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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Taming of the ‘Do

What started out as a silly Facebook joke (a friend posting Before & After pictures of herself and encouraging others to do so) has turned into something else entirely! Since I had not primped and preened myself for the day, I decided to take that “challenge” literally and post my own pictures.

beforeafter

Yes, first thing in the morning, I resemble Troy Polamalu.


I’ve now been asked to share my beauty secrets *gasp!* for the Taming of the ‘Do. I seriously cannot believe I am posting this, but…well, if it helps just one of my friends have less Bad Hair Days, it was worth my public humiliation! ;)

The Taming of the ‘Do

I think I have tried every shampoo, every conditioner, every hair care product and styling aid known to man, yet I never seem to find anything that works for long. It hasn’t always been this way. My long, curly hair used to be soft and shiny, but after having children and growing…older…my hair had become coarse and brittle. Any curly-haired girl will tell you that’s a bad combination. I tried home remedies that made me want to gag. (I hate mayonnaise on my sandwich, let alone in my hair! bleh!) Nothing was helping.

“…there’s small choice in rotten apples…”

Apparently, there’s small choice in hair products too. Many half-empty bottles and spent dollars later, I was strongly convicted that this was not working. I was ready to cut off my tresses and start over…again. While trying to settle on a cut, I came across this post and decided to give it one more try. All natural hair care? Well, the chemistry experiment I had been trying wasn’t working…why not?

I followed the directions for “shampooing” with baking soda and “conditioning” with apple cider vinegar, aloe vera gel, honey, and lavender essential oil. It takes about a week or so for your scalp to return to its normal state, but I was pleased with how healthy my hair looked and felt. I also used the “plopping” technique after washing my hair and my curls never looked better! I felt like Shirley Temple;) Hard to believe that I was only washing my hair once or twice a week!

My mom, former hair stylist and beauty queen, visited during this time and had commented on how healthy my curls looked and felt. HUGE compliment coming from my mom!

Eventually, my hair started getting dried out again, so I revisited the article and found some updates. About this time, I also decided to give the Curly Girl method a try, still skipping shampoo, but using only a silicone-free & sulfate-free conditioner. (I use Nature’s Gate because my hubby loves the way it smells.)

I’ve now combined both of these methods: Washing once a week with baking soda and water helps to combat any greasiness. Washing with the no ‘poo, conditioner only once a week, keeps my hair nice and soft. I use no other hair care products or styling products. Whether I leave my hair curly or straighten it (usually around day 2 or 3 after a wash), my hair is clean, shiny, and soft. Since the natural oils have balanced out, I don’t get frizzy or greasy, even when it rains. And in the Pacific Northwest, that’s quite an accomplishment!

 curly

Now that I’ve found something that works, I don’t think I’ll be changing it again! I welcome any feedback or questions, or even if you feel the need to tell me you honestly think I should have skipped this post!

“…And thereby hangs a tale…” 

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