Twistout - What Am I Doing Wrong?

Ok, here are the pictures of my latest twistout:  (lol sorry for the bland looks.  My apartment is cold, so I put on a hoodie, and I took my contacts out earlier lol)

What am I doing wrong?  I just doesn't really look right.  Maybe my hair is too short?

First Twists in a While

I talked to SafiHairCare on twitter about things to use on my hair and about which styles I should use.  Also whether I should protective style.  She told me that she has fine hair and that she usually does twists twice a week and then wears a twist out for the rest of the time.

I've tried twist outs in the past and they've turned out with much to be desired.  They were downright bad.  But after talking to her, I decided to try again and see if I could do the same thing.  I have fine hair and I'm getting tired of doing just wash n go's.

Here are some pictures of my finished twists!

Yayyy!  They already look better than they did before.  When I've tried them in the past I would twist each individual half of the twist and then twist the halves together.  I learned to do it that way from some random youtube video.  It said that the twists would come out better.  Not.  Anyway, this time I just did it the normal way and I even like the way the twists look by themselves!  The only thing that bothers me is that I can't do more twists in my hair.  I think my hair is too thin to do more twists unfortunately, but that's the luck of the draw.

I'll show you guys the finished outcome when I untwist them.  For right now, I'm really having trouble not putting my hands in my hair and messing up the twists, but I think that's what causes breakage, so I need work on that.  Hmm.

Anyway, yeah I'll post twistout pics later today or tomorrow.

Back to Moisture

I recently tried getting away from using my shealoe butter and using a couple of oils and other things to moisturize my hair and keep it from getting dry before the day is over.  The reason I wanted to stop using the shealoe butter was because my scalp was becoming really dry and itchy.

I started using Apple Cider Vinegar for acv rinsing and I started using Blue Magic - the one with Coconut Oil - as a sealant after I cowash with Hello Hydration.

I've decided that I really like using the Blue Magic on my scalp so that it doesn't get dry, and I also really like doing ACV rinses as well.  The ACV just makes my hair feel really soft and clean right after I use it.  I've been reading around on blogs and on the internet, and the reason that it works so well is because the conditioners and oils that we use on our hair are bases on the pH scale.  ACV is an acid with a pH closer to our hair's pH.  Therefore the ACV neutralizes the bases, getting the buildup out of your hair and it closes the pores on your hair temporarily, making your hair hold moisture better for longer.

So, this is my verdict.  I'll stick with using ACV.  I don't use it everyday, just when I feel a lot of buildup on my hair.  I like the way it makes my hair feel.  Also, I'll keep using the Blue Magic with coconut oil because I like the way it makes my scalp stop itching and keeps it feeling good.  One thing I WILL change is that I won't be using shealoe butter anymore, BUT I will be using shea butter.  I'm pretty sure my hair doesn't like aloe vera juice/gel.  lol also, I told my mom about it and she told me I've always been allergic to aloe.   -__-  thanks for telling me sooner, mom.

Anyway, I just ordered another pound of 100% raw unrefined shea butter so that I could just add some oils or something and whip that together.  In my opinion, even though I don't like the buildup you get from using it after a while, shea butter is really the best moisturizer for me.  And as for the buildup, I can now just do an ACV rinse, and I'll be good.

New Perspective on Some Old Products

Ok, so if you guys have been following my blog, you know that I'm trying to find something to use besides my shealoe butter because it makes my scalp hurt/itch.  I've been using EVOO as a sealant, and it works really well, but I need something to moisturize my scalp.

I know a lot of people are against using things like Blue Magic or those old products with the "bad" ingredients, but I've been reading around on blogs and things and I've decided to try some of that.  That being said, if it hurts my scalp/doesn't work like I want it to, then I'll find a different product.  I just remember when my hair was relaxed, it was one of the only things that would make me stop itching and soothe my scalp.

Also, I've heard people say that it can clog your pores and make your hair not grow, but when I was relaxed, my hair grew really well, and I used Blue Magic all the time.  I think that in my opinion, I just need to use what works for my hair, and not worry what other people are using for their hair.  I know that sounds kind of obvious, but a lot of naturals I know and a lot of natural blogs that I follow tout everything natural, which is fine, but I think I'll try this and see what I think.

I don't use a lot of it at all because like a lot of people remember, it can be horrid when it's sunny outside.  If I use too much, it'll just make my hair a greasy mess, so I definitely will use it in strict moderation, but I'm going to try it and see how I like it.  My mom just found some that has coconut oil in it too, so she bought a regular one and one with coconut oil in it, and I'll see which one I like better.

I'm just ready not to have an irritated scalp anymore.

Shealoe Butter Troubles

Ok, so many of you already know what shealoe butter is, but for those of you who don't know, it's just 100% raw unrefined shea butter mixed with 100% aloe vera juice/gel.  Mine was made with aloe vera juice.  I just put the two together in a tupperware and whipped them with a hand blender.

Well anyway, I think I'm allergic to it.  It makes my scalp flake a lot and I had a lot of tender spots on my scalp as well that were itchy, but they hurt too much to scratch.  Anyway, I stopped using it two days ago and those tender spots have already almost all faded.

I seem to remember when I first started my hair journey I did well with just cowashing.  It really kept my hair and scalp moisturized for most of the day and it was really good.  After my hair grew a little longer, I started using shea butter - which kinda weighed my hair down and made parts of my scalp a little itchy, but I didn't really think anything of it.  I think that mixing it with the aloe vera juice made it worse for my scalp.

Soooo I think I'll probably stop using the shea butter.  I just need to find another sealer so I can keep the moisture in my hair.  Any suggestions?

Hair Update: Keeping Hair Moisturized

Ok, guys!  Remember how in an earlier post I talked about how my hair kept getting really dry and I couldn't keep it moisturized in this Texas heat?

Well I tried Giovanni Direct Leave-in and Giovanni Deeper Moisture Smooth as Silk Conditioner and I LOVED them if you recall (I still do).

Here is my new routine:  Before bed, I shower and rinse my hair out really well with just water.  After that I squeeze all of the excess water out of my hair, so it's still wet, but I don't dry it with a towel.  Then, I take 3 pumps of the Giovanni Direct Leave-in (I bought the liter-sized bottle with a pump on it) and distribute it throughout my hair.  Then, I take some of my shealoe butter (I blended it myself, it's just 100% natural unrefined shea butter + 100% pure aloe vera juice) and distribute it throughout my hair on top of the Giovanni.  After that I put on my silk sleeping cap and go about getting ready for bed.  In the morning I just spray water on my hair (I used to use a water+glycerin mix, but I figured out that in this heat it just takes all the moisture out of my hair instead of putting any back in) and fluff it out into a WnG sort of style.

As for washing my hair with shampoo, I usually try to do that like once a week so that my hair doesn't dry out.  When I co-wash - which is what I do when I want to clean my hair, but not strip it - I use the Giovanni Deeper Moisture Smooth as Silk Conditioner. I usually don't do it that often, but when I do, it works pretty well.  I think as a co-wash, I prefer Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner, but I'll use the Giovanni until I run out because it works just fine.

Giovanni - Product Review

The products I bought were the Giovanni Direct Leave-in and the Giovanni Deeper Moister Smooth-as-Silk Conditioner.

As for both products: I LOVED them!

What I did: I co-washed with the Smooth-as-Silk and then after I got out of the shower, semi-dried my hair so that it was still wet, but not dripping, and applied some of the Direct Leave-in.  After that I put on my sleep cap and went to sleep.  When I woke up in the morning, I used my water-glycerin mix in my spray bottle to kind of puff out my hair like normal, and my curls were soooo amazing!  While I was at work today, 2 people actually commented on how they could see more curls than usual in my hair!

How they worked for MY hair:  They worked amazingly!  I got so much curl definition with the leave in!  My hair was actually really moisturized - which is good for me because of this Texas heat.

Will I buy them again?:  Most definitely!  This time I actually went on www.massagewarehouse.com/ to buy a liter of each - I had heard really good reviews - and I'm glad I did!  I'll have a both products for a while and I won't have to buy more!  If you buy from the website, it's a lot cheaper than buying it from HEB or Rite-Aid or something.