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Calling all 3 a/b hair types!

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OliviaChristine

New Member
I've searched and searched for products that work well for my hair type, but I came up empty handed. I've tried a few things that members here recommended, but while some have worked, most have not. I know that works well for 4b may not work well for 3a/b....SO, if any of my 3 a/b ladies can recommend some products and/styling tips, I'd be very happy. I'm looking for good leave-ins, also any product that is good for defining curl, smoothing flyaways and retaining moisture. Also, I'd love to see albums of ladies with my hair type...I need inspiration :D
 
Well I'm not 3a/b but I know that plenty of type 3s like kinky curly pudding (www.kinky-curly.com) and while web searching I discovered this product, it's supposed to be a leave-in as well as a curl definer...here's the link www.mixedchicks.net. I hope this helps! Bumping for more responses!
 
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I am 3b and I basically keep it very simple. I use pantene shampoo and conditioner (Hydrating Curls), leave a little of the conditioner in as leave-in. I use EVO and mango butter. That's it. My hair does best when I keep it simple. My hair is a little beyond shoulder length and full from root to tip. I haven't posted pics, but will soon. I also have highlights. I am looking for a product to put on my edges though to keep them smooth but healthy. Hope this helps!!
 
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My daughter has your hair type. It's also thick and about 3-4 above waist length. She uses the same products (shamp, cond, leave-in) that I do. They're in my album.

For a leave-in with defining power try Sebastian Potion 9. We've used that too. Also detangle your hair in the shower and don't comb or bush it after that. Just let it dry. Good luck.
 
My hair type is 3b, but from a poll taken here recently, there aren't too many of us here. Anyway, I use Giovanni Direct Leave In. This has been the best leave in for me of all the ones I've tried. Though, a while back, I used Aveda's Elixir, another good leave in.

Right now I'm on a challenge, so I wear my hair up every day. I cowash every morning, and then just put it up. I've tried a lot of different natural butters on my hair. A lot of them are fine. Right now I'm using hemp seed butter, which I think I like the best, though it is a bit expensive. I like it slightly better than other butters because of the consistency. It doesn't harden up like shea or avocado butter, so it's easier to distribute through my hair. Shealoe is pretty good too.

I don't use any styling products or really any other hair products at all. When I start to wear my hair down, I'm quite sure I'll have to find other products. But right now, it isn't necessary because my hair is basically always "tucked away".
 
dlewis said:
Just placed an order from the mixed chick co.
Click to expand...

Please let me know how this works for you cause I'm seriously interested in buying it too! BTW, how many ounces was the product? It didn't say on the site, thanks!
 
I'm either 3a or 3b, not quite sure...

This is what I do:

Every 2 or 3 days I was my hair with either Nexxus Therappe or Redken All Soft. I condition with Hexxus Humectress or Redken Heavy Cream. I use Emergencee about once a month.

After I get out of the shower I wrap my hair in a towel and "pat" dry. Then I part it down the middle and apply a little Humectress as a leave in and apply pure avocado butter. Then I made two braid, one on each side and clip them back with a big claw clip. That's it! My hair comes out soooo soft and silky each time. I'm a SAHM with four boys so I rarely wear my hair down.

I clarify with Aloe Rid or Redken Cleansing Cream once or twice a month.
 
I'm not 3a/b but I have nieces that are. My sister has tried alot of products on their hair but the one thing that yields the best results is using conditioner as a leave-in. Also "lighter" products work better on their hair - anything with too many oils or waxes leaves their hair stringy and limp.
 
I'm mostly 3b with a bit of 3c/4a in the crown area.... i dont know if I am able to help. I never really thought that specific products helped for specific hairtypes though. I thought that only applied to 4b's because supposedly it's the driest hair type...

what i dont get with my hair, is how my RELAXED hair will be dry as hay, but my new growth still stays soft... which is why i'm always searching for something that will moisturize my new growth just as well as the rest of my hair. Sadly... i'm still looking. I need an EXTRA moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

Good luck with ur search :)
 
OliviaChristine, the following products work well on sopping wet hair to define my curls and reduce frizz: Design Essentials Hydrating Leave-in Conditioner, followed by Curl Booster Gel, followed by Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper. I smooth each product onto my hair in sections, give it a slight shake or two and allow to air dry. My hair looks good wet and dries to a nice shine, with well defined, frizzless curls. I have recently tried Garnier Fructis Soft Curl Cream and get great results with that, along with just a touch of Curl Keeper. I usually do conditioner washes and Garnier Fructis is one of my favorites.
 
CarLiTa said:
I'm mostly 3b with a bit of 3c/4a in the crown area.... i dont know if I am able to help. I never really thought that specific products helped for specific hairtypes though. I thought that only applied to 4b's because supposedly it's the driest hair type...

what i dont get with my hair, is how my RELAXED hair will be dry as hay, but my new growth still stays soft... which is why i'm always searching for something that will moisturize my new growth just as well as the rest of my hair. Sadly... i'm still looking. I need an EXTRA moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

Good luck with ur search :)
Click to expand...

This is exactly the way it was when I relaxed my hair eons ago! My natural hair is soft and moving, but my relaxed hair was hard and dry and stiff...
 
Alli77 said:
Please let me know how this works for you cause I'm seriously interested in buying it too! BTW, how many ounces was the product? It didn't say on the site, thanks!
Click to expand...

I should receive mine next week and I'll be sure to post about it. :)
 
I normally use either a creamy leave in or leave a little regular conditioner in my hair and add Smooth n Shine activator gel. Conditioner washes also helped to make my once dry hair more moisturized.
 
For general use I mositurize my hair with long aid curl activator gel.As needed I use a leave in conditioner, ie, infusium or 911. When my hair is freshly washed and I'm wearing it out, I use a black and sassy setting lotion or some sort of gel, ie fantasia hair polisher styling gel, if I want my curls defined in addition to the curl activator. Kms curl up curling balm works good for my hair . hth

Lately i've been washing my hair with salerm shampoo and conditioner. So far it's been good. And I use salerm 21 leave in conditioner.

Once a month I use neuxus emergence followed by a cholesterol.
 
balisi said:
OliviaChristine, the following products work well on sopping wet hair to define my curls and reduce frizz: Design Essentials Hydrating Leave-in Conditioner, followed by Curl Booster Gel, followed by Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper. I smooth each product onto my hair in sections, give it a slight shake or two and allow to air dry. My hair looks good wet and dries to a nice shine, with well defined, frizzless curls. I have recently tried Garnier Fructis Soft Curl Cream and get great results with that, along with just a touch of Curl Keeper. I usually do conditioner washes and Garnier Fructis is one of my favorites.
Click to expand...

thank you for putting some drugstore brands..i know garnier's deep conditioning treatment used to work on my hair so nicely...kept the moisture and everything...that was the only conditioner i used to use along with shampoo but never officially tried their line of products..

lol youre post made me want to go back now.. since the weathers changing, and i got a perm roughly around last november, now that i think back, i didnt notice how my natural hair was being effected because it was freshly permed..now with this cold weather, my roots are taking a beating..ive got 2-3 inches of roots all over my head and everything seems to be in varying textures..

im going to try garnier again and see if it works for my curly hair..if it doesnt work, then im going to wait til i get my chi for christmas and im going to straighten until i can learn to take care of it or once i get past this plateau..
 
My routine and product usage is a little different from when i first get a perm and then later as the perm gets old. I am now at 12 weeks trying to stretch to 16. (usually go 8). When I first get a perm, I rollerset once a week and do no CW. I use Creme of Nature Shampoo and then do a deep conditioner (weekly) with a variety of conditioners (cheapie cons, plus some other deep cons, EVOO, honey, etc). Then I rollerset, using Surge 14 and Rusk Smoother as leave ins. I use a little jojoba on the ends, but be VERY careful to only put in on the ends because if you go too far up the hair shaft, it will weigh the hair down, which is not the look you're going for.

During the first 8 weeks after my touch up I didn't use WGO on my scalp, because even though I had heard a lot about it, I was afraid that it would weigh my hair down and didn't know exactly how to incorporate it in my routine....I was anxious to use it some kind of way so I dabbed a little in the palms of my hands and distributed it through my hair. (the bottle said it tamed flyaways) Guess I was too generous with it, b/c my "pretty and bouncy" hair style all of a sudden went to "stringy and limp". :nono: Don't think it would have been too bad if i had just used one drop. However, as I got later into my stretching, I used WGO on my scalp while it's wet to make sure my scalp is moisturized when its dry.(I also use MTG on my scalp while it's wet) I have been bunning and cw'ing for the past 4 weeks so I have been using way more products than usual just to help manage new growth.

Once I get my touch up, I will go back to rollersetting once a week and I am trying to see if i will be able to use my MTG nightly. (it tends to make the hair very oily, but it hadn't mattered lately since i wasn't trying to wear it down anyway)

Someone mentioned ordering the product from mixed chicks and I would love to know how that works b/c I would like to do a wash and go sometimes but want to know of a product that would really define my curls....When you try it out, be sure to report back and let us know the results....
 
OliviaChristine said:
Bumping for more responses...any other 3a/b hairs out there?
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That's me, I think. I use Elucence stuff, and the only thing I use that isn't is my Cantu Shea Soft Leave In on my ends when I rollerset. Love the stuff.
Used sparingly, the Cantu Should work wonders for you.
 
does anyone use suave or v05 conditioner as a leave-in. i've been doing it and was wondering if if was bad for my hair. i have been loving the results though!!!! someone please let me know.!!!!
 
goldylox said:
does anyone use suave or v05 conditioner as a leave-in. i've been doing it and was wondering if if was bad for my hair. i have been loving the results though!!!! someone please let me know.!!!!
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I do and I do not have problems, you may need to clarify a little more often though
 
Alli77 said:
Please let me know how this works for you cause I'm seriously interested in buying it too! BTW, how many ounces was the product? It didn't say on the site, thanks!
Click to expand...

I recieve this today. 6.7 fl oz. Will try it sometime this week and let you know.
 
dlewis said:
I recieve this today. 6.7 fl oz. Will try it sometime this week and let you know.
Click to expand...

Can't wait for the review either. I was really impressed with the info. on the website and wanted to order some right away but i will wait for your review!
 
After using the mixed chick product this morning my hair looked like this.

47b5cf34b3127cce9522f5d2d85f00000016108AbuWzVo5Yt1


I'm still trying to get use to it. I'm use to my hair being really full.
 
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Carefree said:
I'm not 3a/b but I have nieces that are. My sister has tried alot of products on their hair but the one thing that yields the best results is using conditioner as a leave-in. Also "lighter" products work better on their hair - anything with too many oils or waxes leaves their hair stringy and limp.
Click to expand...

ITA! I use conditioner and a little oil mixed as a moisturizer too. It has been a little over a year since I began my transition from relaxed hair. It has been working for me so far. BTW Dlewis, I like your hair w/the mixed chick product. I might have to take a look myself. Thanks for posting...
 
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