Wash And Go, To Grow And To Dazzle 2020 Challenge

@Bette Davis Eyes That’s so disappointing to hear that the BeKoa mousse doesn’t have any hold. What gel did you pair it with? But if it gives a great finish maybe I can use it on top of my normal UFD/JS combo.
@DVAntDany your day 1 hair looks great. Did you use it by itself? Maybe with mouse, a fabulous 1 day is all we can hope for.
@GettingKinky i used Bekoas curling gel
 
Slow and steady wins the race. Lol
Well, it doesn’t hurt to try other methods for growth.

Now why do you all like mousse as a topper again? I only use it once or twice last year and don’t remember the outcome.

I hear you lol. It's a little tempting to measure growth once those roots start peeking in when you have color. Any other time I never measure. I'm very close to APL for the first time ever I want to say so overall I'm good. But I'd like to see what eating better might do, worse case...I'm eating better lol. My diet isn't garbage but boy do I be over cooking these days.

Mousse give me good definition and tames frizz but solo isn't not very good on long standing definition for me. Curly Magic solo gives me good moisture, alright to decent definition. Together they are a winning combo. I also use mousse to put my hair in a puff, when I do a 2-4 flat twists straight back and tame flyaways when I have mini twists in.
 
I hear you lol. It's a little tempting to measure growth once those roots start peeking in when you have color. Any other time I never measure. I'm very close to APL for the first time ever I want to say so overall I'm good. But I'd like to see what eating better might do, worse case...I'm eating better lol. My diet isn't garbage but boy do I be over cooking these days.

Mousse give me good definition and tames frizz but solo isn't not very good on long standing definition for me. Curly Magic solo gives me good moisture, alright to decent definition. Together they are a winning combo. I also use mousse to put my hair in a puff, when I do a 2-4 flat twists straight back and tame flyaways when I have mini twists in.
I should join you on the eating better train. I’m sure it will play a role somehow. Maybe better quality hair if not the faster growing hair. Nevertheless, you are reaching your length goals without the boost in growth.

I’ll give the UFD CM + Mousse combo a try if I wash my hair tomorrow morning. I know BGC and their affiliates really talked down about topping UFD with Mousse Def even though many clients liked the combo.
 
@DVAntDany why are BGC against UFD/MD?
I know that is a lot, but their response is often not a one liner statement. Depending on the questions asked will they even go into all the detail. Sorry to bombard you with what should have been a simple answer. Some of this is based off of inference and other blatant statements made by the BGC founders directly.

We can safely assume that the wash and go is the quintessential and foundational hairstyle of BGC. It requires perfect hydration for curls and coils to blossom unlike hairstyles such as twist outs and slick back ponies/buns. Knowing this background I guess will help make it all make sense.

They say that MD does the following 3 things: 1.can weaken the set (reduce the hold), 2.produce buildup and 3.cause dehydration from long term use.

1. Mousse by itself as used for a wash and go does not last that long unless one has very silky hair. Putting mousse as a topper reduces the hold of a gel therefor reducing the length of time one is able to wear a set. So using a product that makes you have to restyle your hair more often goes against their weekly wash hour promotion.

2. They say that MD is a high performance styling foam. Buildup forming ingredients and properties are in its nature of design. This means stronger shampoos will be needed more frequently. This is a questionable subject. BGC pushes using the moisturizing shampoo weekly if you are hydrated. Then using an AP shampoo monthly, and using a clarifying shampoo as needed. Some of the BGC stylists feel that an AP shampoo like AG Balance and clarifying shampoos can be too strong for some to use on a regular basis.

However, some of the stylist are okay with AP shampoos every week. They do the 2 shampoo route of an AP followed by a moisturizing one. They overall say that using too strong of a shampoo too often can lift the cuticles and cause damage.

I agree mousses cause buildup. I can not cowash them out. I need shampoo. Moisturizing shampoo only works for so long. A stronger shampoo would need to be used on a routine basis because of buildup.

3. So how can MD cause dehydration for wash and goes but are the preferred method for twist outs and slick backs? We have to assume wash and goes require a higher hydration level. What they push is that botanical gels draw and hold water to the hair unlike foam. Dehydrate hair needs this extra moisture even more. Foam will not help with that. Also, botanical gels are often water soluble and don't need stronger shampoo to remove it. They also take a longer time to build up.

What gets me is that they are okay with Trepadoras two gel options, ICH and several other mousses but not MD. They literally refer to PS and BG as plastics in more recent times. They say that it is okay to remove these two "plastics" with only moisturizing shampoo. I can only assume that they are more easy to wash out. Im guessing if using moisturizing shampoos are not enough to remove the buildup of MD, then the hair will start experiencing dehydration. Or maybe using stronger shampoos more often causes dryness and reduces hydration. They say to monitor the hair for any signs of poor water or product absorption.

This is the schedule they push for wash and gos when using water soluble base gel with a topper. Use a moisturizing shampoo for 3 weeks. On the 4th week use an all purpose shampoo. This cleansing routine is meant to reduce the need to clarify often. They state that there should be no need to clarify before 6 to 8 weeks.

So to use MD as a topper for a wng, one must decide if she will deal with buildup or potentially over cleanse her hair. How can one decipher if they have buildup vs over cleansed hair? Buildup will feel like there is something always on the hair. Water does not penetrate or takes longer to penetrate. Over cleansed hair will feel roughened up, be harder to hydrate and feel like nothing is on the hair in a bad way. I cant not fully agree with that, but that is a whole other discussion.
 
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@DVAntDany Thank you for such a detailed response. I haven’t been a member of their group since the digital salon shut down. They have definitely evolved in the advice they give.

I’m part of team AP+ moisturizing shampoo every week. And I clarify every 4 weeks. My hair styles better when it’s really clean.
I wonder if that’s why the older parts of my hair feel rougher than the younger hair. Maybe I’ll stop using a weekly AP on the ends of my hair.
 
The Be Kekoa mousse on its own is a single day product. My hair doesn't feel as soft today, but its still soft in comparison to a product like Mousse Def. There was a stiffness to it this morning. It moved like a helmet and I started seeing frizz. Trying to fluff or separate created frizz and didn't help the look.

I pulled it into a puff and it still had a stiff vibe to it. My hair typically is floppy and blows in the wind. Any root definition I had is completely gone. I was rushing out this morning and didn't have time to slick down the front of my hair. It's not awful but I'm not super happy about it. I'll definitely have to do my hair tomorrow morning if not tonight.

Morning Hair
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Puff
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@DVAntDany Thank you for such a detailed response. I haven’t been a member of their group since the digital salon shut down. They have definitely evolved in the advice they give.

I’m part of team AP+ moisturizing shampoo every week. And I clarify every 4 weeks. My hair styles better when it’s really clean.
I wonder if that’s why the older parts of my hair feel rougher than the younger hair. Maybe I’ll stop using a weekly AP on the ends of my hair.
I rejoined on August 1st. I started realizing the validity of their mousse-causes-buildup mantra when I tried to reduce the frequency of using stronger shampoos. My hair felt hard while wet and was tangly during the conditioner process. I could not run my finger through my hair even after using a tool. It started reminding me of when I was using Devacurl back in 2016.

All was resolved by using multiple shampoos of AG Balance instead of a clarifying one. That took away the disdain I had for BGC and I became curious. Somehow this month I decided to finally bite the bullet and rejoin. They have done a 180 on the See Some Curls platform. They now use Mighty Network. They have filled in a lot of the gaps that were missing from before. They also have really simplified the info and don't call un-curated products bad. Even Blondie is a lot nicer on the platform and not as wish washy as she promotes on IG. I would say it is now worth it if someone is new to the who wash and go method.

This is what made me question the symptoms of over-cleansed hair. BGC stylist JC unofficially says that AG Curl Fresh shampoo is not as strong as an AP but not considered moisturizing. It makes my hair feel rough. If I shampoo 3 times with it, then it goes back to feeling smooth. AG Balance always leaves my hair feeling smooth and so does Innersence Cream Hairbath and Kinky Curly Come Clean. I have this problem with other shampoos and those are typically clarifying. They sometimes can even feel sticky while rough like I just used a Dr. Bronner's castile soap. It takes multiple shampoos in a single shampoo session to get rid of that horrible texture. I find that there is still residue on my hair when it still feels rough.
Edit: This weird buildup is only with mousse and this how shampoo reacts to it. Other buildup makes my hair feel soft as if coated in conditioner while wet.
 
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@oneastrocurlie
I forgot to mention that your hair growth could just be different in different areas. My front hairline grows more slowly and the hair is more prone to damage. I say this from years of observation but also during my chemo treatment

Chemo treatment often causes temporary hair loss because it targets fast growing cells that act like fast growing cancerous cells. Believe or not, hair is fast growing. I lost my pubes first and for sure those hairs grow fast. Lol

However, I lost my hairline last. I’m talking about a month or two after everything else. It also took longer to grow back. I was looking like Jason Statham for a while.

The hairs closest to my hairline are often shorter and some of its like baby hair length. The baby hair length hairs have never grown and probably never will. I’m saying all this because slower than average hair growth may have nothing to do with a deficiency.
 
@oneastrocurlie
I forgot to mention that your hair growth could just be different in different areas. My front hairline grows more slowly and the hair is more prone to damage. I say this from years of observation but also during my chemo treatment

Chemo treatment often causes temporary hair loss because it targets fast growing cells that act like fast growing cancerous cells. Believe or not, hair is fast growing. I lost my pubes first and for sure those hairs grow fast. Lol

However, I lost my hairline last. I’m talking about a month or two after everything else. It also took longer to grow back. I was looking like Jason Statham for a while.

The hairs closest to my hairline are often shorter and some of its like baby hair length. The baby hair length hairs have never grown and probably never will. I’m saying all this because slower than average hair growth may have nothing to do with a deficiency.

My front hairline is seems slower than everywhere else too. I think my nape is slower is well. I took the measurements from maybe 3-4 inches back.
 
Last night I was so tired that I forgot to cover my hair in a buff. I also didn’t have time to wash my hair this morning. Then I could not find the only giant thick hair band that I own.

So this is day 3 of the mousse. I’m surprised the sides are not crushed to my head. I’m going into the world as is. This is technically what most soft styling foams transform into by the end of the day. It will probably become more round once exposed to the humidity outside.

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Last Labor Day during the sales I stocked up on UFD and Jell-O shot, I got enough to last a full year.
I’m planning to do that again this Labor Day. But before I start using my new stash, I’m going to finish up the ICH and kinky curly styling products I have. They have been sitting around for a long time and they are perfectly good products. I just I hope I remember how to use them.
 
Last night I was so tired that I forgot to cover my hair in a buff. I also didn’t have time to wash my hair this morning. Then I could not find the only giant thick hair band that I own.

So this is day 3 of the mousse. I’m surprised the sides are not crushed to my head. I’m going into the world as is. This is technically what most soft styling foams transform into by the end of the day. It will probably become more round once exposed to the humidity outside.

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Your hair is gorgeous!
 
I had a thought last night about mousse and gel.

I wonder if i'm using it wrong by putting it on top of the gel, what if i need to put it under the gel?

Im going to be on vacation for two weeks soon, so ill try it out then unless I have a chance this week
@Bette Davis Eyes I can see mousse alone or on top of gel to soften the cast, but what would be the aim of mousse under gel?
 
Mielle has a new gel out from the Pomegranate and Honey line. It’s the Maximum Hold Gel Styler. I’ll probably be trying it out along with the Doux Bee Girl Custard.

I’ve been trying to give wash and go ponies a try. I’m not really liking mousse for that. The products I mentioned above are recommended for slick backs. What are you all doing and using when you want to wash and go but stick it in a ponytail?
 
I’ve been using Trepadora Bamboo Ginseng as a topper for 4 wash and goes so far. It’s nice but it is not what I thought it would be. Out of all the major hype, I can agree on it being humidity resistant. I walked out into the rain with 40 to 50 percent dry hair and my set still looks ok.

It is not firmer than Papaya Slip. It just has a crispy tissue paper cast rather than the hard plastic cast of PS. I also don’t find that it dries faster either. It might actually take longer. My hair feels spongy when using BG while PS makes my hair feel slick. They look similar but feel different.

There are some positives. I can easily pull apart clumped pieces. I can not do that with PS. I’ve also noticed that the shine is just a wee bit brighter. My hair even feels lighter when using BG.

I can’t say it’s earth shatteringly good but I do like it.
 
Mielle has a new gel out from the Pomegranate and Honey line. It’s the Maximum Hold Gel Styler. I’ll probably be trying it out along with the Doux Bee Girl Custard.

I’ve been trying to give wash and go ponies a try. I’m not really liking mousse for that. The products I mentioned above are recommended for slick backs. What are you all doing and using when you want to wash and go but stick it in a ponytail?
I haven’t done a ponytail, but when I do a puff I style my hair with my normal gel combo and then slick my edges down with foam.
 
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