Melissa says;
We all get excited when we first go natural and try a bunch of different things. But some of those things turn out to be not so great for our hair. For me it was wash and go’s, the ‘no poo’ method and deep conditioning for hours on end. I just thought it would be fun to hear;
What are some bandwagons that you’ve tried and ditched?
166 Responses
I stopped wash and go’s and hours of deep conditioning…
I stopped doing Wash and Gos!
Amen on the hair color. Lol
Ditched:
1. Shea butter. It just sits on my hair like crisco, I get no moisture from it.
2. Coconut oil. It makes my hair crispy. Plus the smell as it goes rancid on your scalp… ewww
3. Not using heat, like ever. I’m not willing to be that patient anymore.
4. The mindset that permanent hair colour is a sin. I went without for 3 years, but the grey hairs are creeping in. Can’t do it anymore.
5. Not shampooing. In my ignorance I didn’t realize that some people don’t wash their hair for long periods of time. I need it like, at least every other day even if it isn’t dirty. Never again for me. (Plus I like the suds)
6. Leaving my hair in a certain style for 1+ weeks without getting it wet and considering it “resting”. I’ve gotten more breakage and damage from this than any flat iron session I’ve done. My hair needs water!
Sorry, hit submit too fast.
I gave up on triming my ends every few months. Once maybe twice a year is fine for me.
The no heat rule. I blow out my hair once a week now. I use med-low heat and a heat protectant. It makes styling soooo much easier. No heat damamge and my hair reverts back to its nrmal kinky state. My thick, coarse 4abc hair needs to be shampoo’d. I do it once a week followed by deep conditioning.
Trimming my ends.
relaxers-done
sticking to one way of dealing with my hair-done
craving hair that bounces in the wind-done. my hair bounces, it just does the black girl heavy booty kinda drop it like its hot bounce lolol. No Germack bounce back hair here. My hair is the natural curly diva bounce 😉 btw, i co wash faithfully my hair LOVES daily moisture and conditioning and plenty of natural oils.
Gel- such as eco styler gel. Made my hair dry and hard, hated it. My hair hated it
Wash n gos- More like wash, deep condition, rince, condition, air dry then go
oil + water spritz- Left so much build up on my hair in a short amount of time, my hair still felt dry but then when I touched my hair it was just YUCK
Shea butter- works like a charm! so that worked
Satin pillow cases- I move around a lot when I sleep, so the oils in my hair somehow end up on my face
Baggying- HUGE no.
Hair typing- I have literally 5 different hair types up in my head…the whole hair typing system is too general for me
Thank you ladies! Although I got my last perm in February, it wasn’t until last month that I decided not to relax my hair. Your comments have been extremely helpful. The few products that I have are working!
Ditched
(1) Carol’s Daughter products; a waste of money! It only smells good.
(2) Pre-pooing; I tried to convince myself otherwise for a while, but it does nothing for me
(3) Spritzing my hair everyday; this only made my hairy frizzy quicker than usual
(4) Shea butter as a sealant; my body likes it more than my scalp
Staples
(1) Essential oils
(2) Coconut oil
(3) Giovanni’s product line
(4) Satin/silk pillowcases
I just had to keep it simple. Once I felt I reached my limit and had what I needed I stop adding / buying more products and I stop going on youtube. I just keep working with the supplies I already have and stop trying to find something else that might work better. As long as I see my hair growing, what I’m currently using is working.
Bandwagons I’ve ditched –
1.Cowashing – worked when my hair was short, not anymore.
2.Scalp massages – hmph
3.Denman brush
4.Finger detangling – my wide tooth comb does an excellent job
5.Ayurvedic regimens (I still use Henna though, love that stuff)
6.Baggying – NEVER again
7.Spritsing my hair every day and night
8.Pre pooing – does nothing for me
9.Hot oil treatments – dries my hair out
10.No Pooing
11.Hair measuring goals etc.
12.Hair typing
.The biggest bandwagon I’ve ditched is owning One Kazillion bottles of oils and products!
Ayurvedic powders – way to messy!
Co – washing – im just a shampoo kinda girl
Baggying – no need now, Ive got moisturisng down.
Tangle Teezer – This was the biggest bandwaggon I jumped on and I landed hard on my arse when the thing just ripped out my hair. Just stick to my wide tooth comb
Coconut oil – dries out my hair
Brown sugar scrubs every week! – . . . . .
Im keep it simple now 🙂 I just shampoo and condition and leave it alone in twists till next wash most times. Im glad I tried out all the extra things though. By doing the experimenting I found out what I liked. Im finally able to tell what looks like it will work out for me and what is just darn unneccessary.
Hmmmm, I didn’t really consider myself a “bandwagon”-type person, but I guess I ditched the following wagons —
1. Jamaican Mango and Lime products (really big in the early 2000s)
2. Carol’s Daughter products
3. Olive oil (just doesn’t cut it for me, not sure why not!)
I thought I was the only girl in the world who cannot use olive oil on my natural hair! my hair hates it, it seems to dry my hair out more than anything!
1. Sleeping on silk pillows, my silk headscarf works just fine
2. Co washing…does not make a difference for me
3. Spraying my hair with oil and water everyday…it makes my hair way to oily.
4. Twisting my hair every night.
Def considering putting away the tangle teaser, my Goody wide tooth comb seemed to do the trick before.
Love Vatika coconut hair oil, Jane Carter nourish and shine, and the Shea Moisture shampoo and conditioner. I also try to stay away from any products that have ingredients which will dry out my hair. Howerver my hair seems to love the Miss Jessies buttercreme and super sweet back treatment.
1. Cowashing every few days.
2. Twist outs/braid outs. I’m not about to spend all that time twisting/braiding just to take it down.
3. deep conditioning for hours. Daily moisturizing is more important.
4. scalp massages. Pfft.
5. 100% certified organic products. However I am much more conscious about the chemicals in hair products. They just don’t need to be $50 hippie flower child products.
Bandwagons that have worked: protective styling, ACV/bentonite for cleansing, Henna. A strict vitamin regimine too (my own variation of the Bargello regimine).
another one I ditched- doing the most all the time. Some people just do so dang much, I can’t…
I mean, I see no reason why I need to have 29 different bottles of oil in my cabinet and 3443 different product recipes for one head of hair.
aiych, I love the numbers you came up with for products. You must have seen my Mom’s and sister’s bathroom!
Things I’ve ditched:
-Cowashing every other day.. Girl bye. I am TOO lazy for that. It got old..SUPER FAST.
– Pure Shea Butter.. It hasn’t hit my hair in FOREVER. I couldn’t get pass the grease ball feeling or the smell and my pillow case wasn’t happy either.
-Moisturizing & Sealing Every Night.. Once again, GIRL BYE. My hair doesn’t need all that.
– No heat.. HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT A BRAID OUT LOOKS LIKE ON BLOWN OUT HAIR?! ^_^ Although I don’t do it very often, the blowdryer didn’t kill me when I was younger and I surely don’t think it will now. Oh AND I DC with heat 95% of the time.. Who gone check me?
-Pre-pooing.. What a waste of my products -____-
LOL…
Hahahahahaha!
Lmao… YES!
I had to definitley stop co-washing with conditioner twice a week and the shampooin on weekends! My hair was soooooo dry and felt stripped. YES I know how can al that conditioner strip my hair. It was too much for my hair to handle. Built up a pretty steady regimen now….. detangle,condition once a week wash with diluted shampoo every month or so. When my hair gets a little longer I might shampoo less! lol
Things that I have ditched..
-no cones and no mineral oil…I need to silicone that ish up! It makes my hair smooth and tangle free (in moderation)
-sulphate free shampoos…I got serious build up/flakes because my scalp was not clean.
-homemade pre poo and DC…plain ol’ Vatika Oil to pre poo and ORS Condish to DC works fine.
-obsessing over breakage and shedding… I just got a grip! Hair will break and it can’t stay on your head forever. You just have to do the best you can do with looking after your hair and not stress out about it.
You have to learn what works for your hair, looking to the girl on your left or right and using what she uses cos you love her hair can downright ruin your hair if your not careful.
-Co-washing – a waste of time
-Wash & Go’s – made my hair a tangled mess
-Shea butter – does absolutely nothing for my hair
-Eco styler gel – no matter how i use it my hair always gets crunchy
-No-poo – i like my shampoos & so does my hair
-Coconut oil
-Hair typing
-Length checks
-Denman (or anything other kind of) brushes
-Mini twists
-Trying to be a “mixtress”
-Not using heat
-The tension method for blowdrying
-Making natural hair more complicated than it needs to be
some of the oils…i.e coconut, sweet almond, jojoba oils just didn’t work for my hair the only oil that my hair seems to respond to the most is grapeseed oil all the rest is a waste of money for me
fingercombing- my hair is just to thick and tighly coil for fingercombing I NEED a comb
pre-poo- I just don’t see the difference if I do it before or after to be honest
Oh and youtube!
1)Tangle teezer
2)Co washing
3)Sulfate free shampoos
4)Kimmaytubes leave-in
5)Ayurvedic powders
+1 on the Ayurvedic powders. They did nothing for my hair except create a lot of mess and hard work!
1. Co-washing (daily)- I don’t feel like my hair gets clean with conditioner alone, and washing my hair daily was just tiring and unneccessary
2. Pre-poo/Dry Deep Conditioning – Waste of my conditioner and waste of my time. The softness doesn’t last after I shampoo.
3. Tangle Teezer- My ends are SHOT. I’m back to my good ol wide tooth comb
4. Shea Butter- This stuff just makes my hair extremely dull. No sheen, no moisture, no nothing
5. No cones, parabens, bla bla bla/ Going organic – I just use what works for me. 9 times out of 10, the organic products I’ve used have done nothing for my hair
6. Protective Styles- With the exception of buns, protective styles just aren’t for me. I love how two strand twists, braids, etc. look on others though.
The baggying. It was unnecessary. It is very humid where I live, so glycerin water works fine. When I spray it with glycerin-water, it feels slightly damp to the touch for two days.
Co-washing only. I still co-wash, but not every time. I use shampoo more often because co-washing was making a problem with build-up. Not cool. I use shea butter, olive oil, and sometimes Cantu Leave-in, so co-washing just doesn’t do the job.
I never jumped on the hair typing band wagon. And I jumped off the Kimmaytube leave-in conditioner. I didn’t see a difference in my hair and I much prefer just using the regular Knot Today as I did before.
co washing. I think its kind of gross
me too!
Washing your hair is a bandwagon? How did I miss all these bandwagons? Don’t people wash/rinse-out as needed? I rinse out 4 days a week and wash once a week because I want to. I work out and sweat from my hair, I don’t care what anyone says there is no way I am going days with sweat in my hair. One of the main reasons I went natural was to increase my wash/rinse-out schedule from 2x a week to whenever I wanted. My hair has been growing like weeds and some parts of my hair are highly textured. Some of the things people are calling bandwagons aren’t. They are things they tried that didn’t work for their hair or their lifestyle. A bandwagon is when you go with the crowd to do something out of the norm, washing your hair is not out of the norm.
Yeah but not everyone can or need to wash their hair every single week. Our hair can get overly dry if it’s contiously washed back to back, sometimes it’s better to do it every 2wks or just once a month. Their are some that do the dry shampoo, or you can also just put some witch hazel on a cotton ball and cleanse scalp in between wash sessions. But the no-poo and co-washing is not for everyone, but for does that do like it do you and let it work for you but again it is considered a bandwagon. But shampooing the hair can be good for it, because you need to give the hair a thorough cleanly at times. But each head of hair is different so each person must do what works best for them regardless of their choice to join or not join a bandwagon.
Hair washing is not a bandwagon so Mae is right there but cowashing and no poo are both from the curly girl routine and therefore a bandwagon practice.
Please spare me with your bogus science. Everyone should do what works for their hair and/or their lifestyle, but water on your hair is not in itself damaging to the hair. People should stop making up stuff to justify their actions. It is your hair, you don’t owe anyone an explanation for how you care for it. Stop making up stuff because there are people out there that would believe you.
It’s not a bogus science, it’s my opinon and also you will find alot of other people who make their comments on other sites that voice what works or not for them. Some hair types cant have their hair washed every day or week, you’re stripping the necessary oils out of it. But to each their own in a person regime, because what ever process that keeps your hair growing and healthy do it. Because at the end of the day it’s your hair, and your money that pays for everything that goes into the upkeep of it all.
How is it a bogus science hum side eye on that to you. Go look on other sites many women has voiced what works for them as well. Not every hair/types can’t deal with the constant washing of hair every day, because this will strip the hair of neccessary oils. At the end of the day it’s all about what works for that persons head, because they are flipping the bill for it and such. So this is my humble opinion, and my hair grows fine. I don’t wash my hair everyday, maybe every 2weeks or once a month is good for me.
ETA well cancel out the last post, didn’t think it went through because of error message it sent to me on my side lol..
That goes to show you that just because we all have natural hair, that doesn’t mean that everything works for everyone. Because I sweat a lot at the gym I have to cowash my hair at least twice a week and shampoo once weekly. Sometimes I use a shampoo with a sulfate, but I am careful with what I use though.
Washing frequently (once a week) can be considered as jumping on the “ bandwagon” depending on how often a person washes their hair. If someone washes their hair once a month and lots of others wash their hair more often some would consider that a bandwagon or not. Everyone has there own opinions and experiences that may lead them to believe or define something according to what they have experienced. Because that works for them.
The perming bandwagon.
I have actually gone natural several times (this time with so much more knowledge, so I know I can do it right!!) i ALWAYS caved into peer pressure and permed again despite the damage it did to my hair. Ugh!!!
Ditched-
No cones
No mineral oil
No heat
Gel
Detangling with combs
Washing hair every week
Co-washing
Kinky Curly Knot Today
“All Natural” Products
Giovanni products
Shea butter
Oil stash
I still use sulphate-free shampoos because I find them less drying and they seem to clean my hair just as well.
I have been so tempted to ditch the all natural product thing. but when i’ve tried i noticed my skin get aggravated by the chemicals.. I tried a sulfate shampoo the last time I washed… i was itching soooo bad the rest of the night. I dont think I could ditch all the natural products I use.
You don’t have to ditch all of your natural products, but I find that all things are good in moderation. If one or two of your products contains mineral oil and/or silicones and it works there’s nothing wrong with them. Just don’t be too heavy handed, and be mindful of your washing schedule.
Natural oils tend to dry my hair and rub off within a day. Hair is dead and can only be damaged or retained so I rather take advantage of the advances made in hair care so I can keep hair on my head. Silcones and mineral oil protect my hair the best!
1. Tangle teezer – my hair broke off, & I’m still recovering
2. SheaMoisture – I’ve tried many times, but to no avail
3. Two strand twists – create more tangles and knots
Moisturizing daily, washing hair every week, aloe vera gel (hair adores aloe vera juice though!), and possibly shea butter.
I will be 3 years natural on Aug 24th, and I just realized how much I truly need to wash my hair.
The regular no-poo is not for my hair type.
My hair loves two-strand twists.
My hair loves a think cream, butter, or pomade
Wash & Go’s are no longer an option at this length
Gels, are sadly out of the question (it use to be so simple)
Amen to the Wash & Gos no longer being an option. My 3 yr is coming up in March. This year I think has been almost as tough as the first. Twist outs are my life right now (until I learn how to braid)
Kinky Curly products, although I love the way the Curly Buttercreme smells, I have had to let go. I have a budget now and no products over $10!
1. Tangle teezer – excitedly bought it and used it once – realised my old brush was better. This was before the negative reviews.
2. Shea butter – does wonders for my skin and lips, not so great on my hair.
3. Two strand twists – does not stretch my fine thin hair and looks scalpy/patchy on my sparse hair. Never turns out as nice as with thicker hair.
4. ACV – turned out nice the first time I used it. Afterwards did nothing for my hair.
5. Home-made protein DCs – My hair doesn’t like eggs, honey or mayo.
The curlynikki bandwagon, no more product pushers for me
agreeded!
YESSSS!!! I agree also, all the products that are pushed on that site is crazy…I used to jump on all the curlynikki bandwagons..I was ridiculous! I love this blog because I get so much more “Hair Intelligence” information, rather than “product” information. I only wish I would have found this site a year ago!
Using unrefined shea butter, the smell makes me dizzy.
Measuring (Bra-strap length, etc.)
Deep conditioning
Bandwagons I Ditched:
1. No hair grease. I used Softee Indian Hemp Hair and Scalp Treatment in the light and natural formula when I was getting my relaxers and I still use it when I’m transitioning. I was about to throw it away because some YT guru said grease coats your hair, but I read the ingredients. It has so many oils in it many of them people buy to add to their hair products. Oils like jojoba oil, Indian hemp oil, rosemary oil, safflower oil, and wheat germ oil to name a few and it only costs 3 bucks! It still moisturizes my hair/scalp without it feeling heavy.
2. Co-washing. I find this unecessary since I spray my hair with olive oil and water in the morning and at night.
3. No blowdrying. If I want stretched hair I lightly blowdry my hair.
4. Constant twist outs. My hair did not retain moisture when I wore in twist outs all the time. Now I have my mom braid my hair to my scalp if I want that look, or plait my hair in six huge braids.
Bandwagon That Worked:
1. Olive Oil/water mix. This is my daily moisturizer and my hair loves it.
2. Black soap shampoo. I just made my own and my hair loved it. I could even detangle my hair with the shampoo.
3. Leaving your hair alone. I’ve been wearing turbans all summer and my hair stays moisturized and protected from the sun.
Hi, I stopped when I read your black soap shampoo. How do you make it? Does it strip your hair? I find black soap strips my face of all oils and leave it kinda dry.
The hair steamer from salons-r-us.
Jamaican Castor Oil
Using products specifically targeting natural/curly Black hair. (Love Aveda right now)
Carol’s Daughter
Oh yea—I had to ditch twisting, twistouts, the Denman, and Coconut oil too…no bueno.
–finger combing
–baggying (I think that’s what it’s called)
–pre-po0
–trying EVERY product geared toward natural hair
*Co-washing-hair felt good but my scalp felt awful
*Plain shea butter-Just makes my hair too dull and is hard to wash out
*Aloe Vera Gel-Love love love it on my skin not so much for my hair unless it’s for a little extra hold on twists
*Only finger detangling-yeah that probably worked all of two weeks before my hair was one big knot…
*No sulfates-I still limit them, but if my hair has tons of buildup and sulfate free shampoos wont cut it then I pull out the sulfates.(rarely)
*Acting like there was some natural code that I must not break 😛
*being a product mixer…I just suck at making my own products and I make a mess so I’m back to internet shopping for my favs.(I was a pretty good dc mixer, but too much of a mess)
How exactly do you use aloe vera gel on your skin? In place of lotion?
I use it on my face after washing. If you use too much it can give you a slightly tight(but very smooth) look. I like it because I find that it keeps my shine down on oily patches and keeps my dry patches moisturized so that my skin looks nice and even. It also helps a little with acne. But I’ve found the key is not overdoing it. I only use an amount a little larger than a dime. I also read the label because some aloe vera gels have more additives than others. I usually rub the remainder on my neck and shoulders if I get to much. I like the way it makes my skin look in general. But I don’t think I’d use it on my whole body 🙂
Awesome, I’ve been using coconut oil as a moisturizer but I hate that greasy feeling. I will definitely try this.Thanks!
Hmmm I have been using aloe vera gel for my twist and I notice that my hair feels dry and I also noticed some shedding…Was that why you stopped using it on your hair?
@Risa-it did make my hair feel slightly crunchy and not moisturized…It didn’t really feel bad, just not like a moisturizer.
@Aiesha-I tried coconut oil on my skin as well because it doesn’t really work on my hair and didn’t like the oily feeling either. However, if I use too much aloe vera gel it might take longer to dry and feel odd, although not bad. But I really like the staying power it has on my face without drying it or making it feel oily. I actually decided not to buy face powder, because the gel keeps shine down just fine 🙂 The aloe vera gel also doesn’t leave my skin with the same feeling as lotion would but it looks healthy, but after awhile it doesn’t really feel like I have anything on my skin which actually is good since it still looks good…I’ll add that lots of people say it has cleared their acne but a few have said it breaks them out so it definitely depends on your skin 🙂
In terms of products, I’ve gotten off the Carol’s Daughter and Miss Jessie’s bandwagon. Once I saw those demonstrations where they used the blow dryer so close to the hair that STEAM was coming up, I was turned off. Also, going completely natural from my hair to my products is not for me either.
*Shea Butter (all butters in general) – not a fan of how dull it makes my hair look.
*Eco Styler Gel (all gels in general, lol) – if I can’t keep a product in my hair for a week then I don’t like it – hence the reason why I don’t like gels; plus they’re extremely drying.
*CURL DEFINITION! I’m not saying it’s not possible, but I realize that I’m able to accomplish style definition (the shape/wavy results of twists), rather than actual curl definition. I know that my curls are there whether or not someone miles away can see it or not.
*Hair typing – who says type 4 hair isn’t cute? NO ONE. Just because my hair is pretty thick doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful. There are plenty of positive aspects of thick hair 😀
*WnG’s – It’s not an issue of not being able to define my curls quickly or whatever, it’s just the simple fact that in order for my hair to look it’s best. I need to give it time to fully dry/absorb the products I use.
*Rockin’ my fro everyday. I don’t need to wear my hair out all the time to prove how much pride I have.
*Feeling as though I need to use the “top” commerical hair product brands (Carol’s Daughter, Miss Jessies, etc.) in order to get the best hair results. NOT THE CASE. I’m learning that less is more, and that my hair has it’s/her own preferences in what products I use, lol.
*Watching a bunch of “how-to” videos on YouTube. Nothing wrong with inspiration and etc, but it became an obsession. I’ve been natural for 1 year now and I’m JUST NOW getting into styling my hair, more than I did when I first started out. All those late nights spent online watching youtube hair videos was a bit of a waste.
*Feeling that I needed approval from my family that my hair looks cute/nice. This one took a while for me. I’m not sressed about this kinda thing. Though it’s human nature to want SOME sort of accolade for trying something new.
*Washing my hair in sections.
*That EVERY woman who is natural looks down upon EVERY woman who’s relaxed…my mother still relaxes her hair and I don’t have any reason to look down upon her…she’s my mother, lol.
*Having to grow out a huge fro/long hair – I don’t want to. I care more about how moisturized my hair is, rather than how long it is. While “length obsession” can be exciting/empowering, it can also be detrimental.
*That using wigs/weaves are the best protective styles. My first sew-in was my last one.
Apparently I had alot to get over, lol
Carol’s Daughter was THE DEVIL to my hair! I don’t know what happened. Maybe I wasn’t using the right formula or whatever, but it did me wrong. A bit heartbreaking, especially after I spent a pretty penny on it.
ACV rise / Baking Soda Wash
Perhaps I was using too much apple cider vinegar in my mix, but if it got in my face it would burn/irritate my skin and also break me out. It was too time consuming as well. And the baking soda was just a mess. Me making the decision to stop relaxing my hair was meant to lessen the stress on my hair and myself… the AVC/ baking soda thing was just not helping with that, lol.
The baking soda wash BURNED my scalp horribly….it took a week for my scalp to stop tingling. It completely stripped my hair and made it very dry and wire-y feeling. I only tried it once. I was following this Youtube-er and decided to try it. Never again!! But I did find the best conditioner from her: VO5 Conditioning Milks Conditioner. I was so pyched that it works so well on me and my daughters hair and it’s on $0.84 at the grocery store!!! I haven’t tried the shampoo’s from this line, but I will very soon.
Measuring hair and co-washing!
Bandwagons I’ve ditched:
#4 Not using sulfates/cones (I love the Aussie Moist products: Shampoo, conditioner, and the 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner.)
#3 Constantly wearing hair in protective styles (Didn’t notice a difference in hair growth.)
#2 Buying pricey products from online stores (Shipping can be a deal-breaker)
#1 USING SHEA BUTTER! (I hate that stuff)
Protective Styling! My hair is perfectly fine when left to flow freely.
Washing in plaits or multiple sections. I wash in two sections – right and left.
Not using mineral oil products.. my hair needs this and is doing fine with products that contain it along with petroleaum.
Denman brush…. the tangle teezer is a little better on my hair though I only use the TT about once a month
*************************************
I came across this video was on YT today by “Tenitiya” called I’m Getting Off This Natural Hair Bandwagon
Here’s the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM9io9y8Y-k&NR=1
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM9io9y8Y-k&NR=1
I’m surprised a lot of people found sulfate/paraben free products didn’t work for them.
They basically saved my hair.
Me too, but if the other products you put on your hair are heavy duty, you will need a heavy duty shampoo to get the gunk out (mineral oil, , etc).
But some people don’t use certain ingredients for the wrong reason, like because someone else said not to. I don’t use mineral oil because I don’t want to put petroleum by-products on my hair and skin. I don’t use silicones because they cause build-up on my hair, but they are fine for me in other forms. And I don’t use parabens because I believe they are estrogen mimickers and are found in breast cancer tissue. There is no PROVEN risk of cancer directly linked to parabens, but my field of study has already exposed me to more carcinogens and radiation than I am comfortable with. Also some places have water that is too hard to use natural shampoos because they don’t remove the minerals that build up in the hair.
So sulfate/paraben free products depend on the other products people use on their hair, there views on the safety of the products, and their access to soft water.
+1
I love them. I have been using them for years before I went natural. I have never struggled with dry hair.
shampooing every week. Ive learned that too much washing can weaken my hair. Now i just ‘listen’ to my hair. if it needs a rinse, cowash, or clarifier, i do it when needed.
using wigs as a protective style (or hiding but thats another story for another day). wigs may work for others but my best growth comes when my hair is braided up or coiled.
thinking only expensive, web based products automatically added any value to my hair. im realizing and getting reacquainted with products my mommy used to use on my then long natural hair before she sent me to get a perm:( theres a reason why some blk hair product companies are still in business (sulfur 8 til I die…lol).
not realizing how much stressing over my hair growth actually deters growth.
mtg. that hair growth stuff meant for horses chemically damaged my hair and gave the bk of my neck a serious reaction. never again.
not realizing that water, fruits, and vegetables are the best hair aids hands down.
oh and going to the beauty salon for anything other than weaves (great protective style but too much maintenance). the vast majority of black salons do not know the first thing about black hair and the natural salons be too damn expensive and snooty. saves me the hassle of coming out with headaches and ready to fight because trim and cut do not mean the same thing. I can damage my hair on my own.
No poo
Pre poo
Deep conditioning for hours
Henna (results were fine, just wasn’t worth the time)
No silicones
detangling w/ conditioner
co washing
I have made my routine so simple it’s not even funny. I’ve gone from needing a whole day to do my hair to needing about an hour (including shower time), hour and a half on a lazy day, and my hair has never been better.
No poo, curly girl method, no heat, not pressing hair during the summer because of humidity, vitamin supplements, shea butter
EcoStyler gel.
Made my hair crunchy
ITA on the EcoStyler Gel. It was a “bandwagon” for me because I kept reading how many people absolutely love it and I tried it 3 x’s and STILL hated it! I felt like soooo many people like it that I must be doing something wrong.
I gave a way 2 jars and have one now that I just hate to give/throw away but won’t use. Womp! Womp!
I could not understand why people liked EcoStyler Gel (especially the olive oil with the hold factor of #10). I did discover EcoStyler BLUE that has a much lighter hold (#5). No crunchy hair for me! I don’t use gel on the length of my BSL hair though. That’s way too much use of gels!
EcoStyler did absolutely nothing for me. In general my hair doesn’t really need a lot of product to hold a style. My twists will stay for 2 weeks using just a moisturizer.
I have never been a gel user until a few months ago when I got a long, straight lacefront from the bbs around the corner. The girl slicked the front down with gel and I didn’t give it a second thought. I went back two days later and asked to buy the gel she used. Of course it turned out to be EcoStyler. I wore the lacefront for about six weeks using EcoStyler without any problems. Just wore a very light amount of it.
Things I ditched:
* No mineral oil – My trusty Motions CPR contains mineral oil, it was my favorite DC treatment while relaxed and always stops breakage. I had stopped using it to avoid mineral oil and noticed some breakage from using all natural products, just used it this past weekend mixed with some extra virgin olive oil and my hair stopped shedding. Conclusion: I will use whatever workers for my hair even if it contains cones or mineral oil!
* No Trims – I need to get a trim or have my ends dusted at least every 3 months
* Nexxus Protein Treatment – A BIG NO! my scalp was on fire after using it and my hair was shedding like crazy!
* Washing my hair more than once per week – dried my scalp like crazy. I am going to try to stretch hair washing to every 2 wks.
* Shampoo – I haven’t completely eliminated shampoo, but will only used it to clarify when needed.
* Blow Dryers with the comb = Major Damage for me, I may try the tension method to help stretch my hair.
* Anything with glycerin during the summer – My hair is super soft with products containing glycerin (e.g. Qhemet Biologics Alma and Olive heavy cream or Shea Mositure Curl Enhancing Smoothie), But I end up with super undefined twistouts!
* Using a comb or brush everyday – I know use when needed, I always try to finger comb first the brush later.
* Kinky Curly Knot Today, Cantu shea Butter, Coconut Oil – I despise them all!
* Hair typing
Yeah I quit with the hair typing too. For the longest I was confused at which one I was.
*Oh I forgot to add, the Huetiful Hair Steamer….I swear the steamer was to hot and sort of burned the middle of my hair. Almost like I have heat damage. The middle of my hair is now weak and frizzy.
Things I’ve ditched:
No poo-I still co-wash the majority of the time but I need to at least low-poo every other week minimum for my scalp’s sake.
The Denman brush-it ripped my hair out.
Protective styling-I know a lot of naturals swear by it, but I can’t do it anymore. My hair simply doesn’t look good in certain protective styles. My hair is very fine and thin and braids and twists look scalpy on me. Also, my hair tends to tangle more when I take them down. And I have to avoid buns because my edges are very delicate and my hairline is still jacked up from previous abuse (relaxers, too tight braid extensions and too tight weaves). My hair looks fuller when it’s out.
I think there needs to be more clarification over what is meant by a bandwagon because people seem to just be listing things that didn’t work for them that I wouldn’t necessarily see as a bandwagon. Like I don’t see popular hairstyles being bandwagons, thats like saying straight hair is a bandwagon :/
glycerin mixtures–in the wds of my favorite critics on In Living Color- HATED IT!
I ditched no poo method, tangle teezer, excessive oils and cowashing daily.
ditched: only all natural products, two-strand twists (tangles galore)
I no longer co-wash. I can wet my hair everyday but it HATES cheapie conditioner. My scalp goes crazy if I go near it with whatever chemicals are in that stuff And of course I can’t afford to waste my expensive condish when I good soak works just as well for wash and gos.
I’ve really simplified. I no longer use gel, hardly ever use leave-ins. I’m basically down to homemade shampoo and deep conditioner, occasional acv rinses, and oil mixes. My only tools are my $2 detangler comb (works great) and a shoelace to tie my hair into wash and go puffs, covered by a headband of course. I shampoo and condition every 2 weeks and my hair is thriving.
I do want to implement more protective styles and henna. Simplicity works best for me.
I tried all these things and they either made my hair worst or didn’t make difference.
-Finger combing, I need a comb
-Denman brush, rips my hair out something fierce
-Pre-Poo, too messy
-No-Cones, my hair love silicone
-No-Poo, since my hair loves cones I need a clarifying shampoo
-Coconut Oil, dried my hair out
-No Mineral Oil, my hair hated it at first and now it loves it
This is what i ditched:
– co-washing (no poo)
– tangle teezer
– insane oils mixing
– vegie glycerin mixes
– blow drying/diffusing
– denman brush
– overnight DC
– homemade DCs (avocados, bananas, coconut milk, etc)
🙂
I’m just curious, how did that homemade DC work for you. I’ve been seeing that recipe for a while and I’ve been meaning to try it out. Yeah I know silly bandwagons. But there’s no harm in trying it once. 🙂
My hair LOOOOOVES homemade DCs!! I generally use the (greek) yogurt/honey/Olive Oil combo [3tsps yougurt, 2tsps honey, 1 tsp Olive Oil – UNLESS my hair is super duper dry for some random reason. Then I’ll flip the honey & EVOO amounts]. I spritz it a little w/ water first…Slather the goodness on…then throw on a shower cap OR wrap my head in Saran Wrap (I know! Just hear me out…). After an hour or two (I usually leave it on overnight, but that’s just sheer laziness talking). I rinse WELL in the shower and follow up w/ a lil Giovanni’s shampoo (add a dab of oil to it if your hair finds it drying. My hair loves it). Rinse that bad boy, detangle, slap on some on my Shea/Coconut/Jojoba/Giovanni’s leave-in mixture and OH THE FABULOSITY!! The flyest twistouts….the sickest braidouts you’ll ever want to see! [I’m ridiculously modest. :)]
I’m not big on products at all. I tried no-poo, the Veggie based Castile soap, and a few others, but I found that my hair likes the basics. Diva (my hair) seems to really appreciate Giovanni’s products, but that’s as far as I get now. I make everything else…And Miss Diva loves it! 🙂
I only use homemade DCs and I love them. I have very thick hair and I just could not justify the cost of buying DC products. Homemade recipes allows me to saturate my hair with goodness and save money. If this is a bandwagon, I am pulling the cart.
I have combined avocados, full fat greek yogurt, honey, coconut oil, and some shea butter. My hair was so soft and moisturized. I haven’t tried the banana recipe yet, but I will.
I think of bandwagons as things that cost a lot of money and/or time and end up having a negative impact on your hair. I am confused as to what people are listing as bandwagons. I mean if you don’t like the avocado, greek yogurt, or honey on your hair, you can consume it. These are things I have in my fridge anyway.
I’ve dropped the wash n go method! not even an option anymore. after one year i have blown out length to my shoulder blades and you can imagin the shrinkage on 4b hair! I rarely do twist outs anymore. I keep my hair two-strand twisted and i’ll pin it up in a nice up do! i rarely cowash daily its more biweekly now. im working to get back to the weekly cowash!
One thing i need to adapt is hot oil treatments weekly or biweekly!
my recent pics Me with my TWA, the middle picture is my hair recently blown out and pressed did some flexi rods and pinned my hair to the side. the bottome pic is my last twist out. Enjoy
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Snapshot_20110528_42.jpg[/img]
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Snapshot_20110702_6.jpg[/img]
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Snapshot_20100620_18.jpg[/img]
sorry the pics loaded out of order, but you can guess which pic is the TWA
Pretty!!
Very beautiful! <3
blk hair is such a wonder. ur hair is like double in length once u straightened it and looks good both ways. #soawesome
you’re stunning! 😀
I love the twist out look on you! So gorgeous!
I’ve dropped the wash n go method! not even an option anymore. after one year i have blown out length to my shoulder blades and you can imagin the shrinkage on 4b hair! I rarely do twist outs anymore. I keep my hair two-strand twisted and i’ll pin it up in a nice up do! i rarely cowash daily its more biweekly now. im working to get back to the weekly cowash!
One thing i need to adapt is hot oil treatments weekly or biweekly!
Hairdrenalin potion and the baggying + GHE.
I’m sticking to just letting my hair be and do what it needs rather then overdoing just for wanting growth.
huh?
*DENMAN BRUSH
*Being afraid/against of products that weren’t 100% natural and trying all these new organic lines (I find going back to some of my childhood staples REALLY helped me lately…ie, Herbal Essences, Infusium 23 and Cream of Nature)
*GIOVANNI Leave-In
*NO SULFATE shampoo…left a nice lil halo of buildup around my edges…woulda thought i had on a cheap lace wig…nasty. I stick with Low-Sulfate or diluted shampoos. I keep styles up too long to not have a detergent in my shampoo when I finally do wash…no dice.
my hair used to love cones. it just felt smoother and did not tangle as easily…i might give them a try again. We shall see how that goes.
I’ve ditched the no poo method, it worked terrible for me it began to look like it was snowing every time I touched my hair lol. I have also ditched the no mineral oil bandwagon as well. One of the products that works best for my hair contains mineral oil and I’m not planning on giving it up because it has mineral oil in it.
The no poo method did not work for me. I tend to get dandruff easily and I have an itchy scalp so I was just putting conditioner on my hair and not fully cleansing my scalp… no bueno at all!
Bandwagons I ditched
Tangle tezeer
All the natural stuff
No mineral oil (if the product works I use it)
Natural hair is protein sensitive ( not true)
No parabens
No cones
Deep conditioning for hours( 20 mins under my steamer is all I need)
Product junkism ( working on that)
Have you read the Science of Black Hair Care? I’m just asking because I laughed when I saw “natural hair is protein sensitive” the author spends a considerable amount of time in her book talking about protein/moisture balance. She also consitently stressed the importance of knowing YOUR hair and understanding how YOUR hair reacts to products. While also understanding what is in those products and HOW they work. Very empowering. I feel like if more people were like this there would be less bandwagon’s of “all naturals must do this, all naturals must do that, blindly follow my advice, etc, etc”
OMG! I just read this book over the past week. LOVE the moisture-protein balance info. So informative!
I had to drop the midweek co-washing because it was irritating my scalp. Wearing my hair in two strand twists or individual braids doesn’t work for me either.
Bandwagons that didn’t work for me:
Denman brush – ripped my hair out
No poo – I still cowash my hair for the most part, but I still have to shampoo about once a week
Being hung up on hair tying and curl size/pattern
Bandwagons that DO work for me:
Satin scarves
Finger detangling
Washing in sections
Prepoo
Henna
Protective styling
Sealing
The above works for me because my hair is almost bra strap length and I had to learn to adopt ways of caring for it that preserves it.
Bandwagons I ditched:
1) ALL NATURAL hair products ONLY—-that notion killed my hair growth
2) Being afraid of heat—One of the Best things that ever happened to my hair was light blowdrying.
3) Stocking foot puffs—tore my hair out.
4) Listening to all the gurus to a T—they can be delusional.
5) Being afraid of appearing LESS natural—-its my hair, so I can do what I want without being afraid I’d be a “sell-out”
View My website to see more: http://myhairmyrules.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html
Can I ask why you gave up ALL NATURAL products? What negative effect were they having on your hair? What have you replaced them with? Cones, mineral oil? And what purposes do the non natural products serve in your routine? Do you find that you must clarify more or do anything special to avoid build up or detrimental effects of the non natural stuff? I am intrigued by people who dump the very expensive, shipping dependent and elusive all natural products and routine. TIA.
I gave up all natural problems because I got the same amount of growth with regular “got this at target for 2 dollars” products like aussie moist deep condish and herbal essence products. I do enjoy some natural products like giovanni leave in but cutting out cones was a no-no for me it made my hair feel terrible and I love a sulfate shampoo once a week for my scalp.
I too gave up the all natural products only. I use whatever feels good and is readily available. Not to knock all natural products, but I prefer to eat all natural than to worry about it on my hair.
You can do both 🙂
I haven’t really been a bandwagon rider, mostly because I just responded to what I thought would be good for my hair. But if this is a bandwagon, I definitely got off of the biotin vitamin bandwagon. All it took was three really bad painful pimples on my usually clear skin in the most horrible places on my face (like my forehead!) and I was OVER IT! I still have a full bottle. I don’t wear makeup so biotin-induced pimples were NOT gonna work for me!
I’ve ditched the “Curly Girl” method! I still integrate some of the ideas into my hair regimen, but I have realized that I need to shampoo my hair from time to time. Also, my hair appreciates the frizz-control and smoothness that some silicone-based products provide. I’ve found products that work well for my hair and they have silicone in them. I will not stop using something that helps my hair to retain moisture, especially after battling major dryness since I’ve gone natural. Everyone should do what is best for their particular hair type.
How is wash and go a bandwagon? Would protective styling be called a bandwagon? Weird.
I very simply wash and go so I haven’t had any bandwagons to jump on. I stopped using products with cones or sulfate based shampoos years ago, even when I had relaxed hair, so I have no plans of adopting them now.
It’s a bandwagon when one knows their 4b hairtype is not going to comply with just washing and going. But because one wanted to believe that their 4b COULD act like 3b, one jumped on the 3b/Wanna/b bandwagon! Haa! 😉
It’s a growing process for some of us.
Anna- I disagree with you on that one. My 4b hair does fine with a wash and go. It’s my favorite style.
I agree Johnnie. You can certainly wash and go (or shake and go) any hair texture. The results won’t be the same as the 3as-3cs but who says that it has to be.
So then maybe a bandwagon is simply any practice or product that is wholeheartedly adopted by someone without gathering information on why AND how it should work, without considering unique aspects of the individuals hair texture, length, porosity, damage, specific goals, etc AND afterwards without reflection on whether the practice or product ACTUALLY works for the individual needs.
Lol, I personally don’t like all encompassing statements of any kind there are always too many variables.
E.g. Everyone should co-wash/co-washing is bad
-what is in the conditioner?
– Is it too heavy? (and ‘too heavy’ depending on the person’s hair needs!)
– does the individuals have sensitive scalp?
– What are the other products the individual is using? If they are heavier then will co-washing be enough?
There is just SO much to consider, that when taking advice the tip always has to be in the context of the individual. There are too many people both saying and listening/adopting uneducated advice on what ALL naturals should do. I write “uneducated” because the people I pay attention to who really understand things are always up front in telling people to know their own hair, experiment, understand their results, etc.
Before/as I was starting it was overwhelming with the huge list of dos and don’ts. Yeah there are basic guidelines (maybe?) but ultimately it does depend on the individual.
I thought my 4b hair did fine with wash and goes, but a whole year went by without any growth. I stopped doing them, started protecting my hair and it grows like a weed.
Well that tells me that mine must really be 4zzz cause if I wash and go, it will shrink up and be a nightmare to untangle later on! I got to comb thru it and do sumptin to it! Not hatin tho!
It just shows the unlimited varieties of hair textures that we have and the many ways our hair responds to different treatments! It’s a beautiful thang!
1+
I totally disagree with that I have 4b/c hair and I have had some of the most beautiful wash n gos. Granted the technique I use may be different but I could hardly call it a bandwagon. Now if you feel wngs don’t work for your hair thats a completely different thing than saying a certain texture can’t recreate this style.
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/wash_go.jpg[/img]
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/wash_go1.jpg[/img]
Very beautiful! Do you mind sharing your technique?
June, I didn’t mean to say that it’s a bandwagon for everyone. When I went natural I just fell into a crowd that assumed that ALL women could do wash & go’s. After horrific tangling and knotting, I realized that my hair has to remain stretched to retain length and ease handling.
But I definitely recognize that wash and go’s work for some naturals!
The only one that I jumped off of was using a denman brush. It took my hair out. I never followed the no poo method, henna, or trimmed my ends.
No gels, No denman, No products more than $3 per ounce (I’m poor and I can make it better with my own mixes), no blowdrying, no deep conditioning, no detangling in the shower.
I finger comb with oil and put hair into braids or twists.
Shampoo with castile soap or ACV if there is build-up.
Make smaller braids/twists adding leave in condish and allow to air dry.
Keep stretched using buns/frohawks/roll-n-tuck styles
Repeat as necessary.
Oh my gosh! That detangling in the shower thing always makes me cringe when I see people doing that. I’m not a hippie or anything but I just can’t help but think about how much water people are wasting trying to detangle their hair in the shower. It ridiculous! Idk After reading up about it and knowing that some people in other countries don’t have clean running water you can’t help but change your habits. That’s one bandwagon I’d like to see go away.
I detangle in the shower and it takes me less than 30 secs after I have allowed the conditioner to sit on while I am washing my body. Detangling in the shower is super fast and causes less stress on my hair. If it took more than a minute I would probably reconsider but since right now at 10 inches its fast I love it. Especially if I have not detangled in a week.
I detangle in the shower, but my shower head has the lever on the side to slow the water flow to a little stream–can damn near cut it off–that I LOVE! Shaving, shampoo time, pumice stone foot scrubbing–other things are water wasters, but I’m with you in that it’s cringe-worthy.
Yeah. detangling in the shower frustrates me and I only take 4 min showers so I pick washing my body over detangling my hair. I try not to waste water.
I detangle in the shower after letting the conditioner soak into my hair while I wash/scrub/shave/whatever the rest of my body, but I definitely just turn the water off. It takes 5-10 minutes, and if I need to add water to the conditioner situation I’ll just get a few drips from the faucet.
+1 We have the same regimen. 🙂
Definitely had to ditch the “no poo” method. My scalp needs a good scrubbing or it’s not happy. lol. And also the “no sulfates” and “no cones” rules are out the door for me as well. I like all natural shampoos but the ones I’ve tried don’t seem to get my hair clean enough. So I’ll alternate from time to time.
I’ve had to return the tangle teezer. It broke too much of my hair off.
The Tangle Teezer bandwagon was the most terrible one I’ve gotten on!
Seeing all these bloggers/Tubers talk it up, I couldn’t help but cave!
It slipped out of my hand too many times and the teeth bent the first time I used it.
I should have know better. I’ve been natural 12 years and should have learned my lesson 11 years ago when I jumped on the cowrie shell, ankh wearing, mother earth type bandwagon!
Lesson learned: When too many people have nothing but good things to say about a product, just run the other daggone way!!!!
LOL! But what happens when something truly is a great product/technique? Doesn’t avoiding something JUST because it got good reviews lead to another problem?
Ok, so here are my bandwagons, consider them ditched:
-Finger combing
-Gel
-Letting hair air dry without being in twists
-Blow drying
-Denman brush
-Peanut butter conditioner
-Flatironing
-Wearing cotton scarves to bed
-Dying my hair
-Being a product junky, simplicity is best for me
-Being a Natural Nazi
The last one took me a long time to realize. When you first go natural you feel so liberated, but sometimes you judge others who have not yet decided to go natural, forgetting that you were once in their place. I looked down on “permies” for a while, trying to force my views down their throats, thinking I was right, without realizing that I was actually pushing them away. I learned to live and let live, I decided to go natural in my own time and if my friends ever wanted to go natural (three have so far) they would do it of their own free will.
+1 on the last paragraph!
I was about to judge some permed chicks when I thought, “Hey. That LITERALLY was me just a couple years ago!” When I used to perm I just honestly felt that it was my only option. It wasn’t until I discovered the internet that I even REALIZED that I had a choice. So why should I turn around and judge women who might be in the same place I was at! Because I certainly didn’t feel ‘self hating’ when I was relaxed.
+1
Peanut butter conditioner? That sounds just plan messy lol
Haha I was thinking the same thing. I read that I was like, “Peanut Butter?”. I’ve never heard of that before. That bandwagon must’ve came and went cause that’s the first time I’ve heard of it.
Lol, yea, peanut butter…..Where I went to school it was really popular among the natural ladies. Peanutbutter has protein so you would think it would work right?? So girls raved about it, but it was really messy and hard to get out of my hair. I ditched it as soon as I started, lol
I ditched those castor oil challenges. I didnt see any difference in my hair.
Henna. I didn’t see the benefits balancing out the insane amount of time and clean-up that I had to do everytime I henna. I may revisit it later, but now my hair likes it when I keep it simple.
no poo, no dry combing, no cones, anything that says “no…” except or relaxers and texturizers lol. i need to be able to try things and identify products and/or regimes that work for me.
I dropped the variety of conditioners, which was just breaking out my face rather than moisterizing my hair.
I did have to ditch the Cantu stuff that seemed to moisterize at first but after a month my hair dried so bad it nearly shriveled! Ha!
I never jumped on the no poo bandwagon, nor the wash and go because both would have been disasterous for my 4zzz hair! Im just sayin.
Cantu pulled the same trick on me!
Henna, no poo, and the curly girl method for me! I tried the henna thing for one year and my hair just hated it! I neither felt the thickening effect nor conditioning effect. Just the super drying effect. My hair also likes conditioners with cones so I peaced out of the no ‘cone bandwagon as well. <3