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Synester
September 25th, 2018, 12:02 PM
I have super fine, mostly virgin tangled hair thats almost back to waist length after my 3 inch impulse chop because my ennds just drive me up the wall insane. I oil my hair, I dont use heat, I only clarify with sulfates once a week at most so I can rid of any possible buildup. No silicones (but im not opposed) I used them in the past ive just been testing the waters how my hair is without them. My hair is fairly sensitive to protein, so I try not to use too much of it or it gets super fragile and snaps off

My ends...are dry..and velcro like and knotted and snaggy. I cant run my fingers through my hair unless I have JUST brushed it with my tangle teezer (normal brushes rip through my hair)

I am in need of some moisture emergency. I oil once a week ish. concentrating on my ends. I dont notice all that much of a change except for some added shine. (oils I enjoy are almond,avocado, and olive oil) all cold pressed unrefined.

My goal length is tailbone and i cannot go longer than 6 months without chopping a good portion of my ends off because they get so knotty and scraggly that I must. for the past few years ive been growing and chopping and not gaining much length due to this.

Can I get some insight into what might be wrong or what might I be doing wrong or what I can change?? what products can I use to help with extreme need for moisture. I live in a fairly humid climate too, and have naturally oily skin and scalp. I dont know why my hair gets so dry on the ends, please help lol

AutobotsAttack
September 25th, 2018, 12:05 PM
Do you deep condition at all?

Julescarm
September 25th, 2018, 12:50 PM
I agree with auto bots question. I have very fine hair as well. I started having fun with deep conditioning and tried an argan oil deep conditioning and moisturizing pack and loved it. Could it be protein over load on hair making it break? Moisture soubds like a good step. I also invested in a small aloe Vera plant and use that on my ends. I break a piece off and squish it in my hands then rub it into my hair. After it dries, which isn't sticky, I carefully brush my hair.

Synester
September 25th, 2018, 12:51 PM
I try to. I make up hair masks and leave them on for awhile. ive bought several "deep conditioning" products from cheap ones like aussie or l'oreal to more expensive like shea moisture and maui moisture...my hair has never been TOO crazy about any except for the manuka honey mask from shea moisture. My hair seemed to be pleased after using that one once (it wasnt mine i used it from a friend) my hair doesnt seem to be a fan of certain oils anymore either, specifically coconut. it gets even drier and crunchier after using it.

MusicalSpoons
September 25th, 2018, 12:56 PM
You've been a member here a while so these might be really stupid or basic questions, but: How do you wear your hair during the day, and using what tools (sticks, forks, elastics, ...)? What do you do with it for sleeping?

In terms of routine/products, I've personally found double conditioning and the rinse-out oil method to be hugely beneficial. Oiling itself on dry hair can be great but if there's no moisture for it to seal in, it may not be as beneficial as it could otherwise be (plus for me, using the ROO method men's no lint! Unlike dry oiling).

elfynity
September 25th, 2018, 01:00 PM
Hi Synester, something i had to learn is that oil is not moisture. I have suffered from dry ends forever and I also live in a warm humid climate. My roots were forever well greased / oiled, my ends dry and split and breaking - and of course, if your ends are doing that, then there is no growth.

My solution has been to condition my ends every day. I only use 100% organic conditioner (which is honey based): I either put it on neat to my ends or spray it on dilted in water, either way it goes onto my ends and then usually I take that and put it into a protective bun for the day.

My new thing is preening, which you can find on the NW / SO thread - I have only just started and it seems effective already. Basically it is gently rubbing the sebum down your hair from root to tips everyday.

I also use bulbinella (African aloe vera), catnip tea and honey on my ends as an extra bonus.

Only once I know that my ends are moisturized will I take the teeeeniest amount of organic oil and rub it down my hair strands from my ears down, to seal in the moisture.

My routine has been very effective over the last few months and although I need to keep up with it all, my ends are moisturized and I keep them that way. Maintenance.

I hope some of this info helps you to figure out a way forward! I hope you get those ends sorted out soon!

Synester
September 25th, 2018, 01:01 PM
*sigh* I feel like I have been here for a good minute and im still struggling with fairly basic things??? My hair is usually down during the day. or in a low loose pony tail with a big retro silk scrunchie, they are my quick go to just to get my hair out of my face. at night its either down or in a english braid. i am a stomach sleeper. so im not laying on my hair at night, i dont toss and turn very much either. (thinking about buying a silk cap but i dont wana look silly) or getting a silk pillowcase, cant hurt. my hair is CRAZY fine and fragile. so i try super hard to not break it. and now that you mention lint....my hair is fairly linty. i find it in my tangle teezer and wet brush frequently. ill look into ROO'ing

Synester
September 25th, 2018, 01:04 PM
heard great things about catnip rinses and aloe i need to get onboard with it. thanks for that info Elfy! i am a fan of honey. I just need to incorporate it more into my routine. and ive yet to find a leave in oil that I enjoy and wont weigh down my mega ultra fine hair. ive tried many but i havent found one i "love" yet, ya know.

elfynity
September 25th, 2018, 01:06 PM
I try to. I make up hair masks and leave them on for awhile. ive bought several "deep conditioning" products from cheap ones like aussie or l'oreal to more expensive like shea moisture and maui moisture...my hair has never been TOO crazy about any except for the manuka honey mask from shea moisture. My hair seemed to be pleased after using that one once (it wasnt mine i used it from a friend) my hair doesnt seem to be a fan of certain oils anymore either, specifically coconut. it gets even drier and crunchier after using it.

I can't use cocoonut oil in my hair without crunchiness either and honey works wonders for my hair. If honey works for you, you can dissolve honey in water everyday and dunk your hair ends in it for moisture just while you are figuring out products etc.

Rebeccalaurenxx
September 25th, 2018, 01:11 PM
I mean your hair sounds a lot like mine.
So do you have no dye or chemical left in your length?

I personally find more benefit from monthly trims instead of stretching the trims out.
I end up cutting off less that way, look into micro trimming.

elfynity
September 25th, 2018, 01:11 PM
heard great things about catnip rinses and aloe i need to get onboard with it. thanks for that info Elfy! i am a fan of honey. I just need to incorporate it more into my routine. and ive yet to find a leave in oil that I enjoy and wont weigh down my mega ultra fine hair. ive tried many but i havent found one i "love" yet, ya know.

I wouldn't even bother with oil right now - it usually means a big shampoo afterwards which just strips everything including moisture.

Silicones work alot like oils in that they cover your hair and seal it so no moisture can get in or out. If your hair is dry now, I would stay away from silicones until you have sorted that out.

MusicalSpoons
September 25th, 2018, 02:07 PM
*sigh* I feel like I have been here for a good minute and im still struggling with fairly basic things??? My hair is usually down during the day. or in a low loose pony tail with a big retro silk scrunchie, they are my quick go to just to get my hair out of my face. at night its either down or in a english braid. i am a stomach sleeper. so im not laying on my hair at night, i dont toss and turn very much either. (thinking about buying a silk cap but i dont wana look silly) or getting a silk pillowcase, cant hurt. my hair is CRAZY fine and fragile. so i try super hard to not break it. and now that you mention lint....my hair is fairly linty. i find it in my tangle teezer and wet brush frequently. ill look into ROO'ing

Crazy fine, fragile hair sounds like it needs to be up and protected, not down (a ponytail is basically down for the ends, just fewer tangles further up) :flower: extra moisture is useful, but it will likely not dry out so much if it's contained. Plus keeping it up protects it from mechanical damage, which is the kind of damage that leads to needing to chop several inches off each time :wink:

Lady Stardust
September 25th, 2018, 02:12 PM
I wonder if the oils are building up in your hair and that’s why you’re needing to clarify once a week? As you mentioned that your hair gets lint in it, I would second the suggestion to try the Rinse Out Oil method, because that seems to avoid oil build up.

Have you ever tried deep conditioning with a heat cap? I found that it made a huge difference to how much effect I got from the deep conditioner.

I also agree that a silk or satin pillowcase would help loads, I noticed a difference straight away, and agree that regular small trims are beneficial when hair is fragile.

ETA: If you can manage to finger detangle - that seems to be the single best thing I’ve done that has reduced breakage for me.

lithostoic
September 25th, 2018, 02:18 PM
Oils don't add moisture, they prevent it from escaping. Definitely try the rinse-out oil method. Clarifying once a week sound excessive/drying but ymmv.

Try wearing it down less. Even if it's just in a braid. Though buns are better since they keep the ends tucked away! This makes a huge difference for me.

Ylva
September 25th, 2018, 02:18 PM
Have you tried WCC, as in conditioning twice after shampoo? My hair, especially the ends, feel dry if I don't do that.

Zesty
September 25th, 2018, 02:20 PM
Good advice already, but I agree with MusicalSpoons that you might want to examine other parts of your routine, other than just products. Moisture is not a bad idea based on what you've said, and dryness may very well play a part, but it sounds like it could also mechanical damage (or chemical damage?), especially if trims help with the "scraggly" feeling. If it were *only* dryness, it wouldn't make much of a difference to trim. Approaching waist seems to be about the time that people need to be more thoughtful about protecting their hair, and wearing it down or in a ponytail isn't very protective and exposes your hair to friction that could lead to the effects you're describing.

Just some thoughts. Is your hair damaged by anything like heat, bleach, dye, etc.?

Also I second (third? fourth?) ROO method, can't hurt to try.

Alibran
September 25th, 2018, 02:25 PM
...my hair doesnt seem to be a fan of certain oils anymore either, specifically coconut. it gets even drier and crunchier after using it.

If your hair doesn't like protein, it won't like coconut oil because it's a protein mimicker. Often hair that doesn't like coconut lies EVOO, and vice versa.

If you're already not using silicones, I'd take a look at the curly girl method. Lots of straight haired people use it with good results because it's all about getting more moisture into the hair. As long as you follow the product rules, which are quite strict (no silicones, no ingredients that cause build up, no drying alcohols, etc), exact product selection is far less important than following the method itself.

Doreen
September 25th, 2018, 02:53 PM
How was your hair back when you used silicones?

I don't have fine hair but I do tend to get dry ends in the summer (very humid). Doing CWC helps to prevent clarifying shampoos from stripping my hair and keeps the ends less crunchy.

TreesOfEternity
September 25th, 2018, 03:28 PM
As someone who has fine hair myself, if I were to have my hair down the whole day the tangles would be a freaking nightmare, and I’m only BSL. I wear my hair down only once a week for 5 hours or so and afterwards all my ends are tangled to each other. For some of us it’s how it is, it’s not a matter of moisture I’m afraid, although that and silicones always help. If your hair is prone to damage wearing it up is even more important if you want to avoid tangles and splits.

thunderseed
September 25th, 2018, 05:50 PM
I try to. I make up hair masks and leave them on for awhile. ive bought several "deep conditioning" products from cheap ones like aussie or l'oreal to more expensive like shea moisture and maui moisture...my hair has never been TOO crazy about any except for the manuka honey mask from shea moisture. My hair seemed to be pleased after using that one once (it wasnt mine i used it from a friend) my hair doesnt seem to be a fan of certain oils anymore either, specifically coconut. it gets even drier and crunchier after using it.

This makes me wonder if you haven't been clarifying your hair? Like are you using a clarifying product to remove product buildup??? Because my hair gets dry like that when oils and products get built up on it. I use Paul Mitchel clarifying shampoo about once every two weeks, or more often depending on how much stuff I use in my hair.

Oh nevermind I just saw that you said you do clarify

Synester
September 25th, 2018, 06:40 PM
maybe about 2 inches or so left on my ends in some spots. in other sections of my hair its all virgin also its demi dye so not AS bad as it could be.. and thats it. and yeah I feel like small more frequent trims do best. i just forget or lose track of time. i S&D anything i find, but despite my velcro ends i never find very much to cut so i dont understand. im just trying to find more moisture helping products cause im going crazy here

thunderseed
September 25th, 2018, 07:44 PM
I'm not concentrating really well today, so I'm not sure if you mentioned this already, but I noticed in your first post you said you're just oiling once a week.

Well I am prone to getting super dry ends like yours and what helps me is this routine:

Every time I bathe, I will shampoo scalp, condition rest of my hair. And I use natural Live Clean argan oil or unscented conditioner because both of those have no silicones or anything bad in it but I find they are VERY super creamy and conditioning. I mean, I have never ever found a non silicone conditioner that is as good as these Live Clean conditioners, plus they are very cheap.

After, I will towel dry my hair just a bit (without rubbing to prevent split ends) and then put in about a palm size of avocado oil into my hair. I do this EVERY TIME my hair is wet or damp. It doesn't work on dry hair, only when it's wet, then the oil really soaks in.
And when my hair is extra dry, I will also add in some Fast Food Leave in Conditioner with the oil. It has silicones in it I believe, but my hair loves it and it doesn't look oily when dried if I don't put in too much.

After my hair has dried, I brush it out and then add in some Moroccan Oil for extra smoothness, and then I might add in some extra leave in condition on the ends, and then seal it with vaseline (a trick someone taught me on here).

This routine softens and moisturizes my hair right away.

But then I end up going this summer without doing it and then my hair got all dry and terrible again. I just started it up again and my hair is super nice and moisturized already.

Synester
September 25th, 2018, 08:10 PM
yes I oil about once a week if i dont forget and I feel you thunderseed, if i stop doing a routine for even a slight amount of time my hair reverts back to the nasties. and i will try those things thankyou <3

Reservechic
September 25th, 2018, 08:42 PM
The main things that caught myattention are about you using a sulfated clarifying shampoo and oil on your hair. I have naturally very dry hair, and I ultimately had to switch to co-washing my hair exclusively, after much trial and error. I go back and forth between using actual cowashes and rinse out conditioners to cowash with. Co-washing isn't for everybody, but it has at least been helping me with moisture retention, better than anything else. Which is why, I totally recommend switching to a milder cleanser that is sulfate free. Because not everyone's hair can handle sulfate shampoos, and definitely using a clarifying shampoo on your hair on a weekly basis may be over stripping your hair. Using oil on over stripped hair will lubricate it, and of course the more oil you use, the more lubricated your hair dill become till it will be heavy, greasy, and weighed down (based definitely upon how much you use). Also, oil alone may work for a select number number of people(when used in the right proportions for their hair), but for most people's hair oil alone just doesn't suffice. For many people they need an actual styler, whether it be in lotion form, cream, or gel form. A leave in conditioner or moisturizer can be added to ones hair care regimen to be used underneath ones styler of choice (as desired). To find out which styler would work best for your hair's overall needs, this is something that takes trial and error, because no product works identically the same for everyone's hair, since we are all genetically different, of course. So, even though a lot of us dread having to go through trial and error, it unfortunately is something that none of us can get around, no matter what.

Some people here do practice the LOC Method (Liquid-Oil-Cream), but that is only if ones hair can stand such. I couldn't say if it wouldn't work for you or not. As, it is something that if you really wanted to try, you would have to go out on a limb and try for yourself, and if your hair happens to respond best to it, then by all means keep doing it.

Also, I think it would be a good idea to start deep conditioning your hair, preferably on a weekly basis, after you cleanse it. In order to get the best results, when it comes to deep conditioning, I always recommend doing it with heat, for anywhere from 30-60 minutes. And, wearing a satin bonnet to bed every night. I swear, it makes a huge difference versus going without.

In time things will get better, as it just takes a bit if learning what your hair happens to respond to best regimen wise, as well as product wise too. Good luck!

growbabybrow
September 25th, 2018, 10:54 PM
Hey Synester, same for everything you said. I'm coming to realize that my hair doesn't like coconut oil unless I apply it for a 20 minute leave in before I do an olive oil/egg/neem oil/lavender essential oil mask. If I add coconut oil to my dry hair it gets crunchy. I'm currently stretching washes, (like no water on my head) to 4-6 days and brushing with a BBB in hopes that this distributes sebum and then makes my hair less prone to split ends. I recently cut 3 inches of super scraggle because the split ends drove me crazy and my ends were beyond dry. I have great hemline now and finally cut all the layers out of my hair but of course, a lil set back.

I have found that my hair likes argan oil, sweet almond oil, that egg mask I described (but only if I pre-oil because if I don't it'll break off from too much protein--I think?) Additionally, since my hair has this weird fine/medium coarse thing going on, I make two braids and tuck them up under the beginning of the braid and pin in place. It gives me a hippy/naval office look, but it keeps everything from snagging in my jewelry or getting caught on whatever. I'm at 24" right now, so everything is super manageable. I bet in a year when I hit 30", it'll be a different story.

Keep posting! I'll be following this thread as it's totes relevant to my interests.

GrowlingCupcake
September 26th, 2018, 01:02 AM
I have tangly, rather dry hair. I use a sulfate shampoo, so I'm essentially clarifying every week (or more if I wash my hair between washes).

As others have mentioned, oil doesn't add moisture; it just seals it in. So use it on damp hair. Spray your hair first, before you apply the oil if it isn't wash day. I also like to add a few drops of water mixed in with oil when I apply it. What other leave ins do you use?

For tangles, do you use detangling products? Also, I'm with other posters on this: wear your hair in a bun. My ends are protected because they are tucked in, and my hair doesn't tangle as badly as it would if it was down all the time.

Lady Stardust
September 26th, 2018, 01:11 AM
maybe about 2 inches or so left on my ends in some spots. in other sections of my hair its all virgin also its demi dye so not AS bad as it could be.. and thats it. and yeah I feel like small more frequent trims do best. i just forget or lose track of time. i S&D anything i find, but despite my velcro ends i never find very much to cut so i dont understand. im just trying to find more moisture helping products cause im going crazy here

My ends start to feel grabby about 10 weeks after a cut, even though the ends aren’t split. I clarify and deep condition at that point to see if that helps, but I have it trimmed every 12-13 weeks anyway. The ends always stop feeling grabby after a trim.

Obsidian
September 26th, 2018, 04:19 AM
So you clarify but do you chelate? Mineral build up can cause dry, grabby ends.

I've never had luck with deep conditions until yesterday, tried one from dove and my hair feels amazing.

elfynity
September 26th, 2018, 04:22 AM
brushing with a BBB in hopes that this distributes sebum and then makes my hair less prone to split ends.

Hi Growbabygrow, It makes me sad to say that I have used a BBB religiously the entire year and from my experience with my hair, it actually didn't ditribute oils well enough to justify it being the only method to use. Actually my ends have been drier and more scraggly than before. It just landed up being very harsh as the bristles went over my dry ends. I have been using the BBB less and preening more to make up for the it - and this new routine is working well for me. I would never give up my BBB though - it just wont use it exclusively or so much ever again.

MusicalSpoons
September 26th, 2018, 06:57 AM
Hi Growbabygrow, It makes me sad to say that I have used a BBB religiously the entire year and from my experience with my hair, it actually didn't ditribute oils well enough to justify it being the only method to use. Actually my ends have been drier and more scraggly than before. It just landed up being very harsh as the bristles went over my dry ends. I have been using the BBB less and preening more to make up for the it - and this new routine is working well for me. I would never give up my BBB though - it just wont use it exclusively or so much ever again.

I have occasionally attempted using a BBB to distribute oils, but it didn't seem to work for me either. Preening (well, perhaps not such a thorough thing as actual preening, but my fatigued version of it) will easily spread the oil slick to about shoulder length on me over a few days. The furthest the BBB has taken it is about neck length, and it comes with a lot of downsides compared with preening. The fact it is a rare event because of how time consuming it is makes BBBing feel like it should be really luxurious and pampering but it's really not! (I don't have experience with including either technique into my usual routine though as neither one helps stretch washes, so I can't say anything about long term effectiveness either.)

elfynity
September 26th, 2018, 07:26 AM
I have occasionally attempted using a BBB to distribute oils, but it didn't seem to work for me either. Preening (well, perhaps not such a thorough thing as actual preening, but my fatigued version of it) will easily spread the oil slick to about shoulder length on me over a few days. The furthest the BBB has taken it is about neck length, and it comes with a lot of downsides compared with preening. The fact it is a rare event because of how time consuming it is makes BBBing feel like it should be really luxurious and pampering but it's really not! (I don't have experience with including either technique into my usual routine though as neither one helps stretch washes, so I can't say anything about long term effectiveness either.)

I agree Musicalspoons, I just rely heavily on leave in conditioner for my ends now and keep it up in a bun, almost permanently. The amount of friction that goes on with BBB'ing and preening for me means it is not worth breaking my hair over to do it full on.

nikittyy
September 26th, 2018, 09:35 AM
I agree Musicalspoons, I just rely heavily on leave in conditioner for my ends now and keep it up in a bun, almost permanently. The amount of friction that goes on with BBB'ing and preening for me means it is not worth breaking my hair over to do it full on.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what does BBB mean?

lapushka
September 26th, 2018, 11:06 AM
Yes seconding that coconut might not be the best oil to use (I have dry crunchy ends from that as well, even from "fractionated" coconut oil, so oil that's always liquid no matter the environment). Anything is better, jojoba, sweet almond, olive, macadamia, etc.

Also regular clarifying, especially purposely washing the ends, yes putting actual shampoo on them. And then conditioning well after. Maybe incorporate that into your routine, if you're largely sulfate-free (which I have no clue of).

lapushka
September 26th, 2018, 11:07 AM
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what does BBB mean?

A boar bristle brush. :)

TreesOfEternity
September 26th, 2018, 11:18 AM
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what does BBB mean?

Boar Bristle Brush :) it was designed centuries ago to "condition" hair by spreading scalp's natural oils to the rest of the hair. It should be used on dry, detangled hair.

Synester
September 26th, 2018, 12:32 PM
wow a bunch of replies. Going to attempt to reply to everyone alittle bit.
yes I am avoiding silicones, and well I guess until I get more moisture in my hair somehow. I will avoid some oils, my ends get so grabby and velcro like because of what i assume is build up?? so i clarify to help...and it probably is mostly mineral build up because i have pretty hard water in my apartment. it smells strongly of chlorine and i get hard water spots on the shower glass so yes, i have hardwater.
(should probably get a water softener lol)

I will try cutting back on how often I clarify i guess.

and I will try out some WCC as well. I dont exactly know how to do ROO. i've never done it before personally (if someone can walk me through it)

hair background for Zesty : For over a decade I had bleached, dyed it every color, stripped redyed rebleached overprocessed hair most of my life. But ive gone almost 4 years now dye and bleach free and growing out my natural. my hair is pretty much 90% all virgin now. so yes if there is any chemical damage left its on the very tips of my hair that i trim frequently.

I should also Add I only wash my hair every 3 or 4 so days! So its not the longest to stretch a wash but im not washing it daily or every other day. Annnd to finish it off I think my hair is a bit too fine for a BBB.

Zesty
September 26th, 2018, 12:40 PM
Gotcha. Well if it's the tips that are giving you problems and they've still got old damage, maybe it'll just resolve itself once that last 10% is trimmed off. In the meantime, lots of great tips you can try!

Also BBB gave me breakage so you're probably right to avoid it if your hair is fine and you're already having these issues.

Best of luck!

lapushka
September 26th, 2018, 03:21 PM
and I will try out some WCC as well. I dont exactly know how to do ROO. i've never done it before personally (if someone can walk me through it)

Do check out the rinse-out oil thread (link is in my signature for convenience).

You basically wash the hair. Then you take 5 to 10 drops of your favorite oil (not a lot, please don't overdo it), spread through palms, and smoothed over the hair. I choose to pick the last 5 inches or so of my hair to oil, because those ends are the most fragile in my case. You can either rinse it out immediately, or smack your conditioner onto it and let it sit for a few minutes. I typically will do ROO in between both my conditioners (I WCC), and that for me is the best option. I'm on week 44 in a row of doing ROO, but I clarify weekly (and wash my lengths too).

Synester
September 26th, 2018, 03:35 PM
you da best lapushka <3!!! lol. will def try ROO and see how it goes. and i will get into WCC as well. just got back from the hair dresser. dusted my ends to blunt the my hemline nice and straight how i like it. and trimmed my bangs. feels great now lol. just gotta follow all this advice and do baby trims, to the micro trimming and maintaining thread I go LOL
but yeah if anyone wants to leave some of their favorite moisture secrets in the comments please ill do anything honestly.

Arciela
September 26th, 2018, 03:41 PM
For my dry ends I use nightbloomings panacea and it adds so much moisture! Before I use it my ends are often dry and thirsty..hehe after they feel so smooth! I got the smallest size a few months ago and have a TON left..a little goes a long way! :flower:

Alissalocks
September 26th, 2018, 03:49 PM
SMT?... haven't seen it mentioned yet but it's my favorite moisture boost. Equal parts honey, aloe Vera gel and conditioner of choice. I live in the high desert and both need moisture and oil for my fine hair.

Microwave the honey before using to keep it from lightening your hair. ;)

Synester
September 26th, 2018, 03:56 PM
ive been looking at nightbloomings etsy for awhile. whats is the difference between the hair salves? just the smell or do they do different things. i was eyeing her Freya one. might go buy it right now if it does moisture wonders lol i hear nothing but good things about her stuff.

Synester
September 26th, 2018, 03:59 PM
im a bad LHC'er ive never done a SMT :lol: but i might sound dumb but i didnt know honey could lighten hair. good to know because if anything i want DARKER hair not lighter.

JennGalt
September 26th, 2018, 10:42 PM
Try using molasses instead of honey in your SMT. I’ve not tried it, but others have and apparently it works just the same in an SMT except it can darken your hair a bit. There should be more info in the SMT thread.

Zesty
September 27th, 2018, 05:38 AM
I thought people also subbed in vegetable glycerin instead of honey to avoid color change (and animal products, for vegans). :hmm: Definitely check out the SMT thread!

Reservechic
September 27th, 2018, 11:15 AM
ive been looking at nightbloomings etsy for awhile. whats is the difference between the hair salves? just the smell or do they do different things. i was eyeing her Freya one. might go buy it right now if it does moisture wonders lol i hear nothing but good things about her stuff.

The Freya salve has a light, airy texture to it. It is also protein free. It has more of a clean, wintery, unisex type of smell to it. The Ostara salve does contain protein in it and has an ever so slightly thicker consistency, even though it does have a light, airy texture to it as well. Plus, it has an uplifting, fresh citrus scent, with an herbal undernote to it also.

The Panacea salve is the most concentrated salve out of the three. It has protein in it. Also, it has sweet citrusy scent to it with a slight hint of incense as an undernote.

The smells of each are subject to slightly differ based upon each individual's body chemistry, okay. Now, I can only speak for myself, but the scent doesn't linger for long/or be noticeable smell wise in my hair for very long after application at all. However, for other's that is subject to differ. Also, when it comes to NightBlooming's salves, the best way I would recommend starting out with is buy starting off with the sample size. With these hair salves only a very, very small amount is needed, or else you may risk experiencing having your hair feel a bit greasy. So, a sample size has the ability to last for quite a while, a month or even possibly longer than that. Oh, and these hair salves are multi-purpose, as they can be used as a scalp treatment, pre-poo treatment, leave in conditioner, leave in moisturizer, deep conditioner, or on the ends of ones hair to help protect such from split ends.

Hope this info helps!

Synester
September 28th, 2018, 11:12 AM
My hair isnt the biggest fan of protein, and i enjoy lighter smells anyways, i ordered the freya salve. it was on sale too apparently when I got it! I got her freya one, i got some argan oil and a silk pillowcase coming in the mail soon. so hopefully my hair will be happy in a few days lol.

and thanks for the tip about the molasses! didnt know that it would give the same benefits as honey and darken.
i heard using the molasses or honey and aloe mixture with conditioner its important to use a non-cone conditioner? is that right. I want to try a SMT soon. will try a ROO tonight as well, see how that goes lol.

JennGalt
September 28th, 2018, 12:57 PM
I’m a cone-hater and have no idea how they affect concoctions, but here’s the SMT thread (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128) for more info, provided I can link it correctly. There should be more info on using molasses in an SMT somewhere in there too :)

Since you want darkening and moisture, I wasn’t gonna mention this since it’s probably too heavy for fine hair, but I use coconut milk masks to moisturize, strengthen, and return my hair to a darker shade between henna glosses. Henna can take me from my natural warm black (1.5ish?) shade to about a 2, and coconut milk masks can reverse that back to black with a slight reddish shine. I use canned coconut milk with no emulsifiers added and put it in the fridge to separate. Then I slather the solid portion on my head and leave there for an hour (or as long as I can stand) as a pre-poo/pre-cowash treatment. My hair is super dry and not easily weighed down though, so not sure if it’d be a good option for you or not. You know your hair best; YMMV.

Synester
September 29th, 2018, 09:22 AM
update* did a ROO last night with some drops of sweet almond oil after my sulfate free shampoo, and then i put it on and then encased my hair in the only cone cond. i have my hello hydration by HE and my hair is VERY happy it seems. woke up with it soft...tangle free and my wave pattern is usually never this nice and defined nice loose S wave's usually it just frizzes all together. So I will be continuing roo's hopefully with success. How often can I do a Roo??? every wash? every other wash? (still have yet to SMT) but i will get around to that one for sure, gotta go to my super market and get some molasses, coconut milk and a aloe leaf with everyone's suggestions. maybe a good cond. that was on the list because the ones i have weren't on there.

Zesty
September 29th, 2018, 09:28 AM
update* did a ROO last night with some drops of sweet almond oil after my sulfate free shampoo, and then i put it on and then encased my hair in the only cone cond. i have my hello hydration by HE and my hair is VERY happy it seems. woke up with it soft...tangle free and my wave pattern is usually never this nice and defined nice loose S wave's usually it just frizzes all together. So I will be continuing roo's hopefully with success. How often can I do a Roo??? every wash? every other wash? (still have yet to SMT) but i will get around to that one for sure, gotta go to my super market and get some molasses, coconut milk and a aloe leaf with everyone's suggestions. maybe a good cond. that was on the list because the ones i have weren't on there.

You can ROO every wash if it works for you. I (and many others) love Hello Hydration. Glad your efforts are paying off!

lapushka
September 29th, 2018, 12:47 PM
update* did a ROO last night with some drops of sweet almond oil after my sulfate free shampoo, and then i put it on and then encased my hair in the only cone cond. i have my hello hydration by HE and my hair is VERY happy it seems. woke up with it soft...tangle free and my wave pattern is usually never this nice and defined nice loose S wave's usually it just frizzes all together. So I will be continuing roo's hopefully with success. How often can I do a Roo??? every wash? every other wash? (still have yet to SMT) but i will get around to that one for sure, gotta go to my super market and get some molasses, coconut milk and a aloe leaf with everyone's suggestions. maybe a good cond. that was on the list because the ones i have weren't on there.

I will be doing n° 45 this Sunday, consecutively. I've kept score. ;) But I clarify every wash (sulfate shampoo weekly, weekly ROO).

enting
October 2nd, 2018, 05:11 PM
I think you're going the right direction with trimming the old damage off to help the ends tangle less. My holy grail mix for tangly ends from a couple of years ago is a mix of sesame oil and aloe gel. My hair loved it. I haven't used it for a while, though. I think my hair likes ceramides and will play nicer with them than oils with not a lot of ceramides. Somewhere on the forum there's a link to a rating scale for ceramides in oils. Was it Ktani's blog?

Synester
October 2nd, 2018, 08:50 PM
I need to play more with Aloe in my routine. But so far my hair has been loving the 2 ROO's ive done. I got my silk pillowcase in the mail today and my pure argan oil. and my nightbooming Freya hair Salve.
My hair LIKES the freya salve, its just alittle waxy? if thats the right word for it. and im not used to leave in that texture. But it makes it soft. ive upped my arsenal and my hair is happy for now lol. anything to NOT trim so i can get my goal of tailbone someday. maybe a year or so from now.