➿ Fantastic Haircare: Making Sense and Science of the Curly Girl Method

[botemp]

Offshoot from the Fantastic Skincare threads to document the trials and tribulations in order to make sense and science of the curly girl method. We don't necessarily follow it to the letter and are even critical of it in places. Nor are we especially knowledgeable at this point but we're learning as we go. Feel free to join in (especially if you have superior knowledge) as we attempt to approach this with an interest in ingredients and try to not buy everything that promises us magical things…

Useful blogs:

Curly Cailín
Science-y Hair Blog

Thanks for that Bo. Wash day results. No diffusing. Off for a 2 hour walk with a friend. Will see how it holds up. Not even started on considering longevity.

Hmmm. Feels a bit dry and straggly. Wonder if foam and gel together was too much. Although I I think it needs clarifying too. Didn't do before wash so not been done for 2 weeks.

Pupsie, I've seen welsh girl on IF. She does explain things well and come across as a very nice person. I should also try the unsticking roots technique too.

Am I correct that there is some kind of difference between mousse and foam?

Your hair doesn't look dry or particularly straggly Pupsie. Did you scrunch out the cast fully? Sometimes I've found that I haven't scrunched out well enough and have to go back and finish it off.

It was weird Sophie. It was fine when I left. It wasn't humid or windy out. But as the say wore on it felt dry and a bit chalky and looked a bit tatty. I definitely have a good feel for when it feels good and when it doesn't and it was the latter. I wonder if I used too much product.

Today I went for a run and then clarified and deep conditioned. I reduced the amount of product. I used the usual LICs and then the avo clump cream which I love, and the Innersense gel.

I'm gonna start washing it late pm and sleeping in the cast. Just cos I think it will fit better withy life. Who else does this?

I always wash in the evening. My hair takes hours to dry!

I put my hair in a pineapple while still in a cast yesterday and I didn't like how it was when I scrunched out. For my hair, prefer to SOTC then sleep etc.

Could you hair be a bit over/moisturised Pupsie? That was definitely the case with mine when it wouldn't hold a curl. Started off looking ok and then kind of puffed out and went soft as the day wore on. Protein made a big difference (but I wound t say mine felt dry or chalky - maybe that is too much product)

SophieLion, I think I would describe my hair as being the same. It has definitely benefitted from more protein. This is mid walk, do a little wind blown, I did a chelating/clarifying wash by using a vinegar rinse (acetic acid is chelating, I think) and Acure Clarifying Conditioner co wash as my scalp really needed it. Then the Jean Paul Myne Grey Pepper shampoo which has protein and the innersense conditioner, which also has protein. This was air dried but the curls seem bigger and bouncier.

Maybe Sophie. It wouldn't surprise me and I think I've said before I think that's the way it would go. I want to buy a protein mask but it's been out of stock. I'll have another look as not checked for a while. Do you do the rice water rinses? I was put off by the modified one I tried and I am minimal effort where I can be so would rather buy sth.

My first LIC has some protein in it. I don't use a lot: 3 or 4 spritzes, then normal LIC then brush it through and squish.

I was looking at the innersense conditioners Quirky as looking for a good protein one but the protein was very far down in the list of ingredients (although curly Cailin does describe the innersense line as having a good balance of moisture and protein).

There is a treluxe conditioner which is both a normal conditioner as well as a leave in. I liked the sound of that and it seems to contain a lot more protein than the innersense. I guess it all depends on how much protein you think your hair needs.

Pupsie, I am still doing the modified rice treatments (will do tomorrow before we go away next week) and add a bit of aphogee now too. It is a faff but somehow I've got used to it now! I think these treatments make a lot of difference to my hair.

I think I've been going gently into protein to see if it helps. Both the Jean Paul Myne shampoo and the Innersense feel much lighter than products I normally use but seem to work well and need only a small amount. I normally use very heavy moisturising products, but I obviously had got out of balance. I am starting to think that I need something strengthening (my olaplex arrived today) as I seem to get quite a bit of breakage around my face. I think it could be hormonal . I did say I wasn't going to buy many products, but I seemed to have failed spectacularly in that!

Pupsie, which protein mask were you looking at? I have a purple Osmo mask for colour correction with some protein, but not lots.

I've tried a different styling method and products today but I suspect it's all gone to pot as I got "interrupted" in an over 18 way whilst my hair was still drying. Pfft

Quirky it's the Hairfinity Strengthening Amino Mask.

I have that one Pupsie. It's very balanced between moisture and protein. I think I was really
lucky when I got it as it's always sold out whenever I check now.

I think it's very easy to fail at not buying too many curly hair products Quirky!! The only reason I've been more restrained is the crazy delivery costs to greece Although I did order a big tub of biolage conditioner yesterday from look fantastic and delivery was free Have you tried the olaplex yet?
What other innersense products do you have? I have the low poo hairbath which I like a lot.

I managed to order some from their own website Sophie.

Thanks, Pupsie, I will add that to my list to try later.

I haven't tried the olaplex yet, SophieLion we still only have one working bathroom so time is a bit of an issue. I might try it at the weekend when I'm not so rushed. I have also bought the Malibu shampoo that Manes by Mell recommended (it was also on a silver hair group) . I was going to get the Acure Clarifying Shampoo to replace the conditioner, but it doesn't appear to be chelating (I think they may have changed the ingredients as the packaging has changed). The Malibu shampoo has EDTA for chelating and some of the cationic compounds so I am going to give it a go. Manes by Mell has talked about also having a dry scalp, so I figured if it worked for her...

That was the Malibu C ph9 no gu poo (I think that's how it's spelled). The hard water one had some reviews that said it discoloured silver or grey hair.

SophieLion, I only have the innersense hydrating cream conditioner, I did get a travel size to try, but I will probably buy the bigger bottle as I like it a lot. It does seem so thin compared to other conditioners but does the job.

I washed my hair around 7pm last night and that's worked well timing/routine wise.

Because I suspect it's tending towards too much moisture I only used my first (Giovanni) LIC. That's the one I only do 2-3 squirts of and instead of squirting it straight into my hair (then adding the usual Giovanni LIC) I squirted into my hands and roped it through. I squeezed some moisture out first with my hands, and I squeezed some out after with a tee-shirt (micro-plopping?). Then I applied a tiny amount of the avo clump cream and a tiny amount of Jessicurl gel. (Wondered if I use too much product). Micro-plopped again as didn't want it being wet for too long, but didn't want to diffuse at all. By bedtime it was almost dry but didn't really have a cast. Put it in a pineapple, put my silk turban on and slept.

Looks okay today! Didn't need to do anything with it this morning other than a quick shake and fiddle. I can see how washing early evening is preferable. I had my team call at 12.30 and it looked very presentable.

Also, yesterday I felt it took a step back in terms of not really any curls, more the long flat waves. Whilst I really like using my paddle brush with conditioner, I do think using it after applying LIC isn't a good idea. I've noticed it doesn't clump so well, and what clumps I do have are quite skinny ones, which I think looks a bit odd given the amount of hair I have if that makes sense.

Anyway, I'm going to avoid washing tomorrow. Will wash Wednesday or Thursday. Need to plan that around my exercise. For the next wash I will use revert to the LA gel which I think gives me the best result, cast wise. I took more time yesterday with applying the products, but still there was no cast underneath.

I do think I was using enough product before, and don't need to skimp like I did yesterday.

I guess too it could be settling down still after the colour and I will do another Olaplex treatment next week I think. @SophieLion how often are you doing yours?

quirky where did you get the Malibu from, I could only find the salt treatments?

Pupsie, I think the long flat waves may be a dew points thing. Mine are similar at the moment (it looks 2a) but I haven't done anything different, it really feels climate induced. Generally, I don't touch my hair with a comb (or brush) after conditioning, seems to be a wavy thing.

Thanks Bo. Yeah, I'm just starting to explore climate and dew points. Another thing to consider! It's been quite humid here.

It's quite astonishing. I'm on day 3 (although washed in the evening on Sunday so not 3 WHOLE days). It's looking good and feeling good, and scalp is neither greasy nor itchy which is a revelation!

Last night I slept with it loose, but I scooped it all up and plopped it above my head on the pillow, so I wasn't actually lying on it. Whenever I turned over I did the same, even managing it if I was half asleep. That worked really well. Sometimes wearing it in a pineapple gives me a tender head, even if it's with an invisibobble or a silk scrunchie.

Gym later, but weights so will just tie it up. Then tie it up tomorrow until I wash it late afternoon.

bo, I got the Malibu (it's un-doo-goo) from amazon in the end. I remembered I'd looked up the hard water sachets but the silver hair forum had some people who'd had discolouration from them.

I don't pineapple, Pupsie the weight of my hair hurts my scalp. I have either a loose bun or plait and refresh with water and a little product in the morning.

I pineapple and don't find it hurts my hair at all. It's a very loose pineapple though.

Pupsie, I did a second olaplex last weekend which was about a month after the first. Will save next one for after next colour hair.

Was the spectacle of the beach this morning: Poured some bottled water over my hair (so it wouldn't absorb as much salt water) then put in LIC and then the apivita spray and tied it up in a bun. And that was Before I started the methodical application of the sun cream and finished off with the huge global babes hat

Was that the hat you mentioned on the French thread SophieLion? I am like that in the sun and I don't even live in Greece .

Lol Sophie! I have that hat in navy. Not worn it yet this though and unlikely to at this rate.

Has anyone looked at a hair steamer for refresh days? I've seen a couple of IGers rating them, but wouldn't the heat be a problem?

Yes it is Quirky. I love it. It's so big but folds up so it transports easily. I've used it loads (on the beach or by the pool - it's a bit big for walking around on a normal day).

I try to stay away from steamy Showers Pupsie (eg if ready to go out in evening and DH showering) as it ruins my hair!!! But I suppose doing steam as a refresh