Curly Cone Users

[blackgothicdoll]

It seems that a large amount of curlies go cone free as inspired by Curly Girl. I wanted to make this thread to ask questions to specifically curlies who use cones - and by Curly I mean types 3-4.

Do you also use sulfates?

Do you notice more or less curl definition (compared to cone free, if you've tried it)?

Do you notice more or less tangles or knots (compared to cone free, if you've tried it).

What products do you use that contain cones? I.e conditioners, leave ins, serums, etc.

Any tips or tricks that you've needed to learn to avoid issues like build up, dryness, etc.

Feel free to post your own questions and/or answers! Thanks in advance! :o

[ExpectoPatronum]

So, I'm not currently a cone user, but I've used them many times in the past, including as recently as earlier this year.

Do you also use sulfates?
Yes I did. I had a matching shampoo and conditioner set.

Do you notice more or less curl definition (compared to cone free, if you've tried it)?
I noticed an overall reduction in curl pattern, which made my hair lose some definition, but it was still smooth (ie not frizzy) at the same time. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't the look I was going for.

Do you notice more or less tangles or knots (compared to cone free, if you've tried it).
That one depends on the conditioner! I've used some cone-free conditioners that had no slip, but I'm using a deep conditioner that has as much slip as my cone-y conditioner did.

What products do you use that contain cones? I.e conditioners, leave ins, serums, etc.
I experimented. Sometimes I used only the conditioner. Other times I also used a serum. I'd say the serum was the biggest culprit to the curl definition issue mentioned above.

Any tips or tricks that you've needed to learn to avoid issues like build up, dryness, etc.
As with everything, you have to find what works for you. I really liked cones for their slip and making my hair feel soft and look shiny! But it loosened my curl pattern which I didn't like since my hair is getting to a length where the weight of it already pulls out some of my curl (it was 3a/3b when it was much shorter). That said, I think cones can be great in a hair care routine. Just keep an eye out for things like build up and give your hair a good sulfate wash every so often, and you should be okay. But, as with all things with hair, YMMV.

[shelomit]

I'm just a wurly/curly cusp like ExpectoPatronum, so I don't know how helpful this will be to you, but I do use a coney conditioner these days. Suave Naturals (usually the Ocean Breeze scent, AKA scent for people who don't much like scents!) was my go-to conditioner, although I would occasionally use others if they were on sale. I was never deliberately trying to be no-cone; it was just a cheap conditioner that I had discovered worked pretty well for me. Then I happened to be staying overnight at a friend's place. I forgot to pack hair stuff, so I used the conditioner in their shower. 'Twas Aussie. It stopped me in my tracks. Detangling my hair was like a whole different world than what I was used to! I used up my last bottle of Suave and went right out and bought some Aussie ( ;

Do you also use sulfates? My main shampoo is Suave Daily Clarifying, which is All The Sulfates(TM). This year I've only been shampooing every couple of months, though. ETA: when I was shampooing weekly, I was using a non-sulfate shampoo, Cake brand (I forget the precise name).

Do you notice more or less curl definition (compared to cone free, if you've tried it)? I don't notice much of a difference, although that has to come with a big disclaimer: I'm usually trying to reduce the amount of curl in my hair. Almost invariably, I dry it stretched. When I do want to wear my hair down, though, I can let it dry without stretching, not rinse out the conditioner quite as fully, give it a spritz, etc. and the ringlets pop right back in. There's always some curl at the unstretched tips of my hair, no matter what I do.

Do you notice more or less tangles or knots (compared to cone free, if you've tried it). WAY FEWER TANGLES. That was what got me to change. I already had long hair when I switched to using cones, so it's not like I was having extremely dramatic breakage before. I also detangle with conditioner in and then rinse very thoroughly, so I probably don't get as much of a benefit when detangling dry hair as others do. My hair is fairly light-weight so, if left loose, it does still tangle--BUT detangling goes SO much more smoothly than it used to. I no longer have to detangle twice a day if I don't want to. I can finally leave the same bun/braid in overnight without having to immediately detangle and put it back in in the morning. I haven't seen a difference in fairy knots, though it's always been a pretty rare occasion for me to get one.

What products do you use that contain cones? I.e conditioners, leave ins, serums, etc. I've done two-conditioner washes for a long time, letting the first one soak in for an hour or two. I don't do anything but a very rough detangle till second conditioning. I always use Aussie for conditioner no. 2. For the first conditioner, it doesn't much matter as long as it's humectant-heavy. Sometimes I'll be using a random second coney conditioner for that, but honestly, I just buy whatever's cheap ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Recently I was using Herbal Essences (coney), but just ran out and am on to V05 (no-cone). About the same results with each. Leave-ins don't really agree with my hair.

Any tips or tricks that you've needed to learn to avoid issues like build up, dryness, etc. I haven't seen any trend in either. Build-up was never much of a problem for me, and dryness always has been--that didn't change. I do rinse my hair extremely thoroughly and don't use leave-ins, which I'm certain helps avoid build-up. I've struggled to get adequate moisture for a long time, but what has been helping recently has been to do a conditioner-only wash (roots and all) every few days. Again, I let it sit for a good while. That seems to be bringing my hair a little more moisture, and also gives a chance to do a pain-free wet detangle with the conditioner in. The only downside is that I now spend even more time waiting for my hair to dry : P

[TwilightMermaid]

I can finally come out as a user of one of the most infamous taboos in the curly/coily community.

Do you also use sulfates?
Yes, but mainly because I have hard water. When I lived in places with soft water I'd use cocamidopropyl betaine-containing shampoos that also remove all kinds of silicones.

Do you notice more or less curl definition (compared to cone free, if you've tried it)?
Yes because the hair's cuticles are smoothed flatter so they sit together closer (hard water roughs the cuticle).

Do you notice more or less tangles or knots (compared to cone free, if you've tried it).
Far less knots. The silicone fills in notches on the hair strand so the hairs hook together way less at the ends.

What products do you use that contain cones? I.e conditioners, leave ins, serums, etc.
Shampoos, conditioners, in the past, leave-ins. Cones in shampoos confuse me slightly tho, I guess they just replace the silicone they remove. I've been opting for natural leave-ins recently and those usually are less apt to contain cones.

Any tips or tricks that you've needed to learn to avoid issues like build up, dryness, etc.
None, actually! I've never been a super heavy product user, just two quarters size of leave-in, a little less than a palmful of gel (75% of the time), all on top of partially rinsed out conditioned hair. Shampoo rinsing down the lengths and my first conditioning cleanses my hair thoroughly. If anything, many cone-free conditioners leave my hair dry!

All the anti-cone propaganda in the curly community is aggravating. Cones can be beneficial to damaged hair because they seal off divots in the hair shaft leading to less tangles, aka stopping further damage. They don't work for everyone of course, but saying that they are inherently 'bad' is just misinformation.

[Fimu]

Great question! One of the reasons why I like the LHC is that there's no "cones shaming" and most people see how cones can be beneficial for length retention and delaying mechanical damage.

Do you also use sulfates?
Yes, usually an SLES one, but I try to restrict that to twice a month. I want to try a low-poo soon, but it must be noted that I live in a hard water area. I've also tried co-washing but I have to learn better how to recognize and reduce build-up

Do you notice more or less curl definition (compared to cone free, if you've tried it)?
No significant difference, but it all depends on what products and application I use for styling and the degree of build-up.

Do you notice more or less tangles or knots (compared to cone free, if you've tried it).
If I have the right coney conditioner and not too much build-up, yes it makes detangling under the shower easier! Between washes, it still varies and it depends on stylers of choice.

What products do you use that contain cones? I.e conditioners, leave ins, serums, etc.
Rinse-off conditioner (Pantene 3 Minute Miracle), silicone-based serum sometimes, coney cream sometimes.

Any tips or tricks that you've needed to learn to avoid issues like build up, dryness, etc.
Not all coney conditioners are more detangling than cone-free ones, so finding the most slippy coney conditioner is still a hit or miss. And doing too much pre-poo oiling might build up too, which blocks the slippy adsorption of the conditioner. But I need pre-poo oils to protect the damaged ends from water stress.