As many of you know, I’m a fan of finger detangling. I started employing this method of detangling almost exclusively in February 2011 when I joined the Curly Nikki presents Kim Coles’ Grow Out Challenge. Prior to that, I used a wide tooth comb in the shower with conditioner saturated hair. However, last year I started experimenting with finger detangling and just found it to be far more gentle on my fine strands. I definitely attribute part of my length retention over the last year to it.
Finger detangling allows me to “feel” tangles so that I can carefully separate the hair and ease them out. With a comb, unless I hit a major snare that would stop the comb or brush in its tracks, I realized that I had more than likely been tearing through tangles. As I finger detangle now, I wince to think of the damage I was doing in the past with a comb because I didn’t feel the knots and ties. For those with hair of hardier stock, this may not be a problem. But, at the very least, I believe that combing through significant tangles prior to finger detangling disrupts the cuticle and, on the more severe end of the spectrum, causes breakage.
I finger detangle at a variety of stages. During my weekly pre-poo session, I “dry” detangle with Vatika oil and de-shed (remove “captured” shed hair) as I demonstrated in How I Pre-Poo. Dry detangling was something I would have NEVER though that I would do!! But, because my hair is almost always stretched from TnCs, twist-outs or bunned WnG and was well detangled the prior wash session, I am able to gently detangle and de-shed my dry hair with oil. That first finger-detangling session tends to take care of most of the heavy-hitters. Then, I will finish detangling under the water stream while rinsing my deep conditioner and finally after I apply my leave-in. As my hair is pretty detangled once I get to the leave-in step, I will sometimes gently “chase” my finger detangling with a wide-tooth comb. However, I don’t do use the comb regularly. I have discovered that making certain that I do a final detangle after I apply my leave-in results in an easier detangling session the next wash day.
Anywho, here are a few tutorials that show how others finger detangle. As you’ll see, there is no one “right” way to do it. There are a variety of techniques, so you just have to figure out what works best for you!
This is another post that I’ve been meaning to do FOREVER! I’ve been asked a few times about my skin care regimen and given that I recently turned 40, this seemed as good a time as any to finally “talk” about it!!
My Skin Story First, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m going to tell you that I am completely lazy about my skin. I wash, tone, treat and moisturize in the morning. Other than that, the only thing that I do regularly is use Chapstick or whatever other lip moisturizer I happen to have in my purse. I really don’t wash my face at night because I don’t wear foundation or powder on a daily basis (hence the perpetually shiny T-zone) and I can only be bothered with grooming/filling my eyebrows and applying lip gloss every now and again. However, I know that isn’t an excuse for not washing my face at night, because air pollutants cause “dirty” skin. So, yeah, I know!! I’m sorry, I told you I’m lazy with my skin.
I also really don’t do regular facials. Once in the blue moon I’ll do an exfoliating scrub, which I’ll talk about a little later. Ultimately, I think that diet and sleep play large roles in healthy skin. Given that I generally eat well, drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep (well, that is, until I started this blog!), I think that I’ve won half the battle.
I will also say that the best my skin has ever looked was when I was following The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet: A Simple 3-Part Plan to Lose the Fat, the Wrinkles and the Years. This diet focused on good protein, healthy fats, colorful fruits and veggies and complex carbs to foster weight loss while improving the appearance of skin. Seriously y’all, I glowed when I followed the diet that largely relied on eggs, turkey, salmon, blueberries, organic apples, flaxseeds, walnuts, almonds and leafy greens. Shoot, I need to dust off my book for the next GOC!!
My Skin Care Regimen Anyway, so, what do I do now? Well, I’ve been using a prescription facial cleanser and topical spot treatment for a decade. In my late 20s/early 30s, I started experiencing break-outs on my previously clear skin. I think that they were attributable to a lot of stress at work and a hormone imbalance caused by fibroids and a frequent cycle. I got the hormonal imbalance and cycle under control through my “lady doctor” *lol* and went to the dermatologist to address my skin issues. My biggest concern was the sebaceous cyst (you know those hard, puss-filled and painful pimples) that would inevitably develop shortly before my cycle, would never go away unless it was popped and left a scar, regardless of whether I touched it or not. Those jokers were the secondary bane of my existence (the first was the stresser at work) and resulted in a forehead and right cheek covered in scars.
When I visited the dermatologist, he gave me scripts for Clenia (the facial cleanser) and Duac (the topical solution). To those, I added my homemade astringent concoction of witch hazel and effervescent Vitamin C, which really seems to remove the dead skin cells without drying my skin, and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Lotion with SPF as my daily moisturizer. I used those morning and night for a year or so, then just started using them mostly in the morning once my skin was consistently clear.
The OCM Experiment In the Fall of 2010, I discovered the Oil Cleansing Method via MopTopMaven. I marveled at her gorgoues skin, read her post about ditching conventional, store bought facial cleansers after struggling with acne for years, watched her video tutorial several times and decided I wanted to try the natural route.
Beautiful skin, right?!?! So, although I hadn’t had a break-out in years and had nary a scar, I thought it would be great to use all natural products to care for my skin. In addition, I thought that the OCM would probably help eliminate the fine lines I was starting to see in order to continue the legacy of “Black Don’t Crack.” But, what’s that saying? If it ain’t broke …?
So, off I went to follow MopTopMaven’s regimen of grapeseed/castor/hazelnut oils to cleanse, a green tea astringent to tone and grapeseed oil to moisturize. I also incorporated bentonite clay masks once a week and brown sugar/raw honey scrubs twice a week. I stuck with it for about two months, trying different oils and adjusting the amounts used. I waited it out to see if my skin was just “detoxing” and the oil was just bringing all the impurities to the surface to eventually promote flawless skin. But, despite my best efforts, my skin was revolting!! I was experiencing consistent and constant break-outs, pimples that would never clear and, of course, these were accompanied with new scars. Finally, in December, I had enough and returned to my trusty Clenia and Duac.
Unfortunately, despite the return to my aces and normal regimen, it took months for my skin to regain its equilibrium. I followed the OCM for about 2 1/2 months and it took my skin about 3-4 months to stop breaking out and several more months for the majority of the scars to fade.
I wish that Michelle of Radiant Brown Beauty had written this post, Say No to Oil Cleansing, when I first decided to experiment wih OCM!! Although I still might have tried it, I would have been better prepared for the potentially disastrous side effects and aborted more quickly!!
Learnings What I will say is this. During my experiment and the aftermath, I discovered some natural solutions that worked for me. I conducted some internet research and found that applying aspirin crushed and dissolved in water with a little honey reduced inflammation and helped clear my pimples more quickly when the Clenia and Duac didn’t seem to be working. I also learned that applying a raw honey and lemon mix to my scars for 15-30 minutes a day seemed to help fade them more quickly. Michelle explained the science behind those results in the comments on her “Say No” post: “[The aspirin] works … because [it] has salicylic acid in it, a common ingredient found in many acne products. The honey is great and you probably saw such success because you used raw honey which is pure and absorbs bacteria.”
And, although the oil cleansing part of MopTopMaven’s OCM regimen didn’t work well for me, the bentonite clay mask and brown sugar/raw honey scrub were keepers. Although I don’t do them often, I would like to incorporate a scrub once a week and mask every two weeks. We’ll see if I ever get there.
Conclusions:
Although the OCM didn’t work for me personally, many seem to find great success with it. Ultimately, I am just sharing my experience so that others who are researching it can learn about the good, the bad and the ugly and decide for themselves whether oil cleansing is for them. I also hope that it’ll help others to detect the “early warning signs,” so that they can make an informed decision about whether to continue the process, adjust their mixes and/or get out while the getting is good.
Have you tried/do you practice the Oil Cleansing Method? What mixes did/do you use? How would you describe your experience (successful, mediocre, abysmal)?
Excuse the expression please! This was my fave hair shot!
I decided to do my second ever treatment with Zizyphus Spina Christi (ZSC) this weekend. You see, my curls were looking far more like waves and even those were pretty lackluster.
This is how crazy it looked Saturday after being bunned for the morning.
So, with my Terressentials order not yet arrived, I figured I’d dig up the remaining 50g of ZSC I had stashed in the cabinet to see if it would rejuvenate some of my volume and curls in the interim. It really worked the last time that I used it (see here and here), so I figured, “What the heck?”
Z-Mix: Last time, I mixed about 50g of ZSC with a cup of water and it was far too much. So, this time, I started with 25g and 1/2 a cup of water. ZSC doesn’t mix as quickly as henna; the powder kind of beads as the water is introduced and stirred into it. But then, when it does begin to absorb the water, it more than doubles in volume and becomes thick, like the consistency of melted marshmallows! It also foams, due to the saponin I learned this weekend. However, despite the increase in volume, I didn’t think that I had enough to coat my hair, so I added another 1/2 cup of water. The instructions indicate to mix it to the consistency of yogurt, my yogurt was a little watery;).
I left it to sit for a few hours (the online instructions indicate about 2 hours, but it ended up being longer than that by the time I got around to applying it).
Z-Application: So, I finally got around to applying the ZSC late Saturday afternoon. I had finger detangled my hair on Thursday night to put it into twists and wore the twist-out in the second picture to work on Friday. So, I didn’t finger detangle prior to applying the ZSC. I also didn’t feel like pre-pooing this weekend, so I applied the mud to dry and dirty hair. First, I sectioned my hair into four and secured three of the sections out of the way with round-tooth jaw clips. Then, I squished the gloop through my hair section by section. By the time I got around to the last section, I realized I was going to run out of the paste. So, I quickly made a little more and finished coating all of my hair (figured I’d have to live with applying it freshly mixed to the last section).
I felt like I could see my loopy S-curls popping already! I clipped my hair up and covered it with a baggie (you don’t want this mess drying in your hair). Then, I went about my business for an hour or two. Oh yeah, and during that time, I revisited this post on Newly Natural and read in the comments that the Somali call Zizyphus Qasil and use it to cleanse the body as well as the hair. The commenter also indicated that Qasil is mixed with eggs and sesame oil to make a hair treatment that leaves hair soft, shiny and bouncy. You know my PJ senses were tingling … cleansing, protein and moisture?!?! Let me find out. But, I digress …
Z-Rinsing and Conditioning: This mug is a b@#$ to rinse out!! Ughhh. I mean, I knew it was … I didn’t forget … shoot, that’s why I hadn’t done it again since September. I was flicking twigs and flakes out of my dry hair for three or four days after my last treatment. Anywho, I hopped in the shower and commenced to rinsing with hot water. I continuously ran my hands and fingers down the length, slowly detangling and loosening the hair to allow the water stream to get into all the nooks and crannies. I guess I was at it for about 15 minutes.
Post ZSC rinse/pre-DC
Then, I hopped out of the shower and applied my DC, which was Shea Moisture Raw Shea Deep Treatment Masque mixed with about a tablespoon each of honey and EVOO. There were definitely flakes in my hair still. But, I baggied it anyway and threw on my Hair Therapy Heat Wrap for about an hour/hour and a half. It was probably around 10 p.m. by then, so I ended up going to sleep with the DC in my hair (I really want to stop doing that, but it was late and I was so tired again!!).
The next morning, I got the last bit out of my HE HH by adding water to the bottle, shaking it up and pouring it over my DC. Then, I rinsed with warm water, then cool in the kitchen sink using the sprayer. I rinsed for another 5-10 minutes, I guess, to try to get the remainder of the ZSC out of my hair.
I allowed it to air dry to barely damp and finally styled with a modified Kimmaytube leave-in (1 tsp or so of oil instead of 4) and a new styling product that I’ll reveal shortly *evil laughing* … “BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Once my hair was dry (ummm … mostly … it just takes soooo long), I used a little JBCO/EVOO to seal and soften it. And voilà!
I was pleased with the results and these pictures don’t even do the volume justice. It’s big! LOL! Also, although I do see a speck here and there, I don’t look like I have a bad case of dandruff this time. Keeping my fingers crossed that I won’t be pulling an Ally Sheedy making it snow at work tomorrow!! LOL!
Now, although I get good results with ZSC, I don’t have any plans on re-upping just yet. I’m hoping that the Terressentials will be just as effective without the half hour rinse cycle and pesky twigs and grit! Anywho, here is a slideshow with some additional pictures.
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Now, I’ll probably be wearing my hair out today, but hope to put it into twists tonight. We’ll see if I can squeeze that in between putting together posts for Tuesday!
It’s finally here!! The highly anticipated (by, like, two people) tutorial for my two-step henna/indigo process!! LOL! I did a treatment this Sunday and photo-documented it for this post. I explained most of my process in my Henna and Me “interview.” So, a lot of this will be a repeat of that information. However, it’ll be bulleted and accompanied with pretty pictures and a little more detail . First though, here are a couple of notes about modifications I’ve made to my henna treatments due to my preferences and my hair’s needs:
I use henna alone on the front half of my head so that my grey hair becomes fiery red highlights.
I do a two-step henna/indigo on the back half of my head so that that hair is black (I don’t like “highlights” in the back as I think they look less intentional and also make my hair look finer, whereas the black makes it look denser in my opinion).
I don’t apply henna to my nape hair as that area is almost bone straight and very fine. Henna completely obliterates any wave/curl it might have.
I use what CurlyNikki dubbed a Conditioning Henna Treatment. That is, I mix a full batch of henna, allow full dye release and add conditioner to make it easier to apply and rinse. This differentiates my process from a “true” henna gloss since I mix a full batch of henna and allow dye release. It is also different from a full strength henna, because I add conditioner to “dilute” the thickness of the henna. However, I’ve done full strength treatments and see no appreciable difference in the results.
I only apply henna to my “roots” now (the first 3-6 inches of hair) as too many applications on the same hair loosens my hair significantly. I try to get about 3 applications on “new hair.”
I sometimes apply henna to wet hair and sometimes to dry. These are instructions to my “dry” henna routine. The only difference with my “wet” routine is that I’ll usually have pre-pooed and lightly finger detangled my hair with Vatika oil. Then, I’ll shampoo with either diluted Ion Curls Shampoo or Deva Care No Poo.
With that, here we go!
Ingredients and Supplies
Henna Mix 200g Henna (100g Jamila or Rajasthani Twilight; 100g Dulhan)
4 tea bags of green tea
3 cups filtered or distilled water
2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups Sally’s GVP Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm
Indigo Mix 50g Indigo Salt (a pinch)
Supplies* Plastic or glass liquids measuring cup
Large glass jar/container (large enough to hold 3 c. of water)
Plastic or wooden spoon
Medium to large plastic or glass bowl with top
Plastic gloves
4 medium-sized plastic jaw clips
Plastic wrap
Scissors
Plastic cap
Paper towels or cotton balls
Heat wrap, winter hat or bonnet dryer (hard or soft)
Old towels and/or newspaper (to protect bathroom floor/sink)
Old and/or black tee-shirt and pants/shorts
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (HE HH) (for henna/indigo rinsing)
Slippery and Moisturizing Deep Conditioner (JessiCurl Weekly Deep Conditioner or Darcy Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner)
*no metal containers or utensils
My Process
The Henna Mix
Bring 3 cups of distilled or filtered water to a boil and then brew 3-4 green tea bags. Cool to warm/room temp.
Pour 2 boxes of henna powder into large glass bowl and gradually stir in cooled tea with a plastic or wood spoon until the texture of a thick batter (I usually need about 2, 2 1/2 cups. I brew 3 cups of tea to make certain that I have enough).
Cover bowl with top (I cover the henna with plastic wrap first, sealing out most of the air, then cover with the top).
Allow henna to sit in a cool, dry, dark place for 12 hours for dye release.
After dye release, I split the henna into half, and wrap one half in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, seal it in a freezer and then place it in the freezer (frozen then thawed henna has even better dye release).
After dye release, I mix in about 2 tbsp of honey and 3/4 c. of Sally’s GVP Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm (I never measure these, I just eyeball it). This makes the “batter” thinner (but not drippy) and more like the consistency of Greek yogurt.
The Prep
Protect bathroom surfaces, including floors, sink and door, with old towels and/or newspaper.
Don old clothes.
Divide dry hair into four sections/quadrants and use round-teeth jaw clips (less snag prone) to secure the front two sections and one rear section to keep them out of the way (More sections may be necessary if you have thicker hair).
Don plastic gloves (unless you like orange hands and nails;).
The Henna Application
Finger part and apply henna thickly to first 6 inches or so of of dry* hair, section by section, starting with back sections first and then applying to front (Again, I don’t apply henna to my nape hair). Ensure hair is completely coated in henna.
Mix 2 tsp of remaining henna into another 3/4 c. of Sally’s GVP Conditioning Balm to make a henna gloss.
Apply to remaining “un-hennaed” hair (I do this as I don’t like the idea of my dry hair under heat, so I put conditioner on it to get a deep treatment. I add leftover henna if I have it).
Place hair on top of head, securing with round-tooth jaw clip.
Wrap head in plastic wrap, wrap cotton balls or paper towel around edges to catch drippies, don plastic cap.
Allow henna to sit for 4 hours (I apply a heat source [winter hat, heat wrap or bonnet dryer] for 2-4 hours to increase speed of dye release and enhance amount of dye uptake).
Fill tub with enough water to cover head, put gloves back on and dunk hair to loosen and remove majority of henna.
Gently rinse remaining henna from hair under faucet stream (do not try to detangle at this juncture).
The Indigo Mix**
Pour 50g of indigo into glass bowl and add a pinch of salt to enhance dye uptake and color retention (several shakes of the salt shaker).
Mix in enough lukewarm/room temp distilled/filtered water to make indigo into a thick paste (indigo is grittier than henna).
Put gloves back on and apply indigo to first 6 inches of back half of hair until fully covered.
Wrap head in plastic wrap, don plastic cap and apply heat for one hour.
Hop in shower and rinse henna and gently finger detangle hair with lots of HE HH (usually takes about three rinses).
**Indigo needs henna to “stick” to the hair. So, henna must be applied first and then indigo to dye hair black. The dye in indigo releases immediately and expires rapidly. So, it should only be mixed right before application and leftovers should be discarded as indigo can’t be stored once it’s been mixed. Indigo powder should be stored in a cool, dry place. Do not freeze indigo powder as it will kill the dye molecule.
The Finish
Apply moisturizing deep conditioner (Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner this time), don plastic cap and apply heat for at least one hour (I sometimes sleep in my DC overnight, but am trying to not do that as often anymore given my realization that my hair was over-conditioned).
Cool, seal, finger detangle and rinse (click here for my DC rinsing technique).
Apply leave-in and style as desired.
So, that is the very detailed blow-by-blow of my process!
In the natural/curly hair community, placing the hair in a high, loose ponytail to preserve curls overnight is called a pineapple or pineappleing. Generally speaking, no matter if I’m sporting a WnG or TnC, the single pineapple hasn’t worked too well for me. My nape hair is dang near straight and pulling it into a high ponytail stretches out what little curl it does have. This typically exacerbates my situation. That being, a nape section that hangs lower than my crown and causing what I have dubbed, “The Mushroom Effect.” My crown is the cap and the nape is the stem. Some call it the mullet. No matter what you decide to name it … Not. a. good. look.
However, Monday night, I decided to venture into the world of the pineapple again as my hair essentially seemed to be hanging in a consistent pattern from crown to nape. So, I dipped my head upside down and loosely bound it with a satin scrunchie*. I didn’t wrap it at all as I didn’t want to create a crease where they ponytail was secured. Then, I dipped my head upside down again and donned my big and roomy old lady white satin bonnet and channeled Marge Simpson!
LMBO!! I frickin’ love this bonnet (the “Andre” from Sally’s). It is so ridiculous, especially the ring cinched top, that it cracks me up every time I wear it! Like, I ponder, “Did someone realllly think that adding ruffles and a bow actually makes this attractive now?!?” Like, plain bonnet … “Ewwww.” But add some ruffles and a bow. “Ooooh prettttty.” LOL!! Anyway, I wore it with a Goody Ouchless headband around the perimeter as the elastic on the bonnet has gotten loose from repeated washings.
Anywho, so this was day two hair at the end of the day (I actually pulled it back and wore it in a low, loose bun for work).
So, given that the pineappled WnG held up pretty well for my purposes, Marge is returning Tuesday night . Wei said, “Doh!”
Do you pineapple (single pony or modified with multiple ponies)? If not, how do you preserve your loose curls or sets (TnCs, twist-outs, braid-outs, etc.) overnight?
Sunday night, I decided to attempt a modified WnG incorporating the techniques of Naptural85 and Cipriana of Urban Bush Babes and putting my own twist on them. Back in October, CurlyNikki posted a Winter Wash & Go video tutorial by Naptural85 aka Whitney. Essentially, Whitney washed and twisted her hair (sans detangling and styling or leave-in product!) and then allowed it to fully dry overnight under a satin scarf, finally releasing and separating the twists in the morning for the finished style.
Frickin’ GORE-GEE-US!! I LOVE Whitney’s hair. It is just so thick, curly, shiny and delicious.
I often place my hair in large twists after washing and applying my leave-in and styler for a WnG. However, this is typically in the morning, not at night prior to going to bed. So, although my hair is not similar to Whitney’s, I decided to “leverage” her nighttime twisting routine, if not her product and detangling free styling session.
Then in December, I read Cipriana’s post, Turn Your Tumbleweeds to Seaweeds: 6 Quick & Simple Steps to Longer Lasting Sealed Ends, on BGLH. My biggest “take away” from that was how she wrapped the ends of her twists around bobby pins after moisturizing and sealing them. Sometime between then and now, I experimented with this on twists or braids and found that it worked very well. Given the earlier results, I thought it would probably work well for this modified WnG experiment.
So, without further ado, here is how I achieved the above WnG … or WTSnG (Wash, Twist, Seal and Go ).
WTSnG: What I Did
On Sunday night:
Pre-pooed, de-shedded and lightly detangled hair in 6 sections with Vatika oil mixed with EVOO.
Loosely braided each section after pre-pooing, donned plastic baggie and “marinated” for approx. 2 hours.
Shampooed scalp and hair in braids using DevaCare No Poo; Rinsed.
Applied HEHH conditioner to braids, donned plastic baggie while finishing shower rituals (approx. 10 min.); Rinsed.
Applied Darcy Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner to braids, donned plastic baggie and heat cap for approx. 1 hour 30 min.
Allowed hair to cool for approx. 15 minutes then applied conditioner rinse (Aussie Moist diluted with cold water) before doing final rinse with cold water.
Squeezed excess water out of hair with Curl Cloth.
Released each braid to apply modified Kimmaytube leave-in (2 tbsp KCKT, 2 tbsp Aloe Vera juice, 1 tsp jojoba oil, 1 tsp JBCO/EVOO mix), detangle and twisted.
Repeated until all four sections complete.
Secured ends of 4 twists to crown with jaw clip.
Donned two satin bonnets and hit the sack with very damp twists.
Monday morning (hair still damp, especially at roots):
Removed jaw clip to allow twists to hang.
Applied JBCO/EVOO mix to last 2-3 inches of twists and wrapped the ends of each twist around doobie pins.
Applied Sofn’Free Nothing But Mold & Hold Wax to tame front frizzies and tied down edges with a silk scarf.
Allowed hair to dry a little more on 15 minute drive to work.
In parking lot , removed scarf, released ends of twists from doobie pins and unraveled twists without separating any further.
Allowed hair to dry for another hour or so at work before lightly and gently separating (ends were dry; roots were still slightly damp).
Finished Look(Pics taken after work)
Overally, I think I got pretty good results. I achieved a pretty consistent curl pattern using this technique and nice curl definition on my ends. Here is a comparison shot of the same section last week and this week.
Left: First wash after having hair straight for two weeks. I also didn’t use a leave-in conditioner. Right: Second wash after having hair straight. Used Kimmaytube leave-in and bobby pin sealing technique.
“Heat damage? We don’t see no stinkin’ heat damage.” LOL! Although I was pleased with the uniform curl pattern, curled ends and mostly frizz-free appearance, my hair was a little flatter and generally less ginormous than I like. I’m hoping that placing it in a pineapple overnight will “pump up the volume.” Also, although it’s not super noticeable against the grey sweater, that pesky gap is still readily apparent in the rear shot. This is why I prefer TnCs over WnGs as they give me bigger hair and make my gappy perimeter appear full. I still can’t determine if the gap is caused due to my shorter and more tightly curled crown, less dense, finer and shorter nape hair, a permanent part or some combination thereof.
All that being said, if it’s due to a shorter crown and/or nape, I’m planning to close the gap a little very soon (no pun intended!). I recently won a contest for a free wash and trim by Ahava Felicidad! She is actually the friend of a mutual friend and works at a natural hair salon in West Orange, NJ. You may have even noticed her commenting on a few of my posts recently. Anyway, I was supposed to be getting my hair straightened to trim it myself. But, uhhhmmmmm, yeaaahhhhhh … see what had happened was … yeah, I wussed out. So, this contest was right on time given that I was going at my split ends like a madwoman today. And bonus, Ahava follows the blog and knows a lot about the level of care I take with my hair, so I’m thinking I’ll be in good hands .
So stay tuned for the post-trim update at some point in the next month or thereabouts!
Have you tried Naptural85′s Winter WnG and/or Cipriana’s Sealing technique(s)? If so, what were your results? If not, do you have any tips or tricks for achieving the perfect WnG or perfectly sealed ends?
What a difference a year and a little knowledge can make. So, I’m sitting here with Darcy Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner in my hair after finally washing it. I did a pre-poo with Vatika oil mixed with some EVOO for about an hour (picture above is pre-pooed braids), washed with DevaCare No Poo, applied ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor for a few minutes, rinsed and then applied my DC.
I know what you’re thinking, “So, what’s this about perspective and a year making a difference?” Well, a year ago I was avoiding protein like the plague. I despised how my hair felt hard and stiff, instead of soft and moisturized, after using protein-based conditioners. I remember how, after my first ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin treatment, I told Rece, “My hair doesn’t feel as soft as normal” and she told me, “It won’t after a protein treatment.” I didn’t know how I felt about that … wasn’t that the reason I didn’t like protein conditioners/treatments in the first place?
But now, four months later, my perspective on that feeling has completely changed! Now, I see that “hardness” as strength, as resilience, as elasticity. I realize that what I previously perceived as soft and moisturized was over-conditioned, fly-away, snag prone and weakened hair. I see and feel the difference in my hair now. After rinsing the ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor, my hair was springy, firm and strong. And I knew, with a little moisturizing DC, it would feel softer and moisturized (but not overly so), yet still strong and firm.
Naked hair, post ApHogee (straighter section in right pic is my normal curl pattern, not heat damage).
I feel like I’m entering 2012 armed with the key to unlocking my hair’s full potential and I can’t wait to see where I am and what else I’ve learned a year from now!
This is just a quick post to share a handy dandy little hair tool that I’ve had for several years, the Goody So Smooth 2-in-1 Brush/Comb. I unearthed it this past week by accident when I was looking for my rattail comb. I’ve been using it to smooth the edges of my pressed hair when wearing buns and ponytails and before tying it down at night (unfortunately, hand smoothing, even with product, never works too well for me). It’s a brush with one row of bristles and, within each bunch of bristles, there is a tooth comb. So, it’s like a comb nestled within a brush!
I picked this up from a Walmart several years ago and have also used it on my curly hair when I need to lightly smooth my edges. I love this brush/comb! Amazingly, it manages to smooth out the surface “hair lumps” that ruin a “sleek” look, without snagging or tearing my hair. I don’t use it to brush/comb through my entire head or try to get down to the roots when my hair is in its natural state. It really just allows me to get the surface of my hair smooth enough to look neat in a bun, ponytail or updo.
Unfortunately, Goody doesn’t make the So Smooth Brush/Comb anymore, so you can’t find it in stores. However, you know I wouldn’t tell you about this and then leave you hanging! I did a little searching and eBay has quite a few of these brushes on sale, if you’re interested. Being the hoarder that I am, I already ordered a back-up from eBay here($7.17 w/free shipping). This seller has a “more than 10″ available.
However, if you don’t get to this shop before it sells out, my search results here turned up several other listings for the handled version of this brush.
I did find one other seller of the full brush here. However, this item is for a lot of 6 brushes for $24.99. So, ya know, if you wanna hook up your friends, this may be the deal for you. Otherwise, you’ll have a lot of back-ups!
Yeah, it’s time for a two step henna/indigo. I tried mixing my henna and indigo my last treatment to try and shortcut my normal process for getting my crown hair dark brown/black. Didn’t work out too well.
Look at my calico cat roots!
I probably had far more henna in the mix than indigo and my ratio should have been more indigo heavy. Regardless, I’m not even going to try a hendigo again. I’m just going to go with my normal two step process this weekend or the following. I will post a bulleted picture tutorial, for those of you interested in how I do this, in the coming week or so!
When I wear my hair in styles that call for smooth edges, like buns and updos, I had come to rely on Eco Styler Olive Oil gel mixed with Shea Butter for hold. I would emulsify the shea butter in my palm and then add an equal amount of gel, mixing the two together. Next, I would smooth my edges with the mixture and tie them down with a silk or satin scarf until I got to work. This would usually hold my edges down for the morning, but by lunch time, the flyaways would start to make their presence known. And, by the end of the work day, my edges were usually pretty fuzzy.
So, although Eco and shea butter worked okay, I was still in search of something that could hold my edges and keep them looking relatively sleek all day. Therefore, back in November, I picked up some Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) Olive Oil Edge Control Gel. I’d read some good reviews about it that indicated that it worked really well to control, hold and smooth curly, frizzy, fuzzy edges. So, when I saw it in Sally’s, I grabbed a jar.
“Haaaaaaaaated it!” LOL! Just kidding. However, I wasn’t at all impressed. It really did nothing for me and was even less effective than the Eco and shea. So, I promptly returned it to Sally’s for a full refund (this one wasn’t going under my sink to collect dust).
Then, last month, Sofn’Free sent me a box jam packed with products from their new GroHealthy line for natural hair, Sofn’Free Nothing But. Among the goodies was a nice size (8.8 0z.) jar of Mold & Hold Wax (compared to the 2.25 oz. ORS Edge Control gel). Here’s the rundown:
What they say:
Your natural hair has a mind of its own. But our Mold & Hold Wax lets you gently twist it around your little finger. Use it daily or after shampooing to create and maintain twists, locks or knots. And since it’s made from nothing but honest ingredients, there’s nothing flaky about it either.
Directions
Apply to roots and twist with fingers or comb.
As evidenced by the side of the container, this product is also petrolatum, mineral oil, sulfate, paraben, colorant and phthalates (I don’t even know what that last one is!) free. However, it is not cone free. So if you are strictly CG, then you wouldn’t want to use this product as it contains dimethicone.
The Review:
The product is clear with very little scent (it has a slight smell that is almost indiscernible unless you sniff the jar and doesn’t linger). The consistency is thick, but not quite waxy. It is definitely thicker and more viscous than a heavy gel like Eco Styler or ORS Lock & Twist, but not as thick as beeswax.
I decided to try it on my edges two weeks ago when I was wearing a bunned style. I applied a very small amount, like that pictured above, to my fingertip. I emulsified it across several fingers and smoothed my edges. I then tied my hair down with a satin scarf. When I arrived at work, my edges were nicely smoothed. But, more surprisingly, at lunch and then at the end of the work day, they were still nearly frizz free!! Additionally, I didn’t experience any hardness, flakes or tackiness. I continued to use the product for the following three days with the same result.
So, the next test was on my pressed hair. I used a little bit of this every few days when my edges started to look a little fuzzier than I liked. After several applications, I still don’t have any flakes in my hair, stiffness, tackiness or the appearance of product build-up!! This is my hair Monday afternoon, after applying a little more Mold & Hold Wax to the edges and tying them down with my silk scarf while I fudged around on the computer all day.
Final Thoughts: This Sofn’Free Nothing But Mold & Hold Wax is a keeper!!! I am sooo impressed with this stuff (probably because I didn’t expect to be)! The product is very effective for me and is free of a lot of the bad stuff. Though it contains a non-water soluble cone, I use DevaCare No Poo weekly. Since that contains coco-betaine and I also tend to “clarify” with a diluted sulfate shampoo once every 4-8 weeks, I don’t expect to have a problem with build up. Finally, the amount that I need to use to smooth my edges is so minimal and the jar is so huge, I expect that I won’t need to re-up on this for 6 months to a year! And, at only $8 a jar, even if I did, it wouldn’t break the bank! So yeah, if you are still on the hunt for an effective, reasonably priced edge control product that holds all day without stiffness, flakes, tackiness or the appearance of build up, you might want to check this one out!
Edited to Add: Right now, the Nothing But line is only available online and in select BSSs. However, the company website indicates that it will be available in Rite-Aids around the country beginning in April 2012.
(p.s. I plan on doing an “epilogue” on this product the next time I do twists! I mean, it was made for that purpose and if it holds them anything like it holds my edges, we are in business baby!!)
Tips and Tricks: Number Twenty
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