Seriously. What is the deal with silicone?

Honeyb0000

Hi all. I have been silicone/sulfate free for a while now. My hair isn't perfect but I am embracing it.

The other day, I was in the drug store and saw a 2 for $7 deal on GFTN. I use the conditioner as a rinse out and have had pretty good luck.

But, in a moment of total weakness, I got one bottle of the conditioner and a bottle of the shampoo, which I KNEW had cones. I had one of those "maybe this time it will actually work" moments.

Well, it didn't. I had this fantasy that my enormous, wavy, thick, frizzy hair would transform into a glorious silky manageable mane. Not even close. It's weird. My hair feels soft but it is soooo puffy. I have no curl definition at all. It's wild and all over the place.

So, back to square one. Sulfate shampoo and back to no cones. Of course, only until the next time I cave in again.

proudcurlygirly

;-) Ha ha, I'm sure you're not alone in falling off the CG wagon and jumping on the 'cone one, lol!:laughing8: I think a few curlies, myself included, especially when I was first starting out on my CG journey, had moments of weakness when I wondered what it would be like to revisit the 'cone old days. In my case, it took accidentally putting cones in my hair (picking up a wrong bottle), to realise just how far I had come with CG and I never looked back after that. Like yourself, I don't have 'perfect' hair, but it is in a lot better shape than it was with 'cones. Of course, CG doesn't suit every wavy/curly head, so whatever course you take in future, I wish you all the very best!:icon_smile:

unicyclist

Oh, I know...
Cones are terrible!

One time, when I just started CG, I went over to sleep over at my friend's house. She gave me some frizz serum she uses (Bumble and Bumble?) and said it worked well for her. I tried it, and my hair was dried out and sooooo frizzy. I looked up the ingredients later and found that it was all silicone

I guess I'm not CG anymore because I clarify with Cetaphil, which has a little SLS, but I looked it up on cosmetic database and it got a 2 out of 10, meaning SLS isn't that bad. It's a lot better than some CG approved ingredients. I wouldn't worry about using sulfate shampoo.

Cyanbobcat

Honeyb0000 wrote: »

I had this fantasy that my enormous, wavy, thick, frizzy hair would transform into a glorious silky manageable mane.

I have fallen prey to this fantasy too. So far, FSG is the only thing that has actually revived my fantasies and gives me hope. Is your hair coarse, med, or fine? Have you tried FSG?

Honeyb0000

Thanks you guys, for absolving me of my silicone sins. I see the light!

I have not tried FSG. But I have tried other gels. They really make my hair behave better, but do a number on my skin. Besides using a tiny bit of leave in conditioner, I can't find one styling product that doesn't make me break out. Gels, creams, serums, or sprays.

I am 44 years old with graying hair. I will NOT use anything that gives me zits! I am too old for that. So, frizz it is.

marieantoinette

I don't know why, but my hair likes cones. Definitely not as much as I used to -- the only gel I put in my hair has no cones at all, and my conditioner only has one or two. But they don't build up, make my hair feel greasy, or weigh me down. In fact, if I try and use a conditioner without cones, my hair loses almost all definition.

itsiliii

I use silicones but Very carefully! I don't use shampoo or condish with them and make sure my products either have water soluble cones or only one cone leaves my hair looking much better

oh.hi.its.steph

I have to be super careful with 'cones too! They make my hair look GREAT the first time I use them, but the next time my hair looks a bit limp/lifeless. So if I want to use 'cones I could probably only do it once a week... but sometimes I do like the look

curlyev

I have only straightened my hair 4 times in my whole life (only twice myself...I never should have bought a straightener lol), and that is the most recent time I've used cones. To wear my hair straight, it just needs cones to create the illusion that it's silky. lol. I keep one sulfate shampoo on hand, and I know it will remove all the cones. I always condition with a light conditioner before my sulfate shampoo and then DT after. It keeps the poof away.