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

Rudy, Rudy Quite Contrary - How Does Your Garden Grow?

So....Rudy (my hair) has been quite contrary lately. This is my first summer 100% natural - and let me tell you I had NO IDEA my hair could be so dry! I've been trying quite a few things to keep her happy - and I think its working! Shes growing nicely and today my puff is outta control soft, and fluffy and moisturized. Here are some things that have worked for me:

1. Coconut Oil and I are best buddies. I use it to pre-poo, add it to my deep conditioner, and use it as a finishing styler for shine.
2. I shampoo once a week with sulfate free shampoo - my hair really likes the Organix Nourshing Coconut Milk (there goes that coconut oil again!)
3. I co-wash once or twice a week between shampoos - this has really helped a lot (right now I'm using Suave Tropical Coconut (notice a theme?!?!) I also like Herbal Essences Hello Hydration & Hydralicious.
4. I recently revisited oil rinsing before I co-wash...I think this has contributed to this weeks happy puff - I used Vatika oil to rinse.
5. I deep condition once a week on shampoo day - I've tried a few different things, but my hair really likes Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner and/or The Body Shop Honey Moisturizing Conditioner - I add a tbsp. of honey and olive oil to each application and either sit under the dryer for a 1/2 hour or 1 hour without heat.
6. Cold rinse after the DC - my hair really likes this...my body, not so much - I rinse over the sink.
7. Kinky Curly Knot Today is my new favorite leave in - its nice and lite, but gets the job done!
8. I style in twists using a mix of Eco Styler Olive Oil gel with Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque - gives great medium hold and moisture galore! Then let my hair air dry.
9. I oil my scalp and edges once or twice a week with castor oil.
   
10. Every night I spray my hair with a mix of water and jojoba oil and twist before bed - in the AM, I untwist, fluff, style and go!

I've been loving on Rudy extra because the heat and humidity have made her really sad - in return, she loves me right back!

Fun with Twists!

I was so looking forward to loving and playing in my hair after my BC (which I have) but I've had to contend with some extreme dryness after my cut. Now, I'm not sure if its a result of the super hot weather we've had in NYC over the past month, or if its just the dryness that some newly naturals experience after the BC???

Either way, the crunchy hair was not cute!

My solution - twists!!! I've been wearing my hair in mini twists for the past 3 weeks - inspired by the fabulous Kinky Kurly Queen of Naturally Obsessed (love her blog & her hair!) This is a protective style that allows me to keep my hair & scalp moisturized and protect my ends. My hair has been thanking me non-stop.

I washed, conditioned & deep conditioned, applied a leave in, partially air dried, then twisted damp hair. I twisted with a mix of ecostyler gel with olive oil, coconut oil, and some of my butter mix.

I'm a bit of a style junkie, even from my relaxed days, so to keep from getting bored and taking them down I have just been finding different ways to style them.










I've curled them on flexi rods, braided them, pinned them up, left them down...and all told, love them to death! They have been super simple to maintain, look great and my hair is no longer crunchy - win, win, win.

Her Hair Story

The thing about this journey - as I've seen is true in my self and others around the web - is that it almost always starts out being just about hair...but that's never where it ends.

For me it started as random agreement with a friend in my early 20s...that we were gonna be loc'd by 30 and would start growing out our hair about a year or so before. As I sit here at 31, one month natural after a 13 month transition, obviously I'm a little behind schedule. However, as I've come to realize, it's all about the journey - not so much the destination or the time it takes to get there.

In April 2009 I unintentionally got my last relaxer. Five months later after stretching my perm through a hot and humid NYC summer with braids, I decided to purposefully see where this road would take me.

I was scared to BC, so I grew my hair out for 13 months, gradually trimming the ends, until I was ready to let go!

I've learned so much about myself and about my hair in this process. I got really creative during my transition and tried lots of styles and products thanks to all of the wonderfully supportive and informative ladies on youtube, fotki, and the hair blogs!

This journey has taken me on a path that involves a greater appreciation of myself – holistically. It has helped me toward acceptance of the “ME” that God has created me to be – and to hear so many others acknowledging the same is truly motivational. God made no mistakes when creating me – he didn’t mean to give me bone straight hair…then forgot. Embracing that thought has helped me to be better to myself – mind, body, and soul – and has allowed me to honor His perfect plan in the creation of me on several levels. I have found myself more conscious of not just what I put into my hair, but also about what I put into my body and what I allow into my mind.

I am embracing a new concept of beauty – and it’s a struggle. I still see sisters with long straight hair and miss those years at the Dominican salon, while on the other hand I see sisters with fierce fro’s and luscious loc’s and get hair envy. I am, as we all are, a work in progress. But I see and appreciate the infinite possibilities of what our hair can be – and beyond that how the state of our hair impacts our consciousness.

We may or may not BE our hair, but we are integrally connected to our hair and it affects the “YOU” that shines through. I have noticed, in myself and others, a new confidence that comes with the change. I have found myself absolutely loving the “new” stuff that’s growing out of my head, whereas in my permed days I used to run to my stylist’s chair at the first sign of waves preventing my hair from laying flat to my scalp.

It’s like a mandatory gift that comes with the decision to transition – “to rock this look, you must have the self-confidence to go with it”. For some, I’m sure, it’s just a mechanism for coping with the nay-sayers and curious looks from less than supportive people. But as you grow into, and begin to walk in that self confidence – it presents itself as a regal beauty and an exuded sense of being totally comfortable with the skin you’re in.

So as I enter this 2nd month of my naturalness I have come to absolutely love the change in me – and I am happy to share a little bit of that with any of you who choose to join me along the way.

Peace & Blessing…