WEN

[CoG]

Honny and everybody, can you help ? I have no "issues " with WEN routine, Bamboo Green Tea and SixThirteen I've decided on after the usual trial and error period. Timidly, I use these formulas as a purist, using either BGT or 613 from CC to mist and styling cream, lengthening, twisting all the way. After some time, however, my hair seemed dry, harder to detangle, harder to smoothe out even with blowdryer-comb. In a thread I can't find now Kanechom Leite De Cabra and Silicon Mix were offered as possible solutions. I read the ingredient lists and couldn't resist getting Kanechom MixFruit and Ceramides as well. I have them now and am not sure how to proceed.

After weeding out the CC's my hair and/or scalp doesn't respond well to and finally settling on the most agreeable versions for me ( at least I think so) I'm reluctant to use anything that will upset the balance. I do know that WEN products alone can't handle this 4 something (c?) coarse, thick, tightly coiled hair. My mixture of shea butter, argan oil , baobab oil and jojoba oil is another necessity I am happy with. What is missing is the cuticle sealing, smoothing agent.

What do you think ? Silicone or no? Mix the two recommended products or no ? Is there any merit to the claim that the ingredients emit formalin fumes during blowdrying?

HELP?

[ChynnaBlue]

First, have you tried Fig instead of Bamboo Green Tea or 613? I can't use Bamboo Green Tea at all because just looking at it seems to dry my hair out. 613 is a great treatment, but it has a higher level of protein than other formulas and too much protein can dry hair out.

If you haven't tried Fig, I'd go there. Fig is my staple for my dry hair that tends to frizz. You may also want to look into the LOC method, which is Leave-in, Oil, and a Cream. I use WEN as my leave-in, a WEN oil (you can also use argan, coconut, sweet almond, or whatever oil you love), and then Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie as my cream. I also cheat some and add Curl Keeper, by Curly Hair Solutions, after the oil and before the Smoothie. I found that when I skipped this step, my hair frizzed a lot more often.

When I use Fig for every wash, my hair doesn't get dry. If I stray from Fig, the dryness creeps in (or smashes in like the Hulk if I use Bamboo Green Tea.)

[ChynnaBlue]

Oh, and you may want to head over to Naturallycurly.com's web forums (Curl Talk) to ask about Kanechom. I've never heard of it, but if you have curly girl issues, Curl Talk is one of the best places for advice. You can also see if CurlyNikki.com has a review of this. Her side it dedicated to African American Kinky Coily Hair and is also under the NaturallyCurly.com umbrella of sites.

[CoG]

ChynnaBlue TY for responding.  

.

.I don't qualify as a curly girl because although I have coarse, tightly coiled long hair, I straighten it out with lots of precious oils and heat.  The wash and dry method would leave me with a dry thatch of barbed wire LOL.  

[ChynnaBlue]

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@CoG wrote:

ChynnaBlue TY for responding.  

.

.I don't qualify as a curly girl because although I have coarse, tightly coiled long hair, I straighten it out with lots of precious oils and heat.  The wash and dry method would leave me with a dry thatch of barbed wire LOL.  

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But you start with the same base, even if you straighten. Curly hair requires so much more moisture, even if you choose not to wear it curly. I think it's still a good resource for washing - you can just ignore all the stuff about curl formation.

[DoxieMomma]

My hair is far from curly; it's fine in texture, relatively straight. But, I'll second what ChynnaBlue has said, you might want to try Fig (or even Sweet Almond Mint) for a few cleansings. My hair doesn't need a ton of moisture (like most curly/coarse hair does), but it can't tolerate too much protein. If I cleansed with only BGT (or 613), but hair would be much like you've described. It becomes crunchy, dry, tangles very easily, and starts to feel like straw. 

[Drythe]

I don't have curly hair either - far from it!

But I do find that a mix of BGT / MIF gives me the best of both.

Haven't tried the BGT / FIG but I'm guessing it would do the same.

Best wishes finding your fave!

[vermint]

A little late to the party here, but for what it's worth--here's my opinion:

ANY of the Wens with lots of protein i.e. BGT, MIF and especially 613, dry my hair out if used exclusively. I have to mix BGT & MIF with POM and/or a Seasonal formula (usually I do both), and I can't use 613 on my hair at all since it is now healthy.

[sailor_moon]

I think you should experiment with the amount of cleansing conditioner and leave in you use. Use more not less than what you're currently using.

If your hair is similar to Katia's, she uses a total of eight pumps from the gallon. Four pumps for the first cleanse/ four for the second. For the leave in, she rinses about 50% of the second cleanse from her hair.

The amount of product Chaz recommends,on air, is for fine to medium textured hair with average density.