Best Curl Defining Serum/Gel/Cream goes too...

[secretdiamond]

BUMPING THIS THREAD AS I BC'd LAST THURSDAY!!!

(I know the thread is old, but I opted to bump due to the title, rather than starting a new one).

CALLING ALL PJ's, I'm looking for the best curl-defining products on the market. I've been suggested Cantu Coconut Curling Cream, but I'm sure that there are tons of others out there that can be recommended. Based on my curl pattern, I have 4b/4c hair and mid-porosity I guess (because when I placed a strand in water, it didn't float but it didn't sink either).

I'd love to hear what everyone's using to keep their coily strands curly. Thanks in advance.

I know it's late, but congrats on the BC!

 

[awhyley]

I know it's late, but congrats on the BC!

Never too late for congrats. Thanks

 

[awhyley]

Didn't want to start a new thread for this but do I need an additional product in order to make the hair shiny?

I washed my hair yesterday, deep conditioned, used the Cantu and my hair is "relatively" curly again, but I've been waking up to my hair looking matted and dry, even though I'm using shea butter, etc. Are there any products that will give shine, so that I don't have to use excessive oils?

(eta: Yall Tangle Teasers are everything! )

 

[bzb1990]

Wouldn't it depend on your hair type, and a load of other things? It would be nice if it was universally applicable, but I find other people's holy grail products or technique doesn't always work for me, if I try it out. So what I write below may not help anyone, but anyway...

Best result I get is not even a hair product. It's a 'cleansing lotion' by Avene (tolerance extreme cleansing lotion -- NOT the 'cream' which is almost identical in ingredients, but does not work so well on me for hair, nor skin). If I use that like a curl gel/cream - and a dash of (this sounds weird, it works though) MCT oil mixed in (NOT coconut oil) - voila!

If I'm out of the MCT oil, camellia seed oil (those work best on me, for not looking greasy, and working with my hair with very little needed..

and btw the cheaper camellia seed oil in grocery stores' cooking aisle is NOT the same as the best - which is Oshima Tsubaki camellia oil-- i used to use the other kind for at least 1.5 years, I think longer--
tried the Oshima, and AMAZED at how much better it was-- like how SistawithRealHair swears the Napa Valley Grapeseed oil was better than any kind she had tried-- must be a difference in how they extract and process them.

Another good one, from memory, was the flaxseed gel, did that years ago, but it was something you have to keep making and remembering not to make too much of so you can discard it, etc. That I remember mixing with different oils. I have used a TON of oils, but I cannot remember clearly whether the gel worked best on its own or with other things.

OH btw you know how people say to put in essential oils (tiny amounts) if you want to improve the scent of your oils? And safe ones of course.

Seriously, I know a fair bit about essential oils, perfumery related to that, etc. So I have been a 'hobbyist' for about a decade, have loads of books, including coursebooks, and know about dilution. But even so, I made a small EO blend of fragrance (i use the real kind, which aren't always the kind you can get at health food stores, that are traced and tested, so it wasn't that that was the problem), diluted THAT heavily, and then mixed it into a full bottle of my (beloved) camellia seed oil. All well and good? I would use that fragranced one daily instead of the camellia seed oil, plain. And walked in the sun with my son for up to 2-3 hours a day.
And it RUINED my hair - it became frazzled after 1 day - and got worse (had not connected the reason)...
that was the reason for my most recent chop (hack job).

So yeah..just be careful about fragrance, oils, and the sun!

 

[bzb1990]

BUMPING THIS THREAD AS I BC'd LAST THURSDAY!!!

(I know the thread is old, but I opted to bump due to the title, rather than starting a new one).

CALLING ALL PJ's, I'm looking for the best curl-defining products on the market. I've been suggested Cantu Coconut Curling Cream, but I'm sure that there are tons of others out there that can be recommended. Based on my curl pattern, I have 4b/4c hair and mid-porosity I guess (because when I placed a strand in water, it didn't float but it didn't sink either).

I'd love to hear what everyone's using to keep their coily strands curly. Thanks in advance.

Cantu--good one! Thanks for reminding me!! It really is amazing now that I remember. I used up a whole bottle and a half, think I gave the rest to my brother. The packaging itself is so cheerful, the colour. I used to ignore it for years, because I thought, "hm packaging looks too good...probably to make up for how bad the product inside is, and lure you!" Because that was my experience with things like Garnier, Got2B, before
OMG I just forgot - this amazing one- it's right under the Cantu in my pharmacy's 'curly hair' section. The price is cheap, firstly.
Aloe styling gel.. I forgot the brand name, it's written in red, and is 3 letters (not a word) is about the only thing I can say! It's a really unknown brand, I think.
It really works on curls too- one of the best, if not the best, for mine.

I just occasionally mix it with an oil because I cannot resist mixing items but it works fine on its own.
It's a clear container, ingredients are simple- nothing bad for my sensitive acne prone skin (which is why I bought it). It's in my house, I'm staying with family, so I can't go check! Sorry.. man >_>

 

[awhyley]

Wouldn't it depend on your hair type, and a load of other things? It would be nice if it was universally applicable, but I find other people's holy grail products or technique doesn't always work for me, if I try it out. So what I write below may not help anyone, but anyway...

Best result I get is not even a hair product. It's a 'cleansing lotion' by Avene (tolerance extreme cleansing lotion -- NOT the 'cream' which is almost identical in ingredients, but does not work so well on me for hair, nor skin). If I use that like a curl gel/cream - and a dash of (this sounds weird, it works though) MCT oil mixed in (NOT coconut oil) - voila!

Yep, I'm just learning my hair all over again and testing out certain products. I'm going to look into that cleansing lotion.
(And I'll be careful of those fragrance oils!)

Cantu--good one! Thanks for reminding me!! It really is amazing now that I remember. I used up a whole bottle and a half, think I gave the rest to my brother. The packaging itself is so cheerful, the colour. I used to ignore it for years, because I thought, "hm packaging looks too good...probably to make up for how bad the product inside is, and lure you!" Because that was my experience with things like Garnier, Got2B, before
OMG I just forgot - this amazing one- it's right under the Cantu in my pharmacy's 'curly hair' section. The price is cheap, firstly.
Aloe styling gel.. I forgot the brand name, it's written in red, and is 3 letters (not a word) is about the only thing I can say! It's a really unknown brand, I think.
It really works on curls too- one of the best, if not the best, for mine.

I just occasionally mix it with an oil because I cannot resist mixing items but it works fine on its own.
It's a clear container, ingredients are simple- nothing bad for my sensitive acne prone skin (which is why I bought it). It's in my house, I'm staying with family, so I can't go check! Sorry.. man >_>

Thanks for confirming the Cantu. I think that I'm going to get more stuff from their product line. It's working really well.

 

[bzb1990]

Yep, I'm just learning my hair all over again and testing out certain products. I'm going to look into that cleansing lotion.
(And I'll be careful of those fragrance oils!)



Thanks for confirming the Cantu. I think that I'm going to get more stuff from their product line. It's working really well.

oh please don't get the cleansing lotion if you already have something that works. It is extremely expensive, considering how much is needed.

I only use it because I have v sensitive acne prone skin, break out even if it's a hair product.

This item is one of the only things I cannot break out from, so I spend on this (when it goes on sale, which is still an unnecessarily expensive price, given the simple ingredients) instead of any other skincare item and use it for everything.

 

[awhyley]

oh please don't get the cleansing lotion if you already have something that works. It is extremely expensive, considering how much is needed.

I only use it because I have v sensitive acne prone skin, break out even if it's a hair product.

This item is one of the only things I cannot break out from, so I spend on this (when it goes on sale, which is still an unnecessarily expensive price, given the simple ingredients) instead of any other skincare item and use it for everything.

I don't really have a cleanser, which is why I'd consider putting it on my list. I'm trying to populate my staple products as follows;

Prepoo - Going to see how Neges Banda Chebe prepoo works
Moisturizing Shampoo - Shea Moisture Jamaican Castor Oil Shampoo (love this!)
Cleanser/Shampoo - ??? (Going to determine whether I should get a Clay Mask)
Conditioner - ??? Not sure yet, but I have Crece Polo for the meantime
Deep Conditioner - Natural Barnett SheaBiscus deep conditioner
Curling Defining Cream - Cantu (for the moment, but I'm going to check out recommendations from this thread PRONTO)
Style & Hold Gel - EcoStyle gel (Olive Oil)

I'll probably find that I'll need more things (the PJ side of me is reawakening ), but this is my starting point.

 

[bzb1990]

Oh okay.. um that one isn't the BEST cleanser either. ..especially if I wore makeup that day, or face mask all day...I use it in conjunction with a foaming one (Simple, Garnier, or their own brand's foaming cleanser which I think you would really love), Nablus Olive Oil soap, or even baby wipes.

Oh man I keep forgetting to RP the Cantu. Loved it when I used it.

 

[awhyley]

Oh okay.. um that one isn't the BEST cleanser either. ..especially if I wore makeup that day, or face mask all day...I use it in conjunction with a foaming one (Simple, Garnier, or their own brand's foaming cleanser which I think you would really love), Nablus Olive Oil soap, or even baby wipes.

Oh man I keep forgetting to RP the Cantu. Loved it when I used it.

No worries. I'm still in 'Search mode'

Yall, didn't tell me bout the Curl Sponge/Comb. New gadgets always have me like

 

[awhyley]

Spotted this on YouTube, and while the title initially piqued my curiousity, I'm glad I watched til the end because it reminded me why I started on this journey in the first place.