Any other wavy girls doing curly girl/low poo routine?

[Wrigglebum]

Post dcs my hair has become dry and frizzy and all the usual deep conditioning in the world has not worked!

Since I have no time to blow dry and straighten I've actually discovered my hair is rather wavy/curly (though straight in parts) so thought I might try an adapted curly girl routine to see if a bit of a detox will make it healthy again! More shine and less frizz please!

I did a clarifying shampoo two days ago and since then no silicones have touched my hair. Did my first co-wash today and I was surprised how clean my hair actually felt after. My chronically itchy scalp felt no better or worse than after a regular shampoo (nothing has ever fixed it other than some stuff from doctor). My hair does seem a bit less frizzy already.

Has anyone else with wavy hair actually done a curly girl routine? Does it work well? How often do you use shampoo and how do you know when it's time to shampoo?

I've been looking at the denman bristle brush and shower brush- any good?

[PacificDogwood]

Oh, I've had a similar thread recently with lots of good advice from experienced people - I'll see if I can find it.

[PacificDogwood]

Here it is.

I am only at the stage of thinking about going SLS/cone free .
My hair is frizzy/wavy, but not excessively thick or African and I am worried it might go just too lank.

[Wrigglebum]

I think that's what I'm worried about too. Then again, my hair is usually so bloody huge that lank might make a nice change!

I guess if it gets bad then just shampoo and tweak the routine.

Thanks for the link, I'll have a read.

[Wrigglebum]

You mention the l'oreal oil on there- I found that worked well for a couple of weeks and then my hair got really dry. So i can see that silicone is probably not good for my hair. It's the top ingredient I think on that oil? I've used about 3/4 of my bottle.

I certainly think you could reduce your use of silicones and sls, then just use a 'normal' shampoo when you seem to get build up. Maybe alternate washing with conditioner and an sls free shampoo, then use a normal shampoo once a fortnight or month, whatever works really?

I got some Naked leave in conditioner and serum which feel really nice, have the Tresemme Naturals shampoo and conditioner and used the Boots Essentials to 'wash' with.

[PacificDogwood]

That's kind of my plan: get Naked shampoo and conditioner and then see how I get on.
I am also growing my hair, it's currently only just chin-length, so what feels right might of course change over time.

I have to say, using henna has made a huge difference to my hair - for the better.

I am not sure how much difference the kind of brush you use makes?

And blow-drying/straightening? Which I do maybe once a week or so to look less 'mad' when I go to work won't really help either, I am sure.

[Bella88]

The Living Proof range is silicone free and some of the best defrizzing styling products I've tried - I use the leave in conditioner and straightening spray.

Space NK stock it, pricey but worth it.

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

coconut oil the proper pure virgin stuff that I got in a big tub off amazon has transformed my hair from dry and frizzy on top to smooth and sleek and sooo shiney. I use in on my skin too and its great for cookin.... a versatile ingredient and reasonably cheap too, lasts for ages. just look on amazon for cocounut oil and the one I use is first on the list.

[wickedfairy]

I have the same issue and was wondering if you could do low or nopoo with slightly wavy hair!!

StepsAway, do you put it in your hair at night and wash it off in the morning?

I have hair that is ok underneath and frizzy on the top layer. It's fine hair and I found argan oil too heavy, although it was ok for my skin.

How exactly do you use it for your hair? Thanks!

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

I melt a spoonful in my hands, rub it into my top layers of hair then put a plastic shower cap on and a towel and leave as long as possible, usually I take the towel off when I go for a lovely hot soak in the bath then shampoo it out. If you use too much it can take two shampoos to get rid of it but it works. smells scrummy too. like toasted coconut. tastes goo melted and is supposed to be very good for certain things including appetite supressant. I did chuck a spoonful in some rice and it was very tasty.

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

good, not goo!

[Wrigglebum]

Coconut oil didn't really do much for me, but maybe silicone in my hair blocked it out iyswim?

I'm intrigued by henna but would it cover greys? I have a ton around the fringe area. Makes me look far too old!

[PacificDogwood]

Oh yes, it covers grey . Whole point of doing it in my case - I am coping quite well with advancing middle age and things going South, but grey hair... nope!

Lush henna. Caca brun is a warm brown, not red btw.

Coconut oil sounds scrummy!

[Wrigglebum]

Annoying thing is I am 33 yet rather grey already. Might look into the henna if I can work out how I'll get 5 hours or so to do it! Have you tried leaving on overnight?

[wickedfairy]

Thanks StepsAway! May try some, although I hope it wouldn't be too heavy... How long did it take you to see improvements?

Re henna, I am 35 but gave loads of white hair, which I due brown. Would henna cover white hair if I used caca brun? Is it a total faff? Also, what happens if you change your mind - can you go back to standard hair dye these days? Am sure I read somewhere that you can't dye over it??

[Wrigglebum]

I read somewhere that you can dye over the caca brun as it doesn't have mineral salts. Not sure if that's true though.

I guess you can do a strand test, and at the least you could maybe just touch up roots until it grows out.

[PacificDogwood]

I have left it over night once - it was fine. Normally I do it on a Sunday afternoon/after lunch and wash it out during general bathtime chaos.
There is no denying, it is a faff and it smells rather... herbally/earthy. My DSs call it my 'pond scum' - they are not wrong .

I was under the impression you could NOT dye over it, but am no expert... I would be delighted to hear that you could dye it, just in case I get fed up of doing it before I shuffle off this mortal coil

[ZolaBuddleia]

I've just dyed over Caca Brun! Just looked at the boxes of dye to see which didn't have the 'don't use after henna' clause. It's worked out fine, good even coverage.

My experience of Caca Brun is that it makes my hair much thicker, but definitely has red tones. It doesn't completely cover my grey, those hairs take on colour, but are lighter than the rest, also the colour seems to wash out of them quicker.

[BranchingOut]

How dark does Caca Brun come out?

I am dark blonde/light brown - would this be too dark for me?

I am having some success using a Body Shop shampoo for fine hair. Hair feels much cleaner and not weighed down. Then use Pantene volume conditioner - I know this must have silicone but it seems to be the best thing for me. Want to try some argan hair oil too.

Oh, I also tried bicarbonate of soda, great for clarifying!

[Wrigglebum]

Well I have a head full of caca! The girl in Lush was so helpful- she has light brown hair naturally and using the caca rouge has gorgeous glossy red brown hair. I think if you're quite light the brun might be too dark but you could ask in the shop.

Apart from that the co-washing seems great, just a week of no silicones and lots of moisture and my hair seems much less dry and frizzy. Think I'll keep this up! Bicarbonate for clarifying sounds good too, I'd think you could do a nice scrub whilst doing it too.

[MorningPurples]

I did this four about 5 months, with a clarifying wash to start with and then only the Naked shampoo (now and then) and conditioner, nothing with any silicones in at all.

I gave up in the end, as my hair eventually felt so greasy and heavy, like it was never clean. It seemed ok to start with, so maybe I'll still use those products occasionally, but as a regular thing they just didn't seem to clean well enough.

it was perhaps somewhat less frizzy while I was doing it, though.

[PacificDogwood]

BranchingOut, Caca Brun is maybe a bit dark if you are as light as I think you might be from your description. You could do a stand test - as you are ment to anyway but I've never bothered.

Good luck, Wrigglebum, let us know how you like the outcome!

Oh dear, MorningPurples, your story does not sound particularly encouraging...

[Wrigglebum]

Well the caca brun is quite dark, I like it but it's perhaps a bit darker than I'd normally go. I might try half and half with the rouge or marron next time. It's very soft and shiny and smells great though. It's quite a palaver but not as bad as I expected and I got lots of funny looks from my 8mo as I sat there in my shower cap . Doesn't make my eyes water or scalp itch either like regular dye.

It hasn't got rid of the greys totally but it seems to have made then less noticible and a bit less wiry (why do the buggers always stand to attention?)

MorningPurples, I guess that's why I want to try a curly girl light type plan! Shampoo reducing rather than cutting out completely if you see what I mean. I've thrown out the bloody Pantene though as that really did dry my hair out. Dug out the coconut oil again and it seem great on the dry ends. Really must book a hair appointment to get them chopped off.

[PacificDogwood]

Wrigglebum, the colour will continue changing for the next 24-48 hrs. I also find the next wash (with 'conventional' shampoo ) makes a further difference even though there is no obvious colour going down the plughole IYKWIM.
I mix with marron 1:1 and wrap my head with clingfilm for added red shine without going all out postbox red.
I do love the texture with henna though - I read somewhere that you could put henna on on 3 consecutive days to get a phantastic result texture-wise. I'll try that when my youngest goes to uni he is 2 I have the time, maybe.

Pantene is awful, as is baby shampoo and Head'n'Shoulder is truly like paintstripper. I quite like the Lush solid shampoo, but it's not SLS free, grrr!

[Wrigglebum]

Well I am totally sold on the henna! My hair is so soft and shiny, in fact it's so soft all the curls have dropped out but I do have nice waves still, in fact they look quite glamorous! It didn't get all the white hairs, but a lot of them are now lovely shades of blonde and red. I've read that cassia is ultra moisturising and can turn white hair blonde, so I might try a treatment of that if I get round to it! I think I'll try the same mix as you Pacific next time, thank you do much for getting me on to it.

My hair is so dry still though it just takes all the moisture I can throw at it. Thanks to stepsaway I've got the coconut oil out again and it's working well as a leave in treatment, doesn't make my hair greasy at all.

I got this to work in the conditioner when I 'wash' with it and it's great at exfoliating the scalp, I feel less itchy than i have in years.

[PacificDogwood]

Well, a MNer got me to try henna, and now I've 'got' you .
Glad you like it.
I think you can use cassia on its own as a moisturiser, without colour IYSWIM.
The HennaBoy website has lots of information, but was a bit scary for a henna newbie like me...