I Know, I Know.....

Its been a long time, I shouldn't have left you, without a dope product
review...

I've been MIA for an extended minute. Please forgive me. Trust, its was
for good reason, but I couldn't neglect you for too long, and you know
this, maaaan.

Here I am, in the beginning of March, still facing harsh winter
conditions. As they say about St. Louis, if you don't like the weather,
wait 20 minutes and it'll change. It definitely seems that spring is
sneaking in, but I can't escape snow and dry air. My tresses are drier
than ever, and I'm working very hard to keep them moisturized.

My current regimen:
*Co-wash every 2-3 days with John Frieda Curl Around Daily Conditioner.
This conditioner is great! It provides great slip for detangling, and
leaves my curls bouncy and juicy. Smells like Finesse.
*Flat twist with Cantu LICC or Hollywood Olive Cream. See previous
reviews.
*Deep condition using heat cap with Suave or V05 "cheapies" with olive
oil mixed in. You can find the cheapies anywhere, they don't bust your
budget, and they are great bases for adding oils, baking soda, or even
shampoo if you can't give it up.

*Clarify with baking soda mixture as needed. I'd noticed my hair wasn't
responding to products or co-washes as usual. Turns out buildup was my
problem. I loves this mixture because its easy to make (1 TBSP baking
soda to every cup of water), it gets rid of buildup like magic, and
leaves the hair baby soft instead of squeaky and stripped. I did notice
that after leaving it on for more than 5 minutes, it stung a little. I
think the mix irritated the spots where I scratched my scalp.

For styling, I put about 10 (give or take) flat twists in my hair after
a cowash. Once they dry, I take them down, rub my scalp to "erase"
parts, put on a headband, and go! Its so easy, and I do it at night so
it can dry and set while I sleep. This lasts me about 3 days, and keeps
me from detangling every day. I find that detangling is easier after
wearing this style because my hair stays in the twist pattern rather
than shrinking up and tangling with surrounding hairs.

I've had my first victim! This is my play-brother Nookie. He's 18, and
he's been growing his hair for 7 months. He usually would go to a shop
to get his hair twisted, but I convinced him to save his money and come
to me. He, ahem, wasn't aware that he was the first victim, but I felt
I'd practiced enough on my own head. :) I did a baking soda rinse and
then a co-wash. He said his hair never felt that soft before. Since I
had a captive audience, I explained why I didn't use shampoo. I made
small rectangular parts and flat twisted downward using ORS Lock & Twist
Gel. It took about 4.5 hours, not bad for a first. When I was nearly
done, I confessed that I'd never done them before. He said he never
would have let me do them (I know! LOL), but he's glad he did. I hope
he'll let his hair keep growing.

If you live in the St. Louis area and don't mind being a "victim",
contact me.

Thanx for reading my blog!

The Trotter is bright (:Þ)