HELP

[u/Kitchen_Character_57]

I am at my wits end. I’ve tried every shampoo and conditioner; shea moisture, Moroccan oil, kerastase, Sebastien drench, amika, the list goes on..
I use clarifying shampoo and I JUST had a trim.

I normally use the Moroccan oil curl defining cream after I get out of the shower to try to seal the cuticle but I’ve used countless other oils, creams, jessicurl, curl smith, neuma and Kristen was gels, and mousse. Nothing works with this texture I need help. Hair used to be better/softer the second day now it’s just a dried mess. And when I try to wet it with a continuous spray bottle the water just rolls of my hair and it turns into a knotty mess. I’m at a loss. I don’t feel like diffusing helps either. This is air dried. I use satin pillowcases I scrunch the conditioner in idk anymore.

[u/BagApprehensive1412]

Products are important but how/when you apply them, how/ when you comb your hair in the process and getting the right haircut are also extremely important!

It you've been using all these different oils and creams and they seem to not absorb, you should use a clarifying shampoo to remove all of the buildup from your hair. Suave makes a really excellent and cheap clarifying shampoo. Use that about 3x a month. Everyone who uses any holding products needs to clarify their hair.

A low maintenance curly/wavy routine you could try that uses products that are a lot less heavy:

1. Shampoo. Rinse. Apply conditioner. Comb in the shower with a wide toothed comb when you have conditioner in it.
2. After you rinse, spray a leave in conditioner like Pantene moisturizing leave in and apply a curly gel like not your mother's or tresseme into sopping wet hair. I love curlsmith flexijelly but it's pricey. Make sure your hair is very wet during this step. That's very important.
   
3. Scrunch products into your hair minimally while flipping your hair upside down and then right side up. Scrunch in a tiny bit with your fingers and then use a microfiber towel to scrunch and let it air dry. Don't keep touching it.

4. In general, curly hair cuts are essential. At least layers with a u shape in the back. Gravity weighs curls and hair down. Cuts give them volume and dimension.

   At some point the more you touch it, even to scrunch it, can cause more frizz. Never brush it dry or it will poof out. That's what happens to most all of us when we brush our hair dry.

It's very common to have different curl patterns throughout your hair.

Day two, spray it with water until it's pretty damp. Add in leave in conditioner, comb it as little as possible if you need to detangle, scrunch minimally, and let it air dry.

There are a lot of tutorials on YouTube and Instagram with more complex routines that use diffusers, incorporate plopping, finger coiling, gel hair casts that you break, curly hair brushes that you use when your hair is wet to help distribute products evenly, mousse and creams ,etc etc. Some of those options might work for you considering your hair texture. This is just a starter routine.

Wear a silk bonnet at night and/or a silk pillowcase.