I'm pretty sure that none of my products have cones in them (shampoo/conditioner/protein treatment) and I make my own leave-in which does not have any.
What are you thinking?
@Chicoro I am delighted that you have documented your hair sections. I feel like I should do that but it probably won’t happen lol.
About why the Shea is working for you now, and not before. Can you check your leave -in and your con's for me, please?
It for sure will not be in the shampoo or protein treatment. So, no need to check those.
I'm attaching a pic of my rinse out (Giovanni Smooth as Silk) and the leave in that I dilute in water for my spritz (Giovanni Direct Leave In). My moisturizer only has BTMS 225 and Cetyl Alcohol. I make it myself -- everything else is oils, humectants, and proteins. I've been using these products in the same way for about 6 or so years.
Normally, I spray with the super diluted conditioner, then my moisturizer, then oil (LCO). If I use the shea it HAS to be after the oil. If I use it instead of the oil then I've got shredded wheat for hair. Hard and crunchy. With the layer of oil, the shea just acts like more oil on my hair.
That's the only thing that I've noticed as being the difference. I've tried with three different shea mixes and two different oils as buffers (one blended, one not) and the results were the same.
I don't think that the shea is softening my hair, but it is lubricating my hair so that if my hair meshes, that I can pull the sections apart much easier and therefore I'm reducing the amount of breakage that I experience. Also, I can't remember if I mentioned it earlier, but I don't get the same results using castor oil to further seal/lubricate my ends (LCOO). Castor oil is heavy, but it has no slip. I tried it first and didn't like it which is why I decided to give shea a second shot.
His hair is truly beautiful. What does it look like without Shea butter?
Like a few shades blonder/lighter. And his ends typically wisp and fluff up, at the very bottom. In the picture they were all nice and even and going in one general direction.
He has splits, that he doesn’t really care about, but I noticed the Shea Butter kind of smoothed them down on the very ends.
Wish I had a picture. Idk if he will hold still for another one lol
Thank you for graciously taking the time to provide this detailed information and photos. I am trying to discern if using the combinations of ingredients that I mentioned above, change the hair so that the hair can better accept Shea butter. In your case, my theory is shot. So, back to the drawing board for me!
Congratulations!!!Don't give up hope on your hair or yourself!
Tangles will eat away and destroy any length gains you have. I may have posted this before but I can't remember.
TANGLED HAIR:
For most of my life, this was my reality. My hair was constantly tangled
and matted. My poor hair and scalp suffered for so long. This was after
I chopped off my hair, by accident. The length, texture and life changes
made my hair less responsive to my prior hair administrations. It just wasn't
gaining length or 'acting' like it used to do.
View attachment 445545
NO TANGLES:
Thank you Queen Shea, I love you! It took me 4 years after that messed up
by accident chop, to finally find Queen Shea. My hair is 3x longer than the
first picture, and it's not even heat straightened! I've NEVER had hair this
easy to manage nor this LONG before in my life !
View attachment 445547
Leave him alone. We don't want to agitate him.
Hey gurl!! Welcome aboard the Shea train!Hello everyone!
My mother has read this thread through and through and is convincing me to use shea butter. She gave me a little of her 3cayg shea butter which felt amazing on my skin! I put it on the dermatitis on my hands and the area feels smoother. I ordered an Ayurveda oil and I'm getting a whipped shea butter sample along with it. I can't wait to wash my hair and try my goodies this Friday! My question --- does the shea butter pair well with gel? When I wash my hair I always do a two strand twist out and let it last me for the week. I plan to use the shea on my damp hair and coat it well and then apply a gel/twisting product on top.
Also, do you guys get any buildup from usage?
Thank you love!Hey gurl!! Welcome aboard the Shea train!
Hello everyone!
My mother has read this thread through and through and is convincing me to use shea butter. She gave me a little of her 3cayg shea butter which felt amazing on my skin! I put it on the dermatitis on my hands and the area feels smoother. I ordered an Ayurveda oil and I'm getting a whipped shea butter sample along with it. I can't wait to wash my hair and try my goodies this Friday! My question --- does the shea butter pair well with gel? When I wash my hair I always do a two strand twist out and let it last me for the week. I plan to use the shea on my damp hair and coat it well and then apply a gel/twisting product on top.
Also, do you guys get any buildup from usage?
I was coming back to write that I use broccoli seed oil which is supposed to act like a silicone, but again, I've been using it for a while.
Thank you love!
This morning I used the Shea nilotica with aloe and water to smooth my edges and it looks good! It doesn’t have the tacky film as edge control and my edges are soft.
She (3cayg) said she will have some back in stock on Friday, so I may treat myself to some. But then again, I need to sit my butt down somewhere and use these million pounds of Shea I already have ...I still want some though
Thank you for the heads up, for I’m completely out of Shea.
How are you using this? (In your leave in, conditioner, etc?) I've been playing around with it.
Oh great! I'm gonna order some.She (3cayg) said she will have some back in stock on Friday, so I may treat myself to some. But then again, I need to sit my butt down somewhere and use these million pounds of Shea I already have ...I still want some though
Oh great! I'm gonna order some.
I absolutely love the little bit I took from my mom. I've had dermatitis on my hands for yearsssssssss, and it flares up when the weather changes so I can only use very few hands creams. Its not even a week and my hands feel better from the few times I've been using the shea nilotica. My fingers are crossed and I hope it continues to work. I've used other oils/whipped shea butter on my hands before and my hands would just be greasy.
Neat after my moisturizer or in and oil blend after my moisturizer. It's my O in LCO. I find that it really softens my hair and absorbs quickly.
I'd love to find a good fragrance or EO to mask the smell, though...
Giving this a Unicorn Queen's nod of approval:
All hail Queen Shea!
Thank you! I'm testing it out in my homemade leave in....so far so good. Soon as it touches my hair before rollersetting, my hair starts to dry...not in a bad way...like its speeding up my drying time. I'm still waiting to be wow'ed by its "silicone" type slip.
*I didnt notice a smell to it though.
*ETA I just went and smelled it. No smell. Maybe mine is refined...on the bottle it says organic & pure from Italy. Which brand are you using?
@ElevatedEnergy your hair is so gorgeous. I love how beautiful and thick it is when it's stretched out.
I buy mine from New Directions. It smells a lot like broccoli. Over time I've become more heavy handed with it and I've started smelling like overcooked broccoli. But my hair's looking good...
A lil overcooked broccoli aint never hurt nobody! LOL I've never tried any of their oils...I was so turned off by the Shea Butter I was able to sample from them, that I vowed not to buy oils/butter from there LOL
Buttttttttttt.....your hair is thriving and beautiful so keep getting yo overcooked broccoli on Sis!