Would you . . .

Would you use a styling product that worked perfectly with your hair but made your skin break out?

This question came across my mind as I listened to a fellow curly talk about her regimen. She loves a Tresemme mousse that makes her 2c/3a hair look amazing. Perfect definition, lots of body, not too much crunch and a great smell. The only problem? It makes her forehead breakout in cystic acne. As I watched her do her hair she half-jokingly told me, "I love my skin, but I love my hair so much more." If she likes it, I love it. Personally, I would toss the mousse. While my hair is important, I can always search for another product to give my hair similar results. Clearly my beloved five-head and I are together for life. Plus I think it's a little ridiculous to search for products to combat unnecessary breakouts.

If I had to choose between A) leaving the house with a full face of make-up (foundation, powder and etc.) and perfect hair or B) leaving the house with minimal make-up and good hair, I'd choose B every time. Am I the only cracking up at the fact that this is being written on hair blog?

Shedding the Old and Embracing the New

The above was part of my old siggy on LHCF. Now that I'm natural I would say that I've officially shed the old and embraced the new. My last relaxer was on April 2, 2010 making me exactly 26 months post today. I was planning to chop today, but I couldn't take the two textures anymore so I BC'ed a week early on May 26, 2012. I loaded my hair up with AOHSR, which I don't like, and let my Mom and brother help out with cutting off the relaxed ends.

A little about my hair history: I was natural until I turned sixteen and decided that I wanted a perm because I thought natural hair looked too childish. At that time the only naturals I knew were die-hard vegans, children or women with loosely curled/wavy hair. Anyway, my Mom started relaxing my hair at home with a kiddie perm. Sidebar: My Mom, who I love dearly, knows nothing about healthy hair care. So every 28 days (I kept track on a calendar and I tracked my relaxers better than my periods) she relaxed my hair from root to tip (which is obviously a no-no). We left it on for about 20-25 minutes each time. 

Now I thought the relaxer would allow me to wash my hair and have it air-dry bone straight. Imagine my shock when it dried straight with a little kink. After talking to some girls at school I discovered flat irons, grease and dominican blowouts. Every three days I would wash my hair (at least my scalp was clean), flat iron with grease and rollerset :O

Thankfully I left for college and got so caught up with school that I wore braids for the first two years of college. In the spring semester of my Sophomore year I was online and I googled "growing long African American hair." This pinged me around for a bit until I stumbled upon Long Hair Care Forum. This website single handedly changed the way that I cared for my hair. 

Before LHCF- my hair was thin (in comparison with how thick it once was, although people always commented on my 'beautiful' hair) with three growing bald spots in the front of my head. I was able to hide it with my bang but it became harder to conceal as time went on. 

After LHCF- The same day that I found LHCF (and spent hours scouring it) is when I decided to transition to natural. At that point I was about three months post but I knew I wasn't ready to begin transitioning then (especially since I previously thought I couldn't handle my hair past 28 days). So I took my braids out and relaxed for the last time. 

Although I lost three months of new growth, I thought it was worth it because then I would be able to see every stage of transitioning. Unfortunately I did not document my journey as well as I wanted to but here are some of the pictures that I took. 

April 30, 2010

June 2010

July 2010

October 2010, with my thin harline

November 2010

December 2010, more of my thin hairline

July 2011, before heat damage

The picture on the left is from October and the right is from November 2011. I think the left looks longer because it's a lot closer than the right one.

December 2011, before all of my setbacks

 The three above are from April 2012, when I was celebrating my hair's birthday hahaha.

I'll be back with pictures of my hair  once I do my first wash and go on the 4th :D

Quick Thoughts: Aubrey (Organics?) Honeysuckle Rose

I bought this product last month during my Chi Silk Infusion, protein overload induced setback.

Unfortunately the smell leaves a lot to be desired. . . my brother thinks it smells like a urinal cake. I've never smelled one but this does have a scent that reminds me of bathroom cleaning products.

The product is very thick so I dilute it with a little bit of Jojoba oil before using it. Otherwise, I could easily use the bottle in two or three washes. On the bright side, this product is extremely moisturizing. It made me notice that my hair was not as moisturized as I previously thought it was. All of my curls were in perfect formation for the first time ever. For the first use I DC'ed with it using my version of a heat cap : A plastic shower cap covered by a towel. When I washed it out a few hours later I noticed that my hair had somewhat of a coated feeling, but honestly I was just glad to be tangle free.

For the next use I DC'ed with it again and decided to dilute it for a leave in spray. Here is where my problems began. I put a dime sized amount in about 6 ounces of filtered water. While my hair felt moisturized, my scalp was unbearably itchy and it felt dirty. I literally sprayed, left for class and then ran back to my apartment on a break, rinsed my hair in the kitchen sink and then left for my next class.

I still have about half a bottle left, so for my next use I plan to be very careful. I will make sure to apply it at least an inch from my scalp. Additionally, I won't baggy with the product because I want to eliminate any chance of the product touching my scalp.