Aloe Vera Juice for Natural Hair

Happy New Year to all you curly mamas! Woo hoo! Hope that everyone fulfills their hair goals this year as well as their other goals.

I wanted to talk about aloe vera juice and how I've been using it on my hair for the past two weeks or so. I've been using it only on wash day, after I wash, condition, and rinse. I apply AVJ on my sections, squeeze out the excess liquid, then apply my usual oil mixture to my hair and scalp. Then I proceed with de-tangling, whether or not I use a leave in moisturizer, then braid/twist it up.
First and foremost, I wanted to try using AVJ on my hair because I have heard a ton of great things about it. I always want to go as natural as possible with my hair and body health, so I wanted to give it a try. The day I bought the AVJ from Walmart, there was only one kind left... the one that had extra berry juices in it. Apparently, other people have caught onto the benefits of it and bought out the plain one. I scanned the ingredients for anything foreign, saw nothing, then bought it, the Fruit of the Earth brand.
Aloe vera juice is great for a lot of things, one being balancing the pH in our hair, just like apple cider vinegar does. Here's one article about the benefits of AVJ: http://blackgirllonghair.com/2012/01/4-hair-benefits-of-aloe-vera/
So I am doing it the way I mentioned above, for the last two weeks. I've already seen a difference in my hair. It's mega soft with my oil mixture on top. Now AVJ is an astringent, so it is used as a cleanser as well as other things like skin care, so it has a really squeaky feeling when you smooth it in your hair. It's kind of like the feeling that you get if you totally strip your hair of all dirt and grime and are left with a squeaky clean head. But it moisturizes at the same time. It also feels good because AVJ has to be refrigerated, so when I pour it into my hair with my dispenser bottle, the coldness feels awesome on my scalp lol!
I don't rinse the AVJ out; I leave it in, massage it into my scalp and my whole head. My oil mixture (see here http://curlsofinnocence.blogspot.com/p/my-hair-regimen.html) goes on top and then I de-tangle, then twist and braid the sections. For stretch, I put the twists into one big fat bun, and even though it takes longer for my hair to air dry that way, my hair is stretched and extra soft when it does dry.
Last night, I deep conditioned my hair, rinsed it out after two hours, and then tried using the AVJ the same way. Awesome results again! My hair is softer because of the DC/light protein treatment that I use. Don't even have to use a moisturizer with this stuff. I've seen a change... my hair appears a little stronger and silkier.
So, I will be sticking to this for as long as it works. ;)
How do you guys use AVJ if you do use it? What changes have you seen?

Peace out and Happy New Year again!

~Epic Realist~

Pre-poo & Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter!

Heya guys! This is just a quick post showing Syriah's latest wash day routine and what not. I washed her hair yesterday, but first, I pre-pooed her hair with coconut oil and did finger de-tangling. Then I pinned the sections into bantu knots for later on.

Washing her hair is always fun. I find it just as therapeutic as washing my own hair. LOL! She loves it too. I talk to her about what I'm doing and then let her comb/brush her hair herself. I used my usual Shea Moisture Extra Moisturizing Shampoo and Herbal Essences Hello Hydration for conditioning. I realized that her hair is back past her butt. She gained back the length from the trim I gave her in June. ;) (and she got taller, too. lol)

I edited that second pic because I fell in love with the way she was looking. So cute!

So after I was done washing, I went to work de-tangling with my Beautiful Textures Tangle Taming moisturizer. I didn't need a lot of it because her hair was 90% already de-tangled from the conditioner... no knots whatsoever. Then I applied Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter that was given to me by someone who bought it to try it and hated it lol! But I had tried it about two years ago and although the smell was revolting at first, I enjoyed the way it made my hair feel and didn't mind the smell.
It smelled like an old people/herbal type of smell, but I don't mind it. So I tried it in Syriah's hair. It's kind of like a greasy butter... has beeswax in it and is 99% natural.

I put her hair in 4 braids. The shine was amazing! It felt like it was slicking down her hair very well. I had to use a brush to work the product into her wet hair... beeswax on wet hair is NOT fun to work with, I have come to realize. But the brush helped and it was wonderful! The shine is still there this morning.
So that's my little update and review. See ya later, divas!

My twist out using this product :)

Oh, check out my 'skills' in reversing a cornbraid style last week lol! :-)

                             ~Epic Realist~

Washing Yo Hair Don't Have To Take ALL DAY! (Rant and Tips)

Heya, curly naturals! It's about that time again... ranting time. LOL!

I just like to write, so I write down my frustrations with natural hair as well as other people's frustrations with natural hair.
I am a bit annoyed at the amount of time that people spend on wash day. It's really not that serious. No, it has nothing to do with hair type because I have several different hair types in my head and I still manage to shrink wash day time down to two hours MAX, and that includes styling.
Here are the basics of wash day:

1. Pre-poo- Lather your hair in conditioner or oil, leave in for desired time. If it's left on overnight, I don't count that as part of wash time.
2. Detangle- Optional... some people do this after washing instead of before.
3. Washing- Honestly, this shouldn't take that long, unless your hair is waist length or you don't wash your hair for a month so it's really grimy (gross)
4. Conditioning/Detangling- This might be where people spend the most time, because some people deep condition at this point instead of doing a five minute condition...
5. Rinsing- shouldn't take that long
6. Drying/Flat Iron- Another way some people go wrong... the use of a blow dryer is not necessary EVERY TIME you wash! I don't use one at all, and if I do, it's for styling purposes and not to dry my hair fast.
7. Styling- Honestly, this should be the longest step, depending on what style you're trying to achieve.

Now, the ranting part comes in where I say... you ain't gotta do all dat! I have heard some naturals dread wash day because it takes literally the entire day, which is ridiculous for the average working woman who doesn't even have the time for all that. They waste their entire weekends tampering with their hair, and the whole day is gone. I don't see how some people take 30 minutes just to WASH their hair, and then another 3-4 hours to deep condition, then they jump back in the shower to rinse it out. No wonder your hair takes up your entire weekend! Then when it's time to style, they use too way too many products for one style. Some swear that it's best to DC right after washing and get it over with, but if you honestly don't have time to do it, I wouldn't stress over it! You're only making wash day more of a chore for yourself. 
Wash day for me is therapeutic, not only because I am a SAHM (stay at home mom) and that's one of my only ways of ME time (LOL), but I don't blow dry my hair, I don't take ten years washing and rinsing it out, and I don't flat iron my hair. I have a lot of hair; that would take way too much time to do often. Plus, the best thing for me is that I don't have to go somewhere every day, so I can wear fat twists or braids around the house until God knows when.
Some people have TWAs and they still somehow spend the entire day on their curls... I don't get it. Try to track how much time you're spending on your hair on wash day and see if you can make some improvements. It doesn't have to be soooooo time consuming to be natural. It should be about simplicity. What's the point of being natural if you spent 100% more time on your hair than you did when you were relaxed? That's why some naturals revert back to relaxing, because they think that natural hair is such a chore when it doesn't have to be. Unless your hair is waist length, it should take the average natural no more than TWO HOURS (not including styling or DCing) to get the washing process done. I'm just saying... trying to help some sistas out!
Yes, I have UBER thick hair, yes, my hair is past bra strap length, yes, I have to detangle like everyone else, and yes, I have multiple curl patterns, which is sometimes rough to deal with. It's not always a walk in the park here, either. But I can get it done in a timely manner where I don't have to waste an entire day on the washing process. It's just not worth it.

Hope you guys enjoyed this post. Comment and join the Curls of Innocence community!
Until next time. Take care, curlies!
~Epic Realist~

╰☆╮What I've Learned During my Hair Journey

Hey, guys! I'm going to share what I've learned on my hair journey so far. It's been three years, and I've come a long way and still have an even longer way left to go. I'm not giving up! As I mentioned in the previous post, my hair texture doesn't hardly benefit from a perm anyway, so I shall never go back.

1. Transitioning your hair also means that you are transitioning your life. If you beg to differ, look at it like this... you're finding the 'black pride' within yourself, so you are becoming happy(er) about being African American. Therefore, you develop a new outlook on life that you previously did not have.
2. Technically, you do not 'go natural'; you were born natural. So you are only going back to how you came into the world, but this time, you're accepting it.
3. Water is not the devil. In fact, water is your friend, a good friend to your hair. You hear that, black women? Stop being afraid of putting water on your hair! Unless it's well, hard water...eh, not much you can do there except go buy distilled water or install a filter in your shower. Hehe.
4. Just because someone else has tried a certain routine and it has worked for them does not mean that it will work for you. Try your own regimen and don't be a follower! You'll be disappointed if your curls don't look like theirs. Talk about hating your hair all over again. Trust me. You don't want that.
5. Having several hair patterns can sometimes appear to be a curse. Literally. One side of your hair is cooperating so far, but the other side wants to act like it's on crack. Just gotta' keep working at it.
6. Trimming is not necessary to do by a certain time. Only trim as you need to, like if your ends begin to break or look split and straggly. If you trim too often, like every month, you'll never notice your hair's growth and you'll keep thinking that you're doing something wrong and that your hair isn't growing. Be patient... and drop the scissors, woman!
7. Less manipulation is best. Combing and brushing excessively is not good at all. Yes, that's for all you women who do this every day.  Try to do as little combing and brushing as possible to minimize hair loss and hair breakage. Fingers have become my friend when it comes to lazy nighttime parting and taking down twists for twist-outs. I barely ever touch a comb unless it's wash/conditioning day!
8. Rock what you like and don't be afraid. If your hair is acting flat that day, wear your slick back afro-puff. If your hair is busting with volume and frizz, throw a headband on it, wear your full fro outside and be retro. Women are wearing styles from the 40's again lately, and I think it's sexy. Who cares about the freakin year? There's no law that says if a certain style hasn't been 'popular' since let's say the 60's, then you shouldn't wear it. That's how I feel about my son's rat tail, and now my hubby has a rat tail, too. Rock what you like no matter the season!
9. Commercial shampoos should be banned. Like, seriously. Those sulfates make your hair dryer than the Sahara Desert.
10. The best deep conditioners can be found right in your kitchen. You don't have to spend an arm a leg, and your head on a platter to get silky hair. Got an egg, some mayo, and some olive oil? Yeah. Sounds gross, but that stuff actually works.
11. Constant stressing over your hair won't make the problem go away. It can only make it worse... and cause it to fall out. Research the problem, do your best to fix it, and leave it alone. Chances are, your hair will cooperate in time. Again... be patient.
12. You are still going to have bad hair days. Don't think that when you go natural, the decision to stay natural will be a walk in the park. Sometimes, you're going to want to revert right back to the creamy crack. I never did, but some of you will. Don't feel bad, and don't give in. Look at YouTube videos for inspiration! LOL
13. Begin the de-tangling process before you wash your hair. If you just took down a braid out, it's going to be hard to really wash and condition your hair with knots in it. Try putting coconut oil and/or EVOO in your hair an hour before you wash it, and comb the knots out before washing. It makes it way easier, and you don't have to lose any hair, either.
14. Protein-based creams and moisturizers will always have your hair feeling like butter... unless your hair is protein sensitive. My hair loves it, soaks it up.
15. Corn braids are not the only protective style in the world! I used to think that it was, because that's all I saw in little girls' hair and I still do. In fact, corn braids are one of the worst protective styles. Yeah, they look really nice and what not, but people often braid too tight and leave the braids in way too long, neglecting the hair's need for moisture. That tight braiding all the time can put wear and tear on your hair, and possibly create little painful, sometimes bloody bumps on your scalp. Then when you take the braids down, you have lots of hair coming out in your hand and the comb. Some parents don't realize this and they keep corn braids in their' kid's hair almost year round, over and over and they never know that the child is slowly suffering hair loss/damage. Ladies, cool down on the braids, please, and let your child's scalp breathe and be free!
16. Again, it doesn't cost a lot just to maintain healthy hair. Use natural oils, shea butter, and water. That's pretty much all you'll need. You don't have to try every new fancy product out there just to have healthy hair. Create your own concoction and work it. That's what I did, and my shea butter mixture has lasted me 3 months each time. FIVE pounds of unrefined shea butter for 17 bucks on Amazon... and lasts for 3 months... how the hell can anyone beat that!? I mean, come on ladies; let's be resourceful here, and not break the bank trying to look cute!
17. Just because something says it's organic, doesn't mean it is. Just because it says it's all natural doesn't mean anything, either. Read every ingredient, and do your research.

Okay, I'm all out of suggestions... for now. Gotta go feed my little desparatos. If I have more, I will most likely come back for a part 2 of what I've learned. Take care, curly mamas!

P.S.: Curls of Innocence is on YouTube now! Check out my first little bootleg video that I did a few weeks ago. Don't laugh at me. Hehe. Comment and subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDNOuCfqQzE

~Epic Realist~

Avoiding/Removing Rubber Bands

Hey, peeps! I've been slowly getting back to 'hair life' after having another baby, so I created another random twist hairstyle on Syriah. Yes, I know rubber bands aren't the best things to use, but there is a 'right' way to use them.
Some people say it's best to soak them in olive oil before using them, so that they don't pull your daughter's hair out. They swear by it. I don't exactly do that, but my method also works. All I do is completely de-tangle and moisturize Sy's hair before even applying the rubber bands, usually using my shea butter mixture or a Shea Moisture cream. I don't leave the rubber bands in her hair for more than two days, unless they're on the ends of her hair to hold beads in place or something. Also, before I take them out, I put some kind of oil on her hair to loosen up the rubber bands, and then later on slip them off. It's easy and they don't get tangled in her hair at all. The rubber bands are so slippery, I can take them off the same exact way I put them in with no tangles or tears.

I don't even use rubber bands a lot anyway; I mostly use the Goody brand ponytail holders. Those don't even come close to getting stuck in hair. LOL!
I've seen women who swear that rubber bands make their girl's hair grow, and that couldn't be more far from the truth. No hair accessory 'makes' your hair grow. They can either stimulate your scalp in a good way or a bad way, and it's usually more bad than good. Having those tight little things on your scalp all the time isn't good for anyone. Your daughter will lose more hair than she will gain. The rubber slowly eats away at your hair cuticles and there will be a lot of breakage.
Tip of the Day: Whatever your method is as far as rubber bands, just be careful. Never yank or pull them out because they will cause breakage. You may not see it, but you will over time. I don't understand why some mothers continue to use rubber bands excessively... using them on dry hair... and then pulling them out only to apply more for the next week. Elastics tend to do the same thing, but they are a tad bit gentler. I don't use them because Sy's hair is way to silky to even hold those things. They come right out every time!
Oh, and don't buy hair ties with metal on them. Those can also get stuck in your hair and pull it out slowly. I don't buy anything with metal on it... haven't done so in years. When you know better, you should always do better. We're all obviously trying to achieve healthier hair, or you wouldn't be on this blog in the first place. So let's practice healthier hair management! =)

Until later, curly mamas! Hope everyone has a great day.
~Epic Realist~
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