No, not to an old boyfriend or husband. Goodness…if you left them in the past then they need to STAY in the past. I mean back to an old trick that was working JUST fine until you found another great trick and before you knew it you stopped using the old one. Do you even REMEMBER why you abandoned it in the first place? Yea, I’m talking about tricks, techniques, and products that were working just fine earlier in your Natural hair journey.
I love Kinky Curly products. It’s no secret. Well, when I first started using them I only co-washed with Knot Today Conditioner. I hadn’t tried AO (Aubrey Organics) yet. I was co-washing and lightly rinsing in the shower before applying KC Curly Custard after the shower. It gave me such tangle-free curls that I was hooked!
Somewhere along the way I became aware of needing a protein conditioner and found GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner. I was in love and I started using it weekly. It smelled amazing and worked so well for me that I stepped up my routine a notch and started using Honeysuckle Rose® Moisturizing Conditioner from AO before I used the Knot today. I read somewhere about it and really fell in love with it. I must admit that back then I was sort of a product junkie. I mean, how are you going to know what you like if you don’t experiment?
Well, I was still using KCKT but just at the end of hte co-wash and really just to get some slip. I loved my hair with my new routine even though I added two new products and increased my monthly hair bill. Well, just as so many Naturals out there can attest to, money was low and I didn’t have the ends to get my Honeysuckle Rose MC for about a week. I had to resort to my old way (after I remembered what the hell it was since it was WELL over a year ago) of just using KCKT. Let me tell you something Naturals… I was not expecting what I found that week. I found some pretty awesome curls.
My hair curls anyway but I’m guessing the AO Honeysuckle Rose MC was loosening them somewhat but with the KC Knot today BY ITSELF the curls were more distinct, more springy, more pronounced. I became aware of the difference since day 1. I’ve been watching daily to see if it was a fluke but every day I used just the Knot Today I had that noticeable difference.
Now, the difference in water could also be a factor. Coming from a water filled with so many minerals that it left white residue on EVERYTHING and was hard and not soft in the shower to softer water could also make a true difference.
Let’s not forget that the past few months have been extremely stressful for me and things have slowed down for me. Stress is a significant factor in health which includes causing damage to our hair. Didn’t see any hair falling out but the stress I was under could have affected my curls as well.
SO…..what could it be? Who actually knows but the idea of going back to something that worked in the past is not a bad idea if it’s still a good product or routine.
Well, I just wanted to share my observation and take a minute to mention how old tricks had a significance at one time and may still be worth checking out. I’m not saying we should go back to products or techniques we found out later to have been detrimental to our tresses! Just ask yourself: Do you know why you stopped trying something before you tried something else or were you just impatient or just too Gung ho with the new thing? Either way, I learned a valuable lesson this past week… I am still learning.
Products and techniques mentioned were from 2011. On the CGM now.
Stay reflecting Naturals,
Sabrina
I am an AO ride or die chick lol. The honeysuckle rose shouldn't be loosening your curls. I've found that all of their products actually encourage the curls. Have you tried the honeysuckle rose as a leave in? Try that and also do the GPB as a prepoo mixed with coconut oil. Curl hair revival!
I love AO Honeysuckle rose but haven't used it in a while. I may need to revisit it. Thanks for sharing.
I, too, was a product junkie but I am lucky that the first product line I tried was KBB. So, even in my PJ days, every time I decided to try something new, I was comparing it to something that already worked like magic on my hair. I might like something but not as much as KBB, which would make it very easy for me to go back. Or perhaps what I tried was terrible, which would make going back to KBB an easy decision. To this day, I've not found anything that would cause me to replace the entire line of KBB products that I use regularly. But, more to the point of your entry, I will say this: I recently went back into the product archives and tried a former staple . . . KBB Shampoo. I was surprised that I didn't like it at all (anymore). . . so, I now know for sure that my switch to Terressentials Mud Wash or my own homemade rhassoul clay based cleanser is my new staple for hair cleansing. And that was really good to know. I still use many of KBB's other products with joy.
We can forget until we go back and revisit a product. I've yet to try a mud wash but know you love them. I feel that way about Kinky Curly Line. I compare every conditioner and styling gel to that and most if not all fall to fail to live up to them. I may have a few second bests but nothing has taken their places. I've been wanting to try KBB and you've made me wanna give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Usually I was just too too gung ho to try the next thing! But I have since stopped that, I've found what works for my daughter and we stick to that.
Good for you. That is truly the cheaper way out and sometimes trying all those new things is really a waste of time. Thanks for sharing.
Hmm… I've never tried any of those products. I know for a fact Kinky Curly is not for me though. I'm going to have to give the others a ry and see how I like them. Thanks for sharing this!
No problem. Don't forget to go back to what has worked for you in the past and what you may have stopped using for whatever reason. You may fall back in love with them. Thanks for sharing.