Help! Self-relaxer in Africa...

dargirl

New Member
Dear LHCF Sistas,


This is my first post and I'm in desperate need of help :perplexed. I've been lurking on the forum for weeks but this lil' situation :lachen:has finally "encouraged" me to post.

Some background: I'm Tanzanian and moved back home from DC a couple of years ago. I have thick, mostly 4b hair which was natural until recently. I attempted to texlax my hair with Motions Salon Herbals mild in early December. My hair is around 7 inches long stretched but it shrinks like mad. In hindsight, I realize that I added too much protein conditioner (L'Oreal Elvive Smooth Silk Intense Anti-Frizz Conditioner) to the relaxer; the ratio was 60% relaxer to 40% conditioner. Also, I deliberately didn't smooth the relaxer because I was scared that my hair would end up straight.

Anyway, suffice it to say that the end result was that my hair looked pretty much the same after the texlax, but now shrinks less and is easier to detangle. It is currently braided and I plan to keep it this way until 2 weeks before I do a corrective in early February.

But my real problem is that I don't know which lye relaxer to use for the corrective texlax. Should I stick to the same relaxer but not dilute it? Or try something else. It's not as if I have that many choices to begin with :lol:. What I'm trying to achieve with the texlax is looser kinks, loose enough that detangling is a breeze and definitely less shrinkage. But I still want to retain enough texture so I can wear wash 'n' gos, afro puffs, and braid outs. I want to avoid straight hair.

So I would appreciate any advice on the following.




1. Which relaxer to use? The only choices available to me locally are:
  • Motions Salon Herbals, mild
  • Motions Salon Herbals, regular
  • Motions Oil Moisturizing Relaxer, mild
  • Motions Oil Moisturizing Relaxer, regular
  • Elasta QP No Base Crème Relaxer, regular
  • Relax with Leisure Silky Smooth No Base Conditioning Relaxer, regular (same maker as Hawaiian Silky)
  • Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Lye, regular
  • Revlon Realistic Extra Conditioning Crème Relaxer, mild
  • Revlon Realistic Extra Conditioning Crème Relaxer, regular
  • Crème of Nature No Base Crème Relaxer, mild
  • Crème of Nature No Base Crème Relaxer, regular
2. Also, should I add any oil or conditioner or both to the relaxer? If so, how much?

3. Any tips to help me achieve the intended outcome?



This is what I plan to do in preparation for the texlax:
  • Remove braids 2 weeks before. Detangle hair thoroughly. Henna and follow up with moisturizing DC.
  • The following week, prepoo with Vatika oil, wash with no-sulfate poo and use moisturizing conditioner. Finish with Roux Porosity Control Conditioner.
  • A week before the corrective, use clarifying poo. Use co-wash condish to detangle thoroughly. Finish off with Roux Porosity Control Conditioner.
  • Base scalp with shea butter mix the day before corrective
  • Coat already processed hair with coconut oil the night before
  • Pre-part hair into 4 sections. Make 15 small loose twists above new growth within each section.

    Thanks in advance and I look forward to your responses!
dargirl
 
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I've never tried any of those relaxers but I would recommend that you use a mild relaxer. I would also still add oil, but keep a higher ratio of relaxer to oil. When I texlax, I add 4 spoonfuls of oil (last time it was 3 spoons of oil, 1 of conditioner) to a bowl of relaxer (filled to about the 200 mL mark in the bowl).

For the record, I tried a corrective texlax a few months ago and experienced some breakage. I think I may have overlapped on my relaxed ends though, and that was my mistake. Apply your protective oil (coconut oil) with generous hands, and do a protein treatment the week before you try to corrective.
 
I have 4b/c hair. Motions no-lye and Revlon lye have worked for me. I'm natural now but I was a long term revlon user and if I was to go back I'd use motions no-lye. If you added conditioner and the relaxer didn't take it's probably because the one you used wasn't strong enough for your hair. You could try doing a test patch on the side of your hair first to find out what strength you need. I recommend checking out some youtube tutorials on relaxing - I recommend - nunaavane's channel for tips.
 
I have 4b/c hair. Motions no-lye and Revlon lye have worked for me. I'm natural now but I was a long term revlon user and if I was to go back I'd use motions no-lye. If you added conditioner and the relaxer didn't take it's probably because the one you used wasn't strong enough for your hair. You could try doing a test patch on the side of your hair first to find out what strength you need. I recommend checking out some youtube tutorials on relaxing - I recommend - nunaavane's channel for tips.

Thanks Tiye! But couldn't the relaxer also not have taken because I added too much conditioner? It was a light protein conditioner--L'Oreal Elvive Smooth Silk Intense Anti-Frizz Conditioner--and I mixed 7oz relaxer with 5oz of the condish.
 
Hi dargirl! Welcome to the board!
Answers in purple

So I would appreciate any advice on the following.

1. Which relaxer to use? The choices are:
  • Motions Salon Herbals, mild
  • Motions Oil Moisturizing Relaxer, mild
  • Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Lye, regular
  • Revlon Realistic Extra Conditioning Crème Relaxer, mild
  • Crème of Nature No Base Crème Relaxer, mild

    I would go with one of the above since they are mild. Motions Oil is the mildest of them I would say but you can try experimenting with Salon herbals since you probably still have some left. Revlon is def. stronger. If you can get your hands on it try S-Curl texturizer in the blue jar. It is also lye but milder than ANY relaxer. You could leave it on your head for up to 35 min! So you have time to smooth and wouldn´t have to worry about diluting. I tried it the last time i texlaxed and really liked it!
2. Also, should I add any oil or conditioner or both to the relaxer? If so, how much?
Experiment with strand tests! Glue together shedded hair and try different mixes and timing.



3. Any tips to help me achieve the intended outcome?

Experiment!

This is what I plan to do in preparation for the texlax:
  • Remove braids 2 weeks before and detangle hair thoroughly. Henna and follow up with moisturizing DC.
  • The following week, prepoo with Vatika oil, wash with no-sulfate poo and use moisturizing conditioner. Finish with Roux Porosity Control Conditioner.
  • 4 days before the corrective, use clarifying poo. Follow with moisturizing poo and conditioner. Finish off with Roux Porosity Control Conditioner. Detangle hair with fingers and plait into 6 braids. No product on hair.
  • Base scalp with shea butter mix the day before corrective.
  • Coat already processed hair with coconut oil the night before.
    Sounds great except for the bolded. A clarifying poo is too harsh on your scalp. If I wash less than a week before a touchup I cowash. You also have to thoroughly detangle your hair - it will make parting so much easier!

    Thanks in advance and I look forward to your responses!
dargirl
 
Use the same relaxer - do not dilute it with any product and do not go heavy when basing your scalp. Base your scalp lightly or else you will have the same issue - and then you run the risk of further damage.
 
Was a pleasure! :grin: Thank you - but how ´d you find me since I don´t post much?


You popped up in several searches I did on texlaxing / relaxers. I'm a big research nerd!

Am now less than 2 weeks away from the corrective and am still undecided about which relaxer to use. I still have tons of the Motions Salon Herbals Mild left...

But am also considering buying the Revlon Realistic Extra Conditioning Mild (lye) and mixing in 4 tablespoons Elasta QP Intense Fortifying Conditioner (EQPIFC). Hydrolyzed Silk Protein is the 4th ingredient in the EQPIFC.

Oh decisions, decisions :spinning:
 
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