I love my hair lately! I've been doing a ton of wash and gos because of time.
I'm in love with the Extreme Wetline gel. I've always heard raves about it, but I finally tried it and it's even better than the EcoStyler gels as far as wash and gos go!
"As far as wash and gos go..." okay, that sounds very weird. LOL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkwCd93i0Os
I don't regret buying this stuff at all. I am totally loving it. But of course, I use an oil on my hair prior to using it. The first time I tried it, I didn't put on oil my HAIR; I put it on my SCALP only. I regretted that because my hair was super crunchy. Leave ins didn't work well with this gel. Made those annoying white flakes. LOL
After rocking wash and gos for about a month now, I started back doing my twists. I actually missed doing twists and twist outs, which was shocking because I was getting bored of them before.
But the cooler weather approaches, so I'll be doing more protective styles, anyway. Yay! lol
What do you use for your wash and gos? How will you be protecting your hair this winter?
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!
Hiya, guys! I've been doing more research on coconut oil. I've done this before already; I use it in my shea butter mixture. But lately, I've been using it on skin as well. It's awesome.
Sometimes, if it's not extremely hot in the house, the shea butter doesn't 'melt' enough on it's own to be soft, soft enough to spread easily onto skin. Microwaving it repeatedly will eventually make it lose it's properties, so I don't even do it. Plus, I make it in a glass jar, and I don't exactly feel comfortable putting glass in the microwave for a long time. I get this feeling like the glass will somehow crack, and then when I open the microwave, it'll explode in my face or something. The jar I use is, well, huge. I wouldn't want that exploding on me. That'll be the end of my eyes. O_O
So, on those days I feel overworked and I give the kids quick showers one at a time or even when they have 20 minute baths together, I use something that's much easier and faster to spread onto their skin. Coconut oil is perfect for that. I used to use EVOO for their skin, before I ever created a shea butter mixture. But I like coconut oil better, and it smells awesome. It's so light and absorbs easily. And it's also edible, so I won't freak out when my greedy two-year old son licks whatever I moisturize his face with it.
Of course, EVOO is edible too, but it doesn't taste good. Then again, this little boy eats anything. Literally. -___-
I even use it for little baby Mari's body and hair. She's almost two months now. She has so much hair already and I plan to keep it very healthy by using natural products from the start.
I like the fact that this oil has certain acids that have antimicrobial properties which help prevent hair loss. People from all around the world use it in their hair, places like India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, etc. It melts easily, maintains moisture, prevents dandruff, and is great for styling purposes. I'm glad that I can find coconut oil right in the supermarket. I hadn't realized that before, but recently I found it right in the oil section! The first batch I'd bought came from Amazon, and I paid about $6.99 plus shipping. That's too much... heck to the no!
I was relieved to see it for sale somewhere I go every week, so no shipping costs. Yay!
So, that's my little coconut oil review. Tip of the Day: If you're looking for a light carrier oil, something not too heavy or sticky or weird smelling, try coconut oil. Make sure you get one that's unrefined/virgin/unprocessed. They should all mean the same thing. Hopefully. You never know sometimes. You can also use this oil for conditioning purposes, as in leaving it in your hair for one or two hours before shampooing it. I tried that and it worked like a charm. My hair was lighter and fluffier. If you want to avoid shipping costs, check your local supermarket. You might get lucky. =)
Peace out, curly mamas!
P.S.: I've recently started my personal Facebook account over, so the Curls of Innocence page that's affiliated with that page might go bye-bye when I officially delete the account. Not sure. As of now, I don't think there's a way of transferring it. I will let you guys know if I restart the COI page so people can continue to follow me.
My home made supply of shea butter is finally running really low. It actually lasted over a month and a half; that's with me using it on our hair and skin! Great price for the amount I got at this website. http://bulkapothecary.com/ So it's time to get some more. I ordered another pound yesterday, along with jojoba oil and grape seed oil. This time, I'm going to try a new concoction and see how it works. I'm getting more and more excited to be going deeper and deeper into what really belongs in our bodies. It's so intriguing! All this time, people have been putting so much chemicals into their hair and not even realizing what the chemicals are doing. But it's time out for my family and I suffering the same fate. I'm changing hair products, soaps, lotions, etc. I've even purchased PerioBrite and PerioWash, an all natural, fluoride-free toothpaste and an alcohol and chemical-free mouthwash to match. Hubby and I love it already.
Making the transition is expensive and can be tedious, but that's where the research comes in. I'm glad that I have time to read up on what's good and what's bad, what's the best deal for my money and all that. I've realized that going natural as far as hair isn't all that expensive if you know how to use what you get sparingly. Getting that shea butter and those oils only cost me thirty-three bucks... for another month and a half/two months! That's much more worth it than buying some cheap moisturizer at Walmart like I used to do, just because it's the cheapest thing up there. Those things had so many chemicals in them that I was getting more and more pissed off every time I realized that we were almost out of hair cream and I had to settle for the cheap stuff. But now, things are different and we're able to get the better, all natural stuff. In approximately two days, I will get an ultrasound and finally know what gender our new baby is. I'm hoping for another girl, but if it's a boy, then so be it. I already have the best of both worlds. This child will be so lucky because now that I know a whole lot more about natural products, that's all that's going to be on their body. This child won't have chemicals of any kind touch their little heads, and certain things I used to do with Syriah's hair won't happen to this child. I know a lot more about natural hair care now and the do's and don't's. So, yeah, I'm very excited, about the ultrasound and also seeing UPS arriving with my new package of hair goodies. =)
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! =) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918
