When your Conditioner Tries to Give you a Complex

one of the challenges women with natural hair have is finding that *perfect* mousturizing product that's going to help fight back the frizz without leaving a greasy residue. there are various notion and potions from bargain basement prices to sell a kidney prices.

and as fall begins to settle in and winter in at the back of my mind, i'm already thinking about hot oil treatments and deep conditioning treatments. i've already gotten a recommended leave-in conditioner, but i don't understand why it has to talk to me this way....

you see that? right up there...look!...."frizzy...dry...unmanageable hair"

now listen, despite what some may say, i am not a glass is always half empty type of chick. i can totally see the flip side of the coin: you buy a product for dry hair because it's going to give you crazy moisturizing.  but that word unmanageable pushes a button.

the same button that gets pushed when, in the new Starbucks commercial, they show the people who look like their pets and the natural hair sporting black woman owns a black poodle.

some may say i sound paranoid and i'm making mountains out of molehills. but that's the funny thing about being fed a constant stream of overt and covert negative messages about your hair: after awhile, you just start seeing it everywhere.

so, while i will gladly own the descriptor "frizzy" because there are definite moments in which i look like Angela B. Davis....like now.....


i REFUSE to be labeled UNMANAGEABLE! yeah, i'm looking at you, Garnyay!....you're lucky your product is amazing and you smell so nice.

otherwise, i'd totally quit you.

A little ditty for the stranger on the bus.

there is a sort of solidarity one feels when you see another woman wearing her hair natural. maybe it's because you know not too many women choosing to no straighten their hair are receiving positive feedback. when you see other women "doing them" and being completely confident in that, it's an awesome thing.

and that is why i basically wanted to turn into a blathering fan-girl when i saw another woman on the morning express bus with some of the most amazingly spoingy, moisturized, shiny curls i have seen!! I wanted to ask her what she uses, how long she's been natural, what's her care routine, does she wrap her hair, what kinds of reactions have you gotten.....but you know, she was talking to someone and i didn't know her like that.

or at all.

But since i didn't ask these questions, i will instead devote this song to the curly stranger on the bus. Work It, Girl!

Co-wash? Try NO-wash.

the first time i tried Co-washing, it was a raging success...except for one tiny problem. it seemed like my hair got dirty again much more quickly than before. I can usually make it at least a week before feeling the need to wash again. That time, i felt the need again after 3 days! that was a rather annoying price to pay for the soft shiny hair i was sporting post was. I attribute this magic to Optimum Oil Recovery Condtioner I used. This stuff is magic, mineral oil not withstanding...

the second time i co-washed, i used a different conditioner. and let's just say the results are really troubling. What i was left with was hard, dry, unhappy looking hair. This is the type of result that drives women to the Big Chop because anything ANYTHING beats this crazy looking mess right here. I'm not sure if the fault lies with the condtioner or with the fact that i'm not really getting my hair as clean as i should be by simply using a conditioner. having read that most conditioners have a small amount of detergent in them to assist in cleaning, i wonder if the Silicon Mix conditioner does not.

the bottom line is, Co-washing seems to work extremely well if you use a moisture intensive conditioner. comparing the ingredients of these two products, the Optimum Oil Therapy conditioner really has the upper hand when it comes to natural oils and moisturizers.

so co-wash with care! not all conditioners are made equal and the choice you make can mean the difference between this:

and this:

no, this isn't my hair...yet.

"her roots look as thirsty as cracked lips."

What in the world....how does a kajillionaire end up wearing a lacefront wig in this condition?? is that what's hot in the streets? what's this style called, Honey Homeless?

i just don't understand...

that sound is your hair crying out in gratitude

L'Oreal has a line of shampoos, conditioners, and other notions and potions to make your hair happy that are sulfate free....if you don't consider Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate a sulfate.

But rest assured, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is not the same critter as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. But don't take my word for it, because i ain't no chemist.

Hit it, smart people:

Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate - Derived from coconut and palm oils; a safe, skin-friendly surfactant (foaming agent) for both skin and hair. This mild plant derived surfactant creates a rich, luxurious lather that effectively removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria, without stripping or drying sensitive skin. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is also hydrophilic. This means it is attracted to water, which enables it to dissolve more readily in water, thus providing superior rinseablility.

Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate vs. Sodium lauryl sulfate - Although an ingredient's name may sound similar to another, it does not mean that the molecules are similar with respect to shape, size, performance or even function. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate sounds similar to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, however, the two molecules are quite different from each other. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a large molecule ingredient. Large molecule ingredients are considered to be mild, gentle, and non-irritating, as they cannot penetrate the skin. In contrast, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a small molecule ingredient, and is capable of penetrating the skin, which can increase the occurrence of skin irritation.

yeap, i'll be checking this one out too. i'll tell you what i think!

Alba Glossary

Jane Carter Solution! Lissen UP!

My Transition Buddy let me know she's found a product that is amazing!



Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine

Transition Buddy raved that it made her hair soft, shiny, and manageable. she's also very impressed that it is full of natural, healthy ingredients. She was able to find it at Whole Foods in her city and found that, even though it's a 4 oz container, it is well worth the money.

I found a product review for your consumption. LOVE this girl's hair!!!



The Jane Carter Solution

Mahogany Curls Youtube Channel

when flexi-rods go wrong

Sunday evening i decided to try to put some waves in my hair using flexi-rods. i got some Isoplus styling gel and was determined to give this style a go. i was bolstered by the fact that my Transitioning Buddy told me that bantu knot-outs were saving her life during this process. and i really felt like it was time to do something because i'm really starting to feel uncomfortable about how my hair looks day to day.

I'd watched the 15 minute Bantu Knot Out tutorial only to discover that i seem to have too many hands and arms to get the hair to successfully wrap around itself at the base. so i thought flexi-rods would be a easy alternative.

So i sat down Sunday night and while watching True Blood, began the process of twisting my hair and rolling it on the flexi-rods. at the last second, i punked out and didn't use the styling gel. and i didn't wet my hair either.

How did it turn out, you ask? GREAT!!



....if your idea of great is Roseanne Rosannadanna.

Back to the drawing board, my friends.

I'm not calling you a sucka...but....

During my research online for healthy haircare products, one concept has repeatedly come up: co-washing as opposed to shampooing.

No i must admit, upon first hearing about the concept, i was not convinced. to me, it just sounded like slathering conditioner on already dirty hair in the hope that it would somehow come clean. but testimonial after testimonial online speaks to the benefits of using a product which promotes moisture and health to clean your hair, as opposed to many of the sulfate based shampoos which can strip your hair of moisture.

It seems that getting over the notion that you have to see bubbles in the shower to produce clean, healthy hair is the ultimate hurdle.

But it's apparently possible.

So, I'd decided to give it a go, see what happens. many women online have touted conditioners easily found at Tarjay and The W as great products to use when co-washing. I figure 1) i have $5 and 2) my water is still on, so why not give it a shot this weekend!

Well, imagine my surprise when i saw an infomercial yesterday about a hair care system called WEN.



Guess what is soooooo amazing about WEN:

The WEN® Cleansing Conditioner is a revolutionary new concept in cleansing your hair that has Hollywood buzzing! It’s special because it cleanses hair thoroughly but without lathering and all the harsh ingredients that may be found in ordinary shampoos — it is designed so it won’t strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils. Your hair is left with sheen, moisture, manageability and better color retention. (Source)

and now for the final quiz question: guess how much it costs?

$29.95 plus s&h

Ok, so sure, you could spend $30 to try this "revolutionary new concept" or....and this is just a suggestion....you could spend way less on V05 Moisture Milk Conditioner, or Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, or Pantene Hydrating Curls to try a concept that the natural hair care community has been talking about for a while now.

Don't be a sucka.