Deciding on Your Natural Hair Routine

What is your natural hair routine?  Has it Changed? Do You Have a Routine at all?

Most naturals have gone through the above stages.  First, not having a natural hair routine.   Second, developing a hair routine, and finally, adjusting one's hair routine as hair continues to grow or be styled and cut.

This will include first and foremost the changing of what products that you chose to use on your tresses!

Naturals who have been on the journey at least six months can attest to the fact that when they did the Big Chop they experienced the first moments of feeling
free and uncumbered!  You could simply jump into the shower, co-wash and condition your tresses, dry off from the shower and throw some gel on your hair and be off to the events of the day.  However, when your hair begins to grow and you encounter that "in-between" length, too long to be a TWA and too short to be pulled into even a short pony tail.

I have also discovered on the journey of hair growth that products that I started out didn't work for me in the "In-Between" length and then once passed it, I tried them again and fell in love with the products again.

As you hair continues to grow, the weight of the strands can cause tresses to form a different curl pattern.  For instance hair can be bushy at the roots but twirl in beautiful coils at the end of your strands!  On this journey you will develop several hair routines.

Wash Day Routine

This routine will be the basis for how your hair will perform until you determine that it's time to wash your hair again.  As most of us know, some no longer "wash" their hair but "co-wash" their tresses.  This routine will include:

• Pre-pooing (optional)
• Detangling with Conditioner
• Co-washing or Washing Hair

Morning Routine

Hair is taken down from curlers, bantu knots, twists, and scarves and prepared for styling.  Oils can be used to take down the hair and give added shine and protection for your ends.

Night Routine

Hair is usually moisturized, twisted, set on curlers, bantu knots, and/or tied down.  This step is important and hair should be prepared neatly in order to get a smooth set for the morning.

What is the Most Important Part of a Routine?

Simplicity!  Make your routine as simple as possible.  This means keep how many steps of preparation of your tresses to a minimum while using the least amount of products to avoid product build-up, weighing down of strands, and the necessity of having to "clarify" your tresses often.

For some naturals, we can survive on a GOOD shampoo/co-wash product, an excellent leave-in or moisturizer/sealer, and your favorite styler (your shea butter/oils/gel)!

What complicates matters is that some of us are still in search of that MAGIC product that we will be able to slap on our tresses and Voila! a good hair day!  We usually end up with a graveyard of product clutter and an eye on the next NEW product!

A good hair care routine, along with protective styling/low manipulation, the occasional  trimming of tresses will keep your hair happy and healthy!

As Always, leave your comments, ideas, and questions below!

Happy Curls to You!

©Copyright 2013-04 Crowning Glory Coils and Kinks - All Rights Reserved

Hair Cuticle

Natural Hair Calendar

For all of our naturalistas!  A printable monthly calendar with your hair in mind.

Download yours here!

Kudos to Natural Hair Love Affair!  http://www.naturalhairloveaffair.com/

Spring Hair

Hair Say!

March 2013 Curl Kit -- In Review

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

To get 10% off your Membership Enrollment 

Please use Referral Code:

http://curlkitshop.refr.cc/TR98DS7

The March's Curl Kit Has Arrived!

By:  LovingmyhaironTumbler.com

The Curl Kit Box arrived with much awaited hair product goodies!  Heavy in weight and top snugly closed!  The fragrance of the products were bidding me to lift the top of the box and go exploring!  From soap to conditioner there were new products for me to try out!

Picture By:  Thatgirkanita

Let's take a closer look at the products that were included in this month's Curl Kit Box.  Included were samples and full-sized products for each of the Curl Kit Box subscribers.

1. Aubrey Organice: GPB Conditioner

Feed your hair a healthy, balanced diet with their #1-selling conditioner. Nutrient-rich, protein based GPB rehydrates and reenergizes your hair, strengthens hair fiber and repairs damage from salon treatments to restore softness, manageability and shine. Their most popular product ever (11 ounces).

2. Soapy Luv: Raspberry Green Tea

Raspberry Green tea soap is a mixture of fruity and herbal. You get great benefits from green tea for the skin containing antioxidant ingredients. Also a light exfoliation from all the natural raspberry seeds. You also get sweet scented sensation from the raspberry fragrance. Your skin will thank you.

4 ounces for $12.00/8 ounces for $20.00

3. Wonder Curl: Butter Than Love Hair Pudding

Ultra-moisturizing hair cream that has a light formula which will give your hair shine and unbelievable softness (2 ounces).

2 ounces for $3.75

4. Bel Nuovo: CoCo Castor Pudding

Moisturizing Hair Creme, Light Hold, Curl Defining, Mango Butter, Coconut & Castor Oil. The perfect synergy of a styling aid and moisturizer (2 ounces).

8 ounces for $1.49

5. Ecostyler : Ecostyler: Curl & Wave “Pink”

Firm hold gel has the added benefit of anti-itch additives to minimize scalp irritants. This product contains glycerin to moisturize ensuring that the product will not cause flaking or leave the hair hard and brittle (8 ounces).

Picture Site;  http://moniquesnaturalhaircare.com/alikay-naturals.html -- 8 ounces for $15.00

6. Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave In Conditioner

Locks moisture in your hair without weighing it down or causing product buildup. Infused with essential oils to smooth your hair shaft and keep it moisturized (2 ounces).

Picture By:  dreamingincolorz.blogspot,com

7. 3 Sisters of Nature: Once a Week Nourishing Treatment

Once a week nourishing treatment is so concentrated with natural and botanical ingredients once a week is all you need. (2 ounces)

Another successful Curl Kit Month.  I look forward to trying the products included in the kit and receiving my box every month.  

Subscription is quick, simple, and easy!  The Curl Kit fee comes out of your checking account every 15th of the month and can be cancelled at anytime.

Use the reference code that I've placed at the beginning of this article and receive 10% off of your first kit!

Please leave a comment, post a picture, or item that you've used from the box or you can let us know how your experience with the Curl Kit has been.

As Always,

Happy Curls to You!

©Copyright 2013-03 Crowning Glory Coils and Kinks - All Rights Reserved

Fine 3C Hair Advantages!

Are you disappointed when you have tried to wear a decent twist hairstyle only to find that the full and plump twists evade you like a plague?  Or, you've ended up with fine, thin twists and a lot of scalp showing?  Or, in order to get a full, plump twists it ends up taking up a quarter of the side of your head?  I raise my hand on each question.

Fine hair curlies downsides are scalpy twists, hair that is susceptible to breakage, fros that will flop and part like the Red Sea!

My 3c strands love to hang out with each other in thick clumps.  They will tend to "ball-up," when hit with a spritz of water or when a creamy-based moisturizer is applied.  Dried, moisturized hair causes 3c types to "look as though" they have a thick head of hair like there 4-type curlies.  It wants to interwine and tangle itself, causing this hair-type to be plagued with Single Strand Knots (SSKs) or Fairy Knots.

Oh, and another thing, my 3c tresses HATE to be placed in a structured hair style.  It prefers the Lion-Mane approach.

Realizing that I will never have those lush, thick ropes of twists cascading from my roots, I sought out the advantages to having the curly, coily fine strands that wind there way, like vines of ivy from my scalp.  What?  you may ask.  Stay with me my curlies, there are some. 

Now, that we have covered some of the cons of 3C, let's take a look at the pros for this hair types:

Less Product Usage

Having fine hair means that you will usually only need a dime to a quarter size amount of product to do the job.  Coarser and thicker hair types will need more products to do the same trick.  Fine hair types can also use lighter sealers like coconut and aloe gel while thicker hair tend to need to use a shea or butter-based product.

Faster to Straighten Hair

Our fine hair takes to heat quicker and easier than those curlies with thicker and coarser hair types.  This means fine hair curlies should be extremely careful with the amount of heat that they apply to their tresses and should use their blow dryers at medium to low temperatures.  DO NOT hold the flat iron on your strands for long periods.  Keep the iron moving in long, even passes.

A Smooth Move!

Your fine tresses allow for a smooth and non-bulkly bun.  Fine hair is easier to pull into a bun, hair knot, or smooth-style pony tail.

Breezing Through Summer

Fine hair is breezier in the hot, humid, summer months.  This is were your "scalpiness" makes for comfort of style.  The denser the hair, the more your scalp will tend to sweat causing you to feel sticky and uncomfortable.

Easier Washing Routine

Our thicker-haired curlies usually will have to part and section their hair prior to even attempting to wash their tresses.  However, a blast under the shower with a moisturizing shampoo or conditioner will do the trick for our fine curlies.

Styling With Ease

Less hair, the easier the detangling process becomes.  Most of us can finger detangle while thicker curlies resort to Denman brushes, sectioning tools, and elastic ties to hold sections while going through the detangling process.

There you are, seven advantages of having fine textured hair!  It is very important to keep your 3C/4A type textures moisturized.  For 3s it is important to keep your Leave-Ins light, creamy, and water-based.  One of my all time favorites is Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner.  My 3C/4A strands loves, loves, loves the glycerin in this product.  In fact, if I happen to use another leave-in or styler without glycerin, I have my own LARGE bottle of vegetable-based glycerin that I will add to my product of choosing (even in the winter months!)  The trick for winter is to apply your glycerin-based product first and than LAYER your sealer or styler over it.  This will SEAL in the moisture that you applied and keep your hair supple, moisturized, and shiny for days!

I hope you enjoyed my rambling about the adventures of my 3c/4a tresses.  I'm so enjoying the ability to try new products and tame the mane!

As always, please comment, leave a picture, and or subscribe.  Please feel free to send me an e-mail with your hair question or Hair of The Day!

Happy Curls to You My Friend!

©Copyright 2013-03 Crowning Glory Coils and Kinks - All Rights Reserved