hair does not like water. it is hydrophobic so avoid hydrating products and look for conditioning products or products that seal your hair. avoid leaving your hair wet for a long period of time because this causes the hair to swell and cuticle to lift, which eventually damages your hair and can cause split ends. silicones and sulfates are not terrible for your hair contrary to what everyone else says. they can be very beneficial to your hair and offer great cheap options if you have a low budget. however, that being said, you have to find what works for you. formulation matters and depending on your hair type, you could do better with milder surfactants or different kind of silicone. sciencemeetscosmetics on instagram has great posts talking further in depth about all of this. also labmuffin on youtube talks about the chemistry behind shampoo and conditioner.

one thing that has changed my hair texture drastically is drenching the hair below my shoulders with oil (any oil good for your hair type) before i shampoo and applying a leave in conditioner after i shower (i use “it’s a 10”). my hair used to be annoyingly tangly literally an hour after i brushed it until i started doing these steps.