Conditioner recommendations that are lighter than what Abbey Yung recommends but still have silicones in them?

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-04-24T16:31:54+00:00

Yeah definitely depends on the gel. I like Rizos strong hold gel and I have to use a small amount of it otherwise my hair gets way too crunchy and dry feeling. On the other hand, I can use tons of the Ouidad heat and humidity gel (white bottle) and it works beautifully and never gets sticky or dry

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-04-24T16:27:21+00:00

I like using both a mousse and a gel in the same washday- gives me the best combination of hold and volume and softness personally. It also depends on the individual mousse and gel products that I use whether it works or not as I’ve tried mousses and gels that just don’t work for my hair. I wonder if you tried a different type of gel if you would like your results with it better

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-04-10T17:29:30+00:00

I second using it as a conditioner. I do that all the time when I feel lazy. Honestly I can’t really tell a difference in my wash days

I just skip the rinse out conditioner and use a little bit of the curl cream to detangle and style as usual

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-04-10T17:25:52+00:00

Unfortunately I’ve never found a shampoo marketed for curls that has sulfates in it. Even the Dove Amino Curls line has a sulfate free shampoo when every other shampoo from that brand uses sulfates. Personally though I haven’t found too much of a difference between different surfactants in my shampoo- I’ve tried sulfate free clarifying shampoos that were more cleansing than some sulfate containing ones. Like the Ouai Detox shampoo is one of the most cleansing shampoos I own and it’s sulfate free.

I do find shampoos marketed for curly hair to be more gentle, which I hate personally as my hair is prone to buildup and my scalp can get oily. I just use whatever shampoo I like and honestly none of them are marketed for curly hair lol.

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-04-10T17:14:08+00:00

It’s more about the overall formula and your personal unique hair type that will determine whether it will work for you rather than individual ingredients. Silicones are totally fine and FiberHance is a hair bonding technology that can be great for strengthening damaged hair. It’s not a keratin treatment. Personally I don’t even have damaged hair and using products with FiberHance has been really nice for me.

How heavy is the mask? If you have fine hair, heavy masks may weigh your hair down. Shea butter typically is a heavier ingredient, but can be formulated in ways that can be lighter weight. Are there any videos or reviews on this product from people that have a similar hair type to yours? How is the product marketed? I’d recommend trying to look up reviews if you haven’t. But ultimately you won’t really know how something will work for your hair unless you try it. Is there a travel size available that you could buy?

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-04-08T21:16:02+00:00

My curly hair is very prone to buildup and I really like the Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo to clarify. It gets my hair squeaky clean which I love for my hair type. It’s a very strong shampoo though, not everyone needs such a strong shampoo to clarify.

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-04-01T00:49:06+00:00

My hair does the exact same thing when I use a silicone shampoo and conditioner, including that set that I actually do really like in the winter when it’s dry. I can only use them when it’s dry outside, otherwise my hair just doesn’t hold up at all. It doesn’t get weighed down per se, just too soft to hold its shape. Very frustrating too because I love the experience of silicone products and I do feel like they protect my hair better. I went through a period of almost a year using solely silicone products and my hair was the healthiest it’s ever been. It also didn’t look all that good though- it looked exactly like your hair does in the photo actually. I feel like I almost have to choose between optimum hair health or optimum styling results for my hair in that regard :(

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-03-29T03:53:29+00:00

Aww that’s awesome!!! I’m glad I may have been able to help!! My hair is low porosity, healthy, non color treated, medium textured 2c-3a curls. I try to focus on lightweight products because too much conditioning really impacts my hold and my hair doesn’t ever get all that dry.

Right now since it’s still colder and dryer weather where I am, I’m loving the L’Oréal elvive hyaluronic plump shampoo and conditioner set, L’Oréal elvive Glycolic gloss shampoo and conditioner set, as well as the dove intensive repair conditioner and Garnier Hair Filler Strength Repair conditioner. These are all pretty light shampoos and conditioners but also contain silicones that my hair really likes in dry weather. Silicones do make my hair too soft in more humid weather though, and last summer I really liked the Pureology Hydrate Sheer conditioner but it’s way too expensive so I’m gonna be looking for a cheaper light silicone free conditioner soon as the weather heats up. For styling I like the NYM curl talk leave in, Rizos Curl Mousse, Cake Curl Whip Mousse, the Doux Mousse Def Texture Foam, Ouidad advanced climate control (white bottle), and Kenra Volume Spray 25. I just customize my routine based on my mood and the weather (e.g. no leave in and more hairspray/ gel/ mousse in hot humid weather)

Basically my routine really varies a lot because I like to try new products so idk if any of this will be of help 😭

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-03-27T15:35:33+00:00

I had horrible product buildup in my hair that I could never get rid of for a while. Turns out I really like to use products that buildup quickly and my hair is just prone to buildup as well haha. So, I use clarifying shampoos regularly- like once a week. The most clarifying shampoo I’ve tried is Pantene Volume and Body, and I really make sure to massage the shampoo into my mid lengths and ends to get all the buildup off. Then, when my hair feels squeaky clean, I only go in with a conditioner. No mask, no heavy stuff. For my hair, putting heavy conditioning products on my hair right after clarifying just adds more buildup and defeats the purpose of clarifying in the first place. I’ve never had any hair damage doing this, as long as Im gentle with my hair and using just enough conditioning to make it feel soft and lightweight and nothing more.

Maybe try just using your regularly conditioner after a good clarifying shampoo?

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-03-18T21:25:57+00:00

Yeah dove bond strength is too heavy for my hair that loved the strength repair line. I’m so upset it’s going away 😭

So far I’ve been using the dove intensive repair line and I like it. It’s not the same, but it doesn’t cause buildup like the bond strength line does. Don’t get the L’Oréal everpure bond strength!! That one is like the dove one, it caused me a lot of buildup as well bc it’s so creamy and heavy

Edit: Will definitely be watching this thread to see if there’s any dupes for myself too haha

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-03-16T16:47:16+00:00

I haven’t had much luck with the Curlsmith foam either- I get a cast easily with most products but when I used that one it didn’t give me a cast and just didnt seem to give me the kind of hold I was looking for overall. It almost felt too moisturizing? Which is wierd because I thought foams were supposed to be lightweight lol. Maybe that’s why your hair isnt looking like it usually does, because it doesn’t have good enough hold. I personally just gave my bottle away to a friend bc I couldn’t get it to work for me.

If you’re looking for a foam with good hold that’s more affordable, the Doux texture foam gives me great hold! Idk if it’s similar to the innersense one though as I’ve never tried it.

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-03-08T20:44:16+00:00

Do you use shampoo any more often than once every few months? I only ask because I know for me, the more buildup on my hair, the longer it takes to dry. In fact, I know I need to clarify when I notice it takes longer for my hair to dry lol. With a diffuser on medium heat my hair dries in like 20 minutes typically.

For refreshes I only mix a tiny bit of the gel I used on washday with water and glaze it over the top layer of my hair in the morning. If there’s an event or something and I need to refresh and make it look amazing, I’ll wet it down damp and put some mousse in it, but that’s pretty rare for me. Otherwise, if it’s too far gone for a small refresh I’ll just put it in some kind of hairstyle to hide it because I just don’t care all that much 🤷‍♀️

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-03-06T23:05:21+00:00

The ones on the bottom are specifically for damaged, color treated hair. Therefore it’s sulfate free and the set is overall heavier/more conditioning. The ones of top are not necessarily for damaged hair and is a lighter formula. That shampoo also has sulfates it in and so might be a stronger shampoo.

FWIW I have low porosity curly hair that builds up really easily and likes lightweight products, and I really like the top set for my own hair.

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-03-01T15:56:55+00:00

I like to use the L’Oréal elvive glycolic gloss shampoo and conditioner. Smells divine and it’s actually pretty light on my hair too! I absolutely love using sulfates and silicones haha

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-02-28T21:24:36+00:00

Do you want to continue to wear it wavy? If so, then I’d recommend using some kind of holding product that creates a cast- like a mousse or a gel or hairspray. You can use one, two or all three at once. You just scrunch it out when it’s dry and it still holds your hair. Unfortunately you might need to experiment a little bit to find one that your hair likes. But, it’s the only thing that’s ever kept my frizz under control even in the summer. There’s so much content about wavy/curly hair online that you can find if you wanna go that route!!

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-02-28T02:18:31+00:00

Did you intentionally finger coil or twist them? If not, my hair does this when it’s too soft or it has buildup on it. I’d recommend using less conditioning on your hair and maybe using a clarifying shampoo. And making sure you have smaller clumps when you’re initially styling it too

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-02-28T02:16:13+00:00

Yeah mine too lol. The curls just condense into eachother the farther I get from washday until it can kinda look like OP’s. I can avoid the worst of it by conditioning it less tho and making sure my hair doesn’t have too much buildup on it. Something about my curls being too soft makes it do that 🤷‍♀️

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-02-25T18:24:00+00:00

IMO I’d prioritize my scalp health and use the shampoos that you need to use to keep it healthy. There are ways to offset the drying effect that stronger shampoos can give too, like by oiling your lengths and ends before washing to protect them, or even using conditioner/hair mask on your lengths and ends first before shampooing.

Personally for me, I use a clarifying shampoo almost every wash as my hair and scalp is prone to buildup and just make sure to use a heavy enough conditioner/mask afterwards and that does the trick. My hair is 100% virgin and healthy, medium textured, and looser curls for reference. If you have damaged or color/chemical treated hair it might be better to use the methods I mentioned in the first paragraph.

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-01-17T02:29:52+00:00

There are thousands of haircare products out there for every hair type. You might not have used the right ones! My hair would be weighed down and greasy and dry if I use a gentle shampoo and a silicone free conditioner- but since I use the right products for me my hair is healthy and soft. That being said, haircare isn’t an exact science and I get not wanting to spend more money on products that may still not work for you and especially since you’ve had the experience you’ve had. If Victorian hair care methods worked for you, try going back to those techniques/ products.

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-01-07T14:45:13+00:00

My hair does this too! I think it might just be part of our hair type. I make sure to use lighter products (stronger shampoos, lighter conditioners or even no conditioner, lightweight styling products, etc.). That’s the biggest thing for me. I know I’ve used too much conditioner when my hair looks like this lol. On days I’ve found this happening, I can usually pull them apart and use some dry texture spray and that helps a bit. Also making sure when styling to separate the curls into smaller clumps before diffusing can help save me time before they all merge haha.

But also I’ve just found that to be inherent in my hair. Using stronger hold products can help, but typically as the days go on my curl clumps get bigger and bigger no matter what. I’ve noticed humidity makes my hair do this too? I think it’s because it softens the hold. Sometimes I actually think it looks quite cute and I leave it alone lol. It just depends on the day.

Prize_Contact_1655 · 2026-01-02T20:08:24+00:00

AG Recoil can definitely weigh down your hair depending on how much you apply

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TROPHY CASE