I didn't get far into this latest first trimester without noticing that my hair was in a definite funk. I always had natural curls that were fairly easy to manage, and then all of a sudden they weren't. I'm talking stringy, frizzy, dry, bad hair. I'd always gotten away with using cheapo hair products like Pantene and then whatever equally cheap mousse or gel I liked at the time. But- at least for this pregnancy- those days are gone! So, in search of a remedy, I came across these:
Shea Moisture Curl Control Shampoo and Restorative Conditioner. I really had NO clue what to try, and I've always been timid about splurging on expensive products without any guarantee that they'll work. But when I stumbled upon this post by a fellow curly-haired gal, I decided to try something similar to what she used. I found these particular items in the ethnic hair care aisle at Target {on sale, always a plus!}, and to my great satisfaction they are the best hair products I've ever used. They are totally organic and free of all kinds of curl-stifling chemicals like sulfates and paraffin. Thanks {once again} to my curly-haired friend, now I know this! The biggest noticeable difference with these products vs. the sulfate-infused brands {other than the enhanced curls}, is the feel and texture. My hair feels a lot more moisturized on a daily basis, almost oily, but not in a bad way.
So, for the routine: I use the Shea line every day, and every few days I do a quick wash with a basic shampoo to get the built-up mousse and hairspray out, followed by a second wash with the Shea shampoo. When I get out of the shower I wrap my hair up in a towel for a minute or less {t-shirts are supposed to work better for curls but I've yet to try this}. Then I turn my head upside down and gently work a small amount of watered down mousse into it, careful not to do too much "scrunching". Currently I'm using got2b's Kinky Curling Mousse. Then I let it air dry, and I'm done!
I will say that I'm still getting used to the non-shampoo feel of the Shea shampoo. It doesn't lather and foam like what I've been used to using all of my life, it's more like a moisturizer. And the more natural curls I get with it are prone to a tad bit of frizz on certain days, so I'm currently looking around for some sort of spray-in de-frizzer that I can use on occasion. Any recommendations?
I've only been using this organic line for about a week now, but I'll never go back. After being so personally clueless about what works best for curls {at least my curls} for 28 years, I hope this can be of help to some of you!
If you're a fellow curly-haired creature, what are your favorite products???
P.S. I found these Shea products at Target a week ago for $9.99 for the first bottle and then 50% off the next bottle of equal or lesser value. So, about $15 total. Some of Amazon's prices are really high, so it's definitely worth checking out Target or shopping around for a good deal.
P.S. I found these Shea products at Target a week ago for $9.99 for the first bottle and then 50% off the next bottle of equal or lesser value. So, about $15 total. Some of Amazon's prices are really high, so it's definitely worth checking out Target or shopping around for a good deal.
