shagun

Hello ladies!
Thanks so much for your suggestions! @ wowohwow, I am not sure about the porosity, but I am a 3A and 3B mix and hair that is not very thick. It does expand when it dries out. I think I have to read all the introductory threads on this forum. I am freaking out about all the s*** I am putting in my hair. I will switch Paul Mitchell with HETT mousse and see how this will turn out. I will have to use up the HE conditioner before I buy a CG conditioner. Also, I wanna know which one is more effective - a gel or a mousse, to obtain soft curls? Also what does a spray do? I am contemplating buying the Deva curl AnGell. Any thoughts? Thank you so much for being so open to questions! It really helps!

shagun

@wavyR, I guess I feel the need to comb out my dry hair, as I am not doing the things prior to that step correctly. I will try combing out in the shower. Thanks for all the suggestions. I will keep updating on my CG journey!

wowohwow

Here's an article about porosity, if you're curious

Haha, HETT mousse isn't CG either It dries out your hair like crazy - trust me, I've been there!

Ohh the great gel vs mousse debate. Ok, personally, my hair loves mousse. A LOT of people love gel though. So here are your best bets: As far as gel, try Biotera gel, which can be found at Sally's. As far as mousse, try Joico Mousse, which can be found at Ulta.

A spray will revive your curls the day after you cowash and all that...makes them look like you just did them! I just use water though!

Umm, about the Deva line: I've never tried it, because I don't want to spend that much money on hair products I don't want to try it either, bc I don't want to like it and then have to spend a fortune! The Biotera gel runs about $7, and the Joico mousse runs about $9, but Angell runs about $20! That's too much for me.

I haven't gotten my routine down pat, but I can totally post it if you'd like and no prob with the questions! Feel free to ask away!

__________________
3a/C/iii; mod-CG since 07/14/08
Shampoo: Whole Foods 365 Citrus Grapefruit shampoo (same results as Deva Low Poo but a tenth of the price!)
Condish: Deva One Condition
Styling: Deva AnGel, then SOTC with no Frizz creme
Hairtwins! Ab-star, Ledzeppole, Shellynot, soficurls and tarc817

wavyR

i have a can of HETT mousse, and according to the ingredients, it is CG. i find that mousse in general can be drying also, so i always use a leave-in underneath.

i haven't tried biotera gel, so i can't vouch for it, but i've noticed some people on the boards have used it and had success.

if you don't need a hard holding gel, i'd start out with one of the HE gels (the kind that come in the tube. i'm not sure if the spray gels are CG)
if you need something with a stronger hold, there is always Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee. I've seen lots of people mention the LA Looks Sports Gel too.

What i've learned is everyone's hair is different, and you have to play around with the products to make it work for you. The way you apply something, or the order in which you apply can greatly affect the outcome.

__________________
2b/c, med./coarse texture, med./high density & mod. porous http://public.fotki.com/wavyR/
LOVE tresemme naturals, suave pomegranate, ecostyler, HESMU, BRHG, KCCC, CIAB, CCCClite, KY Jelly & JCN&S. HATE soy protein.

wowohwow

My bad! I meant that the HETT condish isn't CG

__________________
3a/C/iii; mod-CG since 07/14/08
Shampoo: Whole Foods 365 Citrus Grapefruit shampoo (same results as Deva Low Poo but a tenth of the price!)
Condish: Deva One Condition
Styling: Deva AnGel, then SOTC with no Frizz creme
Hairtwins! Ab-star, Ledzeppole, Shellynot, soficurls and tarc817

shagun

Thank you ladies for the recommendation. I bought the Garnier Fructis Leave-in conditioning crème, Sleek & Shine and HETT curl scrunching gel. I am trying to follow the CG method of coming my hair in the shower etc. But still I feel the need for using FX silk drops, otherwise, my hair tends to get really dry, which leads me to comb out my hair again! I am on the verge of giving up!

wowohwow

What's going on with your hair?? What is it doing, and what would you like for it to do?? Give me your entire routine and what products you're using...we have very similar textures, so I can try and help

Btw, what part of India are you from?

__________________
3a/C/iii; mod-CG since 07/14/08
Shampoo: Whole Foods 365 Citrus Grapefruit shampoo (same results as Deva Low Poo but a tenth of the price!)
Condish: Deva One Condition
Styling: Deva AnGel, then SOTC with no Frizz creme
Hairtwins! Ab-star, Ledzeppole, Shellynot, soficurls and tarc817

shagun

@ wowohwow, here is my routine.
Cowash: Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner
Rinse out : HETT Conditioner (This is not CG, and I will get rid of it asap!). I scrunch and let my hair soak in it for a few mins.
Leave in: Garnier Fructis Leave-in conditioning crème, Sleek & Shine. I scrunching out excess water using a T-shirt, and then rake this leave in into my hair (with my head bent down) . Then I comb my hair with a wide comb.
Gel: HETT curl scrunching gel. I scrunch my hair with this gel and when I come out of the shower, I gently blot my hair with the T shirt. I then twist it in sections to define my curls.
Soon after that, I dry my hair using a diffuser till its about 80% dry.
Now, 1) When I have the patience and time, I let it air dry till it is100% dry and then SOTC. Even then it looks crappy and dry and dull, so I comb it out gently with a wide comb!
or 2) When I need to get dressed and leave immediately, I dry my hair even more and it still looks crappy! So I comb it out again!

It only looks a little better with the F/X silk drops which makes it a little manageable, soft, smooth and shiny.

I can't even explain how bad my hair looks the second day!

All I want is (like everyone else :-)) soft, smooth, bouncy curls and a simple routine for my second day hair.

Please help!
Thank you so much in advance!

shagun

And oh yeah, I am from Bangalore! What about you?

wowohwow

Andhra Pradesh =)

__________________
3a/C/iii; mod-CG since 07/14/08
Shampoo: Whole Foods 365 Citrus Grapefruit shampoo (same results as Deva Low Poo but a tenth of the price!)
Condish: Deva One Condition
Styling: Deva AnGel, then SOTC with no Frizz creme
Hairtwins! Ab-star, Ledzeppole, Shellynot, soficurls and tarc817

wowohwow

Ok these two steps are the only steps that may be causing issues...



HETT Conditioner - of course this is not CG, and it's probably building up on your hair bc you're not using a sulfate shampoo to get out the -cones =\

Leave-in - The problematic ingredients in this one are amodimethicone, which can buildup if not rinsed properly (here's how to figure out how to wash out -cones) Additionally, this product has 2 synthetic waxes (cetyl esters & Methylparaben) which also may be building up.

You might want to start over...by that I wash your hair with a sulfate shampoo to get rid of any buildup, and then replace the HETT condish with something like Tresemme Naturals ($4).

Just rake a few pea-sized amounts of condish through your hair, then use your gel.

Let me know if that helps any =)

Also, I started this thread a few weeks ago if you want to check it out =)

__________________
3a/C/iii; mod-CG since 07/14/08
Shampoo: Whole Foods 365 Citrus Grapefruit shampoo (same results as Deva Low Poo but a tenth of the price!)
Condish: Deva One Condition
Styling: Deva AnGel, then SOTC with no Frizz creme
Hairtwins! Ab-star, Ledzeppole, Shellynot, soficurls and tarc817

shagun

Oh my God! Thank you so much for your reply and for starting that thread. It is so useful! I think I have to start all over again after going through that thread. Will definitely keep updating about my progress! :-)
Thank youuuu!!!

wowohwow

No problem! Glad it proved useful to you!

Awesome! Do update me. Also, I made an edit above - I no longer think the AOHR would be a good daily rinse out. It's a little too heavy IMO..I think I"ll be using it as a deep treatment of sorts. The Tresemme is a good rinseout though!!

__________________
3a/C/iii; mod-CG since 07/14/08
Shampoo: Whole Foods 365 Citrus Grapefruit shampoo (same results as Deva Low Poo but a tenth of the price!)
Condish: Deva One Condition
Styling: Deva AnGel, then SOTC with no Frizz creme
Hairtwins! Ab-star, Ledzeppole, Shellynot, soficurls and tarc817

cassadie3

hello all! I just featured my curly haired Indian friend on my blog today and wanted to share the link with you here (I've lurked on this thread before and she offers tips that you may find helpful, and if not, at least its a good read)

http://naturalselectionblog.com/2010...ance-bianca-2/

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Little Red

Thanks for posting the link to your blog about your curly haired Indian friend. I'm Indian too and it was interesting to read her current routine. I've been working my way towards something similar to what she does.

cassadie3

glad I could share!

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NJT

Hi all,

Thought I'd share a combo that's been working for me lately, in case it helps someone else. It seems to be a popular combo on this site. (unfortunately this stuff is usually bought online).

While hair is wet, rake through a lot of Curl Keeper and a small to medium amount of AG re:coil; scrunch using a little BiosilkRHG. Plop and let down. When hair is dry, scrunch out the crunch.

UPDATE: Just wanted to give an update in case it helps anyone else: today I raked through curl keeper (sectioned off my hair into 4 parts, before I would just rake in the shower) and scrunched with ag re:coil (with dry hands), used some clips for lift, and pretty much let the curls air dry. Looks good so far.

Razorblade

Hi - i'm indian too, gujarati, and i'm almost 30 and only just learning how to handle curly hair. Why was it so difficult? Why have a had a bad hair life (with the odd exception)?? I've only just realised: i am the only girl in my entire (very large) extended family with curly hair. The only one! Some of the boys have curls, but since they wear their hair short it's not a problem for them (and anyway its not as curly as mine). My mum had curly hair, but she's the only one i can think of, and she used to pull it straight (even chemically straighten it in her youth). So my childhood was one long french plait (braid) and only now am i learning to love my inner curl. I think if mum were still alive (and if her hair could still curl as it used to) we'd be doing the CG thing together. Anyway, that's my tuppence worth. All i know is that there are so few curlies in my community (and the ones who are probably straighten), that i stand out like a sore thumb. Apparently, 'i don't belong'. And i like that. Now finally i know what to do with my hair!

xx

RoCurls

I never dreamed that I'd see so many fellow Indians on NC.com!
My parents grew up in India, but I was born in the US. My mom braided my hair every single day up til 6th grade! But now that I've learned how to take care of my hair, I love it and wear it down often! Much to the dismay of my dad, though...ain10
Best wishes to all!

__________________

CG has taught me that my hair is indeed lovely... both wet AND dry!
Shampoo: Body Blends Naturals Bamboo-Green Tea Sulfate Free
Conditioner: Suave Naturals Coconut
LIC's: Aussie Hair Insurance and VO5 Kiwi-Lime conditioner
Gel: Satinique Extra-Design Styling Gel and Paul Mitchell Round Trip
Randoms: Weekly Sesame Oil, DevaCurl Mist-er Right

curlaphile

AHHH! I feel the Indian sisterhood! I am a curly haired Indian girl but in my family that's everyone!!
unfortunately all my friends have straight silky hair and I attempted the same and at least 7 years later(wow time passes!) I've attempted to switch to CG (day 2 folks!).

ALSO...I'm from Andhra wowohwow!From Hyderabad and going to visit soon actually...lets see how CG holds up against the heat wave that is south India=)

PS. Thanks to the OP for creating the thread, makes me feel a little less alone knowing there are other Indian curlies =)

__________________

Co-wash:Suave coconut
Rinse out: Garnier Triple Nutrition
Leave-In: TBD
Other: Herbal Essences Toussle Me Softly/ LA Looks Sport Gel
CG Start Date: 6/27/10