Top 10 Super Coily Hair Products: The Curly Hair Edition

I often get inquiries like "What products do you use?" I don't like to give product names for a few reasons. The primary reason is because what works for me may not work for you. Simple things like different thicknesses, porosity, hair health, coil pattern, and other varying factors can cause my hair to "like" a product that another head of coily hair may react unfavorably towards. I think it's different when referring to specific INGREDIENTS VS PRODUCTS. Why? Because the products typically have dozens of ingredients, making it difficult to narrow it down to which ingredients may be causing a problem. On the other hand, using simple ingredients help to make it pretty simple to identify if any problems present.

  In this post, I want to be candid, clear, and leave no stone unturned in regards to exactly what I use in my hair. My current product "stash" listed below is exactly what I reach for when stepping into the shower to do my hair. These ingredients are the foundation for what I consider to be "healthy, happy coils". They work well for my coils, and receive great feedback via reviews from other curly heads. These are what I refer to as the "TOP 10 SUPER COILY HAIR PRODUCTS". Never mind that some of them are basic ingredients. I've been using them for over 1 year with great success.

CLEANSING:

Primary (Exfoliates): Amla Powder. Great for getting butters and other thick products that sit on the hair shaft. They can eventually cause product build-up. This indian gooseberry comes in powder form, and can be mixed with water to form a paste for cleansing hair. If you're interested to hear more, check out this review that I did after using this cleanser for over a year!

Clarifying: Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Mix. Great for getting synthetics off of my hair strands (silicones, etc). In a spray bottle, I mix approximately 3 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar with 1 ounce of water. I spray my hair with this and leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing. Trust me, ACV works! I sprayed some that I had left over into my sink (which had dried toothpaste and probably soap scum)---long story short--it broke up the dirt and grime. Pretty amazing.

Conditioner Wash: Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner . I love to do this when my hair has recently been cleansed with any of the above, and I just need to rinse off sweat or other natural products that I may have used. This helps me to keep moisture, and ensures easy styling (wash n go, braidouts, etc). Minimized frizzing thanks to conditioner washing! Minimized split ends, single strand knots, matting, and other curly hair nightmares thanks to conditioner washing. PLEASE NOTE: Conditioner washing is not effective in cleansing off butters, silicones, or other clingy ingredients/products.
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CONDITIONING:

Primary: Giovanni Tea Tree Conditioner or Giovanni Smooth As Silk Conditioner. I use these conditioners to enable me to finger detangle, and then eventually properly detangle with my paddle brush. I use these conditioners for "slip", to slide all of the knots out. Sometimes I add an oil for added slip. Maybe an avocado oil or olive oil.

Treseme Naturals Conditioner. I know it's not all natural, but it doesn't cause me any problems (that I note). I love this for the detangling properties. The price is right too!

*From time to time, I will experiment with a conditioner (all natural) that I find at Ross or Marshalls. Nothing has compared to those products that I've mentioned above (so far).
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OILS:

Primary: Olive Oil. What can I say about the wonders of olive oil? I use it on my skin, on my hair, to cook with. I Love Me Some Olive Oil. Makes me wonder about the creators of Popeye the Sailor Man (those of you too young to know about this..please bear with me). I mean, they spoke about spinach being the power food for Popeye's muscles and vitality, and the name of his girlfriend was Olive oil. They knew SOMETHING!

Avocado Oil. Great for the face and hair. Fatty. I love to add it to my hair after washing and conditioning. You can't really go wrong with having it in your stash of oils. I use it in my favorite deep conditioning mix.

*I play around with Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil and Hemp Seed Oil. They are a bit lighter than the two mentioned above. They work well, I just haven't used them as consistently as I use the amla and olive oils. 

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DEEP CONDITIONER:

Primary: Mayonnaise, Olive Oil, Honey, Avocado Slice. That is a home-made mix of moisture/protein/oil infusion. I like to leave it on for about 1 hour underneath a plastic cap to secure the heat from my head. If I only have 15 minutes to leave it on--it still works! This takes me through my week. Minimizes tangles, dry hair, single strand knotting, need for lots of other products. Mostly, I can re-activate this moisturizer by simply adding water. LOVE THIS! Check out my review on this concoction! PLEASE NOTE: This is not a de-tangling concoction. You will need to de-tangle either before or after using this deep conditioner. I usually use my old trusty conditioners listed above (under "Conditioner").

Based on how well the mixture listed above works---If I use something else, it's only because I'm being lazy. Truthfully, I haven't found a commercial product that works as well as the mayonnaise mix. If you haven't already, check it out!
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LEAVE IN CONDITIONER: 

PLEASE NOTE: Because of all of the ingredients/products mentioned in this post, I have no real reason to use a leave in conditioner. And you will find that once coily hair has avoided drying situations (like shampoos that strip, and other drying products), then the moisture level will be high. How do I know when moisture levels are high? I can part my hair (down to the ends), without ripping and tearing. My hair does not look or feel dry. My hair is styled easily (braidouts/twistouts/roller sets/flat irons) hold definition. Frizz is minimized. The perfect storm is created for that perfect coil.

Primary: Aloe Vera Gel & Castor oil. Great coil definition without the crunch that a normal gel will give. Great moisture infusion and seal. If I want to use a lighter oil, I will use olive oil with my aloe vera gel.

Aloe Vera Gel & Castor Oil Braidout: Shine/Sheen, Definition & Moisture

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to using an all natural product like Carol's Daughter or many of those other products on the shelves. I'm just a 4 years natural, and I've identified exactly what has worked for my hair. I love Jane Carter Solutions products (specifically the Nourish & Shine), but the cost is pretty "up there". My husband bought it for me the other day, and I even forgot to use it for this most recent braidout! I love the smell. But guess what, I don't NEED an "off the shelf" product. It's a luxury. It's pretty fun to play with purchased products. It's also fun to know that when you've run out of them, that you can go into your fridge--or to the supermarket, and pick up ingredients that will help (not hurt) your hair.

What's on your Top 10 Super Coily Hair Products List?

How to Stop Fighting with Dry, Unruly Hair: The Coily Hair Edition

(Left) Fresh Washed, Conditioned, Oil Added. (Right) Oil Only Braidout

Naturally Coily Hair (while dry) With Castor Oil/Aloe Vera Gel Mixture

Naturally Coily hair (while wet) without any product

....just add water, your favorite moisturizer/oil combo, and your hair will speak to you.

For a while now, my hair's been "going naked".

 When I first went natural, and even throughout my transition, products ruled me. There are too many dag blasted products on those shelves! 

Now, I like the fact that I'm in control of my product purchasing and usage. 

Right off the bat, I love water as my main source of moisture. But you can be sure that the water will be dried out in a matter of 45 minutes if my hair is left loose with only water. At that point, my hair will dry hard and matte together. So I learned that along with the water, I NEED a leave in conditioning product. 

The thing is, I like to keep my conditioning/moisturizing product to 1 or 2 simple ingredients. One of my favorite moisturizing and sealing combo's are aloe Vera gel and Castor oil mix during the summer. I love oils! I seal with oil, pre-cleanse treat with oil, add oil to my deep conditioner. My hair can not get enough oils!

Mostly, I feel like my hair regimen and products are so simple, and that tactic has paid off. 

Keeping Products Simple will Show on the Strands. Lightweight, Easy Styling

 No Shampoo (only Amla Cleanse, Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse, or wash with conditioner) = No coily tangled mess/dry hair.
No synthetic products (only natural products with minimal ingredients) = No layers of moisture-blocking plastics. This means I won't have to strip my hair clean with shampoos and be stuck with dry hair all week.

 I need an award from K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Sister)! If you haven't tried to go naked (with your hair, silly) yet.....give it a try! Of course you will want to stick with your products if they aren't causing you any problems. But if you are often fighting with dry, unruly hair, maybe the answer isn't the "next best product". Maybe the answer is right in your kitchen. Throw some olive oil into your conditioner. Get rid of silicone with a bit of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water (1 to 3 parts). Review your stash of products. Do you REALLY love that leave in? I hear people say this all the time "I love such and such product, but later my hair felt dry". That's my first clue to stop using that product or ingredient...the after effects.

 I learned that my hair with only water will dry to a hard matted bush of tangles--by just letting it dry "naked". LESSON: Simply lubricating it with a moisturizer heads off that problem. Then from there...what I put into my hair really depends on the style that I plan to do (straight, braidout/twistout, roller set, etc). 

What's the least amount of product you can put in your hair for a style this Summer?

I Did The Hair Porosity Test: Coily Hair Overview

Porosity & Moisture Go Hand in Hand: My Hair Porosity Test

In the shower, ready to immerse those coils under the streaming water, how does your hair react? My hair soaks up the water just as well as my rag does. It also releases it in a timely manner when I remove my hair from the water stream. 

Things to watch for as it relates to moisture: 

• How quickly does your hair dry? Does it dry up too fast or too slow? 
• Do you find yourself having to moisturize every day or even 2 times a day? 

You may want to do a quick porosity test!

So I did a porosity test this morning. 

I kind of already know how my hair plays with water. My hair retains moisture very well. It dries at a rate of what I would consider to be normal for coily, springy hair. My "test" results proved that I was correct. 1 strand of my hair was placed into a large sized jug of water. I kept it there for about 10 minutes, and whatever turns and twists that hit the water eventually absorbed a bit of water, and still kept afloat. When I took that strand of hair out of the water, it was damp, and still had strength. 

Here's the scoop on the floating hair test:

Healthy hair should not sink at all or only sink slightly. The rate that it sinks indicates the pace that it absorbs (and will lose) moisture. It is said that if it sinks to the bottom, then the hair is too porous. If it sinks slightly, then it is normal porosity. If it doesn't sink at all, then it is not easily penetrated (by moisture or color or other chemical treatments). 

This helps me to understand why some folks hair may take longer than others to properly relax or be color treated.

NOTE: I had a bit of olive oil on my strands. Probably best to do this on "naked", dry hair. I know that oil and water just do not mix. Something to consider before doing this test. This is my layman's explanation of hair porosity. I am not a hair expert, I just dabble and experiment.

What is Porosity (as it pertains to hair)?

Porosity describes how moisture (water) is absorbed/retained by the hair. It describes specifically the condition of the cuticle layer of the hair. There are 3 categories typically used to explain one's hair porosity: 1) Low Porosity, 2) Normal Porosity, and 3) High Porosity.

Low Porosity Hair: Tends to have cuticles that are too compact. Moisture doesn't enter this hair shaft (or exit) easily. As a result, products can sit on the hair shaft (product build up). Low porosity hair does not absorb moisture well.

High Porosity Hair: High porosity hair has raised cuticles that will not hold moisture in the cortex or cellular membrane complex. Tends to have lots of "holes and spaces" on the hair shaft. The cuticles are lifted, and the hair absorbs LOTS of water. Lots of water may cause loss of elasticity, which can mean breakage. In the same way that the hair absorbs lots of water, the hair loses moisture quickly.

Medium Porosity Hair: Is just as it sounds. The cuticles are undisturbed, and lay in a way that allow hair to absorb the correct amount of water, and retain it for the "normal" amount of time that water takes to dissipate from similar textured fabrics/sources.

I speak only quickly on this topic, from a common sense point of view. There are numerous sources of in-depth information on this topic. Porosity (pores, openings). More pores or openings means water can get in and out easily. Less openings means water will not be able to get in and out easily. 

I'm only touching quick base on this topic, as it can be the cause of many a dry hair issues. Moisture is a hot topic all year long, and we can't address moisture without looking into our hair's porosity. If you are unsure about your hair's porosity, and suffer from dry hair issues, please try the test that was described above (on clean hair/without product--no recent protein treatment done).

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO FOR SOME SOLUTION IDEAS!

THANK YOU DENIMPIXIE, FOR THIS THOROUGH, HELPFUL, EASY TO UNDERSTAND VIDEO.

Transitioning Hair is NOT What You Think

Deep Conditioning, Detangling, Cleansing to Manage Transitioning Hair Roots

One popular thought about transitioning hair? 
Answer: Dry, tough, knotted roots. I've heard it over and over from messages I receive and from people I meet. Another popular issue with transitioning hair is: BREAKAGE. The breakage is the nightmare situation, I have to agree.

Mostly the relaxed hair needs the protein treatment for strength because of the broken bonds that occur during the chemical process. On the flip side, both relaxed and un-processed hair will benefit from a deep conditioning treatment most of the time. Typically, once a week deep conditioning is just fine for transitioning (and natural) hair.

Bantu Knots (Pictured Above) Results

WHAT ARE THE TOP PROBLEMS NOTED WITH TRANSITIONING HAIR?

• Rough, dry, breaking roots
• Breakage (ends)
• Styling (matching up textures)
• De-tangling/Tangles
• Finding products perfect for extremely different textures

What does this post mean by "transitioning hair is not what you think"?

All of the problems listed above are mostly problems that can be solved. Yes, they take a little patience and gathering of information...but it's all "fixable".

In regards to the rough, dry, breaking roots, I found that at about 3-6 months, the hair that grew out of my scalp was very rough, dry and hard. Like BRILLO PAD hard. I won't even begin to attempt to explain the science behind it. Just know that this is only temporary. With consistent and thorough deep conditioning, that hair at the roots will evolve into soft, luxurious coily hair. The roots will just require attention (pre-cleansing oil application, cleansing, deep conditioning, proper de-tangling, moisturizing and sealing with the proper products). I like to do this required beauty hair regimen about once a week (especially with transitioning hair). If I would go over 10 days without the proper hair care, I would have to live with dry, rough, breaking roots.
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In regards to breakage (at the ends), I found that little trims were most effective with solving breakage. I never had to deal with breakage during my transition. My best friend, on the other hand, had most of her relaxed hair break away from her natural hair during her transition. Needless to say, her transition was literally "cut" short. The minute her hair started randomly breaking, I helped her to cut it to a healthy place to stop the breakage. I also helped her with deep conditioning and protein treatments. Usually, trims and moisture/protein balance will solve that transitioning hair issue (breakage). You can do it! If you don't feel comfortable trimming your own hair, get someone you trust (a friend or a licensed hair stylist/beautician). Be very specific about how much you want trimmed off. A skilled hair stylist should be able to tell you if that specified amount will do the trick to getting rid of any damage at the ends.

Transitioning Hair Can Be Styled Any Way You'd Like. Just Don't Skip out on Deep Conditioning for Easy Styling

In regards to the styling problems with transitioning hair, I always say this: "create 1 texture, and style on that". Since transitioning hair has two extreme textures (straight and coily), then it's easier to first make those two textures match, and then proceed with styling. The best time to create 1 single texture out of the two transitioning hair textures is after a wash/conditioning or co-wash. When the hair is wet or damp, it is easily "set" into whatever texture you'd like (curls, braidout, twistout, bantu-knots). I used to love to use perm rod rollers on my relaxed hair once I had braid or twist my roots. This created a waterfall of curls and waves that could be easily styled all week without drama. Whatever you decide to do, find your staple hairstyle and take the frustration out of your week.
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To cut this post short, detangling and products go hand in hand. I had to find the most safe and effective de-tangling tool for my transitioning hair. Everyone's needs will be different, so play around with a few different tools until you find one that will not cause breakage, and will get the job done. Effective de-tangling is essential to styling. I didn't de-tangle my transitioning hair often (ABOUT 1 x EVERY 7 DAYS), because I feel that low manipulation is key to length.Less pulling and raking= less breakage. Products like moisturizers and other "lubrication products" are meant to assist in the de-tangling process. It can get tricky (due to the straight and coily hair contrast), but with lots of patience, the right tools and products, and the right technique, it can be done safely.
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All in all, if you plan to transition long term (grow out your un-processed hair without cutting off your relaxed hair), hopefully these tips can help. It took me about 8 months to figure out that I had to have a regimen and stick with it for best results. 

When will you be ready to cut off all of the relaxed hair and sport your curls? 
ANSWER: When YOU are ready.

With lots of Love...............................................................................................................................................Tia