Day 62: Holiday Season

This will be my last post until after the holidays. I have the day off and will spend the next week traveling to see and spend time with family.

I slept in and got ready late, needless to say it has been a good day so far. I did a co-rinse with my lavender conditioner this morning, blot dried with a t-shirt, and a light gel plop. My hair was not really wanting to curl this morning so I plopped, and plopped, and plopped in hopes of bringing out and forcing it to curl. I think I over worked it because the frizz is definitely there. I left it down even though I really wanted to pin it back some how. Despite the frizz the curl turned out nice and I'm happy with my overworked result. :)

Curl: 8
Frizz: 6
Weather: 39F, Sunny
Stress: low

Day 61: One Day Work Week

I work one day this week and that means very little motivation to do much of anything; including my hair. lol.

I knew there were going to be very few people in the office and that there was a small chance I would see the Executive Board so I took the opportunity to sleep late and pulled my hair back in to a pony tail.

Curl: 5
Frizz: 5
Weather: Cold
Stress: low

Day 60: 2 Months

It has been 2 months since I used shampoo in my hair and I consider that a great accomplishment. The "culture shock" of not using shampoo has worn off and it has officially become an accepted mindset. Granted, people still look at me oddly when I explain that I don't use shampoo but it doesn't happen as often any more and I don't even think about it anymore. My hair is strong, healthy, soft, and curly! I've learned to listen to what my curls need and follow suit accordingly. I still hope to try a few more recipes but for now I'm pretty set and a firm believer in the no poo method. :)

This morning I did a cold water rinse, a gel plop directly after rinsing, and then I let it sit on the T-shirt on my shoulders until completely dry. I didn't really touch it or blot it dry at all this time. If the ends got drippy I would lightly dab them with my t-shirt, but that was all. I pinned my bangs back when it was dry, plopped again, and left it alone. I did all of this because I knew the frizz was going to be high. I could have done a co-wash but that would have stretched out the curl so I gave it one more day and dealt with the frizz.

Curl: 7
Frizz: 5
Weather: 39F, light snow
Stress: low

Day 59: Routine

I've noticed that I generally have 3-4 hair styles: Up-do, bangs pinned back, front barretted back, ponytail, or letting it be completely free... what else is there to do?!
Anyone have any ideas?

Despite my lavender mist this morning my curls were just not having it. They had been pulled back for 2 days, in some shape or fashion, and didn't want to lay right on their own. I grew frustrated because I really didn't want to do anymore more than spray them down and let them go but it looked like I had just rolled out of bed. They were kinky, frizzy, and having a wild day. Defeated I brought out the barrettes and pinned the front back letting it hang loose at the back. I pinned it looser than normal which caused it to "bump" a little. With a few stray curls at the front and the slight bump it looked really nice and I was happy, so I let it be for the rest of the day.

Curl: 5
Frizz: 4
Weather: SNOWING :)
Stress: moderate

Day 58: FRIDAY!!!

Fridays are great days. They are the day before a 2 day break from work, normally are fairly laid back, I usually get lots done or nothing done with no guilty feelings since I'll have 2 days where I won't think about it, but best of all it comes with the thought I will get to sleep in the following morning! Man, did I ever want to sleep in this morning. I rolled out of bed, literally, and found it was snowing; that fact alone brightened my mood and I ended up getting ready for work with a bounce in my step.

I did a cold water rinse, blot dried, and a light gel plop. I debated a spotting of Aloe but decided against it for fear of the itch just being in my head. I pinned the "bangs" portion back with some cute sparkly bobby pins and left the rest to hang down. It's soft and curly and I like it!

Curl: 8
Frizz: 3
Weather: 31F and snowing
Stress: low

Day 57: Groovin...

When I woke up I finally felt normal again so I actually did something with my hair. A simple co-wash, blot dry, and gel plop started off my morning. I loosely secured the front of my hair back with barrettes and let a few curls fall out. I used the mirror to make sure the barrettes were even threw on some blush and mascara and walked out the door.

Yet again, I can't get over how long it's getting. Every time I leave it down I can't help but stare at it in the mirror; it hits the middle of my back and is right around my bra line. Despite it's length it hasn't been getting on my nerves as much today; I hope it stays that way.

Curl: 6
Frizz: 1
Weather: COLD, 71% humidity (we're suppose to get snow this weekend!!!)
Stress: moderate

Day 56: Whatever

Still cramping= don't care= ponytail :)

Day 55: When Life Interferes

Today life interfered with the care of my hair. I woke up with severe cramps and debated whether or not I wanted to get up and go to work. In the end my stubborn hard working attitude won out and I slowly crawled out of bed and into a hot shower. I stood and let the water pound on me for at least 10 minutes before washing up and doing a cold water rinse on my hair.

I blot dried with a t-shirt, a little too much this morning, gel plopped and let it dry on the way to work. Once it was dry enough, I pulled it back into a low loose pony tail and let the front fall out around my face.

I'm in jeans and hoodie at work, I'm sore, tired, and don't care what I look like today. Medicine has taken the edge off of the pain and my heating pad is helping with the rest. (Yes, I brought my heating pad to work with me. I'm pluggin in and warming up!)

Curl: don't care
Frizz: definitally there from over blotting; it is recommended that you blot only as needed for drips and that your hair should squish when you gel plop... not the case for me today
Weather: cold and cloudy
Stress: high

Day 54: Bouncing Back

I really would have thought that blow drying my hair would do more damage than it did. Granted it was a first in over a month and I barely touched my hair with the straightening iron but I was sure it would look drab for at least 2 days... I was so wrong!

The curl is still nice and intact and having blow dried it seemed to do little damage. Here's what I'm thinking: The moisturizing treatment I did just prior to blow drying it kept the heat from doing too much damage. OR it could be that my hair is the healthiest it's been in a while and the curls were able to with stand the heat a little more; I don't know and I don't care. This has given me hope that every now and again if I want to straighten it I don't have to worry about days of repercussion. I understand that Lorraine talks about loving your curls and not being afraid of them; however, it is a nice change in look once in a while.

This morning I did a cold rinse, blot dried, and gel plopped. I had plans to tie it back in a loose low pony tail; however, the curl is so nice I've left it alone. The frizz is back but the curls are still soft and shiny. :)

Curl: 7
Frizz: 3
Weather: 57F, cloudy, 72% humidity
Stress: low

Day 53: Laziness

I know that after straightening my hair it will take a few days to recover so I let it be today and tried not to touch it a whole lot. I did a good co-wash this morning with a cold rinse. I blotted dry with a t-shirt and did a very light gel plop. Despite straightening the curl is better than I thought it would be; however, that could be due to the light rain we currently are getting. I pulled the front back and out of my face for church but once we get home I'll let it down and leave it alone for the rest of the day.

It still feels super soft and the frizz is minimal so I'm happy with the moisturizing treatment I did. I have plans to use it again with a modified formula by cutting the oil amount in 1/2 and will wash it with pure lemon juice separate from the conditioner. I hope that the change will cut back and remove the film sooner giving me less of the dread lock look I had going.

Curl: 6
Frizz: 0
Weather: 48F, Light rain
Stress: low

Day 52: Straighten It Out

My hair was straight all day yesterday and I loved it. I got many compliments and my husband fully enjoyed running his fingers through it. This morning I got up and left it straight. I didn't do anything to it other than run a brush through it. For this small amount of time I will unashamedly admit that I am enjoying having my hair straight. :)

Curl: 0
Frizz: 0
Weather: 39F, cloudy, 39% humidity
Stress: low

Day 51: Change in Formula

So when I got home last night my hair was gross. It ended up in my up do and when I let it all down it was oily and had a dread lock look and feel to it. Frustrated I got BACK in the shower in an attempt to wash it AGAIN! As I was rinsing it and preparing to wash it again I noticed that it was coated in the mixture I had put on it. I could scratch it off my hair like it was a film. Annoyed I grabbed the lemon juice bottle and poured it on my hair. I made sure to evenly coat the pure lemon juice over every strand and massaged it into my scalp. I took a dime size amount of conditioner and gently covered the ends of my hair and rinsed REALLY REALLY well. I did a cold water rinse and blot dried.

It may be considered breaking the rules; however, I've had an itching to straighten my hair for about a week. With my hair finally clean and soft I blow dried it straight. I let it cool before going to bed and touched up any weird curlings this morning with the straightening iron. As it turns out I barley had to touch it with the iron. I didn't need to there was no frizz, it was super soft and nice, and only the very ends wanted to do a funky curl that I had to straighten.

I'm happy with it. It was shiny from the lemon juice and it also took care of the film with out drying it out.

Curl: 0
Frizz: 0
Weather: 28F, Sunny
Stress: Low

Day 50: Not So Sure

I woke up this morning to what looked like some NASTY GREASY hair. Thinking I was just going to do a cold water rinse I was disappointed to actually have to put some work into it. I did another co-wash with vinegar and lemon juice. Although my hair is curly it still feels oily and has a constant "wet" look to it. It doesn't look oily just like it's been gelled. I blot dried and plopped with no gel. The frizz is none existent so I can't complain I'm just not sure how to get it to look and feel less greasy. Later tonight I think I'll look in Curly Girl for a cleansing treatment and see if anything looks promising.

I'm sure by the end of the day my hair will end up in some sort of fashion; I'm taking my bobby pins to work just in case. :)

Curl: 4
Frizz: 0
Weather: 23 F, cloudy
Stress: low

Day 49: All You Need Is Love

Last night I was able to put together a moisturizing treatment and this time my hair did not smell of soured milk and baby puke. I tried Curly Girl's Love is in the Hair treatment. Mix 4 tablespoons of olive or almond oil, 4 tablespoons of your favorite conditioner, and 2-3 drops of your favorite musk perfume or essential oil. Mix well and apply to wet hair. Leave on for several hours or overnight and rinse and condition with conditioner mixed with lemon juice and vinegar.

I used almond oil, Suave Naturals conditioner, and lavender essential oil. I took a nice hot shower to relax myself and open the pores on my scalp and applied the mixture when I got out. I did not blot dry or touch my hair before applying; I simply tipped my head over the tub, scooped out a small amount and evenly spread it through out my hair. I massaged it into my scalp a little then carefully ran it through my ends. Once my hair was completely coated with the entire amount (Reminder: I have long hair and required the full amount, shorter hair uses 1/2 the mixture) I placed a towel on my shoulders and let it sit over night.

Keep in mind that this mixture is greasy, due to the oil, so your hair will be slimy ALL night. While awake I let my hair sit on a towel and made sure not to lay back on anything. When I went to bed I wrapped my pillow in t-shirts and gently wrapped my head in a towel. I wrapped my hair because I didn't want it all over my face all night; the last thing I need is more oil on my face causing a breakout.

When I got up this morning I had dreadlocks of oiled hair; however, it didn't smell so I didn't complain. I rinsed really well with water and then did a co-wash that consisted of 1/4 cup of conditioner, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Again, I rinsed really well and then did a cold water rinse. I blot dried with a t-shirt, did a light gel plop, and left it alone to see the result. It still looks semi dready but it feels super soft. I think the weight of the mixture stretched my curls; although, over the next couple days they will probably spring back.

If you touch it you can still feel the oil but it doesn't look greasy or nasty and it smells great! I can feel it weighing on my head so I've pulled the front back and out of my face for today. Tomorrow and Friday I will probably do nothing more than a cold water spritz and rinse so it should lighten up and I'll be able to leave all of it down; I hope.

I can't say for certain how I like this treatment quite yet. Since I don't smell, it already beats the last. In the future I might play with the ingredient amounts until I find a mixture that works best with my hair. The initial result is nice and gave me the moisture I wanted and added a little shine.

Curl: 3
Frizz: 0
Weather: 48F, windy, 71% humidity
Stress: Low

DAY 48: New Treatment

Tonight I have plans to try a new moisturizing treatment and since I wasn't sure which one I didn't do much of anything to my hair today in preparation for it. I rinsed it with cold water, barely blot dried it, and added only a hint of gel to tone done the frizz; I didn't even plop since the curls where already nicely formed. I then pulled the front back and let the rest hang loose. A few stray hairs wouldn't pull back so I let gently twirled them on my finger and let them hang loose around my face in soft curls.

I get a briefing on my new treatment experience tomorrow. :)

Curl: 6
Frizz: 3
Weather: 39F, rainy, 87% humidity
Stress: low

Day 47: First Snow

Today is the first snow of the Christmas season. As excited as I was when I first got up and saw the snow on the ground it was quickly squelched as I saw the traffic report on the news. With only 2/10 inch of snow there were back ups on EVERY route I could take to get to work. Every interstate was packed bumper to bumper with traffic and even the back roads were filled with people trying to take detours and reroute off the interstates, how ridiculous!

This morning I did a lavender mist, gel plopped, and didn't touch my hair again. The curls are still soft but getting dry. I sprayed a little extra on the ends to help with the frizz and to provide a little more moisture and I was also extra easy on my gel plop so that I didn't hurt or break any of the curls. I've learned that as my hair dries out I need to take extra care when touching and working with my hair. It's strong and healthy but the coming need for moisture causes me to be careful until I can provide a co-wash or moisturizing treatement. I won't have time for a moisture treatment tonight; however, I'm hoping tomorrow will work.

Curl: 7
Frizz: 2
Weather: 36F, cloudy/ snowy, 92% humidity
Stress: Low

DAY 46: Cold and Dry

Today was the first really cold day we've had so far this Christmas season, I think they are even predicting snow tomorrow morning. Cold weather means dry hair and lots of static. I hope to have time to try another moisturizing treatment this week; I think I'll need it.

This morning I did a co-wash, taking extra time to make sure my scalp was well coated. I plopped the conditioner into my hair and made sure that it was more evenly spread than last time. I rinsed quickly not completely rinsing it all out of my hair and did a cold water rinse. Any conditioner that was left after my normal rinse was rinse by the cold water. It made a major difference in the softness and frizz of my curls. After blot drying and gel plopping I pulled the front off my face and left it alone. It curled like crazy and was super soft.

I won't say that my curls are breakable; however, they are sensitive. Over working them causes more frizz and the constant act of putting my coat on and taking it off does a number on the ends. The friction of the fabric in combination with the dryness in the air makes for frizzy ends. To remedy this I lick my finger or run it under cold water and lightly twist the curl around my finger. The moisture will lay the frizz back down into the curl with out breaking it and revitalize the gel that I had put on it earlier that morning. I only do this to the ends and only one curl at at time. If I feel any breakage while twisting I stop and leave the curl alone.

Curls: 7
Frizz: 5
Weather: 48F, Sunny
Stress: low

Day 45: Weekend Wear

With no where to go and and nothing to do this weekend I took joy in lounging around the house watching an America's Next Top Model Season 1 marathon. It's funny to see the difference in the production from season 1 and the most recent season 13. Lounging around meant doing NOTHING with my hair or my makeup. Despite being dressed by 10: AM I didn't leave the house until after 3: PM and when I did I just pulled my hair back into a pony tail and went.

Later this evening I ran a hot bath filled with bubbles and took some time to relax; once the water cooled to warm I slowly slid down into the water and let it cover my hair. For about 15 minutes I let my hair soak in the warm, bubbly water. I have NO IDEA what ingredients are in my bubble bath but I know they can't be too harsh since I have very sensitive skin. Either way, I didn't care, letting the water run over my hair and open and relax the pores on my scalp felt heavenly. I blot dried my hair enough to keep it from dripping on me and then left it alone for the rest of the evening. It will probably be slightly damp when I go to bed and I'll do a co-wash in the morning.

Curl: no idea
Frizz: 6
Weather: 55F, Sunny
Stress: High

Day 44: Leave it Alone

Yet again, I can't stress enough that you really do need to listen to what your hair is saying and follow accordingly. If your hair is weighed down give it a day off of products to recover, if it's dry be sure to moisturize in some way; you can do that through a co-wash or a moisturizing treatment. This morning my hair said leave me alone!

I was hoping to have it down all day but nothing I did to make my curls look better helped. They just didn't want to be messed with today. After attempting a lavender mist, a gel plop, and a little light twisting on my finger they weren't working for me and I finally gave in to their plea to be left alone and pulled them back in an up do. Even in the up do they were rebelling; today they must have a mind of their own and are going every which way. I didn't let this frustrate me; surprisingly, I took it in stride and remembered that even curls need a day off every now and again. The up do did pull the curly mess off my neck and out of my face; instead of the curly halo I wanted it was more of a tangled mess. It worked and I didn't have to mess with it all day. :)

I have a woman's Christmas Tea with my church tonight so the up do will work; however, it has caused my stress level to sky rocket this week and very well may be the cause of the curly mess I have today!

Curl: 3
Frizz: 5
Weather: 48F, Sunny
Stress: High

Day 43: In need of a Cleansing

Yesterday I used aloe for my flaking problem and LOVED the outcome; however, I will warn you that by the end of the day it did get to look and feel a bit greasy. I didn't get too discouraged since I was home for the night but I was glad to realize that this is not a treatment I can leave on for a long period of time. This morning I made sure to do a good co-wash to get the excess aloe out of my hair and rinsed with cold water. My scalp doesn't itch and my curls are soft. I think that I will try the aloe once a week or once every couple weeks. My scalp seemed to respond to it really well and I can see an improvement after only one treatment. It gives me great hope that I won't be itching constantly. The bottle I have is small so it fits in my purse and I have plans to use it as a spot treatment through out the week for the heavy itchy spots. A dab on my finger to massage on the spot that is dry and itchy and the flake and itch is gone. :)

After my co-wash in the shower I blot dried with a t-shirt, gel plopped, and left it alone.

Curl: 5
Frizz: 3
Weather: 54F, Cloudy, 63% humidity
Stress: high

Day 42: Aloe Anyone?

Before I wet my hair this morning I took notice how much certain parts of my scalp itched. Over the last month the front part section always seems to have an itch and despite rinsing it well, conditioning it well nothing seems to help. Even when I did the Chakra treatment it itched. When I did a light scratch this morning it began to flake horribly; something I never noticed before. Since I didn't have time for a heavy cream treatment for the flakes I moisturized with the next best thing, 100% pure Aloe Vera. I put in on my skin when it's burnt and dried why not on my scalp when it's itchy and flaking; Curly Girl even recommends it as a moisturizing treatment.

The Curly Girl method is 1 tablespoon of pure edible aloe vera (that you can find at a health food store and have to refrigerate after opening) into your scalp of freshly rinsed or conditioned hair. You can rinse it out and do a co-wash or leave it in as an alternative to hair gel. I did a cold water rinse, massaged in some aloe; making sure to massage a little more on the hot itchy spots, and VERY lightly gel plopped. When I gel plopped I made sure not to coat or touch my scalp with gel but just coated the very ends to hold the curl in place and maintain the frizz.

Granted I have only had it in my hair for a couple hours but the itch has stopped and when I have scratched it hasn't flaked so I'm calling this an AWESOME and quick remedy for an itchy and flaky scalp. It may not have effected the curl; however, I'm sure that if I keep my scalp moisturized and healthy my hair will turn out healthier as well.

Curl: 6
Frizz: 3
Weather: 42F, Cloudy and Rainy, 76% humidity
Stress: Low

DAY 41: Shower Plop

It's the first day of December and for it the Christmas holiday has officially begun. Luckily for me I have already completed my Christmas shopping and don't have to brave the cold or fight the crowds. The less time my curls spend in the cold frigid air, the better.

This morning I did a spot clean with a light coat on the ends of my hair. Instead of running my fingers through my hair, which I find stretches out my curls, I added the conditioner like I would gel. I "conditioner plopped" my hair in the shower. I left it in while I washed my face and body, rinsed it out lightly with out touching my hair, and then completed the shower with my normal cold water rinse. I blot dried, gel plopped, and let it be. I think the plopping with conditioner helped shape the curls and kept them from being stretched out or weighed down. The curl was very nice in the areas I had coated well and only OK in the areas I'm sure I missed. It is harder to evenly coat your hair when your plopping in the shower. I'll keep that in mind for next time and make a better effort to evenly coat the curls.

Keep in mind that plopping in the shower doesn't remove as many of the strays hairs as running your fingers through does. This causes a double in the hair shedding through out the day and if your hair is as long as mine, it can get annoying and look horrible. Nothing says professional like hair ALL over your back, shoulders, pants, and chair... yea.

Curl: 5/7
Frizz:4
Weather: 54F, Sunny, 71% humidity
Stress: Low

DAY 40: Holiday Recovery

The Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful. We spent time with family, ate lots of food, and fought off a head cold. I didn't realize that I had a head cold until Saturday so until then life was fairly miserable and my curls suffered along with me. Once I learned it was a head cold and began taking the appropriate medicine life got more enjoyable and my curls were taken care of.

Since I did a lemonade wash yesterday I did nothing more than a cold water spritz. I keep meaning to make more lavender but I keep forgetting. I blot dried and gel plopped and went to work. Although I have complained that I'm not sure this is really doing anything for my hair, it seems the longer you go the better it really does get. Now that the smell of the Chakra treatment is completely gone I can see how it helped in the long run. I don't foresee myself putting my nose through that again; however, I've learned the importance of a deep treatment every few weeks. Since the weather is getting colder and the air is getting drier I hope to do another one soon.

My curls are thriving, happy, bouncy, and have a touch of holiday spirit to them today. Tomorrow is December 1, I just can't believe how fast the year has gone...

Curl: 8
Frizz: 3
Weather: 49F, cloudy
Stress: moderate

DAY 35: Looking Professional

In a world where women are in the work place there is always someone with an opinion of what looks professional and what does not. Most men can wear a suit and tie and as long as they are not in sneakers are considered to look appropriate for the business work place. Women, on the other hand, do not have it that easy. Should we wear pants or a skirt? Blouse or sweater? Pantyhose or none? Jacket or not? Should our hair be up or down, should we wear makeup or not? With so many decisions to make and so many trends to choose from it's no wonder so many of us are confused as to what to wear to work and what is considered business appropriate in the workplace for women.

Today I happened to wear my hair in a pony tail and I took time on my pony tail this morning to make sure it didn't look sporty. In a discussion I had later with a co-worker I was told that a pony tail has no place in the professional and business workplace. Please keep in mind that I was in slacks, a blouse, and dress shoes; however, according to her my hair was not appropriate. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I thought my pony tail looked quite nice. I made sure to brush back an stray frizzy hairs that stuck out and kept my pony tail some what low on my head. The curling mass that fell down my back was nice and helped show off how the green in my shirt reflected off my eyes. It was not a messy pony tail, it was a well constructed and neat pony tail that I was proud of. In my opinion I looked professional; I guess others would disagree. :-P

Curls: 5
Frizz: 4
Weather: 62F, cloudy
Stress: Low

[*With tomorrow being Thanksgiving I have no plans of writing, my hope is to pick up again on Friday but with it being the holidays I make no promises. :)]

DAY 34: Not Sure What Else to Do

It has been 4 days since using the smelly concoction on my hair and even after doing a thorough co-wash I can STILL smell it. Although faint, the smell is still there and every now and again I get a wiff of my self and can't help but gag. After 4 days of this I have come to the conclusion that I will NOT be using that deep moisturizing treatment again. It's just not worth it; others may not notice it but I can smell myself.

I did a spot clean on my scalp and a co-wash on my ends. I rinsed with cold water, blot dried, and gel plopped. I pulled the front back with bobby pins and let it hang loose in the back. The curls were more of a wave when they were all hanging lose; however, when I pulled the front back the under curls took over and now are going curl crazy around my neck.

Curl: 7
Frizz: 2
Weather: 59F, Cloudy, 71% humidity
Stress: Moderate

Day 33: Getting Past the Smell

This morning I did a lavender mist to hide the last bit of faint baby puke smell. The lavender was strong enough to hide it as well as add moisture and shine. I wonder why I didn't think of that yesterday!

The curls are nice however the frizz is a little on the heavy side. I can tell it's getting time to wash and I'm all ready to get my hair back to its normal scent! I can tell that by the time I get home the frizz on my neck and ears will have gotten to me and it will be in a pony tail but the end of the night.

It's weeks like this that change my mind about curly girl. When I first started my hair made a huge change; however, now that I'm in a routine I don't really see a difference in what I do now and shampooing. If anything my hair is frizzier most days and the curl really isn't better. In fact most of the time the curl is the same or much less.

Maybe it's time for trim....
Or maybe I'm in need of cutting off some of the length...

Curl: 5
Frizz: 6
Weather: 55F, cloudy, 71% humidity
Stress: low

Day 32: Faint Smell

My hair, I feel, still has a soured milk smell when I got up and I knew getting it wet would only make it worse. I sprayed on a little extra body spray this morning to help cover it; making sure to spritz my hair as well as my body. Even with the spritz I still could smell it so I pulled it up and put on a hat.

I know, you're probably wondering why I didn't do a co-wash or shampoo it; I fear build up in my hair or doing a lemonade wash would dry it out. To avoid over treating or drying it out I'm toughing it out and making do. I figure the treatment still worked, it just smelled. The hat kept it out of the wind today and no one was able to smell it, not even me.

Curl: 5
Frizz: 5
Weather: 54F, cloudy
Stress: low

DAY 31: Smelly Treatment

Last night I put together the Deep Charka Moisturizing treatment for my hair. The effect was AWESOME and my hair was super soft and curly. I was very content with the results; however, it made my hair REEK!

The recipe calls for:
1 Tablespoon powered egges
1 Tablespoon powered milk
1 teaspoon honey
1-2 cups of boiled pasta water or boiled water
3 Tablespoons heavy cream

The first three ingredients are mixed to form a paste, then add the boiling water and slowly stir in the cream. Pour over hair, wrap in plastic wrap turban, and let it sit for at least an hour. Rinse thoroughly and condition as normal.

After having my hubby pour it over my hair, and making sure it was all well coated we wrapped it in plastic and covered it with a towel. Take note that even though your hair may be wrapped in plastic it will still leak, so covering the plastic with a towel prevented the liquid from dripping all over me. We both got comfortable and sat down to watch a movie. In all my hair sat for about a hour and a half and made sure to rinsed REALLY REALLY well and conditioned REALLY REALLY well. I dry blotted and plopped with out gel and let it dry before going to bed. My hair was only slightly damp when I finally climbed into bed.

As I laid down I noticed that something smelled. I smelled the sheets, my pillow, my shirt, the carpet, and the comforter. I couldn't find the root of the smell anywhere and it was strong no matter where I was. Finally, as I laid my head on my pillow i realized it was ME, my hair! It smelled like baby formula or baby puke and it was nasty! Hoping it would die off as my hair dried completely I made sure my hair was out of my face as much as possible before attempting to drift off to sleep. When I woke up the smell had lessened but I could smell the fact that the baby puke ora was still there. Spraying my hair with cold water intensified the smell and I to alleviate the problem I seriously considered shampooing. My husband didn't think the smell was as bad as I did and made sure to tell me it was not noticeable; so I just pulled the front away from my face and nose and let hang down my back. The whole incident cause me to I walked around all day a little self conscious and although it did wonders to my curl and shine I'm a little hesitant to try this one again... It is my belief that is was the powered milk that caused the stench.

Curl: 7
Frizz: 1
Weather: Sunny, windy, 65% humidity
Stress: low

Day 30: ONE MONTH

It's been a whole month since I have used shampoo and I am quite proud of myself for sticking to it. Once I got a method and routine down it's been very easy.

I attempted a moisturizing treatment last night only to scald my scalp. The recipe called for boiling water and I thought it had cooled enough; it had not and I ended up pouring HOT water on my scalp. I screamed in pain which caused me to drop the container and everything to be poured down the drain... there went that idea. I might have remixed the recipe and tried again but I was tired and my scalp hurt. Instead, I climbed in a hot bubble bath with a good book to make myself feel better.

This morning was not a rushed morning but it IS Friday and I have hard time motivating myself to put extra effort into anything. My hair got pulled back in a high ponytail and the front pinned. The curl is still nice and it looks more sporty than professional but I can't really say that I mind. I've spent the last 9 days sitting in a room with 15 men who could be my father or grandfather and there is a high probability I will do it again today; is it Saturday yet?

Curl: 6
Frizz: 2
Weather: 40F, Sunny, 90% humidity
Stress: High

DAY 29: Letting It All Hang Down

I did a spot clean this morning and loved the way my hair curled. It looked so nice this morning I left it down and had plans to keep it down. However, yet again, it became a hindrance to me in yet another meeting that I sat in ALL day. I didn't pull it back in a tight pony tail; instead, I gently pulled it off my face and wrapped my hair band around it loosely. As the day went on stray curls fell out around my face and gave a cute and messy look. May not have looked the most professional but I was happy with it and enjoyed the look. I'm praying tomorrow will be a meeting free day and I'm seriously looking forward to my 3 day week next week.

My curls and I are ready for a break!

Curl: 6
Frizz: 3
Weather: 58F, Cloudy
Stress: High

DAY 28: Getting Tired

Day 8 of nothing but straight meetings. I didn't sleep much last night and woke up so late that I was frantically running around the house getting ready this morning. I did nothing more than pull my hair back in my "up do" (see Day 20) and ran out the door. I'm tired and don't have much time, our meeting break is only for about 15 minutes.

Curl: 4
Frizz: 5
Weather: 61F, rainy
Stress: high

Day 27: Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

Yet another day of meetings is ahead of me and I'm beginning to feel drained... I have no motivation to do much of anything but sleep. As it turns out my boss is out today and I have to cover for her. I can't say for certain but I'm sure my hair will end up pulled up by the end of the day; simply because I'm already running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

I did a lavender mist this morning and felt that the smell rejuvenated me a little. Considering how hard it was to get out of bed this morning, I needed the pick me up!

Curl: 6
Frizz: 4
Weather: 62F, Rainy
Stress: high

DAY 26: After Weekend Blues

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I spent at a scrapbooking retreat, where 40 women crammed into a conference room to scrapbook ALL weekend. It was awesome and the fellowship was great. We all get to spread out, scrapbook, laugh, and eat for an entire weekend. Needless to say, primping and hair care were not at the top of my list the past couple days.

Saturday morning I did a spot clean and left it down for about 1/2 the day. I found that long curly hair is not conducive to bending over a table to scrapbook so it eventually was pulled back into a ponytail. Sunday, after a rough night, I didn't do anything but pull it back and walk out the door. I was too tired and too sore to really care. I wasn't going out in public anyway, I was heading to go spend the day with 39 other women to scrapbook. :-P

This morning I could feel the buildup in my hair so I did a lemonade wash. I blot dried and did a gel plop. It turned out very nice but I still pulled the front out of my face and used a barrette to hold it back. I have meetings all day today, again, so I wanted to be as comfortable as possible.

Curl: 7
Frizz: 3
Weather: 63F, Sunny, 63% humidity
Stress: high

DAY 23: Lavender Mist

Yet again I have tried something new and even though it's Friday the 13th I feel it was a great success and something I can't wait to try again. I made a lavender mist last night and used it this morning.

The recipe calls for a 1/2 gallon of water, 5 drops of pure lavender oil and 3 spray bottles. I only have a one cup spray bottle so I tweaked the recipe a smidgen. I boiled a cup of water and added one drop of lavender then pulled it off the stove to steep until it was cool.

This morning I sprayed my hair down with the mist, blot dried, gel plopped and was done. The curls are still feeling dry; however, I think the lavender mist helped with that a little. The curl is nice and I didn't even have to spritz any body spray this morning. The smell was light enough that it didn't over power the room or me and it added a softness to my curls. Next week I have plans to do a deep moisture treatment, I promise!

Curls: 7
Frizz:5
Weather: 69F, Sunny
Stress: High

*I will be out of internet range this weekend so a Sat. and Sun. post will not happen, have a good curly haired weekend! :)

DAY 22: Fixing My Mistakes

After the fun I had with baking soda yesterday I could not wait to get home and rinse my hair last night. Almost as soon as I walked in the door I hopped in the shower to rinse the damage down the drain. I blot dried it and then left it alone for the rest of the night. I didn't want to gel, plop, and style again for fear of causing breakage. It was only slightly damp when I crawled into bed at 9:30 and when I woke up it was a bit kinky. It laid this way and that way and it was frizzed to the max. Instead of possibly hurting it more I opted to do nothing more than a cold water rinse to give it some time to recover from my fiasco yesterday. I blot dried with a t-shirt, gel plopped, and then let it sit on my t-shirt while I got ready for work. The only time I've touched it since plopping was to get it off my neck or brush a still damp curl out of my ear.

I am surprised at how nice the curls look. The baking soda spritz really did a nice job cleaning my hair and it's nice and shiny now that the baking soda has all been rinsed out. The curls are pretty and soft and springy.

I don't know if its the products of conditioner and gel that I'm using or my hair type but I'm finding that I need to do a cleanse treatment every 3-4 days. My curls seem to get weighed down easily and like to be cleaned more often than what the book talks about; which is every 5- 7 days. I realize all curls are different and I need to listen to what mine are telling me, I just found it interesting and was wondering if it was the same for other Curly Girls?

My trip to the health food store was a hit! I was able to find pure lavender essential oil, pure aloe vera, almond oil, and powered eggs. I was thinking I would spend around $50-$75; I've never been to a health food store before. Although the total was still $30 I was ecstatic that is $20 cheaper than I thought. When I ran numbers for the amount it cost to purchase shampoo for a year and the amount of what I spent for what I'm hoping is a 6 month stock, I'll save over $100 a year!!!

I'm sure you're wondering what all of this natural stuff is for; I plan to use them in recipes to moisturize my hair in the coming days and months. Now that I've stopped using shampoo and I'm making trips to a health food store for things like powered eggs, I'm really starting to feel like some sort of hippie. The thought of it all makes me want to go hug a tree. :)

Curls: 7
Frizz: 3
Weather: 39 F, Sunny, 77% humidity
Stress: surprisingly low, I think it was the extra sleep I got last night.

DAY 21: Baking

Today I tried something new.... and failed miserably. I made plans last night to try the baking soda recipe this morning. I set my alarm 20 minutes early, measured out a tablespoon of baking soda into a 1 cup measuring cup and set it in the bathroom for in the morning.

The directions say to condition hair as you normally would and blot dry. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 cup of warm water and spray on hair. Let it sit for a couple minutes then rinse with cold water, blot dry, and style as usual.

I followed the directions exactly and for a while thought it might turn out great because it says it should make your hair feel clean and look shiny. However in my case I don't think I rinsed all the baking soda out of my hair; causing it to feel super greasy and somewhat sticky and the curls are seriously weighed down. Over all, my hair is NASTY today. I left it down as long as I could but as the day goes on its gets worse; currently it is pulled up in a messy bun and the bangs are pinned back. If I scratch my head/ scalp at all it flakes small powder like flakes that vaguely remind me of baking soda. Can we say GROSS?!!? I can not wait to get home so I can hop back in the shower and rinse my hair.

I am determined to not let this deter me from trying other recipes or even the baking soda one again; I just need to make sure that I do a better job rinsing next time. :) I'm even making a stop at a health food store on my way home from work to pick up a few essentials for future recipes. I'm just dying to the Fruit Smoothie Wrap!

Curls: 2
Frizz: 0
Weather: 59 F, Sunny and windy, 27% humidity
Stress: High

DAY 20: An Up Do

I woke up this morning and tried to "listen" to what my hair needed. It didn't feel dry so I had no plans of doing a co-wash only to have my curls weighed down. It didn't feel dirty so I wasn't going to clean it. I sprayed it down with tepid water and it just looked horrible. It wouldn't curl, it now felt dry and product filled. I was frustrated and didn't have time to get back in the shower, so I drew upon the skills I learned from a college friend.


I've done this up do to my hair numerous time; however, I feel it is time to pay homage to the one who taught me such a marvelous tip, Erin. She once did my hair up like this for a girls night out that we were having and I've been doing it ever since. I even recently taught a co-worker how to achieve the look. It pulls my hair off my face and neck and still allows the curls to maintain shape with out breaking. It is a look I wear with a t-shirt for that punk look, to work for a professional look, or with a fancy dress for a night on the town. It's so simple and takes about 10 bobby pins.

Starting at my ear I gently pull the hair to the back crown of my head, giving a small twist I pin it in place. I do this on both sides and it takes the top, front 1/2 of my hair to the back. Working on the back, I part the hair down the middle and take the bottom portion and twist it up and under the hair I just pulled back and pin it; on both sides. Since my crown is cut shorter for a bang like effect I just pin it back on the top of my head. All the curls now hang freely in the back so you can just place them where you want them and pin them in place. For those with long curly hair I would recommend 2 pins per placement and crossing them to hold the bulk of hair in place. You can also use small clips in place of pins; depending on the type of clips you can add a little sparkle or edge. Normally, I allow the curls to cover the pins so it just looks like a halo of curls.

When my hair is not curling it has an edgy birds nest look and when it curls it gives it a softer look. It usually takes me less than 10 minutes to do, I've had lots of practice, and I almost always receive compliments on it. It is the perfect solution to curls that can't decide what they need or what they want to do and it hides most of the frizz!

Thanks Erin. :)

Curl: 3
Frizz: 5
Weather: 57F, cloudy, 74% humidity, high chance of rain tonight
Stress: moderate, meetings all day today. :-P

DAY 19: Somewhat Normal Again

It's Monday and I wish I felt bad enough to take another day off work; however, I have no fever, no congestion, no headache, and TONS of catch up work to do. I am still tired and feeling a little wore out but I was able to get up and shower, ect.

I did nothing more to my hair than a cold water rinse this morning; I'm not sure I could have handled more than that. I did a blot dry and gel plop and was out the door. My hair feels dry and once my energy full returns I have plans to do a moisturizing treatment. Although the weather has warmed quite a bit, especially for November, I can tell I need to do something.

Curls: 6
Frizz: 4
Weather: 58F, Cloudy, 63% humidity
Stress: moderate

DAY 18: Ponytail

Today I had no time to do much of anything, so my hair was pulled up into a ponytail on my way out the door and stayed that way till it gave me a headache. Then I let it run free, in the comfort of my own home of course. It was a little wild so no one saw the mange of locks except me and the hubby!

Curl: 5
Frizz: 7
Weather: 72F, Sunny
Stress: moderate but dropping... I'm FINALLY starting to feel normal again

DAY 17: Still Not All Here

It's Saturday and despite all the sleep I got yesterday from being home sick, I ended up going home after only 1.5 hours of work, I still slept in till 9. I attempted to sleep as much as possible yesterday and just finally gave into my body's need for rest. Feeling a little more energetic this morning I did a lemonade co-wash; I used the same concoction I made last time making sure to give it a good shake.

It always amazes me how much a shower can really help to make you feel better when you're sick. Washing my hair did wonders for my spirit and the hot water really helped with my congestion.

I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair and then did a cold water rinse. I blot dried with a t-shirt, gel plopped, and gently pinned back the very front, bang portion. I didn't create my 80's bump today but the effect was still nice. Pulling back the front that really wasn't curling too well showed off the middle and bottom layers of curls that were springy and light. The rest I let be run free for the rest of the day and even though it eventually began to annoy the bejebers out of me I refrained from pulling it all back. :)

Curls: 7
Frizz: 2
Weather: 71F, Sunny
Stress: moderate

DAY 16: Feeling Icky

For the last week or so I have struggled with fall allergies. We have gotten a lot of rain in the past couple months and it has caused the mold count to increase by almost 200%. On top of that, 2 people in the office have Swine Flu and 2 more have family that have it. My poor immune system is slowly taking a beating and slowly being worn down.

As each day passes I can feel my body getting weaker and weaker. My head throbs a little more, my throat slowly starts to ache, and my nose fills more frequently. So today I made NO effort to care for my hair. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and walked out the door.

Curl: no idea
Frizz: I'm sure
Weather: 45F, Sunny, 78% humidity
Stress: high

It's just not fair to feel so icky on such a pretty day!

DAY 15: Still Dry

This morning I did a co-wash, blot dried with a t-shirt, gel ploppped and then tried something new.

I took chunks of hair and gently wrapped them around my finger to create a spiral. Since my curls have been lacking these days I hoped to remind them what they were supposed to be doing. I let me hair sit on the shirt until I left for work and anxiously waited for my hair to dry.

One side looked awesome and totally had the effect I was going for, the other side fell completely flat and looked like I had just rolled out of bed. In the end I pinned all my hair back into a mass of curls on my crown. This hid the flat side and brought out the curly side all while getting the hair off my neck and out of my face.

I was bummed it didn't work but I will try again another day. Tomorrow is Friday, YAY!

Curls: 7 and 2
Frizz: 2 and 5
Weather: 55F, sunny
Stress: low

DAY 14: Lifestyle

So over the last two weeks I have changed the way I clean my hair. I have stopped using shampoo and mirrored the techniques recommended by Lorraine Massey. What Lorraine does not explain is that curly girl is more than not using shampoo and changing your technique; it's a change in lifestyle AND mindset.

I do NOT spend a lot of time or effort in morning getting ready to go anywhere. It usually takes me 20 minutes to get ready for work and I prefer to sleep more than I prefer to primp. I'm comfortable with who I am and looks have never been at the top of my priority list. Do I have moments or days, yes. However, on average I don't spend more than 5 minutes on makeup just a quick brush of blush, powder, and mascara; and I don't spend more than 5 minutes on my hair just a quick dry, gel plop, and go.

It's not enough. Although my hair is softer, I can tell I need to do more. I need to spend more time on my hair. Doing a deep moisturizing treatment, which I need, is 30-45 minutes minimum. Even if I do the treatment at night that's almost an hour that I have to spend "primping". So the major question is: how committed do I want to be to the health of my hair, I mean it is just hair after all, right? I have long hair and there is a lot of it to care for. Is it just hair, right now, I don't know...

I sprayed my hair with tepid water, t-shirt blot dried, and gel plopped this morning. My hair is dry and the cold rain is not helping. The frizz is pretty tame due to a light coat of gel on my crown before plopping.

Curls: 6
Frizz: 3
Weather: 42F, rainy, 76% humidity
Stress: Moderate

Who knew hair care would cause me to do some soul searching, lol.

Day 13: Getting the hang of it

I apologize for my lack of posting yesterday. I was down and out with fall allergies. I woke up late and did nothing more than pull my hair back into a curly frizzy ponytail. I spent a 1/2 day at work miserable with watery eyes, stuffy nose, and itchy hands. I finally went home took some good knock you out drugs and slept the rest of the day. I didn't pay any attention to what my hair looked like and I felt so miserable that I didn't care either. This morning I made sure to take some allergy medicine before leaving the house. :)

Today, I did a spot clean in the shower. The only placed that truly needed a good conditioner rub down was the base of my skull. I lightly added some conditioner to the crown of my hair to tame the frizz and did a cold water rinse. I blot dried with a t-shirt and lightly pulled the front of my hair back into 2 barrettes; one on each side of my head. My curls are dry and I probably should have done a full co-wash; however, hind sight is 20/20. The curl is still nice and out of my face, which I like.

If I have time this week I hope to do one of Lorraine's deep moisturizing treatments. The weather is getting colder and drier and it seems that a co-wash does nothing more than weigh down my hair. I hope to try something a little different this week and see if it helps lighten and moisturize.

Curl: 5
Frizz: 3
Weather: 55F, sunny with light breeze, 28% humidity
Stress: moderate

Day 11: Co-Wash

Every time I wash my hair with conditioner ("co-wash") my curls are relaxed and stretched out. Even though I barely touch my hair while in the shower the curls are stretched. I am finding it quite frustrating that when I actually clean my hair it makes it more wavy than curly. Only when I do a cold water rinse, spritz or even the lemonade wash do the curls look curly. I understand that washing the natural oils strips your hair and shampoo is bad for you; however, I'm only seeing a major difference when I don't co-wash. Other than my hair being softer there doesn't seem to be a difference in the shape or texture of the curl.

I'm not feeling well today so I think I'm more easily frustrated with my hair.

Curl: 4
Frizz: 3
Weather: 53F, sunny, 48% humidity
Stress: high, I think I'm getting sick.

Day 10: Frizz is OK

This morning I woke up and did nothing more than a cold rinse. I plopped with my hands while may hair was still wet, blot dried with a t-shirt, I then plopped with gel and then again when completely dry. I have a slight halo of frizz; however, I have come to accept it and appreciate it.

I'm in a good mood, so the frizz doesn't bother me... today. I'm sure a time will come when it drives me crazy but for today I'm ok with it.

Curls: 7
Frizz: 5
Weather: 52 F, cloudy, 59% humidity
Stress: low

Day 9: Communication

It may sound a little odd to say that there needs to be communication between a women and her curls; however, I find it to be true! If you pay attention to what your hair is doing or how it feels, i.e. what your hair is saying, you will learn how to care for it properly and be stunned by the results. By listening to what your hair needs it will reward you with shine and softness.

Yesterdays curls ROCKED and for the most part they all were still in tact when I got up this morning. Normally with them looking so nice I would spray them with some water to tone down the night frizz and be done; however, this morning I took a minute to feel them and they felt dry. I worried about wetting them for fear of losing the spring and initially was just going to do a spot clean. As I was rubbing the conditioner into my scalp I could feel how dry and frizzy my hair was, it needed some moisture. Against my gut I slowly and VERY carefully worked conditioner into the ends of my hair and lightly added some to the crown. I didn't go as far as to detangle just carefully attempted to remove as many lose hairs as I could with out breaking the strands too much. I rinsed with cold water and made sure to rinse my scalp and all of my hair really well; touching it as little as possible. I *blot dried with a t-shirt and applied gel with my hair still dripping slightly and plopped. I blotted when ever the ends would drip and then laid the t-shirt across my shoulders and let my hair sit on the t-shirt until I left for work. I plopped again once it was completely dry and was shocked by the result.


I will admit I was COMPLETELY wrong about the curls. The curls are still intact and look better than they did yesterday because today they are soft and light. My scalp is not itchy and my hair looks great. From not on I will be sure to pay attention more often and let my curls tell me what they need.

Curl: 9
Frizz: 1
Weather: 68 F, cloudy with a 30% chance of rain, 65% humidity
Stress: low

[*Note: I never blot or touch the crown of my hair with a towel or t-shirt. I only blot/ "dry" the ends of my hair. Touching the crown with any thing usually causes my hair to frizz so I let the moisture run down to the ends and then blot just the ends in a plopping motion]

Day 8: Cold Water Rinse

This morning I woke up with a little extra time on my hands. Normally, this is where I would take time to do something special with my hair or makeup but instead I laid in bed until I almost didn't have enough time. :)

All of that to say, I did nothing more than a cold rinse this morning. I didn't wet my hair in the shower, which is hard to do with hair as long as mine. When I got out I tipped my head over the tub and gently poured 2 liters of cold water on my hair; one liter while my hair was upside down and one while upright and leaning over the tub. I changed it up a bit in that I dried my hair with a T-shirt instead of a towel. I plopped with the usual dime size amount of gel and let it air dry; once dry I plopped again. I noticed that drying with a shirt helped with the amount of frizz so I think it would be worth the investment in a couple shirts to dry my hair with. I might have considered using the ones I own but I wear them so frequently that I may not ever have a spare one clean.

I was having problems getting the front curls to curl and lay the way I wanted so I gently pulled the front, top part of the crown, back and pinned it. I pinned it close to the front of my hair line so that it would have a slight "bump" and would give off an 80's feel with out having to tease it. :)

With all the water in the air from yesterday's rain and the rain that is coming tonight my curls are CRAZY curly today and have, for the most part, stayed off my neck! I LOVE it.

Curls: 8
Frizz: 2
Weather: 63 F, cloudy with a chance of rain tonight, 70% humidity
Stress: low, I slept in.

Day 7: One Week Down

It has been a full week since I've used shampoo and my hair is not dirty, smelly, or greasy. I am slowly becoming a believer in the "no-poo" method. I was a bit skeptical at first and my curls have always had a mind of their own but I think this may really help us to learn to communicate with each other. ;)

Knowing that it was suppose to rain today, all I did was spritz my hair with cold water and plop it. As always, once it was completely dry I plopped again. The under layer of my hair has ALWAYS been much curlier than the crown or layers I've had cut into it. Thus the curliest of curls are always laying on my neck tickling me. If it gets to the point where the curls won't stay off my neck I brought a hair clip to gently pull them back and off my neck and face. The only time I have touched my hair has been to move a stray curl or hair out of my face.

I still can't get over the softness of my curls, CrAzY!

Curls: 7
Frizz: 3
Weather: 55 F, cloudy (rained this morning), 93% humidity
Stress: Moderate, I didn't really sleep last night.

Day 6: Lemonade

Before going to bed last night I put together Lorraine's Lemonade recipe. One large lemon mixed with your normal amount of conditioner. Not having a lemon handy I improvised with the pure lemon juice we use for cooking. I gave the bottle a good squeeze and "measured out" around a 1/2 cup of juice in a small travel bottle of approved conditioner. I shook it up really well and left it for in the morning.

When I got in the shower I made sure to give the conditioner bottle another good shake before using. I took small amount at a time on the pads of my fingers and starting at the base of my skull and working toward the front I gently rubbed it in. Starting at the ends of my hair and working my way to the crown I gently worked conditioner through my curls detangling them. I have never used a brush or a comb, even before curly girl, just my fingers. When all of my hair was coated and felt like seaweed I rinsed all of my hair with cold water. I only fingered my scalp while rinsing, again gently rubbing with the pads of my fingers. I did not touch the strands of my hair, instead I tilted my head back as if under a waterfall and let the pressure rinse my hair. The effect on my hair is awesome; it's so soft,shiny, and smells wonderful! I could feel that the cold water rinse really helped with frizz today so as long as I can handle a splash of cold water in the morning I'll keep doing it.

As I do everyday, I plopped my hair lightly with some clear gel and left it to dry. Once fully dry I plopped again to give it some volume and get it off my ears and neck. Even though it's only been about a week I can tell a great difference in the health my hair. I'm still adjusting to it's softness and I'm having to daily remind myself that soft does not mean dirty, hehehe. The curls are better than yesterday so I'm feeling encouraged to keep going.

Curl: 6
Frizz: 2
Weather: 48 F, cloudy with a chance of rain tonight, 84% humidity
Stress: low

Day 5: Spot Cleaning

Another morning, another trial. I have already learning something and I haven't even been doing this for a week. All day yesterday my scalp itched; I believe it was due to me not being able to wet or condition it. Although it felt soft it was also brittle, broke easily, and itched. I about drove myself nuts yesterday trying not to scratch my scalp off. In lue of the itch I did just some "spot cleaning" this morning. I wet my hair and then worked conditioner into only the spots that itched; mostly the base of my skull and the front of my hair. I then applied a little conditioner to the ends and did a cold water rinse.

The cold water rinse seemed to frizz my hair more than help it so I'm hesitate to try it again. I'll plan on cold rinsing all week and if it still isn't helping I may not do it again. With the weather getting colder and the air getting dryer I don't see how a cold rinse would help with the frizz, we'll see.

After plopping and lightly adding some gel I pinned the front sides back, gently. The pins are lose so they don't cause breakage but it also keeps my "wave" off my face for the day. There are a few shorter curls that wouldn't pin back so I left them to fall freely and frame my face; the effect is nice.

I don't know if my hair is adjusting to being well taken care of or if I just don't have as curly of hair as I think. I say this because yet again this morning my curls were more waves. I did read that too much conditioner and product can weigh the curls down and stretch them out so that might be my problem as well. Tonight I plan to put together one of Lorraine's homemade recipes to clean my hair of all product and build up with out stripping my hair of natural oil; I think I may try the "lemonade". Hopefully, that will add some spring to my curls tomorrow.

Curls: 3
Frizz: 6
Weather: 43 F, cloudy, 73 % humidity
Stress: low

Day 4: No Water

I'm visiting family and as it turns out the plumbing is shot so I wasn't even able to wet my hair this morning. Today I let it do it's own thing until it annoyed me enough to be pinned back off my face and neck. After sleeping on it dry it was fairly frizzy when I woke up and needed something to tone down the frizz. I hesitated to add product to my hair while it was dry for fear of it becoming crusty or greasy looking. The curls have remained in tact but could have used a little lift with some water; with it pulled back like it is it looks nice and hides the frizz.

Curls: 3
Frizz:5
Weather: 59 F, Sunny, 39% humidity
Stress: Low

Day 3: Putting it to Use

With it being a Saturday I slept a lot later than I normally would causing my to post to be much later in the day, sorry. This morning I followed the basics steps to curly girl:

The Basic Steps of Curly Care

1. Step under the "waterfall" of your shower and rinse your curls well (but don't touch them!).
2. Once-a-week Cleansing Step: Using your fingertips and a bit of conditioner (gentle shampoo if you're a wavy girl), gently rub your entire scalp. Rinse well.
3. Gently but generously and evenly distribute conditioner through your curls. Wavy Girls, rinse well. Botticelli Curly Girls, rinse 'til your curls feel right. Corkscrew Curly Girls, rinse for just a second. (Rinse with cold water to "seal" the hair shaft.)
4. Use your towel to "scrunch-dry" your curls, gently scrunching towards your head.
5. Spread a small amount of gel over your palms and scrunch your curls in an accordion motion. Repeat until all your curls have been scrunched (scrunching the canopy last), but don't over-gel!
6. Use claw clips to arrange and style your curls (click here to see examples), twisting any last curls into place. Then don't touch your hair while it dries! (Use a diffuser on the coolest, lowest setting if you must speed the process.)
7. Bend over and shake your dried curls to give them more volume. Enjoy your soft, springy curls!

I didn't rinse with cold water nor did I style with clips but I did follow everything else accordingly and am pleased with today's results. My curls are SUPER soft and I've had to refrain from constantly stroking them. Although not all of the curls are quite as tight as I would like or they have been in the past I believe that they just need to adjust to being cleansed properly. I may need to use less/ more product or rinse the conditioner better. Too much conditioner or product may weight them down or may cause dryness so I'll need to play with the amounts of each as I go.

Curls: 7
Frizz: 3
Weather: 49 F, cloudy, 68% humidity
Stress: none, it's the weekend and I'm visiting family. :)

Day 2: SHAMPOO FREE

Per my usual routine I did not wash OR condition my hair this morning. I carefully bent over the tub and sprayed my upside down locks with tepid water. I scrunched the dripping water from my hair and using Curly Girls "plopping" method added product to my wet head.

[Plopping: You cup the ends of your hair and scrunch upward in an accordion fashion. Start with the under hair and work your way out to the crown; making sure to "plop" the crown last.]

Once I was done plopping I rubbed my fingers above my ear in a scratching motion to get all the curls off my ears and to prevent my large ears from sticking out from my hair. It also adds a little volume to the curls.

Since the last time I attempted this method my hair became nasty, gross, and smelly I'm not sure what to expect in the end result. I will admit that since reading the book I have noticed that my hair is DRY and while spraying it I could tell it was a little stringy and brittle. I regret not conditioning it but at that point I didn't have time and needed to leave for work. Due to my lacking of time and inexperience with this I have a feeling I'll be itchy all day at work due to a dry scalp. Oh well, live and learn.

Curl: 5 out of 10
Frizz: 6 out of 10
Weather: 63 F, 94% humidity, light rain.
Stress: moderate- I hate driving in the rain

Day 1: Shopping Spree

In case you have not read Curly Girl or have no interest in doing so I will give you a brief summary of what Lorraine says to avoid and what to look for in your hair care products.

She explains that many products contain non-water soluble ingredients that over time will build up, weigh down, and dull the look of your hair. The 3 main ingredients: sulfates (sodium lauryl, ammonium laureth), alcohol, and silicone's (any ingredient that ends in -cone with the most common I've found to be dimethicone). The sulfates are harsh cleaning agents that strip the hair of needed oils while the silicone's over time cause build up and coat the hair in a wax like substance. As alcohol dehydrates the body when you drink it, it also dehydrates your hair when you use it.

You want to keep an eye out for disodium EDTA, citric acid, cocoamidopropyl betaine, and decyl polyglycose. Along with natural ingredients like wheat germ, soy protein, and amino acids. I won't give you her full list or explanation; for that you can read the book.

I headed to Target and started with the high end top of the line shampoos and conditioners. My first thought was that the salon professionals would have the best products; nope, nodda, zilch. John Frieda, Nexxus, Infusium, and even Tresmee all contained silicone's. Even the non-salon brands like Patene, Dove, Aussie, Herbal Essence and Gardier, my favorite, sported the same bad ingredients. I was a little put out that all the name brands were robbing my hair of essential oils and in a way my money!

As I continued to peruse the isles I came across Catwalk: Oatmeal and Honey Conditioner. It was perfect! All natural ingredients with no sulfates or -cones, YAY! I was severely disappointed when I noticed that a 8.5 fl. oz bottle was $14.49. I might have considered the splurge; however, I have long curly hair and could kill that bottle in a little over a week. I'm open to changing my ways but I don't think my wallet could handle that much change.

I finally found solace in a cheap less than $2 bottle of Suave. Almost every bottle of Suave I picked up contained no silicone's and no bad sulfates. In the end I bought 2. Suave Humecants and Sauve Natural Lavender. Both offered me no harsh chemicals and cleaning agents as well as adding some proteins, amino acids, and lavender extract. I can use the Humecants for mixing with other natural ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar and the lavender when I want a little relaxation or a softer smell. Lorraine highly recommends natural lavender so it was a bonus to find it IN my conditioner.

I must admit I was shocked at how few products offered what Lorraine recommends and how expensive the all natural products cost. I was able to find something cheap that works and for that I am grateful. Hopefully after a month or so I will have luscious, healthy, and shiny curls because starting tomorrow morning I will officially be SHAMPOO FREE!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Day 1: Getting Started

I've never been one to read non-fiction so even reading a non-fiction book as small as Curly Girl seemed to take a lot out of me. The book is chalked full of so much information I feel like it didn't all set in.

After doing some outside research on the book itself and the no shampoo theory I found that the best way to start is to wash my hair with a sulfate shampoo to remove any oil or build up that is currently in or on my hair. I realize that this is completely against the no shampoo method; however, I feel that starting with a fresh and clean slate is the best way to go. It should also show me the best results in the end product.

This morning I washed my hair with my normal shampoo, Garnier Fructis Hydro Curls and conditioner, Garnier Fructis Curls and Shine. After reading the labels and the labels of all my other shampoos and conditioners I realized I needed to do a little shopping. So on my lunch hour I will go in search of a "good" conditioner. As it turns out my LA Looks Mega Hold hair gel is an approved product with no silicone's, sulfate, or alcohol; 3 main ingredients that Curly Girl recommends avoiding. It's also clear so there is no dye that will cause build up or dull my hair.

I'll take notes on my shopping experience and be sure to record my findings.

What's This All About?

Over the last decade or so the look of luscious curls has become more and more popular and the care and desire for those locks has caused a huge market in the world of curl hair care. Products to soften, kink, and de-frizz your curls are everywhere and it can sometimes be hard to distinguish what products to use and what products to stray away from. The fact that every researcher has something different to say or uses the excuse that every curl is different does not help those of us that don't have a clue on how to get the most of out our curls.

In 2001 a brand new idea hit the book stands and a phenomenon was born, stop using shampoo. Lorraine Massey explains in great detail the destruction shampoo, a product we've trusted for years, can do to your curls in her 2001 book Curly Girl. Although I have attempted her method before I didn't really delve into her concept of no shampoo and was highly skeptical of it. The book and idea has become so popular and such a hit I am willing to make another go at it. Over the next 6 months to a year, depending on how long I can withstand writing about it, I plan to document the care of my curly hair based on Lorraine's method. Like everyone else, she too claims that every curl is different and not everything will work for everyone. My intention is to determine what works best for me through a detailed account of my trial and error that I hope my hair can withstand.

I will record the products I use, both homemade and store bought, the way in which I wash and handle my hair, the weather of each day, and my stress level for each day. I plan to document my stress because many researchers state that those levels can change the hormone levels in your body; which we all know affects everything!

To start I would like to introduce myself. My name is Erin and I have curly hair. I am on a quest to find out how to really take care of my curls. I have not always had the curls I now adorn; however, I have had them long enough to know they can be wonderful and frustrating at the same time.

Most days in high school I would pull my hair up into a pony tail or blow dry it straight; constantly wondering why it was never as glossy or soft as the other girls. In college I began to blow dry it less and less and slowly it began to curl more and more. Some days it's gorgeous while others it's a frizzy mess that I end up pulling back. On a normal day to day basis I shampoo and condition it every other day, scrunch some gel into it, and let it air dry.

With the start of this blog I will be following the method set forth by Lorraine in Curly Girl. Let's see if her no shampoo method really helps with my curly and frizzy mess that I call my hair.