Overnight Oil Treatment

Ello again, curly mamas! I am doing an overnight oil treatment tonight because my hair is parched! My mini braids are out! I dampened and slicked coconut oil on my hair as I was taking them out. It took about an hour. Good thing I had a movie to watch while doing so. ;)
My hair is dry because it's been two weeks of nothing but gel being used on the braids. I mean, I spritzed my hair with water a couple of days and used the infamous castor oil on my scalp a few times, but now that my hair is all out again, it's... pretty dry. The ends especially are drier than ever.
My hair is actually softer than I expected and not as dry as I'd expected. I doctored it up well before doing the braids. I guess that's why? (shrugs)
So I am doing an overnight oil treatment with coconut oil and EVOO. If you don't know what EVOO is, you are missing out! It's extra virgin olive oil and it's the BOMB for moisture. I mixed both oils and threw a ton of it into my damp hair after the braids were all out. Then I tied a plastic bag over my hair after putting sections into a few fat twists. I'm hoping for super soft, moisturized hair in the morning when I wash the oils out.
I'm still going to condition after I wash, especially because I plan to use my sulfate shampoo to get all the gel out. I've stuck to doing my 'clarifying wash' once a month so far and it's working well for me.
Well, that's my plan for tomorrow. Hopefully, I will get a chance to doctor my hair up. I can't keep protective styles in my hair too long because then I get bored and start to miss playing in my hair. I don't know why I'm like that; guess I just love hair. LOL!
I don't have pics now, but I might next post. I may show how my hair looked after washing and conditioning. Peace out, ladies!

Whipped Curly Butter is being sold now! ;) http://curlsofinnocence.blogspot.com/p/purchase-our-product.html

~Epic Realist~

Spring/Summer Hair Stash & Hair Tip #4

Heya, curlies! I wanted to show what I have in my bathroom right now as far as hair and face care. I had this little guilt about being a possible 'product junkie', but when I evaluated what I actually buy versus other people, I'm not even close to being a product junkie! LOL!

So, as you can see, I'm still a huge fan of Shea Moisture. That Yucca & Baobab shampoo and the Y&B conditioner is the biz-zomb! Curl Enhancing Smoothie... still awesome, mostly for Syriah's hair. My hair doesn't require that much protein. I like to use the Deep Treatment Masque as a leave in on my hair.
One day, I'm going to try Nubian Heritage hair products, because them and Shea Moisture are very similar as far as what ingredients they don't allow in their stuff. Plus, I love NH's soaps! I use them on my face as well as my body. All natural, all awesome. So far, the Raw Shea Butter soap in the picture is my favorite one.
EcoStyler gel will always be here. Love the stuff. I rarely use it, so when I get a jar this big, it tends to last about six months or longer. The olive oil one is the only kind I've tried thus far, but one day, I'll try the others.
I started using my Ambi fade cream again because my three pregnancies have left me with dark areas all over my face as well as my neck. My neck has annoying dark lines on it, and this stuff has always worked in the past for me, when I was still young and battling acne scars. So I saw it in Walgreens for 6 bucks (25% off)  versus the regular 10 bucks in Walmart and hopped on it!
And last but not least, the unfamiliar product in the picture is mine. Yes, I have labels for them now! I'm working on making them better, but this is the first go round. Used for hair and skin. If you'd like to purchase, then check out the Purchase our Products page.
This is pretty much my stash for now. Won't be changing around too much until I get money to try some new things. So, yeah. Hope you enjoyed!

Hair Tip #4: Don't get caught up in the hype of hair products. Just because everyone else is trying the newest product doesn't mean you'll die or miss out on something if you don't try it. It is tempting; don't get me wrong. The newest thing for kid's hair, apparently, is some type of gel called Gorilla Snot. Yes, that's the name of it. It looks like it tames fly-aways like nobody's business. I've been tempted to try it, but it can wait. I don't use too much gel in my hair or my family's hair, anyway. It's not urgent to try everything new. If what you're doing works, stick with it until you get bored, or your hair changes. You'll end up wasting tons of money trying every single thing out there just because everyone else is. Try one thing at a time so if your hair does something crazy, you'll know what product to blame it on instead of three.
Dark & Lovely's new natural line looks like junk to me. I wanted to try it, but when I saw the ingredients myself in the store, I said hell to the no! And this is what they call natural!? Some of these mainstream companies are way too desperate to hop onto the natural bandwagon and keep making money, and it seems like all they do is change the label and plaster it onto the same crap that they were selling before, give or take a few things. Same with Pantene's natural line. Utter disappointment. -___-
Please don't fall for the hype. Like Miss Jessies, for example. That stuff costs more than a dinner at Red Lobsters for a whole family, but I heard that it was utter crap and caused scalp problems in a lot of people because of all the chemicals in it. Use what you know works, and if something new has an ingredient that you know that you know that you KNOW your hair hates, then why...buy it?

Peace out, curly mamas!

~Epic Realist~

Avoiding/Removing Rubber Bands

Hey, peeps! I've been slowly getting back to 'hair life' after having another baby, so I created another random twist hairstyle on Syriah. Yes, I know rubber bands aren't the best things to use, but there is a 'right' way to use them.
Some people say it's best to soak them in olive oil before using them, so that they don't pull your daughter's hair out. They swear by it. I don't exactly do that, but my method also works. All I do is completely de-tangle and moisturize Sy's hair before even applying the rubber bands, usually using my shea butter mixture or a Shea Moisture cream. I don't leave the rubber bands in her hair for more than two days, unless they're on the ends of her hair to hold beads in place or something. Also, before I take them out, I put some kind of oil on her hair to loosen up the rubber bands, and then later on slip them off. It's easy and they don't get tangled in her hair at all. The rubber bands are so slippery, I can take them off the same exact way I put them in with no tangles or tears.

I don't even use rubber bands a lot anyway; I mostly use the Goody brand ponytail holders. Those don't even come close to getting stuck in hair. LOL!
I've seen women who swear that rubber bands make their girl's hair grow, and that couldn't be more far from the truth. No hair accessory 'makes' your hair grow. They can either stimulate your scalp in a good way or a bad way, and it's usually more bad than good. Having those tight little things on your scalp all the time isn't good for anyone. Your daughter will lose more hair than she will gain. The rubber slowly eats away at your hair cuticles and there will be a lot of breakage.
Tip of the Day: Whatever your method is as far as rubber bands, just be careful. Never yank or pull them out because they will cause breakage. You may not see it, but you will over time. I don't understand why some mothers continue to use rubber bands excessively... using them on dry hair... and then pulling them out only to apply more for the next week. Elastics tend to do the same thing, but they are a tad bit gentler. I don't use them because Sy's hair is way to silky to even hold those things. They come right out every time!
Oh, and don't buy hair ties with metal on them. Those can also get stuck in your hair and pull it out slowly. I don't buy anything with metal on it... haven't done so in years. When you know better, you should always do better. We're all obviously trying to achieve healthier hair, or you wouldn't be on this blog in the first place. So let's practice healthier hair management! =)

Until later, curly mamas! Hope everyone has a great day.
~Epic Realist~
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Shea Butter and What Nots

New Facebook Timeline cover! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918

Sigh... so my daughter has not made her grand entrance yet. I'm almost 40 weeks now for the first time ever. It's completely new to me because I've never gone past 38 weeks. It's been absolutely miserable because I want to have a VBAC and not another C-section, and I don't want to be artificially induced, either. Oh well. Just have to keep waiting. >_<
Anyway, I thought I might as well share a few hair things. The newest shea butter that I created about three weeks ago was a bigger success than the last ones I've whipped up, and I'm assuming that's because I used more oils. Also, this time, I used my hand to whip the stuff and didn't even bother with the blender, so I avoided another mess. It was much easier this time, because I was trying to figure out how to make the butter stay softer after it sits for a while. I mean, it's always going to harden up, but it always hardens to where it isn't easy to get out of the jar. This time, I think I actually figured out how to make it stay softer. =)

I loved the consistency of it after it was done. Super silky. As you can see in the pic above, I  added EVOO, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil (new ingredient), and my classic lavender oil for smell. Because I used coconut oil, the butter smells like both coconut and lavender, which is even more awesome. I was very proud of my mixture this time around.
We've been using it on our skin and hair and it's super awesome! Syriah's hair stays moisturized, not greasy, as long as I don't overload it.
Tip of the Day: Don't focus so much on curls! A lot of mothers are worried about finding their daughter's curl patterns and keeping it curly by all means necessary, even if it means sacrificing moisture. But moisture is the key to retaining length, that plus protective styling, little to no combing, all natural products, and covering the hair at night. Stop worrying so much about keeping your child's hair out and wild just to show off the curl pattern. What's best for a little girl is to keep her ends sealed with oil and protected so that the ends won't get shabby and broken. I had to learn that myself because last year, Syriah's hair health was horrible compared to now... massive split and broken ends, dry ends, dry scalp. Good thing she's not tenderheaded and never cries when I comb her hair, no matter how nappy it may have gotten. Once you find her curl pattern, study it and work with it, but it's not good to keep her hair out and free all the time just to show the curl pattern. You're only going to cause yourself more trouble in the long run. When it's time to de-tangle her hair, you'll have her running for the hills. LOL!
So, there's my little update. I'm just waiting for this baby to come so she can have the best all natural start as far as everything. She's going to be 'naturally spoiled'! We've got this stuff, natural shampoos, natural toothpastes, cloth diapers, cloth wipes, and also a wipes warmer that I've always wanted for my other two children. Hopefully she'll arrive before our anniversary in two days... or at least on it. Wouldn't that be a nice anniversary present? <3
Updates will come when I have something new to share. Stay motivated, curly mamas!

Criss Cross Twists and Organic Products

Hola, curly mamas! A few days ago, I tried a new random hairstyle on Syriah. Here it is!

It's nothing super spectacular, but I'm proud of it because I came up with it. As you can see, I design my own cute artwork through Adobe Photoshop, which I LOVE doing. I love photography... children's photography. I finally found time to do this in between getting ready for baby.

As far as products, I used my usual favorites: the Shea Moisture curly pudding and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). Syriah's hair has been in the best health thus far. It's growing rapidly the way it's supposed to, not like the way it was last year. Last year, I was really new to natural hair care, and I took practically a whole year of research and experimentation to find out what to do and not to do with her hair. Like I may have mentioned before, my new daughter will be lucky because she's going to start off not having any chemicals in her little hair or on her body, because now I know better and we can also afford to do better this time.

Tip of the day: Try to avoid excessive combing on your daughter's hair. Do as little as you possibly can. It's best to gently finger comb to avoid breakage. Also, do not brush a lot, especially around the edges. Hopefully you guys own boar's head brushes (Denman brushes), and if you do not, I advise you to get one. That's the best kind of brush for African American hair.

This picture here is a stash of all of the natural/organic products that I've switched to recently. You can see the Shea Moisture pudding and shampoo, the glass jar under that is a mixture of my own shea butter concoction for hair AND body. To the left is the EVOO I use, and the Earth Mama baby wash/shampoo that I got for the new baby. Then there's Tom's all natural deodorant, because I'm sick of the normal ones either irritating my armpits or having to use the harmful spray kind, and my Burt's Bees lip balm. On the right is my PerioWash mouthwash and the matching PerioBrite toothpaste. Just a piece of how I am working to improve my family's overall lifestyle as far as health. These products are all awesome so far.

Pregnancy update? Currently 34 weeks and waiting! Few more weeks to go! =)

Well, that's all I have for now. Questions or comments? Comment below or on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918 Peace out, curly mamas! <3

Hairstyle Fun & Length Check

On my birthday, I played with my hair until I found something new and random to do with it. It didn't look half bad. I pinned up one side of my curly fro with one of those hair clamps and left the rest out. You know, sometimes I hate that I have two textures of hair, but we probably all do and don't even realize it. Might as well embrace it. It can be frustrating though, when you can get certain parts of your hair to do something and the other parts won't seem to behave. Bleh. I know there are ways to tame that, though. I'm working on my hair at the same time I'm working on Syriah's, but I don't even see two different textures in her hair, at least not right now. Hopefully as she gets older, her hair texture won't change. Probably won't, because hubby's hair is still just as soft and silky as it was when he was young, always has been. I'm... not too sure about mine. lol

 

I also attempted corn braiding on Sy's hair... again. I'm not very proficient at corn braiding yet, so it didn't look all that to me. I did it anyway. My mom and sister said they liked it anyway. Ha! I have to keep practicing.
I decided to do my entire head in my signature twists the next day as a protective hairstyle. Took an hour and half. Back before I cut over 6 inches of hair off last year, twisting my 16-inch locks took nearly 3 hours. So the time has been practically cut in half, which is great. My arms get way too tired now anyway, being at the end of my pregnancy. I did another length check as well. Impressive. About bra strap length. Doesn't seem like my hair is that long, because of that little thing we all hate called shrinkage. Gotta love it, right?
Hopefully this style will last for two weeks. If not, I'll take it out and wear the twist out version for 3 days like I always do, and I sleep with my silk hair cap so the moisture stays in. It still looks great days later sometimes.

I used the new Shea Moisture curl cream to twist these, along with sealing the ends with evoo (extra virgin olive oil). My hair felt very lightweight and smelled like coconuts. Yum. Tonight is Syriah's next hair wash, so I'm going to try the Shea Moisture shampoo in her hair for the first time. It was awesome in mine, so I'm pretty sure it'll be just as good in hers.

This is Syriah's hair a few days ago when I applied the Shea Moisture curl stuff. Her curls lasted the entire day of her playing outside and the next day. Impressive.
Well, that's my little update. Questions or comments? Leave below or follow on Facebook! =) See ya!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918

Tips for Reducing Tangles and Knots

Morning, curly mamas! I'm going to share some tips on reducing knots and tangles in our hair. One of the biggest problems is hair breakage due to misuse or overuse of certain tools or products. This mostly happens when it's time to wash the hair, and a lot of hair is shed and broken off. Something we've probably heard growing up is to never comb your hair when it's wet, never ever ever! Well, that doesn't exactly have to be the case. We CAN comb our hair even while it's in the most vulnerable state... IF you follow these directions.
1. ALWAYS use a wide tooth comb, aka 'shower comb'. All of those other tiny combs you have stashed in your bathroom are not for use on wet hair. Your hair will fall out with those. Use something with wide teeth. It is best to only comb after shampooing and you're in the conditioning part of your regimen.
2. It is best to prepare your hair for washing, as in use some type of oil to 'soak' your hair in. It can be olive oil, some type of conditioning oil, whatever you like to use. I usually use extra virgin olive oil in mine and my daughter's hair the day before I wash it so it soaks in overnight. The extra moisture really helps. I don't even need to use a conditioner!
3. Wash your hair in sections. This greatly helps. I  have tried it my hair and my hair didn't get as nappy afterward. Part your hair with your fingers in two or four sections, whichever you feel like comfortable with, and shampoo it that way while parted. This greatly reduces unnecessary knots.
4. Use a detangling shampoo. Even if you do not have a sulfate free shampoo yet, use one that detangles, or at least claims to. Much easier to manage your hair.
5. DO NOT be afraid of water! After shampooing, it's okay to re-wet your hair if you're applying a product that works best on wet hair. Another thing we've grown up on is to keep our hair away from water, that water is the enemy. Water is NOT the enemy! Water is good for our hair, contrary to popular belief.
6. Style your hair in sections. If you're already on the natural journey, then more than likely you'll want your curls to show as much as possible. After shampooing and conditioning, use a thick moisturizer on your wet hair, especially if your hair craves moisture. Do not use any brushes. Braid or twist into several sections and let it air dry. I say air dry because it is the healthiest way to dry hair. Heat isn't always needed here, unless you're going for a certain special style. Even then, I would still recommend using a hair steamer such as this one on this website.
http://www.behuetiful.com/store/steamer/cat_5.html?gclid=CKO5rZuX7q4CFY1R7Aod_3WeKA

I currently do not own a hair steamer yet, but one day I will. I am not an advocate of heat on hair. I barely straighten my hair at all, and I don't blow dry or sit under a dryer like we've all probably grown up doing.
7. DO NOT 'overwash' your hair! I know some African-American women who are constantly washing their hair, like three times a week. That is not necessary at all. Unless you're sweating profusely every day or in a swimming class where your head is always laced with chlorine, there's no reason to wash your hair more than once a week. Our hair requires as much moisture as possible, but sometimes, too much water can dry it out and create more tangles than necessary. Thus, the excessive dandruff and itchiness. Water is not the enemy, but it can be if you overuse it. If you absolutely have to wash your hair more than once a week, then you should not use a drying shampoo. You should consider getting a good co-wash formula or just simply condition it while wet, which I will talk more about at a later date.
These are all the tips that I can think of at the moment. I will add more if I remember any more. Hopefully, I've helped you guys. These tips are awesome on little girl's hair, because even though they may have 'baby hair', their hair is more prone to tangling up because of them being active little girls, running around, possibly having their little heads all over the floor, all that. These tips work on my girl's hair, and her hair is NEVER tangled after washing and she hasn't had any breakage in months. This is due to me constantly studying her hair and studying what works with it and what doesn't.
So, I hope you enjoy my tips and try them out. Let me know what happens! Comment here or on the Facebook page. Happy curling! =)
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New Shea Moisture Products!

My birthday is coming up in three days! Hubby let me splurge on hair products, which I was never able to do. EVER. So this is what I picked up from Walgreens. Well, the olive oil I always get during grocery shopping at Walmart, and the Burt's Bees chapstick came from there, too. But since I have no clue when Walmart will ever be hip to carrying natural hair products or have a high demand for it, I stopped in Walgreens and got these Shea Moisture products. I cannot wait to try them.
I've heard good reviews about them, and they're ALL NATURAL. Expensive. Ten bucks each.Yikes.

I'm probably going to wash my hair tomorrow, the day before my birthday and see how this rolls. This is my first ever sulfate-free shampoo... very excited. In fact, here's a list of everything it does not contain.

~No Parabens

~No Phthalates

~No Parrafin (wax)

~No Gluten

~No Proplyene Glycol

~No Mineral Oil

~No Synthetic Fragrance

~No Animal Testing

~No PABA

~No Synthetic Color

~No DEA

~No Animal Ingredients

~No Sulfates

So this is a certified organic product, established in 1912. Wow. I just washed Syriah's hair the day before yesterday, so she'll have to wait on the shampoo for another few days. I was using one of the Cream of Nature shampoos, which is still laced with chemicals and was drying out her hair. But I've put an end to that now. This is what her hair looked like the other night when I washed it with the Cream of Nature stuff. The pic of her in the purple shirt is before I even washed it.

 I used my extra virgin olive oil that I've been using for about two months now for moisturizing her scalp and a mixture of unrefined shea butter that I created in the blender a month ago, then slicked her hair back with a boar's head brush. I normally don't put her hair in a ponytail right after washing it, but it was late and I didn't feel like doing the usual several braids in her hair. I'm currently seven months pregnant with our third child, and giving the kids baths in the first place is mad tiring! So I just did a simple braid and wrapped it in this new scarf thing, which actually did not end up staying on her head AT ALL. I took it off in her sleep. -.-

Hopefully, that was the last time that I will be using a shampoo full of sulfates and other things. I've made up my mind to go all natural as far as hair as well as skin. Hubby is working on the natural foods thing, which I have little patience for because I'm not really an 'eater'. Next time, I might do a review of the Shea Moisture stuff on my hair because my hair needs a washing right now. This is how it looked yesterday. Excuse the fat face and non-responding look. LOL!

Stay tuned for the review if you're interesting in trying out this product. Peace out till later, curly mamas! <3