Curly girls...must read!

[E_Edgerton]

I can keep quiet no longer...some of you may already know this secret but I have just figured it out. BUMBLE and BUMBLE! Whoa! It has changed my hair. It goes against many of my rules: it isn't natural/organic, is a bit exclusive (spas only, that I know of), and is SO expensive. But, alas my curls have never been so beautiful. I am not bragging here, all you with naturally curly hair know what summer (or anytime for that matter:glare:) can be like on your hair...this is just amazing.

I wash and condition with the Curl Conscious shampoo and conditioner and then follow with the Curl Conscious Curl Creme. Just air dry and you will look like a supermodel! I got some for my birthday. I rec. asking for it on b-days and Christmas...that way you won't have to feel guilty about the cost and just enjoy the curls. Sorry this is so long...I am excited...can you tell?!:D

[elegantlion]

Do you have a link?:001_smile:

[E_Edgerton]

I think it can be purchased through a salon in your area. But I saw it for sure on Amazon.

 

[NCMom]

My two dd's have beyond belief curly hair. They don't use shampoo and the only two conditioners that work are Pantene Hydrating Curls and Giovanni Direct Leave in. These do sort of work, but we are still searching for the ONE. ;)

 

Well, upon further surfing I think my oldest dd's hair would eat more than 8oz in a day (swimmers!) and at $27 per 8oz I think I'd have to get another job to afford it, lol. Plus we try to avoid parabens. It does have some unusual ingredients though - wonder which one or what combo is the secret?

 

It was a nice, if temporary, dream though... One day we will find the ONE.

 

Thanks though!

Georgia (ever vigilant in the search for the perfect hair care product...)

[yslek]

Thanks! I added these to my Amazon wishlist. :)

 

Kelsy

[Hillary in KS]

Oh, I love BUmble and Bumble. It's just so darn hard to find!

 

Hillary

[Mom to Aly]

I just found it a lot cheaper on ebay, even a 33 oz one for $69 plus ship, but way out of my price range. My hair is ultra curly, and I do nothing to it, but it has gotten so dry (it is also more than half white & gray, I am 42 so I color it, making it more dry), that I need to wait at least 7 days, can wait 12 in between washing, and it still looks great, looks best between 5 & 10 days really. Never looks oily, even on day 12. I hate not washing it, though! Drives me nuts!!! I feel like one of those old ladies I used to see at my gram's beauty parlor who would go in once a week to get their hair done!

[Bess]

So, would these products be good to tone down curls, or pump them up? I have wavyish curly hair, and I like to use a product to produce more curls, would these products work for me?

[Michelle T]

So, would these products be good to tone down curls, or pump them up? I have wavyish curly hair, and I like to use a product to produce more curls, would these products work for me?

 

 

I have wavy/curly hair that could best be described as "rat's nest". I'm always looking for products that will give me more defined, springy curls.

Michelle T

[E_Edgerton]

My hair is long...about lower-mid back...due to the length, my curls "were" weighed down. With this product they are romantic, big, lovely curls. As I said originally, this product does not fit my personality, but I cannot deny how nice it makes my hair. I also feel like the small bottles are fine for me, I only wash my hair about once a week.

[abbeyej]

Have you ever tried just skipping shampoo completely? Truly, that has made more difference for me than any one product I've ever tried.

 

I go through tons of Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz-Control Conditioner (and some Aussie gel and Tresemme Flawless Curls mousse)... But skipping shampoo has really been the key for me.

[TengoFive]

I've been reading at naturallycurly.com lately. It's been rather interesting reading. I have wavy hair, my 6 year old has curly hair, and my 1 year old has uber-curls that dh is ready to cut off :( My mom has kinky hair, so I've been trying to decide what to get there. I'll have to look at Bumble and Bumble again there.

Also, I have to 2nd skipping shampoo. I read that in the Curly Girl book about 3 years ago and it has made a huge difference for my daughter. I still shampoo my hair, but I don't my dd's at all. It's never greasy at all and is beautifully curly, yet not frizzy most of the time.

[Debbie in OR]

OK, I was a bit skeptical but I, being of the wavy-curly-frizzy species, decided to try these. Today was the maiden voyage and I wanted to tell you This Stuff Rocks! As a matter of fact, I got back from a run about 15 minutes before church started so I had to race through shower (used both the shampoo and conditioner for fine-medium hair) and do nothing but run some of the Curly Creme (fine-med hair) through it. And to top it all off, we RODE OUR BIKES to church so not only did I not do one thing to my hair, I ended up at church with wind-blown-did-nothing hair. But, I gotta tell you, several people (not just one, but like, four) made a point of telling me how great my hair looked! Ha! I am not making this up!

 

Truly, it has been a while since anyone has commented on my curly hair (I alternate b/t drying it straight and wearing it wavy) so either it was the 5 minute shower/bike ride combo or it was the Bumble and Bumble. (But why, oh why, does it cost as much as my yearly curriculum allowance?!? Wah!)

 

Thank you, E Edgerton!

[E_Edgerton]

Congrats Debbie....Isn't it amazing! I am so glad your curls looked beautiful today and others noticed too!:)

[Brindee]

What does not shampooing it do? Seems like you couldn't get it clean without shampooing???

[woolybear]

I was thinking the same thing as Brindee. Doesn't it need to be washed somehow?

[runningirl71]

I third this. How does you hair get clean if you don't wash it? Are you telling me I've been buying a product that actually hurts my hair?:)

[Nestof3]

I actually only shampoo every three days. I've even gone 6 days before -- just rinsing with water and conditioning.

 

It works fine for me.

[Brindee]

I actually only shampoo every three days. I've even gone 6 days before -- just rinsing with water and conditioning.

 

It works fine for me.

This is not aimed at you, it's just me trying to unclog my brain drain! ;)

 

It seems that if you do that, and not shampoo, that stuff (dust, hairspray, etc.) would build up and cause problems--like if we didn't use soap on our silverware/plates/bowls!

 

I have some Pampered Chef stoneware though, so I sort of understand the concept. But with those it's cuz the soap absorbs if used, and you use those scrapers on them, and you put them in a hot oven.... Okay, never mind, the PC example falls flat! :001_huh::tongue_smilie:

[Mom2GirlsTX]

What does not shampooing it do? Seems like you couldn't get it clean without shampooing???

 

I think she is referring to (and this is a maybe) that by not shampooing it, she means not washing it with shampoo. She means using an alternate method of keeping her hair clean. I know that one of the books I read about curly hair suggested to not use shampoo, that it was to drying. It suggested to "wash" you hair with conditioner instead, that a good quality conditioner will release the dirt from your hair by the emolients in the conditioner and thus your hair is cleaned but not dryed out, since many shampoos are very harsh to fragile/curly hair.

 

My daughter seldom uses shampoo on her hair, but uses conditioner on it in place of shampoo. Sometimes she gently scrubs just her scalp once a week with shampoo, but for the rest of her hair washings, she uses conditioner instead of shampoo, leaving it one several minutes and then rinsing. It has made her curls really bouncy and pretty and not dull and lackluster. About once a month we soak it in combination of warmed coconut oil and olive oil and cover it in a cotton cloth and she leaves on overnight. She washes it with diluted shampoo the next morning and it really makes it pretty!

 

The expensive stuff sounds great but wow, I'm thinking my duaghters hair is so thick and long, I might need a bucket of the stuff.

[Brindee]

I think she is referring to (and this is a maybe) that by not shampooing it, she means not washing it with shampoo. She means using an alternate method of keeping her hair clean. I know that one of the books I read about curly hair suggested to not use shampoo, that it was to drying. It suggested to "wash" you hair with conditioner instead, that a good quality conditioner will release the dirt from your hair by the emolients in the conditioner and thus your hair is cleaned but not dryed out, since many shampoos are very harsh to fragile/curly hair.

 

My daughter seldom uses shampoo on her hair, but uses conditioner on it in place of shampoo. Sometimes she gently scrubs just her scalp once a week with shampoo, but for the rest of her hair washings, she uses conditioner instead of shampoo, leaving it one several minutes and then rinsing. It has made her curls really bouncy and pretty and not dull and lackluster. About once a month we soak it in combination of warmed coconut oil and olive oil and cover it in a cotton cloth and she leaves on overnight. She washes it with diluted shampoo the next morning and it really makes it pretty!

 

The expensive stuff sounds great but wow, I'm thinking my duaghters hair is so thick and long, I might need a bucket of the stuff.

Thankyou! That's pretty clear! Do you warm just the coconut oil or both the oils? Is the combination 50/50? What is the cloth for? Does she wear a shower cap over that?

 

Sorry for all the questions, but I need to do soemthing with my hair, and this is intrigueing me! I've never heard about not using shampoo!

 

Thanks everyone for posting this, I'm learning a lot!

[Mom2GirlsTX]

Thankyou! That's pretty clear! Do you warm just the coconut oil or both the oils? Is the combination 50/50? What is the cloth for? Does she wear a shower cap over that?

 

Sorry for all the questions, but I need to do soemthing with my hair, and this is intrigueing me! I've never heard about not using shampoo!

 

Thanks everyone for posting this, I'm learning a lot!

 

The olive oil and coconut oil are in equal parts, I do heat them up, probably 4 teaspoons or so of each (sometimes we add lavender oil, a few drops). I heat them on low in microwave and then we add several large squirts of Pantene Conditioner into my oil mixture until I have probably 1/4 cup of oil and conditioner. We then take a comb and put this all through her hair, her hair absorbs so much of the oil, we then put what is actually a 100% cotton pillow case over this, and she twist the pillow case into a light knot in back of her head (think bun). This is so confusing to explain, we have just made this up on our own and we couldn't use the shower cap as she always ends up pulling that off at night. The cotton works great because it keeps the oil in her hair but it does absorb some of the oil too that is excess. The next morning I help her wash it out, this is when we do use a bit of shampoo but it is diluted. We rinse and rinse and dry and her hair looks great! This is especially great now during this time of year because she is swimming and that dries her out something terrible.

I have probably not made much sense, but we have tinkered around with many things and the olive oil and coconut oil combo work the best on her dry hair. I mix with the other conditioner to make it "flow" better through her hair. Sorry if this is clear as mud :confused:

[Brindee]

The olive oil and coconut oil are in equal parts, I do heat them up, probably 4 teaspoons or so of each (sometimes we add lavender oil, a few drops). I heat them on low in microwave and then we add several large squirts of Pantene Conditioner into my oil mixture until I have probably 1/4 cup of oil and conditioner. We then take a comb and put this all through her hair, her hair absorbs so much of the oil, we then put what is actually a 100% cotton pillow case over this, and she twist the pillow case into a light knot in back of her head (think bun). This is so confusing to explain, we have just made this up on our own and we couldn't use the shower cap as she always ends up pulling that off at night. The cotton works great because it keeps the oil in her hair but it does absorb some of the oil too that is excess. The next morning I help her wash it out, this is when we do use a bit of shampoo but it is diluted. We rinse and rinse and dry and her hair looks great! This is especially great now during this time of year because she is swimming and that dries her out something terrible.

I have probably not made much sense, but we have tinkered around with many things and the olive oil and coconut oil combo work the best on her dry hair. I mix with the other conditioner to make it "flow" better through her hair. Sorry if this is clear as mud :confused:

It's clear to me! I'd probably need to use les. My hair is a couple of inches below my shoulders right now, and quite thin. (One thing I like about my curly hair is that it makes my hair look thicker! ;) )

 

Thankyou so much for sharing this!

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

Thank you! I have a curly girl and I will be on the lookout for some of this!!!!

[Kay in Cal]

I started the "curly girl" method a couple of years ago based on these boards. I don't usually shampoo at all, just scrub my hair & scalp under the water with plenty of conditioner--whatever is reasonably priced, usually a big bottle from Costco. I only untangle it with a brush in the shower when the conditioner is on, and don't blow dry at all. After years of frizzy, or trying to flatten it (which only works for a few hours, then moves on to frizzy) I finally have curls.

 

I only use shampoo very occasionally after I have done something sweaty/dirty, like cleaning out my garage or something. Every time my hair takes a few days to recover its resiliency, so I try not to break my routine.

[Julie in CA]

After a medication change, not shampooing just wasn't working for me any more. Over time it's improved, but for now I'm still using shampoo and conditioner. I have a lot of allergy/skin sensitivities, so it's really hard to find something that doesn't make me get a rash, but still works for my curls.

 

Lately I've been using the Tresseme Flawless Curls line, and I can't believe how well it's working for me! I can't remember when my curls looked this nice.

 

The Bumble & Bumble sounds lovely, but it's beyond my budget for right now, so I think I'm probably better off not trying it. The Tresseme is showing great results, I can get it even in my small town, and I can afford to use as much as I want.

 

I have wavy curls, as does one of my dds, and my other dd has (up to now) had a frizzy rats nest of uncontrolled curls. Her curls actually have definition now, and no frizz!

 

-Just thought I'd share our positive experience in case it could help someone else who's bummed they can't afford the "good stuff" right now!

[Michelle T]

is NOT wrapping a towel turban-style to dry my hair. I use one of those microfiber towels, and gently blot my hair dry. It takes longer, and is a bit of a nuisance, but makes a huge difference in how my hair comes out.

 

I have wavy curls, which can easily look like a rat's nest if not careful. I do use shampoo, as I have an oily scalp and hair. I use shampoo made for curly hair, conditioner, and then some sort of curl "milk" that makes it curlier. I like Tresemme brand.

Michelle T

[Brindee]

Thankyou Julie and Michelle! I will be looking for that brand! Awhile back I got a kind that seemed to work really well, but then I couldn't find it again. Now I don't remember the name! But I'm SURE I got it at Safeway, so I'm going back there or somewhere to look for some of these things!

[Holly IN]

Have you ever tried just skipping shampoo completely? Truly, that has made more difference for me than any one product I've ever tried.

 

I go through tons of Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz-Control Conditioner (and some Aussie gel and Tresemme Flawless Curls mousse)... But skipping shampoo has really been the key for me.

 

I ditto skipping the shampoo!!! I just condition twice. 1st time is like cleaning your scalp then rinse then condition again as a condition and rinse very little. Then let air dry and LEAVE it alone!!

 

Works wonders for me.

 

Holly

[mom2jrcsc]

My daughter's hair was always frizzy and bushy, but since she started following the Curly Girl method (no shampoo), her curls are beautiful. We checked the book out of the library.

[elegantlion]

I think she is referring to (and this is a maybe) that by not shampooing it, she means not washing it with shampoo. She means using an alternate method of keeping her hair clean. I know that one of the books I read about curly hair suggested to not use shampoo, that it was to drying. It suggested to "wash" you hair with conditioner instead, that a good quality conditioner will release the dirt from your hair by the emolients in the conditioner and thus your hair is cleaned but not dryed out, since many shampoos are very harsh to fragile/curly hair.

 

My daughter seldom uses shampoo on her hair, but uses conditioner on it in place of shampoo. Sometimes she gently scrubs just her scalp once a week with shampoo, but for the rest of her hair washings, she uses conditioner instead of shampoo, leaving it one several minutes and then rinsing. It has made her curls really bouncy and pretty and not dull and lackluster. About once a month we soak it in combination of warmed coconut oil and olive oil and cover it in a cotton cloth and she leaves on overnight. She washes it with diluted shampoo the next morning and it really makes it pretty!

 

The expensive stuff sounds great but wow, I'm thinking my duaghters hair is so thick and long, I might need a bucket of the stuff.

 

I can proudly say I have shampooed my hair three or four times in the last two years. :tongue_smilie: Yes, i condition twice. I use the first conditioner much like a shampoo, I rub it into the scalp and rinse very well. the 2nd time I let it sit in like you would regular conditioner. I use a smoothing cream afterwards, it doesn't cake up. I also rinse in cool water, it helps close the hair shaft.

 

My budget only allows inexpensive products. Right now I am using Herbal essence.