IntelligentBeauty;-)

Good Evening,

Well last night was spa night and I tried a few things for the first time. Some I had in my arsenal already and used in a diff way and some were brand new to me.
First was my hair, I soaked it in water (it was so soft, love it). Then applied a bentonite clay (new), ACV (new), water, coconut milk(new), EVOO, and honey mix to my hair. I left that on for 30mins then rinsed out with water first. WOW, the curlies were right, my corksrews felt so darn defined especially in the back of my head...lol. I could feel the individuality of each corkscrew curl, if u know what I mean, and easy to detangle. Felt so clean and moisturized. Then I didnt need to and I wish I hadn't rinsed out further with HE Totally twisted (new). (I will have to find another use for that.) So I quickly reached for my bottle of AO HSR and DC for 45 mins no heat. Rinsed out hair felt wonderful. Next TJ tea tree was used as a leave in along with shea butter, EVOO, job oil mix. My hair was so moisturized. I am afraid I may have over moisturized, well we will see when I unravel these twists tomorrow. Anyway, six Flat double strand conrows and 3 of the same going toward the front with rods at the ends. Moistured the scalp with Jane Carter's nourish and shine because I love that it has all the ingredients for a healthy scalp and skin. Lastly slept overnight to dry on satin pilowcase. Woke up this am and it was raining, so left them in and put on a hat.

Second my facial was done while I did my hair. I applied the same clay mixture to my face and neck and waited about the same amount of time and wash everything off together with my hair. I noticed the skin looked even and moistured. I thought that was great. So I did not need to add anything else to it. Just left it along.

So my verdict is the clay mix is defintely a keeper for the hair and I will rotate my facials now with amla and this clay. Fabulous!!!!

The coconut milk is a great add on for moisture. And I will have to find other ways to utilize that. Any suggestions?

The TJ tea tree felt great as a leave in. And I am glad I was able to find another use for it because as a cowash nothing really happened for me. I will judge the final verdict on that once I take out the twist.

Here are pics of products and hair twisted:

I agree about the husbands - We got one more baby in our future so by then the tresses will be long again and I can get my sexy back for real!

Are amla and shikaki two separate things? I henna but have never tried the amla. When I henna I don't see much change in my curl pattern and love the covering of my grays but the time factor bugs me. I sleep with saran wrap, then a shower cap then a old satin bonnet or scarf over that. I also put a towel on my pillow just in case. The smell must be pretty well masked because my hubby has never complained. Next time I go to the indian market I will look for the amla and try that. I have a couple of weeks vaca coming up so I'd like to try some new stuff

Oh - I missed your spa post. All of those things in your picture are on my wish list ( I live a little far from a Trader Joes or Whole Foods so its not like I can just run around the corner and get them)Do you get Jane Carters from either of those places? My hair is longer than it looks and someone had recommended the flat twists so I can't wait to see how yours turns out!! Thanks for posting the pics - that helps.

@corygentri, well we may have a 3rd child in our future too. So I would love that hair growth too.

Yes amla and shikakai powder are 2 separate things. I love amla powder. It acts as an astringent for the hair, strenghens the hair, prevents hair from falling out, and makes the hair shiney and dark. I henna as well for the gray coverage. I really do not know if it is changing my curl pattern because I do not know what my original curl pattern is...lol

Jane Carter Solutions and Aubrey products should be accessible at a health food store. Trader Joe products are a knock off Giovanni products. And Giovanni products you should find at any health food store as well.

I always do my TNC as a flat double strand twist in cornrows. So all the other pics above and in my avatar are a result of that. But I am so glad that it is helping you. Ms. Nikki said these threads are suppose to be a way for us to document our journey. But I will be very happy if I help others especially other transitioners.

@chrlvsbks, I will have to try using the coconut milk in the way you mentioned. But I think for my hair since it is so thick, I may need more for moisture.

I have used body art henna, amla, shikakai, multani, and orange powders. I know about the others but have not used them because based on what I have read, they are uneccessary for my hair and face. How about you?

Ok so today was unravel day and I am sorry it took me so long to post it but sundays is undivided family time and I had guests. So forgive me.

This is my first TNC since I chopped about 3-4 inches of relaxed hair. When I unraveled today I was in a rush. So I quickly covered my fingertips in my shea butter, coconut oil, job oil mix and began to unravel. The curls felt very defined and firm but not crisp. I am getting use to the short cut, but thought is was cute. When I unraveled the front I really did not know what to do with it because my hair is chin length in the front. And I really didnt have time to play with it so in the clip it went. I will play with it more during the week to see what style I can do. But overall the hair looks shiny, rich, clean, and curly.

Anyway here are my pics:

Good late evening everyone,

Sorry to post sooo late. Busy day and my husband had our laptop and camera. So no pics today. I will post pics tomorrow. But no big deal. Hair is still in TNC but messy. I wore a headband today. I have come to the conclusion that TNC will no longer be my staple. It takes no time to do but it just DOESNT LAST. I need something that will last until my next wash because I do not want to keep fooling around with my hair. And it is winter time so I do not want to cowash every 3 days. The roller set is longer to do but lasts much longer and neater to work with.

So I was on you tube today and ran across SUGANAPS. She was a 9 month transitioner that was going for her BC the next day. Her night before BC video was excellent. Everything she said about her process and what it means to her is how I feel. But one thing that stood out to me most of all was her saying that she has been mentally preparing herself for years for the moment tomorrow of her BC. I thought that interesting because I have not been preparing for years and I do feel unready for that step of the BC. And now I am wondering if I will be ready in 3-4 months. Maybe I will need a longer transition. I just do not know now. I know I want to go natural but how short am I willing to go. Then the whole idea of discovering my hair and what works and doesnt work is a daunting task again.

Anyway after she did the BC. She was happy but it wasnt what she expected and her following videos is her trying to figure out her hair and how to make it look good. So I wasnt very encouraged by this. But I am finding it has everything to do with hair type. So I am thinking if I look toward seeing my hair as 4b-c, I should be alright. RIGHT????
Anybody have any thoughts on this???

GOOD MORNING MY FELLOW CURLIES,

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!!!!!

It is another day and I am feeling so much better about my BC situation coming up. I watched more you tube videos and I feel good about the next step. It seems that initially after the BC, it is difficult knowing exactly what works for your hair now. But in the end everyone figures it out and is happy except for those who did it way to early before they were ready. And to tell you the truth, after awhile get over it and start to love their own hair. So now what I am thinking is maybe 3-4 months to my 1 yr anniversary of transtion to BC will be plenty of time for me to be ready.

I cant keep my hands out of my head, especially the back. Some tightly coiled corkscrews back there .

I am going to do a french roll today. Gosh I hope I can last until friday. DARN TNC...LOL

OH pics to follow later.

This is how I wore my hair today. Like I said before a TNC mess. I will try something else tomorrow. I really do not want to wash my hair over before friday. So we will see what I can continue to make out of this. Also my hair doesn't feel as soft as it was. I am going to have to look at that TJ's tea tree condish to see if it has protein. I thought it didn't or maybe just a little at the bottom of the list. I need to check that out before using again.

My TNC use to look really nice. Like my avatar pic but I notice as my transition progresses, I just cannot get it right anymore. It's weird. But thank God for the roller set. Not to happy about combing hair out every week but until the BC this is what I am going to have to rock.

My mantra: CREATE A GREATE DAY!

You have my support. Natural is sexy and edgy. Most of the time it is miseducation that leads our own to not understanding our natural beauty. Hold fast and keep that determination. Your husband will see you mean business.

I really love your hair. Natural compliments you. I cannot believe your TNC was 4 day hair. Good job with maintaining the style.

Thank you so much HumanNature. I appreciate your compliment and support.

Good Morning sunshines,

So I was tired of a messy head. Last night I tried a braid out on dry hair via the grab and braid method...lol. I grabbed sections of my hair, added water to it to moisten, added HE Totally Twisted then braided and curled the bottom with rods. This morning I unraveled and placed. And you know what, I LIKED IT!!! . This transition process is so funny because when I first started out I tried to do a braid out and it did not work AT ALL!!! But now that I have more natural hair, it's nice. I am impressed.

I will have to try it on wet hair and see the results. Maybe this Friday on wash day.

Pics to follow later.

So I have heard so much about Rhassoul clay. I need to know exactly what that is? How do you use it? Is it for transitioners? I am going to create a thread in products about this, hopefully the experienced curlies that use this stuff will respond. I also emailed suburbanbushbabe because I know she is loves this stuff more than bentonite clay.

here are my pics from last night's braids and how I am wearing it today
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I wish I could think of something witty and enlightening to encourage you not to be afraid of the BC... but I can't. I kind of fell into natural hair and when I BC'd after 8 months since my last relaxer, I was so ready I was wearing roller sets basically when I transitioned (just to let you know I fell into it, I didn't hear of the terms BC or transition until after I had done both LOL!). I had hair falling out like crazy this time last year because of an illness. By January it was growing back - I lost everything around my hair line - I was looking crazy. Plus I have a severe form of alopecia and I have a silver dollar size bald spot on one side of my head that I had to worry about covering up. But I knew I needed to start over fresh, and I was loving the curl of my new growth around the edges, so I walked into my hair dresser on June 1 and I asked her to cut it off - just make it cute, and no relaxer. She didn't try to talk me out of it and did what I asked and I loved her for it. She expected me to cry (My hair was past shoulder length) but I never shed a tear. I was shocked but loved the freeness I felt (is that a word?). She flat ironed it that day but I have not flat ironed it since - I love my curls. I have finally figured out I'm 3c curly and I do the curly girl method - (no poo if I can help it, very few cones) and I know my hair likes water and conditioner. Looking back these last few months - I had no idea what I was doing with my hair all summer until I started talking to my sister (who has been natural on and off for years) and coming online. So you are definitely ahead of me on research. I also discovered its easier to hide these bald spots with short natural hair than it was with long relaxed hair - who knew!

So don't be afraid. You will have good days and bad days and you may have to change your routine with the weather. I am a wash n go person but this 20 degree weather is making it hard! Now I am waiting on more growth. I get positive and negative comments (mostly from family) but I have always done my own thing and what was best for me and my fam - so that didn't faze me. The only person's opinion I ever ask is hubby. I feel like I know my curls now and I truly love them because they are so NOT what I expected. I just wish I had done this sooner.

So I said all that to encourage you. I see now why people call this a journey because it is. Every week is different and there are so many factors that affect our hair from weather to hormones to products. I haven't seen anyone with the exact same hair so you can't help but be unique with your style. I think your transition styles are great and you do a fab job with them. And don't worry. When you are ready (or tired of the two textures - which ever comes first) you will know it and you won't look back. I say do it now but I would be selfish - I just want to see the pics!!! be blessed!

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me, Corygentri.
Your words are encouraging.
I struggle back and forth with this process. I am learning so much about hair (like you said) and myself.
I know one thing for sure, I DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO A PERM . That much I know....lol

Good morning and happy Thursday gals,

I haven't been liking the way my hair feels since my clay treatment last friday. So I have been doing some reading and found that it may be because I may not have rinsed all the clay out of my hair. Even though I rinsed out with conditioner, and DT. It may not have been enough rinsing. My hair feels hard as time goes on. But I am going to hold on ONE MORE DAY...lol until Friday (spa night). I know on Friday, I will pay for waiting so long but a good DT and careful treatment should aid in less breakage. I did a french roll with headband today. But it was difficult to do. I need aloe vera juice, gel, and coconut oil to get my hair to cooperate with me.
So frustrating!!!
Anyway, I am on the path of finding a rich DT. I have the AO HSR condish that I love but I think I want to do a homemade DT. Maybe even combined with my AO HSR. I really want to go down the path of being a mixtress. I like the idea of that. I think the whole idea of producing from home natural ingredients is intriguing to my science side and my wallet... . So I have been spending alot of time on Antia Grant's website. She is awesome!!!! And to think her specialty was originally Information Systems now she owns her own company. FABULOUS!!!!!

Will post pics of french roll later.

REMEMBER TO MAKE IT A GREAT DAY LADIES!!!!!

Here are my pics from today:

Never could do a decent french roll - kudos!

LOL, thanks.

HAPPY FABULOUS FRIDAY LADIES,

I am excited today. Yeah, you know why!! It's SPA FRIDAY!!! Well my hair is in a french roll with a different headband today. Not worth me showing pics, so no pics of that today.

But my plans tonight is to use to dilute Revelon detangling shampoo in red bottle with water and use as my poo to get rid of last week's clay and some buildup I am feeling. I will only shampoo once. Then I will further clarify with my beloved Amla powder mixture. I will mix Amla and Shikakai powder 50gms each with rose water and a bit of EVOO (for easy of application and moisture). Leave that on for 45 minutes then rinse out and cowash with TJ nourish spa. Next I will DC with the last of the devacurl heaven sent deep condish (expensive stuff and I will not purchase again) for 45 mins no heat. Then rinse out with devaone condish but leave some in. Then use a new whipped shea mixture I made up and rod like roller set. I was going to do the braid out but I really dont want to mess with my hair until next Spa Friday. I will try the braid-n-curl out again next spa friday.

For my face, I plan to use the amla, multani, and orange mix with rosewater and leave that on for 45 minutes. Rinse off and use aloe vera and honey mix to DC my face...lol FABULOUS!!!

I will try to remember to take pics of all my steps and post later tonight or saturday depending on what time I am done.

I have also reached a decision that I will no longer invest in anymore products for my hair. It just doesnt make sense. I am transitioning and in about 3 months I will not be and everything will change. So I will use what I have (which is plenty) and occassionally buy the cheap stuff like TJ if I run out for my cowashs. And begin to hone in on more home made products and sharpen those skills. I eventually want to do away with all cones, sulfates, etc. If I am going to do this, I want to do it right all the way around, intially at least. Then I can flirt with the cones after I get a head full of natural hair with some adequete length. Now I still do have products with cones and stuff like the HE products, so I will try to use them or swap before my anticipated BC date. I want to try this HE hello hydration (which I have already) but I want to get my staple products down first. But that keeps changing so we will see.

Anyway, HAVE A FABULOUS FRIDAY!!!!

i absolutely loved your french roll w/the headband look!

i too hope to make most of my own mixtures one day & use all natural products. i'm doing the opposite though: flirting w/a few 'cones here and there for now, but slowly weeding them out...