Showing posts with label natural hair. Show all posts

Product Review: Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie

Posted on Thursday, May 12, 2011 by ebeautyk


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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Braid Out

Posted on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 by ebeautyk


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

Posted on Monday, May 2, 2011 by ebeautyk

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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Protein Treatments

Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2011 by ebeautyk

Mayonnaise Treatment (Mild)

The Mayo treatment is convenient and effective. The great thing about this treatment is that you probably already have all the ingredients.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Commercial Mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 egg
Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients together in a plastic container. Saturate hair with mixture from roots to ends. Cover with a processing cap and let sit for 15-30 minutes. Rinse out completely
Tip: To remove the mayo smell, follow up with a moisturizing, fragrant conditioner.



ION Reconstructing Treatment (Medium)
This treatment is for seriously damaged and stressed hair. It can also be used once a week for more severe damage. I buy the sample packages at Sally's Beauty Supply. Since my hair is not super thick, I can use this package multiple times.

Ingredients:
  • ION Reconstructor Treatment
Instructions:
Shampoo and towel dry hair. Apply small amount of solution from roots to ends paying special attention to the ends. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Tip: Always follow up any protein treatment with a moisturizing conditioner to soften the hair.

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Hair Growth and Retention

Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2011 by ebeautyk

I'm putting this post in two different sections because I really want to get this information out there to people who need help growing their hair :)


Don't cut corners!

I can't stress this enough. If it takes you two hours to wash and condition your hair then use

that two hours and more if needed.


Detangle

Take your time with this. Invest tools that gently detangle your hair. Also if you hair is in a

kinky state, do not detangle dry. Detangling dry kinky hair will cause breakage and can cause

your hair toknot up. Wet hair with water and conditiner for easier detangling.

Tip: Most grocery stores sell inexpensive versions of denman brushes


Denman Brush


Sulfate-Free Products

Sulfates are harsh detergents that can remove your hair's natural oils. They are usually one of

the first five ingredients found in most name brand shampoos and conditioners. Some people

can use these shampoos without incident. My theory is that if you exercise vigorously and

have an oily scalp you're ok. If your have a dry, itchy scalp or you suffer from dandruff,

sulfates may exacerbate your symptoms. Some products claim to be sulfate free and still have

one listed in the ingredients so always check the label.


Stretch

Stretching you hair makes styling easier and helps ensure hair stays detangled. Here's how I

stretch my hair after a shampoo and condition:


  • Section into medium sized sections
  • Tie each section with an ouchless hair band
  • Twisting each section
  • Secure the ends with either hair clips or rollers
  • Air-dry until the hair is completely dry



Trim/Dust

Split ends are fragile and will continue to split. Trims are a good way to quickly eliminate

most split ends. Dusting is simply cutting individual strands of split ends. I prefer dusting to

trimming simply because my hair appears longer.


Reduce Heat

The heat you use, the more damage may occur. If you like to wear your hair straight, try

rollersetting or air-drying hair. I like to air-dry my hair by sectioning my hair off into six

sections with ouchless rubberbands. Then, I twist the hair and let it dry over night.


Hair Vitamins

If your diet isn't exactly the best, supplement with a multivitamin.I take a hair, skin and nails

vitamin that contains MSM. MSM prolongs your hair's growth phase. If you can't afford

Hairfinity, OneSource makes a multivitamin that contains MSM. I mentioned it in my

products I can't live without post.


Low manipulation styles

Leaving your hair alone is the best way to retain length. Last year I had a huge problem with

always wanting to do something to my hair and my hair suffered from it. If you like to wear

your hair straight, weaves and wigs are a great option. You can have the style you want

without putting heat on your own hair. Natural styles are a great option for kinky and curly

hair. Kinky girls, for braid outs instead of sectioning the hair and braiding, try doing a corn-

row out. This provides wave to the root. I love that look and twist outs on 4as.


Care for your scalp

The health of your scalp is just as important as what you do to your hair. I have dandruff and I

know how important it is to address my scalp. Use a scalp treatment that will moisturize

your scalp. This can be either a conditioner or a pre-poo. I have this scalp treatment that my

mom got from Ross of all place. It gives my hair a cool, tingle. Its like a spa treatment for my

scalp. I use a mixture of olive oil, almond oil and tea-tree oil as a pre-poo. This mixture has

been effective for me at relieving dryness and itch.

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Tutorial: Wet Bun

Posted on Sunday, August 8, 2010 by ebeautyk

This is a protective style thats easy to do. In fact, its so easy that these are pictures of my first attempt. So here it is, my first wet bun:

1. Start off with wet hair. You can achieve this right out of the shower or with a spray bottle. I used a spray bottle.


2. Moisturize. This is really important because it makes this style a protective style. Since your ends are hidden, they can retain moisture and in turn be better preserved.

3. Smooth hair into a ponytail. You can either do a low pony or a high pony. (As a side note: I really didn't know how curly my hair was until I saw this picture).


4. Apply bun roll. I like to use sock bun rolls because they are inexpensive and easy to make. Something to think about when making your bun roll, make the roll specific to how thick and long your ponytail is if you're using your own hair. This prevents having to tuck away large chunks of hair if you hair is too thick and long for the bun roll and having the stocking show through or not being able to properly secure your hair if th bun roll is too small. Here's how I make my bun roll. Take any old silk stocking or buy one from the store, they usually run no more than $3 for a pair. Cut a hole into the foot of the stocking. Make sure the hole is not too big but big enough or you will have a hard time rolling. Roll the sock outward starting at the top and keep rolling until you have a tire shaped bun roll.


5. Brush hair around bun roll. You might want to use two mirrors so that you can get a good view of the bun.

6. Finish by securing you hair to the bun with and ouchless hair elastic. You can dress this style up with a colorful scrunchie, a scarf, double headbands, elegant hair pins, the possibilities are endless!

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