Keep It Straight

I put some crochet curls in over the Christmas Holidays! Crochet curls or crochet braids are a pretty popular way of giving your hair a rest and trying a new hair style. What few people will talk about it is how to care for your scalp and keep your scalp clean while they're on your head. I'm sure everybody is already aware of the crochet curl creation process but will put up a small list for the curious 1. Hair! Used Janet Collection 3x Caribbean Braid. Washed in apple cider vinegar and warm water so my scalp won't react negatively to the chemicals on the hair 2. Used the pink/purple perm rods with a twisting motion for the curls 3. Put a little ORX coconut milk serum in the hair to make it smell nice and make it easier to separate for curling 4. Beehive cornrow pattern I got a nice, full head of hair and am very happy with it Scalp care tips after the break

Lots of hair blogs/networks have hair care challenges. They usually last about 3 months and are a way to introduce a product or care method into your regimen. There's also lots and lots of progress to be seen. I'm currently considering two challenges. One is the castor oil challenge on this website  (registration is closed but that doesn't stop you from following along) and the other is the Green House Effect (GHE) challenge that was originally developed by a lady at RealQueens.net. The Castor Oil Challenge Involves using castor oil (any kind is permissible) on your roots and scalp as part of your weekly routine. The castor oil is supposed to stimulate growth and the antibacterial properties work to keep your scalp clean and infection free. The Good: Results have been pretty stunning across the interwebs. Strong healthy roots lead to strong healthy hair. The Bad: My itchy reaction to JBCO has me hesitating. If only there was some way to skin test this ...

  JBCO = Jamaica Black Castor Oil             I’ve been fighting the good fight against split ends and breakage. They seem to be winning but I will prevail! One of the things my hairdresser suggested is a deep oil conditioning and treatment. So I went over to get my hair did. She used JBCO and this awesomely named oil mixture called Complex 5 (you can check it out HERE on Amazon). My hair feels stronger and there’s lots less shedding buuuuut I had an unfortunate reaction to one of these two oils. I suspect the JBCO because I’ve read about other people having the same reaction. My scalp began to itch! I didn’t notice at first. I just thought it was a few random itches.  But when I started scratching at work!! I wouldn’t realize it but two hours into my work day I’d go to the bathroom (drinking lots of water makes you pee lots and lots and lots) and notice that my hair wasn’t as together as it shou...