Which Method Works Better During the Winter? LCO vs. LOC Method

Hey!

I hope that you guys are having a great week! I am doing well! The holidays are here! It is freezing in Chicago, and I have a bit of a busy weekend ahead of me, but it will be okay. :)


Have you guys ever heard of the LOC method? NO? Okay.

The LOC method (leave-in conditioner, oil, and cream respectively) is used to retain moisture in hair. It has been very successful with a lot of natural-haired women. The LOC method works year round, especially during the winter months. In the book, The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair Care, the author, Audrey Davis-Sivasothy, mentions this method as well. Ideally, this method is used after washing ones hair. After washing the hair, the individual applies a leave in conditioner, an oil, and a cream based product of their choice. They finally style their hair as normal.

Although the LOC method has been significantly successful, I prefer to do things a different way. During the winter, I will wash my hair as normal. Afterwards, I will apply a leave-in conditioner, hair cream, and an oil-based product of my choice. This is known as the LCO method (can you believe that there are terms in reference to natural hair? lol).
I prefer the LCO method. It seems to penetrate my thick hair more when done this way. I have also noticed that it feels less greasy.

You can choose any one of these methods WITHOUT breaking the bank. Choose an oil that you like. Choose a leave in conditioner. Choose a hair cream. Wash, rinse, and repeat (pun, intended!). For example, I am currently using Aphogee Leave-In Spray, my homemade hair cream (which I am STILL perfecting!), and Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade.

Frankly, whatever method that you decide to choose, do your research beforehand. Whatever route you choose to take, I just want you to have healthy, moisturized hair. <3



Talk to you soon.
Brie.

Humectants!

Hello!!

I hope that everything is going well for you. Me? Oh ya know...work, striving to be better on my health journey...all of that fun stuff lol 

This blog will be about....HUMECTANTS!!! Humectants are an ingredient found in hair products that attract moisture from the environment. This ultimately moisturizes your hair. When I first became natural, humectants were my saving grace during the winter time. I would experiment with different styling products and applications, realizing how buttery soft my hair became (no lie, ask my momma). I did not understand what the heck a humectant was until after researching the ingredients of my hair products. 

Natural hair is already fragile. However, during the winter months, natural hair can be as fragile as Derrick Rose's joints (yes, I am from Chicago. I still said what I said). Winter is when one really has to be extremely vigilant with hair care. This is where humectants come in: they provide some assistance in circumventing hair breakage with their moisture-attracting qualities. There are two categories of humectants: synthetic and natural humectants. 

Synthetic:

• Butylene glycol
• Glycerin
• Urea
• Tremella extract
• Sorbitol
• Dicyanamide
• Sodium PCA
• Sodium lactate

Natural:

• Hyaluronic acid
• Aloe
• Alpha hydroxy acid
• Honey
• Seaweed, algae, and other marine extracts 

  

Ideally, natural humectants are recommended. However, synthetics work just as well (please keep in mind that synthetic humectants have the potential to dry your hair out over a period of time).

Be sure to check your products and see if some of the ingredients are a humectant. You will definitely be one step closer to moisturized hair in the winter time :). 

I hope that this helps! 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

Winter Protective Hair Styles!

**DISCLAMER: Bear with me, I am currently in the process of deciding which weekday to publish my blog posts. I recently did a bit of research, and discovered that my posts can garner more engagement instead of Wednesday.

This article may just be the start of another series of blog posts(?) I realized that some people may not know what to do with their natural hair during the winter. I LOVED styling my hair during the winter months. LOVED. IT.  If it sounds like something you guys would be interested in, let me know in the comments below! Also let me know via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram <3**

 
Hey! I hope that your Thanksgiving was lovely <3. My Thanksgiving was nice: low key, and relaxing. I did not cook this year, but I will more than likely cook for Christmas. Needless to say, I am EXCITED. I will be the black INA GARTEN and you all will deal!!!! 

This blog post will be about protective hair styles during the winter.

Protective hair styles are amazing. It is defined as a style that conceals the ends of the hair protecting them from damage due to overexposure to the elements, friction, etc. They assist in hair retention, moisture (if properly moisturized), and different desired aesthetics. Fun fact: a lot of the hair styles that were mentioned in my previous blog post are considered to be protective hair styles! They are great for people who are striving to grow their hair, yet love a great haircut (ahem, me). They can be worn at any time of the year. A lot of naturalistas, however, wear them during the colder months, where natural hair is more prone to breakage.

Protective Hair Styles 

• Buns

I love this look! <3 :)



• Twists

I WILL be attempting this soon! So cute :)

• Braids

Gorgeous right?! This picture is perfect. <3

• Crochet

Faux Locs, Straight, Kinky, Wavy, Twists, etc. I LOVE crochet!!!

• Weaves

Baby, this is LAIIIDDDDDD

• Wigs



Chile y'all are doing witchcraft with these wigs; I didn't know that this was a wig! :0







The great thing about protective styles is that they can be worn for a period of time. This also helps if you are busy and do not have time to style your hair. It is STRONGLY recommended that you fully moisturize (treatments, deep conditioning, etc.) your hair (ESPECIALLY your ends!) prior to styling.  The key to protective styling is keeping your hair ends moisturized. I hope that this helps. <3<3<3

Talk to you soon.
Brie. 

K.I.S.S. Naturals: The End!

Hello!!!!!

I hope that you all are doing well!

Excuse me for the brief MIA (missing in action), the last week or so has been kicking my butt (work, adulthood, and life) :).


This post will be a short one, but this will be the final post of the K.I.S.S. Natural Series! I just want to thank anyone that stumbled upon my blog, shared, liked, or commented on my natural hair blog. Even if you felt that it didn't relate to you (someone actually told me that lol), you still checked out my site.



It is thoroughly appreciated. I hoped to inspire and provide some insight and encouragement to women (even men!) who wanted to pursue natural hair. I wanted to provide a series of posts that provided a simple guide amidst the vast amount of information out there. I wanted to provide anyone with the tools to feel empowered on their natural hair journey. Hair is not supposed to be an overwhelming stressor. It is not complicated.



So again, this is the last post of the series. I hope that you enjoyed! I will be back on November 29th with a new post. Enjoy your holidays!



Talk to you soon.
Brie.

Always #KISSANATURAL ;) xoxo

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Natural Hair Resources

Good afternoon!

I hope that you guys are having a great week! We are getting closer to the weekend, thank goodness!

This is going to be a fairly quick post, mostly composed of links about natural hair. Most of them are blogs, and of course YouTube. Be careful with YouTube: it can be a rabbit hole. You start with one video, and it can turn into a few hours on YouTube LOL

Blogs:

http://www.afrobella.com/ (the OG of natural hair blogging!)
http://simonedigital.com/
https://www.naturallycurly.com/
http://www.4chairchick.com/
http://www.curlynikki.com/
http://blackgirllonghair.com/

YouTube (natural hair bloggers):

BeautifulBrwnBabyDol:  http://www.youtube.com/user/BeautifulBrwnBabyDol
MahoganyCurls : http://www.youtube.com/user/MahoganyCurls
Naptual85: http://www.youtube.com/user/Naptural85
Sporty Afros: http://www.youtube.com/user/SportyAfros
Nappy Headed JoJoba: https://www.youtube.com/user/nappyheadedjojoba
My Natural Sistas: http://www.youtube.com/user/MyNaturalSistas
Nikki Mae: http://www.youtube.com/user/Nikkimae2003
Chime (Hair Crush): http://www.youtube.com/user/HairCrush

For my Loc Sistas: 

Jasmine Rose: https://www.youtube.com/user/JazzyTe007
Keisha Charmaine: https://www.youtube.com/user/OverXposedKC91
Franchesca Ramsey: http://www.youtube.com/user/chescalocs

Of course there are many more people out there in the internet, but these are the people/sites that I check out from time to time. Also, a lot of the natural hair bloggers were starting their careers when I first went natural. It is pretty cool to see their careers and lives evolve. <3

I hope that this helps you start and feel more encouraged to become natural!

Talk to you soon.
Brie.

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Confidence in Natural Hair

Hello!! Are you having a great week so far? I hope so!

One of the main concerns that I hear often, is how difficult it is being comfortable or confident wearing natural hair. I cut off all of my hair at the end of 2009, and did not fully wear my hair out for four months. Frankly, I was scared and I did not like the reactions that I received with my natural hair. I was used to my hair length, and I did not know HOW to style my hair.

Quick backstory: I am from Mississippi, and grew up in a very sheltered, conservative, and deeply Christian based home. I also grew up having my relaxers every 6 weeks like clockwork lol. When I cut my hair, it was assumed (by some relatives) that I was a lesbian, and going on a downward spiraling path to destruction. -__________________________-
I was also made fun of for having nappy hair, being told that I should use my hair to scrub tubs and mop floors. It also didn't help that when I went out in public, non-blacks did not hide the fact to gawk at my head. People (black, white, and in-between) were being rude, and OBNOXIOUSLY ignorant, only intensifying the insecurities that I hadn't yet sort through.

I installed twists, and even the stylist (who was African) had something to say. I was OVER IT DO YOU HEAR ME??!! After four months of twists, I literally said, "F*CK THEM. I'm wearing my hair out and I DARE A M*THAF*CKA have something to say". I decided from that point on, I was going to wear my hair out REGARDLESS of the responses it would incite. I figured that, "Hey, it's MY hair. If people are THAT bothered with my hair, they are more than free to pay for a relaxer (fun fact: they never did)." At first wearing my hair out was uncomfortable, but it became easier. I learned that people tend to play on your insecurities if you let them. People will also back off when they realize that their opinion doesn't stand up next to your convictions.

It is a LOT easier now to become natural compared to when I first started. This is due to the social media communities encouraging natural hair.

So to condense this post, I will give you some tips for how I learned to wear my natural hair in confidence.

• Remember your reason why you decided to become natural
• Keep in mind that your natural hair is in fact beautiful. No matter how short, nappy, or kinky the texture. 
• People's negative opinions are just that: OPINIONS. Some people will solicit opinions or comments because THEY are scared, choose to be negative, or are jealous that you're doing something that they may want to do. Their comments/opinions can also stem from a place of insecurity. 
  • While you strive not to take negative opinions seriously, please do not hesitate to let a person know that you are not the one for disrespect. Yesterday. Today. Many days. Always. 
• Find people who are on the journey along with you! There is comfort and support in numbers. 
• Find inspiration! I was always on YouTube trying out new hair styles and reading articles. 
• Natural hair is a process. Being uncomfortable with the length, and the learning curve of figuring out hair styles. It is all a process: the awkward stage of natural hair is only temporary. 
• Confidence takes time. For me, it was deliberately placing myself in places where I KNEW that I would be gawked at. For you, it may be different. And that's okay. <3

This picture is so cute! <3 

If you have any tips, please comment below! If you read all of this, you are appreciated. lol 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Hairstyles!

Hey! I hope that you are doing well. Excuse the late post, I had some technical difficulties yesterday. But I am back! :) This blog post is going to touch on the different hairstyles of natural hair. One of my pet peeves is hearing about how black hair is not versatile when it comes to hairstyles.  I also hear a lot of people mention how they are hesitant to become natural because they don't know where to start when it comes to hairstyles. Contrary to popular belief, natural hair, specifically black hair, can be very versatile. Creativity is a MAJOR KEY for hairstyles!


HEADS UP: This is going to be a picture heavy post. And quite frankly, full of hair porn. LOL. Please use this blog post as inspiration for your hair whether you are a newly or seasoned naturalista. You can incorporate one technique or multiple! And I BETTER not hear any more whining about not knowing what to do with natural hair (slightly joking)!!!!!! LOL

 

 

Popular Hair Styles

• Bantu (think of Jada Pinkett Smith in the Matrix)/bantu knot outs(unraveled bantu knots)
• Braids/ braid-outs (unraveled braids)
• Twists/ twist-outs (unraveled twists)
• Updos
• Afros
• Puffs
• Buns
• Wigs*
• Locs
• Weaves*
• Straightened Hair*

*Try to wear sparingly, if you can; if you opt for these styles for an extended amount of time, please tend to your hair! Neglect can cause dry, brittle hair ultimately causing stunted hair growth.

Bantu knot out. Current fave. Throwback pic from two years ago :)

OMG I love BLACK HAIR. Our hair is so amazing like... I can't even! lol Natural hair is FUN! Experiment! Don't be scared or intimidated! Try new hairstyles!

And if it doesn't work out, throw it in a puff and start again at a different time. NO WORRIES! <3
What are some of your favorite hair styles? And it doesn't have to be natural. Let me know in the comments below. :)


Talk to you soon.
Brie.

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Determining a Hair Care Regimen!

Good Morning!

Two things: I hope that you guys are having a nice week so far. It is Wednesday, and you're also closer to the weekend! AYEEE! On a serious note, I am sending my thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families in Las Vegas. <3

This blog post is dedicated to hair care regimens! Hair care regimens tend to be very essential if one is trying to achieve hair growth. Hair care regimens also help newly naturals (even more seasoned naturals) practice discipline. It also challenges one to practice consistency as well. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are some who are against hair care regimens, preferring a more carefree approach to their hair.

I've tested out the regimented and carefree hair care routines. As for me? I am fully aware that I am a lazy naturalista who prefers regimens lol. Natural hair care can take a lot of time and work. However, many of us have jobs, children, school, and everything in between. Many of us do not have enough time and or patience for styling/taking care of natural hair. Honestly, truly. Maybe it's just me, but I want to be efficient and effective with my small amount of time. Also, there are SOOOOOOOOO many regimens out there, it is overwhelming. I narrowed down my current regimen like this:

When you are figuring out your hair care regimen, 
FIRST

• Ascertain (Based on YOUR lifestyle!)
• Time/Availability 
• Frequency of styling (number of times per day(s)/Week(s))

SECOND

• Determine (How do you EXACTLY style your hair? Do you need all of the following below? Yes? No? How often?)
• Wash/Condition 
• Co-Washing
• Treatments
• Styling**
• This is going to be trial and error. The best way to figure out your regimen is to take note of your GOOD HAIR DAYS. What did you do? Do you notice a pattern when styling your hair? If so repeat, and adjust as needed! 

For example, I wash, use a protein treatment, and finally style my hair once a week. As of late, my style lasts until my next hair wash day. If it starts to look old, I will style it. I preserve my style by using a satin bonnet cap at night. I do not co-wash often as my hair is mostly hydrated and moisturized. This works for me due to my busy schedule. 

If you are inspired by other regimens via social media, try it out! But please. PLEASE. Be realistic with yourself. You know yourself better than anyone. If you decide to stick to a regimen, make it work for you. That way, it will be easier to commit, and it will coincide with your life style. Regimens can always be adjusted as well. So, RELAX! 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Hair Care Products!

Helllooo!!!

How is the week going so far? Mine is great! Work is work, but I now have a friend who is married, and I am praying that the rest of them find their prince charming soon enough! :)

Okay, so you  now have a great idea about what products should work for your newly beautifully cut hair (if you haven't big chopped, what are you WAITING FOR?!?!?!?!). We officially get to the best part of the K.I.S.S. Naturals Series: SHOPPING!!!!!!...well more specifically, shopping for hair products lol. Shopping for hair products should not be stressful! Shopping for jeans, is stressful. Not hair products. :)

This post is going to be a guide on hair products that I like, and have had success with. I also will provide tips for purchasing products.
There is a more in-depth blog post HERE. A lot of my hair products that I use are still the same, with the exception of a few that I am testing out. HERE WE GO!!

• Shampoo/Conditioner-These shampoo/conditioner combos have been moisturizing for my hair. I also would recommend that you stick to the same line when it comes to this combo. This has to do with the combined products being pH formulated to work with your hair. 
• Alba Botanicals Drink it Up Coconut Milk 
• KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Line
• Deep Conditioner/Moisture Treatments
• TGIN Honey Miracle Hair Masque (recently purchased; will update you guys soon!)
• Aphogee Curlrific! Texture Treatment (quick, yields great results, and effective!)
• Oils
• Argan
• It moisturizes your hair DIVINELY. 
• Castor
• Great for coarse, thick hair. A little goes a LONG way
• Jojoba
• Lightweight.  Similar to sebum: An oil that your scalp naturally produces.
• Coconut
• Lightweight. Gives hair incredible shine. Please DO NOT USE if you are allergic to coconuts! 
• Leave In Conditioner
• ElastaQP Olive Oil & Mango Butter
• Aphogee
• Curlrific! Moisture Rich
• Pro-Vitamin
• Jane Carter Revitalizing 
• Oyin Handmade Juices & Berries (honestly, ANY of their leave ins)
• Moisturizing/Styling Creams
• Oyin Handmade 
• Burnt Sugar Pomade (holy guacamole this stuff smells AMAZING)
• Whipped Pudding 
• Shine & Define
• Hair Dew
• Qhemet Biologics 
• Amla & Olive Heavy Cream
• Olive & Honey Hydrating Balm
• Taliah Waajid
• Curly Curl Cream (The #1 product for BUN hairstyles)
• Homemade hair cream
• I am still experimenting, but it looks VERY promising! 
• Styling Gels/Pomades
• Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Paste
• TGIN Curl Bomb 
• Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity (This gel has changed my life. No, seriously.)
• Kinky Curly Curling Custard
• Styling Foams/Mousse (used mostly for bantu knot outs)
• Jane Carter Solution Natural Twist Out Foam
• Big Sexy Hair Mousse

Tips

• If there is a product that you've been eyeing and it is E X P E N S I V E... Shop online! Amazon, BeautyLish, NaturallyCurly, CurlMart, AveYou are popular websites. 
• You can find a coupon code, there may be a promotion, etc. Save money as much as you can! 
• Some hair care companies offer promotions periodically. Follow them on social media or check out their website! 
• Seasonal promotions are clutch if you are looking to save money, especially around the holidays. For example, Miss Jessie's were KNOWN for their 50% off promotions back in the day lol.
• Samples! I cannot stress this enough! Try a sample of a product FIRST! Then invest in the product if you like it. 
• Try looking for products that emphasize moisture and richness: I've noticed that those products typically have better ingredients and work better for curly hair. 

If you guys have any products that would be helpful for anyone that is newly natural, sound off in the comments below!  FUN FACT: These products also work for men as well. <3

If you made it to the end of this blog, congratulations! I hope that this helps you! 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. <3

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Why Can't I Use Certain Ingredients?

Hey! I hope that you guys are having a great week so far!

Okay. So you've decided that you are becoming natural! YES! 

You've set realistic goals about your natural hair.....GREAT!!

Now what? (insert thinking emoji)

When I cut off my hair in 2009, I bought hair products, trivializing the importance of the ingredients. So the next thing that you should do if you are a newly natural is to look at the ingredients! 

Fun fact: The ratio of ingredients and the ingredients themselves, play a major role in the health of your hair. They also can be instrumental when it comes to styling your hair as well. There are some naturalistas who are huge opponents of using these products in their hair; that is fine. However, I believe that products with these ingredients should be used RARELY (depending on the situation), if not at all. Speaking from experience, you will experience the effects in your hair after a period of time. 

This post is to give you a QUICK guide of products that you can use rarely (depending on the hair style), or avoid altogether.

• Mineral Oil (a.k.a. Petroleum)
• Leaves a film on hair that makes it difficult to remove
• Clogs hair follicles
• Containing impurities linked to cancer
• Alcohol (a.k.a. Isopropyl Alcohol)
• Dries out hair, dissolving its oils
• It can hinder hair growth
• Can be found in hair mousses
• Parabens
• Preservatives for hair products
• Have been linked to cancer, and negatively affecting your reproductive system
• Formaldehyde
• Used in Brazilian blowouts
• Used to preserve deceased bodies
• Can irritate your respiratory system
• Irreversible damage to hair
• Banned in Europe due to being a skin irritant and a potential occupational carcinogen
• Silicone (a.k.a. Dimethicone, any name ending in -cone)
• Used in heat protectants and "frizz-free" products
• Use only if you are straightening your hair 
• Causes build up over time; Difficult to remove from hair
• Water soluble & Non Water Soluble products available
• Sulfates (a.k.a. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth)
• Can be a skin irritant
• Formerly used as an industrial detergent and engine degreaser 
• Dries out hair follicles by stripping the hair of its oils

Again, I try to avoid these products as much as I can unless I am looking to achieve a particular style. Over time, these ingredients will dry your hair out, break off, resulting in stunted hair growth. 

These six ingredients seem to have a negative effect on your hair regardless of your hair type. There are more ingredients that are considered to be bad, but they can be contingent on your hair type (in my opinion). Aside from the six ingredients that were discussed, experiment with caution. For example, mineral oil doesn't work on my hair, but polyethylene glycol (which is considered bad) tends to work for my hair type.

There are exceptions to the rule: what doesn't work in my hair, may end up working in yours. Your hair will show you if the product is working by the way it feels, and how it reacts to a product. Use this post as a guide to help you when you're choosing products. 

If you guys have any questions, product recommendations, etc., please feel free to leave a comment, tweet me, or message me via Instagram (brieuntitled)!

Talk to you soon!

Brie.

Links used for post: 

http://www.curlynikki.com/2013/07/silicones-natural-hair-good-bad-ugly.html

https://www.treehugger.com/organic-beauty/20-toxic-ingredients-avoid-when-buying-body-care-products-and-cosmetics.html

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/banned-europe-safe-us/

http://livingprettynaturally.com/ingredients-to-avoid/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/171916-ingredients-to-avoid-in-hair-products/

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Figuring out Which Hair Product to Use with Natural Hair

Hola (Hi)! Are you having a great week? Anything new? :)

I know someone that is currently transitioning into natural hair. She asked me the other day," Brie what do you use in your hair?" I told her some of the products that I used.

However, what may work for MY natural hair, may not work for YOUR natural hair. Please refer to the previous line. Wash, rinse, and repeat (pun intended).

Trying to figure out which products work for your hair is hard, okay? IT IS HARD! If I am to be honest, I am still figuring out the best leave in conditioner (as I type this). The reason why it can be difficult is because there are a lot of hair products that aren't well formulated for black hair. There are a handful of brands, but there aren't as many. Another reason would be that there is a TON  of information and opinions on hair products from social media influencers (usually sponsored by those companies-no shade). This makes it more difficult to sift through the information given and find unbiased, honest reviews. Lastly, the most important reason, is that we all have different hair types! Our hair can be compared to snowflakes: one is not like the other.

Alright. So you FINALLY chopped off your hair! YYYYAAAASSSS!!! ABOUT TIME BELOVED!

You did your research with hair ingredients. Now, what do you do?!

First!

• Try different products!
• Sample sizes are your friend. When I went natural, samples weren't as prevalent, so I had to buy the full jars/bottles. I started off with more affordable products that I saw at my local beauty supply, paid attention to how my hair reacted to those products and expanded/condensed my products from there.                         
• Example products of a 6 MONTH naturalista (10 years ago):

                          

Second!

• Pay attention to how your hair reacts!
• Is it fabulously frizzy? Is it dry? Are your curls popping? Is your hair hydrated and moisturized? Aesthetically, are you happy with how your hair looks? These are important questions when it comes to changing, updating, keeping, or tossing hair products!
• Depending on your hair, you may have to switch products that contain different oils, or have a different ratio of water and oil. Maybe your hair likes silicones, protein, or sulfates....who knows?!

     

Third!

• Do you like the results of your hair from using the products that you've bought?
• Yes? Continue using them! If you feel like you can do better, then try a different product that has similar qualities to the one that you have.
• No? Try using the product in a different way!
• If the product was meant for twistouts, try using it as a moisturizer, or applying it after washing your hair. If it was an oil, try using it as a hot oil treatment before/after your wash day. Find a way to repurpose the product and use it in an unconventional way; you get your money's worth, and once you finish, you don't have to use it again.
• You can always give the product to a family member, use it on your child and see if it works for them.
• You can also dispose of the product if it is THAT terrible.

The message that I really want to convey is that figuring out your collection of hair care products can be a learning curve. However, it can ultimately be achieved through trial and error.

I really hope that this helps!
If you guys have any other tips regarding how to figure out your personal hair product faves, comment below!



Talk to you soon.
Brie.