I Went Back To Cones And My Hair Flourished

DST1913 said:

I just wanted to share my story. Maybe it will help someone. I have 4C fine hair. I decided to go natural by transitioning and cut off my relaxed ends in January of this year and ended up with neck length hair. Like all new naturals I came here, read blogs and watch endless hours of you tube. One thing in common was cones and sulfates were the devil incarnate. So I ditched all those products and went on a quest to find new ones. Hundreds (prob thousands) later my hair was STILL dry and not thriving. It was a dry bushy mess. Especially the ends. My ends were so bushy I at one point cut them off and they returned bushy again. I could not figure out what was wrong.

A few months ago I decided to incorporate keracare humecto and silicon mix in my weekly regimen. It took a lot for me to try this as I thought it would be so bad. Fast forward and my hair is THRIVING! since going natural my hair is soft, moisturized and stays that way. I've noticed growth for the first time and my hair is a little past collarbone. I'm still using sulfate free shampoo with the occasional clarifier but products with cones have saved my hair! I dont think this is a story you hear in the natural community but its what made my hair healthy. Looking forward to more progress in the upcoming months/years

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lesedi said:

I had the same experience... I find sulfate free shampoos generally very stripping and my scalp still feels coated after a wash which I'm not OK with. And I need cones for manageability.

In fact the overwhelming majority of my stash has ingredients that are 'vetoed'. I'm about to get some grease (Yes, grease) for the winter too

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sunflora said:

Cones are all about sealing in moisture for a longer amount of time. People find them problematic because when you seal in moisture you also prevent letting moisture in. There are people who also use mineral oil for this same reason.

I think the science behind ingredients is more important than 'omg itz bad roflcopter'. there's no problem with preferring natural ingredients either, but telling someone not to use something isn't helpful if it is what works for them. I'm happy you found somethng that works for you.

I still don't use cones because a lot of them make my hair feel bad, but if I were ever to find a product with cones that I liked I wouldn't hesitate to use it.

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TwoSnapsUp said:

My hair grew faster amd thrived when I wasn’t following all these rules. I spent soooo much money on products that my hair just laughed at.

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DST1913 said:

I wasnt telling people not to use natural products. I just wanted to share what worked for ME after trying all the natural products and not figuring out why it wasnt working for me. Changing back to cones may work for someone else as well. The majority of the natural hair community uses no cones and their hair thrives it just wasnt the case for me as much as I wanted it to be.

Also I had heard how it keeps moisture from getting in. I wonder why my hair is so moistirized now. Maybe what you said about it stealing it in longer was the key for me

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DST1913 said:

Really? That's great. I've spent a ton as well. Everyone is so different. I even stopped following hair bloggers. That has helped me too. I had to just do what worked for me. It was an education of my own hair and not what others do to thiers.

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sunflora said:

Oh no I wasn't accusing you of doing so. I was mainly directing that at YouTubers who 'ban' or 'cancel' ingredients.

My best guess would be that your hair may be low porosity and loses moisture very quickly. If you're using conditioners with cones, or something with cones while your hair is wet, then you lock that moisture in. That's just my hunch.

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ColibriNoir said:

Thanks for sharing your experience. So glad you found something that works for you. I too have 4c, fine natural hair and deal with the same issues you mentioned. This product is currently sitting in my Amazon shopping. Thanks for reminding me. I’ll be getting it soon.

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DST1913 said:

Which product? Hope it works for you. This hair journey can be so frustrating

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ColibriNoir said:

It’s called Silicon Mix but I’m not sure it’s the same one you used. Here’s a link

Silicon Mix Intensive Hair Deep Treatment, 36 Ounce

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DST1913 said:

Yup this is it. You can get it at any beauty supply store and I believe cheaper in the store. Unless you are out of the country. But it's easy to get in a store if you are in the US

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kim said:

I also had to stop using just natural products only because my hair seemed to dislike them . I got tired of wasting money.

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intellectualuva said:

So happy for you, OP. Someone here recommended grease and curl free moisture. I hesitated because #teamnaturalproducts. I prefer it mixed with Aloe Vera Juice, than when I forget and my hair is next level happy. I thought I hit the holy grail with Mane Choice HH products, but this has helped me decrease the dryness between washes and much less breakage. And detangling is a breeze.

So I mix some old school and new school and my hair is thriving.

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kxlot79 said:

I think cones v. no-cones is more about HOW & WHEN you style than anything.
My own experience is that different products and regimens yield different results, why would that be different for cones?
I’ve been coasting for so long that I see that the more frequently I’m in my hair, the more natural my regimen can be. Daily cowashing or WnGs 3-4+ times a week means more natural. If it’s winter and I’m not trying to wash my hair but once a week or twice a month, cones and more synthetic products are gonna work better for me.
Plus, in many ways manageability is easier with cones and cones disguise damage a LOT better.
Some hair is too fragile for a natural routine depending on what results are sought.

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oneastrocurlie said:

I don't shampoo as much and shampoo is what removes cones. So I avoid cones, when I can, so I can avoid needing to shampoo. Not because I think they are the devil. Lol.

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kxlot79 said:

I think before we became really informed about ingredients (and just a few people have missed the boat), we didn’t see the connection between cones and shampoo.
I can’t tell y’all how many times I’ve watched videos demonizing cowashing or blaming it for hair loss/hair breakage, when the primary “cowashes” used were full of silicone. Like, of course you’ll get buildup if you don’t strip it off occasionally.
Or even, people would be using heavy greases, oils, and butters, but then using “sulfate free” shampoos and cowashes. Which always seemed crazy to me, even before I really understood the science of why.
There have been articles and videos I’ve seen lately that swear that sulfate-free shampoos are strong enough to remove heavy greases, oils, and butters, or swear that some cowashes are strong enough to do the same...
I absolutely do not trust that, wouldn’t advise that, and low key don’t really believe that. But that’s some of the science and people gamble on it.

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intellectualuva said:

Which clarifying shampoo do you use?

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kxlot79 said:

I have a couple that I like to rotate between. I try to just buy one bottle at a time but sometimes I fail. I will say the cheaper ones, the Suave and Tresemme are a lot stronger on my hair, and I would guess they have less buffers for the detergents/surfactants. So I don’t use those unless it’s been several weeks since a proper shampoo— like a very long term protective style.
Listed in strength on my hair:
-Suave Clarifying Shampoo (IMO a step above dish soap)
-Tresemme Deep Cleanse Shampoo
-Neutrogrena Anti-Residue Shampoo
-Hask Charcoal Clarifying Shampoo
-Oribe Clarifying Shampoo (a splurge or gift that I really love)

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DST1913 said:

Clarifying shampoos for some reason tangle my hair badly. The only one I can use with no issues is kinky curly come clean. I think my hair doesnt like that squeaky clean feeling. Even after I use it I have to do a 2nd wash with a moisturizing shampoo or it's a disaster.

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