New pics and ingredient suggestions...

[runnerchicki]

I took pictures of my hair on Day 10 of CG conversion (which was two days ago, but I finally got the photos off of my camera).

http://public.fotki.com/runnerchicki/curlygirl/

pwd: curlygirl

They were taken while my hair was still drying, but I was heading out and needed to take pics before the wind hit my hair.

I'm trying to concoct my own conditioner and styling gel right now because I'm not 100% happy with what I CO-wash with. I'd love to hear what ingredients y'all look for in your products...as well as what you avoid.

[gekko422]

I have no idea what I look for. I let other people tell me what they love, then I try a sample, and see if I like it or not.

[Jess the Mess]

I look for behentrimonium methosulphate in my condish and leave-in. It's a wonderful detangler. I also love coconut oil, honey, and agave nectar.

I personally avoid hydrolyzed wheat protein and mag sulphate. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

Look in to making your own FSG. You can put all kinds of stuff in it that your hair likes. I'm making some tomorrow.

[cadenceanne]

I have no clue about ingredients (although I'm finding that my hair responds well when I SOTC with a little AVG and Coconut Oil. I also used both of those when I made my own FSG and I loved it). But your hair looks great!!

[SouthernMoss]

Your hair looks great, Runnerchicki!

My hair is a protein glutton, so I try to have at least some protein in most of my products.

I've been avoiding glycerin all summer, at least in my leave-in and stylers, since the summer dewpoints are so high where I live. Once they consistently drop into the middle range, I may give it a try again.

[runnerchicki]

Originally Posted by SouthernMoss

Your hair looks great, Runnerchicki!

My hair is a protein glutton, so I try to have at least some protein in most of my products.

I've been avoiding glycerin all summer, at least in my leave-in and stylers, since the summer dewpoints are so high where I live. Once they consistently drop into the middle range, I may give it a try again.

I've had trouble with glycerin too (I'm in Colorado). I am learning to pay attention to dew points now. I haven't had much luck with honey either. Even when the dew points rise I probably won't be able to use them over the winter because the indoor heating dries out the air. I need to get a whole house humidifier.

[wavy wonder]

Your hair looks amazing I love the highlights.
My wave pattern in the summer looks similar to your waves.

[goobernut]

I look for cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. They are emollients without being greasy and weighing my hair down. I avoid oils like the plague. heh.

[runnerchicki]

Wavy, does your hair get curlier or straighter in the summer? My hair LOVES humid weather. I live in the wrong climate, lol.

Photo 1: is today's hair. I used one of my FSG batches and NO gel over that. Other than the FSG all that is in my hair is a little KBB Hair Milk as a leave-in. I don't know if you can see it in my picture or not, but the halo around my head is not frizz...it's broken hairs. My poor hair. It's so tired it just wants me to leave it alone.

Photo 2: is actually many years ago, so I'm not CG. I probably don't even have any product in my hair (I was lazyier then), but it was taken in Oklahoma. It was more humid there than where I live now.

Photo 3: is my hair longer, still pre-CG, but also pre-highlights. See how much darker it was?

Okay, my question is: Is it my imagination, or is my hair curlier in photo 2 than in the others? It's been 4 years since I moved to Colorado and I'm starting to think that I imagined that my hair used to be curly.

[runnerchicki]

Originally Posted by goobernut

I look for cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. They are emollients without being greasy and weighing my hair down. I avoid oils like the plague. heh.

NOTED!

I'm writing down all of the comments, so keep 'em coming y'all.

[wavy wonder]

My hair LOVES humidity and it looks like yours does too.
Your hair looks A LOT curlier in picture two. I see lots of ringlets. But i really like your hair now. It looks awesome! and you are VERY pretty
What are your stand by products?? it seems you and i have very similar curl pattern.
Look at my hair over the summer

and then now, and not that i'm complainingg about this picture, I love it, but my hair doesn't always curl up like this. this picture is an especially GOOD day for me, especially.

[Alexjoujou]

Hmm. I'm not much help now. After I henna'd my hair's porosity changed so stuff I loved before now is a complete no-no. I've always had fairly porous hair--not quite as porous as someone who bleaches and whatnot but definitely more porous than not. My hair could take much heavier products than some that are fine and thin due to porosity.

After henna I kind of slid down the scale and for a while some products just sat on my hair if there was any oil in them at all. ANY. Depressing! I'ma complete PJ so to see all those great products just sitting there..bout made me

There isn't anything I avoid too greatly but I now watch for oils and heavier products that make my hair too smooth and silky--because for me that pulls out my curl. I have different curl patterns and so some products just leave me with stringy pointy weird pieces of hair.

I am also prone to the stringlet hair (e.g. not a clumper). I've not really yet figured out a good clumping method. A few things give me good curls but not all of them give me clumps.

I too have a Tiffany cut on Monday and am really hopeful that this will help alot. Looking forward to seeing what I can do! I like short hair on me as my hair is curlier when short.

I spent a lot of time on the product reviews board reading different things. I use all sorts of stuff..no rhyme or reason really. I just tried it all. I think I spent like $200 on kathymack samples all told!

[runnerchicki]

Originally Posted by wavy wonder

My hair LOVES humidity and it looks like yours does too.
Your hair looks A LOT curlier in picture two. I see lots of ringlets. But i really like your hair now. It looks awesome! and you are VERY pretty
What are your stand by products?? it seems you and i have very similar curl pattern.
Look at my hair over the summer

I could show my husband this picture of your hair and he would think it was me. Yes, my hair LOVES humidity. MISSES humidity desperately. I think I would go to a 3a in a normal climate.

My stand-by products are GVP CB or Ion Moisturizing Conditioner (awesomeness). KBB Hair Milk as a leave-in if my hair is extra thirsty. I play around with other stuff, but when my hair is feeling yucky I KNOW those will give me good results. I have been using FSG for a couple weeks, but I use herbs and aloe in it (not gel..just regular aloe juice). I like MGA styling gel (it is a great curl enhancer), but it is EXPENSIVE so I am working on my own. I use EcoStyle Krystal too for the protein, but it is pretty simple. I would like more nourishing ingredients, so I'm working on my own. I spritz my hair with a 50:50 mix of aloe juice and water if I need a refresher. I rarely worry about 2nd day hair because I run every day and have to cleanse my hair, but if I have the rare opportunity I use the spritz to refresh.

I DT every week with KBB Luscious Locks, which is a superb moisturizer, but I want to get more protein in my hair. So..you got it..I'm working on my own.

My biggest breakthrough discovery:
When I put product in my hair, I have found that putting it in wet hair (but not dripping down my back) and THEN getting it really wet again gives me the best results. I rake in a ton of gel, then spray it to death with water or aloe/water mix. It's almost as if the product "sucks" the water in to my hair. I do not plop. I go straight to the diffuser till about 75% dry, then I leave it alone.

Wavy, your hair is so healthy looking that I have serious hair envy. I don't see a single bit of frizz!

[runnerchicki]

Originally Posted by Alexjoujou

Hmm. I'm not much help now. After I henna'd my hair's porosity changed so stuff I loved before now is a complete no-no. I've always had fairly porous hair--not quite as porous as someone who bleaches and whatnot but definitely more porous than not. My hair could take much heavier products than some that are fine and thin due to porosity.

After henna I kind of slid down the scale and for a while some products just sat on my hair if there was any oil in them at all. ANY. Depressing! I'ma complete PJ so to see all those great products just sitting there..bout made me

There isn't anything I avoid too greatly but I now watch for oils and heavier products that make my hair too smooth and silky--because for me that pulls out my curl. I have different curl patterns and so some products just leave me with stringy pointy weird pieces of hair.

I am also prone to the stringlet hair (e.g. not a clumper). I've not really yet figured out a good clumping method. A few things give me good curls but not all of them give me clumps.

I too have a Tiffany cut on Monday and am really hopeful that this will help alot. Looking forward to seeing what I can do! I like short hair on me as my hair is curlier when short.

I spent a lot of time on the product reviews board reading different things. I use all sorts of stuff..no rhyme or reason really. I just tried it all. I think I spent like $200 on kathymack samples all told!

I hear ya on so many levels. My hair changed so much after moving to altitude that I wore it in a ponytail for most of the last 4 years cause I didn't know how to work with it. I also am prone to "skinny curls". Read my post above about my water/product/ reverse order method. Maybe it will work for you. I don't plop. I don't think it works with my length. Maybe when it's longer. My hair curls more the longer it gets anyway. You are lucky you can do short hair. I love short hair, and would be so much easier for me with my active lifestyle, but my hair just won't lay right and I end up straightening it till it grows out.

If you can't use the fruits of your PJ behavior anymore, put it up on the SWAP board. Believe me, it will get re-homed. In the meantime, try to keep it as simple as possible. I only have one or two products in my hair when I head to the diffuser (leave-in and gel). Albeit, I use a TON of gel in my hair...but that is basically it. I just don't do the six different layers of product. It doesn't work on my skinny curls. Plus, I'm too lazy to go through that many steps.

[goobernut]

Originally Posted by runnerchicki

My biggest breakthrough discovery:
When I put product in my hair, I have found that putting it in wet hair (but not dripping down my back) and THEN getting it really wet again gives me the best results. I rake in a ton of gel, then spray it to death with water or aloe/water mix. It's almost as if the product "sucks" the water in to my hair. I do not plop. I go straight to the diffuser till about 75% dry, then I leave it alone.

Wavy, your hair is so healthy looking that I have serious hair envy. I don't see a single bit of frizz!

I do something very similar! I put in the leave in and styler in while still in the shower, and then re-wet by scrunching in water . That's been a clumpage guarantee. Its the only way to get definition for me. I do still put the gel in on top without water.