What do you use to soften your coarse natural hair?

[Smiley79]

Do share please.

 

[1QTPie]

What do you mean?

You have hard hair or are you saying that it's dry?

 

[Lylddlebit]

Thoroughly wash, deep condition and leave in a moisturizer using good quality product(s) in each step.

ETA if you are talking about products and tools specifically some of the things I like are, shea butter, kinky curly know today, shu uemura products, the huetiful hair steamer and moroccan oil.

 

[Prettymetty]

A good deep conditioner softens my coarse strands. Also I add ale vera juice to my leave in to smooth the cuticle.

 

[faithVA]

Figure out your porosity and tailor your regimen to match.

I'm low po, 4b natural and make sure I start from a clean slate whenever applying product to my hair. I stay away from shampoo and use more cleansing conditioners. I use Naturelle Grow DCs. LOC with a leave-in, oil and styling cream. And I do this at least twice a week because my hair dries out after about 3 days. I lean towards products with BTMS and marshmallow root.

 

[Holla]

Trial and error.

Not everything works for everyone so you will have to go through a few products until you find what works for YOUR hair. MY hair hates shea butter (at all), coconut oil (in large quantities), SLS and we are still trying to figure out aloe vera. My hair loves mango butter, tolerates olive oil, and is okay with glycerin.

I have spent sooo much money trying to figure this all out but it is worth it. I'm on my way to figuring out a few staples.

 

[almond eyes]

Knowing your porosity is key. But also I find that if you have sustained cuticle damage from heat, extension braiding, etc then you may have to trim it off bit by bit and start over again for your products to work. In my past transitions, when I knew nothing about protein reconstructors or washing my hair more often or that braiding consecutively back to back with extension braids was sucking the moisture from my cuticles, putting holes it it and also drying out my scalp, I would spend all this money on products and I was so frustrated when they wouldn't work.

My hair is high porosity but I would say now it is medium. I have to use products that are ph balanced like komaza products. I have to rinse my hair everyday in the shower to completely saturate my hair with warm water for about 1 to 5 minutes because my hair is densely packed and spritzing doesn't adequately saturate my hair. I gently detangle my hair in the shower and if I come across a snag, I use my fingers to gently pry it apart. I find that detangling gently helps to bring my sebum down my strands a bit more. Then I use my komaza products (leave in/shea butter lotion). I like komaza products because they work well for fine and highly porous hair or hair that has been compromised and has cuticle damage and need products with low ph balances. My hair has accepted the products well because I shaved my hair in May and i have not used any heat or hair extensions on my hair. I find that the products really do allow your hair to hold the moisture in.

I shampoo my hair weekly with a moisturising shampoo and I add a drop or two of tea tree oil, followed by a protein reconstructor from Komaza and then a moisturising conditioner (nothing fancy, I use Aussie Moist) and then add my leave in.

I find that in some of the products can cause dryness so you may have to test out different products. Also, hard water can make it difficult for your hair to really do well especially if your strands have been compromised. If your strands are in reasonably good shape hard water will not kill you if you use a well balanced leave in but if your strands are in bad shape you may want to invest in a water filter and go from there.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[Kindheart]

Jojoba oil or AfroVeda sheamla

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Cowash every 2-3 days is crucial for me

 

[ackee walk]

Smiley79 have you tried the cherry lola treatment? i feel like a pusher because i just commented on this earlier this week but this thing has revolutionized my whole life. lol ok maybe not my whole life, but my hair was not only moisturized and detangled but also it's been 4 days without another co wash or dc and my hair has been maintaining moisture. all i have done is spritzed it with water or a liquidy leave in and sealed with castor oil every other day. my hair has been so soft and fluffy every day.

 

[Smiley79]

What do you mean?

You have hard hair or are you saying that it's dry?

Umm, I was thinking a product. Like a spray or cream. My hair has been dry lately despite me getting regular steam treatments lately and a much needed trim. Sometimes I just feel like I'v tried everything and my hair only stays soft for a moment, lol. On the plus side my hair feels very healthy and strong since I started getting stream treatments and having a professional give my hair some TLC now.

Figure out your porosity and tailor your regimen to match.

I'm low po, 4b natural and make sure I start from a clean slate whenever applying product to my hair. I stay away from shampoo and use more cleansing conditioners. I use Naturelle Grow DCs. LOC with a leave-in, oil and styling cream. And I do this at least twice a week because my hair dries out after about 3 days. I lean towards products with BTMS and marshmallow root.

Yes I did the test and my hair just floated for a good while, lol. Im still trying to get the hang of figuring out a regimen that works for my hair. Sometimes I'll go a week or so and think I hit the jackpot and then I go right back to dry hair.

Smiley79 have you tried the cherry lola treatment? i feel like a pusher because i just commented on this earlier this week but this thing has revolutionized my whole life. lol ok maybe not my whole life, but my hair was not only moisturized and detangled but also it's been 4 days without another co wash or dc and my hair has been maintaining moisture. all i have done is spritzed it with water or a liquidy leave in and sealed with castor oil every other day. my hair has been so soft and fluffy every day.

I have not tried it yet, it's on my to do list! I'm bad, I keep putting it off because I need to get the items. I thought it (the MHM method) was a lot of work and I was lazy, lol, sorry...but I am willing to try it.

 

[ackee walk]

oh let me be clear, i have not tried mhm. that seems daunting to me too. i know there are variations and ways to make it easier but haven't tackled that. i am just talking about the cherry lola treatment (which can be a part of mhm). original cherry lola is a homemade conditioner consisting of three ingredients that you keep in for all of 20 - 40 mins. so not a lot of work at all lady lol

 

[almond eyes]

This is why it is critical that you know your porosity, because if you are high porosity, or have fine textured hair or have compromised strands the products like the baking soda and others in the mhm have a more alkaline ph which may not be good for your hair strands and may compromise the cuticle in the end and this damage may not be so visible to the strands until over time.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[faithVA]

Umm, I was thinking a product. Like a spray or cream. My hair has been dry lately despite me getting regular steam treatments lately and a much needed trim. Sometimes I just feel like I'v tried everything and my hair only stays soft for a moment, lol. On the plus side my hair feels very healthy and strong since I started getting stream treatments and having a professional give my hair some TLC now.



Yes I did the test and my hair just floated for a good while, lol. Im still trying to get the hang of figuring out a regimen that works for my hair. Sometimes I'll go a week or so and think I hit the jackpot and then I go right back to dry hair.



I have not tried it yet, it's on my to do list! I'm bad, I keep putting it off because I need to get the items. I thought it (the MHM method) was a lot of work and I was lazy, lol, sorry...but I am willing to try it.

Unfortunately the water test is not a true indicator of your porosity. There are a few threads that give details on how to find that out. I don't remember them off hand. Perhaps Almond Eyes knows.

Well if you think you found it and then it changes, then it sounds like its just something in your regimen. Perhaps you should right down what you did the weeks it works and the weeks it doesn't work and see if there is a change.

Maybe share your regimen here so others can take a look. People can help more if you give specifics.

 

[oneastrocurlie]

A good DC during wash day and liquid, cream, butter (or oil) daily. For me, its best if the cream is light.

To determine my porosity, I followed this thinking I read ad in an article: If your hair takes forever to dry and products sit on top and don't sink in = low. Hair dries out quickly and soaks products up = high. I too read the water test isn't accurate.

 

[Holla]

OP, how long have you been natural?

I find that with natural hair, I have to moisturize more frequently than when I was relaxed. When I had a relaxer, I could go a week without putting anything in my hair as long as I wrapped it at night. Now, it doesn't matter what I do to my hair, I have to moisturize more frequently even with the same products I used when I was relaxed. I had a relaxer for wayyyyyy more years than I have been natural so I had to train my mind to think differently about caring for my hair in its natural state.

 

[almond eyes]

Unfortunately the water test is not a true indicator of your porosity. There are a few threads that give details on how to find that out. I don't remember them off hand. Perhaps Almond Eyes knows.

Well if you think you found it and then it changes, then it sounds like its just something in your regimen. Perhaps you should right down what you did the weeks it works and the weeks it doesn't work and see if there is a change.

Maybe share your regimen here so others can take a look. People can help more if you give specifics.

The water test and putting a strand in the water is not necessarily the best indicator because your hair may have some areas that are more or less porous than others. For me the best indicator is when you wash or wet your hair, if your hair dries within a short period of time (using no towel you are high porosity), if drying your hair would take an entire day or until the next day then you are low porosity. Please keep in mind you may have areas that are high to medium porosity or low to medium porosity.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[almond eyes]

FaithVA is correct in asking you to post your recent regiment. Also, what is the state of your hair for the past year and were you previously relaxed? Have you worn braid extensions often, used heat often? How often does water touch your hair?

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[tuffCOOKiE]

Smiley79 I have the same problem.

I believe I have med - high porous hair because it dries very quickly and no matter how much moisture (water, waterbased prods) I put in, as soon as it dries my hair is hard as a rock.

I also seal but, everything just sits on my hair. I'll be keeping my eye on this.

 

[RoundEyedGirl504]

A key for me was figuring out how my hair likes to take product. I pretty much apply everything while my hair is wet (not soaking) or damp. Applying product to dry hair is a waste for me and my hair feels coated.

 

[almond eyes]

Smiley79 I have the same problem.

I believe I have med - high porous hair because it dries very quickly and no matter how much moisture (water, waterbased prods) I put in, as soon as it dries my hair is hard as a rock.

I also seal but, everything just sits on my hair. I'll be keeping my eye on this.

My hair is mostly medium with the front section highly porous. I think if your hair is medium porosity that's fine. I attribute the highly porous section in my hair to my last aveda color treatment which left me with no breakage but left the front part of my hair more porous than usual. So, I won't be doing that again.

I think when hair is highly porous it means that cuticles have been compromised over time through either styling (braid and twists extensions especially with synthetic hair worn back to back without a break or protein treatments), heat damage (pressing combs, blow dryers on high and flat ironing), lack of washing your hair and no protein or deep treatments on a regular basis or washing hair with hard water and using highly alkaline products for a long time, color damage or even disturbance in your scalp linked to an illness. Once the cuticles have been compromised for a long period of time, no matter what great products you put in your hair the hair strand will not accept it and water will run off the hair. And the only thing that will save the hair are some reconstructive protein treatments and trims to get rid of the old hair.

How do I know? I have transitioned like six to 8 times. And I never quite cared or understood about the issue of porosity or ph balance in products. I was always able to grow my hair at least APL, but I have to admit my hair was always dry no matter what products I used and hair was always breaking and shedding and it looked frayed when it was blow dried and not smooth. This transition around, I do not know what is different maybe I have been finally putting it all together and am very careful with my strands now. So, my hair has been growing very well and no problems at all, no breaking no shedding and my hair feels good. I think if you are prone to high porosity hair or have fine strands you have to be very aware of your styling and products and your washing routine because if not your only solution will be to cut it or trim it off and start with new hair again.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[DoDo]

Avocado Hot oil Rx.

Works like magic for me

 

[Smiley79]

^^And I'm the opposite, I think my hair loves product on dry hair...the longer my hair goes past wash-day the better for me.

 

[Smiley79]

FaithVA is correct in asking you to post your recent regiment. Also, what is the state of your hair for the past year and were you previously relaxed? Have you worn braid extensions often, used heat often? How often does water touch your hair?

Best,
Almond Eyes

I have type 4b hair, I've been natural 2 years...When I did my BC, I dyed my hair a honey blonde. It was beautiful and I maintained my DC and Cowashing. I was wearing braids, weaves and wigs as my protective style throughout my natural hair journey; Now i have stopped weaves completely and occasionally wear wigs.
I've been doing steam treatments at a Natural Salon the past couple months. (I decided to turn my hair care over to professionals)...this has done wonders for my hair! My hair and scalp feel and look so much better and stronger. I still battle dryness but not as bad as before I started the steam/moisture treatments from the salon.
As far as products, I gave the Sheamoisure line a try and the Cantu line a try. My staple is Oyin Hair Dew! Love. One thing I do wonder sometimes is that in the beginning of my hair journey, when I was at the fade-TWA phase, I would cowash my hair almost daily...I remember having softer curlier hair...as my hair grew out, I stopped cowashing (simply because I didnt know how to style my hair for a wash and go in the morning when I need to rush out to work) so I just dealt with my hair weekly.

1st pic is the old days in the beginning, fresh natural!
2nd pic is my current situation...smh

 

[ms-gg]

I use curl activator gels, specifically worlds of curls dry hair formula gel. I have been using it since 2007 and haven't found anything else that can compare. For the winter, I mix it with hairveda's whipped creme ends hydration or the plain whipped creme as it is called now (with new formulation or more accurate ingredient listing).

 

[Honey Bee]

Smiley79 have you tried the cherry lola treatment? i feel like a pusher because i just commented on this earlier this week but this thing has revolutionized my whole life. lol ok maybe not my whole life, but my hair was not only moisturized and detangled but also it's been 4 days without another co wash or dc and my hair has been maintaining moisture. all i have done is spritzed it with water or a liquidy leave in and sealed with castor oil every other day. my hair has been so soft and fluffy every day.

Yeah... I was gonna say baking soda or salt. (Remember the 'Kiya Fizz'?)

 

[almond eyes]

I have type 4b hair, I've been natural 2 years...When I did my BC, I dyed my hair a honey blonde. It was beautiful and I maintained my DC and Cowashing. I was wearing braids, weaves and wigs as my protective style throughout my natural hair journey; Now i have stopped weaves completely and occasionally wear wigs.
I've been doing steam treatments at a Natural Salon the past couple months. (I decided to turn my hair care over to professionals)...this has done wonders for my hair! My hair and scalp feel and look so much better and stronger. I still battle dryness but not as bad as before I started the steam/moisture treatments from the salon.
As far as products, I gave the Sheamoisure line a try and the Cantu line a try. My staple is Oyin Hair Dew! Love. One thing I do wonder sometimes is that in the beginning of my hair journey, when I was at the fade-TWA phase, I would cowash my hair almost daily...I remember having softer curlier hair...as my hair grew out, I stopped cowashing (simply because I didnt know how to style my hair for a wash and go in the morning when I need to rush out to work) so I just dealt with my hair weekly.




1st pic is the old days in the beginning, fresh natural!
2nd pic is my current situation...smh

Your hair looks beautiful to me!!!!!!!!It seems to have a fine texture.

You may just need to up your protein treatments on a weekly basis. I like comas. Co washing may leave too much product build up if your strands are fine.

Best,
Almond Eyes