When to say enough is enough

[sheedahp]

I am a hair product junkie, i use so many different products its hard to tell what product is giving what benefits, should I just use one or two product lines at a time. I was thinking of using one or two products for a month and then trying something new the next month. I have a few staples but for the most part when I see something new I want to go out and buy it. Any solutions to this habit?

 

[melissa-bee]

Just use one type of product until you've finished it, to the last drop, and then when you have move on to the next.

 

[chasturner84]

Just use one type of product until you've finished it, to the last drop, and then when you have move on to the next.

It's hard to say what you should do but I agree with melissa bee because that's what I'm doing. Initially I noticed that I started to accumulate a ton of products (namely condish) so I would use a mixture of them as a pre poo, DC, or CW but I couldn't identify what my hair liked or disliked. So I started using one until it was gone in a variety of ways and if it wasn't for me, hey, now I knew. But if it was a good product, I'd put it on a mental list of things to repurchase once my stash was down. Now, my stash only includes a moisturizing poo and condish; a protein poo and condish; a CW only condish, 2 different leave ins, 2 different moisturizers and oil. That's all I need.

 

[frizzy]

When you find the products and/or techniques that work for you, you PJ ways will stop. That's what happened for me.

I still experiment because I have boxes and boxes of stuff to use up, but I think it is 85% technique and 15% product that gives us success in this hair game.

 

[simplyhair]

Just use one type of product until you've finished it, to the last drop, and then when you have move on to the next.

I SOOO needed to hear this. It reconfirms my thoughts. I even took the time last weekend to organize my products:

1 tray for moisturizers

1 tray for leave ins

1 tray for oils

1 tray for Poos and DC

I have some overflow here and there. But I'm pretty tired of seeing a sea of products in my cabinets and closets. It just doesn't feel too good. It gets kind of confusing. I sometimes have no clue as to what I should use on a particular wash day.

 

[divachyk]

It's hard to say what you should do but I agree with melissa bee because that's what I'm doing. Initially I noticed that I started to accumulate a ton of products (namely condish) so I would use a mixture of them as a pre poo, DC, or CW but I couldn't identify what my hair liked or disliked. So I started using one until it was gone in a variety of ways and if it wasn't for me, hey, now I knew. But if it was a good product, I'd put it on a mental list of things to repurchase once my stash was down. Now, my stash only includes a moisturizing poo and condish; a protein poo and condish; a CW only condish, 2 different leave ins, 2 different moisturizers and oil. That's all I need.

Excellent idea! because I too don't know what's really working b/c of the variety of products used. What protein poo & condish are you using? How often do poo and/or cowash?

 

[chasturner84]

I SOOO needed to hear this. It reconfirms my thoughts. I even took the time last weekend to organize my products:

1 tray for moisturizers

1 tray for leave ins

1 tray for oils

1 tray for Poos and DC

I have some overflow here and there. But I'm pretty tired of seeing a sea of products in my cabinets and closets. It just doesn't feel too good. It gets kind of confusing. I sometimes have no clue as to what I should use on a particular wash day.

Now, when you say tray how many items are in/on this tray...wow! My stash never got too bad but I was tired of seeing a clutter of hair products. I can honestly say that I use each of my products every month.

Excellent idea! because I too don't know what's really working b/c of the variety of products used. What protein poo & condish are you using? How often do poo and/or cowash?

Protein shampoo: Aubrey Organics GPB (Staple. My hair is immediately stronger after using but I don't have to use it often) and ApHogee 2 Minute Reconstructor is my protein condish (also a staple). I usually shampoo once a week and cowash once a week with Aubrey Organics Island Naturals.

 

[LadyRaider]

Well... I hate to tell you this, but I found products that work for my hair long ago, and my pj ways have not abated.

Just so you know.

I SOOO needed to hear this. It reconfirms my thoughts. I even took the time last weekend to organize my products:

1 tray for moisturizers

1 tray for leave ins

1 tray for oils

1 tray for Poos and DC

I have some overflow here and there. But I'm pretty tired of seeing a sea of products in my cabinets and closets. It just doesn't feel too good. It gets kind of confusing. I sometimes have no clue as to what I should use on a particular wash day.

 

[hair_rehab]

I found that the more I visit hair blogs and message boards and youtube the worse the PJism becomes. It always seems like there's something newer and better than what I already have and I end with products that I use only once. I especially have this problem with conditioners and gels.

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

SHEEDA

HELPING U WOULD BE HELPING MYSELF

I SERIOUSLY...SERIOUSLY NEED A 12 STEP PROGRAM
I'M EMBARRASSED AT THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCT I OWN

B/C I BRAID ALOT (MY OWN HAIR ONLY)....i'm actually more sick of the sea of weave in my house! definitely decided to build a mini salon to accommodate .... no more product or hair all over my house

men hate that! roflmao

 

[simplyhair]

Well... I hate to tell you this, but I found products that work for my hair long ago, and my pj ways have not abated.

Say it aint so . Cuz I can't even stand to look at anymore stuff. I already have to sneak stuff in the house so my DH doesn't see it. But he somehow opens up my cabinets to be nosey and I get busted.

Now, when you say tray how many items are in/on this tray...wow! My stash never got too bad but I was tired of seeing a clutter of hair products. I can honestly say that I use each of my products every month.

Uhh, I can't count them off the top of my head . And those coupons/cheap product thread for medco the other week didn't help either. I can't think of the OP so I can blame her

 

[afrikurl]

I have mada commitment to myself to stop buying. Until December. I am using things that are nearly empty first. that way I feel like I've accomplished using an entire product quicker. I also stay away from product review and sales threads. They make me feel like I need some of those products or that I would be saving money if I bought them right now. The truth is they would join the abandoned and forgotten products under the sink and I would really save money if I kept it in my pocket. I want to get down to 10 products total. I think for me that's enough for every styling need.

 

[simplyhair]

I found that the more I visit hair blogs and message boards and youtube the worse the PJism becomes. It always seems like there's something newer and better than what I already have and I end with products that I use only once. I especially have this problem with conditioners and gels.

You took the words right out of my mouth. My youtube subscription has gotten so long it's not even funny. Flip flopping between three or four boards trying to see what's going on. Oooh and Ahhh over so-in-so's hair...I need a life

OP, I am declaring with your title that enough is enough. Ever since I got the hard water issue with my hair taken care of, the products in my cabinets miracously work! No more products me.

I'm going to get back to refining my techniques like someone mentioned above.

 

[darlingdiva]

When you find what works, stick with it.

When you know what works, you know how your hair is going to react. When you trying something new, it's a guessing game. If it works, great. If it doesn't, you have to redo your hair & fix it to your liking, OR you have to nurse your hair back to health because you've suffered a setback.

 

[divachyk]

In my perfect little world...there would be a thread (and there may already be one and I just don't know it) dedicated to naturals, relaxed, texlaxed, and whatever other hair types there may be. Within this thread, a simple regimen will be shared along with the associated products to use in each step of the regimen. The products would not be a laundry list of product suggestions like we're use to seeing. It would simply list the top 3 products available for use in each step (i.e. prepoo, poo, condish, DC, etc) as determined by a poll taken by LHCF members and/or decided upon by the most tenured ppl such as the moderators.

This particular focus would help me say enough is enough. What confuses me and gets me so lost and caught up in the moment and makes it tempting to buy everything is when I visit several threads and some are talking about Aussie, others Herbel Essence, others Tresseme(sp), and others VO5. Some are talking about moisturize/seal, others juicing, others baggie'n. Being so new I'm tempted to try it all but of course that's not wise. The threads are filled with so many different product suggestions and regimen ideas that it just becomes overwhelming.

Thx for listening ---

 

[*CherryPie*]

My daughter and I were just talking about this. We are so frustrated, and overloaded with products.

I already know what products work for me, but I have so many products to use up. Do I use my staples first, then use up the rest? Or do I use up the extras before I start using my staples? I have no idea.

But I DO know that I've learned my lesson. I'm not buying anything else unless it's one of my staples.

 

[Minty]

I think it is quite natural and fine when one starts out in this thing to explore and experiment.

Now after that, you kind of enter another phase. What newbies call PJ is not really PJism - its a trial phase of playing with your hair.

PJ's (and I am in no way including myself under this title), create a science of sorts with product discovery, ingredient formulations and usage.

PJ's have a tendency to gravitate towards other PJ's on the board, trust their opinions, and confer to them when the "desired" results are not received.

PJ's are technically "SME's" or Subject Matter Experts of sorts. They would be excellent in product development testing groups, are adept at understanding multi-syllable words and more than likely are college educated (I'm exaggerating here).

PJ's are astute and observant, even to the extent of notating their scientific discoveries when trying new products. Noting what the formulation is and from there understanding when a product "doesn't work for them" (I have low tolerance for aloe, & a high tolerance for protein for example).

I give you these points to say that it is all apart of the journey. As long as you are not being wasteful I say you are good.

Its all about balance.

 

[teacherjess]

I am a bit of a PJ, but I have gotten better since first joining the hair boards. Trying to establish a regimen in the beginning had me buying everything from Sally's, BSS, etc.

What I've since learned through this trial & error period is what works for my hair. Once I found a winning combination that brought results, I stayed with those products and only bought new to *replace/replenish* something in my stash. I gained a lot of thickness & some length over the past year sticking to the same products.

However, I still feed my PJism because I do continue to try new products. I just do it in a more controlled way where I only introduce a new product to my reggie one at a time and only to fill in whats missing in my stash. For example, I did not have a serum in my stash so I bought the Sally's brand of Chi silk infusion. Also I have tried to get a juice moisturizer in my stash and never liked S Curl or others I've tried so I bought Hawaiian silky 14 n 1. Next on my list is to get a good gel in my stash, and I'm wanting to try ecostyler based on the LHCF reviews. In other words, I really have stopped myself from running out to buy a new kind of conditioner if I've already got a tried and true one that has brought me results at home.Thank goodness I love these new products I bought recently so they will get used.

 

[Aireen]

I was a PJ too, it stopped when I moved to my clothing obsession. Now I'm constantly buying clothes. It never ends.

 

[Avaya]

I was doing fine until I cut off all of my hair. Now I am eyeballing products/companies that I never even thought once about (Karen's Body, Qhemet, Afro Veda, Komaza Care, Kinky Curly, JessieCurl, CURLS, Talliah Waajid, just to name a few ). One thing that I am doing differently now is if a product doesn't work for me, I just get rid of it; no more 50-11 conditioners, shampoos, leave-in's, etc. cluttering up my cabinets.

I think for certain products like shampoo, once you find "the one" you won't be tempted to step out on it. Now with conditioners, I think monogamy is unrealistic. You have to play the field, be promiscuous even. They know what time it is so nobody gets hurt .

 

[LittleLuxe]

Double post

 

[LittleLuxe]

My personal experience:

From newbie status to...still newbie status I think PJ-ism was a good place to start.

Try this. Instead of collecting shiny brand new tubes, tubs, and bottles of sweet smelling product make each purchase constructive. I like mixing things up and routines make me happy, at the same time I get bored easilly and I knew if I only had 5 staple products I wouldn't be happy. So I told myself I would get a different regime for every wash day (I wash once a week with shampoo and bought enough for 4 different regimes) but each and every single product I purchased would be for the HEALTH of my hair.

Ironically this has worked in my FAVOR. Not only has this allowed me to be a bit of a PJ and try different products without ever thinking "I just CAN'T buy this because I already have a deep conditioner" but it's allowed me to actually intellectually compare how well a product is really working for me. I realized some products only looked good on paper and didn't really help my hair or others while giving some benefit didn't rock my world like another product already in my arsenal.

Ironically this also helped cure my PJ-ism, when I saw how some products were really making my hair flourish I lost the desire to pluck up everything on the shelf because I'd already realized what a treasure I had. The other really nifty benefit? Having things on my shelf right there that were good when I realized another product wasn't working. I don't have to run to the store or prowl for a new leave-in because I have one or two right there waiting.

 

[simplyhair]

My personal experience:

From newbie status to...still newbie status I think PJ-ism was a good place to start.

Try this. Instead of collecting shiny brand new tubes, tubs, and bottles of sweet smelling product make each purchase constructive. I like mixing things up and routines make me happy, at the same time I get bored easilly and I knew if I only had 5 staple products I wouldn't be happy. So I told myself I would get a different regime for every wash day (I wash once a week with shampoo and bought enough for 4 different regimes) but each and every single product I purchased would be for the HEALTH of my hair.

Ironically this has worked in my FAVOR. Not only has this allowed me to be a bit of a PJ and try different products without ever thinking "I just CAN'T buy this because I already have a deep conditioner" but it's allowed me to actually intellectually compare how well a product is really working for me. I realized some products only looked good on paper and didn't really help my hair or others while giving some benefit didn't rock my world like another product already in my arsenal.

Ironically this also helped cure my PJ-ism, when I saw how some products were really making my hair flourish I lost the desire to pluck up everything on the shelf because I'd already realized what a treasure I had. The other really nifty benefit? Having things on my shelf right there that were good when I realized another product wasn't working. I don't have to run to the store or prowl for a new leave-in because I have one or two right there waiting.

I like your thinking. I get bored easily as well. I have enough moisturizers where I can switch it up. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now and everytime I pick up a different jar/bottle, I feel like I'm trying a new product. It does curb the PJism.

The best thing is that I didn't get rid of or give away a couple of items thinking they didn't work. Even though the bottle is halfway gone, it feels new to me, KWIM?

 

[simplyhair]

I think it is quite natural and fine when one starts out in this thing to explore and experiment.

Now after that, you kind of enter another phase. What newbies call PJ is not really PJism - its a trial phase of playing with your hair.

PJ's (and I am in no way including myself under this title), create a science of sorts with product discovery, ingredient formulations and usage.

PJ's have a tendency to gravitate towards other PJ's on the board, trust their opinions, and confer to them when the "desired" results are not received.

PJ's are technically "SME's" or Subject Matter Experts of sorts. They would be excellent in product development testing groups, are adept at understanding multi-syllable words and more than likely are college educated (I'm exaggerating here).

PJ's are astute and observant, even to the extent of notating their scientific discoveries when trying new products. Noting what the formulation is and from there understanding when a product "doesn't work for them" (I have low tolerance for aloe, & a high tolerance for protein for example).

I give you these points to say that it is all apart of the journey. As long as you are not being wasteful I say you are good.

Its all about balance.

Someone who understands me. Thanks for the analysis.

 

[simplyhair]

My daughter and I were just talking about this. We are so frustrated, and overloaded with products.

I already know what products work for me, but I have so many products to use up. Do I use my staples first, then use up the rest? Or do I use up the extras before I start using my staples? I have no idea.

But I DO know that I've learned my lesson. I'm not buying anything else unless it's one of my staples.

I was wondering the same thing. In my mind, why should I use a product that gives sub par performance and possibly mess up my hair? Well, it might not necessarily mess up the hair but not give stellar results. All in an effort to just use it up? Shouldn't we continue to use only the products that truly work (perfom how we want) on our and sacrifice the others? Can someone else chime in?

So that my money doesn't go down the drain, I have a small box of items I have waiting to go to a local shelter for abused women and their children. Their list of "need" items highlighted African American hair products.

 

[Minty]

Once or twice....if by the third time your hair is not responding get rid of it. Every now n then I either list the "grab bag" for someone local to pick up or I put it on my stoop.


I have identified a few hair "twins" on the the board, this makes it easier to go back n read their posts.

many times I will purchase sample sizes first, unless I get multiple thumbs up.

 

[Americka]

I was wondering the same thing. In my mind, why should I use a product that gives sub par performance and possibly mess up my hair? Well, it might not necessarily mess up the hair but not give stellar results. All in an effort to just use it up? Shouldn't we continue to use only the products that truly work (perfom how we want) on our and sacrifice the others? Can someone else chime in?

For me, it truly depends on the product. Shampoos that strip too much or tangle the hair can be used as body washes, hand soap, or to clean scarves and hair tools. Conditioners and deep conditioners that aren't up to snuff can be used as pre-poos. Or if you are willing to put in a little elbow grease, mix in a few kitchen items. Use a con to mix with eggs for a protein treatment. Sometimes a DC needs a little help too. Oils can also be mixed with cons and DCs. Other products can be given away, donated or if they are truly that horrible - throw them away.

 

[NIN4eva]

When you find the products and/or techniques that work for you, you PJ ways will stop. That's what happened for me.

I still experiment because I have boxes and boxes of stuff to use up, but I think it is 85% technique and 15% product that gives us success in this hair game.

I could not agree more with the bolded! I got rid of my PJ ways because I got tired of the setbacks and have come to terms with the fact that there may always be something a little better out there... but nothing will work miracles or correct damage I may cause if I'm regularly abusing my hair.

I have staples that I'm satisfied with and now technique and styling are what I'm focusing on for the time being.