joseybird

Hi! *waves* I'm new here...(apparently I registered here last year but I don't even remember doing so!)

I'm currently experimenting with products for my fine, thin curly hair, and I'm interested to know what product lines are most popular around these forums so I can try some out. From lurking I can tell that Shea Moisture has a good rep, but what other widely-available lines should I try? (I've looked for the EverCurl line from L'Oreal but haven't found anything yet)

WurlyLox

Watch people's signatures to see what they use and like. Few go with a particular line, drugstore or otherwise. This is because while one product in a line might be OK, everything else may be full of 'cones and/or sulfates - we just read labels, get suggestions from people here and try things to see what we like. You can always get rid of stuff on the swap board here to recoup some of what you spend on stuff you don't end up using.

That said, Shea Moisture line is all CG, I think, and is now available at Walgreen's. Almost all Giovianni is, too, and some Walgreen's/CVS/Rite-Aids have it, some don't. Burt's Bees is CG, though I personally can't stand any of it I've tried. As for regular drugstore brands, Garnier Fructise seems to have more items than most that are safe, but you still have to read their labels. And with any company, they change ingredients all the time, so it's a good idea to still check them each time you start to make a purchase.

Here are a few particular drugstore items that come to mind:

• L'Oreal Out of Bed - people use apply it on wet hair as a curl enhancer, not on dry hair per the jar instructions
• LA Looks Sports Gel - most like it better than their curl gel
• Ecostyler gel
• Got2B Kinks Curly Mousse
• JoiWhip Mousse
• Suave Naturals conditioners for co-washing and conditioning
• VO5 conditioners for co-washing and conditioning
• Nexxus Emergencee (protein treatment - must condition well after it)
• BioInfusion Conditioning Balm - totally equal to Biolage Conditioning Balm except for the price
• KY liquid lubricant - people like it instead of Curly Hair Solutions' Curl Keeper - works about the same but much cheaper (I personally don't like it or the real thing)
• Garnier Fructise Triple Nutrition conditioner - for conditioner - don't see anyone using it for co-washing

There're plenty more - that's just all that come to mind at the moment. Maybe that'll get you started, LOL!

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Current Main Rotation: MG217 medicated or Aim2Health 'poos as scalp needs, YTCarrots or Elucence cond., Spiral Solutions Protein Trtmt & Deeply Decadent Cond., CJCCCC reg or lite, KCCC, AO Mandarin Magic, Giovanni LA Hold Hair Spritz + lots more, sporadically

HG Method: Super Soaker-ing + Smasters-ing, short upside down diffusing then clips or clamps & air dry. Blend gray w/henna glosses

www.fotki.com/auntnett

Jas76

Great list!!

Wanted to point a couple things out - bio infusion conditioning balm and Garnier triple nutrition have both been reformulated and now have cones.

I don't remember if you mentioned Tresemme naturals conditioners, though I'm pretty sure you said Vo5 and Suave Naturals.

If you have a Sally's Beauty Supply near you, there are a TON of products there, and they are cheap. GVP conditioning balm, the Cure Care line, Ecostyler gels... There are several more.

There are threads on here about favorite drugstore or Sally's products, and they might have more lists and more reviews of the products in there.

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2c/3a/3b, Fine/med, Dense, high porous, & normal elas.

Lo-poo - Renpure Keratin, SMR, Giovanni SaS
clarifying - mix Johnson's H2T with low poo
Co-wash - Suave Nats. clar. or coco.
RO - GVPCB, Ion Eff. Care, TN.
LI - SMR, Cure Care, or RO
Seal - MO or Jojoba
DT - + honey, ACV, & EVOO to SM masque & GVPCB
PT - Gelatin!, CNPF
Styling - FSG, AIF, BRHG, LALS/PS, GF curl spray gel, SM Souffle/Smoothie, LOOB
Oils - MO!, EVOO, jojoba, GSO, SM Elixer, EVCO, VO5 Hairdressing

Myrna

Oh, we gotta add the Shea Moisture products!

WurlyLox

I did mention Shea Moisture above . . . thanks, Jas, didn't know about the BioInfusion and GF triple nutrition changes - as I said, they do it all the time! Forgot Tresemme Naturals - that was just a quick-n-dirty little list of what came to mind right then, LOL

Yeah, lots more at Sally's. The GVP balm is a great dupe for Biolage, as BioInfusion's used to be.

Oh, and Giovanni, Kinky Curly, Curls, and other products at Target . . . .

And, yeah, lots more threads already about all this.

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Current Main Rotation: MG217 medicated or Aim2Health 'poos as scalp needs, YTCarrots or Elucence cond., Spiral Solutions Protein Trtmt & Deeply Decadent Cond., CJCCCC reg or lite, KCCC, AO Mandarin Magic, Giovanni LA Hold Hair Spritz + lots more, sporadically

HG Method: Super Soaker-ing + Smasters-ing, short upside down diffusing then clips or clamps & air dry. Blend gray w/henna glosses

www.fotki.com/auntnett