Curls always go limp/fall out

Hi everyone, I am new to wearing my hair curly and could use some advice. I think my hair is 2b, it is very fine, and there is not much of it. I believe it is high porosity. I have cherub curls according to the Curly Girl Handbook.
I have been fighting my curly hair my whole life, got made fun of for it as a kid, and have been blow drying and straightening it for the last 10+ years almost every day. It has also been colored, though not much in the last couple of years. About two months ago I decided to try to figure out how to wear it curly, since my young daughters all inherited my curls. I want to help them with their hair and show them that curly hair IS pretty.
All that said, no matter what I do, my curls go limp by mid-morning. There is no bounce/spring back at all. They eventually clump together at the bottom and it just looks blah. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to change or how to figure out what I'm doing wrong? I keep adjusting the products and amounts to no avail. I've watched a ton of YouTube videos and read on these forums, but I'm so confused on what to try next. Can you all steer me in the right direction?
My current routine is to wash every day (it gets so greasy on day 2) with SM weightless fruit fusion shampoo and SM weightless fruit fusion conditioner. Squeeze excess water out with my hands. Sometimes apply a tiny bit of KC Knot Today to the ends, then DC B'Leave In, then DC Ultra Defining Gel. Scrunch upside down with a mf towel, then diffuse on cool until about 90% dry. Once dry, scrunch out the crunch with a little DC set it free in my hands, then DC hair spray a couple of times during the day in a desperate attempt to keep it from falling limp.
Thank you in advance for your help!!
I have been fighting my curly hair my whole life, got made fun of for it as a kid, and have been blow drying and straightening it for the last 10+ years almost every day. It has also been colored, though not much in the last couple of years. About two months ago I decided to try to figure out how to wear it curly, since my young daughters all inherited my curls. I want to help them with their hair and show them that curly hair IS pretty.
All that said, no matter what I do, my curls go limp by mid-morning. There is no bounce/spring back at all. They eventually clump together at the bottom and it just looks blah. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to change or how to figure out what I'm doing wrong? I keep adjusting the products and amounts to no avail. I've watched a ton of YouTube videos and read on these forums, but I'm so confused on what to try next. Can you all steer me in the right direction?
My current routine is to wash every day (it gets so greasy on day 2) with SM weightless fruit fusion shampoo and SM weightless fruit fusion conditioner. Squeeze excess water out with my hands. Sometimes apply a tiny bit of KC Knot Today to the ends, then DC B'Leave In, then DC Ultra Defining Gel. Scrunch upside down with a mf towel, then diffuse on cool until about 90% dry. Once dry, scrunch out the crunch with a little DC set it free in my hands, then DC hair spray a couple of times during the day in a desperate attempt to keep it from falling limp.
Thank you in advance for your help!!
0
Comments
RO: IN Harmonic
LI: CJ Beauticurls; Jessicurl (JC) Gelebration Spray
DC: JC Deep Conditioning Treatment; Weleda Rosemary Conditioning Oil
Stylers: JC Confident Coils; IN Volumizing Spray; IN Perfect Hold Hairspray; John Masters Sea Mist; Bumble Bb. Gel; Kenra Firm-Hold Gel; Sevi Blue Yarrow Sea Salt Spray
Low-porosity 2a/b baby-fine hair
Is it possible I'm just not using enough gel? I don't really have any cast to speak of when I go to scrunch them after they are dry. I'm just afraid to use too much and make my hair stringy (which is what happens with KCCC + gel).
If so two things:
1) A product with lots of hold
2) A full on protein treatment, and use products with protein in them
My hair is baby fine, and it loves catnip tea. It makes my hair stronger, gives it that oomph, and makes it curl better. I top that off with Intelligent Nutrients Perfect Hold Hairspray, which has very strong hold, but doesn't weigh hair down (since it's a spray). And it's all natural to boot. I find that too much product, or even any product, weighs down my hair and pulls out curl. Everyone has to experiment with what works for them. You can try more gel and see if it helps or hurts. But if your hair is fine especially, limp hair is a sign of needing more protein.
3A/f/i
Super baby fine hair, low porosity
Shampoos: SM Fruit Fusion (mostly), Avalon lemon (to clarify). Occasional aloe vera and glycerin to wash.
Stylers: Intelligent Nutrients Perfect Hold Hairspray
Treatments: Catnip tea, IA girl's PT, Fermented Rice Water, Catnip Tea, Amla tea, Irish Moss, SS PT
RO: IN Harmonic
LI: CJ Beauticurls; Jessicurl (JC) Gelebration Spray
DC: JC Deep Conditioning Treatment; Weleda Rosemary Conditioning Oil
Stylers: JC Confident Coils; IN Volumizing Spray; IN Perfect Hold Hairspray; John Masters Sea Mist; Bumble Bb. Gel; Kenra Firm-Hold Gel; Sevi Blue Yarrow Sea Salt Spray
Low-porosity 2a/b baby-fine hair
Deva Curl products are hyped IMO.
Someone linked to Pedahe's Sciency Hair Blog when I first started CG and I still use her homemade protein treatment recipe regularly. Highly recommend. The new version with the Xantham gum is way easier to use and less runny. Yes, it's kind of gross to put gelatin in your hair and it doesn't smell great, but wow--what happy hair after you DC!
A question: is your hair limp like 'too moisturized" or limp as in "too dry"? I ask because I had an epiphany this week: the DC UDG I've been using for FIVE years majorly dries out my hair. The first day I used the DC volumizing foam mousse instead of the UDG (and left everything else the same), my hair was a thousand times more curly, mainly because it wasn't crazy dry. I used to spend the better part of any wash day (I just use conditioner b/c I'm so dry) scrunching conditioner into my hair over and over. And I would get more dry with each day post-wash. With no UDG, I didn't have to do that. I ended up actually getting greasy on day 3, which has NEVER ever happened. Turns out I have to be careful with my SM JBCO leave-in post-UDG.
So might you want to look for a mousse or a gel that is less drying? This is my first post, so I hope it is helpful and not annoying. Just chiming in since we've got some things in common.
Mostly 2B, but ranges A-C front to back and root to tip
Low density, very coarse, high porosity
Collarbone length, gray dyed brown, dry and rough
Typical LEG routine could be any combination of:
Lo poo: Shea Moisture brand shampoo, Ion Hard Water Shampoo
Cowash: As I Am Coc Cowash
RO: GVP CB, Aussie Mega Moist, Not Your Mothers Gardenia
Leave In: As I Am LI, KCKT, or Not Your Mothers Gardenia
Enhancer: Camille Rose Curl Maker
Deep condition: SM Deep Treat Mask
Protein: Hask Keratin
Styler: Curl Keeper Original, Ouidad Climate Control gel, LA Looks gel
2B/2C, fine hair, low density, mixed porosity, protein loving hair
Current products:
Some folks find that products with Polyquaternium 7, 10, or 11, and or Guar Hydroxium Chloride, over time can cause a really squeaky/crunchy feeling residue .
I mention that because some of the DevaCurl cleansers contain both Polyquat-7 and the Guar thingy.