Notes from a recovering product junkie

My shampoo collection

When I started writing this post, the title was “notes from a recovered product junkie”. Then I took a picture of all my shampoo.

This week’s discussion of overrated products in this week’s #naturalhair twitter hour (I was following on my BB, but a bit too distracted to participate) got me thinking about product junkies. The difficulty in transitioning and maintaining natural hair, especially for new naturals, often comes down to figuring out what products work for natural hair. The products that are used on relaxed hair just don’t have the same effect (and honestly, most mainstream lines aren’t that great for relaxed hair). Part of this is because we associate healthy and clean hair with shiny hair and that is the mineral oils and petroleum jellies are designed to do. Tightly curled hair just doesn’t shine like that unless you load up on the Jheri curl activator and let your Soul Glo.

lazy hair week

I’ve been short on time and energy lately (which is why I have 3 drafts of posts with topics that I normally find interesting, but I’m posting this one), so I haven’t put much time into my hair. Not that I am an advanced stylist, but I haven’t done more than brush and go this week. I love, love, love the hair ties that I bought from Tomoka’s Twists and I am looking forward to buying more after I get through the Christmas season. Pictures are to come once I feel motivated to actually take some.

I made my periodic Trader Joe’s run Thanksgiving weekend and I am planning on trying their Tea Tree shampoo once I finish off the last of the Avalon Organics shampoo. I’ve gotten rid of most of my product junkie habits (at least where my hair is concerned), but I am a big fan of TJ products and I am a sucker for a cheap shampoo with decent looking ingredients.

Locs, meaning and stigma

I have read and participated in a few discussions in various places about whether or not there is a stigma against locs, what it means to wear locs, and in general how acceptable it is to wear locs. These conversations seem to come up on a monthly basis, but given the number of online locations to discuss locs and natural hair and the holiday season (nothing like family to make you question your choices and motivations), the topic is very hot right now.

November 2009 locs

Current routine – locs

I just looked and realized that I have written 15 posts about my hair routine (well, this one will make 16). I guess it goes to show how much I have adapted my product usage and schedule depending on what I discover works. It also seems like the list of products gets smaller every time.

Me and my African American hair

African American hair has been all over the news lately. I don’t know if it’s because of Michelle Obama or Tyra, but people just can’t stop talking about African American hair. Now, this is a blog devoted to care and keeping of MY African American hair, not the politics of hair, the science and structure of hair, or the sociocultural implications of being natural but since there is a national dialogue going on (and suddenly people feel the need to talk to me about my hair), I thought I might contribute to the conversation.

Ponytail!

2 years!

July 2007

 

July 2009

July 2009

 

a brief aside

I need to work on the anniversary post with length comparisions, etc but first….

I have been through many a microfiber towel. Some produced so much lint that the time spent removing the lint wasn’t worth the time I saved drying my hair. Some had no lint but were no better at drying my hair than a regular towel. Turbans were too small, uncomfortable, and lacking in absorbency. For a while, I switched to dark colored t-shirts – almost no lint, what little lint wasn’t visible, and all the absorbency of a regular towel without the weight and enough fabric to cover all of my hair.

summertime

It has been blazing hot here so I have been looking for scarves and stepping up my hair protection. I am really looking forward to when my hair reaches a length where I can pull it up into a ponytail because having hair on my neck in this heat makes me want to reach for the scissors and take off a few inches.

In the meantime, I have started washing my hair more often – air drying isn’t a problem when its over 100 degrees outside. I’ve also gone back to conditioning regularly since I am spending more time at the beach and in the pool.

I’m trying to take some good pictures for my 2 year anniversary post in a couple of weeks. Yay length comparisions and nostalgia!