Tag Archives: care

Grease Be Gone!

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aloeA dear relative with curly hair reminded me of a problem I’d been having until recently. With the changing climate from season to season our skin must find ways to adapt; scalp oil production varies, causing all kinds of fun things: dandruff, oily scalp, hair breakage, flatness, frizz. You know the deal, why am I telling you?

My number-one method when this happens is to switch up the products I’m using. Most often the culprit is your styling aide; gel, mousse, cream, what have you, and all you have to do is find something that is similar in make-up but not exactly the same. For example, if a light gel like DevaCurl’s Angel works for you on the norm, try switching to Ouidad’s Climate Control gel or Curl Junkies’ Curls in a Bottle. If you’re more of a Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding sort of gal, try Living Proof No Frizz Styling Cream or Ouidad’s Hydrafusion Curl Cream. On the cheaper side, anyone with curls or waves will gain major benefits from the use of edible aloe vera gel. You can buy this at most health food stores or online, and must keep it refrigerated after opening. It doesn’t supply as much hold as the alternatives so you have to be comfortable with a less defined look, but it’s au naturel and makes hair super shiny and frizz-free. It can also serve as a great leave-in conditioner! If your scalp is a bit dry or flakey, rub some into it during your shower and rinse it out at the end.

Remember: If your scalp is getting oily or itchy after its been a dedicated shampoo-free zone for more than a few months, there’s usually some small tweak you can make to fix it. Don’t despair. If the problem seems to be scalp-related, try switching up your conditioners and any other products. As long as you’re water/finger washing your hair with conditioner every week and using a safe ‘poo-alternative every other week or so, you shouldn’t need anything more than a minor regimen shift. Bonus: You can always return to your original products when the newer ones stop doing their job.

Product Alert! – Curls in a Bottle

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CIAB-2I’m so excited to announce a new product that I’ve tested and absolutely love! As you may remember, it’s important to rotate all of the products you use, which are basic non-damaging cleansers (WEN conditioning cleansers, DevaCurl No Poo, DevaCurl Low Poo, lemon juice and conditioner equal-parts mixtures), conditioners (DevaCurl One Condition, Ouidad Curl Quencher Conditioner, Argan Oil conditioners, Avalon Organics Volumizing Rosemary conditioner, Aussie Moist conditioner, etc. etc. etc. and yes I have all of these and more in my shower right now), and styling products. We’ve discussed cremes, gels, mousses (meese?), you name it. I’ve found that a light gel works best for my hair type. Until now I’ve mainly been using DevaCurl’s Angel and Ouidad’s Climate Control gel because both are light hold.

Salt-Spray-RecipeHOWEVER! My hair has been looking stringy and angry lately, despite oil treatments and my tender lovin’ care. I saw a brand I’d never seen before when researching my hair type on Naturallycurly.com. [Btw people — check them out! You take a quiz to determine your curl/hair type, and then you can read all about other members who have your hair type and what products they use, how they style it, and much more. It’s like a Pinterest board of curly hair care. My type is 3a, and they corroborated my findings that a light hold gel is my hair’s bff].

This fabulous new gel is called Curl Junkie’s Curls in a Bottle (pictured above), and it was being used to demonstrate a DIY sea salt spray (if you haven’t seen this yet, it means you need to like my Facebook page). I just knew I had to try it immediately.. and yes!!! It worked! It’s highly conditioning with no harmful ingredients and was so light it looked like water. Since my hair can’t handle heavy hold gels, it’s perfect!

While I was at Ricky’s picking it up, I heard a young woman asking where she can find leave-in conditioners for naturally curly hair. The straight-haired lady behind the counter was directing her when I intervened and said, “NO! You don’t want to buy a product labeled as a leave-in conditioner. You just want a really great quality conditioner, and when you’re in the shower apply it, concentrating on the ends, after you’ve cleaned your hair. Then stand with your head falling back under the nozzle and let the water rinse out maybe 20%-50% of it.” It only takes a second for most hair types/shower pressures. So let this be a reminder to you all: leave-ins are meant to be diluted conditioners, but because they’re made to be stocked on store shelves for a long time and also because people want their leave-ins to feel smooth and not thick or sticky, they load them up with lots of alcohol and other drying, damaging ingredients to make it evaporate faster. Kind of counter-intuitive, no? Just use a quality conditioner that you already have and water it down yourself in the shower.

I saw the young woman head over toward DevaCurl’s One Condition per my suggestion, and my only regret is wishing I had creepily followed her to fully ingratiate her into the world of naturally curly hair care. But alas, I left her to her own devices and hope that she’ll find CurlyNikki.com or NaturallyCurly.com or even my little ol’ blog. So girl at Ricky’s, this post goes out to you.

Remember friends: As curly girls who have wrestled with the wave, contended with the curl, kerfuffled with the kink, it’s always our duty to spread the knowledge and love. Mentor new curlfriends and gain the satisfaction of knowing that you’re a big part of making this world a happier, healthier, prettier, and slightly more genuine place.

Wedding on the Way!

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Hi friends! It’s been so long! I wanted to update you with some of my musings, and I stand strong against posting unnecessary nonsense just for the sake of it. This probably is just that, but bear with me because I miss you!

Arte Salon in Soho, NYC

Arte Salon in Soho, NYC

As you may remember from a recent post, I found an amazing new hairdresser, Amy from Arté Salon in Soho and YES that means I’ve ditched Devachan and their lofty(er) prices. Who knows if I’ll return eventually, and I still use and preach their products, but the salon staff and atmosphere are a bit uptight and I forgot what the fun neighborhood vibe can be like in a smaller salon.

ANYWAY — the countdown is seriously under way to my upcoming wedding. It’s going to take place on August 17, 2014 and my beauty regimen has been implemented pretty much since our engagement last year. I’ve included my skincare routine that was dermatologist-recommended and approved below in case you’re interested, voyeur that you are! My skin has never been better.

The cut Amy gave me the first time was monumental. In the words of one co-worker, “the hair cut to end all hair cuts.” However, in order not to thin out the middle too much so I can pull off the mystery hair style I’ll be rocking on the big day (No hints! You’ll see soon enough!) my most recent shaping had to be on the stingier side. Because of this, I’m kind of hating my hair lately. I also haven’t fully solved the oil-clogging-the-shower-drain fiasco and every time I do an oil treatment the bath completely backs up and we have to use Draino — which is so bad for the environment and old pipes, y’all. I will definitely be applying one this weekend and washing it out in the gym showers because it’s way overdue, but it’s just not the same. Sigh, the trials of living in a gorgeous pre-war Brooklyn brownstone!

In the meantime, I’m making good use of funky buns, sassy braids, and lots of hair accessories. I vow to make it through this trying time (insert sarcastic eye-roll here)!!! I will also update you soon with video footage on ways to cut curly hair to add some life to it between cuts. If you have gorgeous, thick, voluminous hair it may not apply to you as much, but for those of us on the thinner/finer side, you will want to tune in. I also love cutting my own hair when I can because it feels liberating. Coming soon!

In the meantime…CQA Talks: SKIN CARE

PM Instructions

1. Wash face and neck with Ceravé Hydrating Cleanser. I only wash my face once a day because I believe that over washing is bad (have you been reading my blog?!) and the best time to do that is after a day full of facing pollution and pollen outside. To keep extra-clean, wash your pillowcase often.

2. Dry completely, and apply four drops of Tarte Maracuja Oil to palm, then rub it into your face, focusing on wrinkly or dry areas. I do not have dry skin in general and I use this every night and I haven’t had any break outs, scaling, or issues whatsoever over the past year of using it nightly. This was the most severe winter I’ve ever lived through in the city and every other winter I’ve had dry skin issues from the freezing wind, but this year I had none. *Only use it at night* Some people I know use Vitamin C oil and that should have the same effect. I used to have an oily T-zone, but not anymore!

3. Apply a thin coating of Ceravé Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM to face and neck.

AM Instructions

1. Pour a generous amount of Witch Hazel on a cotton swab and wipe off your entire face and neck. Witch Hazel is a time-tested and grandma-approved way to fight redness and remove all excess oils before facing the day.

2. When face is completely dry, apply a coating of Ceravé Day Time Facial Lotion to face and neck. The SPF 30 is crucial to avoid sun spots, wrinkles, and signs of aging.

Bonus:

41GGyPC+FzLIf any parts of your body are dry, potentially starting to sag (ahem, ladies, this is me trying to be subtle), or even if you have any muscle tension or aches, apply Castor Oil to a piece of wool flannel and let it sit on the affected area for as long as you can. You can also apply oil directly to skin if that’s easier. It works wonders to keep my skin super soft! I wouldn’t recommend using it on your face, it’s too thick. Extra Bonus: Castor Oil also does wonders for your hair!

CQA Interview: Katrina

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Katrina-Curls1Curly Q&A: I love your hair, what would you say are some of the biggest physical challenges of maintaining natural hair? (rather than using extensions, keeping it very short, or chemically relaxing it)
Katrina: Thank you for the compliment! The only physical challenge I would say about maintaining my natural hair versus a relaxer or extensions is that I have to wet, condition and comb through my hair every day or every other day at the least because it tangles very easily. Otherwise, my hair is really easy to maintain because I pretty much wash and go.

CQA: What are your favorite products, and what do you use them for specifically?
K: I’ve tried a lot of products as I am sure most curly hair girls have. I really like the Ouidad products, especially the conditioner. These products are designed for curly hair. I also love Carol’s Daughter hair milk, it’s a leave-in cream with oil in it but it’s not oily. I like my hair to feel free so I look for products that are moisturizing without being oily. I also like Argan oil, but not too much, and if I put Argan oil in my hair I don’t use any other creams or oils. I also like Phyto products; especially the hair mask, which is only used once a week.

CQA: Do you have any particular styling tips?
K: The styling tip that works for me is to always apply product when hair is wet and never dry your hair upside down with a towel because this creates frizz. I use a towel to dry the ends of my hair. Once it’s dry, then you can flip it so your hair is not sticking to your head; you can lift the roots that way.

CQA: How often do you do oil treatments? Do you have any favorite types? What is your oil treatment method?
K: I have done oil treatments but not every week. I like Phyto hair mask as an oil treatment. I have also heard of girls that use mayonnaise, egg yolks and avocado as an oil treatment. I haven’t tried that, but since I’m always looking for inexpensive ways to treat my hair, I just might!

CQA: I love your hair cut! How often do you cut it, and do you have a favorite salon/hairdresser? Do you cut it dry or wet?
K: Thank you! I cut my hair when I feel that it needs it. I like the way that Rayna at Cutler hair salon in Soho cuts my hair; she understands curly hair. I’ve also had it cut at a local Dominican Salon in Florida and they did a good job. I’ve had it cut wet and dry and I would say dry is definitely better because you can see the shape of the hair.

Katrina-Curls2CQA: Curly hair can so often be used as a sociopolitical statement. Have you ever felt that you were treated differently because of your naturally curly hair?
K: Yes, there is one situation that stands out in my mind. I’m a model, and I was on a very high end hair job; the hair stylist that they flew in all the way from Paris kept complaining about my hair. Keep in mind that I had gone on a casting and 2 callbacks for this job, and my hair had been thoroughly inspected and fine-tooth combed (no pun intended) for me to get this job. I was also chosen out of about 50 girls, so the client was very sure about me. This “big shot” hair stylist kept saying, “You have a tough head of hair!” and she kept going on and on about how she doesn’t use products and in Paris they don’t use hair like this for hair jobs. She had also written a “hair book” and in this book there was not one curly-haired girl. I thought to myself, “Some hairdresser, she doesn’t even acknowledge curly hair! How can you call yourself a hair stylist and not include every type of hair under the sun in your book!!” Anyway, I just smiled and thanked God that I was blessed with curly hair that I was being paid to advertise.

CQA: She was obviously jealous. Are there any other tips or tricks that you’d like to share with Curly Q&A readers?
K: I would like to add that on my off days I like to wash my hair, put product in, and keep it in a braid. When it dries and I pull my braid out, it’s beautiful and wavy! Whether you are born with straight or curly hair, embrace what you’re blessed with!

Winter Hair Care

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hair-christmasHello curly friends! I have been absent for a while, but I wanted to pop up for a quick reminder on winter hair care. As I’ve said in the past, this is probably the worst time of year for curly haired ladies living in cold weather regions, and not because of the frigid temps — blasted indoor heating dries out not only our nasal passages and skin, but our scalps and hair as well. Every week I wake up one day and notice that my hair resembles dry straw, and remember that it’s time for another oil treatment. These get expensive, since they use a lot of conditioner in both the treatment and cleansing phases, but they are absolutely necessary this time of year. The last thing you want is breakage when you’ve worked so hard to maintain your length.

In addition to weekly oil treatments of one kind or another, your scalp may need a little extra TLC. If you notice a weird kind of uncomfortable pain that radiates around your entire scalp, take a little dab of conditioner and rub it into your scalp as you would with body cream on your skin. This can be done when the hair is dry. The pain is just chapped skin, and the conditioner will soak right in. Don’t use too much though, a little goes a long way, and try to keep it off your hair as much as possible so that it doesn’t appear greasy.

Other than that, dress warm and cover up! If you’re looking for the best diffuser around so that you don’t have to go outside with wet hair, try this one. Its design doesn’t scrunch the curls and allows them to dry the way you’ve styled them. This also adds to the creation of hay-hair in the winter, so use it sparingly. I wash my hair about every 3-4 days or less this time of year.

Happy Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, whatever else you celebrate, and Happy and healthy New Year. I look forward to seeing you in 2013!

Lots of Love, your Shepherd to Curldom