Saturday, September 20, 2014

Update 09-20-2014: Black Friday In September

With the new baby coming in less than a month and Curlmart having a Sweet16 sale, I decided to get started on my Black Friday shopping early.  As you may remember from last year's Black Friday post, I went overboard so I wanted to make sure I kept myself in check this year.  I may have still gone a little overboard, but nowhere near as much.  Here is what I bought from Curlmart:
Grand Total:  $132.08 (plus $5 shipping)
Savings: $50.88 (plus shipping savings)

I saved a lot of money by doing my shopping a little early and coupon hunting (use cm15 with your order to save more).  We'll ignore the fact that I could have saved more if I did not buy as much.

Here is what is tentatively left on my Black Friday shopping list:

What is on your Black Friday list?  Have you started shopping?

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Product Review: Blended Beauty Curl Quenching Conditioner

Price:  $18.50 for 8 oz.

Ingredients:   Aqua (enriched with Aloe Vera), Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Witch Hazel Distillate, Capryl Isostearate, Glycerin, Rice Bran Oil, Polysorbate 20, Behenoyl PG-Trimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol (and) Butylene Glycol, Vanilla planifolia, Preservative [Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol and Sorbic Acid], Scent, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein (and) Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein (and) Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Silk Powder.

 Promise:  A detangling, luxurious conditioner with rice bran oil and rosemary.  Leaves every strand silky smooth.  No silicones!

 Scent:  Snickerdoodle cookies with strong hint of cinnamon

 Consistency:  Buttercream frosting or softened butter.  In the jar, it looks like it will be heavy, but it spreads fairly thin in a good way.

Results:   I have had this jar for awhile, and it looks like the ingredients may have changed some.  I don’t see rice bran oil listed anymore, and the new formula has propylene glycol.  Also, when I bought this, I thought it was a deep conditioner, but the instructions say to only leave it on for 2-3 minutes, so I think it is a regular rinse out.  I liked this conditioner, but more for styling than for conditioning.  It is great detangler, with good slip and moisturizing properties.  It reminded me a lot of Camille Rose's Almond Jai Twisting Butter and Bee Mine’s Bee-u-ti-ful Deep Conditioner.  These products have taught me that my hair likes “wet butters” for styling my hair in twists or braids.  However, while I like this, I’m not sure yet if I will repurchase it because of the price and the ingredient change.  I can get Camille Rose for slightly cheaper, and I like the ingredients better.

Love it, Like it or Leave It:  Like It

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Updates 09-13-2014: Moving and Other Things


Hi, beautiful people!  I was looking at my blog and realized that I have not posted in over a month.  There has been a lot going on.  I moved into a new house, I'm in the process of selling my other house, and I'm still preparing for baby, who will be here in a month or less.  I'm doing all of this while working a full time job and taking care of my toddler.

In the midst of all of this, I have to admit that my hair has taken a minor backseat.  I have not been washing or deep conditioning weekly, though I try to get both in at least every two weeks.  In the meantime, I have been protective styling and still moisturizing my hair regularly using my homemade spritz.  First, I used medium sized twists after a thorough detangling.  Now, I've switched to two crown braids.  During the week, I usually wear my protective style under a satin scarf and a wig to preserve the style.  Then, I wear it out on the weekend.  So far, I haven't seen any breakage from this low key routine, but I do need to pay close attention to my crown, which is prone to breakage.

What do you do with your hair when you have a lot going on?

Happy Living!

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Product Review: Annabelle’s Perfect Blend White Chocolate Mousse Hair Mask (The Deep Conditioner Files #7)

Price:  $10 for 4 oz. or $20 for 8 oz.

Ingredients:   Water, Marshmallow Root, Wheat Germ Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Castor Oil, Stearalkonium Chloride, Emulsifying Wax NF, Shea Butter, Cocoa Seed Butter, Cetrimonium Chloride, Sodium Lactate, Silk Amino Acids, Pathenol, Diazolidinyl Urea and Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance.

Promise:  From the website - Chocolate Mousse Moisture Intense Mask is a deep conditioning mask that will impart much needed moisture back into your hair. It packs a powerful punch with its blend of cocoa butter and marshmallow root.

Scent:  Chocolate torte!  I wanted to eat it.

Consistency:  Super thick, like softened butter or thick mud.  I forgot to take a picture of the consistency before I used the last of this.

Results:   I used this as an overnight deep conditioner at least twice.   I was actually surprised at how well my low porosity hair liked it because of the thickness and because my hair doesn't usually like Emulsifying Wax.  This left my hair feeling soft, strong and moisturized.  It reminded me a lot of the Pura Body Chocolate Hair Smoothie in the scent and the way it made my hair feel, but I think I like the Pura Body version better because it is lighter. 

Love it, Like it or Leave It:  Like It

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Ingredient Investigation: DMDM Hydantoin

Hey, beautiful people!  I’m still continuing my investigation of suspect ingredients.  Another suspect ingredient that I frequently see in drugstore products is DMDM Hydantoin.

DMDM hydantoin is used in some products as a preservative to prevent microbes (i.e., bacteria, mold and mildew) from growing in the product.  The main issue with this ingredient is that it is a formaldehyde releaser.  Yes, the same stuff used to preserve dead bodies.  In fact, it works so well as a preservative because the released formaldehyde makes the environment less favorable to the microorganisms.

While DMDM hydantoin only releases formaldehyde in low amounts, this can be an issue for people with sensitive skin or allergies because formaldehyde can be an irritant to the skin, eyes and lungs.  It may also create a formaldehyde allergy.

Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives in a product that also includes amines, such as triethanolamine (TEA), diethanolamine (DEA), or monoethanolamine (MEA), can create a carcinogenic substance, called a nitrosamine, that can potentially penetrate skin.

For now, while pregnant, I’m staying away from any product with DMDM hydantoin; but, after pregnancy, I may be ok with DMDM hydantoin products, as long as the product doesn’t also contain an amine.  I've been wanting to try TRESemme Heat Tamer Spray, but it has DMDM hydantoin and TEA, among other suspect ingredients, so I'm avoiding it.  Call me overly cautious.


Do you use products with DMDM hydantoin?  Which ones?

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Pregnancy And Essential Oils


Hey, beautiful people!  I’m headed into the third trimester of my pregnancy.  Home stretch!  Since I found out I was pregnant, I’ve been reading up on what essential oils I can use during pregnancy because I use a number of them in my homemade moisture spritz and some of the products I buy use them as well.  As a result, I gave up my Rosemary essential oil early on.  I thought I would share what I've learned in case it helps someone else.  


Here is the list of essential oils that I have learned to avoid because they can be unsafe in undiluted, high doses (most of these are still ok in food, but not tea):
·         Nutmeg (may have hallucinogenic effects and react with pain-relieving drugs)
·         Rosemary (may cause contractions)
·         Basil (may contribute to abnormal cell development)
·         Jasmine (may cause contractions)
·         Clary sage (may cause contractions)
·         Sage and rose (may cause in-utero bleeding)
·         Juniper berry (may affect your kidneys)
·         Lemongrass (can cause miscarriage or defects)
·         Cinnamon
·         Wintergreen

Here are the ones that are supposed to be ok for uncomplicated pregnancies:
  • Citrus oils, such as tangerine, lemon, orange and grapefruit
  • Chamomile
  • Lavender
  • Frankincense
  • Peppermint (always dilute it, and be careful at end because it may decrease milk supply)
  • Ylang ylang
  • Eucalyptus
  • Bergamot
  • Cypress
  • Tea tree oil (not when in labor)
  • Geranium
  • Spearmint
To be on the safe side, it is best to dilute any of these oils, rather than topically applying them straight out the bottle.  You should also still talk to your doctor about any essential oils you want to use.  For certain pregnancy complications and health conditions, you shouldn’t use any essential oils.  I always keep a running list of questions for my doctor to ask at each appointment.  If you don’t feel like you can ask your doctor every question you have, find a new doctor.


What Essential Oils Do You Use?

Saturday, July 19, 2014

African Black Soap Update

Hey, beautiful people!  In a previous post, I talked about how I wanted to try African Black Soap as a cleanser to see how it worked for my hair.  Well, I've been using it almost exclusively for a couple months now and I LOVE IT!  It leaves my hair soft and clean, and I also use it as body wash.  Plus, it is cheaper than any of my other cleansers.  I can get a 32 oz bottle of the Dr. Woods Black Soap for $13 on Amazon.  I have learned that if I use too much of this black soap undiluted, then it can be a little stripping.  So, lately, I've been mixing it with water for my hair, which makes it last even longer.  I tried a 1 part black soap with 7 part water mix; but, this is too thin to make it manageable for me in the shower, though it was still cleansing.  I think, I may do a 3:5 ratio for a little thicker mixture.

Also, I've been watching Youtube videos lately to see if I want to try making my own black soap shampoo, which would be even cheaper.   You can get a pound of solid black soap for about $5-$8 to mix with water and oil.  A little of the solid goes a long way.  Here are some Youtube videos that I have found for inspiration:


With this discovery and my no-buy, I'm giving up shampoo altogether for now, with the exception of my chelator shampoo.


Do you use black soap to wash your hair?  What do you think?
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