Dryness/frizz and my wash routine

[zen_oven]

Greetings, everyone. First I just want to say that I've been on LHC since mid-June and I've really loved all the advice I've found here! My hair has grown from shoulder length to almost APL (I need to take a photo and see if I'm really at APL yet--may post it later and get some unbiased opinions). I think I've seen some huge improvements to the appearance and "feel" of my hair, so thanks LHC!

What I'm really here for is to ask for some opinions. My hair tends to be dry and sometimes frizzy. I'm a wurly, so I suppose that's par for the course, but I am trying to find more ways to cut down on frizz and give my hair the moisture it needs. I hairtyped myself a while ago: 2b/2c / M / ii/iii. Currently I do CWC with a Lush shampoo bar (just finished a Godiva bar and will start using New!), and Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner. I do that one day, don't wash my hair the next day (I only mist it to get rid of bed-head), and do a water rinse and add a leave-in the next day (currently Body Shop Amlika Leave-in). Then I start the cycle over with CWC the next day. I oil after misting on my no wash day, as well as nightly. I use a wide-toothed wooden comb most of the time and sometimes use a BBB, though I do that sparingly (mainly to move oils) as I know BBBs can cause frizz on curly/wavy hair.

It always seems the most dry/frizzy on my CWC day. I don't think it's the Lush bar, as it's really my length that seems dry, not my scalp or scalp hair. Could it be the conditioner I'm using? Or am I just noticing the "stripped" feeling that often comes with washing? I used to shampoo and condition ever single day, and lately I've seen that my hair looks and feels much better on days I don't wash or just do a water wash. I guess it could just be a contrast thing, as I'm getting over the "must wash daily" mentality.

I apologize for the length of this post. So, have any of you ladies experienced this? Has anyone had trouble with the Suave conditioner I mentioned? Am I just noticing the difference that stretching my washes makes? Am I nuts? ;) Thanks!

[teacher_mom2]

Hi, Zen! I love your dark hair! I'm new to this forum, but I have been using just conditioner to wash my hair after reading a book on curly hair. My "halo of frizz" is gone. It took about a week to start seeing a difference. It looks like you have wavy hair, too. Curly hair tends to be drier. Start using just conditioner AS shampoo. Also, avoid "cones". (ingredients that end in -cone)

[Elphie]

Suave Coconut has no cones, but it might be too light for your hair.

[misstwist]

I suspect you're just washing too often.

Our hairtypes are very similar, your hair is a little thicker. I wash with a CV shampoo bar and rinse with vinegar water or wash with Queen Helene Mint Julip and rinse with the Sauve coconut conditioner. But I do that no more than twice a week, and often go five or six days without a wash and I rarely wet it down between times other than the steam and splash it gets when I twist it up before a shower.

I get very little frizz, and I often use a bbb (not everyday, but several times a week).

While my hair is still fairly wet, but dry enough to get a comb through it safely, I combine aloe vera gel and coconut oil and work that into the length. Sometimes I add more after it dries.

I also add gel and oil every night before bed.

I don't think I look like a greaseball, but my hair is certainly heavily oiled and doesn't have lots of volume. It's not frizzy, though.

[zen_oven]

One thing I did forget to mention is that I deep condition every few weeks--I usually use Hask Henna n' Placenta and have gotten really nice results from it. It makes my hair soft and tames the frizzies and wildness, only the effect don't seem to last long.

[zen_oven]

Suave Coconut has no cones, but it might be too light for your hair.

You think so? Is there something heavier that might be better? My hair is pretty thick, so it does seem to take a lot of condish each time.

[zen_oven]

Hi, Zen! I love your dark hair!

Thank you! :)


Start using just conditioner AS shampoo. Also, avoid "cones". (ingredients that end in -cone)

I've been thinking about going CO but haven't quite gotten around to trying it. One of these days I'll probably give it a trial run to see how I like it. I want to get rid of the frizz halo like you mentioned, so maybe I should try it sooner rather than later. . .

I definitely avoid cones, like the plague. I tried Pantene once and felt like my hair was coated with plastic, yuck!

[zen_oven]

But I do that no more than twice a week, and often go five or six days without a wash and I rarely wet it down between times other than the steam and splash it gets when I twist it up before a shower.

I've managed to get down to only 2 or 3 washes a week, and am hoping to soon move toward only 1 or 2. I was caught up in the "must wash everyday" thing the shampoo companies want us to do, :) but of course found I was just stripping my hair every day and making it worse.

My only issue is that I feel really gross unless I mist my hair in the morning on non-wash days. The misting seems to help rather than make it more frizzy--seems to distribute the oils a bit. It may be that I should try cutting out the water only wash and see what happens.

[ChloeDharma]

I find that my hair always looks quite frizzy and dry just after it's been washed. The day after washing is generally when it's calmed down. That said, if you loosely bun your hair while it's damp that seems to set it more and reduce frizz once it's dried.
I think it sounds like it's just how your hair is, it took me ages to accept that about mine. Maybe try a leave in of aloe gel and whatever oil you get on with most.

[Boudicca]

I have dry, curly, frizzy hair too, and to be honest I found Lush shampoos terribly drying. My hair felt 'stripped' everytime I used them.

It could just be down to your conditioner, too. Some suit, some don't. Superdrug's Coconut conditioner is realy popular with a lot of UK LHC'ers, for example, but did nothing for my hair.

[misstwist]

My only issue is that I feel really gross unless I mist my hair in the morning on non-wash days. The misting seems to help rather than make it more frizzy--seems to distribute the oils a bit. It may be that I should try cutting out the water only wash and see what happens.

I missed that you wo between washes. That shouldn't do you a bit of harm in the frizzy department and, as you have experienced, it should help because you are adding moisture and mobilizing your sebum.

I was talking specifically of shampooing when I said I suspect you wash too often.

You might look up Kimberlilly's defrizzing spritz as a recipe for your misting bottle. It is oil, aloe and water, but I forget the proportions.

It took me several months to stretch out my washings and I wash more often in the summer because we work outside in dusty conditions.

Good luck!

[Katze]

Wo between washes is a great idea. For my hair, which is straighter and finer, it really helped settle the frizz. Misting, leave-ins, and hair gel or aloe vera gel help smooth things down, too.

Perhaps you should try stretching your washes, or even oiling towards the end of your wash cycle?

[zen_oven]

I missed that you wo between washes. That shouldn't do you a bit of harm in the frizzy department and, as you have experienced, it should help because you are adding moisture and mobilizing your sebum.

I was talking specifically of shampooing when I said I suspect you wash too often.

Ah, okay. I was wondering if the water only thing was part of the problem.


You might look up Kimberlilly's defrizzing spritz as a recipe for your misting bottle. It is oil, aloe and water, but I forget the proportions.

That sounds good. I should try that. Right now I just use water, distilled or tap.