First ACV Rinse and LENGTH CHECK!

Heya, curlies! Today is Halloween, but I don't really celebrate that, so sorry; I don't have any Halloween hair ideas or anything. lol
I want to talk about my first ACV rinse that I did in my hair, and my length check!
Video is self explanatory... wish I could embed the YouTube one here but for some reason, that never works out for me in blogger... no clue why. Enjoy, though! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc2lVD8IzvY

ACV is an abbreviation for apple cider vinegar, commonly used by naturals for cleansing the hair of everything in a natural way. ACV also balances the pH of your hair, which in turn makes your curls 'pop'. It closes your cuticles as well... I'm honestly not sure how good that is for your scalp, but that's one of the attributes. ACV is gaining popularity because of the extremely clean feeling it leaves your hair with.
Now don't get me wrong, the stuff stinks to high heavens. When I first heard of it, I was like, apple cider vinegar? I didn't think vinegar belonged in hair! But there are studies that say that vinegar itself is awesome for a total clean.
So I went to Walmart and found the cheapest bottle of ACV I could find. I don't remember the price (I bought it last month), but it was between 5-7 bucks in the salad dressing aisle. I just used it for the first time this Sunday, and it was amazing!
First, I washed my hair with a cheap (VO5) sulfate shampoo to get the last two weeks of gunk out of my hair. I did this over the kitchen sink because I didn't feel like hopping in the shower at the time. Then I mixed the ACV in a small dispenser bottle with less ACV than water, then shook it up. I hated the smell; it smelled like rotten apples that had been sitting in a dumpster for months! >_< Then little by little, I squirted the mixture onto my my whole head, scalp and all. I massaged it in for about five minutes, then rinsed it out. The smell was barely there anymore after rinsing, and my hair felt amazing!

The curls were seriously popping, and I was able to see every hair texture in my head! I have several hair textures. My new red color was popping, too. My scalp felt a little dry, but overall super CLEAN! I love the feeling that the ACV left me with.

Now of course, I wasn't going to leave my hair like this, so I applied my oil mixture to my hair (EVOO, peppermint oil, castor oil) rubbed that in, then applied my Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque. I love this stuff; it's so buttery and soft. I like to use it as a leave in. My hair stays incredibly soft when I do that. SO I just twisted and did bantu knots around my head, de-tangling each section while doing so.

Hardly NO hair came out in the detangling process. I was amazed! My hair shed way more than this last week when I washed. I don't know if it was the ACV that prevented the shedding or what, but it's now part of my monthly routine. Probably instead of using a sulfate shampoo monthly to cleanse my hair, I'll use the ACV instead. Hooray for more discoveries! ;)

Hope you guys enjoyed this post! What are your experiences with ACV? How does your hair like it? Tell meh here or on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918?ref=hl

Until next time, curly mamas! Peace!

~Epic Realist~

Mini Braids and Insanity Workout!!!

Hey guys! This is just a post about my experience with mini braids, and that I took my mini braids down yesterday, washed my hair, and now it feels fresh and free once again. LOL!
I haven't worn mini braids since I was a teenager... maybe 14 years old... before I got my first perm at 15. That was my staple hairstyle. That was all my mom knew to do with all the hair I had, with out-of-this-world thickness. I didn't like them then because that was practically all I had my hair in, but my hair had always grown long because they were in for at least a month.
My hair wasn't that healthy because I know my ends were split and straggly like mad, and regular hair grease was used to braid my hair, but it still grew. I thought about that more recently, and although braids take longer to install, they tend to last longer. So I did the mini braids in my hair last Monday and left them in for a week and a half.
I used EcoStyler gel on damp hair. Awesome technique. It worked well, and I honestly didn't get much noticeable frizz until the second week. I don't use gel like that, but for this it worked like a charm. They also looked great on me.

 Now, they're not as small as some people would probably do theirs, but ain't nobody got time fo'dat! Not with three kids! This size was great for me. Bad enough it took two hours to do, which is a miracle for my hair.
When the second week began, the itchiness began. My hair likes being washed at least once a week and it goes crazy if it isn't washed once a week. So, you see my dilemma. I almost tried washing it with the braids still in, but I knew already that that would cause major frizz. The gel would be washed out of it, and the manipulation and the water would cause the braids to be frizzy afterwards and I knew this. Plus, it would also be hard to condition my hair. So that was it. My scalp was too itchy, no matter how much I spritzed my scalp with my water/peppermint oil concoction. It was time for the braids to go! I was kind of sad taking them out, but I could easily find the time to do them again if I wanted to.
Besides, with the working out that I have been doing lately, my scalp needed the wash to remove sweat. I have started doing the Insanity workout program. Yes, the crazy hard one, with Shaun T. It's AWESOME. I've got some major pounds to lose, about 30, and since I've changed my eating habits greatly, I've already lost 3 pounds. Combine that with the biking and other random exercises that I have started doing (push ups, jump ropes, crunches, squats), I've added INSANITY to the mix and have lost 3 MORE pounds. So happy! I am seeing my baby gut go down finally.
If you do INSANITY, too, let me know. How far are you in it? Challenges? Given up yet? I've only done the first two videos so far.
Ever done mini braids? How long did it take? Did you like the results? How long did they last before your scalp was on it's knees, begging for shampoo? Tell meh! I like hearing hair stories.
Peace out till later, curly mamas!

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Hair Tip #2

Hola, curly mamas! I bought a new water bottle for the first time since... I don't even remember when I got my first spray bottle ever. It's been at least over six months. I know that I put the date on it somewhere, but it probably rubbed off a while ago. My old one had gunk in it that I could not get out, and it was worrying me. It began to look like mold, and since it was really hard to wash out because of the small neck area, I couldn't ever get to the dirt. So I got rid of it and got a new one.

Hair Tip #2: Pay attention to the condition of your water bottles. If you have put something other than water in them for a long period of time, the spray bottle, which isn't usually easy to clean, could contract mold and dirt. You could be spraying mold into your hair and not know it. 
I bought a new water bottle for the first time since... I don't even remember when I got my first spray bottle ever. I know that I put the date on it somewhere, but it probably rubbed off somewhere. My old one had gunk in it that I could not get out, and it was worrying me. It began to look like mold, and since it was really hard to wash out because of the small neck area, I couldn't ever get to the dirt. So I got rid of it and got a new one.
Previously, what I had in the bottle was water, Tresemme conditioner, and a little bit of whatever oil I had. That's probably where the most build up came from.
The bottles are cheap in beauty supply stores, no more than two bucks. What I currently use in my water spritzing bottle is water, vegetable glycerin, and peppermint oil. I love this new mixture, and the veggie glycerin is working WONDERS for baby Mari's curls. It definitely keeps them moist longer than normal.

Just a friendly reminder to replace your water bottles often. I will surely keep my eye out for bacteria sooner! ;-)

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~Epic Realist~

Styles and Trials- Routine Updates

Hola, curly mamas! Haven't done a good update in a while.
I rocked mini twists last week. As usual, they only lasted a week, but they looked better than my first attempt. I dampened my hair and used my newest whipped shea butter, which has castor oil in it. It felt awesome. It began to frizz badly by the fourth day, so I put some oil on the ends and wrapped it up at night again.
It didn't do much to salvage them. I learned my lesson from last time about not spritzing mini twists or braids with water, because that'll just create more frizz. My itchy scalp was screaming for water around this time. I avoided the water and put coconut oil on the ends. Eh, still only looked okay after taking off my bonnet, and then they shrunk up and looked dry again. Oh, well. I'll keep trying and figuring out how to make mini twists last for two weeks instead. ;-)

I used some of my leftover birthday money to stock up on some things. I got my two favorite Shea Moisture products, since I was out and I missed them so much. I also got a new soap, an all natural one that I tried on my face. It's awesome! There are NO foreign ingredients. It's by Nubian Heritage... 3 bucks and change. Walmart has natural soaps now? Holy crap... they're coming UP!

For now, that's my new facial routine. I use this soap day and night on my face, and apply castor oil or coconut oil to my face. It feels just as soft as baby skin, I swear. I'm in love with this soap. Screw the other Ambi crap that made me break out. LOL!

My Current Hair Health: Well, my hair feels very healthy right now, soft, supple, and growing... except for the excessive shedding. I still haven't figured out why I'm shedding every single time I finger de-tangle my hair, or why my hair seems to have gotten a little thinner. I feel like I've tried everything. I've tried using protein to avoiding protein, deep conditioning, natural shampoos, hot oil treatments, and trying to keep my scalp clean. I've even been eating a lot healthier, more water, more fruits/veggies/nuts, less meat. But something else is going on, and I'm hoping that it isn't thyroid related. :-/ I need to go back to taking vitamins...
Pre-poo: About an hour of coconut oil on damp hair
Wash routine: Washing once a week with a SM shampoo, castor oil on scalp and ends, whipped shea butter or SM cream, braided or twisted into whatever amount
Daily care: Spritz with water (which contains vegetable glycerin and peppermint oil) until damp every other day, apply castor oil on scalp, apply shea butter or SM cream, brush through with paddle brush, braid or twist (usually one without protein)
Nightly care: Apply stocking cap if already moisturized that day; if not, do daily care routine
Outdoor styling: Spritz with water, style with SM cream or whipped shea butter
Deep conditioning: Once a week with Roots of Nature Green Tea deep conditioner or hot oil treatment with castor oil

Syriah's Current Hair Health: Riah Chic's hair is very healthy right now as well. Since I got the SM creams again, I threw away what was left of the Cantu stuff. I will never buy that crap again; it's not natural and it made both of our hair feel coated beyond reason. Tried to go cheap and screwed myself yet again. So I got rid of that stuff. If I ever get Cantu again, it needs to be the natural kind.
Pre-poo: About an hour of coconut oil on damp hair
Wash routine: Washing once a week with a SM shampoo, castor oil on scalp and ends, whipped shea butter or SM cream, braided in 6 or more braids or twists
Daily care: Spritz with water (which contains vegetable glycerin and peppermint oil) until damp every other day, apply castor oil on scalp, apply shea butter or SM cream, brush through with paddle brush, braid or twist
Nightly care: Apply stocking cap if already moisturized that day; if not, do daily care routine
Outdoor styling: Spritz with water, style with SM cream or whipped shea butter

Baby Symari's Current Hair Routine: (9 months old)
Wash routine: Wash twice a week with a SM shampoo, castor oil on scalp, whipped shea butter, small twists done without hair ties
Daily care: Spritz with water (which contains vegetable glycerin and peppermint oil) until damp every other day, apply castor oil on scalp, apply shea butter or SM cream, re-twist
Nightly care: Nothing as of yet. I won't dare try to keep a cap or bonnet on this child at this age!

The boys (hubby and Jam), they pretty much do whatever lol! I wash Jam's hair once or twice a week because he's always on the floor, and I just wet it and apply oil to his rat tail whenever I actually remember about his hair. Hubby has a low haircut and a rat tail, which is growing rapidly. I am the hair lady of the family. Hehe. ;-)

Well, that's my super long update. Hope you guys enjoyed!

Until next time, fellas. Oh wait... are they any dudes on this blog? Haha! O_O

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~Epic Realist~