KCCM Castor oil challenge - week 5

Excuse the creased top.
Ironing isn't my strong point lol

Week five of the KinkyCoilyCurlyMe castor oil challenge and it's length check time. I'm enjoying this challenge not only because I love Jamaican Black Castor oil, but because it's really allowing me to closely monitor the progress of my hair growth and thickness.

Styling still isn't my strong point. On Christmas day I achieved my best ever twist out, but I'm still not convinced my hair is thick enough to carry it off.....so needless to say I ended up throwing it into an updo/ mum bun.

I must say I am definitely noticing a difference in the thickness of my hair and my length check photo below certainly shows some growth. That was exciting to see, one of the great benefits of all the diligent photo taking.

In the coming weeks, I'll probably be putting my hair in twists to protect it and promote growth around my edges and at my crown; areas where I've been having issues with breakage.

The end of January will mark two years of being natural. I can honestly say making this decision has been one of the best I've ever made.

It's too late to join the winter challenge now, but if you want to discover more about all things involving natural hair just hop on over to the fabulous KinkyCurlyCoilyMe blog here.

Growth

KCCM Castor oil challenge - week two

Just checking in to give you guys the low down on week two of the KinkyCoilyCurlyMe castor oil challenge. I've been using Jamaican Black Castor oil or JBCO on my hair everyday, as well as a little bit at night when twisting for bed.

I got my JBCO from www.AfroDety.com who are doing a fabulous buy one get one half price or buy two get one free offer at the mo. Great value for money.

My hair is so soft and shiny, I'm really loving what it's doing after just a week of dedicated, deliberate usage. I'm encouraged to see how my hair health improves over the coming weeks. I'm especially looking forward to seeing a vast improvement with the growth on my thinning temples. We'll see.

Today I co-washed and twisted my hair, so I can forget about it for a few days. Think I need to address my hand in head addiction, it's real guys. My hair feels so soft and coily, I can't leave it alone. Protective styling helps with that.

You can find out more about the challenge over at the KinkyCoilyCurlyMe blog here. The winter challenge is now closed, but the spring challenge opens on 1 March 2013.

Stretched crazy hair. Feels so soft though.

Loving the kinks and the texture of my hair. The thinning temples
not so much, it is growing back though. I've put in twists for this week to
give myself and my hair a bit of a break.

The Kinky Curly Coily Me! Castor oil challenge

Woah 1st December already!!! 2012 is nearly over peeps......

You may or may not  know that  I completely love castor oil. Jamaican Black castor oil to be exact. My hair absolutely LOVES it. It leaves it feeling silky, soft and shiny, plus it has many health benefits for your scalp and overall hair health too.

Crystal Afro mentioned on her blog that she was taking part in the winter castor oil challenge run by Jenell on her KinkyCurlyCoilMe website. It got me thinking, it's December 1st, so a good a time as any to give this challenge a go. I love what castor oil does for my hair already, so why not start to document the progress properly?

I had BIG problems with Post partum shedding after all three of my pregnancies. I lost ALL of my hair at my temples, slowly it is growing back. Thank the Lord! I also seem to be having issues with breakage or slow hair growth in the crown area, so I'm intrigued to see if dedicated usage of castor oil will help in these areas. I have fine hair which seems to be different lengths all over, so I really want to promote healthy hair growth and a healthy luscious head of hair. Bring it on! Thank you Jesus!

Shedding at the temple, now growing back.
It was bald at one point.

If you want to take part in the Castor oil winter challenge you have until Friday 7 December 2012. You can click here, which will take you to Jenell's website for more information on how to participate.

Twist-outs are not my friend....yet!

So yesterday my hair looked like a ball of frizz. A combination of being too pre-occupied to properly moisturise and the torrential rain left me with a dry looking, fluffy mop which was trying to break free from the mum bun. Thoroughly embarrassed with the state  my tresses were in, I set about lovingly restoring it's inner lustre. 

Firstly I spritzed with my trusty water and Extra Virgin Olive oil mix, immediately my coils came to life and felt supple and bouncy as opposed to dry and fuzzy. I then locked in the moisture by applying Coconut oil and BeUnique Mango twist.  Then I  flat twisted into approximately ten sections and bantu knotted the ends after sealing with Jamaican Black Castor oil. I was rather impressed with my flat twists and I had high hopes for the subsequent twis-out, but alas it was not to be. YET!

This morning I was in my usual rush, battling to get three children up, washed, dressed, watered and out of the door by 7.45am. I suppose that was my first mistake. I was in a rush. Taking out twists and being in a rush apparently do not mix! Despite oiling my hands and unravelling each twist from the end, they still seemed to snag or get caught up. 

I think this may be due to me not twisting with two completely separate sections. Sometimes a stray hair will creep in from the other section leaving a befuddled mess, which leaves the twist out susceptible to a lack of definition and subsequent frizzing. Maybe I need to introduce a bit of gel?? Who knows? It's all trial and error I guess, but I'll keep on trialling and erroring (that's not a word, but you catch my drift). Practice most certainly makes perfect. But until then I've always got my reliable friend the UPDO!! Thank you Jesus!

Last night's flat twists.
I had to achieve greatness with these babies right?

The twist-out. OK I suppose.
Beautifully moisturised, but not a beautiful twist-out.

Evidence of another failed twist out.
For now the updo is my friend. 

My faithful friend. The updo!

Products my natural hair loves

I've been natural for nearly two years now (well 20 months to be exact). In that time I have built an itinerary of products that really seem to work wonders in my hair. They are products I swear by and would recommend wholeheartedly to anyone else on the look out for hair products. Of course not everything I use on my hair will have the same results for yours, (it is trial and error after all), nevertheless I'd like to share in the hope that someone out there will benefit from my nuggets of information. 

Anita Grant - Creamy Cafe Latte; Vanilla:

I came across Anita Grant when I first started blogging nearly a year ago. I was perusing the fabulous Natural Belle blog and noticed that Anita's products are featured quite frequently. At the time I was on the look out for oils and butters that would help me with the dryness I was experiencing whilst I transitioned from chemically straightened to natural hair. I got in contact with Anita Grant on twitter and asked for a recommendation as to which products in the line would work best to combat the extreme dryness I seemed to experiencing. A representative was swift to get back to me and recommended the Vanilla Cafe latte butter. I was also really pleased to discover they have a whole range of samples that are fabulously priced, so I set about ordering around £30 worth of samples. It was like Christmas when it all arrived. Straight away I got stuck into all the butters, creams and oils. All of them were great and really nourishing but the vanilla Cafe latte really stood out for me. It smells devine (just like chocolate). Everyone I use it on completely falls in love with it. Even my fiance who prefers to use nothing on his hair or body (strange guy!) has been converted and lovingly applies it to his hair and skin most days (woop, woop!). I mostly use it on my hair when it's damp and it always leaves it feeling soft, nourished and supple. Not to mention smelling scrumptious.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Oh my, this stuff is amazeballs. Sorry to have to use this word, but I think it is rather appropriate - ha. When I first used this oil I was a bit put off by the thickness and the smell, but once applied to my freshly washed, damp hair it seem to penetrate every single strand and leave it feeling and looking ultra soft and shiny. I get the same results when I use on my children's hair too, although I do find it a bit heavy for my youngest daughter's hair (which has more of a curly/coily rather than kinky texture), so  the smallest pea size amount will suffice for sections of her hair when divided into four. When I use JBCO on my little boy, it turns his frizzy curls into a soft, nourished cloud of loveliness. I can't get enough of this stuff, not only does it soften and nourish but it has healing properties and stimulates hair growth and yes you guessed OH loves it too. I purchased my first bottle of JBCO from Akua Wood at The Shea Butter Cottage when she was exhibiting at the Curlvolution event in June. I also purchase JBCO from Hair9.

Pure Coconut Oil

Coconut oil I love it. It smells just like coconut, I'm sorry to state the obvious but for some reason I didn't expect the smell to be so rich. It also solidifies when cold and becomes a very runny oil when warm. Out of all of the oils I've ever used coconut oil is very temperature sensitive. I find it extremely light and nourishing and I use it on freshly washed, damp hair. It is not heavy like JBCO but it still leaves a fabulous shine on my hair as well as my children's. I also use coconut oil for pre-poo treatments if my hair is feeling particular dry. I'll apply it and leave in over night then wash my hair with conditioner (Co-wash), the results are a head of soft, supple coils. YES m'am. Coconut oil is also fabulous for use on the skin. I use on my kids after a shower or bath and their skin glows for hours aftrewards. Even my sister recently commented how good their skin looked and I let her in on the secret. lol. I buy my coconut oil from Holland and Barrett, it's quite pricey at  £14.99 a tub, but the tub is large and Holland and Barrett are great for their buy one, get one half price and buy one get one for a penny deals.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Like coconut oil EVOO is great for pre-poos. I also use on my hair when it's damp or mix it with water in a spray bottle, so I can revitalise dry hair daily with a a quick spritz. EVOO is great for skin too. I use it all of the time on all of my kids all over,  it is definitely a staple in our household. EVOO is really easy to find as it is available in all supermarkets, it is also really affordable if you are on a budget.


TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Conditioner

Where do I start? This is hands down the best conditioner I have used EVER.  There are other conditioners in the TRESemme line I use and they give me good results too, but I think the fact  this conditioner is silicone free and includes aloe vera and avocado make it top of the bunch for me. I hardly ever use shampoo to wash my hair these days, unless I've been for a swim or there is a lot of product build up. TRESemme Naturals conditioner is great for detangling and nourishing and it always leaves my hair feeling clean, soft and silk like. I use it on the kids too with the same amazing results. LOVE! I buy my TRESemme Naturals conditioners from Tesco, Asda, Superdrug and sometimes Willkinson, who all have great special offers on the TRESemme line from time to time.

Beautiful Textures Curl Defining Pudding

I used the Beautiful Textures Curl Control Defining Pudding a few months ago on my first ever wash and go. I was always a bit dubious about curl defining products in the past because I felt they over manipulated the hair, leaving it crunchy and dry. Not so with this product. I apply to freshly washed damp hair that has been oiled with either EVVO, JBCO or coconut oil, then I put the pudding on top. It really gives my curls a defined looked which I am confident enough to wear out in public. It also works wonders on my son's hair. I swear by it in fact. Whenever I use on his freshly washed, damp hair, his curls come to life and everyone always comments on how good it looks. Will have to post pics soon. I received the pudding in a goodie bag after attending the Beautiful Textures UK launch a few months back. I have however seen it sold in most black hair shops, so I'll no exactly where to go when I run out.

So there you have it, the products I'm currently using and loving. Which hair products are you currently relishing?

My natural hair - What I am learning

In the 18 months since my last chemical relaxer I have learnt a lot about my natural hair. I have learnt about its texture, its thickness, how well or not so well it reacts to certain shampoo's, conditioners, oils, butters and moisturisers. I still have a lot to learn, especially when it comes to styling, but that's mainly because I'm at that annoying halfway house stage.

The mum bun has been my go to style for quite some months, but I'm getting bored of it so I'm starting to experiment with different things. Last week I tried some curl rods but the outcome wasn't great. I will definitely try again as my hair gets longer.

Yesterday I tried a wash and go for the very first time and I was really quite pleased with the results. I washed with Curls Unleashed sulphate free shampoo and conditioned with TRESemme Naturals moisturising conditioner. I allowed my hair to drip dry for 15 mins then I added Beautiful Textures curl defining pudding. My hair was still very damp, so it soaked up the pudding. I finished with some Jamaican black castor oil, to seal in the moisture.

I loved the way the defining pudding accentuated my coils. I left my hair to air dry and after a few hours it still felt soft and moisturised without feeling greasy.

I must admit I haven't felt comfortable about wearing my hair out, because I don't like drawing attention to myself and a big ole fro would definitely do that. This wash and go however has made me feel differently. It was so quick and easy and completely fuss free. I would feel confident enough to leave the house rocking this style. And in actual fact, yesterday was the first time in 33 years that I have been out in public with my hair OUT. That, for me, is a breakthrough in itself and so liberating. Pat on the back. Sounds crazy because it's such a basic thing, when you think about it. This natural hair stuff is deep. Anyway before I forget here are the things I have learnt about my hair so far.

My hair is fine. I don't know about the type. Frankly I find all the 4a,b,c,z stuff quite confusing and unhelpful, so I don't concern myself with it. Whilst transitioning I used to think it was quite thick and very dry. But since cutting off all my chemically straightened ends (big chopping) I have noticed that it doesn't really tangle easily, and even when it does I just have to spritz with water and detangle with either my fingers or a comb. I prefer my fingers.

My sister often tells me she has to wash her hair in sections or plaits to avoid tangles and make the whole wash process easier for her. She has lovely thick coily hair. I find washing really easy and quite enjoy it. I don't need to wash in sections or plaits. Maybe this will change as it grows longer, maybe not. It'll be interesting to find out.

My hair responds well to olive oil and Jamaican black castor oil. When applied to my damp hair they leave it feeling very soft and looking very shiny.

I twist my hair most nights to keep it stretched. Also speeds up styling for the next day.

I don't always cover my hair with a scarf at night, because i'm either too tired to care or I just can't find the thing. My satin pillowcase, (a pressie from li'l sis. Thanks sis) works wonders and really helps keep frizz to a minimum.

I am yet to master a twist out. I am finding products which greatly help with definition, but my hair can be quite fluffy and flyaway, so wash and go's have been more successful so far.

Speaking of wash and go's here are some pics of my first ever attempt yesterday, that I then wore out shopping.

This is not a sponsored or review post. Just me, sharing my personal hair journey with you.

Grecian style/two bun flat twists

My dear mum taught me to canerow when I was 12 years old and ever since I have loved to plait hair. My own as well as others. 


You'd think that since I have two daughters of my own, I would be in my hair braiding element, but alas they are a nightmare when it comes to anything hair related, so I have to keep things very simple when working with their young tresses. The screaming and carrying on, although slowly improving is still quite soul destroying.


Luckily for me I have family members who help me to fulfil my joy of plaiting without all the nonsense. In particular my  sister who has a full head of luscious, thick, kinky, gorgeous natural hair. She is very compliant and always jumps at the chance to let me experiment with styles on her. She loves, being the guinea pig, I love doing the braiding. It's a win-win situation.


On Thursday she came over  to mine with freshly washed, damp hair and I set to work creating a little bit of magic. She had already conditioned and added Jamaican black castor oil, so I added some Curls Unleashed curl defining cream mixed with a little more Jamaican black castor oil, then parted her hair into small sections and proceeded to flat twist each section, sealing with Anita Grant's creamy vanilla latte as I went. I flat twisted her hair into two distinct bundles ready to join up into two chunky flat twists.


From start to finish it took me about two hours, (that included numerous interruptions from my little boy, who in typical baby fashion wanted all of my attention when I had something else to be getting on with.) The beauty with this style is that it is quite versatile. After I finished I wrapped each section into cute buns, but my sister wanted something that would stay in for a bit longer, so I flat twisted each section down. If she likes she could even wear it all down or pin the front up and leave the back section of flat twists out. 


I must say I loved the finished result and so did she. What do you think?

My sister's freshly washed and conditioned hair
before I started

The finished style from the front

Side/back view

View of the back

Event - Curlvolution - Curlfriends day out!

Source
Curlvolution baby

I'm disciplined. I'm focused. I'm done. 

I'm disciplined. I'm focused. I'm done. 

That was the mantra that came courtesy of motivational speaker Action Jackson, the host for Saturday's 'Curlfriends day out'. The day was organised by the fabulous Curlvolution and took place at the Crown Plaza Hotel in London's Docklands.

The event was truly inspirational with a whole host of gorgeous ladies rocking their mainly natural tresses in all their  fabulous glory. Action Jackson kept things moving along nicely with words of encouragemnt, stories of self affirmation and plenty of humerous anecdotes. We also watched clips from the hilarious Chris Rock docu movie 'Good Hair' which set the scene for the day.

My sister and I attended the event along with the kids. I don't quite know what I was thinking when I decided to bring them along, so needless to say I spent most of my time trying to keep a toddling 11 month old occupied, whilst being pestered to death by my girls who wanted copious amounts of sweets from the sweet bar. I didn't get the chance to mingle or take as many pics as I'd like but I still feel I took a lot from the day.

Action Jackson doing his thang...

Hair blogger and vlogger legends, Laila aka Fusion of Cultures, Pelumi - Care for your hair blog, Crystal Afro - United Kinkdom blog, Fiona - Love your tresses blog and Wunmi - Woman in the jungle vlog, took to the stage and answered an array of questions and queries from the audience about their own natural hair journeys and advice on best products and regimes. It was great to hear the different stories and witness the sharing of knowledge on such a big scale.

There was a nice selection of vendors selling a variety of natural hair products, as well as stalls selling bespoke, handmade jewellery. There was also a nail bar offering special deals on group bookings - hmm nice idea for a hen do maybe?? 

Most vendors had special events rates which were too tempting to ignore. So of course I got involved. Would have been foolish not to and after months of pining I finally got my hands on some Jamaican black castor oil from Akua Wood of Shea butter cottage.

Yay - I got me some JBCO!

Jamaican black castor oil is brilliant for promoting healthy hair. One of the main benefits of Castor oil is its ability to help grow and thicken hair and seal in moisture when applied to damp hair. It is extremely softening on hair and skin and acts as a humectant, helping to maintain moisture levels. Goes without saying then that I am really looking forward to using it.

I also bought some Be Unique Mango Twist butter and Moisturising Custard from the Be Unique Hair Care stall. I have heard rave reviews about this range and was really indecisive about which products to go with. Luckily the lovely Crystal Afro was on hand to give me some really good product advice based on her own experience with them. 

Laila (Left) Crystal Afro (right) at the BeUnique stand

Of course I went with her recommendation and I'm glad I did. I used the Mango Twist on Saturday night on damp hair ( I spritzed with my water, olive oil and conditioner mix) added to each section and plaited. On Sunday morning when I took my braids out I was really impressed with the results. My curls/waves were more defined, smooth and shiny than they have ever been. Woo hoo. I'll try again on freshly washed hair and this time take photos to make sure the results were not a fluke. I'm pretty certain they were not.

Anyway back to the event. Two ladies had there big chop carried out live and in front of nearly 300 people. Stylists from Adornment 365, the expert natural hair salon based in Brixton did the honors. One lady had only an inch of regrowth so her big chop was pretty dramatic as she was left with a very low crop. Lady number two had been transitioning for a few months like I did so she had her ends cut and her natural hair was braided into a funky fro hawk. Both ladies cried, I don't think so much because their hair was being cut but more because of the emotions tied up with returning to the hair that God blessed them with. 

It's a big deal when you make the decision to begin accepting and embracing what grows naturally out of your scalp. Well maybe that's not the case for everybody but that's certainly what going natural meant for me. It was amazing to watch yet so emotional at the same time  (I welled up) and their big reveals which included a clothes and make up overhaul too was truly STUNNING!

The brave volunteers getting their hair chopped
in front of hundreds.

The big chop reveal.
The lovely ladies looked amazing.

There was spoken word poetry and a model shared advice on how to grow long natural hair and retain it. She'd also written a book too. I bought some more lovely button earrings courtesy of Beautella's Boutique. 

My Beautella's Boutique stash

Then I darn near had heart failure when my eldest daughter went missing for nearly 10 mins. Felt like an eternity. I couldn't find her anywhere, then just as I was about to scream the place down I find her sitting in the front row with her new best friend Laila happily eating a massive cupcake....kids!!!! I was so relieved but gave her a stern talking to about wandering off and not telling me where she was going. Lesson learned. Don't think I'll be bringing my kids to future events like this, although they did make lots of friends with other children so that was sweet to watch.

Daughter number two with her new found friend. It was after taking this pic
I realised my eldest had gone AWOL. All three girls had been joint at the hip.

I really enjoyed Curvolution's Curlfriends day out because it was informative and motivational and there was plenty of encouragement to speak to other attendees and build meaningful connections. 

Curlvolution team congratulations on a magnificent event. I would definitely encourage all those who have had their appetites whetted by this post to attend future Curvolution events. I for one can not wait.