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~

Facial Routine Update: Ambi FAIL!

So, the new Ambi soap that I was telling you guys about? It's an absolute FAIL!
I used that green bar for three days, and on the third day, my face began to burn whenever I washed it. I thought it was nothing at first, but I washed it again and more intense burning occurred. There were big, red patches over my cheekbones that had broken out in little red, sore bumps, and that soap was the only new thing that I'd used on my face.
So the Ambi soap went bye-bye!
I'm never the type to have allergic reactions to things, but that stuff did not agree with me. Of course it didn't; it wasn't natural. I Googled the soap and many other women have had the same reactions. Yikes. Good thing it was only under two bucks. Other people have had no problems with it. Interesting...
Never again. I've used other Ambi products in the past and have never had any reactions to it. But that's what I get for being cheap. LOL! Well, I have three kids, so I can't always splurge like that. Next time I purchase a facial soap, I will make sure that it's either my old trusty Ambi face wash or an whole new natural face product that I've yet to try. ;-)
Since I got rid of the soap, my face is back to normal. I'll be doing the oil cleansing method with castor oil until I can get to the store again for a new facial soap... one that won't break me out!

Hope you enjoyed this review. Lol!
Until next time, curly mamas.

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~Epic Realist~

Jam's 2nd Rat Tail Update!

Hey, ladies! For whoever is wondering how long my son's rat tail has gotten, here it is! It's the second length check since September. I've added the previous picture onto the new one so you can see the difference.

I'm the family barber, so I try to keep his hair cut neatly. lol
I wonder how long it's going to get. :-)

~Epic Realist~

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New Facial Routine!

Hey, curlies! I have a new facial routine. Frankly, I haven't taken great care of my face in years because I've been so busy with my kids and hadn't had the money, but it's time for me to get on the ball. I don't get a lot of acne anyway, and I usually just wash my face in the shower with regular soap. But I know that's not good for my face. My diet has been off, too. My face has been occasionally breaking out lately with stress and improper cleaning, and my skin tone is all over the place and blotchy-looking.
I recently tried this new 'oil cleansing' method that everyone's been raving about. Not gonna lie; it did work. I liked the feeling of the 'steam effect'. But much like the hype over co-washing, the purpose of oil is not to cleanse. I don't feel comfortable cleansing my face with oil the same way I don't feel comfortable cleansing my scalp with conditioner. Everyone's trying to get away from soap because of sulfates when all you have to do is purchase something without it!
I haven't had any of the Dudu Osun black soap lately because I couldn't order it and I just now realized that I didn't have to anymore. They sell it right in my local beauty supply store! So when this Lever 2000 soap finally runs out, I can go back to my natural soaps.
I thought about trying a Shea Moisture bar soap as well, but that's when I can find it in a store. Tired of paying for shipping with everything. LOL!
Okay, back to facial biz.I got an Ambi facial bar soap, only because I've always loved Ambi. I used it a lot during my college days, and my face was always utterly flawless. My skin tone was in check and moisturized. Here's the soap I got. In Walmart, it was $1.87. Originally, I thought it was five bucks because of where the soap was placed, but nope. http://shopambi.com/detail/AMB+002232
So I've been using this soap for the last three days, day and night. It's awesome! I love the smell and the softness. It's a very light cleanser, and this huge bar should last me a couple of months. After washing, I use JBCO as a facial moisturizer. A lot of people have been using castor oil for other things besides their hair, like their face, their dry feet, and the muscle aches.
I will keep testing this and see if any problems arise. But as of now, it's perfect.
I'm out! Until next time, peeps!

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Hair Tip #1

Today's Hair Tip: PLEASE pay attention to what you are using in your child's hair. It DOES make all the difference. Stay away from SULFATES, parabens, petroleum, and MINERAL OIL.
I will emphasize sulfates and mineral oil because those two things combined will have your child's hair screaming for epic moisture penetration. Mineral oil and petroleum are basically the same thing, so just be careful. Trust me. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and the head band, too. ;) #hairtips

~Epic Realist~

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Creative Birthday Hairstyle!

Hiya, curlies! Syriah Lynn turned 4 years old on March 3rd. I did a completely new, made-up hairstyle on her. Loved the results. I got the idea from someone else, but the way I did it... completely unique. I had several people ask me how I did it. 

It's quite easy, actually. All I did was moisturize, de-tangle with damp hair, oil, and Cantu Leave in cream, and held a ribbon at the top of the hair section before securing a hair band. It's as if the ribbon was a regular piece of hair. Had to be careful, though, so that the ribbon didn't come out of the band in the process.
Then I just twisted regularly.
With the back, I did bantu knots instead, but I parted her hair in the shape of the number 4 before doing so. It came out awesome. She want to Chuck E. Cheeses the day before and got plenty of compliments. ;-)

Here is a picture of the mini twists I had in her hair prior to her birthday, before I washed it. They didn't last as long as her first mini twists did, and that's because I used different products. Just goes to show you that simplicity is best. The first mini twists I'd ever done on her were created with my whipped shea butter only. I guess I didn't need gel here. I barely use gel in her hair anyway except for the edges, but I tried something different and they only lasted a week, and that's with her hair being ridiculously fuzzy on the fifth day. I was ready to take these suckers down then!
I learned my lesson. Never again. Oh, and that new Cream of Nature conditioner I got recently... still hate it. I'm going to use it because I paid for it, but never again. Me no likey. I ranted in a previous post about that stuff. I got the same crappy coating in Syriah's hair as well. Bleh.
Soon, I will be selling my own whipped shea butter and whatever else I can conjure up. Screw this! lol xD

Tip of The Day: If your daughter has 3B hair, more than likely she won't need gel to hold her hair in place. A simply light, milky cream will probably work best, although I like using the thick, buttery stuff. Do not load her hair with gel; it isn't necessary and you'll regret the hardness and flakes later.
Well, hope you guys enjoy the hairstyles. Peace out til later!

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KCCM SPRING Castor Oil Challenge! Week 1

1. How long have you been natural? Did you Big Chop or Transition? Why did you choose this method? If you are not natural, do you think it is something you would consider in your future, why/why not?

I transitioned for two years and then big chopped my hair to my ears in 2010, so I'm almost 3 years ALL natural. I chose this method because my hair was already long (17 inches) and I didn't want to get rid of it all at once. I love long hair! I do not plan on big chopping again... ever. My goal is to attain waist length hair. Once I reach that, then I'll see what I feel like doing with it. lol! Complete hair journey here. http://www.curlsofinnocence.bl...

2. Is this your first time participating in the Castor Oil Challenge?

Nope. It's my second time. :D

3. What is motivating you to participate in this challenge?

I just love a challenge. Being held accountable for the health of my hair is fun, and doing my hair is therapeutic. I love seeing the growth and the effects of the castor oil. I'll probably keep participating in these challenges for a long, long time. lol

4. (optional) Do you ever wear your hair Naked? Post a pic of your naked hair after you wash it.

No, I don't wear my hair completely naked. It would be hell to de-tangle and style if that were the case. LOL! But I do have a pic of how my hair looks straight out of the shower. :-)