Archive for May 2011

The Difference Between Virgin and Remy

Indian hair is considered to be superior to other human hair mainly because it blends well with natural ethnic hair types. Remy and Virgin are words that are most commonly related to Indian hair although these words can be applied to other hair as well. Let's start with Remy.

Remy

"Remy" refers to the cuticle layer of the hair being intact and aligned in one direction. The cuticle is the outer layer of a strand of hair. They are an important factor to consider when buying hair extension. Intact, flat cuticles reflect light which gives the hair its shining appearance. When the cuticles are not aligned, the hair strands snag each other causing tangling. Hair that tangles is more likely to shed and break due to the friction caused by detangling. This greatly reduces the length of time the hair can be used. Pictured is a healthy hair strand with cuticle intact.


Misaligned Cuticles

Virgin Hair

Virgin hair is hair that has not been dyed, texturized or chemically treated in any way. Virgin hair is the highest quality hair because it behaves the most like the hair growing out of our heads. It is important to remember that just because the hair is said to be "virgin" does not automatically mean it is remy. This depends upon the manner of collection. If the hair is cut from a single braid, it is more likely to be sold as virgin because the cuticles are all aligned before donation. This hair can be expensive but is good for those who want to reuse the hair for years. If the hair is shaved off, or collected form what is swept up after donation, the cuticles are almost impossible to align and therefore are sold as human hair in local beauty supply stores.


Human Hair

This type of hair is real hair but the cuticles are not aligned due to the collection process. This hair is dipped in an acid bath to remove the cuticles. Since it is virtually impossible to remove all of the cuticles, A silicone is the applied to smooth the hair and give it a shiny look. This silicone is not permanent and is usually washed out within the first or second wash. Once the silicone is washed out, any remaining cuticles snag and create tangling. Without the silicone to smooth the cuticles, the hair can become impossible to detangle and useless very quickly. Human hair is good for those on a budget and that only need a temporary style.

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Product Review: Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie


Everyone raves about how moisturizing the product is and how much they love it. My experience was totally different. The first time I used it, I applied it to towel dried hair and let it sit....... big mistake. The curls in the front of her hair were defined. In the middle and back there was very little definition. It was very difficult to smooth out sections. The product felt a little sticky in her hair. I was not pleased at all and thought maybe I used too much.

On the second attempt, I realized I just don't like it. I blowdried her hair and used a small amount on each section. Granted it does provide moisture but not as much as my softee coconut oil. In order to give give the best review possible, I used this product alone without any other product in my daughter's hair. After letting the product set overnight in twists, I have to admit that her hair was not soft. Her twists weren't defined and by the end of the day her hair looked more like a blowout than a twist out. If your curl pattern is more defined, you will probably like this product. If your hair is dry, you will need and additional moisturizer. I haven't completely given up on this product. Since my curl pattern is more defined I will be trying it on my hair.

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Update: The Virgin Hair Company Uk

I promised pictures.....

My Hairaddicts wefts aren't even this bad. The hair itself has is still beautiful.

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Braid Out


I want my daughter to know exactly how versatile natural hair is so i'm trying different styles on her that appeal to her. She likes free flowing styles and since she's a little too young to manage her own hair at school, I decided to do a braid out. She was wearing afro puffs so I had to co-wash and detangle. I used Hair One to co-wash and Suave Naturals Coconut conditioner to detangle. I just love a conditioner that smells good, moisturizes and is only .87 cents at Target. After detangling, I used a drop of Hair One as a leave-in and CHI Silk Infusion. I then blowdried her hair until it was about 80% dry. After that, I cornrowed her hair going straight back.


I'm teaching myself how to cornrow and i'm proud of how they came out. Don't laugh, i'm not i'm a cornrow expert. I used a little bit of jojoba oil and sweet almond oil to moisturize her scalp and hair, wraped it in a silk scarf and let it set overnight. The next morning I carefully unraveled and this is how it turned out:


She loves it! I love it too. Mission Accomplished :)





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Walgreen for Natural Products

Did you know Walgreens sells Shea Moisture Products? They also sell JASON Natural and ABBA. I live in a.......... "white" area and their stores don't generally carry a large variety of products made for kinky/curly hair. I was so excited when I saw the Shea Moisture line tucked away in the small ethnic hair section most stores have. I have heard good things about the Shea Moisture products and I will be doing a review soon.


I mentioned JASON Naturals shampoo in my favorite products post before realizing how hard to find this product is. I stumbled upon this shampoo looking through my mother's multitude of products. I only used it because it was the only natural shampoo in the house. I'm glad that Walgreens carries it and I will be purchasing a brand new bottle to review. I also mentioned ABBA in the fav products post. They have raised their prices now that they have new packaging. Since ebay is cheaper, I will continue to purchase on ebay until they run out.


They also have a few products from the Dr. Bronner's Magic soap line. My favorite soap, the peppermint soap is available at Walgreens in either a huge bottle or a small bar soap. If you want to be squeaky clean, this is your soap. I have used the liquid version and it is a little intense on sensitive areas but it is a great deep cleaning body soap. I do not use this soap on my hair although I am not opposed to adding it to my shampoo. I might try that some day.


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