Beautiful Flat Iron Results

Eureka I think I got it!!! My first flat iron attempt since being natural was not successful. My hair was not bone straight… at all. I tried it again last Sunday and OMG my hair was (is… cause I’m keeping it straight another week) gorgeous. I did not roller set it like I said I was going to I instead did blow dry it. I also did not use the chase method the entire flat ironing process because I am not ambidextrous enough to do this method without 1, burning myself or 2 dropping my flat irons. So embarrassed  but it’s the truth. Don’t judge me! In attempts to find out what I did wrong last time I said I was going to change a few things up, and I did. Instead of doing the tension method to blow dry my hair I used the comb attachment and I also did a moisturizing deep conditioning. I think it was the DC because our hair has to be moisturized in order for it to produce good results.

What I Did

1. Protein condition on dry hair for 45 minutes
2. Detangled and Rinsed with warm water (i find the Le Kair Cholesterol treatment to be great for detangling)
3. Shampooed
4. Deep conditioned for 45 minutes
5. Rinsed with cool water
6. Applied a small amount of heat protectant
7. Blow dried my hair
8. Flat ironed my hair in very small sections. I did the roots about three times but did not pass over the rest of my hair but once. I find my H2pro Flatiron to be awesome  and like no other flat iron out there!

I’m on day 8 with my hair still going strong. I’ve noticed in the nap area a small area is reverting. I will not be going over it with the flat iron at all. I’m not trying to experience any unnecessary heat damage. My scalp has been a problem, dandruff started to surfaced on Thursday and I oiled my scalp on friday. I guess that’s not too bad.

Here are the results

This was sunday, wash day so the first day I flat ironed.

.

The next day…Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday front

Wednesday back

Thursday with a visit from my friends lil boy…lol

As unrealistic as this sounds, cause I’m a picture taking Queen,I don’t have any for the remaining days. I’ll be sure to capture more and do another posting on my 2nd week flat ironed hair. I think seeing as though it’s winter here in MD and the humidity is rather balanced, or lower than the summer months, I can wear it straight for a long time. Come summertime I give me 5 days of straight max!

Advertisement

Kid Safe Products

If you want something done right THEN DO IT YOURSELF. This is why I started making my own hair care products ..because you can’t always trust your best interest in the next persons hands. So why did I go  purchase a hair care product for my daughter instead of making it myself? !?!?!

While I’ve been natural for two and a half years my daughter has been natural since birth (she is 4 yrs old). Her hair is not growing like mine at all. I know everyone says all hair grows but it’s retaining it that causes it to appear not to be growing. And whatever the case her hair is not florishing.  It’s been stagnant for about a year now.  And even before then it took a while for me see some length.  I’ve tried many different things with her, looking back I think simplicity may have been the better choice for her.
Anywho because I haven’t been seeing any growth I decided that maybe my homemade concoctions are not what her hair needs and perhaps I  should try a manufactured product. So off I go to the beauty supply store. And after carefull (or so I thought) deliberation  I picked up a product   called Kids Organics… (see picture below for full name. I used  it on my daughters hair and it was nothing special but what I discovered in the ingredients made me cringe.  Two ingredients in particular: propylene  glycol and dimethicone. Propylene glycol is very  controversial because there are so many inconclusive test and the amount that is a problem. Big thing is that while it is not a carcinogen it can cause kidney and liver problems. The other ingredients, dimethicone is just not good for the hair or skin at all. It protects the skin by adding a plastic layer over it; this doesn’t allow your pores to breath which causes dryness thus leasing to breakage.  I was so BLOWN!

I think I’m going to play it safe when it comes  to my buttercup… I’ll make it if it’s not all natural ! I prefer to deal with slow hair growth over possible bad health. I am starting over with her hair care regemin. Back to the basics:  Burts Bees shampoo,Nature’s Baby Organics conditioner  (leave in and cowash), homemade moisturizer cream and spritz until I can find an all natural product that is siple enough for kids.

Saying So Long To Dandruff

They say think positive and speak things into existence…well I’m going one step further, I’m claiming it! My scalp is getting worse  as far as the flaking and itching. I’ve done some research and came across some interesting solutions. Some hysterical and some that I’m just not willing to try. For instance using listerine. After reading several articles I belive it would be effective but what scares me away is the alcohol in it. I’m not going through that to make my healthy hair dry and thus susceptible to breakage! not gonna happen. So I’m going to revisit an old long time natural friend or two: tea tree essential oil and jojoba oil. These two bad boys are sure to do the trick.  I put them in my deep conditioner, shampoo, cowash, moisturizing spritz, and nightly oil mixture. Should see results in a couple of weeks or maybe a little longer cause its the winter months.

If this approach does not help after several weeks I will try one of the mixtures I discovered online:

1 tbls Blue Magic Grease
1tbla Grapeseed oil
4 drops Tea tree essential oil or peppermint essential oil

I am soooooo against grease and it’s contents but this dandruff has got to go!

The Great Winter Debate: Glycerine or Naw

While researching when I first became natural in 2012 one of the things I purchase was vegetable glycerine. The controversy with this product begins with its origin, while it is a natural products it can be man-made. I take precautions in who I purchase mine from and make sure it’s 100% pure. Vegetable glycerine  is a great moisturizer that softens hair and more importantly it’s a humectant  (which is why it moisturizer and softens :). I started using this in my deep conditioners then in my daily moisturizing spray, and I love it in both.  Problem came when I discovered that in the drier winter months this product may take moisture out of the hair. THAT WAS A PROBLEM! So I immediately discarded it in mid October – it’s pretty cool/cold here in Maryland at that time. The next winter to come around i had loc’ed my hair. Now that I am back to my free tresses I’ve begun researching again because I have a big ole bottle of this stuff . New discovery: as with any product, what works for you may not work for others and vice versa. Pretty much gotta try it and see how your hair responds. The other factor that plays a part  is the amount of glycerine used. It should not be more than the amount of water used.
I’m sticking with my moisturizing spray mixture but I decided to make one for my daughter using her conditioner.
The mixture I made for my daughter is below ( stay tuned to why I’m going this route instead of using one already on the market):

Water – 3 part
Glycerin -1 part
Nature’s Baby Organics Vanilla Tangerine Conditioner 3 cap fulls
Aloe Vera gel – 2 cap fulls

Small twist Out

As I was taking my locs down I would twist them to keep my head looking in some type of order as I had to go to work. When all my locs were out and I untwisting everything I loved the results. It looked like a wash and go (see last picture below). So last weekend on wash day I did smaller twist to see if I could recreate a similar look. They were no where near as small as the twist when I did my loc take down but I was pleased with the results . They were also done on stretched dry hair as opposed to my wash day twist  which I did on soaking wet hair.

What I did:
– Washed with Naturalista  Morracan Rhassoul 5-In-1 Clay Treatment
– Hot Oil Treatment
– Rinsed with cool water
– Applied leave in conditioner
– Twisted with Miss Jessies Baby Buttercreme
– Sealed with coconut oil

The picture above is the 1st day I took the twist down and the second to the last picture below is day 4. And I still rocked it on day five but I didn’t capture any pics cause I was running around all day for work…just too busy to stop and snap.