I could probably list a hundred things that I would have liked to know when I became a natural. However, in the interest of time and your sanity, I will only list 10 of them. I am a researcher by nature and by major, so I researched natural hair for 3 years before I got with the program. My research helped me face a lot of the issues I encountered, but there were some things that I had to find out the hard way.
Hello, fellow Chasers, sorry I've been absent lately, but my laptop is out of commission and desktop availability is limited. I hope all is well with you and your journeys. This will perhaps be the hardest confession yet. I recently suffered a bout of scalp irritation that I thought could only be dandruff, but my scalp was in horrible shape. Warning: if you are eating, this will probably gross you out.
Hello, Curl Chasers, it's rather unusual for me to write two posts in one day (technically the first one was written 3 weeks ago, but not posted), but this can't wait. I'm pretty ticked right and here's why. I found out earlier today that my video of the "Five Things I Learned From Using Jane Carter Hair products" had been commented on by the Jane Carter Solutions Team. Here's the comment and reply:
janecartersolution 2 weeks ago Linked comment Hi Penny, A few things. First off, Wrap & Roll isn't a mousse, it's a cuticle smoother. It has many uses. Many of our wash & wear ladies apply it before Curl Defining Cream to add a little extra hydration. We have many step by step guides that provide visuals of how to apply these two. Additionally, if you would like some extra hold, we recommend people pairing Condition & Sculpt (our liquid gel) for some extra hold that isn't too hard or crunchy. with love -JCS TeamReply · Penny Jane 5 hours ago Yes, I know about the visuals because I've looked at them multiple times (the tutorial for the cream and my hair type did not mention the Wrap and Roll or any leave-in but I tried that as well). Perhaps I should have called it a foam instead since what it actually is is not listed on the label. I do know that my hair and I didn't get along with it very well. I've tried the curl cream with gel (not the condition and sculpt because some bottles list an ingredient that I'm allergic to),, and it's been better, but I get better results from other products.I liked the Revitalizing Leave-In because it's moisturizing and easy to layer. My hair gets both oily and coated if I have to layer too many products or products that are too thick (which the curl cream is). The Wrap and Roll worked for my Mom, so I gave it to her. My hair is just really picky. I need light, moisturizing, frizz killing, lotion like products with non-allergic reaction causing ingredients, which is often hard for me. I appreciate your responding to my concerns. I didn't even think you would see the video let alone respond to it. The video was intended to express what I had learned from using your products versus a full review. Thank you! Penny Jane 3 hours ago Okay, I just looked at the container again and it says "Wrap & Roll is a light foaming mousse designed for wrapping, setting, and smoothing hair." I stand corrected. The bottle does say what the Wrap & Roll is...a mousse. Wait for it... · Confessions Of A Curl Chaser: I Sleep With My Deep Conditioner & Why I Hate Valentine's Day2/18/2014 As a low porosity natural, deep conditioning is often the bane of my existence. I loathe sitting under the dryer counting the minutes until I can relieve myself of the heat filled agony. I find that DCing before I cleanse makes life so much easier. However, sitting around for hours in order to avoid heat is not the vision either. I had an epiphany this past wash day and decided to baggy with my deep conditioning masque overnight. For those of you who aren't sure what baggying is, it is merely coating your strands with an oil or conditioner of choice, covering your hair with a plastic processing cap or two, and letting your body heat work for you. I'd read that some naturals are against conditioning overnight because the hair could become mushy or over conditioned. Since my hair has trouble taking in moisture, I thought that it might work in my favor instead. How shall I put this? I'm pretty sure I scored major points with Jada. When I rinsed my hair the next day, it felt like silk. No tangles, snarls, dryness, or knots were present. My curls were happier than they'd been in months. I'll share my recipe for my homemade DC in a minute, but first I must sing the praises of my new "lazy" conditioning method. Even the cleansing portion of my wash day was easier after the overnight treatment. Usually, I just prepoo with Vatika oil overnight when I'm not DCing. If you are experiencing dry hair or are low porosity (or both), I totally recommend overnight deep conditioning.
Happy New Year, Curl Chaserz! As 2014 opens with promise, it's important to build on what we learned from 2013 in all aspects of life including our precious curls, kinks, waves. Whether you've been natural for 5 minutes, 5 years, or your entire life, the journey too hair greatness is never ending. I've learned a lot about both myself and my curls over the past two years. I thought I had my hair down to a science until I cut my relaxed ends off completely. That's when the game changed...and continues to change as we head into the new year. So what have I learn so far? I've learned:
1. My hair really, really hates Shea Butter products...period! It makes my hair super oily and my scalp itchy. No bueno! I found this especially odd considering that Shea Moisture products saved my life during my transition and the first two months of full-fledged naturalness. 2. All natural products are my dearest friends. They keep my hair and skin happy which is a blessing. 3. Deep conditioners are not a necessary evil. Let me clarify that...store bought DC's are not necessary. My curls totally dig puréed banana, honey, and Jojoba oil homemade deep conditioner. 4. I don't need to deep condition every week even in winter. My hair isn't short on moisture, and buildup can be a beast. 5. I can protect my hair without it taking forever to put into a fancy style that won't last a week. Sister/rope twists in the very front and back make for a stylish and protective style. 6. Henna can be a blessing and a curse. 7. Rinse out conditioners are not a must for me as long as I have a detangling leave-in conditioner handy. 8. Deep treatments are most effective when done before I cleanse. Hey, Curl Chasers, Jada here! I’m taking over Penny’s blog today to tell y’all how much I luuuuuvvvv my winter haircare regimen. Now you may have read that I don’t like shampoos including the no sulfate variety. They dry me out like you would not believe. I may be a sassy head of curls, but I require a gentler approach. With Old Man Winter breathing down my follicles, I needed help. Being a “healthy” size lady I can’t fit in most hats and the rest give me headaches. Thank God that Penny’s a smart one. She came up with the perfect regimen to protect me over the winter. Let me break it down for you. 1. Cleansing: While the rampant humidity keeps it from getting to dry around here, it’s still too dry for my taste. My texture is no joke, so build up can get serious. Penny found a great cleanser for me with all the traits of a good winter cleanser. It cleans, softens, conditions, and detangles pretty well. Is it a co-wash? No, I’ve never had much luck with those, but I’ve heard that normal and high porosity naturals love ‘em. It is a cream cleanser from CURLS and Honey, it was love at first cleanse. Pre-pooing with an oil, that Penny knows I like, makes it even better. Well, fellow chasers there comes a time in every Curly's life when you simply must use protective styles. It would seem that that time has come for me. Now, for those of you who are familiar with my natural hair likes, you know that I hate protective styles. Wearing coils every week is obviously not the vision even though it is my favorite. I was getting ready to go to a friend's wedding, and I needed a worthy style. Fast forward to a long night of style hunting until I found a cute style tutorial from Gabrielle of strawberricurls.com (Thanks, girl!). What was this magical style that changed the game for me? It was a wrapped twist out and it fairly rocked. I tossed a couple of hair accessories in and my hair was ready to party. If you're like me, your curls don't hold styles for very long. So what's a curly to do when you cleanse every four days anyway? The answer, I found, was pretty simple...alternate. If I didn't do the same style each time I cleansed, I wouldn't become discouraged. I want to retain length and protect my tresses from this crazy cold winter. However, keeping my sanity intact is a huge plus. Last weekend, it was a wrapped twist out, which is sort of like a regular twist out except you wrap the twists around your head in the direction you want it to fall and pin them in place. This week it was two pony puffs. While the puffs are easier, I will be trying a different style come cleanse day. Why? I get bored preeeeettttty easily especially with my hair. I like to keep my relationship with Jada interesting. Plus, I get to experiment while my hair is shorter. My advice is this...if you want to protect your ends but hate redoing the same style week after week, you might find it easier to do if you keep it simple and creative. Later Days, Curl Chasers ~PJ It's that time of year again, fellow Chasers. Winter will soon be upon us, and I intend to be ready for it. How will I do that? I thought you'd never ask. My plan is three-fold: pump up my ends, strengthen my hair, and slowly increase Jada's moisture intake. Well, part of strengthening my hair means wrestling with the henna beast and by wrestling I mean getting more of it in my hair than anywhere else (that stuff can be hecka messy). I usually do a good job of avoiding splatter even if my mix is soupier than I would like. This time I was running low on coconut milk, so I used what I had and hoped for the best. I decided to split the chore of doing my hair into two days instead of one. Had I only been taking one day for all this work? Yes...yes, I had. Was I crazy? Probably. I uncoiled my hair over the course of three television shows, and applied the henna before bed. It was a little thicker than usual, but it still spread nicely. I covered my hair with two plastic processing caps and a satin bonnet. I also took the precaution of covering my pillow with an old cotton t-shirt. Thankfully, there was zero drippage. I rinsed it out 12 hours later (see above photo), and decided to low-poo for good measure. Everything was fine...until I applied my conditioner...and it changed colors. If you're thinking that I started to panic, you'd be correct. The henna didn't seem to want to come out! I fought hyperventilation and worked the condish into my hair. I was hoping that the conditioner would remove the rest of it and it seems to have worked. *gives her head a side-eye* My scalp is a little itchier than usual, but it could all be in my head...pun definitely not intended. I'm hoping that the coconut milk and not the amount of time was the issue. What say ye, Curl Chasers? Anyone else have a henna scare? Feel free to share in the comments.
Later Days, ~PJ I want you to take a trip with me, Curl Chasers. Close your eyes and imagine for a moment that you see a woman like the one pictured to the left. You're excited to see a fellow natural, so you head in her direction a smile spreading across your face. Just before you get to her she sees you, takes one look at you, and jerks her head away from you while rolling her eyes. You're taken aback, but you figure it must be a fluke. The next time you see another natural you try again and again with the same results. There seem to be a few exceptions such as naturals over 50, naturals you meet online, and naturals of other or blended ethnicities. Now, open your eyes. Pretty crazy trip, huh? Now, imagine that happening to you the entire time you've been natural...yeah, welcome to my experience with the natural community.
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