So dry... why??

Savagegirl

I just finished trying the following:

Prepoo: coconut oil overnight
Shampoo: shea's coconut hibiscus curl and shine
Conditioner: same as above
Curling cream: shea's smoothie
Gel: jessicurl spiralicious with a touch of shea moisture curling souffle, dried and broken with a touch of twisted sistah 30 second curl spray scrunched in.

My hair is dry as anything. And ideas what the culprit could be? I thought i was overdoing it to be greasy or limp.

BeinDeb

Is your hair porous? If so, it may be the products. I find it difficult to use the Smoothie in the winter with the low dewpoints. For me, anything with glycerin, or any other humectant will cause dryness. I can use them, but MUST have a base that doesn't. For example, I'll use JBCO right out of the shower. Coconut oil won't do it, as my hair will just suck it up - coconut oil is too easily absorbed. I'll follow that with KCCC. Then, I can use the Smoothie or any other product that contains a humectant like glycerin or aloe. Mostly, I just try to avoid them.

Savagegirl

I have found typically that product SITS on my hair. Which is why Im surprised that so much coconut oil seems to have been... sucked up!

Mind you this is my first winter as a CG curly thing. So... I will definitely keep your suggestions in mind and try to find more suitable winter products! Good leave in, coming right up. I also think this particular conditioner is drying compared to most others I have tried. Too bad as I like the rest of that line.

MsSoftee

If you have low porosity hair, or even not, you might be seeing product buildup that prevents your hair from taking up moisture. Or you may be using the wrong ingredients for your hair. Before embracing my curls and reading up on it, I didn't know that hair's physical properties could be so reactive. I'd experiment to see what happens, and because it's fun

I have fairly porous hair and avoid aloe, glycerin, and most store-bought products in the winter and never use coconut oil in anything anymore (cause it's messy and doesn't do any good things for me). I rely mostly on ingredients for conditioning and make it as I need it - usually henna, cassia, skikakai, and hibiscus powders mixed in any combination with cheap VO5 conditioner, sometimes avocado oil, and do a castor oil treatment every couple or three weeks. My curl keeper is homemade flax gel. Every so often I use some leftovers in the cupboard - Deva Arcangel, and Deva mousse - to see if my hair wants a change.

It might sound like a lot of trouble so keep so many ingredients but they come together in one conditioning application and one curl enhancer per shower/hair day that is no problem/quite a lot of mess (depending on what you need from it). Not to mention - it's cheap.

My hair is so not dry that, even with my minimal routine, I have to be careful not to overcondition.

Savagegirl

I have hard water and clarify about every 2 weeks. I'm not too worried about buildup however the season change sure seems to be a game changer!

Castor oil anything is a strict NO on my hair. It just sits there and is very disgusting.

I also only use natural products (even DevaCurl is off the list due to the carcinogen/toxic ingredients (yes.. research each one!) so this limits me. SheaMoisture is very clean though so it may be a matter of changing up my line for the winter.

I do have flaxseed gel on my list to try! I am stuck on how to DC in winter and I will need a different conditioner as well. Suggestions?

Therese1

Do you think that it's the shea butter? Sometimes shea butter dries my hair out. Maybe try a routine without any SM products and see what happens?

Savagegirl

I switched it up.

First of all i did a dc. I was in need.
Co washed with yes carrots condit (fabulous styff) and left some in
Oiled with jojoba
Shea moisture cream
Kinkycurly custard

Amazing bounce and moisture!!

That was the first time oil worked out for me but i had always applied it last in the past, as was suggested.

Happy!

Savagegirl

I am so glad that curltalk was reorganized, I completely forgot about my above mentioned routine for winter! Score!

rbb

@[email protected] -- i know your comment is from a year ago, just saw it in this bumped thread.
shea butter -- you said it is sometimes drying, do you mean straight shea or in a butter product?