Meet Sofia!!!

Since my last post, I've joined a hair board (curl talk at naturallycurly.com), finished my second year of law school, started an internship, and of course, did a whole lot of experimenting with my hair. I've tried a wide range of products from cheapo conditioners that can be found at any drug store to high-end products that can only be found online. Through all of this experimenting, I have noticed that my hair has a personality of her own. She loves some ingredients that I absolutely can't stand the smell of, and she hates things that I want her to like. She often does not do what I want her to do, and prefers to just do her own thing. She has her own way of letting me know that she's not happy with something and endures all of the products that I have used on her thus far. After a while, I started calling her by her God-given name: Sofia.

Over the past 3 months, I have come to know and love Sofia for exactly who she is. By getting to know her, I can make better product choices and even predict whether a particular product may or may not work for her.  To better help everyone understand my product reviews and how certain products work for me in the future, I have compiled a list of Sofia's characteristics as well as some of her likes and dislikes. I've also included some random shots of her with and without product, and styled and not styled. So without furhter ado, meet Sofia! I know you'll lover her just as much as I do!

Sofia’s Stats
Density	Normal to thick
Strand Thickness	Fine to very fine
Curl Pattern	3c/4a
Curl Type:	Mostly coijls with some S-shaped curls
Porosity	Normal to low

Sofia, Damp with No Product

Sofia, Damp with Deep Conditioner In

Second-day hair Wash 'n go

Sofia's Likes and Dislikes

Likes	Dislikes
Shea Butter	Aloe Vera Gel
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Aloe Vera Juice
Glycerin (in appropriate dew points)

Biotin Challenge: Month 1 Update!

Last week, I reached the one-month mark in my biotin hair challenge. For the past month, I have taken a one 5000 microgram supplement of biotin in conjunction with my regular daily multi-vitamin, One-A-Day Women's. So far, this biotin supplement is definitely looking like a keeper. Although I wasn’t planning on formally doing a length check until I finished the entire bottle of biotin, my hair has noticeably grown.

The length of my hair in the front now.

The length of my hair in the front a month ago.

Additionally, I have noticed that my skin is better than it has been in years. For about the first week and a half, I experienced some unusual skin trouble. (I should note that I’ve gotten maybe one or two full blown pimples in my life, but I do get the occasional small zit.  With that being said, I didn’t break out at all; my skin just looked a lot grungier than it ever has and was a lot drier than normal). I guess it was just an “adjustment period” to rid my skin of its impurities. Since then, my skin has been great. It seems brighter and retains more moisture.

I really haven’t noticed any severe side effects since I’ve started taking biotin supplements. I do find that I need to shave slightly more often and that I get extremely hungry (like so hungry it hurts) if I skip a meal or eat later than I usually do, but other than that I haven’t experienced any difficulty. If all goes well over the next few months, this will definitely be a staple.

Hair Diary: 2 Week Post-BC Update

Second day hair

For the first time in an extremely long time, I absolutely adore my hair! Every time I catch a glimpse of it in the mirror, I can’t help but smile! Although I originally told myself that I would wait until my 12-month post relaxer mark to BC, I have absolutely no regrets about choosing to BC earlier. For anyone that is still going through the transitioning process, HANG IN THERE! At times I know that it can be really frustrating, but it is totally worth it!

For the past two weeks, I have just been experimenting with products to get a feel of what my hair likes, and how my hair reacts when something works really well for it.  I’ve learned that not all conditioners are created equal –at least not when it comes to my hair lol—and my hair will give a distinct reaction when it isn’t a fan of something that I am using. I have already fallen in love with one new product, and have fallen back in love with a product that I had previously written off. I am also in search of really really good protein rich and protein free deep conditioners. Needless to say, there will definitely be TONS of product reviews to come in the future!

I’ve also been working on getting a set regimen. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything, but some adjustments do need to be made to best fit the needs of my hair at this time. I don’t want to use 20,000 different products every single time I put water on my hair, so I’m attempting to formulate something that is extremely simple, yet very effective. Since I haven’t really had the opportunity to play in my hair too much because of school, I have only been wearing wash-n-go’s. That really isn’t a problem for me since I’m basically just moisturizing it every few days and letting it be in the meantime.  

I BC'd!!!

Remember when I said that I was going in to see my stylist for a trim in this post? Well, when I sat in the chair I accidentally ended up saying "take off all the relaxed ends" instead of "take off a few inches." When I realized my flub, I didn't even bother trying to correct myself. I thought that maybe my unconscious was telling me that it was time, so I just went with the flow...and I could not be happier!

My Biotin Challenge!

Last week, I looked into what hair pills are supposed to do and whether they really work. (Check out that post here). After finding that most of the vitamins needed for hair growth are encompassed by most, if not all, multivitamins, I decided to forego using a hair pill and just use my multivitamin. I checked out my own multivitamin, One A Day Women's, to see if it included all of the necessary vitamins. 

From the bottle, it seems that all of the essential vitamins for hair growth are accounted for in full, except for biotin, which is only supplemented by 10%. This made me curious as to whether it was necessary to supplement my multivitamin with biotin.

Biotin, Vitamin B7 and often referred to as Vitamin H, is one of the 8 essential vitamins for the body. It aids in the metabolism of fat and amino acids, and is an essential element in cell growth. Biotin especially plays a critical role in the health of hair, skin, and nails. Dermatologists often recommend biotin supplements to their patients to treat and slow down hair loss, as well as promote new growth. Although the recommended dosage of biotin is 300 micrograms daily, a higher dosage will not do any harm to the body. Biotin is water soluble, meaning that the body will only intake and make use of what it needs. Any excess is broken down by water. This makes it essential to drink lots of fluids when supplementing with high doses of biotin. If not enough water is consumed daily, biotin can clog the pores causing acne.

As a result of taking biotin supplements, many people have seen their hair grow anywhere from 1/2 an inch to a full inch of hair each month. Curious to see what this would do for my hair, I decided to give it a try. Last Thursday, March 10, I began supplementing with 5000 micrograms of biotin. I will continue to take one pill, containing 5000 micrograms of biotin, in conjunction with my multivitamin until I run out of the bottle. At that time, I will remeasure my hair to see how much it has grown. The bottle has 120 capsules, so the experiment will last for 4 months. (I purchased my biotin supplement from Walmart for only $7!!!)

Beginning new growth length: 4.5 inches (not too bad for 10 months!) 

Feel free to join me in this challenge!

My First Bantu-Knot Out

After a week of wearing my hair in a tuck-and-pin faux hawk (check out this post to see how I achieved that look!), my hair was extra thirsty and my scalp was becoming irritated from the bobby pins. Since I would be going to my stylist a few days later for a trim, I didn't want to wash my hair. Instead, I decided to take a chance and do my first bantu knot out. For those of you who aren't familiar with this style, you essentially section and twist your hair, and then wrap each twisted section around itself. The next day, you take down these "knots" and it should produce curls.

To achieve this look, I first took down my faux hawk, and I moistened my hair with water so that I could section it into four. Section by section, I detangled using my Tangle Teezer and applied a little Shea Moisture Raw Shea Restorative Trauma Masque. I traditionally use this Shea Moisture product for DC, but it can be used as a leave-in conditioner and possibly a styler depending on how your hair reacts to shea butter. For my hair, shea butter provides moisture and enough hold to act like a gel without all of the drying and crunchiness, which is why I chose to use it to both moisturize and style. Once detangled and moisturized, I then divided each of the four big sections into smaller sections, then twisted and bantu knotted each of the smaller sections. ( I had between 5 - 8 bantu knots in each section). Since I was hesitant on how the style would turn out, I didn't take any pictures of my hair  during the bantu knot setting process. To give you an example of how your hair should look once set in the bantu knots, here is a pic that I found on the web:

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Your parting doesn't have to be this precise (mine certainly wasn't lol), but you get the idea.

Coating my hands with EVCO, I took down the bantu knots the next morning. First, I unwrapped the knots. Next, I untwisted each twist. And Finally, I separated each twist and finger fluffed. These are the results:

 

For it being my first time, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!

SN: Check out how much new growth I have now!

And this is why I am always tempted to cut off the remainder of my relaxed ends...

Hair Pills: Are They Really Worth The Hype?

The other day I snipped yet another random section of hair. While there is certainly some growth since last year, it's still a long way from my dream length. In my moment of impatience, I had the urge to start a hair supplement to get me to my goal length quicker. When I asked a few of my twitter followers for some supplement suggestions, the reaction that I received was certainly less than favorable (someone even suggested that they could cause growth of extra body parts!). Extremely concerned by this news, I decided to do some research to see if hair pills are really worth the hype.

The ability of a person to obtain long hair starts from the inside out. While there are numerous practices that can help retain the length of one's hair, the growth process itself is entirely internal. This internal process is what hair pills seek to address. But how is this exactly?

Like all other parts of our body, our hair follicles need certain nutrients in order to operate at its optimal level. Because it is the lowest in the hierarchy of bodily needs, our hair gets only the remnants of the essential vitamins and minerals needed to sustain our other bodily functions. Hair pills seek to boost vitamin and mineral levels to allow our hair to get more of the nutrients it needs. And what exactly are the essential vitamins and minerals for hair growth? From my research, I found that the following are essential:

Biotin (Vitamin B7) - this is one of the 8 essential vitamins for the body. It helps with metabolism and growth and is also needed for healthy hair and skin.

Inositol (Vitamin B8) - this vitamin is good for healthy skin and hair

Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) - this helps the body make healthy new cells, and is especially essential for women who are able to have children.

Vitamin B6 - can help accelerate hair growth

Zinc - helps the body utilize protein, which stimulates hair growth

Vitamin C - helps increase circulation of blood to the scalp

Vitamin E - improves scalp circulation

Silica - a mineral naturally found in the body that can help accelerate hair growth and help strengthen the hair

MSM - mineral that lengthens the growth cycle of hair, allowing each hair follicle to be in the active state longer

While these vitamins and minerals have substantial benefits for hair growth, when supplemented in extreme doses they can have adverse effects on the body. Most hair growth pills provide dosages of up to 30 times the recommended daily intake. Since all of these vitamins can generally be found in certain foods that we eat, intaking a supplement that boosts levels to 30 times the recommended daily dosage is definitely extreme. This accounts for the negative side effects that many people experience from taking hair growth pills. Some of these side effects can included neurological disorders, heartburn, acid reflux, headaches, and cystic acne.

Although it would be nice to be able to grow an inch of hair a month, I personally am not willing to take those risks. For now, I am going to stick with my multivitamin since it encompasses most, if not all, of the essential vitamins needed for hair growth. I do, however, intend to take biotin supplements. (Look out for a post in the next few days about it!)

How-To: Cute Up-Do for Transitioning Hair

For the past 9 months, my signature transitional style has been twist-rod sets. While this simple, practical style has become my staple, I wanted to do something a little different. In my usual fashion, I looked at some things that other people have done and came across this uber cute and easy style. What I love most about this style is that it can be done on type of hair, regardless of whether you are relaxed, natural, or transitioning. I find that this style works best on dry hair. Below is what I did to achieve this look.

All About Shampoo: The Sulfate Free Movement

For years, kinky curly coily heads everywhere have moved away from the use of most commercial shampoos. For many, this migration to other cleansing alternatives is due in large part to a common cleansing agent called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Many who have shied away from this ingredient claim that although this cleansing agent is extremely effective, it is overly drying to curly hair. But how is this cleansing agent overly drying? And why does it only effect curly hair in this manner? I decided to do some research to find the answers to those very questions.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), like all cleansing agents, are surfactants. Surfactants are materials that can greatly reduce the surface tension of water when used in low concentrations. This allows water to get underneath oil and dirt so that the impurities can be removed from the surface that one desires to be cleaned. (Surfactants can be used in a variety of different ways, not just as cleaning agents, but for the purposes of this post I am focusing only on the properties of surfactants as cleaning agents.) Both SLS and SLES are surfactants that are extremely effective for tasks requiring the removal of oil. This application is ideal for many cleansing purposes such dish washing detergents, floor cleansers, clothing detergents, and shampoo. Shocked that our hair is seen as having comparable amounts of oil as your floor? I was too, but after a little more research I discovered the logic behind it.

Everyone, regardless of whether you have kinky curly coily hair or straight hair, produces an oil called sebum. Sebum is an oily, waxy, naturally odorless substance produced to lubricate the skin and hair of mammals. For humans, this substance is produced in greatest abundance on the face and the scalp. Ideally, our scalp produces sebum, and the sebum glides down our hair shaft providing moisture to our hair. Overtime (depending on how your body personally produces the substance), sebum can accumulate in our hair, giving it that nasty, oily, and dirty appearance and feel. To rid our hair of this oily substance, a cleansing agent that is effective in removing oil is necessary. This is why many companies have chosen to use SLS and SLES in their shampoos.

So why do these cleansing agents effect curly hair differently from straight hair? Well, the difference in the physical properties of straight hair and curly hair provide some insight. For those with straight hair, the body's naturally produced sebum can freely flow down the hair shaft since there is nothing obstructing it from doing so. Curly hair, on the other hand, does not allow sebum to be moved so easily. With all of the turns and curves of curly hair, sebum does not have the ability to flow all the way down the hair shaft. Because of this, little to no sebum actually reaches the ends of curly hair. Using the same strong oil removing cleansing agent will therefore produce a different effect on straight and curly hair. Since straight hair will have excess sebum, the use of SLS and SLES shampoos will not excessively strip the hair of moisture. Curly hair, on the other hand, which usually does not have excess sebum, will usually be stripped of what little moisture it does have by the use of SLS and SLES based shampoos. For this reason, many kinky curly coily heads have chosen to forego sulfate shampoos.

This is not the effect that SLS and SLES based shampoos will have on all curly hair, but most people have experienced excessive dryness from its use. I have personally chosen to not use sulfate shampoos and I have noticed somewhat of a difference in the moisture levels of my hair. As always, use ingredients and products that work best for your hair.

Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine Product Review

I have heard so much about the Jane Carter Solution line, so I decided to give a few products a try. The first one that I picked up was Nourish & Shine.

PRICE: This little jar will put you back about $22. (YOWZERS!!!)

PRODUCT CLAIMS: "You have never experienced a product as fabulous as Nourish & Shine! We blend all natural vitamins and essential oils ot create this incredible hair nourisher. It completely melts in your hair and adds amazing shine and never leaves your hair feeling greasy or limp. Nourish & Shine helps reduce  dryness on your scalp and your skin!"

INGREDIENTS: This little baby is packed with some good stuff. Although it does use regular shea butter as its base, the combination of shea butter with mango butter, illippe butter, and essential vitamins and oils for hair gives it a little something something extra.

MY EXPERIENCE: The directions on the bottle say to only use about a pea size amount. I was extremely skeptical that such little product could do all that it claimed to do, but to my amazement it did. When using it to take down my twist-rod sets, it made my hair feel extra soft and it made my look extra shiny. It looked really really healthy. When I used it in the mornings to re-moisturize and refresh my hair, it softened my hair and added some more shine to it. One of the best things about it is that a little goes an extremely long way. I've had this tube for about 3 months now and just look how much I have left! 

Totally worth the $22 in terms of how long the product lasts.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The product definitely did what it said it was going to do. It's a really good product but isn't necessarily my favorite. When the product does run out, I don't think I would necessarily make it a priority to repurchase. It's a good product to have around, but it just isn't one of my staples (well, at least not now anyways...).

FTC Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review. I purchased this product myself. All opinions are my own

Pretty Nails: An Added Benefit of Good Hair Care

As many know, good hair care practices can lead to longer, healthier hair. In addition to this desired benefit, I have found that it also leads to pretty, well manicured nails. (Bet you didn't think of that benefit, did you? lol)

A commonly overlooked cause of hair breakage is right there on our fingers: our nails. Also a protein element of our body, nails with edges that are not kept smooth have the ability to snag our precious locks, breaking each strand that is caught. Since our nails are an extension of our fingers which are needed to do...well, basically anything...with our hair, this can be a bit troublesome. To prevent inadvertent breakage, check to ensure that your nails are smooth before handling your hair.

For me, this hair care practice has meant an investment in good emory boards (which I now keep handy at all times out of habit) and of course new nail polish (I'm an OPI fanatic!). Since my student budget won't exactly allow me to get my nails professionally done weekly, I've taken to methods of giving myself my own manicure at home. The Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens have been super helpful for those times when the classic manicure needs a little bit of edge put to it. Check out my most recent creation!

These are the products that I used to get this look:

Products from Left to Right: Orly Top 2 Bottom for base coat,  Essie "Turquoise & Caicos", Nicole by OPI  "Give Me the First Dance", OPI RapiDry Top Coat, Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Black

The practice of keeping my nails smooth in order to prevent inadvertent hair breakage is definitely one hair care practice that I don't mind having! 

My Product Wish List

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 In doing research of natural hair care over the past 9 months, I have come across a number of different products that I would absolutely love to try. Since I refuse to pay top dollar for a product only for it to be used on hair that I intend to get rid of anyway (i.e. my relaxed ends), I decided to put off this trial process until I am completely natural. As my BC date grows closer and closer, I can't help but list out the products that I want to try in turn. Below is a list of the top two products in each category that I can't wait to get my hands on.

Shampoo/Cleansers

Oyin  Handmade Grand Poo Bar

I've heard so many good things about this all-natural solid shampoo.  Those that have reviewed rave that it gets their hair clean while keeping it extremely soft. Can't wait to try it out!

Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream

This award winning cleansing cream is supposed to be packed with conditioning power comparable to that of a conditioner but also has the ability to get the hair extremely clean.

Co-wash Conditioners

TRESemme Naturals Silicone Free Conditioner

There are two main things that I want in a co-wash conditioner: no silicones and extremely cheap. Although this may not have all of the best ingredients in it, it surely covers those two requirements.

Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp Conditioner

This all-natural alternative is a bit more on the pricier side but is packed with goodies to restore moisture, softness, sheen to your hair. Can't wait to get my hands on a bottle of this stuff!!

Deep Conditioners

JessiCurl Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment

Hair boards have raved about this product and all the goodness that it does for their hair. Still looking for a good DC, can't wait to give this one a try!

Karen's Body Beautiful Luscious Locks Hair Mask

I have heard so many good things about the KBB line altogether, but the cost has kept me from trying anything as of yet. Once fully natural, one of the first products I wanna try from this brand is her DC.

Moisturizers

Oyin Handmade Hair Dew

If you can't tell by now, I absolutely want to adore the Oyin Handmade line of products. Yet another product that I want to get my hands on from them is their hair dew. Oyin is known for their other juices moisturizers, but I have my eye on their hair dew.

Styling Products

Kinky Curly Curling Custard

Already a fan of Kinky Curly Knot Today, I can't wait to be fully natural so I can try the Curling Custard. Providing both moisture and hold for wash and go's, I hope I really really like this product when I finally get the chance to try it.

Oyin Handmade Shine & Define

I have seen a number of YouTube videos where people have obtain outstanding twist-out and braid-out results while using this product. Can't wait to give it a try!

Other Tools

Huetiful Hair Steamer

This tool has been raved about all over the natural hair community. Providing both moisture and heat, this tool claims to make your DC work 5 times better. Everyone who has tried it absolutely loves it. It's a bit pricey (going for about $130), but I really really REALLY want to use it!

The Tangle Teezer

Although this thing doesn't look like it would be of any assistance with its bristles so close together, everyone that has tried this product says they love it more than they love their Denman brush! Since this product supposedly works on all types of hair (even hair extensions), I wanted to see if this thing would work on transitioning hair so I ordered one. Look out for a product review on it soon!

All About Shampoo: Clarifying v. Moisturizing

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There are tons of shampoo’s out there on the market. Some claim that they can be used daily, others claim to be moisturizing, and still others claim to be clarifying. But what exactly is the difference between these classifications of shampoos? And how do they fit into a hair regimen? After asking myself these same questions, I did some research, and here are the conclusions that I came to.

Moisturizing/Daily Use Shampoo

Most shampoos that you pick up at your local drugstore or BSS are moisturizing/daily use shampoos. Shampoos within this category have the ability to clean the hair “gently” without drying it out. Since the ingredients aren’t nearly as harsh as clarifying shampoos, you should be able to use these shampoos frequently without running into too many problems. While these shampoos are good for removing dirt and excess oil, it is possible that they don’t completely remove all product residue from your hair and scalp. Depending on the amount and kind of styling products that you use, you could go weeks before product build up becomes an issue. A stronger shampoo is needed to rid the hair of product residue.

Clarifying Shampoo

Clarifying shampoo is a more potent shampoo that is designed to deep clean your hair and scalp. This type of shampoo has the ability to remove all product residues from your hair and scalp. If this product residue is left un-removed from your hair, it will cause your hair to lose its sheen, become limp, and hard to style. This residue can also build up on the scalp both preventing the hair follicle from “breathing” which slows hair growth and causing scalp issues such as dandruff. Although clarifying shampoo is

Shampoos categorized as moisturizing or daily use are shampoos that have the ability to clean the hair and scalp, but aren’t as potent as clarifying shampoos. These shampoos usually contain things that your strands can handle on a daily or weekly basis without being overly drying to the hair.

How-To: Starting Your Transition

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The biggest question that I had when I embarked on my natural hair journey in May 2010 was this: how do I start transitioning? I immediately began scouring the Internet for an answer to my question, but alas, there was no answer to be found. I found a lot of information on transitional styles but nothing more. To help someone who is the same boat I was once in, here is the thought process that I went through to start my transition.

1.    Stop getting relaxers.

This is the biggest step in beginning your transitioning process. I’m not going to lie, it felt a little weird when I reached my 6 week post relaxer mark and I didn’t go back to the salon to get a touch up. Skipping the first one was the hardest, but once I realized my pockets that month were a little heavier since I didn’t spend the money on the creamy crack application, it wasn’t hard at all to continue with not getting a relaxer.

2.    Decide how long you want to transition.

The length of time you choose to spend transitioning is completely up to you. It can be as short at 1 day to as long as 2+ years. When making this determination, consider how long you want your hair to be when you BC (your hair grows at an average rate of .5 inches a month), how willing and able you are to deal with the two textures on your head (it does get frustrating every once in a while). I chose to transition for at least a year because I knew I wouldn’t be comfortable with having extremely short hair (I’ve never seen my hair extremely short before) and I figured that after a year, I would have a decent length. Not necessarily SL, but certainly more than just an inch.

3.    Determine how you want to wear your hair.

While transitioning, you will need to wear your hair in such a way that the two textures on your hair are blended. There are few different ways that one can do this. Some choose to use protective styling such as box braids or kinky twists. Others choose to use low-manipulation styling such as rod sets and bantu-knot outs. Still others choose to flat iron their new growth. Choose a method that will work best for you, your lifestyle, and your natural hair goals. Consider how often you want to restyle your hair, whether you will be going to a stylist or doing your hair yourself, how you want to wear your hair once fully natural, and how often you want to trim your permed ends when making this determination. I knew that I wanted to regularly wear my hair curly once fully natural, and I knew that I wanted something that didn’t cause a lot of fuss but allowed for a variety of different styles. With this in mind, I chose to wear my hair in low-manipulation styles. For more information on ways to wear your hair during your transition, check out this post.

4.    Create a hair care regimen.

Because of the line of demarcation, transitioning hair is fragile and requires a lot of consistent care. To be consistent with the care of your transitioning hair, developing a regimen is extremely beneficial. During the first 3 - 4 months, get to know your new growth and learn your hair's likes and dislikes. Once you have this down, proceed to creating a regimen that suits your hair's needs and helps you manage the two textures. This transitioning hair care regimen does not necessarily have to be the one that you follow once completely natural. I personally will be switching it up a bit once fully natural. Your regimen can be as elaborate or as simple as you want it to be. For tips on creating a transitioning hair care regimen, check out this post.

Also, check out my Do's (part 1 and part 2) and Don'ts of transitioning.

Giovanni Direct Leave-In Product Review

One of the first lines of products that I learned about when doing my initial product research was Giovanni. Immediately, I ran to my local Target (Walmart also carries this line, but Target has sample sizes) and looked at what this line had to offer. I picked up some sample sizes of a few products, including this one, and gave it a shot. Initially, this was my leave-in before I tried Kinky Curly Knot Today. To give an accurate review, I decided to revisit this product since I still had a quite a bit left in the bottle.

PRICE: Like other products from this brand, a full size bottle will cost you about $8.

PRODUCT CLAIMS: The bottle states the following: “To create condition and style, you need to go directly to the source. Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture conditioner penetrates into each individual hair to provide exactly what’s needed, every time. This leave-in treatment uses enriched proteins to repair hair as you go through the day. It also plumps hair so it feels thicker, more bodified. Styled. Weightlessly. By infusing each strand with proteins, hair goes directly to style”

INGREDIENTS: Like the other products from Giovanni, the ingredients within this product are mouthwateringly good. Something that I didn’t notice before (out of pure ignorance of hair care product ingredients) is that this product contains Aloe Vera juice, which makes me excited. Aloe Vera juice is an ingredient that naturally has a pH of about 4.5, which is great for sealing moisture into the hair. Since my goal is to retain as much moisture as possible, I’m glad that I took the time to revisit this product. This leave-in does contain protein, so for you protein sensitive curlies out there, this may not be the product for you.

MY EXPERIENCE: When I first started using this product a while back, I was really kind of indifferent to it. It was the very first leave-in conditioner that I had used ever so I wasn’t really sure what it was supposed to do and the results that I should be seeing with it.  It did make my hair moisturized and shiny. When I used this product again last week, I could definitely tell the difference between this and KCKT. It's a bit thicker than KCKT, but absorbs into my hair about the same. It takes a bit more product to detangle which ultimately weighs my hair down. It did make my hair soft after it dried.

FINAL THOUGHTS: While this product is certainly good, I find that my detangling time is just so much shorter with KCKT. It is definitely a product I would recomend to someone who would like to try it, but KCKT is just much much better for me.

Natural Hair Movement Televised!

Hey there Kinky Curly Coily heads! I was surfing on YouTube not too long ago when I can across this vid. I thought you all might appreciate it, so I decided to share it with you all. Check it out!

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Seems Like Your Ready...to BC...

Over the past few weeks, I have been working hard on a paper for a moot court competition at school.  During this time, I had to put a lot of things on the back burner, including washing my hair. Yes, I went two weeks without washing my hair instead of the usual once a week washday. The result was a huge curly fro which I absolutely loved!

The day after I turned in my paper, I finally had the free time to wash my hair. I followed my usual washday steps, but that day something was just different. For one, I realized how thick my hair was getting. And for another, I realized that maybe I’m more ready to BC than I originally thought.

After I DC’d and began to style, for some unexplained reason I decided to clip the relaxed ends off of random pieces of hair around my head. There aren’t gaping areas where I did this, but just a few strands here and a few strands there. In my snip happy frenzy, I had the urge to completely cut off all of my relaxed ends. And to be honest, if I didn’t have a prior engagement later in the day, I probably would have BC’d right there in my bathroom. I was actually rationalizing with myself that I couldn’t do it at that moment like I wanted to.

To say the least, I was kind of surprised by my reaction. The pieces that I did cut were relatively short (at 9 months post I only have on average 4.5 inches of new growth). As a person who has never had hair shorter than neck length, going into this journey I thought that this would be a huge shock to me. It was part of the reason why I chose to transition for at least a year. But now that I know I would be ok with shorter hair for a bit, I’m starting to reconsider my original May BC date. I would still like it to be warm consistently so I can wear my twa in wash and go’s without fear that the cold will make my hair hard and brittle (I live on east coast so winters can be harsh).

For now, I’ve upped my BC date to mid-March during my school’s spring break. That should give me plenty of time to play in my hair some more and see if I continue to feel like I want to BC sooner rather than later. Regardless of the date that I actually do it, I'm excited to see the natural me.