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

[MummysGirl]

Great minds Steph

I love yours, very cute (much better than okay!)

I'll take pictures... of course

You're right, great protective style, I know with twists and shrinkage go hand in hand (which is why I had no choice but to pin them up) but I love how they look, so juicy So I think they'll be my weekly style and I'll play in my hair during the weekends. I'm so glad I'm finally natural!

I love how those twists look and your fab puff. The hairstyle you plan to do sounds like one I just did while experimenting. I think it came out okay for my first time. I plan to keep practicing though. It really is a nice protective style too.

 

[Evallusion]

Hey everybody and welcome to all of the new peeps!

I am discovering so many different things about my hair lately. First off it hates ALL oils EXCEPT Castor Oil. My hair LOVES CASTOR OIL!

For now, I have all of the products that I need except for a deep conditioner and a moisturizer.

Shampoo--Renpure Organics Moisturizing Shampoo (sulfate free)
Conditioner--Renpure Organics Moisturizing Conditioner (cone free)
Leave In--Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In (cone free)
Sealer--Castor Oil
Moisturizer--????????
Deep Conditioner--??????

As you can see, I am searching for a moisturizer and a deep conditioner. Suggestions ladies??

My hair is super thick and I normally use butters as a moisturizer but get this...Last night I cowashed my hair. When I was finished I only put Castor Oil in my hair and it was just as soft, if not softer than when I used my butter underneath the Castor Oil. In other words, I don't think that the butters are really doing anything for my hair...instead its the Castor Oil that is supplying the moisture, softness and sheen. By the way, the butters I use are pure Olive Butter or pure Shea Butter. I'm wondering if the butter is too heavy. Perhaps I need a creamy moisturizer? Or maybe something water based?

I really want to just forgo the moisturizer and strictly use the Castor Oil but, I know that oils are just sealants. Do you guys think its okay to use only Castor Oil, or should I be applying some kind of moisturizer to my hair regardless?

Wow, that was a mouthful.

In addition to that, I am now only combing my hair in the shower when it is full of conditioner. Its so much easier and it is saving me soooo much hair. I think I am going to start cowashing my hair daily or at least 3 times a week. My hair is so much easier to manage after a wash. It is absolutely impossible for me to do anything to it while it is dry. And spraying with a spray bottle doesn't even cut it because it takes forever for my hair to "get wet". Its like the water just sits there and drips down my face but my actual hair doesn't seem wet at all. I dunno how to word it...I have mutant hair.

So yeah, there you have it. Other than that my hair is doing extremely well. Knock on wood

How is everyone else?

 

[lwilliams1922]

have you tried Ao HSR? Or Wen fig?

Hey everybody and welcome to all of the new peeps!

I am discovering so many different things about my hair lately. First off it hates ALL oils EXCEPT Castor Oil. My hair LOVES CASTOR OIL!

For now, I have all of the products that I need except for a deep conditioner and a moisturizer.

Shampoo--Renpure Organics Moisturizing Shampoo (sulfate free)
Conditioner--Renpure Organics Moisturizing Conditioner (cone free)
Leave In--Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In (cone free)
Sealer--Castor Oil
Moisturizer--????????
Deep Conditioner--??????

As you can see, I am searching for a moisturizer and a deep conditioner. Suggestions ladies??

My hair is super thick and I normally use butters as a moisturizer but get this...Last night I cowashed my hair. When I was finished I only put Castor Oil in my hair and it was just as soft, if not softer than when I used my butter underneath the Castor Oil. In other words, I don't think that the butters are really doing anything for my hair...instead its the Castor Oil that is supplying the moisture, softness and sheen. By the way, the butters I use are pure Olive Butter or pure Shea Butter. I'm wondering if the butter is too heavy. Perhaps I need a creamy moisturizer? Or maybe something water based?

I really want to just forgo the moisturizer and strictly use the Castor Oil but, I know that oils are just sealants. Do you guys think its okay to use only Castor Oil, or should I be applying some kind of moisturizer to my hair regardless?

Wow, that was a mouthful.

In addition to that, I am now only combing my hair in the shower when it is full of conditioner. Its so much easier and it is saving me soooo much hair. I think I am going to start cowashing my hair daily or at least 3 times a week. My hair is so much easier to manage after a wash. It is absolutely impossible for me to do anything to it while it is dry. And spraying with a spray bottle doesn't even cut it because it takes forever for my hair to "get wet". Its like the water just sits there and drips down my face but my actual hair doesn't seem we at all. I dunno how to word it...I have mutant hair.

So yeah, there you have it. Other than that my hair is doing extremely well. Knock on wood

How is everyone else?

 

[Evallusion]

have you tried Ao HSR? Or Wen fig?

Thanks!!

I haven't tried either of those. But after looking them up, the Aubrey Organics line seems to be more in my budget. Do you know if it is sold in stores? Or can it only be purchased online?

 

[ingenious_mind]

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!

Originally Posted by Nali1987
I BC'ed! Dealing with two textures just got too insane for me to deal with. I like how it looks, feels, everything! I keep playing with the little kinks. I've received a lot of compliments on my twa. I have a question, are there any naturals out there that co-wash on a daily basis? How is your hair handling it? Thanks for the replies! [\quote]

I cowash my hair on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day! I just do a light protein treatment once a week to equal out with the moisture.

Ms.Christ3n, I love your growth! What type of light protein conditioner are you using? I am in need of a good one and I have also been very lazy with cowashing lately. Last week I only washed once and when detangling I had KNOTS ( I'm never neglecting my hair again)! I am going to start cowashing every other day because I think everyday might have been to much for me.

 

[LoveCraze]

Hey everybody and welcome to all of the new peeps!

I am discovering so many different things about my hair lately. First off it hates ALL oils EXCEPT Castor Oil. My hair LOVES CASTOR OIL!

For now, I have all of the products that I need except for a deep conditioner and a moisturizer.

Mine too at the bolded.

For a deep conditioner, I use Lustrasilk Shea butter cholesterol, silicon mix and I still like ORS Replenishing conditioner.
For my moisturizer, the juice keeps me nice and hydrated. I prefer to mix mine with Scurl, Wave Noveau, Carfree Curl Gold and then I add lemongrass eo for scent! I love me some lemongrass oil . And best of all, all these things can be purchased at your local retailer instead of online.

 

[CurlTalk]

Whoo! I I can finally post in this thread! I just big chopped today!

Also feel free to introduce yourself by telling us

• When you BCd Today!
• How many months post-relaxer were you when you BCd 10.5
• 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 I think 4A...
• Your current length and goal length NL/ WL

I'll be back with pics, ladies! I'm so excited to be natural!

 

[LoveCraze]

Whoo! I I can finally post in this thread! I just big chopped today!


Also feel free to introduce yourself by telling us

• When you BCd Today!
• How many months post-relaxer were you when you BCd 10.5
• 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 I think 4A...
• Your current length and goal length NL/ WL

I'll be back with pics, ladies! I'm so excited to be natural!

Yay!! Congratulations and welcome!! Can't wait to see your pics!!!

 

[lwilliams1922]

Thanks!!

I haven't tried either of those. But after looking them up, the Aubrey Organics line seems to be more in my budget. Do you know if it is sold in stores? Or can it only be purchased online?

AO HSR is avail in stores but I found it cheaper on line.

Wen: I use it as a moisture spray. A few squirts mixed with water (and sometimes oil). You can also look @ hairone. It's similar to Wen but cheaper and avail @ sally's.

 

[andromeda]

Sounds like you have low-porosity hair, evallusion - a lot of people refer to this as hair that doesn't "take water". This is why I encourage folks to describe different characteristics of their hair in their intros because the effectiveness of a product like moisturizer has a lot to do with factors beyond curl size.

You can take a trial-and-error approach or get down to the nitty-gritty of "why?", or some combo of the two and find out which products and techniques work best for your hair. I did a quick search on the natural haven blog and came up with these posts related to porosity and moisture vs. oil. There are also really good posts on deep conditioners.

The products that come to mind based on what you've described and my own use and other people's reviews are Roux Porosity Control, Aurbery Organics White Camelia or Honeysuckle Rose (deep conditioner) and Qhemet Burdock Root Butter Cream or glycerin-based product (moisturizer). But it really comes down to ingredient types and techniques.

 

[MummysGirl]

Look forward to seeing pics

Whoo! I I can finally post in this thread! I just big chopped today!

Also feel free to introduce yourself by telling us

• When you BCd Today!
• How many months post-relaxer were you when you BCd 10.5
• 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 I think 4A...
• Your current length and goal length NL/ WL

I'll be back with pics, ladies! I'm so excited to be natural!

 

[Evallusion]

Mine too at the bolded.

For a deep conditioner, I use Lustrasilk Shea butter cholesterol, silicon mix and I still like ORS Replenishing conditioner.
For my moisturizer, the juice keeps me nice and hydrated. I prefer to mix mine with Scurl, Wave Noveau, Carfree Curl Gold and then I add lemongrass eo for scent! I love me some lemongrass oil . And best of all, all these things can be purchased at your local retailer instead of online.

Thanks for the advice. I've tried "the juice" but its hit or miss for me. Some days it leaves my hair super soft...other days it leaves a crunchy film. But when it does work, its the bomb.

AO HSR is avail in stores but I found it cheaper on line.

Wen: I use it as a moisture spray. A few squirts mixed with water (and sometimes oil). You can also look @ hairone. It's similar to Wen but cheaper and avail @ sally's.

Thanks, I will look into that.

Sounds like you have low-porosity hair, evallusion - a lot of people refer to this as hair that doesn't "take water". This is why I encourage folks to describe different characteristics of their hair in their intros because the effectiveness of a product like moisturizer has a lot to do with factors beyond curl size.

You can take a trial-and-error approach or get down to the nitty-gritty of "why?", or some combo of the two and find out which products and techniques work best for your hair. I did a quick search on the natural haven blog and came up with these posts related to porosity and moisture vs. oil. There are also really good posts on deep conditioners.

The products that come to mind based on what you've described and my own use and other people's reviews are Roux Porosity Control, Aurbery Organics White Camelia or Honeysuckle Rose (deep conditioner) and Qhemet Burdock Root Butter Cream or glycerin-based product (moisturizer). But it really comes down to ingredient types and techniques.

Thank you for the information, those links and the site were really helpful!

 

[Nali1987]

Found the holy grail moisturizer for my hair: Phyto 9, daily ultra nourishing botanical cream. I washed my hair, put some of it in it while my hair was still wet, woke up today after a night of my usual wild tousing and turning sleep (scarf on the other side of the room) and miraculously enough my afro didn't feel dry. It felt soft and sooo good. I hate that it's so expensive though. But oh well, this is a keeper for me. The hunt continues for the holy grail of daily conditioners.

 

[Avaya]

My hair is so soft today . I'm so happy! Everyday my ends have ended up feeling crunchy no matter what but today, EUREKA! I have overcome the dreadful dryness!!!

What did I do differently?

1.) I sprayed my hair with a glycerin/water mix (roughly 30/70)
2.) Put on some of my Global Goddess Indian oils
3.) Rubbed on some unrefined shea butter
4.) Slept with a satin scarf and bonnet only, no plastic cap

And voila!!! Woke up this morning with soft,cottony hair! I just pulled my hair a bit to eliminate the bedhead, threw on a silk oblong scarf as a headband and finished!

I could have probably forgone the GG but I love that stuff. I have not tried the mousse yet. To be honest, soft hair is more important to me than "defined curls" and my frizz isn't too bad. I'll try the mousse right before I co-wash on Thursday just to see how it performs.

Happy day, happy day.

 

[Evallusion]

I took some pictures of my little puff today, and I am pleased to say that it is growing in nicely. I am a little over the halfway mark towards reaching my mini goal of 4 inches. And I can not explain to you how thick my hair is!!

Attached are pics of my stretched puff...Not bad for 4 months...

 

[andromeda]

^^^"Not bad" is an understatement. Fast-growing and thick - an LHCF dream!

Found the holy grail moisturizer for my hair: Phyto 9, daily ultra nourishing botanical cream. I washed my hair, put some of it in it while my hair was still wet, woke up today after a night of my usual wild tousing and turning sleep (scarf on the other side of the room) and miraculously enough my afro didn't feel dry. It felt soft and sooo good. I hate that it's so expensive though. But oh well, this is a keeper for me. The hunt continues for the holy grail of daily conditioners.

Yeah, I wondered about the price upon reading "phyto" I used to be so enamored with their products ~5 years ago. Well, the idea of their products - the packaging, ingredients, unified lines, etc. - I never actually used them. Congrats on finding your holy grail!

My hair is so soft today . I'm so happy! Everyday my ends have ended up feeling crunchy no matter what but today, EUREKA! I have overcome the dreadful dryness!!!

What did I do differently?

1.) I sprayed my hair with a glycerin/water mix (roughly 30/70)
2.) Put on some of my Global Goddess Indian oils
3.) Rubbed on some unrefined shea butter
4.) Slept with a satin scarf and bonnet only, no plastic cap

And voila!!! Woke up this morning with soft,cottony hair! I just pulled my hair a bit to eliminate the bedhead, threw on a silk oblong scarf as a headband and finished!

I could have probably forgone the GG but I love that stuff. I have not tried the mousse yet. To be honest, soft hair is more important to me than "defined curls" and my frizz isn't too bad. I'll try the mousse right before I co-wash on Thursday just to see how it performs.

Happy day, happy day.

Hurray for soft hair!!! I'm with you on the bolded, defined curls are far down on my list and I honestly don't mind frizz too much.

It's funny your should mention Global Goddess. In some ways, that brand was responsible for my transition and finding LHCF. Do you feel the products are worth it? Which ones do you use? Have you tried ayurvedic oils from other brands?

 

[nestlequik]

Evallusion- how's the Jane Carter as a leave in? I've found some good moisturizers but they never give me much definition so I try to get as much moisture in before I add my sealants.

My routine goes like this-
CoWash w/Trader Joe's tea tree
Rinse with Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp conditioner
Blot hair then use a quarter size of Giovanni Leave in Direct (my hair is short)
Add KCCC and then seal with castor/avocado and or olive oil.

 

[Evallusion]

^^^"Not bad" is an understatement. Fast-growing and thick - an LHCF dream!

Thank you!

Evallusion- how's the Jane Carter as a leave in? I've found some good moisturizers but they never give me much definition so I try to get as much moisture in before I add my sealants.

My routine goes like this-
CoWash w/Trader Joe's tea tree
Rinse with Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp conditioner
Blot hair then use a quarter size of Giovanni Leave in Direct (my hair is short)
Add KCCC and then seal with castor/avocado and or olive oil.

The Jane Carter Leave in is not moisturizing (other than the fact that it has water). In my opinion, its more for nourishment. Its consistency is like water--not creamy at all. I will not repurchase it for that reason. It smells good though (a fresh, clean, unisex scent). My type of hair can never get any definition--its always a cotton ball. How do you like Giovanni's Leave In?

 

[Avaya]

It's funny your should mention Global Goddess. In some ways, that brand was responsible for my transition and finding LHCF. Do you feel the products are worth it? Which ones do you use? Have you tried ayurvedic oils from other brands?

I've only used GG's Shine Coconut, Amla Revitalizing Hair Treatment and I've NEVER paid full price for it (that lady gotta's tuh be cccccrazy! $45????). The most I've ever paid for a bottle was $6.95 off of ebay. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P140942&categoryId=C13563

I don't like using it per the directions. It did nothing for my relaxed hair has a hot oil treatment. I like using it as a leave-in as a relaxed head and now as a natural.

I want to get into ayurvedics. I'm thinking of trying henna and indigo for my one year nappiversary.

 

[andromeda]

I've only used GG's Shine Coconut, Amla Revitalizing Hair Treatment and I've NEVER paid full price for it (that lady gotta's tuh be cccccrazy! $45????). The most I've ever paid for a bottle was $6.95 off of ebay. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P140942&categoryId=C13563

I don't like using it per the directions. It did nothing for my relaxed hair has a hot oil treatment. I like using it as a leave-in as a relaxed head and now as a natural.

I want to get into ayurvedics. I'm thinking of trying henna and indigo for my one year nappiversary.

Yeah, I've never purchased her products but for some reason (I guess her tv appearances), her brand was the first one that came to mind when I got to thinking about having healthier hair (this is when I was still relaxing early last year). It eventually hit me that my grandma used to use ayurvedic products on my hair as a child and she surely wasn't spending $40 for amla. IN the process of searching for more info on amla, I came across LHCF (didn't look beyond threads on amla at the time). I quickly realized that I was working backwards by asking "what", instead of "why" and "how" when I cam upon another retailers website that broke down why black hair is different and how it should be cared for. That got me on my transitioning/healthy hair journey and I ended up ordering amla and vatika oil from another website (small flower, iirc) later that day.

I've been using henna since September (I purchase from ayurnatural, which is a black-owned business). I didn't think anything of using it, since I'd used it as a child but now I think perhaps I should have waited until I was better acquainted with my unaltered natural texture. I didn't think it's loosened my curl but now I'm not so sure - who knows? Anyways, I love the color and strengthening effects so I don't see myself stopping my henna use anytime soon.

 

[miami74]

I took some pictures of my little puff today, and I am pleased to say that it is growing in nicely. I am a little over the halfway mark towards reaching my mini goal of 4 inches. And I can not explain to you how thick my hair is!!

Attached are pics of my stretched puff...Not bad for 4 months...

Nice thickness!

 

[Foxglove]

It's my 3 month nappiversary! I'm trying to leave these braids in for at least another month though so I won't be able to play with my hair for a while

 

[Ltown]

My hair does not like castor oil, what else can I do with it?

 

[sithembile]

Found the holy grail moisturizer for my hair: Phyto 9, daily ultra nourishing botanical cream. I washed my hair, put some of it in it while my hair was still wet, woke up today after a night of my usual wild tousing and turning sleep (scarf on the other side of the room) and miraculously enough my afro didn't feel dry. It felt soft and sooo good. I hate that it's so expensive though. But oh well, this is a keeper for me. The hunt continues for the holy grail of daily conditioners.

Thanks for the review, please could you post the ingredients for this product. TIA

 

[nestlequik]

Thank you!




The Jane Carter Leave in is not moisturizing (other than the fact that it has water). In my opinion, its more for nourishment. Its consistency is like water--not creamy at all. I will not repurchase it for that reason. It smells good though (a fresh, clean, unisex scent). My type of hair can never get any definition--its always a cotton ball. How do you like Giovanni's Leave In?

I like Giovanni Leave In direct. I add that and then seal. But did I mention that I spritz with some moisturizer in my hair during the day? Oops, that's probably the most important part.

So I've only been natural for a month so I'm no expert, and I've tried a lot of things but nothing has left my hair completely soft throughout the day. But I found that during the day between the heat outside and the cold inside having a bottle of moisturizer really helps and usually one application is all I need for the rest of the day. So right now I'm using Frank/Greg Juice from Oyin and Shea Moisture has one too (but it kind of leaves a film).

You may want to have a small bottle handy when you need it.

 

[nestlequik]

My hair does not like castor oil, what else can I do with it?

Have you tried jojoba? It's really light and penetrates the hair without leaving it greasy. A lot of ladies like coconut, (it makes my hair hard) and avocado is good too.

 

[Nali1987]

Thanks for the review, please could you post the ingredients for this product. TIA

Sure!
Ingedrients:
Althaea Oficinalis Extract (Mucilage Végétal), Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Arctium Majus Root Extract (Bardane), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract (Romarin), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract (Sauge), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Leaf Extract (Saule), Hypericum Perforatum Extract (Millepertuis), Lecithin (Soja), Sodium Dehydroacetate, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parabens (Butyl, Ethyl).

 

[FlawedBeauty]

hey ladies! i see we have a bunch of new bc's!! congrats to all, everyone looks great!! i havent been here much because its like that watched pot sayin lol. time seems to go by so much faster when im not constantly checkin the threads lol.

anywho, my hair has been straight last two weeks almost. im gonna was tonight and add some pics i think. i added two new pics to my fotki a couple weeks ago. info is in my profile

 

[chelleyrock]

Hello ladies ,

I'm so glad to finally post in this thread (it's long overdue). I BC'd on June 10, 2010 after an 18 month transition. Stats and pics below.

• When you BCd: June 10th
  
• How many months post-relaxer were you when you BCd: 18 months
  
• 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: 4A/B
• Your current length and goal length Current: when stretched, SL from ear to nape & chin length on sides/ Goal: MBL

 

[chelleyrock]

....more pics