So, remember I told you guys about Kay Vel Creme Press a few weeks ago? If you missed that post, check it out here. Well, I just had to share this testimonial with you from my girl Rhonda, a faithful Hairscapades follower cum friend. She contacted me about an issue that she was having with her daughter’s hair and I suggested Kay Vel, along with a couple other things. This is Rhonda’s Kay Vel story and experience.
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On 12/14/12:
Shelli,
I took my daughter with the 4z hair to a hair salon where she had a press and curl, only to have her hair break so badly from the incident that I feel like an unfit mother. We are back almost to square one when she transitioned (only 3″ of hair). She is taking it in stride, but I am not. I hurt! I hurt!
Moisture – she is lacking moisture, but it seems I can’t keep enough of it in her hair ever. I just don’t know the right combo of products to use. Oh and been using GBP.
I am really catching hell … Kennedy does not want to return to texlaxing and I don’t want to either, BUT I just can’t go on. We have limited styling options and I am so very tired of tackling her hair almost daily. I like her hair blown out, but it reverts so very quickly. If she walks from house to car, her hair will revert. Braids are not an option, because everytime she has had them installed, she has had extreme breakage, especially along the hairline. Her father, my husband, is almost at his wit’s end and is demanding for me to have her hair straightened (texturized). He is not down with team natural as far as Kenendy’s hair is concerned. PLEASE send me some inspiration.
Rhonda
I responded:
Do you think her hair is under or over porous? Have you tried the L.O.C. method on her? Leave-in, oil and then a cream or butter WITHOUT water? It sounds to me like her hair is porous, like it’s absorbing the water in the air. She may need a stronger protein. Have you tried the 2 minute ApHogee on her? I’d be hesitant about the two step, but GPB may not be enough (anything you use, follow with moisture).
Okay, now onto products. Have you tried the Shea Moisture or Cantu lines on her? They are readily available in stores and can probably be returned if they don’t work. Wait a minute, maybe that Kay Vel would be good for doing a blow out on her hair and keeping it from reverting?
Well, last night, after Rhonda e-mailed me an update about her results, I demanded requested a testimonial, and she kindly obliged!
♦
by Rhonda
A few weeks ago I reached out to you for some assistance in managing my daughter’s 4c hair. Kennedy BC’d two years ago and we have been struggling mightily ever since. We’ve experienced breakage, lack of length retention, extreme dryness and thinning edges. Trips to the hair salon only exasperated the problem.
So, upon your advice, we shampooed (Elucense Moisture Benefits Poo) and dried most of the moisture with a T-shirt. We then applied Aphogee Keratin Reconstructor for 10 minutes with heat. We allowed the product to cool for 10 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm water (she screams if we rinse with cold water). Again, we sopped up most of the moisture with a T-shirt before DC’ing with Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair Mask with heat for 45 minutes. Next, we applied Paul Mitchell leave-in conditioner and sectioned her hair in four sections to allow to air dry. After about 30 – 45 minutes, her hair was just damp and we blow dried on medium heat after applying a small amount of Kay Vel to each section. Kennedy’s hair was lightly pressed with a Kizure pressing comb (one pass only) and curled with a ceramic BaByliss flat-iron set at 350° (we added a small amount of Kay Vel to each section before pressing). We were both blown away with the results ~ the product lived fully up to its claim. No reversion, greaseless, no odor or smoke. During the week, we did not have to add a moisturizer to her hair at all. The Kay Vel acted as a sealer and sealed in the moisture that was applied during the wash/conditioning process. We did, however, apply a light application of JBCO to her thinning edges.
Our real test came two weeks later … the wash out.
Fast forward to today. I had been filled with mounting anxiety. You see, we have been rocked with snow, rain and lots of moisture in the air. Through it all, Kennedy’s hair did not revert. Not even alittle bit. It remained shiny and curly. Note: We did not touch up her hair at all … no pressing and/or curling of any sort.
In prep for wash day, we pre-pooed with coconut oil overnight. We rinsed and washed with Elucense, followed by DC’ing with AOHSR with heat for 45 minutes. I was needlessly concerned about heat damage and product build-up. Neither was noted. Kennedy’s curls were not compromised at all. She still has a very dense head of 4c curls. I might even say that her hair was slightly more manageable. It was surprisingly well moisturized. I attribute this to (1) pre-pooing and (2) moisturizing/conditioning.
Our light blow dry and press and curl process was the same as the first time. I wanted to follow the same routine to ensure repeatability and reproducibility. We succeeded. I was even able to use a lower temp on the flat-iron this time (325°). I spoke with Dana Settle, Kay Vel Co-Founder, who shared that many claim to be able to use even less heat with repeated use of Kay Vel Creme Press. That was indeed our experience. On our next wash day, we shall scale the temperature back 15-25 degrees.
Overall, we are exceptionally pleased with the Kay Vel Creme Press and our regimen. Kay Vel Creme Press is a miracle in a jar! While it worked extremely well for Kennedy’s 4c curls, those whose hair straightens quickly with heat, may not realize the true benefit of the product. The incorporation of protein, pre-pooing and Kay Vel Creme Press really helped get us over the hurdle. Kennedy will likely return to her staple (the puff) in the summer when temperatures climb, but for now we are incredibly grateful for all your sage advise and willingness to help! You really did save me from reaching for that jar of texturizer! 🙂
Sincerely,
Rhonda
(p.s. The first time, I might add that I did spray her hair with Jane Carter leave-in, which is supposed to have heat protection and detangling properties. The second time, I did not. But, I will incorporate heat protection going forward because it can’t hurt.)
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You are VERY welcome Rhonda!! I am so happy that you and Kennedy are off the ledge and received such great results!! But, what I’m most pleased to know is that Kennedy’s hair reverted quickly once washed!!
So, I still don’t think that I would try this on my loose curls and fine strands as I think it might loosen the curl even further. But, I definitely think that this product has potential and would recommend it for those with heartier strands and tighter coils who are experiencing struggles with straightening and/or daily styling.
What about you guys? Do you think Kay Vel is legit??
hairscapades 
I am in GA, where do you find this product?
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I visit your site often but rarely comment. Thank you for sharing this product. I’ve got to try it on my daughter’s hair.
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Sorry. My comment is meant for Shelli.
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Awwwww, thanks Kim :)!!
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Dear Ganttgang,
You may visit the Kay Vel website, http://www.kayvelproducts.com/, and check out “distributors” to locate a vendor that may carry the product line in your local area. I was pleasantly surprised to find a vendor in my state (DE) that carried the product. Albeit, I drove almost an hour one way to pick it up. LOL!
Good luck!
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Will so be on the road to Middletown tomorrow to pick this up! LOL!
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Go for it, girlie! The BBS owner is African! Love patronizing black and brown entrepreneurs.
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Just got back – I think I purchased his last jar off the shelf! Will wash and try it tonight.
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Thetruthisoutthere, post back with your results!
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I still have a couple of jars of this stuff that I bought during my transition last year and for my daughter’s hair. When I first heard about it and watched a youtube vid about it…..It was all the rave at that point. Soon after I was bitten by the PJ bug and forgot all about that stuff. I may revisit…..?
I actually got great results from using it on my daughter who is natural…..
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Dear Julebell,
Please advise how you applied the product to your daughter’s hair. Did you apply it to damp hair? Dry hair? During the b/d process? Pressing? Curling?
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Rhonda C,
I used it on my daughter’s dry hair; I used a heat protectant prior to blow drying; I applied a small amount to each section and used one pass of the flat iron. You don’t have to use high heat, it doesn’t smoke when passing the iron and it gets pretty straight; adds a pretty nice sheen as well. They actually have another product called Kay Vel curl wave moisture repellant that I used on her ends to curl it; it locks the curl in and acts as a heat protectant as well. HTH
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Your daughter’s hair is beautiful!
I just wanted to offer a few helpful hints because as a mom, I felt your pain in your initial letter to Shelli.
I have been natural since 1996 and I have 3 daughters so there has been a lot of natural hair styling going on in our household.
I am not extremely familiar with the hair typing system (3a/b/c ; 4/a/b/c) so I am not exactly sure what that means. From the description of your daughters hair, however, it sounds as if her hair is a lot like my oldest daughters.
While I understand the desire to have straight hair, I have found with my daughters hair wet/styled hairstyles work very well for her hair. For example, I twist her hair after she washes it with Miss Jessies Baby Butter Creme and take the twists out after they have dried and she has a crinkly hair style that will last for more than a week. My hair, on the other hand, would frizz up.
Her hair does not dry out during the week and is long and very thick. I guess my point is, I try hair styles with her that are very close to the natural tendency of her hair. With that, she has a very healthy head of hair that seems to maintain its own moisture very well.
When I do straighten or curl her hair, it is blow dried with a round brush and an ionic dryer and then flat ironed. We put a small amount of oil on at night to pin curl. Her hair lasts a long time without a lot of reversion. I very seldom do the straightening and curling myself. I prefer to take her to a salon in my area because they do such an awesome job and they promote healthy hair.
I am glad that you found something that has given you the results that you were looking for. I just wanted to share my experience with you to give you something else that you can perhaps put into your “bag of tricks.”
Finally, because it’s four natural heads in this camp I don’t have a lot of time. So our wash routine is fairly simple. We just use conditioner as our shampoo and that’s about it.
Take care!
Rosiland
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Dear Rosiland,
Thank you! Kennedy has a very dense head of curls! Her hair is a different texture than mine or her older sister’s. Our challenge has always been finding the right moisture balance which directly impacts length retention. While we have tried a host of styling techniques that don’t require heat (Kennedy’s preference), we’ve not quite found the right combination of technique and products that yield lasting results.
After wearing puffs, twist outs and wet sets (left to air dry) for over a year with marginal results, she and I are enjoying the convenience that Kay Vel has afforded us. When the weather breaks, we will migrate back to non-heat styling. And, I definitely would like to reach out to you to borrow from your “bag of tricks”.
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Email me anytime. (My name) at gmail dot com 🙂
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Thank you Rosiland. I will be in touch!
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Great suggestions Rosiland!! Thank you!!
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Hi, I’m in the process of transitioning, and I’ve had the problems of my roots reverting the same day after hours in a salon. Hopefully I can find the Kay Vel here in Nassau.
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Dear Dee,
Good luck locating the product! Check out the Kay Vel website, http://www.kayvelproducts.com/.
We are “over the moon” with the product.
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Hi Shelli,
I purchased the kay vel creme press and the curl wave after seeing your post to try on my daughters 4c hair to straighten and it really did a good job I will have to share it with you (pics) on instagram soon. Any who i think that will be a staple for her because she like the straight look. I let my son use the curl wave on his locs I will have to give a update later on that one. Thanks for all your information.. Tissa
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Dear Natissa,
I would love to see your results and hear your technique.
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Yes Natissa, please do!!! I’d love to see the results (before and afters would be awesome too!!).
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This is a great testimonial. I am just still confused about the ingredients of this product. Soy bean and cotton seed active components derived from plants, are they referring to soybean oil and cottonseed oil? Rapeseed oil is canola oil, and sunflower what? If all these ingredients are oils, what causes the softness? Is it all just a really good sealant? Does anyone knows the science behind this?
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Girl, no I don’t and I still can’t figure it out! But, guess what? Your comment prompted me to send an email to JC of Natural Haven with links to this post and the prior one to see if she would be able to shed some light on the science behind how this product works with the results that it gives. I’m hoping she’ll take this one on as I’m sure she’s flooded with requests!!
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Shelli, Can’t wait to hear what light JC is able to shed.
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Thanks, I am looking forward to the details as well.
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Shelli,
THANK YOU so much for posting Kennedy’s testimony and for providing such a great venue for all to share experiences. When I have a hair conundrum, I turn to “Skills”! Your guidance has never failed me.
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Awwww, you’re welcome Rhonda. And THANK YOU for sharing your experience and for always rooting me on :)!!
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Oo Kennedy’s hair is beautiful before and after. Just a thought since it is winter and the cold air is lethal for our delicate strands, my hair loved Paul Mitchell Leave in during the Summer but once the temperature drop in the mid-fall my hair became rough even though before I put the leave in it was soft. My thought maybe Kennedy’s hair is like that too and should change the leavein during the winter months. Anywhoo I am thinking to try that pressing creme.
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It’s so funny you say that Gina. I didn’t put the entire thread between Rhonda and I in this post. But, we were going back and forth and she was talking about a heat protectant making Kennedy’s hair hard and going back to using the Aveda Brilliant recommended by Mop Top Maven, which I also use. I wonder if it’s the Paul Mitchell that is making the hair hard instead? Guess she’ll have to see how Kennedy’s hair does with the Aveda and if it’s still hard, maybe it’s not the heat protectant, but the Paul Mitchell leave-in!
Thanks for commenting and good like with the Creme Press!!
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Your welcome!! Your blog has truly helped me with my hair journey especially during this time dealing with hair loss from an allergic reaction to Elasta QP Mango Butter.
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Gina,
Thanks for the heads up! Shelli and I have discussed this very notion and I am planning to switch heat protectant.
What heat protectant are you currently using?
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Your welcome!! I was using the Paul Mitchell for a leave-in. I had used grapeseed oil as a heat protectant once and that did not work out for me. I am still looking for one. I found a store near by that carries Kay Vel Creme Press. So I hope to try that. But the new leavein I have been using now is Oyin Handmade Hair Dew. Love that stuff!!!
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Thank you for the wonderful testimony of our Products. The Kay Vel Creme Press was formulated in 1947 by my late Father in Law. The formulation has been a family secret for over 70 years. He had the dream to create a natural product that would straighten the hair without smoke to protect the health of the Stylist and the Client. And that he did!!
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OMGosh, this is so cool! Thank you for commenting Dana! My readers and I have been so curious about this product and how it works!! I don’t know if you are able, but could you answer any of the questions that were posted further above? They were as follows:
Soy bean and cotton seed active components derived from plants, are you referring to soybean oil and cottonseed oil? Rapeseed oil is canola oil, and sunflower what? If all these ingredients are oils, what causes the softness? Is it all just a really good sealant? What is the science behind this?
And what I think she means by science I believe, is what ingredients do what in the product (like, does something fill “holes” in the cuticle, does something close the cuticle, how does the hair become softened with repeated use?). My concern with this product for my own hair, which is fine stranded, is will it cause my curls to loosen with repeated use as that is not something that I want. This almost seems like a bio-silkening treatment, but those are essentially light relaxers and we would like some clarity on whether the active components derived from plants are actually the naturals oils and/or some type of extract or if those components have gone through a process that change their chemical structure.
Any insights that you could provide would be greatly appreciated as I am super-intrigued by this product. Oh, and one last thing, do you agree with my recommendation that a heat protectant be used under this product?
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Hello
I apologize for my delayed response.
Yes, we are referring to Soybean, Cottonseed, Rapeseed, Canola and Sunflower OILS. ALL of the Active components derived from plants are the Natural Oils. No Extracts nor Fillers are in this product. NO CHEMICALS, NO PETROLATUM, NO SULFATE.
I understand your concern about your fine loosely curled hair. I believe we have the same type of hair. Rest assured that this product does not in any way change your curl pattern. A lot of time straightening your hair with too much heat will change your curl pattern.
The great thing about this product is that you don’t have to use as much heat as you do with many other products.
I have been using this product for over 20 years. The first 18 years with a relaxer because even relaxed hair tends to poof up. The past 17 months I have been transitioning with it. It allowed me to keep my length by keeping my new growth consistent with my relaxed hair to minimize breakage.
My natural Curl pattern has never changed! I just got the rest of my relaxer cut off yesterday and my hair is still past my shoulders. Now I have the freedom to wear my hair curly or straight! I LOVE IT!!
Dana Settle
2nd Generation Kay Vel
K & D Distributing, Inc
Baltimore, Maryland 21044
PH: 443-858-3084
Fax: 888-492-3061
danapsettle@kayvelproducts.com
http://www.kayvelproducts.com
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I loves the Kay Vel an old school hair products. That work magic.I am so happy to know that this wonderful product is back on the market. This is truly a great hair products. I have turned so many family and friends on to Kay Vel.a black own family.I have been natural for over20 years.last month I have decided to silk press.after going through so many products that didn’t work.. This here is a keeper 💝 you Kay vel. Thank you.💝👑
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