It's official - Aloe Vera and my hair don't mix!

[jada1111]

After almost a year of trying different things (mostly of the homemade/small business variety), all styling products mixed with aloe vera gel, juice, milk, etc., leaves my hair looking a mess.

I'm natural, so I want BIG hair! If I use a gel or cream containing aloe it takes away the volume and my hair looks thinner. It doesn't matter if it works at controlling frizz or curl/coil defining, that's SECONDARY to me in regards to volume. Any cream or hair lotion (also containing aloe) I use on dry hair to moisturize or sheen it up leaves it looking a hot frizzy/fuzzy mess!

Afro cottony hair is gonna be fuzzy anyway, but certain products make it look WORSE than it needs to. For ME, aloe vera based styling products do this. If my hair is going to be fuzzy, I'd rather have it like that ALL OVER and not just in some sections or certain pieces making my hair look worse for wear.

Now on the flipside, I love deep conditioners containing aloe vera! They leave my hair so moisturized, soft and instantly detangled. Since I don't leave it in, it doesn't take away volume or give it ton of fuzz.

Even though I love the smell of Donna Maries Super Butter Creme and Komazacare's Shea butter lotion, I will be using them very sparing (if at all) and mostly for puff moisturization and the scent.

I'll stick with Miss Jessies Curly Buttercreme, Qhemets Cocoa Detangling Ghee and Carols Daughter Healthy Hair Butter for dry hair styling purposes. No frizz with these products and or volume loss. Also, the ghee has a nice chocolaty scent and leaves my hair very soft.

Anyone else feel this way about products containing aloe vera, especially if you're natural? Notice anything you don't like about your hair, but you find yourself "trying" to make it work?

 

[Natural Hair Stylist]

My Locs Don't like it either. Not any way it comes.

 

[jada1111]

My Locs Don't like it either. Not any way it comes.

Is that you in your siggy NHS?? If so, those locs are super thick and probably way a ton when wet!

 

[Charz]

My hair hates aloe vera and shea butter.

 

[jada1111]

My hair hates aloe vera and shea butter.

Hmmm, with the shea butter it can go either way depending on the product I'm using. I like it in MJ Curly Buttercreme, but what don't like the menthol in the CB. Is it really necessary? I feel like it can be drying out my hair, but I'm not really sure. It still moisturizes, but I hate smelling like menthol or peppermint.

And the Baby Buttercreme does NOTHING for me.

 

[omegachick31]

I loves the Aloe Vera....but I'm beginning to suspect that Coconut Oil is a no-no. Its funny how products that some swear by can be detrimental to others. It is great that LHCF speaks a lot more on procedure than products.

 

[jada1111]

I loves the Aloe Vera....but I'm beginning to suspect that Coconut Oil is a no-no. Its funny how products that some swear by can be detrimental to others. It is great that LHCF speaks a lot more on procedure than products.

I haven't used coconut oil in my hair yet. I bought it to use on my edges (which I've been lazy about), but maybe I should see what it does. Might be an hg.

 

[Stella B.]

My hair hates glycerin the same way yours hates aloe vera. Too much glycerin and my hair not only changes textures, but feels hard and looks stringy to boot. It's a good thing there's more than one way to moisturize hair, and you ladies have helped me discover thru trial and error what my hair likes. OP, have you tried using a very diluted aloe vera juice spray mix with distilled water? Sometimes, diluted products work better for me..

 

[JKSprite]

My hair hates Aloe Vera Juice/Gel =(

Sadly, it also hates Coconut Oil, I just knew it would love it since everyone swore by it.

I'm glad I found this out instead of thinking something else caused my hair to act a hot mess when I put these things in it.

 

[Curlykale]

Yes! I love my method and aloe is not in it. My mum's relaxed porous hair agrees with it as well.
I have learned the hard way this:
If I want smooth, shiny, easy to detangle hair

yes to oils, no to butters (no matter which one, I basically use them only to swim and then wash them away). Coconut oil as an exception as not everybody's hair likes it.

yes to emollients and conditioning agents (cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol and all the fatty alcohols, behetrimonium methosulfate, all oils and extracts, conditioners like Vo5, giovanni, aubrey, herbal essences, garnier fructis...), no to humectants (= glycerine, aloe, jojoba, castor, honey, panthenol/B5 and these ones Humectants Used in Hair Care Products)

I moisturize with water, conditioner and oil and my mum and I have never been happier with our hair! Works well for all those who hate aloe, glycerin, etc... Give it a try and you won't regret it!
For the same reason I style and add hydration with homemade flaxseed gel (no humectants there).

 

[bb09]

jada1111, Natural Hair Stylist, Charz, omegachick31, Stella B., JKSprite, ciccina
What kind of moisturisers do you use then? My hair doesn't like shea butter, coconut oil, and I think aloe vera as well. Did any of you try Kimmaytube’s leave-in?

 

[Curlykale]

I'm very happy with / I use either:
- flax seed gel made with spring water, golden flax seeds and ACV (ph = 4 to 5). on dry hair it's very hydrating or
- Giovanni 50:50 or Giovanni Direct or,
- Faith in Nature Chocolate or Ginkgo Biloba conditioners,
- Garnier Fructis (the one without cones)

all of them diluited with spring water and olive oil, sometimes I add a little bit of Aloe juice by Aubrey Organics but I can do without it. 100% Aloe = no. A little Aloe in diluitions =yes. I have no idea why. Lol.
So basically my formula is

Moisturizing conditioner with no protein or butters or humectants + spring water + olive oil OR/AND my beloved flax gel. I play with the ph like Kimmay to reach a 4 to 5 with citric acid or ACV or a little aloe. (I didn't try her leave in because my hair even hates jojoba and castor...) I like this formula because you can use any conditioner you like and it works in any weather. The only nasty part is selecting the right conditioners based ont he ingredients, but I stopped having knots or dry ends since doing this.

 

[scribblescrabble2]

I have become allergic/sensitive to shea, aloe and coconut oil in addition to my hair hating it .

My hair also dislikes castor oil too, but I am going to try mixing it with other oils.

 

[PJaye]

My hair seems to dislike products that have high concentrations of aloe vera, avocado, glycerin, wheat protein and keratin; the only keratin-based products I can use with no ill effects are Neutral Protein Filler and Aphogee Reconstructor.

It also displays a consistent aversion to Roux Porosity Control, but I keep trying to make it work (I’ve recently added SAA to it in an effort to counteract the hardness it produces).

 

[ms.blue]

My hair does not like coconut oil no matter how I try it. Shea butter mixed with jojoba oil and I just started using aloe vera juice mixed with my homemade braid spray. I'm not sure if my hair likes it or not.

 

[pookaloo83]

My hair can't stand Aloe Vera anything either. I just wrote about it in the Kimmaytube leave in thread. My hair felt thin and dry like straw. But I want to use a leave in. I just can't find a good one yet.

 

[Charz]

bb09

I enjoy Qhemet Biologics moisturizers and KBB hair milk.

jada1111, Natural Hair Stylist, Charz, omegachick31, Stella B., JKSprite, ciccina
What kind of moisturisers do you use then? My hair doesn't like shea butter, coconut oil, and I think aloe vera as well. Did any of you try Kimmaytube’s leave-in?

 

[Stella B.]

@jada1111, @Natural Hair Stylist, @Charz, @omegachick31, @Stella B., @JKSprite, @ciccina
What kind of moisturisers do you use then? My hair doesn't like shea butter, coconut oil, and I think aloe vera as well. Did any of you try Kimmaytube’s leave-in?

bb09 I've been using Alba Botanica leave-in as a moisturizer for my hair since the beginning of my hair journey. When I was relaxed, my hair reacted well to it, now that I'm transitioning (again) lol, my new growth likes it too. I usually use it straight out of the tube, and as a base when I'm whipping up a batch of Kimmay's leave-in. I substitute the Alba botanica for the Knot today, and my hair loves that mix too, even though it has aloe vera juice in it. The combination of the castor oil and the jojoba oil mixed with the aloe and conditioner in Kimmay's leave-in really create a wonderfully balanced conditioning treat for the hair! Try it to see if your hair likes it. I've also learned that coarse hair like mine requires a leave-in and a moisturizer to keep the hair from becoming dry, especially on the ends.

 

[bbdgirl]

I thought that I ws the only one. I was using Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 leave in spray and would do a wsah and go and my hair would just feel kinda weird and dry and if I bunned it when I took it down in the evening the hair would be dry and brittle. I didnt like that. Then I realized what people meant when they said they would listen to their hair. When I started being honest with myself I realized that my hair just doesnt like it. Glycerin, aloe vera gel and sometimes if I use too much it doesnt like Castor oil or Coconut oil.
So I am currently investigating oils and butters because apparently my hair doesnt like Humectants much.

 

[omegachick31]

jada1111, Natural Hair Stylist, Charz, omegachick31, Stella B., JKSprite, ciccina
What kind of moisturisers do you use then? My hair doesn't like shea butter, coconut oil, and I think aloe vera as well. Did any of you try Kimmaytube’s leave-in?

@ bb09 Giovanni Direct Leave In seems to work well with my hair. I have tried Kimmaytube's leave-in and I like it. I don't swear by it like some other fan(atics?) smile...but I think it does serve the purpose of closing the cuticle while keeping the hair moisturized. You can also do that by using a moisturizer you like and spritzing the hair with a diluted solution of ACV though. Its just a matter of creating a more acidic leave-in within the pH balance appropriate for hair.