HEATLESS CURLS ON NATURAL HAIR with CURLFORMERS

                  HEATLESS CURLS on NATURAL HAIR with CURLFORMERS

This is the best hair styling tool investment I have made thus far. I can get soft and bouncy heatless curls on my natural (chemical-free) hair. I do not have a relaxer/perm. This is a big deal as my natural hair can be very frizzy at times and I usually need a curling iron on high heat to get those nice ringlets.

I bought Curlformers Extra Long and Wide (This is the longest they carry)  from the Curlformers website : www.curlformers.com .  It comes 40 in a pack ( 20 orange and 20 pink.) Each goes in different directions so it’s always good to mix up how you put it in. The first time I applied this in my hair, 40 was not nearly enough as my hair is very thick so I went to Sally’s and purchased another pack for $67.00. Yesterday I put 80 Curlformers in my hair and found myself running out as I got closer to the top so I had to make some sections bigger. Looks like I need some more being that I have so much hair!

I started my hair washing process at 1pm. After washing my hair I applied Giovanni Organic Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture conditioner and then sectioned my hair into 10 big two-strand twists.  I prepped each section with avocado butter and sealed with Shea Moisture Curl & Style Milk before applying the Curlformers. Please see the below link on how to apply Curlformers. It took 2.5 hrs to put in all 80 Curlformers and I did not finish until 6:30pm. Here is me looking like Medusa..lol

 I do not use heat with my Curlformers so I left it in my head overnight.

I woke up this Tuesday morning and removed the Curlformers from my hair and my curls are TIGHT. And my hair looks sooo short..lol. But my curls are also soft, shiny and bouncy. I LOVE IT!!!! 

HOW TO APPLY CURLFORMERS: http://youtu.be/yJf2czv6M3E

I am taking appointments if anyone wants to do this Curlformers style. :-)

Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. I can also be emailed at TheManelyBeautifulOne@gmail.com. Thanks!!

LOVE...Your Mane

"WASH DAY"

So yesterday was my “Wash Day.” This is usually an ALL DAY process which entails pre-treating my hair before washing, wash with Terressentials hair mud, condition, detangle, deep treatment, condition once again, and then lastly my herbal hair rinse and leave in treatment. Yesterday I decided I wanted to do some "Heatless Curls" using my Curlformers (which I LOVE btw) so I shortened my hair washing process as the Curlformers take some time to “install.” I did not have much time to make my own hair recipes so I used some organic hair products in my closet. Here was my hair regimen yesterday.

1)      Terressentials Organics Pure Earth Hair Wash Organic Lavender Garden (I do not use shampoo to wash my hair)

 I massaged the mud in my scalp and hair in sections and then put a plastic cap over my hair to steam for 20 minutes. This is to ensure I get out any excess buildup of oils/products I used over the past 2 weeks.

** I get this online for $19.50 for 16 oz. Click here for link to the website:  http://www.terressentials.com/haircare.html

2)      Steam with my stand up Salon Steamer.

Steaming opens up the clogged pores of your scalp, therefore providing your hair with nourishment/moisture and strengthening the roots of your hair. The steaming process stimulates those hair follicles which can aid in hair growth. It improves blood flow in the scalp and encourages penetration of moisture. When the hair shaft /pores are open, the hair is able to easily absorb more water and/or treatments.

**After steaming my hair, my detangling process was cut down to just 20 minutes!!!!**

3)      I killed 2 birds with 1 stone and applied a deep conditioning treatment by John Masters Organics (Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor) to detangle my hair and then went back under my steamer with the conditioner in for 20 minutes. The steaming process allows maximum penetration of the reconstructor.  After steaming, I washed out the conditioner.

**A bit pricey. I bought it online for $28.00 for 4 fl oz. I believe they sell it at Fairway Market as well. **

4)      Homemade Hair Rinse

 I made a homemade herbal hair rinse with herbs from my cupboard (Stay tuned for the recipes!!) and poured it over/massaged it in my hair and scalp.  

5)      Giovanni Organics Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Leave In Treatment

 I applied this as a leave in treatment. Then I sectioned my hair into 10 big 2-strand twists to prepare for my Curlformers installation.

**You can get this at Walgreens or Target. It is about $9.00 for a 8.5 fl oz bottle.**

6) For each section of my hair, I sprayed a bit of Aloe Vera Gel, then applied avocado butter, lastly, sealed with Shea Moisture Organic Curl and Style Milk.

**You can get this at Target, Duane Reade, Walgreens, CVS. I usually pay $10.99 for 8 fl oz.**

Please feel free to leave any feedback, questions, or comments and I will gladly respond.

Stay tuned as I will post my Curlformers before and after pics and my experience putting them in this time around.

**Don't forget to "LIKE" my page on Facebook, Manely Beautiful

LOVE....Your Mane

Transitioning From Relaxed to Natural Hair

Its one thing to decide you are going natural but another to make the decision as to how you plan to go about such a big change. A common dilemma that comes up is: To CUT or NOT to cut.

This is your own personal decision, however, I say CUT. Why not start anew. As Drake said "Started from the bottom...." You know the rest. To me, it’s more of a rewarding experience as you see your hair grow over time.  Why delay by cutting off a couple inches every so often until the relaxed ends have vanished when you can start with healthy chemical-free hair? You can have fun experimenting and learning to manage your hair and it's unique texture.

For those that still aren't convinced and can’t see themselves doing the “BIG CHOP,” here are some tips to make your transitioning adventure go much smoother:

1) MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE
I can’t stress this enough. When I say moisturize I don't mean grease (*cringes*).  A moisturizer is anything that contains majority water (A water-based product.) If you look at the bottle, and water is the main/1st ingredient well then there you go. You have a moisturizer. Moisturizers penetrate the outer layer of the hair aka the CUTICLE to the inner layer of the hair (the CORTEX.)

My favorite ALL-NATURAL moisturizer is :  LILY OF THE DESERT  Aloe Vera Gel 

Another one of my favorites is:                 SHEA MOISTURE Curl & Style Milk

2) SEALANTS
 Moisturizers are not effective without a SEALANT. Sealants are butters/oils (emollients) that lock in moisture in the hair. Some of my favorite sealants are:

                                 Shea Butter
                                Jamaican Black Castor Oil
                                Avocado Butter
                               Aloe Butter (Coconut Oil infused with Aloe Vera)

3) AVOID SULFATES
Much of the commercial shampoos available on the market today contain SULFATES. Sulfates, also known as surfactants, are detergents/cleansing agents. Sulfates are responsible for creating the foam that we all love so much. Many of us are led to believe that the more foam a shampoo has, the better it is at cleansing our scalps. However, sulfates are drying and irritating to the scalps. This is due to the fact that it is stripping all the necessary oils from your hair. The popular misconception that some of us have is that the hair should be squeaky clean. NO! We still need to retain some of the natural oils that our scalps secretes. Some sulfates to stay clear away from are:

                                  Ammonim Lauryl Sulfate
                                 Ammonim Laureth Sulfate
                                 Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
                                 Sodium Laureth Sulfate (most common in shampoos)

There are other sulfates that are milder and less irritating to the scalps. Anything besides the 4 above, you should be fine.

My favorite SLS-free shampoos are from the SHEA MOISTURE line (particularly Curl & Shine) 

Another good one is JANE CARTER SOLUTION Hydrating Invigorating SLS-Free shampoo


4) DEEP CONDITION/HOT OIL TREATMENTS
Your hair is at its weakest state during this transition. The LINE OF DEMARCATION (the point where the natural hair and relaxed hair meets) is weak and without proper care your strands may snap right at the point. Then you'll be sitting there thinking, “Damn, isn't this the same thing like cutting it off myself? Now I've moved backwards.” I mostly use Jamaican Black Castor Oil for my hot oil treatments (Sometimes I mix it with Olive oil) Where do I get the JBCO? I get it pure and unrefined straight from Jamaica!

I haven’t really found a favorite Deep Conditioner yet so I make my own with things I have in my kitchen. I’ll be posting recipes on future blogs.

5) LOW MANIPULATION
Avoid excessive combing or brushing of your hair. Use wide-toothed combs made of rubber instead of plastic because plastics sometimes cause the hair strands to split. Look for natural or boar-hair bristles as the natural brittles help to stimulate the scalp. When detangling, the hair should be wet (apply favorite conditioner.)


6) WEAR PROTECTIVE STYLES
Braids, Extensions, Weaves, Wigs, Two-strand twists, Rod sets( I like Flexi-rods or Perm-Rods)

Now keep in mind that although these are protective styles, you still need to take special care of your hair.

7) MINIMAL HEAT
Excessive heat can be very damaging to the hair. Heat breaks the natural bonds in the hair and although temporary, when used in excess it can result in permanent HEAT DAMAGE. Limit your use of curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers. The safest ways to dry your hair are to air dry naturally or dry with the use of a hooded dryer.
If you do use heat appliances such as curling irons and flat irons, be sure to use a HEAT PROTECTANT. My favorite heat protectant is :

                   ABBA Straightening Balm (mostly for blow drying)
********* Its also 100% Vegan!!**********

Now I’m not a fan of SILICONES (It works much like a sealant and coats the hair), however when I straighten my hair with a flat-iron every now and then, I use a silicone-based serum or spray to protect my hair from the heat. I have no particular preference, however at the moment I use:

ORGANIC ROOT SALON OLIVE OIL Professional Thermal Protect and Shine

This is the ONLY time I use silicones. I do not suggest using products (shampoos, conditioners) with silicones. As I said above, it coats the hair and makes it look smooth and frizz-free. But, it suffocates the hair, not allowing moisture to penetrate. Yes, I know I sound hypocritical, but it gets the job done every 4-6 months when I straighten my hair.

Anything with –cone at the end of it contains a type of silicone.  One thing to note is that silicones are not water-soluble, meaning that they are not easy to wash out so they can cause product build-up if hair is not washed properly. A good clarifying shampoo will do the job. Wash and Repeat. Wash and Repeat. I like : Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo for this purpose.

8) If you are transitioning from relaxed to natural, LEAVE THOSE EDGES ALONE!!!! Time and time again I see girls that perm or press their edges for a smoother look during their transition from relaxed hair. This too can cause your hair to break. Come to terms with those “buckshots,” “kitchen,” “peppergrains, “unruly baby hairs.” Whatever you desire to call it. LOL. Either way, make up your mind. Are you going to go half-natural or all the way?


9) EMBRACE YOUR OWN HAIR TEXTURE rather than obsessing over someone else's hair. At the end of the day that's the hair that you were born with and you are stuck with it. (Sad but true) Learn to work with your hair, not against it. Find out what products work best for YOUR hair. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. Be realistic about your expectations. You cannot expect that your natural hair will behave in the same manner as your relaxed hair did. EMBRACE YOUR HAIR TEXTURE AND LOVE IT!.


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You can also email me at TheManelyBeautifulOne@gmail.com


Thanks!! 

Love...Your Mane