My Fall Staple Products

After a some experimenting, I narrowed down the products and somewhat of a routine for this season - which has been temperamental to say the least (hurricanes, snowstorms, and sunny 60-degree days, oh my!). Here are the list of products on rotation for Fall/Winter 2012:

Cleanse

Jessicurl Cleansing Cream

Yes to Cucumbers

Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo

Conditioners

Aubrey Organics GPB

Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration

TreSemme

                                                           La Plancha Deep Heat Reconstructor 

Leave-in/Stylers

Lacio Lacio

Eco-Styler Gel (Green/Olive Oil)

John Frieda Ease Straight Fixation Smooth Creme

Miscellaneous

Apple Cider Vinegar

Bentonite Clay

Champagne & Caviar Curl Elixir

Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Treatment

Ideally, here is my weekly routine:

- Pre-Poo/Deep condition with Aubrey Organics or Burt's Bees depending on my hair's needs. If I find that it needs a bit more strength/protein or just used heat on my hair, the Aubrey Organics. If I just need to focus just on moisture, Burt's Bees.
- Cleanse with any one of the shampoos listed - the Clarifying shampoo will only be used if there's too much build-up (most likely once every six weeks). Bentonite Clay once a month
- Detangle/Condition with any one of those conditioners. La Plancha will be used if I'm prepping to heat style
- Final Rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar  as needed - when my scalp calls for it
- Use Lacio Lacio as my leave in on freshly washed and detangled hair, seal with Curl Elixer (oil) and Burt's Bee's Avocado Butter for extra protection against dry hair
- Use other other products based on hair styles (straight, rollerset, braid outs, etc)

Cool weather for my hair means protecting my ends, diligently sealing moisture in my hair, and keeping my scalp in order. I plan to try out some more products this season as well, but the products on this list are my tried and true favorites of the moment! See anything on this list you use? Let us know!

A Transitioning Story: Influencing My Mom to go Natural

My mother's beloved weave

A little over two years ago I influenced my mother to go natural. She didn't put up much of a fight at the the thought of fuller, longer hair, but definitely was not going for a big chop. I weaved her up for a year straight during the initial part of her transition, but for the rest of it, she either wears buns or straightens her hair. Whenever I can I'll snatch her up and try to give her a curly style with her luxurious curls, like I did the last time I made a little post about my mom, but of course she always reverts back to her die hard buns. lol
One day after washing her hair, she decides its a good idea not to detangle, or condition, throw a hat on her damp hair and walk out the door to run some errands before coming to see me. OY VEY! This lady gets here and the back of her hair is as matted as I dont know what! After about an hour of trying to detangle one small section with loads of oil and HEHH I gave up, and told her to get over it because it was Big choppin' time! (It might sound mean, but  that was a matt to remember and I was OVER it!)

 Because she still wanted to be able to pull her hair back for ponytails and have a bit of length to rock her weaves, we decided that since the front hadn't matted that we wouldn't chop it off as of yet... so I guess you could say she had to get half of a Big Chop.

Since then she hasn't worn any weaves for over a year and has been sticking to her good ol' buns and flatironed hair.

My mom has a super, simple hair regimen that basically consists of washing her hair, blow drying, or air drying in twists, and wearing a bun slicked back with water and JBCO. Sometimes she also braids and/or twists her ponytail before bunning. When she decides to straighten her hair, she generally wears it out and ends up putting it in a loose ponytail so it doesnt get all messy if she's busy and moving around a lot. 

She has told me of a few times when she's wore her hair natural (I still haven't seen her wear her hair out and natural to this day unless I did her hair that day) so she was super excited to show me this shot a friend snapped of her wearing her hair down the other day. 

I know I will be doing her hair again soon because she's due to come see me for a trim soon, and I'll definitely be doing a length check on her also so stay tuned!

 Is your mom also natural? Did you influence her to go natural or did she influence you?!

Anyone have a cool Transitioners Story they'd like to share? We'd love to hear some cool stories from all of you transitioners out there! Send your stories to Yais.nyc@gmail.com

How to Remove Your Twists for a Defined, Frizz Free Twist Out

I made a video for you all last week of how I twist out my hair. These twists were done on freshly washed damp hair, and left over night to dry.
 A lot of people always go goo goo over my twist outs and I'm not sure why, except for the fact that I know my curls are usually super defined... so much so that people think I have a straw or flexi rod set usually. I tried to make it short and sweet so I hope you all enjoy.. and stay tuned for another video of a couple of styles I did on my twist out!

Have you been loving your twist out results lately?

Looking Forward To Trying a New Fall/Winter Regimen

Me & My Hair Dec 2011

Fall seems to be approaching really fast here in NYC this year, as August is nearly over and the weather has already cooled down. This Fall going into the winter season is going to be sooo different for me, now that I have a little more length to my hair! I was thinking I should try rollersetting every week to week in a half... and then doing twist outs when the hair no longer looks good as a rollerset. Idk... I just definitely want to be able to retain more length while wearing my hair out, and still keep a stretched look. I realized, I don't think I wore a wash n go once this summer because I'm sooo over the shrunken look. I was wearing a short haircut for like 6 years before I decided to go natural and grow out my hair, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it too.

Anyhoo... I realized in all these years (2) I still haven't created a solidified regimen for myself... but could I? I've had an inch of hair, virgin hair, bleached hair, dyed hair, curly weave, straight weave, extension braids, lol... Yes, I find it hard to keep up with myself! lol So now that I'm 2 years in, with a color that I love, doing my best to retain as much length as possible, I'm really going to try putting myself on a strict regimen and seeing if it makes a difference in my length retention this year.

Day 1 ~ Wash Day! Start with a hair and scalp oil treatment (either the same day or baggied the night before). According to how the hair feels I will either shampoo (Roux Porosity Control) and condition or just cowash and finger detangle my hair in 4 sections. My favorite condish for detangling is Hello Hydration. :)
Rollerset w/ end wraps & Sit under dryer, pincurl and sleep w/ Satin Scarf and bonnet. (Sitting under the dryer also makes me take time out for posting, reading or doing my nails)

Day 2 ~ Wear amazing hair... and if amazing hair fails, wear a banana clip or bun! Moisturize at night using Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango butter  and morocan oil on the ends before sleeping, re-pincurl and zzzzzz.

Days 4 - 7 ~ Hair will probably get larger or flatter... go with the flow and either continue to pincurl or 2 strand twist for twist outs using Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango butter and Shea Moisture's Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Hold Smoothie, sealing my ends with Jamaican Black Castor Oil.

Back to wash day for a new hair week!

I really enjoy the outcome of rollersets and twist outs on my hair, which create beautiful textures I can always manipulate into other styles. One thing I did learn in the previous Fall and Winter seasons with all the cold weather accessories is to keep my hair in the back up! There will be no scarves and coats eating up my hair this year! I do need to do a little fall/winter accessory shopping so we'll see how that goes! lol

I plan to start this regimen as soon as I take out my extension braids and trim my hair!

 I plan to try trimming with the moon cycles for the next year as well, so I will be trimming on Friday August 31st with the full moon. I need a really good trim too... 1/4 inch, maybe like almost 1/2 inch to have all fresh ends. At the slow rate my hair grows I don't want to trim that much but after the pool and dry heat on the west coast, I think I definitely need it. Styling and detangling has been rough :/
(another reason I put these braids in... been trying to prolong this trim, lol)

Any of you ladies already thinking forward to your fall/winter regimen?

Are Your Products Actually Moisturizing? Shiny Hair Does Not Necessarily Mean Moisturized Hair

I would say I commend myself for keeping shiny hair although my hair naturally can be anything less than lustrious at times. I have so many people stop me and ask me how I get my hair so shiny, with the famous question "What do you use? Oil Sheen?" Definitely not.
I feel so lucky to have found this community that has helped me to learn the truth about our hair and the products we use in it and why. As a hairstylist, there has been countless times where a girl would come to get her hair done and it would be dry, hard and brittle, but greasy or oily at the same time. Adding layers of grease to already dry hair does nothing but clog the pores, weigh the hair down and make it greasy, and make the hair dirtier faster. Now I'm no scientist so I'm going to break this down in laymens terms...

Moisturizing in 3 Steps:
Part 1 -  Water & Washing your hair ~ When your body feels dehydrated, you drink water, so why not give your hair water when it's thirsty? Water is the first part of moisturizing, so if your hair's feeling dry and brittle , it may need some water. If your regimen is one that is low maintanence with washing, make sure you're still adding water to your hair, i.e. via a spritz bottle before retwisting or rebraiding.

Part 2 - Moisturizing ~ Add a moisturizer of some sort. I like cream moisturizers and leave-in conditioners personally, but I will occasionally use a regular conditioner as a leave in or sometimes just a light oil like coconut or jojoba oil.

Part 3 - Sealing ~ You know that feeling you get when you come out of the shower and you dont put any moisturizer on and you feel like your skin is about to crack... maybe it does ::chapped lips for example:: Moisturizing really seals in the moisture our skin just soaked up from the water in the shower... Same scenario for your hair. Moisturizers will dry out quickly if not sealed in with anything. A few of my favorite sealers would be Jamaican Black Castor oil, Jojoba & Coconut Oils, Shea Butter & Shea Oil, Vitamin E oil, and my latest favorite CHI Deep Brilliance Glisten.

Quick Tips
If you are washing, conditioning, moisturizing and sealing and your hair still feels dry, it's possible your products aren't providing the right amount of moisture for you, or you just may not be applying them correctly or as frequently as needed. Try tweaking your regimen a bit until you find something that works... One thing I used to like to do was read natural hair blogs and watch YouTube videos of people who had hair like mine, doing the same styling, and see what they would use...

*For Transitioners and Newly Transitioned Naturals - Realize that with this new texture involved that your regimen will have to change, as well as your products probably. Don't expect everything you used to use to work for you now. If your old products are still serving you justice, just make sure you adjust to how much more moisture your natural/transitioning hair needs.

* For Naturals - If your natural hair is always feeling dry, there's definitely a huge problem there. Make sure your products contain humectants such as glycerin, propylene glycol, aloe vera, and honey to name a few, which are moisture attracting molecules.

*For the drastically different multi textured hair - Know that with extremely different textures, sometimes we need to not forget to baby our more fragile textures, or add a little more or even a different product to these areas.

I hope this helps someone out there with their dry hair... Feel free to ask any questions :)

Re-attempting the Perfect Twist Out

About 2 weeks ago I discovered how to achieve the twist out of my dreams... by doing a twist out on hair that was roller set with end wraps. Though it is a bit of a time consuming regimen, I am going to do my best to make the time to stick to it because my scalp seems to do okay with this method, as last time I didn't feel the need to wash for almost 2 weeks! Normally I can't go longer than 4 days... Also, I'm really attributing a lot of my length retention to this method. Anyhoo, notice anything different from the last post where I roller set my hair? Yup, bigger rollers! I bought these larger capped rollers for future endeavors and realized I could actually use them now! #superpsyched

 When my hair gets a little longer maybe I'll attempt to wear one of these roller sets, but until then, I just snapped a few flicks of what what hair looked like brushed out and fluffled a little after silk wrapping. I also used a new foam wrap that I must say I'm pretty impressed with, and a little with myself as well, as I did spend like a good hour in the BSS comparing foam wraps. I promise to give it a review sometime before this new week is over but I will say I love that it left my hair light, fluffy, and super moisturized instead

 of dried out. No sign of any residue, nor greasiness, and I used this product alone. I did do one thing different this time, I decided to use Bentonite Clay for the first time and I will say that I loved it. It left my hair super soft and had my curls popping. I dusted my ends, then twisted my hair up in hopes of a perfect twist out again so stay tuned for the post of the outcome and product review of the foam wrap I used!

What do you think about roller setting your natural hair as a part of your regular regimen? 

I think this may be one of the best regimens for winter length retention for me

Sunday's Question: Is Your Natural Hair Routine "High" or "Low" Maintenance?

My Bentonite Clay mixture

At this very moment, I'm sitting here with Bentonite Clay in my hair (and on my face). I love this stuff. I love applying it and I love how great my hair feels once I rinse it out. After I rinse this out I'm going to condition with Suave, use Aphogee for some light protein and apply TreSemme as my leave-in and seal with coconut or Vatika oil. Then I'm going to set my hair some flexi-rods using Eco-Styler gel. Is all this too much for my natural  hair? I personally don't think so, but that's a matter of opinion.

I hear sometimes that natural hair is high maintenance which dissuades some to transition to natural hair.  Some of us naturals tend to even make fun of those who we feel "do too much" like daily co-washing and intricate styles. The one thing we have to keep in mind is that all grooming practices are personal, and hair is included. My sister jokes that I'm in my hair way too much, because I wash and style twice a week and she can't imagine having to do all that hair so often, while I think leaving your hair alone for too long - while ideal because of time and other obligations- really isn't for me. I enjoy what I perceive to be a simple routine for my hair that aligns with how I wish to present myself and practical grooming.

But I am curious, what do you guys think is "too much?" Would your routine be perceived as "high" or "low" maintenance?

ETA: I would consider my routine "low to medium" because depending on the week, I'll just wash and bun OR set my hair. 

Greasing Natural Hair: Poll Results

Happy Monday!

Thanks to all those who participated in our poll about going old school and using grease on your hair. The results are as follows:

65% Do not use grease at all

19% Use grease sometimes

15% Use it all the time to seal your ends/hair

0% Use it for you scalp

This is interesting because enough naturals do use grease to a certain extent (34% of those who voted). I'm assuming no one uses it for their scalps for the same reason I stopped using grease--it clogs the pores. I don't know of many who admit including grease in their regimens for fear of being a "bad" natural, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

What are some other practices included in your regimens that may be viewed as "wrong" like using a fine tooth comb or sulfates in your shampoo? Let us know!

Research: Swimming With Natural Colored Treated Hair

Ok, so I didn't get a chance to swim in the pool yesterday but I'm glad because I realized I need to do more research. I have curly, highly textured color treated natural hair and and I know chlorine is not the best thing. (FYI: As a kid I didn't really play in pools because I hated the way they smelled so I was more of an ocean/lake person) Anyway here's what I found so far from The Natural Haven, Newly Natural:

1. I have to wear a swim cap and braids/twists are the best ways to fit my hair under it. And that swim caps will not keep all the water out. However, wetting your hair with regular water for 15 minutes prior to jumping into the pool will minimize the amount of chlorine water your hair absorbs.

2. Add Coconut oil before I rinse and/or conditioner after I rinse my hair. I haven't decided which I am going to do yet but I'm leaning towards the using coconut oil because my hair won't absorb much water which equals less shrinkage.

3. Rinse my hair for about 5 minutes before preceding to use a shampoo or some other cleansing method. Now here's my dilemma with color: I don't want to use just any old shampoo because I don't want my hair stripped. I read that tomato juice may be my best bet. If I do this I will follow up with my Jessicurl Cleansing Cream and then use a conditioner.

This seems like a lot of work too. I feel like my hair style choices will be pretty limited because I'll have to twist/braid/bun my hair up to fit under a cab and to withstand washing. I plan to be in the pool one or two days a week. I have an idea on what I'll probably do about that, but I'll reveal when the time comes. For now I'm doing my research!

Any New Years Reggie-lutions?

I know i'm all late but... I was rereading CFC's post  earlier this month questioning what we've learned about our hair this year and it got me to thinking about what i had learned about my hair. It also led me to realize that I've never been one to have much of a regimen, as I'm bad at sticking to them. I think now is a good time to start, since i am on my way to long hair this year and i don't want to do anything to mess that up =P

That being said, what I've learned about my hair this year is:

• I don't need to comb my hair! - I finger detangle my hair in the shower usually with lots of conditioner... if i feel the need I'll run a comb through but only after fully finger detangling.
• Different seasons definitely need different treatments - I learned that i can not co-wash daily in the winter but in the summer my hair loves it, and i also have to use different products, or use my products differently during the different seasons.
• I've learned that i have about 4 to 6 different textures of hair all on my one head and that they need and like different things, and/or less or more product and manipulation depending on the texture. It ranges from a tight, fine, coarse curl to a looser, silky, medium curl.
• Different lengths require different products and amounts - Since i sort of grew my hair out for a few months earlier this year, I gained some experience in learning how to style my hair for the different lengths. Growing out short hair can sometimes be awkward so learning how to properly style it is key.
• When it comes to a TWA, Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize! Have fun with it while you can!

What have your learned from your hair this year?

Creating a Regimen for your Growing TWA

Good Morning YAIS beauties and TWA growers!

When i originally started my natural journey back in March of this year, i had no idea how much i would learn about my hair. I've never been one of those girls who was good at sticking to a regimen, so i never even tried. I became a product junkie, buying every good product i researched, and just did my hair from day to day. Through much trial and error (and wasted time, hair and money), i learned that my hair taught me what it needed, wanted, and very much created its own regimen!

What has my hair told me it likes?

• Shampoo once a week, co-wash at least twice a week and more frequently in the summer. 
• Loves Henna!!! So now I Henna once a month
• Deep condition - Basically whenever i wash i DC, so i never NEED to, i just do.
• Finger detangle! - My hair has taught me if i keep a comb away, my hair will stay! =D I finger detangle my hair wet with lots of conditioner. Even with dry detangling i use my fingers so i can feel the tangles and separate them, instead of ripping through them. I use a comb sometimes, but very seldom. 
• Shea butter - My hair loves Shea butter, especially when it is in an Afro or going to be twisted, it keeps my hair highly moisturized, soft, and sets twist-outs beautifully.
• Trim away Single Strand knots - I learned that i only get SSK's on my tighter, coarser textures, so i check them often for SSK's and snip! Snip! SNIP!
• Protective Styling -My hair loves to be twisted! Flat twists are my fave right now until my hair grows a little more and i can wear more 2 strand twist styles.
• Where's my Satin bonnet?! - Dont forget to protect your hair as you sleep, or even under hats.

I guess that's the reggie my hair created for itself in a nutshell!

Important Information for Growing your TWA

When growing out your TWA, you will need a low manipulation, high care regimen in order to grow your hair to its fullest potential. Pay attention to what you use and how your hair responds to it, this will help you to learn what your hair likes and what kinds of products it like as well. Remember that the ends are the oldest parts of your hair, so pay special attention to keeping your ends healthy, that way you retain all or most of your length; Breakage and needing to trim often will greatly slow your growing process. Make sure your hair stays moisturized and if you are protective styling, make sure it is a style that wont cause any damage to your hair/hairline.

If you are a new natural, take some time to play with your hair and learn what it likes and needs, as all hair is different. Start with something easy like conditioner and learn how to make ur curls pop!

 Don't expect something that works for everyone to work for you, it may not, but you will find something that will :) Remember that just because your hair is short now, this little TWA will be your ends once your hair grows out so don't go crazy dying, frying or not taking care of your hair just because it's a TWA, trust me, you'll pay for it later (obviously speaking from experience =x).

So what has your little TWA taught you? Good luck listening to it and creating your own TWA reggie!

Winter Regimen

My hair for the week

First, let me say that I'm not happy with the windy weather. I can deal with the cold of the Northeast, I don't mind snow or rain...but wind? iCan't deal with it!

Which brings me to my new regimen. Basically, I'm sticking to protective styling and only wearing my hair loose if there is a special occasion but even that may warrant my hair being pinned up. Last Saturday night I went out for a friend's birthday and while I originally planned to wear my hair in a braid out, I decided against it once I realized how cold and windy it was (and bundled up pretty well--cute and cold is not my thing) and pulled it back into a banana clip with my hair cascading down in the back. I'm also being paranoid about having dry brittle hair; between the hi-lights, the bitter cold and my warm ass apartment ^__^ I feel like my hair is going for a ride. At one point it was dry and lacking that shine and I can't have that. So here's my winter plan:

Weekly
-Pre-Poo with Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Treatment, leaving it on my hair for ~20min (have I reviewed this product? no? It's coming...)
-Rinse. Shampoo in sections with Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream and lightly detangle with my fingers
-Condition with either Jessicurl Too Shea! Conditioner or Herbal Essence Hello hydration (or which ever thick, emollient conditioner I have on hand) and detangle with my wide-tooth comb
-Rinse. Deep condition with Jessicurl Weekly Deep Conditioner and cover my head with plastic. Let it sit in my hair for ~30 min
-Rinse with cold water. Use Kinky Curly Knot Today as my leave-in and stretch my hair either by banding, braiding, or using curl formers and let hair air-dry
-Style: my usual twists or if my hair is loose then it's in a bun

I moisturize daily with aloe vera gel and jojoba oil. In the mornings I usually run coconut oil through my hair and scalp. I'm still looking around for some butters and moisturizers to use daily. I may just go back to Oyin because it works so well for my hair and am about to take a trip to the Midwest where I'm sure moisture will be a challenge. But that's it for now!