It's so crazy to me that all the stylists were SOO passionate in speaking against EVERYTHING we learned and figured out here on RU-vid on our own without them catering to us for YEARS... and now they can't even keep that same energy when the table's been flipped. Whether you like me, hate me, think I'm a bully, or think I'm unprofessional is irrelevant... Wake up, listen, and pay attention to how these professionals are moving... Pay attention to your hair and how it's reacting and responding to what you are doing or not doing. At the end of the day, we all just want to have an enjoyable and healthy hair experience and not be exploited and fooled in the process.
Yeah they bash RU-vid university yet still do a lot of things that we did such as prepoo. I noticed a lot of the teachings for their kids guide is the same things that we do just with modified products? Idk it’s odd. We don’t need to put other businesses down to thrive.
Agreed. I use the "lateral reading" method when it comes to anything including hair. Listening to a wide variety of folks about what to do including professionals and kitchen cosmetologists. Most folks say, double shampoo, condition, use a leave-in minimum! I'm always skeptical of a panacea ( cure-alls) or folks that demand you have to do things THEIR way. That's an immediate red flag.
Black girl curl flopped mainly because of bullying and their inability to accept criticism. I doubt that they are well read on hair science or formulation technology, because many of the criticisms people have are valid and can be resolved by science. Their method is missing components that will lubricate and replenish the cellular membrane complex of the hair and support and smooth the remaining 18mea cuticle layer, which is a common cause of many natural hair woes(brittle, dull, hard to brush, tangles) but hard to identify if you don't know about it. They were supposed to be educating people to look for ceramides, amino acids, hydrolyzed keratin etc., God forbid they throw some k18 in the mix. These are all ingredients proven to replenish lipid/protein loss and fortify the hair against future damage and are safe alternatives to raw oils and butters and are often present in the same formulations as the oils and butters people know and love. Silicones are oils and quite a lot of other hair ingredients are just different types of lipids, so I'm not exaggerating by saying that the bar was below the floor.
Curly Chemist has got us covered re: the role of oils and butter in hair. And honestly, everything she says is what I learned 20 years ago. Oils and butters are meant to seal in moisture and lubricate strands. There have been scientific studies on this. Where people went wrong was using "heavy oils" and butters that DON'T penetrate the hair strand as a source of moisture and nutrients. People legit thought that raw butter and oils were moisturizing their hair. They would put the shea butter on strands and scalp, never shampoo, and then co-wash for a month+ and wonder why their hair was in such bad shape. So they couldn't tell the condition of their hair. It's when people go to extremes that they run into problems. Hair is made up of water, oil, protein; mostly keratin(protein) and lipids(oil). If ANY of that is out of balance, your hair is going to be messed up. You have to cleanse(wash all the junk out), condition (restore the ph balance), moisturize(add water and water attracting products), and sealant(leave in, oil, or butter). Repeat this on a regular basis, and that is the foundation for healthy hair. Going without oils and butters to assist in the care of hair sound like going without detangling. It's going to work for a hot minute, but pretty soon you're going to have problems.
Oils don't have to penetrate per se though, just have to slow the process of evaporation of water and help keep the hydration(water) in the hair aka "moisturize " So yes, they do moisturize, but only in the presence of water. Without water they only condition with their lubrication properties. You can say "seal" but really, it's kind of a misnomer since it never completely seals the water in, just makes it slow to leave. The only time you come close to "sealing" your hair is when you have build up and it's difficult if not almost impossible to get water back in depending on the degree . And yes, conditioning is different than moisturizing. Conditioning is just softening the hair/adding a layer of protection(film) and laying the cuticles flat.
@@iateyursandwiches actually there are oils that will penetrate the hair shaft. The molecule has to be small enough to do so. But in general butters, especially raw Butters and oils molecules are too large to penetrate the hair shaft. This is why it's important to get formulated products in tandem with your homemade products. Or know the oils and butters that you're using. Which ones can penetrate the air shaft and which ones can't
@@lesliewit I understand that some can, im just saying you don't have to worry about getting ones that so so much imo because the main purpose of the oil regardless is to condition(soften) the hair and slow the rate of evaporation which any oil, regardless of its penetration properties, can do.
Oils and butters as never done me wrong. I’ve been natural for 4 years and manage to retain 22 inches of healthy hair growth. My homemade oils have been nothing but a saving grace to me! I can’t relate to it bringing any thing negative to my life. Oils and butters are not the enemy
@@taylorfaulkner460 I’ve been contemplating on starting to create content about how I’ve managed to grow all this hair in four years. But I’m a very private person so let’s hope i stop procrastinating and do share.
In every human person, every individual hair follicle literally *secretes oil* (sebum) meant to lubricate the hair strand growing out of it, but gravity works against those of us with textured hair, because our hair naturally doesn't grow and lay down--it grows and either stands up, or it at least grows out first, then eventually bends down. Because of that, gravity causes the oil to not slide down and coat the hair shaft like it would if that hair were straight and lying down. Knowing that to be the case, *why* would anyone say that those of us with textured hair shouldn't add oil to lubricate our hair like we do our skin? And on that note: we _know_ what happens when we don't lubricate our skin--it gets dry, cracks, and its integrity becomes compromised, so why would we think the same wouldn't be true about our hair? Idk, maybe there's an aspect I'm missing, but this method just didn't seem logical to me from when I first heard it, so I ignored it from the first moment I heard it. I'm certainly not surprised that it collapsed in on itself.
I’ve started returning to using butters, majorly on my ends though. The no oils and butters method helped me simplify my routine and define my curls more, but I couldn’t deal with the amount of split ends I was having.
That’s the problem with a lot of black businesses, they want our support, always guilt tripping us but we can’t held them accountable or critic them. This deafening Omertà let me know everything I need to know.
It was cool to be on your platform when it was to promote her but not to have a discussion that challenges their approach? Interesting that Elaine declined your invitation...
Shout out to RU-vid university that's been holding us down since 2009. And shout out to the new info from the stylists and BGC that helped us simplify our routines, have hydrated hair consistently and perfect our wash n gos. Imma keep doing what I've been doing with both, take the meat and potatoes and throw away the unnecessary stuff... including the drama. Key take away is what you said in another video, learn how to troubleshoot and/or pivot when needed. It's not one size fits all week after week. RU-vid University taught me that😅.
Oil is good for lubrication . Lubrication helps with friction . Less friction less breakage . I’m sticking to my grape seed oil 😂it’s not to moisture really it’s to keep them strands from tangling on each other it’s necessary
Professionals aren't talking about it because the controversy is silly. The no oils/butters advocates seem to not realize that all formulations contain oils and fat. The ones they advocate for are just synthetic. This means that there is no real difference between a natural who styles her hair with butter and stretches it for 7 to 10 days and another who does the same with gels and mousses. You're depriving it of much needed water either way. As for split ends with this method, the hair is suffering with lack of consistent moisture, direct and indirect heat, drying gels and mousse as well as clarifying treatments every week. Your hair is going to dry out no matter how good the cut is because the upkeep does not promote moisture retaining. And this is my real point. Wetting the hair and keeping a healthy balance of fat is what's important. I do the Anthony Dickie method for half the year and twist for the other half. Get a trim once or twice a year and be happy. As an aside, I used to be a hair care researcher and formulator and fully support people experimenting with their hair and making their own products. You're getting fleeced by paying $$$ for cheap ingredients that are ultimately drying your hair anyway. Curly cuts aren't the bad guy unless you want to also wear your hair straight. It's the drying practices.
I think it really depends on you hair. I've found that washing once a week, using a leave-in, and an oil or butter is just the right combination of moisturizing and low manipulation that allows me to retain length and the health of my hair. I trim every three months. I have fine, thirsty strands so I gotta keep that in mind. The point is to be in tune with your hair and don't just blindly follow trends.
The biggest misconception about the method is that the stylists were advocating for no oils & butters at all. They were not. The point was no raw oils & butters as in plain shea butter, olive oil, etc. Their claim was more so that well-formulated products already contained high quality oils & butters that lubricate & help maintain the hydration of your hair & that there is no need to add extra, especially in a form that is basically useless to hair. Them marketing it the “no oil & butter method” lost their initial point in translation & it ended up backfiring unfortunately.
@babyfacedee They started off by saying no raw oils and butters (which is silly in of itself) or top 5 in ingredients list. However, the majority of the products they recommended changed formulas to include oils and shea butter high on their list, namely Uncle Funkys and Innersenxe. In fact, Innersense releases their own "scrunch the crunch" oil, but they didn't dare speak up about that... only against Black owned brands. Another thing, they were against kitchen formulators, making fun of recipes, especially the max hydration method, meanwhile, Innersense released a detox mask that contained bentonite clay, shea butter and apple cider vinegar. From the beginning, I saw the holes (hypocrisy) in their stance. It was only a matter of time until others saw it.
@@lavinder11 I feel the same. I use the max hydration method, although I only do it once a year right before winter starts, because people were going to extremes with that and destroying the structure of their hair that way. And although I understand the concern about using raw oils and butters, because of formulation issues, I've continued to use raw oils and butters to pretty great success with my hair. Like fractionated coconut oil will penetrate the hair shaft and so that's good to put on your hair to add structure and health. Whereas raw coconut oil that you just buy in the grocery store is probably only going to be able to seal and be a lubricant.
@lesliewit It all depends on what you want to do. If you want to fortify hair (fractionated) vs sealing (coconut oil) vs making it feel cushy (cocoglyceride). But this is the problem I have with the natural hair industry and this "movement" right now: formulators and stylists will have you thinking that because cocoglyercide is part of a formulated product, it's automatically better and safer to use on your hair. Meanwhile, in reality, it's just a mixture of cococut OIL and glycerin, which is very cheap and easy to make from your kitchen. Meanwhile, these products are being sold for $3 per oz. One of the reasons why I left the industry is because women were being shafted and I knew it would change the natural hair movement for the worst. Ten years ago, the quality of products and information was much better. Today, it's mostly infighting and confusion because people want to be seen as experts.
The thing is, MOST, like the vast majority of naturals were not using raw oils and butters anyway. They were using what you call "formulated butters" and then they just completely rid their routine of leave ins, "butters," and "oils" that weren't raw in the first place. Also I always found it weird how BGC tried to act like leave ins were created to make money from naturals like leave ins didn't exist in the non-black haircare space before the natural hair movements. Leave ins have beeeennn a thing. They're not a gimmick created for naturals.
Yes. From my point of view, what the BGC's manual states and what she says on her lives do not always align. From my point of view, in her attempt to be shady and dismiss everything that YT University teaches, she often contradicts what her own manual says. Also, it is disappointing that whatever issue the client has, the answer is always to blame said client or to give canned responses, without getting to the root of the matter.
Yup i stan Curly Chemistry. We use leave in and deep conditioner over there. I will tell everyone that hair and scalp care is not one size fits all! Furthermore my environment and lifestyle and genetics have a massive impact on my hair whereas some people can do nothing and have hair to their booty crack and their scalp is healthy.
I honestly can’t even begin to imagine not regularly deep conditioning my hair, and not regularly applying oils & butters to it. I would be 100% totally and completely bald. Facts. This just goes to show just how beautifully diverse we are as a people! We have to go with what works for us and not someone else. End of story! Great video, as always!! 👏🏽🙏🏽♥️🎉
Weekly deep conditioning with a steam cap changed my life! It has shown me the true texture and curl pattern of my hair. I can never go without. Also, the humectant leave-ins and serums, especially the ones with marshmallow root and hyaluronic acid, make my curls pop and my twists so juicy like I've never seen before. I follow Curly Chemistry as well and use some of the oils she teaches about. They have really helped my hair. I love my natural hair. It's healthier than it's ever been.
I remember them saying we didn’t need to deep condition or use leave ins but now I see them saying we should use leave ins. I’m like look, pick a side!! After watching African hair god I used grease for a twist out n my hair seemed so happy
I mean, in their OG book they suggested leave ins. I don’t keep up with them anymore so I’m not sure about the change in stance, but I recall them saying it’s a styling tool that doesn’t lend itself to any sort of definition
A hair strand consists of protein, water and lipids (fats, oils!), a balance of all three is needed. Too little water, your strand becomes brittle and turns to dust. Too little protein, your strand loses its structure, becomes mushy, weak and therefore more prone to breakage / tearing. Too little lipids, your naturally existing lipid barrier thins out, your strand isn’t conditioned anymore and will now feel dry and brittle to the touch, less flexibility and therefore again, more splits more breakage. Our scalps produce extra sebum for a reason, a hair strand is more lipophilic (oil-loving) than hydrophilic (water-loving) for a reason! Conditioned hair thrives. Conditioned leather thrives, conditioned wood thrives, conditioned fabric thrives! 😂 we forget that our hair is a fabric, it’s simple when you understand its structure. These trends are simply to drive consumerism, people don’t think for themselves anymore, any product recommendation is jumped on and its heightened when you start shaming others for their methods. Shame drives a lot of consumerism. (Hygiene, hair care, clothing, makeup etc.)
💯 on point. these stylist have forgotten what's the purpose of sebum is and hair is made up of lipids, this is why eliminating oils and butters makes no sense to me
Truth be told, my longest healthiest hair was achieved with a wash, condition, and blue magic hair grease. Im unapologetically standing ten toes down in that. Ive gone straight from conditioner to styler and it was an awful crispy mess. Never again.
Same for me, shampoo, condition, leave in and hair grease. Can’t even tell y’all the amount moisture and the length I’m retaining now after 8 whole years of being natural and not knowing what to do with my hair
I never understood the whole "all you need is shampoo, conditioner, and styler and that's it"...since when has a styler been a leave in or a moisturizer? conditioner alone, no matter how great or expensive or whatever it is, is going to do all the heavy lifting alone. Leave-in conditioner exists for a reason, and all that a styler does is give us a light or strong hold to keep our style together, it's not a substitute for a leave-in and moisturizer. Using just as styler after a wash and condition is only going to create crispy and fried hair lol.
I started following BGC in 2019 after I big chopped. It was the perfect canvas for this paradigm shift in hair care and wash and go’s. I had untouched virgin hair that I needed to be taught to style and was in desperate need of some shape. Fast forward almost 5 years later I’m now relearning my natural hair on my own terms. I have to give them credit because my wash and go is fire 🔥. Hair is damaged, lol, but styling is on point 🤷🏽♀️
I will say with the no oils and butters, you can't neglect your hair which a lot of naturals do. You can't just put your hair on a bun for 3 weeks and be okay. I was doing wash n gos twice a week and that was my realization that water is what our hair needs. The more frequently you do your hair, the more moisturized and the easier to detangle it is. Now, I did get lazy and I reverted back to once a week.
I agree with you, Jenn. You gotta listen to and know your hair. I think that's why I've had success with the BGC method. For example, from the very beginning, I recognized that BGC's audience was generally low porosity naturals. I have naturally high porosity hair and knew that for my hair leave-ins and deep conditioners were not optional. I also recognized when I was over cleansing my hair with those harsh shampoos being recommended and switched to moisturizing shampoos. One thing that @afrikanhairgod said that made SO much sense was why would we need to use a strong "all purpose" shampoo like AG Balance every week if we are only/mostly using water-soluble (botanical/humectant) products?? At the end of the day I'm like a sieve when it comes to info from BGC...if it makes sense I keep it, if it doesn't, I let it pass right through into the gatbage! 😄
Meanwhile I been dipping my hair in oils and butters, food and flowers and it be thriving. To👏🏼each👏🏼their👏🏼own jamaniiiiii! I'm happy to watch naturals do their hair their way! Periodt! And be smart enough not to fall for gimmicks. But I'll still oil my scalp as it wants me to and moisturize my hair the way it wants to be. I stayed and I'm still here Jenn! I love how honest you have been through your journey. Glad it's working for you. ❤
Thank you so much for this! I’ve also had the crazy splits with this method like the ones you showed. I too wish we could have some honest, respectful, and unbiased conversations with stylists so we can move forward with wisdom and confidence. You, Shelly, and Rose have at least helped me to see that I’m not alone and there’s hope. Thank you.
I think I have cracked the code about all these problems. We've seen it with the DevaCurl situation, seen it with the oils and butters situation 1)We just take one thing and run with it 100% Nothing is 100% What works for someone else may not work for you and that's okay. You can take 1 different thing from 10 different people and make the perfect hair care routine for YOU 2)the oils and butter thing and the LCO/LOC method really showed that we have no idea how to use them Oil is sealant, not a moisturizer It doesn't hydrate, water does. I started pulling back on the raw oils/butters (still using them off and on but using leave in conditioner and the occasional deep conditioner) and washing my hair more frequently and I couldn't understand how I used to go a month without washing my hair. Now I'm down to washing my hair every week or two weeks depending on the style. My hair was shedding like crazy before and now i barely have any shedding.
That is the issue - this method was originally sold as a once size fits all approach that would work for everyone (down to the products) if we changed out mindsets
I feel you Jenn. I did not take the BGC recommended products like the Bible because they did say that they were “brand agnostic” but I’m a product junkie too so I wanted to try all the things😂. I’ve been natural for over a decade so I’m attuned to my hair’s behavior & can adjust accordingly & doing twist & twist outs exclusively & cutting my own hair before learning about the no oils/butters method. I felt like my hair flourished since, but the stylists I’ve worked with saw cut it kinky is one of many methods. I use deep conditioners as my rinse out conditioner and I like humectant heavy gels for wash and go’s and design essentials honey and almond & avocado shampoos are superior moisturizing shampoos than innersense. I think BGCs founders fumbled an opportunity for genuine dialogue and hope that they rethink their strategy on social media engagement with influencers critical of their method. We all want the same thing…to live our best natural hair lives and love on our god given kinky coily hair!
I feel I had a similar experience. Switching up products as necessary. Using deep conditioners as leave ins. I wish there was dialogue but I think that ship has sailed
Ive given up on "quick and easy methods". 4c hair needed time. We can simplify but ultimately, 4c hair is a longer progress than other looser hair types. I block out time for my exercise, beauty and hair regimen each week. This has been the best thing for me.
I love the direct and intentional messaging in your video. Some things just really need to be said and you said them all. And I was equally shocked to see them say heat protectants aren’t necessary, continuing their legacy of spreading false hair facts. It’s as if the intention is to find ways to destroy our hair and make us keep needing their “help”. Insanity at its finest.
I agree that was irresponsible. They have to remember that young impressionable teens see content as well. My teen comes to me with all of the get long hair quick schemes that are marketed on the internet. I have to debunk them and tell her that a haircare routine is the best way to keep healthy hair.
I also have mid shaft splits and I think it was because I was following the no oils and butters method and had twists installed. I think the oil and butters protect the hair shaft from friction. Also, I think manipulating soaking wet hair is part of the problem. I have reintroduced oils and leave ins and my hair feels better. I’ve stopped using all of the detangling brushes and I use wide tooth combs as needed. I’m not a stylist but I think these things matter.
The manipulating soaking wet hair is something that needs to be addressed. I use products with silicones/oils and my hair isn’t damaged but I will get major webbing if I’m styling on consistently wet hair. It does make for a great wash and go but I had to move on from that type of styling. Waaaay too much friction on hair in its weakened state.
Yes, I agree this constant brushing of fine tight curls using the FL brush and hand manipulation to “define” tight curls must contribute to the damage. When you think of the hands motion and the fact that some people have split ends all the way up it makes sense. I use a denman brush but most of the hair on it is shed hair not breakage. The FL never worked for me, I dropped it after a couple of attempts. Got to listen to your instincts .
I love not using oils and butters because I truly feel like it was blocking out water. My hair is much softer. HOWEVER, during my last trim I noticed I had tons of mid-shaft splits so I just cut all my hair OFF!
@@monica9070 Have you considered your hair feeling softer is due to damaged porosity? I.e. when we used to relax our hair, our hair felt ‘softer’ and would soak up more water but that was because the cuticle was damaged which made the shaft more porous decreasing hydrophobic behavior. It’s actually vital to the strength of hair that water not enter the cortex. It’s something I’ve been thinking about since I came across this message. Anyways, I’m very very sorry your hair got damaged from this.
@@amateurastronomer9752 I don't think that it's softer due to damaged porosity. Years ago I've had issues where my hair felt limp and mushy but I believe that was from steaming it too much. My hair was too elastic to the point where you could take a strand and stretch it and it would not go back into place. Before I just cut off my hair it didn't do that, and I'd experience normal excessive breakage that falls in line with my trimming schedule.
The silence from the bgc/cut it kinky stylists and the bully subscribers is overwhelming! And no I’m not signing back up to seesomecurls just to see what rhetoric is being taught to deal with this whole debacle. Doesn’t appear a lot are interested in giving them more $$$ to find out no matter how much they discount it.
I paid for an annual subscription in November 2022, so I did get to view the SSC exclusive response to curly cuts they put out in September 2023. It basically blamed the consumer for any issue. I remember the panelists said consumers (1) ask too many questions at the salon instead of just chilling at the appointment (2) are not willing to cut off enough hair (3) are not caring for their hair adequately in between appointments. They also compared stylists to doctors, as in they (stylists and doctors) are the knowledgeable authority that we (consumers and patients) shouldn't question too much. I took a lot of issue with the entire video - so much of it was contradictory. Plus it ignored the original context which was from consumers who followed the stylist's instructions about how much to cut and how to take care of the hair in-between appointments, but still had what looks like severe damage. Part of me wants to be nosy and resubscribe just to see what other nonsense they are saying, but it's not worth the cost even with the major discount.
@@legsnhipsnbawdy and they seem to still be avoiding the fact that everyone’s hair is dried out. They keep trying to blame the consumers choice of shampoo and not them recommending gels only for wash and gos. Signing back up whether nosey or not is a win for them $$$ so I refuse 🤣
@@legsnhipsnbawdy they know it’s daylight robbery and try to add smoke using big words and compare themselves to doctors. Sorry but when I go to my doctor and I have a follow up appointment if something doesn’t work they adjust the treatment or if it worsen they send me to a specialist for a scan or blood work. They don’t stand there and say “Oh it’s your fault, you didn’t follow the instructions so go home and get sicker”. What kind of nonsense answers is that? Nah girl save your money, thanks for your service though🤣😉
@@rachelk4914 exactly! the shampoo might be a contributing factor, but it's not the only product they have listed. they should be considering all of their recommendations, both products and techniques. like with styling, anything besides a wash and go was frowned upon. if someone asked about twists, the response was sarcastic. lately though, there has been content about twists, blowouts, flexi rods, etc. styles that explicitly use a leave in conditioner and general backtracking to say they never said don't use leave in (they literally did).
@@legsnhipsnbawdywow that's so interesting... They want to assume all control when rendering services but then when things go awry, then it's all of the clients fault and they never want to assume accountability... That in itself is one of the biggest contradictions
As someone who has scalp issues I have no problem with using oils and butters but the main thing is not applying oils or butters directly to the scalp. Oiling my scalp always set off my scalp issues
@@JennJacksoni think people don't consider that if you have a healthy scalp you don't need to actually apply anything to your scalp. It should be like a self cleaning oven that maintains itself and all you need to do is keep it clean. It will produce its own sebum... When you add oil on top of that, it can become too much for your scalp and then causes your skin to proliferate as a result of trying to rebalance itself.
@AfrikanHairGod thank you for saying this because I feel like all these natural hair videos touting hair growth oils and serums were gaslighting me. If you watch enough of those with a woman having a hard full of long full coils, you start to doubt yourself. Growth ultimately happens from within, with a nourished root. Retention happens on the outside when hair is cared for. Why are we turning this into rocket science and secret knowledge cults?
@@AfrikanHairGod I had chemotherapy in 2019/2020. My hair has grown back very different to the thick dense hair I used to have. I also have two small bald spots. As soon as it started sprouting I was oiling it daily. I stopped several months ago when I noticed my scalp was being irritated and inflamed. Since I stopped using oils on my scalp I can see that the bald spots are disappearing and hair us starting to grow. I’m so pleased 😀
Jenn I thoroughly enjoy videos like these where we can laugh, think, learn and throw a bit of shade. It’s giving relaxed podcast vibes and I love it! I think it’s crazy that stylists are so quiet and I almost fainted when you mentioned the heat protectant thing 😂
With the no raw oils and butters method, I enjoyed the simplicity of my routine. BUT the cut it kinky method left my fine low desity hair riddled with split ends. So now I get my hair blown out and trimmed/cut. I am adding back in a leave in, I dropped the Innersense product line and went back to my tried and true moisturizing shampoo and deep conditioner. Finally, I just wish there was more balance within the black natural community. Great video Jen. You are always fair and truthful. I really appreciate that!❤
Yeah they should have just stuck to the message of washing hair more often, to simply support healthier hair and scalp. But they had to take it a step further and include promoted products and curl chasing. It would have been a great opportunity to promote heathy haircare and embracing unique curl patterns instead 🤷🏽♀️
Love your video Everytime I watch a video such as this makes me so angry I had some splits like Shelly as well and have had more than 5 inches of hair cut this year alone. I was grateful to folks for sharing their experiences but I must say the whole BGC isn’t all bad I finally learned to do a wash n go and I love my hair and the versatility but they really do need to address their clients concerns and stop tryna make folks feel stupid so glad I never got a curly cut but I did follow the method and I took out leave ins but still deep conditioned which is probably why my hair has faired somewhat well I hope u continue to discus this cuz it feels like therapy when I see these videos Thanks 😊
My hair started splitting up the shaft crazy to the point I had to big chop and my scalp so dry after no oils/butters, no leave ins method. I went back to using all that stuff and a weekly scalp oil. Things finally started turning around
So I follow the no oils and no butters thing but not 100%. I don’t use any raw oils/butters, BUT I do use leave in conditioners and deep condition when I feel like it. I also don’t wear my hair in its natural state that often though, I get a silk press once a month and my hair is the healthiest and longest it’s ever been! So I think the washing weekly definitely works I just tweaked it
Six months natural over here and I have stopped applying oils, grease to my scalp. I have always suffered with severe scalp issues that required a special shampoo per the dermatologist; but since I dropped the oils/grease my scalp is not crazy itchy with huge flakes. Living in Canada I have started adding a little oil after conditioning in the shower recently and it seems to be helping. It may change again as Winter is here. I think you have to be very mindful of your climate and test accordingly and your process may change season to season slightly and that's okay. Thanks for the conversation Jen and all.
Our ends need oil. I dont care about butters that much but everyone needs a leave in conditioner and oil on their ends. Literally everyone that's just how hair works. I cant imagine nof deep conditioning my hair either. This is insane
Thank you for your honesty. I think the issue for me is the lack of meeting in the middle with everyone. I did the detox, but only for 30 days as recommended... I used Innersense, but Redken and Mizani works better for me. I think that their methods were great if you partner with a knowledgeable stylist (someone that knows hair, not black not white but hair, they went school, they are certified, they have clients for over 5 years that hair is healthy) and listen to your hair. I dont believe in curly cuts, so that was a NO for me. The majority of my products have oil in them, so im not missing out on anything. I think the biggest takeaway should wash your hair frequently regardless of the products you use. I deep condition 2x a month, only style my hair 1x a week after washing. My hair stylist only uses formulated products, so I trust her, but she also stated that easy is better than hard so wash, condition & style. I think everyone (BGC, RU-vid, US) has made this way harder than it needed to be!
Personally, I've been caring for my hair and wearing WnG styling consistently since 2008 when I started using the Kinky-Curly line of products after watching a video by Str8 Isis. Previous to that I did WnG styling occasionally because the gels were not great. So for me, this isn't new. I never used raw oils or butter just because I wasn't raised using them. However, I did use leave-in and on occasion deep conditioner. I use D/C a few times a year. My personal feeling is that the addition of leave-in and a D/C as often as needed would go a long way to mitigate many of the issues some ladies are having. I don't know about the curly cut itself because I've never had one. They look cute but I don't wear my hair short so the styles aren't for me. I will say that I learned about the shampoo spectrum from BGC, and have added an all-purpose shampoo because of them. Previously I only used moisturizing and clarifying shampoos.
If you been an OG natural you will know that this hair care simplification and emphasis on cleansing isn't a new concept, threads like ones found on lipstick alley, black hair forum..etc had lots of women sharing these tips. So for BGC to market this as their invention was a little weird Heck, lotta these now big natural hair brands started mixing up stuff in they kitchen taking knowledge from most of these threads and look where they are now ! What i will give BGC though is that they did get people cleansing their hair, and that's just all about it. No matter what you use be it oils or butters and including the gels so heavily advertised , if you do not properly cleanse your hair, you can get product overload and dehydrated strands. It was atrocious that they made y'all make the equivalent of car payments just for some good products and this constant urge to box everyone into a one size fits all. Im glad moving forward we can all see that knowledge does not reside solely in one person's head. RU-vid university crawled so we could run, period !
@jenn Jackson connect with Curly Chemistry, she’s knowledgeable. Hair is built of a number of things and oil is one so how can oil be sensitive to oil? Anyway, hair is dead so I’ll just live and not stress about hair
Black haircare is an arrrrt and each canvas, each scalp, each strand really needs to be respected and listened to. There is NO one method for our hair. Period. It's a journey... that yields rewards when taken with reverence and discipline.
Im going to keep doing what ive been doing . Shampoo, condition, (sometimes deep condition,) and style . I have dropped oils and butters and my hair has flurished . I also think putting all the weight on stylist isnt fair , because before them ; youtube had me buying product i didnt need and doing all kinds of unnecessary things to my hair aswell 😢 all in all i say do what feels right , listen to your hair because those guidelines were truly just guidelines . They wernt meant to be followed to a "t". Also make sure you deep condition as needed ! Because they also said that as well. I also think we should really be aware of how we want to wear our hair. I think different different hair styles require something a bit different . Also anthony dickey also has said that heat protectant sprays are 😅 . Enjoyed the vid ❤
To be following all the rules, techniques and products. Then for some long distance travel to see a stylist, paying $300 and do that for at a year, all to find out shortly after a 'trim' that you have split ends everywhere and your hair is incredibly damaged - that is unacceptable and the stylist should be blamed, because at the very least they should have noticed the condition of the hair.
@@adwoamk8918 i wasnt commenting on individual stylist . Plus at the end of the day its my hair and im in it majority of the time . If i feel like i need a deep condition per the actual advice from bgc ( i.e deep conditioning is a treatment use as needed , thats what im going to do 🤷🏾♀️
I haven’t used raw oils and butter since 2015. I learned to do a wash n go from RU-vid videos featuring Anthony Dickey. I use deep conditioner when my hair feels dry 🤷🏽♀️. The only time I’ve experienced Velcro ends and mid strand splits was when I was using raw oils, butter, and weak shampoos. The use of oils and butters coupled with ineffective cleansing caused extreme dryness. Now I use milder shampoos regularly and “all purpose” sparingly because I usually use water soluble styling products. I say all that to say, the issue is over cleansing which is contributing to extreme dryness. Not sure why the stylists are reluctant to say that.
Thank you for speaking on this. I’ve been doing this method for almost 3 years and although my hair looks amazing (very defined) I’ve noticed that I have more shedding and split ends. Also before doing this method my hair was to my waist and I haven’t reached that length again. My hair feels dry and I’m not sure what to do. I haven’t use butters or oils at all. I only use the four products. I just started using deep conditioners again and my hair loves it. I want to go back to adding leave ins or something because I’m not sure why my hair isn’t doing so well. Also I don’t have stylist near me so I haven’t been able to see anybody and I hate the passive aggressiveness that comes up when we as clients talk about not being able to access a stylist whether it is location or money. I just feel like there isn’t enough communication between stylists and clients. It’s super frustrating especially because I have been pretty devout to the method. My hair is colored and I trim my hair about every 5-6 months but I have so many split ends and my hair looks like the strands you showed in the video. This comment may be all over the place but I’m happy you’re speaking up about this because there haven’t been any answers
Sounds like you already have the answers for yourself . Clearly your previous methods were working and you should start using leave in and deep conditioning again . Why do you need people to tell you what to do ? Can’t you think for yourself ? Stop putting so much faith in people and think for yourself . A lot of the specialist don’t know WTF they are talking about and what works for you . Only YOU know what’s best for YOUR hair . Babe listen to your hair . That’s it that’s all .
The scalp produces sebum. But if you add too much oil on your scalp, you will destroy that balance. Meaning, your scalp will decrease sebum production, which makes your scalp itch, which then leads folks to use more oil on their scalp. Same for using lip balm. Too much and your lips forgets how to naturally moisturize. Also, I love oils and butters but I OD'd on it and it raised the cuticles of my hair, which caused a LOT of knots and sticking together. I cut way back and use a apple cider vinegar rinse every single time I wash my hair.
My house hasn’t had issues but I did start using bond builders simultaneously because my logic was the manipulation of weekly wash and gos goes against the fragility of each weak point in coily hair…. I dunno agreed tho there is no one size fits all especially for the extreme variety of our hair and no go on the curly cut never made sense for me lol. Anywho I’m glad you’re speaking on this in as objective of a stance as you can
Oh i just thought about it... I know everyone is mentioning you connect with curly chemist but i think another insightful perspective to have would be from Naturally High who i know really researches and studies afro hair/natural hair. She's done a video a couple years back i think disapproving of the no oils no butters and provided science based studies to support her claims. A cosmetologist, cosmetic chemist, and a trichologist point of view would have nearly all the bases covered on this topic.
Manes by Mel is a good source for some info. She’s not 4C but she’s very knowledgeable. Look in the playlist for Hair and Beauty Myths. She did one specifically about oils.
Hi Jenn, longtime viewer (since 2017), first time commenting… I love, love your channel especially wash day routines (anything to do with hair, in fact) and these sit down chats. Curly Chemist is also GREAT in teaching about hair care, oils & butters, etc. I would love to see a question/answer collaboration with you both. Keep up the good work, it really is helping us. Thank you!
I love the idea of the curly cut and simplifying your hair routine for better balance and emotional health. I don't have my curly cut yet but I still want it and will do it without cutting out oils and butters and still using "bad gels" sometimes. That's my plan and I am sticking to it.
I'm with you Jenn. My scalp has never felt better. I worked many of my favorite products back into my routine and after figuring out what worked. I use oils, but not butters. I no longer have cabinets full of products. I only do wash and gos in the summer. I twist/braid and put my hair away during the cooler months. I wish I was near Narada. Otherwise, I'm leery of letting a stylist near my head. I will just keep doing my own thing.
I stopped using raw oils and butters and I co-wash using conditioner ever other day. I shampoo using a moisturising shampoo every Saturday. Before I shampoo I pre poo with natural aloe Vera gel. Since I’ve been doing this wash and go method the small bald spots are starting to grow. I use light oil at the ends of my hair before I apply the styling gel. I’ve never seen my hair look and feel so good. When I was using oils on my scalp, it was inflamed and bumpy. I definitely trouble shoot and have found what works for me. It takes me half an hour to do my hair which isn’t long. I have stopped using a tonne of products like before and I’m keeping it simple. My hair is thanking me for it.
Love bgc, learned how to do my hair from them. Encorporating well-formulated clay rinses (Innersense and Trepadora ) and leave-ins and deep conditioner saved my hair I'm sure.. The tangling of the strands w the gels alone is probably ripping up ppls hair while styling.
This feels like when the chickens came home to roost on the “maximum hydration/cherry lola” method. All the promises of looser hair texture fell apart and the RU-vidr who peddled it just disappeared off the internet.
Cherry Lola shared that information for free. So there really wasn't anything to "peddle". Putting baking soda which has a PH of 8/9 and calling it a moisture treatment was a terrible idea. Bentonite clay is also Alkaline. Also a bad idea.
I also had to understand what my hair really feels like, the surface texture which is course. once I began to understand what my hair feels like, I stopped chasing that product coating feeling. I used to think my hair coated with product was moistured hair. It's just coated hair nit hydrated hair. I listen to my hair and that's that.
I do the no raw oils no raw butters method and my hair is okay. It hasn’t really made a difference in length or in density but it is softer to the touch even after 2 weeks w/o washing (I’m depressed lol weekly is impossible). I use Mielle products that have a good amount of water in them and still some oil (water is high up in the list of ingredients). I love this bc in formulated products, there’s an emulsifier to mix the water and the oil. 🤷🏾♀️ I get quarterly trims but my length is slowlyyyyyy growing.
I havent used oils or butters and havent experienced any issues. I have started to incorporate leave ins though, Im not ever returning back to heavy ass shea butter though or grease
Crazy. This is crazy. I do exactly what you do jen, listen to my hair, simplify my routine, live my life, s/o to the OGs on RU-vid university for holding me down for 5+ years. If it aint broke, dont fix it. Great content jen
I do not use gel and mousse!!! Too much flaking!!! Prefer old school hair care: Water and hair pomades!! This keeps my hair moisturized the most!!! Oils and butters do dry the hair and scalp!!! Water is the best moisturizer along with hair pomades/grease! Old School. Thank you for your video/tutorial advice!!!
SAME! Water and grease. Like you, when I try to use a gel I end up having to wash my hair soon after because my hair gets hella flaky. And I've tried different gels, different quantities, etc. and nothing seems to help. Looks like I have to keep kicking it old school styles.
I agree that there should be a dialogue to find solutions. Just suggesting some modifications that may help would go a long way in ending the controversy.
The thing is by the time they came around. Or when I was first hearing about it, I had my hair routine down. My hair was growing and was healthy so I didn’t see why I would need to change my routine. I started to see every few years it was going to be a “new” thing in the nhc and I was over it. So I would watch my favorite RU-vidrs talk about it. But it never affected my hair because if my routine is working and my hair is growing, then It’s nothing a stylist can tell me. No matter how many certifications they have🤷🏾♀️
I am of the same persuasion. I follow a lot of YTers and handpick ideas I want to try. I take every bit of advice with a punch of salt. My hair is generally healthy but it could be better. My barber told me to keep doing what I do cos I have no tangle issues at all. My hair is just over my ears and I detangle in less than a minute. He said that's how he judges a client's haircare routine. I have no desire to grow my hair and I need monthly trims .... So my hair is growing just fine. So like you I stick to what i know. I have been natural for longer than some of these YTers have been in planet earth
Ive been WNG for about 4 years. I've found good success with a great stylist. But, i DO deep condition every 2-3 weeks. Now, i have a short cut so l do my hair once a week for the most part and to keep shape get a cut every 2-3 months (depends)
Love the summation of this issue. I like when you said that you listen to your hair and do what you feel you need to do for it. That’s my stance as well. No two heads of hair are alike and each made need something different. Haircare is never going to be a one size fits all.
Gels are naturally drying becuz they harden and give you hold. Anything that does that is gonna dry your hair out over time. Using that consistently with no butters or oils or DC or Leave-ins for years would cause these issues. Shampoo is very important when you use oils and butters. I use moisturizing shampoos more often than clarifying shampoos and that seems to help. Consistent trims on blowdried hair helps with ragedy ends or small split ends. 3-4months is best to keeps the ends from getting out of control. When I go past 4 months my ends starts getting difficult when I add my products in my hair. 6 months or more and detangling becomes a painful struggle.
Im not really surprised at the silence on social media. I think it might be that they probably can get sued if they say the wrong thing and its proven that the hair damage is the stylists fault. At my job (not hair) if any clients post on social media we are repeatedly warned not to respond for legal reasons. The silence really pisses people off more though. Even if they did respond I dont think it would go over well.
I agree whatever they say won't go over well. Fear of lawsuit unlikely. None of the ladies on social media have actually sat in BGC's chair and BGC doesn't create any of the products...don't think you can sue someone for their recommendation
Definitely have some webbing on my ends. I think its just because my hair is fine and longer though. Its also time for a trim so not too concerned right now! My stylist did suggest a texture cream(which is full of oils and butters) for me to use every once in a while. Ill keep doing it cause I dont want to be a product junkie anymore. 😂
I live in the desert. I MUST use leave-in conditioner, castor oil, and Luster's S Curl activator (Jeri curl juice) on my hair. And I also do the pulling method. My hair is healthy and grows like grass. I know what works for my hair and nobody can deter me otherwise.
I started my natural hair journey 4 yrs ago during quarantine and discovered them followed the whole no oils no butters for a while kept at it and now my hair is damaged and I’ll have to start over and slowly cut the damage off
I was using the leave in conditioners alot and gels. My hair was shedding so much and hard and dry, and not growing. I stopped using both. I do deep conditioning now a lot. I also do hot oil treatments with coconut and olive oil. The shea butter doesnt bother my hair and I use it with castor oil to do my twist outs. My hair is so moist now and just beautiful. I get so many compliments. Also, the shedding finally stopped. We have find what works for our hair.
Jenn, I appreciate your intellectual approach to this conversation. I truly believe some other folks have an axe to grind and are being a little messy. One can inform and find solutions without being insulting. I have a strong distaste for Trump-like vitriol.
I think you have to realize that this is a matter that hits differently for many of us because it's very personal. I'm not trying to justify anything but i think one has to also realize how much this ordeal has devastated many women. Our response is not always going to be as tactful and diplomatic as you and others might want it to be sitting back watching this all play out like some episodic Netflix series, but you don't understand the amount of trauma, deception, manipulation, abandonment, exploitation, and extortion many of these women now face and have dealt with. I see and experience it with so many of my new clients that have come in and told me some of the most ridiculous things that you wouldn't believe these stylists have done and said to them. Many people support us despite our shortcomings in this because they share our passion and sentiments in how this has all played out. The stylists' lack of response is all but confirmation of that.
I think both traditional method and the this new method can coexist. My hair also has been worse since no oils/butters era... But i believe hair care has components..scalp health, hair growth and styling.. scalp health includes washing your damn hair coz leaving your scalp for 4 weeks without washing isnt health.same as you cant go for days without bathing🤷. Conditioning overnight may cause fungal infections.. But when it comes to styling, for a better display of our hair texure, its better to use light and fewer products but those with mosturizing componens like aloevera, honey, etc...but it doesnt mean thats the only way to take care of your hair. So there is mixing of methods there
if your scalp is flaking at all, especially if you notice flaking while your scalp is wet, you may have seborrheic dermatitis. it is caused by a yeast that lives in the scalp. products like headnshoulders treat this condition. certain essential oils can also be very effective to treat it like tea tree, neem, and rosemary.
The no oil/butter method definitely gives me definition for wash&go but leaves my scalp dry. So once my hair dries completely and curls set, I oil my scalp as needed
I'm a little conflicted. On the one hand, it's kinda sketch that they won't address it directly. But I followed all of their directions and my hair is doing well. I listen to my hair and I give it what it needs. I continued using the deep conditioners because they said if your hair feels like it needs a deep conditioning do it but don't just do it just because. my hair is really dry so I deep condition every two weeks or so. If I used a gel and my hair felt dry, I would rewash my hair and use a leave in with that gel, or just don't use that gel anymore. I get hair cuts whenever I start feeling fairy knots or my hair is giving me a hard time when detangling. I'm having financial difficulties so I have been trimming myself, but I used professional scissors. I haven't had to do it more than twice this year and my hair is growing uniformly and my curl pattern has been popping. I have looked at my shed hair, and haven't seen any issues. So to each their own, I do think everyone's hair is different, but ultimately, shampoo and condition your hair weekly, style and leave it alone until the next wash day does technically apply to everyone. using the right products for your hair needs and the style you're going for also applies to everyone. I hated how my hair felt when i was using a lot of oils, but I was also not washing and conditioning my hair properly and doing the most while accomplishing little. I do sometimes wonder how it would work if I used oils in addition to how I wash my hair now, but I also don't miss leaving oil stains everywhere... So yeah. They are being shady but their advice worked for me :)
From what we have learned, people that didn’t stick my the “rules” entirely and used DC/leave-ins are fine. So basically tweaking the method is the way to go
I have mid back length, thick, dense, 3b - 4a hair...I love oils and butters...but i think the “curly girl” method of product overuse can make oils and butters do bad things to hair. I wash my hair every 2-3 weeks...i do a hot oil treatment to my hair and scalp before every wash...once my hair is clean and straight and conditioned, i don’t apply any additional oils until a few days before wash day and my hair is in a bun or ponytail, i apply it to condition my scalp and ends before washing....when i wash my hair for a protective style, (most the time mini twists recently) i do the exact same routine, but whipped Shea butter is how i seal my ends in a protective style. I apply once no more than twice a week to curly ends or where my hair ends in a extension braid or Twist. I oil my scalp once a week. I am VERY pro oils and butters but i think the curly community has resulted in a lot of misuse which damaged hair. When i was in my twist out era and apply product daily...my ends were ate up.
I still think we're not considering the implications of the COVID pandemic in this. I'm going on my 4th year using the method. Like you, I had scalp issues and prior methods were causing dandruff and scalp discomfort; however, this method has not only shown how to cleanse my hair better, but it I have a style that I really like (and I get tons of compliments on). I used Black Girl Curls as a resource from time to time, mostly to see how to style my own hair, but my product selection came entirely from my stylist. When I first sat in her chair, she touched my hair and said, "you need to use a protein treatment" and gave me a protein deep conditioner (The Trepadora one). Six months later, my hair was much stronger and I was experiencing less breakage. When I went on a medicated shampoo, she touched my hair and warned me that I was overly stripping my hair. We modified which conditioner I used to remedy this issue. Now, I get my hair cut every 2 months just because of how quickly it grows and my scalp issues are a non-issue. When I talked with my stylist about this topic, she said she hasn't seen this issue in any of her clients and she's not sure what exactly happened to cause the issue. Thinking about my prior story, if we didn't make those adjustments, could we identify the problem as a lack of protein vs. using a strong shampoo? Scientifically, no. I think this is where the silence is coming from and why they feel RU-vid isn't a safe place. The answer may not lie in, "it's Product X" or "Technique Y", but it could involve something much more complex or like I noted in the beginning, COVID-19, which is known to affect the human body in many ways, including issues with the hair and scalp. Just my perspective. For reference, my routine is below: 1. Medicated Shampoo for SebDerm 2. Innersense Hydrating Cream Hairbath Conditioner + Innersense Color Radiant Conditioner (50/50 ratio) 3. Detangle with Felicia Leatherwood 4. Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic 5. Optional: Innersense I Create Hold for a more defined look, but I do sometimes just use UFD alone for a more afro look. Get's my hair from dirty to dry and styled in 1.5 hours.
Sounds like your hair may be okay because you aren't using 2-3 gels and "freezing" your hair into a style for 7 days. I too go for a more afro look and don't use a lot of stylers. I really think it is the hard holding gels that are causing a lot of the issues. I think they are drying out the hair shaft over a period of time. But you are correct...COVID if one had it could be a issue to consider.
No, but foreal. I know the more popular stylists such as BGC should be willing to talk about this, but I don't like how most of the women who had damage didn't hold their personal stylists accountable. They were trained professionals, after all. How did these women go months and months under their care without them catching the damage? Cut It Kinky should have served more as continuing education. They are licensed professionals who should be able to tell when hair is damaged. That comes from hair school, not Cut It Kinky. And you are right in that stylists such as Elaine or BGC wouldn't necessarily be able to identify what is causing issues because they have never touched the hair of the women who are experiencing damage. From what I see, their clients are happy (the ones I see on Instagram anyways). And it's a hit and miss for each person. Some were using the shampoos and have experienced no damage, others were not so lucky. Also, what at-home practices were being done by each person? It all matters. They should have gone back to their personal stylist first to troubleshoot the issue and then BGC. That might be why none of the stylists feel safe anymore. It's all turned into a slander campaign. There are only a few people still trying to find solutions rather than just point fingers and tearing down (on both sides). And I wanna say that the ones who are tearing down are picking and choosing the damage they platform. Not everyone had damage, so let's not dismiss everyone's experiences and say the whole method is trash. I've personally seen many stylist who were trying to help, but their content didn't go viral. Same with women who had no damage. But I wish the stylist wouldn't be so concerned about gatekeeping and selling courses and now to be quiet about everything. Nah, yall were loud before, continue to be loud now.
@@kkwgirl1 may I ask which 2 or 3 gels freeze hair into place. The ones mentioned in the comments curly magic and I create hold are the ones used by many bgc followers
Trepadora DC is one of my favs. Appreciate your perspective. I agree about the silence people are looking to blame product x and technique y ...but the conversations (plural) that need to happen are much more nuanced. The resolution won't be the same for everyone.