Sorry if this was already done...I'm new...wondering what everyone's routine or individual challenges were. I saw a couple on the challenge thread...anyone else want to share? I do not really have a strict one but I will start...

I am in transition, will be 1 year August 6th. At first I washed and set but by the 3rd month my hair would get very knotted so I started blow drying after getting a good 5-6 inches cut off. I missed the lenght but my hair was more manageable. I started washing and conditioning with Suave Humectant from forum advice but I have never really tried anything else. I just started using Aussie 3 min miracle as a deep conditioner...no schedule yet. I get trims every 6-8 weeks but trying to stretch that to 4 and eventually 6 months. I take a lot of vitamins and TRY drinking a lot of H20. My mother (frustratedly) braids my hair into 2 cornrows once a week for 2 weeks..can't wait until my hair is long enough so I never have to do this again...I try to co-wash in between and for about a week i wear it loose...but I go to the gym so that usually does not last long. Oh and I add some shea butter to my ends every 2-3 days. I figure I will be completely natural with this rate of trimming sometimes next spring...catches breath...I do not care too much about length but I would like to be able to make a regular bun without straightening, after that I do not care much (right now I have a little piggie tail unstraightened so I have a while to go) and ofcourse I want it to be healthy...

Here is my weekly routine:

-Shampoo and condition twice a week: Sunday & Wednesday or Monday & Thursday.

-Relax every 3-4 months.

• Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Formula Detangling & Conditioning Shampoo.
• Motions Silk Protein Conditioner
• Motions Moisture-Plus After-Shampoo Conditioner
• S-Curl No Drip Curl Activator (as a leave-in)
• Motions Nourish Leave-In Conditioner (my other leave-in)

here's mine:

-CO wash everyday with V05 conditioners(not nourishing oasis) or tresemme moisture rich

-Shampoo with my shampoo bar that doesnt have sulphates once a week

-Clarify with kenra clarifying once a month

-Mix any protein conditioner with my moisturising conditioners once a week or more (no hardcore protein for me cos my hair doesnt like it)

-Deep conditioner once a week or more depending on the state of my hair.

Ok here is mine...

Cowash when I feel like it (suave/white rain mixed with olive oil)

Thursday night (got to make it nice for the weekend) conditioner-wash-conditioner method. Wrap a cotton cloth around for 5 minutes to get excess water. Sometimes follow witha moisturizer, usually not since I do the conditioner-wash- conditioner method. Style hair ( usually 5 fat braids pinned up on each side of head, similiar look to french braids) .

Lately I been trying my Kenra samples...but the method still applies. 

Jewel, how great is that S-curl activator?

Renee u co-wash everyday and let it air dry how does it turn out?

Sounds good cmesweet...no others products/oils/moisturizers...trims (to all)?

I have done a dusting (microtrim)3 times within the  last 14 months.  The conditioners are  basically my moisturizers. Oil alone makes my hair hard and crispy, very rarely I might put olive oil on my scalp.

For the method I use these are the things I use, conditioner(suave/white rain)- wash(diluted shampoo)-conditoner/detangle(suave 2 minute repair/recovery). That's Basically it...I have been trying all the samples I have, if you include those, they seem good but I like my basics. But when those are done, I'll just go back to my basics.

Some days, I just rinse with water to "revive" my hair.

winter... I may use  a creme moisturizer.   I should mention that I don't use brushes, just a wide tooth comb or my fingers.

Renee, I loved the pic in ur album of ur hair after the bantu knots were taken out...sooo pretty...

Condition wash daily with dominican conditioners, rephair or vitamin fortified conditioner(diluted w/water). I usually spray my hair with african royale's daily doctor or jamica's mango and lime twist spray or i apply 911's emergency leave-in cream.

Pre-shampoo treatment weekly of conditioner mixed with 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of castor oil- i put a plastic cap on and leave this in for 3 hours.

Shampoo weekly with HEB plus shampoo(diluted w/water), Sally's generic version of redken's amino pon shampoo, tressemme or aussie.

Deep condition weekly with cholesterol- sit under the dryer for 30 mins to an hour.

Moisturize nitely with shea butter, mowrah butter, sunflower butter or shapley's m-t-g. apply a thin, plastic cap and go to sleep.

Shampoo, condition & pre-poo treatment 1x/week. May do a con. wash during the week, depends on how my hair feels.

Deep condition weekly --Airdry after washes

Daily moisture -carrot creme/coconut oil to seal (moist. products & oils vary)

Used heat 2x in the last 2 months w/ heat protectant (1blowdry--1 flat iron)

Wearing protective styles 99% of the time --buns, ponytails

*Just basic care --more or less depending how my hair feels/looks

SilverRaine80 wrote: Renee, I loved the pic in ur album of ur hair after the bantu knots were taken out...sooo pretty...

thanks  you've made my day. i had a bad hair today . thanks again!

Ok, I try my best to have a routine as far as having dedicated washing days but with my schedule it never works out that way. But:

-I try to wash at least once or twice a week. I work with animals so at times I need to wash more frequently.

-Before I wash I use a conditioner of choice as a pre-treatment and keep it in for about 10 minutes. I usually use Mane n' Tail, ORS Hair Mayo or Nature's Gate Sea Kelp Conditioner for this.

-I rinse and then wash with Aubrey's Organics Honeysuckle Rose Shampoo. Next I Apply AOHR Conditioner and let it set for about 20. Then I rinse and apply Motions Leave-In conditioner, Carrot Creme, and alittle coconut oil on my ends. I Braid into 3 sections to dry and let loose in the morning.

That's about it. It's been working really well. I also take MSM.

Hope this helps!!