So dry!

[Sarah4983]

I'm trying to go no cone again... and so I clarified 2 nights ago and used Suave coconut conditioner. I waited for my hair to air dry until it was damp, then put in a bit of coconut oil. My hair looked great!!
Next day, last few inches look terribly dry. So I add some more coconut oil. Looking good.
That night, looking dry again- MORE coconut oil.... then looks okay again.
Okay, so this morning, I woke up and my ends look drier than ever, haha... So I added MORE coconut oil!!!!!!!!
Is my hair really soaking up THIS much oil??
It seems that the streaks that were bleached years ago seem to be the driest... so maybe it does need this much oil. What do you think?

[misstwist]

Are they crunchy or just dry?

[Fractalsofhair]

If you just went no cone, this is actually quite possible. Cones do hide how dry our hair can be.

Also, coconut oil can prevent protein loss, so your hair may be having protein overload. Test out the amount of olive oil your hair soaks up.

[Sarah4983]

Not crunchy at all... just... dry...

The length of my hair looks fantastic, it's just the last 4 inches or so that look "dull" and feel dry.

The coconut oil helps immensely but doesn't last more than half a day before the ends get dry again.

Olive oil... I will try this tonight after work (First day on the job, never used olive oil on my hair so I should wait until I get home, just in case, hehe)

What kind of Olive oil? Virgin?

[misstwist]

I would suggest adding aloe vera gel to the coconut oil or misting those ends before oiling. While the coconut oil does penetrate you do need to provide some other moisture to go with it.

You might also try shea butter, mixed with coconut oil or on its own. Some people find that more nourishing. I use Alaffia brand shea butter because that's what I can find at my health food store.

I think Nightshade has some thoughts on using shea butter instead of coconut oil. There may be something about that in her damaged hair article.

[misstwist]

Also, coconut oil can prevent protein loss, so your hair may be having protein overload. Test out the amount of olive oil your hair soaks up.

Protein overload was my first thought, especially since that Sauve conditioner has protein in it. I suspect it really is just damage that the cones were hiding, especially since she said that it seems that the bits that were bleached in the past seem to be the driest.

[misstwist]

A couple articles if you haven't looked at them.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=44

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79

[Roseate]

I agree about the aloe and shea butter. Adding other ingredients gives me better moisturizing than oil alone. I like variations on Fox's Conditioning Cream (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4586) and Kimberlily's defrizzing spray. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277)

[karli]

You are my hairtwin, even though you have different hairroutines than me. (How does that work? Is it just different personal taste, or is it different water, air or what? Just curious)
For me, clarifying has not worked. It only makes my hair dry and frizzy. What does work for me, is using a heavy conditioner with a lot of jojoba and glycerin.

[Sarah4983]

Thank you for the great suggestions!!!

I am going to try Kirin's protein test tonight; however, I don't have clarifying shampoo... I have suave coconut shampooo (which contains sulfates or whatever) and "drama clean" shampoo by herbal essences which is supposed to act like a clarifying shampoo...

should I want until I get actual "clarifying" shampoo before I try this?

where can I get aloe and shea butter? I see aloe in the grocery store but it has tons of otehr ingredients.

[misstwist]

Any sulfate shampoo that doesn't have cones in it will clarify for our purposes.

You can find Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera gel at Wal-Mart in the lotion aisle. Lots of members use that. http://www.fote.com/prod_skin_gel.html# You just don't want anything with alcohol in it.

Don't know where you are in Florida, but if you can find a natural foods store you should be able to find aloe gel and shea butter in the personal care aisle.

This is the shea butter that is available at my natural foods store. http://www.alaffia.com/shea-butters I get the Savanna Spice scent because I like the hippy patchouli smell. :D

This is the aloe vera gel that I can find around here. http://www.georgesaloe.com/topicals.htm

Sally's lists a shea butter moisturizing stick that doesn't show an ingredients list on their site. It may be pure shea butter, maybe not, you would have to look. http://www.sallybeauty.com/Shea-Butter-Stick/SBS-117554,default,pd.html

Hope that helps you find things.

[rogue_psyche]

Oil isn't the same thing as moisture. Oil prevents moisture loss, but if there's no moisture there to begin with, then you're just coating your hair.

A lot of people like Suave coconut, but I just didn't find it moisturizing enough, especially following an SLS shampoo. If you have a Sally's in the area, I recommend their generic Biolage, as it is super-moisturizing and a fraction of the cost of the name brand. When your ends feel dry, use a tiny dab of that full strength as a leave in before you oil. You can still use the Suave for CO washing, too.

[Sarah4983]

This forum has been so great to me. Thank you again!

rogue_psyche: It make so much sense that it only locks in moisture... the best my hair felt was after my shower when my hair was still damp and I applied the coconut oil.
After that, I was applying it to dry hair and it didn't feel as great.
It makes sense that the oil was locking in the moisture post-shower!

Miss Twist: Thank you! I will check for that brand of aloe next time I'm in walmart. As far as a natural food store for the shea butter, I'm sure there is one around here... I just moved back here so I will ask my mom in the morning.

thank you so much everyone :)

[misstwist]

Google knows everything. ;) Enter your town name and health food store into the google maps search and you will find lots of things.

If I wanted to find everything I could in Iowa, I would enter Iowa health food store at maps.google.com (http://maps.google.com).

You can start the search string with your zip code and hits will be returned roughly ordered by distance.