth down your hair and bring the shine back by removing deposits you may have on it from hard water or products.