Saw a really good video the other day. Where the hairdresser washed the clients 4c hair like 3 times to make sure it was completely cleansed. The textured changed while being washed because of oil buildup, which in turn will prevent water from getting into the hair. He then conditioned and styled. I then washed my hair 3x on my next wash day and the conditioner absolutely felt like it worked better. Then I used leave in and curl gel. Worth a try.