View Full Version : How do you make your hair silky, soft & shiny?
Dreamkitty
November 8th, 2010, 04:54 AM
I am tired of having to deal with my fluffy hair after a wash:(. Its the same old shampoo I use, because the good ones are too expensive. Sometimes I don't use a conditioner. So its just shampoo and oil my hair with coconut or Amla oil. But Ive had enough & I want to try a shampoo that is good for my hair, won't make my hair dry.
What is a good shampoo & conditioner that will make hair soft, healthy & silky?
What other natural ways apart from putting oil in hair, makes hair soft & silky?
:) I would like to know what everyone does to make their hair more mangeable, doesn't look greasy but silky. I have never used hair products apart from shampoo, conditioner and oil. So this will be a new thing for me to try. I am worried to experiment because there is so many products out there for hair, I don't know which one to choose, which is bad, which is good.
MissBellydance
November 8th, 2010, 05:03 AM
I don't know if you're after "natural" products, but if you're not fussy, the only thing so far that has worked for me is the garnier fructis range. Of course, everyone is different so it might not work for you. For me, however, it is the only thing that is still moderately cheap that leaves my hair soft. If I use anything else it feels like a haystack.
Wish I could help more in regards to natural treatments. I am interested in them, but I only really use coconut oil and it sounds like you've tried that.
serious
November 8th, 2010, 05:33 AM
Have you tried CO wash?
TrudieCat
November 8th, 2010, 05:49 AM
If I don't use conditioner, my hair is a dry tangled mess. There's no way I could get away with not using conditioner. I use rinse out conditioner in the shower, and then I also use more of my rinse-out conditioner and oil as a leave-in. This is the only routine that makes my hair feel even slightly silky. Otherwise it's just really coarse and straw-like.
There are many here who use cheap shampoos and conditioners and have beautiful, silky hair. More expensive does not always equal better.
allfeya
November 8th, 2010, 05:50 AM
I'm not sure the shiny hair is a result of a shampoo. It's a mix of many factors - your diet, physical and emotional health, etc.
I've notice my hair looks different almost everytime after washing, even though I use the same shampoo and conditioner.
Dreamkitty
November 8th, 2010, 06:05 AM
:) I would like a good shampoo & conditoner that doesn't have harsh chemicals to the hair. I always thought expensive shampoos were better but I am glad to hear that cheaper ones can be good too. My hair, my mum's, my sister's hair all go fluffy after a wash, its just our hair type, my cousin on the otherhand has very silky/shiny hair and even though her diet is poor, she still has silky hair, because that is her natural hair type. I am jealous because she gets away with it lol.
What is CO wash?
I also heard putting egg on your hair makes it shinier, is this true?
Thanks for all the replies, I guess its trial and error to see which works best for me. I am going to buy a good shampoo and conditioner and save it for when I go to work.:D
Because at home, Im ok if my hair is oiled. But I can't have greasy hair when Im going out.
Tapioca
November 8th, 2010, 06:17 AM
If you want to go out, oil is still good. Just use less of it. I use either coconut or jojoba daily, and it took me a while to figure out how much is just enough.
Also, have you tried damp bunning? I almost never put my hair up until it's completely dry (I have scalp issues that freak out if it stays wet too long) but when I do, it ends up nice and shiny and sleek.
tinywife
November 8th, 2010, 06:19 AM
Shampoo without conditioner makes my hair VERY frizzy and unmanageable! If it's still frizzy when you use both, I would definitely try CO washing.
Oiling immediately after a shower helps too.
clichepithet
November 8th, 2010, 06:20 AM
(snip)
What is CO wash?
(snip)
CO Wash is Conditioner Only. There is a dedicated CO thread, here.
(http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898)
Otherwise, my hair likes a dab of aloe with a tiny drop of oil to nix the frizz. There's *cones too, but I missed if anyone said anything about that...
ETA: Also, are you diluting your shampoo at all? You can use a surprisingly small amount effectively, if it's diluted and applied with care. That would perhaps reduce the drying properties of your shampoo. There's also CWC, Condition Wash Condition. Dedicated thread, here. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=53421)
Henrietta
November 8th, 2010, 06:24 AM
I don't think there are "good" and "bad" in general hair products. (Don't discuss blow dryer and such things, which are obvious.) The good ones for you are those that work:) Don't be afraid of experiment with things like honey, CO washing, different oils... It won't damage your hair, the worst thing that may happen is that you may find something difficult to rinse (honey) or you may notice shedding (CO), but you may quit immediately. Experiments are necessary to find your own best products and routine.
I have found one. It took me a few months, I experimented A LOT and the best thing for me is to leave a conditioner overnight after washing and rinse it in the morning. Or at least use the rule "the longer the better" and keep it on my head for a few hours. That's how I make my hair soft and silky:)
Take a loot at our Reviews section. I am SURE you will find a good and relatively cheap shampoo. You're in UK, all in all:) I think you have many products to choose from there;)
nytquill
November 8th, 2010, 06:26 AM
My understanding is that anything that is capable of cleaning the hair is also drying to the hair. Shampoo and such cleans by removing oils including the natural oils that protect your hair and make it shiny. Even just the process of getting wet and drying again can remove proteins and oils from your hair.
You make a good point that some people can have naturally more shiny hair than others. But if you want to get the most shine out of your hair, in my experience the best is to focus on as gentle a cleansing method as you can get away with, and a good moisturizing and protecting routine. Remember that oils do not condition hair, they only protect what is already there - or not there.
CO is a method where you don't use shampoo, only conditioner. A lot of conditioners actually contain very mild cleansers. If you completely saturate your hair with conditioner and leave it to work for a few minutes (a shower cap helps so you can continue washing up while you wait) it will clean your hair without being quite as drying as regular shampoo, plus you get the moisturizing effect of the conditioner back into your hair at the same time. I use this method myself most of the time and really like it. You can also simply dilute your shampoo with water so it's not as strong - most shampoos have way more cleansing effect than is really needed to get the hair and scalp clean, and it doesn't take as much to clean our hair than we are usually taught to use.
I've also been experimenting with using coconut oil while I'm in the shower. When the hair is wet it swells up and the oil can get into the hairs better and help protect them from the inside out. It does make my hair shinier and less flyaway after I wash but I'm still working on finding the right way to use it that works best for me.
My hair also is very flyaway after a wash. It looks its worst when it's freshly cleaned; on the day after a wash it looks much better. I use a towel turban to dry my hair and I have found that getting the towel OFF my head as quickly as possible helps me to have less frizz - but then I have to deal with having very wet hair down my back, but I don't mind that too much. But for me I have learned that if my hair is really fuzzy after a wash it's because I have dried it out too much. My hair is very fine and the more moisture and conditioner I give it, and the less I wash it, the better it looks! Most people that know me might be surprised to learn I only wash my hair about twice a week, it looks very clean and healthy like that. And if I were to wash it more often it would look worse, not better!
Basically once your hair grows from your head, it's dead. A good diet and general good health helps make sure that the hair that is formed is as healthy as possible, and then as it grows out our job is to keep as much of that healthiness in the hair as possible and remove as little as possible to keep it looking its best. Your hair as it grows is going to lose protein and moisture, not gain them. We can apply moisturizing substances and strengthening substances to the surface but usually once damage is done, it's done. So we have to just try to be as gentle as possible with it so that it keeps as much as possible of whatever it started out with.
You can also try an acidic rinse like a vinegar, lemon, or tea rinse. These help to smooth down the hairs on a microscopic level which makes them smoother and shinier overall. Also just turning the shower water to cool for a minute or two before you get out can help a lot. Heat, including hot water, makes hair frizzy. Cool water helps calm it back down a bit. In fact if you normally take boiling hot showers, if you want to you can try turning the temperature down just a little bit during the entire shower - I don't mean freezing yourself to death but just a warm shower instead of a super hot shower can make a difference to your hair.
Do keep in mind also that we are shown a lot of images of super-shiny hair that simply don't exist in real life. A lot of the hair you see in shampoo commercials has been very heavily styled and coated with products that if we used them every day would be bad for our hair in the long run or require a lot of very drying washes to get out. Even the pictures on LHC are usually taken when someone's hair looks their best, they don't always look that way every day, and just the flash from a regular camera can make hair look shinier than it is.
Mirsha
November 8th, 2010, 06:30 AM
This thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=57025) has had the best results for me so far! Granted, I haven't tried all the methods yet but this is so very satisfactory I'm not giving it up!
pepperminttea
November 8th, 2010, 07:36 AM
I'm another that can't get away with using shampoo without conditioner; my hair fluffs up and tangles like mad when I try. All the shampoo does for me is get rid of the oils, it doesn't do anything else - that's all up to the conditioner. You can also use oils without making your hair look greasy - just in very small amounts. Post-wash I use 2-3 drops, tops. With coconut oil I generally use a quarter of a drawing pin head. When you rub your hands together, it should just look like a slight sheen on your palms for a light oiling - experiment, it can take time to find the right amount for your hair.
You mentioned trying to avoid harsh chemicals, but that's kind of a wide field. If you want to avoid silicones, many of the supermarket's own brands are 'cone-free - my current shampoo is Sainsbury's Apple, which is around £1 for giant 750ml bottle. Some of Tesco's own brand are cone-free too, though do check the ingredients first - silicone ingredients generally end in -cone, -conal, or -xane. If you want to avoid sulphates, which are used as all-round cleansers in numerous products (shampoo, toothpaste, and washing up liquid to name a few), then it's anything that ends in 'Sulphate', like Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Ammonium Laureth Sulphate, etc. They're more difficult to avoid in cheap shampoos - the cheapest I've found that avoids them is Holland and Barrett's range, which uses Glucosides as cleansers instead. If you want an entirely 'all natural' shampoo and conditioner, prices are steep - like £8-12 for a 200-300ml bottle steep, and in the UK, the internet's your best option for finding them. The conditioner I use is one of the more reasonably priced ones I've found of it's type, Pure Nuff Stuff's conditioner - it's £9.50 for 500ml (http://www.purenuffstuff.co.uk/hair/hair-conditioner.htm), quite light, it makes my hair very soft.
Not all chemicals are bad - go with what works for your hair and scalp, regardless of 'cones or sulphates.
aenflex
November 8th, 2010, 07:53 AM
How often do you wash? My hair leans towards fluffy and a found that washing less often, an occasional CO, light coconut oilings and a satin-type sleep cap to be very, very helpful.
After a wash when drying my hair, I normally let it dry up, this helps control the poof. A good leave in, for me cones are a must, is also essential. Something moisturzing and smoothing without being heavy.
Anyhoo that's what works for me. I hope you find some stuff that helps!
jujube
November 8th, 2010, 08:05 AM
I also recommend you use conditioner every time you wash, even though you already use oil. Also, search the forum for CO-washing or the CWC method, they help a lot.
mellie89
November 8th, 2010, 10:37 AM
Personally, my hair looks better when I use a cheap shampoo and conditioner than when I use shampoo alone, no matter how "good" or expensive the shampoo is.
Also, some people just have fluffy hair. :shrug: Mine is pretty fluffy, but I don't mind because it's in good shape, and the fluff makes it look thicker.
The only thing I've found that truly makes my hair silky is a flat iron. However, as I'm sure you know, straightening your hair frequently can really damage your hair.
Are you using products with silicones? While they may build up on your hair over time, some people like to use silicones because they make hair shiny and soft. You could try using a smoothing serum with silicones. Those always gave me really sleek, shiny hair.
jujube
November 8th, 2010, 10:45 AM
Cones can also be a solution, but be sure to clarify every so often.
Dreamkitty
November 8th, 2010, 01:26 PM
:)Thanks everyone for the great advice, learning something new from LHC everyday!.
I don't think CO will work for me as I use alot of oil, so I definetly need a shampoo to rinse all of it out. However I am going to try reducing the amount of oil I use.
Putting lemon in my hair is an inexpensive treatment which can work really well, my sister does this, my mum also tried this and it does make hair more shinier.:D Need to remember to cut up a lemon wedge now everytime I shampoo, will also try applying tea in my hair (never have done this).
I have used Sainsburys Apple shampoo and conditioner and it wasn't bad, especially considering it was only £1.
The shampoo I am using right now, is pomegranate. Here is a pic of it.
http://i54.tinypic.com/s5egib.jpg
I guess it is only natural that my hair will feel dry and frizzy if I don't use a conditioner. I always had this image in my head that very expensive shampoos and conditioners were the best, I always thought foolishly that If I buyed the shampoo that is in the adverts (used by actresses and models), my hair would look the same but there is much more to it then just using shampoo and conditioner.:o
I am also glad to hear that cheaper shampoo's are working well for some of us. I can't buy pricey ones all the time so it gives me hope that I can make the best of what I have got, maybe once in a while I will buy a very good shampoo, but for weekly use I need to buy a fairly good one that will last long & give me healthy hair and also has to be a reasonable price
This thread is giving me the urge to try new things, I will never know if I don't try. Hopefully I can find the right item and technique that will help me to achieve soft/shiny hair. :)
Intransigentia
November 8th, 2010, 01:54 PM
I'd like to second Mirsha's suggestion about the Movie Star Hair Care (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=57025) thread. I've been experimenting with it too. I thought I'd been getting pretty good results with conditioner-only washing, but doing a oil-shampoo as described in that thread, before my normal conditioner routine, the results are getting closer to stellar.
The conditioner-only (CO) thread is here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898)- and for these purposes, the very cheapest conditioners seem to be the best. The thread is long, but you can just dive in anywhere and people are talking about success, failure, product, and method the whole time so you'll get the idea.
nemileo
November 8th, 2010, 02:03 PM
What I experienced lately is that you could get nice hair with pretty cheap solutions. Honey is great, and you can use quite a small amount mixed with your conditioner, and even with a little oil. ACV rinses also makes my hair very shiny. Apart from that I also use Aleppo soap, and a very good shampoo and conditioner from The Body Shop, called Rainforest, witch have no cones or sulfates and smells great.
SpinDance
November 8th, 2010, 02:17 PM
Ironically I am finding that a good coating of conditioner worked through heavily oiled hair, rinsed very well then another conditioner application will usually remove oil as well as or better than shampoo. My hair would be completely a mess without conditioner. When I was young we never had conditioner. No one else in the family needed it, either because their hair was short or so fine that any amount of conditioner would weigh it down. My hair on the other hand simply must have conditioner. My first routine change after finding LHC was to start doing CWC (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=53421)instead of just shampoo followed by conditioner.
Take your time, read all the beginner advice in the articles section and start your own experiments. It took me over a year to figure out that the cheap cone-free conditioners are better for my hair than the more expensive coney ones. It took about 5 months to figure out oils worked better for me than coney serums. Now after about a year and a half I am feeling like I'm really zoning in on what will be my optimum long-term routine. Oh, and I suggest re-reading the beginner advice again after a few months of experimenting. I got way more out of many of the articles the 2nd or 3rd time around because I understood more.
What I like best about what I've learned is that I can have better, shinier, silkier, more healthy hair by spending less. Good luck with your hair growing journey!
prosperina
November 8th, 2010, 02:51 PM
It does sort of depend upon your hair type too. There are parts of my hair that just aren't going to be silky. Despite what my stats say I'm probably a m/c in hair texture and those coarser wavy curly strands don't go smooth and silky. That's just how it is. :shrug:
gotzbrainz
November 8th, 2010, 03:00 PM
i recently started using smt and coconut oil after every shower. these have made a major difference in how my hair feels. i just bleached my hair about two weeks ago and its back to feeling soft and has shine
MinderMutsig
November 8th, 2010, 03:18 PM
I've experimented a lot! This is what works for me:
- no cones
- oil every morning and evening and double up on the oil before and after washing
- mist with a mixture of rosewater, EVOO and jojoba oil when my hair needs it
I also alternate between CO and CWC.
My routine looks something like this:
Day 1:
Extra EVOO and / or jojoba oil on the length and leave it in for a couple of hours
CO using cheap cone-free conditioner followed by a heavier conditioner on the length
Wrap hair in towel and leave it for 10-20 minutes
But a dollop of oil on my hands and rub, then fingercomb it through my hair
Air-dry
Day 2:
All the oil from the previous night has absorbed so I put a dab of EVOO on the length
Put in updo and forget about it
If my hair needs it during the day I use my mister
Before bed I take my hair down and at this point my hair absorbed all the oil from that morning so I put another dab of oil on my hands, fingercomb and put it in my nightbun
Day 3:
Repeat from day 2
Day 4:
Repeat day 1
Day 5 and 6:
Repeat day 2
Day 7:
Depending on if I stay at home or have to go out I either repeat day 2 or do a heavy oiling. If I have to go out I do the heavy oiling in the evening.
I mix castor oil, jojoba oil and EVOO and massage it into my scalp and apply it to the length untill my hair looks wet. Then I put it up and forget about it for a couple of hours.
Then I go in the shower, wet my hair and apply enormous amounts of cheap no-cone conditioner all over my scalp and length and let that soak for a while.
Then I gently massage my scalp and rinse.
Apply another blob of conditioner to the length and apply a coin-sized amount of no-cone shampoo diluted 50/50 with water with a pointy tipped bottle to my scalp and work that in carefully.
Rinse again.
Follow with heavier no-cone conditioner and wrap in towel.
When my hair is toweldry I fingercomb an extra amount of EVOO on my length. You'll be surprised how much oil your hair can soak up when it's wet and freshly washed!
Put it up again and forget about it and when it's dry all the oil has been absorbed.
Extra note: you don't need shampoo to remove the extra oil, in fact, conditioner works waaaay better to remove excess oil without drying your hair as much. The only reason I use (very diluted) shampoo every third wash is because my sebum is pretty tough and without it my scalp starts itching. The heavy oiling with a castor oil mix helps loosen it before the shower and the shampoo gets it out. Unfortunately it also dries my hair a lot so I need at least the triple amount of oil after that wash.
mellie89
November 8th, 2010, 03:48 PM
Ironically I am finding that a good coating of conditioner worked through heavily oiled hair, rinsed very well then another conditioner application will usually remove oil as well as or better than shampoo.
Yup! You might think that you need shampoo to get oil out, but conditioner actually works better.
I'd recommend reading a bit about CO, but here's the abridged version: Coat hair with conditioner, including the scalp. (Most people use something cheap because you end up using a lot.) Let it sit for a few minutes. Add some water and lather the conditioner like you would with shampoo. Then rinse and rinse and rinse. Some people follow that up with a heavier conditioner on their ends.
daaisychains
November 8th, 2010, 03:51 PM
Rinsing my hair in freezing cold water and then the tiniest bit of coconut oil once it's dry, it's so silky and smooth afterwards.
Good luck!
HintOfMint
November 8th, 2010, 04:07 PM
Also, have you tried damp bunning? I almost never put my hair up until it's completely dry (I have scalp issues that freak out if it stays wet too long) but when I do, it ends up nice and shiny and sleek.
I second the damp bunning.
shockinglength
November 8th, 2010, 04:14 PM
It won't damage your hair, the worst thing that may happen is that you may find something difficult to rinse (honey) or you may notice shedding (CO)
Why would Co cause more shedding???
foggybrooke
November 8th, 2010, 04:26 PM
My first routine change when I joined LHC was to give up my shampoo and then shampoo again at every shower (in my defense that is what the instructions say) and I would only rarely use conditioner. I changed to CWC, and no am doing mostly CO but a weekly or so CWC.
However, I haven't yet started to oil at all but my experience has taught me to trust LHC members and their advice.
jenjen10
November 13th, 2010, 07:58 AM
This thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=57025) has had the best results for me so far! Granted, I haven't tried all the methods yet but this is so very satisfactory I'm not giving it up!
I second this! I have been using a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of coconut oil with a clear shampoo, following that up with Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition conditioner and then ending with an ACV rinse. My hair feels great after doing this. I also only wash once per week.
emmabovary
November 13th, 2010, 08:24 AM
This is what I've found makes my hair soft and silky.
* SMT - Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128). I'm surprised it hasn't been linked already, lots of our members swear by it. It makes my hair super silky. However it seems to add some frizz too, so I don't do it very often.
* Leave in - if I don't use a squirt of my regular conditioner as leave in, my ends will look and feel like hay.
* ACV rinse - I end every shower with an ACV rinse. Makes hair shiny and silky and less frizzy.
* Coconut oil - After an overnight oiling my hair feels ridiculously soft.
StraduX
November 16th, 2010, 09:45 PM
I give my hair a good CO wash, then a fair amount of leave-in Suave Naturals conditioner, and as much air-drying as it needs. Does the trick nicely
horseprincess
November 17th, 2010, 05:00 PM
For me, it doesn't matter what product I use, my hair still ends up being dry if I wash daily.
I now only wash my hair twice a week, its SO soft and shiny now!
little_cherry
November 17th, 2010, 06:16 PM
A good diet with the right amount of good fats and proteins make my hair soft and shiny.
teela1978
November 17th, 2010, 08:07 PM
chi silk infusion (a serum) keeps mine non-poofy, soft, and silky. I like cones though, not everyone does.
kschr2004
November 18th, 2010, 09:46 PM
I just found this article on Hair Boutique that has some interesting info on shiny hair, and a few tips to help with getting more shine:
http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip10043.htm
And it made me feel a lot better that the article had this quote: "a former Pantene hair model explained that it took hours of prep time and lots of flat irons to get her hair to the appropriate shine levels required for use in those famous shiny hair commercials."
Melisande
November 18th, 2010, 11:25 PM
You can make any shampoo gentler by adding oil and diluting it with water. IMO that's more important than the choice of shampoo.
The most important ingredient in shampoo is the detergent. Try to find out which detergent your hair gets along with best and use it in minimal doses.
I came to the conclusion that habits (diluting shampoo for example) are more important than product choices for my hair.
Another tip: mix oil into your conditioner and soak your hair with it before you wash it. It always gives me soft and shining hair.
tiny_teesha
December 20th, 2010, 03:06 AM
I will give a couple of suggestions...
Try a cardamon (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=26060&highlight=cardamon) tea spray
bicarb clarification with shampoo followed by a deep condition like an SMT
for me when i wash my hair in the morning, and then leave it bunned up lightly damp so the water it retained in it longer than usual, when i unleash the dry bun it i very soft and moisturized feeling. That makes me hair feel full of water and luscious. usually water makes me hair frizz, but this method really works for me :)
arc691
December 20th, 2010, 06:24 AM
Johnson and Johnson's NO MORE TEARS leave-in spray works wonders for me. My hair is so much easier to comb out, and it is soft and shiny until the next time I wash it.
rena
December 20th, 2010, 10:12 AM
I only wash two times a week and I always use cool water on my hair to help smooth the cuticles. If I'm planning to use shampoo (which I only do if my hair is especially dirty), I saturate my hair with either olive oil or something else moisturizing and leave it sit for about an hour. Otherwise, I just CO wash with a coneless, protienless conditioner (because thats the stuff that my hair doesn't like, but remember this may not be the case for you!) The shampoo I use is a baby shampoo because it does not contain all of the above and it doesn't seem to hurt my hair as much as a normal shampoo would.
When I'm done, all I do is squeeze the excess water out and let it airdry. In the winter this can make you sick if you go out so at this season I do all my washing at night before bedtime.
I also suffer from fluffy,poofy/HUGE hair after washing too, but only if I leave it out. So when its still damp I tie it up and make sure its laying flat against my head. When I do this my hair always dries the softest, smoothest and silkiest its ever been and feels much healthier too. Even the damaged parts feel pretty decent.
Thats it :)
rena
December 20th, 2010, 10:30 AM
I've experimented a lot! This is what works for me:
- no cones
- oil every morning and evening and double up on the oil before and after washing
- mist with a mixture of rosewater, EVOO and jojoba oil when my hair needs it
I also alternate between CO and CWC.
My routine looks something like this:
Day 1:
Extra EVOO and / or jojoba oil on the length and leave it in for a couple of hours
CO using cheap cone-free conditioner followed by a heavier conditioner on the length
Wrap hair in towel and leave it for 10-20 minutes
But a dollop of oil on my hands and rub, then fingercomb it through my hair
Air-dry
Day 2:
All the oil from the previous night has absorbed so I put a dab of EVOO on the length
Put in updo and forget about it
If my hair needs it during the day I use my mister
Before bed I take my hair down and at this point my hair absorbed all the oil from that morning so I put another dab of oil on my hands, fingercomb and put it in my nightbun
Day 3:
Repeat from day 2
Day 4:
Repeat day 1
Day 5 and 6:
Repeat day 2
Day 7:
Depending on if I stay at home or have to go out I either repeat day 2 or do a heavy oiling. If I have to go out I do the heavy oiling in the evening.
I mix castor oil, jojoba oil and EVOO and massage it into my scalp and apply it to the length untill my hair looks wet. Then I put it up and forget about it for a couple of hours.
Then I go in the shower, wet my hair and apply enormous amounts of cheap no-cone conditioner all over my scalp and length and let that soak for a while.
Then I gently massage my scalp and rinse.
Apply another blob of conditioner to the length and apply a coin-sized amount of no-cone shampoo diluted 50/50 with water with a pointy tipped bottle to my scalp and work that in carefully.
Rinse again.
Follow with heavier no-cone conditioner and wrap in towel.
When my hair is toweldry I fingercomb an extra amount of EVOO on my length. You'll be surprised how much oil your hair can soak up when it's wet and freshly washed!
Put it up again and forget about it and when it's dry all the oil has been absorbed.
Extra note: you don't need shampoo to remove the extra oil, in fact, conditioner works waaaay better to remove excess oil without drying your hair as much. The only reason I use (very diluted) shampoo every third wash is because my sebum is pretty tough and without it my scalp starts itching. The heavy oiling with a castor oil mix helps loosen it before the shower and the shampoo gets it out. Unfortunately it also dries my hair a lot so I need at least the triple amount of oil after that wash.
Wow! I applaud your routine! Your hair must be soooo nice :bounce:
Dreams_in_Pink
December 20th, 2010, 10:38 AM
err, i cannot make my hair silky, soft & shiny. Not all the hairtypes can behave like that, even when %100 healthy. Those are usually the feats of fine hair.
Priska
December 21st, 2023, 03:04 AM
AN. IMMENSE. SHINE. A never seen before-shine :eek: And main culprit is sunflower oil, that I made an oil-shampoo-wash with (using a sulfate-free shampoo). And it's not even cold pressed! Of course i did other things too, like always on hair wash day, but this was the only new thing. (I also used a good, heated conditioner, or actually two market-bought condotioners with stroke method, and took care that I didn't rinse it off too carefully -i let that conditioner sit on my head under shower cap and winter hat while I drank a big cup of tea) and finally I made a vinegar rinse that was a little thinner than before (too strong vinegar rinse doesn't give good results to me, here more is less for me apparently). (I didn't rinse the vinegar rinse off.) No towel drying, not even squeezing this time. After this I still sprayed fenugreek tea to my hair. But all this else I have been using a long time without this great results. But this is something to keep, I hope I can do it. I've had good experiences with sunflower oil before, and same with oil-shampoo method (oil mixed with shampoo).
Priska
December 21st, 2023, 04:00 AM
I also got stronger and clearer waves than ever before! :eek: Also on surface layers and not only under, as usually.
Priska
December 21st, 2023, 10:24 AM
I never catch the shine to photographs but let's try. The shine was really something extraordinary. Even better than from gelatine.
http://img.aijaa.com/t/00476/15206628.t.jpg (https://aijaa.com/iS3JFX)
http://img.aijaa.com/t/00477/15206629.t.jpg (https://aijaa.com/BnflMr)
longmane
December 21st, 2023, 12:48 PM
Pure shea butter and EVOO
cadaverinna
December 21st, 2023, 07:01 PM
I'm an unapologetic silicone. I'd apply it countless times a day if mine wasn't so expensive!
My favourite natural treatment besides oils is definitely cassia.
cherrymerry
December 22nd, 2023, 02:25 AM
A mix of things!
- A collagen conditioner. I have to be careful with it because it can cause my hair to be overly moisturized (limp, hard to deal with)
- A leave in conditioner. I finally found a leave-in conditioner that works for me (my new regular conditioner funnily enough). I put it in after while my hair is still wet and top up when/if my hair feels dry the days after.
- A silicone based serum. I recently got a silicone-based serum but the verdict is out on that one. It seems to help with tangles during the day.
- Oils. Sometimes I use a mixture of grapeseed and linseed oil boiled with cloves so make it smell better.
I have fine wavy/curly hair with dyed ends so I experience a lot of breakage. I think the leave-in conditioner will be a game changer because it ensures that my hair doesn't suffer from moisture loss, which makes it very brittle. It feels so soft now, including the ends which never seemed to react to anything besides a trim.
TheWhiteRabbit
January 22nd, 2024, 06:20 PM
I wanted to switch to a more natural shampoo and conditioner so went on a journey using bar soaps (my hair looked a lot fuller but only because the cuticle was so upset) to organic (not enough slip) to finding Earth Science - Olive & Avocado Deep Conditioning Hair Masque at my local naturals store. The slip from this masque is intense (makes the tub slippery). I’ve been using it for a few months and so far it’s been my all time favorite conditioner. Leaves me hair very silky.
GrazierGirl
January 23rd, 2024, 12:11 PM
Fkax seed gel applied to my fine, damp, APL hair leaves it silky smooth.
Priska
March 6th, 2024, 03:03 PM
Oh wow what kind of shine I got from combining sunflower oil and gelatine (sf oil to both shampoo and conditioner, gelatine only to condish). I've been avoiding gelatine because I got some knots from it to my ends and I thought it cannot give a special shine if it gives stickiness & knots, but I think this shine is now greater than with only sunflower oil, that already was very strong shine giver. This is really glass-like shiny and silky soft. Also darkened my hair which I like. Also I can avoid the knots to some extent with rinsing the gelatine-conditioner more effectively off, that doesn't spoil the result. And adding also oil to that same conditioner and with oiling the tips after showering if needed.
MissHair
March 10th, 2024, 10:12 PM
1. I comb while damp
2. I brush it dry and swing it back and forth instead of using blowdryer
3. I use a beanie or hat on my head while it's drying, this pats down and presses down the tiny flyaways
Wingspan
March 11th, 2024, 02:27 AM
I've been lazy with my hair care and need to do better as my hair is now at hip length. My hair is pretty thick, wavy and dry naturally. I'm not going for silky smooth, that is not happening with my hair and if I get that, it stretches out all the waves, and I like my hair as wavy as possible, fluffy and bouncy and soft. That said, my hair has been a bit too dry at the ends and on the top layer. Immediate relief came from just doing a a few hours of pre-wash oil, washing with Curlsmith wash&condition product, following that with my trusted Saaren Taika Calendula and Sea buckthorn shampoo ( I normally do that just one or the other), and finally putting Saaren Taika conditioner on the lengths and letting it sit for a while while I was in the bath still. When my hair was dry I sprayed some Curlsmith moisture spray (which is actually the wash&condition product and water, because I used up the original moisture spray) and scrunched, and I've been giving my air a light misting every day. For me the combination of water and oils is what works. I wash my hair every two weeks now, I was going three or even four weeks between washes, but I think my hair benefits from more frequent washing and conditioning.
I plan to continue doing a few hours of pre-wash oiling and the daily moisture spray and I will see if it reduces the breakage and splits. It sure does help with dryness.
The breakage and splits are on the sides which I S&D.. but I should be able to significantly reduce the amount by taking better care of my hair. I did side braids for a while with those small silicone bands which caused serious damage when worn constantly, so I quit that and now if I wear side braids I use thicker, soft elastics to secure the braids. I'm trying to wear my hair bunned and braided more. It has gotten significantly more unruly since it grew past waist, and I don't want to damage it by leaving it between doors, under my bag strap or seat belt or whatever. When sleeping I get tangled in it now so I need to braid it or bun it on top of my head. So I'm trying to only leave it down every once in a while.
Priska
March 12th, 2024, 12:07 AM
I've been lazy with my hair care and need to do better as my hair is now at hip length. My hair is pretty thick, wavy and dry naturally. I'm not going for silky smooth, that is not happening with my hair and if I get that, it stretches out all the waves, and I like my hair as wavy as possible, fluffy and bouncy and soft. That said, my hair has been a bit too dry at the ends and on the top layer. Immediate relief came from just doing a a few hours of pre-wash oil, washing with Curlsmith wash&condition product, following that with my trusted Saaren Taika Calendula and Sea buckthorn shampoo ( I normally do that just one or the other), and finally putting Saaren Taika conditioner on the lengths and letting it sit for a while while I was in the bath still. When my hair was dry I sprayed some Curlsmith moisture spray (which is actually the wash&condition product and water, because I used up the original moisture spray) and scrunched, and I've been giving my air a light misting every day. For me the combination of water and oils is what works. I wash my hair every two weeks now, I was going three or even four weeks between washes, but I think my hair benefits from more frequent washing and conditioning.
I plan to continue doing a few hours of pre-wash oiling and the daily moisture spray and I will see if it reduces the breakage and splits. It sure does help with dryness.
The breakage and splits are on the sides which I S&D.. but I should be able to significantly reduce the amount by taking better care of my hair. I did side braids for a while with those small silicone bands which caused serious damage when worn constantly, so I quit that and now if I wear side braids I use thicker, soft elastics to secure the braids. I'm trying to wear my hair bunned and braided more. It has gotten significantly more unruly since it grew past waist, and I don't want to damage it by leaving it between doors, under my bag strap or seat belt or whatever. When sleeping I get tangled in it now so I need to braid it or bun it on top of my head. So I'm trying to only leave it down every once in a while.
I had totally forgotten conditioner + water -hairspray! Thanks for reminding! And I guess I've never even heard of moisture spray... I only know leave-ins. Must find out!
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