When Products Attack

It is with a heavy heart, and completing the 6 stages of grief, that I report that one of my favorite products has turned on me!  It was so good while it lasted. It didn't cost a lot, but wasn't like a cheap one night stand (more like a summer romance), it made me believe in the good of humanity and that you could indeed find it where least expected.  It was so good on the inside as well as the outside. It was my ace-boon-coon, my partna who turned on me at the last minute like Gerry Butler did to Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.  I am speaking of it, whose name I don't even want to say , but must: Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner!

(Sigh)

So here's what had happened. I was loving my Suave Coconut conditioner like a half gallon of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream after a long. hard day. And I was sharing this relationship with everyone - including right here in this very blog. My sis tried it and her response was not favorable, to which I thought, "she must be crazy" or "she must not be using it right."  And then it happened! Lord, honey chile! I washed and conditioned my hair with my Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner - and my hair felt like PAPER!  And not that expensive paper from Papyrus either.  As a matter of fact my hair didn't even feel like paper from the 99 Cent store - it felt like old-17th Century-hidden in a trunk- deep in the pits of an old slave plantation that had been flooded and burnt, to be pulled from its dark hole-and brought in to the light only to immediately wither and almost die -PAPER.  Broke my freaking heart!

BUT, I was in denial, for months.  I thought I'd moved on at first, thinking "oh, my hair just needs a break - like Ross and Rachel on Friends.  We'll get back together, after almost marrying other people, and live happily every after.  Well I thought my chance at a renewed partnership had come the other day.  I needed to do a quick co-wash to hold me over for just 2 days (I used a hair dryer with a comb attachment on my hair - something I haven't done for almost 3 months - and the damage was immediate, so I needed to fix it stat, and I THOUGHT my Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner was Old Faithful just waiting to come out of the closet and pitch hit with bases loaded, 2 out, and in extra innings in the seventh game of the World Series.  And what did Old Faithful aka Mariano Rivera in the Spring of 2010, do?  Something I never would have expected?  IT BLEW THE SAVE!

(Sigh)

So, I must give it a fond farewell via toilet (since my once faithful partner in crime actually doesn't work for anyone that I know).  Such a shame.  What a waste.  Is there nothing sacred people?  Can't a girl (ok, grown ass woman) have one thing that will always have my back? Dayuuuummmm. But it's ok.  In my brain stem I think I knew.  I didn't want to know, but I did. Dayum!

P.s.: (dis)Honorable mention to Queen Helene's Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream.  What in the hippity-hip-hop is going on?

This "Hair" is taking control of meeee!!!

(nerd alert: my take of Maroon 5's This Love, lol1)
Anyway, I was only able to wear my kinky curly 2-strand twists for a little over a week because my hair got DRY! And I moisturized my scalp, my hair, heck I was spraying water, water with veg. glycerin - I was trying everything I could to lock in the moisture and it was just not happening, so....

...let's try something different, shall we?

Tonight I am going to co-wash my hair with Suave Essentials Coconut Conditioner, apply a hair mask using a recipe that includes bentonite clay, honey, extra virgin olive oil, and apple cider vinegar, and finish with Organix's Moroccan argan oil renewing treatment.  I don't know if I'm going to style it wet or dry yet. It all depends on the results of the clarifying treatment.

Later that day...

The hair mask was incredible - felt like may hair and scalp were detoxed without stripping it of all its moisture.  I am also LOVING Organix's Morracan Argan Oil Renewing treatment.  I'd tried one of those argan oil treatment packets by Creme of Nature a couple of weeks ago and loved the results on my hair and felt comfortable enough to invest the $8.99 for the Organix treatment, and it was worth it.  My hair felt pampered and I think the detox treatment had a lot to do with how well my hair took to the renewing treatment.  It felt extra soft and manageable, and coupled with the Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner (as part of my hair washing procedure as I used this before the renewal treatment), I got the best results from new products in a long time.  Let's see how this holds up in this nasty heat-wave weather, but for now, I am content :)

The Big Chop - 1 Month Later

Last month I was so disgusted with my ends that I started to give myself a trim - key word "started" - but ended up giving myself a cut.  I cut 3 inches - at least - off my hair and when I was done and looked in the mirror I was startled, and not in a good way.  But then I thought 'patience is key' when it comes to hair and since my wild, thick hair has a history of growing fast I calmed myself down and when I looked in the mirror, tried (hard) not to concentrate on the length.

I have always had super thick hair, and I always loved that.  There is something about big thick wild hair that I love.  It fits my face, my personality, everything.  When my mom made me get a perm when I was 11, it was because she just couldn't handle it anymore, I 'm guessing with the addition of having to do another girl's hair (my sister) and handle my 2 brothers.  Luckily I didn't grow up thinking my hair was bad.  I never wanted super straight hair, I just wanted to have a head full of curly, bushy hair (crazy, huh), and when I decided to go perm-free more than 12 years ago, it was one of the best decisions.  My sister also sports natural hair, as well as my niece, and their hair is so much stronger than if it were chemically treated (note that I am not hating on people with perms at all, and I have seen many women who rock it like those who rock their natural texture and I think it's all good).

So, here is a photo that shows the difference in my hair from May 17, 2010 - when I chopped off 3 inches (at least - I just couldn't stop) to June 24.

Right now I use Mane & Tail shampoo and conditioner - I actually co-wash every couple of days and I don't remember the last time I used the shampoo because I want to go back to an all natural shampoo (I used to mix baking soda and water and use that as a shampoo, but I may start experimenting of including some essential oils.  I have also tried used the natural shampoo that my cousin makes from his Jewel of the Isles natural product line which includes essential oils like rosemary and neem).

I also use Alter Ego's deep conditioner and this is one of my favorite products.  It has peptides and all this other stuff (like garlic and minerals) and it really shows a different in the hair after first  usage.

I've been using raw shea butter and Pantene's moisturzing cream like I did a couple of years ago (even though I have some homemade butter cream, some Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding, Garnier Fructise's Soft Curl Cream, and Kinky-Curly's Knot Today).  There items always served me well for braid and twist outs, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  I'm also going for the 'less is more' approach, especially considering the Summer heat and humidity.

On my scalp I use a mixture of essential oils (including rosemary, tea tree, sweet almond, coconut, jojoba and vegetable glycerin) and I also have a separate mixture that I store in the fridge that include Aloe juice.  I'm trying to remember to oil my scalp at least every other day, and I am putting raw shea butter on my end (just a little bit) every night before I go off into dreamland!

I personally wanted to transform a bit this year and it's been a while since I wore my hair long, so that is my goal - to wear it long, big and wild - and I think I am well on my way!