Operation Stop Looking Like a Hot Mess: I give up

Yesterday's purchase was the Luster's Renutrients Slick Stick. I will start off by saying that I was willing to give this product a chance although it contains petrolatum and mineral oil. I was however willing to look past it if it actually worked. Alas it did not. Like most products for my edges, it worked for the first 5-10 minutes and after it was back to normal.

I have realised that my major issue is my baby hair. These hairs curl and point upwards at the same time. They respond easily when I apply a gel or a pomade and I can smooth it back with relative ease. My baby hairs actually become straight, however, within 5 minutes I can see them start to curl once more and by the 10th minute they are back to normal. One would not even think I had ever made an attempt at slicking them down.

So what is a girl to do? I suppose I will have to learn to accept them. This is my hair and no matter which method or product I use my baby hairs will continue to do what is in their nature to do. I know it looks better when it is all slicked back and not fuzzy but the only product which ever worked to date broke off the hair at my temples. I am just going to have to accept it.

Organic Root Stimulator brings out the product junkie in me

I was already fearful my search to find the perfect product to control my edges would lead me back into product junkie territory and now today I just realised that ORS has brought out a new line! ORS is really killing it this year. I believe they are actually taking note of the black hair care virtual community by the new products they are creating and the terms that they are using.

The newest creation is the HAIRepair line which includes a deep conditioner, an oil, a moisturiser creme and an anti-breakage creme. I am really excited to test all the products. Yes, all because I do love Organic Root Stimulator. The products are reasonably priced and they work really well. Some of my staple hair products are from Organic Root Stimulator.

The one thing that I don't like is that they never post the entire ingredient listing on the website. They boast of the ingredients which are really good for your hair but this never answers the most important question for me which is if there is mineral oil or petrolatum in their products. ORS, like most lines intended for black hair, tends to have these ingredients in their products. Some still love them but I rather stay away from them. It is just a personal choice.

As usual ORS is offering free samples of this line to US residents. Unfortunately I am ineligible for this offer given that I live in the Caribbean. Hopefully those of you who can request a free sample like the products. Click the link to answer a survey and receive a free sample.

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e5b1w4w7gv3zqapp/a014tgwb7bkpf/questions

Operation Stop Looking Like a Hot Mess continued: Olive and Sunflower Oil Edge Tamer

One of the disadvantages of living in Trinidad while on a Hair Journey is that you cannot find certain products. I really have not succumbed to the temptation of ordering products online instead trying to make do with what we have here, but there are times when I am frustrated.

In my last post I spoke about two products that I wanted to try to see if they would be successful in laying down my edges. I went to the largest beauty supply store chain in Trinidad and unfortunately could not find what I wanted.

I told the attendant the purpose of my visit and my frustration with the stiff, gel like products which broke the hair off at my temples. She suggested the Olive and Sunflower Oil Edge Tamer by Sofn'free n'pretty and I decided to try it because I was sold when she showed me the consistency.

In terms of its consistency, it looks creamy but not as creamy as a moisturiser and also reminds me of the ORS Pudding. It is also very thick and when I shake the jar or tilt it to one side it does not move. It has a slightly oily feel to it given that the 2nd and 3rd ingredients are oils. I applied a bit to my hairline and then used a soft toothbrush to brush just my edges. I was not too impressed with the result. It was an improvement from the way I had been rocking it but it could not match the power of the Hicks or the ORS Edge Control.

It has now been a few hours since I first applied it and I am not convinced that it is the solution to my problems. I will try apply it again tonight and tie a scarf around it to see if it needs to be set overnight to work.

My next attempt will be the Lusters Slick Stick. I am a bit concerned that I am reentering product junkie mode. Let's hope I love the Slick Stick and I don't need to try anything else.One of the disadvantages of living in Trinidad while on a Hair Journey is that you cannot find certain products. I really have not succumbed to the temptation of ordering products online instead trying to make do with what we have here, but there are times when I am frustrated.

Operation Stop Looking Like a Hot Mess a.k.a. my attempt to lay down my edges

My edges have always been crazy. Even when I was natural I would have baby hair that would just stick up no matter what I did. It would stand up and curl leaving me with a fluffy hairline.

I first tried the scarf method which only worked the first 10 minutes after I took off the scarf.

My hair using the scarf method

I tried gel to tame my edges but I hated how hard it would make my hair feel and the fact that my hair looked and felt crunchy. I then tried a clear pomade by Hicks which worked really well until it began to break off the hair by my temples.

My results when using Hicks

I stopped using the Hicks and re-entered frizzy hairline territory until a few months later when I purchased the ORS Edge Control which has the same consistency of the Hicks. I then remembered that the Hicks had broken off my edges and I stopped using the ORS and resigned myself to having frizzy edges until today that is.

I was in the mall today and happened to glimpse at my hair in a huge mirror and noticed that I looked a hot mess. My edges were looking crazy and although I had my hair in the cutest updo the front of my hair was not cute.

After much research online I have decided to test two products which seem to have a consistency which is unlike the Hicks and ORS edge tamer options. I am a bit uncomfortable as both of these products contain mineral oil. I have been anti-mineral oil and petrolatum since I began my hair journey but I am willing to give it a try. The products I will be testing are the Motions Shine Enhancing Pomade and the TCB Lite Hair and Scalp Conditioner. I will be applying them solely to my edges and will moisturise my edges with a proper moisturiser before applying these new products.

Reviews and pictures to follow.

The Air Drying Chronicles continued

I have been revisiting airdrying but putting my own spin on it. You can click here for my original post on how I air dry my texlaxed hair.

Since that post I have been attempting to perfect that method and get my hair to dry a bit straighter. I noticed that if I moisture and seal my damp hair and then cross wrap I get perfectly straight results. It is as straight as when I roller set and go under the dryer. The only thing I am trying to work on is fighting the poof in the centre of my head. I use a mesh wrap cap which has an opening on the top.

To try and solve this problem I went online to see if there are any mesh wrap caps. Unfortunately I couldn't find any which was very disappointing. I think my hair dries faster because I use a mesh wrap. I think my hair would take a lot longer to dry with a fabric that is non-breathable. What I eventually found was a wave cap that guys would use. Now I am not sure if this will work or not but I will be heading to the beauty supply store on Monday to see if I can purchase one of these or something similar.

I also wanted to mention why I like cross wrapping as opposed to other wrapping methods. Personally I find that wrapping damp hair in the clockwise method would be using more manipulation than I would be comfortable with. When I cross wrap my damp hair I detangle it in the shower under the running water and that is the last time I use the comb. I smooth the hair with my fingers, part it in half and cross wrap. Straight hair and very little manipulation. Relaxed hair is the most fragile when it is wet so I rather not manipulate it too much.

Trying out a new shampoo

This year I have been trying to find a regimen that works for me. I have made an effort to cut out cones or if I must use cones then I prefer that they are listed at the bottom of the ingredients listing rather than in the top 3. I have also gone back to sulphate shampoos. I know, I know. Sulphates are bad but build up was what was causing me to have set backs. I started my hair journey in January 2009 at NL by December 2009, I was grazing APL. In 2010 I struggled to get past APL and was even grazing BSL for a short while but eventually my hair gradually broke off and I remained at APL. In 2011, I lost length and had to trim to just above APL. Clearly something was not working for me.

I decided to combat build up by using sulphate shampoos once more. After all, I had had success with them when I first started my journey. I was using a Tresemme Shampoo which was being touted as low sulphates but then someone commented on my review of the product saying that the shampoo contained ammonium lauryl sulphate and ammonium laureth sulphate which are some of the harshest sulphates around. I did more research on it and realised that she was right. I then did even more research and found out that if you must use sulphates then it is best to just stick with one sulphate and the weaker version which is sodium laureth sulphate.

Last week I purchased the Optimum Oil Therapy Ultimate Recovery Shampoo by Softsheen Carson.

This is the description of the shampoo and its ingredients.

Featuring micro-oil technology, which penetrates hair with micro-beads of natural oils to help nourish, repair, strengthen and protect hair. Cleanses, instantly softens and revitalizes dry, damage prone hair.

The benefits:

• Nourishes hair with natural extracts of coconut, olive, avocado, and jojoba
• Detangles and tames unruly hair
• Rescues and smooths damaged hair shaft
• Removes all styling residue without stripping
• Restores intense moisturization from root to tip

Ingredients

Aqua (Water) , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate , Sodium Chloride , Glycol Distearate , Glycerin , Cocamide MIPA , Disodium Ricinoleamido MEA-Sulfosuccinate , Polyquaternium-10 , Carbomer , Fragrance , Disodium EDTA , Methylparaben , DMDM Hydantoin , Sodium Hydroxide , Butylphenyl Methylpropional , Isopropanolamine , Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde , Amyl Cinnamal , Benzyl Salicylate , Olea Europaea Oil (Olive Fruit Oil) , 2-Oleamido-1 , 3-Octadecanediol , Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Seed Oil) , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut Oil) , Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado Oil) , Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

I really like this shampoo. It cleans my hair and doesn't strip it. Granted my hair does not feel as clean as when I used the Tresemme shampoo, but it does not feel coated as it did in the period leading up to my setback. What surprised me about the shampoo was that it had a silky finish to it. It almost reminded me of the texture of the Creme of Nature sulphate-free shampoos. I believe it was just a bit thinner than the Creme of Nature.

Again I must find fault with companies which list oils and natural ingredients to the bottom of the ingredient listing and then focus on the benefit of these oils. The oils are listed after the fragrance which means there is probably almost no oil in this shampoo. In spite of that, it does its job and leaves my hair smooth and it cleans without stripping, which is what I am after.

My hair continues to do well. I no longer suffer from dry, straw like strands which refused to respond to both moisture and protein. My hair is shiny and full of body and although I am two weeks post, I still find that my hair has that just relaxed look which I would usually lose after the first wash. I think I will continue using sulphates.

Leaving my hair out

I have never been great at styling my hair. In high school people knew me as the girl with "interesting hairstyles" which was a euphemism for the fact that I looked like I did not know what I was doing.

This is why I am really grateful to Youtube. I have learned so many techniques for styling my hair in protective hairstyles. However, sometimes you want to leave your hair down and this is where I falter. I don't know what to do with my hair when I let it down. I usually part my hair to the side and leave it out, but generally I do not like the results and I end up doing a cute updo.

My braid outs and bantu knot outs never come out like the girls I see on Hairlista or even on Youtube even if I use their methods. I had success one time with a flexi rod set.

My only successful flexi-rod set

My goal is to master the bantu-knot out, the braid out and the steam roller set. I do not leave my hair out very often, usually only for special occasions but I would still like to be able to look cute when my hair is out. In the next few weeks to come I will be trying these styles out and posting photos whether they have been successful or not.