Product reccomendation?

robynmp

I have 2c/3a/3b curly hair, color damanged (recently hennaed over that though, if that makes a difference), high porosity, dry, fairly coarse. I need some new products and was thinking sheamoisture? I need to start with a new gel and leave in. My issues are that my hair won't hold its curls anymore and I have some bad frizz. Currently using KKCKT and KKCC

Firefox7275

Henna does loosen curls for many, as does over processing with commercial permanent dyes.

Proven beneficial ingredients for damaged and porous hair include coconut oil, hydrolysed protein, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol. Lines that incorporate more than one of these include Komaza Care Matani, L'Oreal Elvive/ Advanced Haircare, Scientific Essentials.

Coarse hair doesn't tend to do well with protein so be careful.

sixelamy

I used to use Shea Moisture and loved it, but being a low porous curly, it wasn't doing so well for my hair in the curl department as it's a bit heavy on me. I would highly recommend it for medium-high porous curlies, just in the experience I had with it and how it made my hair feel. I also really like KCCC, because it's a softer hold, but didn't care for the KCKT as it gave me frizz. You could play around with those two in different combinations and find out what works and what doesn't. If you don't like the softer hold, you may want a gel. I don't really use gels so can't help you there, sorry.

Samanthascurlz

Firefox, which conditioner are you referring to because I have been having a hard time finding a product that has those necessary ingredients on ground. I see this L'oreal all the time, but I don't know which one to choose.

Sorry for asking a separate question on this post.

Blueblood

Samanthascurlz what country are you in? Firefox like me isn't in the US.

I do know some stuff sold internationally.

In regards to coconut oil you should be able to get some in the oil section of the supermarket, in health food shops or in a pharmacy. There is no difference between them as long as the oil is pure. Most on here use it as a pre-poo leaving it on overnight before washing their hair.

Hydrolysed protein is in some Giovanni conditioners and some Tresemme conditioners. However read the back of the bottle before buying to check the Tresemme has no ingredients your hair doesn't like.

Samanthascurlz

Blueblood wrote: »

Samanthascurlz what country are you in? Firefox like me isn't in the US.

I do know some stuff sold internationally.

In regards to coconut oil you should be able to get some in the oil section of the supermarket, in health food shops or in a pharmacy. There is no difference between them as long as the oil is pure. Most on here use it as a pre-poo leaving it on overnight before washing their hair.

Hydrolysed protein is in some Giovanni conditioners and some Tresemme conditioners. However read the back of the bottle before buying to check the Tresemme has no ingredients your hair doesn't like.

Yes, I live in the U.S. Good catch! After commenting, I searched on google and saw that the elvive was predominately not in the U.S. so no on-ground for me. Thanks for noticing though.

Firefox7275

Samanthascurlz: Komaza Care and Scientific Essentials are US brands. Matani is the KC line with ceramides and hydrolysed protein. There are conditioners and spray leave ins available in each line with the same actives.

I am currently trialling L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 and Damage Care conditioners (both have CG friendly silicones). These are UK/ Europe but I Googled recently and the US L'Oreal Advanced Care brand that I mentioned seems very similar - you would have to read the ingredients to identify which specific conditioners within the brand contain ceramides and hydrolysed protein.

Hope that is clearer!

Firefox7275

Sorry it is L'Oreal Advanced Haircare in the US, not Advanced Care.

Samanthascurlz

Firefox7275 wrote: »

Samanthascurlz: Komaza Care and Scientific Essentials are US brands. Matani is the KC line with ceramides and hydrolysed protein. There are conditioners and spray leave ins available in each line with the same actives.

I am currently trialling L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 and Damage Care conditioners (both have CG friendly silicones). These are UK/ Europe but I Googled recently and the US L'Oreal Advanced Care brand that I mentioned seems very similar - you would have to read the ingredients to identify which specific conditioners within the brand contain ceramides and hydrolysed protein.

Hope that is clearer!

Yes, it is thank you! My only issue is, and I can't seem to get a direct answer with my searches is ceramides exactly. I found one article stating that GSO was a ceramide, but i didn't know how accurate that was. Every time I try to search I am not getting a list. Can you give me some examples?

Firefox7275

Ceramides are a type of lipid (fat) and there isn't really a list as there are with other categories of ingredients. Komaza Care simply label them as 'ceramides' IIRC.

L'Oreal have their own patented version which is supposed to be identical to ours. this is called 2-oleamido- 1,3 -octadecanediol in the ingredients (just typed it off the tiny writing on the back of the bottle so sorry if any errors!). On the front of the bottle it will advertise as 'ceramides': they are in various L'Oreal products including from Everstrong, Advanced Haircare, Professional series, Redken Extreme but not all are CG friendly and some are pricey.

You will find bloggers claiming various natural oils are rich in ceramides. This is nonsense/ Chinese Whispers unfortunately, there are only teeny tiny amounts and plant ceramides are different to human ones so may not be of use.

Samanthascurlz

Firefox7275 wrote: »

Ceramides are a type of lipid (fat) and there isn't really a list as there are with other categories of ingredients. Komaza Care simply label them as 'ceramides' IIRC.

L'Oreal have their own patented version which is supposed to be identical to ours. this is called 2-oleamido- 1,3 -octadecanediol in the ingredients (just typed it off the tiny writing on the back of the bottle so sorry if any errors!). On the front of the bottle it will advertise as 'ceramides': they are in various L'Oreal products including from Everstrong, Advanced Haircare, Professional series, Redken Extreme but not all are CG friendly and some are pricey.

You will find bloggers claiming various natural oils are rich in ceramides. This is nonsense/ Chinese Whispers unfortunately, there are only teeny tiny amounts and plant ceramides are different to human ones so may not be of use.

Wow, thanks. I never actually knew that and always found it hard to find products containing them. Thanks again for the clarification! I am going to look deeper into the L'oreal products for now.

Firefox7275

No problem. It can be VERY confusing, formulation is like learning a foreign language!

I nearly pooped myself the first time I faced a wall of 'foreign language' prescription drugs in a hospital pharmacy. I remember the sick fear despite being well over twenty years ago ha ha!!

Samanthascurlz

Omg I could imagine! I dont know what I would do, it does sound very interesting though and a lot of work!!

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Firefox7275

I think it's fantastic there are so many like you here on NC that are setting their minds to learning more about formulation. That plus the wealth of personal experience, its such a great resource for wavies and curlies alike.

I just can't believe it took me so many years to find NC and work out I don't have nightmare 'straight' hair after all!

Firefox7275

Just found another product with protein and ceramides but no silicones: Redken Nature's Rescue cooling deep conditioner. I have had a sample of this forever but never even looked at it!

Samanthascurlz

Thank you Firefox! A lot of my info has come from you and others and the many many resources you guys bring! Its amazing what finding a site can do not only for your knowledge but how you feel intrinsically about your hair!

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Samanthascurlz

Yay! I will look this up! Thank you!

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Firefox7275

Know what you mean about how you feel about your hair. I disliked mine enough to wear a ponytail 24/7 literally for years, brushing it roughly into submission.

Now I love my waves and treat them with respect, even if they do frustrate me sometimes!!

jessiejeb

I liked the way that you pointed out 18 MEA as that is the key. I have coarse 2-3 hair also and waivy but very course and dense. I think especially in the winter months I need long conditioning and LIVE by the Scientific Essentials Products you referred too.
My salon turned me on them and buy them online - and have been using for past 2 yrs, along with my roommate!

jessiejeb

make sure the products are silicone free as my color job the past yr made me realize what I was doing and butter or silicone would coat it - As Firefox said - take a look at a 18 MEA line and no better that Scientific Essentials that was made by a Hair Surgeon doctor. 18 MEA will replenish and make it manageable and could tell u a salon in NYC that made my hair better and used it.

hellokurly

Shea moisture curl smoothie, the one in the tub is really good, it has coconut oil...so if your hair likes protein you could try this. Also if that's too heavy yes to carrots leave in conditioner is good for damaged hair that needs protein and it has argon oil. There is also Giovanni direct leave in which I think is perfect for curls and is lightweight. These are the best leave ins I've tried so far. They are all at target.

Samanthascurlz

Just to establish, coconut oil is not a protein unfortunately. It aids protein. Coconut oil is an oil. I just wanted to add that so there wasn't any misconceptions.
Also, YTC doesn't have any protein in it either. I wish it did tho! Lol

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hellokurly

Thank you for the info about coconut oil! The yes to carrots conditioner has no protein but the leave in conditioner has hydrolyzed keratin and soy protein, and it tends to build up in my hair after about 3 days.

Samanthascurlz

I didn't know that! That's good to know. Yes protein can definitely build up for some!

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Samanthascurlz

Ok, so I finally took the time to look at Loreal Advanced Haircare line. The ceramides one, which i saw the ingredients (Ceramides) that Firefox mentioned are third and fourth towards the end of the ingredients list. Wouldn't that deem this product not that effective?

Here it is:

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Trideceth 6, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Potassium Hydroxide, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Arginine, Glutamic Acid, Benzyl Salicylate, Serine, Cetrimonium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Amyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, 2 Oleamido 1,3 Octadecanediol, Alpha Isomethylionone, FIL D54574/1

Firefox7275

It's actually one ingredient, the comma is part of the chemical name. L'Oreal haven't released studies AFAIK but some ingredients do only need to be present in minuscule amounts to be of use, but you should get more benefit if using as a leave in. Bear in mind nothing is really high: a conditioner is 90%+ water.

The ceramides seem to be right at the end of the ingredients lists even in L'Oreal's higher end brands. I've started a list of 18-MEA and ceramide products (mostly conditioners and treatments, plus a couple of stylers) over on Long Hair Community 'Conventional Products' board.

Samanthascurlz

Ok maybe I will try it then since I need to add ceramides to my regimen. Thanks for responding!

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Samanthascurlz

Ending up buying the conditioner and using it as I detangled in shower and then kept most of it in as a leave in.

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