DRY,POROUS, BRITTLE, BRILLO PAD, 4ZZ HAIR

[jcdlox]

this is coming from a 4b/z relaxed head that a year ago was dry, brittle, held no moisture, stiff, and breaking with the wind! I was new to the board as well, here is what worked and did not work for me.

First, everybody said moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! so I tried NTM products, Olive Oil lotion - DID NOTHING!
I eventually found ORS Replenishing Pak which worked wonders the first time but if more than 1x a week left my hair "feeling" hard (we'll come back to that)
Discovered Silk Elements moisturizing treatment and started to DC with that 1x per week. It started to help my hair with moisture but only lasted 1-2 days. Hmm, how to keep the hair moisturized was my next question.
Started using Porosity Control to try to keep cuticles closed to hold moisture. Was hit or miss. Didn't really keep the moisture much longer.
Now throughout I pretty much stayed with my same shampoo, Mizani Botanifying. It works and leaves my hair feeling soft and moisturized, no issues here. What I did start to notice though is my hair was stretching and popping when wet. Hmmm, some of my research shows that is a sign to too little protein, i.e. structure to the hair. Now that I think about it, whenever I used products with a little protein (Silk Elements, ORS Pak, Clairol Beautiful Collection) my hair does not stretch as much. Let's start to up the protein.
Ok, everybody raves about Kenra conditioner. Let's see. WHOOPS, OMG! Left my hair a tangled mess! Protein alright but not all proteins work the same.
One day in the BSS noticed that Mizani Fulfyl is balanced protein and moisturizing conditioner. Tried it. Liked it. It works, reduces breakage and now my hair holds moisture from one wash to the next. Also started using JCS Nourish and Shine 2x daily and Leave-in as a daily moisturizer (just a light spritz). Finally, balanced hair and moisturized, bouncy, swingy hair. It is also stronger, which I learned will "feel" hard when wet but really it is just that the hair has more strength and structure to it. I had to learn what strong and soft hair felt like as opposed to weak and soft which I was used to.

So this is a long description of my journey so far but here is the sum:

Protein is not necessary the reason for all dryness and breakage. If moisturizing doesn't work, then start using light proteins and keep at it until you get the balance right.
I am now using Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor first wash after relaxer followed by a moisturizing DC and it is working very well. No dryness or breakage post relaxer.

I hope this helps you on your journey.

 

[PurAngl1]

Thanks for all of your responses. I bought a chelating shampoo today (Quantum) . I am going to wash, deep condition with YTC, put in PC, rinse, and put in a leave in. I will then do a ponytail rollerset. Sound good? I just want soft, moisturized hair. Oh (4b ladies) should I detangle in the shower or with my hair just damp. Mind you I have some NG. I am going to try this tonight. Also, I was using Creme of Nature leave in, but noticed that the 2nd ingredient was petroleum. So I'm letting that go. I need another leave in. Any suggestion?

 

[Lady Esquire]

Thanks for all of your responses. I bought a chelating shampoo today (Quantum) . I am going to wash, deep condition with YTC, put in PC, rinse, and put in a leave in. I will then do a ponytail rollerset. Sound good? I just want soft, moisturized hair. Oh (4b ladies) should I detangle in the shower or with my hair just damp. Mind you I have some NG. I am going to try this tonight. Also, I was using Creme of Nature leave in, but noticed that the 2nd ingredient was petroleum. So I'm letting that go. I need another leave in. Any suggestion?

I use Quantum too and always follow it with a moisturizing shampoo, such as CON or Kera Care. Then I follow it with a DC. However, during my dry spells, I do the Porosity Control before doing the Deep Conditioner. I have never mixed the PC w/the DC, but I guess you can do that too, sounds like it would work just as good, w/out all of the extra steps.

As far as detangling, it is best to coat dry hair with oil, conditioner, or both for a few hours or overnight. Lightly detangle shed hairs, then go through your wash routine. When you get to your DC step, detangle again while hair is coated with the DC (tons of slip at this point), under the showerhead. Lastly detangle lightly when you are about to style.

As for leave-ins, the best ones I have found are Lacio Lacio, Salerm 21, or lightly coat hair with some coconut oil, sweet almond oil, frizz serum, or CHI Silk Infusium. If I want an airy rollerset, I use as little as possible.

I have a CON leave-in that I bought a few months ago, and I'm about to nix it out of my rotation because when the hair dries, it makes it rock hard. I wonder if that's the one you're referring to. Does it has a lemon or citrus in its name? By the way, I have 4b hair as well.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Thanks for all of your responses. I bought a chelating shampoo today (Quantum) . I am going to wash, deep condition with YTC, put in PC, rinse, and put in a leave in. I will then do a ponytail rollerset. Sound good? I just want soft, moisturized hair. Oh (4b ladies) should I detangle in the shower or with my hair just damp. Mind you I have some NG. I am going to try this tonight. Also, I was using Creme of Nature leave in, but noticed that the 2nd ingredient was petroleum. So I'm letting that go. I need another leave in. Any suggestion?

I detangle in the shower under running water. I have a little over 1 inch of new growth, this helps me avoid snags and breakage. I'm not combing now while my hair dry, especially when I'm not using heat.

(I will be retouching next weekend @ 10 weeks)

 

[LaidBak]

Thanks. My hair looks a lot like your after I go to the salon. Its about that length. What is your specific reggie? what DC do you use? I will try EVOO again and see what it does? Do you use heat often? If you don't use heat what does your look like? I'm asking because you said you had porous hair.

I will def not use glycerin anymore. I am going to chelate later on this week and start with a clean slate. I think I will also use Roux Extreme Moisture pack. This should do the trick.

Well now, my specific reggie is an all moisture one, with only a splash of protein on the rare occasion that my hair feels mushy. From what you described your case is serious, please know that it will take some time for your hair to recover (1-2 months even!). Have patience and stick to a regimen. All of these are what I use:

Shampoo
-Aphogee Deep Moisture (will NEVER stray from this)
-Mizani balancing hair bath if I need to chelate (post swim and post relaxer)
-V05 clarifier once in a blue moon( if I am trying to remove a temp color). BUT I mix the V05 with olive oil to keep it from drying my hair out.

Conditioner Moisture only, in order of favorite-ness
-Mizani Moisturefuze (awesome, but a bit pricey-maybe worth it for your extreme case)
-HairVeda SitiNillah
-Kenra MC
-CoN Professional Moisture extreme (kinda leaves buildup, but that's fine if you have a clarifier)

Porosity enforcer
Roux Porosity control/Creme of Nature Porosity corrector-every single time I wash.

Technique incorporate oils!!
-I ALWAYS mix my conditioners with oil. I have a little bowl and spatula and I mix them tub side. I use EVOO always. Lately I've had great success also adding JBCO or almond oil, and some oil mixes (Hairveda Cocasta oil and Avosoya oil). I've also used jojoba oil. I've gone up to a 50/50 mix of oil to conditioner. This also makes the use of expensive conditioners more economical.

...and heat!! I always cover with a plastic cap. And heat is a must for getting the most bang for your conditioning buck. I hate sitting under the dryer so I jerri-rigged a microwave heating pad and scarf so it would sit on top of my head to provide heat. Then I invested in a microwave conditioning cap (SO WORTH IT!). Now I can DC and move about the house freely (not stuck under the dryer). start with 45-60 mins. Taper off on time (20-30 mins) as your hair recovers.

Moisture overload?
If/When my hair gets mushy I add a splash of protein. Gentle protein! I use either straight silk amino acid or neutral protein filler and I add about 2 tablespoons to my conditioner mix. The neutral protein filler is cheap and easily found at Sally's. There is also a thread on it.
I have and could use Aphogee 2 Min reconstructor, but adding my protein to my normal mix cuts down on buying yet another product.

Treatment
My treatment of choice is Fermodyl 619. This is a liquid that comes in a little vial. Plenty of threads on this as well.

Detanglers/Leave in sprays
OK seriously, I don't need to detangle. My hair is butter soft after I rinse out my DC. But I love these sprays for occasional misting during the week.
-Pantene light spray conditioner
-Dove daily moisture therapy replenishing mist.

Moisturizers
I prefer no-cones, no mineral oil, no proteins, no glycerin, no buildup, no weight.
-Afroveda Miss Bhree
-Karen's Body Beautiful Super Silky

Edge Smoothers
-Elasta QP mango butter (the bomb! I also use for nightly end sealing)
-Hollywood beauty castor oil

Oils for styling/dressing/sealing
-EVCO baby! ain't none better. EVCO contains linoleic acid that helps hair retain moisture.
-Hairveda Vatika frosting (I'm intoxicated by the smell!)

Styling Method-I don't need heat anymore
-If I want a flat smooth look I cross-wrap at night. Look for You Tube threads and Fokti tutorials. This saved my hair's life when I first discovered it. I used to use a curling iron 2-3 times a day! Ugh!!

-For luscious curls I use flexirods. So soft you can sleep in them!! And they make the most wonderful curls with only 3-4 rods for your whole head!

-To save my ends I have rocked half wigs. I also wear french rolls and fake buns to save my ends.

OK I think I answered all your questions, but if I didn't let me know. I really hope this info is able to help you. I hate for you to be so frustrated!

 

[SelahOco]

If you can afford a steamer, that might work for you too!

 

[PurAngl1]

Thank you all. I shampooed my hair last night with Quantum Chelating Shampoo. I then added my DC (YTC mud mask mixed with JBCO). I left that on my hair for about an hour and half. I rinse then added YTCucu conditioner. Rinse and use the PC. I had more slip than before. I think the chelating was it. I then detangled, which was so easy. I rinsed, detangled then did my ponytail rollerset. I did good, however I had a few slip ups. One I forgot to shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo after the chelating shampoo :-( Also, I didn't have a leave in. I have cream of nature, but the 2nd ingredient is petroleum. So I didn't want to use that. I did use YTCucu as a leave though (don't really know if this is good idea or not). Then I moisturized with elasta qp mango butter, which I think is a no no because it has protein in it, right? I didn't know this. So I have to eliminate that for awhile, because right now I am on a no protein regimen. Then I did a ponytail rollerset. It was good but I decided to add a baggie to each roller for extra moisture. Good idea, but since I thoroughly wet each ponytail, it was still wet this morning. I just put it all in a ponytail and tucked in the ends. So, I think I did good I just have to tweak it a little bit.

I am still looking for a good moisturizer and leave in conditioner. Any more suggestions? I heard Oyin and Asha are good. I also am in need of something that can soften my hard new growth. Also is there a way to steam with out using a steamer. I don't have the $$$ for that just yet, but I know it will help my hair out. Thanks again everyone.

 

[PurAngl1]

Edge Smoothers
-Elasta QP mango butter (the bomb! I also use for nightly end sealing)
-Hollywood beauty castor oil


Does this have protein it? I used it last night on the ends of my hair thinking it was moisturizer. I then looked at the ingredients and I think it contains protein. I slipped up already.


Thank you so much for taking the time to share your regimen. I will def be following this. I can't by the good moisturizers yet til I get paid. What do you think about Oyin?

 

[SelahOco]

Also is there a way to steam with out using a steamer. I don't have the $$$ for that just yet, but I know it will help my hair out. Thanks again everyone.

I use the method I learned in this thread: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=215663&highlight=turbie

 

[jerseygurl]

Good job PurAngl1, keep it up and your hair will thank you for it

 

[PurAngl1]

Good job PurAngl1, keep it up and your hair will thank you for it

Thank you, I am trying so hard.

 

[PurAngl1]

I use the method I learned in this thread: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=215663&highlight=turbie

Wow sounds good. I can't wait to wash my hair again so I can do this.Thanks!!!

 

[Butterfly08]

Daily cowashing with a QUALITY conditioner such as Redken All Soft and leaving in Redken Butter Treat and sealing with olive oil turns my hair around after a couple days. I cannot deal with Suave, V05, etc, they do nothing but dry my hair out. My daughter has very coarse hair and cowashing turns her hair around after a few days as well. I do not recommend those cheap cons, sorry, especially if you are having serious dryness issues. Have you tried glycerine? That was one of the few things that worked on dd's hair when she was 4z natural.

 

[LaidBak]

Edge Smoothers
-Elasta QP mango butter (the bomb! I also use for nightly end sealing)
-Hollywood beauty castor oil


Does this have protein it? I used it last night on the ends of my hair thinking it was moisturizer. I then looked at the ingredients and I think it contains protein. I slipped up already.


Thank you so much for taking the time to share your regimen. I will def be following this. I can't by the good moisturizers yet til I get paid. What do you think about Oyin?

EQP Mango Butter has hydrolyzed silk, which is a form of protein. But its one of the gentle proteins I mentioned before and its waaay down on the list. It forms a protective barrier on the hair.
EQP also has cones too which I shy away from, but mind you , I only use it on my edges and ends. Its made a huge difference for my ends, and nothing slicks back and holds my fuzzy hairline better. So I go with it.

I've never heard of Oyin. But there is one moisturizer that I forgot to mention, and I could kick myself! Ellin Lavar deep penetrating balm. You can get it at CVS at a decent price. This stuff is non greasy but UBER moisturizing! Its the moisturizer I used on my NG when I did my first ever 7 week stretch. Just part you hair in small sections like you were applying a relaxer and get that moisturizer down in there to the root and scalp!

 

[LaidBak]

PurAngl1 go down to post #5 of this thread. it talks about the different types of proteins.
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=186229

HTH!!

 

[CenteredGirl]

My theory is that our hair is dry because we do TOO MUCH. Wash too much, comb too much, apply too much product.

Chill is my recommendation. Try not washing it but once a month. I was so deflated 5 months ago. I hadn't had progress in a year and my hair was breaking off BIG TIME.

I threw in the towel and decided not to do anything to it for 3 months. my hair got DISGUSTINGLY dirty, but after finally washing it, it was like SILK.

I think this is because I had more sebum covering my hair. It's natural and God given. No product can match it.

I'm sure my advice will be unpopular but hey, consider it the next time you want to write a post a like this one.

 

[mstar]

*Any recommendations for a moisturizing deep conditioner with no cones????

Hi PurAngl,

Elucence Moisture Balancing conditioner worked WONDERS for my dry, 4b hair...it makes the hair very soft. I use it as a moisturizing DC, and I also use a little bit as a leave-in (the Elucence website says: "As a leave-in lotion, it provides continuous moisturizing and suppleness to unusually dry hair." Every time I put it in, it gives me a soft, touchable, manageable head of hair. It's not heavy, and it self-adjusts to the moisture level that your hair needs.

Here are a few more moisturizing conditioners with no cones:
Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm
Shescentit Banana Brulee Moisturizing Deep Conditioner
Nexxus Phyto Organics Humectin Extreme Moisture Conditioner
Lustrasilk Shea Butter & Mango Cholesterol
Kenra moisturizing conditioner
Hairveda Sitrinillah Mask
Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner
Aubrey Organics White Camellia conditioner
Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix
Afroveda Ashlii Amala Red Raspberry intense deep conditioning hair mask
Oyin Honey Hemp conditioner
Jane Carter Nutrient Replenishing Conditioner

Also, are you using heat with your deep conditioners? My heating cap makes a big difference in helping the products to penetrate. HTH, and good luck.

 

[Chevelure618]

I say (and this will be controversial) NO PROTEIN. Just moisturize.

I see you use UBH conditioner. I think it is not for you because it is strong and hard...it is a great conditioner to repair damage.

USe the UBH Lotion Creme moisturizer.

I have a lot of 4Z on my head and it is the only stuff that makes my new growth combably.

Then use heavy oil like coconut or olive

Cowash everyday if you have to.

Try it.

 

[healthyhair2]

I can identify with your situation. I have had this problem before too. After I went back to a high end LYE relaxer and started to use shampoo with NO SULFATES did my hair respond. I also tried to use products that did not contain mineral oil-which helped as well. I realized too that conditioner washes were not for me. For me shampooing 3x per week helped. I'd use a moisturizing conditioner after every shampoo,but protein once every 6 weeks. After rinsing my deep conditioner I would use a moisturizer,then seal with oil. I do detangle before I shampoo-Lekair Cholesterol is a good option for this. IMHO Nexxus Humectress is STILL one of the best moisturizing deep conditioners ever made. Good Luck. Don't cut it --Stay strong. Your hair will recover

 

[PurAngl1]

EQP Mango Butter has hydrolyzed silk, which is a form of protein. But its one of the gentle proteins I mentioned before and its waaay down on the list. It forms a protective barrier on the hair.
EQP also has cones too which I shy away from, but mind you , I only use it on my edges and ends. Its made a huge difference for my ends, and nothing slicks back and holds my fuzzy hairline better. So I go with it.

I've never heard of Oyin. But there is one moisturizer that I forgot to mention, and I could kick myself! Ellin Lavar deep penetrating balm. You can get it at CVS at a decent price. This stuff is non greasy but UBER moisturizing! Its the moisturizer I used on my NG when I did my first ever 7 week stretch. Just part you hair in small sections like you were applying a relaxer and get that moisturizer down in there to the root and scalp!

Thanks. I went to Walgreens and Rite Aid last night to look for it, because there is no CVS where I live. They didn't have it. It must be exclusively at CVS. So I will find one today and pick it up. I think the mango butter is drying my ends up. They feel really dry and hard again. Does the Ellin Lavar deep penetrating balm have any type of protein in it? Is it an everyday moisturizer? Does it have cones?

 

[PurAngl1]

Ok Ladies, I am getting frustrated once again. My ends are just super dry and brittle...again. I add moisturizer twice a day. I think it may be the SAA I added to my B&B moisturizer. Also I was using Elasta QP, which I found out has protein in it as well. So I am going to buy a moisturizer with no protein at all. Also, is it a good idea to wash and DC again tonight (I just did it Monday). Most of you replied that I should wash and DC more. So I am going to try that tonight with a steam DC. I notice that if my ends aren't in a baggy they are stiff and dry. I hope the moisturizers are the culprit. I also, bun everyday, hiding my ends from air. How come my ends are still dry? Can it be the fact that the my ends are little damp when I baggy and when I take them out they dry stiff? I baggy with moisturizer (b&b), olive oil, and leave in liquid spray.

 

[AfroKink]

I've been having the same issues as you except that I'm natural. I get extensive breakage because of it. I'm trying to go low on the proteins and cone and increase the moisture. Thing is I moisturize up to 3 times a day but my hair feels dry within an hour of moisturizing. What gives? Here's a thread I started more than a year ago. You might be able to find something helpful in it.

 

[simone103]

I think the culprit is the relaxer that you use and whoever is applying it to your hair is not doing a good job. Your hair sounds extremely overprocessed, and there's not much you can do to save overprocessed hair except cut it off. I've been in your situation before, and I had to gradually trim the overprocessed hair off. What I did was get weaves and have my hairdresser gradually trim the ends off after I removed the weave and then weave it back up a couple of weeks later.

 

[LaidBak]

Ok Ladies, I am getting frustrated once again. My ends are just super dry and brittle...again. I add moisturizer twice a day. I think it may be the SAA I added to my B&B moisturizer. Also I was using Elasta QP, which I found out has protein in it as well. So I am going to buy a moisturizer with no protein at all. Also, is it a good idea to wash and DC again tonight (I just did it Monday). Most of you replied that I should wash and DC more. So I am going to try that tonight with a steam DC. I notice that if my ends aren't in a baggy they are stiff and dry. I hope the moisturizers are the culprit. I also, bun everyday, hiding my ends from air. How come my ends are still dry? Can it be the fact that the my ends are little damp when I baggy and when I take them out they dry stiff? I baggy with moisturizer (b&b), olive oil, and leave in liquid spray.

Darling, it is going to take quite some time before you recover from protein overload. Do not expect results overnight. It took me a month of DCing every 3 days to recover the last time it happened to me. Yes, your hair will be coarse, dry, hard, and tangly for a while. Patience, care, and time will save your hair.

STOP adding the SAA. Only add that back in in the future if/when your hair overloads on moisture (i.e. gets mushy). And even then I only use it in a rinse out capacity as opposed to leave in.

Please please please read that thread I posted for you. Gymfreak explains the difference in the types of protein and what their purpose is. Some proteins are humectants (e.g. hydrolyzed wheat protein) and you need that right now. So don't be afraid of ALL proteins in the ingredients. Use the moisturizing proteins to your advantage.

BB moisturizing lotion has aloe vera gel in it. Aloe vera gel contains protein in the form of amino acids (source: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-aloe-vera.html). That may be adding to the problem.

As for the Ellin Lavar it has 1 cone, but its low on the list and offset by MANY good oils in the product. It also has hydrolyzed wheat protein (which you need). I'm telling you, this stuff is amazing. And yes, its exclusively at CVS. $7.99 a tube if is not on sale.

If you need/want to baggy, use an olive or coconut oil for now. They will penetrate and condition your ends with no threat of making them hard.

You will have beautiful hair yet-- Trust!

 

[Prose Princess]

You've got a lot of great advice here. There are a lot of people in here with a lot more knowledge than I have, and what I'm about to tell you may be considered bad advice, but it worked for me when I was in your situation so I feel like I should put it out there anyway.

S-curl (the blue and white one) and activator gel (I like Smooth-n-Shine and Long Aid Extra Dry). I'm transitioning, but right now I'm only like 5% natural and the rest is overprocessed, dry, brittle hair like yours and believe me, I have tried all KINDS of moisturizers, conditioners, oils, etc. and nothing seemed to make my hair soft for more than like an hour or so. And my ends? ForGET it lol. I don't know how I came across this combination, just out of desperate experimentation I guess, but if I use enough of each, my hair stays soft for days. Usually after I'm done washing, I'll put a little HE LTR, then saturate my hair with the S-curl, then I'll apply the activator gel as I'm braiding and air dry. When I take my hair down the next morning it's usually pretty soft and I'll just put some jojoba oil on it. By the end of the day it often dries out a bit, so I'll apply a bit more S-curl and rebraid with activator gel, take it down the next morning and my hair is soft until my next wash. I don't know why it works because I thought my hair hated glycerin, and the gel has some protein in it, but it's given me results so I don't ask questions lol.

A few other tips that I think may be helping to soften my hair: I don't use shampoo anymore...cowashes with Aussie Moist only. Oddly enough, this is sufficient for cleaning my hair. I haven't had a buildup problem yet. Also, red palm oil is a great hot oil prepoo treatment...well pre cowash, whatever lol. I get mine from http://www.agbangakarite.com. What I do is, slap the palm oil all over my hair in generous amounts, put a shower cap and scarf on my head and chill out for about 30 minutes, then go back and put my ayurvedic paste on top of that,wait about 20 minutes, then cowash and DC.

I know this was kind of all over the place but I hope some of this helps!

 

[PurAngl1]

I've been having the same issues as you except that I'm natural. I get extensive breakage because of it. I'm trying to go low on the proteins and cone and increase the moisture. Thing is I moisturize up to 3 times a day but my hair feels dry within an hour of moisturizing. What gives? Here's a thread I started more than a year ago. You might be able to find something helpful in it.

Thanks. It's good to find other people with my situation. Has anything helped you yet? I think everything here is helpful and the main thing that stands out is no protein for awhile. I think my hair is strong enough and no/low cones. Also, I am going to try the steam treatment tonight. I think this will def blast some moisture in my hair. There is a thread about it:
www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=215663
Well thanks for sharing.

 

[Mook's hair]

A few things jump put at me.
You're using lots of protein. Try switching to Silk Amino Acids protein.
Also you list Switzerland as your location... maybe you have very hard water and you need a water filter on your shower head or wherever you wash your hair.
Lastly, you may be over processed.

I think the ladies have offered some good advice.

 

[PurAngl1]

A few things jump put at me.
You're using lots of protein. Try switching to Silk Amino Acids protein.
Also you list Switzerland as your location... maybe you have very hard water and you need a water filter on your shower head or wherever you wash your hair.
Lastly, you may be over processed.

I think the ladies have offered some good advice.

Yes I think I was using quite a lot of protein. I stopped. So the last few weeks has been moisture, moisture, and more moisture. Also, I do no live in Switzerland. That info is wrong, but I will fix it. I think there is a strong likelihood that I am over processed. What are the sypmtoms of over processed hair. If it is, can it be fixed. I am trying so hard. Thanks for the advice. And your hair is gorgeous.

 

[PurAngl1]

Darling, it is going to take quite some time before you recover from protein overload. Do not expect results overnight. It took me a month of DCing every 3 days to recover the last time it happened to me. Yes, your hair will be coarse, dry, hard, and tangly for a while. Patience, care, and time will save your hair.

STOP adding the SAA. Only add that back in in the future if/when your hair overloads on moisture (i.e. gets mushy). And even then I only use it in a rinse out capacity as opposed to leave in.

Please please please read that thread I posted for you. Gymfreak explains the difference in the types of protein and what their purpose is. Some proteins are humectants (e.g. hydrolyzed wheat protein) and you need that right now. So don't be afraid of ALL proteins in the ingredients. Use the moisturizing proteins to your advantage.

BB moisturizing lotion has aloe vera gel in it. Aloe vera gel contains protein in the form of amino acids (source: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-aloe-vera.html). That may be adding to the problem.

As for the Ellin Lavar it has 1 cone, but its low on the list and offset by MANY good oils in the product. It also has hydrolyzed wheat protein (which you need). I'm telling you, this stuff is amazing. And yes, its exclusively at CVS. $7.99 a tube if is not on sale.

If you need/want to baggy, use an olive or coconut oil for now. They will penetrate and condition your ends with no threat of making them hard.

You will have beautiful hair yet-- Trust!

You were absolutely right about the having tangles. I am have a severe tangling issue right now. Are you sure it will be fixed? I am getting discouraged because I can't even comb, part, or finger comb my hair. I have been on a strict moisture regimen and no heat. I been doing good, but the tangles are a hot mess. Did you experience the tangles too? BTW I am only 5 weeks post. What can I do. I feel like my hair is just a matted mess.