Any thoughts on Maximum Hydration Method

[bellebebe]

I'm interested in trying this. Where are you guys buying your clay from? Can I get it from Whole Foods?

You can it from vitamin shoppe, but it's cheaper on Amazon

 

[faithVA]

CaramelLites[/USER];20493307]I'm interested in trying this. Where are you guys buying your clay from? Can I get it from Whole Foods?

You should be able to get the Aztec clay from Whole Foods as well as a few others.

 

[myfaithrising]

What's an alternative leave in besides that expensive knot today?

I also use the approved Tresemme naturals radiant volume conditioner with sweet orange and lemongrass and I love it. It's $4.98 for 25oz at Walmart. There are two versions on shelves so make sure you check the ingredients. HTH

 

[myfaithrising]

I'm interested in trying this. Where are you guys buying your clay from? Can I get it from Whole Foods?

I bought bentonite clay online from wholesale supplies plus, and it was $8 for 5lbs which is a steal. I also picked up some rhassoul clay as well.

 

[myfaithrising]

I bought bentonite clay online from wholesale supplies plus, and it was $8 for 5lbs which is a steal. I also picked up some rhassoul clay as well.

My bad, it's $12 for the bentonite clay

 

[nomadpixi]

This is 6 day for me. I probably have mixed up the steps but my hair appears to be improving. Did a braid out yesterday as I had an event to go to, but came out nicely.

Discovery: my clay step I only added water to bentonite, whizzed it up and put it on. Hair was getting drier before the leave in step which I did not like. Reread steps today and it said honey and olive oil. So I added honey, avocado oil and a bit of slippery elm to this mix and used a cup of overnight steeped marshmallow tea I had leftover from yesterday. Sitting with that mix on my head now and have great expectations.

Still kind of stumped on the leave in conditioner to use. This system works so well for me because getting all those cool conditioners for me is impossible as I live overseas. If I could make this work with either a local or homemade conditioner and gel I'd be laughing.

Hope everyone's hair journeys are shaping up well.

 

[CocoGlow]

myfaithrising

I noticed the Bentonite Clay from wholesalesuppliesplus is Sodium Bentonite and the Bentonite Clay that a lot of the people over on BHM are using is the Aztec Healing Clay which is Calcium Bentonite ... I've read that one is stronger than the other ...

Is the clay from WSP the one you have been using all along?

Have you ever used the Calcium Bentonite Clay?

I wonder if there is a difference in how the 2 different Bentonite Clays affect our hair?

 

[myfaithrising]

myfaithrising I noticed the Bentonite Clay from wholesalesuppliesplus is Sodium Bentonite and the Bentonite Clay that a lot of the people over on BHM are using is the Aztec Healing Clay which is Calcium Bentonite ... I've read that one is stronger than the other ... Is the clay from WSP the one you have been using all along? Have you ever used the Calcium Bentonite Clay? I wonder if there is a difference in how the 2 different Bentonite Clays affect our hair?

I actually have both, I bought the Aztec when I first started using clays but switched when I started buying my herbs in bulk from mountain rose herbs. Sodium bentonite is the strongest for detox, but calcium bentonite is preferred if you're going to ingest it. For my hair, I've felt no difference between the two. HTH

 

[faithVA]

Day 5 I think for me. Even though my hair is still dry/not optimally moisturized, it is slowly getting better and my hair is clumping much better, especially when my hair is wet and product-free. My hair's manageability is continuing to improve, and I'm noticing less shedding/breakage at the end of my shower.

I agree with those who say the regimen isn't that time intensive (at least not more than my reggie before). I spend less time in my hair, especially because it is easier to get through it. I think I just spend a lot of time sitting around with product in my hair. For the past few days I've been doing the ACV at night for 30 minutes-1 hour, then DCing overnight and clay rinsing in the morning. Unfortunately this is keeping me from getting in my morning work out!

I do think the product dilution is a great aspect that makes the regimen less expensive. So I will keep diluting!

I think the hardest part for me has been figuring out the measurements especially for the clay. The recipes on the site are designed for much shorter hair, and since mine is somewhere around 20-22 inches long and very dense, the recipes don't cut it. Lol, don't get me wrong: it's a nice problem to have! But on the site she mentions seriously coating the hair with the clay, and for me I think that would be like 3-4 cups of clay per application. I also think I might be using too much KCCC because I'm heavy handed and used to other gels.

So, faithVA, please keep me in the loop with your clay experiments! Especially because my hair is beautiful, moisturized, and frizzless before the clay step, and then afterwards it seems dryer and kind of squeaky clean. This might be because my clay measurements are off. I also might try to get my hands on some rhassoul, which is said to be more moisturizing than bentonite.

I used the watery clay again tonight and left it on for five minutes. For now this definitely works better for me. My hair was soft when rinsed and my curls started to form when I put on the leave in.

Tomorrow I will try it again but work the mud through to define my curls and try leaving it on for 30 minutes. I will let you know how that works.

 

[crimsonpeach]

Completed my 7th run of the method last night. I now know that I can't go beyond 3 days to rewet my hair. I went 4. I had a few tangles last night and a little longer detangling time. Definitely not on the level of before the beginning the method but more than when I was doing the method consecutively or with 2 days between. I haven't built up a high enough level of hydration to go beyond 2/3 days.

After 7 runs, I can say I will continue this method for the time being. The lack of SSKs/tangles, low detangling times/and softer hair are all pluses. The front and back sections of my hair seem to be the most resistant areas which isn't surprising since have always been my trouble areas. I'm going to try different products to see if that has any effect on my results.

The cons: The roots and the thicker areas of my hair remain wet for long periods of time. Definitely need to get a diffuser.

My twistouts look different. Before when my curl pattern was not visible my twistouts took the shape of the size twist I chose. Now since my curls are visible when I separate my twists, my hair wants to go back to those small coils. More of a stretch wash and go. Not feeling that as much. I'm going to have to experiment with "out" styles to find something that works.

I'm loving Day 2 and Day 3 hair. I get the volume that I like. Day 1 hair is still wet in spots so I can't fluff it like I want. Day 1 hair is also a bit a crunchy from gel. I diluted the KCCC last night and I still have crunch. Still searching for the perfect dilution.

 

[faithVA]

After applying the kknt and the kccc I put in flat twist because it was too late and I was too tired to do anything else. It almost looked like my hair wanted to do a WNG but not really I know it would have shrunken into some crazy misshapened afro.

I sat under the dryer for 1 hour and slept without my satin bonnet. It was still wet this morning so I sat under the dryer for another 30 minutes. When I took out the flat twist my hair was still wet I know the wet hair bothers most ladies but I'm so glad my hair isn't dry, I don't care. I think it is a good sign for me

I put my hair in some crazy style, pulled back in the front and loose in the back I'm just going to have to look crazy until the back of my hair grows out and I can put it up.

My hair is fluffy and soft. So I'm happy.

Going to start all over again tonight and get some extra washes in over this long weekend. I'm going to color my hair Sunday or Monday so interested to see how that impacts my results.

 

[CocoGlow]

Completed my 7th run of the method last night. I now know that I can't go beyond 3 days to rewet my hair. I went 4. I had a few tangles last night and a little longer detangling time. Definitely not on the level of before the beginning the method but more than when I was doing the method consecutively or with 2 days between. I haven't built up a high enough level of hydration to go beyond 2/3 days.

After 7 runs, I can say I will continue this method for the time being. The lack of SSKs/tangles, low detangling times/and softer hair are all pluses. The front and back sections of my hair seem to be the most resistant areas which isn't surprising since have always been my trouble areas. I'm going to try different products to see if that has any effect on my results.

The cons: The roots and the thicker areas of my hair remain wet for long periods of time. Definitely need to get a diffuser.

My twistouts look different. Before when my curl pattern was not visible my twistouts took the shape of the size twist I chose. Now since my curls are visible when I separate my twists, my hair wants to go back to those small coils. More of a stretch wash and go. Not feeling that as much. I'm going to have to experiment with "out" styles to find something that works.

I'm loving Day 2 and Day 3 hair. I get the volume that I like. Day 1 hair is still wet in spots so I can't fluff it like I want. Day 1 hair is also a bit a crunchy from gel. I diluted the KCCC last night and I still have crunch. Still searching for the perfect dilution.

crimsonpeach

Girl I totally feel you about the wet roots!! ... I've only done 1 day of the MHM and 1 day of the Modified MHM and my hair is sooooo dense that the roots were still wet like 10hrs later, even slightly damp in the morning after another 8hrs of sleep!!! The front of my head is the most densely packed and I cannot believe how long a Wash n Go takes to dry, but I want to continue this method and continue to do Wash n Gos not just in the Summer but all year long sooo

I have a diffuser atachment that came with my blowdryer but I think I want to invest in the Spilo "The Director" Finger Styler Diffuser ($9.99) that they have on Folica & Curlmart, probably other sites too ... it looks like it has a deeper cupping area that might make for more efficient drying & less frizz, I dunno

There is also the T-shirt drying method but I think that works best when you already have good clumping since it can disturb your coils

As for your point about doing set styles like twist-outs, I noticed something from ProtectivePrincess's video - she did both a Twist-Out and a Roller Set on her hair that is almost completely at Max Hydration ...

She did her Twist-out on DRY hair that she lightly misted - she also made sure to twist taught to smooth her coils down and add rollers at the ends .... It came out nice & looked more like a regular Twist-out

She did her Rollerset on WET hair after applying her Gel step and I was amazed at how you can still see her tiny coils rippling throughout her rollerset! So beautiful and unique! Her hair molded into the rollerset curl but her hair didn't completely loose the tiny coils in the process!

I'm thinking that if you do something like a Twist-Out on DRY hair, slightly dampened and twist taught, your hair might mold better into the twist-out style you are used to ... just a guess based on her results

If you haven't seen it, check it out:

Not Bound To A Wash N Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRqPA4gZETY&list=UUQR973mzkN5141v_v3W65rw

 

[tashboog]

crimsonpeach I've been on this regimen since May and I mostly do twist outs and braid outs. CocoGlow is on point with the info that she told you in her post. If you don't want your coils to over power the out style then do it on damp hair or next day hair and lightly spritz with water . If you do it on wet hair it will take the shape of your natural curl pattern. I personally like to do mine on soaking wet hair cuz I like for mine to look like a fake wash n go. I have also done curlformers on this regimen too and my spirals came out amaze-balls . For the winter, I'm doing the bald spot recovery regimen cuz I need to regrow some hair around my hairline and a few other places. However, once it gets warm again I will restart the original MHM regimen .

 

[crimsonpeach]

@crimsonpeach

Girl I totally feel you about the wet roots!! ... I've only done 1 day of the MHM and 1 day of the Modified MHM and my hair is sooooo dense that the roots were still wet like 10hrs later, even slightly damp in the morning after another 8hrs of sleep!!! The front of my head is the most densely packed and I cannot believe how long a Wash n Go takes to dry, but I want to continue this method and continue to do Wash n Gos not just in the Summer but all year long sooo

I have a diffuser atachment that came with my blowdryer but I think I want to invest in the Spilo "The Director" Finger Styler Diffuser ($9.99) that they have on Folica & Curlmart, probably other sites too ... it looks like it has a deeper cupping area that might make for more efficient drying & less frizz, I dunno

There is also the T-shirt drying method but I think that works best when you already have good clumping since it can disturb your coils

As for your point about doing set styles like twist-outs, I noticed something from ProtectivePrincess's video - she did both a Twist-Out and a Roller Set on her hair that is almost completely at Max Hydration ...

She did her Twist-out on DRY hair that she lightly misted - she also made sure to twist taught to smooth her coils down and add rollers at the ends .... It came out nice & looked more like a regular Twist-out

She did her Rollerset on WET hair after applying her Gel step and I was amazed at how you can still see her tiny coils rippling throughout her rollerset! So beautiful and unique! Her hair molded into the rollerset curl but her hair didn't completely loose the tiny coils in the process!

I'm thinking that if you do something like a Twist-Out on DRY hair, slightly dampened and twist taught, your hair might mold better into the twist-out style you are used to ... just a guess based on her results

If you haven't seen it, check it out:

Not Bound To A Wash N Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRqPA4gZETY&list=UUQR973mzkN5141v_v3W65rw

I love Protective Princess's videos. She's the only longer haired MHM'er I've found. We are about the same length. I'll give the dry twistout another go. I did my twistout on an old wash and go and still got the little coils fighting their way through. I think they are so happy to be visible now they can't be molded. lol

I think I'm just going to have to get used to the new look of my hair. I loved, loved my old twistouts and this hair isn't going to look like that anymore. I do love how her roller set looked. I'll get that a go also.

 

[LovinLea]

Love the method but my hair was wet ALL DAY LONG.It never dried. I washed my hair and applied the gel at 11:am. Went to bed with wet hair at 10pm.

 

[Guinan]

Love the method but my hair was wet ALL DAY LONG.It never dried. I washed my hair and applied the gel at 11:am. Went to bed with wet hair at 10pm.

Wow, that's a long time. Im having the same issue; however, ive been using my dryer. Its still not dry completely but damp

 

[Guinan]

Day 5 today. My hair is frizzy again. I think i have too much moisture. I might do a protein tonight before starting the MHM

 

[SpiritJunkie]

I did this for 7 days straight and it works. The back of my head has more definition than the front for sure. So perhaps Im almost MH back there. Never knew I had curls like this!!! I am not sure If I will keep up with it yet. Maybe every 3 days.

 

[RockRideTrue]

I got a BANGING wash n go on this 4C hair form just slightly following this routine. I did the ACV, deep conditioned with a non-recommended conditioner mix, clay washed, mixed my KK leave-in /water mix , and a bunch of Eco-Styler gel. You really get a lot of definition after the clay wash. Diluting the KK is ingenious too, it works so much better watered down.

 

[AJellyCake]

Hey, y'all.

Sorry, I was out of town and off the grid for a few days!

So I was using a ton of clay because I thought we had to! On her website, and I think in her clay wash video, she says that
it should be visibly coated and weighed down with the clay
each hair strand is fully coated with the mixture
fully saturated with the clay
etc.

I feel like she said it should look white in some video, and that if your hair feels dry it's because you're not using enough. I might be remembering it wrong though.

That being said, it seems like you all are achieving good results with less clay. I will try to use less and see how it goes!

Back on the reggie after being out of town. I will say though, that even after swimming around in the ocean, it was apparent that my hair had become more hydrated after only ~6 days on the reggie. So I'm still keeping at it!

 

[AJellyCake]

Also, does it seem like for most of us our hair is getting more hydrated in the back/nape first? Lol, it feels like I'm transitioning all over again from feeling the coils at my roots in the back. The curls are definitely not as apparent in other places as they are there.

If true, I wonder why that might be? Maybe more product is pooling there from gravity?

 

[bellebebe]

RockRideTrue

OMG! lmao... I love your sig. what manga is that from?

 

[Honey Bee]

Also, does it seem like for most of us our hair is getting more hydrated in the back/nape first? Lol, it feels like I'm transitioning all over again from feeling the coils at my roots in the back. The curls are definitely not as apparent in other places as they are there.

If true, I wonder why that might be? Maybe more product is pooling there from gravity?

For me, the back of my hair has always been more defined.

Also, wearing your hair back everyday can make the front frizzier than it may have been naturally.

 

[Guinan]

Day 5 today. My hair is frizzy again. I think i have too much moisture. I might do a protein tonight before starting the MHM

Yup, it was too much moisture. So before starting day 6, I used protein on the front of my hair only (to make sure that's what I needed). My curls were back to popping

I will be doing day 7, either on wed or thurs and def will be using protein prior to being the MHM.

I also think that I will only do the extended version of MHM once a week. My hair gets overly mositurized pretty quickly.

 

[almond eyes]

I got a BANGING wash n go on this 4C hair form just slightly following this routine. I did the ACV, deep conditioned with a non-recommended conditioner mix, clay washed, mixed my KK leave-in /water mix , and a bunch of Eco-Styler gel. You really get a lot of definition after the clay wash. Diluting the KK is ingenious too, it works so much better watered down.

Co signing on KK being diluted it works really well. But when you use the KK you have to just apply it and stop messing with your hair.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[almond eyes]

I think this is a great thread but my own ideas of maximum hydration are different. I wish we could start a challenge and the end result would be how many inches one would derive in the next six months for example.

For me I started with shaved hair in May and washed my hair with Dr. Bonner's and conditioned my hair daily. Now, I rinse my hair in the shower with warm water and save the shampoo and conditioning every two to four weeks which is now increasing my sebum production and I no longer have to glop on all these products and my hair is no longer dry like how it used to be when I was natural four years ago. If I want my curls to pop I use some diluted KK. My hair is very soft and I have absolutely no shedding when I comb it. When I am rinsing my hair I am also massaging my scalp.

I would also say if you have fine hair and are on this maximum hydration method do not use any extension braids because that will also make your hair very dry and cause a lot of shedding which will lead to breakage and lack of hair retention.

It took my hair at least two months to get used to this rinsing daily with warm water thing and now my hair loves it. I can actually feel the sebum. I used to think when women say they felt the sebum it was rubbish but now I realise nope!!!!!

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[crimsonpeach]

I'm still trucking along with the method. The front and nape of my hair are still frizzy. But I see curls among the frizz.

I've started really getting the excess water out of my hair so that's been helping on drying time.

I want to try different gels though. Hello Curly is next on my list.

 

[SimJam]

I was watching Osa Osula (a youtuber) over the weekend she is not too gung ho (to say the least) about the max hydration method. There are aspects of it that Im a little wary of ... specifically the long term effect of using the baking so regularly. But with my LoPo hair, how do I get my cuticles raised to let in the moisture

I cant add the link now because I cant access YouTube at work but the totle of the video is "Porosity Level/Bentonite Clay"

Here are the things that caught my attention

1. her premise is that using the baking soda to open the cuticle so regularly will lead to eventual disintegration of the cuticle (because of the constant open close motion which causes wear and tear)

Mechanical damage is a real possibility erplexed but with LoPo hair any method used to raise the cuticle will have this effect

2. Someone commented on her video saying that they believe that what is happening is hygral fatigue which can eventually lead to damage of the cortex and breakage. I looked it up and there are a couple articles on it
what it is
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2012/08/does-your-hair-have-hygral-fatigue.html

what it is and how to combat it
http://darlingnaturally.blogspot.com/2014/01/hygral-fatigue-water-as-enemy.html

The concept of polar oils to prevent hygral fatigue in the article is also interesting

section of the science of black hair which deals with polar oils
http://books.google.com.jm/books?id=WQAZAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=polar+oil+for+hair&source=bl&ots=XhMqasC3j9&sig=eR5EFZVOIoYt8NNoQFIUzDprRMI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WOMFVP6PN8WeggTCs4CoAw&ved=0CFYQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=polar%20oil%20for%20hair&f=false


Even after all that .... At the same time I know that my hair felt so much better after I did the cherry lola treatment back in mid july and it was able to retain moisture so much longer

and I know that when I did just 2 days of the max hydration method last month my hair felt even better and even my blown out hair was soft and fluffy

So I think that I'll be cautious and watch how my hair reacts when doing the MHM. I need some method to allow my hair to accept moisture and retain it.

pinkecube does suggest using an oil under the gel if needed so I will use one of the polar oils suggested (just in case)

 

[CocoGlow]

I'm still trucking along with the method. The front and nape of my hair are still frizzy. But I see curls among the frizz.

I've started really getting the excess water out of my hair so that's been helping on drying time.

I want to try different gels though. Hello Curly is next on my list.

crimsonpeach

How have you been getting the excess water out to help with drying time... that is my problem

Oh and please let us know how the Hello Curly works compared to Kinky Curly Custard ... I'm also interested to hear what it smells like ... KCCC smells very nice to me

 

[CocoGlow]

I think this is a great thread but my own ideas of maximum hydration are different. I wish we could start a challenge and the end result would be how many inches one would derive in the next six months for example.

For me I started with shaved hair in May and washed my hair with Dr. Bonner's and conditioned my hair daily. Now, I rinse my hair in the shower with warm water and save the shampoo and conditioning every two to four weeks which is now increasing my sebum production and I no longer have to glop on all these products and my hair is no longer dry like how it used to be when I was natural four years ago. If I want my curls to pop I use some diluted KK. My hair is very soft and I have absolutely no shedding when I comb it. When I am rinsing my hair I am also massaging my scalp.

I would also say if you have fine hair and are on this maximum hydration method do not use any extension braids because that will also make your hair very dry and cause a lot of shedding which will lead to breakage and lack of hair retention.

It took my hair at least two months to get used to this rinsing daily with warm water thing and now my hair loves it. I can actually feel the sebum. I used to think when women say they felt the sebum it was rubbish but now I realise nope!!!!!

Best,
Almond Eyes

almond eyes

Sounds like your hair is benefiting from the Water Only Washing Method!

I tried it for 2 months before finding out about the Maximum Hydration Method. I loved it at first, but I found that it would not work out for me in the long term. For this method to work, you need to massage, scritch (lightly scratch) and/or brush (boar bristle) your scalp daily to get rid of the excess dirt & skin cells BEFORE rinsing with warm water & use the preening motion to move the sebum down your strands during/after rinsing.

My hair is very dense and this method worked ok as long as my hair was bound in twists ALL THE TIME, but I could not get to my scalp thoroughly when wearing my hair out - so it was very limiting for me. My hair became softer from being coated in my sebum but it didn't feel as soft when wearing my hair out as opposed to in twists. And even with all of the massaging, scritching & brushing my scalp started itching all the time. My natural sebum started making me break out as well I did occasional Apple Cider Vinegar rinses and Banana Baby Food Treatments to get rid of excess sebum without stripping all of it but found that didn't help much at all. The softness that I experienced at first did not last by the end of the 2 month experiment.

I am starting to think that the Water Only/Sebum Coating experience may not be good for Low Porosity hair but people with High Porosity hair may benefit from it more. I am fascinated by the sebum factor and the promises of easier detangling, softer hair & less shedding and I may revisit it at a later time but for now I will stick with the MHM because I think it's the best way to increase moisture without suffering buildup.

You, however might have found the best method for your scalp/hair! You should start a thread about your WO experiences And if you have not seen it already, I suggest visiting this Youtube channel. This lady has gorgeous long natural hair and has done the Water Only Washing Method for the past year with great success and documented it along the way:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Wateronlyhairwash/videos