What Works for Some Does Not Work for Everyone



It happens to us all. We naturals finally find some product or technique that works wonders for our hair. We find some new method that seems to melt our hair woes away. By tecniques and methods what do I mean? I mean things such as co-washing, always wearing a satin scarf when sleeping, pineappling, plopping, moisturizing with water every day, washing hair with shampoo once a week, washing hair with shampoo only once a month, co-washing exclusively, banning cones from your regimen, banning sulfates from your regimen, continuing to use silicones, using all natural hair products, using drugstore and other popular brands, ACV rinses, the Kimmaytube Leave-In, and any number of ingredients found in the kitchen. To give you an idea, I will share below some things that worked wonders for my hair and regimen, and things that I did not like so much:

Thank God for...

• Co-Washing -- It allows me to wet my hair as much as I want without drying my strands as if I had used shampoo
• Kimmaytube Leave-In -- This mixture always makes even the most frizzy parts of my hair curl and behave.
• Shampooing Once a Week -- After suffering from such an itchy scalp due to only washing hair with shampoo once a month, I finally succumbed to the pressure and started washing my hair once a week. My scalp has thanked me ever since.
• Lather, Rinse, but DO NOT Repeat -- The second lather is usually so unnecessary, leading to dry hair. Furthermore, only lathering once has helped me save so much more product
• Olive Oil and Coconut Oil -- The sheen and health of my hair has thanked me for always using natural oils. And I can find these in the grocery store
• Oil Rinsing and Adding Oils to Conditioner -- Perhaps the two things I am most thankful for adding to my list of tried and true techniques
• ACV Rinses -- The last time I used diluted apple cider vinegar as a final rinse, a close friend kept commenting on how great my curls were
• Conditioner Only Styling -- Thank you Teri LaFlesh for this one. After using a good slippery conditioner for styling, I just seal with a natural oil.
• Coconut Milk Hair Soaks -- This adds protein without having to come from some weird animal by-product.
• Shampoo Bars -- Full review of my Chagrin Valley purchases coming, eventually.

Not for Me...

• Co-Washing Exclusively -- This always leads to product build-up and an itchy scalp
• Shea Butter -- I hate how heavy this feels on my hair, and hate how dirty it makes my hair
• Detangling Wet Hair -- Always lose more hair then when I detangle with dry/damp hair. I know so many swear by this, but I have learned my lesson the hard way.
• Aubrey Organics Conditioner -- You have heard me say time and again how annoyingly thick this conditioner is. I can hardly apply it evenly to my hair.
• Banning Silicones -- I go long periods of time without using them, but always end up using them again for their slip and conditioning benefits.
• Herbal Essences Conditioner -- My scalp did not appreciate the strong fragrance and dyes.

In essence, I say this to say that what works for some may not work for all. Find what works for you. Don't let someone bully you into a hair regimen based on how great it worked for them. Thank them for the suggestion, but in the end, listen to your hair. Don't get caught up in those suggestions based on the hair typing system. Your hair type isn't everything. As one natural said, shea butter has been suggested by so many for type 4 curlies. I myself never use the stuff. Don't take what I said was not for me as a suggestion that you not give these things a try, or you will have missed point. In the end, be the ultimate decider on what works best for you on this natural hair journey.

Washing and Conditioning Hair In Sections...Necessity or Doing the Most?

I know many naturals who swear by washing their thick coily hair in sections and others who find it an unnecessary step in the natural hair journey. Recently, BGLH put up a blog post asking the question "Is Section-Free Washing Every Okay?" Many in the comments shared their opinion of washing hair in sections, some saying they would not know how to maintain a routine without it and a few saying it was a completely unnecessary step. The blog post can be found HERE.



Trader Joe's Shampoo. I have not used it, but I have heard great things. Their new formula is paraben-free.

It tempts me to give it a try, someday.

My opinion is as follows: It is almost always unnecessary to wash short hair in sections. It is quite easy for the soap to get everywhere on the head and hair at a short length is much less likely to tangle. However, as length comes, you may find it necessary to wash hair in sections for two reasons: first to get the product everywhere, including shampoo and conditioner. Secondly, to prevent tangles in the hair. There are, however, some naturals with a lot of length who never wash their hair in sections and seem to be doing just fine.

I myself did not bother with sectioning my hair at a short length. There was not way I was dividing my hair into eight sections just to wash and condition. (The shorter the hair, the more sections you need). But now, as length has come, I have resorted to dividing my hair down the middle to ensure that product gets to my crown area. I also divide the front to apply product.  With shampoo bars, I find it much easier to get product everywhere, by simply rubbing the bar on my hair directly. With liquid shampoo, I am more likely to divide the hair in sections to get to thicker areas.

In the end, pay attention to your to decide whether sectioning in a necessary step. Make sure shampoo and conditioner reaches every part of your hair, or what would be the point of washing and conditioning? To each natural her own.

Whatever you do, avoid putting hair on top of your head in a pile like in the shampoo commercials. This is just asking for tangles. Instead, smooth shampoo and conditioner into hair using a downward motion, or upward if your hair doesn't have hang time, to reduce tangles.

Hair Envy: Tracee Ellis Ross



I love my girl Tracee Ellis Ross. Girlfriends was one of my favorite shows to watch, and I still enjoy catching syndicated episodes. Also, who doesn't love Tracee's hair. The first seasons of Girlfriends had me inspired to wear my natural hair out. Obviously, Ms. Ross is an inspiration to many other naturals and would-be naturals. I must admit, however, the annoyance I feel when I hear or read a comment along these lines:

I went natural hoping to get that Tracee Ellis Ross hair/ I want hair just like Tracee Ellis Ross's.

Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with admiring another natural beauty. But the number one natural beauty you must always embrace is your own natural beauty. The only person who will have TER hair is Ms. Ross herself. It is her hair, her curl pattern, her strand density, her strand thickness, and that is the end of that. I also feel annoyed because it does make me think that curl type has a large part to do with it. I am reassessing my loyalty to the hair typing system, but IMO Ms. Ross is clearly not a type 4 hair type, more a type 3. That is fine. Her hair is still beautiful. But don't go natural looking to have hair like hers and your hair may end up looking more like Macy Gray's, whose hair is just as beautiful.

My main reason I love Tracee's hair is that she was rocking it when it was hard, really haarrd, to find a naturally curly celeb on TV. Another star who comes to mind for rocking her natural texture early on is Rachel True of Half and Half. I love her hair as well. After cutting my locs, and in no way do I mean to appear self-righteous, I tried my hardest to have an open mind about what my curl pattern would prove to be. I had convinced myself I was a die hard type 4b, which I am reassessing in the craziness of the hair typing system.

In the end, I learned to love my curl pattern, the small coilies that clumped together so well, especially when introduced to some aloe containing product. Aloe is my friend. I also loved how it looked textured and thick, when in actuality my strand thickness and density was on the low side depending on what section of hair you were looking at. Which brings me to things I don't always like about my hair: the frizz sides and front section that drop limply, the super thick crown that takes twice as long to twist compared to other sections of hair, the annoyingly loosely curled back middle section that appears longer than other parts of my hair. But ultimately, I love my hair [insert Sesame Street "I Love My Hair" song here]. I learned to love my hair. And rather than staring at pictures of celebs who rock their natural curls, and kudos to them for that, we each need to love our own hair, it types and pattern, and become our own curly hair celeb.

With all that said, Tracee's still has some bomb hair, which no doubt comes from good hair care. So if you want to love your hair, make sure you take great care of it. Until next time...

Wash Day Step by Step Instructions

After contemplating how many rinses I do and am planning on doing, I decided to outline how things go down on wash day to help me remember to do all to my hair that will keep it healthy and growing.

1. Pre-poo for at least an hour with coconut oil.
2. Saturate/Wet hair thoruoughly with warm water.
3. Cleanse hair with sulfate free shampoo (bar) or co-washing conditioner.
4. Rinse out shampoo with warm water.
5. Variating Step:
1. Oil Rinse, then rinse out oil rinse, then add conditioner.
2. Oil Rinse, then add conditioner on top of oil.
3. Add oils to conditioner before applying to hair.
6. Let conditioner sit for several minutes. Optional: Cover hair with shower cap (or plastic bag when in a pinch) and cover head with towel to allow for a deep treatment.
7. Rinse conditioner with cool water to seal the cuticle and add shine.
8. ACV Rinse. Variations:
1. Do not rinse out for ultimate curl definition, but be mindful the ACV smell will not fade until the hair dries completely.
2. Rinse out ACV if you just can't take the smell.
9. Apply leave-in conditioner. Either add light oils to leave-in before applying to hair to seal in moisture or add lights oils to hair after applying leave-in.

The question becomes where will I implement the black tea rinse. Some instructions say to apply conditioner over the tea rinse before rinsing out. In that case, it makes sense to do the tea rinse after cleansing the hair. Instead of an oil rinse, just adding oils to conditioner will have to work in the meantime. Wish me well as I figure this out. I am also considering adding ACV to my black tea to do a combined ACV and black tea rinse. Again, wish me well. LOL.

First Impressions of the Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bars



I have finally given the shampoo bars a try. I have not tried all of them, but here are my thoughts:

I tried the Ayurvedic Herbal Shampoo Bar. It definitely made my hair feel stronger, but a tad bit dry. Not overly dry, just a tad dry. I will definitely use a pre-poo treatment when using these shampoo bars. I used the Butter Bar Conditioner Shampoo Bar just this morning. It worked fine, and did not make my hair as dry as the Ayurvedic Herb bar, nor as strong. Again, I would still use a pre-poo treatment with these shampoo bars. I am also considering buffering with conditioner as well. The shampoo bars have a very rich lather, as rich as commercial sulfate shampoo. It is both lovely and annoying at the same time. We shall see. Also, I did not use an ACV rinse when I used the shampoo bar today, but my hair did not feel very bad. I am thinking of experimenting with rinsing with bottled water. I conditioned both times I used the shampoo bars. People claim you don't need to use a conditioner after these bars, but I am very skeptical. Perhaps rinsing with bottled, distilled, or rain water will make a positive difference.

I also used the Neem and Tea Tree Shampoo and Body Bar, but only for cleansing my body and face. It worked well in both regards. I am not sure which bar I will try next. I think it may be the Babassu and Marshmallow Bar. I will keep you posted on my final thoughts concerning the shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley.

Want Darker Hair That Sheds Less...Consider Tea Rinses



Excuses the hiatus, but I was busy graduating from college. Yay me! Anywho, something I have been hearing about and been cotemplating adding to my regimen is a black tea rinse. I have been spouting the benefits of ACV rinses for some time now, but have decided to give black tea on my tresses a try since it is cheap, all natural, and what do I have to lose, really? Nikisha of Urban Bush Babes wrote a post on it. It can be found here. I also am pretty sure that Black Tea would smell much better on the hair then ACV. Lipton, here I come.

Ayurvedic Plans for Spring/Summer 2011

With my shampoo bars on the way and other ayurvedic plans finally under way, here is how I plan to implement ayurveda into my hair care regimen:

• Ayurvedic Shampoo Bars -- When purchasing the Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bars, I sought to purchase bars with ayurvedic elements. For a description of which I bough and why, click here.
• Healthy Diet and Lifestyle -- With plans of embracing a fully vegan and whole foods diet as well as finally starting that yoga regimen, my ayurvedic plans are beginning from the inside out. A healthy lifestyle is the first step to ensuring healthy hair and skin.
• Scalp Massages -- Massaging oils into the scalp increases blood circulation to the roots, increasing hair growth. Top oils for scalp massages will be coconut, olive, castor, and jojoba. 
• Infused Oils with Ayurvedic Herbs -- Still on the hunt for a supplier of organic herbs, including online at places such as Mountain Rose Herbs or at my favorite health food store, Earth Fare. Herbs of choice will be include amla, bhringraj, brahmi, shikakai, hibiscus, and other herbs. I also plan to make my own vegan Vatika oil.
• Herbal Vinegar Rinses -- Ayurveda incorporates a high usage of herbs, which can become cumbersome, but since so many claim how well worth it is, I decided to take the plunge and incorporate herbs into my ACV rinses by using herb infused water as the base for the vinegar. 
• Coconut Milk Hair Soaks -- I have already been doing these, and will continue to do one every 6 to 8 weeks as a protein treatment. 

I have been fighting this mixstress urge for quite some time, but my quest for more natural products and ayurveda has led me to embrace my fate. 

Current Product Rotation

Darcy's Botanicals Herbal Leave-In

• Shampoos -- Shea Moisture Yucca and Baobab Thickening Shampoo, Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bars
• Conditioners -- Yes to Cucumbers/Carrots, Giovanni Smooth as Silk/50:50/Tea Tree Triple Treat
• Final Rinse -- Cold Apple Cider Vinegar and Water (1 to 2 ratio of vinegar to water)
• Leave-In -- Shea Moisture Yucca and Baobab Thickening Conditioner, Giovanni Direct Leave-In
• Moisturizers -- Oyin Handmade Hair Dew, Darcy's Botanicals Herbal Leave-In, Shea Moisture Yucca and Baobab Moisture Mist
• Sealants -- Coconut Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade
• Deep Treatment -- Coconut Milk (Goya Brand)

In my quest to pair down and spend less money on hair products, the above is what I am currently using. When it comes to the Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bars, I have yet to try them and decide which ones will be my staple bars. I plan to have no more than three staple bars, but we shall see. When it comes to the moisturizers listed, I am experimenting to see which I like best, although it is possible I may use all three. I have tried all of them except the Moisture Mist by Shea Moisture.

I doubt I will replenish the OH Burnt Sugar Pomade, but I plan to use up the container I currently have. Also, for deep treatment, I plan on purchasing the Shea Moisture Yucca and Baobab Anti-Breakage Masque. Oddly, it was not available at Target when I bought the Yucca and Baobab Shampoo, Conditioner, and Moisture Mist. Hmm. I might have to get it at Walgreen's.

When it comes to ayurveda hair care, I plan on implementing herbal vinegar rinses and using herb infused hair oils for sealing and scalp massaging. Right now, however, I am just using plain vinegar rinses for my final rinse and coconut oil as my primary sealant.

Look What I Bought...Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bars

I just purchased some sample size bars of Chagrin Valley Soap. I purchased a total of six bars, five different kinds. I can hardly wait to pick it up from the mail center. Each sample bar was $2.60. I chose flat rate priority shipping. My order came to a little over $20. Here is what I bought.



Ayurvedic Herb Shampoo Bar -- This looks so promising, since I am working to incorporate more ayurvedic elements into my hair and skin care regimen. This bar contains amla, bhringraj, hibiscus, and aritha as well as coconut milk. This is a great way to incorporate ayurveda herbs into your regimen without having to deal with the actual herbs.

Babassu and Marshmallow Shampoo Bar -- I purchased this because marshmallow is a common herb in ayurveda medicine, known for its detangling abilities. Also, babassu oil is purported to be very moisturizing, and I love the promise of moisture.

Buttery Conditioner Shampoo Bar -- On the website, it was stated that this bar came due to popular demand. Customers were requesting a moisture powerhouse of a shampoo bar, with more oils for greater moisture. CV came through with this shampoo bar, described as a conditioner bar. It is also made with a coconut milk base. I just had to get one.

Neem and Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and Body Bar -- This bar is what I ordered two sample sizes of because it can be used for the skin and hair. Neem is a vey powerful herb used in ayurvedic medicine for the hair and skin. The tea tree will work wonders for the scalp. I am actually most excited about this bar. If it works wonders for both my hair and skin, I can take only bar into the bathroom to use from head to toe. That would be heavenly.

Citrus Mint Soapnuts and Sunflower ORGANIC Shampoo Bar -- This is USDA certified organic. It also contains the ayurveda herb of soapnuts, which are a naturally sopanifying herb. This bar is available without the lemon and peppermint essential oils. Ultimately, I decided to go with the promise of a great scent, and purchased the citrus mint fragrance. Oh yeah, it's organic!

All the soap and shampoo bars which I purchased are vegan. Some of their products at CV contain animal products, such as honey or milk, but there are many vegan options available and they are all labeled as such.

Just Didn't Work for Me

I was talking with a fellow natural about how no matter how many naturals may rant and rave about a product or technique, it may not be so great for your hair, time constraints, and sometimes budget. I was thinking back on my last almost year (as of tomorrow) since my BC and how I have tried various techniques and products. Now remember, to each natural her (or his) own. But the following list is just what did not work for me.

The day of my BC, 7 may 2010. Tomorrow is my Hair Anniversary.

1. Aubrey Organics Products -- The conditioner was just too thick. I have learned that super thick conditioners may be one natural's best friend, but with my major shrinkage and tight coils, I need something just a little bit runny. Who has the time to separate each section of hair to rake a products through. I don't. Sorry AO, but I will not ever look to be buying you again.
2. Wet Detangling -- Although I come back to wet detangling every now and then, I cringe when I read that detangling on wet hair is the only way to go. That is a big No-No. One the one hand, conditioner does provide great slip for a comb to glide through hair more easily. On the other hand, hair is weakest when it is wet. So you decide for yourself. As for me, I removed shed hairs with my fingers now, and only use my comb for detangling on wet hair when styling. Which is hardly ever. Plus, I was losing way too much hair when wet detangling.
3. Shea Butter -- This may be the most taboo of all. How many naturals do I know who could not imagine a regimen without their shea butter? I don't know many, but I know one. ME. Shea butter is just so thick and heavy feeling on my fine strands. It is a great styler, but I don't do much of that, and when I do I often employ conditioner-only styling. It is a great sealant, but I prefer oils myself. Oils win over shea butter in my regimen because oils actually add sheen to the hair, whereas shea butter seems to make hair look dull.
4. Styling -- I have tried to have the patience of Job, or at least Miss Cee C, when styling my hair, but I just finally embraced the Wash-n-Go as my Go-To Style. And I don't mean a rake-gel-through-hair-for-curl-definition wash and go, no offense to those that do, but it doesn't seem to be very efficient. I mean a wash, condition, and go. Or your could say a wash-apply leavein-and-go. I also was under the delusion myself that only type 3 curlies could get away with the wash-n-go, but soon learned to love my own curl pattern and just let it do what it do.
5. Gels that Make Your Hair Go Crunch -- Some things I just don't like on first sight, and gel seemed to be one of them. The idea of a crunchy gel on my hair made me go eww. I prefer soft hair, which always seems to me to be a sign of healthy hair. Using a crunchy gel would make me feel my hair was not healthy.

Have you tried and raved about products of techniques that made you go, What's the big deal?

Simplify Your Life by Simplifying Your Regimen

On May 15, I graduate from college and will be officially on my own. After four years of a different world, I will soon be experiencing the real world. First order of business, a job. Check for that. Second order of business, implement this vegan lifestyle I have been lusting after for about ten years now.

A vegan is a person who does not consume any animals products and seeks to eliminate the usage of all animals products found in clothing and beauty products, or seeks to eliminate all animal products as humanly possible. That means that besides eliminating dairy and eggs -- I already consume a vegetarian diet -- I will also be eliminating any beauty product containing animal ingredients and no longer buying leather or silk clothing. I never did mess with fur. The main beauty products I will miss will be my Oyin Hanmade Honey Hemp Conditioner and raw honey, in general, which I added to conditioner for a deep treatment.

As far as soaps from the drugstore, which most often contain animal fats, I will be switching over to using Chagrin Valley bars for showering and skin care needs. My toner will continue to be an ACV-Green Tea Mixture, and my moisturizer will continue to be a dime size amount of grapeseed or jojoba oil. Lotion will be coconut oil or whipped shea butter. And per the advice of April K, a commentor, I will be looking into Tom's of Maine Toothpaste. My deodorant of choice will be either the CV Deodorant Cream or the Crystal Rock Deodorant. Not only am I psyched about having a completely vegan lifestyle, but an all natural lifestyle.

No more Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp for me, but I will be using the OH Hair Dew (pictured above) instead. It is described as a lightweight quenching lotion that is glycerin free, making it great for both humid and dry climates. The ingredients include oils, water, and an emulsifier. Sounds great. While I'm on the OH website, I will be stocking up on my sorely missed OH Greg Juice and/or Juices and Berries.

Shea Moisture, a completely vegan product, will continue to be a part of my shampoo rotation. In the meantime, I will be experimenting with Chagrin Valley shampoo bars. My curiosity has finally gotten the better of me. Unfortunately, I have been informed that the location of my internship has hard water. The efficacy of shampoo bars is greatly affected by the hardness or softness of the water. The softer the water the better. Instead of going into great detail, I will refer you this article by Chagrin Valley on shampoo bars and hard water.

My way of remedying the situation will be to continue to use a detergent shampoo (Shea Moisture) from time to time as well as shampoo bars. I will be doing ACV rinses, which remove mineral deposits from hard water, as a final rinse. Most likely, the ACV rinses will be whether or not I use the liquid shampoo or shampoo bar. Also, I will be collecting rain water and distilled water for final rinses of my hair as well. It may sound like a lot, but collecting rain water is as simple as putting out a container when it rains then filtering the water through some coffee filters.

Up Next...How I Plan to Implement Ayurveda into My Hair Regimen.

Update and Future Plans



After much procrastination, I finally succumbed to the urgency of writing my thesis. Above all else right now, I am working to walk across that stage on May 15 at 3:00pm. Praise the Lord. Anywho, back to the nature of this blog -- all things natural hair, natural skin care, and general wellness. Here are some updates:

Natural Hair: I do believe it is safe to say I am over my PJ'ism. I have been doing some research into products to figure out just how to use as few products as possible while maintaining a well moisturized, well conditioned, beautiful looking wash-and-go. You know I am not for the styling. Also, I am finding I am not alone in this department. Many natural bloggers and commentors are defining themselves as wash-and-go as their go-to style. Even my sister Miss Cee C succumbed to the low maintenance of a wash-n-go. But with WNG's comes the need to make sure your hair is well moisturized and to avoid tangling as much as possible. I will write a more in-depth blog post and on what products I plan to switch to and what will be given away as graduation presents to some friends.

Natural Skin Care: As I plan to go fully vegan (in terms of food consumption and other products), I am looking to chunk out all animal and chemical containing products. This includes soaps, lotions, and other products. I will be switching to vegetable-based soaps for my body and skin care needs, using ACV and tea as my skin astringent, using only butters (shea, cocoa) for my body, and oils for moisturizing my face and as a sunscreen. Also looking into all natural deodorants ans toothpaste. Yep, a change is gonna come.

Natural Wellness: Goodbye to all animal products, and hello to vegan wellness. I am even considering starting a food blog for the express purpose of chronicling my vegan journey. Veganism in food as well as beauty care is proving to be a challenge, but it comes with the promise of simplying my life by leading to a simpler hair, skin, and body care regimen. Looking forward to it all.

Other Updates: My hair anniversay is this Saturday -- a full year since my Big Chop. Also, I discovered a great Tumblr blog by a woman named Fran. She is vegan and all natural. Gotta love her. The blog can be found HERE.