'Cone debate

[CurlySasha]

Hi everyone :)
I wanted to start a thread where you could debate about 'cones; the good, the bad, the frizzy, the smooth :D
What are the positives? The negatives?
On short term use? On long term use?
What hair types are they good for?
I want to hear all your opinions! :bluebiggr
PS: If you have a favourite coney product, feel free to share!
PPS: Also, you can share your favourite 'cone free products!

[caadam]

Hm... well, I'm not sure what exact hair type silicones are good for. I know a lot of people use silicones because they give shine and such, but it can build up after a while.

The length of my hair liked silicones. I used Suave Rosemary Mint which has dimethicone in it, and it was never a problem for me, but it was a problem for my scalp. While a lot of people get an oily scalp from conditioner, conditioner usually left my scalp very dry and flaky from buildup.

I used that conditioner for over a year with very little clarifying sessions. It took a long time before my hair would show signs of heaviness from the silicone on it.

[Darkessa]

I personally like the way my hair feels with cones.
BUT
The cons outweigh the pros.
I don't like washing my hair too frequently, and with cones.... I find I personally needed to wash too often. Plus the buildup would always infuriate me after a month or so. My ends would just get SO angry with me, they would feel like overly dry Velcro.

I switched to completely Cone Free and I'm actually loving it!!
It took me a while to find some good leave in products that were both cone free AND smoothing. But I found almost the perfect routine that makes me and my hair happy.
Its no cones for me! And I'm glad for it!

[CurlySasha]

I am also 'cone free, I just wanted some opinions from 'cone users :D

[lolot]

ive tried no cones and cones and my hair likes cones, but i just use conditioner on my length so that my scalp doesnt get greasy, and it leaves my hair tangle free, soft and shiny, ive tried a lot of conditioners and i will stick to the coney one until i find something better

[HintOfMint]

For me, cones are useful when I want virtually straight 1C hair. I have 2b/c hair and sometimes it's nice to have straighter hair without heat. It's also good for preventing tangles from forming. My hair tangles significantly less on cones.

However, I found that damp bunning doesn't work so well with a heavy cones routine. The curls just don't take as well, only at the very ends which looks weird.

So it just depends on how I want my hair to lie that day--big wavy curls, or heavy and straight.

Right now I'm on a cone kick and I'm trying to see how long I can go without clarifying. So far I'm three washes in and my ends are not feeling the buildup, and I've been doing CWC. Then again, my hair tends to do well with a bit of weight on it, so more product tends to be better than less for my hair.

[shutterpillar]

For me, personally, staying away from shampoos with 'cones in them has done my hair a world of good. I can go longer without washing and I don't get that nasty oily look so quickly. It has also helped bring out the wave in my hair. :)

This is only my opinion using it short-term though. I am fairly new to all things hair, so we will see what my opinion is in about a year.

[DancingQueen]

Well, I know a lot of people in here don't like cones, but I find that my hair really likes them. I used cones most of my life, and I didn't really know a lot about haircare before I found LHC (around august last year). So, I think I will take your questions in a different order. :)

What hair types are they good for?
- I think they are good for curly, frizzy hair, that is prone to tangles.

What are the positives? :D
- Less tangles/more 'slip'
- More volume
- More shine
- Usually nice smell
- Less frizz (although it does not disappear)
- Less shedding

The negatives? :(
- I have not really experienced anything negative about cones.
- Dunno, but some people say they get buildup?
- Some people might be allergic
- Dry hair?

On short term use? On long term use?
Well, see the above? I find that my hair likes cones a lot, almost only pros. I nerves experienced anything negative about cones, and I used them most of my life. :) I have medium-curly, dry, frizzy hair, prone to tangles, and cones just help all of my problems disappear. I never had buildup or anything. :)

[CurlySasha]

Oh, my hair is thick and curly and frizzy! Maybe I should try 'cones?
I think I'll give my 'cone free routine a little bit more time though, and focus on actually nourishing my hair (like with oils!)

[swearnsue]

I just bought and tried my first no sulfate, no cone shampoo, Loreal EverSleek. Because it didn't strip my hair I didn't use conditioner but then when my hair air dried, it felt a little dry so I oiled the ends with camillia oil. I'm still in the experiment phase, but I like the no sulfate but not sure yet if I like cones or not. Clarifying with bs every few months isn't a big deal for me.

[Long_hair_bear]

I tried going no cones for 6 months and my hair got very angry, almost to the point of disaster. I'm back on cones now and my hair loves it. I use herbal essences long term relationship condish twice a week. :) Everyone's hair is different and wants different things, so I'm not sure it is something you can "debate." it's just whatever works for you. :D

[luxepiggy]

Cones FTW! Woo! \(^(oo)^)/

<= Exhibit A: Fanatically devoted cone junkie extraordinaire

'Cones I love:
for rinse-out conditioner: amodimethicone, bis-aminopropyl dimethicone for shine spray: phenyl trimethicone, especially in combination with cyclomethicone

The right 'cones keep my hair soft, silky, and super-shiny! Aminosilicones are great for CO washing because they're buildup resistant, and phenyl trimethicone adds lots of shine that lasts for hours.

My ultimate, #1 HG product that I can't live without is Aquage Beyond Shine (cyclomethicone & phenyl tremithicone). I spray it all over my damp hair after a wash. On non-wash days I use it to lightly mist my hair. Beyond Shine makes my hair super soft and tangle free, but it never looks oily or greasy.

'Cones I avoid: dimethiconol, dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane

[BeccaAngel]

How can you really tell if there is cones in your shampoo or conditioner? Is it usually listed in the ingredients? Because I haven't found any in mine, unless I'm looking for the wrong thing? just curious. :P

[caadam]

Cones FTW! Woo! \(^(oo)^)/

<= Exhibit A: Fanatically devoted cone junkie extraordinaire



I was wondering when you were going to post. lol You always have such shiny, awesome hair, and I remember when I first came to LHC, I saw you talking about how much you love your 'cones, and about what new 'coney products you were experimenting with. :p

[caadam]

How can you really tell if there is cones in your shampoo or conditioner? Is it usually listed in the ingredients? Because I haven't found any in mine, just curious. :P

If there is any, they'll be listed. Anything ending with -cone or -xane, I believe. Can't get to the thingie with the list of 'cones right now. </3

ETA: Eh, I was a little off, but here's the list! It's big, but you can use it to see if you can match up any ingredients from your product. :D
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=974598&postcount=2

[GlennaGirl]

Generally, my hair adores 'cones. I don't really need them when my hair is 100&#37; healthy, though. But when I've kicked its hairy little butt a few times too many in a short period of time, 'cones work wonders.

I use a non-'coney conditioner for CO and then follow up with 'cones for conditioning on the ends. I use a light touch because too thick a slather will make my fine hair limp.

[BeccaAngel]

If there is any, they'll be listed. Anything ending with -cone or -xane, I believe. Can't get to the thingie with the list of 'cones right now. </3

ETA: Eh, I was a little off, but here's the list! It's big, but you can use it to see if you can match up any ingredients from your product. :D
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=974598&postcount=2

Thank you much :)

[thirstylocks]

My hair loves cones. I have fairly thick and porous hair and it can be really frizzy and dry without them.

[Laylah]

I must be one of the blessed few whose hair couldn't care either way. I have used good and bad products with cones and no cones. Currently, I'm using coneless shampoo and conditioner, plus a coney deep conditioner that I put just on my ends before washing. Just a few months ago I was using a coney shampoo. I haven't used a coney conditioner for a while, though. I don't notice a difference between coney and coneless products. Cones don't make my hair straighter, heavier, shinier, or build up. Similarly, coneless products don't make my hair frizzier or wavier. I have a combination of about loose waves, tight waves, and curls (2b-3a/b).

[pepperminttea]

I don't like them in every product, but they certainly have their uses. :D Detangling my hair is so, so much easier with them, and that's the main reason why I use them. But every 'cone is definitely not created equal.

[Sillage]

I loooooooove cones. I'll use them in anything: shampoo, conditioner, leave ins... I don't have a problem with build up because I do clarify frequently (because I have scalp issues). In terms of shine, sleekness, and less frizz and tangles nothing beats cones for me. I still use natural oils but cones are something that I cannot do without. They make a tremendous difference in my hair.

[GracieRae]

I notice my hair won't take braid or bunwaves with cones:( but they do add shine and smooth out my natural wave which I like sometimes. BUT without them I have more body and braid or bun waves last pretty much all day. I go back and forth lately. I was cone free for years and had healthy wavy hair. After using a coney product now, I really enjoy how soft my hair is but feel guilty and clarify not too long after. Lol! I really like fekkai glossing cream but I think I'm done with cones so I'll probably swap or give it away.

[Khiwanean]

My hair was noticably straighter and more dull when I was using cones. They typically give more slip than cone-free conditioners, but that's not always true. My current non-cone conditioner gives me more slip than any coney one ever did. My hair doesn't really react poorly to coney conditioners though. Only the really, really cone heavy conditioners didn't do well with my hair, and then only because I couldn't stand the plasticy feel of my hair while it was wet. Obviously, I couldn't stand those enough to evalute them for long-term use.

I can say though, that my scalp hates sulfates. With a greasy, plaquey passion. That has more to do with my cone-freedom than any actual dislike of cones.

[my2cats1]

My current non-cone conditioner gives me more slip than any coney one ever did.

Now I'm curious! Which conditioner do you use?:eyebrows:

[Nedertane]

Only just discovered that my hair liked cones with my Aveeno conditioner. I kept wondering why "this cheaper stuff" worked better than the more expensive Organix conditioner. I THINK the cone in it is Amodimethicone. It keeps my hair from getting really tangly with only a (relatively) small amount, as opposed to the mass of the Organix I would have to use to get my hair detangled in the shower. Makes my hair feel very soft and nice, and not flat at all! I love Aveeno! :)

[ladylowtide]

My hair has never looked better since I stopped using cones. Cones made my hair look lank and gross, and I don't gave to worry about tangles because henna makes my hair very slippery.

[Anlbe]

I didn't use cones at all until I tried aveda damage remedy treatment. Now that's my weekly conditioner. I don't know if it doesn't have many cones in it or maybe they're the type that evaporate, but I don't need to clarify. Other coney products have always made my hair limp and drab and not helped with the tangles.

[Ashenputtel]

Up until recently, I was cone free for a year, sulphate free as well. I've just strated reintegration cones an mostly sulphates in my wash and I already see a difference.

The pros of con

Smooth hair, easy to detangle, shinier and straighter.

The cons

Makes my hair greasy faster.

I'm currently experimenting with a mixed routine: sulphate cone free wash, cone free condish and one wash out of two a coney leave in. The other wash I leave in a cone free regular runny conditionner and coconut oil. Since I've started using sulphate again I can finally oil my hair. Before that, my hair was always full of buildup.

In my case it everythings builds up when not was with a strog enough detergent.

[Tigermama]

I just started using Garnier Curls calm down with dimethicone. It's like a lotion that acts like a gel. Now that most of my damage is cut out, cones don't seem to split my hair instantly anymore. I still fear them, so I only use when wearing my hair down for a special occasion (Rare). My hair seems to break off alot with regular cone use, due to moisture being locked out I presume. I get looser, longer, fuller curls with cones. I consider it a special effect.

[teela1978]

I don't see a huge difference with or without cones, maybe a bit less wave. However, my hair detangles MUCH easier with cones so I stick with them :)

[sfgirl]

I miss cones, I really do. But with bleached, fine hair, it gets damaged easily. Cones don't damage my hair, but they hide damage. I can go blissfully unaware of damage, form using coney conditioners and leave ins and serums, than I use a cone free conditioner, and don't use leave in, and I have rough tangly hair, and I'm wondering what happened!
If my hair feels rough, instead of hiding the problem, I try to fix it with leaving in a non cone conditioner for a while, or oiling. I think my hair is improving for it. :)

[elbow chic]

I like them.

Main downside is that they make my hair a lot straighter than it'd be otherwise-- its natural texture is more fun-- but since I keep it up 95 percent of the time anyway, that doesn't matter to me much.

Damage-wise I think they are better, as I get a lot more breakage without them. If I ever go back shorter i'd consider going off them again.

[Safira]

Cones FTW! Woo! \(^(oo)^)/

<= Exhibit A: Fanatically devoted cone junkie extraordinaire

'Cones I love:
for rinse-out conditioner: amodimethicone, bis-aminopropyl dimethicone
for shine spray: phenyl trimethicone, especially in combination with cyclomethicone
The right 'cones keep my hair soft, silky, and super-shiny! Aminosilicones are great for CO washing because they're buildup resistant, and phenyl trimethicone adds lots of shine that lasts for hours.

My ultimate, #1 HG product that I can't live without is Aquage Beyond Shine (cyclomethicone & phenyl tremithicone). I spray it all over my damp hair after a wash. On non-wash days I use it to lightly mist my hair. Beyond Shine makes my hair super soft and tangle free, but it never looks oily or greasy.

'Cones I avoid: dimethiconol, dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane

I have to ask, why do you avoid cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone?
I´ve started to think my hair actually likes amodimethicone, so I´m trying to get information of silicones.

[Carissamarie08]

I have to have my cones! My hair gets to dry without them. Makes my hair feel wonderful!

[Blond On Blond]

I miss cones, I really do. But with bleached, fine hair, it gets damaged easily. Cones don't damage my hair, but they hide damage. I can go blissfully unaware of damage, form using coney conditioners and leave ins and serums, than I use a cone free conditioner, and don't use leave in, and I have rough tangly hair, and I'm wondering what happened!
If my hair feels rough, instead of hiding the problem, I try to fix it with leaving in a non cone conditioner for a while, or oiling. I think my hair is improving for it. :)

I never bought into that kind of thinking. Whatever you use to improve the appearance of damaged hair, you are doing the same thing: temporarily smoothing the cuticle and locking in some moisture. It can be done with cones, oils, quats... but damaged hair can't be repaired. Even protein treatments work only for a while, and eventually wash out.

Of course, I may be wrong :D

I can go both cone and no-cone. Either way, my hair can look and feel great. Just give me the right product ;) I've had both cone and cone-free products do wonders for my hair, or change it into straw.

Nothing else gives me the shine and detangling properties of cones than cones themselves (my fave is amodimethicone). For softness, I turn to conditioners based on oils and/or cationic surfactants.

[princessp]

After going cone free for a couple of years, I've come to the conclusion that my hair doesn't really care either way. So I no longer obsess over ingredient lists. As long as I see the bunny (it is cruelty-free) I'll use it. :)

[Venefica]

I use biosilk which have cones as far as I know and my hair like it, my hair get more slick and it get easier to avoid tangles. I think it feels good on my hair. I think there is cones in my shampoo and other products to and I have not had any problems. I do have some scalp problems but I think that is due to allergies, but I can not guarantee that it is not the cones, I do not think they have anything to do with it however. I think however it varies from person to person whatever or not cones work for them.

[Maiken]

I do use products with cones in them.
As i child i had beautiful healthy waistlength hair. My mum boght all my shampoos and conditioners, and i don't think she knows anything about haircare, despite having taken care of both my hair as a child, and her own waistlength hair. So there must have been both cones and sulfate in my haircareroutine as a child, where i had gorgeous hair.
Last year i tried switching to no sulfate and coney stuff. And i did work out okay. My hair didn't hate it, but i didn't look very great either. But i decided to continue until i had used up the stuff, which took my more than 7 months.
Last week i bought "regular" shampoo and conditioner (Aussies Luscious long series) with cones and sulphate in them. And my hair loves it! its much smoother, ligther, tangles less and so on. Even my scalp seems to be in a better condition, and isn't as itchy and dry as it's been for a long time. I also use Biosilk, which my hair seems to like quite a lot.
So, for me cones work really well on my quite straight, mediumfine hair.

[longcurlygirl<3]

I used cones my whole life until I came across the CURLY GIRL method, changed me and my hair.

My hair was never moisturized, always poofy, and unmanageable. Now people tell me my hair is beautiful. I mean I am a thickish, curly and cones don't and will never work with my hair.

[holomi]

My hair does fine with or without. It's softer without, but smoother with them. And I get less tangles with cones and I find I can stretch washes A LOT longer with cones instead of oils. Oil causes more tangles I think due to lint and dust sticking to the oil and hair. Plus I think I prefer cones because I wear my hair down most of the time. :)

[lunalocks]

I have stuck with no cone, CWC with 2 drops baby (mineral) oil on damp ends and length for the past 2 months. My hair has never looked or acted better. This method gives me healthy ends, less splits, extreme softness and lovely braid wave texture. After bunning all night, I have curls, sometimes almost spiral curls. I prefer this to the "almost straight" that resulted with cones. Also, much less fussing. Now I pretty much know what my hair will do every day, whereas with cones, it was always a surprise.

[Khiwanean]

Now I'm curious! Which conditioner do you use?:eyebrows:Suave Naturals. I'm currently using Aloe & Waterlily, though I had the same experience with Sweet Pea & Violet. Your mileage may very. It might also be of note that I CO wash.

[dwell_in_safety]

I always used cones until beginning CO washing back in November (I went a month with the occasional BS+ACV to help adjust to not using shampoo first; I don't at all recommend that long-term). My hair has always been frizzy, full of split ends and white dots. Whenever I went off cones in the past, those problems would exacerbate, and I would always end up going back to "nicer/more expensive" S+C which I now recognize as having cones versus the cheap kinds (Suave Naturals) that do not. Now that I'm off them permanently, using Suave Naturals to CO-wash, the improvement in my hair that has come from doing that, heavy oiling every other week, no longer brushing, and keeping my hair up all the time is truly astounding. Safe in the knowledge that damage is no longer being hidden by cones, or, alternately, being directly caused by them (white dots), I can say that despite still having quite a bit of thrice-chemically-dyed hair to grow out, I have extremely healthy hair. It's wonderful. Everyone's hair is different.

[two_wheels]

My hair hates them. My darkish ash blonde goes a dull grey and the texture somehow manages to go lank and frizzy at the same time... Now I use a cheap cone free intensive conditioner every day and it doesn't weigh it down at all! Volume and shine! Thanks lhc...

The cone lovers here have beautiful hair though, it must vary a lot between people.

[BeccaAngel]

I found out that, Yes my conditioner has cones in it. My hair seems to like it pretty well. So no complaints here :P

[RitaPG]

The positive is that it provides great slip, shine, and prevents tangles for longer.
The negative is that depending on the hairtype and the water, they can build up on the hair (if you use shampoo on a regular basis this is not a problem, but if you use alternative washing methods like the Conditioner Only, it can be a problem)
Also, some kinds of silicones (dimethicone in particular) can be too heavy and weight hair down. For some that might be a problem too. I never had any of those issues ^^

What hair types are they good for?
I believe they are very good for very damaged hair, I used heavy silicone based conditioners when my hair was dyed because it would always feel very dry and really tangled. And coney conditioners made it easier to detangle in the shower and gave my hair the best slip and shine.

My favourite coney conditioner was by far by Schwarzkopf, Gliss Asia Straight and Ultimate Repair are a tie. They are both really heavy and have protein, and my fine damaged hair thrived with protein =D
Another one that I really liked was Elvive Nutri Gloss, it's not as heavy as the previous two but it's excellent, made my hair very shiny and soft and it was light enough that I could use a bit as a leave-in before braiding.

Since I stopped dying my hair a while ago, it no longer feels as dry and damaged, and coney products don't seem to work as well if I use them all the time, after prolonged use they make my hair feel like plastic and not too soft, so these days I use mostly cone-free conditioners, and use a drop or two of oil everyday to moisturize and keep it shiny.
My favourite cone free products are from a brand that's not very well known outside of Europe, called Garnier Ultra Suave (name changes depending on the country) they have a lot of amazing smells :crush:
I also love Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition and the Rainforest conditioners/ masks from the Body Shop.

I still use coney products occasionally, when my hair is really tangled and I can't seem to comb it with a cone free conditioner in the shower.

[janeytilllie]

What are the positives? The negatives?

The postives of cones

Provides better slip
Detangles better
Alot cheaper for me and more available and easy to find in shops.

Helps my hair look less damaged, looks healthier and frizz less.
I've heard that cones cover damage which I don't mind at all. For me personally I rather take my time with trimming than vs trimming every 2 months because my ends look bad. Just my personal preference :)

Less trimming for me because I'm not cutting every 2 months, I now can go 6 months before the ends look bad :)

The negatives

Most coney products are animal tested e.g Pantene, Herbal Essences, Aussie, Head and Shoulders, Loreal etc. It's very hard to find coney products that aren't animal tested.

Coney products mostly have other ingredients added which can be off putting e.g Parbens, fragance etc.

On short term use? On long term use?
Long term

What hair types are they good for?
I think people who sufferer breakage and split ends easily.

If you have a favourite coney product, feel free to share!

Disney Rapunzel Detangler :heartbeat
Superdrug Pro Vitamin smooth Conditioner. It's basically the same as Pantene but cheaper
Morrisons own brand of anti drandruff shampoo It's like Head and Shoulders shampoo :)


Also, you can share your favourite 'cone free products!

I did really like Faith in Natures conditioners when I was cone free :)
Inecto Conditioner
Pure Coconut oil
Baby oil

[tiarefleur]

I've heard that cones are only good for covering up damage etc. but for me, personally, I need them to get good curl formation and weight while my hair is still shorter. Even if I co wash with a cone free conditioner, my curls will be hidden under a mass of frizz and I'm tempted to straighten :no:

[Mairéad]

I have straight, medium weight strands.

My hair acts poorly to many types of -cones but I have found that a spray with amodimethicone used only after washing will keep the tangles at bay until my next wash. I can touch up throughout the week without build up should I encounter a windy day or a rough night of sleep.

With Amodimethicone I don't have the crunchy ends and build up the more common -cones would give me. I however, still prefer my rinse offs -cone free.

The spray I use is Madre Labs Leave in. I got it on iHerb for about $5, and it comes is a pretty big bottle given what type of product it is. It's mostly filled with yummy sounding ingredients and the -cone is rather low on the list.

[EtherealDoll]

I used coney products on a few occasions. A few years ago I used a coney shampoo and conditioner for a few months and it just made my hair dull and flat plus my scalp became really dry and irritated, so I stopped using them. But last year after I bleached my hair I used a coney conditioner for one month and it made my hair look and feel good but had to stop using it because my scalp hated it.

[earthnut]

I personally like the way my hair feels with cones.
BUT
The cons outweigh the pros.
I don't like washing my hair too frequently, and with cones.... I find I personally needed to wash too often. Plus the buildup would always infuriate me after a month or so. My ends would just get SO angry with me, they would feel like overly dry Velcro.

I switched to completely Cone Free and I'm actually loving it!!
It took me a while to find some good leave in products that were both cone free AND smoothing. But I found almost the perfect routine that makes me and my hair happy.
Its no cones for me! And I'm glad for it!
My hair seems to like cones, it seems to cure frizziness and dry ends for me. But I want to know what products you use and see if they'll work for me! If the stuff you use cures dry ends, I'd like to know about it!

[Firefly]

Amodimethicone! After doing a lot of reading I decided I wanted to try it, so several weeks ago I started using Shikai Everyday Conditioner which has amodimethicone as its only cone. Normally, cones work well the first few times I use them, but build up very quickly on my hair and leave it dry and dull. I have to clarify and take a break from them for a while (using them right after clarifying doesn't seem to do the trick.) But the Everyday Conditioner hasn't built up yet, and is really making my hair feel wonderful. So I guess the answer is... it depends on the cone. ;)

[ladycaladium]

I stopped using cones and eventually conditioner because my hair just wasn't happy. But in the last month or so, I've been using conditioner. I've been alternating between cones and no cones in the conditioner. I use shampoo bars so no cones there...

Positive - the cones keep my damaged ends from getting too velcro-y
Negative - they can be heavy if I put too much in

[Daylilly]

I am currently no cone. It was a strange transition, my hair felt drier and more tangled at first but with continued use it is softer and more manageable than ever. I still had some coney stuff to use up so I use it now and than and my ends get so dry after the first day. I'm sticking with Burts Bees, the conditioner has oils, glycerin and protein in it.

[gwenalyn]

The first time I used Pantene (cone-bombs), I was amazed and loved it. I was only about 13, and didn't care much about how I looked, but the difference in how my hair felt was significant. I've occasionally switched things up since then, but I always go back to the coney goodness of Pantene eventually. I figure, it reduces tangles, therefore less detangling, therefore less damage.

[meteor]

I use both coney and cone-free products, depending on what I need.
When my hair is tangly or the humidity is very low, I definitely use more cones (and oils). When I need more grip as my hair feels too slippery and slides out of styles, I go cone-free for a while. I rotate products quite a bit. :)
Generally, I find silicones to be very useful ingredients in hair-care, especially for providing slip and protection for longer hair or damaged hair.

[Aspsusa]

I recently went about a month without any 'cones. My hair did not like that at all. It started to become as tangly as it was when I was a child.

I don't like washing my hair, so I thought going without 'cones would be a good idea. No, no, and no. Even when my hair is soaked in coconut oil it wants to create small birds nests.

My favourite 'coney products are the conditioners that come with L'oreal box-colours, and Aussie Luscious Long 3MM. I use either of those when I wash my hair, which I try to keep to a minimum, so maybe every 8th to 25th day or so?

[Nadine <3]

I was cone free for about a year and a half, from chin (ish) to APL (ish) My hair felt great cone free. Recently though, I started noticing more and more splits, white dots, and tangles! I tried using a conditioner I had laying around (the throwback, pink herbal essences.) and it made my fine hair super stringy. I did some research on cones and decided to give a different cone a try so I tried pantene aqua light and my hair LOVES it. I'm getting way less damaged ends with it. I also love garnier fructis Marvelous oil frizz defy.

The pantene has Bis Aminopropyl Dimethicone and it's not supposed to build up (and for me it definitely doesn't, it's very light and perfect for easily weighted down hair)

The garnier fructis marvelous oil has Dimenthiconol in it and if I remember correctly this cone can build up, but I haven't had a problem with it at all. Just smooth, shiny and very slippery hair! I guess my hair just doesn't like Dimithicone because it's reacted poorly to all the conditioners I've ever used that had that cone in them, UNLESS I was going to blow dry and heat style my hair, then I never had this issue. Pre LHC I used products with this in it almost excessively and always loved them, but I heat styled daily.

I tend to think and a general guideline cones are great for damaged hair or hair that is frequently heat styled, but it's definitely a YMMV type of thing. You just hae to try it out and see if it work s for you really. :)

[mzlbcmami]

I'm drawn between them. I hear both sides of the story with them...but there is a product that I really want to try called Silicone mix and it has so many raves and raviews. It's not expensive...but still pondering it.

[LadyLorien]

I never use cones unless I clarify before-which happens rarely. For some reason I've noticed that when I use cones, the curls in my hair seem to be weighed down so that they are less defined. I also cannot stand the build-up so I stick to no cones and no sulfates. :o

[Hairkay]

None for me as I don't use manufactured hair products.