:) Hi everyone.  I'm new to the site and was just wondering people's thoughts on using products on their hair.......I have all one length loose spiral curls,(when wet it's probably to elbow length..when dry we curlyheads know what happens!  I am using Ouidad products right now,but boy there are too expensive.  What's the thought on almond oil or jojoba oil?  Any help would be appreciated:)  Would love to stop or control the frizzies!!

I heard raves about both almond oil and jojoba oil.  I use jojoba oil and really like it, but I have rather straight, fine hair.  (haven't tried any other oil, liked the first one I found ;))  I'll let some other curlyheads give you their favs.  I have heard some like shea butter or olive oil even.

Jojoba oil is most similar to your natural oils.  I use it on the ends of my hair regularly.  

:)Thanks!  Gotta pick up that jojoba oil and aloe vera gel.  Can I use them together??  Never used either before.  Since I like to make my oil body lotion,bath salts etc.  I tried a few drops of sweet almond oil.  Not bad.  
Got a happy thought for ya'all on olive oil  My grandfather used a drop of olive on his hair every day and to the day he died at 85 he had a full head of silver hair!  Don't stop using that oil!!:)

Here's what works on my curly head:
I used olive oil for a while, but only the night before I showered. It didn't seem to do a whole lot. I then switched to jojoba oil and use it on the ends. My hair is so nice and smooth and shinny now. It's wonderfu. I think it impoves curls, but that's for my hair.
Good luck finding what works for you.
Meg

Hi Meg,
thanks for the suggestion :) I'm noticing that when my hair is damp it's fine,as airdries it gets drier on the ends..make sense?  Ah,the trials and tribulations of being a curlyhead ;D I am going to try the jojoba oil,since the sweet almond oil is "just ok".

Hi CurlGirl, have you tried coconut oil.  I've heard this was EXCELLENT for curlies. It is very light and non-greasy.  I oil my ends with it every night and my length as needed.

Hi Christiana,
You want to hear a nightmare story about my dumb experiement with coconut oil?? :-[ I used it as a leavin in conditioner about 2 years ago,sat under the bonnet dryer and then proceeded to wash it out in the kitchen sink.  Not only was my hair "icky" my drain was so backed up I had to call the plumber!!  I can laugh now,but what a mess!!!  I will dry a few drops in the palms of my hands and run it through the length.  I just washed it and already put a few drops of sweet almond oil.  It's just so long and time consuming,but worth it...
Thanks for the suggestion,got more??

Hey Curlgirl!

I have to say that I myself stick with the jojoba oil and aloe vera gel.  My hair is mostly straight with a slight wave to it, I use just a few drops of the jojoba and work it in from the ears down.  The aloe gel I'll use for styling control on my bangs, and sometimes I'll use it in the length of my hair and scrunch it if I want it even more wavy.   Works really well!  :)

Same as Precious Locks, they're the first ones that I tried, and I liked them so I looked no further (yet...).

maggie

thanks Maggie :)

I wash my hair every 2-3 days and I've noticed that on the day I wash it, it doesn't stay in a bun with a hair stick that well.  It seems too dry and a little frizzy.   While thinking of what I can do to help it, I remembered hearing about jojoba oil.  Does my description of my problem make sense, and do you think jojoba oil will help?  And do you have to get it at a salon?

You make total sense!!! :)  My hair is great while it is drying,but as it gets damp I see the ends start to dry and look different than the rest of my hair :(  I bought the jojoba oil and aloe vera gel in a health food store that I buy my soy milk and Eath Balance in and let me tell you......the bill was $25.95 for the two of them.  I thought that was expensive!!!  What's the going rate in your neck of the woods??
I use Ouidad Balancing Rinse as a leave in conditioner(just a smidge) sometimes.  I've been using the sweet almond oil or jojoba oil and just alittle difference I've noticed.  My hair is pretty long,so I think I need for than a few drops.  Give it a try and let me know how it works for you,I'm curious............ :)

I've found Fruit of the Earth 100% aloe vera gel at WalMart - don't remember the price, but much cheaper than at the health food store.  I found jojoba oil at The Vitamin Shoppe fairly reasonable -- 4 oz were the same as 1 oz at a health food store.

I have also found it difficult to do updos on freshly washed hair.  I usually french braid it when it is slightly damp yet.  I also use a dab of jojoba oil on my ends before they dry completely.

thanks,PreciousLocks
no Walmart around here,though.  I will try Eckard or Rite-Aid.  Maybe Target or K-mart.  I am not going that route again and sped that when I could invest it towards LL hairsticks or shampoo and condish. :)

bcwyatt26;
Remember the line, "I just washed my hair and can't do a thing with it"?  That is what you are experiencing.  After washing, there are fewer oils which allows the hair to be more flyaway and frizzy.  It also leaves the hair more slippery and prone to slipping out of buns, braids and barrettes.

Putting just a tiny amount of jojoba oil on the length while your hair is drying will help with this condition, by adding a bit of weight to the hair making it more manageable.

Hey Curlgirl!  :D

I got my bottle of jojoba oil off of herbalremedies.com

http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?follow-pro=1&catalog=herbal-remedies-usa&vwcatalog=herbal-remedies-usa&query=jojoba%20oil

I purchased the 16 ounce bottle for about $16.00, and as for my aloe gel, I have the same kind PreciousLocks uses, Fruit of the Earth, I got that at Rite Aid for about $7.00, it was in with the face creams and washes.  So, that's not too far off of what you paid at the health food store, unless your bottle of jojoba was smaller??  HTH

Hey Maggie :)
I think the jojoba oil is 1 or 2 oz. for $12 and the aloe gel is a small tub,maybe 20 oz.(not sure),but you definately got more for your money!!!  I'm gonna pick up some meds at Eckard on Wed. and check out the prices there.  

wrote on Mar 20^th, 2006 at 11:25am:

Putting just a tiny amount of jojoba oil on the length while your hair is drying will help with this condition, by adding a bit of weight to the hair making it more manageable.

I wasn't sure you could do this. Oil and water not mix well, do they? Hm, worth a try
Meg

speaking of oils, I'e seen a lot of hair oils (mainly in the African American hair care section) which tend to be easier to find. Looking at the ingredients they have a mixture of ingredients you guys are talking about like olive oil or almond oil (depending on the product) and some other things, most seem to be free of the "cones" that are suggested to avoid. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with these products.

Most of those have preservatives and other miscellaneous filler ingredients... unless any of them are labeled pure 100% whatever oil.

Cones are any ingredients that end in the suffixes -cone, -conol, and -siloxane.

HTH
Anais

I just bought 4 oz. Jojoba oil at our local co-op and it was $12.99, but also minimally refined.

I didn't look at every product in the afro-american section but I was particularly looking at a few of the hair oils just because I had read people mentioning oils and wanted to see what they were. I know the 'cones' and the 2 I looked at didn't have any of them. the one I remember best only had about  7 ingredients in it, nothing strange/unpronouncable. I just remember the 1st 2 ingredients however off hand as it was the other day, which were minneral oil and almond oil. I was just wondering how these stack up as they claim they are "hair oils".

I personnally don't like mineral oil or baby oil for my hair. They are too greasy.  I like the jojoba oil and or sweet almond oil. :)

wrote on Mar 24^th, 2006 at 7:32pm:

Most of those have preservatives and other miscellaneous filler ingredients... unless any of them are labeled pure 100% whatever oil.

I just checked, and mine is labelled 100% pure  :)

Sorry for the confusion.. I was referring to the "hair oils" in the ethnic aisle.

Ahhh I love how we're spreading the LoVe! Wooohoo  ;D

I got some jojoba oil at Trader Joe's, 4 oz. for 7.99.  I've only used it once, but so far I like it.  It's non-greasy and light, like I've heard.  I put some in my hair as it was drying and my hair isn't as dry or frizzy like it usually is the first day I wash it.  Basically, the positive things I've heard about it are true.  I'm sure I'll find out how it works best for me as I use it.

I found this site while searching for info:  http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip175.htm

That's a great price!! :)  You did really well.  I washed my hair this morning,conditioned it and used jojoba oil and aloe vera gel.  Good curls and not frizzy.  It'll  go wavy by a.m. after putting it in 4 scruncies for the night.  Oh well :)

Another jojoba oil convert!  Welcome to the club, bcwyatt26!  ;D

wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2006 at 12:30am:

Another jojoba oil convert!  Welcome to the club, bcwyatt26!  ;D

Yes, thank you.  My wife read the bottle and it suggests using the oil for foot and hand massages; she will be converted soon as well, I think.

I told my friend and she bought some jojoba oil too, she is going to try and grow her hair long (though hers is significantly shorter then mine)
I was wodnering how much your really need of this to actually protect/moisturize your hair. obviously to much will make your hair oily. I have been trying to add it only to my ends to avoid this, but a few drops just doesnt seem like much with my very dry ends. how do you tell whats enough or whats not??

Really,it's trial and error... I'm not being flip when I say this,but you need to experiment to see how much your hair will need.  Me myself, I need to use at least 5 to 6 drops and then it feels better and looks better.   See how 1-2 drops works first,remember you can always add drops,but can't take them away.  You'll either be greasy or have to wash your hair! :(  Good luck and keep us posted!

I use about 5 drops, but my hair is 45" long.  Shorter hair should use less or it will be very oily looking.  Start with a drop in the palm of your hand and rub your hands together.  Then grab the ends of your hair and try to work the oil into the ends.  Work your way up your hair until your palms are no longer oily.

Experience will tell you how much oil to use.  I prefer to oil my hair at night.  That gives my hair all night to absorb the oil and look soft and healthy in the morning.

Usually you would not want to oil any of the hair that touches the scalp.  I only oil from the nape of my neck down.

I hit The Good Food Store yesterday and bought both Jojoba and Apricot oil. I thought I read about Apricot working well too in one of these threads. I'm going to try one of them tonight before I head to bed.  Hopefully I do it right but I'll experiment and see what works for my hair. Very good advice. :)

Oiling your hair takes a little practice.  Be sure to start small.  Use only a drop to start.  You don't want to end up looking like a grease head!  (However, if you do, consider it a deep treatment and shampoo it out.)

wrote on May 31^st, 2006 at 11:15pm:

Oiling your hair takes a little practice.  Be sure to start small.  Use only a drop to start.  You don't want to end up looking like a grease head!  (However, if you do, consider it a deep treatment and shampoo it out.)

Hee hee. Nice. Yep, I've been using jojoba oil for a while and my hair loves it. I use it after a shower. Put it in last night before going to bed because it was really dry.
Meg

I was careful last night and I think I did ok. My hair wasn't oily at all this morning. I just got it wait and put it in my rendition of a braid.  ;D

Jojoba oil is great!  ;D  Now that the weather is hot I rinse (not wash) my hair on days that it gets really sweaty with a little AVC and water.  Then I put in a few drops of Jojoba oil on the ends only.  I also oil after every wash which is twice a week.  I use more oil in the winter as I live in a dry climate.

Has anyone ever tried that "Ojon Haircare Restorative Hair Treatment" stuff they sell on QVC or in specialty shops? Its a little container of solid palm nut oil, and people rave about it.

anyone used it before? would like to know how it compares to jojoba.

Hi Shmooey,
I've bought Ojon Restorative Hair Care from QVC and my hair loved it!  It is expensive,but well worth it.  The palm nut oil is absolutely wonderful.  I went through the whole tub in about 4-5 uses.  I have very thick long hair so depending on how uch you use it might last you a really long time.  Like I said from my experience I think Ojon is one of the best products,but you need to judge for yourself.......I just got my samples of shampoo bars from Ida and am loving them,too! ;D

Thanks Curlgirl!

Ugk now i just want to try that stuff out even more. I'm currently jobless (But still looking every day :-[) -- if I can save up enough money eventually i'd like to definitly give that stuff a try. 4-5 uses though? thats extremely pricey. My hair is about to my waist but very fine, so im sure it would take less. hmm.  ::)

I think it would take less if your hair is thin.  I'd say mine is 30 1/2 inches,just at my elbows maybe and I really really used alot so I went overboard,but my hair needed it. ::) :o
I'm on disability (permanatley) so I know how the money situation is,but when you can splerge.....go for it! ;D

Hi Curlgirl,

I didn't see this thread until today. You are so lucky having spiral curls. I would love them, I'm sure I wouldn't need to straighten my unruly wavy hair then. I endorse the Ojon oil product too. You could put this in dry hair as I do occasionally, it might look a little greasy to begin with but soon seems to be absorbed by the hair, or perhaps my hair is particularly dry. My daughter had her hair permed once and had spiral curls and they looked fabulous. How about a pic.

Jules.

ps I still haven't done my silk and satin tubes yet, I've been on this site all afternoon, it's so addictive and I've been watching the tennis at Wimbledon and England playing Portugal in the football. So I'm having a very busy afternoon!!!

Hey Jules,
How's the tennis going there?  Can't believe he's retiring!!! :(  I'll tell ya the curls are loose and wavy and with the humidity I feel like something the cat dragged in!!!  lol  I will post pics of my hair when I can figure out how to work the digital camera I talked my mother into getting for her trip to Scotland,Wales and she's going back to visit England!!!
This patent thing and trademark thing is ultra expensive,but to help longhaired people out it is well worth it!!

I just started using an oil from aveda that mainly contains jojoba and rosemary. I really like the way it makes my hair feel and look. However i am worried that the rosemary will darken my already darkening blonde hair. Does anyone know if this is true or not; or whether the darkening effect only applies to those who use rinses from rosemary leaves rather than oils? Thanks in advance

Hi Darkblondeguy,
I use my own special mix of oil;jojoba oil,shea oil,fractionated coconut oil and e/o of lavender,rosemary,Texas cedarwood and sage.  I think my hair is slightly darker from it.  I was coloring it to cover the silver.  I started getting silver when I was younger and I think the oils are darkening it slightly.  I started noticing this about a month a go and have been using oil since maybe March of this year.