KCCM Castor Oil Challenge- Week 5: EPIC GROWTH!

These are my check in questions and pics from Kinky Curly Coily Me's Castor Oil Challenge- Week 5. My hair is loving this JBCO: it's growing a whole lot! 

Here are the pictures in case they don't show up at the bottom. 

1. What are your favorite natural hair styles? How long does it take you to style your hair this way? Which products do you use to get the best results of this style?

My favorite natural hair styles are two strand twists and twists outs. It takes about 15-30 minutes to style my hair (depending on how many twists I put it in), and I usually use my classic Shea Moisture Curl enhancing smoothie on top of an oil. Twists outs can last anywhere from 3-5 days depending on how well I upkeep them.

2. How did you do last week (week 4)? Did you follow through with your goals? Any challenges thus far?

My only challenge is running out of my JBCO (money very tight even without buying any Christmas presents at all =( ) and not being able to buy anymore at the moment. So I'm trying to scrounge and use a little at a time, mixed with something else. Other than that, I am really trying to stay up on oiling my scalp every other day. The greenhouse method works to seal moisture in and make the oil effect last longer for me.

3. Based on your length check pics, can you see a difference in thickness or length yet? For those of you focusing on your edges, are they growing in?

Oh, I have most certainly seen some length and some thickness! I am enjoying it. My roots are thicker than ever, but I kind of like it. It's harder for me to keep my twists twisted up because I need to focus more on moisturizing the roots well enough, but it's all worth it. My bangs have grown from the middle of my top lip to way PAST my lower lip!

4. Post your length check pics! DONE!

5. (Optional) How was your Christmas? What did you get?

Didn't get much but I'm okay. Kids got gifts from other family members. I wish that I could have gotten some hair products, but we're having job/money issues right now. Bleh. But I'm grateful anyway. At least my hubby was off for Christmas. =)

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Merry Christmas & a New Shampoo!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I have a new shampoo! Now before you get all excited, this isn't a giveaway or anything. One day, those will come when I can afford it. LOL! But I got this two days ago from Walmart and I am in love with it.
It's another Shea Moisture shampoo, but I like it better than the one I was previously using. I couldn't wait to try it, so on Sunday, which I have officially named as my wash day, I tried it. It was absolutely awesome!
Truthfully, this stuff didn't even feel like a shampoo. It was so silky, it felt like a conditioner, like I was co-washing my hair instead of actually 'sudsing' it up. As usual there are all natural ingredients in it, and no sulfates! I'm so in love with this shampoo.
Wish that I had the money to get the conditioner to try along with it, which was also $9.99. Some people have said that the conditioner doesn't do as good of a job as the shampoo does, but I want to see for myself one day.
So I washed my hair in two sections, towel blotted it, and applied my castor oil and grape seed oil mixture on my scalp and ends. Then I used some of my Tresemme conditioner (which is almost gone) in my hair as a leave in and de-tangled with my wide toothed comb. I don't usually do this, but it has been doing wonders for my hair's epic dryness lately. I did my usual 6-8 twists in and tied it up to in a scarf to air dry.
The next day, Christmas Eve, I spritzed it with water, finger de-tangled it, and applied my whipped shea butter. Replaced the fat twists with braids so I could get the roots pinned up and not knotted together like they always do after one day of wearing fat twists. The JBCO has been making my roots so much thicker, so when I do twists, after one day, not only is there a bunch of frizz near on the top of my head, but the roots sometimes get tangled within one another. Sometimes braiding is better, even though it takes longer. But it creates a lot of stretch!
As of now, we're not going anywhere for Christmas, but I'm still going to play around with my hair and Syriah's and create some 'holiday style' just for fun.  xD

Until next time...
Happy Holidays, curly mamas!

~Epic Realist~

Bantu Knots and Babies

 Syriah has a new style! I'd never done this before, but had been meaning to try it. The famous bantu knots! I've done something similar a few years back, but not this.
These were mega easy. I spritzed her hair with distilled water and used a random product that I had lying around (III Sisters of Nature Lengthening Creme), de-tangled, and coiled the hair around with my finger. Then I wrapped it around itself like a mini bun and secured with a rubber band wrapped around once. She loved it.
The only problem I had, of course, was making sure that they stayed pinned up. Because she's an active 3 year old, she kept bouncing around and the coils kept falling out. But I just re-pinned them. Eventually, when it was almost bedtime anyway, I wrapped her head up with a stocking cap.
I can't wait to see the bantu knot-out when these get old and dried out. Lol!
My little one Symari's hair has been flourishing as well. When I wash it, I use Earth Mama Angel Baby shampoo and body wash (AWESOME stuff, organic, all natural ingredients, no sulfates or parabens) on her hair and body and moisturize her hair and body with my whipped shea butter or plain coconut oil. Sometimes, I use my JBCO/coconut oil concoction in her hair. It's been seriously growing. I'm glad that she's starting off with the right stuff already. Didn't have that opportunity with my other two babies.
I love her adorable little curls! This is how it looks 'stretched out' with shea butter. This is also her first COI hair update picture by herself! Awwwwww!
She cried getting this done because I don't do her hair often. No need for ponytails on a baby all the time. Her hair needs to breathe and grow and flourish without tight ponytails all the time. I didn't use rubber bands in her hair, but still.

Jam's hair is... well, low. I gave him a low haircut a few weeks ago because he couldn't take me combing his top fro anymore. Guess he'll never be able to handle long hair... or at least not now. :-/ All he can handle is his rat tail!
Hope you enjoyed my update. Add me on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918

Until later, curly mamas. Peace!

~Epic Realist~

"I Was Natural FIRST!"

WARNING: This is a rant! Be prepared. 

Well, well, well, ladies. Look what we have done. Not only have we managed to create a war between natural versus permed hair, but now we have a war against who is allowed to be natural, who is allowed to big chop, what's considered a big chop, bi-racial versus black, and the famous, 'my-hair-was-natural-before-you-were-born' theory.
Why is it that every time I turn around, there's a new fight within the 'new' natural hair community? Do these things really matter? The other day, I read an article about Alicia Keys, who big chopped her hair at some point. Some loon was arguing that because Alicia Keys is bi-racial and was supposedly natural anyway, she didn't deserve to big chop; she wasn't allowed to and it was NOT considered a big chop.
WHAT!? Excuse my French, but what kind of dumb shit is that?!
When did we get these hair 'rules' and regulations? Is there a Bible somewhere that gives us specific rules to follow or else you're not part of the natural hair community?
Here is the article where this foolishness resides. It's a great article, but the epidemic that this woman is referring to is ridiculous. It's so much ridiculousness that the author had to stop blogging about natural hair because the 'rules' were so frustrating.
http://www.xojane.com/beauty/why-i-stopped-blogging-about-natural-hair?utm_medium=facebook

You know, we can all choose to be arrogant and flaunt certain things, but why do it? My hair has always been long, even when I was perming. I never had a problem with my hair growing at all, no matter what chemicals I put into it every day. People think that I'm mixed, but I'm not. Technically, I went natural before the natural thing even spread like wildfire like it has been doing the last two years. My last perm was April 7th, 2009, and I made up my mind then that that would be my last perm. But this was before natural hair was a fad. I could go around and boast and brag and flaunt that, saying, "All you guys are just copycats, copying off of one another... I was natural first...you guys don't have a right to call yourselves natural...you're only doing it because everyone else is doing it... You guys aren't real naturals!"
And I say... "Who really cares about all that!? So what you were natural first? I don't care if you've been natural since 1982. Good for you. There's no need to flaunt that! You're no better than I am!"
I mean, seriously. Why are we fighting over who was natural first? How the hell can you define what a big chop is? It's just a slang term in the hair community, and anyone who whacks off 90% of their hair for whatever reason (damage, perms, color, new look, etc) has a right to say that they big chopped. Doesn't matter what texture they are. So what the person is bi-racial? Let them be who they are! Focus on your hair and stop hating on others!
To all the women who are creating hair products, keep doing your thing! That's another thing I choose not to brag about, the fact that I already had a passion for creating hair and body creams and lotions when I was a teenager because I hated dry skin and hair so much. So I'm creating hair products now, but I already had that desire in me for years!
Guess this goes along with women always being way too critical of one another... bashing one another's weight, hair, face, body, lifestyle, job, etc. Sigh... well, I'll still be blogging until this hair thing spins out of control to a point where even I can't handle it.

Oh the bright side, I made a new video a few days ago. It's about me attempting a deep conditioner mix that I made. I love the way my hair came out. Questions? Comments? Write me here or on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918?ref=hl

Until later, curly mamas. Peace out!

~Epic Realist~

Baby Baldness?

Do you guys know that bald line that babies have going through the back of their heads when they're young?

That, contrary to popular belief, is NOT from babies laying on their backs all the time. I have 3 kids, and all of them have always slept on their stomachs (yes, I am aware of SIDS), so their heads were sideways EVERY DAY when they slept.

My first two kids had that same bald line growing, 

although they were on their stomachs when they slept. My third kid (5 months old) began to show signs of that same 'baldness pattern' just recently, despite all of them being born with a full head of hair. She sleeps on her stomach as well. But you know what I decided to do? I put some JBCO on that whole spot, and now her hair is growing in there. That stuff works wonders! If I can get some pics, I will soon.

So don't be discouraged if you have a baby whose hair is growing in like that. Try using some castor oil on it, or lay them on silk covers. It's not about the positioning. It just depends on your child and your genes. Some babies get that bald thing going even though they sleep on their stomachs. It's not something you can prevent, but you can speed up the growth process back there. =) 

~Epic Realist~

After Shower Routine

Last night, I washed my hair. It has been a week and a half. Been going through a lot lately, and with me being a stay home mom, sometimes my hair care is at the bottom of my list of things to complete and well, keep up with.
So it was 10:00 p.m. when I hopped in the shower, but my hair didn't take too long. I used my usual shampoo and washed my hair while it was in eight fat twists. Felt good. I rinsed and used my Tresemme conditioner, kept that on for about five minutes, and rinsed it just enough to get the bulk of it out of the twists.
I left some of the conditioner in on purpose so my hair could be easy to de-tangle and have some slip.
I came out at 10:20, dried my hair with a T-shirt, moisturized my body, got dressed, and de-tangled my hair twist by twist. It was super soft and easy. I massaged my JBCO and coconut oil mix into my scalp, put some shea butter on each section, finger combed, and re-twisted. They were soft, plump, and juicy. Easy. It was 10:50 when I was done, though.
I threw my satin bonnet on for bed, went to sleep, and today, my hair feels wonderful. I love washing my hair in the twists. There are no tangles, and I don't get my everlasting shedding strands all over the tub! Instead, they end up on the floor, which I can easily sweep up instead of digging my fingernails into the drain for hair. -___-
I am still using that Dudu Osun soap for my body. It's wonderful... all natural black soap. The entire family uses it.
Currently, Syriah's hair is in semi-mini braids for the first time. They still look wonderful after almost a week. Pictures of those will come soon.
Here's a pic of how my hair looked last night after washing and de-tangling.
That's my quick little update for now. I LOVE having healthy hair!

Peace out, curly mamas!

~Epic Realist~