Styling product recommendations

[bronte222]

Hi--
I'm new to this site, and I'd love to get some recommendations for a good leave-in styling product for my 3a-3b hair. I used to use Ouidad's balancing rinse as a leave-in, but they've since changed the formula so that it doesn't work as well anymore. Any suggestions? My hair has gotten thinner over the years, and is wavy-curly and long--about four inches below my shoulders. It tends to get a bit flat on top now, but curlier and frizzer toward the ends. Balancing rinse used to work well to control the frizz without leaving it sticky or too flat. Just soft, long waves and curls. Any suggestions would be most welcome!

Bronte

[kathymack]

It's more important to know your Texture and Porosity then your curl type. There's a long thread on it in the "Newbies Please Read" Forum. Also, Struttswife, aka Tiffany, has a great website and ebook that will give you a lot of information:

http://www.livecurlylivefree.com/

Once you discover you texture and porosity, find others with your hair type on the boards and "stalk" them. See what products they use (most have it in their signatures) and what techniques they talk about using.

[bronte222]

thanks... i know i have fine hair, but i'm not sure about the porosity. i read the tiffany site you recommended, but i'm a bit confused about what constitutes high or low porosity! i get my hair colored, and i know the grays are resistant to color. but when i dye my hair the brown closest to my natural color, it always comes out a couple shades darker than the color swatch. so would it be high or low porosity?

[kathymack]

I'd go by the sliding your fingers from the tip of your hair to the root. Is it smooth or bumpy?? Or, ask your stylist. I wouldn't go by a color swatch.