Hola Chicas!
Since I’m on a gel kick, I thought, why not try the king of all gels… the heavy weight in the natural world… the infamous Kinky Curly Curling Custard!
I was not a huge fan of the leave-in (left me a little sticky) but I have high hopes for the gel after reading all of the rave reviews. I’ve secured a jar and plan to shampoo, condition and re-style tonight or tomorrow night. My question to you…
What should I use as a leave-in underneath?
Someone on YouTube via Naturallycurly gave advise to use coconut oil prior to applying for better results.
Use Shea moisture's curl enhancing smoothie under it. I'm telling you your hair will be soft with less crunch. I also used aloe vera juice if you've got some. I put all of this on top of the Knot today.
i think that this product only works well if you are trying to slick your hair up. otherwise when i have used it on two strands are as a leave in it left my hair DRY, CRUNCHY, and with a lot of shrinkage….I don't like it that much.
KCCC is the truth for my 4b hair. It's the only product that allows me to get all this thickness into a managable sleek bun. the trick is to do it in the shower while your hair is soaking wet. i tried it after i got out once and was almost in hysterics by how much it swelled and I couldn't get it in a holder to save my life. lol
I mix the knot today with oils and shea butter leave in apply it detangle (of course in sections) then i dip my hair under the shower head real quick to re-wet it (again, my hair is really thick so water soaks in like a sponge) I comb my hair back with a wide tooth shower comb and liberally apply the KCCC. It smooths that sucker right on out just enough to pull it into an ouchless ponytail and I tie my edges with a thin strip of satin while i sit under a hooded dryer. A lot I know but this protective style lasts me almost two weeks. Also this method keeps me from pulling my hair to tight trying to bun it dry.
I tried KCCC with Karen's Hair Milk and got ok results. For me, it works best with Knot today. The definition is better and lasts longer. It took me a couple of tries to get the amounts of each product right. If it's too crunchy, I work some of the styling pomade through, or Hair milk with a little oil mixed in. I really don't like the shampoo. It feels like I'm washing my hair with Prell.
i HAVE REALLY CURLY 3C OR KINKY CURLY HAIR…
I USE KCCGEL WITH GIOVANNI DIRECT LEAVE IN CONDISH…COCONUT OIL…AND VITAMIN E OIL…
I ALSO CO WASH WITH LOREAL SULFATE FREE CONDISH IT HAS PEPPERMINT IN IT FEELS SOO GOOD I DETANGLE THEN PUT KNOT TODAY AND GIOVANNI DIRECT THEN I GET OUT OF SHOWER AND PUT GEL IN MY HANDS AND I SHAKE MY HEAD WITH MY HANDS CLOSE TO HAIR SO IT WILL CATCH THE CURLS AND WONT FRIZZ HEY I KNOW THIS SOUNDS WEIRD BUT HEY MAN ITS WORKING SO IM NOT HATING ON THIS CUZ IM JUST HAPPY IT WORKS 🙂
I use KCCC all the time. And when I run out of KC Knor Today, I use either Say Yes To Cucumbers or Giovanni Direct Leave-In. I love both of them!
Giovanni Direct for clumping and frizz + a little VO5 for moisture, sealed with a little grapeseed oil! Yum yum.
IMO, the trick to you KCCC is to follow the entire regimen and don't over do it with the Knot Today, leave a small amount in.
And not to shingle or rake and smooth when applying it, but use your Denman to brush through the sections as you apply. This will make sure you get an even application. Then tossle your hair into the style you choose. I get less stickiness this way, more definition and a longer lasting style. HTH.
Definitely use the Knot Today with it! They go together – like peanut butter and jelly!
Tammy G
I usually use Elucence conditioner or Giovanni Direct Leave-in under the KCCC. But I recommend mixing it with a little Knot Today. Somehow using the KT and KCCC in combination really lessen the occurrence of the crunchiness many people complain about when using the gel. Another tip would be to smooth a very small amount of leave-in on top of the gel. I'm always left with very defined, soft curls.
If there ever is crunch, I gently tug/smooth my hair (as if I'm pulling my hair into a ponytail) and my hair is decrunchified! Hope this helps. Let us know what you choose =)
I like Kinky Curly Curling Custard with Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Milk (now called Sweet Ambrosia). It allows my hair to dry soft and I still get definition. I mention the definition because some people say they don't get good definition if they don't use Knot Today with the Curling Custard. That or they get white balls. I think the Curling Custard doesn't like oil so much. The Knot Today conditioner…sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. The Curling Custard definitely works well with it, I just don't work well with it lol Sometimes it gets the tangles out, sometimes I stuggle. Maybe I don't always have it soaking wet enough. Anyway, Karen's always works. Gotta love consistency.
I have been using KCC for some time and found that the products wore best when you use the whole system. Just don't use too much gel…that is why it gets cruncy or sticky.
i definitely like the kinky curly leave in. and lately i am LOVING tressemme's curl conditioner with vitamin b1. who knew a $4 bottle of conditioner could bring this much joy!
I suggest using the Knot Today Conditioner. In order to avoid the sticky feeling, apply the products to soaking wet hair. See my results for yourself:
http://no1blkbeauty.blogspot.com/2010/07/kinky-curly-experiment.html
http://no1blkbeauty.blogspot.com/2010/08/more-on-kinky-curly.html
I want to try this too. They're selling it at Urban Outfitters…but with the Miss Jessie's debacle I'm wary of buying anything in-store.
http://collegecurlies.blogspot.com/
You probably already know this Nikki, but the KCCC is not made for any other leave in condish other than the Knot Today. I see at least one poster suggested the Shea Moisture and maybe that person doesn't know that you cannot use Shea butters with the KCCC… If you want to use a light leave in conditioner you can use Infusium 23 before you use the Knot Today.
I will definitely try spraying the light moisturizer in my hair prior to showering. I already have the jane carter leave-in and didn't think to put it in beforehand. Thanks for the tip!
I just went bc'ed yesterday after being natural for almost a year and then broke down and relaxed.Now, I've used kinky curly before and HATE HATE HATED IT. So, I used it yesterday in an attempt to try to master this product. I washed and conditioned with nioxin and then applied knot today to dripping wet hair. Then I applied kccc by mixing a dime size amount with water to my twa in sections. I have 4a/b hair and REALLY made sure my hair was dripping wet. When sections began to dry I rewet my hair with a spray water bottle throughout the day. It dried and looks BEAUTIFUL!!! Pics of it are on my hair blog http://curlconfessions.blogspot.com . I'm going to get their shampoo come clean and see if I get even better results.
I've only used Knot Today with the KCCC. Make sure your hair is dripping wet and a little goes a long way with the KCCC. That's how I used it for my wash n' go.
As for twistouts: I've used KCCC to "freshen up" a week old twistout a while back and it worked pretty well. I used Knot Today as my laeve-in when I originally did the twists and when I went to refresh the twistout later that week, I just dampened my hair by spraying each section then I applied a little KCCC and retwisted. It came out nicely, so KCCC does work for twistouts but you have to use it very sparingly. Good luck!
I discovered the key to Kinky Curly is less is more! I have a TWA and $a/b hair and i put a medium sized amount of Knot Today in my hair. And your hair must be dripping wet when you apply the curling custard. If any of your hair dries out wet it immediately or mix water in your hand with the curling custard when you apply it. Then if you have any visible white drops on your head dab it with a paper towel when finished and my hair dries perfectly with well defined curls. I used it today and got so many compliments on my hair–someone asked me if I put a texturizer in it!
ladies, i live in the DMV area and i use KC. i get 3-4 day hair with KCCC and, to refresh my hair every morning, i just use a light moisturizing spray before i hop in the shower. i don't rewet it, but the steam and the spray work well in re-plumping my curls. Oyin's spray, jane carter's leave-in spray, and even a rosewater spray work well. just a light mist before showering and i'm good.
As others have said the knot today is for curl definition and moisture and the curling custard is for hold. It took me 2-3 months to figure that out. I've been using the kinky curly line all summer and the results change depending on the amount of product you use. That's what has caused me to search for a product that's a little more consistent. If you haven't washed all product out of your hair it doesn't matter how well you apply it. It's not gonna work.
Right now I'm using shea moisture curling enhancing smoothie as a leave in and silk elements gel for hold and definition. So far so good! Good luck!
I hope you have good results, because I followed the directions with KCCC using Knot Today in varying amounts and still my hair felt like cotton candy and melted gummi bears…couldn't wait to wash that out. The Knot Today was not wasted as I used it as part of a leave in mix (from Kimmay Tube suggestion), but the KCCC jar is about 3/4 full. Needless to say, I will never buy KCCC again. Check out Amber / Curly Chronicles as she got some great results.
I am sorry that I do not have a product to add to the list because I have not used KCCC. I am interested in what others are suggesting and what results you will have after using it. So who else has another suggestion? I am … we are reading here LOL!
The Knot Today and Curling Custard work together quite well and are really meant for each other. The amount should depend on the thickness and coarseness of your hair. Also the style will dictate the amount. You need less for twisting, more for wash & go. The product dries clear. so if it's white, it's wet, that's all. No time to wait? Set in twists. Results last for ages with a little steam or water in the shower. My hair is coarse so I usually seal over the KCCC with a cream but you may not need that. I would suggest an tiny amount of oil based moisturizer, then KT, then the CC. Keep us posted. swoodward
I would suggest using coconut oil or Giovanni Direct Leave-In if you don't want to wet your hair each morning. I love that stuff. It gets crazily cold and dry in my hometown and all fall and winter long I plan to use coconut oil on my entire body…the stuff is magical.
I'm in the Northeast and as the temperature gets cooler I'm not going to want to wet my hair every morning. So what should I use to refresh my curls instead of water?
knot today is the best everything else leaves white residue and remember a little go a long way use too much and it looks like snot in your hair
VO5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I trust nothing else.
I like KCCC but I have to agree day 1 is always kind of interesting. However, I like to refresh my hair by just dunking my head in the shower and shaking it out throughout the week. I don't have to add anymore product and the stickiness goes away. The curls seem to look a lot better as well, IMO…
I would suggest giving the KCKT leave-in another try. Underneath the custard, I can't see it going wrong. After co-washing my hair w/ Herbal Essense Hello Hydration, I apply & leave in a tad bit of Herbal Essence Totally Twisted and then apply a small amount of the Knot Today (just enough for my whole head- making sure to get the ends) and once I'm out of the shower, I seal w/ my coconut oil, style however I'm planning to and use my custard. Then, here come all of the compliments! 😉
I finally bought KCCC at Target this week and have been using it with KCKT that I had already. So far I do like the results except for some crunchiness. I bc'd 2 months ago and my hair length is now about 3 inches long. I'm still experimenting and will try to add some oil on my twa before putting in any products. My question is, how do I refresh my curls after day 1?
Hello, I strongly suggest that you use the knot today with the KCC to get the best results. The KEY thing to remember is to use the KCC sparingly. If you use too much, your hair will be gummy and sticky. But with that said I use it for only wash-n-go's. At the end of the day, you can get the same results using EcoStyler which is the best gel on earth! If you use it, apply using the shingling method. Hope it works for you.
I don't love KCCC, but it works when I need it to I guess. I usually use Giovanni Direct Leave In, which I love. My Target hasn't had it in stock for a couple of weeks now, so I've been using Coconut Oil which seems to have okay results.
Hey Nikki, I say the giovanni direct leave in should work well 😀
I used it with a little aussie moist and coconut oil. I never mastered the wash n go…i used it for twists, worked like a charm but I find my eco styler gel works just as well and costs much less.
I can not stress how important it is to follow the instructions your first time using this product. Use KCKT underneath the KCCC. When you get the hang of things, experiment with other leave-ins. But please follow the directions and use KCKT initally. I was one of those people who didn't do this and got less than stellar results, now it's my HG.
My hair loves the Knot Today, but I've tried using the KCCC in a variety of ways and it just didn't work for me. It left my hair sticky and limp. I turned my co-worker onto the line, though, and her hair looks great, but she did tell me that it is crunchy and tends to flake.
I've also heard that it won't give great results if you don't remove the "residue" from other non-KC products from your hair.
I agree with Carmen…try coconut oil…it will alleviate the crunchiness and I had no stickiness either.
TheRYL1
I have tried KCCC several times (the Custard on top of the Knot Today) and have gotten awful results each and every time. It leaves me with wet, gummy jherri curl-like results no matter what length I work with. This line is just not for me.
I've found that a liberal application of coconut oil before using the knot today and KCCC alleviated the crunchi-/stickiness. Before I found that I HATED the whole KC line.
Alternatively, I use the Giovanni leave-in on top of coconut oil before using the KCCC.
i love KCCC but you have to get acclimated to what works for your hair type and length with it, I suggest not using a heavy leave in (will incur white residue, and possible oil before or after to reduce crunchiness. Your hair is longer so you will want to shingle it in. But as stated, a little goes a long way!
I love KCCC! I just got it in not too long ago myself and haven't gotten a chance to do anything with it yet, but I plan on using your techniques!
I would use the Knot Today with the KCCC. In my experience and most of the experiences I saw on YT using the products together will give you the best results. I think the KT defines the curls, while the KCCC holds the curls. I didn't experience crunchiness but moisturized, soft hair when it was dry. I have tried the KT with the KCCC and it was ok when used with another product but I didn't like it by itself. But I would definitely try them both together than trying them separately.
I hated KCCC when I first bought it and I mean "hate!". It did not work with my hair at all when I first BC'd because my hair was still so dry. As my hair grew and and started to retain moisture again, I reopened the jar and tried to use it again. I haven't looked back since….I already have curl definition but KCCC majorly gives it even more definition, shine and hold. Yes, it can get a lil sticky and crunchy but i don't have to do anything to my hair for a whole week! As a matter of fact, I just went a whole two weeks without washing my hair and the KCCC still held up for that long!
When I first wash my hair, I use KCCC with Knot Today….to freshen it up I use it with my leave-in conditioner/spray mix which includes Knot Today, Giovanni Direct leave-in, water, EVOO, and either aloe oil, avocado oil, or rosemary oil. All together with the KCCC, gives my hair great slip and maximum hold.
Hey Nikki,
Gia is beautiful. I found that KCCC left my hair hard and crunchy no matter what I did. If you find that you don't like it, two must try gels are Afroveda PUR Whipped Gelly, and Curl Junkie Aloe Fix. Curl Junkie is the truth! I also love their Curls in A Bottle.
i'm with Nucurly. as an avid WNGer, i've had success using knot today with HETT. i've heard that Tresemme and Giovanni products work well too. also, i section my hair in 4s and smush the product through, then i add some CD mimosa hair honey on top. i put a microfiber towel on for about 10 minutes and diffuse on low for 10 minutes. this combats the dry crunchy feeling and it smells great. so, moisture under and over and you can get a 4-day wash and go.
I section my hair in six sections. I wash, condition detangle, and deep condition. Then I wash out the DC, and let my hair air dry. I wake up in the morning and spray each section with water, then put a nickle size amount of Knot Today on each section. I then cover my finger tip amount, and work each section row by row. My hair is short so this helps with shrinkage. I've been using KCCC for about three weeks now, and my hair is well mostiurized. I apply it twice a week (Sunday/Wednesday mornings). I fluff and spritz with water mixed with peppermint oil to referesh between washes. My hair doesn't feel crunchy at all. Hope this helps 🙂
I thought KCCC was for wash and go's. If you need a gel to use on twist outs and braid outs, I'd suggest ecostyler (the clear one) or Fantasia IC Aloe Vera gel.
I've KCCC tried it many times and gotten ok results. Tried it with Knot Today and the results were ok, tried it with Tresemme Naturals and got the same ok results. be careful with how much product you use esp. since you have fine hair like I do. Honestly, Herbal Essence totally twisted (only $3) with a thick leave in gives me the best wash n go. I learned about that gel from you!!!!!! Regardless please let us know you results.
I have great success with any of suave naturals conditioners as a leave in, which afterwards I added a little coconut oil as well. My hair didn't like the knot today. It's amazing how peoples hair respond differently to the 2 products. My daughters hair looks great with the knot today as a leave in. When I first tried Kinky curly I tried shingling my hair and when it dried it was crunchy and looked as if I had a jerri curl. I finally figured out that my hair doesn't need a lot of the gel to look nice. I actually divide my (APL – arm pit length hair) into 3-4 section and finger comb a small amount of gel through. It gives me a soft defined wash and go, or a defined braidout. This gel lasts and lasts. It's well worth it!!
I have used Giovanni Direct Leave In and Organix Coconut conditioner underneath the KC with good results. I really like KCCC because The 2nd day hair always looks just as good as the 1st day.
I meant KCC
I've experimented with all types of leave in conditioners under the gel and lots of them don't work well with the KKC. The best for me are a small amount of Knot Today on really wet hair or the old school Infusium leave in.
I've tried KKCC several times, and I am in the minority I guess when I say "I did not like it". I dont like the texture of it at all or the stickiness once applied. I dont know if I am just applying it wrong??But I'll keep trying it when I have no where to go.lol
I used KKCC for the first time last week too and while I liked to results I didn't like the slight crunch and no matter how much I fluffed it or added more water, it still had that crunch and felt like product in my hair. I don't like either things. But I think I may have used too much of the KKCC so I'm going to try again. The knot today leave in, wasn't impressive but I guess it worked. I personally like giovanni's leave in conditioner.
I personally like to use the shea mositure restorative conditioner, but not too much because it can leave a residue.
I found that I had to use the whole system together in order to get the best results. I used the shampoo, the Knot Today leave in and the KCCC. I once used a different leave in and the results were not good at all.
Use the Knot Today Leave-In. Your experience might be different this time now that you'll be pairing it with KCCC.
But if you're totally turned off to Knot Today, YouTuber Taren916 says the new Tresemme Naturals Conditioner is also a good substitute for Knot Today when using KCCC.
Try using a small amount of the Knot Today
Something light…KCCC has the tendency to be sticky as well, so a small size will do best
herbal essences long term relationship leave in lovee it