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Increase Your Hydration/moisture Levels Challenge 3/15 - 6/15

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faithVA

faithVA

Well-Known Member
This is a 90 day challenge to increase your hairs hydration/moisture levels. Regardless of your starting point, to succeed you must have a consistent routine. With that said, this challenge requests you check in weekly to let us know what you are up to and share any progress or tips.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING TO GET STARTED
What problems are you currently having?
What is your hair history?
What have you tried before?
What steps do you plan to take/What is your challenge regimen?
What would you like to see/be able to do at the end of the 90 days?
Anything else you would like to share?

Pictures aren't required but please feel free to post.
 
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What problems are you currently having?
--My hair splits a lot and easily
--I have more breakage than I should which hurts my retention
--My hair is too dry to wear out so I keep it in twists
--My roots web
--My crown thins out more when my hair is too dry
--My scalp stays dry which dries out my hair and my dry hair dries out my scalp :nono:

What is your hair history?
My hair has always been dry since I was a child. Stylists have always told me my hair was dry. And I have always had a lot of breakage. I had a hair analysis and was told I needed to moisturize my hair daily. I tried it but it was a lot of work with short hair and I didn't see many results. I have tried a few things but nothing has really worked well for me so far. But I need to get the splits and breakage under control so I am finally ready to try again.

What have you tried before?
--Moisturizing Daily
--LOC, LCO, blah, blah, blah
--DCing weekly, twice a week, with heat
--Steaming
--MHM
--Curly girl method, Tightly curly method

What steps do you plan to take/What is your challenge regimen?
In January I started rinsing every other day, applying conditioner, leaving the conditioner in and then twisting my hair up. I plan to continue this since it seems to be working for now.
--Use Cleansing Creams or do mud washes. Skip shampoos unless I need to clarify maybe every 3 months.
--Rinse, apply conditoner, detangle and leave conditioner in. Do this every 2 days
--Oil my scalp every other day
--Seal my ends with castor oil
--Keep my hair in flat twists

What would you like to see/do at the end of the 90 days?
--See fewer splits and less breakage
--Be able to wear my hair in a twist out without my hair drying out the 1st day
--Be able to wear a puff without my hair drying out by the end of the day
--See my ends hold moisture better instead of looking so dry.

Anything else you would like to share?
I have been doing water rinses every other day for almost 2 months now. I have seen the following improvements
--My hair absorbs water faster instead of it just rolling off my hair
--My hair asborbs product better
--My hair is webbing less and easier to detangle
--My hair is holding moisture a bit longer and not feeling dry by day 2
--My ends are smoother
--My hair feels soft and is pliable when I take down my twist the 2nd day
--My twists separate easily.
 
Of course I’m in this.

What problems are you currently having?

Dryness which results in frizzy, crinkly hair with splits and bubbles. With this also comes some breakage.
Undefined curls.
Still trying to figure out a regimen that actually works.
I don’t know when I should apply post shower products (to wet or damp hair).
Dry buns and puffs/ponytails.

What is your hair history?

Dry dry dry!
Coarse strands, low porosity, high density (which I am starting to reevaluate as something that is actually more around medium density that just looks bigger because it’s all frizz and no definition).
Natural for several years now.
Haven’t straightened it since May 2017 (which was a one-off from going a year prior to of not straightening).
Have always struggled to establish a regimen which I think is the primary issue.

What have you tried before?

I’ve been mostly CG since the start of my journey, but I think I never found the right conditioner to use as a cowash. Staying away from heat. Trying to shampoo less, trying to shampoo more, using rinse out conditioners as leave ins, clay washing, MHM, overnight DCing, steaming DCing, oil rinses...

What steps do you plan to take/What is your challenge regimen?

Cowashing daily, applying leave-in (right now I’m currently using a rinse out as a leave-in) in the shower, applying a hair butter on top out of the shower. Wearing buns for the day. I might try braiding hair at night so cowashing is quicker the next morning.

What would you like to see/be able to do at the end of the 90 days?

Hair that stays soft all day no matter what I’ve done to it that day. Hair that has a more defined curl pattern and less frizz when wet. Hair that is easily detangled. Hair that has weight. Hair that does not get tangled and dried out if I wear a puff/curly ponytail. Increased elasticity. Increased shine. Increased growth (especially in the back of my head).

Anything else you would like to share?

 
Last edited:
What problems are you currently having?
Length retention and breakage I can tell from my hair color that my hair is growing, I’m just having trouble maintaining it
When I’m good to my hair it thrives but then I get lazy and my hair does downhill fast
It’s either moisturized and happy or dry and breaking

What is your hair history?
I’ve been natural for a while I regularly dye my hair her black
I know what products work for me but I get lazy
What have you tried before?
I wear my hair 2 ways straight or in a bun
One thing I’ve realized is that my hair has to be stretched if it’s kit it’s tangling up and my hair needs to be moisturized every day
When wearing my hair straight I’ll moisturize then use cool air to keep my hair straight... it works for me
When I’m bunning I will co wash mid week and moisturize and seal eveeynight with

What steps do you plan to take/What is your challenge regimen?
I’m flat ironing my hair Saturday for an event
So I’ll officially kick off my regimen next Friday or the following Saturday
I will be cowashing every other day and bunning after sealing with safflower oil and Shea butter
What would you like to see/be able to do at the end of the 90 days? I want to see if the increased moisture from regular cowashing will make a difference or if I should stick to my current regimen
Anything else you would like to share?
90 days is a long time so I’m gonna go in a week by week basis and adjust as necessary

I may also straighten my hair and if soo I’ll update with whatever my plan is for that week
 
I’ve already changed my mind about when I cowash. I currently cowash in the morning. I’m thinking I want to start cowashing at night so that I can braid my hair up to let the moisture soak in. In the mornings I never have time to do that.
 
CurlyWhoCrux said:
Of course I’m in this.

What problems are you currently having?

Dryness which results in frizzy, crinkly hair with splits and bubbles. With this also comes some breakage.
Undefined curls.
Still trying to figure out a regimen that actually works.
I don’t know when I should apply post shower products (to wet or damp hair).
Dry buns and puffs/ponytails.

What is your hair history?

Dry dry dry!
Coarse strands, low porosity, high density (which I am starting to reevaluate as something that is actually more around medium density that just looks bigger because it’s all frizz and no definition).
Natural for several years now.
Haven’t straightened it since May 2017 (which was a one-off from going a year prior to of not straightening).
Have always struggled to establish a regimen which I think is the primary issue.

What have you tried before?

I’ve been mostly CG since the start of my journey, but I think I never found the right conditioner to use as a cowash. Staying away from heat. Trying to shampoo less, trying to shampoo more, using rinse out conditioners as leave ins, clay washing, MHM, overnight DCing, steaming DCing, oil rinses...

What steps do you plan to take/What is your challenge regimen?

Cowashing daily, applying leave-in (right now I’m currently using a rinse out as a leave-in) in the shower, applying a hair butter on top out of the shower. Wearing buns for the day. I might try braiding hair at night so cowashing is quicker the next morning.

What would you like to see/be able to do at the end of the 90 days?

Hair that stays soft all day no matter what I’ve done to it that day. Hair that has a more defined curl pattern and less frizz when wet. Hair that is easily detangled. Hair that has weight. Hair that does not get tangled and dried out if I wear a puff/curly ponytail.

Anything else you would like to share?
Click to expand...
Our history sounds similar.

Something you may want to try is diluting your leave in and applying it to your hair with a nozzle bottle or spray bottle. Let it soak in for a while before styling. I noticed for me that touching my hair while wait was removing too much water. You could also apply the leave in and then spritz your hair well to add more moisture 5o you hair.

Just something to try if other things dont work.
 
faithVA said:
Our history sounds similar.

Something you may want to try is diluting your leave in and applying it to your hair with a nozzle bottle or spray bottle. Let it soak in for a while before styling. I noticed for me that touching my hair while wait was removing too much water. You could also apply the leave in and then spritz your hair well to add more moisture 5o you hair.

Just something to try if other things dont work.
Click to expand...

Ok I’ll try using a spray bottle.
 
I’m in! I have been MIA and my hair has been coming out like crazy. So, I need to get back on track. I have tried biotin, hair vitamins. It’s dry for sure. I will get back to baggy method. I’m thinking it’s medical. But we’ll see
 
I really didn't feel like doing my head tonight but I know my hair needs water at least every 2 days. Based on my scalp, I think my scalp wants water every day. I swear when water touches it, it acts like it hasn't had water in weeks.

I didn't do anything differently tonight. I rinsed, applied diluted conditioner, finger detangled, applied more conditioner. I did style it differently. I usually put in flat twist but I put in 2 strand twists because I think it will make my ends smoother. Flat twists are faster and once it is styled it is styled. I think two strand twists are better for my ends but I will need to take them out in the morning and put in a style. They aren't wearable at this length. I will have to see how it goes.

One thing I have noticed since I started doing this, is my hair doesn't drip at all now. My hair would drip like mad when I first started. Now my hair doesn't drip. I have no idea why.
 
faithVA said:
I really didn't feel like doing my head tonight but I know my hair needs water at least every 2 days. Based on my scalp, I think my scalp wants water every day. I swear when water touches it, it acts like it hasn't had water in weeks.

I didn't do anything differently tonight. I rinsed, applied diluted conditioner, finger detangled, applied more conditioner. I did style it differently. I usually put in flat twist but I put in 2 strand twists because I think it will make my ends smoother. Flat twists are faster and once it is styled it is styled. I think two strand twists are better for my ends but I will need to take them out in the morning and put in a style. They aren't wearable at this length. I will have to see how it goes.

One thing I have noticed since I started doing this, is my hair doesn't drip at all now. My hair would drip like mad when I first started. Now my hair doesn't drip. I have no idea why.
Click to expand...

When it’s not an external problem it’s internal. Like being hydrated. It’s probably a good idea to incorporating more water too.
 
Ladylyn said:
When it’s not an external problem it’s internal. Like being hydrated. It’s probably a good idea to incorporating more water too.
Click to expand...

I definitely agree we need to focus on both. I drink 60 to 70 oz a day. It could be something else but it's hard to pinpoint. My diet is good and mostly plant based. I'm supplementing with a few things and do a smoothie a day to get other things in.

As I learn more I will change things in my diet.
 
Trying to upload pics.
ETA: Finally! There really should be some sort of information that tells what the photo resolution should be in order to upload (I got these to upload by changing the image size to 720 x 720 pixels, btw).

Anyways, this is what I'm starting with.
Mostly frizzy frazzled wavy strands that don't like to clump together. Hopefully in a few months I'll see more clumped curls. This was hair that had just been sprayed with watered down conditioner, about to be sealed with a butter, and braided up.

I’ve realized that in order for cowashing to work for me, I have to cowash twice in the shower. The first wash is like loosening up the product on the hair and some detangling. The cowash doesn’t really spread or foam up a lot. The second cowash spreads and foams a lot. It’s basically like shampooing. I’m wondering if this is why cowashing never worked super great for me in the past; I was only washing once when I should have been washing twice.
 

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Okay, I’m going to join this soirée, lol.

I thought I had moisture down to a science, until I steamed my hair this weekend. I didn’t realize my hair was missing out, so I’m going to do this mini challenge for steaming accountability.

My goal is to have less frizz at the root, smoother buns, and just better overall curl poppage. I also want to see if steaming will help with scalp health. I don’t have issues of dryness, but I do shed a lot.
 
CurlyWhoCrux said:
Trying to upload pics.
ETA: Finally! There really should be some sort of information that tells what the photo resolution should be in order to upload (I got these to upload by changing the image size to 720 x 720 pixels, btw).

Anyways, this is what I'm starting with.
Mostly frizzy frazzled wavy strands that don't like to clump together. Hopefully in a few months I'll see more clumped curls. This was hair that had just been sprayed with watered down conditioner, about to be sealed with a butter, and braided up.

I’ve realized that in order for cowashing to work for me, I have to cowash twice in the shower. The first wash is like loosening up the product on the hair and some detangling. The cowash doesn’t really spread or foam up a lot. The second cowash spreads and foams a lot. It’s basically like shampooing. I’m wondering if this is why cowashing never worked super great for me in the past; I was only washing once when I should have been washing twice.
Click to expand...

That is an interesting observation about having to cowash twice.

Maybe with this change you will see progress much quicker.
 
I've rinsed and applied conditioner Friday and Saturday. I was supposed to henna my hair yesterday but didn't feel like it. Of course tonight I felt like it but I will be up until after 12 letting the henna sit :nono:

But with a new henna application, I won't be rinsing my hair until Thursday or Friday. My indigo doesn't stick as it is so I definitely need to let it sit. I won't dilute my conditioner as much to help hold in some of the moisture
 
So I hennaed Monday and used a heavier diluted conditioner mix. I rinsed on Thursday. Nothing memorable about it. Instead of putting my hair up into flat twist, I put in 2 strands. In the morning I put my hair into 2 flat twist.

Today I used the Redken cleansing cream. Then I added diluted conditioner and put in flat twist on each side. I'm still trying to figure out how often to use the Redken. I may try once a week or every 4 rinses. I'm not sure which.

What I do love about this is how easy it is to style my hair.
 
I was out of town this weekend and staying in a hotel and the water pressure in the bathroom was so great. The water pressure in my apt is low/soft, and I think the water pressure impacts how wet hair gets. My hair felt like it got wet faster from the hotel shower.
 
It took me 3 days but I got my hair washed, dc’d, and Shead up

I’m sick
Real sick this week and I’m hoping that I don’t neglect my hair which tends to happen when I get sick

I olaplexed
Washed
Protein
Dc
Oil rinsed
Then moisturized with a water/aloe/glycerin spritz followed by Pantene gold moisture milk then I sealed with avacado oil and Shea butter

Right now it’s feeling super soft and moisturized so hopefully it won’t take much effort to keep it this way this week
 
I cowashed my Silk pressed hair yesterday, then DC’d with a new conditioner from BoBeam. Instead of rinsing it out, I toweled my hair with a t-shirt to squeeze out the excess. I then shea’d my hair down and placed it in a bun. My hair feels great and cool to the touch. I will access my hair on Wednesday to see if a moisture and seal session is needed.
 
@ashbash , @keranikki

What is the wetness state of your hair when you apply the Shea?

I’m really trying to get butters to work for me because I am wondering if my hair needs to be sealed which I haven’t typically done in the past, and that’s what I attribute to dryness.
But I never really like how my hair feels or looks when applying butter sometimes. And then Of course it could be that the dryness is not from lack of sealing it just was from my not wetting my hair enough. So I will continue to give butters a try but I want to learn once and for all if they’re necessary for my hair. I sometimes feel like my hair is just as soft without anything bedside conditioner as it is with some sort of creamy butter product on top of conditioners.
 
CurlyWhoCrux said:
@ashbash , @keranikki

What is the wetness state of your hair when you apply the Shea?

I’m really trying to get butters to work for me because I am wondering if my hair needs to be sealed which I haven’t typically done in the past, and that’s what I attribute to dryness.
But I never really like how my hair feels or looks when applying butter sometimes. And then Of course it could be that the dryness is not from lack of sealing it just was from my not wetting my hair enough. So I will continue to give butters a try but I want to learn once and for all if they’re necessary for my hair. I sometimes feel like my hair is just as soft without anything bedside conditioner as it is with some sort of creamy butter product on top of conditioners.
Click to expand...

I like my hair damp-wet

I didn’t like using butters on my hair before and I hated it on my dry hair
But I started using whipped butters on my hair and it’s made a world of a difference

I buy pure Shea and whip it with a hand mixer adding different oils and scents
 
ashbash said:
I like my hair damp-wet

I didn’t like using butters on my hair before and I hated it on my dry hair
But I started using whipped butters on my hair and it’s made a world of a difference

I buy pure Shea and whip it with a hand mixer adding different oils and scents
Click to expand...

@CurlyWhoCrux Same. My hair hates Shea that hasn’t been whipped. I add a homemade Ayurvedic oil and essential/fragrance oils. In my last batch, I added vegetable glycerin, which my hair seems to like. Using glycerin allows me to cut out the S-Curl in my regimen.
 
Rinsed, conditioned and twisted again tonight. I'm almost out of this Giovanni so chic. I plan to stop by TJMaxx this week and see if I can find something new. It looks like a large bottle last me about 2 months. I may pick up more than 1 if I find some good stuff.
 
The butters I’m currently testing out are blended with other butters and oils and formed into a solid but when I scoop some out and run my hands together they turn into a thin oil basically.
 
Felt like I was coming down with a cold so I decided to avoid the long hair process in the shower. I put water on each section and then followed with conditioner and then twisted it back up. I hoping it will just hold me until Friday. If it feels dry tomorrow I may do it again tomorrow.

I thought I was going to get out and get conditioner today but maybe tomorrow.
 
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