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.

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

Hello!


I hope things are going great for you guys!

The next few blog posts will be directed towards the newly naturals (are there anymore "newbies"?). A lot of women who decide to become natural (removing relaxed hair, and starting anew w/o chemicals), become overwhelmed with the information given on how to tend to their hair.

It is for great reason too: 12 million YouTube gurus, 37k+ blog posts about hair styles, product reviews, etc., what's a person to do??????


Alright.

Stop! And start with the basics (I used this when I was a natural newbie).

• Find a hair crush! 
• It gives you a visible hair goal. It doesn't have to be EXACTLY the same, but use it as a starting point (MsKrisNew and MahoganyCurls were my hair crush).
• What goal are you looking to achieve with your hair BESIDES hair length?
• It could be the best twist out, more softer hair, etc (My goal was and still is to have moisturized hair). 
• What product do you need to achieve your hair goal? 
• If your goal was for the best twist out, find a product that aids in styling; if the goal was for moisture, find the appropriate products. This is where you can incorporate social media knowledge/reviews, or even your local professional hair stylist. 
• TRY OUT SAMPLE SIZES FIRST! I cannot stress this enough! You're still experimenting, and figuring out your hair so you try to save some money in doing so. Plus many companies are starting to make sample sizes if you're still unsure about their product. Use this to your advantage!!
• Take pictures! 
• It's pretty neat to see the progression of your hair. It will feel like you hair is not growing, but trust me. It is. 
• Be patient and....GO FOR IT! 
• As a person who decided to chop off all of her hair instead of transitioning to becoming natural....I am going to tell you to CUUUUUTTTTTT ITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!
• There's really no explanation except to strive to meet your hair goal...PATIENTLY! lol  

Hopefully this helps you guys!

Talk to you soon,

Brie.