For a sleek Bantu Knot out, I always start with freshly washed, DEEP CONDITIONED hair. Deep Conditioning hair before applying heat is a must if you want to prevent heat damage and minimize reversion. Spray the hair with heat protectant as well before blow drying. I use Aveda Brilliant Damage Control, it smells divine! Blow dry the hair on high-speed medium heat setting, I use a Conair Pro Silver Bird Blow drier with a comb attachment for blow drying.

Part the hair and clamp it in 4 quadrants for easy management of the hair. Starting with one section at a time, I finger part a 1 inch by 1 inch section of hair, and apply a small amount of pomade, I used Blue Magic Coconut Oil hair conditioner. Twist the whole weft of hair (not like a two strand twist, but like a twist you’d do when ringing out a wash cloth) until the hair starts to coil around itself, and wrap the end of the twist around the base of the knot. Secure the hair at the base with a Bobbi pin, I sometimes use rubber bands because my hair can get a little slick and slide out of the Bobbi pen. Repeat for all sections, cover with a scarf or bonnet and let it dry over night. Take down the Bantu Knots with oiled hands, I use grapeseed oil.

For a Bantu Knot-out on old hair (unwashed hair or hair that had a previous style) don’t wash the hair, just repeat the  process starting with parting the hair an clamping it in 4 quadrants.

Old Style- Press and Curl

Bantu Knot-Out made from Old Press and Curl

To preserve them at night, I do 16 big Bantu Knots (4 big ones in each quadrant) and cover with a satin bonnet.  Happy Styling!

Lina

To do this style you’ll need: Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, a spray bottle filled with water, a rodent tail comb, a soft bristle brush,10-20 purple perm rods, and grapeseed oil. 

Part your hair into 4 quadrants. Taking one quadrant at a time, spray each section just enough to keep it damp. Finger part small sections for each twist. Finger parting eliminates harsh parts during take down. Apply a finger tip full of Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie to the small section. Comb the end of the hair with a wide tooth comb. Brush the hair with a soft bristle brush. Split the section of hair and twist from root to end. Apply more product to the end, if needed, to smooth the ends. Gather the twists in bundles of 2 or 3 and roll them with a purple perm rod. repeat this for all for sections.

Let the twists air dry for 2 hours, separate each twist into fourths with oiled hands and fluff the roots. I used grapeseed oil for my take down.

I loved the definition of the twists and how much body the style had, next time I plan to use more product or try a curl pudding for a little more hold. Enjoy!

Lina

To do this twisted turban style, I started by wrapping a large scarf around my hair, crossing the ends tying it in a knot at the nape of my neck.I pulled the two ends taught to secure the scarf and make sure it wouldn’t slide off of my head. Next, I took the two loose ends of the scarf, twisted them to the end and wrapped the twist around the front of my head to the other side and tucked the ends in underneath the scarf. Pretty darn cute for the desert if you ask me!

large printed scarf (old)- Forever 21

The pony tail wrap style was achieved by first putting my hair into a ponytail. I then wrapped my hair with the large scarf covering my ponytail as well. I took the scarf with my ponytail wrapped inside and started to twist the entire end of the scarf in one piece around the base of my pony tail using it as a guide to make a bun out of the scarf. I did and excellent job protecting my coils from the desert sands.

I think I see more turbans in my future!

Lina

Then my hair got longer and I started to look like…

My darling puff kicked me to the curb. That’s when I knew I had to have a reunion with my good ole’ Wash and Go. It’s super simple. I use the same routine as my previous post and start with freshly washed hair. Afterwards I rake a small amount of Eco Styler Olive oil gel all over to help define the curls. If  you desire big hair, just hang your head down towards the floor and blow dry your hair for a couple of minutes with a low heat, low-speed setting.

 Wash and Go

Naturalistas, how do you Wash and go?

Lina

I part my hair into 4 quadrants with basic hair clamps.

(Clamps can be found at your local Hair or Beauty Supply Store)

 While in the shower, I take down one section at a time and shampoo it with Aussie Moist Shampoo, rinse thoroughly and replace the clamp.

(Aussie Moist can be found at any local pharmacy or superstore)

To condition I take down one section at a time and apply a generous amount of Aussie Moist conditioner. Detangle from FROM END TO ROOT with  an Annie Rubber Cushion brush #2050 and twist each section into one big twist (for shorter hair just twist and clamp after detangling).

(Aussie Moist can be found at any local pharmacy or superstore, Annie brush can be found at  your local beauty supply stores)

I let the twists sit for about 10 to 15 minutes and rinse (not completely) before getting out of the shower. I like to leave a thin layer of conditioner on my hair to act as a leave-in conditioner. Finally, I apply a small quarter sized amount of Now Grapeseed oil to my the ends and shaft of my hair and style as desired.

(Now grapeseed oil can be purchases at local health food stores or amazon.com)

Easy Regimens are the best and cut the anxiety and time down when it comes to doing natural hair. Keep it Simple…you know the rest!

Readers what are your Hair care regimens?

I had an epic hair day. It was my best hair day ever. I performed a routine twist-out and it came out the best I had ever seen it. I had been experimenting with a few new products and had been getting just ok results. I tried a new product I read many great reviews for and loved it. I will disclose which product helped with my twist out a little later this week in a product review. How often do many of us get a few good hair days each week or at least one phenomenal one? At times it is because our hair just won’t get it together. Below are some tips to help your hair act right when it sometimes just won’t.

1. Clarify your hair at least once a month to rid your hair of product buildup. After a while of using a product, or a combination of many products, sometimes you’ll notice that it won’t style the way it normally does. Clarify to get a clean pallet to work with.

2. Wrap your hair every night. Keeping your hair wrapped each night allows your hair to stay tamed while you sleep. It will be easier to manage in the morning and less to detangle if it was not in a protective hair style.

3. Try to stick to a few products or less between washes. Using too many products adds buildup and by day 3 or 4 your hair will not love you for it.

4. Try not to mess with your too much after you’ve styled it. Too much manipulation can put stress on your tresses.

5. When unraveling a twist or braid use a little pomade or hair cream to unravel each piece. This will add shine and moisture and cause your hair to be less frizzy.

What hair tips have worked for you to keep your hair in check? Dish.

Until Next Time,

All in the name of hair, people.

So, it’s winter in Vermont again.

My hair is super dry.

I’m getting older.

It’s not as curly or bouncy as it used to be.

Ahhhhh……HAIR CRISIS!!!

Enter The T-Shirt Curly Hair Method.

It discovered the method from Jessicurl (I’m dying to try their products! I attempted to order them once before but I couldn’t check out?), except she doesn’t use a t-shirt. The Curly Girl book method is also very similar.

It’s my favorite method for my lackluster winter curls. You’ll look like a complete wacko because you wear a t-shirt on your HEAD, but it’s so worth it. I showed my cousin and her friend – who have wavy hair – and it works wonders on them too. I bet it would work on amping up straight hair too.

A little video:

*I just lightly dab my hair with a t-shirt, not a towel after the shower. (I also rinse my hair with cool water after washing out my conditioner.) So it is usually much wetter (almost dripping wet) when I put the gel on it, and I bend over to scrunch it up. Then plop it in my t-shirt. These Jessicurl videos show those steps better.

**My hair wasn’t completely dry at the end….and I’m touching it too much….don’t do that. Essentially, it looks better about an hour later if you keep your hands off of it, but you get the idea.

My hair products, which change ALL the time:

Shampoo: Something I won at an event. I think it’s Avalon? I only shampoo about once a week and just use a small amount.

Or maybe I should try to go shampoo-less again, like they suggest in Curly Girl: the handbook? I had tried the baking soda/vinegar method before, but I never found enough research on how often to use it. And my hair was having trouble adjusting. It looked like crap. My mom came to visit and said I need to wash my hair. So I did.

Conditioner: Okay, so I read on Into The Gloss that Redken All Soft conditioner is great. I’ve been using that and love the smell/texture. I use conditioner anytime I get my hair wet. Gobs of it.

Leave-in Conditioner: Infusium 23.

Gel: Again, changes all the time. Currently, Aveda Be Curly Lotion and Confixer Liquid Gel mixed together. Use whatever works for you. My hair is dry, coarse, and long. It needs some hold without turning it into crunchy curls.

I’m tempted to try a homemade one again. I often wonder, people had long hair hundreds of years ago, so what did they use?  I really hate spending money on hair products, but I look like a frizzball without anything. I’ve tried it.

Finishing Oil: Moroccan Oil. My splurge! I feel like I’m on a tropical island, which is especially appealing in the winter in Vermont.

Oh, and I can’t forget the time when I was the Virgin Mary in the Christmas Pageant in church. The choir director told my eight year old self there better not be any “hanky panky” with Joseph in the barn. No, I’m not joking Mom – she totally said that. Somehow, I lost my dream when I got to high school. I kind of regret not being involved in drama during my high school years, even though I would have had no time at all with my athletic activities.

Lucky for you, the other day I figured out I like being on camera. Not that my video blogs are acting per se, but it was bringing me back to my past.

Another reader asked me all about my hair routine – this video is shorter at only seven minutes. You’re welcome.

And no, my eyes are not closed the entire time.

If you want to fill the void because that video wasn’t long enough, you should watch this one. You’ll laugh – I actually did just that until I cried.

I really like doing video blogs – is there anything else you want to see more of? I would love to fulfill your dream.

Question: What is your favorite hair product?

I have constantly gone from blonde to brown with my hair color since high school. Since the summer of 2010 I have sported platinum blonde hair. That is an understatement, it was white. Partially out of boredom, partially out of desiring a change, I came up with the brilliant idea to dye my hair brown myself using a box dye. The first box of chocolate brown dye got me to what is best described as pink. The second box got me to the sad, dull brown that I have on my head today. After weighing the pros and cons of paying an arm and a leg to have my hair professionally fixed, vs. putting a third box of dye on my hair, I decided to go with neither. I am keeping the sad brown for the next two weeks, and putting myself through a hardcore repair routine that will hopefully in the end leave me with a good base to then put color on.What is this hair routine you ask? Well it is a bunch of different things actually. Before shampooing my hair I use Burt’s Bees Avacado Butter Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment with Nettle and Rosemary. This stuff smells amazing. It’s supposed to stay on for 15 minutes, which is difficult to do when you need to take a quick morning shower. So I usually only use this product when I shower in the evenings.

The next three products were recommended and actually purchased for me by my amazing coworker Jackie. I shampoo my hair with John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Moisturizing Shampoo. This shampoo is supposed to enhance brown hair, as well as restore shine and vitality to dull, dry, and damaged hair. Perfect for me! Then I use Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask. I put this mask on for as long as I can. It’s supposed to rehabilitate extra dry or over-processed hair with intense moisturization. It also has olive, meadowfoam seed, and sweet almond extracts, all to help repair damaged hair. And finally, after the mask, I use the John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Moisturizing Conditioner.

I have been avoiding all my heated hair styling tools, so no straightening, curling, or blow drying for me. When I absolutely must use any of these products, I spray Heat is On by Blow on my entire head to protect it.

So wish me luck readers! I know I have a long road ahead of me, but I have neglected my hair’s health my entire life, it is time to give it a little love. Check back for updates, and tell Lobster Face: What is your damaged hair cure?

I feel no shame in admitting that I use time savers.

The shame is more in the fact that  I don’t use them because I’m BUSY or IMPORTANT and don’t have TIME to do things.

Instead the shame rests solely on the fact that I am butt-ass LAZY.

So I will give you my “Top Five Time-savers I Could Not / Will Not Live Without (In No Particular Order)”  or “TFTSICNWNLW(INPO)” because acronyms are cool and will totally save you time.

Though it’s not one of my TFTSICNWNLW(INPO). Because that’s just silly.

1. CARDIGANS!. I cannot shout this loud enough for you to understand how much time cardigans! save me.

Have to get ready for work in 10 minutes because I slept in until 7:40am and have to leave the house by 7:50am to get to work by 8:05am and pretend I am on time? Throw on a (hopefully) clean t-shirt or top and cover it with a Cardigan!. Maybe add a scarf to Jaunt It Up!

I own maybe 6 or 7 cardigans! and (try to) rotate them, though I’ve been known to wear the same one 5 out of 7 days. And I don’t even care.

2. Slip on flats.

At any given time I own between 3 and 7 pairs. Currently I have a pair of dark green, a pair of red, and two pairs of black (one smooth, one suede-y). In addition, I have a pair with a candy print and a strap, a pair with cut-outs shaped like flowers, and a “fancy” pair with ~JEWELS~ (not to be confused with JULES) on their sides.

Flats are awesome for multiple reasons – quick to put on, good for pants or dresses, quick to take off, cute!, and pretty affordable.

I am currently coveting these:

3. SHREDDED CHEESE!

wait.

There we go.

Ok. Shredded cheese. My time and life saver.

It’s 8:30pm. We haven’t made dinner. We don’t want to.

What have we got? CHEESE. PRE SHREDDED. A MILLION OPTIONS ARE OPEN TO US! And we wont skin our knuckles off trying to shred our Costco block of cheddar!

Top 3 things that are quick to make and DELISHUS

-Quesadillas – we always have tortillas in the house. Because otherwise you are Un-American. Or something. (Usually we go for Quesadillas with veggies and maybe, if we are feeling industrious, some meat thrown in).

-Breakfast nachos – eggs, bacon, shredded cheese, bell peppers, onions, sometimes potatoes over chips. Bake or broil for 2 – 5 minutes, or until cheese is gooey. Not the most healthy but delicious and easy.

-Groiled Cheese – not grilled (though also delicious) but GROILED. Lightly toasted bread, fresh smushed garlic* spread on the toast, a slice of lunch meat (i go turkey) a slice of tomato or tomato sauce, topped with some shredded cheese. Broil for 2 – 5 minutes or until cheese is as melted as you want it. Eat like an open-faced sandwich.

*I usually microwave a couple of tablespoons of butter and mix in the garlic so it’s a GARLIC BUTTER. You can also prepare this butter ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer for a while to be used on whatever you please. Add more or less garlic to your taste.

4. Not Washing My Hair

Most people do some variation on this, but I have a system that saves me more time that I expected it to when I first worked it out.(Please note: I shower in the morning 90% of the time so my hair is usually wet daily and works for me.)

Day 1: Wash hair. Condition. Style/Wear/Etc.

Day 2: Ignore hair in shower. Style/Wear/Etc.

Day 3: Condition. Style/Wear/Etc.

Day 4: Ignore hair again. Style/Wear/Etc.

By day 4, the natural oils and the condition work together to overpower whatever goo you’ve put in your hair in the first place and I have no problem waiting that long to wash my hair. Plus, styling it gets easier because I fight with it less and put in less effort. TWO FOLD TIME SAVER!

Add in the time you save IN THE SHOWER washing it (it’s only like 3 minutes but man, that can be a LONG time!) and it becomes THREE-FOLD!

5. Roller Color Eye Shadow

Maybelline makes this roll-on eye shadow that my mom and I found at a Longs a few years ago. It’s quick and easy and saves me worrying about make-up in the morning. It’s enough for me to feel like I’ve put effort in without being a pain-in-the-ass.

I don’t use a pink (mine is a softer, lighter color that doesn’t appear to be on their list?) but highly recommend it if you ever bother with eye make up.

(I’m including a #6 that used to be #5 cause I remembered what #5 was supposed to be.)

6. Making my boyfriend drive me to work every morning

I almost used a different one but I think this really is one of the biggest. I didn’t want to put it in, because it’s not really that I make him drive me to work.

It was actually his idea. It wakes him up early enough to be on time to work in another town, and lets us have a little extra morning together time.

Plus I don’t have to leave the house 15 minutes earlier than normal to get to the bus stop in time to be on time to work. And I hate the bus.

If I didn’t get that ride every morning, my routine would be completely off and I wouldn’t have nearly as much time to get ready in the morning.

Time saver! And sleep saver! And sanity saver! Woo!

So those are the TFTSICNWNLW(INPO) that save ME time.

How about you?

Today I decided to do the 40-minute Jillian Michaels’ workout – Boost your Metabolism. Lately I’ve been feeling slightly on the heavy side, and even though I usually only do her 20-minute workout during the week, I decided to go all out tonight.

Prior to my workout I heated a mixture of castor and coconut oils to use as a hot oil treatment. I applied it to my damp hair, put on a plastic cap, and did my workout.

The next step in my  routine was to co-wash my hair with Herbal Essence’s Long Term Care Relationship. I used the split-end leave-in conditioner along with the qhemet biologics heavy cream for moisture and air-dried partially using four big plats before preparing my hair for chiney bumps.

I put in a mixture of aveda’s anti-humectant and emollient serum in the front half of my hair and sealed with a shea butter sunflower oil mixture. In the back half I just sealed in the qhemet with shea butter to see the difference.

I’m hoping for a nice moisturized look in the morning.

Will post results within a few days.

     I was really looking forward to my first retightening. It was scheduled for five weeks after my initial install.  My hair seemed to be doing well. My only slippage seemed to be around the back edges.  I did have some bunching, but overall I was pleased. Unfortunately, the unexpected death of a beloved uncle forced my plans to change. Although the reason for my visit was sad, it was nice to see my family. I only took the baby (21 months) with me.
     My family is outspoken, and I braced myself for the reactions to my hair. I’ve always had hair that grows long and thick.  Just cutting it off would be cause for an “ear-full”, but locking it was sure to draw comments. I was lucky, my cousin blazed the path of locks in my family a couple of years ago.  She has small traditional locks.  When I walked in the door with the baby on my hip (whom they haven’t seen in a while), the first thing said was, “Let us see the hair.”  That didn’t bode well. I walked up to my oldest, most conservative aunt to let her inspect “the hair” (might as well get it over with).  “Beautiful, just beautiful”, she pronounced. You could have knocked me over with the proverbial feather! Most of my family liked my hair. A couple of my aunts said they liked it, but they liked the relaxer better. You can’t please everybody.
    My retightening finally occurred two weeks later (seven weeks after the install). My consultant was happy with my hair’s progress. She corrected the bunching, but was pleased that my hair wasn’t really slipping.  My next appointment is in six weeks.

My next post was originally going to be about nutrition and fitness but I’ve had a few hair epiphanies that I just have to share.  Inspired by Curly Niki’s post about how black folk did their hair back in the day, I asked my mom about her hair (which I haven’t seen in decades due to her wigs but I vow that before I die I will know the truth).  She says her natural hair is wavy but she used to relax it herself when I was young.  The funny part is I don’t ever remember seeing her relax her hair but I do remember relaxer in the house (because I decided to relax one of my white dolls hair with it, Black Barbie for some reason didn’t need a perm).  I asked my mom about how she did my hair and she told me that she put Vigorol, in my hair.  I didn’t remember this until I looked the stuff up and suddenly the horrible smell brought back memories of this disgusting clear liquid.  Apparently this stuff is some kinda of texturizer that my mom says she used to make my hair easier to comb so that it was easier for her to press (which she barely ever did).

I don’t think this stuff really straightened my hair but I do feel like I’ve lost the ability to say that my hair was natural until I was fourteen. This could be another reason why my texture seems so different that it did when I was younger.  I am starting to feel a sense of pride associated with being natural and it feels good.  But then the point of going natural now is to move on from the old relaxers and texturizers and start taking care of my hair.

I’m also a little obssessed with my hair growth at this point.  I like the TWA don’t get me wrong but I can’t wait to do some twists and coils.  I one of those ladies who is used to having long hair to play with and I when I was young my hair was so long, I keep looking back at those old pictures just salivating over my hair.

This is good shot of how long my hair was back then, I believe I was about 10:

Clarify – Weekly – Apple Cider Vinegar rise (1 Tblsp ACV to 1 cup of warm water)
Co-wash- 2x a week – Natures Gate Tea Tree Conditioner followed by Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Conditioner
Deep Condition - Weekly – Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol Plus (contains Mango Butter) – I’m thinking about adding Olive Oil to this when it starts getting really cold
Leave in Conditioner – Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner
Sealant – Mix of  melted Unrefined Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Tea Tree Oil and Sweet Almond Oil
Curl Definer (Depending on mood/style) – Garnier Fructis Style Fiber Gum Putty or Herbal Essences Set Me Up Gel
Daily Spritz -Water, V05 Moisture Milks Strawberries and Creme

So basically I removed as much glycerin out of my styling routine as I could (the  Suave has some glycerin in it) and added a weekly deep conditioner.  I have some Aphogee Essential Oils from my relaxed days, this is pretty much a hot oil treatment but as it has protein in it I will only use this on a monthly basis. My hair is pretty strong and I’m getting a little protein from the V05 and Suave so I’m thinking that should suffice.

Last week I did the normal braid and band in order to wash my hair. I wanted to wash my hair this week, but I didn’t have time to braid, band, and wash before my toddler awoke from her nap.  Therefore, I decided to try a short cut.  Instead of the normal braid-out, I did a “twist-out”.  I basically took the same sized sections that I would use for braiding but twisted them instead. The hair stayed in the twist, and it was much faster than braiding.  I like the results even better than the braid-out.  The braid-out gave my hair tight crinkles, but the twist-out gave it a loose wave. Here are pictures to demonstrate what I mean. My hair is in the same style and the ends are curled under. The only change is braid-out vs. twist-out.  The back of the hair appears different because the twist out caused some of the hair to flip-up. 

 

 Twist-Out

 

 

Yesterday was the first time I washed my locks. I braided and banded my hair the night before.  To control itching, I treated my scalp with full strength apple cider vinegar before washing. I used my fingertips to apply the vinegar.  Personally, I didn’t care for the Sisterlocks shampoo. It didn’t get my scalp clean, but in all fairness I had a lot of skin cells from the subboratic dermatitis.  I ended up washing with the Sisterlocks shampoo, a tea tree shampoo, then the Sisterlocks shampoo again to make sure the tea tree shampoo didn’t leave any conditioning agents in my hair. I looked like a pick-a-ninny for a day, while letting my hair dry in a braid out. I slept on the braids overnight.  This morning I removed each rubber band and carefully curled only the relaxed ends with a curling iron. I rubbed Africa’s Best Ultimate Herbal Oil on my hands. There was a very light layer of oil left on my skin.  I then ran my fingers through my hair to separate.  The result looked pretty good. I don’t think I have much slippage or bunching, and my parts seem a little less visible. Next time I think I’ll wash in the evening.

      
         I didn’t think I’d have anything to report during this first month, but I was wrong. Around the third day after installation, I began to experience a great deal of itching. It was highly annoying. I think it was my scalp’s attempt to release some of the tension of the hair being pulled tight. Perhaps I’m wrong, but the itching has mostly subsided, and my hair doesn’t feel like it’s been pulled tight anymore.
        Yesterday, our normal homeschooling park-day was canceled due to heavy rain.  I decided to run errands instead.  This was my first small taste of freedom from relaxers.  I’m almost always carrying a child, so I almost never carry umbrellas. My hair got wet several times getting in and out of the car. By the end of the day, the relaxed ends were frizzy.  The Sisterlocks were great. Fortunately my Soft-spikes arrived in the mail that day.  Right before bed, I decided to just “play-around” with them. I rolled my hair haphazardly, and went to sleep.  The results were great.  The kids loved the curls. 

• Milk_shake Color Maintainer Shampoo
• Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo (only on Sundays…I know that’s lame…but I use this clarifying shampoo once a week on Sundays because it feels like I’m getting a fresh start for the upcoming week…I’m crazy)
• Philip B. Katira Hair Masque
• Philip B. Detangling and Toning Rinse
• Tigi Bed Head Superstar Queen for a Day Thickening Spray
• Philip B. Lovin Leave-in
• Philip B. Jetset Hairspray
• Piece Vidalsoon Hair Dryer
• GHD flat iron
• Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo