Have you found your perfect hair care routine?

[arr]

I know many of us are still in the stages of figuring out what works best for our hair, but I thought it would be interesting to see if any members have found their perfect routine for dealing with their hair. A routine that's so perfect that the only reason you might stray from it is just to try something new for the fun of it, not because you are still searching. And its the routine that you invariably return to every time after experimenting with something else. It leaves you satisfied that your hair looks, feels, and behaves the best that is possible for you. This might give those who are still searching some helpful ideas on what could work for them if they have a similar hairtype.

[Madora]

Yes, I have, after experimenting with my hair for a good many years.

Bottom line: Less is more! The less stuff on your hair, the better.
Detangling: every day, with a wide tooth comb
Brushing: every day with a pure boar bristle brush (after I detangle it with my wide tooth comb first)
Protecting it: wearing braided updos every day, and at night
Trimming: only when needed.
S and Ding: weekly - about 15 minutes
Shampooing: once a month with diluted George Michael Pink Creme shampoo (the only product I allow on my head)
Conditioning: switched to 4 drops of Mineral Oil. Works great
Drying: airdry only - takes about 25 minutes outdoors 45 minutes indoors (with the help of an electric heater)

Do not use: blow fryers/hot curlers/dyes/serums/hair masks/or any type of oil except for MO
No teasing/backcombing/no unfriendly hair clips/pins/no clawclips/ficcares/no hairsticks

My daily routine is simple: Detangle my braided bed bun (takes all of 3 minutes), brush hair thoroughly then rebraid it in my braid bun..or make a fake accent crown braid.

I also wash my comb and brush every day and my hairpins once a month. I keep my hair covered when I'm outdoors or doing dusty chores.

I do not pre poo or pre oil.

I do as little as possible to my hair..just detangle daily, brush daily, and wear it up. C'est tout!

[lapushka]

Yes! WCC & LOC. Been using those methods for years and *love* them. Would never ever try anything else again. CO doesn't work (SD), CWC is too faint, so WCC was born (even CWCC sometimes). If you're curious the links are in my signature.

[hanne jensen]

Yes. Wash every 5-6 days with diluted clarifying poo. Apply conditioner on all of my head, clip my hair up and do shower stuff. Wash just my scalp with Rainforest poo from the Body Shop. Rinse well and that's it.

[AmyBeth]

Still searching :(. My biggest problem is that even with CWC once weekly and 24/7 braids and updos, my hair is still so tangled, even when coming down from a braided updo. It's much worse when I have too much oil in it, but if I let it get a little dryer, it breaks and splits. I have yet to find the sweet spot where my hair is happy. Then too, henna applications have altered my texture and oiliness so much that I kind of got knocked back to square one because what used to work for me no longer does. I love what henna has done for the volume and shine, but I have had to start all over again in finding the right routine to care for it.

[GetMeToWaist]

Yes, I have, after experimenting with my hair for a good many years.

Bottom line: Less is more! The less stuff on your hair, the better.
Detangling: every day, with a wide tooth comb
Brushing: every day with a pure boar bristle brush (after I detangle it with my wide tooth comb first)
Protecting it: wearing braided updos every day, and at night
Trimming: only when needed.
S and Ding: weekly - about 15 minutes
Shampooing: once a month with diluted George Michael Pink Creme shampoo (the only product I allow on my head)
Conditioning: switched to 4 drops of Mineral Oil. Works great
Drying: airdry only - takes about 25 minutes outdoors 45 minutes indoors (with the help of an electric heater)

Do not use: blow fryers/hot curlers/dyes/serums/hair masks/or any type of oil except for MO
No teasing/backcombing/no unfriendly hair clips/pins/no clawclips/ficcares/no hairsticks

My daily routine is simple: Detangle my braided bed bun (takes all of 3 minutes), brush hair thoroughly then rebraid it in my braid bun..or make a fake accent crown braid.

I also wash my comb and brush every day and my hairpins once a month. I keep my hair covered when I'm outdoors or doing dusty chores.

I do not pre poo or pre oil.

I do as little as possible to my hair..just detangle daily, brush daily, and wear it up. C'est tout!

Just out of curiosity, why don't you use conditioner?

[Winter Fox]

I do have found the perfect routine for me as well as the perfect products:

Detangle: fingers, wide toothed comb
Comb: wooden brush / horn comb

Pre-Wash: SMT everytime
Wash: shampoo bars or sante/desert essence shampoo
Rinse: cold water / sometimes tea with honey

Leave-in: self made shea butter hair salve

I wash my hair every second to third day, blow dry the roots and let the lenghts air dry.
During the day I wear my hair up in a LWB and at night I braid it.
Very important for me was to find out what my hair doesn't like: ie pure oil, proteins, certain shampoo brands...and to get rid of my flat iron :)

[Othala]

Yup.

Shampoo once a week with a mild shampoo.

Don't use conditioner of any description.

Apply oil of choice to wet/damp hair (I use avocado or camellia japonica).

That's it.

[Sharysa]

Yes! I enjoy a tweaked version of benign neglect.

-Wash and oil: Twice a week (every 3-4 days). I use half-strength Dr. Bronner's Unscented soap on the scalp, Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner on the length, and almond oil on all of my hair. I detangle, oil, and braid it when it's damp, and then I sleep on it. Occasionally I blow-dry it on warm to speed up the drying, because sometimes a night of sleeping on my braids isn't quite enough.
-Pre-shower oiling: Once a month or two.
-S&D / hemline reshaping: Once a month on the new moon. It takes about ten or fifteen minutes to reshape my U-hem with Feye's method, and then about an hour to trim all my split ends. (I have tons of hair. XD)
-Styling: I just do one or two braids most of the time, and I always braid it when I sleep. But I enjoy showing off my clean and oiled hair by having it loose or in a Game of Thrones half-up at least a couple times a week.

[Johannah]

I'm almost there...

[hypersensitive]

HA! After growing my hair long for 4 years, I still haven't found it. Your hair needs change as your hair grows to new lengths. I found that CO wash worked well when I had waist length. But now at classic+ the length needs lots of detangling products and my scalp needs coconut oil. Everything else is OK but I'm still searching for the perfect wash routine.

[lazuliblue]

I'm very pleased that I actually have (nearly!) found my perfect routine.

I CO wash every 3rd or 4th day (trying to strtech this further) and then use coconut oil once a week. I wear a bun most days, braid my hair at night and S&D when needed.

The only thing that I haven't quite worked out is how to get my waves to look as wavy as possible when I wear my hair down.

[Carolyn]

I've experimented with a lot of the fads here at LHC. I've gone back to S & C or CWC every other day or every 3 days at most. I CO if my hair doesn't feel particularly dirty and I feel like washing it on the second day. I rotate my products every single wash. This is a must for me. I might use the same shampoo twice in a row but never the same conditioner. I am asking for lank, dull hair if I use the same products. I use clarifying shampoo maybe once every 4-6 weeks or as needed. I detangle right after washing with a Mebco detangling comb, available at Sallys. It's a truly wonderful detangling comb. I brush with either my MP mixed popular brush or my Wet to Dry brush. I sometimes use a leave in. I like coconut oil and any Aveda leave in the best. I have others and use them occasionally. I do not fear cones but use them sparingly. I have no qualms about using my blow dryer occasionally. I also use a hot air round brush for straightening and turning the ends under. I've pretty much given up on S & D as I don't find many splits anymore. I get my hair colored to cover my silvers at an Aveda salon every 3 months. I also get a trim. I have no great desire to grow past waist again. My hair is bunned or in a single english braid the majority of the time due to laziness. I can air dry for a while and damp bun or braid and I'm good to go. Most of the time I sleep with my hair loose because I like to. I don't have any tangles in the morning. I'm not really searching for answers anymore. I've found what works for me and gives me the hair I want. I'm still open to new products and new hair toys. I can never had too many hair toys.

[kittymallow]

i have for a long time been doing the same thing to my hair, and it seems to be working for me, since my hair has gotten alot longer, and everyone i know tells me how healthy and long it is (rare in the hairdressing world :P )

I wash it every other day, and when i do i always use a deep conditioner/treatment, followed up by a conditioner. what products i use varies from what i feel my hair needs, and right now i LOVE swartzkopf fiberforce (sh, cond and treatment).
I let my hair dry a bit inside a towel, an apply a small drop of coconut oil, followed by a drop of moroccanoil, and then i just let it airdry. If i am in a real hurry i blowdry my hair halfdry on cool.
I always brush my hair before washing using a tangle teezer, and i never brush my hair wet.
i wear it in a bun or a braid alot of the time, and i never sleep with it down. Usally i use a satin scrunchie or a hairstick for bunning/braiding.

My only struggle right now is all my new hairgrowth after a heavy shed a year ago, so no matter what i do i have a halo of new hairs about 8 inches long. cant wait until i can get all the hairs in a bun :)

[jupiterinleo]

I'm so close! The only thing that might change in the future is using leave-ins and possibly 'cones. I'm actually thinking of going back to light 'cones again. It's been so long that I can't remember why I started avoiding 'cones in the first place.

Right now I'm alternating between diluted shampoo and a sulfate-free shampoo. I do a pre-oiling, wash, condition, and oil the wet length. I don't quite have the slip I want, yet. It's a little hard to get my fingers through my hair unless it has at least a little bit of oil in it, and combing my hair once it dries is mildly damaging, no matter how careful I am.

[AmyBeth]

HA! After growing my hair long for 4 years, I still haven't found it. Your hair needs change as your hair grows to new lengths. I found that CO wash worked well when I had waist length. But now at classic+ the length needs lots of detangling products and my scalp needs coconut oil. Everything else is OK but I'm still searching for the perfect wash routine.

That is a very interesting point! You're right, when I really think about it, what used to work at one length certainly now no longer does. And I have to rethink my expectations a little bit. Can I really expect to have TB length hair that NEVER tangles? Can I expect my roots to not look oily when I'm trying to stretch washes? No and no. Reality check.

[TrapperCreekD]

I don't know if my routine is perfect, but I'm pretty happy with it. My hair looks better than ever and I haz growth! I wouldn't mind a little less frizz, but honestly, my texture + damage is going to result in some frizz. Trying to look like a shampoo commercial is just :horse:

Pre-poo: EVOO overnight.
Wash: Every ~5 days. Wash with mildly diluted sulfate shampoo. Condition with heavy conditioner for ~10 minutes, detangle. If I have time, I'll condition a second time for the "recommended" 2-3 minutes.
Taming the mane: scrunch small palmful of conditioner into soaking wet hair; turbie while getting dressed; layer on the Fox's Shea Conditioning Cream and liberal amounts of flaxseed gel; plop, then airdry. Halfway through the wash cycle, I spritz the length with heavily diluted conditioner and seal with more shea cream for a moisture boost, then braid for silky braidwaves.

[animetor7]

I think I've got it worked out.

Updos: Most days, although I do leave my hair down for a few hours in the evening, and every once in a while to avoid nape and hairline breakage that constant updos can cause. I always, always contain it somehow when I sleep, but I also switch this up to avoid stress on one section of hair. So, mostly contained, but it varies how I do this.

Washing: Twice a week with shampoo bars. A very dilute vinegar rinse with a dollop of conditioner mixed in. I also use a heavier conditioner on my ends. About once a month I'll use a liquid sulfate-free shampoo, to semi-clarify, and I'll do a true clarifying with a sulfate shampoo about every 4 months, but it really depends on how my hair is feeling.

Leave-in/deep treatments: I use coconut oil overnight and all day on wash day (I wash in the afternoon) on my lengths, which helps keep them nicely moisturized. I also have a con-free leave-in that I apply a very small amount of on my ends after each wash.

Detangling: tangle-teezer every day. Wide-tooth comb for parting and wash days. BBB on the night before wash day to distribute oil, both natural and coconut.

No heat of any kind. And once-yearly henna glosses, because it really doesn't make a noticeable difference in my color, but helps thicken my stands a bit so they're not as tangle prone.

That's all folks!

[gustavonut]

This is what my hair loves:

Washing: Every 3-4 days, I use Silk Elements Olive oil shampoo with Garnier fructis fortifying conditioner.

Oiling: I oil the ends of my hair as much as it can stand. I massage coconut oil, rosemary oil, and jamaican black castor oil on my hands then lightly rub my scalp and make sure I get some in my hair but not too much; I do this after shampooing. Remember not to use too much. My favorite oils are coconut, argan, avocado, and castor oil.

Brushing: I try to brush it as rarely as I can, this makes my hair more wavy and happy. But when I do brush, I comb my hair with a wide tooth comb very gently while my head is upside down, then I brush with my 100% boar bristle brush, again, be very gentle. I do this whenever I feel that the sebum is built up enough.

Styling: The only "style" I can stand is a French braid. The only other one I can do is a pony tail but I try to rarely wear one. To protect my hair, I have my mother french braid it for me before bed, then oil the tip of the braid, and spray a little bit of Aussie leave in. When I get up, my hair is nice and wavy, as you can see in my profile.

Deep conditioning: I use Garnier fructis deep conditioner every month, only once a month unless my hair is really dried out, I consider it my moisture treatment. I also do amla hair masks with rosemary oil and green tea this is my protein treatment.

Overall caring for my hair: I make sure my hair is completely moisturized especially since it's winter here. I use leave in almost every day. I know people say leaving your hair down cause friction because of the hair rubbing against clothes, but I wear it down all the time and never notice any problems.

So, yep! This is what I do to keep my hair happy, healthy, and growing.

[irishlady]

Yes, I'd say I have, although I still do try different things from time to time.

I use a lightweight shampoo, currently I am using Organix Biotin and Collagen shampoo, I also like their Coconut one. Jason hair products are great as well, good, cruelty free stuff.

I very rarely use conditioner as it causes me to shed. Instead, I use a leave-in serum. I am currently using Organix Biotin mist. I also always apply coconut oil to the length and ends the night/day before washing.

I do straighten it sometimes, but not often, and always use a heat protectant. Haven't notcied any damage from this personally, although my hair is only at APL. I will doing this even less as it grows longer.

[LongHairLesbian]

OWC (oil, wash, condition) with a light leave in conditioner when it's time to detangle is pretty darn near perfect for me. I don't need to do deep conditioning treatments, my hair doesn't tangle like it used to, and it's as shiny and soft as it's ever been.

[Larki]

I guess so! I pre-poo with coconut oil on the length on wash days and I co-wash every other day with Suave. I clarify/chelate as needed. After washing, I use a leave-in and oil with either jojoba, argan or coconut oil (just 2-4 drops, or in the case of coconut oil, just a dip of my fingers in the jar since it's melted). I keep it contained most of the time (usually some kind of braid, sometimes a braided bun, sometimes a nautilus). I sleep with it down, inside my silk sleep cap (which is the greatest thing ever, by the way). I comb with a wide-tooth comb and a fine-tooth comb (both from Eternally In Amber on Etsy), and I used a BBB until recently - I've decided to phase it out for a while and see if my splits subside. I think it might be causing splits.

My hair has never tangled, so that hasn't been changed by this routine, but ever since I started co-washing my hair has been a zillion times shinier and softer. I actually mistook my hair for my silk sleep cap the other night, lol!

[Crumpet]

If I'm not at my perfect routine, I'm pretty durn close!

Wash/Condition Routine: I am -cone and whatnot free. I'm pretty promiscuous with poo and condish. I haven't settled down on a brand -- I just look at the ingredients. I wash about every 4 days or so in the summer and every 7 days or so in the winter.

Pre/Post Wash Routine: I follow the LOC method and use a leave-in and then either coconut oil or one of Nightblooming's salves (Panacea or Ostara). Between washes, I might top-up with more panacea or coconut oil if my ends need it.

Treatments: These are rare for me these days, especially in the summer. I may need more deep conditioning treatments come winter. That being said, I do use cassia sometimes (I did it tonight). When I use it, I follow with a deep conditioning treatment and a warm cap over my hair during it. I do these maybe once every month or two or three. I'm not sure if it will stay in my routine or not as I'm pretty lazy.

Combing/Brushing: I mostly finger-comb to detangle. Then I use a wide-tooth comb. I only use my BB, which I've had for 20 years, when I need to smooth out an updo.

Styles: Almost always in a bun (nautalis, pha, and disc are favorites), but occasionally a braid. Nearly never down. I wear my hair in a sleep cap at night. I agree with Larki: best thing EVER!

Hair tools: I use acrylic hair sticks (Ead) when my hair is damp as well as at other times, I have two TT sticks, about 5 gorgeous forks, and a pile of Ficcares. Flexi-8s didn't really work for me. I need to swap those out one of these days. I haven't bought too many new hair things for at least 6-9 months. I'm pretty satisfied with my collection, but the bug may bite again soon.

Trimming: I trim 1cm on the 1st of each month since I'm trying to grow out my layers/pre-LHC taper. I hope to be done with this intensive trim regime in 9-12 months.

[CurlyCap]

Nope!

Mostly because my hairs needs change with the weather/humidity.

Also, because the longer my hair gets, the longer the springs I have to unwind to detangle. These days, just attempting to pull apart two clumps means trying to unwind 18" springs that are interwoven. It's....challenging.

But the good news is I'm better at looking at and feeling my hair and guessing what needs to be done. Entire reams of info I wish I had when I was a confused teenager.

[YvetteVarie]

I Think I have a workable routine now.

Once a week, I do an overnight deep condition treatment, rinse out, and wash my scalp only with African Black soap. Once a month, I clarify/chelate (we have very hard water), and do a protein treatment. After every wash, I use a leave in conditioner, seal with an oil (my hair type needs a lot of moisture) and make sure I airdry with my hair stretched to prevent tangling (using African threading).

Daily, I put my hair up in a bun, after spraying it with a little water. At night, I massage my scalp, preen, and braid my hair for bed in 3 cornrows.

I never use a comb or brush, I finger detangle only. This has helped in reducing breakage especially in the area with extremely tight curls. FInger combing also helps me keep my curl pattern in the loosely curled areas.

No set trimming schedule, I trim when my ends get too tangly or when I notice an unusual amount of split ends. But I'm not trimming in 2015.

[YvetteVarie]

sorry double post

[KittyBird]

Yep, pretty much.
Wash and condition: wash every 3-4 days with sulfate shampoo. I dilute it with water and add a few drops of oil. I only shampoo my scalp. Most of the times I put conditioner on my length before rinsing the shampoo out, but sometimes I skip it. I usually condition twice, first time to protect my length from shampoo, the second time is to detangle. I detangle under running water with a wide-tooth comb from EternallyInAmber. I use both coney and cone-free conditioner. If I use cone-free, my leave-ins must contain cones, or else my hair will be difficult to detangle until the next wash.

Leave-ins: I use the LOC method, link is in Lapushka's signature. ;) I add a bit of leave-in conditioner, right now I'm in love with Macadamia Natural Oil Reviving Curl Cream. Then I put some Nighblooming's Freya Salve in my palm and mix it with 2-3 drops of either Khadi Amla Oil or Nightblooming's Triple Moon oil, and stroke it all over my length. After that I put it in a microfiber turbie twist for 20-30 minutes. The final step is scrunching with a serum, my current favourite is TIGI Glaze Haze Smoothing Serum. Sometimes I mix the serum with a bit of leave-in conditioner.

Then I airdry for 3-5 hours, and I may bun it while it's still slightly damp. Drying time has been dramatically reduced since I started using the turbie twist, it used to be 8-12 hours.

I must add that my hair is naturally quite dry, and it can soak up huge amounts of hair goop. This may be way too much for others, but it's perfect for me. It leaves my hair shiny, soft and fairly easy to detangle. :D

[Dreams_in_Pink]

More or less :)

Some things in my routine are fixed, some need further experiments. These are the fixed ones:

- Diluted non-SLS no-cone shampoo. It's best of both worlds; keeps waxiness away but doesn't strip or lather the life out of my hair & scalp.
- Henna. I have five layers of henna on my hair right now. Maybe in the future i might switch to roots-only if i ever feel like henna is building up. Also, haven't found the perfect recipe yet for max dye release. But i know that henna is here to stay!
- Oils. No serums or waxes can replace the good old vegetable oils.

[JustPam]

Still a lot of things I want to experiment with so no not really, the only thing fairly consistent is my wash days (Weds/Sat), once I've used up my stash I'm going to TRY and stick to the same shampoo and conditioners, and hopefully by then will have decided on the leave-ins, oils and treatments that work for me.

[jeanniet]

I've had the same routine for about six months and this is the best my hair has ever been, plus it's fast and easy. I'll be sticking with this for the foreseeable future:

CO wash 3x a week with Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut.
Use Suave Everlasting Sunshine as a leave-in, and brush through with a Denman brush to detangle.
Add gel and plop 10 minutes, then air dry.
The above takes 20-30 minutes, including shower time and dressing.

On non-wash days, I smooth in a little dab of conditioner mixed with water, shake, and go. I don't detangle, comb, brush, or anything. My shed rate has actually gone down fairly significantly, although I'm not really sure why. My scalp really doesn't like even very mild shampoo, so I only use it every 4-6 months now.

[Verdandi]

Darn close, at least!

I SC every 4-6 days (depending on how yucky it feels and so on). I recently discovered that diluting my shampoo worked well, even if going sulfate-free or CO didn't. I only shampoo my scalp, rinse it out, condition ears down with a conditioner I like (Garnier Respons Cherryblossom, Garnier Respons Honey Treasures (PEG-cones) or Desert Essences Coconut. Sometimes Tressemmé Vibrant Naturals, it works great but the smell is too much "hair product" for me), put it up with a stick or claw clip and do other shower duties. Rinse with cold water and put up in a micro fiber twist towel for about ten-15 minutes. Take it down, spray with a cone free detangler/leave in conditioner-thingy marketed for children (Bamse spraybalsam, Scandinavians will know..) and detangle carefully with a wide toothed comb or I will have the wierdest waves and let it air dry.

I almost never do deep treatments, pre-poo oilings or any oiling at all. I clarify once a month though, and then I leave the conditioner on a bit longer and treat the ends with some panacea if I remember it.

Every non-washday night, I detangle with a wide tooth comb and then brush with a BBB to remove any lint/dust/dirt my hair's caught during the day and sleep with a silk cap. That means I just have to finger comb a little in the morning before putting it up, saves me a lot of time i can spend on eating breakfast instead :)

[ExpectoPatronum]

Not really. :(

I've worked out a wash schedule that's worked for years. I wash every other day. My hair is happy with that, and my scalp is happy with that. That's about the only thing that's perfect.

I did find a good summer wash routine. Toadstool shampoo + tresemme naturals conditioner = :heartbeat
Unfortunately, that combination stopped working so well once the seasons changed. I'm using Pantene right now and I really like it. However, I won't be buying the beautiful lengths shampoo again because I don't like 'cones in my shampoos (I didn't pay attention to the ingredients...woops!)

I also have a good routine for when I want more defined waves.
Sadly, I've grown to favor softer waves so that routine doesn't work now either. :(

[GetMeToWaist]

Wash: I cowash twice a week, either Sundays and Wednesdays or Mondays and Thursdays. I use Sainsburys Own Apple Conditioner to cowash, and rotate Superdrug's Own Brand conditioners. I use the cheapest stuff because it works the best (the hair product industry is a massive con). I NEVER use cones (despise them).

Detangle: I use a wide tooth comb or Denman Natural Bristle Brush daily.

After shower: I leave some of my conditioner in, wrap it up in a towel (it literally doesn't dry in a t-shirt) and apply At One With Nature leave in conditioner.

[Vijikanth]

Found a nice routine atlast. Daily morning comb with wide tooth comb for detangling followed by tight comb for shine and softness. I do the same every night too
For wash, I apply raw Alovera extract from my garden on the scalp and along the hair till the tip. Leave it full day. Next day wash with diluted shampoo. And mild diluted conditioner. Thats it. Hair is well moistured and soft. For couple of days hair loss would also be minimum. But later again it starts.. :(
Not sure if I would settle for this routine but its cool as of now

[LadyCelestina]

Well I am very close to it...I wash with shampoo -roots only- apply conditioner once or twice depending on how my hair feels and then either use oil or a humectant as a leave in.Sometimes humectant+oil.Towel for a while,airdry or blowdry.My hair is often put in a style while damp.

[LadyCelestina]

Oh.I do deep treatments when I have the time or my hair feels and looks like it needs a DT.
My washing frequency is once or twice a week,scalp wash in between if needed.

[iluvbooks]

The only thing that I'll never change in my hair routine is coconut oil, raw honey, and aloe vera gel. Those are miracle "products." Everything else is subject to change because I get bored of using the same stuff forever :3

[sarahthegemini]

I don't want to jinx anything but yes I believe I have found my perfect routine. I co-wash every other day and use a small blob of leave-in. That's all. I don't specifically detangle because as soon as conditioner touches my hair, the tangles slip out. I use my wooden detangler purely for combing my under scalp part (whilst my hair is flipped over) to get volume and fullness. If I want to tame the beast a bit (after it's been up for hours) instead of finger combing (which snags) I just smooth my hands down my hair and it neatens it up (this is a new discovery) So yeah, I'm pretty happy with everything. Although it would be nice if my hair dried quicker.

[ShDiHa]

Eh, maybe? I wash my hair every 3-4 days and rotate the products. I like to try different shampoos and conditioners, as well as serums/leave-ins, but coconut oil, Aussie 3MM, GF AntiFrizz Serum, and the GF Leave-In Conditioner are my staples!

[GrowingGlory]

Yes, and I even found a cheap alternative shampoo that works well in shower water. Thanks, everyone! You all made it possible.
1) Wash in shower water with Zest Whitewater Fresh Antibacterial Body Wash -OR- in white vinegar/distilled water with California Baby Therapeutic Relief Skin Protectant Shampoo and Body Wash as needed.
2) Air dry as in Ch.7 of "Set Free: A Book About Hair" by Richard Stein.
3) Use QueCraft Black Buffalo Horn Comb (A001029) daily.
4) Restrain with Scunci No-Damage Solid Elastics or Crockett Mountain Wood Works Red Cedar Spike.

[Aurum]

My routine is pretty simple.

I wash 3 times a week at night with no-sulfate shampoo and conditioner. Every couple washes I'll throw in a sulfate shampoo to get rid of the cone build up. I don't touch my hair until it's dry, and even then it's usually morning before I do. I finger comb, detangle with a wide-toothed comb, and then comb with a regular comb to smooth it out.
Every day I put it into a English braid and that's it. :o

[Santi]

Great thread, Arr. I'm working on it! I will always LOC. I've been at it for over a year & it works. The time of year & how I wear my hair determines the amount of product. I have some damage & have had great results doing oil rinses, honey rinses & using aloe vera juice. MO has replaced coconut oil after I wash. I am very pleased w/ the WCC or CWCC..thanks Lapushka :). SMT is my favorite way to DC w/ the occasional Caramel Treatment or some kind of diy using a banana & or an avocado. I pree poo w/ oils & DC w/ each wash.

[fiðrildi]

I'm still working on finding my perfect routine. But it's definitely much better than the one I had before joining LHC :wink:

[kidari]

I haven't found a perfect routine, but I don't think I will ever. My scalp and hair needs change so much, I'm just grateful I can tell what it needs and address it easier now. However there are certain golden rules that always work for me without fail:

- trim regularly (I think it's like gardening, you need to preen to allow whatever it is to grow easily and more beautifully)

- stretch washes within reason (remembering you need to train yourself and your scalp, but in the summer or during that time of the month it might just need to be washed more often and that's okay)

- stay away from heat styling and back combing and "damaging" styling products such as hairsprays

- use gentle shampoos and then rely on chelating shampoos, clarifying shampoos, vinegar rinses sparingly when needed

- don't overload treatments, they don't need to be done all the time the same as washing

- vary the updos you do so that your scalp gets a break, no tight updos ever

The only thing I am so bad with is the coloring I do, I am trying to be wiser about it but I will never give that up. Nice color, no greys over super length any day for me. It's just a personal thing

[MsPharaohMoan]

new winter routine:
shampoo and condition once a week on tuesdays (stretched from every 4 days). Deep condition or smt every few weeks on an as needed bases. Microtrim weekly. Detangle and use a BBB after fourth day to get rid of greasies.

Was prepooing with coconut oil but I think I'll stop doing that on my scalp as I've been shedding more than usual. I think I will try Kimberlilly's Defrizzing Spray to refresh hair mid wash cycle.

Other than that? Lots of benign neglect.

[LauraLongLocks]

It's a work in progress.

So far:

I am sure that I would never stop using shea butter and coconut oil on my ends at night. The result is ends that feel soft and supple.

I have discovered that shampooing once a week is mandatory for my scalp to be happy. I co-wash during the week about 2-3 times and use dry shampoo so I don't look like a grease ball after my workouts.

I will never stop braiding and containing my hair in a sleep cap at night.

Preventing tangles is much easier than detangling... so that means keeping my hair up a lot. I only wear it down on special occasions/date nights.

Using hair-friendly toys and tools is a must with my fine hair. It gets mechanical damage easily.

That's all I know so far. I am taking a liking to Pantene Ice Shine shampoo and conditioner at the moment, and I think I might settle on this for my weekly shampoo. I'm working on nailing down my favorite conditioners still.

[goldenears]

I think I've finally got it figured out.
For years I would use products formulated for dry/damaged hair. My thinking at the time was that they would give me optimum conditioned hair, when in actual fact they had opposite effect most of the time, which lead me to believe I had "problem hair".
After a lot of online research and self education, I've concluded that there are specific ingredients within products that make a huge difference on my hair and need to be avoided.
Firstly, my products must not contain any silicone, this ingredient makes my hair way too soft and limp.
I can't tolerate hydrolyzed protein, it builds up really quickly and has a tendency to make my hair feel brittle and a bit coarse.
I would describe my hair as normal/slightly dry hair so it turn out, very little conditioning is needed.

I pre-shampoo with a little bit of Coconut Oil (http://i7.goodness-direct.co.uk/d/748437b.jpg) and Argan Oil (http://cdn1.feelunique.com/img/products/28910/John_Masters_Organics_100__Argan_Oil_59ml_13748399 63.png) mixed together, I apply this to dry unwashed hair and leave it in overnight, I do this approximately every 3rd or 4th wash.

I shampoo with Pureology Precious Oil Shampoo (http://cdn1.feelunique.com/img/products/37258/Pureology_Precious_Oil_Shampoo_250ml_1365678215.pn g) which is a sulphate free low foaming cleanser.

I condition with either Pureology Precious Oil Conditioner (http://cdn1.feelunique.com/img/products/37259/Pureology_Precious_Oil_Conditioner_250ml_136567818 6.png) or Pureology Precious Oil Masque (http://cdn1.feelunique.com/img/products/37366/Pureology_Precious_Oil_Masque_150ml_1365678204.png )for at least 5 minutes, I alternate between the two (Both are silicone and protein free). I always make sure to rinse like crazy or else the tiniest bit of residue ruins the end result.

When my hair is very damp but not dripping wet, I apply 3 droplets of Argan Oil, comb my hair into place and then leave it to air dry without touching or moving it, it takes 2 hours(ish) to completely dry. I apply one droplet of Argan Oil to the ends when it's dry and then all done!

This routine and the chosen products I use is working incredibly well.
My best friend commented to me last night that my hair was the best she has ever seen it!

[arr]

I love reading these replies. Its so interesting how so many different approaches can work! I didnt post mine yet: i shampoo every other to every third day with Vanart shampoo (a very cheap watery sulfate shampoo-i know it sounds terrible but i love it) concentrating on the scalp. Then i condition with suave aloe and waterlily conditioner or gvp conditioning balm, depending on my mood. I use the same conditioner as a leave in, just a small drop mixed with a few drops coconut and olive oil. I detangle with a tangle teezer and then finish off with two drops baby oil smoothed through the lengths, concentrating on the ends. I blow dry the scalp area on low warm and leave the length to air dry. I braid my hair at night, mostly wear it up during the day. Ocasionally i will do an overnight oiling but i do it less and less since i havent noticed much of a difference from it. I like to brush at night with a bbb before bed, mostly because it is relaxing. Ive learned that sulfates are fine for me but my hair doesnt like silicones or a lot of protein. Im very pleased that my hair responds so well to a dirt cheap and simple routine.

[lapushka]

I'm using Pantene right now and I really like it. However, I won't be buying the beautiful lengths shampoo again because I don't like 'cones in my shampoos (I didn't pay attention to the ingredients...woops!)

Pantene Aqua Light doesn't contain silicones, and is a nice lightweight formula. I love it!

[Rebecka]

I don't have a routine and it's perfect ;)

Some weeks ago i made the inversion challenge with castor oil and washed my hair every other day, then i did a micro trim and then a caffeine rinse and CO-wash. Maybe when i'm not sick anymore (:sad) and have a job it will be easier with a routine. I'm learning a lot by trying things out, for example will i not use more castor oil and loose half of my hair, haha...

My only rules are no heat, no colour/bleach and wear it up if it doesn't feel to bad to do.