Updated Hair Regimen and Products List

I was looking through my blog the other day and noticed that I still had my old regimen from Fall of 2010 up.  There were lots of products listed that I haven’t used in ages so I figured it was time to update it.  Here is my current regimen and products list.  I may make some changes (I always do) but this is what is working for me right now.

NOTE: where products are bulleted I just use one of the items listed

Pre-Cleanse

I part my hair in 4 sections and apply conditioner prior to cleansing with shampoo or conditioner.  This helps to stretch out my shrunken hair and remove any shed hairs.  This step also helps with detangling.

Shampoo-1-2 times per week
  • Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo 
  • TheraNeem Naturals Moisture Therapy Shampoo (sulfate free)
  • KeraCare Dry & Itchy Scalp Anti-Dandruff Moisturizing Shampoo
  • Neutrogena Triple Moisture Cream Lather Shampoo
Co-wash-1-2 times per week
  • Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner
  • Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner
Rinses-After Shampoo
  • Oil Rinse-I use grapeseed, olive or coconut oil.  I sometimes do this in place of deep conditioning.  This step also helps with detangling.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse (ACV)-I do this step after using shampoo to help my hair get back to a normal pH.  I either do the rinse before or after applying conditioner
Detangling Method
I detangle while my hair is soaking wet and saturated with conditioner.  The hair is parted in four sections.  I start by finger combing and then use a denman brush on each section.  I do this 2-3 times per week when wearing wash n’ go’s or once per week if wearing stretched styles.

Deep Conditioning Treatments* 1x per week 
  • Hot Oil Treatment with Coconut, Olive or Grapeseed Oils
  • Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture conditioner with Honey or Olive Oil added
 *I do most of my treatments under a hooded dryer for 40 minutes

Moisturizers*

  • Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Aloe & Veg. Glycerin Spray (homemade)
  • Paul Mitchell “The Conditioner” Leave-in
  • Garnier Fructis Leave-in (for heat styling)
  • Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme
To Seal Ends*
  • Coconut Oil mixed with Castor Oil
  • Olive Oil
  • Shea Butter
  • Grapeseed Oil
*I apply Leave-in conditioner after each wash for moisture.  After that I moisturize when needed.

Curl Definers
  •  Eco Gels-The Pink version and Argan Oil (red)
  • Kinky Curly Curling Custard
  • Curls Unleashed Take Command Curl Defining Creme (trial)

*I always use my Paul Mitchell The Conditioner Leave-in under a curl definer for added softnes and moisture


Styling*

Roller Sets, Curly Braidouts,  Wash n Go’s, Puffs, Buns, Banded Ponytails, Flat Twists, French Braids
*Currently taking a long break from heat styling
Henna-Once every 3 months
I have started doing the 2 step Henna/Indigo process which gives me a natural black tone  














What I add to my Henna mix

  • Green Tea and Water (enough to make it the right consistency)
  • Olive Oil (usually add this right before application)
  • Lemon Juice (when I want more color)

    I sometimes add powder to darken the hair and maintain curls.  For my Indigo mix I only add water and a little salt.  For each step (henna & indigo) I make sure to co-wash after rinsing out.  This helps to keep the hair soft.

    Review: Hollywood Beauty’s Olive Creme for Dry Hair

    One of the most popular topics over at the K.I.S.S. hair forum (or any forum for that matter) is which moisturizer works best.  For a long time the word “moisturizer” was a bad word in my newly natural regimen.  I had become accustomed to avoiding products that contained mineral oil and petroleum which is often found in “moisturizers” for curly, relaxed and afro textured hair.  Still, the homemade spritzes and butters I learned how to make were either too heavy or too wet for my hair depending on the style.  For a while I started using leave-in conditioner to moisturize and sealed that with one of my favorite oils.

    Finally, I decided to purchase a product to add to my regimen after reading a suggestion in one of the discussions on K.I.S.S. .  That product was by Hollywood Beauty which I have to admit was never a brand I thought of ever trying.  I guess I assumed that there would be a lot of the “no-no” ingredients in their products.  I was surprised to find that their Olive Creme was mineral oil and petroleum free.  Instead I found ingredients like, Olive oil and Calendula extract.  I decided at $4 (USD) it was at least worth a try.  I’m on my fifth jar now and can’t say enough about it.

    The Ingredients:

    Deionized Water (Aqua) , Isopropyl Myristate , Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) , Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive) , Stearic Acid , Stearyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate) , Matricaria Extract (Chamomilla Recutita) , Calendula Extract (Calendula Officinalis Flower) , Vitamin B (Yeast Extract) , Macademia Oil (Macademia Ternifolia Seed) , Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) , Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera) , Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf) , Sage Extract (Salvia Officinalis Leaf) , Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) , Great Burdock Extract (Arctium Lappa Root) , Triethanolamine , Methyl Paraben , Propyl Paraben , DMDM Hydantoin , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Fragrance , Yellow #5 (Cl 19140) , Blue #1 (Cl 42090)

    My son likes to call it, “Yoda Creme” because
    of the pale green color

    While the ingredients are not 100% natural, I still find that this product does a good job of keeping my hair moisturized without leaving a heavy, greasy feeling.  I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t really expect much from the Olive Creme but it is now one of my staples.  It even works well when my son’s curly (3b/3c/4a) hair is starting to get the, “frizzy halo”.  I just spritz his hair down with water first and then apply the creme throughout his hair and we get another two days of soft curls before wash day.  He dubbed it “Yoda Creme” because of the pale green color and we still call it that.  


    I of course love to add it to my Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel along with some Castor, Coconut and Grapeseed oil for my DIY Eco Styler Custard.  I also use it after applying my leave-in conditoner when I pull my hair back or braid it up for air drying.  The only thing I would complain about is the scent.  It’s not like some of those other products out there that smell good enough to eat.   It just has this faint, old fashioned women’s cologne smell or something.  It doesn’t matter because I just ignore the scent.  I can always add some fragrance oil to it to make it my own.  I’m just glad to have found a product that works well and is affordable for me and my family.

    The Beauty Supply Warehouse

    The Big B.S.S.

    Whenever I’m watching YouTube videos and there is a product suggestion I’m always certain I’ll be able to get my hands on it.  I go to Ulta for anything high end or the Big B.S.S. (beauty supply store) in Aurora for everything else.  If you’re in Denver or Aurora, Colorado this place is a must see!

    The official name is the Beauty Supply Warehouse and it is located near the intersection of 6th and Potomac just off highway 225.  It used to be the old Skate City from my younger days but is now home to all things hair.  This place doesn’t just carry a lot of different brands but in most cases they have the complete line.  Items from Palmer’s, Mane n’ Tail, Mizani, Hawaiian Silky, Aphogee, IC Fantasia and many more.  I’m not kiddin’.  The first time I went in there I didn’t even know what to do with myself.  Sadly, there are a lot of products there that contain silicone, mineral oils and petroleum.  You know the products I’m talking about; the ones that say they’re for ethnic hair.  Still, I love the selection of Annie’s rollers, hair accessories, satin head coverings and synthetic hair.  Yes, I said hair!  If you are looking for half wigs, lacefronts or hair for braiding you should definitely stop in.  (Even if you just want to get a look at a product before buying online.)

    Aisles and Aisles of Hair Products!

    There is also a salon inside and usually a vendor or two.  I haven’t looked into having any hair or nail services done there because I’m a DIYer to the core.  The stylists and nail artists always seem to be pretty busy though.

    Rollers and Kanekalon Braiding Hair

    When I stop in I usually grab my favorite shampoo by Elasta QP, rollers, Olive Creme Moisturizer by Hollywood Beauty and my Cholesterol conditioner.  I also like the fact that they carry a wider selection of the Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) products and the ECO Styler gels.   If I finally get my courage up I may stop back in soon for a half wig or maybe just a drawstring pony.  Last I checked the 100% Kanekalon braiding hair was under $4 (USD) per pack!  Hmmm. . . now where did I see that braiding tutorial?

    Review: Tresemme Naturals Conditioner w/ Aloe Vera and Avocado

    
    

     
    

    Tresemme Naturals Conditioner
    in Aloe and Avocado

    

    I’m constantly on the look out for good conditioners that are budget friendly.  Since I co-wash, deep condition and detangle my hair on a weekly basis, I end up going through a lot of conditoner.  Thing is, it also has to be something that my husband feels comfortable using as well.  Let’s face it, his hair is way longer than mine and he is just as concerned about his tresses as I am (well maybe not that much).  This rules out anything that will leave him smelling like pina colada when he leaves the house.  We’re also picky about the ingredients so, no silicones. 
    I was glad to find that Tresemme has a new Naturals line where the conditioners are silicone free.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid to use silicones.  I just prefer to co-wash with something that is silicone free for a nice clean rinse that doesn’t leave anything behind.  I picked up a 25 oz. bottle of the Tresemme Naturals Aloe Vera and Avocado conditioner for just under $5 USD.  I was surprised to see that it had a thick and creamy texture; not watery.  This has proven to work really well as creamy base for my moisturizing deep conditioning treatments.   It has a mellow citrus scent that doesn’t offend (I’m sensitive to scents that are overpowering).  Co-washing with it is similar to using a VO5 Moisture Milks in that I can feel it defining my curls while adding slip to each strand.  I would say that detangling with it is about what you would expect from any conditioner in this price range (i.e. Aussie Moist, Sauve Naturals etc.) 

    Overall, I consider this an excellent value for the amount of product you get.  The fact that it doesn’t have a bad reaction when I use it as a leave-in under Eco Styler gel has put this on my staples list.  The Naturals line can be found at Target, Walgreens and Walmart.  We are currently workin’ on our second bottle of the Aloe and Avocado conditioner.  It’s a winner in my opinion and is definitely worth a try.

    Curly Hair Products Now at Target Stores

    

    

    

    Miss Jessie’s Products
    Now available at Target Stores

    

    I was at my local Super Target picking up a few things when I found Kinky Curly, Miss Jessie’s, Jane Carter Solution and Shea Moisture products on the shelves.  I honestly just stood there staring at the display in disbelief.  Girls with curls in other cities have had access to these products at their Target stores for a while.  This was not the case where I’m at.  I even looked it up online and the only place where you could find Kinky Curly products was at Whole Foods which is a little bit of a drive for me.  The Miss Jessie’s was only available online which, combined with shipping**, made the cost an obstacle (actually, the price is still an obstacle but that’s another post…lol!).  

    

    

    

    

    Kinky Curly and Jane Carter Solutions
    Natural Products for Kinky and Curly hair
    now at Target Stores
    I was already thinking about trying the Kinky Curly Curling Custard.  Supposedly it gives curl definition while keeping the hair soft and moisturized.  I hope this will work for my son who wants to wear his hair longer now.  The Tightly Curly Method  just isn’t taming his curls the way it used to.  His hair is frizzy by the time he gets home from school.  I really don’t want to get into using frizz serums and hair gel with his soft curly hair.  On top of that, my hair has been acting funny whenever I use my staple Eco Styler gel.  I use olive oil and leave-in conditioner under it but I still end up with crunchy hair that is dry by weeks’ end.
    With all that,  I still couldn’t justify the price (and the drive) for the Kinky Curly.  At $32.00 USD for 1 large 16 oz. container of KCCC, I’ve been on the fence for quite some time.  However, Target has the smaller 8 oz. jars in stock for only $16 so I thought, why not give it a try?  I did a roller set last night so I won’t be able to try it out for a couple of days.  Stay tuned for my upcoming Kinky Curly trials!
    **FYI–Ground Shipping is now free for anyone who does not have Miss Jessie’s in their local Target stores–see website for details**