Remember when I said in my New Year's hair goals list that I would go back to the basics of hair care? Well, in my opinion, I had already been doing that to an extent. But now, with 4 kids, I really need to practice that more than ever. So here are some things that I've either learned or re-visited lately.
1. Leaving rinse out conditioner in the hair isn't going to kill it. People have been doing this since forever, and I've always had my own complex issue towards it because I had tried it in the past and always preferred to use a leave in. It just felt better to me. But nowadays, I am experimenting more with my on leave in mixture because it's cheaper and still works. That mixture consists of Suave Naturals conditioner, water, glycerin, and a number of my favorite oils. That, my friends, is the secret to poppin curls. The hold is perfect, too, depending on how you mix it. Haha!
2. The kid's hair doesn't HAVE to be washed every week. Really. I used to be on that every week, and swear by it because they always had their little heads on the floor, full of lint, dust, crumbs, and who knows what else. But now that Jamian's and Symari's hair have gotten so long and Syriah's hair is continuously past her butt, it's a lot of freakin work to make sure that each kid's hair is washed, conditioned, detangled, and styled every single week. And that doesn't include MY hair. Also, little Jalani is 8 months old, but his hair is rapidly growing and accumulating tangles daily. His routine is simple, but it still takes time as his hair gets longer. Here is his hair last month. Simple Baby Hair Care
3. I must deep condition MY hair every week because of the color. Forget the kid's hair! Their hair doesn't need that much conditioning compared to mine. I honestly don't have time anymore. If I do get the time to deep condition Syriah's hair, it'll be like, once a month. Because I have super light areas in my hair now, I need to focus on keeping heavy moisture and light protein treatments in my hair. I also need to get back to using my whipped shea butter. I've been kind of neglecting that lately. #epicfail
4. I MUST stop wearing my hair out so much during the winter! Yes, this is my ultimate weakness. I know the cold air is very damaging to my hair, but so far, whenever I go out somewhere, my hair just has to be out and wild and uncovered. Unless it's raining. Then I pin it down under a hood or something. But initially, I know that I shouldn't have it out and free when it's 30-50 degrees and the wind isn't very favorable towards my hair. I just love my hair big and wild, but I've been getting such terrible tangles and knots from doing this. I know; I fail miserably. I hate the cold weather. Come on, spring! lol
5. Gel is NOT for wintertime. Again, rocking a wash and go during the colder months really wreaks havoc on my hair, and that's probably because of the color. In the past, it didn't seem to do as much damage. But I have to remember, my hair is practically bleached now. Wash & gos with gel during the winter... NOT working for me. That combined with wearing my hair out: epic disaster. The style only lasts ONE day. That happened to me last week, and I was so pissed off. Plus, I don't own a blow dryer or a diffuser, so it's not like I could have 'set' my hair better before heading out. Nope, it had to air dry all night, and didn't properly do so, either. So, I need to leave wash and gos alone until the weather warms up. Seriously. LOL!
6. Keratin treatments might not be a bad idea for me. I used the last bit if an old ApHogee 2 step treatment that I had for a long time, and it made my colored hair pop and feel less 'crunchy' after washing it. I originally wanted to keep purchasing that stuff even then, but at the time, I couldn't afford to. I didn't see much of a difference in my hair then, but I knew that I'd have to keep trying it. However, now with this drastic color difference, that treatment is like butter to my hair! So instead of paying nearly 8 bucks for that, maybe I'll settle for a cheapie conditioner with keratin in it and see how my hair does.
7. Stop emphasizing styles too much on the kids! We all don't get out too much right now, anyway. I had been working on this for months, because like I said earlier, it's just too much damn work. It's not that serious. I was actually considering straightening Syriah's hair more often this year just so I'll be able to maintain it easier, but I said, nah. That'll do more harm than good and I know this. Me of all people know better. Before I let her hair become damaged due to lack of time, I'll sooner whack off the hair that Jam has and have him start over to take some of the workload off of me. He's a boy. It's not much of a big deal. So, now, both girls get their hair washed and automatically thrown into a few cornbraids or flat twists, or just two braids, period. Little Mari just had these box braids. They lasted for two weeks! Yay.
8. And last of all: Consistency is important, but don't overstress it. If I can afford one product this month that's working well but I can't afford it next month, then so be it. I need to work with what I have and what I know works. Honestly, I miss my Shea Moisture. But until finances pick up and are stable, I need to 'expect the unexpected'. That means the only hair products that I for sure can afford every month are Suave shampoos and conditioners, ONE sulfate free shampoo (right now, I'm using the Cream of Nature Argan Oil one and LOVE it), my cheap deep conditioner, one leave in, and my oils. The oils last almost forever because I buy huge bottle in bulk sometimes, for hot oil treatments, sealing, and mixing my Whipped Curly Butter.
So, that's pretty much what I've got as far as hair right now. I'm slacking on my videos a bit because of life being so busy, but I am getting it together. Between me
homeschooling two kids,
changing the other two kid's diapers and also
starting potty training with toddler,
preparing meals,
entertaining kids,
breaking up fights,
cleaning house,
feeding baby,
giving showers/baths,
blogging,
vlogging,
advertising,
photo editing,
video editing,
working out,
talking to hubby after work (and staying up late gaming because that's my only real 'me' time),
and forgetting to eat most times, everybody's hair is completely last on my list of things to do. Ha! Sue me if you like, but it's my hectic life. Hope you guys enjoyed this blog post. How do you manage your time with your kid's hair and yours? Learned any tips and tricks for keeping your curls in line? Please share! Thanks for reading. ;)
~Epic Realist~
