Category: Eco styler gel

How I Style My Heat Damaged Hair for a Wash n’ Go

Posted on by Michelle
A plait in front helps to
blend the straight pieces
with the rest of my curly hair
Even though the majority of my hair is still nice and curly, the front of my hair is practically straight when I wear a wash n’ go because of heat damage.  I’ve been doing lots of braid outs and twist outs to help add texture to that area.  I finally figured out how to blend the straight pieces in with the rest of my hair when I wear my natural curls.  I feel so silly for not figuring it out sooner but hey, better late than never.
Gel of Choice
for my Wash n’ Go styles
Basically, I apply product to my hair the way I normally would for a wash n’ go.  I use leave-in conditioner on wet hair (usually Suave Coconut Conditioner) and then seal with oil.  Right now I’m lovin’ African Royale’s Hot Six Oil, which is a Bronner Bros. product.  Then I apply Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel to my hair in medium size sections starting with the back and rake it through.  When I get to the front, heat damaged area, I still apply products in the same way.  Then I take that section and braid it up in one plait.  Sometimes I’ll do a two strand twist with a roller on the end.  Since I start my wash n’ go’s at night, I usually pull the rest of my hair back into a puff and cover my hair with a satin bonnet.  The next day I take down the puff and spritz with my leave-in spray mixture.  Then I shake my hair out to bring the curls back to life.  Lastly, I take down the plait or twist, which is usually a bit damp but is now wavy in texture and blends in better with the rest of my hair. 
The front now blends with the rest of my hair
Wavy bangs are better than straight for this look
Back/Side View

The Puff-My New Favorite Style

Posted on by Michelle
Wash n’ Go Puff Using
Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner
and Eco Styler (Argan Oil) Gel

I remember looking through tons of photos and videos of natural hairstyles while I was transitioning.  I was always impressed with how big and fluffy natural hair can get. 

Now, nearly two years later (since the BC), I’m finally starting to see some big hair on my own head.  I just recently noticed that I actually have a decent size puff goin’ on so it’s my go-to style when I want something easy.  I have to be careful though because the headbands I use can be tight at first.  I really wish that I could wear the style everyday but I don’t want to lose my edges or cause any breakage. 



Braid-out Pony Puff
Using a Banana Clip



What I find that works is I’ll wash my hair (usually at night) and then prep it for a braid-out or wash n’ go.  Then, I’ll wear it down the following day.  The day after that, if the style is not as cute as the first day, I’ll put it up in a puff.  When my hair is stretched from braids and twists, I can usually fit my hair into a banana clip that I place horizontally to make a full pony-puff.  After a wash n’ go, I’ll just re-wet my hair and then push it back with a headband until it stops (right at the crown).  I’m definitely looking forward to wearing my hair like this during the summertime. It’s so easy and keeps my hair off of my shoulders.  I just hope that it will also help me get to APL.  Fingers crossed.

Gettin’ My Natural Back

Posted on by Michelle
One of my favorite places to stock up on
products for my Natural hair care

I have finally decided what my hair goals are for 2011.  I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit because I wanted to come up with something that I can go after without burning out.  My main goal is to retain as much length as possible this year.  Healthy hair grows.  So I am updating my regimen to coincide with my new attitude towards my hair. 

Many of my YouTube subscribers are aware that I flat iron my hair at least one time each month.  I even did a few videos on how I get my hair bone straight.  After trimming away heat damaged ends earlier this month, I can see that this routine has taken its’ toll.  I’m not saying that I won’t straighten my hair again but, I definitely want to start using a lot less heat from now on.  Which brings me to my next goal which is to use little to no heat.  This means wearing my hair up in protective styles or curly with wash n’ go’s.  I also have rollersets and my newly revamped braidout method to play with so I can still be fabulous without the straight look. 

This new attitude is making me reconsider some of the products I have been playing with for the past few months.  Something keeps bringing me back to my old stand-bys like unrefined shea butter, apple cider vinegar rinses and Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castille Soap for my homemade shampoo mix.  I’m even thinking about making up some Flax Seed Gel for the first time so that I can finally set aside my Eco Styler gel.  So today I’m going to stop by my favorite natural grocery store and stock up on the things I need to get back to Natural.  I’ll probably head over to T.J. Maxx too just to see if they have those liter bottles of Giovanni products in stock.  My adventures in silicones & sulfates land are coming to an end and I think I’m gonna just stick to what I know for right now.  My hair just responds best to things that have natural ingredients.  Why did I ever stray?

Wintertime Wash n’ Go

Posted on by Michelle

This time of year is always very harsh on my hair and skin due to the dry climate here in Colorado.  I decided to start doing deep conditioning treatments twice a week for added moisture during the winter months.  The wash n’ go style is perfect for this because I’m usually done with the style after two or three days.  Plus, I’ve been reading and watching how other naturals noticed significant growth while wearing the wash n’ go because of the more frequent washing.  I tend to believe that a clean healthy scalp is one contributing factor to this but also the introduction of moisture multiple times per week.  Thing is, it’s winter in Colorado!  Leaving the house with wet hair is not happenin’ right now.  

Instead of waiting until the spring to rock my curly fro, I looked at a few videos by one of my favorite naturals, anaturalbeauty3.  She’s been natural for 2 years and is currently residing in Cali.  Her video on her night time routine illustrates how she puts her curly hair up at night to stretch it out.  I sent her a message asking how she went about reviving the style in the morning.  She replied back that she scrunches her hair with Shea Moistures’ Curl Enhancing Smoothie to wake up the curls.  This was a light bulb moment!  Once I realized that there wasn’t any need to leave the house with a dripping wet head I was on it. 

The Curl Enhancing Smoothie product is not available locally so I decided to try my Palmers Coconut Oil Replinishing Hair Milk.  I thought it would work because of it’s creamy, but wet texture.  I know it plays well with Eco Styler Gel so it was worth a try. 

After a few attempts, I was able to come up with a routine.  The trick is to apply my usual products for my wash n’ go in the evening.  Once it has air dried for a couple of hours, I use the diffuser to get my hair completely dry.  This sets my curls before I wrap it up.  Then, just like in the video, I pull my hair back and secure it with a hair tie.  Any short strands can be pinned down.  I then wrap it with a satin scarf and put on my satin bonnet.  In the morning I just take my hair down, scrunch in some product and that’s it.  I’m so glad to have found this method because it has resulted in hair that is soft, moisturized and easy to style.

CLICK HERE To See how I do my wash n’ go

Eco Styler Wash n’ Go Trials

Posted on by Michelle

A few months ago I learned more about Aloe Vera and how it can help restore the natural pH balance of my hair.  This had me wondering what would happen if I added Aloe Vera juice to one of my staple products Eco Styler gel. 

I’ve been using this gel for my wash n’ go styles and whenever I need to slick down my edges.  However, if I forget to apply enough moisturizing products underneath it, my hair ends up a little on the crunchy side.  So, I figured why not add aloe vera and see if that makes a difference since it will help bring the pH of the gel down (hopefully).  I don’t have pH tester strips yet so I can’t verify what pH I ended up with but the results were good.  The product, as always, helped define my curls.  Upon drying though; dry crunchy hair.  What gives?! 

I’ve been learning in the past few months that it’s not just the pH that is important but also the ingredients.  This little experiment made me realize that it may be the glycerin in the product that always gives me the “Ramen Noodle effect” which is why I always need use oil and conditioner underneath.  Also, living in a dry climate where there is no humidity present can also add to the drying (not moisturizing) effect of the glycerin.  For now, I’m avoiding the Eco Styler or using it sparingly until I can figure out the combination that works for me.



Before applying the aloe/gel mix



My hair with Aloe/ Gel mixture
applied to one section