What I've done so far...and what next

Momofcurly

Warning! This is long-winded! lol

Hi there- hope I'm in the right section. Started in the parents board but it doesn't seem to get much traffic (though I did have one responder who helped)

Anyhoo! Started on no-poo for my 9 year old. She has hair past her shoulder blades, strawberry blonde if that matters. Curls as a baby/toddler, but I didn't care for them properly (clueless) so now she has frizz with curls at her nape and clearly wishes to curl when wet, but frizz-poofs when dry. I believe her hair is more toward "fine", it's also pretty thick (density-wise). Stretch-test didn't tell me a while lot. I don't really know how much hair is supposed to stretch lol. A float test (if that's valid) showed that her hair floated, even if I tried to "sink" it. Straightens pretty easily, and is glorious-gorgeous with curls if I put her hair in overnight curls (like bandana or headband curls) but I feel like that's bad for her hair (?)

Now- did a final shampoo, and did a co-wash with VO5 extra body. Rinsed well, plopped her hair. Added a bit of Roots of Nature feather whipped curl cream. Ended up with some curl in the front once it dried, and not so much poof, but only a bit of undefined wave in the back.
2nd day- did another co-wash to get the junk out of her hair, but I let her do it and she grabbed the wrong (silicone filled) bottle. Lol. Pulled her hair back, waited until...
3rd day- another sulfate wash to start over, used 1 packet of gelatin in 3/4c water for a PT (not sure that was right), water rinse, condition with Vo5 and rinse, plopped, scrunched in a bit more Vo5, but it clearly looked like the curl was not going to hold, and it didn't. Once dry her hair (the length, not scalp) looked oily. Daughter not happy.

4th day- co-wash before bed, new product (Vo5 kiwi clarifying). Rinsed well, plopped. Had to go to bed wet. Woke up with hair looking like it did before we ever ditched shampoo, though maybe a bit shinier. Tried to refresh with a spray down and scrunch, nothing happened.

My daughter is getting impatient with my lack of results lol. Where do I go now? I can't afford to run out and buy a bunch of products right now, but if I was pretty dang certain something would help, I could get a thing or two. I think her hair might need more protein, because when it's wet and conditioned, its REALLY soft and mushy and I think in my days of reading I spotted that as an indicator.

Info overload but I'm trying to be thorough

Suggestions? More info needed in order to give suggestions?
Any help is appreciated- I am so excited my daughter is even letting me mess with it...she was learning to hate her hair and I'm trying to fix that!
I hated my hair growing up and still dislike it (and I'm starting to get the inkling I may be a wavy in denial) and I want her to love her beautiful self

Firefox7275

I would suggest you head over to the stickies on the newbies and general haircare boards, perhaps also YouTube, you seem to have misunderstood the steps. You appear to sometimes be using one wash product, no conditioning steps and then a styler that does not contain the major conditioning and clumping agents: fatty alcohols and cationic surfactants.

TBH you are also only four days in: you've had to do two sulphate washes in that time so you haven't had chance for any extra conditioning to control the frizz or start with definition/ clumping and one day she slept on wet hair which few of us can pull off. There is an element of patience required, an element of luck and an element of simply practicing: it takes time to learn new techniques and work out how much product to apply.

Plopping comes after application of your products on wet hair not before. You may well be needing to use way more leave in conditioner than you think if not also using a styler: this can be a lightweight product to consider her fine hair. Once you are out of the plop hair should not be manipulated or as little as possible - just root clipping or a little gentle scrunching with a towel for any really wet spots.

Personally I'd use a protein rich leave in conditioner or deep conditioner rather than a straight up protein treatment at this stage - the fewer steps the better you can see which products are working. Often a shampoo or conditioner that claims to confer body does contain protein - is there any in your V05? If there is you don't need that and a protein deep treatment. If there is I would wash and condition with the Kiwi Lime then use the Extra Body as a leave in conditioner and styler.