ways of getting curls to clump

lionfeather · March 2015

I posted a while ago asking for some help with my poofy mop of hair, and I think I have some of my issues solved...I got a hair cut which took care of yucky ends, and I'm pretty happy with my shampoo and conditioner (Shea Moisture orange/golden label). I thought my hair's puffiness was due to dryness, and while my ends are still on the dry side, I don't think that is what's causing my waves to fall out. I can load up on leave-in conditioner and scrunch with a cream, but it only lasts a few hours and then the waves separate and get puffy.

So, I am wondering what kinds of products I can try using to get my waves to stay clumped. I tried sea salt spray which looked pretty good, but I didn't like how gritty it made my hair. I might get a bottle of Garnier Pure Clean gel next time I'm at the store. What other methods and products are there for getting curls to clump (and stay that way)?

Thanks!

BotticelliBrit · March 2015

Gel is the best for clumpage in my opinion, so it may be that you need something stronger hold than the cream you're using, like a gel. Try the Garnier and see what happens.

sixelamy · March 2015

The SM conditioner gave me hugely frizzy hair, it was awful. You may need to switch up your products a bit as the shea butter can build up fast - especially if you have hard water.

I wouldn't bother with the Garnier Pure Clean gel, I personally thought it was awful and have seen bad reviews around on the forums.

Best clumping technique is to scrunch in your leave in conditioner to soaking wet hair (before wringing any of the water out) upside down from the ends. From there with your head still upside down, apply your gel in the same manner. Then you can scrunch a microfiber towel or a tshirt in your ends to get excess water out and flip up and do the same if you need to.

Blimunda · March 2015

The same thing is happening to me! I started using SM shampoo and my hair is getting all poofy! I'm hoping it's because I don't use enough conditioner/ the glycerin in my gel and it'll get better when I change those two products too.
Is the SM souffle any good? and the smoothie?

chupie · March 2015

Yeah. Gotta have gel. Sadly my fave is discontinued but the next best (and many wavies favorite) is Biosilk Rockhard gel. The weaker your wave or the less clumpage you can keep the better it is to have it.

naturecat · March 2015

For me it seems like moisture definitely helps clumps. I find that when I put on the harder hold gels, my clumps break up (I use gelatin gel). So I put on some other products first, on soaking wet hair (including flaxseed gel--which really helps clumping), squeeze out the water, and then put on my hard hold gel. I imagine store bought gels may have more moisturizing properties and thus keep clumps better.
Irish moss infused water also gives my hair awesome clumps… I use it as a final rinse sometimes. Thanks for the reminder with this thread--I will try it tomorrow.

lionfeather · March 2015

Thanks for the help, everyone! I really appreciate it.

I doubt my conditioner is a problem right now as it has only made my hair better, but I will keep that in mind.

I will definitely try scrunching my leave-in into wet hair. So...dumb question, but when you scrunch product into your hair, do you first hand-comb the product through the length of your hair and then scrunch, or do you just put the product on your hands and scrunch?

chupie · March 2015

Some people hand rake then scrunch, some do prayer hand smoothing then scrunch, some (me) squeezed own the length then scrunch and others just scrunch. You have to experiment.

lionfeather · March 2015

Ok! I'll try all those methods, then. Thanks!

sixelamy · March 2015

I just take some conditioner in my palm and scrunch it into my hair. I don't know if anybody else does that, but it seems to be the best for me, as my ends are high porosity and the rest of my hair isn't.

BotticelliBrit · March 2015

I kind of smooth and rake it in with my fingers at the same time, then I go scrunch crazy.

anonymous_150263 · March 2015

I apply product in sections. I finger rake and scrunch and then comb each product. My hair is so thick and dense I can never get it all covered the exception is my final product which is usually the hardest hold with oils which I just scrunch on the ends all over and that's what gets my pattern going.

Keltey1031 · March 2015

sixelamy wrote: »

I just take some conditioner in my palm and scrunch it into my hair. I don't know if anybody else does that, but it seems to be the best for me, as my ends are high porosity and the rest of my hair isn't.

I don't finger rake either. For me it separates my waves too much. I just take whatever product I'm going to use, spread it around in my palms then scrunch it in with my hair flipped upside down After plopping, I scrunch again with an old t-shirt. My ends are also higher porosity than the rest of my hair and dry before any other part.

anonymous_150263 · March 2015

Oh see I apply products before plopping and then scrunch more in after plopping.

If I don't rake or comb product in I would have fuzzy roots.

lionfeather · March 2015

I got some As I Am coconut cowash and Garnier Pure Clean gel at the store a few days ago, so today I used those (plus some SM raw shea conditioner as a leave it). Combed and scrunched leave-in into lightly squeezed hair, clipped up for a while, then finger combed and scrunched in gel. Then I scrunched with a t shirt to dry. Lots of scrunching today, lol. Results are...not awesome. Moderate frizz, waves are not defined very well. If I can't rescue it tomorrow, my hair will be in braids for a few days.

Did I go blatantly wrong anywhere? Next time I will try more leave-in and gel, and a different application method.

Curlynoodles · March 2015

I can honeslty say I wouldn't wear my hair curly..EVER... if it wasn't for the garnier fructis pure clean gel. It's the only gel that works for me, all the others I've tried are drying. I've even tried fsg, and still went back to pure clean.

just a tidbit of a review for ya...

Sent from my SM-G730W8 using CurlTalk App

anonymous_150263 · March 2015

Curlynoodles wrote: »

I can honeslty say I wouldn't wear my hair curly..EVER... if it wasn't for the garnier fructis pure clean gel. It's the only gel that works for me, all the others I've tried are drying. I've even tried fsg, and still went back to pure clean. just a tidbit of a review for ya...

Sent from my SM-G730W8 using CurlTalk App

I may have to try some again... it's been a year since I tried it. Maybe just for the ends. I remember it being difficult to sotc and staying stiff.

I wish more affordable brands would try to make more natural gels with no pvp or polyquats.

chupie · March 2015

lionfeather wrote: »

I got some As I Am coconut cowash and Garnier Pure Clean gel at the store a few days ago, so today I used those (plus some SM raw shea conditioner as a leave it). Combed and scrunched leave-in into lightly squeezed hair, clipped up for a while, then finger combed and scrunched in gel. Then I scrunched with a t shirt to dry. Lots of scrunching today, lol. Results are...not awesome. Moderate frizz, waves are not defined very well. If I can't rescue it tomorrow, my hair will be in braids for a few days.

Did I go blatantly wrong anywhere? Next time I will try more leave-in and gel, and a different application method.

Probably a lot of scrunching. One trick is when you towel scrunch (and even in application of products) instead of a bunch of quick fast scrunches, gather section and scrunch up and hold (if with towel) for several seconds, like a mini plop, to suck out water, or with applying product, hold and pump your hand gently to squish the product through. This will help keep frizz down.

lionfeather · March 2015

Good to know! I was definitely doing more fast scrunching. I will try that next time. Thanks!

I was able to rescue my hair with some diluted styling cream and now it looks like nice beachy waves, so I'm happy.

chickitten · April 2015

lionfeather wrote: »

I got some As I Am coconut cowash and Garnier Pure Clean gel at the store a few days ago, so today I used those (plus some SM raw shea conditioner as a leave it). Combed and scrunched leave-in into lightly squeezed hair, clipped up for a while, then finger combed and scrunched in gel. Then I scrunched with a t shirt to dry. Lots of scrunching today, lol. Results are...not awesome. Moderate frizz, waves are not defined very well. If I can't rescue it tomorrow, my hair will be in braids for a few days.

Did I go blatantly wrong anywhere? Next time I will try more leave-in and gel, and a different application method.

I avoid any sort of combing (including finger combing), that helps me get the best clumps. I also agree with the suggestion for a gel with good hold. I have a lot of hair, so instead of finger combing my gel and other products in, I smooth or scrunch them on as necessary. I smooth/"pray" my gel down from root to end first and then start to scrunch some more gel in (my hair is very prone to frizzing). When scrunching, as soon as I see frizz start to form, I stop and then fix the piece by smoothing it down with my fingers. I know others here have suggested other styling methods, try them out and continue experimenting w/ different products and methods. :flower:

lionfeather · April 2015

Thanks, chickitten, that helps a lot! I will try "praying" and then fixing any frizz that pops up while I'm styling, that is a great idea. My hair is very thick, so it's super hard to get products distributed evenly, and my hair is very prone to frizz.

I washed again with the AIA cowash (loving it so far!) and then used a leave-in and gel...I was more careful to squish the products around while I was scrunching rather than just scrunching a lot, and I had much better results.

Suzybgirl · April 2015

When I wash I rake in my leave-in (lots of it until silky smooth), smoothie and souffle (not a lot) on dripping wet hair head upside down. I do however scrunch out just a little excess water before I apply my products with my hand as a t-shirt causes frizz. I just let it air dry and my hair is clumped goodo! I then wait for my hair to be completely dry and scrunch it out with a little of my SM deep treatment masque. I get so much volume and soft curls I feel like throwing a party each time! Different techniques work for different girlies but I'm happy with mine. :happy7:

lionfeather · April 2015

Ok, I have a question. How much gel do y-all use? Because I loaded up on leave-in after my shower, followed with half a dime sized amount of jojoba oil, and maybe a total of 1 tablespoon of gel...yet when my hair dried it was poofy and not very defined. My hair is quite thick and reaches to the bottom of my shoulder blade, so there is a lot of it. I'm pretty sure my hair is either a magical portal or a product-eating beast, because most of the product I put in it just disappears.

chupie · April 2015

Which gel?

anonymous_150263 · April 2015

I use a lot of product. I have to apply to sections palm fulls to ensure all hair is coated. I comb in to each section and then scrunch it all at the end with my hands first then a tshirt. I do this with each layer of products. I emulsify my oils with the products in my hands.

frckls · April 2015

In oppose to most curlyheads, I find my waves clump best when brushed. Yep, you read it right. I detangle my hair with a Denman. I brush again after raking my LI and gel/mousse in, part and brush again, and finally scrunch out excess water with flour sack towel.I get best clumping and definition that way.

I also don't do upside down or plopping, I just tilt my heads to the side and back while scrunching. Upside down break out my clumps since I don't have that much hair to begin with. Plopping makes my waves lay flat against my scalp. Although, I can imagine it works wonderful for people with a lot more hair than mine.

Also, the correct conditioner and styler for your hair will do a lot. My hair loves mousse and okra gel. My hair didn't like flaxseed gel that much. But to each their own.

anonymous_150263 · April 2015

Does okra gel have much hold?

lionfeather · April 2015

I use Garnier Pure Clean gel right now.

Yeah, I tried flaxseed gel and really wanted to love it, but my hair didn't like it. Too much protein, I think.

Ok. Next wash, I will use like 3x as much gel and hope that helps!

frckls · April 2015

Ashleynicol wrote: »

Does okra gel have much hold?

If you mean by itself, I think flaxseed has more hold but I don't like my hair with flaxseed. My hair looks much better with okra for some reason. Fuller (I have low-med density), shinier, more defined. Besides, I put in quite a lot of additives for hold into my DIY jelly/pudding and that helps a lot with the hold (xanthan gum and acacia gum). I want to have good hair but I'm lazy. With the right conditioner and my DIY okra jelly/pudding, my waves last well into 3rd day. And I haven't dampened my hair, too, lately. Even usually, smoothing down frizz with wet hands is enough.
I have short hair, thus no pineappling for me. I just cover my pillow with a satin scarf.

naturecat · April 2015

frckls wrote: »

Ashleynicol wrote: »

Does okra gel have much hold?

If you mean by itself, I think flaxseed has more hold but I don't like my hair with flaxseed. My hair looks much better with okra for some reason. Fuller (I have low-med density), shinier, more defined. Besides, I put in quite a lot of additives for hold into my DIY jelly/pudding and that helps a lot with the hold (xanthan gum and acacia gum). I want to have good hair but I'm lazy. With the right conditioner and my DIY okra jelly/pudding, my waves last well into 3rd day. And I haven't dampened my hair, too, lately. Even usually, smoothing down frizz with wet hands is enough.
I have short hair, thus no pineappling for me. I just cover my pillow with a satin scarf.

Oooh, how do you use acacia gum? I'd ordered some and tried mixing it with just water, but got white streaks in my hair. What concentrations do you use it in? Does it need to be heated? I tried looking it up online, but couldn't find any info.

I also agree that okra and/or flax often need additional hold for most people (without hold both of these products won't work for me).

anonymous_150263 · April 2015

naturecat wrote: »

frckls wrote: »

Ashleynicol wrote: »

Does okra gel have much hold?

If you mean by itself, I think flaxseed has more hold but I don't like my hair with flaxseed. My hair looks much better with okra for some reason. Fuller (I have low-med density), shinier, more defined. Besides, I put in quite a lot of additives for hold into my DIY jelly/pudding and that helps a lot with the hold (xanthan gum and acacia gum). I want to have good hair but I'm lazy. With the right conditioner and my DIY okra jelly/pudding, my waves last well into 3rd day. And I haven't dampened my hair, too, lately. Even usually, smoothing down frizz with wet hands is enough.
I have short hair, thus no pineappling for me. I just cover my pillow with a satin scarf.

Oooh, how do you use acacia gum? I'd ordered some and tried mixing it with just water, but got white streaks in my hair. What concentrations do you use it in? Does it need to be heated? I tried looking it up online, but couldn't find any info.

I also agree that okra and/or flax often need additional hold for most people (without hold both of these products won't work for me).

Id like to know as well. Maybe it could be heated and whisked in with the flaxseed gel? The gelatin gel mixed in with fsg gave good hold but it was a little weird texture wise like kind of drying I think. Not sure how to explain it really but probably because of the gelatin protein. And I used a very small amount like 1/4 tsp in 1 cup of flaxseed gel.

ways of getting curls to clump

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