Where should I start? Routine & products questions

hanhan27 · 05-26-2012, 04:13 PM

My hair info is in my sig.

I have a lot of build up and the frizz is out of control! I want to try CG and have been doing lots of reading, but I still feel lost when it comes to products and a good routine. I understand that everyone's hair is different and responds to different things, but I don't even know where to start.

Should I clarify before I throw out my sulfate-ridden shampoos and start a CG routine? If so, a BS wash and ACV rinse would work for clarifying, correct?

Also - what's better? CO washing or sulfate-free shampoo? It seems like CO washing is the most popular but the Curl Type page directed me to a page with sulfate free shampoos...

On that note, from what I understand, CO washing = using conditioner to wash your hair and completely cutting shampoo out of your regular hair routine. Is that right?

So. If I CO wash, that's what I will be doing each time I wash my hair. Which means shower time = CO washing each time for sure, but what else? Do you CO wash with one type of conditioner, then use a different type for rinse out? And do you do a DT after every time you wash your hair? Do you use 3 different types of condish for CO washing, rinse out AND DT?

I have a lot of questions lol.

I'm very excited to start! I had stick straight hair as a child, and then around 13 or 14 I suddenly got wavy/curly and lots of poof and have battled it with a flat iron, buns and braids for the past 5 years.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

hanhan27 · 05-27-2012, 03:38 PM

Anyone?

Corrina777 · 05-27-2012, 04:17 PM

I'm on my cell phone so I can't see your siggie.

CG is not about a set of hard and fast rules, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. You're right about co-washing. Some people can use just one conditioner. Other people (myself included) will use a light conditioner for co-washing and then a heavier conditioner to actually condition. Some people can survive on co-washing alone, others can't and either stick to sulfate-free shampoos or rotate between the two. Typically people with finer hair have a more difficult time with only co-washing and need something a little stronger once in a while.

Before you start CG you need to do a final clarifying sulfate wash. The shampoo should have sulfates but no silicones. I hope this helps a bit!

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greencup13 · 05-27-2012, 08:26 PM

I think most people co-wash and then use a clarifying conditioner or low poo if your hair gets gunky. Dont forget for the first days/weeks/months your hair has to get used to going cg.

As far as what to use. It's very overwhelming. There are SO many
Options and I myself didn't know where to start. ( I'm still pretty new, march 2012) basically I just decided to order the DeVaCare kit and have everything I needed. This worked great but I like changing things up. The next thing I bought was a deep conditioner. I again didn't know what to buy so I just ended up at Sally's and chose one( mixed silk ). Next I decided I wanted a clarifying conditioner because my no poo wasn't cleaning my hair as well as I wanted. I looked at the cg on a budget list and picked vo5 kiwi squeeze and while I was there I picked up the Vo5 champaign kiss which is a protein. Next I wanted to try the yes to line so i picked up the cucumber and carrot conditioner. I also read wonders about Shea moisture retention so I got the Shampoo and conditioner.

Basically to end that ramble I'm just trying to say that there isn't a science. No ones really going to be able to tell you to use a certain product and you'll have luck. I would suggest just picking something and trying it.

In the beginning your hair will be doing some funky stuff. I had to bs acv rinse every other day because
My scalp was producing so much oil.

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greencup13 · 05-27-2012, 08:32 PM

I wanna add too. Start simple. It is intimidating looking at everyone's signatures seeing 100+ products. But start simple and see how your hair responds.

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kathymack · 05-28-2012, 05:55 AM

A good place to start is to look for people with similar properties and see what they use.

Corrina777 · 05-28-2012, 08:04 AM

Here's a great thread for finding a hair twin...
Share your Hair Biography

hanhan27 · 05-28-2012, 01:41 PM

Thanks for all the info, everyone!

I did check out the biography thread, but no one had the exact same properties as me. It seems like my combination of porosity, elasticity, type and texture isn't real common :\

I think I'm going to start off with CO washing every other day with a clarifying conditioner and using a moisturizing condish for RO. I think using a LI would be beneficial for my hair as well because of all the frizz.

I tend to have kind of greasy hair, so I'm prepared to have to switch some things up. The most difficult part will be if I end up in a situation where I'm not seeing improvement and I can't figure out where I'm going wrong.

I hope this will be a good place to start! Once I officially do, I may start a thread to post pictures & progress on.

Luckily, my head is spinning a little less now! I feel like I'm starting to understand. I did order the CG book a few days ago and I plan on reading that cover to cover.

hanhan27 · 05-28-2012, 02:59 PM

So, I went through the entire Bio thread again and read some more newbie stuff.

It sounds like having easily-greasy hair means I'm going to end up needing a low-poo once in a while. Here is my shopping list! I'm not buying anything for another week or so which should give me plenty of time to make adjustments after doing more reading.

CO Wash - GFTN Co or Suave Naturals. Haven't decided yet
Lo Poo - DevaCurl Low-Poo
RO - DevaCurl One Condition
LI - Biotera LI
Styling - HETT

Corrina777 · 05-28-2012, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanhan27

So, I went through the entire Bio thread again and read some more newbie stuff.

It sounds like having easily-greasy hair means I'm going to end up needing a low-poo once in a while. Here is my shopping list! I'm not buying anything for another week or so which should give me plenty of time to make adjustments after doing more reading.

CO Wash - GFTN Co or Suave Naturals. Haven't decided yet

Lo Poo - DevaCurl Low-Poo

RO - DevaCurl One Condition

LI - Biotera LI

Styling - HETT

If your hair tends to be oily, you might want to try a very light conditioner for co-washing. Suave Daily Clarifying or VO5 Kiwi Lime would probably be good bets. Also GFTN was reformulated a few months ago and is no longer CG friendly, unless you hunt down the old formula.

There's mixed feelings about a lot of the Deva stuff. You might want to try cheaper products at first until you figure out what your hair likes and doesn't like (for example, Deva One C has protein, so some people with protein sensitivities don't do well with it). Tresseme Naturals has a really good moisturizing conditioner. And it also works great as a LI. Protein and glycerin seem to be the two ingredients that cause the most issues for people, so you definitely want to see how your hair responds to them because it can narrow down your product selection very quickly and easily.

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kathymack · 05-28-2012, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanhan27

So, I went through the entire Bio thread again and read some more newbie stuff.

It sounds like having easily-greasy hair means I'm going to end up needing a low-poo once in a while. Here is my shopping list! I'm not buying anything for another week or so which should give me plenty of time to make adjustments after doing more reading.

CO Wash - GFTN Co or Suave Naturals. Haven't decided yet
Lo Poo - DevaCurl Low-Poo
RO - DevaCurl One Condition
LI - Biotera LI
Styling - HETT

Most of us would steer you away from the Deva products. For the money, there are lots of products that are better.

hanhan27 · 05-28-2012, 06:51 PM

Holy wow. Who would've thought there's so much to know about going CG?

I was actually looking at the reviews for some Deva products and was a bit surprised that they aren't so good... I'm all for spending less money if it does an equal or better job.

The thought of using a 'regular' conditioner as a leave in conditioner throws me a little bit. Do you use it as a LI in the sense that you put it in after you shower? Or do you work it through your hair in the shower and only rinse for a few seconds?

What are some signs that your hair has a protein or glycerin sensitivity? Just so I know what to look for with that.

I definitely understand that everyone's hair will react differently to different products, but I do want to take the advice that people with more experience than me hand out. I have to start some place! So, updated list for the time being...

CO Wash - Suave Daily Clarifying
Lo Poo - *Need to do more research
RO - Tresseme Naturals Moisturizing condish
LI - Biotera LI and/or Tresseme Nat Moisturizing
Styling - HETT

greencup13 · 05-28-2012, 07:57 PM

I started with Deva..... It was fine starting with, until I found other products. Won't be reordering deva products, maybe the archangel

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Corrina777 · 05-28-2012, 08:03 PM

My hair can't seem to get enough protein, but the two most common signs of protein issues are either dry, straw-like hair or overly soft and straight hair.

Some people find glycerin products drying and feel that it causes frizz. Glycerin is generally recommended in normal dew points (40-60), but some people (myself included) can use them well outside of that range.

A few ideas for low-poo: Renpure Organics has 2 new formulas- Keratin (if your hair likes protein) and Argan Oil (protein-free). They run around $6 for a good size bottle. Shea Moisture also has some very nice low-poos (slightly more expensive). The other difference between the Renpure and Shea Moisture is that Renpure shampoos contain coco. betaine, which can remove silicones from hair (very nice to have around for after a trip to the salon).

As far as using regular conditioner as LI, some people just don't rinse everything out of their hair. I personally prefer to still rinse everything out and then just add back- it gives more control over how much you use. You could also use your co-wash conditioner (as long as it's not a cleansing conditioner like Deva No-Poo), or a designated leave-in. I recently got hooked on Cure Care (at Sally's) for my leave-in- light, good slip, and it has protein (which my hair loves).

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hanhan27 · 05-28-2012, 08:22 PM

Hmmm. I'm in Wisconsin and our average dew point in the summer seems to be between 60 and 80. What exactly is it that glycerin does for your hair?

Are the benefits your hair can get from protein & glycerin worth trying it out? Or should I just avoid them for now until I get the ball rolling with CG?

I'll definitely look into the suggestions you gave me. Any opinions on Burts Bees pomegranate & soy?

I'm so thankful that there are so many helpful members here! I've had a couple bad forum experiences and NC is a nice change of pace.

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Corrina777 · 05-29-2012, 04:25 AM

For some people glycerin is amazing for controlling frizz. It's also challenging to avoId without being very careful.

Protein can be beneficial in helping to restore damaged hair (it fills in some of the "holes" in higher porosity hair) and can give curls extra bounce. It's also generally recommended in higher dews.

If dews are that high over the summer you might need a harder hold gel than HETT. LA Looks Sports Gel is great if your hair can handle glycerin. Aussie Instant Freeze or Herbal Essences Set Me Up are both glycerin-free options.

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hanhan27 · 05-29-2012, 07:09 AM

I definitely have damaged hair after so many years using a flat iron and dying from a box every few months, so maybe protein will work out for me.

Is this an appropriate low-poo from Shea?

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention... : Target

Corrina777 · 05-29-2012, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanhan27

I definitely have damaged hair after so many years using a flat iron and dying from a box every few months, so maybe protein will work out for me.

Is this an appropriate low-poo from Shea?

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention... : Target

Yes- that's a great gentle low-poo.

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hanhan27 · 05-29-2012, 07:34 PM

I've decided on everything but a low-poo.

CO Wash - Suave Daily Clarifying condish
Low Poo - ?
RO - Tresseme Naturals Moisturizing condish
LI - Biotera LI
Styling - HE Set Me Up gel and LA Looks Sports gel (Depends on how my hair takes glycerin)

Is there anything wrong with the Herbal Essences leave-in? It's in a red bottle, which might make it part of the Long Term Relationship line. I've been using this for a year or so and my bottle is almost gone. If it's OK to use, I'll probably finish it off before I get the BioTera LI. If not, it'll be in the garbage next to my brush, blow dryer and old shampoo ASAP.

Speaking of LI, what makes the recommended LIs good as far as ingredients?

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Corrina777 · 05-29-2012, 08:36 PM

You need to double check the ingredients on the HE leave-in. I'm not entirely sure if it's cone-free or not. Leave-in is definitely a personal preference thing, so I can't really pinpoint good vs bad ingredients. I do well with Cure Care most of the time. If I feel like my hair needs extra moisture I'll either use the Tresemme Naturals conditioner or As I Am Leave-In (at Sally's). On days that I do a lot of training (I do martial arts), I will use a leave-in with cones that I found that does an amazing job at keeping my hair detangled (I follow a modified CG routine, so I use sulfates and cones once in a while). If you're looking for a spray, I saw one in WalMart called Monkey Brains- it was a spray leave-in/detangler. I haven't tried it yet because I have way too many products to wade through right now, but it was CG friendly, which seems to be hard to find in leave-in sprays (many have amodimethicone, which is not water-soluble).