170 replies to this topic

[Katie]

Katie, I'm with you. I quit fighting my curls. Now I embrace 'em...most of the time.

I don't use much on my hair because it's usually up and out of the way. I use Dairy Whip shampoo (vanilla at the moment), Suave conditioner (right now I'm digging the cherry scent), and if I want to run around with curls I'll use Dove Define & Shine gel. My hair doesn't do well with silicone products and none of these contain any.

i used to pay out the ass for salon quality shampoo and conditioner. but i go through conditioner so fast that i stick to dove or neutrogena or herbal essences. now the only thing i shell out the dough for is color, a few great cuts a year, and product.

[Katie]

^ lol what kind of colour is "egyptian plum" exacty? :S *oops meant to be for katie

well, i wanted that rich red/purple color. but it was straight up PURPLE. i tried to dye my hair that red/purple color many many times. until i finally discovered it's better for my skin tone to stick with honey/caramel browns and blondes.

siava, what kind of curls do you have??

[alternativista]

^ lol what kind of colour is "egyptian plum" exacty? :S *oops meant to be for katie

I've just coloured my hair a rich dark kind of purplish red...i love it but all the bleaching beforehand kinda killed it. Currently I'm using tresemme shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair and their thermal repair (i think) treatment. Does anyone else who's colpoured their hair know a good treatment or whatever that helps to keep the colour in for longer? Mine always fades so fast

My hair is dyed a reddish color too. That is supposed to be the hardest color to keep. And I'm just finishing up my giant bottles of tressemme for red/brunette or whatever color and did not think it did a good job at protecting hair color.

What worked better is L'oreal's color protecting shampoo. And a year or so ago, I saw an episode of Shopping Bags in which they washed pieces of red-dyed hair over and over testing different shampoos. They had a few expensive ones and a few cheap ones. All I remember is the Pantene was not good, John Freida was terrible, somehow making patches of faded color. And L'oreal was one of the best. I posted about it here so if you really want to know all the brands, do a search.

I'm going to try Infusium next.

My method: apparently hot water opens up the shaft so your shampoo can wash out the color. So since reading that, what I have been doing is putting a bit of shampoo into a cup, diluting a lot with water and a little ACV, then applying to dry hair. I then wash and rinse quickly. Then don't put conditioner near the roots so they don't get rinsed again. And I want to switch to a leave in conditioner for that reason.

And I've read that it's the alkalinity of the shampoo that strips color so adding a bit of ACV or something to acidify it might help.

[mm..Brian..]

^ wow I didn't know putting ACV would help but I guess it makes sense since the alkalinity is what strips hair off colour.

What's your hair type like? Because mine is very greasy and I doubt your method of washing hair would work as well on mine?

Thanks for the info, my sister's always used the L'Oreal colour protecting shampoos and conditioners so I might try those next.

Red hair is so tricky to keep up.

[alternativista]

^ wow I didn't know putting ACV would help but I guess it makes sense since the alkalinity is what strips hair off colour.

What's your hair type like? Because mine is very greasy and I doubt your method of washing hair would work as well on mine?

It's fine and oily. Especially since I put off washing as long as possible to protect the color.

And I think the shampoo is called L'oreal Color Vive.

[Jai]

chantay

let's see.....well i recently began a new regimen to enhance my curlies and i love it...the regimen calls for NO SILICONES and NO SULFATES (which tend to be in most shampoos) for cleansing...you cleanse but with a conditioner that has no silicones. if you wanna know more, go to the Naturally Curly website and check out the CG routine aka no-poo... i absolutely it...my hair is softer, silkier, and incredibly moisturized....not to mention how fabo my hair is thanks to the regimen.....

as for products...here's my list! - all are cone & sulfate free.....

conditioners for co-washing (cleansing)- Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut - cone free, cheap, and smells divine!
rinse out conditioners - Sally's GVP Conditioning Balm (exact same thing as Biolage but for like $6)
deep conditioners - Lustrasilk Cholesterol Shea and Mango Butter - BEST DT for less than $3, another one is Sally's GVP K-Pak (same thing as Joico K-Pak but for like $8 or $10 - the actual K-Pak is 3x that much)
leave-in conditioner - Kinky-Curly Knot Today - this is one the pricier side but so worth it...totally organic and smells heavenly....i'd eat it if i could
styling products - Herbal Essences Set Me Up Mousse - by far the BEST cone-free mousse i've tried...wish the bottle was bigger so it'll last longer but for $4 i wont complain...
Kinky Curly Curling Custard (aka KCCC) - another pricey one but HOT DAMN...i love this stuff.....a jar is $35 but sooo worth if it u wish to embrace ur curls...again, organic, smells deeeelish, but more than anything, this thing gives my hair SHINE SHINE and more SHINE.....and even tho its a bit pricey, a little bit goes a long way....i've had my jar for almost six months and have only used a 1/4 of it.....totally worth the money....

styling tools......again, curl friendly....

wide tooth comb - total necessity for curlies...helps to keep the hair intact and lessens the chance of breakage from pulling....

microfiber towels and cotton t-shirts - i used both the towels and tees for removing excess water and i use the tee for plopping. it's a styling method used to further enhance the curlies...

duckbill clips - place them on the crown while drying - gives major lift in the crown area...sumthin most curlies struggle with...

finger diffuser - OH MY GOD!!!! best invention EVER... up until recently, i never bothered and would let my hair air dry, but i decided to give the diffuser a try and holy curls....the curls never looked better....my hair in my avatar pic is a result of the regimen and the diffuser.

i don't use hairspray anymore and i stopped coloring my hair almost 2 years ago....

great idea Antonia..... <3

[Katie]

i don't know how well that sally k-pak works, but the joico k-pak is a TOTAL waste of money.

[Jai]

i don't know how well that sally k-pak works, but the joico k-pak is a TOTAL waste of money.

i like it but i prefer the Lustrasilk......i even use it to scrunch out the crunch..

[Cubos]

I'm cutting all my hair off tomorrow, it's gonna be weirrrd.

[Katie]

I'm cutting all my hair off tomorrow, it's gonna be weirrrd.

how are you getting it cut. and pics!

[WalkTheWire]

JAI! I'm so glad you're contributing. Everyone is contributing some great tips!

[WalkTheWire]

Tea Tree FTW!

[Rob2686]

Tea Tree FTW!

How do you apply tea tree oil? Thanks for making this thread, I've used a few tips and my hair looks better already.

Anyone know of any supplements?

[Wynne]

I like olive oil weekly. I rinse it off with warm water but enough stays in the hair that it feels so very soft and conditioned. I also don't wash my hair but every two or three days. A final rinse with cold water seems to make it shinier. Could be my imagination.

[WalkTheWire]

Tea Tree FTW!

How do you apply tea tree oil? Thanks for making this thread, I've used a few tips and my hair looks better already.

Anyone know of any supplements?

You can get it at a health food store as an essential oil. You would just dilute in water and add to your favorite shampoo or conditioner. It has great benefits. Especially if you need a cooling effect to help irritated skin.

I use the Tea Tree shampoo that I listed on page 1, and it really calms my scalp. My niece uses Tea Tree Oil for dry, irritated skin, and it really helps.

I like olive oil weekly. I rinse it off with warm water but enough stays in the hair that it feels so very soft and conditioned. I also don't wash my hair but every two or three days. A final rinse with cold water seems to make it shinier. Could be my imagination.

Your hair is gorgeous, Wynne! You're right about washing with cold water. It helps with shine. Plus, washing periodically and using olive oil help to retain your color.

I love rinsing with cold water because it calms any scalp irritation.

[Wynne]

Check: continue olive oil, continue cold water rinses.

Great thread, Mr. Wire.

[acne_battle]

Wynne, I love your hair! I agree, its gorgeous! Is your hair naturally wavy and omg, youre a natural redhead, I didnt know that

[Wynne]

Wynne, I love your hair! I agree, its gorgeous! Is your hair naturally wavy and omg, youre a natural redhead, I didnt know that

Thanks! I grew it myself! That is colored hair. My hair is naturally blonde.

It's naturally wavy.

I've seen pics of your hair and it looks so very shiny and healthy.

[acne_battle]

Wynne, I love your hair! I agree, its gorgeous! Is your hair naturally wavy and omg, youre a natural redhead, I didnt know that

Thanks! I grew it myself! That is colored hair. My hair is naturally blonde.

It's naturally wavy.

I've seen pics of your hair and it looks so very shiny and healthy.

Did you really? You fooled me lol Your hair is naturally blonde. Wow, it looks naturally red. You or your hair stylist did an excellent job. I hate when the roots show. Yours dont show whatsoever.

Thank you! My hair is also highlighted. My natural hair color is light brown. Although, I had blonde hair up until the age of nine and it grew darker

[Jai]

oh and Apple Cider Vinegar rinses FTW!