perfect curl technique: rinsing upside down

somewhere on naturallycurly.com i read that rinsing your hair upside down provides better clumping. over the past 3 days ive been experiementing with this process and for the moment its changed my life! since my hair cut, ive had to spend more time styling my hair than im used to. and one issues i was having was getting good clumps of curls. now that i have the rinsing upside down thing perfected i just had to share! this is what i do:
- in the shower, wet my hair completely. shampoo, co wash, rinse out a dt, condition or whatever i need to do. using a wide tooth shower comb, detangle my hair.
-after detangling im ready to rinse. flip my head upside down and rinse out hair making sure not to touch my hair too much. i dont want to disturb the miracle of curl clumping!
-once my hair is rinsed completly, i squeeze out the excess water (still upside down). once im out of the shower i flip my head upside down again and briefly wrap a cotton t-shirt or my microfiber towel around the length of my hair and squeeze out any more extra drippies.
- now its product time. i apply my products with my head still flipped over. the key is to get work enough product through the first time, so im not fiddling with my hair too much. so for me i mix some elucence mb conditioner and oil and smooth it into my hair. no raking it through because that will disturb the clumps. next i use a small bit of shea butter and concentate that on my ends. lastly, i apply my gel (aubrey organics mandarin magic jelly).
-now its finally time to stand upright!
- once my hair has fallen into place, i touch up a few of my frizz prone areas with my fingers. for me its the very top of my hair (canopy?) and the hair right above my ears. i basically just smooth/rake each individual curl clump with my fingers to smooth down the frizz that i know is soon to come.
-air dry and wait for the fabulousness to begin.

once my hair dries its moveable, the curls are defined, and have the perfect amount of volume. i might just make a youtube of this one day because im in love with this technique!

product review: jane carter solution, devacurl, lush

like many curlies, im constantly on the quest for even better products than what i already have. in general, im disappointed with my new finds and realize that elucence moisture balancing conditioner is truly my HG (holy grail) product. but that never seems to stop me from trying. here are a few things ive tried recently:



jane carter solution twist and lock

product description: This lock cream will help to re-moisturize your locks while adding shine to your hair. If you twist or lock your hair, this product was created for you. Once you use it, you will wonder why you haven't been using it all along. No longer do you need to use bee's wax or that gooey brown gel. Twist and Lock is made with natural butters for shine and a light polymer for hold. Mix with Nourish & Shine for best results. Twist & Lock does not flake or leave residue. It does not attract dirt and dust and it rinses water clean.


my experience: i dont like it. i initially bought this product because i was looking for a daily moisturizer i could use on my dry (as in not wet) hair. granted i neither wear my hair in locs nor twists, but i figured the products wouldnt know. it didnt leave my hair noticeably shiny and it doesnt leave my hair feeling moisturized either. it does leave my hair feeling product-y. it also has a VERY strong herbal smell. i think it stinks. the best results i ever had with it were when i applied it to my damp hair. my hair did feel soft and moisturized once it dried. not sure if i should try to sell it, give it away, or chuck it out of the window while im driving to get another product. if anyone has any insight on how to make this product work for me, please let me know!

deva curl one condition

product description: It's all in one! This super-rich conditioner will keep the moisture level of hair and scalp balanced to perfection. One Condition restores, hydrates and neutralizes detergent and product residue with the fresh scent of lemongrass.

my experience: not completely sold. ive heard good things about this conditioner, so i decided to give it a try. as a conditioner, it doesnt really qquench my thirsty curls. but when i use it as a deep treatment, im fairly satisfied with my results. as i sit here now im using it as a dt. i melted a bit of honey, olive oil, veggie glycerine, and shea butter together in the microwave. then i added the one condition. while the mixture was still warm, i put it on my hair and then put on a plastic cap. i'll rinse it out in about 30 minutes. i did let the man try it out (coarse, thick, dry hair) and he said it left his hair feeling like straw too. ive used it on the munchkin and it works beautifully on her hair (fine strands, dryness isnt an issue for her). this conditioner does contain amodimethicone. so if youre on a strict CG hair diet, youre going to want to skip this product. i wont repurchase, but im not kicking myself for trying it out either.

lush seanick solid shampoo bar

product description: Orange blossom scented shampoo bar makes limp, lifeless hair buoyant. Don't let Seanik's compact size fool you. This little puck of joy buffs and shines like no liquid can. A couple of swipes worked up into a lather to moisturize the scalp, breathe life into the lifeless, and shine your hair like a champ. Economical and easy to use, Seanik's citrus and seaweed combo enriches and enlivens while its fragrance entices all who cross your path. Now proudly SLS-free.

my experience: ive used this shampoo for nearly a year on my daughter with wonderful results. its long lasting--im still on the same bar that i bought last july. its vegan. it does contain a sulfate, but its a gentle sulfate (sodium coco sulfate). for the first time i finally used it on myself and i had the same great results as my daughter: bouncy, shiny, soft, clean hair. very awesome. the closest luch store is about an hour away from me, but i like this shampoo so much id be willing to make the drive or pay for shipping. and that says ALOT since im not made of money!

bad ass blogs

im not much on the science behind curly hair because im not a scientific person and it bores me. but i do appreciate those who really get to the nitty gritty of curly hair via science/chemistry/physics/math/osmosis/what-have-you. so here are two blogs that are very awesome (if you havent already found them):

http://jillipoo.blogspot.com/

http://livecurlylivefree.blogspot.com/

enjoy!

cool hair video

im a big fan of short, easy, hair tutorials. this video is by trenell, who has awesome hair. its a how to showing a creative, yet simple spin on the ponytail. it would look great on any hair type (curly, wavy, kinky, straight) so give it a try!