Aubrey Organics Review

Lately I have been feeling like my actual locks don't smell to good. As they move past my face I was not happy with the odor. So yesterday I jumped in the shower and did a good wash with the Aubrey Organics shampoo, first started on the scalp and then used some more shampoo on my actual locks. It did lather up very well but it was a hard feeling to the my locks you know the one you get when you use any of the sulfate shampoos. I did three shampoos without diluting it. I then used the Aubrey Organics conditioner and I tell you my locks felt like butter. I left the conditioner in only a short time as I washed up and then I rinsed it all out. My locks feel so nice and soft and the smell that I've been experiencing is gone. In my book this shampoo/conditioner combo will be in my collection for a while. I don't really suffer with an itchy scalp so I'm going to stay away from the Suave and VO5 that I currently have in my shower. What I like about the Aubrey is that it does have any sulfates and is great for all hair types in addition to it was not tested on animals. So if you're looking for a new shampoo I recommend this one.

Totally Slacking on my Macking

Its been way too long -- well 11 days actually but I've totally slacked on blogging. Its probably because I have nothing new to report. I don't do anything with my locks besides freestyle, wash, do a bantu knot out, and then let the curls fall to the end of the week and redo the cycle. I did run out of the sisterlock shampoo so I purchased Aubrey Organics shampoo and conditioner from Whole Foods (I love that store). I only used the shampoo thus far for a one rinse so I can't do a full review on it yet. I plan to wash & condition this weekend so I can post my results on Sunday.

How do you do it?

If you recall in one of my blog post I switched to washing my locks weekly because they looked so fresh and I would always get compliments after a fresh wash. The 'fresh' look wasn't happening after a while and it felt like the dirtier my locks the better they fell and curled. So I went back to washing every other week. With my bimonthly washes I use the SL starter shampoo for one wash and Suave clarifying shampoo for the other. On the wash I use Suave I follow up with the SL moisturizing conditioner. As my locks have gotten longer and have more hang time, during my workouts I feel and see the perspiration dripping from the end of my locks. I just purchased ACV and I have yet to try it but based on what I heard it will give my scalp a good clean feeling. I know I can't use this weekly. So for this reason, I'm going back to weekly washes so I ask you.

How often do you wash? And do you use the same product each time until the bottle is finished?
-Gigglz

Weekly Washes

If you can remember, I decided to start washing my hair weekly (see previous post).  I've continued washing my hair weekly and I have been seeing a difference to washing every two weeks.  I continue to wash with the sisterlock starter shampoo and I don't use any other products throughout the week, I have even put down the lovely smelling Oyin's juices and berries.  My curls from lock loops definitely hold better and my hair actually bounces when I walk, feeling very airy.  Since using the VO5 I have not seen any of the white bulbs in my hair, which is a good thing.  Although I did not like the feeling of my hair afterwards I will keep the VO5 in my bathroom for if/when I see the white bulbs again.  

For this weeks wash I decided to do a braid out.  I bundled my hair without braiding and once I finished washing I braided the bundled section up and put a rubber band on the end.  I slept with my hair like that and took it out this morning, and might I say what a disaster!!!!!!!  Although I had lots and lots of crinkles and waves I hated my hair looking like that, it was BAD!  This is probably because I'm used to seeing my hair curled or just freestyled it was just the worse.  So I just put my head over the tub poured some water on my hair and let it air dry.   Oh wait!  I did actually use some Oyin brown burnt sugar pomade because I wanted to retain some length in the front and back.  I used about a quarter size rubbed it in my hand and fingertips and used my fingertips to smooth the front and back.  The smell is GREAT!!!

VO5 Shampoo...could it be the solution to the white balls???

In deep discussion with A Sista Who Locked, she recommended that I use VO5 to get rid of the white balls showing in my locks, I am truly fed up with them so I figured its worth a try, so I ran to the grocery store on lunch yesterday to buy a bottle and I could not believe my eyes for two reasons. 

First reason the price was .77, yes you read correct thats .77 cents!!!
Second reason, I flipped it over to read the ingredients and what was staring me in my face as the 3rd ingredient.  You guessed it SLS, and the second was Sodium Laureth Sulfate. 


For the price why should I expect that it wouldn't be one of the ingredients.  So I purchased the bottle which specifically notes that it is clarifying and this is how I defend purchasing it (defend it like I'm on trial, lol).  SLS is known to remove buildup and dry out your locks/hair.  Well right now, I obviously have some type of buildup that needs to be removed and if I'm not using it as my main shampoo then I should be ok.  Basically the past six months my hair has not had a good cleansing so why not try it?!?!? RIGHT!! LOL!

Well I tried the shampoo today and although I loved the way it felt like I got a good cleansing I wasn't too pleased with how my ends came out, see for yourself and I did bundle.

Right now the lock loops are in and I'm waiting to see the final outcome.  But, can you imagine if my locks actually still feel soft and the residue is removed?  All these years I’ve been spending so much money on hair products---why!!  I guess, because my hair was in an unnatural state and the products needed to have all these extra additives in order for my hair to stay half way healthy!! Absolute insanity when you think about it!

Update to come...

Week 1 in my test

If you recall, last week I said I will begin washing my hair weekly, so last night I washed my hair and let it air dry as usual. Of course I'm still braiding and banding, but I skipped the separating the locks afterwards because I went out to dinner and I'm sure I'm going to pay for that when I retighten my hair this weekend.



I came back home, put some cornrows in went to sleep and I ended up with this look this morning. Nothing different then when I freestyle, so why do I bother spending 20 minutes cornrowing my hair, who knows!!

Remember how I mentioned that a co-worker always notices when I wash my hair. Well a few minutes ago, another co-worker just asked if I got my hair done--see what some water and shampoo will do!!! LOL!!!!

Nothing new

Nothing new going on today. I just wanted to post because a natural co-worker of mine will always ask me what I did to my hair, if its a braid out or roller set. What's ironic is the past two times I've washed my hair she will ask me the same thing. After washing my hair, I just let it air dry, no braids or rollers so I always laugh and respond, "I washed it". So this time around I asked her does it look different and she told me that it looks fluffy and light. Here is my hair that same morning. I'm thinking I'm going to start washing my hair once a week because I don't put any oils in my hair but I do sweat so maybe the mixture of my natural oils and the sweat is weighing my locks down. I'm going to monitor for a month and see if I see a difference.

Sisterlock Starter Shampoo

I ordered a new bottle of starter lock shampoo on Monday and I received it on Friday (four days) not bad at all. The bottle is much larger than the shampoo in the starter kit. I diluted the shampoo this time around with water I would say 1:1 and I shampooed three times.

What I notice different from using the starter shampoo to Dr. Bronners is that my curly ends are really prevalent as my hair dries. My hair does not feel as hard as the first few times I used the SL shampoo. I think that has to do with my hair settling now and plumping up, not a result of the shampoo. The largest difference is that I don't see the white bulbs and that's a great thing. My hair feels clean. The verdict is that I will be using the SL shampoo every two weeks until the bottle finishes. I plan to go back on the sisterlock website and order the green tea shampoo once this one finishes.
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Limp Looking Locks

After being away only for four days my house looked like a tornado ran through it because of packing before I left and now the unpacking. I say that to say, it's been a few days and I haven't had a chance to download and post the pictures of the beautiful costumes but they are soon to come, and I even have a bonus for you all (hehe)!!! What I do have on my mind since I have the time is limp locks.

So I had not washed my hair in about three weeks since my last retightening and when I went to work on Tuesday my hair just looked wimpy. Wimpy in the sense of it was just hanging on my head had no curl, no bounce, and what felt like no body. Granted I have not put any oils or creams on my hair at all in the past three weeks. The only thing that I have used is a spritz of water here and there. In thinking about it, I realized I was out in the hot sun all day on Saturday and my hair had even more of reddish tint when I looked at it. With all the factors I didn't know what to think, so I decided to go ahead and just wash my hair. I still braided and banded and used my good old Dr. Bronner's almond liquid soap and my hair is refreshed. I did decide to put some green tea oil in my hair just to revive it a bit and today I'm feeling much better about my hair. To the touch I have my yarn soft hair again.

I guess the largest difference is that right now I don't think I need to continue B&B because I have many locks that have started "budding" and I haven't had slippage in over two months now so I think its safe to say I can keep my little rubber bands for my daughter and her beads...lol!

Are you still B&B? If so, did your consultant tell you when you could stop?

What a difference

Last night I washed my hair and actually took the time to separate each lock. I have been very diligent in making sure to braid and band my hair each time I've washed my hair, but not so much when it came to separating them afterwards.



My washing routine is nothing short of simplistic. I grab some hair while sitting in front of the TV, braid it up and throw a rubber band on the end, then grab another section and keep doing the same thing until I'm done. I jump in the shower put my head under the stream of water, which by the way feels great and I pour the starter shampoo on my scalp and on my braids and really just do a lot of patting. I have yet to scrub my scalp. My scalp isn't itchy so I don't take chance of getting fuzzy roots so I pat. I jump out the shower take the braids out shake it up with my fingers and normally go to bed, with a semi-wet head. Last night I took each section down and really separated each lock before I took another section out. As I was doing so I had to literally use force to separate my roots. If I had not done that I would have a matted mess on my head.



So ladies...make sure you are braiding, banding, and separating its all part of the journey!!!





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Washing

Today I am getting my first re-tightening and as my consultant is going through my locks she says "some of them want to get married". What she means by that is that the locks are trying to stick together and that's from the one time I did wash my hair my self I didn't separate each lock afterwards, I got right in the bed with a wet head an all. I won't be doing that again because those few strands that did "marry" didn't feel good getting divorced ...hehe I crack me up!! For all you newbies make sure you separate after a wash.
I will let you know all about the re-tightening in another post as I'm still here.
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Shrinkage

Last night I washed my hair for myself for the first time with the Sisterlock shampoo. The first thing I noticed is that it stung my eyes (next time I won't wear my contacts :-). In any event, the water running through my scalp felt great and the shampoo felt like it cleansed my scalp. I got out the shower took my braids out and was amazed at the length of my SL's, in addition to the length they were so soft and lightweight. My head was on a swivel stick feeling my locs move back and I could definitely see the growth over the past month and the ones that had major and minor slippage; it also made me think about how I can't wait for my first retightening. I put some Cantu Shea Butter in and went to bed with my satin cap which is actually made for braids.

I wake up this morning and I have no idea what happened, I had major shrinkage overnight and I'm at a loss on how to combat it. I am losing so much of my length from the shrinkage which leads to limiting styling options, which is frustrating in the morning. My hair likes water based products but, since I'm a total PJ I have coconut oil and jojoba oil in my arsenal. Over the next five days I'm going to test both oils on for a two day period and see which one retains length and moisture without being too heavy. I'm going to look into Greg Juice (http://oyinhandmade.com/oyin/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1) as well, becuase I've heard good things about that one, but I have to order it online so thats for next week. I will keep you posted.