Tag Archives: natural hair

DIY Boosted Leave-In Conditioner (Creamy)

Hey Maicurlies,

(Side Note: I have been having issues with my WordPress…trying to figure out how to fix it but hopefully you will see this new post without any issues!)

So back to the topic, my DIY Boosted Leave-In Conditioner.

DIY Boosted Leave-In Conditioner (Creamy)

Some of you who might have been following me for a while will know that I have a DIY Leave-In Conditioner mix already and might be wondering why another recipe Mai? Well, two reasons: 1. In the old mix I used a conditioner as the base of the recipe but I no longer use that conditioner and 2. my hair wasn’t responding as well as to the old mix as it use to. When that happens my hair is telling me “change the product mix Mai!” Since I do not use too many store brought products I do not have a stash of different leave-ins I can rotate I listen to my hair and rework the recipes instead.:D

I will put a link at the bottom of the post directing you to my old recipe, just so you can see what all I have changed. There are some subtle changes in the new recipe and a few ingredients that I add or omit depending on my mood at the time of mixing.

DIY Boosted Leave-In Conditioner (Creamy)

Ingredients

2.6 oz plain water (I use bottled water)
A couple petals of dried hibiscus (completely optional) – I use about 7
8 oz leave-in conditioner (use any moisturizing leave-in your hair likes)
2 oz Rose Water
0.1 oz Virgin Coconut Oil
0.2 oz Coffee Infused Almond Oil (use any carrier oil)
3 capsules Vitamin E Oil = roughly 0.15 oz
0.1 oz Glycerine

(Additional ingredients I sometimes use)

0.5 oz fresh home made Aloe Vera Juice to the water I use. When I add AVJ I increase the amount of leave-in my 2 oz.
Glycerine – I add glycerine if the leave-in being used doesn’t contain it already but mine did.
Essential Oil (any oil of choice) – I like the rose scent so I skip the essential oil.

Mixing Instructions

I first add the hibiscus petals to the water and let it sit while I add the other ingredients. First I add the leave-in conditioner with the rose water, virgin coconut oil, coffee infused almond oil and vitamin E oil. I then pour the hibiscus water through a sieve to catch the petals and then whisk. When I use glycerine I add it along with the leave-in and other ingredients. After whisking I transfer the mix into my containers.

Ingredient Alternatives

In case some of the ingredients I use do not play well with your hair they can be replaced by basically anything e.g. castor oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, olive oil or any other carrier oil in place of/along with the coffee infused almond oil I use. If glycerine is not your favourite you can use honey or agave nectar as a humectant. (The leave-in I was using in the video had Glycerine in it so there was no need to add any more.)

My next update will be a Spray Leave-In 😀

I would love to hear if you add any particular ingredients to a store bought leave-in to “boost” its properties!

(Previous Creamy Leave-In Conditioner Mix)

Thanks

Maicurls

Lazy Girl Gibson Tuck (protective style)

8 Replies

Hey Maicurlies,

I (yet again) wanted to share a simple protective style that I seem to turn to whenever I am really not in the mood to fuss around with my hair or if my hair should be washed and I am slacking for the day (don’t judge me it happens!) 😀

There are a number of different ways in which I like to do the Gibson Tuck and today I wanted to share this method.

It really is as simple and easy as it looks. 2 two strand twists on either side, 1 forward “flat twist” at the front (don’t judge my “forward flat twist” I know it is ugly LOL) and then you tuck away the rest of the hair by rolling and tucking it away under the headband. Pin back the twists and presto you are done!

I use a headband for two reasons. 1. it acts as an accessory and 2. I use it to help tuck away the hair that isn’t twisted.

Like I said there are several different ways in which you can do the Gibson tuck so on the day when I recorded the video

I also took a few pictures of another versions of the style and changed up the headband (I really need to make a new headband to spruce things up).

What do you think, Gibson tucks yay or nay? Do you have favorite Gibson tuck styles? If so let me know, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks

Maicurls

What I’ve been up to – Instagram & Pinterest

15 Replies

Hey Maicurlies,

If you didn’t know I have become a Instagram (IG) FREAK! Seriously, it is an addiction. Before I was a Pinterest addict and now IG has become my fascination. My Instagram profile is not limited only to all things hair, I do put up posts about skin care and health (but yes hair is a big part of it.) I also have snippets of my YouTube videos on there too. What I love the most about IG is that there is so much inspiration and you get constant updates! Natural beautiful crowns and everything in between all the time!

Anyways, the purpose of this post is to share some of the things I have been doing with my hair, skin and health. These images are all on my IG page so if you aren’t following me yet, please do! While you are at it, you might as well follow me on Pinterest too (yes I am being cheeky :D)

So, as a way to perhaps encourage you to follow me on IG I put together a collage of some of the recent photos I have up on there (putting on every single one would too self promoting and self obsessed lol).

super defined twist-out before separating

Hope to see you on my IG & Pinterest pages! If you have IG or Pinterest please let me know, I love supporting others!

Thanks

Maicurls

2 Simple Valentines Day Styles

The battle of “Good” versus “Bad” Hair – Global Couture

3 Replies

Hi Maicurlies,

I wanted to share my latest contribution article on Global Couture:

The battle of ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ hair

The battle of “Good” versus “Bad” hair is a “controversial” topic. Personal choices and preferences are something we all have and are entitled to. We can, do not and should not find all the exact same things attractive. Can you imagine if we did?! (The mayhem of fighting over partners that WE ALL find attractive…at the same time LOL)! Seriously…scary!

When it comes to hair, some of us like volume, others like it “tame”, some of us like like long hair, others prefer short, some of us like light hair others prefer dark…you get the picture. However, when it comes to “categorizing” something as “good” or “bad” – that is a whole different game in my opinion.

I have previously mentioned that this topic and the classification of “curl types” gives me an allergic reaction, especially when it is used to put someone down! I find ALL curls beautiful, I do not care how tight or loose your curls might be, what color your hair is or how long or short it might be. HEALTHY HAIR is what people should focus, obsess and strive for – regardless of whether you have a TWA or hip length hair.

Have you ever been in a situation where someone made comments about “good” or “bad” hair?

Thanks

Maicurls

What I looked at to identify the structure of my hair

10 Replies

Hey Maicurlies,

One thing us naturals can agree on is (~~our hair needs moisture scratch that)~~ OUR HAIR THRIVES ON MOISTURE. If you are able to get moisture to penetrate the cuticle of your hair, reach the core and (fingers crossed) retain the moisture then chances are your hair will be a happy camper.

I was recently asked to make a video showing what my hair looks like when it is product free after being freshly washed. The lovely lady who requested the video stated she was having issues with her hair and wanted to see what my hair looked like. I will have that video up soon.

Product Free Hair

First I want to point out I am not a hair expert nor am I professional I am however aware of what my hair likes/doesn’t like and can pretty much tell by the ingredients in a product if my hair will respond positively or negatively to it (most of the time not always).

Our ability to grow healthy hair has to do with knowing how our hair is structured such its porosity & width but also the ingredients in the products we use. Some of you might already be aware of this however, if you are newly natural or unsure then I hope this post will be helpful 🙂

I’ve previously mentioned that I wrote about porosity and hair width for Global Couture and have linked the two articles below:

How to Find the RIGHT Products for Your hair (Part 1: Porosity)

How to determine the right products for your hair (Part 2: Hair Width)

I was able to identify that I have medium/high porosity with it leaning more towards high porosity and fine hair strands. If you are unsure of how to do the tests to determine your porosity and width there are simple testes you can do at home which you can read about here.

Porosity – How your cuticle is laid. There are 3 main categorizes:

Low Porosity – difficult to absorb moisture due to closed cuticle but once moisture is in the core it is well retained.
Medium Porosity – easy to absorb and retain moisture due to optimum laid cuticles (lucky people!)
High Porosity – easy to absorb moisture but also to lose it due to highly raised cuticles.

My Hair Porosity

I could not only tell from the results of the porosity test but also because of how quickly my hair absorbs anything I apply and how quickly it can become dry if I do not seal my hair properly. Moisturizing and sealing my hair during the week is necessary if I want it to remain moisturized and avoid breakage. After doing a deep condition I will dilute ACV & water run that over my hair and then do a final rinse with cool water (not always pleasant) but necessary.

In the past I have only ever used oils after moisturizing because I did not have access to butters however all that has changed now. 🙂 With that said, I also have to be careful of how I use my products and how much I use. If I am not careful I can weigh down my curls due to the fact that I have fine hair strands (will be covered below).

It is all about layering products for me so I moisturize (water + leave-in) and the seal (oil and/or butter).

Hair width – Identifying you hair’s width allows you to not only determine which products to use but can also help you with length retention and healthy hair growth. Hair width means finding out how thick or thin your individual hair strand is. There are 3 main categories of hair width:

Fine – The hair strands are thin and can be weighed down if a lot of heavy or thick products/ingredients are overly used. The hair is fragile and extremely susceptible to breakage if it is not handled with a gentle hand and care.
Medium – The hair is neither thick nor thin and is able to handle both heavier and lighter products/ingredients but should still be used in moderation.
Coarse -The hair strands are thick and might require you to “work in” products/ingredients in order for them to be dissipate in the hair. It is said to be “strong” but still requires a gentle hand when manipulating it in order to retain and grow your hair

My hair Width

As mentioned I have fine hair and yes a little too much of ANYTHING can weigh down my hair. I like to refer to it as “mousy” (when my hair is damp/wet). I literally look like a wet cat and detest going out like that! So even “good ingredients” such as creams or butters can really make my hair look lifeless, flat and greasy.

While I need to follow the steps of moisturize and seal, in the back of my mind I always have to remember too much of a good thing can be bad. This also applies for styling products.

When it comes to handling my hair I have to be extremely careful. Rushing through detangling is just screaming for breakage which, I have done more than I’d like to admit. So I also look to strengthen and thicken my hair with the help of my Henna treatments.

How do you take care of your hair based on your porosity and hair width? I would love to hear from you.

Thanks

Maicurls

What are some reasons people have given you why they “CAN’T? go natural?

5 Replies

Hey Maicurlies,

I have a new contribution article on Global Couture and this one can be considered as a “debate” (a constructive one I hope).

Global Couture asked the question “What are some reasons people have given you why they ‘CAN’T’ go natural?” on all of their social media platforms to start a little healthy discussion.

What are some reasons people have given you why they “CAN’T” go natural

Now, I have to say I am NOT one to force anyone into anything they themselves do not want to do and that includes going back natural. Going back natural should be a personal decision made for the right reasons, basically doing it because it is something you want to do. If you try and force someone to go back natural and they are not ready chances are they will find it even harder, they might regret their decision and who knows they might actually resent you because they feel like you pressured them. So “peer-pressuring” is a no no!

However, I have come across people who have the funniest comments as to why they do not think they can go back natural. If someone says “I do not want to go back natural because I just do not want to and it is my right”. I completely agree with that instead of some of the “funny” comments I’ve heard/read.

Anyways, in the article Global Couture collected the most popular 15 “reasons” that naturals have said others told them why they can’t go natural and provided a few responses to the comments.

You can read the full article here.

Have you come across similar statements? I would love to hear from you!

Thanks

Maicurls

I can touch your hair right?

2 Replies

Hey Maicurlies,

I came across two videos on YouTube and maybe some of you have already seen this as it was out in 2013. Nevertheless, I loved the conversations that were brought up, opinions, points of view etc.

It basically boils down to whether you are fine with people touching your hair or not. Personally, I do not really have an issue with someone wanting to touch my hair but I do have some “conditions”. By conditions I mean it depends on how the person approaches wanting to touch my hair.

If you are asking because you are genuinely curious as apposed to treating me like I am a dog who’s hair you want to pat, and more importantly,
If you ask!

I have no issues with people wanting to see what it feels like, asking me how I maintain my hair etc but if you randomly touch my hair just because you happen to be standing next to me and feel like you have a “right” to touch my hair… without asking…then I get mad!

Granted I think I have only had two random people reach out and bounce their hand on my hair (without asking) saying “oooh it is soft and bouncy” while looking at their friends. Yeah, that didn’t go down well! Usually people will say something nice and ask “how do you get it like that?” LOL…I’m like ummmm like what? Curly? Ask my mama :). My sister gets a lot more people who want to touch her hair because she has a lovely big, full, fluffy Afro so that sort of catches peoples attention. She is less inclined to let people touch her hair especially if she feels like you are just asking so you can turn around and have a giggle with your friends and say “No it isn’t really hard…it just feels weird”. If you randomly touch her hair….watch out LOL!

In the video one lady was saying how someone really dug into her hair …actually reaching her roots! Now that is just crazy!

I had a discussion with a few of the lovely ladies on NapturallyCurly.com (you need to check out the forum if you haven’t already). I love talking with the ladies on there because we cover everything from: “how to” styling videos/images/advice, how we take care of our hair, suggestions for newbies as well as general conversations (not hair related.)

We all shared our own views as to whether we are OK with people touching our hair, why or why not, under what conditions etc.

I really would love to hear how you feel about people wanting to touch your hair. Are you alright with it?

Thanks

Maicurls