Finally getting consistent results!!
 

And GOOD ones! Lol!

I think I have my routine down now!
Alternate between SMR poo and co-washing. Throw in a coco betaine poo as needed (maybe once a week or so?) and a gentle sulfate clarifying wash about once or twice a month - just as needed.

(DT/PT weekly!)

Condition with GVPCB or Ion reconstructor, rinse out to 15%-ish.

Do usual detangle, rewet, finger comb.

Out of shower, seal with MO mixed with LI and SM smoothie. Scrunch!!

Add SM soufflé over that, then LALS (using the soufflé all over would be too expensive!!). If I need a curl boost, I'll mix LAL beachy waves spray gel with it, too.

All this is done on very wet hair!!!

Next, MF towel scrunch out the excess water, then scrunch some HESMU or AIF into the ends and plop.

Pixie diffuse to 50-75% - DONE! SOTC when totally dry, of course.

Consistently good results!! Happy curly!!

Thanks for posting this :) as my first year being natural I'm desperately trying to find a good winter routine, but I'm getting there! Jas have you ever tried curl keeper? I believe it's supposed to help with environmental effects?

Wow, your routine is so complicated, but I'm glad you figured it out!

Jessie - it's really not complicated, I'm just trying to be detailed! Lol! It doesn't take very long, either.


I have not tried CK yet, but I have wanted to!! I'm afraid of falling in love with it, however, bc of the cost!

crap, Jas. You are so lucky. I am having some issues with my hair lately. I bought the souffle and am NOT having luck. The last two or three days my hair has been disgusting. Like so bad. It's awful. I dont know what it is! :mad:

How is it awful? (Frizzy, stringy, etc?)

I have to use another gel with it, for sure. It's not enough hold on its own on soaking wet hair.

Give me the low-down on your routine - maybe I can be of some help??

That's really great, Jas. My results are still not consistent. I need to keep a record of what makes better hair days.

Thanks for posting - its encouraging!

My routine is almost exactly like yours jas (thanks to your MO suggestion, I've had great results every day!). The only thing I do different is I use kckt as my LI with the MO then use fsg as my gel and a little bit of aussie or garnier gel to top it off.
I have ck and its ok. I got it off the swap board here and I tried it maybe twice and it gives me great shine but I think I just haven't found the right combo with it. Either way, I have the best curls these past 2 weeks with routine and products I'm using now so I don't plan to experiment too much anymore!

Yay!!! Hopefully that will stay true for both of us when the dews change...

well i am doing everything the same, wash with TJ TTT, condition with SM R Condish, then LI (tresseme). Normally, it's FSG, smoothie, plop, then KCCC, curl trigger then diffuse. Then the one day I used the MO to seal and it was awesome (late friday). Then I decided to get the soufflé (friday) and the day after using MO (saturday) used the MO and hair was a little stringy, but I used more than the first day. Then Sunday I added a small amount of soufflé at the end and my hair went from OK to CRAP! It was so bad, at the very last minute before leaving for hcurch I had to pin everything up it was NASTY. strings of grease. Then today, tried soufflé again (with MO seal) and nasty again. I should have waited to try the soufflé until I made sure my hair likes the MO. I'll try again tomorrow and leave out the souffle and see if I can get back on track.
Today I used just the soufflé, then some curl trigger (after plopping) and then some fsg after that cuz it was not looking good. ugh.:pale:

MO?
 

Sounds like an effective routine Jas. Is MO Moroccan oil?

Do you clarify often? I use a low poo as soon as it starts to look stringy or greasy (about once or twice a week then cowash the other days) and I find that it helps to "restart" the curls.
it might be the souffle just doesn't agree with your hair. Maybe try a different leave in with the mo. And maybe just less styling products.

Mineral oil...aka plain baby oil!

thanks, I used the shea moisture retention shampoo last week sometime, but maybe it's time again.

Was almost done typing down my routine and then my cat somehow pulled a Houdini and unplugged my computer. -_-

HoC, I know the reviews on the souffle are mixed. For some people it gives them shine and definition, but for others it makes their hair look stringy and greasy. I do want to try it eventually, but for now I'm holding out until I can find someone with my exact properties who says it worked for them. Although properties aren't everything. You and Jas are twins and your hair doesn't seem to like it. Just goes to show, huh?

Ok...Going for the shorter version...lawl...

1. Shampoo every few days with SM Moisture Retention or Yucca & Aloe(Yaaay Fine hair!)
2. Condition with the corresponding conditioner of the ones mentioned above.
3. DT with Biolage Conditioning Balm(I've had it for a while, but I plan on purchasing the GVP version after I use it up.) I actually recently purchased the SM Anti-Breakage treatment and it didn't have much slip for me so I mix it with the Biolage and it's worked amazingly!!) Comb, and Rinse out completely.
4.While my hair is soaking wet, I use one of the SM conditioners as a leave-in(only need a pump or 2)
5. Apply about a quarter size of SM Soufflee, Scrunch.
6. Apply about a dime size amount of SM Smoothie(Since I have Fine hair).
7. Then I use two sprays of Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Oil Dry Spray to my hands(rub together) then apply it throughout my hair.
8. Then I end with KCCC.

Kind of a lot but meh...haha. I can get 2nd Day hair but I haven't attempted to see how long it could last. I use a small spray bottle of water and a little of the SM Milk(again of both types mentioned above) and my hair is perfect. :D

Decided to post this just in case it helps someone else. Still experimenting with other products but this combo seems to work EVERY TIME for me.

I like this idea. We should all post our miracle routines and what works for us every time. This is my bare bones routine. I can embellish it and have been experimenting lately with a bunch of new products (FSG, other leave-in products, or swapping the KCCC for something else), but this works for me every time for soft, silky, defined hair.

Step 1: If it's a low poo day (I do this once a week), I low poo with either Shea Moisture's Moisture Retention Shampoo or their Yucca Baobab one.

Step 1/2: Co-wash with Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle. (If I'm doing the scalp and not low pooing that day I'll massage the scalp in firm circular motions for roughly 2 minutes and then rinse out completely. Don't want any residue on that scalp of mine. Then...) I apply a generous palmful of conditioner to the rest of the hair 2/3 of the way down with a small dime size on the crown to combat frizz. Let it sit in my hair for at least 5 minutes for full penetration. If my hair is feeling dryer, I mix the TJ TTT with Shea Moisture's Restorative Conditioner. 50/50 mix and still has enough slip thanks to the TTT. Then I do my best to finger detangle but if I'm impatient I'll use a wide toothed comb. I comb very, very gently. Any areas that are super tangly or dry I'll apply more conditioner and pick apart the knots with my fingers. Then I rinse out completely.

Step 2/3: Get out and take about a quarter size of Kinky Curly Knot Today and mix it with either 3-4 drops jojoba oil, or 3-4 drops grapeseed oil for sealing. Apply all over the length of my dripping wet hair until my hair has the consistency of seaweed. I'm sure to get the crown and the inches past my scalp too. I also do my best to apply enough leave in the portions of my hair that are dryer like in the back and corners.

Step 3/4: Tilt my head forward, take a microfiber towel or an old t-shirt and and scrunch squeeze up towards the scalp to remove excess moisture and so my hair stops dripping.

Step 4/5: I divide my hair into three sections. Back, left, right. Take my KCCC and apply a modest amount to either hand. This is hard to quantify because of KCCC's consistency. It's sort of not runny but not gummy either. I'd say maybe a dime size? I just know when my hand feels coated enough. I smooth the product on my hair, gliding over it, then scrunch up. I start with the back, smoothing there, then I bring the back up to the front to join the other sections of my hair. Then slide on, scrunch up, left and right. Then I let it air dry. My hair air dries fast so no diffusing. If I can get away with it though I prefer to wash my hair at night because I prefer my second day hair. It's curlier for some reason. Maybe my hair doesn't like being washed. LOL!

Step 1: (Second day hair or third day hair! - I usually don't go for fourth because my exercise schedule poops on my party.)

Spritz hair with cold water until suitably damp. (I keep a spray bottle in the fridge.) Then gently comb with fingers areas that have gone to disarray. Take a bit of a refreshing product, either more KCCC, some of SM's curling smoothie or their curl & style milk, etc. Run through curls while I'm finger combing and scrunch up. For some reason adding a bit of extra product reactivates the hold of the old and just brings my curls back to life. Again I'm left with soft, shiny defined curls. (That's why I love KCCC so much even though gels with harder holds do work well. They just don't leave my hair soft and I really don't like crunch. Also whatever gelcast I get with KCCC unravels on its own. But I'm getting off topic.) My favorite refreshing product is SM's curling smoothie so far. I'm testing out the milk and it's good but the smoothie has a layer of hold that the milk ain't got. But because of the hold I have to be careful how much of the smoothie I use and dilute it a little. You'd think the milk would be the answer to my quandary there but so far the jury's out.


Wow. Now I've written a novel too! :laughing6:

Wow! Look at all this great info! I'll have to read through it all later!

Did want to quickly add for HoC -

Are you putting the MO on very wet hair? What about the soufflé? How much MO are you using? I use 5-10 drops, but my hair is dense and about elbow length. Maybe you are using too much?

It also sounds like you may be a little OC'd. Maybe pooing once a week is too little with the amount of moisture you are retaining now? Or perhaps you need more protein to balance that out?

Just a few thoughts! I must go to bed, but tomorrow I may think of more suggestions, and I can go through this thread more!

Thanks for sharing, happy for you that you've found your perfect routine!! Encouraging and we can all learn from this :)