I'm back!

I have been out of the loop for a while and now I'm back. I have tried some new products on my hair and am willing to share. First off I went to go buy some Redken Smooth Down "Sleek Obedience" Oh I just love this stuff. I initially was going to buy some "Water Wax" which is really good for smoothing down edges but I got this instead.

This stuff is awesome, you can probably find it for about 12-17 dollars. Its worth it since you only need a little. I use this on my ends to protect them. It is especially good for after flat ironing you hair to keep the straightened look longer.

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglycerid, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cera Alba/Beeswax, Phenyl Trimethicone, Petrolatum, Polyethylene Glycol, Cocos Nucifera/Coconut Oil, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Ricinus Communis/Castor Seed Oil, Parfum/Fragrance, Aqua/Water, Proplyparaben, Salicylic Acid, Macadamia Ternifolia/Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Candelilla Cera/Candelilla Wax, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Linalool, Limonene, Butylphenel Methylpropional, Oleth-10, Alphaisomethyl Ionene, Hydroxypropyltrimonum Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Geraniol, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butlaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Phosporic Acid, Methylparaben, Polyquaternium-10, Ethylparaben, Disodium EDTA (D10851/1)

Whoa, I didn't realize how many ingredients there were before I started typing this. Well I guess you can see if you don't use petroleum ingredients then you might not want to use this. I would never use this every day only after flat ironing on the ends to keep them protected from the elements.

Also, another product I have bought recently is a Shea butter Detangler by Africa's Best Kids Organics. I bought this for my son's curly hair and it does the trick I use it more so as a moisturizer than a detangler. His hair is a 3a/b type. There is no petroleum or mineral oil in it in case you are wondering. It is very light and can be used for all hair thicknesses. His hair is fine in size but he has A LOT of it. This product doesn't weigh his hair down and keeps his curls defined.

Ingredients: Water - Aqua , Propylene Glycol , PEG 150 Distearate , Cetyl Alcohol , Polyquaternium-37 , Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate , PEG-1 Trideceth-6 , Soybean Oil - Glycine Soja , Glycerin , DMDM Hydantoin , Cyclomethicone , Phenyl Trimethicone , Lanolin Oil , Glyceryl Stearate , PEG-100 Distearate , Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylamide Copo , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Stearalkonium Chloride , Fragrance - Parfum , Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil , Cocoa Seed Butter - Theobroma Cacao , Carrot Seed Oil - Daucus Carota Sativa , Shea Butter Fruit - Butyrospermum Parkii , Yellow No. 5 , Red No. 40 , Blue No. 1 , Hydrolyzed Soy Protein , Olive Fruit Oil - Olea Europaea , Mink Oil - Mustela , Jojoba Seed Oil - Simmondsia Chinensis , Tocopherol , Tea Tree Leaf Oil - Melaleuca Alternifolia , Egg Powder - Ovum , Milk Protein - Lactis Proteinum , Honey - Mel , Silk Amino Acids , Cholesterol , Corn Oil - Zea Mays , BHT , BHA , Coconut Oil - Cocos Nucifera , Safflower Seed Oil - Carthamus Tinctorius , Rosemary Leaf Extract - Rosmarinus Officinalis , Nettle Extract - Urtica Dioica , Horsetail Extract - Equisetum Hyemale

Silk Elements "Mega Silk" Moisturizing Treatment

This product is awesome I actually bought it when it was on sale to try it, the next thing you know I went back and bought two more. It says that it is "great for detangling and ease of combing".

"Silk elements Mega SIlk Moisturizing Treatment is a rich and creamy conditioner that strengthens, softens and restores moisture from the inside out. Its deep conditioning properteies reduce trangles while giving hair a healthier look, intense shine, and manageablility without product build-up."

Well all I gotta say I give this a 4 star rating for my hair, hence I added it to my regimen. It does help to reduce tangles especially in my two textured hair, and excellent slip. Here are the ingredients.

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glycerin, Amodimethicone, Cetyl Esters, Sodium PCA, Fragrance, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Trideceth-12, Silk Amino Acids, Heliathus Annus (Sunflower Seed) Oil, Chlohexdine, Dihydrochloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, and Yellow 5.

Try it out, you can get it at Sally's and for the rest of this month its 6.99. Usual price is around 10 bucks I think.

Make it Pop!

So you want to wear your hair out and show those curls! Well like I said before curls need moisture to thrive and show their true beauty. Easy ways to do this is by using a moisturizing clear gel that contains aloe, and glycerin. Make sure there is NO alcohol. All this does is dry out your textured hair, leaving you with very thirsty and frizzy hair in the long run. A good cheap gel is Fantasia IC Styling gel with sparkle lites.

Other cheap gels are the activator gels. However if you go this route only use a little on very wet hair other wise you might a well just slick it into a pony tail. Here is a recipe I use to make the curls pop, again use on wet hair preferably after your washing regimen.

Basic Moisturizer

(add to a spray bottle to spritz on wet hair

also can be used for detangling)

1 Part Vegetable Glycerin

1 Part Rose Water

1 Part Aloe Vera Juice

2 Parts Distilled Water

(1-2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil for detangling)

optional add essential oils such as lavender for fragrance and added benefits

Have a fave conditioner you can use it to enhance your curls. Just apply a small amount, smooth on to your hair in small sections and you should be good to go.

Product Reviews

I have decided to do product reviews of the products I have to help you out with making a decision on purchasing. I believe we should help each other out with our knowledge, so if you have any additional information to add about a product please feel free to submit your information. I will tell you about the product according to the manufacturer, then address my experience about it. I will then break it down to the two types of hair (3 or 4). Lastly, I will post the ingredients. I have so many products and many more to try. Most products tried are under $10. Some products cost a little more, but I've got to be real. You shouldn't have to spend more than $15 dollars on a product for your hair. Of course, like anything there are some exceptions but for daily use products my rule of thumb is if I can't get it with a twenty I don't need it. This is for one single product, I usually stay under ten bucks though. Also if you have a product you want me to try leave a post and let me know. I will try it on type 3 and 4 hair to make the best review.

Building a good regimen

Some people like complex, like it simple. Whatever you like, you should have a regimen that fits your lifestyle. Basically you want to wash, condition and moisturize. Maybe not everyday, you want to make sure you do these sometime during the week. Moisturizing should be done daily, this is the most important thing for your hair. Beautiful curls need moisture. Moisture as in glycerin, aloe vera, water, light honey or honeyquat, lectithin among others. If your hair doesn't have the proper moisture level it will look frizzy, and be dry to the touch. This can also make your hair break off right before your eyes. So we should wash with shampoo once a week. You can use shampoo or you can use baking soda with a rinse of apple cider vinegar and water. Always condition after a wash! Choose your conditioner based on your hair needs. Do you need protein or moisturizers? Then moisturize with a water-based product. When looking for a good moisturizer water, aloe vera or some kind of extract should be in the first couple of ingredients. Now so you the air doesn't steal your moisture don't forget to seal with an oil-based product. This product will be slightly heavier than your moisturizer but to heavy or you'll accumulate build up really fast. Lastly, you'll need to deep condition at least once every two weeks. Again determine if you need moisture or protein. Most cholesterol treatments are best of both worlds. Deep condition for at least a half hour. I deep condition overnight. Some people trim at a set time. I really don't think its necessary to trim often. It doesn't help with growth at all, its simply to prevent split ends. Trim when your hair needs it, not every 6-8 weeks.

My Regimen

Daily:

• Conditioner Rinse/Wash with a cheapie conditioner(Most likely Suave Tropical Coconut or VO5 Strawberries and cream)
• Apply Care Free Curl Instant moisturizer or Aspire Naturals Shea Butter Leave-In conditioner
• Apply Aspire Naturals Shavacoco Oil
• Before bed use my hair growth mix or Mega Tek.

Weekly:

• Shampoo with one of the following; Nioxin Cleanser, Mane n Tail Shampoo, Creme of Nature Conditioning Shampoo(old formula) or Aspire Naturals Peppermint Rosemary shampoo
• Deep Condition 3x a week with one of the following; Silk elements Mega Cholesterol, Silk elements Mega Silk Moisturizing Treatment or Design Essentials Express Conditioner

Monthly:

• Use Aphogee 2 min Keratin Reconstructor mixed with Mega Tek, follow up with Design Essentials Express Conditioner

Its hot, its humid oh no!

Here in Tennessee it is hot, like 90 degrees hot. What should you do in this weather? Protect that hair! This is the time to make sure your hair is well moisturized and balanced to keep your hair looking healthy. How can you do it? Well Daily conditioner washing may be just what your hair needs. Conditioner washing is the process of using light conditioners or conditioning rinses to cleanse and moisturize your hair. Its like a one two punch combo to keep your hair in check. With curly hair the heat can dry it out and make our curls look a hot mess. We don't want that. Usually light conditioners are really cheap, and well worth the benefits. Here are fave cheap conditioning rinses:

Oh yes Tropical Coconut by Suave the smell of this is soo yummy, I just want to eat it...but don't. Great slip for a cheapie you can find it at most drugstores for about a dollar. You can even add a tablespoon or two of your favorite oil to it to make it even better!

Ingredients: Water Aqua , Cetyl Alcohol , Cetrimonium Chloride , Potassium Chloride , Fragrance Parfum , Distearyldimonium Chloride , Disodiium EDTA , Glycerin , 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone , Propylene Glycol , Silk Amino Acids , Honey Mel , Nettle Extract Urtica Dioica , Rosemary Extract Rosmarinus Officinalis , Coconut Extract Cocos Nucifera.

Here is the Strawberries and Cream Moisture Milks Variety by VO5. Another good smelling one especially if you like fruity scents. The smell stays in your hair, if you wear perfume you may not need to put any on after using this.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Stearalkonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Steareth-21, Glyceryl Stearate, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Leaf Extract, Soy Milk, Tocopheryl Acetate, Biotin, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 20, Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Propylene Glycol, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Red 33 (CI 17200).

So now I told you my faves, here's how I do my excellent conditioner washes. Wet hair thoroughly with water then apply an ample amount of conditioner to hair, detangle with conditioner. I find it better to style my hair if I do all steps in the direction I am going to wear my hair that day. If I'm wearing a puff I do this with my head down. If I'm wearing my hair down I will do this while in the shower with my head back. Anyways, after detangling in the direction of your desired style rinse it out. You can repeat again for drier hair types, except this time use cooler water. Using cooler water helps to "lock in" the conditioner to the hair shaft and it can give your hair a slightly shiny look. Afterwards styling should be easier and your hair will be less dry. Have fun!

What is this about?

Well, hmm....this site is for people obsessed that want healthy textured hair. Join me on my journey as we strive for long healthy textured hair. Here you will find out about hair types from 3a - 4b/c and learn the proper way to take care of it. This includes information from my personal research and experience, as well as other people who share this same passion. Even though this site is mostly for natural and transitioning hair, there is some information that relaxed hair types may be able to use. In the end we all have one goal. Long and healthy textured hair.