Protective Styling

10/17/11-I have been reading some post/blogs about protective styling and now I am ready to try and see how this works for the length of my hair during the fall and winter months.  I've decided to try some of the techniques/videos I've seen on various websites and videos.  Here we go...
Flat twist in the front and wash n' go in the back.

 Flat twist in the front and double strand twist in the back.

 Flat twist in the front, double strand twist in the back.

 Flat twist in the back toward the front and double strand twist, then rodded on the ends.

 My DIVA look... MY FAV!!!

So far, these are the protective styles that I have tried.  I will try more and update as I go along.   I'm not really a fan of wearing my hair twisted up to go to work but I will try some wigs over my twist to look more professional. 

Twist out from protective style

My 'fro is growing!!!

As much as I despise hats, I am now wearing them to protect my hair from the harsh winter air...

(Check out my new earrings from Accessorizing You!!!)

Check out what Accessorizing You has going on!...Follow them on Twitter @AccessorizingU and/or "Like" us on FaceBook www.FaceBook.com/AccessorizingYou

It was cold this day, so I had the wig AND a hat on, this RARELY happens.  Lol #hotbox

When it starts to get warm I'll throw this had on instead of a wig to run errands.

 

 

This summer I let Sheena Double Strand Twist my natural hair. 6/12

 

I have begun to experiment with putting my hair up in different styles from inspirations off of PINTEREST (yes I'm addicted).

Stay Hydrated

Since college, I have been studying the importance of drinking water.  I have been on a daily quest to drink a minimum of 100 ounces of water a day to stay hydrated.  I began working out to stay healthy and I wanted to know how much water I needed to consume in order to stay hydrated.  I found a website that had a calculator of how much water I should consume...  I often make it to the 115 ounces that I am supposed to drink but not every day. 


I also read on Naturally Curly's website about how to keep you hair healthy and it did not surprise me that the first tip was to drink enough water...


See what the Mayo Clinic has to say about staying hydrated...
Staying hydrated has many benefits: clearer skin, healthier hair and a healthier body.  So, put down the soda and put a little extra H20 in your system!

Product Reviews

Hi, my name is Candyce, and I AM A PRODUCT JUNKIE (pj)!!!!!!!!!!!  They say the first step is acceptance! LOL  Because I am a pj, just going to the store is a challenge because there is always something new improved on the shelf that peaks my interest.  Don't get me wrong, I have my favorites that I will always have on hand and use (especially my staple products) when the other "stuff" disappoints me.

As I pick up new products (not just for hair) I'll place a short review here:

• I was in a the "Bull's Eye Boutique"  in Charlotte this summer and I ran across a Softsoap display and it caught my eye (of course).  They had some new body wash scents out, I began smelling and ran across one that smelled heavenly...  Body Butter Coconut Scrub!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG is all I could think.  Over my years of pj addiction I have learned not to buy on impulse.  If I think about it again I will return and purchase the product I saw.  Needless to say, I could NOT stop thinking about the fragrance of this body wash!  It smells AWESOME!  I returned home and was in "Wally World" and I passed the display there, and I purchased it.  I could not wait to get home and shower.  I was not disappointed!  It is a scrub and moisturizer in one.  After I shower I now only have to put a squirt of lotion on my body in order to keep the moisture in. (Your skin needs to be sealed just like your hair!)

• Traveling to Memphis for a weekend getaway with the "Alabama Crew"... We are in the car and my friend Pasocca starts talking about this new lotion she has and how it is made from Jesus' sweat and it leaves your skin feeling heavenly...then she proceeds to say it was made by Jergens.  I just laughed because prior knowledge leads me to believe it'll be a watery waste of money!  Baabyyyy was I WRONG!  I took a small sample of the Overnight Repair and rubbed my hands together and continued for 10 minutes!  My hands already felt better!  I was already sold.  Every guy I came across that afternoon I had to touch so they could see how soft my hands were. lol  Later, I showered and stole another squirt, this time for my hands and feet.  I put my socks on and went to sleep.  The next morning, like the gospel song Conquerors says, my hands looked new!

• 11/7/11 I had been reading about the best ways to grow and maintain natural hair.  I ran across an article that talked about this hair oil and it had many testimonies about how well it works.  Wild Growth Hair Oil is the product that they were talking about.  I decided that from what I read it was worth a try.  The bottle was about $8. It has a tip on it that you can apply it directly to your scalp.  I put it on my edges, hair and scalp 2-3 days after I co-wash.  I have been using it since June and all of my edges have grown back and it is about 2 inches long.  My hair is thicker in the center where it was thinning.  The only drawback of using the oil is the "earthy/herbal" smell.  It does not have a pleasant smell and I usually put it on my hair and then add Mizani Supreme Oil on my ends to mask the smell.  My mother started complaining about her hair thinning in the middle and I told her about the oil she went and purchased it and has been using it every other day for about a month.  I will keep you posted about her progress. 5/6/12 OMG! I met a lady yesterday and she was asking my how did I get my hair so thick.  This product is the only thing I could think of! Check out some of my most recent pics.!

• 12/20/11  I have been fighting a loosing battle with frizz!!! But I have won the war!  I searched up and down the product aisle in the "Bull's Eye Boutique" to find something that would help me fight the frizz.  I finally found it!!! Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Leave-in Conditioning Cream.  It also helps fight humidity and promises the fight will ensue for up to 48 hours! lol "The formula with argan oil from Morocco and apricot soaks deep into frizz, dry hair to smooth each strand. Stay 10x smoother and fight frizz for 48 Hours, even in 97% humidity."  You don't have to use much.  It can be used on wet, dry or damp hair.  I've used it each way and I absolutely love it!  It also has a pleasant fruity smell to it and it does not weigh you hair down. 5/6/12  I place it on my damp hair after it is freshly co-washed before I begin my twist set.

2/11/12 Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturizer My trusty side-kick!  This product is creamy and light but gives my hair a very nice sheen.  I usually wet my hair and then place the moisturizer all over my hair. 5/6/12 I place on my hands while taking my twist down in the a.m.

5/6/12 Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Souffle

These two RIGHT HERE maaaaannnnnnn!!!!!, is all I can say!  They work sooooo well together. By themselves, they are just ok.  But together, maaaaannnnn.  My hair has never felt sooooo soft and manageable.  I first began using the smoothie as a day two revitalizer and I really did like it.  But ,on an unplanned trip to Tuscaloosa, AL I had to stop at Walgreens and pick up something to put on my hair that night and in the morning.  I didn't want to purchase something I already had at home and I wanted to pick something up that would pair well with what I already used.   I must say, a LITTLE of either goes a loooooonnnnggg way!!!

At night,I section a small amount of my hair and mist lightly with water (don't saturate or they won't be dry in the morning) and add a finger tip amount of Soothie from root to tip and smooth out my tangles, then I add a finger tip amount of Souffle and twist from root to end.  I do about 12-15 "Celie" twist all over and put on my satin cap.  When I wake the next am, I put a little  Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturizer on my hands and pull out the twist.  I have the most beautiful and defined twist!!   I've been getting LOTS of compliments!

Sealing Hair

Oh am I LEARNING!!! Starting this blog has caused me to be more meticulous about what I put on my hair and how I treat it!  As a little girl I knew that my hair "drinks oil" as my mom would say.   I am just now learning that that was a false statement and what is REALLY happening! 
My hair is extremely porous! Which means that my hair saturates quickly, dries quickly without product and it takes FOREVER to dry once products are applied.  Knowing that helps me deal with my hair in a totally different way. 
     If I do not apply product to my hair before allowing it to air dry it is a crunchy mess!!  Therefore, I have learned that there IS a science to the order you apply products.  Growing up we always put grease on my hair everyday and much to our dismay my hair would look like a dust bowl, literally by the time I was picked up from school. We were doing it ALL wrong!
     Even as an adult, until recently, I would put my homemade oil on my hair before my moistrizer/leave-in.  Now, after finish my "in the shower routine", (you can read about it in my "Regimine" post) I put my aloe vera gel (to add to the moisture of my hair before I seal). Then, I put my leave-in conditioner on and SEAL my hair with my recipe for oil that I make at home (in the same post mentioned earlier) or Supreme Oil. My hair is soooo soft and manageable.  It no longer has that "dusty" appearance.
     Sealing you hair is important to keep the moisture IN that you want in, especially when you hair is porous.


To find out more about sealing...
http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/04/art-of-sealing-natural-hair.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture_pg2.html?cat=69