Happy Happy Christmas!

Caramel Deep Treatment

I got this from velvethalo's fotki. And she got it from Aine @ Long Hair Care Forum... and so the knowledge is paid forward! Many people swear by this, so I thought I would post without even trying it first. I do believe in the power of the multiple testimony, ya know. Will post a product review update later...

You can find the thread @:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=65854&;highlight=caramel+treatment

Ingredients:

coconut oil
olive oil
wheatgerm oil
shea butter
honey
molasses
Apple cider vinegar
Two overripe bananas
water

From Velvethalo:

I just throw this all in a blender. It freezes rather well, so you won't have to keep making mini-batches every time you wanna use it, just thaw out. It should be a caramel cream look and consistency. Once you coat it on your hair, leave on for a couple hours. If your hair is longer than BSL, it may be easier to put your hair in a ponytail and just do that ponytail portion and loose baggy it to keep it from getting messy. Do not try to manipulate your hair during this time, it is very sticky. Rinse out in the shower. If you have fine hair, this may be all you need, but if you have coarse hair, you may want to follow up with a reconstructor and/or deep conditioner. It doesn't matter how kinky/curly/frizzy your hair is... it will shine like you've never ever seen it do before. I am now a big believer in this and will tell anyone who will listen. It really works!


From Dluvlylox: Thanks ladies, and we'll be sure to try it!

My Hair is Already Growing...

I can't escape the suspicion that my hair is already growing, that I will not only meet but exceed the TWA growth challenge this year, and that even though I was natural all those years before, this time my hair is doing a new thing. I tried finger coils today with kccc, and it worked beautifully. I was impressed and pleased with the way just a squirt of knot today leave-in defined my curl pattern. I barely had to twist to get 'em looking picture perfect. I'm going to wear them tomorrow maybe, and then pull apart and get a few more days out of 'em -- I'm anxious not to over manipulate my hair and ruin the healthy treatment I've been giving it.

The reason I think my hair is already growing is because a friend already told me so. I was talking with this friend yesterday -- she is a new convert to the kinky curly way as well -- and when I said that I was practicing a whole new way of caring for my hair to promote growth, she surprised me by saying " Well, it's working. Your hair already looks a lot longer than when you cut it." I was so shocked! Upon reflection today, however, I've decided that she's right. Without even finding my HG (Holy Grail) hair and nail supplement (still searching), my HG deep treatment, or trying henna, I am already seeing improvement! I can't wait to see where I am next summer, or even next year this time!

Mega Care Raw Shea Butter Oil -- 2 out of 5

This stuff is something I happened upon while perusing the shelves of the Korean Beauty Mart near my house. (I'm not that big of a fan of this place -- not a lot there for the naptural curly beauties... many of the products have no-no ingredients and there are NO organic products or raw materials to make anything good for your hair.)

It comes in an orange tube. Here's the ingredient list: raw shea butter, canola oil, safflower oil, cotton seed oil, wheat germ oil, jojoba oil, macadamia nut oil, tocopherol, fragrance. It's pretty straightforward stuff, which is why I was surprised to find it there and why I plunked down the 3.99 or whatever to take it home and give it a try. I also saw an awesome youtuber, Ladykpnyc, use it during one of her tutorials to oil her scalp while her hair was wet. I decided to use it the same way.

I co-washed and parted my hair into sections. The tube of has a pointed nozzle, so I applied it directly to my scalp. Frankly, I wasn't impressed. The oil was light, but I found the smell to be very unpleasant (probably the cotton seed oil), and I did notice scalp itching until I co-washed it out. Disclaimer: I'm allergic to nuts. This product has macadamia nut oil. It could be that, but there is a possibility that it's not, because although I am allergic to raw nuts, and raw nut butters and powders, I am usually not allergic to nut oils. This is because oils are pressed and cleaned and whatever allergen affects in the plant is usually processed out, i.e. I eat peanut oil all the time.

Back to the product review. My scalp was moisturized, but the cons outweighed the pros. I'll probably be passing this on. I saw no reason to continue shelling out money for this stuff when there is perfectly good raw shea butter out there (somewhere) for me to use, whipped, mixed, or otherwise, on my hair.

*No pic available online, nor a company website. Me no likey... :(

Naptural Evangelism

It's come to my attention that converting to napturality is just like getting saved. I'm lit up with an inner glow, on fire for my new style of living, and spreading the gospel of natural hair to as many people as will listen. There are other women out there, not all of them, but many, feeling oppressed and frustrated with their hair, confused about how to properly take care of it, and (maybe even unconsciously) looking and hoping for guidance, for a revelation. It comes out in the form of product junky-ism and hairstyle changes, but since my BC I have talked 2 people into taking the journey with me. I'm excited about that. One of them is my lovely sister, the other a cousin. Now I have someone to gush hair talk to, but more importantly, these are heads of beautiful, in transition hair for me to experiment on!

Dabur Amla Lite Oil -- 5 out of 5

This hair oil contains amla and shikakai extracts. It's a great oil for many uses. Oiling the scalp, sealing the ends, etc. I love the smell. I've been using it for years on my relaxed hair. I was so excited to read online that it's also recommended for natural hair for everything I previously used it for in addition to complimentary use with henna. I've even seen on the henna for hair website that amla powder can be added to henna to enhance the color!

This brand is the "lite", as opposed to the darker, heavier, straight Amla oil Dabur sells. I've used both, but I prefer the lite version -- it's a strictly personal choice. No itching, very light, this oil is a favorite of mine for so many reasons. It adds shine without grease and actually revived my weave over and over from dead raccoon to paparazzi ready!


**I buy this stuff from The Joan @ my salon, Mohair in Baton Rouge, LA. You can purchase it online from the salon at http://www.mohaironline.com.

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner -- 4 out of 5

I just tried HHC for the first time. I finally found it @ the local CVS after striking out at a couple of other places (It's exceptionally hard for me to find even the most basic of products around here in Gulf Coast MS -- we don't even have a Target!). It cost 4.37 for the regular bottle and 5.99 for the bigger bottle. I, of course, caved and got the bigger bottle. I can't believe that I am excited to try a Clairol Herbal Essences product because I had heard in the past that the shampoo is very hard on black hair and makes it fall out. I've avoided the stuff like it had a "please make me bald" sign on it. What makes me so sure that I will like this product?

One thing: It's on curlynikki's holy grail list. 'Nuff said!

I am very pleased! It smelled WONDERFUL -- claims to have a fusion of coconut milk and orchid in it. I believe them. I can smell it. I co-washed twice because it smelled so good! It was very slippery like Nikki claimed, although my hair is too short and soft to test the slip with detangling-- I detangle instantaneously with my fingers.

That's it for now... this does have the potential of making the Holy Grail list, although it needs further testing, and I refuse to commit until I try Suave's Tropical Coconut.

Information Overload!

Something's happened to me.

I've become obsessed with hair. There are so many sites, videos, tutorials, product reviews. I've been absorbing non-stop for the past three days, and I can't take any more. I have a product wish list a mile long, and for every positive review there's a negative one. It seems like so many things work! I have no idea what to do, where to start. Every time I get excited about a style/product/recipe, I have to run to the mirror to remind myself that my hair is 4 inches long, and the shrinkage has me to about 2 inches of hair. It's too short to do anything but dream and wish at this point!

I'm fighting recriminations for letting myself get to this point, for taking so long to stop and ask the fundamental questions that I should be asking myself, for taking so long to start paying attention to something so important and fundamental as hair. Even as I tell myself what's past is past, that hair grows and grows even past death, etc. I keep looking back like Lot's wife.

This obsession has to end. It's stolen the last 3 days from me, time that I should have been working on my novel, blogging, working on my brother's wedding website, job searching, hell... anything! My resolution: to take my hands out of my hair, my mind of my hair, and stop cruising the web lusting after other people's styles.

Enough is enough!

Right after I stalk my new friends' fotkis....

Rluvlylox's Avocado & Honey Hair Mask -- 2 out of 5

This one is from my brother's fiancee, who I will call Rluvlylox (she probably got it from somewhere else online, so no offense or plagiarism intended)...

Ingredients:
- 1 medium avocado, mashed
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 oz. castor oil
- 4 oz. olive oil
- 2 eggs
* you can also add 1/2 a small can of coconut milk for softness!

Mix, paint onto hair (I used the "shingling" method of application), cover with plastic shower cap. Sit under hood dryer for 15-20 minutes or wear around the house for 45 minutes to let body heat do the work. Rinse with warm water, and then shock with cold water. All done!

While I enjoyed what amounted to playing with green slime in the sink, I wasn't overly impressed with this one. To be fair, I left out the castor and coconut oil because I didn't have any in the house, so if you want to discount the review, fine with me. Try it for yourself and see... Note: make sure the avocado you buy is ripe.

Here's my take: the avocado didn't rinse out well. I didn't make my hair gleam or moisturize as well as I expected. I'm willing to try again, because I took too many recipe liberties with this to really post a review, and will update again in the future, promise!

Reunited, and it feels so good...

I want to speak a little more on what all the recent hair events mean.

I've decided that I am not going to cry over the spilled milk that is my chopped hair, and not going to eulogize my relaxed locks. I am reunited with a more fundamental me, a stronger, older, wiser, me, and for that I will be grateful. As far as I'm concerned, thank you Jesus and I couldn't have planned it better myself!

For 8 long years I blithely and with a great deal of ignorance grew out my natural hair. I was so concerned with college, then grad school, that I wasn't as aware as I should have been, didn't know as much as I should have known, but things have really changed for me. I've relaxed my hair for the very very last time. No more fire creme! If I'm dying for the straight look again, I will bust out the press or get a sew-in, full stop. No more frying and dying my hair. How could I have ignored the very simple ironclad fact that my hair has fallen out in less than a year every time I tried one (with the notable exception of the phytospecific relaxer)?? I'm awake now, however, and paying very careful attention.

So this is my new fotki, my effort to pay attention, learn, ask questions... I'm so excited to meet myself again. Hello, beautiful.

Organic Yogurt, Oatmeal & Honey Face Mask -- 5 out of 5

I tried this after starting a routine of applying a coat of honey to my freshly washed face for 10 minutes before bed each night. Just honey alone was a 5 out of 5, but the additional ingredients had such great results that I thought I would share. I learned it from a youtube tutorial -- thanx bubzbeauty!

Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp Bio yogurt
- 1 fistful oatmeal (I used Quaker Rolled Oats)
Mix into a bowl -- consistency should be a lumpy pulp. Paint on face and scrub around to allow oatmeal to exfoliate. Leave on face 10 minutes. I lay down on a towel for this one, people.

Voila, instantly moisturized, exfoliated, pore-refined, glowing skin!

Phytospecific Cap'n Energy Multivitamin -- 0 out 5 stars

I can't say enough about how much I effing HATE this product.

I didn't even finish a week's worth and that ish has effed up my body something fierce! Good thing I got it as a free sample, because it retails @ 55$ and if I had paid green dollars for that I might have flown to France and looked up the headquarters just to tell someone the hell off face to face.


1) It broke me out. Bad. I was doing honey on my face nightly and getting great results at first, and then all of a sudden there was a constellation of zits on my friggin face! I would not have figured it out, but I read on curlynikki blog that new multi-vitamins can break some women out. I decided to look up the ingredients of cap'n energy because the other multi I was taking was One-a-day women's, and I knew that was innocuous enough not to be causing it. It was the cap'n energy! It has fish gelatin! I am deathly allergic to fish!

1) It gave me a raging yeast infection. There is no delicate way to say this or to describe the between-my-legs bakery that opened about 3 days into taking this one a day pill. I had no idea what the hell was going on. I am highly susceptible to yeast infections from high dosage antibiotics, but never get them otherwise. I combat this by eating one light yogurt a day while taking antibiotics and I'm set. This time, however, I didn't suspect at first that it was the cap'n energy because I was taking it with another vitamin and trying out some natural face mask recipes. I started eating yogurt immediately, and when the infection only got worse, I started applying plain yogurt directly. I was saving the monistat for a last resort. The direct application took a day or so to work, but work it did. However, it was like the yeast was fighting back! I couldn't believe it, and I was really frickin tired of the discomfort, so upset that I stopped my morning routine. Luckily, that also meant stopping the vitamin. The infection got better so quickly I couldn't believe it. Around that time I looked up the ingredients to cap'n energy and found that in addition to noxious fish, it also has active YEAST cultures! Just to test, I took another one after 4 days off, and the yeast infection actually came back. Unbelievable!

Baking Soda (added to conditioner to clarify) -- 4 out of 5 stars

I decided to try baking soda because ACV has some cons (see the review). I liked this better because it is less stinky and messy, but I discerned very little difference in effect, i.e. it still clarified my hair and stripped product well. I may have gotten more shine with ACV though. I did like this method better, as baking soda is an even cheaper and more ubiquitous household ingredient with just as many uses as ACV.

I'll continue to experiment with baking soda vs. ACV and post any updates.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse -- 4 out of 5

So... I tried an apple cider vinegar rinse.
Mix 1 tbsp for every 1 cup water. Warning: THIS DOES NOT LATHER.

Let's get the cons out of the way first:

It stinks.
It stings your eyes.
It's hard to deal with because it's watery.
No lather.

Now for the pros:

It cleans your hair really well and gets rid of build up with the advantage of restoring pH balance. It also makes my hair noticeably shinier. It's cheap and easy to obtain. A little goes a long way, and it has many uses, from cleaning windows and tile to being a great product to settle the stomach and aid digestion. There are even some weight loss claims! (I drank what I didn't use in my hair...it's not that bad diluted). As for the smell, it fades in mere minutes.

I'm liking it so far for clarifying purposes. Once or twice a month is not too much to ask me to deal with this, although I am also intrigued by a method I read about on http://www.curlynikki.com that clarifies by adding baking soda to conditioner. More on that later.

*Note: I did not use this Katz brand of ACV for my rinse. I used the regular old generic out of the grocery store -- I actually had some in the house that I use for other reasons... but the pic is so pretty and appetizing looking, that I couldn't resist!

Burt's Bees Volumizing Shampoo w/ Pomegranate & Soy -- 3 out of 5

First off let me say that I am working towards no poo whatsoever, so Burt's Bees is tainted by being a shampoo alone...

That being said... this is a good product, if you have to use poo @ all. First off, it's ingredients are all natural, lots of emollients and oils. It's gentle, lathers well, and you have to use a lot to get that "squeaky clean", stripped, tupperwear squeak (but it can be achieved with multiple washings). It smells like heaven and definitely gets the job done for washing out build up.

I haven't used it enough to judge the "volumizing" part of the claim, but stay tuned.

Kinky Curly Curling Custard -- 5 out of 5

I can't say enough about this product! I was already super hyped about it before I even tried it because I got a great recommendation from my fellow naptural beauty and great friend, Portia. I then whipped myself into a frenzy of impatience by watching all of the tutorials on the website and cruising the hair boards. KCCC has a huge following and is perhaps one of the most recommended products for the wash n go, which is all I can wear right now with my hair this short.

I really like the way the product defines and separates curls. My curl pattern emerged immediately, and pretty uniformly. I can't see it getting much better than this, and any frizz that I have I am attributing to my won ignorance about the best way to apply this product. Taking the advice I saw, I applied rather sparingly the first time, had really good results, and then the 2nd time tried more. I found that I had put to little the 1st time, but still be careful. Where you put too much you will see some gooping and I've read over and over that it can dry flaky if over applied.

I think my hair loves the fact that this is and organic product with no bad or non-natural ingredients. I'm proud to use it, and I think my hair is proud of me too! :)

On a last note, I don't like the "edible" smell, although many people rave about it, but disregard me because I hate the sweet smell of vanilla and I hate things that smell like cake and muffins that AREN'T cake and muffins! Give me something clean, green, and citrusy... but the smell isn't off-putting at all because it fades.

Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In -- 5 out of 5

I've used this product 3 times since I bought it last week. I love it because it detangles as well as conditions and it smells great. My hair is super short right now, so there is should be no need for combing with a great leave-in and detangler. This does the job wonderfully, and I don't have to use too much. My curl pattern popped right out with the knot today.

According to the manufacturer, Knot Today can be used in conjunction with Kinky Curly Curling Custard to lock in moisture and give great curl definition. It definitely lived up to its promise! Most of my curlies popped out before I even used the custard because of the Knot Today.

My Hair Story

I figure that the perfect way to kick this blog off is with my hair story.

I just performed a Big Chop December 5, 2008, and not by choice. My new teensy weensy afro full of kinky curls is not, however, my first time rocking it natural. I transitioned for 2 yrs in college and then rocked my natural curls for another 7 years!!!!

I know what you're wondering... WHY THE HELL DID I EVER RELAX AGAIN?

I didn't want to. It was some combination of relocating after Katrina to a new place with no stylists (I mean that literally, Santa Cruz, CA black population 1%), taking an ultra conservative corporate job, a pile up of negative comments from family about my "black power phase", and being frustrated with my super long and unmanageable length. You see, my hair had grown out in spite of my ignorance. I stumbled around, no idea what products of processes to use, and basically devised a pattern of twist-outs that I taught myself.

Fast forward to now... it only took 6 months for my hair to fall out once I started relaxing again. I went to a wonderful stylist who put me onto phytospecific lye-free relaxers, and my hair grew back, but it was expensive and my hair was still rather fragile. I was panicked at what to do with my hair because I could no longer afford to get the chemical fire cream or travel to get my hair done. I took out a sew-in weave after 2 months, and based on some bad advice from a well-meaning friend, wound up in the shower with a head full of dreadlocs!!!!! A Dios Mio!

2.5 hrs later, and there was no choice but to lop off the loc'd up parts. I was devastated. I did have 2 1/2 mths worth (about 3-4 in) of extremely healthy new growth because of the braids, but I had no idea that I was unintentionally transitioning! I couldn't stand the sight of my uneven hack job, so I threw it into some cornrows w/ extensions and waited a week. In the meantime, a napturally beautiful friend of mine put me on to all the info, fotkis, products, and tutorials available online.

I'm now so happy this happened! It's the perfect time in my life to get re-acquainted with the best parts of myself. I have no fear that I will ever be pressured into throwing away a long, healthy head of hair again either. There's so much to learn... I'll be spending a lot of time on the message boards.