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Posts: 1,243
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@Shanus wrote:

I’ve been following the Curly Girl Method ( w/ a few cheats) since the original book came out. My curls have never looked better, especially since I stopped coloring my hair and my silver curls are less damaged.

 

Here’s the rub. I started using DEVACURL products just to be safe...wasn’t trusting myself, at that time, to scout out alternative approved products and there were few others to choose from. Whoa, DEVACURL was expensive and the fragrance is quite strong...citrus overload.

 

The drugstore shelves began filling up w/ curly hair shampoo, conditioners, gels, leave ins, deep conditions, mousses. The name of the chemical ingredients have become impossible to understand whether they’re the “no” sulfate types or the “no” silicone ingredients. The manufacturers have come out with water soluble silicones that may have a “PEG + a #”  which makes it approved. The ingredient decks now could be 2” long. 

 

 

I went to Pinterest looking for recommendations. Everyone just loves 4 different products and have long, involved routines. My curls did just fine for 60 years on their own. Now I’m doubting whether this method is more of a “Curly Cult” & really an attempt to just sell products to us. 

 

Anyone else feel like they’re drinking the Curly Kool Aid?

 

 

I wish I had tried it sooner. Deva Curl products are the best I've ever used. I was my hair twice a week, put on products and that's it. Every morning I spritz it with water and it looks great every day. Everyone's hair is different but for me it's the best thing I ever used. I told a friend about it and she tried it but didn't work for her. She gave me her products. It's probably not for everyone.  Putting the products in dripping wet hair was different but changed everything. I LOVE it!

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Posts: 33,048
Registered: ‎05-17-2010

@HSB1204 wrote:

@Shanus   I know you don't like products with strong scents. Have you tried any of the Giovanni products? I tried the 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Clarifying shampoo and 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Calming conditioner. Both had a very light scent that didn't linger at all. I was pleasantly surprised since I also don't like products with super strong scents.


 

 

@HSB1204   I’m now using L’Oreal EverCurl  sulfate free shampoo and conditioner every 3rd day and Biotera  cond. as a leave-in w/ a little Biotera  gel.  I also mix the Biotera cond. in a spray bottle w/ water as my refresher. in the mornings when I wake up looking like a scarecrow.  I did checkout the Giovanni after hearing it recommended by a curly friend. That may be my next s&c. For sure, I’m staying away from the CGM Tutorials on Pinterest, but Curly Susie is the best...down to earth and has simple routines and inexpensive products (😜). There are hundreds of women, each w/ a different routine and products that are the “best ever”. I have a closet full of duds. 

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Posts: 4,079
Registered: ‎12-29-2014

@Shanus wrote:

@HSB1204 wrote:

@Shanus   I know you don't like products with strong scents. Have you tried any of the Giovanni products? I tried the 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Clarifying shampoo and 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Calming conditioner. Both had a very light scent that didn't linger at all. I was pleasantly surprised since I also don't like products with super strong scents.


 

 

@HSB1204   I’m now using L’Oreal EverCurl  sulfate free shampoo and conditioner every 3rd day and Biotera  cond. as a leave-in w/ a little Biotera  gel.  I also mix the Biotera cond. in a spray bottle w/ water as my refresher. in the mornings when I wake up looking like a scarecrow.  I did checkout the Giovanni after hearing it recommended by a curly friend. That may be my next s&c. For sure, I’m staying away from the CGM Tutorials on Pinterest, but Curly Susie is the best...down to earth and has simple routines and inexpensive products (😜). There are hundreds of women, each w/ a different routine and products that are the “best ever”. I have a closet full of duds. 


 

@Shanus   Yes, definitely give Giovanni a try. I would recommend that you stick to their line in the clear, see-through bottles. They have several different lines and I once tried the green one which was a little more heavily scented.

 

I like Curly Susie's videos. My waves are only 2B so they do require a little more work. I guess I could try it but I'm not sure I could get away with simply using a gel as a styler. I need some sort of a curl cream underneath the gel to enhance my waves.

I do watch plenty of other hair tutorials on YouTube but now that I've been doing it for a while I guess I've learned that not all products work for everyone's hair and I don't need to buy every product that is mentioned in a video. Cat LOL

 

I'm still not very good at refreshing my hair. Usually that ends up being a ponytail day. Cat Tongue

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Posts: 33,048
Registered: ‎05-17-2010

@HSB1204   Thanks for your reply. My curls are a combo of wavy/curly. I use just gel. Using a curling cream or leave in conditioner weighed my hair down and I went back to just gel...on soaking wet hair...forms the cast either air dried or with a diffuser and then I scrunch it out. Defined curls! My refresh is my regular conditioner mixed w/ water in a spray bottle. It reactivates the gel. I scrunch it in and curls come back. You’re absolutely right...curls are not as easy as straight haired women think. 😜

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Posts: 4,079
Registered: ‎12-29-2014

@Shanus wrote:

@HSB1204   Thanks for your reply. My curls are a combo of wavy/curly. I use just gel. Using a curling cream or leave in conditioner weighed my hair down and I went back to just gel...on soaking wet hair...forms the cast either air dried or with a diffuser and then I scrunch it out. Defined curls! My refresh is my regular conditioner mixed w/ water in a spray bottle. It reactivates the gel. I scrunch it in and curls come back. You’re absolutely right...curls are not as easy as straight haired women think. 😜


 

@Shanus  My waves have been getting a lot more defined over time so maybe one of these days I'll give it a try and see how it comes out if I only use a gel. I have very fine hair so I definitely can't use a ton of curl cream. I realize that people with thick hair use a lot more but smaller bottles/tubes would be so much more convenient for me since I barely have to use any. I see people on YouTube using almost a handful or a product and I can probably get away with a pea size amount.

 

I did mix up some water with conditioner in a spray bottle but then I didn't really use it for a while. My hair just turns into a tangled mess the minute it gets wet so I feel like it immediately starts to get frizzy if I try to refresh it and wet it down a little bit. It surprisingly looks decent today but there's definitely a learning curve.

 

Who knew it could be so complicated to do your hair? Cat LOL Thankfully on days where I get lazy I can just let it air dry and it pretty much ends up completely straight so I have options. Cat Tongue