Do white clumps and specks constantly ruin your twist out?

1. Reduce the amount of product you use.
Most naturals are to heavy handed with their style products. More product does not necessarily mean better style results. If white product build up is your issue, reduce the amount of product you use by half. As you pour product, make it a habit of putting half of the amount back in the bottle. This will help you so break the habit of overusing products.

2. Test product compatibility before doing your whole head.
You should always use a leave in conditioner under your gel or style product. Unfortunately this is where it can go wrong.  Before you waste time and product, test the compatibility of your products, before doing your whole head. Put a nickel size amount of each product on the back of your hand. Blend the products together. Examine closely how well the two products mix together. Do you see separation? Do you see clumps? Let it settle for 60 seconds. The two products should blend to a clump free smooth consistency. If it does not then do not apply that product combination to your hair. 

3. Stay away from products that are white opaque. 
Buy products that are shear in color. This is a good way to not have white specks form on your hair. Miss Jessie's curling custard is clear color. It also creates great wash and goes and twist outs.This can be a challenge, because most leave ins are white opaque.  Consider using a liquid leave in spray, if this is a constant issue for you. 

4. Dab away excess product when done setting your style. 
A good indication of overusing product, is when you can see excess product oozing out your twists, once you have finished twisting. Instead of leaving that excess product sitting on top of you hair, lightly wipe it away with a mono fiber towel. Or tie down with a scarf so the scarf soaks up some of the product. Tying your hair down with a silk scarf, will also soak up excess product. 

5. Stay away from cheap products.
Cheap ingredients are mostly likely to bead up on your hair. You get what you pay for. Cheap products do not mix well with other products. Invest in all natural products. Purchase your gel and leave in conditioner from the same line. Products from the same line are compatible with each other, in most cases. 

Botanical gels a healthier alternative for your wash and goes

Gels are used for defining curls, holding them in place or smoothing down the hair. Commonly used for the wash and go, buns, updos and sometimes a twist out.  You will use gel anytime you want more hold. 

What you apply to the hair strands, will eventually seep into the hair follicles.  Any product which sits on the hair, should be filled with good ingredients. When a gel is filled with a lot of alcohols, proteins, dyes and harsh ingredients. They cause your hair strands to dry out quick, and break. They clog your hair follicles and retard your hair growth. They also lead to major scalp irritations. 

There are many gels which work awesome on coily hair. But the popular ones are filled with lots of bad dyes and ingredients. 

A botanical gel is not harsh like regular gels. They are filled with plant extracts which give the hair hold, without making it crunchy and drying it out. Always expect to pay more for a botanical gel. Consider it the same as buying fresh vegetables versus fast food. 

The most popular gel used by naturals is the eco styler gel. It is cheap and it works for most. However compare the ingredients on your jar of eco styler gel to the ingredients I have listed below for a few botanical gels. 

BIG DIFFERENCE HUH? 
I KNOW?
THE PROOF IS ON THE JAR.

Here are my top pics for botanical gels and custards. 

Kinky Curly Curling Custard (KCCC)
Ingredients:  Water, horsetail, chamomile, nettle and marshmellow, organic aloe vera juice, agave nectar extract, pectin, citric acid, vitamin E, potassium sorbate, natural fragrance.

• Firm, hold no crunch
• Hold lasts up to 3 days.
• Mixes well with most products
• No flaking
• Not sticky, if you do not overuse
• A little goes a long way.
• Lasts a long time. 

Curly Magic curl stimulator
Ingredients:  Aloe Vera, marshmellow root, chamomile, nettle  and horsetail extract, agave nectar extract, Vitamin E, citric acid, Potassium Sorbate, natural fragrance. 

• Aloe Vera based 
• Long lasting definition 
• Firm hold

Order here!

Mielle Organics Honey and Ginger styling gel
Ingredients:  Water, Glycerin, honey, aloe Vera, acrylates polymer, coconut oil, babassu oil, shea butter, maltodextrin/VP polymer, marshmellow extract, Pectin, parfum, Carbomer, Xanthan gum, Dehydroacetic acid, Benzyl alcohol

• Great definition
• Frizz reduction
• 70% organic ingredients

Obia Curl enhancing custard
Ingredients:  Water, Olive oil, grape seed oil, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed wheat protein, egetable glycerin, Gluconolacton and Sodium Benzoate, Xantham gum, Fragrance. 

• PH balanced
• non alchohol
• nourishing oils
• Non drying
• Does not leave hair crunchy. 

Compare the above ingredients with that of cheaper gels such as eco styler gel.

Stop the majority of your breakage

Most hair breakage is caused by the hair tools we use for grooming. Here I offer some healthy alternatives for some very popular hair tools we use as black women. 

Hair tool #1: Combs
Most women use a comb, to style and remove tangles.  If you use combs to groom your hair, stop using them for 30 days. You will notice that you retain a lot more length by using a comb on your tresses. 

Instead of relying on a comb to remove your tangles, use your fingers.  Fingers and thumbs can do an amazing job of removing tangles from any type of Afro curly hair. No curl type is to difficult that it cannot be  finger detangled. 

How to finger detangle
Take small sections
Do not expect it to work as quickly as using a comb.
Use water or a detangling product
Untangle to remove knots do not expect your Afro hair to be totally free of tangles.

How to make parts without using a comb
Untangle hair with your fingers. Use your fingers to create your first part.  Go back and clean your part up using a knitting needle or the pointy part of a good quality rattail comb.  Avoid those cheap rattail combs which are rough, those will break your hair worst than a comb. You want a good quality rattail comb that is smooth. 

Hair tool #2: Brushes and tangle teasers
I am sure you have watched dozens of youtube videos of women raking brushes or tangle teasers through their coily hair. And it looks so good. However using a brush on your coils is so unnecessary and unhealthy. The brush rakes across your hair cuticle and roughs it up. Each time you rake the brush through your hair you are weakening your hair cuticle little by little. The damage is slow which is why most do not notice or relate the damage to the brush. 

If you are not reaching your hair length goals eliminate hair brushes completely from your hair regimen. Your hair will be healthier for it. Change your mindset about your coily hair. When you do a bun do not think your hair has to look sleek like Caucasian hair in order for it to look polished. Accept your hair however it lays, as long as it is neat. 

Hair has been smoothed back by using a little gel and my palms. Once in place hair is tied down with a scarf for 30 minutes or overnight. Afro hair will dry into any shape you mold it into. No brush needed. 

Neat does not mean sleek. 

Smoothing your hair without a brush
Apply your product on wet hair. 
Spend time using your palms and product to smooth the hair back. 
Tie hair down immediately using a satin scarf. 
Your hair will dry neat and flat. 
If you must, you can use a toothbrush on your edges. 

Hair tool #3: Blow dryer
A blow dryer is one of the worst types of heat you can use on any type of hair. No matter the curl type. Blow drying leaves the hair hard because all moisture is removed. Blow drying is not conducive to Afro coily hair. Never blow dry your hair if you want to retain length and hydration. 

ORDER MAGNETIC ROLLERS HERE

Two easy ways to stretch the hair without a blow dryer

Option A: 
Set your hair using magnetic rollers on very wet hair. 

Allow hair to air dry, the next day your hair will be stretched but moisturized and soft. 

Option B:  
Allow  hair to air dry by 70%, then create your two strand twists.  You will have more stretch to your twist out, setting it this way. 


Hair tool #4: Flat irons
Each time you flat iron the hair you stand a big chance of receiving heat damage. Any type of heat straightening changes the hair structure slightly. Even if your hair reverts. Your hair is still not the same. There is no good  substitute for flat ironing the hair. Nothing healthy will give you the look of flat ironed hair. 

Ways to reduce your chances of heat damage from flat ironing of heat straightening

• When you get ready to flat iron, do not also blow dry the hair.
• Let your hair air dry, so you have less damage.
• You can also stretch your hair by doing a roller set before you flat iron.
• Doing so will help you apply less heat passes to get your hair straight 
• Always deep condition your hair well before you flat iron.
• If you are having dry hair issues never heat straighten your hair. You will damage it. 
• Use a silicone base heat protectant 

Applying these tips to your hair care regimen will enable you to retain a lot more length. You will also have healthier hydrated hair. 

How to choose your hair care products?

Part one: 

Choosing your basic care products 

A successful hair journey is broken into 3 parts. One half mindset, 1/4 technique and 1/4 products. The hair care regimen is included in with technique. Hair, for most people is a huge part of their daily outfit. Hair is a big deal to most, so your mindset about your hair is very important. You need to have a good attitude about your hair, even when it is not exactly the way you desire it to be. Your positive mindset combined with a good regimen and the right products will help you grow the hair you desire. 

The first in creating your hair care regimen is having the right products for your hair. The products you use are based on the current condition of your hair and the style you plan to achieve. In the beginning of your regimen it is good to perfect one style first, this is your signature style. This is better than trying different style each day and becoming discouraged. 

How to choose a cleanser for your hair

You need a cleanser that is formulated to cleanse the hair. Co washing with conditioner is not cleansing your hair. Conditioner is not formulated to cleanse your hair.  Choose a non sulfate shampoo or a conditioning cleanser. 

Choose a shampoo that is sulfate free, alcohol free and silicone free. Keep your cleansers between a PH of 4.0 and 7. Your shampoo should clean without stripping your hair. Look for the words "moisturizing on the bottle, those are usually good choices.

Cleanser suggestions:
Shea Moisture coconut & Hisbicus shampoo
Shea Moisture Thickening shampoo
Shea Moisture retention shampoo
Cream of Nature moisturizing shampoo
Lisa Rachel conditioning cleanser 4.5PH
As I am coconut co wash cleansing conditioner 5.5 PH
As I am cleansing pudding 4.5 PH
Eden bodyworks co wash

The entire As I am line is PH between 4.5 and  6.5 the perfect PH for maintaining healthy hair

How to choose your deep conditioner

Honey & Sage Deep Conditioner

Each shampoo should be followed by a  regular conditioner or deep conditioner. A regular conditioner, is applied to the hair and rinsed off in 5 minutes or less, in most cases. Deep conditioner should contain ingredients which penetrate the hair cuticle. Heat from a hooded dryer or steamer is used with a deep conditioner. Sit under hair dryer for at least 20 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Using cold or cool water will help to lock in the moisture benefits from your deep conditioner. Again beware of harsh alcohols, sulfates and silicones.

Conditioner recommendations:
Shea Moisture black soap masque
Shea moisture restoraton masque
Alikay Naturals honey and shea
As I am hydration elation intensive conditioner  5.5PH

How to choose a leave in conditioner

Follow each shampoo/DC with a leave in conditioner. Afro hair requires continuous moisture. So choosing the best leave in conditioner is extremely important. All other products are rinsed off, but your leave in stays on your hair. If the ingredients are harsh it will dry your hair out. Choose the leave in with the least amount of harsh ingredients.

No parabens
No sulfates
No harsh alcohols

Recommended leave in conditioners:
SM Curl enhancing smoothie
As I am double butter cream 5.5
As I am leave in conditioner 5.5
Taliah Waajid curly curl cream
 Afro stretch by 4Naturals
Cantu shea butter leave in
Cantu curl activator

Your leave in conditioner should also function as your styler for twists out and braid out. All of those mentioned above work great as a styler and leave in conditioner.

For extra hold use gel on top of your leave in conditioner. Not all products are compatible. Test your products on the back of you hand to see how they mix together. Also try using a leave in conditioner with a gel from the same line to avoid product conflict. Product conflict will leave flakes or white balls in your hair and require immediate cleansing. 

Twist out

Twist/braid outs work great with curling creams and leave in conditioners.

 

Wash and go wet sets need a leave in and a gel to freeze the curls in place. The leave in helps the hair to not dry out under the gel. 

Once you get your products, then be sure you are cleansing your hair using the correct technique. Read here on how to shampoo your hair effectively.

HOW TO CONDITION YOUR HAIR, THE RIGHT WAY.