India Arie..

Love this song.. go India!

Woes of curly hair and traveling

One of the things I've always hated about having curly hair is trying to manage my hair without access to a shower or water.
This means managing my hair when we travel can be very difficult.  I can't leave my hair for a few days in between showering.  What I end up with is a tangled, matted and horrible mess- when I finally do detangle I'm pulling clumps of hair from my head.

Growing up this made camping also difficult.  I remember making sure my dad hauled a shower bag over the entire West Coast Trail to make sure I would be able to wet down my hair and put some conditioner in it.

To this day, one of my only conditions for staying at hotels/ hostels is that they have running water.

Yes, of course 1 day doesn't really hurt.. but 2 days without doing my hair, or "gasp" 3 days.. impossible.

What are your tips for managing curls when traveling or camping?

No Poo Shampoo.. what's the fuss about?

If you start browsing curly hair blogs and websites you'll hear a lot about "poo" and "no poo" shampoos.

The poo in the shampoo is referring to sulfates.  In most shampoos this is called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLS.  It's a cleaning agent, or surfactant found in most shampoos.

Other sulfates you find in shampoos include:

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
• Sodium Myreth Sulfate
• TEA Laureth Sulfate
•  Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate

Arguably less damaging sulfates include:

• coco-babassu sulfate 
• palm based sulfate

(For example, the palm babassu or coconut based sulfates are found in many Aveda shampoos)

So why does this matter?
Firstly, sulfates remove oil- just like a sulfate based cleaning supply.  Sulfates are the detergent portion of shampoos.  The more sulfatees in a shampoo, the more it foams up and bubbles.  Somehow we equate foam or bubbles to cleanliness, so this is generally a desired quality in shampoo.

However sulfates or poo can damage curly hair and strip the hair of natural oils, so hair can dry out more quickly, is potentially more prone to breakage and possibly lead to the thinning of your hair.

I'm not saying you shouldn't use sulfates.  In fact, for my own hair I'm not convinced. I've used some great sulfate based products and some pretty bad sulfate free products- But I completely agree that sulfates are harmful to the environment and by extension likely harmful to our health.

But my hair and my curly girl tend to do ok with some sulfate based shampoos (just not every day).

Here are a list of common curly hair and salon brand shampoos divided into Poo vs. No Poo shampoos.

No Poo Shampoos

Mixed Chicks sulfate free
Shampoo- One I haven't tried yet

Sulfate free. and lasts a long time

This next "No Poo" list was found on a few other websites, so I'd recommend checking the ingredients:

Abba Pure Gentle Hair shampoo

Abba Pure Moisture Hair shampoo

Abba Real Fundamental Hair shampoo

Abba Pure Color Safeguard

Abba Pure Curl Hair shampoo

AG Hair Cosmetics Color Savour Sulfate-free Hair shampoo

AG Hair Makeup Recoil Curl Initiating Shampoo

Alba Botanica Cocoa Butter Dry Restore Locks Clean

Alba Botanica Coconut Milk Extra Enrich Locks Clean

Alba Botanica Gardenia Hydrating Hair Clean

Alba Botanica Honeydew Nourishing Hair Wash

Alba Botanica Mango Moisturising Locks wash

Alba Botanica Plumeria Replacing Locks wash

Alba Botanica Daily Hair shampoo (additionally clarifying hair shampoo)

Alterna Color Maintain Restore Shampoo

Alterna Color Hold Sparkle Shampoo

Alterna Colour Maintain Straight Hair shampoo

Alterna Scalp Treatment

Alterna Making clear Hair shampoo

Alterna Color Maintain Repair Hair shampoo

Alterna Volume Recover Hair shampoo

Anita Grant Babassu Rose Rose Shampoo as well as Bath Club (UK)

Anita Give Peppermint Babassu Shampoo Club (UK)

Anita Give Organic Algae + Ylang Babassu Hair shampoo Bar (UK)

Aubrey Organics BGA Protein + Conditioning Hair shampoo

Aubrey Organics Silk Henna Shine-Enhancing Shampoo

Aubrey Organics GPB Glycogen Protein Managing Hair shampoo

Doctor. Bronner’s Almond Fluid Soap Almond

Dr. Bronner’s Citrus fruit Lemon Fluid Cleaning soap

Doctor. Bronner’s Eucalyptus Liquid Cleaning soap 

Dr. Bronner’s Rose Liquid Soap 

Dr. Bronner’s Pepper mint Fluid Cleaning soap 

Dr. Bronner’s Flower Fluid Soap

Doctor. Bronner’s Teas Tree Essential oil Fluid Cleaning soap

L’Oreal Everstrong Hydrating Hair shampoo

L’Oreal Everpure Sleek Hair shampoo

L’Oreal Everpure Volumizing Shampoo

L’Oreal Everstrong Rebuilding Hair shampoo

L’Oreal Hair Expertise Everstrong Sulfate-Free Build-up System Bodify Hair shampoo

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Lotion Lather Hair shampoo

Organix Reviving Cherry Bloom Ginseng Hair shampoo

Organix Revitalizing Pomengranate Green tea extract

Organix Removing Shea Butter Hair shampoo

Organix Soft as well as Smooth Vanilla Silk Hair shampoo

Scruples Whitened Teas Sulfate Free Restorative Hair shampoo

Shea Dampness Uncooked Shea Butter Moisture Preservation Shampoo

Shea Moisture African Black Cleaning soap Heavy Cleaning Shampoo

Silk Components Colour Care Sulfate Totally free Hair shampoo

Softsheen Break via Fortifying Moisturising Shampoo

Alba Botanica Every day Shampoo 

Alterna Making clear Shampoo

Artec Texturline Every day Making clear Shampoo

Carol’s Child Rosemary oil Mint Purifying Hair shampoo

Waves Pure Waves Clarifying Hair shampoo

Elucence Volume Clarifying Hair shampoo

Giovanni Tea Sapling Triple Treat Shampoo

Giovanni 50:Fifty Well balanced Hair shampoo

Locks Rules Aloe Grapefruit Purifying Hair shampoo

Jessicurl Gentle Lather Hair shampoo

Kenra Clarifying Shampoo

Kiss My personal Face Aromatherapeutic Shampoo

Ouidad Clear & Mild Important Daily Shampoo

Poo Shampoo's (Note, even products designed for curls can contain sulfates.. look for sulfate free versions if you can), here are some curly hair shampoos that have sulfates.  You still may love them.

Mixed Chicks. Love the shampoo
But there are sulfates.  They do offer
sulfate free versions of other products.

Contains
Sulfates

Contains sulfates
(although not the kind
that stings the eyes)

Boasts a lower amount
of Sulfates.. but not
Sulfate free

Product Review: Taliah Waajid The Great Detangler

This is a detangling cream that you apply after you wet the hair.

Overall summary: I cannot rave enough about this product.  It works beautifully at coating the hair and allowing for a comb through.  Particularly good prior to coming for styling such as braids or cornrows.  Provides good "slippage" in the hair.

Price: $ ($10.00). A cheaper option, this product actually has a serum like consistency so a little goes a long way.  We find that a bottle lasts us 2-3 months with daily, liberal use.

Scent: Fresh, light. A bit more synthetic then I prefer (so.. not like Aveda) but it is not obnoxious.  The scent does not linger on the hair.

Recommended for: 3+ curly hair with frequent tangles.

I'd seriously recommend everyone try this product.
The only thing that I'd make sure people are aware of is the ingredients.  While the majority of the ingredients are "natural", as far as I can tell, this is not completely a natural product and does contain some synthetic fragrance.   

Product Review: Mixed Chicks Kids tangle tamer

I like the premise of this product, a spray in detangler for kids.  

Summary: Didn't work for us, made the hair a bit crunchy and found hair actually felt dry after spraying.  I didn't find it worked very well as a detangler for 3b/3c hair- but I was using it more than once a day which may have created product build up.

Price: $$ (less than $18.00)

Scent: Apple scent, did smell a bit more synthetic than some other products we have.

Recommended: I'd recommend this for 2 or 3a curls, for a light alternative to spraying the hair with water.  I wouldn't use this product alone, but maybe with another leave in conditioner to help prior to combing out a lighter curl.

The product only lasted us about 1.5 months.  I also found the spray nozzle clogged up and needed to be cleaned with hot water (or the spray didn't actually spray very well).

Curly hair rating scale..What type of hair do you have?

Not all curly hair is the same and different levels of curliness require different approaches to haircare.

Curly hair can be level: 2(a,b,c), 3(a,b,c) or 4(a,b,c).
As your curly hair increases in number and levels it becomes more difficult to straighten and the hair is often dryer.

Here is a simplified understanding of curly hair grading.

Level 2= Wavy hair.
A level 2 hair is that gentle curl you will see hair "S" shaped.

2 a = gentle S shape.  This is where I find people try to use curl enhancer products to create this wave.

2 b = gentle S shape, but more wave than the 2a curl.  Again, you may find curl enhancers increase this curl.  My sister has a 2b curl.  This hair also straightens well. 

2 c = waves and curls- this is where you start to see some ringlets forming.  Many people try to attain 2c curls and view this as the "perfect" amount of curls to have.








Level 3 hair is considered to be curly instead of wavy.
Think of the hair like little coils or springs.

3 a curly hair are curly ringlets but mainly curly without a lot of waves.  The curls will spring up when pulled down.  (I have some 3a curls)

3b curly hair is an even tighter hair coil.  (Halle's natural hair type).  I have some 3 b curls as well.  My curly girl also has some 3b curls.  

3c curly hair is tightly coiled curls, but still coiled like ringlets.  I love this hair type.  My curly girl has this hair type as well.











Level 4 curls have a different shape- the hair can be extremely coiled, but it can also be "kinky", or shaped liked the like little letter z's.  This hair type is often brittle and can break really easily.

4a- The hair still has the coil or very tight ringlet look, but it sticks to your head, or springs up.  This hair makes great coils, or locks.

4b hair is even more tightly coiled or kinky and even more delicate.  This makes for beautiful natural hair. I love people who celebrate their natural 4b+ curls.. so beautiful.













4c hair is considered the curliest.  If you have this hair type your hair is very delicate, it takes a LONG time to grow and it's very kinky.  This hair type is also extremely beautiful.  It is more difficult to comb through and can become very easily knotted or tangled.
(This is India Arie- an amazing artist and curly hair role model).

Product Review- Body Shop Buriti Butter

I discovered Buriti butter one day when I was passing the Body Shop before our curly girl joined our family.  It was a newer skin care line and smelled great.

Shortly after our curly girl came home, I ended up trying this in her hair.  I had read that pure shea butter was a good option for curly hair so I thought I'd give this product a try.  

Here is my review:

Summary:
Overall this is a wonderful body butter.  Smells amazing, moisturizes beautifully and gives long lasting moisture to the skin.  May be a good option for some hair types as well.

Price: $$
($18).  This is a somewhat pricey option.  But if you are careful and go in on a sale day you can often get a deal on this product. (often buy 1, get one 50% off, or buy 2 get 1 free).  We find one container generally lasts 4-6 weeks with daily use on the entire body.

Scent:

An earthy and clean smell, not overpowering.

For Hair: 
Moisture: Helps to define curls by providing moisture.  Good for "thirsty" dry hair.
Hold: None.  This product only helps to define curls, they will frizz or "fly away" if not used with another product.
Other: this product can make the hair greasy, so it can make it more difficult for other curly products to provide hold in the hair.

Who should buy it:
Children with 3A,3B, or 3C curls
Children with short hair
Children with thirsty hair who need moisture, not hold

Curly girl- Our basic curly girl hair regime

So I'm asked a lot what we do for curly girls hair regime (not because we're perfect, but because curly hair care is complicated!).  I'm sure there are lots of other curly mama's and dada's that have other tips/ tricks (feel free to share them).

When our beautiful curly girl first came home, her hair care was quite simple- it was short and didn't require a lot of work to style.  Our goal during this haircare time was really to moisturize the hair and scalp to help prevent her hair from breaking.

We did her bath during the evening.

1) Shampooed 2x /week
2) Conditioner every day
3) Deep conditioner once/ week
4) Leave in conditioner after each wash
5) Coconut oil directly into hair and scalp (3+ times/ week).
6) Sleep Cap EVERY NIGHT!!! (I'll discuss sleep caps later).

During the day her hair routine is dependent on what we are doing:
1) Spraying down her hair until wet, every morning-Always
2) Finger combing leave in conditioner into hair-Always
3) If combing (for a style like braiding, or ponies) using a detangler prior to combing

With new hairstyles I've started to try various haircare products and I'm finding different products seem to work better for different styles:

-Body shop Buriti butter directly into the hair (when her hair was shorter, this worked really well for mild control and ++ moisture)  We tend to use this now only for short loose styles.  The hair does get a bit frizzy and product doesn't moisturize for the entire day.

-If cornrows: Using a shea butter with mild hold

-If loose braids: A leave in mild hold conditioner (just a bit stickier to prevent the fly-aways)

-If part up/ part down then a curl sealer on loose hair

Sounds complicated, but it really isn't.  I'll try to chronicle my hair care regime later, 1 style at a time (and those of you who are experts can give me some guidance as well).
If I had to pick one must have item for curly kids I'd choose Coconut Oil.  I can't emphasize this enough.  I find it really leaves her hair shiny, is protectant, moisturizes her scalp and smells great.

I also can't emphasize the importance of sleep caps enough. The sleep cap prevents the hair from rubbing on the bedsheets.  This rubbing mechanism dries out the hair, breaks delicate curls, creates tangles, and pulls hair out of styles (like cornrows).
Sleep caps should be used anytime your child is in bed, in the carseat, under bike or ski helmets (or other hats).  It's not punishment have your children wear the cap, it protects your curly kids styles and prevents damage.  Even in very small kids you can do sleep cap training to get your little ones used to wearing the cap.  You don't want to spend all that time styling your curly kids hair, only to have it ruined when you get in the car!
The other great thing is that sleep caps are cute and look great.  Our curly girl doesn't mind wearing them anymore, she sometimes pulls it off at night but she's happy to have it put on.

I've been ordering sleep caps through: "Africa Sleeps".  The caps fit really well, look cute and wash up easily.  For our curly girl she's currently wearing the "small size" and is just under 2 years old.  You may need to order a slightly larger size depending on your little ones head size- Just ask and I'm certain they are happy to help make sure you order the right size.

Curly mama haircare regimen

Here is one of my favourite photos of my curly girl- and it gives a good illustration of my curly hair too.

I thought I'd start this blog by going over my own curly hair regime. I'm the first to admit I'm a hair care product junkie! I'll try anything for my hair to nourish, tame and control the curls.

As a disclaimer, please note I'm not claiming to be a hair stylist (far from it) or curly expert. But this is what I do for my hair (I'll review these products as I try new ones).

1) Shampoo 1-2/ week - Right now I'm using the Avalon Organics "nourishing Lavender" shampoo. I like this shampoo, smells great and is an affordable organic option.

2) I Condition DAILY!!! Without exception I condition my hair daily. Sometimes twice a day.

The shampoo will last about a month, and the conditioner will last me 10-14 days (depending on how dry it is.. remember I am very liberal with the use of conditioner).

3) Deep condition weekly (or more often during the dry season) with Kerastase oleo-relax. Strong rose smell, but works well and hair feels silky afterwards. I find this container will last approximately 2 months. (Note: don't use this product on your curly kids.. it stings!!)

4) Aveda products daily: Curl cream immediately after shower on wet hair, followed by Confixor. I know curl cream ismarketed as "curl booster", but I find this just weighs down my hairand helps make it more manageable. Really like a thick leave inconditioner. (In the Be Curly line there are various products, but I find the Be Curly serum isn't really helpful in my hairregime and the shampoos/conditioners are really drying).

Confixor is a soft Aveda gel. It actually doesn't give me a lot of "hold", but it does tame the frizzes. It also smells amazing. These products, used daily or twice a day will last approximately 6 weeks. It doesn't leave my hair crunchy either.. which I hate in gels, and it doesn't flake off either.

5) Occasional morocco oil when hair feels particularly dry (right now that's weekly).

I often re-wet my hair usually once/ day and add additional Aveda Confixor.

the Morocco oil container will last me about 3 months. This product also comes in a curly cream, but it isn't as good as the Aveda Be Curly cream and it becomes too mucky to use both creams. I prefer the oil version of this product.

While I do spend $50 month on my personal haircare products, I feel this sort of balances out because I only get my hair cut ONCE A YEAR. I actually don't like going to the hair dresser, it makes me feel nervous, nauseous and terrified that the stylist doesn't know how to cut curly hair.
Hint: If they comb your hair straight, pull it down and cut it- they are not doing you a favour!!

I also always walk out of the hair salon with horrible looking hair- because they don't use enough or the right hair products on my hair and they always try to dry it with a hair dryer.. I NEVER dry my hair with a hair dryer (Ummm.. can you say FRIZZY!!).

So that's my hair regime these days.

Stay tuned for my curly girls hair regime.

Lets get started....

I'm a curly mama.
So what does this mean? Well, like many curly mamma's it means that there are specific tools and things I need to know in order to properly care for my little one's hair.

I'm also a curly girl.
So I will start this blog by talking about my own hair journey and hair care- including my hair failures (yes, there is such a thing) and successes.

Growing up, my own mom didn't really know how to care for my curls. I mean, she tried, but she didn't have the resources (like blogs, internet, books) to help her learn how to deal with my hair. Now don't get my wrong, I love my mom and I know she did the best she could, but she didn't have curly hair and in her straight hair world you: washed hair daily or every other day, you used light conditioner and you brushed when dry.

My personal curly hair history went something like this:
Within weeks of being born, my curls began to arrive.
As a toddler my hair was "big" curly, frizzy, dry and big. My mom treated my hair like her own straight hair- it was brushed when dry and it was washed with regular shampoo- (almost daily).
When I entered elementary school I had become fearful of my hair. I hated having it shampooed (it would get tangled), I hated having it brushed (It really hurt). By the time I was in grade 1, my poor mom had to make a decision. She just couldn't take care of my hair- so she had it all cut off.
And I wasn't permitted to grow my hair long until I was old enough to take care of it myself. So I had short, 1" long curly boy hair until I was 13.
So when I started growing out my curls I was at a lovely adolescent stage where image means everything.... more on that later.

Recently I found my grade 3 school picture. On the back of every photo I distributed I had written "my hair has a puff on the side that should not be there"- my hair shame was already rearing it's ugly head (pun intended).

As I've gotten older I have also decided not to worry about having "big" hair anymore. If it gets big, I try not to stress and just leave it.

My goal for this blog to chronicle and celebrate our curly hair. Be honest about our attempts at hair styles (good and bad) and provide reviews of various curly products. I hope this blog will save some other curly mamma's and dada's time, effort and money in haircare and haircare products- and provide a place for curly people from everywhere to be proud of our hair.