Any thoughts on Maximum Hydration Method

Guinan

Re-Branding
I did a reg cowash yesterday and my curls weren't the same. I'll probably do the full MHM this weekend
 

qchelle

Well-Known Member
Hi guys. I found this thread and started this regimen this past Saturday.

Hair type: low porosity, fine strands, low density, 4a/b coils, about SL in the front, APL in the back.

I'm clarifying with BS, DCing with TJs Tea Tree Tingle, clay with homemade bentonite clay mix, leave in with TJs Tea Tree Tingle, seal with homemade flaxseed gel.

I've done 3 complete reps so far, and the 4th will be tonight.

I cosign on the increased hangtime after the clay step. It hangs more each time! I really noticed it last night. After I rinse the clay out, I there's more definition each time on my product free hair. Mostly on the ends. I really hope it works on the rest of my hair lol. It seems to be working it's way up the strands.

The BS rinse is working great for me. I don't think I'm even gonna try the ACV.

Prior to this, I had never used TJs tea tree conditioner. It's absolutely amazing. I've never gotten so much slip from so little product. I water the conditioner down soo much it seems. I use about 2tblspns conditioner and 8oz of water! And it's still a breeze to detangle!

Oh! I Also cosign on the decreased shedding and detangling time!! And less breakage when detangling!! Soo little hair comes out! I'm basically just pulling out shed hairs. I've never been able to finger detangle so effortlessly. I've been twisting my hair after the final step and just leaving it in twists until I wash it again. Which is what I was doing before, but it was always so hard to detangle! Even after leaving it twisted!

I plan to actually do a WnG this Saturday. We'll see how that goes.

Ive been taking pics. I'll try to post some later tonight or tomorrow.
 

SimJam

Well-Known Member
How do you like the ACV vs. the baking soda? I'm going to try the ACV tomorrow. Ultimately, I would like to be able to use either one interchangeably.

I liked it.
my hair felt similar to when I used baking soda.

was a bit apprehensive because I was always of the view that ACV helped to close cuticles (so I used my hair therapy steam cap with it.
 

SimJam

Well-Known Member
On another note. I don't think Ive found my optimum product combo for leave in and gel

as I do get some areas that dry crunchy-ish ... its had to describe like it feels hard but if I smoosh my hair its actually soft. And definitely when I wet my hair its instantly soft ... so I know its not really dry.

is that what pinkecube means by the "gel cast" ?
 

bellebebe

Well-Known Member
I liked it.
my hair felt similar to when I used baking soda.

was a bit apprehensive because I was always of the view that ACV helped to close cuticles (so I used my hair therapy steam cap with it.

Yes! That's what I'm having trouble comprehending. Acv & baking soda have opposite effects. How come we can use either one for this method?
 

CocoGlow

Well-Known Member
On another note. I don't think Ive found my optimum product combo for leave in and gel

as I do get some areas that dry crunchy-ish ... its had to describe like it feels hard but if I smoosh my hair its actually soft. And definitely when I wet my hair its instantly soft ... so I know its not really dry.

is that what pinkecube means by the "gel cast" ?

SimJam

I think so ... my hair feels soft but has that cast too ...definitely not hard or dry it just has a protective coating to seal in the moisture... I was not used to that because I've never used Gel before ... it feels crispier in some areas more than others and I think this could be based on how I may have distributed the Gel throughout my hair... it feels different than when using heavy butters/oils to seal but I'm actually happy to not have dry greasy hair for once :yep:
 

CocoGlow

Well-Known Member
Yes! That's what I'm having trouble comprehending. Acv & baking soda have opposite effects. How come we can use either one for this method?

bellebebe

We have the option because some people with High Porosity hair may feel that the baking soda option opens their cuticles too much and would prefer to use the ACV option instead

Both options gently clarify the hair/scalp ... some people will only like the baking soda option ... others will only like the ACV option ... and others will alternate with both ... having these options opens up the method to everyone, not just limiting it those with Low Porosity :yep:
 

shelli4018

Well-Known Member
My new steamer arrived in the mail yesterday so I decided to switch things up today. I washed with ORS Aloe shampoo and steamed with HE Hello Hydration for 40 minutes.then I used diluted Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle as a leave in and KCCC gel.

My hair felt super hydrated after the steam treatment and it showed during the styling phase. My hair is the curliest it's been by far. Even though I used no oil my hair has sheen and movement. I decided to try a clarifying shampoo instead of the baking soda step. Luckily it worked out....so far. But I don't plan on shampooing my hair very often at all.
 
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bellebebe

Well-Known Member
It's my first day, and this clay mask truly does help to define your curls. Y'all, idk how i will do this for 7 days because it takes soooo much time.
 
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SimJam

Well-Known Member
View attachment 276157

It's my first day, and this clay mask truly does help to define your curls. Y'all, idk how i will do this for 7 days because it takes soooo much time.

looks nice.

Every time I'm to do the regimen I feel a bit of dread, but then once I'm in it I cant wait to see the results.

I just realized I have clay splatters on my ceiling ... don't even know how Im gonna get them off :drunk:
 

DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
My new steamer arrived in the mail yesterday so I decided to switch things up today. I washed with ORS Aloe shampoo and steamed with HE Hello Hydration for 40 minutes.then I used diluted Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle as a leave in and KCCC gel.

My hair felt super hydrated after the steam treatment and it showed during the styling phase. My hair is the curliest it's been by far. Even though I used no oil my hair has sheen and movement. I decided to try a clarifying shampoo instead of the baking soda step. Luckily it worked out....so far. But I don't plan on shampooing my hair very often at all.

Yay! Another for the clarifyer!

Its day 5 for me using clarifying shampoo and its still been nothing but moisture. Today im sporting day 4 wng for the 2nd day. Looks like the first! Just wet in the morning and finger fluffed. Cloud soft. Normally its brillo with a 2 nd day wng. Im sure a 3 day wng is possible but I need to do day 5 treatment tonight.
 

myfaithrising

Well-Known Member
On another note. I don't think Ive found my optimum product combo for leave in and gel as I do get some areas that dry crunchy-ish ... its had to describe like it feels hard but if I smoosh my hair its actually soft. And definitely when I wet my hair its instantly soft ... so I know its not really dry. is that what pinkecube means by the "gel cast" ?
Yes, this is the gel cast, if you allow your hair to dry without touching it, the cast forms sealing in your curl. Once it's dry you can "scrunch out the crunch" which should leave you with soft defined hair.
 

myfaithrising

Well-Known Member
Yes! That's what I'm having trouble comprehending. Acv & baking soda have opposite effects. How come we can use either one for this method?

This is why I don't do the acv, I don't understand how it could work. I can't see how closing my cuticles and then applying deep conditioner will work for me, this could be the solution for hi po's though since their cuticles are way too open.
 

AJellyCake

Well-Known Member
How do you like the ACV vs. the baking soda? I'm going to try the ACV tomorrow. Ultimately, I would like to be able to use either one interchangeably.

I was using only ACV for some reason. Then a few days ago I did baking soda and conditioner and my hair seemed to like that a lot more. It was softer and just felt amazing!

I'll probably use the baking soda as my basic cleanse instead I ACV. It's also a little cheaper because the ACV ratio is 1:1 and the baking soda is just about 2 tablespoons.
 

CocoGlow

Well-Known Member
Ms.DeeKay recently made a bog post & a Youtube vid demonstrating her use of the ACV Rinse for Step 1 ... in her blog she mentions why she started alternating the ACV Rinse & Baking Soda Rinse for Step 1, even though she naturally has Low Porosity hair and started the MHM using the Baking Soda Rinse only.

Here is an excerpt:

"Recently, I decided to re-visit the ACV rinse and now that my hair is a lot more hydrated, I have found that it works pretty well. I think as my hair gets closer to max hydration it only needs to retain the hydration levels. Because of this, it seems that I can get away with less cuticle manipulation and still achieve good results .... Because of the many benefits of this mixture, I have decided to experiment with alternating between the baking soda rinse and ACV rinse every couple of washes."

The whole blog post:
http://www.msdeekay.com/4285/max-hydration-step-1-clarify-acv-rinse/

She adds some essential oils for their scalp benefits and to help with the ACV smell and uses a spray bottle for application. Here is the Vid demo:

ACV Rinse: Max Hydration Method Demo Step 1 Clarify
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnVYxPi0sjw
 

CocoGlow

Well-Known Member
How are yall mixing your clay up to be smooth?

hunnychile

The best way seems to be to mix it how MsDeeKay does in her video. She pours the clay into a bottle FIRST through a funnel - then she adds the other ingredients - then she shakes the bottle & uses the bottle to apply it to her hair. This way you don't have to keep stirring the clay like crazy and it makes application easier.

*Warm-Hot water is best to avoid lumps :yep:

Max Hydration Clay Recipe Demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgEuwPwkqD8&list=UUEoNRIVZGhnbSMMwE2BSNIA

Maximum Hydration Method Step 3 Clay Rinse Application
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbB4TQGsOck&index=5&list=UUEoNRIVZGhnbSMMwE2BSNIA

Hope this helps
 

shelli4018

Well-Known Member
I cowashed this morning and DC'd with conditioner while I worked out. Afterward I applied TJTTT under Eco Styler gel. My hair looks great! Think I'll try Aloe Vera gel next.
 
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crimsonpeach

Master Lurker
I tried the ACV rinse last night. I liked it. I'm going to try it again next wash and if I like it I'll be alternating with baking soda.

I also tried a new gel, CC Naturals Lavender Flaxseed Gel.

Lavender, Marsmallow Root Infused purified Water, Flaxseeds, Castor Oil, African Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Vitamin E, Lavender, Amla, Orange Peel Powder, Xanthan gum, Aloe Vera Gel, Optiphen, Love

The ingredients look MHM friendly and I had it in my stash. Overall I liked it. It's lighter than KCCC and tad bit less hold. I used it full strength and my hair has very little crunch and is soft to the touch. It's cheaper than KCCC also.

My hair is really starting to show more curl definition. Except the front and nape. They are holding on to the frizz for dear life. The area around my temples is really coming along.

I'm going to do a quick length check to monitor my hair retention over the next couple months. I've been kissing APL for almost a year. Hopefully I can get over this plateau. My past two trims I kept having to trim off damage due to SSKs and spit ends.
 

SimJam

Well-Known Member
My nape and edges are definitely max hydrated as they clump from the root to tip and I can feel elsewhere throughout my head that the hair closest to me scalp is clumping, but it doesn't continue all the way down the strand... well except for the bottom 1/4 of my hair

anyone else notice this?
 

shelli4018

Well-Known Member
My hair is pretty close to max hydration at this point. But there was a patch at the crown that took awhile to respond to MHM. Most of my curls are various sized corkscrews after I shake out excess water. But that crown section is kinda stubborn. The ends want to wave instead of curl.

Funny...the parts of my hair I thought were 4C spring into tight curls as soon as I apply gel. Now that I'm a month or so into this thing I realize I don't have 4C hair at all.
 

CocoGlow

Well-Known Member
My hair is pretty close to max hydration at this point. But there was a patch at the crown that took awhile to respond to MHM. Most of my curls are various sized corkscrews after I shake out excess water. But that crown section is kinda stubborn. The ends want to wave instead of curl.

Funny...the parts of my hair I thought were 4C spring into tight curls as soon as I apply gel. Now that I'm a month or so into this thing I realize I don't have 4C hair at all.

shelli4018

Your hair may actually be 4C in those sections though ... that's why we were discussing earlier that the descriptions of Hair Types might have to change soon because they incorrectly state that 4C hair does not have coils/curls but they do (the only type without coils/curls/waves is Type 1) ... doing the Max Hydration Method helps the coils to clump/become defined due to the increased moisture ... 4C is just a category of the SMALLEST coils, so if they are teeny tiny they might be indeed "4C" :yep:
 

Guinan

Re-Branding
Couldn't sleep so i decided to get a jump on the MHM. Currently have the DC in my hair. This time i decided not to add water to my DC b/c it kept leaking. We'll see how it turns out.
 

DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
My nape and edges are definitely max hydrated as they clump from the root to tip and I can feel elsewhere throughout my head that the hair closest to me scalp is clumping, but it doesn't continue all the way down the strand... well except for the bottom 1/4 of my hair

anyone else notice this?

Yes. My last 1/4 needs a dusting. They are also sticking together when the rest of the strands glide across each other.
 

kiannack

Well-Known Member
Very interesting!!!! Is your mix watery, creamy, cake battery? :D
My mix is perfectly creamy. I add a little water at a time then shake until the consistency is right. The mixture was always clumpy when mixing in a bowl. It's also way less messy than using a bowl and spoon and takes a fraction of time.
 

Guinan

Re-Branding
I just finished making my flaxseed gel. I used my old frozen seeds to make the gel. I mixed JBCO & peppermint oil to my gel.
 

fluffyforever

Well-Known Member
I read through this thread and the original at BHM. These testimonials just sound too good to be true. Can hair be THAT sensitive to glycerin and certain alcohols that even a trace amount is drying out my hair? I thought AO was doing me good, but maybe that glycerin and aloe vera juice is killing my hair. It always felt a bit stripped when I rinsed out, but most conditioner feel that way when I rinsed. All this money I have in AO products in my closet...


Yay! Another for the clarifyer! Its day 5 for me using clarifying shampoo and its still been nothing but moisture. Today im sporting day 4 wng for the 2nd day. Looks like the first! Just wet in the morning and finger fluffed. Cloud soft. Normally its brillo with a 2 nd day wng. Im sure a 3 day wng is possible but I need to do day 5 treatment tonight.

I have the AO swimmers shampoo and want to use it to clarify. Are you mixing it with a conditioner or are you just watering it down? Or maybe you use it straight out the bottle? I want to use up my AO products I opened and spent money on so I am thinking of diluting the AO shampoo with AO conditioner for step 1.
 
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