Nappier than expected syndrome

Hey there my lovelies,

So I was reading curly Niki's blog and came across this post. I absolutely loved this young ladies story (http://www.curlynikki.com/2010/08/nappier-than-expected-syndrome.html). Point of the story is that after she did the BC she thought that her hair was nappier than expected; she termed this the nappier than expected syndrome. I too have gone through this experience. After I did the BC I loved my hair, but throughout the years I have definitely had my days of feeling my hair is too nappy. I have tried many a products in an attempt to enhance my curl pattern, loosen my curls, make my hair shinier and more silky all to little avail. So, now I know that products don't make your hair great-time, patience, love, and dedication make your hair great. The curl whisperer likes to use the term "naked hair." She states that if you aren't happy with your hair in its naked state-freshly washed and without any product-then you need to work on your hair, not try a million new products. Regardless of what the commercials say, there is no one miracle product out there that will all of a sudden make your hair "perfect." So, love your curls for what they are, uniquely yours!

Have a happy, nappy weekend :-)

Tootles for now,

Me

Image uploaded from http://www.curlynikki.com/2010/08/nappier-than-expected-syndrome.html

Protective styles-Part 1: A twist-out gone right

Protective hairstyles are just what they sound like. A protective style is one that is created to protect your hair-think little girl routine of getting your hair braided for the week on Sunday night, having your hair freed from the braids only to be able to sport a "presentable" look at church and then getting it washed and braided back Sunday night, Mommy had the right idea. Protective styles protect from the environment as well as from you. The less manipulation you do to your hair, the less it will break, split and tangle. There are a variety of protective styles that can be worn, and many can be worn with your own hair or with the addition of hair. Now please don't get me wrong, protective styles aren't meant to be worn indefinitely, with the exception of locs, but it is advantageous to wear a protective style for about one week-two months depending on the style.

Protective styles are especially nice in extreme weather conditions such as summer and winter. Keeping your hair protected will hopefully reduce the damage created by the elements. Some common temporary protective styles include braids, twists, style-outs, weaves, and bantu knots.

In this protective styles post I'm going to focus on the twist-out. A twist out can be either a two strand twist out or a flat-twist twist out. A twist out would be considered a protective style because it cuts down on the amount of handling you have to do with your hair. In addition, hair may be less likely to become tangled-which can cause it to break-if it is in a twist out opposed to a wash and go.

So, below is the description of how Ms. Berry does her twist out.

• Wash with Giovanni Triple Treat followed by Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo
• Deep Condition with Organix Coconut Conditioner, then rinse with cold water
• Lightly dry hair with a t-shirt
• Section hair into four sections
• One section at a time, moisturize scalp with CD (Carol's Daughter) Mimosa Hair Honey
• Rub raw unrefined Shea Butter and CD hair milk throughout the section
• Sectioned hair to be twisted
• Finger comb through Eco-styler Olive Oil gel
• Twist, there were about 7-9 twists per section of four

By doing smaller twists this style lasts for a week. Nighttime maintenance is to tie the edges with a scarf and put on a bonnet. In the morning she mists with Chi Silk Mist and is fabulously ready for a new day.

There are a variety of ways (ie. number of twists), and products that can be used to do a two-strand twist out so experiment with a suggested routine and then personalize it to fit your needs. I'm posting links to Curly Niki's blog (http://www.curlynikki.com/search/label/Products%20I%27m%20Using%20Now) as well as the Mop Top Maven (http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/01/twist-out-tutorial.html) so that you can also check out how they do a twist-out. I haven't quite mastered the two-strand twist out, but hopefully some of these tips will help you ladies out.

If you have any questions or comments for me or Ms. Berry please leave a quick note :-) Comments are much loved!!!

Tootles for now,

Me

How to Grow Long Locks - Makeup, Skin Care & Hair - Your Look - MSN Lifestyle

How to Grow Long Locks - Makeup, Skin Care & Hair - Your Look - MSN Lifestyle


Hello there my lovelies,

I must have ate my Wheaties this morning because this is post number 2 for the day :-)
So, I came across this article on msn. The "article" is some tips on how to grow your hair long, and it is geared toward African American women. So, my first thought was yeah buddy look at us all over the media. I mean, how many articles are on main stream "news" web pages that are geared toward African American women? Then my second thought was, dag, why does it have to be about something as superficial as growing your hair long? :-/ So then I got to thinking, why is long hair so important to many members of the African American community? Are we somehow associating self worth with hair length? And if so, where is this coming from? Is this a European standard that we have somehow picked up along the way and been conformed to believe is a human standard? We are all different, we all have different genetics, environments etc. so why is it that one hair length, long, is so commonly thought of as beautiful? Maybe hair is associated with femininity and sexuality, and that's where this long hair obsession comes from? Well, idk, but I see women with hair of all lengths and I think that hair can be beautiful even if it's not long. And actually, there are many days when I want to cut my hair, because I miss my cute little curly fro. Just some thoughts that made me go hmmmm.......

Tootles for now,

Me

The image above is taken from the following web page, hopefully I am minimizing my infringement on copy right laws by including this :-)

http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/makeup-skin-care-hair/staticslideshowessence.aspx?cp-documentid=25797435&GT1=32002

Don't be afraid of water, it's your friend

Hello there you lovely people,

I know that for many years you and your beautifully relaxed hair have been afraid of the enemy commonly known as water. That's right, no matter where it comes from, shower, rain, pool, ocean, sweat, you quickly learn after the first relaxer that water is an enemy if it touches your hair without first getting your permission. I think that one of the hardest concepts to remember after transitioning is that water is your hair's friend. So, after you become natural, introduce the two, water and hair, and give them the opportunity to interact as much as possible. When I first started wearing my hair natural I wet my hair just about everyday. I don't "water" my hair quite as much anymore because I often don't make the time to do so, but boy when I do, my hair thanks me all day long. Water is an awesome moisturizer. Get that water in your hair, seal it up, and don't let it escape. For those of you with overly porous hair it is hard to get your hair really wet; try putting conditioner on and then wetting your hair. So, for those of you who wear your hair natural, or are considering to start wearing your hair natural, remember that water is your friend. Water your hair whenever it feels dry and it will be revived and spring back to life. If you don't have time to get into the shower to wet your hair simply fill a spray bottle with some cold water, a little conditioner, your favorite essential oils and have at it.

So, quickie warning: do be cautious of using hard water-water that contains a higher than normal content of minerals and other impurities-hard water is harmful to your hair and your skin. You can test your water with a kit that can be bought at hardware stores or you can call your local water supplier and ask them. If you do have hard water you can buy a purifier to put on your shower head or a detachable shower head with a purifier built in, or you can boil your water before you use it on your hair (letting it cool before use of course).


Tootles for now,


Me :-)

Let's talk about it....

Hey there my lovelies,

So I came across this video while I was perusing Curly Niki's blog. This is the video for Willow Smith's song, "Whip My Hair." When I first watched this video I did not like it. I was at first very caught up in the fact that this 9 year old was rockin a Mohawk. I was a bit shocked that a child was allowed to make such a daring hair move. When I got my first big hair cut I was 18. Please believe that the fact that I was 18 and out of my parents' house did not stop my mother from lecturing me about my hair and telling me what a big mistake it was and how I'd regret cutting my hair. The more I watched Willow's video the more I began to like it. I like the fact that she is brave enough to be different-because I mean how many little girls do you know wearing a Mohawk/Fohawk-I also like that she has embraced her own personal style, and that she acknowledges that it's just hair and we all have different styles, textures, and preferences concerning it, and it's a pretty catchy little song ;-) So, I wanted to hear from you all: at what age do you think it's okay to let your child take charge of her/his own hair care? When is it okay for the child to decide to straighten/color/cut etc. her or his hair?

I want to hear what you all think about this both parents and non-parents :-)

Tootles for now,

Me

Seriously, am I 26 or 62?

Oh my goodness!!!! For some reason the grays are showing up and showing out. Now don't get me wrong, I do love gray/white hair, but not on 26 year old me :-/ Hhhhmmmm...I remember the day I found my first gray like it was just a few months ago-hehehe, it was a few months ago. So, I was at school, and I was in the restroom, and like most women I was taking a look at myself to make sure I looked decent, and there it was!!! Mr. Gray was just sitting there like he was doing nothing wrong. Okay, I thought, no need to panic, 1 for team gray, thousands for team black. Then what do I see about a month after that? That's right, Mr. Gray decides to invite some company on over. So once again, I think, okay, two strands of gray, I can live with that. So after taking some time out to acknowledge that everyone grays at different rates, and having a deep internal struggle about if I'd color or not, I learned to accept and love my little gray curlies. However, I have to say, today I had my hair in two braids, and one of my little gray lovelies decides to go peeping out. Okay now, I let the gray stay, even started embracing it, and it's going to go and act up, just go sticking out making sure everyone notices it. Hhmmmm.....guess that's life :-)



Tootles for now,
Me

Did you spy the gray in the top pic? :-) He's a sneaky little one

Shampoo baby shampoo....or not

Hello there my lovelies,

So, I've had a couple of questions about my rationale for not shampooing my hair more often than I do. I first stopped shampooing my hair every week because of everything that I was reading about how drying shampoo is for hair, especially curly hair. I understand now that the more drying shampoos that we are warned against using are those containing sulfates. However, I have found that my hair really doesn't need to be shampooed every week. We shampoo our hair for two reasons: 1. out of habit, and 2. to clean the scalp and hair. Well, I've never been much for doing things simply out of habit, and I've found that my scalp and hair don't seem to be getting dirty enough to warrant a once a week shampoo. I would highly recommend seeing how long you can go without shampooing your hair. Trust me, when your hair is dirty and needs a good scrub you will feel it and be able to tell. I do shampoo if I have been regularly using a product that I can tell has left build up on my hair; in this case I usually use a sulfate-containing shampoo and follow it with a more gentle sulfate-free shampoo. I think that using a shampoo with sulfate once or twice/ month is probably not enough to completely dry up your beautiful hair. However, if I get the urge to shampoo my hair every week I do so and I use a sulfate free shampoo. So, that is my main reason for shampooing 1-2xs per month (give or take 1-2xs ;-). My more minor reason is that not shampooing saves time. I know, I should love my hair enough to spend all the time in the world on it that it needs, but sometimes I just get lazy.

The no-poo idea was coined by Lorraine Massey, author of the book Curly Girl. In the book, Lorraine-you like how we're on a first name basis don't you-states that she like many others used to wash her hair twice a week because that was the way it was "supposed to be." However, she noticed that her hair always looked better when it was "time" to shampoo it, so she stopped shampooing. At first she just waited a day, and then another, and then another until she realized that she didn't need to shampoo anymore. The sebum (oil) and sweat produced by our scalp is sterile, the only concern from these two things is clogged pores. Our scalp can get dirty from dirt, pollution, bacteria and other yuckiness in the air, and that is why we need to clean it. However, according to my homey Lorraine, you can clean your scalp using conditioner and friction created by you massaging the scalp with your fingers.

So, I would highly recommend experimenting with how often you shampoo. See how your hair responds to not shampooing and how long you can go before you can tell that you need a good cleaning. Some of you may find that you toss out the shampoo and never buy another bottle again, some may find that your hair thrives when you shampoo once/week (or more or less), and some of you may find that your hair responds well to sulfate-containing and sulfate-free shampoos. Like most things concerning natural hair, it will take knowing your hair, a little experimenting, a lot of patience, and a wonking chunk of being brave and ready to think outside of the box.

For anyone who does not want to shampoo, but still feels like you just must have something to cleanse and clarify you can try a homemade rinse. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a good rinse-2 cups of ACV to 1 cup of water (this makes a good bit, you can keep it for like a week, but I cut it in half). On wet hair (you can condition first or not) saturate the hair in the mixture. You can rinse this out or you can leave it in. Warnings: #1-ACV burns, keep it out of your eyes, yeah, definitely speaking from experience here, #2-your hair will smell like vinegar until it dries. When I use this mix I put it in a spray bottle and spray on my hair, put my normal products in and let it dry. The ACV rinse makes my hair really shiny. I add a few drops of essential oils-I add Sage, Rosemary and Peppermint, because those are the only essential oils I own, you can add whatever you want. You can also do a baking soda rinse: 1/2 cup baking soda to 3 cups of water. I have never used this before so I don't know how it works.

That's all I have about that.

Tootles for now,

Lady Shay

What's your hair type?

Hello there my lovelies,

I think that one of the most efficient ways to find the best products for your beautiful hair is by first understanding your hair type. There are different properties used to classify hair type. The most common way to think about hair type is by the pattern of the hair. For instance, hair may be classified based on how curly, wavy, or straight it is http://www.curls.biz/curly-hair-type-guide.html. Hair that is straight is classified as 1, hair that is wavy is classified as 2, hair that has corkscrew curls is classified as 3 and hair that is kinky is classified as 4. Within the four categories there are sub-categories. For example, hair can be 3A, 3B, or 3C with 3A being the most loose curl pattern and 3C being the most tightly coiled curl pattern in the 3 category.

Another aspect of hair that may be used to determine your hair type is porosity. Porosity is basically how well the hair acquires and retains water and moisture, http://livecurlylivefree.blogspot.com/2009/01/hair-porosity.html. Hair can have low, medium or high porosity. So hair that has low porosity will have difficulty getting wet when held under a stream of water, simply because the water has a hard time getting in. Similarly, hair that is overly porous or has high porosity will get wet quickly because the water can easily get in, but will also dry more quickly because the water can also easily get back out. It's important to understand that these are simply guidelines for hair types and your hair may or may not perfectly fit into any one category. It is also important to remember that your own head of hair may contain different hair types. For instance, your hair may be very porous 3C in the front and medium porous 4B in the back. Understanding your hair type should help in determining which products are likely to be more beneficial to you. For instance, if you have overly porous hair, you may want to try using a keratin (or other protein) treatment. Of course the best way to know how your hair will respond to a product is to use it, but by knowing which ingredients/products typically work best for your hair type you may be able to narrow your product search down a tad.

Hope this was helpful in some way. Get tested, know your hair type :-) He he he.....

Tootles for now,

Lady Shay

Detangling: Part 1

Hello there my lovelies,

Detangling is one of the most daunting tasks associated with naturally textured hair. So, I thought I'd share a few tips on detangling. Some of these come from me and some from books/blogs that I've read, but I'll let you know what's what.

• First and foremost, don't detangle your hair if you aren't in the mood and/or don't have time. Your hair is so sensitive and delicate, if you rush a detangling job you will end up pulling out hair and do more harm than good. It is recommended by many that if you are not "detangling minded" it is better to just forget it until later.


• Only detangle when your hair is wet. Now, this is a Shaynaism. CurlyNiki has suggested detangling hair first while dry and then again when wet. I don't try to detangle my hair unless it is wet (unless I just happen to be playing with it and come across a knot;-). For me, my dry hair is too much to detangle so I don't even bother (and my hair actually doesn't tangle too badly).


• Detangle hair when it is loaded with conditioner. Your hair is easiest to detangle when it has conditioner on it. This is something that is recommended by just about everything/one that I've read. And a must do for me.


• Put hair into sections to detangle. This is a Shaynaism, but especially if your hair is thick, this just makes your hair easier to work with and the task a little more managable.


• After you get a section detangled, put it into a loose twist or braid to aid it in not retangling. This is something that Chicoro has suggested in her book "Grow It: How to grow Afro-textured hair to maximum lengths in the shortest time," and I too find this to be useful.


• When detangling start at the ends and work your way toward the root. Everyone suggest that you begin your detangling at the ends of your hairs. It is helpful to hold your hair about an inch away from where you are detangling.


• BE PATIENT

If you want more tips/info about detangling, Chicoro talks about this in depth in her book (and I own it if anyone in the area wants to borrow it). Also, I'll put up another post with details on my personal detangling routine, which works well for me.

Hope this was helpful

Tootles for now,

Me

Concoction review

Hello All!!!

So, a while ago I wrote about an epiphany that I had. I decided to mix together three hair conditioners that I really like: Baba de Caracol, HE Totally Twisted, and Yes to Cucumbers. When I first conditioned my hair with this concoction I did not love it, I felt like it didn't do a good job at detangling and my hair wasn't very moisturized after rinsing. However, I decided to give it another try, and I loved it! Idk what happened the first time, but upon second use (I used them about 2 weeks apart with other conditioners in between) I really liked the way my hair turned out. So, mixing conditioners together is highly recommended.

I mixed together equal amounts of Baba de Caracol, HE Totally Twisted, and Yes to Cucumbers in the container that Baba came in, and then shook it all together. To condition, in the shower I thoroughly wet my hair with warm water and then sectioned my hair off into four sections, and secured each section with a clip. One section at a time, I took the section down, rinsed with water and then slabbed conditioner on. Next, I detangled with my fingers starting at the ends and then put a bit more conditioner on and twisted the section upon completion of the detangling. I kept the conditioner on for about 10mins or so and then rinsed with cold water one section at a time. I rinsed first while the twist was still in and then again after the twist was loosened. I put on CD Some of Maurgerite's Magic and unrefined Shea Butter, and pulled my hair all up into a high messy bun, put a headband on and that was that. My hair was soft and shiny:-)

At night, I left my hair in a bun and slept on a satin pillow case.

The next day I took the bun down and tried out a new style. My hair was a little wild and crazy, but I loved it. My hair was still soft and it was still shiny with minimal frizz.








These are some pics from the day after hair with concoction. I parted the front to the side and flat twisted around in either direction (I love flat twist) just along the front of the hair, sort of like a built in headband. Then, I regularly twisted the ends of the flat twist and pulled them back and clipped the ends somewhere in the back of my head, on either side. I let the back of my hair just fall naturally as it wanted and left. The style was a little 80s, kind of wild and untamed and I LOVED it. PS-check out those earrings, he he he, they are so huge and I LOVE them too :-)


Tootles for now,
Lady Shay

My Freebie!!!!! :-)

So I finally got to wear my dress that I got for FREE!!! That's right. For anyone who missed it, let me give a quick recap. I went shopping for my birthday. I was at my last stop of the day-Charlotte Russe-and of course I was over my spending limit. Despite the fact that I'm a grad student, living on a grad student budget (which is quite close to the poverty line once tuition has been paid) I still felt it okay for me to buy two more articles of clothing beyond my limit. Well, my buddy God was apparently looking out for me, because when I got the register the girl said $31.36 (or something close to that), and I said, I'm sorry did you ring up both items. She says, get ready for this one, she says, oh it's buy one get one FREE. That's right, I bought a sweater and got a dress for FREE. So, I thought I'd share a pic of me in my dress. I had to put a shirt on underneath which takes away a bit from the cuteness because I thought it'd be too cold for the dress alone, but I was happy to be able to squeeze it in before Fall came into full effect. Anyhoo, it made me happy to wear my FREE dress, and I thought I'd share a pic with you all. My hair is the remnants of a two day old twist out. I did two strand twists using Carol's Daughter Some of Maurgerite's Magic and Shea Butter. At night I did absolutely nothing, I let my head hit my satin pillow case and turned in for the night. Surprisingly, doing nothing at night was the best that a twist out has held up for me (except for re-twisting at night), but I've also tried ponytail and tie down with a scarf. Anyhoo, that's all I have for now. I hope to hear from you all soon!!!!!! Post those comments and send those emails.

Tootles for now,
Lady Shay

PS-That's my baby Miles in the back by my foot. He's so cute even from a profile shot with his head partially hidden by my leg. So cute!!!!!!

Love your curls for what they are

Hey there my lovely curlies,

So, I've started a new book, Curly Girl, by Lorraine Massey, and a lot of it is centered around changing your attitude about curly hair (book review to come). Reading some of the stories in the book of women who for so long, and some still today, hated their curls made me reflect on my own feelings about my hair. For so long we've been told, both directly and indirectly, that our hair is bad, wrong, and ugly. We've been told for so long and by so many people that our natural hair isn't good enough that many of us have came to believe that our hair isn't beautiful or good enough. Wearing your hair natural is more than just deciding to pursue a particular hairstyle, but it's also pursuing a particular attitude. Wearing your hair natural says I'm beautiful the way God made me and my hair doesn't have to look as society says for it to be desirable, accepted, sophisticated and wonderful. I remember when I first came home after the BC, my mom told me that my hair looked unprofessional and just plain nappy. I have to admit that at first, hearing the "n" word hurt a bit. For so long nappy was the worst word that you could use to describe a person's hair. Well, so what if my hair is nappy? Who's to say that nappy is a bad thing? As children we have our hair pressed and permed, and inadvertently what our loved ones are telling us by doing this is that our natural hair is wrong or ugly. It takes time to undo the years of falsehoods and to realize that your natural hair is beautiful. It doesn't matter if your hair is straight, curly, kinky, nappy or nonexistent, know that the way God made your hair is beautiful. So while many of us still desire to have long silky locs made up of perfect ringlet curls that flow and swing when we walk, for a lot of us that will never be a reality. It took me a while to accept that there was no miracle product out there to naturally turn "Shayna" texture hair into "Alicia Keys" texture hair; we are different people with a different genetic background and different hair textures. Now that I've accepted and learned to love my hair for the texture it is-curly, kinky, nappy-I'm so much happier. I LOVE my hair, and I have to honestly say it took me some time to get here. However, now that I love my hair, I feel a lot more comfortable in myself. As cliche as it sounds, truly accepting your hair for what it is-beautiful in its own right-makes such a large difference in your self-esteem and your outlook on life and others. Okay, I'm finished being all sappy and introspective, but I want anyone reading this who is not comfortable with your natural hair to know that your hair need not look like any other person in order for it to be beautiful. Healthy hair is what's beautiful!!!

Tootles for now,

Lady Shay

Ingredients

Hey there!!!
So, there's this big hoopla these days about which ingredients are good for you and your hair and which aren't. And now that there's a huge push for natural and organic products things are getting even more confusing. So, I thought I'd write about ingredients and give my take on them. First off let me say that I am a scientist by nature and trade, so if I don't have data or proof to back up what people say I usually don't fall for it.

I think the first thing to remember when looking for the best ingredients for you is that everyone's hair is different. What works on my hair may or may not work for you, so there are really very few blanket statements that are good to follow pertaining to products. I highly recommend always reading the ingredient label and learning which ingredients work well in your hair and which do not. Typically, ingredients are listed in order of abundance with the most abundant ingredients being listed first. Personally, if I see something not so great on the ingredient list, but it's past the first half of the list I'm okay with still getting the product.

So here I go. I am by no means an expert, so I have added links for you to refer to for each ingredient that I'm talking about here.

• Sulfates-there is a big push these days to avoid products, especially shampoos, containing sulfates. Sulfates are detergents used mainly in shampoo for the lathering effect as well as to cleanse. The problem with sulfates is that they may cleanse a little too well and dry the hair out of natural moisturizers and oils. Sulfates are thought to be stripping and are often shunned by curly girls. I personally have used several shampoos which contain sulfates that I have found to be quite moisturizing. My take on sulfates is that it really matters what other ingredients are contained in the product and where sulfate falls on the ingredient list. So, I use both sulfate containing and sulfate free shampoos. http://www.livestrong.com/article/265025-why-are-sulfates-in-hair-products-bad/


• Parabens-parabens are used as a preservative in a number of cosmetics. In the hair world they are usually found in conditioners, but can be found in other products as well. Parabens have been said to cause cancer. Now, let scientist Shayna come out for a minute. I have yet to see any compelling evidence that parabens really do cause cancer. I feel like the studies that I have read do not agree with one another, and other tests need to be conducted to affirm that parabens are or are not carcinogenic. I try to use products that contain little or no paraben simply because I think people still don't know what the relationship to cancer is yet. However, I don't know that the amount of paraben used by cosmetic companies is enough to cause cancer, if parabens do indeed lead to cancer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraben


• Mineral Oil-mineral oil is thought by some to be used as a filler ingredient, it's cheap, and therefore used. Others believe mineral oil to be a very good product for moisturizing. It is said that mineral oil dries hair out and clogs pores. I try to stay away from products containining mineral oil. I have used procuts with mineral oil and just didn't like it in my hair. My hair felt hard and dry and stringy after use. Here's a link against mineral oil http://www.articlesbase.com/hair-loss-articles/should-mineral-oil-be-used-on-the-hair-get-healthy-hair-now-1050163.html and one for mineral oil http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/11/28/the-top-5-myths-about-mineral-oil-part-1/


• Silicones-silicones are a family of synthetic materials used for a number of purposes. In hair care, silicones are often found in conditioners and may also be found in a number of leave in products. Silicones coat the hair which can keep moisture in, but also keep moisture out. Some silicones can be hard to wash out of the hair, requiring the use of sulfate containing shampoos to remove them. The major reason most people seem to avoid silicones is because it can build up on the hair, and be difficult to remove. My hair likes silicones (please not that there are different types of silicones and I am now referring to dimethicone). I have used both rinse out and leave in products containing silicones and I find that they smooth my hair and help control frizz very well. I have not had a problem with build-up using silicone containing products, at least not buiuld up that I can notice, and I didn't feel the need to scrub my hair to get it clean. http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/01/29/are-silicones-bad-for-your-hair/


• Alcohols-For a long time we were all told to stay away from hair products containing alcohols because it is drying to the hair. However, our alcohol warning usually came without notification that there are different types of alcohols. Cetyl alcohol I have read is a "good" alcohol. There are a number of types of alcohol and I'm too lazy to remember which is good and which is bad so I usually just pretend that there's no alcohol in anything I use. However, if I notice my hair drying out, I'll switch products. http://community.babycenter.com/post/a650595/good_vs._bad_alcohol_in_hair_products.

So, that's all that I have for now about ingredients. I hope this has been helpful.

Tootles for now,

Lady Shay

Decisions, decisions....

Hello there!!!

So, I had a huge decision to make this weekend! I was headed to the grocery store, so first I made a quick stop by the bank to get some cash out. I'm working on my finances this year, and am trying to use cash more often. And I have to say, this using cash thing is a very eye opening experience as to how much spending money really hurts. I mean, when was the last time any of you actually handed someone $80 of your hard earned money to buy groceries? Try it, it hurts, really. Anyhoo, back to the story. So, I'm at the bank which coincidentally is right next to the nail shop where I get my eyebrows waxed. Okay, so then comes the moment of truth: do I dip into the grocery money to get my eyebrows done or do I continue walking around with two bushes growing out of my face? Hmmm....decisions, decisions. When is it okay to use money that has been set aside for necessities on things that we desire?!?! When it's time to get your eyebrows waxed, that's when. So, I did the fashion conscious, but maybe not quite so responsible, thing and got those bushes waxed. Phew.....glad that decision was made, I may be a little hungry every now and again, but my eyebrows are in the arches God meant for them to be in :-) Okay, really, I do feel like God wanted me to get them done, because I ended up having enough for eyebrows and groceries.....all is well with the world!!!

This is a pic of my eyebrows after they were tamed on Saturday. And I think that as the wonderful Ms. Berry pointed out, they should pay me to get my eyebrows done or at least do it for free, I mean, this is free advertisement ;-)

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend,

Tootles for now,

Lady Shay

Going Natural

Hello!!!!!

So, I just recently finished reading the book Going Natural How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair by Mireille Liong-A-Kong. I have to say, at first I was not a fan of this book, I actually had to start it twice. However, once I really got to reading it it ended up being a very good book. The writing at times isn't awesome, but this may be due to the fact that it was translated from Dutch. Anyhoo, she has a lot of really good tips for people who are transitioning or thinking about transitioning, so if this is you I highly recommend this book. There are also some helpful tips for those of us who have been natural for a little while already. The book includes a good section about ingredients (starting pg. 30 if you get the book). The section about ingredients highlights sections that are thought to be good and bad for your hair. She also has a good section about natural products that are good for natural hair (starting pg. 40). In addition to her book she has a website that will allow you to start a natural hair care journal-which is a very good thing to have if, if you haven't started one, it is highly recommended-so check it out, http://going-natural.com/. And definitely, think about starting a journal if you don't already have one even if it's just a small one or something you type on your computer. It's really nice to have something to refer back to about which products you liked or didn't like, and to know what worked and what didn't quite work especially if you experiment with a lot of different products and hair styles as some of us do.

So that's all I have for now, keep sending comments and let me know what you want to know about!!!

Tootles for now,

Lady Shay