~*~*The Newly Natural Thread*~*~

[Grand Prix]

Hey Grand Prix! I use Tresemme Naturals Moisturizing Conditioner every day. I love it soo much! It's cheap and effective. Once a week I do a light protein treatment with Mane N Tail and coconut oil.

I noticed you mentioned build up, have you considered being cone-free?

I can't find those brands here..
I'm giving up no more ordering off the internet and accept my hair is an just an expensive hobby!
Today I'm going to buy a cone free conditioner (Inecto, has anybody heard of this?) and see how it does.. And then go ahead and order my beloved Aubrey Organics anyway..
And maybe if this works out, those natural shampoo bars (Chagrin Valley) will work better for me as there are no cones to remove.

However, I've heard a few naturals say that cones do help with curl definition and battling ssk's and I've already got a lot of those..

My hair is growing ridiculously fast since the big chop. I cut off an inch ( two in some areas) and I'm making great progress. My pics are in my siggy!

Your hair really did grow ridiculously fast!
Your last relaxer was two days before mine btw , but my nape shrinks up sooo bad I think it'll be another 2 years before it will hang comfortably on my shoulders like yours.

Welcome to all the new naturals and glad to see how everyone's doing with their hair.

Boy, oh boy, I'm just loving my hair too much. I still have yet to back under a wig and with the temperature spike that we got the week before last, I certainly had even more of a reason to be au naturale. I've been co-washing every day or every day and doing a puff, a fro or taking a piece from each temple and pulling it back, like in this pic:

Girl your hair is thickk! I love it!

 

[cch24]

Grand Prix, I didn't realize you weren't in the US. I hope that the conditioners you've found work for you! I went cone free after reading the threads on LHC and Naturally Curly. It doesn't seem to be talked about as frequently on this board.

I know for some naturals being cone free helps with their curl definition, but I've also read that cones help people. I guess everyone is truly different.

What are you doing about your SSK's? I've checked my hair a few times and don't see any yet. I'm hoping that when I start wearing WNG's they don't become a problem.

 

[Anew]

I used MJ curly pudding last night to do twists and I don't think I really like it. I will use this jar up though, I think I just went overboard on the pudding. It was flaky this morning, I don't like how its sticky either. While I was putting it on I saw how much definition it gave my kinks/coils (not sure how to describe my hair) but I was using a lot. So I can't imagine how that would look.

I wonder if it had anything to do with me just letting it airdry instead of going under the dryer. I'm gonna try it out again but I'll be looking for something better. It makes my hair kinda hard, not too hard but its not soft. I don't know its okay, today is my first day wearing my hair out

 

[Nali1987]

I can't find those brands here..
I'm giving up no more ordering off the internet and accept my hair is an just an expensive hobby!
Today I'm going to buy a cone free conditioner (Inecto, has anybody heard of this?) and see how it does.. And then go ahead and order my beloved Aubrey Organics anyway..
And maybe if this works out, those natural shampoo bars (Chagrin Valley) will work better for me as there are no cones to remove.

I use it as a deepmoisturizing conditioner. I love the coconut scent. It leaves my hair frizzy though so I'm trying to find a replacement for it.

My hair felt so dry and itchy this morning and I was late so I really didn't have time to wash my hair! PLus there was a cold wind and I get sick really fast so I put on a cute hat (ala Rihanna) and went out the door. Trouble is, it's a little too big (I bought it when I wore braids) so I had to pin it and pray for NO STRONG winds. Lol, dealing with natural hair is not easy.

 

[Grand Prix]

Booo..

I was having a great hair day, I really was.
But then my boss (actually my boss' boss' boss, which makes it worse) shows up, looks at me and goes "What on earth have you done??" looking all shocked and disappointed.

Then later today I saw a friend who told me I looked like a poodle!
I already promised myself not to take that kind of nonsense from people when it came to my natural hair, so I told her excuse me, and then she went on about how it was actually pretty awesome.

 

[Grand Prix]

Grand Prix, I didn't realize you weren't in the US. I hope that the conditioners you've found work for you! I went cone free after reading the threads on LHC and Naturally Curly. It doesn't seem to be talked about as frequently on this board.

I know for some naturals being cone free helps with their curl definition, but I've also read that cones help people. I guess everyone is truly different.

What are you doing about your SSK's? I've checked my hair a few times and don't see any yet. I'm hoping that when I start wearing WNG's they don't become a problem.

Yeah I live in the Netherlands. With the tulips and windmills and cone and sulfate stuffed hairproducts!!
I spent the afternoon looking for products with okay ingredients but everything was just harsh and horrible. Back to ordering I go..
I'd really like to try cone free now!

Lucky you for not having ssk's, you are so going to make wsl in 3 years..
I guess I should be doing stretched styles to avoid them, but also what helps a lot is not touching my hair when it's dry. I'll pull a strand and make it knot at the end by accident.
Not sure what the plan is. Some naturals ignore them, cut them off or pick them out with a needle. So far I've been doing all three.

I use it as a deepmoisturizing conditioner. I love the coconut scent. It leaves my hair frizzy though so I'm trying to find a replacement for it.

My hair felt so dry and itchy this morning and I was late so I really didn't have time to wash my hair! PLus there was a cold wind and I get sick really fast so I put on a cute hat (ala Rihanna) and went out the door. Trouble is, it's a little too big (I bought it when I wore braids) so I had to pin it and pray for NO STRONG winds. Lol, dealing with natural hair is not easy.

I ended up not buying the Inecto, I found the smell to be so synthetic!
Yeah I'm spoiled.
If you're suffering from dry hair, everything available here kind of sucks. Have you considered ordering your products?
Or maybe one last shot: Yes to Cucumbers/Yes to Carrots you can find here. At the V&D or Sephora.

 

[bride91501]

This is my first post! I've been lurking since my BC!

Ok, here are my answers:

BC date: Memorial Day 2010 (5/31/10)

How many months post-relaxer were you when you BCd: 8 months

My hair type: 4b (I think?!? I'm still learning , major shrinkage, like up to 50%, very dry but responds well to moisturizing treatments, thick, kinky and very healthy!

Current regimen: I plan to stay weaved or braided up until I hit 10" stretched. From lurking the LHCF boards, I know to co-wash and seal my hair weekly while I'm wearing this weave, and to DC once/month. I also rub some coconut oil, shea butter, or glycerin/water solution on my braids and scalp every 3-4 days. How am I doing?

Your favorite styles: Well, I haven't been natural since I was 12 (I'm 31 now), so I don't know yet! Generally, I either like my hair very short or very long. Nothing in between.

Your current length and goal length: Currently, I'm 3.5" stretched, but my goal is MBL (there, I claimed it!). I've never even had chin length hair before, but I'm claiming MBL!

Don't have an album yet, but I'll put one up soon....

 

[Ms.Christ3n]

Your hair really did grow ridiculously fast!
Your last relaxer was two days before mine btw , but my nape shrinks up sooo bad I think it'll be another 2 years before it will hang comfortably on my shoulders like yours.

I think it's because I have the simplest regimen ever!

Cowash, rinse, add more conditioner and then gel. Fluff and go!

This 101 degree weather is probably helping also...

 

[nestlequik]

This week I went to Whole Foods with the intent on buying some conditioner, Aubrey to be exact. Instead, I purchased Kinky Curly Curling Custard b/c of all the rave reviews I read about it despite the fact that I didn't care for Knot Today.

So, it's been about 5 days and so far I really like this product. It really does define my coils. But I have to follow the instructions to a tee, so I apply it on sopping wet hair after applying some Giovanni's Leave In Direct. Then b/c I apply extra product to the front of my hairline (it's so frizzy and a little straight- maybe scab hair?) I follow it up with a little bit of olive oil.
And I little goes a long way. I have to admit, I went through a bit of a price shock, $26 is a lot of money especially if it didn't work, but it has and I just need a little to get some definition.

The crazy thing is, I've been natural for 4 weeks and already I've bought and tried products from Oyin, Qhemet, Giovanni, and KCCC. I'm such a pj.

 

[Ms.Christ3n]

This week I went to Whole Foods with the intent on buying some conditioner, Aubrey to be exact. Instead, I purchased Kinky Curly Curling Custard b/c of all the rave reviews I read about it despite the fact that I didn't care for Knot Today.

So, it's been about 5 days and so far I really like this product. It really does define my coils. But I have to follow the instructions to a tee, so I apply it on sopping wet hair after applying some Giovanni's Leave In Direct. Then b/c I apply extra product to the front of my hairline (it's so frizzy and a little straight- maybe scab hair?) I follow it up with a little bit of olive oil.
And I little goes a long way. I have to admit, I went through a bit of a price shock, $26 is a lot of money especially if it didn't work, but it has and I just need a little to get some definition.

The crazy thing is, I've been natural for 4 weeks and already I've bought and tried products from Oyin, Qhemet, Giovanni, and KCCC. I'm such a pj.

Whole Foods has Aubrey Organics??? Hmm....are there any other stores that you can buy AUbrey Organics too?

 

[hopeful]

Booo..

I was having a great hair day, I really was.
But then my boss (actually my boss' boss' boss, which makes it worse) shows up, looks at me and goes "What on earth have you done??" looking all shocked and disappointed.

Then later today I saw a friend who told me I looked like a poodle!
I already promised myself not to take that kind of nonsense from people when it came to my natural hair, so I told her excuse me, and then she went on about how it was actually pretty awesome.

((((hugs)))). I'm sorry you got two negative comments about your hair in one day. Your boss was out of line IMO. Stay strong and positive.

 

[ZLUVSNEWZEE]

Hello all, I'm fairly new here and newly natural which I am very proud of because my hair was failling out from excessive chemical damage.

• When you BCd

I BCed on 4/30/2010 and was left with about 3 inches of natural hair.

• How many months post-relaxer were you when you BCd

I was maybe nine months post-relaxer at the time I BCed

• Your hair type, preferably your hair's characteristics (strand size, density, curl diameter, amount of shrinkage, growth pattern-up/down, etc.) - a detailed description can help in evaluating product and regimen's possible effectiveness

My hair type? I have no idea. When people talk about their hair type I feel retarded because I am completely confused by it. I have been in braid extensions consistently since my BC, so when I take out a braid here or there I see wavy curls from the braid I think, but I haven't seen all my hair since the BC so I have no idea of my hair type. I am excited to find out though and I'm hoping it's a good one if there is a good one.

• Your current regimen

My ideal regimen: crown and glory braid regiment (sort of) wash/dc (shorter time since I'm braided up) once a week, co-wash twice a week, re-braid every 2 months, mosturize with mix of infusium 23/water/evoo/keracare leave in or carol's daughter hair milk every night, oil scalp (especially edges) with evoo every night, baggy every night with sating scarf over baggy.
This is my ideal regimen but I don't stick to it as much as I should, especially the washing and co-washing. My extensions are super long (22 inches) so I usually avoid washing and co-washing but I'm installing shorter extensions right now and I'll get back on track.

• Your favorite styles

I usually wear my hair in a bun while in braids or down depending on how frizzy my braids look

• Your current length and goal length

I don't know my current length, maybe 3 or 4 inches. My goal length is thick and healthy APL

• Your photo album, if any

I have one pic of my hair currently on fotki under my screen name here. I don't know how to post pics to LHFC so if anyone can tell me how to do it I'd be happy to post pics here especially if someone can tell me what the hell my hair type is.

or jump right into the discussion! [/QUOTE]

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

i have been so lazy with my hair. i have found that if i am twisting my hair with BRBC and wearing a twistout later in the week, my hair stays very moisturized. but with me only washing once or twice a week, and wearing wash'n'gos my hair is very dry. the first time i went natural, i cowashed everyday. i need to go back to that and quit bein lazy. i can feel my crown shriveling up lol. ♥

 

[Nali1987]

I ended up not buying the Inecto, I found the smell to be so synthetic!
Yeah I'm spoiled.
If you're suffering from dry hair, everything available here kind of sucks. Have you considered ordering your products?
Or maybe one last shot: Yes to Cucumbers/Yes to Carrots you can find here. At the V&D or Sephora.

So I just discovered www.fruugo.com/nl. Where has it been all my life? Almost all american hairproducts and no 200% in shipping costs! God, I need a job. erplexed

 

[Avaya]

I decided to just go ahead and cut the straight hairs. I think I took off about 1/4" all around. My hair looks so much better, much more... polished. All those dang straightish hairs sticking up all over my head were not the business.

This is week three of my natural journey and I still don't have a solid regimen. I'm changing some things yet again 'cause what I am currently doing is not working. There has to be a method, a product, something that leaves my hair feeling as soft and smooth dry as it does wet. Frizzy, puff-puff hair is one thing, prickly, crunchy hair is another...

 

[nestlequik]

Whole Foods has Aubrey Organics??? Hmm....are there any other stores that you can buy AUbrey Organics too?

You can find them at stores like the Vitamin Shoppe, natural food coops, and online.

 

[pookaloo83]

So I just discovered www.fruugo.com/nl. Where has it been all my life? Almost all american hairproducts and no 200% in shipping costs! God, I need a job. erplexed

I clicked on the site all excited without even reading. It's not for people in the US.

 

[Nali1987]

I clicked on the site all excited without even reading. It's not for people in the US.

I'm sorry. You guys have everything! We need to import.

 

[Trini_Chutney]

Okay I've read the threads on here and have seen few youtube vids abou the subject of scab hair. Before going natural I never paid attention to the threads because it didn't really interest me, now that it does I want to ask the ladies in THIS thread, have you experienced having scab hair?

I straightened the front part of my hair just to see what it looks like and I noticed while most of it starting from the roots were really straight, the ends were all tough and didn't respond to heat at all. It felt like my ends were a totally different texture. Well I ran across a youtube video and the young lady who made the video also has a blog and she posted pictures of her hair after cutting off the scab hair straightened and of the scab hair itself. It looks just like my hair, the scab hair that is. So all the talk of it being a myth vs reality blah blah blah, I believe its real. Now if it isn't real to me that just means its called something else and not scab hair, all I know is its definitely something I need to cut off.

I just ran my fingers through different sections of my hair and can clearly feel the difference. So I'm sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to know if anyone has dealt with this and if so what methods did you use to get rid of it? I don't want to straighten my hair but I want to be sure to get the scab hair off and nothing else. Eh, not sure what to do. Or if I should grow it out some more and wait, but length isn't a concern right now, I just want it to be healthy. So please if you read through all of this please chime in, lol

I didn't know what to make of "scab hair" either. Now I do believe it's possible. I have a patch of hair right in the front of my head that is kinky straight and feels like brillo. I tried dcing, protein, everything and the hair just wouldn't respond. It's not like the curls are a different category (4b/3a), the hair just will not curl and is a reddish brown color. I just notice after my dc yesterday that the roots are growing in silkier now, and they're black. It will be interesting to see if this patch will curl once it grows out.


ETA: I uploaded some pics to my fotki yesterday. I can tell my hair is growing!!!!

 

[Platinum]

Bride91501 and ZLUVSNEWZEE!

 

[Platinum]

Hey Ladies, I'm still doing Wash and Go puffs. I'm trying to keep things simple. No heat, I cowash and DC every other day, baggy at night, and moisturize with Worlds of Curls activator and moisturizer, followed by Ecostyler Olive Oil gel (thank you StephElise). I'm thinking about Henna'ing tonight with Reshma Henna.

Here's a pic that I took the other day. My usual afro, picked out, no heat:

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

goodness. i cowashed today and i felt my crown; it was pitiful. i think my crown benefits most from daily cowashing, since it is dryer than the rest of my hair. poor little hairs were snappin and tanglin left and right. i'm gonna fix it though. ♥

 

[Avaya]

Just put some shea butter in my hair for the first time and now my hair feels super soft, greasy (I was a little heavy handed), but soft.

I'm going to try some Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse next week to help tame frizz and define curls. I tried the Eco-styler gel once and it just wasn't for me. I will report back on the mousse and let folks know how I liked it/if it worked for me.

 

[hopeful]

So happy to finally officially join you ladies. I bc'd two days ago after a one-year transition. I plan to conditioner wash tonight.

 

[Platinum]

Hopeful! Congratulations on your BC!

 

[hopeful]

Hopeful! Congratulations on your BC!

Thanks Platinum!

 

[LoveCraze]

Hey guys. Just checking in. I'm still wearing my hair the same way which is a modified wash and go I guess. The only difference is that I am not wetting my hair completely, only the ends to refresh. I'm loving this easy breezy reggie/routine.
So here's how my hair has been looking lately.

I made this hair tie that I learned off of youtube. I can't find the orginal video that showed how to do it but I see that there are several other ways to do this also. You can just search under loc or hair ties.

Did I mention how much I am just loving my hair!!!! So glad to be natural!!

 

[hopeful]

^^^Very pretty. I love it!

 

[mrsjohnson75]

StephElise...your hair is gorgeous!!!!! I can see the growth . You are making it sooo hard for me to continue on.

I'm going back in lurkmode since I'm not technically "newly natural"....I know you guys think I'm crazy with thanking ppl for their posts but I love this thread..it has tons of info.

 

[andromeda]

Hey guys. Just cheicking in. I'm still wearing my hair the same way which is a modified wash and go I guess. The only difference is that I am not wetting my hair completely, only the ends to refresh. I'm loving this easy breezy reggie/routine.
So here's how my hair has been looking lately.

I made this hair tie that I learned off of youtube. I can't find the orginal video that showed how to do it but I see that there are several other ways to do this also. You can just search under loc or hair ties.

Did I mention how much I am just loving my hair!!!! So glad to be natural!!

Love your hair tie and your hair looks so healthy and pretty! Good to hear you're enjoying your hair and your regimen!

StephElise...your hair is gorgeous!!!!! I can see the growth . You are making it sooo hard for me to continue on.

I'm going back in lurkmode since I'm not technically "newly natural"....I know you guys think I'm crazy with thanking ppl for their posts but I love this thread..it has tons of info.

Glad you find the thread useful Your thanks and participation are welcome. Can't wait until you join us - I know you're going to have a fab head of fully natural hair!