what's your Secret weapon?...HELP

[Kinky4Agirl]

Hello Ladies,
I have noticed that my hair does not look shiny and healthy the way I want it to. What products do you use to keep your hair shiny and moisture locked? I have 4-A hair so responses from ladies with this type hair would be greatly appreciated. Others are also welcome. Oh, and I use Neutrogena products, Kera care line, and CHI silk infusium... I also use Infusium leave-in...

Thanks ladies!

 

[Rocky91]

Half my shine comes from a good jet black rinse. My natural color is dull. Honestly that makes the most difference. Some colors are just not gonna shine, no matter how moist your hair is.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[MileHighDiva]

My two keys to success for keeping bling-y and shine-y hair are:

• Managing porosity
• Ceramides

My crown is 4A. If you keep your cuticles smooth and full of ceramides you'll bring the bling!

Do you know if you're normal, high, or low pororsity?

 

[ronie]

My two keys to success for keeping bling-y and shine-y hair are: [*]Managing porosity [*]Ceramides My crown is 4A. If you keep your cuticles smooth and full of ceramides you'll bring the bling! Do you know if you're normal, high, or low pororsity?

Couldn't agree more. Fixing my high porosity is what brings the natural shine of my hair out. I also use plenty of ceramides. Get those cuticles to lay flat.

 

[Blairx0]

*grape seed oil
*Vikta dubar's enriched coconut oil
*cassia usage

Basically cassia helps thicken my fine strands and allows my hair to be balanced and cermainades keep it laid and alive with shine.

 

[nymane]

For shine: Agadir Argan Oil Treatment

For moisture: Silicion Mix DC & lacio lacio leave-in

 

[divachyk]

When having low porosity hair finally comes in handy

Also,
Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Oil
Oil rinsing
Moisturized hair
Ceramides: hempseed & wheat germ provide lot'sa bling

 

[Kinky4Agirl]

Thank you ladies for all your responses. I have lots of the oils I will start using again.
MileHighDiva, I think I have either normal or low porosity I really don't know for sure. Sometimes my hair floats on top of the bowl of water and sometimes it goes down real slow. Is there another way to tell? Oh, it dries pretty quickly as well...

 

[MileHighDiva]

Thank you ladies for all your responses. I have lots of the oils I will start using again.
MileHighDiva, I think I have either normal or low porosity I really don't know for sure. Sometimes my hair floats on top of the bowl of water and sometimes it goes down real slow. Is there another way to tell? Oh, it dries pretty quickly as well...

Kinky4Agirl

That water test is not accurate, there's too many variables that can skew the results i.e. if you have product etc. in/on your hair. I have normal to hi po hair. The high po part is the older hair towards the ends. I try to make sure my leave in products have aloe vera gel and/or juice within the first five ingredients, such as, Oyin Hair Dew and Whipped Pudding. Also, I like leave ins with ceramides i.e. SD Wheat Germ Butter Condish.

Also, make sure your DC treatments are full of ceramides and aloe, if you like natural products I recommend Silk Dreams Hair Care.

If you don't care about natural products and prefer buying on the ground (OTG), try anything made by Loreal. They have a couple of patents on ceramide formulations that they've put a lot of money into. In addition, they have a lot of brands and price points. Loreal owns Redken, Mizani, Matrix Biolage, Kerastase, and they have a drug store line. The majority of their DC and and leave in products have ceramides in them look for the bolded when your reading the label.

This is an example from the Redken Anti Snap ingredients list:
Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Dimethiconol, C13 14 Isoparaffin, Laureth 23, Laureth 4, Laureth 7, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, PPG 5 Ceteth 20, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Wheat Amino Acid, Arginine HCl, Taurine, Oleth 10, Disodium Cocoamidopropionate, Lecithin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Phosphoric Acid, 2 Oleamido 1, 3 Octadecanediol, Trehalose

Another example from Mizani Therasmooth Serum:
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate, Parfum (Fragrance), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Trimethylsilylamodimethicone, Hexylcinnamal, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methlyproprional, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, 2 Oleamido 1, 3 Octadecanediol

The bolded is their synthetic ceramide blend, it's in a lot of their products.

Loreal Total Repair 5 Erasing Balm:
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla Cera) Wax, Cetyl Esters, Glycerin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Trideceth 6, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Arginine, Glutamic Acid, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Cetrimonium Chloride, Serine, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Amyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, 2 Oleamido 1,3 Octadecanediol, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Yellow 6 (CI 15985, D54157/1)

However, you don't have to run out and spend any money start sealing with the ceramide oils that you already have at home, such as, GSO, Sunflower, Safflower, Rice Bran and Wheat Germ oils. Also, go check your products for ceramides and aloe.

The other ladies are correct, EVCO will bring the bling as well, plus it's a penetrating oil.

Please report back and let us/me know if any of these suggestions help. Also, use a gentle sulfate free poo unless you need to clarify and keep your hair cuticles facing downward using smoothing action while cleansing to minimize the lifting of your cuticles.

Girl, I'm lazy! I make my products do the heavy lifting for me, smooth cuticles and ceramides = bling.

Watch this video on how to cleanse.

I'm sorry, I feel like I'm rambling. I'll come back and try to clean up and edit this post a lil' bit later.

ETA: How do you typically style your hair? Are you air drying or using heat?

 

[lana]

MileHighDiva - your post helped me and I was just breezing through to see if I could offer solutions. I have 4a hair. Thank you so much for saying exactly what you use and what to look for!

 

[Kinky4Agirl]

Thank you for your long post MileHighDiva. I always admire how some of us actually take the time to type helpful info. I hope one day I will have the patience to do so as well. It makes me feel like you actually care about us... thanks again. And I watched the video too. I air dry and wear my hair in a ponytail most days.

 

[MileHighDiva]

Kinky4Agirl

It's a Sistahood! In the future, I know that you'll share any hair and/or beauty related "Aha Moments" that you have. I appreciate all of the help and/or info that other members have shared with me.