Heya, guys! Yes, you read the title right. I have actually never attempted a wash and go, not since I've been natural. I've just never actually needed to; I'm home most of the time, so I'm never in a situation where I have to fix my hair and run out the door or anything. My hair remains braided or twisted, or nowadays, in a bun or pineapple to preserve the twist out or braid out.
But since I had a chance to get KCCC (Kinky Curly Curling Custard) recently, I decided to finally try a wash and go. People have fallen in love with that product, and now I see why! It's actually all natural, I believe, or at least 99% natural. It's wonderful.
So on my wash day on Saturday, I co-washed my hair with the new As I Am Coconut Co-Wash I also got (yes, I actually co-washed, only because it's actually formulated for cleansing and not some random cheapie conditioner) from my CurlMart haul (previous post), conditioned with my Herbal Essences conditioner, and rinsed. Right after I towel blotted my hair and got dressed, I started sectioning my hair and applying the KCCC onto each section, after using a dab of coconut oil on my scalp and newly colored ends.
See new color review here!╰☆╮41- Textures and Tones Review: OMBRE Effect PART 2
Applying the KCCC
Now the only problem that I had with this was that I think I was supposed to re-wet my hair as I was doing it. Although I applied immediately after washing, I don't think my hair was wet enough. I say that because when my hair dried, it was super frizzy in the back and also very hard and crunchy on certain parts of my hair! It looked amazing as far as definition, but I could just tell that maybe I should have used my AVJ/water spritz on each section before applying the product.
After KCCC is Dry
It looks cute, though, except for the shrinkage, of course LOL! I pineappled my hair for the night and tied it with a satin scarf. I was curious to see how this wash and go would look on day 2.
Day 2
Well, it did look better! More volume, hangs better. My hair is still super hard in some areas, so hard and clumped together to where I cannot even pull the hairs apart (yikes), but I will probably spritz my ends again soon and pin it up before bed to loosen the hardness of it, then apply some oil and see if it still holds up. If not, oh well. That's the fun of experimenting, right?
At least I finally tried a wash and go, and I finally tried KCCC! Yay, me! Haha!
Let me know what you guys think and if you've ever tried this product. Was it a success or was it a half-failure like mine was? lol
Peace out till later, curlies! Stay curly!
Heya,curlies! It's been a while. I have been sooooo busy lately. We just moved and finally got settled in with everything. :)
I did a braid out the other day, and it came out AWESOME! I mean, super awesome. I had eight braids in my hair for three days (using damp hair with shea butter and oil), and when I took my hair out, it was super defined!
Now this video was done on the first day hair. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWlv8C2vuoQ
Today, I am on day four, and I'll probably have another video up soon showing how it looks and how big and fluffy your hair gets each day. Lots of frizz, but still good enough to wear outside if need be. ;) Pics of day 4 hair:
Compare that to the video above lol!
Syriah's hair is still in mini braids now for 3 weeks. They're a little frizzy, but still holding up well with proper maintenance (water and coconut oil every other night, stocking cap before bed). I'll have a video about that up very soon.
Peace out, ladies! Stay curly!
Hey, guys! It's late, but I just finally got done uploading my new video featuring the Whipped Curly Butter. Hope you enjoy! Rate, comment, subscribe.
Sigh... I cannot embed the video again. It won't show up on the YouTube option... don't know why. Oh, well. Here's the link. Enjoy!
Hola, guys! Last week, I got a new shampoo. Yes, I actually got something other than Shea Moisture. I didn't have the money to spend on getting their black soap shampoo, and I desperately needed something to clean my scalp raw because I hadn't done that in... over a year. -__-
I initially wanted to use apple cider vinegar for that, but I couldn't find any to save my life. So, instead of breaking the bank, I got something cheap from Dollar Tree. I haven't used any VO5 products in years, and I mean since I was a teenager. I got a shampoo and a cheap conditioner to go along with it. I didn't care. Hey, it was a dollar and it had sulfates. I just needed something to make my scalp and hair squeaky clean.
It worked, all right. My hair was smelling good, and it squeaked like mad. It felt so weird because I hadn't used a sulfate shampoo in over two years now, and my hair felt completely stripped. But that's how it needed to feel. I read a lot of hair advice still, and products can get built up on your scalp and hair and nothing but sulfates will be able to remove them. I've known this for a long time, but I was never serious about implementing it.
So now I finally have something. My hair was as dry as ever afterwards, though! LOL! I was laughing and freaking out at the same time. I used both of them, and when I came out of the shower, I immediately threw some of my SM Deep Treatment Masque in my hair as a leave in and put castor oil on top of each section and de-tangled with my paddle brush. Then I braided them up.
I have been experimenting with the LCO (liquid, cream, oil) method rather than the LOC (liquid, oil, cream) method. Some people say that the LCO works better for them. I'm beginning to think that my hair likes the LCO method better as well, because with the oil on top, it really penetrates my hair better than it being put on before the cream. Still playing around with it so I can know for sure.
My hair still wasn't as soft as it used to be when I took the braids out two days later, so I did a deep condition with SM Anti Breakage Masque... for about six hours. Loved the results. My hair was back to normal softness and fluffiness. Panic attack was over. Haha!
I've decided that I'm going to use this shampoo once a month only just to clarify my hair from crap. It's an addition to my hair regimen. My hair is in a good place right now, and I'm super happy with it. Growing a lot, no more major shedding, very minimal breakage and split ends, no heat usage, no comb usage (except parting and wash day) protective styling, soft, fluffy, and... being grabbed by my almost one year old daughter. :-) My hair nowadays reminds me of Naptural85's hair. She's one of my favorite hair bloggers. Yay for hair health!
Here's some recent pics of my hair in a braid out. Yesterday was my anniversary, and that's the pic of me in the blue shirt. <3
Hey, ladies! Today's topic is a hot topic among naturals lately. It's our famous mineral oil. Oh, the horror! How dare you speak such blasphemy! (covers mouth in shock)
So we probably all know by now that mineral oil, (aka baby oil) has gotten a very bad rap in the natural community. Some people still swear by it; others avoid it like the plague. Mineral oil is a super cheap form of liquid petroleum (Vaseline) that is supposed to seal moisture in to our skin and hair. But some people debate that it's the opposite.
Frankly, I don't really care. If it works for your hair, then by all means, stick with it. Me, personally, I hate the stuff. Before I became fully natural and I was stretching my perms by 6 months or so, I went through pink lotion like water. I had to use it every night when I got home from college or wherever I'd gone because my stringy, processed twist outs and braid outs were parched dry again. I used it every night to re-twist or re-braid my hair, but it was never as moist as I hoped it would be. It would always be dry by like, mid day. I wasn't doing much protective styling because I didn't know about that then, but either way, I didn't like the ingredients on the bottles of these products. However, there are some people who use it consistently and they still have healthy looking hair going down their back. O_O
I don't use mineral oil because I don't believe that it works for me. It isn't natural and in my opinion, does nothing but sit on your hair and prevent water from getting in. Then it takes a sulfate shampoo to wash these chemicals out, and I REFUSE to go back to using sulfates on my hair. It's been doing so well without it. I believe that once you go natural, there are certain things that you can always go without. Mineral oil is one of them.
It's basically Vaseline. I've never liked using Vaseline as a lotion. Yeah, it makes your skin all shiny and supple for the time being, but I always knew, even when I was younger, that it was unnatural and it was only 'sitting' on my skin. I'm a huge lotion fanatic... mostly because one of my biggest pet peeves is dry skin. I HATE dry skin... any form of it. Dandruff... ick. It just looks like dirt to me. When I saw lotions or hair products not holding in moisture, the first thing I used to look at were the ingredients. Mineral oil was always on the list. These commercial lotions out there... Vaseline, Jergens, St. Ives, even the awesome smelling lotions from places like Bath and Body Works or The Body Shop... all laced with mineral oil. They don't seal in moisture. It's only an illusion of it being a sealant.
If it's a lotion and it's job is to seal in moisture and keep it there at least for an entire day, then you shouldn't be ashy by 2:00.
So, I don't use anything with mineral oil in it. Not because I'm bashing anyone who does; it just doesn't work for me. For body lotion now, I either use a natural oil or I use my whipped shea butter that I can use for hair AND body. I like being versatile with my beauty products. My whipped shea butter will keep me and kid's skin moisturized for at least TWO whole days. They're not ashy when they get up in the morning, which has been such a blessing to me. Like I said, I HATE dry skin. I even hate it when my hands are super dry because my nails feel scratchy. Then I don't want to touch anything because it'll give me the 'nails on a chalkboard' feeling, even if I'm not scratching anything. Eh, I'm just weird like that. But I like that about myself. You won't catch me or my kids being ashy, unless I was just lazy that day or forgot to moisturize.
Other beauty products have mineral oil in them as well, like make up, lipstick (I think), facial cleansers, and lip gloss. I don't use make up at all anyway, and I am on the hunt right now for an all natural lip gloss/lipstick besides my trusty coconut oil. ;-) Same goes for my facial cleanser. Right now, I use my trusty Dudu Osun black soap for my face and it's doing just fine.
I've pretty much eliminated the stuff from any regimen of mine, and I am happy to have done so. Do or do not? I do not!
Questions? Comments? Hit me up here or somewhere else. =)
Hey, guys! I'm going to share what I've learned on my hair journey so far. It's been three years, and I've come a long way and still have an even longer way left to go. I'm not giving up! As I mentioned in the previous post, my hair texture doesn't hardly benefit from a perm anyway, so I shall never go back.
1. Transitioning your hair also means that you are transitioning your life. If you beg to differ, look at it like this... you're finding the 'black pride' within yourself, so you are becoming happy(er) about being African American. Therefore, you develop a new outlook on life that you previously did not have. 2. Technically, you do not 'go natural'; you were born natural. So you are only going back to how you came into the world, but this time, you're accepting it. 3.Water is not the devil. In fact, water is your friend, a good friend to your hair. You hear that, black women? Stop being afraid of putting water on your hair! Unless it's well, hard water...eh, not much you can do there except go buy distilled water or install a filter in your shower. Hehe. 4.Just because someone else has tried a certain routine and it has worked for them does not mean that it will work for you. Try your own regimen and don't be a follower! You'll be disappointed if your curls don't look like theirs. Talk about hating your hair all over again. Trust me. You don't want that. 5. Having several hair patterns can sometimes appear to be a curse. Literally. One side of your hair is cooperating so far, but the other side wants to act like it's on crack. Just gotta' keep working at it. 6. Trimming is not necessary to do by a certain time. Only trim as you need to, like if your ends begin to break or look split and straggly. If you trim too often, like every month, you'll never notice your hair's growth and you'll keep thinking that you're doing something wrong and that your hair isn't growing. Be patient... and drop the scissors, woman! 7.Less manipulation is best. Combing and brushing excessively is not good at all. Yes, that's for all you women who do this every day. Try to do as little combing and brushing as possible to minimize hair loss and hair breakage. Fingers have become my friend when it comes to lazy nighttime parting and taking down twists for twist-outs. I barely ever touch a comb unless it's wash/conditioning day! 8. Rock what you like and don't be afraid. If your hair is acting flat that day, wear your slick back afro-puff. If your hair is busting with volume and frizz, throw a headband on it, wear your full fro outside and be retro. Women are wearing styles from the 40's again lately, and I think it's sexy. Who cares about the freakin year? There's no law that says if a certain style hasn't been 'popular' since let's say the 60's, then you shouldn't wear it. That's how I feel about my son's rat tail, and now my hubby has a rat tail, too. Rock what you like no matter the season! 9.Commercial shampoos should be banned. Like, seriously. Those sulfates make your hair dryer than the Sahara Desert. 10. The best deep conditioners can be found right in your kitchen. You don't have to spend an arm a leg, and your head on a platter to get silky hair. Got an egg, some mayo, and some olive oil? Yeah. Sounds gross, but that stuff actually works. 11. Constant stressing over your hair won't make the problem go away. It can only make it worse... and cause it to fall out. Research the problem, do your best to fix it, and leave it alone. Chances are, your hair will cooperate in time. Again... be patient. 12. You are still going to have bad hair days. Don't think that when you go natural, the decision to stay natural will be a walk in the park. Sometimes, you're going to want to revert right back to the creamy crack. I never did, but some of you will. Don't feel bad, and don't give in. Look at YouTube videos for inspiration! LOL 13. Begin the de-tangling process before you wash your hair. If you just took down a braid out, it's going to be hard to really wash and condition your hair with knots in it. Try putting coconut oil and/or EVOO in your hair an hour before you wash it, and comb the knots out before washing. It makes it way easier, and you don't have to lose any hair, either. 14.Protein-based creams and moisturizers will always have your hair feeling like butter... unless your hair is protein sensitive. My hair loves it, soaks it up. 15.Corn braids are not the only protective style in the world! I used to think that it was, because that's all I saw in little girls' hair and I still do. In fact, corn braids are one of the worst protective styles. Yeah, they look really nice and what not, but people often braid too tight and leave the braids in way too long, neglecting the hair's need for moisture. That tight braiding allthe time can put wear and tear on your hair, and possibly create little painful, sometimes bloody bumps on your scalp. Then when you take the braids down, you have lots of hair coming out in your hand and the comb. Some parents don't realize this and they keep corn braids in their' kid's hair almost year round, over and over and they never know that the child is slowly suffering hair loss/damage. Ladies, cool down on the braids, please, and let your child's scalp breathe and be free! 16.Again, it doesn't cost a lot just to maintain healthy hair. Use natural oils, shea butter, and water. That's pretty much all you'll need. You don't have to try every new fancy product out there just to have healthy hair. Create your own concoction and work it. That's what I did, and my shea butter mixture has lasted me 3 months each time. FIVE pounds of unrefined shea butter for 17 bucks on Amazon... and lasts for 3 months... how the hell can anyone beat that!? I mean, come on ladies; let's be resourceful here, and not break the bank trying to look cute! 17. Just because something says it's organic, doesn't mean it is. Just because it says it's all natural doesn't mean anything, either. Read every ingredient, and do your research.
Okay, I'm all out of suggestions... for now. Gotta go feed my little desparatos. If I have more, I will most likely come back for a part 2 of what I've learned. Take care, curly mamas!
P.S.: Curls of Innocence is on YouTube now! Check out my first little bootleg video that I did a few weeks ago. Don't laugh at me. Hehe. Comment and subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDNOuCfqQzE
