Need Help, Tips as a New Natural

Happy New Year Chicas!
This is my very first time posting here. I am a new natural, who bc'ed in November. It's my third time going natural (the past two times, I relaxed my hair to impress a boyfriend; another time, I relaxed because of coworker pressure.)

Although I have more knowledge this time, I'm frustrated. Although I'm loving my new curls, and it's inspiring a new confidence in my own beauty, I'm still at a loss. I'm still getting the hang of wearing curls, and feel clueless when it comes to styling and caring for my hair.

My Current Routine:
1. I moisturize with either water/glycerin/oil spray or rinsing with water and shea butter.)
2. I moisten my hair w/water, or the spray at night, follow with castor oil or shea butter and use two-strand twists on my hair. (But the twists don't look defined after I take them down in the morning, and often have straight ends -- looking like snakes, not curly).
3. At night a satin cap and/pillow for my hair.
4. I use Organix Shea Butter and Coconut Oil Shampoo on hair for condition washes.

Am I manipulating my hair too much by Twisting it every night? Is it safe to co-wash every other day or daily (a coworker -- also a natural -- looked at me in horrow when I confessed Iwanted to co'wash every two days.) I've tried wash and go styles, but my curls always end up looking frizzy and unkempt instead of the beautiful styles I've seen.

What am I doing wrong?

Help! Thanks.

Hey Gurly- Welcome to the board!!!!!!


Im sure some of the other ladies will also chime in and then you can try a mixture of what we post. Best wishes on your journey. It sounds similiar to mine. This is also my third time going natural!!! The third time is the charm- this time we are better educated. Our hair will love us for this!

First, where are you location? Your location has a lot to do with what we can suggest that may work for you. Weather is an important element in hair routines. And do you have a pic of your hair?

During the summer I co-wash almost everyday....but that is because I love the heat and ride with the windows down no matter how hot it gets, LOL.

Don't worry about your co-worker-she probably does something that would shock you. The thing about being natural is that you have to develop a routine that works for you and even disregard the criticisms of your routine if it is working for you.

Hi Cute_Curly_Girl!!

I am a newbie as well, and I understand why you wash/co-wash as much as you do. You want to make sure that your hair is nicely styled when you leave home. I was shampooing my hair daily in November 09 (bc'd Oct 31) and I had a natural stylist tell me not to shampoo my hair again until 2012!!

However, what she didn't tell me was that I COULD co-wash every day if I wanted as long as I put products with moisture back into my hair. (i.e. leave-in-condition ect) My suggestion to you (and this is working for me) LISTEN to you hair. I discovered just this week that my curl pattern has somewhat kicked in, and what I was doing two month ago is not working for me now. I now do the following:

1. Shampoo/cleanse once a week; also, deep condition at this time as well
2. Mositure; Moisture; Moisture...is the key to health hair for me. Now that it is cold my hair is really reacting to the weather; therefore, I use Savue Natural Condition for my co-washes, and I use moisture based products when styling.
3. I use ECOstyle Gel (the green one) when I want to do twist, but now my 2 strand twist are not coming out like they were in the fall, and I contribute this to the weather....sooooo what I'm doing now is using a moisture cream butter by AfroVeda products and then I add Miss Jessies Curly Meringue. I know that MJ has mineral oil, but I am adding a moisture styling agent before I add the CM. Mineral Oil and like other products that natural should stay away from can be manageable/healthy with weekly cleaning and deep conditioning.

First, and foremost you must listen to your hair, and pray that you can find the right products that will give you the results that you are looking for. (I am a offical PJ and still buying and learining)

I have a couple of friends that are taking this natural journey with me, and I did a 2 strand twist on one of them and I used KCCC and Sauve no frizz ~ sleek and shine. Her (twa) 2 strand twist came out so nice...I really felt like I should have charged her. (just kidding)

Like Tia said, your location and a pic would help us to help you. WIth the straight ends, is it possible you still have relaxed ends? I co-washed every day during the summer but since I live in Illinois that's not possible. I put my hair in bigs twists at night (if I'm not too lazy). I co wash maybe once a week now, maybe even less. In between co-washes I moisturize and seal by spraying a leave-in conditioner, oil and then hair butter or shea butter and then twisting. After that I twist the hair dry so it stays stretched but I maintain moisture with non water-based products like shea butter and Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair butter.