Hey guys! Today, I wanted to talk about something that was a little funny, yet annoying all at once.
Syriah is 9 years old now, as you know if you're following us on Instagram. So she's starting to think that she's grown in some ways. You know how kids are; once they get to that preteen stage, they think the world is against them in every way and they get lazy and they have a million and one excuses as to why they can't accomplish something. (eyeroll)
Lately, Syriah has denied helping me detangle all of this hair she has, and I do not appreciate that.
I let her have it for now, but each time she does this grudgingly, I let her know that if she doesn't start helping me take care of her hair, then I will either cut it or let her grow locs, because I have a ton of hair between her siblings and myself, a ton of housework, and homeschool duties to do as it is, so I greatly need help maintaining her hair. I make sure she understands the importance of this. Having long hair is a HUGE responsibility, and at her age, it's time for her to start learning to care for it.
She used to love helping me take care of it, not so much anymore. That's that laziness talking. LOL
She will get it, though. I'm not worried. She'd better. Or it's just gonna go, snip snip!
Hey, guys, it's been a while again. I know. Life's a whirlwind as usual.
If you're not following me on Instagram (Curls of Innocence), then you probably don't know that I dyed Syriah's hair for her 9th birthday a few weeks ago! She'd been wanting to have pink hair like me, so I said, why not?
I wasn't allowed to dye my hair as a child at any point in time, so I want her to have the freedom that I didn't have.
Now, it didn't come out as pink as I would have liked, considering that I did not want to leave bleach in my child's hair for too long, but it still lightened a considerable amount. However, the dye job came out more reddish brown than pink.
It is still okay, though, for a first time job. She was happy regardless, and it took me a long time to wash and condition her hair, bleach, dye, AND style all in the same day. I was very exhausted by the time I was finished. My back hurt from leaning over the kitchen sink with her multiple times.
Ya'll, I wish I could have recorded that process. But it was too many steps and way too tiring, indeed. LOL!
I used basic bleach powder from the beauty supply store and 30 volume developer. I was afraid that if I used 20 volume, the hair wouldn't have lightened as much because her hair is really dark. So 30 volume worked! I don't think I did a lot of damage doing this. Also, I did the ends because I didn't want to put those chemicals on her scalp and risk a possible allergic reaction of some sorts, nor did I want it in her bloodstream.
If you have any questions as to how I did this, let me know in the comments. I will be more than happy to answer anything. Hope you're having a happy hair day! :)
Hey curlies! I have been on a weight loss/fitness journey for a while now. I recently started a new squat challenge to try something new and challenge myself. I haven't given up and I'm on day 5!
Honestly, I didn't think I'd make it to day 5 because I sit down waaaaay too much at the moment. But I've been doing better. It's hard when you're dealing with depression and anxiety. However, I have been making a huge effort to stretch several times a day because my body gets really stiff and I hate that now. This squat challenge is pushing me to my limits and I love it! I have to thank my only friend (thanks, Starr!) for inspiring me to try it, because hell, I've been seeing these memes for years, but never had the motivation to actually do it instead of sitting around and wishing. LOL
So my poor legs have been burning like crazy, but I am not going to stop. My knees especially need this workout. I have fat around my knees and that isn't good. You can't tell, but I have cellulite everywhere on my legs. It's painful and ugly and I am ready to get rid of it. I'm also working on my belly because that's where the majority of my weight lies. I don't look as if I'm 175 pounds, but I am. After having 5 kids, that's pretty good, though. lol
Well, that's my update on this. I will keep it up. I mentioned this on Instagram already. If you guys want to join in, let me know, or if you're advance, you can start today on day 5 and we can work it together! I know a lot of people need motivation to get moving because it's very hard these days to stick to anything when you have so many distractions.
If you haven't seen this in my videos and on Instagram, my Curls of Innocence growth oil will be available for sale on the website soon! It was supposed to be sooner, but I've been going through a lot of financial issues that put them on hold. But they will be available this summer still. A lot of people have been asking when I am going to create more products, like my old whipped shea butter. I'm working on it! I have five kids; it's going to take a minute for me to get it together, but I promise I will.
Hey curly mamas! My son's are gone! I made a video doing it and explained why as well. It was just time. He enjoyed the process and was happy about it. It's been two years, but I'm happy about the decision. Watch here to see the video on YouTube!
Heya, curlies! I am going to talk about treating cradle cap today.
My youngest child is 2 months right now. She has a serious case of cradle cap, or so she used to. My previous child, Jalani, didn't have half as much cradle cap as she did. I don't know what it is, but poor little Kyanah has had a ton of the stinky, white flaky stuff on her little scalp!
I always use coconut oil from birth on my children as a moisturizer for their hair AND body. It's the best. Very silky and smells good, no issues with skin breakouts or anything. So of course, I use it for cradle cap as well.
I made a post on Instagram about not worrying about whether or not to use 'regular' Shea Moistureproducts on your baby. Shea Moisture is supposed to be all natural anyway, so there's no real need to refrain from using it because you don't have the baby version. I always use it on all my kids as babies and they work just fine! No need to go broke using 'specialty' products. ;)
So for the cradle cap, I wash her hair using one of these SM shampoos and I massage really well. I don't use my nails at all, ONLY my finger tips. You don't want to pick the stuff off their scalps and create scabs. It's so tempting for me to pick at it because I HATE dandruff or anything that looks like it because it looks like dirt to me; however, I know that I shouldn't. lol
I wash and rinse like normal. No conditioner needed at this age. Afterwards, I just take a palm full of coconut oil and massage it all over her head. Then at this point, I take one of those tiny baby combs and gently comb her hair out, which is the perfect time to tackle the cradle cap because her hair is wet and the stuff is loosened up. It comes right up easily with the baby comb and it doesn't hurt her. In fact, she loves this process and nearly falls asleep. lol
After combing as much as I can out of her hair, THEN I go in with the baby brush and brush it down, slick it down. I put a hat on her so she can warm up quickly after the bath.
Doing this same process after every bath has significantly decreases her cradle cap issue. Like I said, in the beginning, it was really bad. Now it's almost completely gone! I am so happy about that.
Hopefully, these tips will help you guys, too. I'll probably make a video addressing this also.
What do you about cradle cap? How do you treat it?
I have had a few people coming here asking for homeschooling advice. I am flattered; however, this is not the homeschooling blog! I have a separate blog for that... it's on Tumblr! uncagedlearning.tumblr.com
For daily updates on that also, follow Instagram and Facebook.
I don't update Tumblr as much as I wish, only because I can't directly link my IG to the homeschooling Tumblr page. It would have to be the main page, but I have 4 Tumblr blogs and it won't let me choose which one I want to link to IG. But oh well. If you want to follow it, you can.
I recently changed this cover on YouTube to add the new family vlog channel. Check it out if you haven't already.
I am in the process of doing long term hairstyles on my kids that'll last for weeks because my pregnancy is at 33 weeks. And I'm super exhausted now. Can't do much of anything with everyone's hair all the time.
Hey guys! I've been slacking on this blog again. I just can't keep up with all this social media with 4 kids. I am doing my best while juggling two YouTube channels and other things here at home. Forgive me... that's why I recently made my Twitter strictly personal.
I do keep up on my Instagram, though. I post there a lot, pics of hair, health, and homeschooling things and ideas. Follow me @curlsofinnocence.
I am the hair whisperer of my family, so I am upkeeping six heads of hair. Yes, six. Remember, my hubby has locs now! It's been two months for him so far. I have those updates on IG as well. Yes, this is a lot of work, but I put it on myself to let my boys grow their curls out, loc one of them, and take on the task of maintaining another set of locs. Yikes!
Locs are fairly low maintenance, but not so much in the beginning. LOL! Getting my hubby's super loose textured hair to loc has been a bit of a struggle for me. We're doing it, however.
Anyway, life has been super hectic and busy, as usual. But we're living and doing okay, Vlogging when I can.
For any info on the kid's wash routines or wash days, stay tuned to YouTube. Updating the page on this blog where their old routines are would take a very long time and I'm not sure that I am going to do it anytime soon. LOL! ;)
Hey, guys! I've been neglecting this blog and I am sorry. I don't have much new hair info at the moment to post here. Life is changing and I don't have the time that I used to have.
However, I am still doing YouTube videos about natural hair care and I post quite often on my business Instagram account: +Curls of Innocence.
I have a part time job now. Woo hoo! So things are a little more busy. I'm no longer a stay at home mom. But it's good. It's making me strive for more. I haven't had the funds to try new hair products or anything, which is why I have been focusing more on vlogging lately instead.
But stay tuned; I'm not quitting. I'm not going anywhere! ;)
For those inquiring about my green hair. it was a complete 'happy accident'. I originally wanted to try blue, so I bought this Splat semi-permanent hair dye from Walgreens in the middle of looking for my regular blonde color. I didn't find my shade and brand, so I saw this and grabbed it. I had been wanting to try a new color for a while, anyway. So I said, why not?
So, I had kind of already expected my hair to turn 'greenish'. It turned green because the blonde color in my hair was more of a golden color instead of blonde. It wasn't platinum blonde or anything. I had a feeling that it would turn out something other than the blue on the box, so I was already expecting that. But I didn't expect to love it as much as I did! It's a pretty green, though, grass green. I didn't mind as long as it wasn't 'dung green'. LOL!
If I had a blow dryer, I would have dyed my hair with the dye that was provided in the Splat box (which I was unaware of until after I'd opened it), dried my hair, then did the color right afterwards. But I didn't have the time that day to wait a whole day for my hair to dry after bleaching over my golden hair. I had to do the whole process when my hubby was home to help me and/or keep the kids completely out of my way while doing this. But oh well. It worked out anyway. Maybe I will do something different next time.
So, I loooooove my current look! I've gotten a lot of positive feedback about it and I'm pleased. I don't know if I will re- dye it this color when it fades (as it's already starting to do), but I will enjoy it while it lasts. It's about time I start experimenting with some 'off' colors. It's a way of self-expression that I wish I had a chance to do as a teenager. But oh well, it's all good. Being grown means that you can pretty much express yourself however you like. Also, I am starting to make my own money now to try new things, so woo hoo! :-D #happymommy
This color is great. Like I mentioned, it's starting to fade. But that's to be expected. It isn't permanent and it has been over 3 weeks now.
If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or on any of my social media! ;)
Hey, curlies!This post isn't going to be long, just a quick diary entry following the last post.
Well, of course, it's been weeks since then, but oh well. I've been super busy lately, and blogging has not been on my priority list!
Anyway, I tried the Shunsleek hair care products. I got these from the World Natural Hair Show in April. I've been using them on the kids hair since then, and I finally did a full review on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SIsoViK5Sw
Yeah, they weren't all that. The spritzes barely did anything for our hair. The coconut detangler worked well, though.
I was so disappointed because this company did not do well with their presentation. Apparently, they need a graphic designer, because the way they designed the bottles, as you can see in the video, is not up to par. Also, there is NO excuse for the amount of misspellings on that one container!
Anyway, enough criticisms. There's my review on Symari's wash day, I hope you enjoy! Tell me what you think.
Hiya,curly mamas!
So, if you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, you already know that I straightened my hair yesterday! I just wanted a change, and ever since I went half blonde in January, I had been dying to see what my blondish hair looked like straight. So I finally went for it, even after a two and a half day mini vacation to NC by PLANE with my mom, sister and baby niece, and all 4 of my kids for my great grandmother's 82nd birthday! O_O
Yeah, talk about tiring. All those babies and bags, fighting through TSA.
Anyway, I rested for two days after that and washed my uber dry hair, deep conditioned, and went for the flat iron the next day when it had dried. I used only my Tresemme heat protectant, the same one I always use and have yet to run out of considering that I barely use heat on my hair.
If you want to see the big reveal, check my Instagram page or wait for the video! I have freaking tons of footage to edit, between the NC vlog clips and the straightening video with trimming and tips, etc. But I will get on it soon! Balancing time being a mommy and video editing can be extremely difficult. That's also why I took a week off from homeschooling this week. It's too much to deal with...
So stay tuned to YouTube for more videos and stuffs. Peace out!
Hey, curly mamas!Do you guys suffer from dandruff? Your kids have it, too? It's not that hard to get rid of it... for good.
My kids and I haven't had dandruff issues in years. We all used to, probably back in about 2012... I believe that was the last time I had issues with it. My youngest child, who is 11 months, has NEVER had dandruff, or even cradle cap thus far. Even my hubby used to have excessive dandruff and doesn't have it any longer!
So, here is what I do to keep dandruff away.. for good,
1. DRINK WATER! I cannot stress that enough. If your body is not hydrated properly, it will manifest itself in your scalp and you'll see those annoying, itchy white flakes that won't go away.
2. WASH weekly! A CLEAN scalp is a happy, non itchy scalp. Bi-weekly may work depending on how your hair is already trained, but if you have lots of dandruff, it is recommended that you wash it weekly.
3. DITCH the sulfate shampoos! Sulfates make your scalp even dryer, which contributes to MORE flakes. No bueno. Want to cleanse completely? Use a mud/clay wash or ACV (apple cider vinegar).
4. OIL your scalp! After you wash and condition your hair, oil your scalp with a natural based oil (EVOO, castor oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, etc) before using a leave in. If you don't seal that moisture in, it'll quickly be zapped away by the elements.
5. DEEP CONDITION weekly! Now, I don't have time to do this for all my kids, but I definitely do it to myself. But the kids actually don't need deep conditioning to keep dandruff away, and that's because I have their hair TRAINED. We all guzzle water as our number one drink, and when I moisturize their hair, I use water, then oil, then cream and/or shea butter, otherwise known as the LOC method.
Occasionally, I'll do the opposite... the LCO method. Both ways work well for us!
6. PROTECTIVE STYLING works wonders! Now, I'm not talking about weave, Ya'll know I don't do weave... no shade to those who do; it's just not me, I am talking about doing styles that last for a week. For me, because I'm always in the house, my hair is in twists or braids 90% of the time. If it's not in twists, it's up in a high bun to stretch it and also keep the ends moisturized. I only wear it out when it's moist enough or I'm going somewhere... or I'm about to wash it anyway, so it doesn't matter. lol
For the kids, their hair stays braided, twisted, or coiled up some kind of way, and washed every two weeks. I do moisturizing 'sessions' in between, but maybe only twice a week. Still no dandruff!
*So those are the six things that we've been doing to keep dandruff at bay. Symari and Jalani have never had dandruff at all, and that's because I learned from the two oldest. Woo hoo!
I hope you guys take my advice and apply it to yourself or your kids if you're having dandruff trouble. These things work!
