Summer Hair

Okay, so I’m thinking about cutting my hair. I’m getting ready for the summer (because I don’t deal well with winters and would rather skip over it) and I’m already thinking about my summer style. Although I love my hair length now, whenever it gets kinda lengthy, I start thinking about cutting my hair. So here it is. This is what I want.

Things I’m thinking about for my cut:

- Is it going to be wash and go or can I go overnight? – I’m thinking I want both.

- Will it be long enough on the top to twist? – Yes, it has to be long enough for twists, then if I want it low, I can pat it down.

- Do I have to use gel? – Because I would like *not* to have to do it, but might consider a butter cream with a little hold.

- How long do I plan on maintaining this look? – I’m thinking maybe the summer, then let it grow out for the winter then do it all again!

[Photo: le coil]

4 Months Later… + Qhemet Biologics Product Love!

Style: I braided after washing, then let it out.

This is me now! It’s been a while, huh?

I’m not good at blogging, especially when I have to take pictures …AND… when I have work and kids and school …AND… offline life stuff. But Conscious Beauty reminded me that I need to get back to it, so here I am.

During my unofficial leave, I was using Qhemet Biologics’ Burdock Root Butter Cream and my hair has never ever been healthier or better. WOW. No split ends. No breakage.

Washing My Hair: What’s Changed

What I’ve also found helpful is that I wash my hair without shampoo. The few times that I’ve washed it with shampoo, it didn’t turn out so great. Okay, it was horrible. Even with SLS-free shampoo. Yes, it took out the dirt, but it also took out all of the natural oils on my hair and made my cuticles stand up. It was hard to get my hair to feel good again and I ended up using waaaaaay too much of the butter cream to try to moisturize it again. So what I now do is wash with just straight aloe vera gel.

At first I tried doing the conditioner wash as some others have done, but it left my hair half clean. So I tried the aloe vera gel, put it on my roots, made sure to rub it in nice and good, then washed each section out well. My scalp was soooooo clean! I remember being at the salon and they would use shampoo two or three times trying to get it that clean (maybe because they kept focusing on getting it sudsy instead of cleaning my scalp). So it seems as if I’ve found something that works for my hair.

Qhemet Biologics

I’m such a fan-girl now. They’re having a sale today and I bought their Amla & Olive Heavy Cream instead of the Burdock Root Butter Cream because my hair is way too thick and tightly coiled. It was drinking the product (plus my shampoo made my hair suck it up even faster) so I’m going to try the heavier cream instead. I also ordered the Amla Oil Nourishing Pomade for my ends and in-between days. The Burdock Root works well though and I’m gonna miss it.

I’m excited and it shouldn’t be long before I get it in the mail. Big thanks to Conscious Beauty for sending it to me across the border (saves me $15 on shipping!!!). YAY!

Update: I still think Live Clean is the best shampoo I’ve tried to date, so I’m not knocking shampoos. I’ll use it if I go swimming and need to get the chlorine out. But through trial and error, I’ve found what works for my hair and I’ll stick to aloe vera gel for now.

Updates On The Hair Care Products I Use

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.

Flat Twists

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.

New Hair Style

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.

Aloe Vera

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!

Foam Rods

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*

I’m Back! Kinda…

Okay, so I’ve been away enjoying the summer as much as I could and now that it’s over (I’m crying inside), I’ll have more time to blog…kinda. The beginning of the school year is here and I want to make sure I keep the momentum going and not get distracted by the interwebs. So, when it’s not assignment, test, or exam time, I’ll be here.

In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summer…all 6 hours of it!

And for your viewing pleasure, I’m posting a pic of my new hairdo!

Thinking a Little Differently About Hair Care

I have noticed that going natural this time around has required that I think differently about caring for my hair.   What has improved is my understanding of the ingredients used in shampoos and conditioners and what works with the body’s pH.  Trying to improve my overall health has led me to understand more about what is healthy for my hair.

What I Recommend

Look at the ingredients ALL the time.  Even if you don’t go the all-natural vinegar/olive oil route that I’ve gone, it is good to try replicating the effects.  Alcohol, sulphates and phosphates in traditional beauty products are not at all good for your hair and scalp.  You should avoid them at all costs.  Manufacturers add the ingredients to create that lather you see in shampoos, or to increase the speed at which gels and creams dry.  You end up paying for it with your hair’s health.

Marketing is used to convince consumers that their products are the best for each type of hair.  That’s just not the case.  No matter who’s face is on the bottle, look at the ingredients inside the bottle.  If they don’t provide you with that information, don’t buy it.  The good news is that more consumers are asking for products that do not have these ingredients and it is becoming easier to find them at the local pharmacy, so things are changing for the better.

What About Oiling the Scalp?

You should also avoid putting any type of oil or grease on your scalp, as it clogs the follicles and blocks the natural oils from reaching the shaft.  For some, the excess grease mixes with trapped skin cells and ‘flakes’.  If your hair is too dry, try washing it less often and find waterless cleaning products. Twist at night or buy a silk/satin pillowcase to keep the oils in your hair and not on your pillow.

Also remember that the type of hair curls you have determines how dry your hair is.  It being more dry that other types of hair does not necessarily make it a bad thing.  Love your hair for what it is.  What you need to watch out for is split ends and breakage.  Dryness alone shouldn’t raise concerns.

As Promised! Pics!

With that being said, here’s a side profile picture of my hair when I let it out of the twists.  The products I used for that was the vinegar/olive oil to start and I finished with the Blended Beauty’s Natural Hair Oil.

This is what it looks like from the front.

Okay, I’m done with the pictures. It’s not working well with my shyness…:-)

Twists (with a little pull-back!)

Here it is! My first favourite do…

Updated: To do this style, I just twisted while wet after adding SOMA’s Solace Anti-Frizz Serum. I added elastics at the end to make sure they wouldn’t unravel. Then I waited until it was dry and put a big hair tie to pull it back.