You are about to discover how to infuse your hair with moisture AND make your wash and go’s look better without taking two hours to shingle product through your hair!
I don’t know about you, but I have never been a big fan of WnG’s on my hair. I always had to use half the jar of gel and my hair ended up feeling crunchy with white residue galore.
Ew!
So I gave up on the style. Too much time and effort for cakey, shrunken hair.
Even if you are not a fan of WnGs, stick around. The max hydration method described below can be done with a twist out instead of a wash and go.
Hellooooo Maximum Hydration Method! Where Have You Been All My Life????
I first read about The Maximum Hydration Method on Pinke Cube’s site and discovered that the reason my hair didn’t like WnG’s was because it was too dry.
You may think you are moisturizing your hair enough, but if you’re using lots of sulfates, “cones” (products that have ingredients ending in -cone) or not applying water-based moisturizers enough, your hair could be thirsty.
There’s a whole lot of science behind why the method works (and you really should ONLY use the recommended products), but the bottom line is…
When your hair doesn’t have enough moisture, it shrinks up more and needs more product to stay moisturized.
So when your hair is fully hydrated, the opposite happens.
You’ll also have stronger hair, fewer tangles and your natural pattern will come out.
See the steps below…
5 Steps to Max Hydration
Don’t get too discouraged by this, but you’re really supposed to do this for 7 days in a row the very first time you do it. The idea is to get your hair to its maximum hydration level.
After it reaches that, you can do it every few days.
I only did it for 3 days total and I didn’t do it daily. I did the 5 steps every OTHER day.
And even though I didn’t do it 7 days straight as suggested, I still got great results! One day I may try 7 days consecutively.
For Best Results…
If you really want elongated, defined curls not only should you do this daily for the first 7 days, BUT you need to section your hair and saturate your strands from root to tip to make sure every strand is coated.
I admittedly didn’t saturate every strand so that’s probably why my hair is poofier than it could be. But I’m OK with that. I actually like a fuller, fro look.
******** IMPORTANT *********
For the first day, it’s recommended you do the Cherry Lola Treatment (CLT) instead of step 1 below. It’s a protein treatment that also helps moisturize your hair. You mix…
- 16 oz. of full-fat, plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp of baking soda
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos (found in soy sauce aisle of health food store)
PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE NOTE! Baking soda is known to have a relaxing effect on the hair and could loosen your curl pattern temporarily. So please be careful or use a very small amount if you are concerned about this. You have been warned.
Apply mixture to your hair and let it sit for 30 minutes under a plastic cap and rinse. Then proceed to step 2 below. The remaining days do steps 1-5. The CLT should not be done more than every two weeks.
I would highly recommend sectioning your hair into at least 4 sections and keeping it that way. Your hair will be so much easier to work with. And as your hair becomes more hydrated, the process gets faster because there are fewer tangles and your hair is softer.
Step 1) Clarify your hair with a mixture of 1-3 tablespoons of baking soda, water and 1 to 3.5 oz. of silicon-free, natural conditioner.
The first time I did the method I used TRESsemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner with Aloe and Avocado, but now I use Knot Today.
If your hair is fairly clean or sensitive to baking soda, limit the amount you use.
You can also use a 1:1 ratio of apple cider vinegar (the Braggs brand is great) and water. I didn’t try this option. I always use conditioner and baking soda.
Section your hair in at least 4 sections and add the mixture to your hair from root to tip. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse out with warm water.
This step helps clean your hair (baking soda or apple cider vinegar) without stripping it of moisture (conditioner adds moisture).
Here’s my hair after applying the baking soda/water/conditioner solution.
Apply to wet hair in sections and let sit under a plastic cap for 15-20 minutes.
You can also apply room-temp conditioner, wear a plastic cap, wrap up your hair in a silk scarf and sleep with conditioner overnight.
It’s actually best to let it sit overnight and I do notice better results when I do this, but if you are in a hurry, the heated option works too.
Rinse out. Detangle in the shower while rinsing (preferably with your fingers).
Make sure the water is warm or your clay won’t dissolve.
Apply to wet hair in sections and very carefully with a towel handy (because it’s very messy). Be sure to lift up sections of your hair and distribute clay from root to tip.
The clay is detoxifying your hair and prepping it to absorb and retain moisture.
Rinse clay with warm water. Be sure it’s completely rinsed out or your hair will get dry.
Step 4) While your hair is soaking wet (and I do mean soaking wet), apply a silicon-free conditioner one section at a time. I prefer Knot Today.
If you are doing a wash and go, rinse your hair for a quick second (literally) under the shower after applying.
Step 5) Immediately apply a botanical gel on soaking wet hair. I use Kinky Curly Curly Custard (buy at Target or online). Do NOT use gel with protein like Eco Styler. It should be a botanical gel. Goddess Curls (by Curls) is another and you can also use flaxseed gel. (See my homemade recipe for the flaxseed gel here.)
The wetter your hair is when applying, the better the product will dissolve and not leave that residue.
I would NOT recommend waiting until you are out of the shower. Apply the gel IMMEDIATELY.
You can shingle it through small sections if you want for extreme definition, but I just apply generously by raking through each section one or two time. This is best for a fuller look.
It takes me 5 minutes total to apply the 2 products. Yes, those days of shingling are over.
Let hair air dry. To speed up the drying process wring excess water with a T-shirt by gently squeezing the hair (towel makes hair frizzy). Shake head in shower or over tub to get even more excess water out.
If you see residue, you either did one or more of the following…
- You used too much gel (as your hair gets hydrated you need less).
- You didn’t ensure your hair was soaking wet when you applied the gel
- You didn’t smooth gel through your hair
If you don’t like gel, you can apply a natural oil if you wish. You just won’t have the definition. You can also twist your hair and do a twist out if you wish.
You may not notice a big difference in your hair after the first treatment. But you will definitely see a difference by the 3rd day.
Here’s my wet hair after step five…
What Happens When You Stop The Method?
To get the best results, you should do the method consistently until your hair reaches max hydration. You will know because your hair will have definition from root to tip when your hair is product free.
After that, you should do all steps every 3-4 days to keep your hair hydrated.
I never did the method until I reached max hydration. I was happy with the results after 3 days. Plus, baking soda can alter your texture (loosen curls) and I didn’t want that to happen.
Afterwards I started doing the method every 4 days for about a week and a half. Then I would do some of the steps every 3-4 days.
For example, I would only do steps 1, 4 and 5 (skipping the deep conditioning overnight and the clay). My hair still looked great but not quite as stretched.
The pic on the right is my hair after only doing steps 1, 4 and 5. Notice my curls are still very clumped and defined, but my hair is more shrunken than the above pics (less hydration).
Also remember, I never take time to shingle the gel through every strand. (Ain’t nobody got time for that!) 🙂 I literally just smooth it through one section at a time.
So my curls are not even as defined as they could be. But I like a fuller look.
So you don’t have to do the full method everyday to get good results. But even if I don’t do all 5 steps, I still do steps 1, 4 and 5 to maintain some degree of hydration.
Since I started the method, I have not gone more than 4 days without washing my hair. This is ideal since your hair can get tangled with wash and go’s.
Got Questions?
I’ve started a maximum hydration thread in the forums.
For complete details on the method and product alternatives for the various steps, see the site that taught and inspired me.
I did the knot today over night and then the rest of the steps the following day is that ok or did I mess up ?
That’s perfectly fine. A lot of people do that step overnight for the extra conditioning benefits.
Hi, I am in high school, which means i have to wake up early, get ready, go outside and catch the bus. Every morning when I’m walking to the bus stop my hair starts to frizz up because of the humidity. Like yesterday, I am all natural so i usually leave my hair out and it had waves and looked great but when i walked out the door the humidity messed up my hair and it was really poofy and it’s bothering me, even though i only have two more days of school(yay) I would like to know what you think i should do for my hair.
Yay for school being out! 🙂 Natural hair is going to frizz but there are products like gels that will help hold your hair a little better. For example if you set your hair with a little bit of Eco Styler gel that will put a barrier between your hair and the moisture in the air. But I’m not a fan of too much gel. But if you are doing a twist out for example, add some gel to your twisting product for a better hold.
Hi Lisa! I love this blog. I’ve been following your work since 2createawebsite.
I have a question. How long do I leave the bentonite clay in? Forgive me if you already addressed this somewhere.
Hi Lisa,
Today I found your article about MHM via Pinterest and I love it. I’ve read about the method before, but didn’t really find an article where it is explained this clear! So thank you for that. I already ordered some of the products online, so hopefully I can start next Monday. And thank God for globalization so I can get all the products you use in the USA. Since I live in Holland, not all products are available at our stores.
I can’t wait to try the method out!
Greetings from Holland.
Wow! I’m so glad I found this article. I just did Day 1 and OMG!! I already see a BIG difference in my hair. THANK You 🙂
Yaaay! Glad to hear it. 🙂
Hello. Before reading your blog I was about half way sure that I wanted to go natural because I dreaded the days from my childhood when my gram had to comb through my hair and it sounded like someone was crunching on some chips. But after reading about the MHM I decided to give it a try because it gave me hope that my hair wouldn’t be an EXTRA kinky hot mess. So since I’m pretty new to the whole natural process I have a couple of questions:
-What exactly is a botanical gel?
-As I was looking for the products on the MHM approved list, I noticed that some of them have alcohols in them as well as some glycerine and sulfide ingredients. So I just ended up doing the 1st day of the MHM with the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner w/ Sea Kelp and Argan Oil and the Coconut Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé w/ Agave Nectar and Flax Seed Oil. I know these aren’t the products on the list but they look like they have less of the No No Ingredients in them that were on the MHM website. I’m so confused as far as, I guess, which glycerin, sulfide, and alcohols are ok to be in the products and which aren’t.
PLEASE HELP! Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hello. I just want to know will my hair go back to its normal fro if I stop this procedure or will the curls always be there?
There’s a shortened version that you should definitely consider trying. I was doing the regular version until I stumbled upon the below website. Check her out website out for more information. My hair is flourishing. http://dubaidee4c.blogspot.com/2015/02/modified-mhm-update-ureka-why-heck-have.html
Thanks LaToya, she’s actually a member of my forum! Very cool. Yes she’s had great success.
Do you do all 5 steps in one sitting?? I’m not clear on that……….
Hi Angela, yes you do.
Hi Lisa,
I’ve recently colored my hair. Should I wait a week or two before starting the treatment or it safe to start at any time?
Omg this was the best tutorial ever! Very clear instructions and I love your hair and how well the results look. I have one question though; currently I don’t have bentonite clay. Do you know any alternatives that could work?
One other thing, I’m putting a rinse on my ends, but would I still be able to do the cherry lola and max hydration methods?
If you google “max hydration product alternatives” you can find pages that offer up more alternatives to the products.
Hey! I was just wondering if you ever wash your hair with shampoo.
Not during the method but if I’m not doing the method, I do.
Hi Lisa, I first want to say you have provided some great info!
Question: What if Im not looking to wear a wash and go? I just need more moisture. My hair is very course and always really dry. Should I skip step 5 if I’m not trying to wear a wash and go?
Hi Cherri, yes you can still do a twist out and get the moisture benefits from the other steps.
Do you know of a product I can use instead of the gel that is under $10?
Hi I have a question what am I supposed to do first the yogurt baking soda and the other product and for how many days. My hair is natural a lil afro. I have not been able to see it grow long because I usually cut or texturize it because it gets dry and unmanegable. Please help im lost but tried of using gel and hair keeps getting flakey.
The very first time you do this, do the yogurt (cherry lola treatment) step and then immediately do step 2 (skip the clarify with baking soda). You do each step in a row until you are finished. The next day you do steps 1-5 (skip the yogurt/cherry lola treatment) Some say do it for 7 days but I could only manage 3 days total. Too much work! lol But I saw a big difference in 3 days.
So, just so that I am understanding correctly with doing the max hydration method I will no longer need shampoo? And I will need to do this treatment continuously or is it just until I reach max hydration?
Right. The baking soda mixture is what helps clarify/clean the hair. You do it until you reach max hydration and then you can do it less often.
Hi Ms.Lisa!
I’ve been natural for a year now and I Love it…but I’ve definitely been having trouble with making my hair retain moisture. I’m excited about trying this method, but I cant seem to find the bentonite clay ANYWHERE in stores and I’m too young to have a credit card so ordering online is a no go. Is there any other product I could use as a replacement for it?
You can get it at any health food store. Try your local mall or see if there is a Vitamin Shoppe near you.
Thanks for posting this. I like the Lola treatment a lot. This is my first time trying the max hydration method and I did all 5 step between last night and this morning. Given that I have a TWA of 3″ to 4″ I need more structure and shingling. However, I can see that when my hair gets longer, doing the wash and ago right after max hydration method will be very nice. My hair had some nice curls and definition but as a whole my hair (not having a nice cut) was uneven in height and shape in many places. Obviously, I have not yet reach max hydration. I plan to do it again this Wednesday and so on. I was surprise that the time and energy required was not actually bad at all. It maybe because my hair is pretty short right now. I am glad I tried the method and I will keep going.
Hi! I’ve been rather inconsistent with the NHM for my 8 year old because it’s so hard to get everything done and her hair dry before bedtime each night with school–her hair is SO thick that it will not (and I repeat WILL NOT) dry under the hooded dryer. She can sit under a hooded dryer for 2-3 hours and it’s still soaking wet underneath. So I pull out my blow dryer and go to work and can get it mostly dry after about 40 minutes of sweating (me) and my arms tired.
So the NHM method has been like torture for her and me. The first night that we tried it, we started at 6PM. By 2AM, she came from under the dryer with her hair still soaking wet underneath and I finished blow drying it by 2:40AM. I had to let her stay out of school the next day and call in to work because we had not gotten ANY sleep. The next problem is that when she wakes up in the morning, it’s all smashed into a 1970s afro! The next few nights, I was able to go faster and be less precise and finish in about 3 hours. However, it’s still all smushed into a 70s fro in the morning. After all that work on both of our parts, it’s so discouraging to find the cute little curls ruined the next morning.
I know this isn’t for everyone but before we give up, I just wanted to post this question on a few blogs to ask for tips on drying, as well as preserving the curls overnight. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, and thanks for taking the time to make this post!
I would like to know the answer to this. I am having the exact same problem. After I squeeze out the water to help it air dry, when I wake up it’s smashed and dry. Satin caps make no difference. I am ready to give up because of this aggravation. At this rate I would have to wash my hair everyday if I want to wear a wash n go.
Hi Tanya,
My hair is smushed too but sometimes I just lightly spritz it with water and pull it apart with my fingers and it goes back to normal. I’m guessing your hair must shrink/draw up a lot? If so, try twisting your hair in large twists before you go to bed to keep it stretched.
hi Lisa,
hoping all is well.
I really want to do this method. and you give me hope! I have the most dense 4c hair and im struggling with transitioning for over two years. I have about 5 inches of permed ends still… my hair is still wet in the mornings after I do my weekly pree-poo and wash. can I do this method on transitioning hair? if so how do the ends turn out? I know you mentioned using a tshirt to dry but that just doesn’t work as my hair is still wet the next morning? any and all knowledge would be helpful and save me from going to back to relaxed hair.
Thank you!!
I have type 4 hair, but I relax every month and always keep it straight by flat ironing every week. Can I still apply MHM to my hair? What kind of change should I expect?
I swim twice a week and I’m going a transition process. My hair is short anyway but what advice can you give on protecting hair from chlorine. Love your website, it has been so informative and helpful. Thank you!
Hi Monie
I read once that conditioning your hair BEFORE you get in the water will actually put a protective barrier over your head to keep so much of the chlorine from penetrating. Good luck!
Hi,
I just wanted to know if you are still using the max hydration method and if so, what is the condition of your hair? I would like to try it, but I am not hearing good feedback on the long term use of baking soda.
Thanks for your time and information.
Hi, Would this work on super 4c hair? If there was a 5a i would be it. I don’t want to texturize it but would love to be able to soften my hair the natural way.
Hi Tam,
It can definitely make it more manageable. But you have to do the steps consistently the first time… at least 3 days consecutively but 7 is recommended. If nothing else just try the Cherry Lola treatment and see if you like that. If your hair softens up, try the full 5-step treatment.
Hello,
I just did the BC yesterday. I love it. I have coarse 4c hair, my hair tends to just soak up moisturizers, so it looks like I have nothing in, when I really do. I use mango butter grease, VO5 conditioner and Eco Olive Styler gel. I want to know how to properly take care of my hair, I’m a beginner, do you have any tips for me as I go on this journey?
Congrats on your BC Alexia!
You need to buy thick, creamy moisturizers, conditioners, etc. V05 isn’t really that thick.
Apply the moisturizer while your hair is wet and then seal in the moisture with a butter or natural oil. Keep a bottle handy with water, a bit of any leave-in conditioner to spritz your hair throughout the day. Also make sure your moisturizers are water-based. I have a list of some great moisturizers here https://napturallycurly.com/remedies-for-dry-natural-hair/
Please I can’t find any liquid aminos in my area. Any substitutes?
Hi Ify,
I asked the same question a short while back but I didn’t get any answers so I went ahead and started without the cherry Lola caramel treatment,
My hair is starting to hydrate.
You could give it a go.
Cheers
Like I said earlier, I get mine from Healthplus. The CLT just isn’t the same without the liquid aminos. You can even use black treacle(molasses)from the baking aisle of any store.
I got mines from whole foods.
I just watched you YouTube video and it helped make my decision to do this. I was overwhelmed at first it seemed like it was too much info but you simplified it for me. I have one question, are you supposed to follow all steps for the whole 7 days ?
Yes, but I got lazy and only did 3. LOL
It seems like a lot to do especially for our grade of hair! Lol thanks again can’t wait to try it!
Hey Lisa,
I just BC’d last week. Many of your tips and videos helped me transition for about 11 months.
Thanks.
Now, I want to start the mhm but I can’t get the liquid aminos and unsulfured molasses here in Nigeria. Can I do the cherry Lola caramel treatment without them or do I skip it entirely?
Thank you so much for this post. I’m actually 8 months post relaxer and have been looking for ways to keep my hair hydrated since I’m constantly keeping it in protective styles. My question is, am I able to use this method on transitioning hair?
I saw on YouTube where people transitioning were using this as well. Never did it myself though.
I have alopecia. My main concern is that my hair will fall out more because of this treatment. My alopecia is not extreme like it is for others. I’m willing to try, I just need to know if it’s safe.
Hi Kourtney, if you have alopiecia I wouldn’t try this until you’ve confirmed it is safe from a qualified physician. I am in no way in a place to give advice on that subject.
This is very late, but try applying Jamaican black castor oil to your hair 2-3x a week. It definitely helps with growing hair back-Google it. I also know from personal experience growing my edges out.
Hello, I like the way u made the method so easy to understand. Do u know what I can use as a substitute for liquid aminos, it’s not available where I reside, I’ve checked believe me! Thanks
I am natural and went to the beauty salon and made the mistake of letting them put a curl defining cream in my hair that had a LOT of Ethanol Alcohol. My hair is now dry and brittle. My curl pattern has changed Please advise what I can do to get my luster back
Hi,
My hair has been matting a lot and no matter how many times I detangle it tangles again and starts matting. Will this method help my hair condition? also does it matter if my hair low or high porosity to do this method? I don’t know if my hair is high or low. Also some strand of my hair are straight with no curl pattern whatsoever, is that normal or does it mean that my hair is damaged?
I have been natural for almost 4 years now and I rarely use heat and mostly keep my hair in protective styles so I can wear a scarf as I am a muslim.
Can I do this method while transitioning?
Hello,
The back of the clay says to mix it with apple cider vinegar, do you think water/aloe vera juice is better.
It’s up to you. I’ve used both water and aloe vera juice. I don’t use ACV much because I hate the smell. lol
Okay now I am definitely trying this, just not looking so forward to how day 1 will look on my hair. When you do this method how long does it take for your hair to dry completely?
Here’s the key. When you get out of the shower, wring your hair out with a T-shirt to get all the excess water. If you don’t it will take a full day… literally. But if you wring out excess water, it will take a few hours to dry. Also your length and thickness matters too so that will make the time vary. But wringing excess water out helps a lot.
And by the way I just realized it was you, Ari!! Heeey girl. 🙂
Hey there! 🙂 I actually tried the this tip and it worked out pretty good on day 1 now.
Excellent!
Hi, I hope my question gets answered, lol. But I’m soooo confused. Is each step done per day? And then steps 4 and 5 on the same day? Or are all 5 steps done per day for 7 days straight?
I’m confused because it’s says do for seven days straight but then step five starts with “soaking wet hair….” Kinda lost me there. Thank you 🙂
Hi Que
All steps are done on the same day. I should have clarified that better. I dip my hair back in the shower after applying step 4 so my hair is soaking wet.
do you know how to make hair grow because my hair is very short also dry
Can you pre-mix the solutions for your hair? How can the mixtures be stored?
I don’t normally store but you can. A lot of people store the clay in an air-tight container. But I try to measure so I use it up.
Thank you for these great tips! It is very important to have your hair and scalp moisturized as it leads to more problems like dandruff, etc. And I love how you actually use organic formulas for your regime. Great post!
Do you have any advice for alternate ways to wear your hair, if you are not interested in wearing your hair in wash and go styles?
Since I am trying to maximize the moisture in my hair, I would prefer not to wear wash and go styles until after achieving maximum hydration.
Hi Shirley
You can still do twists and a twist out with this method. I am wearing one now!
Hi Shirley,
Yes you can wear your hair in any style that you want as long as you seal with the gel first. Twist, bantu, roller etc.
The WnG is the recommended style to use during this regime, I personally found that I my hair was improving with wearing a WnG (a style I could never wear before) and I was losing less hair from breakage as there was less manipulation as with other styles.
As the regime recommends doing your hair every 3 days, I would suggest that you wear a style thats easy to do /undo as you will be washing your hair at least every 3 days…until you get to your goal.
Hope that this helps.
Thanks for responding.
I think I will continue to wear my hair in twists until I reach maximum hydration. I must say that after two days of using this method, I have experienced amazing results. I am truly impressed!!
I plan to continue the method until the 7th day. Then I will extend my wash days to no more than every 3 days.
Hi Shirley,
I am so glad that you’re having success with the regime and you have figured how best to make it work for you. Thats the great thing about this regime, it doesn’t take long to see the results and you can alter it to fit in with your schedule.
Keep those curls popping and spread the word – MHM works! 🙂
Hi there! Do you currently live in Dubai? Do you do consultations with people that are just starting their natural hair care journey?
This was very helpful I must say. First question: winter is approaching so do you recommend doing this during colder temperatures?
Second: any more suggestions for botanical gels?
last: for those of us who use other products (shea moisture) would u recommend not using those anymore?
thanks in advance
HI Nekera,
I would say that anytime would be a great time to start especially as you could GHE under a nice wooly hat 🙂
You don’t have to wear your hair in a WnG, style your hair as you wish after the gel step. Keep that style for 3 days then repeat the Clarify, condition & clay steps then gel.
The MHM site has a list of approved gels, I personally use homemade flaxseed gel. Just remember to use enough leave-in to get a nice slip before applying the gel – which you will now only need to use a small amount.
Regarding Shea Moisture, honestly I would have to say no as it contains ingredients from the NO-no list such as glycerin and panthenol which causes dryness and quickly adds to build up. My suggestion is, before you buy or use any products check out the MHM site for recommended products and ingredients to avoid.
Hope that this helped and you’re most welcome.
HI Joe, I am also doing the MHM regime and have been getting amazing results. When I GHE I apply a leave in conditioner made up of Water+olive oil+TToil which I apply all over. I also apply some Jamaican Black Castor Oil on my problem areas, mainly my hairline. I then put on a shower cap and scarf, which I keep on for as long as possible, hope this helps.
It was helpfu! Thank you!
I tried to register for the forum but each time it said there was an issue with the reCAPTCHA™ private key and then when I tried to use the contact form, It said the same thing. I didn’t want to keep posting questions on this page when there is a thread started, but I am wondering if I decided to do the GHE with this, instead of putting in a botanical gel in my hair, I would just use an oil and use a plastic cap or saran wrap on my head correct? Or would I leave in the conditioner and do that instead? Thank you for your time!
Sorry about the forum. If you would like me to register you just let me know and I’ll set you up with the email address and username you’ve posted here. Then I will email you the password. I had to install that CAPTCHA key because spambots were taking my site down trying to register. Sorry about that. It’s annoying I know.
If you could do that, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!
I’ve removed that annoying CAPTCHA code now so you should be able to join. Sorry about that.
Could you use the flaxseed gel as the ‘botanical gel’?
Good question. Yes you can. This site has the recommendation for alternatives http://www.msdeekay.com/4091/updated-maximum-hydration-regimen-gel-list/
Hi Carmen,
Yes you can, I have been using homemade flaxseed gel as I couldn’t find any of the recommended gels on the list where I live.
When I first found out about the method I was in Thailand, so there was no chance of finding any products there so at first I tried Aloe Vera Gel – which I found to be too drying although it gave me an idea of what my hair could do…so I learned to make my own flaxseed gel and have been getting great results.
Hope this helps.
So, you don’t have to shingle the product through your hair in each step? My hair is about 6 inches long completely natural stretched and it takes forever shingling every step.
Hi LeeJ,
My hair is a similar length to yours so I know what you mean 😉 I found that its not necessary to shingle every step, maybe only the Clay step. I use a spray bottle to apply my leave-in and use the ‘prayer hands’ method to distribute the leave-in and also the gel once I apply it to the roots.
Hope that this helps.
I am trying to transition, my hair isnt kinky, but its not curly…….its just short and wild looking. Ive tried conditioning, I use no heat, and it is still unruly and ugly. Sheesh what to do?
Hi Monica,
If you are wanting to get more definition with your curls, I suggest that you try the MHM regime. From my first Cherry Lola Caramel treatment, my curls were popping!
p.s your hair isn’t ugly its probably just really thirsty 🙂 you be amazed at the difference once its had a nice drink of water.
What if your hair is in a long term protective style like box braids?
I would wait until your hair is free so you can really work the product into your hair and rinse thoroughly. I would imagine it would be hard to rinse clay out of braids.
Hi Joe,
Yes as Lisa said, the method will work best on hair that is free to accept the moisture that this regime is aiming for.
You might also want to re think your choice of protective styling as I found that any type of extensions did not protect my hair, they added to the dryness which lead to breakage…Also styles such as twists & braid outs caused breakage from all the manipulation.
Since wearing my hair in the WnG style my hair doesn’t get tangles and knots and the breakage has stopped. Hope this helps.
Hi just a tad bit confused. Am I supposed to do steps 2-5 daily or one everyday. Meaning do i do 2-5 on Monday or 2 on Monday 3on Tuesday ect… please help
P.S. i just found you and this very very helpful thanks hun
No you do steps 1-5 everyday except the very first time you do it. You skip step 1 and do the CLT instead. That’s optional though. You can just keep it simple and do steps 1-5 daily or every other day. It’s up to you how often. Just make sure you do all steps.
Hi Tasha,
Yes Lisa is right, you can do all the steps daily (if you want to reach your goal quicker) but you must do your hair at least every 3 days, do not leave it longer than that as the effects of the conditioner will wear off by then.
I started MHM like this:
1st Sunday – do Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment – rinse – Deep condition overnight.
Monday morning – do Clay step – rinse – apply leave – in & style with gel.
Wednesday night – clarify with baking soda rinse – DC overnight
Thursday morning – do Clay step – rinse – apply leave – in & style with gel.
I continued like this for 2 weeks before doing the Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment again.
The regime is not set in stone and can be adapted to fit in with your schedule as along as you remember to do them in the correct order; Clarify, Condition, Clay & Leave – in & Gel. As you progress to Maximum Hydration you will find that each step gets quicker, hope this helps 🙂
hi. I have a question. I’m a bit confused .. am I suppose to buy the tresemme and the knot today conditioner or is it just one or the other?
One or the other. I used Tressemme and Knot Today at first but now just use Knot Today.
oh ok thanks. One more thing though my hair feels very very dry after the clay is that normal? or am I not doing it correctly?
Hi Dane,
Yes its normal as your hair will be thoroughly cleansed from using the clay, its a detoxifier for your hair. All of the residue from previous product use will be removed in this step.
Once you apply your leave-in the softness will return. You are doing it right 🙂
Hi, I just wanted to know, if the custard leaves your curls feeling crunchy instead of soft? I want my curls defined but soft, crunchy and dry from the holding products.
They will be stiff but not crunchy. The key is to use minimal product. I did not shingle on every strand. I simply ran it over my hair 4 sections at a time using the prayer method. You can also add oil underneath to soften too.
Can I get more information
Sure, what else do you need to know?
I have 4c hair. Ridiculously course..I wanted to start this process tonight but I was wondering what do I do in the morning before class? Like, my curl pattern isn’t visible, it just looks like cotton. And my hair is so thick, when I wake up the morning I have a flat side! So should I wet it in the morning…orrr apply a leave in..or what do you suggest..?
You could get some goody bands and scarves and put it into a nice thick puff or bun on top of your head. That’s always my go-to style.
I left the conditioner and shower cap on overnight. In the morning I rinsed and then did the clay mask, jumped in the shower and added my leave in and gel. Worked perfectly and my hair looked very nice for work (it was still wet but at least it was tame). You might want to try that! T
Hello Lisa,I am planning to try you hydration technique. I noticed that you do not have any oil for sealant. How do I keep my hair looking shiny after completing this regimen? Can I use Shea butter to seal in the moisture?
Hi Rushell, honestly I just spritz my hair lightly with water if it gets dry. The gel from Kinky Curly will keep it sheeny.