0 Hair Porosity- What Is It and How Does It Effect Your Hair Regimen?

by Jessica Mousseau via NaturallyCurly.com 

As curlies, we all know how important it is to choose hair products for the right hair types. But there are two other factors just as important that will help our hair get the best care it can: hair porosity and density. Before we get into how to do the at-home analysis, let’s talk about what hair porosity and density mean, as well as the different characteristics of curly and wavy hair. 

How to Determine Hair Density 

The density of your hair is simply how thin or thick it is. The number of hair follicles in a specific area of your hair, say a 1-inch area, determines your hair’s density. 

The only way to truly determine density is to have someone literally examine a 1-inch square section of your scalp and count the number of hair follicles, or the number of hairs, in that 1-inch section. However, you can also do a simple hair density test with just two of your senses — vision and touch. 

Kinky Hair 

Kinky hair is hair that is very tightly curled. When you pull it straight out from the scalp, it immediately springs back as tight as it was before. 

1. Make sure your hair is completely dry. Wet hair can feel and look thinner than it actually is.
2. Be sure that your hair has not been picked out, combed, or styled in any way.
3. Look closely at your hair from all angles, and see if you can see your scalp through the hair strands. If you can, your hair has very low density. 

Curly and Wavy Hair 

Curly hair is looser than kinky hair, but may still have quite a bit of tightness in it. Wavy hair is exactly what it sounds like. It has large or small waves, but little, if any, curliness or kinkiness. 

1. Make sure your hair is hanging loosely. Do not part it; rather, let it fall into its natural shape.
2. Look at your hair from all angles. Can you see any scalp showing anywhere? If it very easily seen, your hair has low density.
3. Take your hair and gather it up as if you were going to put it in a ponytail. You may want to go ahead and secure it in a ponytail so that you won’t have to hold it. Brush it as smooth as you possibly can so that hair will not be “bunched up."
4. Examine your hair again from all angles. This time, if you see more scalp than when it was down, you can determine that your hair is of medium density. No scalp showing at all means your hair is of high density. 

How to Determine Hair Porosity 

The simple definition of hair porosity is the ability of your hair to absorb and retain any type of moisture.

If your hair is not very porous at all, the cuticle layers, the scales of the hair shaft that overlap one another, are very close together and are tightly closed. They allow little, if any, moisture to get in or out. If your hair is like this, it is considered to have low porosity. 

The further apart the cuticle layers are, and the more open they are, the more porous your hair will be. If the space between them is exactly as it should be, and they are open just as much as they should be, you have normal hair porosity. On the other hand, if you could drive a semi truck between the spaces as well as through them, your hair is considered to be overly porous. 

For hair porosity, you want to feel your hair while it is wet, and the technique is the same for all hair types. 

1. Squeeze or blot excess moisture from your hair so that it is not dripping, but leave it as wet as possible.
2. If it feels rough or has a “straw-like” texture, your hair is not very porous.
3. If your hair simply feels wet, you have normal hair porosity.
4. If your hair has high porosity, it will feel sticky, almost as if you had not washed all product out of your hair. 

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit: DIY Hair Care Products

0 How I Striaghten My Hair To Prevent Heat Damage

Lately, I've been on a straight hair kick. I did some research on how I could wear my natural hair straight without getting heat damage, breakage and split ends.  I just don't have the time (energy? patience? All or both, lol) to deal with my hair everyday and after I did a henna (post about that coming soon) I've been needing to moisturize my hair everyday and that was just not going to to work. 


My Before Straightening Regimen:


1. Shampoo- I shampoo my hair with Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo. This is sulfate-free and gets my hair clean. I usually use shampoo bars but, when I straighten I need my hair oil free and the shampoo bars I make contain shea butter, mango butter and such that gets left behind after rinsing. 

2. Condition- I skip this step and go straight to the Deep Conditioner


3. Deep Condition- ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Pak. To get my hair relaxer straight I need my strands to be moisturized deeply. This is not the time for homemade deep conditioners, I need proteins, moisturizers and other chemicals to protect my strands...usually words I can't pronounce. 

4. Dry- I dry my hair with a t-shirt until it is about 75% dry. Sometimes I dry my hair stretched sometimes I don't. I see no difference usually. 


My Straightening Technique:


1. Blow Dry- I have used my Denamn brush, a round bristle brush and the comb attachment on my dryer to dry my hair and I prefer the round bristle brush. The comb attachment seemed to pull out a lot of hair. I dry section by section as straight as I can get them. The straighter you get your hair while blow-drying the straighter your end results will be. Gold N Hot Blow Dryer from a random BSS.


2. Heat Protectant- I use Garnier Fructis Anti Frizz Serum. No complaints and smells nice too!

3. Flat Iron- I turn my flat iron to about 400 degrees (yeah I know... I like to live on the wild side sometimes) and use a small rat tail comb to in front of the iron to get my end straight as possible. 1-2 passes is all it takes. GVP from Sallys- some exact iron pictured below.

Take me about 45 mins. to 1 hr to flat iron my hair with this new method. It used to take 4 hrs. to blow dry and flat iron my hair and it would revert in 5 mins. 

I wear my hair straight for about 2 weeks in buns, ponytails and other lazy low manipulation styles. To keep my edges tamed and ends feeling soft, I apply Shea Avocado Butter to the length of my hair every night or morning. 


That's all folks!


For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit: DIY Hair Care Products

0 Top 6 fashionable hairstyles 2012

If you feel like changing your style, choose from the 6 most fashionable hairstyles of this season 2012.

Disorderly BOB
Dianna Agron showed that one can wear bob in different ways. Bob should be disorderly and tousled this winter 2012. Best for curly hair.

Rock hairstyle
Short haircuts are still popular this season. Evan Rachel Wood suggests making rock hairstyle. It goes very well with any type of hair.

Retro hairstyle.
Short retro hairstyles goes very well with refind features. Looks good with asymmetrical bang. Ashley Greene teaches how to wear retro hairstyle.

Bang.
Asymmetrical bang and straight locks are perfect for thick hair. Jennifer Love Hewitt likes this hairstyle.

Multi layer
Multi layer hairstyle (like Heidi Klum wears )makes hair look thick.

Classical hairstyle.
Long, well-groomed, healthy hair is always in fashion. Katie Holmes wears classical hairstyle.

0 Coconite Cassia Bars- Lola Zabeth Mixtress Recipe

LolaZabeth.com

Recipe courtesy of LolaZabeth.com's For The Mixtresses!

Coconite Cassia Bars

Ingredients

• 5 oz bentonite clay powder; draws out toxins, dirt, product build-up, and improves combability, defines curls.
• 2 oz unrefined cocoa butter; hydrating and high in vitamin E with emollient (smoothing) properties.
• 2 oz extra virgin olive oil; penetrates the strands increasing strength and elasticity.
• 1 oz pure cocoa powder; antioxidants protect against free radicals.
• 2 tbs cassia obovata (sometimes called neutral henna); conditions scalp and thickens the strands.

Instructions
Melt cocoa butter using a double boiler, or improvised double boiler method.
Pour melted cocoa butter into bowl (non-metallic), and combine with remaining ingredients.
Mix thoroughly with a spoon (non-metallic).
Pour mixture into tart or dessert mold (non-metallic).
Place in freezer to set for 2 hours.

Yields eight 1/2 oz Coconite Cassia Bars (using the mold shown below). This is enough for shorter hair, but for hair that is shoulder length and longer, you may need to at least double the recipe.

To see the rest of this recipe head on over to: http://www.lolazabeth.com/for-the-mixtresses-coconite-henna-bars-god-loves-a-cheeful-giver/ You're Welcome

While this recipe is great I would change a few things.
1. I wouldn't use cocoa butter, due to it being a sealant. It doesn't (or atleast there is not evidence of it doing so) absorb into the hair. When doing a deep treatment you want the treatment to go "deep", so you want to only use ingredients that will be absorbed into the hair. I would switch it with coconut oil, avocado butter or even just freeze it with some coconut water and pop them out of the freezer when ready to use.

2. I would add my beloved amla powder, wheat germ and some fenugreek to the mix. These are a personal preference and each of these ingredients combat certain hair issues I deal with. 

I plan to try this soon and will check back in when I do! If you try it let me know!

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 I've Needed A Natural Hair Break

I'm sure some of you may have noticed the lack of blog posts lately. I would like to say I was super busy and really had no time to write posts (which wouldn't be a whole entire lie, I have been busy) but, I'm going to be honest with you all; I needed a break from natural hair.


My hair is still natural, don't worry. 


Over the past few months, natural hair has really become "mainstream" and the media outlets are catching on to this new "phenomenon" (as they call it) and "others" are cashing in. There is even going to be a show on MTV about it called: True Life: I Did The Big Chop. Yes, it's true. I wonder where this "movement" is headed... I wonder how much money "others" are going to make off of our hair now? Will any of it come back to us? Probably not. Nothing new, eh? 


Sigh.


I'm not upset that natural hair is getting attention. It's just that it's getting the wrong attention. Sadly, people see natural hair as big business and are cashing in. They themselves may not have natural hair but, if they have the cash and PR they can bring in natural hair bloggers, campaigns and even TV stations. 


The natural hair community just isn't the same anymore. Vloggers (YouTubers) are making videos for companies and no longer educating or sharing personal experiences. Bloggers are acting like celebrities and attending all kinds of  hair company parties and mixers. No shade to those trying to hustle, I won't knock it. I just won't support it. I've started unsubscribing to channels and stopped reading certain blogs. I don't want to be marketed to by some big name company. I want to learn about natural hair. 

Where are all the genuine, "I want to help educate you about hair" people at? Where did they go? Will they return? 

Well nevertheless, here are some YouTubers who have maintained their integrity and still promote education and are very personable. 


QuestForThePerfectCurl- She is real as real gets, honest about her PJism and have beautiful hair! 
Naptural85- Sweet and very personable. Love her simplicity! her hair is pretty fly too!
Splinta24- She does not get caught up in the hype and has always went with what she liked when pruchasing products. Love her channel and personality! 
GlamTwins334- Cute! Great for those of you who like to wear your curly hair straight. 
Glamazini- Loves her! Always honest always silly! She is DIYer and keeps it simple!
KinkyKurlyQueen-Beautiful hair and also has a simple regimen. She gives honest reviews and sticks to the basics.
WhoIsSugar-Funny! Beautiful hair and contagious personality!
MsVCharles-Simple and to the point. 
MyInvisibleChyrsalis- New but, give great tips and is funny!

I'm sure there are more so list them in the comments below!! I would love to check out some more awesome blogs and YouTube channels!


For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 DIY Hair Care Products Black Friday/Weekend SALE!!!

Our Black Friday/Weekend SALE has started!! Neem & Green Tea Hair Milk is 25% off, Soaps are 4 for $12, Butter BOGO and a Free Shampoo Bar with any order of our Detangling Conditioner!!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/DIYHaircareProducts?section_id=10755961


Shop the link above in our Etsy store!!!! 


Thanks!!!!!!!!!!


For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 Accepting You Accepting Me, More Than Hair

With all of the recent drama in the natural hair community and some folks even saying telling the natural hair community to kiss them where they sun don't shine... I wanted to post about acceptance. Not just hair acceptance but, accepting people for who they are, completely. 

This is going to be from woman to woman. You *points to your eyes* and Me *points back at my eyes* 

There are a lot of challenges being a woman, being black, being natural and heck just being human and those challenges are a part of life. Nothing hurts more in life than not being accepted by others. I have never looked for acceptance from strangers but, from those close to me, I have always been sensitive. 


Let me get a little personal: I have a friend who when I first met her, I looked up to her. I thought she was everything I wanted to be as a mother and wife. I thought she was just awesome. Problem? She didn't like me for me and  I found myself trying to change me to be like her. She would critique everything I did. How I spoke, how I dressed, everything. Being around her was hell to say the least and stressful.


I spent years trying to be her her and would hate everything about me because it wasn't like her. Sounds so sad now when I write it out. I was miserable. I wasn't myself. I was not ME. 

After reading a book about Acceptance from the Peaceful Solution Character Education Program, I decided to be ME. If anyone was going to be my friend you had to accept me for who I am. My personality was not changing for anyone and I let folks know their commentary and approval was not needed.  


We have to stop looking for acceptance from others. People will always have an opinion about what you're doing , look like, etc. Don't let them make you feel bad about yourself. Whether you relax your hair, wear weaves, wear wigs, rock an afro, whatever. That's your choice. No one has to co-sign your journey through life. (Let me trademark this, lol.) 


For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

Be Featured with Blogger Lacoya of Natural Black Girl. She shares about her blog and gives us some insight on why she has decided to share her natural hair journey with the world. After this article please head on over to her blog and subscribe! She is such an awesome writer!  

I started my blog, I'm A Natural Black Girl at the beginning of this year (first blog post was on December 31, 2010). I had been natural for about 6 months and I was ELATED. I was doing this and doing that with natural hair, natural hair, natural hair. I started the blog and wanted it to be like BGLH, and Curly Nikki's, and hers, and his. I wanted it to be the #1 natural hair resource in the WORLD.

 

And one day, I got exhausted. I had only been 100% natural for 6 months. Everytime I would go to post something, I had to research SO much because my knowledge on the subject was so slim. How could I provide an outlet for women when I felt like I needed an outlet myself? I didn't even know what I wanted the blog to become. That's when I decided to take a break. I just needed to take some time off of natural hair. LOL How silly does that sound? Did I take that break? Nope. LOL! But I did take a break from blogging.

DIYHCB: Makes sense to me, I know the feeling. :)

 

I felt like I needed to research the subject of blogging in order to successfully do it. I felt like I needed to first, find out what I wanted my blog to do. What exactly did I want the purpose of it to be? I began to scourge hundreds (and I do mean literally HUNDREDS) of blogs. Some blogs were geared toward natural hair, some make-up, some fashion, some food, etc. I delved into the lives of those bloggers and felt like I created a personal....bond.....AHA! That's one of the things I knew I wanted to come out of my blog. I wanted my readers to form a personal relationship with me. I want them and I to be...friends! :-)

 

I also knew that I wanted my blog to be focused on natural hair. MY natural hair. I want my blog to not only be an outlet for me, but an outlet for me. I never lost my love and passion for my natural hair. It's been a struggle for me all of my life and I finally have figured it out. I want to share my discoveries with the world. I hope that hopefully someone will feel as excited and fulfilled when they are reading the posts as I do when I am writing them.

 

So what is my blog all about? It's about me and my dang natural hair? It's about my life with my natural hair. What goes on? What's happening with me? What's happening that I pay attention to and like? How does my hair relate to those happenings? What do I pay attention to in the natural scene and why do I think it's important?

 

My blog is a combination of my personal self and my musings, and my rockin-booty natural hair! :) And I love it. I hope you will, too!

 

Check me out and let me know what you think!

http://imanaturalblackgirl.blogspot.com (Natural Hair/Life Blog)

http://twitter.com/DSTNatural_Coya (Twitter)

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Im-a-Natural-Black-Girl/189545371075426 (Facebook)

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 What You Need To Know About Adding Henna To Your Natural Hair Care Regimen

Henna from Henna Sooq

Here is some information about the much debated natural Ayurvedic treatment called Henna. Henna is said to be a great way to naturally strengthen and add shine to your natural hair.


Taken from the Long hair Care Community: 

Pros, Cons & Other Effects of Henna:
Henna has some undeniable benefits for hair, which is why so many people use it and love it.

Some of these pros include:

• Stronger Hair - The lawsone (dye) molecule penetrates the hair shaft, binding with the keratin in the hair. This makes hair stronger, but also is one of the qualities that makes henna removal near impossible. Henna also coats the hair and fills in rough spots on a frayed cuticle. This adds a second layer of strength, but it DOES NOT lock out moisture.

• Smoother, Shinier Hair - Henna, as stated above, does coat the hair, but it is a permeable coating that does not lock moisture out. The henna helps fill in rough spots on the cuticle. With the cuticle rough edges smoothed over, the hair feels smoother and the cuticle takes a lot less damage during combing and manipulation. It takes several days for Henna to stabilize. It becomes more flexible and durable as it oxidizes and cures--it is in fact a plant resin that is flexible and solvent enough to penetrate the hair at the cuticle, carrying pigment with it.

• Non-Fading Red - Anyone that has used red chemicals dyes knows how badly they fade. Henna may fade a little after the first application, but after the second application fades very little.

• The Absence of Chemicals - Chemical dyes are not only VERY damaging to hair, they can also cause scalp burns, allergic reactions, and recently studies have linked long term use to cancer.

While there are benefits, there are also some drawbacks as well:

• Application Process - Henna can be hard to apply evenly on your own, can be a huge mess, and is tiring on the arms and neck. It also has to be left on for a longer time than commercial chemical dyes (4-12 hours), so more time has to be slated for the process.

• Experimentation - To find your ideal mix, dye release time, application time, rinsing method, etc. all require some experimentation. It is not out-of-a-box color, and it may take some tweaking to find your ideal results. Your perfect color is never a guarantee.

• Dry Hair - Some people report dry hair after using henna. It mimics a protein treatment and you MUST follow up with a moisturizing deep conditioner.

These may be pros for some, cons for others:

• Loss/Reduction in Curl - Many users of henna report a loss of curl. This is by no means a universal effect, and should be neither discounted, nor counted on. It seems that wavies (s curls) are the most susceptible to this, though some curlies are as well.

• Cannot Lighten Hair - Henna cannot lighten your hair, ever. On some colors of hair it may appear to brighten it, but you should count on any color you get with henna being darker than what is already on your head.

• Darkening with Multiple Applications - Henna will darken with multiple applications. If one wants to keep a lighter color, only the roots should be touched up, and repeated whole-head applications will progressively make the color less orange and more burgundy.

• Cost - Depending on your mix, how much hair you have and how often you henna, it may either be more or less expensive than chemical dyes. Though that doesn’t factor in one very important thing… the price your hair pays on chemical dyes. Many people find that they only need to do a full-length application one or two times, and the because henna doesn't fade much, they can save a lot of cost by only redoing the roots.

• The Smell - Some people love it, some people hate it, but the smell of henna lingers in your hair for awhile after the application, often reviving when your hair is wet. Some herbs, such as ginger, can be added to shift the smell of the mix, but nothing will eliminate it entirely. Most people feel it has a smell somewhat like grass or hay.

• Variable Color - Henna can and does shift in color depending on the light the hennaed hair is placed in. The same head of hair can go from burgundy to firey copper, just depending on the light.

Where do other henna colors come from?
Go to any local health food store and you’ll see boxes and boxes of “natural” hair coloring products claiming to be 100% henna. Well, we know that henna only comes in red, so what gives with all the shades of brown and blonde and black? Many natural hair colors are a blend of henna, cassia, indigo, and other color enhancing herbs. Beware, though. Many “henna dyes” contain things other than herbs, that can SERIOUSLY damage your hair.

What is Neutral Henna (Cassia Obovata)?
Cassia Obovata is often referred to as “neutral henna.” It is not henna and it does not alter the color of hair greatly, though it may give more golden tones with repeated applications. It has similar conditioning benefits as henna, but they are not permanent, and they disappear without reapplication.

SOURCE


I'm thinking about starting Henna treatments for color and to help strengthen my hair. as my hair gets longer and older, I know my ends need a boost. My hair strands are naturally thin and fragile due to me being deficient in iron. 


Have you ever used Henna? Did you like the results? Are you interested in Henna? 


For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products 

0 How To Deep Condition Properly

Deep conditioning natural hair has got to be on just about every natural's "Must Do" list. Deep conditioning hair can have many benefits, as it allows more water soluble nutrients to be absorbed into the hair strand due to the longer period of time you leave the product on your hair. But, did you know there is a right and a wrong way to deep condition hair? Here is a checklist on how to deep condition natural hair correctly.

1. Follow the product directions. If the instructions say to leave on for 15-20 minutes, then an all night deep condition is not needed and the maximum benefit of the product to be reached.

2.Shampoo first.  Shampoo is made to rid your hair of dirt and oils, in other words it takes away. While conditioners "add on" nutrients to your hair. Although shampoos do not cleanse the inside of your hair shaft, they do or should rinse most things off the outside of your hair shaft. So, if you shampoo after your deep condition, you are rinsing off all of the oils, butters and other ingredients right down the drain.

3. Follow directions for heat usage. Some deep conditioners work better with heat and some don't so be sure to read the directions on the package.

4. Damp or dry hair is best. Hair is like a sponge and can only absorb so much. If you deep condition on soaking wet hair, odds are you won't get much of the deep conditioner inside the hair strand.

How do you deep condition? What are your DC tips?

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 Product Review- Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo & Conditioner

You might be wondering, "You make products so why are you using Garnier Fructis and when did this purchase occur?" Well, back in April I got my hair blown out and straightened by a friend of mine at her salon. To prep my hair for the heat, I bought the Pure Clean Conditioner with a sample of the Pure Clean Shampoo from Garnier Fructis. I needed a shampoo that would be able to wash out the silicones and excessive buildup I was going to have after about 3-4 weeks of not washing my hair. I also needed it to be cheap like $5 type of cheap...and this is definitely affordable.

First thoughts on the shampoo:
When I first used the Pure Clean Shampoo, I was not impressed. I think I was so used to washing my hair with my shampoo bars that using this shampoo just didn't feel right. So, I used it that one time and threw it in my closet until I was ready to wash out my straightened hair style.

When it was time to wash out my straight hair, this shampoo did a nice job of getting rid of the build up and made my hair feel clean. Just clean. So again I threw it up into the closet and went back to my shampoo bars.

Well fast forward to October and I love this shampoo! I don't know what made my hair love this stuff again but, I have been using it lately almost with each wash.I have been going longer between washes due to being lazy, having a busy schedule, blow drying with silicones or  being out of town this whole month. I have finished the little 2 oz sample bottle and will be going to get the full size bottle tomorrow.

This shampoo cleans my hair, smells nice and makes my hair feel soft and moisturized. I like it better than the Giovanni shampoos and that is saying A LOT!

Want to hear something crazy? I still use my shampoo bars, I just wash with the Pure Clean and then use my Ayurverdic shampoo bar afterwards. Pure heaven!  My hair is loving all of the extra attention!

The conditioner:
This review is going to be much shorter. I don't like the Pure Clean conditioner. It does nothing for my hair. I won't even add anything to it to use it up, I just don't want to use it anymore. It's thick like lotion, feels creamy but, it sits on my hair. After rinsing it out my hair feels exactly the same. Like I didn't even just condition it.

Yeah...after all that wonderful shampoo action this conditioner sucks. I use my Giovanni 50:50 or Smooth as Silk after shampooing.

I can say the smell is awesome and this conditioner does make my curls pop something serious. :)

Have you ever tried the Pure Clean line? Did you like it?

For about $3 I'm not too mad about the conditioner sucking and I can't wait to get the full size shampoo!

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products 

0 Are You Removing Your Shed Hair Effectively?

via PreciousCurls: Are You Removing Your Shed Hair Effectively?


"Detangling involves getting rid of shed hairs. Shed hairs are hairs that have completed their growing cycle and are no longer attached to the scalp. Read more about the growth cycle here. The average person sheds about 50-100 hairs a day. You can identify a shed hair by looking for the white bulb at the end of the hair."


"f you do not get rid of shed hairs, they can tangle up with other hairs on your head, causing those dreaded single strand knots, mats, and ultimately, breakage. So how can you get rid of your shed hairs?"


"Combs are great for detangling, but not for getting rid of shed hairs."


Read the rest of her article here on Precious Curls


I feel the same way about detangling! I do not like using a wide tooth comb, I prefer my Denman brush for this very reason; it gets out all of the shed hairs. When people ask how much hair I shed a day, I have to think hard because my hair doesn't just come out during the week. I detangle it all at the end of the week on wash day and I don't see any shed hairs until I detangle again or if I co-wash.






For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products 

0 What Other Butters Are There Besides Shea Butter & Cocoa Butter?

Months ago I asked the lovely women of Naturally Curly, what butters they like besides shea butter and cocoa butter. 


Here are some of the answers:


"kokum makes a really good lotion. It is similar to cocoa butter in composition and hardness. I think illipe is also similar to kokum." 


"Mango is similar to shea and cocoa butter (does not smell like mangoes btw). It's softer than cocoa butter."

"I love avocado butter, its a really smooth and creamy butter. I use it on my skin as a moisturizer and I add it to conditioners for a deep conditioner. I recently ordered hemp seed butter to experiment with that one."


"shea - my go to butter for twisting and sealing, espically whipped shea. I even mix it with my gel to make a pudding.

Mango - slightly softer than shea but works about the same. if you have a problem with shea sitting on the sop of your hair or not absorbing, I would recommend this one.

Olive - very light, melts easily in hands. Calling it a "butter" is slightly misleading, since its really just hydrogenated olive oil. texture sort of reminds me of the old school Crisco. LOVE this on my scalp.

Aloe - same as the olive, but is REALLY light! Good on scalp or ends. Can be a bit greasy if you over apply...I like to mix it with gel or use to to scrunch out hair that has too much hold.

hemp - same as the olive, except this CAN be slightly greasy if you use to much. I prefer it on wet hair or applied directly to my scalp.

avocado - same as olive, aloe, and hemp.

cupuacu - this is hands down my FAVORITE...but it can be kinda expensive. I like to use this for everything...twisting, sealing the ends, mixing with stylers, adding to conditioners, you name it. I try to keep some on hand always...espically in the winter months.

mumuru - Think shea butter but MUCH better. It absorbs easily, doesn't sit on the hair, and leaves good shine (a lot of people complain that shea butter leaves thier hair dull). I like to melt this and add it to conditioners (rinse out, deep, and leave in) because it instantly ups the moisture level!"

So I have been researching butters for almost a year now and it's not easy. A lot of butters aren't "butters" at all but, a mix of vegetable shortening (usually hydrogenated soybean oil) and an oil. 
Olive butter, aloe butter, and hemp butters all are hard to find in an actually butter form and not a "made" butter. 


Of the true butters, I want to try mumuru, cupuacu, and avocado butters. 


What butters, would you like to try? 




For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products

0 Dry Hair? Condition- Wash- Condition Method

"This method is gaining popularity, putting it neck and neck with co-washing, and many are wondering what it is exactly. There’s no right way to do it, only a right way for each person. Like everything in your curly hair routine, follow the steps below and then tweak the method until you get the best for you and your curls."


"For the curlies or the dry hair sufferers out there, the condition-wash-condition method is the perfect option to give hair a break. Many complained of co-washing because too much conditioner and not enough washing can cause dandruff, scalp itch, irritation and even breakouts."


"Getting to It

Before beginning with the basic how-to, keep a couple things in mind. The first thing is that there is almost no way to mess this up. Rest assured that if it doesn’t work for you, you can simply change it up a bit to meet your needs. It’s the beauty of the system!

1. Wet your hair thoroughly. This will help absorb the moisture and nutrients of the conditioner.
2. Apply conditioner all over. Remember to avoid your scalp unless it’s dry.
3. Work shampoo through the entire scalp. In the condition-wash-condition method, the conditioner should still remain on the rest of the hair.
4. Rinse out both the conditioner and shampoo at the same time, riding them completely from your hair.
5. Condition your hair once again, this time working from root to tip. You can use the same conditioner you used previously or use another conditioner of your choice.
6. Rinse again while taking care not to scrub or strain the hair."

Read the rest of the article at CurlyNikki.com

I do a variation of this method without even knowing it! I detangle before I shampoo with a conditioner. I leave the conditioner in when I shampoo and then I condition after shampooing. Ha! Maybe this is why I have never has dry hair after shampooing... it works!

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit: DIY Hair Care Products

0 Natural Hair Has It's Ups and Downs

As with almost anything in life when someone finds something they like a lot, they can often exaggerate the benefits. I don't know what psychological term for this is but, I see it a lot with natural hair. I know all women don't have the same natural hair experience or journey. Natural hair has it's ups and it's downs. As with all all things, you have your great natural hair days and your bad.

Here is some real deal "What You May Have To Expect When Going Natural" :

1. Water can still ruin a hair style.
Say what?! You mean I still won't want to just jump in the pool and frolic in chlorine? Let's be honest, if you didn't like the rain while relaxed you won't like it while natural. With the rain, water and even humidity comes frizz, shrinkage and if you've worked hard on a nice wash n go, braid out or other stretched style, you don't want it getting messed up.

2. No such thing as a "wash n go". 
Yeah, you hear folks saying "I can just get up and fluff my fro and bounce..." Yeah, well for many of us, we have to do a bit more than that. A wash n go for 4a-b naturals consists of shingling, applying 2-3 products, gel, a diffuser and not touching your hair until it sets. The next morning, you might be able to shake and go...if you slept correctly and didn't mess up your curls....

3.  I can get straight hair whenever I want!
Hahahaha! One of the biggest pet peeves for some naturals is how long it takes to straighten our hair. When I first straightened my hair, it took at least 4 hours. I have cut that time down to 1 1/2 hrs. but, it still takes longer than I would like and because of that I don't straighten often.

Now, I don't say these things to discourage anyone from going natural or to make being natural out to be some horrible experience. I say all of this to point out that straight, curly, kinky, relaxed, natural, whatever hair has it's ups and downs. Yes, some days I give the relaxer box a loving glance.

We all have hair frustrations and natural hair is not exempt to this. Just dust it off and keep pushing.


For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products 

0 Stop Fronting And Tell The Truth! Who Really Likes The Rain?

I was reading over on Curly and Lovely, great blog and she had this post that made me laugh so hard and nod my head in unison.  Thought I would share it with you all! Enjoy!

Let's Keep It Real, Shall We?

{Source}
"Daaaannnncing In the Rain..." No, NO I AM NOT!

I will try to make this short AND sweet but I need to get this off my chest. Just because I have natural hair does NOT mean that the rain is suddenly my friend. No, I don't have to worry about a flat ironed 'do getting messed up or unwanted frizz, but I simply do not liked getting rained on natural hair or not. 1st of all, although my hair won't necessarily get messed up it will still SHRINK. I did not take the time to twist, twist out, band, stretch or whatever to have my hair shrink at the 1st drop of rain. 2nd...although my hair won't get messed up what about my make-up? Or my clothes....I can't stand being wet and/or cold. As many people that brag about "Oh it's raining but its ok cause I have natural hair..." I have a hard time imagining any woman actually taking her sweet time and playing in rain puddles just cause she is a natural beauty and is invincible to the rain. I put time into my appearance and I don't like when the elements interfere with that...call me vain, its whatever LOL.
Also that whole "I'm glad I don't have relaxed hair cause I can work out whenever I want to or go swimming...blah blah blah." Ladies, please let's not front and act like just because our texture is different that we don't have some of the same hair woes that relaxed hair women do...cause we DO. You don't have to raise your hand but think on this: Have you EVER not done something simply cause you didn't want to mess up your fresh twist out or braided up 'do. Think long and hard before you belt out an awkward "NO!"Ever hesitated on a workout? Ever forced your way on top so that you woudn't smush or frizz up the back of your hair? Ever skipped a day of workout to wait til your wash day to workout that AM to kill two birds with one stone? Ever been pissed that he rolls YOUR window down blowing your perfectly shaped fro EVERY where?! No? Just me? Oh, ok...well carry on then....J/K/ J/K!!! But y'all get my point...I'm out..with my umbrella JUST in case!

For Your Body & Hair Butters Visit:DIY Hair Care Products