It's a GIRL, Just Like I Thought! =)

I knew it! I'm having another girl! Woot! Her name will be Symari Layne. I'm about to hit 30 weeks now and super excited. I knew it was a girl the whole time. It's just a motherly feeling, and I was right about my other two kids. Plus, that Chinese prediction calendar was also right for me, all three times. How awesome is that? =)
My shea butter and new oils came in yesterday, and I've already made my newest concoction! I haven't taken pictures of it yet. I stored it in a glass jar that my mom bought specifically for me to experiment with. I've already used some in my hair, and tonight I'm going to wash Sy's hair and use some. It smells awesome because I also bought lavender oil and mixed that in.
Pictures will come soon! Been busy getting ready for baby, running back and forth to appointments, cleaning, shopping, everything. Life is pretty hectic, but in a fun way. Things are beginning to come together. Yay! Peace out till later, curly mamas!

More Shea Butter... and New Oils!

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. =)

Here's two random pics of my latest Shea Moisture twist out. Love it! Gotta run now. Peace out, curly mamas! <3 Add meh on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918

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!

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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

Let's Discuss Hair Types!

Hello, guys! I think that before I even begin to cover any real hair tips, we need to try to distinguish what kind of hair we're working with on our girls. I was never really much into stereotyping, no matter what it was, but seriously studying our hair really helps when it comes to products and maintenance. If you've started reading up on natural black hair already, then you may have come across this lovely chart.
Now when I first saw this thing, I was like, they have numbers and letters for hair now? Wtf? But once I began to understand it, I see that it does help. Everybody's hair is NOT the same, and  everyone's hair does NOT respond the same to every treatment and product. No wonder there's an epidemic among the black/biracial hair community. Women are going crazy, trying to figure out why their hair won't 'act right' and why certain products don't work. We are a colorful people with a wide range of curls, kinks, knots, and coils. We need to figure out how to work with what we have if we're going the all natural way.
As you can see from the chart, number one is the straightest type of hair, basically Caucasian hair. The last strip is the kinkiest, coiliest hair that's on the face of this earth, 4B. That's what people call straight African hair, the hair people think won't respond to anything at all and needs to be 'tamed' with relaxers. This is what people call 'bad hair'. But there is no such thing as BAD hair. All hair is GOOD and CAN be tamed naturally, contrary to popular belief. That's only if you know what you're doing, though. Even Afro-textured hair can be tamed and grown to great lengths, as I have seen on YouTube time and time again.
So here's our classic hair type chart. Ladies, the only true way that you will know your hair type is if you are already all natural, or have been on your way for quite some time. If you're still relaxing at the moment, your hair is still chemically straightened and determining your true hair type isn't going to come for some time. I've seen women who have only skipped two perms, and they're already asking what hair type they are. Sorry, honey, it's going to take more time than that for your new growth to fully emerge. You're going to be stuck with half, curly, half straight hair and you won't know what's what.
What type is my hair, you may ask? Um, I believe that my hair is 3B with some 4A mixed in. Yes, there is such a thing as having two textures. That is possible. Your hair can have several textures, actually. My hair is more curly and silky in the front than it is in the back, so I believe that I have two textures. I can only determine that because my hair has been perm free since April 2009. So basically, three years now of trying to figure out my hair, and I'm still working on it now. I'll go more in detail with that another time.
Since my 3 year old daughter Syriah will be pretty much be the star of this blog, you'll be seeing her hair a lot. Her hair is even more silky than mine, thanks to me and her daddy's genes. My husband and I both come from families with what people stereotype as 'good hair', so you can imagine what that's like. Our mothers, fathers, and certain grandparents as well. But we are all straight black.
Another stereotype that needs to hit the fan and blow away completely is the thing that just because you have long hair or silky hair, you're mixed with something. No, sir-ee. That's not necessarily the case. We all know that every one of us are mixed with something down the line, but if your immediate families are all black., then you're not really mixed. Stop trying to show off what's already evident.
Syriah's hair type is in the 3A-3B range. Incredibly curly, long, silky, soft, responds well to water, holds moisture well, has minimal shrinkage, shines like glitter when taken care of. I love experimenting with her hair, and I'm going to continue to experiment with it. I have never used a perm on her, and I don't ever plan on it. I have straightened her hair twice in her lifetime, and that was only to trim the ends and do a growth check. I was very careful and the results were awesome. I'm no longer a fan of heat on hair; it's one of the many things that damage our hair. Oh, and the little boy next to her is my fat head son, Jamian. They have the same texture of hair.

Well, that's basically all I'm going to say for now about our hair types. If your daughter's hair is currently in transition from perms, you might be able to determine her hair type, depending on how long she's gone without getting her hair straightened at all. Her hair has to be wet and free from all product to see the new growth. If you don't have a clue as to where to start with this, you can like this blog on Facebook, upload your pictures there, and I'll try to help you out. Remember, I'm no professional. I can only advise what I know.

Peace out until later, curly mamas!

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Welcome, Mothers of Curly Girls!

March 11, 2012
Welcome, everyone to my natural hair blog! This blog is going to be mostly catered to young girls and their natural curls, hence the name, Curls of Innocence. It's pretty much a division of my little photography business, Colors of Innocence, which I do not have a blog for at the moment. I'm just a stay home mom to a 3 year old girl and a boy who's not quite two yet. I have realized this past year how much I've enjoyed doing my daughter's hair and how I have taken care of it, and would like to share what I have learned.
This blog will be about maintaining the natural curls of our African-American/biracial girls, hairstyle ideas, product reviews, tips, questions, and anything else that comes along with that. Maybe one day, I'll actually come out of my shell and do a video about something hair related, but don't count on it. LOL!
If your daughter's hair is relaxed, this blog may not be for you unless you plan to not continue relaxing it. I have no advice on permed hair and up keeping the properties of permed hair. I do not plan to perm my daughter's hair anytime in this century. I believe that natural is best and that long, healthy hair can only be attained by proper care and natural products. So welcome, mothers, who struggle with your girl's hair care. I will do my best to try and answer questions if you have any for me. Subscribe and enjoy! :-)

Oh, and I have another blog where I write about random topics.  http://epicrealist.blogspot.com/