I'm on the verge of tears....

[itsjusthair88]

I just canceled a dinner with my friend because my hair is...frustrating, to say the least. I'm about 7 months post-BC, with about 4 inches of hair and when my hair was shorter, it was kinda frizzy, but manageable and for the past few months I've been in strictly long-term PS'ing, mostly braids and twists, well I took my flat twists out earlier than I expected and I figured, I would just wear a WnGo for my dinner date tonight...WRONG.

My hair was horrible, it was frizzy and dry, but oily and wet...it stayed wet FOREVER, and was drippy and did I mention the frizz?

I'm a 4A, and I don't have a real regimen because, like I said, I wear twists or braids...but this evening I:

-Oil rinsed with a mixture of Coconut, EVOO, Shea and Jojoba
-co-washed with Nexxus Humectress
-blot dried with a cotton shirt, put Shea Moisture condish as a leave-in and some Curlee Smoothie with some EcoStyler to help define...my hair was white and gross
-So I washed that out and just sat down and gave up.

After I washed it out the second time, I looked in the mirror and it was dripping wt and frizzy, I can see the drops of water on top of the frizz!

What can I do? I am so frustrated with my hair, every time I take it down it gets worse and worse, I just don't know what to do.

​

 

[NYAmicas]

Just wanted to give *Hugs* because I truly understand. Sometimes my hair has me so down and frustrated I dont want to leave the house. I'm sure someone will come in here with great advice OP.

 

[ManeStreet]

It wasn't you. Ecostyler doesn't "play well with others". It'll cause white balls when mixed with certain things. For me once my hair dries, it disappears. But it is a known issue with it. It acts really crazy when apply Cantu shea leave in followed by Ecostyler... white residue galore.

 

[AHeadOfCoils]

I just canceled a dinner with my friend because my hair is...frustrating, to say the least. I'm about 7 months post-BC, with about 4 inches of hair and when my hair was shorter, it was kinda frizzy, but manageable and for the past few months I've been in strictly long-term PS'ing, mostly braids and twists, well I took my flat twists out earlier than I expected and I figured, I would just wear a WnGo for my dinner date tonight...WRONG.

My hair was horrible, it was frizzy and dry, but oily and wet...it stayed wet FOREVER, and was drippy and did I mention the frizz?

I'm a 4A, and I don't have a real regimen because, like I said, I wear twists or braids...but this evening I:

-Oil rinsed with a mixture of Coconut, EVOO, Shea and Jojoba
-co-washed with Nexxus Humectress
-blot dried with a cotton shirt, put Shea Moisture condish as a leave-in and some Curlee Smoothie with some EcoStyler to help define...my hair was white and gross
-So I washed that out and just sat down and gave up.

After I washed it out the second time, I looked in the mirror and it was dripping wt and frizzy, I can see the drops of water on top of the frizz!

What can I do? I am so frustrated with my hair, every time I take it down it gets worse and worse, I just don't know what to do.

​

Hey Honey! It's alright.

That's too many products to put under eco styler. When I apply too much eco, I run my hair under some warm water for a few seconds and shake like a dog. I sit under the hair dryer for about 10-15 minutes the wet look is gone along with the white residue.

 

[Belle_de_Paris]

When i did the BC i had the same issues and it was so frustrating !
I would say try to avoid creamy leave-ins when you use gel. I used to dilute mine with water in a spray bottle, no more white balls after that. HTH

 

[Shadiyah]

I just canceled a dinner with my friend because my hair is...frustrating, to say the least. I'm about 7 months post-BC, with about 4 inches of hair and when my hair was shorter, it was kinda frizzy, but manageable and for the past few months I've been in strictly long-term PS'ing, mostly braids and twists, well I took my flat twists out earlier than I expected and I figured, I would just wear a WnGo for my dinner date tonight...WRONG.​

My hair was horrible, it was frizzy and dry, but oily and wet...it stayed wet FOREVER, and was drippy and did I mention the frizz?​

I'm a 4A, and I don't have a real regimen because, like I said, I wear twists or braids...but this evening I:​

-Oil rinsed with a mixture of Coconut, EVOO, Shea and Jojoba
-co-washed with Nexxus Humectress
-blot dried with a cotton shirt, put Shea Moisture condish as a leave-in and some Curlee Smoothie with some EcoStyler to help define...my hair was white and gross
-So I washed that out and just sat down and gave up.​

After I washed it out the second time, I looked in the mirror and it was dripping wt and frizzy, I can see the drops of water on top of the frizz!​

What can I do? I am so frustrated with my hair, every time I take it down it gets worse and worse, I just don't know what to do.​

The one thing I found out with my hair it does not do well with cornrows. I can plait it all day long but if I start cornrowing it, it starts breaking and frizzing like no body business. What I would tell you to try is honey and deep conditioner over night and then wash it out in the morning and put a deep cond or moist cond in on the dripping hair and let it airdry. do not touch it at all while it is wet. this has worked wonders on my daughter's hair the is like 4b or 4a. no comb no brush none of that. just take your hand and crunch your hair up in your hair towards your roots to form the curls while it is dripping wet and then leave it.

 

[curlycrown85]

I've had the same thing happen to me with Eco-Styler. What I do when it comes to last minute mess ups like that is rewash (like you did) and throw some Shea Moisture conditioner as a leave in and another styling cream like Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, pic it out into a 'fro, slick the front down with Eco-Styler gel (the front only) and smooth a headband on, then pat my fro into its cute shape. Afros may not be my first styling choice, but it's one of those styles that's a never-fail when other styles fail at the last minute.

 

[keepithealthy]

It wasn't you. Ecostyler doesn't "play well with others". It'll cause white balls when mixed with certain things. For me once my hair dries, it disappears. But it is a known issue with it. It acts really crazy when apply Cantu shea leave in followed by Ecostyler... white residue galore.

so true.... I also had to learn that the hard way. It took me a while to get familiar with my natural hair and I am mostly 4a as well. It took me a while to figure out what products play nice together. Don't give up it gets better with time.

 

[alive]

I just canceled a dinner with my friend because my hair is...frustrating, to say the least. I'm about 7 months post-BC, with about 4 inches of hair and when my hair was shorter, it was kinda frizzy, but manageable and for the past few months I've been in strictly long-term PS'ing, mostly braids and twists, well I took my flat twists out earlier than I expected and I figured, I would just wear a WnGo for my dinner date tonight...WRONG.

My hair was horrible, it was frizzy and dry, but oily and wet...it stayed wet FOREVER, and was drippy and did I mention the frizz?

I'm a 4A, and I don't have a real regimen because, like I said, I wear twists or braids...but this evening I:

-Oil rinsed with a mixture of Coconut, EVOO, Shea and Jojoba
-co-washed with Nexxus Humectress
-blot dried with a cotton shirt, put Shea Moisture condish as a leave-in and some Curlee Smoothie with some EcoStyler to help define...my hair was white and gross
-So I washed that out and just sat down and gave up.

After I washed it out the second time, I looked in the mirror and it was dripping wt and frizzy, I can see the drops of water on top of the frizz!

What can I do? I am so frustrated with my hair, every time I take it down it gets worse and worse, I just don't know what to do.

​

sorry im no help. just wanted to give you a big hug i hope some of these suggestions work

 

[Curlykale]

I understand... Experimenting with products and especially styling sometimes can get frustrating. But don't worry, when you find what works for you it's smooth sailing. I have never used Ecostyler but I see an ingredient that my hair doesn't like and that is shea butter (and jojoba as well, jojoba and castor are the only 2 oils my hair hates). My hair becomes dull, dry, oily and never moisturized with it. I have never used Shea Moisture products, so I don't know if they have a lot of shea butter and how my hair would respond to them but as a last resort you may also want to try a shea free option and see what happens.
My hair also hates glycerin and Ecostyler has it (one day I'll try it anyway and see what happens).. I hope this information helps instead of being confusing, that's just my 2 cents.
Good luck!

 

[itsjusthair88]

Thanks everybody, I was just so frustrated last night! I now know that Ecostyler+any heavy cream equals white stuff everywhere. I'm going to DC today with a mixture that has honey and try and figure out what to do next. I think I need to go back to protective styling for awhile. Thanks again ladies!

Sent from my Eris using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[EllePixie]

Also, do you clarify? Seeing drops of water on your strands is often a sign of buildup.

 

[Ronnieaj]

Co-signing with EllePixie. I think you need to clarify and use light conditioners under that Eco. For me personally, I can use KBB Hair Milk (Sweet Ambrosia, whatever ) under Eco, but that's about it. Under the better safe than sorry philosophy though, stick with liquidy leave-ins. Good luck!

 

[Nonie]

As someone once said, do not experiment on a day when you need to be some place important/special.

I went through the same frustration of not knowing what to use after my BC because I normally go bare when in braids/twists. So I can so understand your frustration. Enter S Curl into my life and it's all I ever use. Now I will admit I don't care for WNGs and I think those need like 19387497987 products. But if a cute picked out 'fro is your cup of tea, I recommend S Curl and nothing else. Has never failed me and keeps my hair touchable and soft, instead of dripping wet, icky sticky, gooey messy.

Hopefully other WNG 4A will give you a simpler recipe. Methinks too much of anything is bad for you, hair products included. Not to mention the buildup you have to deal with later.

Here's a It'll be OK.

BTW, I don't know how comfy you are with headwraps or hats, but they can be lifesavers when you don't feel like dealing with your hair or have bad results with a do.

 

[lovenharmony]

I will say what I always say when your hair starts behaving badly....CLARIFY! You can't go wrong with clarifying your hair when all else fails. If you have serious buildup issues (like the time I put lard in my hair as a deep conditioner....don't judge me ) use baking soda to strip everything off and start fresh. After, do a nice deep condition and your hair should be good as new. I would also suggest leaving it alone (i.e. leave in a protective styles) for at least a few days for your cuticles to settle down and recoup from the strip down. Works for me everytime

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

It'll be ok.

Maybe you should invest in some super cute wigs/ponies. NEVER let your hair keep you from living. It's NEVER THAT SERIOUS (even though it seems like it is )! There's a HUGE learning curve with our hair. One minute mine likes a product, the next... it hates it. I can do the exact same steps and different outcomes. It kinda comes with the territory.

Clarify (with something gentle), DC, braid/twist it up, slap on the hairstyle to suit your mood, and go about your business! Everyone has had hair frustrations. It's ok.

 

[BraunSugar]

Hi there! Hope you are feeling better right now.

Two things I just wanted to mention:

1.) When I oil rinse my hair, yes it comes out soft, no my wash & gos do not look good on that day. I think the oil makes the hair so soft that it will not clump properly. I am prepared to put my hair in a puff on an oil rinse day.

2.) One thing I've learned about EcoStyler or any gel is that you can't judge how it will dry by the way your hair looks wet. Sometimes my EcoStyler looks streaky while my hair is wet, but it dries fine. I used to be paranoid about that all the time during my early phase, & I was always washing my hair before it dried completely. If you let it dry then you can figure out what products work well together, which don't, how much gel to use, etc.

Hope that helps!

Sidenote: I never try anything new before I'm about to go out somewhere. Could be my hair, makeup, whatever. I've set myself up for failure so many times trying to do that. Just spend a little time working on some go to styles in your spare time so that you always have something to rely on!

 

[glamazon386]

Clarify, DC and then start over. Use a lighter conditioner under the Eco Styler. Have you tried using the Humectress as a leave in under it? It works for me. I've been using Humectress since my relaxed days. Tresemme Naturals works too.

 

[glamazon386]

It wasn't you. Ecostyler doesn't "play well with others". It'll cause white balls when mixed with certain things. For me once my hair dries, it disappears. But it is a known issue with it. It acts really crazy when apply Cantu shea leave in followed by Ecostyler... white residue galore.

The same thing used to happen to me when I used Fantasia IC Gel. I stopped using the Cantu bc you can't use it with anything else.

 

[southerncitygirl]

cheer up girlie i use komaza care shea lotion or coconut ounder my fantasia ic gel when i do my twistouts. these became my replace for kbb hair milk/nectar a while back. i've used shea moisture curl milk under it before as well.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Someone should do a thread/database on products that "won't play nice together".

 

[hairsothick]

Everyone here has given great advice.

One thing I do when I plan to use Ecostyler is to set out a few leave-in options and "test" each mixture.

I put a dab of leave-in in my hand and then add a dab of the gel and rub them together. If the mixture clumps or gets super thick, then I know I will get white gobs of gunk if I put that same mixture in my hair. I keep testing until I find a leave-in that will mix with the gel without clumping.

If it turns white, but is still smooth then that is ok. It will dry clear.

 

[Janet']

itsjusthair88 I am SO SORRY that you had a literally bad hair day!! The ladies seems to be on it with their responses. I hope you are feeling better now!

 

[carameldelight87]

I remember being frustrated. The best thing about being natural is that you can always get a "redo!" Wet your hair, slap some Eco on the edges and make a puff! Get you some cute headbands, a black knee-high stocking or full leg, and make it work, honey!

I haven't tried oil rinsing, and I'm not interested because it just sounds a little expensive to me. I can't afford to pour oil in my hair just to rinse it out. I'm not balling yet. But I would be mindful of mixing so many different kinds of oils.

But from what you wrote, my advice is: less is more! You don't need 50-11 products for one day. All you need after you wash is a leave-in and a styler. If you can find a leave-in that also works as a styler, that's even better!

I use Kinky Curly Knot Today for my twist outs. That's all I need and I get great definition. For wash-n-go's (I don't do often), I use my KCKT underneath SheaMoisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie. That's it.

The beginning of your natural hair journey will be trial and error (actually that's probably most of it). You can't expect to get it right everytime. You just have to "woosah" and get back on the horse and figure out where you went wrong. Be strong sista!

 

[itsjusthair88]

Thank you again...I am less frustrated. I put comb coils in today and I am just taking it easy. hairsothick that is such great advice and I think I will try that next time, Janet' I do feel better, and I LOVE your hair (color and everything), carameldelight87 I think I was doing too much for sure, but I am trying sooo hard to find something to combat the excessive frizz, and I can't even begin to think about twistouts, I think that's my biggest problem: my hair is in such an ugly phase, it just feels ugly.

Thanks for letting me vent everybody.

 

[Janet']

Thank you again...I am less frustrated. I put comb coils in today and I am just taking it easy. hairsothick that is such great advice and I think I will try that next time, Janet' I do feel better, and I LOVE your hair (color and everything), carameldelight87 I think I was doing too much for sure, but I am trying sooo hard to find something to combat the excessive frizz, and I can't even begin to think about twistouts, I think that's my biggest problem: my hair is in such an ugly phase, it just feels ugly.

Thanks for letting me vent everybody.

Aww! Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad that you are feeling better!