Natural Journey: No More Coconuts...Oil, That Is!

    If you've been following my posts about my recent challenges with my twist-out, you know that I have used coconut oil for my LOC method, and conditioners that also have coconut oil and shea butter as a base. All over the internet, everyone touts these oils as miracle serums to reduce dryness and breakage while going natural. I did not see any reason not to believe all of the claims. 

                      

   

But then, months in to my transition, I noticed that it became very difficult to achieve the soft, silky twists and curls that I was seeing at the beginning of my journey. My hair had become dry, dull and stiff. It was brittle and crunchy and would not hold a twist for more than a few hours. Forget about a two-day flat twist-out; by then, I found that wearing a bun was becoming the usual hairstyle after one day of the LOC method, and to solve the problem, what was I doing? Dousing my hair with more and more coconut oil and coconut oil-based products, including my shampoo and conditioner. In the morning, taking down my hair always ended up in a frizzy puff that made me look like a nutty professor.

    I happened upon an article from Black Doctor.org about not using coconut oil to moisturize your curls. I began to wonder if this was yet another fly-by claim about another method, but it wasn't! 

    As I read, I learned that coconut oil is not water soluble, among other caveats that create a situation that causes dryness and breakage. 

    The more I read, the more I learned that olive oil, not coconut oil, is better for my hair. When I followed the suggestions from the web site, the results were incredible: Once again, my hair was shiny, soft and silky, and held a twist for more than two days. I now use a sulfate-free shampoo, and read labels carefully to watch for heavier oils that can damage my hair. While it might be okay to use it occasionally, coconut oil and shea butter are no longer a part of my LOC routine, and I have noticed little or no shedding or breakage since I have began "dieting" on olive oil and jojoba oil. 

Watch my video to see how I put my oil mix together, and what I do to achieve a beautiful head of lush curls that last me almost the whole week! 

    Another lesson along my natural hair journey!

February Birchbox...Yes, It's Late...

   The production of February's Birchbox video was an epic fail. At the time I was still learning to use a 50mm lens, and I made the mistake of shooting with it without full knowledge of how it worked. The result: Extremely blurry video with muddy lighting. Live and learn...

But the box itself was very good!  I did end up enjoying all of the products.  I truly wish the video had come out better, because the products were very good to share. Maybe an "Empties" post will will be up soon...who knows?

March Birchbox Opening: Women's History Month

     This month we celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month. I have taken this time to reflect on my own strengths and dreams, and to make new plans for living life with a capital "L"! So many adventures are still out there to be had, with things to do, places and people to see...

I especially like the quote that I read on the promo card from Rosanna Inc.:

"Once upon a time, the term ladies' choice referred to women asking men to dance. How time has changed!  Today, women have a thousand choices to make -- how to spend their money, pursue their careers, express their opinions, and flaunt their styles. 

These choices are the reason that now, more than ever, women are living lives of strength, confidence, and verve."

How true! Never before have we had so many opportunities to make our dreams come alive. Yet we still have a way to go; with so many women still undereducated in developing nations, and young girls being sold into the sex trade, we must work together to find ways to empower and protect the rights of our sisters around the globe. Supporting the efforts of ethical companies like #sudaragoods provides meaningful opportunities for women who are working to remain free from sex slavery. Check out their cool pajama pants at  http://www.sudara.org and follow them on Instagram!

I find ways to celebrate my Womanliness, too...

...part of my celebration is always my Birchbox, which is 9.99 a month and comes with surprises that I am able to sample, with an option of buying full-sized versions of the products. Although the box itself was not a total blast this month, I did purchase two add-ons that I liked very much: The first, a commuter mug by Rosanna Inc.  from their Ladies Choice collection, "Chic Happens". It's glitzy, and makes me feel a little sassy as I carry my mug to work.

I am always in a bind when it comes to playing music while enjoying an outing in the park. Now that I have my Monocle Personal Speaker and Speakerphone by Native Union, I can enjoy my music and have it loud enough for us all to hear. It also can be used to make hands-free calls, as well as connect to other Monocles by daisy-chaining to make more sound. I really like it!

As far as the contents of the March Birchbox, they were only just "okay" this time around; everything was so small that I felt like I got more box than product, and I am finding I am getting products that are a bit to similar from month to month. For example, I seem to get some type of red lipstick and an eyeshadow and an oil what seems like all of the time now...I do appreciate the ladies at Birchbox following my profile closely, but a little variety would be nice, right? Of course, the box design never, ever disappoints, with its artistic geometric prints in Leprachaun greens and embossed gold. It will definitely be at home in my growing collection of Birchboxes that I cannot seem to part with. I have found some ideas for repurposing them, but it will be a battle of wills.

Subscribe to Birchbox for 9.99 a month. It is always a fun surprise that awaits you as you arrive home after a long day. When you review products, you earn points that can be used toward purchasing full-sized products. Watch my March Birchbox Opening to see what my box contains this month, and subscribe to my channel!