Confessions of an Ex-Product Junkie

My name is Jhanelle and I am...err...was... a product junkie :)

This weekend I decided to take out all of my products...the ones in my room, in the shower, under the bathroom sink, on my coffee stand, in my dresser...all of them. The above picture is based on products I have accumulated in the last year alone....

So are you a product junkie? Don't worry, I'm here to help. I have a 6 step program :)

Step 1: Admission

Naturally Curly did an article... "You Know You're a Product Junkie If.." ...and I answered yes to almost every single question. No lie. That's when I knew I had a problem.

The first step in recovery, is admitting you have a problem. If your collection looks like this, or you spend more on hair products than you do groceries, you have a problem. So say it..."My name is [insert name here] and I am a product junkie."

Step 2: Stay away from sales and hair aisles

This may be the hardest step, trust me, I know.

I use to go into Walmart for groceries...and walk out with at least one new hair product. My favourite part of my shopping trip was strolling down the hair aisle - whether it was a new conditioner or hair accessory, I always bought something!  And don't get me started on sales...I became good at justification.... "I'm investing in my hair"....."It's only 6.99"..."It's 30% off!"...well let me tell you, it adds up!
So Step #2, stay away from sales and hair aisles! You went into the grocery store for a reason, so stick to that mission. Yes the item is on sale, but it doesn't mean you need to buy it. You may save 30% by purchasing it today, but you save 100% of your money and additional closet space by not buying it.

Step 3: Research

Stop shopping on a whim or solely on reccomendation. I use to buy things because friends swore by them or I'd see people using them on youtube. Well, what works for someone might not work for you.

Now, you will need to try products to learn what works with your hair but it's important to research products before you purchase them. Learn about your hair texture, porosity abd research ingredients that will work well with your hair. Sometimes it may not be the product...but the method you're using (i.e., product application).

Many companies also promise the world in order to get you to purchase their product, but when you read the ingredient list, there are next to no natural ingredients listed. The words are there to grab your attention...it's called Marketing. Often times the products don't work as promised, so do your research and be a smart shopper.

Step 4: Go in with a mission

It's important to define a need vs. a want.

If you do decide to purchase a product (that you need, after you've done the research) make sure you go into the store with a mission. Enter store. Ask for product. Don't look around, you'll get distracted.
Back in the day, I could easily spend 1 hour in Beauty Supply Warehouse. Now I give myself 10 minutes to get in and get out. I'll march in, purchase it and march right back out. And I stay proud of myself for not deviating from said mission :)

Step 5: Samples, samples, samples!

Instead of buying full size products that you'll just chuck under the sink after one use, try samples instead.

If your friend has a product you want to try, ask her for a sample of it.

Or do a product swap with a friend. Trade a product  that didn't necessarily work on your hair for a product that your friend may have that you want to try.

Step 6: If it works, stop looking!

Finally my last rule, if you found something that works on your hair: stop looking.

From that massive collection, these are the products
I currently use in my product rotation.

Are you a product junkie? How big is your collection? Do you need help?! Don't worry - we'll work through it together :)

xx.

J
Keep Calm Wear an Afro

My Natural Hair Journey: Accidentally Natural

My name is Jhanelle and I am an Accidental Natural.

I relaxed my hair as a teenager and when I went natural...it wasn't because I wanted to proudly rock my afro...or explore my natural hair texture...or even learn more about my curls...Nah.

This was right before I went natural
 permanently. It was the shortest
 it's ever been. I couldn't even put it
 into a ponytail!

I was tired of relaxer burns...having damaged hair...having my damaged hair break off...relaxer burns....not being able to put my hair in a ponytail....relaxer burns....not being able to dance in the rain without ruining my wash and set... relaxer burns....and 6 hour hair dresser visits with false promises of "I know it's breaking but if you cut your hair it'll grow" LIES.

Another major reason I decided to stop relaxing was I was tired of the influence that other people had on my hair (i.e., family, friends, hair dressers). When I went natural the first time (I was 15) I permed it again because everyone was like:

"You can't keep pressing it forever."

"Why don't you perm your hair, it'll be easier."

"Do a texturizer, it'll be milder." LIES.

"Jhan, you need to fix your hair." (This is my father's favourite line lol)

First time natural.

I succumbed to peer pressure the first time but the second time around I was adamant that I wasn't going back. I figured it was my hair, I can do what I wanted with it.

Secretly, I had NO CLUE ....can I repeat...NO CLUE what I was going to do with my hair. All I knew was that I wasn't perming it anymore...whatever happened to it...would happen.  And that made me feel good...a little rebellious...but good.

My first time natural, I put my hair in braids and plaits. I hated braids though. Not for the look, I love the look, but for the pain. And this time around I refused to do pain again. My mom use to say "Beauty is pain." I'd rather be ugly. Honestly.



First Year

So, I was like: NO perm. NO braids. [BOSS FACE]

I pressed my roots for a while and wore my hair up in one a lot. 

First year: In one, slicked back with gel,
water & held with a headband. Yes,
 ladies, I wouldn't comb that out
 for a week! Just reapplied gel and
water daily... *embarassed face*

This was right before I went to England on exchange for six months and my hair was in dire condition. A hot mash up of kinky roots and permed ends.

My family didn't know what to do with me...

"Jhan...what are you going to do with your hair?"

"You cah go England looking suh." (Jamaican patois)

I am not going to lie. I struggled. I was too stubborn to listen to them due to my years of relaxing catastrophes (which I partly blamed them for). But I was also too stubborn to turn back. Basically everything that you can do wrong when transitioning: I did. I didn't comb out my tangles, I didn't moisturize, no deep conditioning, nothing. As a result, I noticed no progress in my hair growth. It just kept breaking.

England

In England, I wore my hair in one just like I had back home. I went out dancing a lot (salsa and ballroom). This lady on the salsa scene decided to make me over one day...hair..clothing the whole nine yards. And this is how Horse was born (name given by my cousin). I cried the night she first did it, because I wanted to be polite, but I hated it. I wore it though...[Boss face] because I didn't know what else to do with my hair.

Disclaimer: I have nothing against wigs, or people who wear wigs. I just didn't feel this look was particularly me. Side note: I was sooooooooooo uncomfortable that night!!

Weaves

When I came back from England, I got into weaves. A friend suggested it and I was like ah why not. Wake up, shake it out, done. Low maintenance. That fit my routine perfectly.


Curly weaves were my thing!



My hair started to grow, like whoa. I would get all warm inside when my weaveologist would be like "Wow, your hair is tall." :D

  

I was a bad weave wearer. I would wear them for 2 months at a time. Maybe wash it once a month and I didn't moisturize.. *embarrassed face*

Beginning of a New Journey

I had no clue there was a natural hair community out there.

I didn't know what DC meant, or TWA, nor that the year I spent wearing weaves was referred to as as transition.

I was clueless. I didn't have any curly natural hair friends, so I didn't really have anyone to relate to. I thought I was on a solo mission.

It wasn't until I took out some cornrows on a wash day that I looked in the mirror and loved the texture and the volume the released braids gave me. After my wash, I decided to twist my hair and I undid it in the morning. BOOM. A big afro was born.

I felt like I had invented the wheel.

It wasn't until I met my friend Michele at work (she was a natural, check out her hair profile: here) and she told me my wheel was called a "twist-out". Damn. I could've been famous.

So I googled "Twist out". 

And so began my new natural hair journey. I began to fall in love with big afros and learned to appreciate my natural curl pattern.
  

I'd love to hear your stories! Are you an accidental natural too? How did you transition?


 xx

J

Live without pretending, love without depending, listen without defending and speak without offending.

Length Check!

Hola todos!!

So this is my first length check posting. I've been accidentally natural for about 4 years now...and natural natural (i.e., taking-proper-care-of-my-hair-natural) for about 3 years now.

I'm not overly obsessed with length as much as I am with having healthy hair and BIGness..think Esperanza Spalding...Julia Sarr Jamois...Erykah Badu....Diana Ross..Tracee Ellis Ross....I could go on, but just to name a few :D

I've seen many people do the length check for the middle back length by reaching behind there back to pull their hair down. My hair is not that length yet for me to reach back up there. Either that or I am not that flexible in the arms LOL In any case, it's the same length as the first picture.

xx

J

Peace. Love. Afro's.

My Natural Hair Journey: The Year of the Pressing Comb



Photo from:  polishedandcurled.tumblr.com


So I want to share parts of my natural hair journey with you all...but to write about it all at once...would be one crazy long post. So I'll post different parts of my journey in the Dem Curls: My Natural Hair Journey series.

When I went natural the first time (after my first perm), I managed my hair by pressing it. Rule # 1: regular bi-weekly visits to the hair dresser. I planned my life around those appointments, and I never missed a beat either. Between the hours of 8am - 2pm, every other Saturday I was unavailable. I would get up early on the Saturday, reach the hair dresser by 8am...and 6 hours later...I would leave with fried pin straight hair.

I couldn't comb my own hair to save my life. Literally. I didn't know how to handle my natural hair, nor did I have the patience. I grew up with my mom combing my hair and when it became too much for her, she permed it. I went natural the first time because my hair was falling out, but the prospect of having to comb my kinky hair scared me. I didn't want to have to deal with it, so I never missed an appointment.


For the two weeks inbetween my appointments, I avoided water around my locks like the plague. Rule #2: NO WATER. I wore shower caps in the shower, I carried umbrellas everywhere and I tried to avoid activities that resulted in unnecessary perspiration. So this meant no swimming, physical exercise, or extended periods in the sun or extreme heat. When I started monitoring the weather forecasts...for my hair...I knew I had issues.

I remember one day in particular, I had 5 days to go before my appointment and I really wanted to wash my hair. I hardly moisturized my hair when it was pressed...because that would require moisture...or some kind of liquid...which would be in direct violation of Rule #1. But I had dry scalp and it was itching me like crazy. So I thought...okay, let me just get it a little wet...and then I can blow dry it straight or something. Don't ask me why, but it sounded like a great idea at the time.

It wasn't.

My hair shrunk up immediately...as it rightfully should. I got scared and brushed the hell out of it ...tears included (because fine bristle brushes don't work well on 4b hair). I managed to put it into a ponytail and didn't touch it for the rest of the week, other than adding grease and gel to keep it down. When I got to the hair dresser that week, my hair was a tangled knotted hot mess and it took forever for my stylist to comb it out...tears included.

After about 1 year of pressing, my hair dresser and family convinced me to perm my hair for the second time. Everyone was like, it'll do better for your hair, not having to fry it every two weeks. -_- I hated having to do bi-weekly wash and presses, so I gave in. It's a process - 6 hours of my life every Saturday!

1. Wash hair.
2. Deep condition.
3. Blow dry.
4. Run through hair with hot pressing comb.
5. Run through hair with curling iron.

That's 3 sources of heat...to get my hair straight. Talk about frying my hair! Once I went to the drug store after my appointment and a guy was in the aisle with his girlfriend. He looked around, sniffing, and said "something smells like burnt hair..." I bounced so quickly out of that aisle. LOL

The next perm was the worst perm...I had almost no hair at the end of it. But I'll save that story is for another time :)

I've been natural over 3 years now and I definitely don't miss having to press my hair. I don't miss the accidental slips of the curling iron on my scalp, the burnt hair smell, or the pulling and tugging on my hair to get it straight.

Have you tried the hot comb to manage your natural hair? I'd love to hear your experiences!


Peace. Love. And Fro-Yo.
:) J

My Hair Routine

Hello!

So I thought I would blog about my hair regime because I finally found out what works best for my hair. I’ve been natural for 3 years now and it has taken me that long to build a solid routine....no lie. Through research and experimentation (I'm a bit of a product junkie) I've finally found a good combination.

I remember when I was searching for examples on routines, I was getting frustrated because I couldn’t find an all-inclusive hair routine fit for my type 4 hair. I since learned, you build your own regime and tailor it to your hair.

I try to use natural products in my hair, because they are of the best quality, and work best on my curls. However, some of my products aren't all natural (mostly so) but still work amazing. It's about finding what works with your hair!

However, it helps to have a foundation. Enjoy! =)

Deep Condition

How Often: My hair is slightly moody  and can get very dry so I’ll deep conditioning it once a week.

Fav Products:

I normally alternate my products to switch it up a bit, or I’ll remix my conditioner (click to see blog post on how to "Remix Your Conditioner"). But my go-to's are,

JessiCurl Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment  (love, love, love!)

Elasta QP Soy OYL Ultra Hydration Anti-Breakage Moisture-Rich Deep Conditioner

[Note: The Elasta QP isn't 100% natural, but it works amazing on my hair, leaving it feeling super soft. Plus it's very affordable, the large tub only costs $10.99!]

 

Co-wash

How Often: A co-wash is a conditioner only wash. I co-wash my hair once or twice during the week (in between the deep conditioning treatments). Co-washes are very good for restoring moisture to my strands mid-week.

Fav Products:

Yes to Carrots, Pampering Conditioner (new fav! - Click here to see my review)

Elasta QP Soy Oyl Ultra Hydration Conditioner

Shampoo

How Often: I’ll shampoo my hair once a month or when I start to feel a product build up. (I always follow up with a deep-conditioning treatment).

Fav Products:

DevaCurl No-Poo (This cleanser has no sulfates, therefore it doesn't lather. I love it! Remember some sulphates aren't good for the hair.)

[Note: If I use a clarifying shampoo (I currently don't have any fav's) or a lathering shampoo, I'll do a pre-poo (pre shampoo) treatment. I’ll dampen my hair with warm water and apply extra-virgin olive oil (or I'll mix a hot-oil treatment). I’ll let it sit on my hair for about 15 minutes. Then I’ll shampoo. I find that my hair gets very dry with clarifying or sudsy shampoos, so the pre-poo helps to counteract that.]

After Conditioning/Co-Wash

1. I use a towel to rid the excess water from my hair. Scrunching not rubbing to prevent tangling and frizz.

2. I spritz a mixture of aloe vera juice and glycerin onto my damp hair. Aloe vera juice helps to balance the pH in your hair and glycerin helps to retain moisture.

3. I apply coconut oil. (I got this idea from a friend. The oil is light enough to not weigh down my hair, and I find adding before my leave-in helps with moisturizing and softness).

4. Apply a leave-in conditioner.

Fav Products:

Kinky-Curly Knot Today (Love, love, love! This is my favourite leave-in. It is amazing at detangling, a great moisturizer, and smells heavenly).

Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In (I recently sampled this from my curl box and really liked it! It doesn't leave my hair as soft as Kinky-Curly but it's a great moisturizer).

5. I use a mixture of Shea butter/olive oil/coconut oil/jojoba oil to seal my ends as I twist my hair. I twist my hair in maybe 10-15 twists to let it air dry.

I'll add approx 2 tablespoons of Shea butter, a few drops of jojoba, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and mix it together. I'll heat it up to melt the Shea butter (as it's a solid at room temp). This mixture will last me all week. I'll apply it to my strands to seal in the moisture from my conditioner and leave-in. This is perhaps the most important step!

Morning

I spritz the same aloe-vera juice/glycerin mixture in my hair to refresh my curls. My hair is normally pretty moisturized from the night before so I won't usually any extra moisturizer.

Or sometimes, I'll let my hair down in the shower and let the steam work it's magic :)

Night

I'll spritz my hair with the aloe-vera juice/glycerin mixture. Add a dab of leave-in (if my hair is feeling dry). I'll apply the Shea butter mix to seal my ends as I re twist my hair.

Sometimes I'll also use a cream to twist my hair (provides a good hold and good for moisturizing).

My fav is: Shea Moisture Organic Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie (I find it works the best on my twist outs and smells amaaaaaaaazing!)

If I'm lazy I won't twist my hair, but I'll pull my hair into a pineapple on top of my head.

I sleep with a silk pillow case or sometimes I'll wear a silk cap.

That's all for now m'loves! Take care,

 

J

"El amor mira no con los ojos, sino con la mente"

Loving my Shrinkage

What is Shrinkage?

It's basically the difference between what your hair looks like dry and what your hair looks like wet. It's also more noticeable in type 4 curls (such as mine) because of the tight curl pattern. My hair for example, shrinks by approximately 80% of the actual length!

Preventing Shrinkage

You can't really prevent shrinkage, due to the nature of the curl pattern. However, you can stretch the hair as it dries (i.e, using twists, bantu knots) to help achieve bigger hair. You can also try shampooing in braids or sections to help keep the hair in a stretched state when its wet.

Embrace it!

I use to hate shrinkage, especially when I was growing out my hair because it appeared like I wasn't making any progress. Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged because we feel our hair isn't growing fast enough or isn't achieving the length we want it to. Your hair can achieve length, it just shrinks as it goes from wet to dry so it's hard to tell. Don't get discouraged, the sooner you embrace your hair, the sooner you'll begin to realize how unique and versatile it truly is :)

Until next time folks!

J

Happy Canada Day Weekend!!! :)