Looking for a big sister!

Hello!!
I have been transitioning since May of last year (9 and a half months) and have commited every hair sin possible in these last few months : ( I have made my appointment to BC for next Friday (yay!) so I need all the advice I can get (especially product recommendations) so that I can help my hair flourish naturally. The big thing I'm struggling with is products. I'm in college so I don't want to spend tons of money trying everything but I am willing to dish out money on products that are most likely to work on my hair. My hair strands are fine but my hair is dense, cottony, and tightly coiled. I'm looking for products that will soften my hair and moisturize it really well. Although I am mainly looking for product advice any and all advice about where to go from the BC will be appreciated!! (I don't want to commit any more hair sins from here on out) Thanks!!

Welcome and congratulations on upcoming BC.

@ BlondeByDesire: Thank you!! I cannot wait! Congratulations on your BC your hair looks great!
@ ChrsLvsBks: I love your hair! I've been researching natural products online since I can't seem to find any near me in stores and I have narrowed it down to Oyin Handmade and Karen's Body Beautiful. Have you used either of these lines? What are your take on them and what have you tried? If you haven't tried these do you have any suggestions to help moisturize dry dense hair? I'm looking for a really good shampoo or shampoo bar, ( because I have an extremely itchy scalp) a good deep conditioner, and a good moisturizer/styler. Thanks so much for responding!!

Afroveda is also a good brand at Afroveda.com and I now use products from Blackonyx.com..her stuff is all natural and works well with my hair. When I first bc'd I used Kinky Curly but it can be a bit pricey but it really defined my twa. And keep moisturized with a good butter and a good oil...you have to see how your hair reacts to find which is best for you...
Hope I helped a little...
Congrats on your BC Friday!

cutiecourtz wrote:Afroveda is also a good brand at Afroveda.com and I now use products from Blackonyx.com..her stuff is all natural and works well with my hair. When I first bc'd I used Kinky Curly but it can be a bit pricey but it really defined my twa. And keep moisturized with a good butter and a good oil...you have to see how your hair reacts to find which is best for you...
Hope I helped a little...
Congrats on your BC Friday!

Thanks cutiecourtz! I'm beyond excited about tomorrow! I'll definitely look into those two brands and see what they have to offer

JazLani wrote:@ BlondeByDesire: Thank you!! I cannot wait! Congratulations on your BC your hair looks great!
@ ChrsLvsBks: I love your hair! I've been researching natural products online since I can't seem to find any near me in stores and I have narrowed it down to Oyin Handmade and Karen's Body Beautiful. Have you used either of these lines? What are your take on them and what have you tried? If you haven't tried these do you have any suggestions to help moisturize dry dense hair? I'm looking for a really good shampoo or shampoo bar, ( because I have an extremely itchy scalp) a good deep conditioner, and a good moisturizer/styler. Thanks so much for responding!!

Thanks for the [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] !

What to you ue to cleanse now? Does it contain sulfates, mineral oil, silicones? When was the last time you clarified to rid your hair of build up (could lead to dryness, products are unable to penetrate hair's cuticle.

I have tried the Burnt Sugar Pomade from Oyin and KBB's DC mask, hair milk, jojoba oil & hair cream. I use the pomade to tame my edges. I love the smell. As for its effect on my hair, I have not complaints. I love the hair milk and hair cream. My hair dries super quick when using the hair milk alone. I use the cream to moisturize on day 2, 3, etc. hair.

For dry dense hair, I suggest plenty of moisture. Cowash and/or deep condition often. Look for products where the first ingredient is water. I also like products with aloe vera (gel, juice, etc.). The moisture from aloe does it for me. You can even purchase the gel from a health food store and add it to things to make them more moisturizing. When deep conditioning, leave it on for at least 15 minutes longer or overnight if you can. Continue to apply product until your hair feel moisturized. It may take a lot in the beginning but the more you do it the less you will need.

For deep conditioning, I like Darcy's Botanticals deep conditioning mask. You can also use products like Aussie Moist and Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. They do contain water soluble cones.

Once you being to co-wash often, you will likely notice your itchy scalp kept at bay. You can try essential oils of tea tree, lavender and peppermint to help alleviate itching. Just remember to only use about 10-15 drops per 4 oz in a carrier oil (jojoba, grapeseed, castor, etc.).

If you must shampoo, I suggest Kinky Curly's come clean, Curls cleansing cream, Dr. Bonner's all in one soap or a shampoo bar that does not contain drying alcohols.

Please let me know if this helps.

ChrsLvsBks wrote:

JazLani wrote:@ BlondeByDesire: Thank you!! I cannot wait! Congratulations on your BC your hair looks great!
@ ChrsLvsBks: I love your hair! I've been researching natural products online since I can't seem to find any near me in stores and I have narrowed it down to Oyin Handmade and Karen's Body Beautiful. Have you used either of these lines? What are your take on them and what have you tried? If you haven't tried these do you have any suggestions to help moisturize dry dense hair? I'm looking for a really good shampoo or shampoo bar, ( because I have an extremely itchy scalp) a good deep conditioner, and a good moisturizer/styler. Thanks so much for responding!!

Thanks for the [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] !

What to you ue to cleanse now? Does it contain sulfates, mineral oil, silicones? When was the last time you clarified to rid your hair of build up (could lead to dryness, products are unable to penetrate hair's cuticle.

I have tried the Burnt Sugar Pomade from Oyin and KBB's DC mask, hair milk, jojoba oil & hair cream. I use the pomade to tame my edges. I love the smell. As for its effect on my hair, I have not complaints. I love the hair milk and hair cream. My hair dries super quick when using the hair milk alone. I use the cream to moisturize on day 2, 3, etc. hair.

For dry dense hair, I suggest plenty of moisture. Cowash and/or deep condition often. Look for products where the first ingredient is water. I also like products with aloe vera (gel, juice, etc.). The moisture from aloe does it for me. You can even purchase the gel from a health food store and add it to things to make them more moisturizing. When deep conditioning, leave it on for at least 15 minutes longer or overnight if you can. Continue to apply product until your hair feel moisturized. It may take a lot in the beginning but the more you do it the less you will need.

For deep conditioning, I like Darcy's Botanticals deep conditioning mask. You can also use products like Aussie Moist and Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. They do contain water soluble cones.

Once you being to co-wash often, you will likely notice your itchy scalp kept at bay. You can try essential oils of tea tree, lavender and peppermint to help alleviate itching. Just remember to only use about 10-15 drops per 4 oz in a carrier oil (jojoba, grapeseed, castor, etc.).

If you must shampoo, I suggest Kinky Curly's come clean, Curls cleansing cream, Dr. Bonner's all in one soap or a shampoo bar that does not contain drying alcohols.

Please let me know if this helps.

Thank you soo much! All of this information is very helpful and I am definitely going to try some of these products this weekend. Right now I am using Organix Tea Tree Mint shampoo to wash. I wash with it once and then cowash with Suave Humectant as a follow up. I last washed my hair on Sunday and the itching started on Wed which is actually a longer stretch than usual. I'll definitely cowash more once these relaxed ends are gone; they are such a hassle to deal with. Luckily most of the products you mentioned are easy to come by. I'll be making a trip to whole foods this weekend [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I haven't clarified in probably 5 months or so, so I'm probably due. I have Avalon Organics Lemon and Shea Butter Clarifying poo which I believe is a good one if I'm not mistaken. What's your usual style for your hair? Do you do wash and gos or twists and twist outs, etc.?

@ChrsLvsBks: Wow I can't wait to have that much fun with my hair! I love the feeling of water on my scalp too. When I first started transitioning and I read about cowashing I did it daily for half of the summer even though my hair was still mostly straight lol The first chop went well yesterday but I still have some relaxed ends so I plan to chop those on my one year anniversary and have fun experimenting with my hair this summer!