Need Tips on Hair Care Products and How to Use Them

My last relaxer was in February of 09 and I believe all of the relaxer is cut out of my hair. Up until this point I have been flat ironing my hair straight and have now decided to wear my natural curly hair. Can anyone give me some tips on what products I can use to define my curls more throughout my hair. My hair is really curly in the front and around the sides type 3C and towards the middle and back 4b. When my hair dries it looks really dry, but then again maybe it's because I'm not sure what to do...Please help!!

Congrats on your natural journey and welcome! I have been natural for a lil over 2 years and heat free for 1 year. The first thing I will advise is to stop using sulfate shampoo and pick up some bottles of cheap conditioner to co-wash with. I use Sauve naturals mostly, or White Rain from Family Dollar occassionally. These are normally $1-$2 a peice. We use cheap conditioner because you will use a lot and you're just rinsing it right out.

2ndly, I would say take time to do some really intense deep treatments. Since you just came off of the heat, this would be really important for your hair right now. When I was at that stage, I began to use Jessicurl Weely Deep Treatment. It's really thick and works wonders. If I couldn't get my hands on the Jessicurl (it's only available online), I used Pantene relaxed and natural hair mask. I would co-wash, and put this on my hair under a plastic cap and wrap a warm towel around my head and wear this for about 2 hours.

Nextly, you want a good thick conditioner to use as a leave in. At the time I was using Pantene Relaxed and Natural moisturizing conditioner, but we have found out they changed the ingredients to a non leave in friendly user one. The key to leaving in conditioner is to make sure the ingredients are not going to build up or dry out the hair. Check out Terri's list on Tightlycurly.com. She has a list of products she use on her hair. Right now, I'm using Aussie Mosit as my leave in and loving it.

Lastly, when you style your hair, for some people just leaving conditioner in it along will hold the curls and help with definition. My hair is pretty thick, I have to have something heavy to hold my curls with. Right now in the winter, I'm doing mostly twist outs. After getting out of the shower with a head full of conditioner, I twist my hair rubbing coconut oil or she butter on each section and sometimes some setting lotion. If I'm wearing a wasn n go, I use a gel. I love Ecostyler. I have recently started using kinky curly products. I use the knot today and the curling custard. If I use kinky curly, I use that leave in instead of the aussie moist.

Let me know if this helps? I tried to be detailed.

This is good stuff! Veela have you used the Cantu shea butter? I just wanted to know what you thought of it

I've never tried the Cantu Shea butter, but my cousin uses it and a I've read a lot of ppl online that use it. Whenever I've looked at it in the store, and read the ingredients, there's something in it I didn't like. I can't remember what it was though. I just purchased some Devacare One and used it for the first time as a leave in on my wash n go yesterday (Sunday). This is curlynikki's staple conditioner. It was amazing..So I will probably alternate between this and the aussie, since it's so expensive I can't use it exclusively.

I have actually tried the Cantu Shea Butter Leave in and it is ok if that is the only product that you plan on using. I have tried it with just simple things like the EOs and Shea butter and it always results in some type of product build up. I hope that helps.

yes, it does help. Thanks Jazzy. I may try one day. How does it moisturize? Does it make your hair heavy? Is it a good detangler?

Thanks Veela for the info. I had responded to you immediately after but I see it didn't post...It could be user error...lol. I will definitely try your suggestions. The day I posted this I had went out and purchased Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Shampoo & Conditioner and I also purchased Creme of Nature Lemongrass & Rosemary Leave in Conditioner. I saw someone on youtube who had recommended these products and it seems to work pretty well. I'm not to sure about the Creme of Nature Leave In yet though. I am applying Ecostyle gel w/aloe vera on my hair as well as Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. The first time it came out ok but It still looked froey in the back. My second attempt on Tues it came out nice and my curls were very defined. The style lasted for 2 days. Will I have to wet my hair daily to get the curls to snap back because when I woke up this morning my hair looked a hot mess in the back! Lol...This is definitely a process. It seems so much easier to just flat iron my hair...I'm gonna try to stick this out....

wow, the style only last two days? Well, for my thick hair, i have to be pretty heavy handed with the Ecostyler for wash n go's. My new avatar is my wash n go today, I did it Sunday with Ecostyler, and Devacare one underneath. I put the ecostyler on in sections, and i put plenty. I also put so much conditioner, it's white afterwards. The whitenes does go away though once it dries. The method that I use I actually got from youtube, pretty dimples has a tutorial.

And when I get up in the mornings, I take showers without a shower cap and close the door in the bathroom good and tight so that the steam will loosen up my curls. Sometimes afterwards, i may use a spray bottle, alot of times after the hot steam shower, I can skip the spray bottle all together.

What all did you use and do? Because that ecostyler, once I'm done my hair may be a lil crunchy, but as time goes by it gets softer and softer.

Also, i must mention, i can't use the Ecostyler continually without a break due to the protein buildup. So I alternate between it, the kinky curly products and doing twist outs to give my hair a break from the ecostyler. Right now I might use it like once very 1-2 months.

Veela, Yes the wet and go seems to only last for 2 days. When I wake up my hair seems matted and dry. The curls are still very pretty and curly in the front but the back needs some definite rejuvenation. I used the products mentioned before as well as the Ecostyle gel. I thought I was using a good amount but maybe I should use more. I just came back from purchasing the Kinky Curly line so I'm going to give that a try right now. You say you only use the Ecostyle gel once a month!? I'm using that stuff like every other day!! I'm going to also try doing the twist outs over the weekend. I will also checkout Dimples youtube tutorials as well. Let me know if you think I'm doing something wrong. I really want to make this work because I love my curly hair )