My friend at Conscious Beauty brought me some of this Burdock Root Butter Cream to try and at first I wasn’t sure if I needed it. So I tried it on my kids (why not experiment on them, right?). I can see now why the product is sold out!! I took a little dollop of the cream and wet the hair a little, then spread it all around. The baby, who’s hair on the top of his head usually can’t hold a curl, actually looked really nice and curly. And it wasn’t greasy or sticky. The cream is very light and doesn’t flake (which really really irritates me when creams do that).
So then I tried it on myself, but while my hair was dry. And surprisingly, even then, it still did a decent job of moisturizing and taking a little bit of the frizz out. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a frizz hater. Frizz can be really good depending on the kind of style you’re wearing (especially if you want it big) but at the time I had most of my hair curly, and the top part was starting to lose its curl. It did make the top part seem like it was a part of the style and not some separate thing all together, which is what I was trying to achieve.
My next goal is to try using it just after washing instead of the coconut oil I sometimes use now. I love love love coconut oil but it can be a little too greasy for me (and my pillows).
But they’re not of me. There are some wonderful people out there rocking some beautiful natural hair styles and showing us that being gorgeous means you love your hair and work it like a model!
Chestnut Orange gave some link love to le coil, so thanks to her for showing me the way.
- While I believe that hatred for natural hair is bad, I also believe that women have a right to control their own bodies and appearance. Sometimes we want to try a different style or color, just for fun. But I can’t help wondering, as I watch Tyra Banks with her hair cornrowed especially for this episode, what message black women who constantly relax and weave and wig send to black girls. It is disengenuous of Banks to point to her braids to show her young guest that a black supermodel and media mogul is proud of her black hair, when in reality, Tyra would never rock those rows on the red carpet. When Banks is looking “fierce,” she’s usually sporting a long, straight blondish weave or wig. Everyone “tsk tsked” at the little black girl who loves her Hannah Montana wig because she thinks it is prettier than her real hair, but doesn’t grown-up Tyra do pretty much the same thing?
How can black mothers, most of whom, like Tyra, straighten or hide their natural hair, demonstrate to their daughters that curly to kinky hair can be just as beautiful in its natural state as that of other races? I am not asking this to be confrontational. I honestly am interested in hearing from black moms who perm their hair. What are the steps you take to ensure your child does not absorb the belief that straight is better? How do you address what your child may see as a contradiction: “Honey, natural black hair is beautiful, but none of the women in our family wear their hair naturally, because…”
Check out the video from EmpressRi for her review on Qhemet Biologics. It was her review that got me motivated enough to go buy this stuff. Back in February, I did a post about my journey to obtain a few Qhemet Biologics products. We are now at the end of April, meaning that I’ve been using QB for two months now. I feel comfortable with writing a review that I won’t later regret or have second thoughts on. As mentioned in the previous post, Qhemet Biologics can be difficult to get your hands on, depending on whether the website has it or not. I bought four items and have used them ever since, so I feel comfortable sharing my experience with what I’ve been putting in my hair. Here’s the review:
Egyptian Wheatgrass Cleansing Tea- The lavender scent is the first thing you notice when you open the bottle. It is a SLS-free, clarifying, gentle shampoo. I like it, I do, but for $13 per bottle, I’m not completely sold. I can see myself trying something else after I finish it.
Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee-I can not see myself without this product. It works wonderfully at detangling, and it smells like chocolate. It makes dry combing a breeze, especially if you use a Denman brush. My hair feels baby soft after adding this product to it. I think it would be great for anyone who doesn’t want to wet their hair just to comb it without pain. It has definitely helped with combing out my daughter’s tangles.
Olive & Honey Hydrating Balm- It really does feel just like honey. I am somewhat divided on this product. It does exactly what it claims: it moisturizes. My hair is so shiny and moisturized that it looks like it’s still wet even when it isn’t. And it does all this without letting my hair look limp. My small issue with the product is that it really does look, feel and smell like some olive oil and honey whipped together. It has the consistency of honey, with the hue of olive oil. I can’t help but look at it and think, “I can make this.” A jar of it will last forever, but when it runs out, I plan to whip up my own batch. It is best to use O&HHB when your hair is still wet or damp after washing. You don’t want to put this stuff in everyday between washes else it will get tacky/gummy.
Amla & Olive Heavy Cream-This product is QB’s best seller. I bought the Heavy Cream because I didn’t want to keep conditioner in my hair in order to keep my curls weighed down. I needed something that was as thick as conditioner, but preferably without all the chemicals. My co-worker, who turned me on to Qhemet, warned me that the Amla & Olive Heavy Cream is very, very thick. It is. It is thicker than the richest conditioner you can call to mind. Not every one can handle the richness of the heavy cream, which is why the company introduced the Burdock Root Butter Cream. I don’t own that one, but have heard good things about it.
I use the products individually, depending on my hair need of the day. When I am wearing my hair curly, I use them together. I take out a portion of the Ghee, Hydrating Balm and Heavy Cream and mix it thoroughly. Then I take my little mixture into the shower with me and use it in the place of a conditioner. I leave it in (this stuff is expensive, do not wash it out!) and wrap my hair in my curl-ease towel. By the time I unwrap, I have perfect curls that stay defined and silky. Hooray!
In viewing my stats, most people come here for my review of Curly Pudding or for my use of olive oil in my hair.
I just wanted to update you on a few things. Since I’ve started this blog, I’ve tried a few products, including natural ones, and some of them I still use, some of them I don’t. Here’s what has changed since I’ve started this blog:
Olive Oil: I found it to be heavy on my hair after a while. I think this was because whatever repair my hair needed, it happened and the olive oil was no longer needed. I now use it as a treatment only, which may be once a year.
Vinegar: I no longer use it as I found that it was mainly good for getting rid of dandruff and once it did that, I really didn’t need to use it anymore.
Shampoo (sulfate free): I didn’t use it before but now I do. I shampoo only once, making sure to get my scalp primarily. It strips my hair of valuable oil so I don’t overdo it. I use Live Clean shampoo.
Conditioner: I didn’t use it before but now I do. I use Blended Beauty’s Quenching Conditioner.
Aloe Vera Gel: I didn’t use it before but now I do. I use it to detangle my hair and put the balance back in my pH levels. It’s really great for my hair and makes it so easy to style. Since I’ve been using it, I haven’t had any split ends. NONE. Any regular AV gel will do, online or at the natural food store.
Hair oil: I don’t use any hair oil anymore. There’s no need. I find all the moisture I need from not using heat, keeping my scalp and hair pH balanced, which would be slightly acidic between 4.5 and 5.5 on the pH scale, and using silk/satin pillows or scarf. Plus oils only coat the hair, they don’t really moisturize.
Combs: I no longer use. I use a Denman brush instead. If I want to part a straight line, I still have to use a comb, but only after it’s been fully detangled with the brush.
Curly Pudding: Won’t touch it. Ever. Again. My review was much nicer, but seriously, the ingredients in that product make me run for the hills. So no, after using it that one time and having to spend months to repair my hair (hence use of olive oil), it is NOT for me.
Blended Beauty’s Butter Creme: Nope. Don’t use that either. It wasn’t as damaging as the ‘Pudding’ but still, I don’t do styles that would support that type of product.
SOMA Solace Anti-frizz serum: I still use it occasionally when I want to reshape my curls.
So there you have it, some much needed updates to my hair care routine. I’ve had this blog up for a little over 6 months and have had over 10,000 views. To me, that says a lot.
So thanks to all of those who comment and participate here and around the natural hair care community. I have found so much support and tons of resources that would have been too hard to find offline.
So, I did the flat twists as demonstrated by Ms. Curly Chronicles herself, and I have to say that I’m quite surprised by the result. I wore it in the flat twists for two days because I liked the way it looked on me. Then when it was starting to get fuzzy, I let it out. It looks very nice to me. I like it a lot.
This is a style I’ll have to keep in my top faves.
For this style, I did it just like the previous two, but I prepared my hair a little differently. I think that my hair is not as tense as it was before because I’m using products that it likes and because of the way I’ve been treating it. I have a routine now and am very gentle with my hair. Since I’ve read Mixed Girl Curls, I’ve learned how to be more careful with handling my hair. My texture is much more coiled than hers but the principles behind what she’s saying applies to all types of curls, not just loose ones.
Here’s what I do: I wash with SLS-free shampoo once (no rinse and repeat), put conditioner in it and rinse. Then I put aloe vera gel in there as a detangler. I brush out medium sections while in the shower and get rid of excess aloe vera by light rinsing. Then I twist and put in a perm rod. This time I let it air dry for two days (I was sick so I had no energy). Then I let it all out.
So I tried to do the twists and foam rods again, but instead I ended up buying medium sized perm rods. I took the advice over at Curly Chronicles and Mixed Girl Curls to keep the stress on my hair to a minimum.
Here’s what I did:
I washed my hair using pH 4-5.5 shampoo without Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate (basically a mild shampoo without harsh soapy chemicals)
I only put the shampoo on my scalp and shampooed only once
I put in lots of Aloe Vera gel and allowed it to soak a little
I took a brush and combed though sections of my hair starting from the ends and worked my way up
I squeezed the excess aloe vera out then twisted each section to keep it detangled until I got out the shower (don’t rinse the aloe out)
To finish the style, I took each section out that I made in the shower and redid them into the size I wanted, then rolled each twist up with a perm rod. In the morning, I took the twists out.
The aloe vera gel is the best detangler I’ve EVER experienced. I barely had any hair come out on my brush. It was wonderful to have my hair stay on my head. There was no residue left back when it dried, no flaking or beading. The gel just left my hair curly and hydrated.
My suggestion, go read Mixed Girl Curls’ “Curly Primer Section” where she talks about her technique. Then take what you’ve learned and modify it to suit our own hair type and style desired.
I’m still open to suggestions about products that need to be reviewed. I’m willing to do the experimenting, so let me know!
Now It’s time for pictures pictures pictures! Here’s how my hair turned out. I quite like it! In this picture, I didn’t fluff my hair up. It’s straight from the twists.
I’ve been experiencing a little beading with my Soma product lately. It usually happens when I mix it with olive oil. It works great with heat, but seeing as I’m not using any heat, it may be best for me to try something else. So I’ve decided to go on the hunt again for new hair products.
Currently I don’t use a shampoo, but I am looking for one. Organic, GMO-free, SLS-free, and gentle on the scalp are ideal. I found some good tips at Mixed Girl Curls that I would like to try. So, if anyone has any suggestions about products to use, or products they would like to try but don’t want to buy yet, please list them here and I will have a go at it. It can be anything.
Okay, so I tried the new style (see post: New Link). It came out looking more like a roller-set than a curly fro. I think it was because I bought the medium-sized rods and had my twists too big. I’m going to try it again next week with smaller rods and smaller twists. Hopefully I’ll have more curl definition.
So, without further ado, here’s the hair. Had to take the pic myself early in the morning, so don’t expect anything spectacular. *giggles*
My friend at Conscious Beauty brought me some of this Burdock Root Butter Cream to try and at first I wasn’t sure if I needed it. So I tried it on my kids (why not experiment on them, right?). I can see now why the product is sold out!! I took a little dollop of the cream and wet the hair a little, then spread it all around. The baby, who’s hair on the top of his head usually can’t hold a curl, actually looked really nice and curly. And it wasn’t greasy or sticky. The cream is very light and doesn’t flake (which really really irritates me when creams do that).
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