I was thinking about trying the productless routine again or atleast cutting down on products. I figured I'd ask here if anyone of you long culies have had luck with no or little product in your hair. The very, very top layer of my hair is fine (maybe it's damage that can be fixed maybe it's the way my hair is) but anyway whatever products that I use to well for the rest of my hair but tend to cause a few strands of this fine hair to look like producty strings that stick out. Tonight I might just try less of what I've been using and may try applying more upside down, and see how that works. I've only been using leave-in conditioner, a little shea butter on my ends and some aloe.


Any suggestions are appreciated.

The top layer of my hair has the least amount of curl.  Without using product and scrunching and plopping it can look almost straight.

I currently use:
shampoo
apple cider vinegar for rinsing
conditioner
leave-in conditioner
gel
moisture lock spray
camellia oil for ends
sweet success hair growth oil for scalp
sunflower oil for scalp massage

Using the CG method, I apply the leave-in, gel and spray.  

This is the link for plopping instructions:
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlcolumns/articles.php?id=140

Without product, the underside of my hair is plenty curly/wavy but it looks pretty lifeless.  The Devacurl line leaves my hair soft.  My hair looks producty only if I use silicones or put too much oil on the ends.

HTH

Tht's kind of how my very top layer of my hair is just like that. Do you apply all your stuff upside down to keep your top layer from getting gunky? Those peices just don't seem to fall in with the other curls they just stick out and it bothers me.

After I shampoo, vinegar rinse and condition I squeeze the water out with my hands first, and then a microfiber towel while looking at the floor.  If I turn my head completely upside down when wet, I get super frizzy.  So, looking at the floor I scrunch in my leave-in, starting on the sides and back of my hair and do the front last so there's not too much product.  Then I get out of the shower, place my 2nd microfiber towel on the closed toilet lid, scrunch in my gel and moisture lock spray the same way as the leave-in and then wrap the towel up like in the pictures.  I'm glad you reminded me of the link for plopping-I re-read it and am going to try scrunching in a bit more gel after I take my hair out of the towel to see what happens.

You could pin curl those top hairs...just a thought.

Do you do the ACV rinse everyday?

I have very fine hair. What I do after my Wash, ACV, and condish is squeeze out hair put in mirco fiber towel upside down.  Then when the waters out I put a dab of Ojon or Jojoba oil scrunched into the length.  Then I put on a snood till its dry.  I during the day I spary with rosewater mixed with Jojoba oil to help hydrate,  Before bed I give it a really good spray with water then were a curl cap to bed.  That's all I use HTH. :)

I wash my hair 2-3 times a week.  I have been using the ACV every time.  We have hard water.  Although, I ran out gosh, I think 2 weeks ago and I think I may be able to cut back on frequency.  That is if I remember to buy some more next time at the grocery store!!

Does anyone know of any down side to ACV rinse? I mean of course my hair is shiniest when I just did one, but can it eventually dry your hair out. I might try to do more frequent ones because of the top layer being finer and more prone to build up of all things, it might benefit me to do an ACV rinse more frequently.

Also one thing I noticed when I had done an ACV rinse one day and rinsed out and everything. The next day it was like the best hair day ever, but when I went to work out and I sweated, I smelled vinegar. Does that happen to anyone?

I rinse my vinegar out before conditioning so the smell is all gone.  Maybe you need a little detox?  Does your gym have a sauna or steam room?

I don't think using ACV had caused my hair to be more dry.  If I use white vinegar my hair and scalp are super dry!

I wash about once a week in winter, twice in summer.

Ok, I just oiled my ends today so when I take my shower I will do an ACV rinse and conditioner after. We'll see how that goes. I mean last week when I did the ACV...my curls looked fabulous, I was afraid that if I did it again the next day that I would make it dry or perhaps cause me to get dandruff or dry scalp. So the next day the curls were nothing like the first day and I had a little build up.

I was having really itchy scalp with dry skin flakes (not dandruff) and using the ACV after every wash has basically eliminated that for me.  Everyone's skin is different, so you won't know unless you try.

Are you washing your hair every day?

Hi! I have curly hair also, and here is what I have been trying. I normally try to leave a tiiiiny bit of conditioner in my hair when I rinse & then normally I will just comb through a leave-in and let it air-dry. When it is damp-almost dry I will put my hair in a pony tail at about the middle of my head .. not too high, not too low. When I take the pony-tail out my hair seems to be perfectly styled, and theres not a lot of frizz. Sometimes I will sleep like this too, and I really like the results--curls with no frizz and not a lot of product!  :)

Sakina wrote on Apr 12^th, 2008 at 5:35pm:

I was having really itchy scalp with dry skin flakes (not dandruff) and using the ACV after every wash has basically eliminated that for me.  Everyone's skin is different, so you won't know unless you try. Are you washing your hair every day?

Well, I think I probably do scrub a little with conditioner around the front everyday. That part is a little more thin from being broken off in the past and that's where it would get greasy, but I don't use shampoo. I do wet it everyday in the shower and detangle. I tried the whole "2nd day hair" thing, my curls looked messy the kind of fused together. Think turning your head and all your hair moves together in on matt!lol That's how mine would get just after 2 days and detangling then was awful.

I'm gonna try to do ACV rinses about 2X a week and use my little make shift shampoo on occasion. I will also use less products too. I tried putting in some conditioner a little shea butter on the ends and I used a little aloe vera cut with water and smoothed it over my hair. I have to play with the amount of that still.

waiting4longlocks wrote on Apr 12^th, 2008 at 5:36pm:

Hi! I have curly hair also, and here is what I have been trying. I normally try to leave a tiiiiny bit of conditioner in my hair when I rinse & then normally I will just comb through a leave-in and let it air-dry. When it is damp-almost dry I will put my hair in a pony tail at about the middle of my head .. not too high, not too low. When I take the pony-tail out my hair seems to be perfectly styled, and theres not a lot of frizz. Sometimes I will sleep like this too, and I really like the results--curls with no frizz and not a lot of product!  :)

My problem with rinsing conditioner out but leaving some in is that I am always worried that I will rinse too much, or not enough. I have just been putting some in after I get out of the shower.

Yeah I know what you mean. What I try to do is just rinse quickly and then comb through whatever is left to even it out...(With fingers or a wide comb). For the most part though, I use a lot of Conditioner, and I rinse out quite a bit too.. It's almost like the less I keep in the better, especially if I comb it through to get it even. I also use curl creams which work great with my pony tail strategy:) In my experience, when only using curl cream to style my hair, I get the most natural looking curls.

Also my top is a little thinner like I said do to previous damage, I always seem to leave too much in this area and then it looks dull and coated. When I did it and got it just right, it did look great though.

Sakina--do you know why white vinegar makes your hair and scalp drier than ACV?  I've never heard of a difference before.  I'm always trying to cut down on storage so I only buy one or the other.  

Apparently the white vinegar cuts more grease.  Curly hair types are dry, and my skin is dry so it was waaay too drying for me!!

Hmm.. the  only advice I can think to give about the thin upper layer is to maybe try doing pin/rag curls on that layer. I had a similar problem with my layers, and I got that piece of advice right here on LL  :) I don't know if that will work for you & your hair type, but it might be a more damage-friendly way to style the thinner, weaker section until you can make it stronger with treatments/vitamins.  

So, I have been going productless. I only leave in come contioner and I put in some aloe. I also had been sleeping with my hair in a peacock twist, damp. While it isn't relaxing the curls anymore like it did in the begining. I think some how it is cutting down on shrinkage....either that or I can just feel that my hair has grown. I feel it more on my back that I did a little while ago and when I checked today while dry it was closer to BSL than it had previously been when dry. I won't know for sure till I measure. It just feels longer! ; :o

I went productless last time I washed and noticed that my hair appears longer.  Using the gel and moisture lock shortens my length by nearly 1-1/2 inches.

Sakina wrote on Apr 25^th, 2008 at 5:13pm:

I went productless last time I washed and noticed that my hair appears longer.  Using the gel and moisture lock shortens my length by nearly 1-1/2 inches.

Really, that's amazing!!! So aloe doesn't have the same affect even though it offers hold? Heck, if I had known this I wouldn't never used gel. I am loving the way it feels, it's softer, a little more fluffy and wild but I like it. I think it looks sexy!