What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump?

[lipyt]

This is my 2nd time transitioning. And I'm experiencing something totally different!
The first time (I can admit now in hindsite) I didn't have the best regimen. I would shampoo my hair then apply conditioner and imediately detangle. Rather than let the conditioner sit in my hair for a while...not even a few minutes! I used grease as the main tool in my regimen. Which probably made my hair look moisterized because it made it shiny but it could have actually been dry. Anyway, my curls NEVER clumped together on their own. I had to use (another no no) a bucket of brown gel to get any kind of definition and it still wasn't frizz free.

Then I texlaxed

Now that I'm transitioning. I use pre-poo with amla oil once in a while. I shampoo then apply conditioner (I don't wash it out..) then comb after the conditioner has been sitting in my hair for a while (20 minutes). Sometimes I use a mixture of un-refines shea butter, t-tree oil and caster oil, as my "grease".
I've used diva smooth 2 times. The first time it made my new growth feel spongy and softer but didn't make my curls bigger. The second time (3 weeks ago) it has made my curls sooo much more defined and clumped together, and my curls are the same size they've always been. Even now my ng is so defined. (I never experienced it like this before)
So my question is, does Diva smooth work because it is a moisterizer, and my hair was probably dry before?
or
Is my hair clumping because it is better moisterised now and clumping because of all the new moisterising techniques I use now without the help of diva smooth?
or
Would Diva smooth have worked to clump my curls together on my dry natural hair before?
How does diva smooth work? What is it exactly that it does to your hair?
Anyone know????

 

[Nonie]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Do you have photos of this? I ask because I think clumping becomes more visible when coils are bigger or looser. 4B hair like mine does clump if I don't comb it, but you'd have to get real close to see it.

The further you move away, the harder it is to see.

And that is because the coils are tiny and close together and so "spooning" (ahem) only happens at a minute level hard to see from far, not to mention, fewer strands can "fit" in the coil so again, not very conspicuous.

Now if the coils are larger as in 4A or 3C, then it's easy for several more strands to spoon and cup each other.

So its hard to really answer your question without pics. When my hair is at rest, the coils are like compressed pen springs and clumping is hard to do. But if it is stretched, while the size of the coils doesn't change, the coils are more open and can easily cup each other better if made wet so they sort of stick together and can appear to clump more. You can imagine that by looking at the pic below. The strands at the top can clump easily because they are open while those hanging down might not clump as easily even if I wet them.

ETA: And this is the secret behind shingling, IMO. You use a product to open up your curls temporarily so they clump more than usual.

 

[JayAnn0513]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Do you have photos of this? I ask because I think clumping becomes more visible when coils are bigger or looser. 4B hair like mine does clump if I don't comb it, but you'd have to get real close to see it.

The further you move away, the harder it is to see.

And that is because the coils are tiny and close together and so "spooning" (ahem) only happens at a minute level hard to see from far, not to mention, fewer strands can "fit" in the coil so again, not very conspicuous.

Now if the coils are larger as in 4A or 3C, then it's easy for several more strands to spoon and cup each other.

So its hard to really answer your question without pics. When my hair is at rest, the coils are like compressed pen springs and clumping is hard to do. But if it is stretched, while the size of the coils doesn't change, the coils are more open and can easily cup each other better if made wet so they sort of stick together and can appear to clump more. You can imagine that by looking at the pic below. The strands at the top can clump easily because they are open while those hanging down might not clump as easily even if I wet them.

ETA: And this is the secret behind shingling, IMO. You use a product to open up your curls temporarily so they clump more than usual.

Don't wanna hijack the thread but I think I just found my daughters hair twin! So that's what those tiny curls are - 4b.

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Nonie, I'm glad you replied. I just got threw reading the 4b doesn't exist thread...all 14 pages and I totally agree with yo
Here is my hair with grease and brown gel when I was natural..
<a href="http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e354/lipyt/?action=view&current=myhair.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e354/lipyt/myhair.jpg" border="0" alt="hair with gel"></a>

I'm going to have to take a pic of it now....

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

<a href="http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e354/lipyt/?action=view&current=myhair.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e354/lipyt/myhair.jpg" border="0" alt="hair with gel"></a>


one of these has to work...

 

[vkb247]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

I think that you are getting better clumpage because of the moisture and also the oil. There is nothing like a good dc to get those curls popping. I also get great definition when I do an oil rinse or do a prepoo with oil. Unless you use a shampoo after using something with oil than the oil is going to coat your hair and that also helps make great curls.

 

[Junebug D]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Nonie, I'm glad you replied. I just got threw reading the 4b doesn't exist thread...all 14 pages and I totally agree with yo

What? Please point me to that thread so I can .

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

ok here are pics of my hair wet. i just rinsed my hair and didn't put anything in it. These are pics from the section of my hair that has the tightest curls. usually this section just looks like fuzz. But you can see that the curls are trying to gather together there now. And I don't think the curls look any bigger than they were before.
I threw in 2 pics of how my hair looks today...for fun.

ETA:
DRATS! PHOTOBUCKET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

eta:
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! PHOTOBUCKET...JUST WAIT, I'll get it!

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

I think that you are getting better clumpage because of the moisture and also the oil. There is nothing like a good dc to get those curls popping. I also get great definition when I do an oil rinse or do a prepoo with oil. Unless you use a shampoo after using something with oil than the oil is going to coat your hair and that also helps make great curls.

oh ok, so you think it's the moisture and oils, and not the diva smooth.

Unfortunately I started the shea butter mix, condish as leave-in and amla oil at the same time i started the diva smooth....

 

[Nonie]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Do you have photos of the frizzy growth you used to have that didn't clump? The reason I ask is if my hair is undisturbed it seems to clump more.

If I manipulate or finger comb--which is usually my MO--it doesn't clump but looks like this:

Indeed soft hair is usually moisturized hair and so perhaps moisture does make a difference. Since I don't use moisturizers when wearing my hair in twists or twist-out, washing my hair is how I get moisture into it. The one time I didn't twist my hair and baggy before going to bed after wearing a twist-out, my hair looked like this:

But after CWing, even with finger combing to detangle, and then letting my hair air-dry, I saw clumping:

 

[Nonie]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

BTW, your roots make me want to play with your hair. Do you suffer from serious HIH disease? I know I would if that were my hair! *swoons*

 

[La Colocha]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Your hair is beautiful, what kind of twists are those, ive never seen that pattern before.

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

BTW, your roots make me want to play with your hair. Do you suffer from serious HIH disease? I know I would if that were my hair! *swoons*

LOL! Thank you Nonie. I have MAJOR HIH disease. But I was just thinking how I your texture. I want to pull it and let go and watch it go: BOING!

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Your hair is beautiful, what kind of twists are those, ive never seen that pattern before.

Thanks! Um, I haven't done twists many times in my life. This must be the 4th time I've twisted my hair. The majority of my hair is permed. I just braided my hair at the roots and then twisted the rest in 2 strands.

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Do you have photos of the frizzy growth you used to have that didn't clump? The reason I ask is if my hair is undisturbed it seems to clump more.

This is probably the best pic I have of my hair wet and unmanipulated. (I didn't take many before pics...just a lot of after ones )

I don't believe the top has any brown gel in it yet. It just didn't clump at all!

 

[Nonie]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

I love your hair!!!

I think manipulation and how you frequently wear your hair makes a difference. When I'm stretching my hair with braids, or combing it much, it doesn't seem to clump. Here's a photo of my hair combed:

Another view of my hair combed. I had just washed away the press:

The hair that's clumping at the roots is not being manipulated so like a spring at rest, it's recoiling and because the hairs beside it have the same pattern, the hairs can't help but intertwine. I bet you if you'd done WNGs without combing your hair, you would have seen more clumping. I think the size of the coils and the fact that they are being seen en masse makes it hard to see the clumping. Below is the same photo with clumps that are on the outside and therefore more visible circled.

To see what I mean about how hard it is to see clumps, the same "clumping" you saw in the few strands of my hair when I do a WNG look like an uncombed puff when seen en masse from afar.

And below is your "frizzy" hair showing a few clumps:

 

[msa]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Your hair is gorgeous! Why do you need it to clump?

Your wash and go's are coming out perfectly. Just keep your hair moisturized and use that to measure your success.

 

[Nonie]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Your hair is gorgeous! Why do you need it to clump?

Your wash and go's are coming out perfectly. Just keep your hair moisturized and use that to measure your success.

I'm so glad to see there's someone else who doesn't get the fascination/obsession with getting hair to clump. (Not saying you are, Lipyt...but so often I see or hear of people seeking ways to get their hair to clump and getting excited when it does. I on the other hand think a combed out afro is the most adorable thing ever and fight clumping tooth and nail when finger-combing as I find that the less my hair clumps, the less tangles I have. Doesn't anyone else find that to be the case?) Maybe it's because a clump is bigger than a single strand so easier to feel, and if you have HIH disease, there's nothing more fun to play with than a coil/curl you can feel.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Maybe the diva smooth is working with your new regimen. When your hair likes a product, it responds differently. What is it supposed to do for your hair? ITA with Nonie. Your hair is gorgeous!

 

[La Colocha]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

I'm so glad to see there's someone else who doesn't get the fascination/obsession with getting hair to clump. (Not saying you are, Lipyt...but so often I see or hear of people seeking ways to get their hair to clump and getting excited when it does. I on the other hand think a combed out afro is the most adorable thing ever and fight clumping tooth and nail when finger-combing as I find that the less my hair clumps, the less tangles I have. Doesn't anyone else find that to be the case?) Maybe it's because a clump is bigger than a single strand so easier to feel, and if you have HIH disease, there's nothing more fun to play with than a coil/curl you can feel.

That's right nonie my hair clumps like a mug and its hard to deal with. Im on the other side of the spectrum, i always just wanted a fro. But im learning to deal with my hair and love it for what it is.

 

[msa]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Maybe the diva smooth is working with your new regimen. When your hair likes a product, it responds differently. What is it supposed to do for your hair? ITA with Nonie. Your hair is gorgeous!

Divasmooth is a product that's supposed to make heat straightening easier and make straightened styles last longer. Basically, it's just a really good DC with the main ingredient being honey.

Anyway, moisturized hair is easier to straighten and less likely to get poofy quickly because it won't be trying to absorb the moisture from the air.

You could just mix your own DC with honey and some oils or use something else that's super moisturizing and you'd get the same results pretty much.

Moisturized hair is happy hair!

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

This is a very good thread. Op & Nonie I your hair!! Nonie's springs are the most beautiful I've seen, the are the perfect springs!!

I've never even tried to get my hair to clump....:scratchch

I think I'll try to make some home made Diva Smooth....

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

This is a very good thread. Op & Nonie I your hair!! Nonie's springs are the most beautiful I've seen, the are the perfect springs!!

I've never even tried to get my hair to clump....:scratchch

I think I'll try to make some home made Diva Smooth....

When you make that recipe, please share it with me. It takes me a long time to get strait hair. I'm staying away from BKT because I can't take fumes, though everyone's hair looks awesome with it.

 

[vkb247]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

oh ok, so you think it's the moisture and oils, and not the diva smooth.

Unfortunately I started the shea butter mix, condish as leave-in and amla oil at the same time i started the diva smooth....

It's the moisture and oils in the diva smooth.

When you make that recipe, please share it with me. It takes me a long time to get strait hair. I'm staying away from BKT because I can't take fumes, though everyone's hair looks awesome with it.

You can find the recipe in the Caramel thread, in the diva smooth thread, and on my blog where I am talking about making my own products.

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Your hair is gorgeous! Why do you need it to clump?

Your wash and go's are coming out perfectly. Just keep your hair moisturized and use that to measure your success.

I'm so glad to see there's someone else who doesn't get the fascination/obsession with getting hair to clump. (Not saying you are, Lipyt...but so often I see or hear of people seeking ways to get their hair to clump and getting excited when it does. I on the other hand think a combed out afro is the most adorable thing ever and fight clumping tooth and nail when finger-combing as I find that the less my hair clumps, the less tangles I have. Doesn't anyone else find that to be the case?) Maybe it's because a clump is bigger than a single strand so easier to feel, and if you have HIH disease, there's nothing more fun to play with than a coil/curl you can feel.

It's not that I don't like the combed out look. When I was natural I loved rocking my BAA. But what I want is hair that is versitile. I can do an afro or a puff, I don't need help figuring that out, it's easy. Wash and gos are still a puzzle to me. If I had given up trying I wouldn't have fount out my hair wasn't moisterised. I just thought my hair texture didn't curl or clump and only now am I learning that that is not true. And if my hair has the capability to do WnGs I want to find out how to do it and do it well in a way that looks good.


ot: I'm so happy I finally figured out how to use photobucket

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

Divasmooth is a product that's supposed to make heat straightening easier and make straightened styles last longer. Basically, it's just a really good DC with the main ingredient being honey.

Anyway, moisturized hair is easier to straighten and less likely to get poofy quickly because it won't be trying to absorb the moisture from the air.

You could just mix your own DC with honey and some oils or use something else that's super moisturizing and you'd get the same results pretty much.

Moisturized hair is happy hair!

And this is as straight as I could get my hair last time I was natural using grease. I just thought my hair was to coarse to straighten.

Also when I was permed in hs my hair was long and thick but just wouldn't curl with a curling iron. I thought that was because my hair was so healthy the curling iron wouldn't hold my curls.
When I was natural I had gotten my hair pressed professionally and it took her 3 hours to press my neck length hair. When I washed it out my hair was completely straight still! I waited 2 months until I just had to cut the damaged hair off!

And now since using diva smooth, I can flat iron my roots with 2 passing and it lays flat like a relaxer with no heat damage when I wash out!

This is a MAJOR revolution for me!!
OMG! The problem with my hair is not the thickness or coarseness (is that a word?) of the texture...........my hair was ASHY!! And Diva Smooth is not a miracle in a bottle....it's just a moisteriser!!

Yay! this is a breakthrough for me! How long have I been on this website? And how long did it take me to figure this mess out???
The problem is, is that I am NOT a PJ and I'm cheap.

 

[tatiana]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

It's not that I don't like the combed out look. When I was natural I loved rocking my BAA. But what I want is hair that is versitile. I can do an afro or a puff, I don't need help figuring that out, it's easy. Wash and gos are still a puzzle to me. If I had given up trying I wouldn't have fount out my hair wasn't moisterised. I just thought my hair texture didn't curl or clump and only now am I learning that that is not true. And if my hair has the capability to do WnGs I want to find out how to do it and do it well in a way that looks good.


ot: I'm so happy I finally figured out how to use photobucket

I do not understand this. Is there some thought that ALL wash and Gos are suppose look 3c/3bish? If so that is not true. Wash and Go is just a styling technique just like 2 strand twists. There is no true way of wearing a wash and Go. A wash and go are some peoples' afro and puff.

I am a natural I would have an extremely hard time getting my hair to look like yours in your picture. My hair grows down and not out. I would have to set my hair on small rollers and pick it out and it still would not look like yours. Black hair is diverse just cause somebody can do xyz with their hair does mean you can do it to your hair.

By the way, you look great in your picture.

 

[lipyt]

Re: What is it about the ingredients in Diva Smooth that causes natural hair to clump

I do not understand this. Is there some thought that ALL wash and Gos are suppose look 3c/3bish? If so that is not true. Wash and Go is just a styling technique just like 2 strand twists. There is no true way of wearing a wash and Go. A wash and go are some peoples' afro and puff.

I am a natural I would have an extremely hard time getting my hair to look like yours in your picture. My hair grows down and not out. I would have to set my hair on small rollers and pick it out and it still would not look like yours. Black hair is diverse just cause somebody can do xyz with their hair does mean you can do it to your hair.

By the way, you look great in your picture.

I want my hair to do WnGs that look pleasing to MY tastes. My taste is not neccesarily 3c/b hair in a wash and go.
If you wanted to get your hair to stand for an afro and needed to use small rollers to do it, more power to you. Why not try it? That's the great thing about style and personal taste, anything goes!