The Curlie in 3C - Coconut Oil Review

So lately I have been trying to incorporate more natural products in my hair regimen - like stuff you'd find in a kitchen, natural oils, etc. A few years ago, a friend put me on to the benefits of using coconut oil. I liked it, but I was not using it properly. I decided to try it again, in a few different ways. I'll be reviewing Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil as a pre-poo treatment and using the LOC method.**

The Product: Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

Where You Can Get It: click picture above to link to the website where it can be ordered.



PRE-POO (this is a conditioning treatment that's done prior to shampooing the hair for added conditioning and strengthening.)
What It's Supposed To Do:  A pre-poo in general is supposed to penetrate and condition the cuticle to prepare the hair for the manipulation of a shampoo. Also, (from CurlyNikki.com) "...it’s one of the relatively few oils that are able to penetrate deep into the hair. Coconut oil is special because it has the right combination of molecular size and shape (it’s small and has straight line structure that allows it to slip into hair) and the right chemical structure (it’s derived from lauric acid which has an affinity for protein.) So while most conditioning oils (like silicones and mineral oil) just sit on top of that hair, coconut oil is literally able to work from the inside.


What It Did: I did this prior to getting my hair straightened, which is not my usual practice. I found that detangling my hair was a LOT easier, and my hair was softer than usual after it was fully blown dry.

The LOC Method (LOC stands for Liquid, Oil, and Cream, which is the order of moisturizing for maximum results.) I used this method with a chunky twist-out, using the coconut oil as my "O".

    

What It's Supposed To Do: As the middle of the LOC method, its supposed to lightly layer over the liquid (water) to seal in moisture and help support the cream layer for ultimate moisturizing.

What It Did: Worked wonders! See in the middle pic how shiny my hair is? And it wasn't slick and greasy...it actually felt soft. I'm definitely a fan of this method using coconut oil.

P.S. I used it a skin moisturizer just out of the shower, and my skin was really soft! It lasted about 12 hours and I love the smell. It's faint and not overpowering. I love the smell of coconut when it's not too strong! 

The only other oil I've used is Olive and Grapeseed - I love those too, but for different purposes. I like to use Olive Oil as a part of my deep conditioner (more details on that later) and I like to use Grapeseed Oil as an everyday moisturizer when my hair feels dry and it's not wash day. But I've heard they all work for the LOC Method, depending on your hair type. But I really liked the coconut oil for my hair. What's your favorite oil? Which ones do you want to try?

**Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.

The Curlie in 3C - Smelly Hair Products

I cannot stand a stinky hair product.

I don't care how great the product is, if I have to hold my breath until the next wash day, it's a no go for me. I'm pretty easy - I pretty much like all things fruity and floral as far hair products go...I don't even mind a tiny bit of minty goodness (i.e. Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercreme and all of Dr. Miracle's Curl Care line.) But there are some hair product scents that are just unbearable to me! I've even had to wash my hair twice in one day because of a bad call on a smelly product. 

Of course, it's all objective. There have been plenty of times where I will turn my nose up at a product's scent only to have one of my girlfriends look at me like I have two heads, exclaiming "You don't like it?!?! Girl, I LOVE the way this smells!" Below are my Top 5 Most Wonderful Smelling Curly Products. They are all styling aids, because its rare that my hair hangs on to the scent of the conditioner - especially since I always follow with a styling product. 

My Top 5 Most Wonderful Smelling Hair Products

1. ANYTHING made by Karen's Body Beautiful. She creates all of her products in multiple scents so you get to choose. The scents are heavenly - Luscious Pear, Egyptian Musk, Coco Lime, Coconut and Fig, just to name a few. It's a no-brainer. 

2. Shea Moisture's Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie. This stuff smells like a fresh fruit salad with coconut and marshmallows, and it's not terribly overpowering. When my hair is freshly styled with it, I almost always receive a compliment on the smell. 

3. Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls. Ironlically enough, the product brags about being a "fabric softener for the hair", and my friends and I often joke about how it smells like Suavitel. Well I like Suavitel. The smell is powerful, but since I like it, I don't mind at all! It dies down as your hair dries anyway, but it doesn't totally go away. 

4. Elasta QP's Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer. I just received a full size of this product in my December CurlBox and I love it. It smells exactly like the name. The mango is prominent, but mellow. It smells delicious enough to eat. 

5. I Love My Fro Orange Vanilla Shea Butter Whip. I received a sample of this product at an event I attended. As soon as I opened the container, I wanted to grab a spoon. It smells like orange vanilla cake icing! My hair is usually not a fan of shea butter in certain forms (3C Problems) but I had to work it into a hair cocktail of some sort so I could use it! 

Those are my favorite smell good, natural gal products. What are some of yours? Have you tried any of the ones I listed? If so, do you agree? 

The Curlie In 3C - One Mo' Gin!

It's been a long time. I shouldn't have left you...

You know the rest.

I'm moved to blog again! Not sure how long it will last, but if you're down to enjoy it while it lasts, I'm down to give one more try!

For my loyal followers, I always start my blog posts with one of Five Headers:

Soul Survivor
Kiss My Glass
Black Girl's Think Tank
*The Curlie In 3C
*Foodie Call (Tales of a Foodie)

I'll start by replacing my header Naps, Mishaps and Product Caps with my new hair persona, The Curlie In 3C (@CurlieGirl3C on Twitter and there's a Facebook page too!) This is for you and me: if you're interested in how I care for and present my hair, I will be bothered to care for and present my hair.

We'll start with me not only trying new products, but new styles. My comeback hairstyle experiment is the Bantu Knot Out. I've heard mixed reviews - some of my friends have tried it and were not pleased with the results. But YouTube and other blogs and pics have shown me that a successful Bantu Knot Out can be done. Now whether or not I have mastered it is a different story. I also tried three new products on this style: I co-washed with Oyin Handmade's Honey Hemp Conditioner, then styled the knots with a combination of Dr. Miracle's Curl Care Strong Hold Gel and Elasta QP's Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer. These products are all courtesy of my Nov, Dec and Jan CurlBox shipments.

 

As you can see by facial expression, this was not an easy task for me. I didn't get that you had to twist them and wind them counter clockwise until I was halfway done. So the ones I did right were tighter and more secure than the ones I had done wrong. So me being the perfectionist that I am went back and re-knotted the first half. By this time, I was forced to re-wet and re-gel the ends (smh...curly problems). It only took me 2 hours and 15 minutes to finish. 

I was forced to sleep like Regina King did in Friday (remember the opening scene when she was sleeping like she was laying down reading a book?) because every time I laid back on my head, one of the knots would dig into my scalp. The knots and I survived till morning. 

This is what it looked like when I first took them out:

As you can see, I was underwhelmed. They were tight little coils and I had no idea what to do with them! Then I asked myself, what would one of my hair gurus do? (Mine is Jenell of KinkyCurlCoilyMe) So I scrounged up some bobby pins and started pinning!

Not too shabby for someone who has no real talent for styling hair. Below is the 2nd Day - I only tied it up with a silk scarf for bed. All us natural gals know and understand that the Sleep Test is the real test! 

So that was my adventure with Bantu Knot Out. Overall I would say its a win - now that I know how to do it, it shouldn't take me nearly as long, AND I know the style lasts at least 2 days. I shall file it away and pat myself on the back for doing something new with my hair! I may even try some variations, such as knotting it on dry, blown out hair.

Please share your Bantu Knot stories with me - was it a success or a fail? Did you try it different ways? What made the difference? How do you think mine turned out?