2nd day hair and fine hair recs

Twirlytwist

I have been stalking and soaking up every bit of information you ladies provide for about 3 months. I tried co-washing but it seems to heavy for my fine hair and my curls seem to get looser with every co-wash. I've only tried deva no poo and one condition for that and switched after two weeks back to a shampoo. I have been using KCCC and KCKT and I love them but I shampoo daily and the KCCC is drying my hair out. I now switched to Loreal ever curl shampoo and conditioner thinking it was safe because it's labeled sulfate free but it definitely seems to have sulfates after double checking the ingredients. So I'm looking for a shampoo and conditioner that won't weigh my hair down or dry it out. Does anyone else wash daily? I cannot seem to achieve second day hair and end up with a frizzy mess in my attempts. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

naturecat

I love your hair! I see 3a potential in there.
Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Weightless Shampoo is the best shampoo I have ever used if you want shampoo that cleanses without drying out your hair. It is made for fine hair so shouldn't weigh it down.
I use Aubrey Organics GBP conditioner frequently. Others I use occasionally include Aubrey Organics JAY, John Masters Lavender and Avocado, and Spiral Solutions Caitlin's Conditioner and Protein Treatment (but Spiral Solutions is now out of business).
KCCC is still an excellent shampoo for clarifying, but yes, to use it every time would dry out my hair terribly too.
If you want deep conditioning that won't weigh down your hair, you can try homemade deep treatments with fenugreek and irish moss. They both do great things for my hair.
2nd day hair.... you will probably get better luck with it when you find the right shampoo and stop drying out your hair. Also using more gel and/or hold on the first day helps for 2nd day hair. If you haven't already, get a silk pillowcase (or silk sleep cap, though since you have shorter hair like me a cap may squish your hair weirdly).
Also, you may try CO washing every other day alternating with shampoo to help your hair maintain moisture.
My products are in my siggy if you want to look, as I, too, have very fine hair, so what works for me may work for you. I no longer use, but used to use gelatin hair gel (and as a protein treatment) which may also work for you.

Twirlytwist

Thanks so much I really appreciate all of your recommendations and it seems we have a similar hair type! I just got a deva cut last week and it has really given me more volume. I'm afraid years with a straight iron have really damaged my top layer. Underneath my hair is much curlier then the top layer and it's definitely straighter at the roots. I currently use either KCC custard or Arc Angel gel so I do like a hard hold gel but I scrunch out the crunch. I also use the deva volumizing foam and a bit of Argan oil when scrunching out the gel cast.

naturecat

If you like Deva products, it seems people have reported success with the ultra defining gel. It may not have the most hold, but it has reasonable hold and is a serum like consistency so disappears into the hair and doesn't weigh it down as much. I dunno that KCC is hard hold or even arc angel, but they're at least medium hold.
Yeah, I could see underneath is much curlier on your hair. I have that too to some extent because the hairs I have cut shorter on top don't clump properly and pull straight. I see so much of my hair pattern in your hair! You get those same barrel curls that I do.
If that's your hair after years of straight ironing, that's amazing. I'd be shocked if you're not at least a 3a in the end.
Your cut looks great. I do love deva cuts.
You probably saw this on the board, but for your damaged hair especially try both protein treatments (gelatin works really well for this) and deep treatments. It won't cure all problems with the hair but it will help increase curl (unless the damage is severe).
One thing I like doing is layers of medium hold... it comes out like hard hold. So I finish off styling with an all natural hairspray. I spray it both while drying prior to scrunching out the crunch (it works like gel that way, but is very lightweight) and also after finishing, and after SOTC. Intelligent Nutrients is excellent but expensive so I use the Andalou. It really helps me make it to day 2, even day 3/4/5 hair. I don't add product in 2nd day, just some water maybe, and most days not even that. I just pin curl pieces that got crushed in my sleep and I'm good to go.

Therese1

Your curls look amazing!

I agree with naturecat that alternating co-washing with low pooing is probably a good thing to try. I use KCCC only for clarifying, maybe once a month. I know it is supposedly gentle enough to use every day, but I think it would be too stripping.

I have fine hair too, and I've been using Intelligent Nutrients Harmonizing Shampoo and Conditioner. They are kind of expensive, though, just FYI, since they're a higher-end natural brand. I also use Beautiful Curls (by Alaffia) shampoo, which I think it probably similar to the Fruit Fusion. I find it to be very gentle. Some people feel like it leaves a bit of a coating on their hair, so YMMV.

If your hair can tolerate protein, I like the Max Green Alchemy Sculpting Gel. It has a really hard hold and also facilitates clumps. Juding from reviews, a lot of people also like John Masters Citrus and Neroli detangler, which despite the name is a moderately rich conditioner, IMO. It has protein.

I agree with naturecat that a good application of a hard-hold gel on day 1 is when success with second-day hair is most likely. I am still experimenting with refreshers, but the biggest thing for me was to use a spray bottle with a really fine mist. If the mist is not very fine, it can cause frizz. I once experimented with adding just a drop of leave-in (As I Am, which is pretty light--I think it's like Kinky Curly Knot Today, which I haven't tried yet) to about 1/4 cup of water, and by golly, my hair did feel the difference. It felt softer and less frizzy than with water alone. I feel as if on refresher days my hair needs a bit of moisture (water spray), a bit of leave-in (to hold on to the water and create flexibility), and some kind of sealant (gel, usually, to form the curls better and keep the moisture in). So I experiment with these three variables.

CurlyZoey

If you like Deva, try the Mister-Right as a 2nd day refresher. Just spray it lightly, or it will weigh you down. You can also cut it with 25% water if it's too heavy. I have baby-fine hair, and one of my favorite shampoos is the Shea Moisture Yucca & Baobab shampoo (1x per week). I alternate that with the KK Come Clean (1-2x a month) and the As I Am Coconut Co-wash (midweek).