Water Only?

      Water Only for Curly Girls

As a High Porosity Type 4 curly girl, I am hesitant about naked hair. I layer my hair with various products to lock in wash day moisture, and keep my 4c hair soft and supple. I use oils, butters, conditioners, and gels in layers on  my hair. It never dawned on me that my naked hair could feel just as soft, and be just as defined, using the 'Water Only' method.

That's right! ONLY WATER. You may be hesitant to to allow your curls to dry without adding additional oils, but its possible! Your scalp naturally produces oil, or sebum. The water only method encourages your hair's natural oils to increase, and coat the entire strand, possibly eliminating the need to layer product after product on your hair.

Is this for everyone? NO! As always, do what works best for your hair. If you notice adverse side effects while trying a new method, adjust your method, or stop completely. But, if you are tired of products just sitting on your strands, as opposed to seeping in,  you may want to give this 'water only' method a try!

CurlFriend  Dee Shares her Water Only Experience with us! Check out her video, and our one on one interview below!

Interview with Dee:  Indigenous Curls gets the Nitty Gritty! 
Dee's current regimen:  I'm still working out my regimen for my wash and gos.  I'm no longer in twists so I'm trying to see how and if this will work for my wash and gos with no product.  But I massage daily(sometimes twice a day - morning and right before bed), I  spread my sebum on my hair(this is called preening).  I do not water rinse daily anymore.  My hair seems to do better when I don't wet it everyday.  Every night I twist in chunky twists and do baggy method or Greenhouse Effect with the plastic baggy.  I do not add anything to my hair.  In the morning my hair is damp.  I take my cap off and just let it dry...sometimes I let it dry in chunky twists, if I will be inside all day.  If I go out, I'll either put a head wrap on or take chunky twists out , wet my hair in shower to activate my curls and let dry , then go.  I do not add product to my hair...my sebum takes care of any conditioning.  I'm still testing whether enough sebum will be able to define my curls. I am still testing this.



Indigenous Curls Asks: What are some Positive takeaways from this experience?
Dee Says: healthy, nourished, shiny hair.  No products were used so it was a very cost effective. no money spent because sebum is free!

Indigenous Curls Asks: Any  Negative takeaways ?
Dee Says: It does take a full commitment to a regimen that you feel works for you. Daily massage,   and having to wet your hair more often than my norm.  On days I don't water rinse I do the Greenhouse Effect.

Indigenous Curls Asks: Step By Step, what did you do?
Dee Says: I had No time at all for styling. I would wet my hair in the shower, let my curls clump under running water and then let dry. That's it!
Indigenous Curls Asks: That's IT?!
Dee Says: Most Important, I don't touch hair or it will frizz.  It takes my hair less time to dry completely than it did when I was using product in it.

Indigenous Curls Asks: Would you do it again? I have tried methods, liked the results, be never revisited the method. Is this one of thoes things?
Dee Says: Yes! Yes! I would do it again.  This just may be my regimen if my curls do well with the water only method. But,  I will probably still do this method and use flaxseed gel for a styler/curl definer.  In the video above, I added flaxseed gel (FSG)to my hair.  I normally use leave-in conditioner under my fsg but I wanted to test to see if my sebum was sufficient for that, so the only thing I used on my hair in this video is my fsg...no conditioner, no leave-in conditioner.   You can see my hair in this video above.  

Indigenous Curls Asks: This is so intresting! So you used no products? Not even a leave in?
Dee Says: I have not used conditioner or any other commercial product on my hair since Feb 22, 2014.  I have use flaxseed gel, as I mentioned before but no conditioner. Sebum is our natural conditioner.


 Dee's Water Only Tips:

-patience..be patient with ur hair, scalp and process

-read and research and be prepared for times when you may not know what to do. Everyone who seems to have walked this road before us has straight hair.  So understand that you may be a pioneer .  There are a few of us who u can go to to help u figure some things out but there is not a large community of African American women who have experience with this method.  That is why I decided to document what I'm doing so that others who come after me will be able to glean from my trials and triumphs.

-learn ur hair and scalp and do what ur hair/scalp respond positively too.  Just because other women on this method may rinse everyday doesn't mean you should. If your hair responds better by not rinsing....DO YOU BOO!

Indigenous Curls Thanks Dee for sharing. Check out her youtube channel for more from her!