My Hair in the Face of Ol' Man Winter...

I have been in denial, but its becoming increasingly evident (by way of the second hail storm that hit us this morning) that the warm weather is out and the cold is creeping in.

I have been a bit uninspired with my hair lately, and aware that protective styling season is back, so I decided to put in mini twists for a few weeks. So uninspired I've been that it took me almost a week to complete my twists, a task that I can usually knock out in a few hours occupied with a few good movies/shows on DVR.

Anywho...they are finally done. I set them on flexi rods, pinned them up, and they're looking quel cute if I do say so myself!




With that, I have a few thoughts/observations about winterizing my hair:

1 - Glycerine is a no-no. My hair generally hates glycerine year round, but after doing some research I've realized that in the winter/dryer months especially that is what has been contributing to my extreme dryness. So I'm being super vigilant about inspecting labels.

2 - Off label usage is OK. Cases in point:
(a) Traditional rinse-out conditioners can make amazing leave-ins - though it may take a little trial and error to find out what works for you. My hair absolutely LOVES Yes to Cucumbers as a leave in, though I find that it doesn't really work as well for me as a rinse out.
(b) Shea Moisture's Deep Treatment Masque doesn't really pack enough punch for me as a DT, however, mixed with some EcoStyler Olive Oil formula gel, it works really well for doing twists - smells great, and provides good hold for twist-outs!
(c) Organix Nourishing Coconut Conditioner remains a favorite and definitely holds holy grail status in my regimen - not only as a wash out, but as a deep treatment as well, and I don't even need to add oil for great results! I find it's a bit too heavy for a leave in for me though.
(d) Kinky Curly Curling Custard I find is AWESOMETASTIC for sealing in moisture. I rub about a nickel size amount in on over my leave in (or mix it with the leave in) and under some coconut oil or Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey, and it gives me soft, moisturized, touchable hair for days! Nothing else compares.

3 - Some things ARE good for year round use, to me, that = holy grail status. My list includes:
(a) Coconut Oil
(b) Kinky Curly Curling Custard & Knot Today
(c) Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey
(d) Scalp Oil Blend (Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil with Rosemary, Peppermint & Tea Tree EO's)
(e) Organix Nourishing Coconut Shampoo & Conditioner