Low Porosity Support Thread
- Thread starter faithVA
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uofmpanther
4ab, lopo, fine, low-med density
Nothing until about 5 mins ago. Usually, I seal it with the burnt sugar pomade, but today I wanted to see how it did on its own. The middle stayed moisturized, but the edges got a little dry; so I put more hair dew on and then put avocado oil over it.
I've been hesitant to use my JBCO since I realized water wasn't getting into my hair very well. The JBCO also tends to bead on top or makes my hair really greasy if I use too much.
I've been hesitant to use my JBCO since I realized water wasn't getting into my hair very well. The JBCO also tends to bead on top or makes my hair really greasy if I use too much.
blackeyes31626
Well-Known Member
You're still using BeeMine? Those products are really thick and didn't work for my lopo hair.
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uofmpanther
4ab, lopo, fine, low-med density
I'm starting to think it is impossible for me to dry my hair in a non-stretched style. On Saturday, I washed my hair at 11 and it stayed moisturized and a little damp till 8 or 9.
On Sunday, I co-washed it at about 5:30 to wash gel out of the front of my head that I put in Saturday night. My hair was Sahara dry by midnight. I baggied overnight to get moisture back into it, and I'm going to twist it up for the week.
I'm not sure if this is a lopo thing or not.
On Sunday, I co-washed it at about 5:30 to wash gel out of the front of my head that I put in Saturday night. My hair was Sahara dry by midnight. I baggied overnight to get moisture back into it, and I'm going to twist it up for the week.
I'm not sure if this is a lopo thing or not.
CocoGlow
Well-Known Member
OK yall I just tried the NEW formula S-Curl No Drip Activator Moisturizer ...and I think I'm in LOVE!!!
Ladies ... I wanted to love the old formula, I really did want to ... but the scent made me sick to my stomach every time! I noticed it did soften my hair but I had to wash it out each time I tried it.
Yesterday while grocery shopping in Pathmark I saw the new bottle and got so excited ... first thing I did was check the ingredients to make sure it was the new one...then I opened the top to sniff and wow ... it smells great! Not too strong, sweet, powdery, awesome. It's hard to describe but I've definitely smelled this scent before....
Just a few minutes ago, I applied it to my dry hair after waking up and ... INSTANT softness yay! I noticed the consistency is thinner than the old formula which is nice b/c you can choose to spray it directly in your hair or spray some into your hands to then apply to your hair (my preference) ... the old formula was a little too thick to spray out directly into the hair without leaving a glob of product on the hair. It still sprays out in a straight stream-no spritz-but is light enough to simply rub in.
Since my Low Porosity hair does not care for straight butter sealants, I simply used one of my water-based moisturizers as a sealant (Darcy's Botanicals Sweet Cocoa Bean Smoothing Cream) and my hair is soooo soft....don't think I actually needed the additional moisturizer but I did it out of habit
I'm curious as to how to use this after a wash session ...This NEW formula S-Curl No Drip Activator Moisturizer just might replace my beloved Curl Activator Gels ... we shall see
faithVA
Well-Known Member
[USER=24745 said:NappyRina[/USER];18410139]OK yall I just tried the NEW formula S-Curl No Drip Activator Moisturizer ...and I think I'm in LOVE!!!
Ladies ... I wanted to love the old formula, I really did want to ... but the scent made me sick to my stomach every time! I noticed it did soften my hair but I had to wash it out each time I tried it.
Yesterday while grocery shopping in Pathmark I saw the new bottle and got so excited ... first thing I did was check the ingredients to make sure it was the new one...then I opened the top to sniff and wow ... it smells great! Not too strong, sweet, powdery, awesome. It's hard to describe but I've definitely smelled this scent before....
Just a few minutes ago, I applied it to my dry hair after waking up and ... INSTANT softness yay! I noticed the consistency is thinner than the old formula which is nice b/c you can choose to spray it directly in your hair or spray some into your hands to then apply to your hair (my preference) ... the old formula was a little too thick to spray out directly into the hair without leaving a glob of product on the hair. It still sprays out in a straight stream-no spritz-but is light enough to simply rub in.
Since my Low Porosity hair does not care for straight butter sealants, I simply used one of my water-based moisturizers as a sealant (Darcy's Botanicals Sweet Cocoa Bean Smoothing Cream) and my hair is soooo soft....don't think I actually needed the additional moisturizer but I did it out of habit
I'm curious as to how to use this after a wash session ...This NEW formula S-Curl No Drip Activator Moisturizer just might replace my beloved Curl Activator Gels ... we shall see
Thanks for that update. I still haven't tried mine. I think that you couldn't spritz it was one thing I didn't like about it. I will check out the consistency tonight. If I can't spritz it I will add some water to it. I have my hair in flat twist extensions and I need to soak it through.
As far as wash day, maybe try letting the hair dry a bit but still damp and apply it at that stage.
CocoGlow
Well-Known Member
faithVA
I've been experimenting and I think you are right about letting the hair dry a bit before attempting to moisturize after a wash session ... Everytime I apply something to wet hair, it may feel soft right then but my hair dries kind of hard .... but if I wait at least an hour when my hair is only damp at the roots I usually have more success.
I wonder if I should let my hair dry all the way? That may be tricky but I think it's possible. For those with longer hair I think it would be ok to let the hair dry all the way before applying anything as long as you stretch the hair into braids or twists while still wet so you don't have to deal with tangles while attemping to moisturize.
I'm still trying to figure out the best method/products, but so far waiting seems to be the best thing...I think Low Porosity hair fills up with so much of the water from a wash session and holds onto it for a while that it doesn't want to accept the moisture from products.
This may explain why my hair INSTANTLY became cotton soft today when I applied the New Scurl No Drip to my dry hair. My theory is: Since it's water-based, I think it provided enough water to open my tight cuticles but it didn't have to compete with any water already in my strands, so my hair soaked up all the moisture with glee hehe!
faithVA
Well-Known Member
[USER=24745 said:NappyRina[/USER];18411185]faithVA
I've been experimenting and I think you are right about letting the hair dry a bit before attempting to moisturize after a wash session ... Everytime I apply something to wet hair, it may feel soft right then but my hair dries kind of hard .... but if I wait at least an hour when my hair is only damp at the roots I usually have more success.
I wonder if I should let my hair dry all the way? That may be tricky but I think it's possible. For those with longer hair I think it would be ok to let the hair dry all the way before applying anything as long as you stretch the hair into braids or twists while still wet so you don't have to deal with tangles while attemping to moisturize.
I'm still trying to figure out the best method/products, but so far waiting seems to be the best thing...I think Low Porosity hair fills up with so much of the water from a wash session and holds onto it for a while that it doesn't want to accept the moisture from products.
This may explain why my hair INSTANTLY became cotton soft today when I applied the New Scurl No Drip to my dry hair. My theory is: Since it's water-based, I think it provided enough water to open my tight cuticles but it didn't have to compete with any water already in my strands, so my hair soaked up all the moisture with glee hehe!
I put my leave-in on wet hair because I'm to impatient to wait. But it is heavier than the S-Curl. I can apply heavy products on wet hair. But I have to apply light products on damp hair.
I would not recommend letting your hair dry all the way unless you have hair that doesn't shrink and tangle when dry. Moisturizing hair that has some moisture is easier than moisturizing hair that doesn't. I think you would end up using more product. I think the hair is also more stable when its damp vs extremely wet or dry.
Damp hair usually has evaporated the water off the surface but retains water within the strand.
faithVA
Well-Known Member
@faithVA
This may explain why my hair INSTANTLY became cotton soft today when I applied the New Scurl No Drip to my dry hair. My theory is: Since it's water-based, I think it provided enough water to open my tight cuticles but it didn't have to compete with any water already in my strands, so my hair soaked up all the moisture with glee hehe!
Tried the new formula tonight and so far I like it better than the old formula. My hair is in extensions so I can't give it a full review. But I sprayed it on and I was happy with the consistency. I don't need to dilute it. I think it will definitely keep my hair moisturized while in extensions. I also like that it isn't that sticky. I hate sticky hands
It really doesn't have much of a smell to it. I may put some EOs in it just to liven it up a bit. I have so many.
I will try it on hair wash day to see how it goes. Hopefully I have some success.
faithVA
Well-Known Member
[USER=104981 said:
I have found the same thing. I think many other proteins lay on the surface which for us is a problem because they end up blocking the moisture that we need.
So far I have tried ION Reconstructor and ION Effective Care. I tried the samples and they worked fine. Right now I am using 4 Naturals Reconstructor. I want to try ShescentIt but I can't justify buying more protein right now since I don't use it often.
I have Komaza's protein which I haven't used yet. I also have Giovanni Nutrafix which isn't a keratin treatment. I plan to try that when I take my twists out.
What have you tried?
divachyk
Instagram: adaybyjay
McQuay30
Well-Known Member
Babassu cream deep conditioner by brownbutterbeauty
uofmpanther
4ab, lopo, fine, low-med density
This weekend, I was in Dallas, Texas for a wedding and I was really excited because someone told me about a natural hair salon/store that had all of the popular online brands (we don't really have a store like that in Michigan). I went in to talk to one of stylists. First, I asked her what she would recommend for lifting my cuticles to get products in. She immediately said that I should color my hair. While I have nothing against people who color their hair, I've always been a little afraid of color. I was also a little concerned that it was her first and only suggestion.
Second, I asked her about good products for my hair. She told me that I must use shampoo, and that I cannot just co-wash, because natural women use a lot of products that build up on the hair. She then pointed me to some shampoos that were sulfate free, but I heard that some of them could be stripping, like Kinky Curly Come Clean.
Finally, I gave up on trying to have her recommend specific products and I asked her about good product lines for low porosity hair. She recommended Curl Junkie, Bee Mine, and Komaza. To me, this was the only good advice she gave me because I know my hair likes the Curl Junkie products I've tried, though Deep Fix worked better for me than Curl Rehab.
What do you ladies think of her advice?
Second, I asked her about good products for my hair. She told me that I must use shampoo, and that I cannot just co-wash, because natural women use a lot of products that build up on the hair. She then pointed me to some shampoos that were sulfate free, but I heard that some of them could be stripping, like Kinky Curly Come Clean.
Finally, I gave up on trying to have her recommend specific products and I asked her about good product lines for low porosity hair. She recommended Curl Junkie, Bee Mine, and Komaza. To me, this was the only good advice she gave me because I know my hair likes the Curl Junkie products I've tried, though Deep Fix worked better for me than Curl Rehab.
What do you ladies think of her advice?
faithVA
Well-Known Member
[USER=6714 said:
Not saying it is right for you, but during my hair analysis I was told pretty much what the stylist told you. Her advice isn't off base it just may be a good fit for you.
You probably know all of the ways to raise your cuticle. I doubt that she would have anything new to tell you. And by her being a stylist she wouldn't probably offer a lot of home made recipe type things.
As far as washing your hair, she is right. Most of us need to use shampoo on some regular basis. It may not be weekly but it does need to be on some type of schedule. And low porosity we need to make sure our strands get clean to get product in.
Sometimes it is hard to find people that know more than we do since we spend so much time on the board. I think she probably knew her stuff but she isn't doing standard things and not anything new and exciting.
hnntrr
New Member
I think she might be right about the shampoo, esp for low po...esp for me. I notice my hair gets bogged down super easy....but most shampoo strips the crap out of my hair. HOWEVER if you can find a good moisturizing shampoo and do a good pre-poo before I think you might be okay only doing it once or twice a month...or even less.
I have shampoo'd my hair twice this month with Blousy from Lush. Then did a overnight DC and oil rinse and my hair felt pretty good. I think we do need something to break up any silicones that might be in products that you are using (which is why I switched to Curly Girl: no sulphates/silicones/parabens) and I ONLY use a sulphate shampoo twice a month to combat build up (like castor oil, eco styler etc).
Stuff sits on our hair anyway and things that keep the good stuff outside and the dryness inside is bad. Experiment with what works on your hair, you might need to shampoo EVERY once in awhile but not all the time.
Similar to me not using protein all the time cause I get a lot in my diet, so I will do a protein treatment once a month, and a shampoo once or twice a month depending what im doing with my hair. So like I shampoo'ed when I switched from hard water to cold water, and I shampoo'd before putting my hair in braids. I am leaving these in for about 3 weeks then I will shampoo for the month of June and then wig the next three weeks, making my shampoo'ing schedule once a month.
I think I might try to steal my mom's heat cap, cause lawd knows water just beads up on my hair now...more so than when I still had relaxed ends. I wonder why my hair would be more lo-po now than before I bc'd? Shes about to never find that thing again...ahahhaahah. If that doesnt work I may have to invest in a steamer...and drink more water.
I have shampoo'd my hair twice this month with Blousy from Lush. Then did a overnight DC and oil rinse and my hair felt pretty good. I think we do need something to break up any silicones that might be in products that you are using (which is why I switched to Curly Girl: no sulphates/silicones/parabens) and I ONLY use a sulphate shampoo twice a month to combat build up (like castor oil, eco styler etc).
Stuff sits on our hair anyway and things that keep the good stuff outside and the dryness inside is bad. Experiment with what works on your hair, you might need to shampoo EVERY once in awhile but not all the time.
Similar to me not using protein all the time cause I get a lot in my diet, so I will do a protein treatment once a month, and a shampoo once or twice a month depending what im doing with my hair. So like I shampoo'ed when I switched from hard water to cold water, and I shampoo'd before putting my hair in braids. I am leaving these in for about 3 weeks then I will shampoo for the month of June and then wig the next three weeks, making my shampoo'ing schedule once a month.
I think I might try to steal my mom's heat cap, cause lawd knows water just beads up on my hair now...more so than when I still had relaxed ends. I wonder why my hair would be more lo-po now than before I bc'd? Shes about to never find that thing again...ahahhaahah. If that doesnt work I may have to invest in a steamer...and drink more water.
uofmpanther
4ab, lopo, fine, low-med density
Thanks faithVA and hnntrr! You guys make some good points. I try to stick to Curly Girl and I avoid all cones, even the water soluble ones, to avoid a lot of buildup; but maybe I'll try shampooing every other week and see how that goes.
Hnntrr, I love my heat cap. I use it to deep condition when I don't deep overnight. I've had mine for almost a decade now, literally. I bought it when I was a poor student, so I probably got in ebay. It's the Mastex Thermal Spa cap. I'm pretty sure this is it, but I know I didn't pay a lot for it even though I bought it new - http://compare.ebay.com/like/230951401452?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar
Hnntrr, I love my heat cap. I use it to deep condition when I don't deep overnight. I've had mine for almost a decade now, literally. I bought it when I was a poor student, so I probably got in ebay. It's the Mastex Thermal Spa cap. I'm pretty sure this is it, but I know I didn't pay a lot for it even though I bought it new - http://compare.ebay.com/like/230951401452?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar
hnntrr
New Member
Thanks! I might invest in one, my mom has one that belonged to my great grandma and it might not be safe anymore hahah. I need to do something though, cause even if I DC overnight my hair still feels a tiny bit dryer than Id like it to be and when it had relaxed ends it felt like butter, now it feels like al dente pasta. ... which is good for pasta, not good for my hair.
divachyk
Instagram: adaybyjay
I'm trying SCurl again ladies. It worked great early on in my HHJ and stopped working. I tried it again last year and it remained an epic fail. I know they reformulated, or at least added fragrance which I'm not fond of but anyway, I'm overnight baggying with it. Will report back later.
uofmpanther
4ab, lopo, fine, low-med density
When you DC overnight, do you baggy? I mist with a little water, put on my conditioner, then a plastic cap, then a terry turban. My body heat does the rest. I found dc'ing overnight without a plastic cap didn't do much for me.
hnntrr
New Member
uofmpanther,
I might? I duno what bagging is haha ill get my hair as wet as possible put a shower cap, scarf and winter hat on and then go to bed. Should I mist my head instead of making it soaking wet?
I might? I duno what bagging is haha ill get my hair as wet as possible put a shower cap, scarf and winter hat on and then go to bed. Should I mist my head instead of making it soaking wet?
My biggest challenge: getting moisture into my strands
Products that have worked well for me are: Using products with High PH balance.
Suave (pre-poo), Taliah Waajid Enhancing Herbal Conditioner (I LOVE this stuff), Curls Hair Tea Condioner as my DC. For the last 3 months I've been DC and sitting under my Steamer for 30 mins once a week and have had amazing results. Steamers are definitely worth the money. After co-washing and DC I do an ACV rinse. I use Curls Milkshake as a Leave-in and seal with JBCO/EVOO mixture-- my hair really seems to love JBCO,my hair stays so much more moist for longer since I've been using it.
I also stay away from silicone (as much as possible)
What hasn't worked: Coconut Oil- makes my hair feel hard and icky
The LOC Method- my hair was consistently dry when I was doing this. The LOCO method (adding oil again at the end of the LOC method) worked a little better, but my hair still did not love it. Instead, I mist my hair and scalp with water, followed by my leave-in, and seal with JBCO/EVOO and this has been working great for me
Kimmaytube products. Everything she uses seems to be made for people with Medium or High Porosity which is the opposite of what I need.
Things I will revisit: Baggy Method. I tried it once before and would wear it through the night. I hated the way my scalp felt and the way my hair smelled in the morning. It was just so wet and soggy, so I gave up on it. I will probably try it again for shorter amounts of time
Things I'd like to know: Have many people tried dying their hair to raise the Porosity Level? If so, have you noticed a difference? I really don't want to dye my hair unless there will be significant benefits to it. Also will Henna give you the same effect?
Products that have worked well for me are: Using products with High PH balance.
Suave (pre-poo), Taliah Waajid Enhancing Herbal Conditioner (I LOVE this stuff), Curls Hair Tea Condioner as my DC. For the last 3 months I've been DC and sitting under my Steamer for 30 mins once a week and have had amazing results. Steamers are definitely worth the money. After co-washing and DC I do an ACV rinse. I use Curls Milkshake as a Leave-in and seal with JBCO/EVOO mixture-- my hair really seems to love JBCO,my hair stays so much more moist for longer since I've been using it.
I also stay away from silicone (as much as possible)
What hasn't worked: Coconut Oil- makes my hair feel hard and icky
The LOC Method- my hair was consistently dry when I was doing this. The LOCO method (adding oil again at the end of the LOC method) worked a little better, but my hair still did not love it. Instead, I mist my hair and scalp with water, followed by my leave-in, and seal with JBCO/EVOO and this has been working great for me
Kimmaytube products. Everything she uses seems to be made for people with Medium or High Porosity which is the opposite of what I need.
Things I will revisit: Baggy Method. I tried it once before and would wear it through the night. I hated the way my scalp felt and the way my hair smelled in the morning. It was just so wet and soggy, so I gave up on it. I will probably try it again for shorter amounts of time
Things I'd like to know: Have many people tried dying their hair to raise the Porosity Level? If so, have you noticed a difference? I really don't want to dye my hair unless there will be significant benefits to it. Also will Henna give you the same effect?
classoohfive
Well-Known Member
Henna acts like a protein. It's not a protein, but it binds to your hair and fills in spaces. You're supposed to skip protein treatments before and after henna or your hair can end up hard. I don't think it would raise the PO level, and I think I've read that some people deal with their high PO hair by using henna often.
My natural hair (I'm transitioning, 1 year post so far) is Low Po and while the henna and alma do have conditioning properties I haven't noticed it raising my PO level.
As far as dying goes, I haven't tried it but I'm very interested. I started using henna to cover my gray hairs (I didn't want to use a chemical dye over relaxed hair), but now that I'm going natural I'd be okay with using a chemical to change the color of my hair. I'm going natural for the curl and because I'm bored of straight hair, not because I'm against using chemicals on my hair. My texlaxed hair is actually normal PO (a little high in some areas), I'm assuming from the relaxer.
divachyk
Instagram: adaybyjay
I'm impressed -- SCurl worked great. I will periodically mist my hair with SCurl and baggy o/n and just apply my regular moisturizer/sealer by morning. This will keep me from having to study the weather and be concerned with the humidity and dew point for the day. My hair does great with glycerin at certain points. It's so hit or miss.
Thanks for the input. I guess dying will be the best option if I choose to go that route. I've never dyed my hair before, even when I was relaxed. A little of my hesitation is due to the chemical aspect, but the other is because I've never successfully pulled off color with wigs and weaves in the past. I just feel like my natural color works best.
I wonder if you can raise the porosity level even when your dying it a similar color to your natural shade...
I wonder if you can raise the porosity level even when your dying it a similar color to your natural shade...
CocoGlow
Well-Known Member
LolaRed
In my experience henna will only make low porosity hair worse b/c it coats the hair & is permanent! I didn't even know I had low porosity hair years ago when I first went natural so I tried everything under the sun that was recommended for natural hair (most of which only works for high porosity hair) - Henna was highly touted as the next best thing so I tried it mulptle times, multiple recipes - I even have a large bag of it still in my freezer! Anyway, each time I used it my hair felt extremely dry, hard, coated & wiry. No matter how much I deep conditioned afterward it remained dry.
Some people do use permanent color to raise their porosity b/c the chemical raises the cuticles (like chemical relaxers) which is the opposite of what henna does. But beware, semi-permanents only coat the hair and can make low porosity worse like henna.
I hope this helps
faithVA
Well-Known Member
I agree with this. Henna and semi-permanents have done a job on my hair. Before LHCF I colored my hair every month and my hair was just fine. Then when I came to LHCF I tried to do the right thing and go with all natural products. My hair has been in a shambles since. I am back to permanent color again. I color my hair because it is graying. I don't know that I would recommend coloring the hair just to raise the cuticle even though it does work. Because along with coloring the hair you also have to add in additional protein treatments.
However, I do feel like my hair maintains moisture better with the color and protein combination. I will see how my hair does over the long haul though.
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