Wash And Go, To Grow And To Dazzle 2020 Challenge

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Yeah low porosity and I’ve always had a hard time getting my hair to be defined. It’s getting better now with consistent moisture and sealing (which comes from rinsing several times a week) and increased protein/strengthening product use.
OK I'm caught up on all the post. Now I will be more informed the next time you post. Glad you are seeing improvements with what you are doing.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
So today I can tell where I am progressing.

First, I was able to use ICH and see the difference. It actually gave me some hold which I didn't see the first 2 times I used it.

Second, I got second day hair that was more wearable. It isn't great but it is wearable. All of my sections held onto a little more definition than they have before. It's 6 pm on day 2 and my hair isn't dry. It is frizzy but not dry.

Third, my hair is not sticky at all. Usually if I run my hair through my hands even if dry, my hair is so sticky :lol: Not even my gray patch is sticky.

Fourth, I actually see a little bit of coil trying to hang out in that right sideburn.

My aim is still to rinse daily and then just take a break if I need to. I may need to find a conditioner with some protein in it. Need to go through my sample packs
 

GettingKinky

Well-Known Member
I need to figure out my clarifying schedule. I’m not sure if it’s a time thing or a number times I apply product.

Last time my hair needed clarifying after 4 weeks, but I had been doing my hair 2x a week so that was 8 product applications.

Now I’m only washing once a week so maybe I can go 8 weeks without clarifying? I wish my hair had an instruction manual.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Since I colored my hair Sunday, I want to give the color a little time to settle in. So I didn't do a full rinse today. I let a little water from the shower head drizzle on each section and squished in the water. Then I added some CFD and then ICH. It seemed to take forever :lol: But I know I saved water and gel. It came out decent. I'm supposed to do a full reset tomorrow. But let's see what my hair look like in the morning.
 

Shadow_Lace

Well-Known Member
I clarified with Kinky-Curly Come Clean shampoo, while using my scalp massager to thoroughly clean my scalp.
Next, I used Curlsmith Hydro Creme Soothing Mask as my d/c and detangler.
I sectioned my hair into 6s.

(On soaking wet hair) I smoothed Curlsmith Hydro Style Flexi Jelly, then re-sectioned my hair.
(After re-wetting some sections) I smoothed, a bit more of the, Curlsmith Hydro Style Flexi Jelly onto each section.
I'm currently air-drying my hair.


These Curlsmith products are from their treatment/blue line. The 1 with the Hyaluronic Acid.

The Curlsmith Hydro Creme Mask definitely has a learning curve.

Sweet, fruity scent.

Thick, butter-like consistency.

So much so, that I automatically added a little bit of water before each application.

The more wet (as in soaking wet) the easier the application.

No apparent slip at 1st.

But after adding little bit of water to the bit of mask (I scooped out), rubbed together with my hands, produces a good amount of slip.

This needs to thoroughly soak in, before any attempts to detangle.

I was even a tad sceptical, during the detangling.
Mostly, my fault for prolonging my previous wash n go.

However, upon rinsing it out...

My hair felt so good, soft, & very moisturized!

Even my difficult areas felt good (something that only occurs w/ a few other products)!


Ok, I usually use a leave-in, but I wanted to see if the claim of moisturizing ingredients works for the Flexi Jelly.

Same scent, but it was already starting to somewhat fade.

Label states medium hold & lightweight.

Hyaluronic Acid is the 4th ingredient.

It's an opaque jelly, with slip.

Goes on best on soaking wet hair.


I'll come back later with the results.
 
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faithVA

Well-Known Member
My hair is definitely coming along. That super dehydrated right side is starting to hydrate :yay: The coils are starting to form a bit more. And I think I got at least 1/2 inch, so even thought it is short it is changing a bit.

My hair is hydrated enough to a point that now when I add the ICH, it does define and not just pack my hair down. But because I rinse every day, I don't waste it. I plan to use it regularly when I can get 3 days from a wash and go.

Even though my 1st day wash and go is getting better, I'm still a ways off from having consistent second day hair. I had only planned to rinse daily in April but I extended that to May. I am now likely to extend that through June and then reassess. Not sure if and when I will get second day hair.

My stylist is back to work. I plan to get a cut the end of June. That should help shorten my daily styling time. Now I spend a lot of time trying to get it in some type of wearable shape.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
@faithVA do you think it’s the daily wetting or stopping oils/butters that is helping with your hydration?

Short Answer: I think it is the daily wetting. I stopped oils and butters in January and there wasn't a big difference in my hair from January through March.

Summation: The hair hydrates faster when it is refilled with water the day before it dries out and not after.

Here is a super long answer :lol:

My theory is that for right now is for dehydrated hair, it needs to be refilled the day before it dries out and not after it dries out.

This is just my theory. I think the hair only takes on so much water each time it gets wet and it needs a certain amount of water to be hydrated. If it needs 2 oz of water to be hydrated, takes on .5 oz each time it gets wet, looses a percentage each day, then letting it dry out to the initial dehydrated state and then rewetting it will never it to hydration.

My thoughts are if the hair is dried out on day 5 then catch it on day 4 and rewet it and move the moisture level closer to the "2 oz"

When I first started in March, my hair was dried out by the next morning, so I wet it daily. Now my hair is dried out by the 2nd morning. So it has taken almost 2 months to extend my hairs ability to hold water for an extra day. I think by not letting my hair dry out and pumping water into each day is allowing the moisture to slowly build up in my hair.

When I can make it to their morning, then I can cut back to every other day and over time every 3 days etc.

This is my theory and I will be documenting here to see if it pains out.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
@GettingKinky, I've seen the videos with the A's or other stylists smoothing the gel on the hair. Have you mastered that yet? Do you know how to know when to smooth, how long to smooth, how to know when you are done?

I'm always afraid of touching my hair too much and that I might remove too much water or gel. But I notice they don't seem to be concerned with that.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
This morning I spritzed my hair heavily and then put on a plastic cap for a while. This seems to work fairly well. It looked like I could have gotten second day hair. I rinsed it anyway which I don't know if that was a good idea or now :ohwell:

I'm still experimenting with things like does my hair do better with rinse and then gel or rinse, conditioner and gel. I'm also playing around with ICH and smoothing. The ICH is working better for me than the first time I used it. Let's see if my hair holds up under this humidity. It is really warm here.
 

GettingKinky

Well-Known Member
@GettingKinky, I've seen the videos with the A's or other stylists smoothing the gel on the hair. Have you mastered that yet? Do you know how to know when to smooth, how long to smooth, how to know when you are done?

I'm always afraid of touching my hair too much and that I might remove too much water or gel. But I notice they don't seem to be concerned with that.

I do all my application, smoothing, and styling in the shower so my hair is soaking wet the whole time. I find that the more time I spend smoothing/styling the better my final result. I use quite a bit of product so I don’t worry about it get removed. When I’m less lazy I work in really small sections. That ensures that all my strands are coated in product.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I do all my application, smoothing, and styling in the shower so my hair is soaking wet the whole time. I find that the more time I spend smoothing/styling the better my final result. I use quite a bit of product so I don’t worry about it get removed. When I’m less lazy I work in really small sections. That ensures that all my strands are coated in product.
Ok thanks. I will keep working with it. My hair isn't ever really soaking wet so I have to figure out how to adjust the process.
 

water_n_oil

Well-Known Member
Back on wngs for a bit. Used pink eco over safflower oil this afternoon. Sometimes I consider trying other stylers but eco is cheap and it works. Quite a few more expensive stylers were a bust for me.
 

sikora

Well-Known Member
I've been playing around a bit with gel application. I'm adding more gel while in the shower then I wait 10 minutes and add more gel in large sections. It is turning out OK but a few sections seem like they need more gel. Debating on whether to add more gel while in the shower or after. I think initially I will try after. I was adding 2 pumps for my entire head. I think I will try 3 pumps to put more up front to see if that helps.

I am at the point now where my hair doesn't dry during the day unless I diffuse it. That is progress. Initially my hair was dry by 4 pm. I'm not quite ready to reset every 2 days though. I'm going to hold out until May. I'm tired of the daily rinsing but I know my right side still needs to hydrate more to get it to try to hold some coils.

I am 90 days into my detox. This weekend I will use the TGIN to almost clarify and do the entire process. Maybe I will sit under the dryer but I hate the dryer :lol: I will probably do this on Sunday. On Saturday, I think I will try the ICH again. Maybe I have enough definition that it works this time.

Hey Faith, I'm not officially in this challenge, but I wanted to jump in and share my experience with you to see if it may possibly help. I was in your boat for YEARRRSSS with short lived wash and gos and like you, I thought the issue was "my hair is not hydrated enough." My hair is mega dry, but my solution lay elsewhere. My wash and goes would last 1 day and that would be it. Day 2 was me back in the shower washing my hair again. It was pretty frustrating because I'd see my hair's potential when I did a clay wash or coated my hair with conditioner, but I could never get that texture to show itself and last when I did a wash and go. I'd also watch YouTubers with similar textures have successful, lasting wash and gos, but mine always failed.

Solution: I'd read a lot of naturalistas experiences with Olaplex number 3 and figured I'd give it a shot. I went through a few bottles but never had a noticeable change in my hair's state or performance. About 2 months ago, I was looking for more Olaplex on Amazon and came across a product called Pronexa Bond Repair. It's a similar product to Olaplex (bond rebuilder that you use before shampoo) and many of the reviews said that it provided better results. I bought it, tried it and it changed my life. :lachen::lachen:

Since I'm working from home now, I randomly decided to try a wash and go because hey, if it fails, at least I'm home! I had some clear Ecostyler gel for the styling and I used Kinky curly as my leave in. The result was crunchy hair that was dry, but my hair was way more defined than I ever experienced and the style lasted beyond 1 day. I think I went about 4 days before washing only because my hair was so dry. After that week, I tried again, this time still using a bit of Ecostyler and topping it off with Kinky Curly custard. This was a much better combo. Again, my hair had beautiful definition and was soft after day 1. At night, I spritz my hair with Green Beauty ph stabilizing spritz, oil my scalp with Melanin Haircare Multi-Use oil and section my hair in 4 ponytails secured with scrunchies. The result in the morning is soft, moisturized hair that maintains its curls. My wash and gos now last me up to 8 (EIGHT) days!!! Daily styling is super quick too -- I fluff my hair to get rid of the parts and it's good to go in 2 minutes.

I also do an intense strength training workout at home 4 days a week and this doesn't disrupt the style. I hope some of this may be helpful for you :drunk::drunk:
 

GettingKinky

Well-Known Member
I’m so jealous of people who can get long lasting wash n gos. Mine look good for 3-4 days and then even though the ends are still super defined the roots are puffy and frizzy. The last time I wore my hair out on day 5 DH called it unkempt. :mad:

I’ve just resigned myself to either rewashing after 4 days or putting it in a puff of some sort.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Hey Faith, I'm not officially in this challenge, but I wanted to jump in and share my experience with you to see if it may possibly help. I was in your boat for YEARRRSSS with short lived wash and gos and like you, I thought the issue was "my hair is not hydrated enough." My hair is mega dry, but my solution lay elsewhere. My wash and goes would last 1 day and that would be it. Day 2 was me back in the shower washing my hair again. It was pretty frustrating because I'd see my hair's potential when I did a clay wash or coated my hair with conditioner, but I could never get that texture to show itself and last when I did a wash and go. I'd also watch YouTubers with similar textures have successful, lasting wash and gos, but mine always failed.

Solution: I'd read a lot of naturalistas experiences with Olaplex number 3 and figured I'd give it a shot. I went through a few bottles but never had a noticeable change in my hair's state or performance. About 2 months ago, I was looking for more Olaplex on Amazon and came across a product called Pronexa Bond Repair. It's a similar product to Olaplex (bond rebuilder that you use before shampoo) and many of the reviews said that it provided better results. I bought it, tried it and it changed my life. :lachen::lachen:

Since I'm working from home now, I randomly decided to try a wash and go because hey, if it fails, at least I'm home! I had some clear Ecostyler gel for the styling and I used Kinky curly as my leave in. The result was crunchy hair that was dry, but my hair was way more defined than I ever experienced and the style lasted beyond 1 day. I think I went about 4 days before washing only because my hair was so dry. After that week, I tried again, this time still using a bit of Ecostyler and topping it off with Kinky Curly custard. This was a much better combo. Again, my hair had beautiful definition and was soft after day 1. At night, I spritz my hair with Green Beauty ph stabilizing spritz, oil my scalp with Melanin Haircare Multi-Use oil and section my hair in 4 ponytails secured with scrunchies. The result in the morning is soft, moisturized hair that maintains its curls. My wash and gos now last me up to 8 (EIGHT) days!!! Daily styling is super quick too -- I fluff my hair to get rid of the parts and it's good to go in 2 minutes.

I also do an intense strength training workout at home 4 days a week and this doesn't disrupt the style. I hope some of this may be helpful for you :drunk::drunk:

Thank you @sikora. I will give this some consideration and keep the bond repair in mind. I have used Olaplex before as well as Aphogees Amino Acid Treatment. I've never noticed a difference with those. I will check into the Pronexa.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
It took everything I had to make myself do my hair today. I think I will try to do it daily until I can get an appointment with my stylist or the end of June, whichever comes first. I will probably give myself at least 1 day off a week.
 

Shadow_Lace

Well-Known Member
I clarified with Camille Rose Neroli Blossom Cleansing Milk.
I still love that, my hair gets enough moisture from this alone.

(On soaking wet hair) I smoothed Cantu Flaxseed Smoothing Cream Gel, then re-sectioned my hair.

(On wet hair) I smoothed Xtreme Clear Gel onto each section.
I'm currently drying my hair.



About the Curlsmith Flexi-Jelly...

It's very moisturizing, but the hold is a joke.

After it dried, only my front/bangs held the most definition.

It had a lot of volume.

The ends were more defined throughout the rest of my hair.

But the shrinkage wasn't something, I'm used to on day 1.

So I twisted up the majority (leaving the front/bangs out) held in place with a clip.

Had my hair for most of day 2 like that. It was ridiculously hot that day.

For the cooler late afternoon/evening, I took the clip off.

My hair still felt moisturized.
The curls were more defined, but in a fluffy/frizzy kinda way.

However by day 3...
The rest just kinda fell apart, in the totally frizzy way.

I mean tangles galore!
Which was weird to me, because my hair still felt moisturized! o_O

Basically, I need strong hold, periodt.

Moisturized (Yes!)
Then, held in place by a stronger holding product.

I knew I couldn't just shampoo, then d/c afterwards like usual. Yes, the tangles were that bad!

I'm so glad I bought another of the CR Cleansing Milk.

It took way, longer than usual.

As I used a combination of finger-detangling, and the Flexi Brush to completely detangle and remove the sheds.


If you like lightweight, fluffy curls?
The Curlsmith Flexi Jelly is for you.


Meanwhile, I'm going to try to find another use for it.
 

LavenderMint

Well-Known Member
I am following her online face to face visit every 5 weeks. We had our first session a few weeks ago. She gave me good advice on products and technique.
Thanks!!

I did a wng two weeks ago with curl activator, Shea butter & wetline. This is by far the best wng I’ve ever had. Definition, shine, elongation, minimal crunch. It’s lasted a good long while with many styling changes. I’m trying to convince the little one to take his long afternoon nap now so I can wash it out.
Right now, I don’t know if I’ll do another wng or a sort of halfway wng with loose hair up front & the back tied up or something. We’ll see.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I couldn't make myself do my hair today. I spritzed it heavily with water and put on a plastic cap. I tried to stretch it a bit. That's all for today.
 

GettingKinky

Well-Known Member
I ran out of energy in the shower today so I didn’t spend much time on styling. I’m not sure how my hair will turn out today.
 

Wanderland

Well-Known Member
I am following her online face to face visit every 5 weeks. We had our first session a few weeks ago. She gave me good advice on products and technique.
I follow Abena on YT and IG, she's embracenaturalbeauty right? I've been following her for years. She has also taken a cut it kinky class with the A's. If I lived anywhere near the New York area she would be my stylist.
Did you sign up for digital visits through her website? Are you noticing a difference with your hair?
 

Wanderland

Well-Known Member
I'm chugging along with wng. Its ok I guess. Sometimes I'll stretch to day 5 but I really only like it up until day 3. I'm getting use to seeing my fat face without hair and with shrinkage. I just want my hair to grow already. I can't wait to have at least a bob wng instead of a short taper but I know that's like 2 years away due to my super shrinkage.
Routine is still mostly the same but now I use AG balance and Innersence hydrating hair bath instead of Joico Moisture Poo. My stylers are Uncle funky's Daughter curly magic/innersence I create hold/innersence I create volume. At first I hated AG boost conditioner because I'm used to slip and a small amount of cones in my products (like TGIN honey mask) but I've learned to deal, its ok now. I cheat my using a hot headz deep conditioning cap in the shower sometimes after I condition and while I wash my body to get the conditioner to absorb a little better.
Dassit CCS every 4-5 days.
 
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Mapleoats

Well-Known Member
Hey ladies. Do y’all believe in moisture training/ wash n go training your hair? As in, do your wash n go really get better overtime as the hair gets used to being set in its natural curl pattern? I tried a wash n go once over a year ago but didn’t like the results (frizzy) and never revisited it. Here’s some pics.

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Wanderland

Well-Known Member
Hey ladies. Do y’all believe in moisture training/ wash n go training your hair? As in, do your wash n go really get better overtime as the hair gets used to being set in its natural curl pattern? I tried a wash n go once over a year ago but didn’t like the results (frizzy) and never revisited it. Here’s some pics.

View attachment 459487 View attachment 459489
I believe that hydrated hair literally has more water and therefore more weight to it and behaves differently than dehydrated hair. I also agree with @faithVA observation that hydration is a continuum and that hair can only take in so much water at once. So consistent hydration is going to appear different than one time hydration like a dc session.

I love your wng. I think its cute and very wearable but everyone has their own preference for how we like to see ourselves. I know that doing wng more often, and finding products that you know will provide you consistent results, you could get a wng closer to what you would like to see you hair doing. Good luck!
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
Hey ladies. Do y’all believe in moisture training/ wash n go training your hair? As in, do your wash n go really get better overtime as the hair gets used to being set in its natural curl pattern? I tried a wash n go once over a year ago but didn’t like the results (frizzy) and never revisited it. Here’s some pics.

View attachment 459487 View attachment 459489
I think your hair looks good in this picture. I do believe wearing your hair in a wng consistently will give you better results over time. I think since that pic is your starting point, you would definitely see better results with regular setting. What can't really be determined is how long it will take to get a wash and go you love.

In previous years I only wore a wash and go 1 day because it wasn't working out. I've been wearing a wash and go since March and I can say my hair has definitely gotten better. It has taken a lot of consistently but I can see the progress and it has been worth the effort.
 

LadyRaider

Well-Known Member
Hey ladies. Do y’all believe in moisture training/ wash n go training your hair? As in, do your wash n go really get better overtime as the hair gets used to being set in its natural curl pattern? I tried a wash n go once over a year ago but didn’t like the results (frizzy) and never revisited it. Here’s some pics.

View attachment 459487 View attachment 459489
yes , your hair gets easier to manage over time. keeping up the moisture is key.
 
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