In my last post I described the different textures of my hair. See in the pics below my hair is zigzag in the front and on the sides and curly in the back. Because of these textures, I was pretty certain my hair wouldn’t have a problem on this journey.
After reading the Curly Girl: Handbook, I decided to take the tips I thought would apply to my hair type and use them. However, the most important fundamental foundation I will use from this book is hydrating my hair. And to do this, I needed to get a really good shampoo & conditioner that didn’t have harmful chemicals in them like parabens, sulfates, silicones, glycol or petroleum–based products. These chemicals strip the hair of natural oils and coat the hair so that water and moisturizers do not penetrate the hair cuticle. This will lead to the hair being dehydrated, brittle and dull. To bring out your natural curls the hair MUST be well hydrated…that’s where the conditioning comes in.
After reading the Curly Girl: Handbook, I decided to take the tips I thought would apply to my hair type and use them. However, the most important fundamental foundation I will use from this book is hydrating my hair. And to do this, I needed to get a really good shampoo & conditioner that didn’t have harmful chemicals in them like parabens, sulfates, silicones, glycol or petroleum–based products. These chemicals strip the hair of natural oils and coat the hair so that water and moisturizers do not penetrate the hair cuticle. This will lead to the hair being dehydrated, brittle and dull. To bring out your natural curls the hair MUST be well hydrated…that’s where the conditioning comes in.
A lot of folks with natural curls co-wash their hair with conditioner. I’m sorry, but I’m not there yet. I feel like I still need to shampoo my hair. It is okay to shampoo, you just can’t use one with all of that junk in it that’s harsh on the hair. I went to Whole Foods and bought Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner. Can I just say, “My hair LOVED this stuff!” These products are vegen with no harmful chemicals and the ingredients are certified organic. Here’s the link to the website so you can check it out. https://www.desertessence.com/hair-care.
What a minute…I’m getting ahead of myself. J Before purchasing the Desert Essence I washed, conditioned and used Cantu Curling Cream with Shea Butter. It worked really well. But do you see the straggly ends of my hair? The ends are damaged from flat ironing my hair. The heat has burned the elasticity out! Now, if I want to do this and do it right, I had to make a decision to say bye-bye to those awful, lifeless ends!
Joanne, my hairstylist, chopped off about a good three inches before washing and putting the conditioner in. This is no lie, my hair especially in the back, immediately curled up once it began to soak up the conditioner. There still were some straggly ends on the top and sides. We decided to see how the hair would do and not take the hair any shorter. Can I just tell you these ends are driving me crazy!
I called Joanne up and told her, “These ends are driving me bananas! I want them off!”
Stay tuned for the 2nd Chopping and here’s my daily routine.
Night Routine
Rinse hair with tepid water and liberally apply conditioner. (I’m sorry…I should have taken pics of this!) After hair is thoroughly saturated, put on a plastic shower cap. **I tie a scarf over the shower cap to keep in place while I sleep.
Rinse conditioner out after showering. Slightly dry hair with an old t-shirt, paper towels or micro-fiber towel. Hair still should have a little drip to it. DON’T comb or brush curls out. Apply Cantu curling cream in sections from root to tip. As the cream is being applied the hair should be scrunched. Next scrunch in a styling gel to give curls definition and hold. Be sure to use an alcohol and silicone free gel. Remember you don’t want any product drying the hair out or coating it.**I made my own styling gel using aloe vera gel (the kind you eat and have to refrigerate) mixed with pure essential lavender oil. Hair is styled with fingers and then you’re ready to go!
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| This is how I styled my hair this morning. The front is still too long so I pulled it back. Notice the straight ends on top and on the sides? Going to say, "bye-bye" to those this evening. :) |
