2012 Hair Update

This video explains exactly why I don’t have one

I laughed until I ‘bout cried; truth in comedy, I tell ya.

Seriously.  Since the new year I have trimmed my hair, flat ironed my hair, bought products, given away products, changed my regimen, thought about growing my hair long, cutting it off, mini twisting, braiding and loc’ing.

The only thing that has remained constant is: I HATE DOING MY HAIR!  And I’m glad I’m not the only one.

But if you’re into creative hairstyling (unlike me who always defaults to the twist-out) and need some inspiration, please go check out Mahogany Knots’ YouTube channel.  It has a wealth of information and is just as amusing as this video.

September/October Hair Update: Look at Me, Baby!

Not much new is happening on the hair front.

However, I have allowed my love for a nicely stocked beauty supply store reignite my product junkie tendencies. I’ve purchased a lot of new stuff over the summer… just because. I don’t need anything new to make my hair act right, I’m just enticed by all of those bottles lined up all pretty-like. I could stay in a good beauty supply store for hours. Plus, if I hear or read about something that has worked for someone else, I feel I have to try it. It’s such a sickness.

By the way, can anyone tell me where I can get that Queen Helene Royal Curl, Curl Shaping Creme on the ground in the DMV area? I have got to try that stuff and won’t be completely satisfied on the product front until I find it. Again, a sickness, but it’s just $5! How could I not buy that?

A couple of products that I purchased that I absolutely love, you ask?

• Miss Jessie’s Super Sweetback Treatment in the sample size, of course. A good deep conditioner is hard to come by, in my opinion and this one did not disappoint.  My tangles melted away as soon as the deliciously fragrant product touched my tangled strands.  And the comb slid through my knotted tresses like softened butter on warm toast.  A bit dramatical?  Yes, but I loved it and can’t wait for their Buy One, Get One sale that they usually have in December. The sale is the only way that I’ll purchase that stuff because it runs $48 for 16oz. No ma’am, not at $3 an ounce! Even I have a limit. You should have seen me scouring the bottom of the shower for little globs that had fallen when I used it. Yes I did scrape it up and put it on my head. #noshame 
• Avlon KeraCare Creme Press has also been a nice addition for when I blow dry my hair for a dry twist out. I don't recall spending as much as this link states. It doesn’t leave my hair feeling sticky or greasy and it blends well with whatever product I use to twist my hair. No buildup, no flakes. 

One thing I did discover over the past couple of months is “baby hair”. I chuckle as I type this. I never had baby hair. If I did, it was surely fried off by the chemical processing back in the days of le perm. I saw the hairs one day when I was styling and got nervous because I thought it was breakage. But I knew better because I don't stress my hair line.

So I snapped a picture of my babies. And every morning I am tempted to slap some gel on them and slick 'em down on my forehead and make little squiggly lines. LOL, I kid. But it would be funny.

August Hair Update: One Year Later and Length Check!

August 1^st has come and gone but I want to acknowledge that it has been 1 year since I did, what I consider to be, my big chop.

Last year in the Spring I began flat ironing my hair more and more frequently.  As a result, I got heat damage.  Tired of the straight ends, I went to the local chop shop and had her cut about 4 inches of hair off.  I had about 4-5 inches remaining.  I wrote about it here.

Although I vowed not to use any heat on my hair for a year, I broke that promise and used a blow dryer several times.  I also flat ironed once and got a professional cut back in May.

Looking back I can say that this has been the best hair year since I made the decision to stop relaxing my hair in 2008.  My good hair days have certainly outweighed the bad and, judging from people’s compliments, the bad hair days weren’t as bad as I thought.  I stuck with the tried and true twist-out as a styling option, throwing in an occasional ‘fro puff for good measure.  My natural hair confidence has been boosted which means I haven’t cared much about what I used to stress over like curl definition, shrinkage and frizz.

About length…

Length was something that I was obsessed with in the beginning.  Not so much any more.  But I realize that it’s probably good to document hair growth if but only to let you know that you’re caring for your hair properly.  Hair grows [hard stop].  Poorly kept hair breaks off and splits which means you’re not retaining length.  If hair grows (on average) 1/4'’-1/2” a month but you have to get a 1/4”-1/2” trim every 6-8 weeks because of split ends, then you’ll see minimal growth.

And while protective styling is a great method that helps with (maximum) length retention; it’s not necessary.  I've only done one protective style (mini twists) in the last year.  Just keep the ends moisturized and handle them gently and you should be fine.

Although you can see my hair growth from my posted pictures below, I went ahead and grabbed a tape measure to record some stats.  My hair in the front is about 8” and when pulled taut, touches right below my chin; the hair on crown is 10”; hair on the sides right above my ears is about 7” and the hair at the very nape of my neck is just about 5”.  Not too bad, in my opinion.

Parting shots:

July 2010 - My Big Chop

August 2010

September 2010

January 2011

February 2011

April 2011

May 2011 - After Cut/Flat Ironed

July 2011

August 2011 - Blow Out/No Flat Iron

June/July Hair Update: Holy Grail Regimen

I get asked about my regimen a lot.  

“Tell me exactly what you do to your hair.”

And while I always share my routine and products – I mean, I do love talking about hair – I am quick to give my disclosure: what I do to my hair may not work for yours.  

But today, I’m going to give you the Holy Grail method to consistently perfect hair for free.  Brace yourselves.

If you take the time to learn the basic needs of your hair, then the rest is gravy.

Get with that rocket science.  

“Knowing your hair” can only come by fasting & prayer trial and error.  I used to read and hear folks say “listen to your hair” and frankly, I thought it was a bunch of hogwash.  But as I’ve come to learn over the last couple of years (yes, years!), that statement is so very true.  It doesn’t have to take you years to find your groove though.  Keep reading.

I know what my hair likes (oils and creams)…I know what my hair doesn’t like (protein and coconut oil).  I know when to wash with a shampoo (about once every 3-4 weeks or when I know I’ve been heavy-handed with product)…I know when I can get away with just a co-wash (about once a week).  I know when my hair needs moisture (always)…I know when my hair needs a protein treatment (never).  I know which products will net successful results…I know which products will have my hair looking a hot, sticky, unmanageable mess.  And I only know this because I’ve taken the time to try a whole bunch of methods and products to come to these conclusions.

Anything worth having is certainly worth taking the time to obtain, even if in that time you get frustrated.  And believe me; you will get frustrated…a lot.

So, I’m not going to tell you exactly what I do to my hair to achieve my results because over the past couple of months I’ve changed my method and tried different products.  But what I will suggest are some tips to you finding your Holy Grail regimen.

·        Document (mentally, on paper or through pictures…or all 3) what products and methods you used and the results.  

·        Try your method at least 3 times before you write it off as a complete failure, unless you get success on the first try.  Sometimes it’s not the combination of products that you use but the amount of product or the method in which you styled your hair.

·        Don’t use a whole bunch of products in one styling session because then it’s almost impossible to determine what is not working.  My general rule is to use a shampoo and/or a conditioner to cleanse, 1 leave in, 1 styler and an oil.  On the days that I need it, I’ll throw in a deep conditioner.

·        If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  But if you just have to try something new, only replace 1 product at a time.

·        Have a back up plan if things go south, because they will.  And it will be at the most inopportune time like 5 minutes before you have to leave for work.  My rescue style is a puff.  A large elastic band, some gel to smooth back the edges, a scarf to set the edges in place while I’m driving to work and a little fluff here and there ain’t never failed me yet.  Never!

In closing, and this probably should have been first, stop stressing!  Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Be patient.  If you stay the course, you’ll get there.

Parting shot. I styled my hair last night after a co-wash.  Although my products were the same, I used a different styling method – smaller twists on damp hair, diffused for about 5 minutes and then stretched the twists by pinning them back.  This morning I unraveled the twists, fluffed a little and...

#Winning

May Hair Update: Scissor Happy!

I was planning to wait until the end of June or July to straighten my hair and get a little trim.  You see, last year when I had some heat damage chopped off, there was no rhyme or reason to my hair.  It wasn’t shaped and I didn’t care because I didn’t plan on straightening it again for at least a year.  I had been researching salons and was set on a spot in New York that I planned to patronize on my business trip in June. 

I viewed this Youtube video last Thursday and was inspired to try this style out since all of my hair could gather into a substantial ponytail without me feeling like I was giving myself a facelift from pulling my hair so tight.  And the style was a huge success (I only used one pack of hair, not the 2 as suggested in the video).  Anyway, folks loved my bun and I’d settled on the fact that I was going to wear this style for 3 more days and on and off for the next month until I got my hair done professionally.

But then something happened.  I loathed the amount of gel I had to use to slick the hair down.   And then my scalp started feeling a little suffocated.  And then suddenly, I was fixated on getting my hair cut, not trimmed.  Then I talked myself off the ledge and tied a satin scarf around my edges, put on my satin bonnet and went to sleep Friday night with the intentions of repeating the bun.

But…what had happened was…

I woke up at 8:00 Saturday morning and HAD TO wash that product out of my hair.  And then I started digging in my stash of products for the blow-drying cream, and then the maxi.glide was plugged up and then…

A couple of hours later I was in my car, driving to my local chop shop where I have a tried and true stylist that does what I ask.  And I told her to cut my hair…even out the length…layer it. 

It was funny because even though she hadn’t seen me in almost a year she said, “No, you mean a small trim like usual, right?”  I shook my head and repeated my instructions.  She then says, “You know you’ll lose about 1-1/2” of hair off the back, yes?”  And I said without hesitation, “Yep, get started.”  She smiled and got to cutting.

She did mention while cutting my hair that it was very healthy (much healthier than the 1^st time she cut it a couple of years ago) and that with the type of growth I got in the span of 10 months, my hair would grow back in no time if I kept doing what I was doing.  Little does she know that my hair should have been at least 2 inches longer because I had been snipping and clipping ends like nobodies business over the last 10 months.

By the way, I love it!

Pre-Cut

Post Cut

Styled!

Full disclosure: I did have a few splits and knots that can only be attributed to wearing my hair out throughout the winter months.  But said splits certainly weren’t running an inch and a half up my hair strands.  This cut was done because I wanted a noticeable change to my hair.  I also needed to even out the length and give my hair some shape.

Product Review 1st Take: Terressentials Lavendar Garden Pure Earth Hair Wash

Note: Apologies for the lack of pictures in this post.  I was too concerned with mastering the process to stop and take photos of the experience.  I’ll be sure to include pictures in my 2^nd review of this product.

I mentioned this product the other day in this post .  Here’s my opinion after one use.

In a word, LOVE!  I’ll need to continue using it for a more balanced review but my hair has NEVER felt this good after a wash.

Ordering and Delivery:

I ordered my product on 4/20; got my ship notice on 4/21 and the packaged arrived at my door on 4/23.  I expected a quick delivery as I only live about 60 miles from Terressentials .  The hair wash came packaged nicely in a box and there was no damage to the product.  There were instructions concerning the product included in the box.

Ingredients:

Organic aloe vera juice°, clay minerals, organic extract° of organic linden flower°, essential oils of organic true lavender° and organic sweet orange°, extracts of organic nettle°, organic chamomile° and organic shavegrass°, essential oils of organic rose geranium°, organic ylang ylang° and organic clove bud°.

°USDA Certified Organic

Usage:

The instructions stated that if you were going to use the product on kinky, thick hair that it may be best to dilute the wash with water.  I started out the way Naptural85 diluted hers in her youtube video (in a small bowl) and quickly realized that her method wouldn’t work for me - too messy.  So I found a small spray bottle with a ‘stream’ option on the spray nozzle and added approximately 1 tablespoon of mud, per their instructions, and about ½ cup of warm water and then shook it vigorously to dilute. When I ran low, I just added more water since the remaining amount still looked muddy.

Process:

I hadn’t washed my hair in 12 days.  I wore a twist out for 9 of those days and a ‘fro puff for the last 3.  My hair was looking kind of dull and lifeless and had plenty of tangles due to my puff even though it wasn’t a wash-n-go puff.  I decided to NOT detangle my hair prior to using this product just to see how it would really work.  I sectioned my hair off in 6 sections and secured them with clips.

I then took each section and divided it in half or thirds, depending on how large it was.  I sprayed some wash at the base 1^st and massaged my scalp.  I then sprayed each section a couple of times and worked the wash through my hair from root to tip.  After I worked the wash through the section, I gently detangled by pulling the strands apart with my hands.  Once pulled apart, I finger combed through the section to rid it of shed hairs.  Then, I twisted the section and went on to the next.

It took me about an hour to do my entire head because I wanted to make sure that I worked the product through properly and gave it enough time to sit in my hair.  I didn’t ‘detox’ as the website suggested because I don’t use many synthetic products and didn’t think I had much build up from the few “unhealthy” products that I use.  To rinse, I put my head under a running stream of warm water and rinsed the twists until the water was clean.  I then wrung out any excess water and wrapped my hair in a t-shirt for about 15-20 minutes.

Styling:

After my hair was rinsed and air-dried for 15-20 minutes, I unraveled each twist, one at a time, and applied my shea butter mixture and re-twisted.  This was the only time that I used a brush and that was just on the ends to help with the smoothing.  I woke up this morning to well moisturized twists that I unraveled and fluffed.  Easy, breezy!

Conclusion:

I really LOVE this product.  My hair has never felt so clean and moisturized.  It never felt stripped or dry.  The fact that there wasn’t any lather didn’t faze me one bit and my scalp was clean.  Notice that I DID NOT use a conditioner during any part of this process.  I was skeptical about the omission but my hair still feels good.  I also noticed that my curl pattern was more defined when I was working the product through.  I hadn’t seen those types of ringlets and curls in quite some time.

If you’re really looking for an all natural organic cleanser, I recommend that you give this a try.

Product Pre-Review: Terresentials Lavendar Garden Hair Wash

I learned about this hair product a few months ago on Naptural85’s  YouTube channel here and here. She has nothing but rave reviews about this Terressentials hair wash and I thought that when the time came that I was almost out of my regular shampoo and conditioner, I’d go ahead and give this a try.

Let’s forget the fact that this ‘wash’ is nothing more than mud with a bunch of essential oils in it. It is, however, 100% USDA Certified Organic.  There’s no other product on the market that can claim that, supposedly.  Peruse their website when you get a chance; they have a wealth of information.  But if you do find a product that touts the same, let me know about it in the comments.

I’m not out of my regular shampoo and conditioner but I am, however, tired of my current routine.  Even though I’ve greatly reduced the time in which it takes to wash and style my hair, I need an even shorter process.  If this wash does what Nap85 claims, I won’t have to pre-detangle or deep condition.  Using her videos as a testament to how healthy her hair appears, it works!  This will be a win in my book. *fingers crossed*

The product is not too expensive.  At $10.75 for an 8 oz bottle, it doesn’t break my $2.00 an ounce rule for purchasing products.  But what had me giving this the side-eye supreme was the fact that shipping is $8.75 and the business is only about 60 miles away from my house, in the same state!  I considered driving to the store but with gas being almost $4/gallon, nixed that idea immediately.  Anyway, with shipping, that puts my price per ounce at a little over $2.50.  However, this is (hopefully) going to be a 2-for-1: shampoo AND conditioner product.  To further allay the anxiety of the crazy shipping cost, I went ahead and threw in a body oil (that I didn’t need) – which means I spent more money – to justify the $8.75. Get with that logic.

So the next time I wash my hair, this is the product I’ll use.

And I’ll report back with results in 3 parts: 1^st use; 2^nd use 1 or 2 weeks later; and then final take.

Wish me luck!

Anyone out there tried this?

March/April Hair & Styling Update

There’s really nothing new going on in the world of my hair.  I still haven’t done any protective styling and as a result, I have encountered my share of knots.   I’m really not that concerned because the knots are concentrated at the very ends of my hair strand and can easily be snipped off with a good pair of shears.

I’m pretty sure I snipped of about 1/8” of hair about a week ago when I was retwisting my hair for bed.  The ends were feeling a bit rough.  That little snip made a world of difference in the appearance of my twist-out the next morning.

Last night I detangled, washed and deep conditioned my hair (after 3 weeks!), blow dried it and twisted.  I blow dried in sections using grape seed oil as my heat protectant.  Once dry, I applied the Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque as a leave in then broke the larger section into smaller ones.  I used a mixture of Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding, aloe vera gel, Garnier Fructis styling gel and some {silicone-mineral oil-olive oil leave in moisturizer} representing itself as a ‘natural’ product.  This concoction was born out of no full supply of any styling product (gasp, how’d that happen?!). I smoothed that mixture on each smaller section and twisted.  When all was said and done I had about 40-50 small twists.  Now, I don’t usually do this many twists but I wanted a lot of definition initially so that my twist out can be just right by the weekend.  After completing the twists I applied a satin scarf to prevent shrinkage and then a bonnet to protect the twists that were hanging out of the scarf.

This morning I strongly considered keeping the twists in for work but couldn’t figure how to style them.  So while driving to work, I untwisted.  LOL  I had already applied a light oil before leaving the house.  I did minimal separation or fluffing because it was raining and I didn’t want to promote additional frizz.

Side note: that styling concoction…#winning.  I got a nice, soft hold with good definition.  I’m really not that concerned these days with the evil ingredients in the styling product.

Here’s a really terrible phone camera pic of the results.  Note that I haven’t really done anything to my hair – no fluffing, no pinning, no styling and minimal separation.  It’s just…hanging.  

Product Review: A Final Word on “Curls”

I’ve written about the Curls products here and here.

I used the products that I purchased with my own money once again; this time, following the instructions to the letter.

I detangled and clarified my hair, ridding it of any product build up.  I then applied the cleansing cream to each section of hair and worked it through.  Bleh!  My hair still didn’t feel quite right.  I expected it to feel soft.  After the rinse, I applied the conditioner to my hair, added a plastic cap and sat under the hood dryer for 25 minutes.  I rinsed my hair with cool water.  Again, still didn’t completely like how my hair felt and I'm pretty sure it's because of the protein content in the conditioner.  I sectioned off my hair, added a bit of leave in conditioner along with some gel and braided each section of hair for a braid out.  I don’t like braid-outs on me either, by the way.

I really want to love these products but I just don’t.  Maybe I'm using the wrong things for my hair type. And because of the price, I'm pretty sure I won't be trying any other products from this company unless, of course, someone recommends something that's really working for them.  LOL - PJ for Life!  I am happy, however, that they work for others and will find somebody to give them too. 

Any 4B ladies out there that use Curls and like it?  If so, what are you using?

Still Growing and Styling Update!

Whew, Lord.  I’m back to blogging.

The last month has been a doozy.  Although I ‘m not going to share the details here (or maybe I will) of what has happened; let’s just say that I really missed blogging.

On to hair…

In an effort to not be a slave to my hair, I’ve changed up my regimen so that I can now wash and style my hair during the week so as not to clog up an entire Friday night or Saturday afternoon.  What have I done differently, you ask? 

I’ve been blow drying my hair.

*GASP*

We should never say never when it comes to things in life; even hair.  I’m pretty sure that I was on a “no heat” type challenge not too long ago but I had to be completely honest with myself; for the winter months, it’s just not that practical.  Further, I don’t want to have to wear twists in my hair for a full day (usually Friday night through Saturday) to allow my hair to completely air dry. Also, the more stretched my hair is, the fewer knots I get.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  LOL

Anyway, last Thursday evening (8:00PM!), I detangled, washed and conditioned my hair.  I then parted off in random sections, applied some whipped shea butter and grapeseed oil (for heat protection) and blow dried each section on the low setting until the hair was just about dry.  I applied a leave in conditioner and broke the larger section down into smaller ones and twisted, adding a dab of Garnier Fructis Body Boost Gel for a little hold. 

Friday, I was able to wear my hair “out” to work and I am very pleased with the results.  I’m rolling with this process for now.  I have noticed that my hair is growing quite nicely as well; although, I’m in desperate need of a haircut so that my hair can have shape.  Not sure if the length is a result of the blow drying (probably is) but I’m going to have to look for a styling alternative because my “bangs” are getting in the way. 

Take a look!

Target and CVS

Yeah, those are Willow Smith’s favorite places to shop.  How "regular person" is that?  LOL

Is That a Spider? Knot!

The picture below is not of some tiny little spider-like bug that I found at my desk.

This picture, my dear friend, is of a dreaded fairy knot.  Fairy knots (or single strand knots) are pure and simply, the devil - specifically to the highly textured hair community.  I remember reading about knots and honestly, I didn’t really believe that your hair could magically coil upon itself or that two strands of hair could wrestle each other and create one.  I was sorely mistaken. 

Those jokers exist! And, I guess that’s where “fairy” comes into play because surely there’s a tiny gnome-like creature with wings that’s going around and tying these things in my hair.

*deep sigh…*

I still don’t stress over it.  If I find one, I just take a pair of shears and snip it off.  No biggie.

What can you do to prevent knots?

·        Keep your hair moisturized and seal the ends with oil.

·        Limit wash-n-go styling – shrunken hair is more susceptible to knots and tangles than stretched hair.

·        Use protective styles (twists, braids, wigs and weaves); and if that is not your preference (like me),

·        Twist your hair at night and protect it with a satin bonnet or pillow case

·        Or…straighten your hair. *clutches pearls*  But really, straight hair just doesn’t knot.

Quick Pic and Curls Update

Here’s a February picture of my hair.  I’m still experimenting with loose hair vs. protective styling for the winter and this is just a regular twist-out which is my staple style.

I’m 4 days post Curls usage and I don’t like the way my hair feels.  And looking at this picture, I'm not all the way kosher with how it looks either.  Nothing has changed in my routine except for those products and my hair feels a teeny bit crunchy and is not as stretched as I'd like it to be.  I suspect it’s the protein in the conditioner but I’m going to give it one more try this weekend, with a couple of modifications, to confirm whether I like the Curls line or not.  I really want to like it because if I don't, I’ll have to give the products away.

Have you used anything new on you hair lately?  Did you like it?  

I've Been Steaming!

My hair, that is.

I first heard about “steam treatments” almost 3 years ago – at the beginning of my “going natural” journey – from a distant cousin who lives in Texas. The harsh water in Texas was wreaking havoc on her hair leaving it dull, brittle and lifeless.  She flew to Atlanta at least once a month (thanks to buddy passes) so her stylist could resuscitate her hair.  Part of the process was spending time under a steamer.  

Fast forward about a year and I started hearing more about hair steamers.  I hadn’t quite gotten a handle on my own hair (even after a year long transition and a couple of months being completely natural) as it related to having a good moisture level.  My hair continued to feel dry and brittle to the touch.

I figured I’d try the steamer to help me out.  I didn’t purchase the Huetiful Hair Steamer  because every time I went to the site to order, they were out of stock.  So I trekked over to ebay and found an Ion Facial and Hair Steamer shipped from China.  The picture looked the same as the Huetiful and the seller had a high rating, so I took a chance and purchased it...for less, I might add.  Ten days later and it was delivered and worked just fine.

A few people have asked me about the benefit of using a hair steamer.  My response: “Using a hair steamer is like deep conditioning...on steroids.”  I personally think steaming is better than using a plastic cap and sitting under the hood dryer and that’s mainly because I loathe sitting under hot, dry heat.  You sit under the steamer without a plastic cap so the steam is in direct contact with your hair and opens the hair cuticles which allows the conditioner to penetrate better.  Steamers are also said to help prevent breakage and split ends.  And the booklet that came with my Ion steamer states that the steam is also an effective scalp cleanser. 

There are quite a few reviews on the internet and I’ve yet to see anyone say that it isn’t a good investment.  However, don’t go broke trying to purchase one.  We’ve been deep conditioning without steamers all this time and our hair has been doing just fine.  And let’s be honest, we all go into these product purchases with the intention of being consistent in our use and it doesn’t always happen that way.  *raises hand slowly*

2 ways I justified my purchase:

1. I had some unexpected mad money that wasn’t earmarked for anything else.
2. I calculated cost per use.  Regular salons charge anywhere from $10-25 extra for a steam treatment.  Using that rationale, the steamer has paid for itself many times over.  Plus, I don’t go to the salon.

Have you used a hair steamer?  Thinking about getting one?

A Quick "Curls" Product Review

I’ve adopted the rule that a lot of naturals adhere to these days to avoid product junkie-ism: don’t purchase a new product until your current one is gone.

I’ve been without a shampoo for 3 weeks (which means I hadn’t washed my hair in 3 weeks; can you say “trifling”) and decided to purchase the Curlicious Curls Cleansing Cream since I had read so many great reviews about it.  I was feeling extra adventurous when I went to my local beauty supply store and decided to get the Curl Ecstasy Hair Tea Organic Conditioner to go along with it.  It seems that these products are part of a system and since I had been gifted step #4 by a friend, I figured I was well on my way to a moisture-rich, luscious curl experience.  By the way, step #3 is a moisturizer and curl refresher for 2nd day hair.  I didn't bother purchasing this because the best moisturizer is water and I have plenty of that at home.  Ha!

Anyway on to the review...

The Cleansing Cream

I’m not that impressed.  I wasn’t weirded out by the lack of suds but my hair seemed to feel a bit stripped and there was no slip.  I checked out the website and saw this note: if you are a first time CURLS customer, use Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo to get rid of product buildup of other products so that you get the best results from our products.  Oh…

The Conditioner

Instead of being happy Cathy and grabbing this conditioner like it was the last one available on earth, I should have read the ingredients label first before throwing down my cash on the counter.  This conditioner has soy protein and my hair doesn’t do well with any type of protein.  For deep conditioning (which I needed), the instructions specifically say to apply a plastic cap after application and use with heat for 20-25 minutes.  This can also be used for co-washing.  I wasn’t too impressed with this either.  Full disclosure: I wasn’t feeling well when I used this conditioner and the thought of sitting under a dryer for ½ hour was making me sick to my stomach.  So instead, I kept the plastic cap on for an hour.  Upon rinsing, my hair didn’t feel moisturized.  It could have been the lack of applied heat and it could’ve been the protein).

I won’t comment on step #4 because it isn’t even marketed for my hair type.  But all things considered, it did help with the definition of my twist out…I think.

I’m not going to totally give up on these products because I didn’t clarify, I didn’t use the conditioner exactly as stated and mostly because these products weren’t cheap.  I’ll report back again the next time I use them (as instructed) to see if I have better results.

Can I make a quick comment on the ingredients list?  I’m honestly giving Curls the side-eye because some of those ingredients don’t even sound all the way kosher.  For some reason when you market a product as “created with certified organic ingredients”, I feel you should be able to easily pronounce said ingredients.

Have you tried the Curls line?  How did you like it?