2c/3a (?) Looking for routine advice

Gluestick05 · 12-21-2012, 04:52 PM

Hi all!

I'm about a week into CG, and it's going pretty well. I've gone from day 2 (morning):

to day 6 (afternoon):

and I'm doing okay with it, but my hair feels pretty weighed down and gross by the end of the day. I think my porosity is low (hair floats in the water test, but the cuticle feels rough-ish), and it was keratin treated at the end of October (but I was told that it shouldn't significantly impact the curl pattern?).

Currently, I'm shampooing and conditioning (no silicones or sulfates) it every day, and then co-washing it on the off days. I scrunch in some KCKT (2 quarter-sized dollops?) and a few drops of argan oil, plop it, sleep on it, then spritz it in the morning, work in some AG: recoil gel (1 quarter-sized dollop), and leave for work. Once it's dry, I scrunch it to get the crunch out. It'll be bouncy and nice until about noon, at which point it gets limp and sad. On the co-wash days, it's significantly worse.

So...ideas? I'd love to get slightly tighter curl (it was more 3aish when I did this a few years ago, wondering if the keratin has anything to do with it), but mostly I'd just love it to not be limp and blah as soon as I've finished my lunch.

Thanks in advance for your help!

jakrussel3 · 12-23-2012, 02:17 PM

Maybe try using less KCKT and raking in the recoil before plopping instead of after plopping, then refresh in the morning. Too much leave in conditioner can weigh down hair.

Gluestick05 · 12-23-2012, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakrussel3

Maybe try using less KCKT and raking in the recoil before plopping instead of after plopping, then refresh in the morning. Too much leave in conditioner can weigh down hair.

Thanks! I tried it with no KCKT yesterday, and less plop time (since I washed my hair in the morning, not at night) and it was a lot worse than usual, so some part of the current routine is working better than the modification, I suppose. I'll give this a shot!

asianrunner · 12-23-2012, 07:35 PM

Have you tried gel? That would probably help set your curls more.

CurlyKafween · 01-22-2013, 03:43 PM

You say you're only a week into CG, but did you clarify all the silicones out of your hair before you started? One last SLS shampoo to rid your hair of all the harsh buildup?
You can also try 2 parts baking soda, one part honey scrub, rinse with water and then 1 part apple cider vinegar 2 parts distilled water rinse. Check the recipes section

kathymack · 01-23-2013, 06:54 AM

I think keratin can loosen curl. Don't know if it damages hair. Don't they use heat as a part of the treatment??

Float test is notoriously unreliable. I'd go with running fingers from tip to root. If cuticle feels rough, you're probably normal or porous--depending how rough. Skimmed through your post twice and didn't see texture. If you're fine possibly porous, you need to add protein.

Another thing that helps is a good haircut with the right layering. It's the foundation to everything else.

KCKT is a detangler. It doesn't have enough moisture for most of us. You may need to up you moisture, too. It's all about getting the protein/moisture balance right.