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Aloe Vera for pH Balance–Spray Leave-in Recipe

Posted on by Michelle

After watching KimmayTube’s videos on pH Balance, I realized the reason why Aloe Vera juice or gel has always been such a huge part of my regimen. When I did my Big Chop in May of 2009, it was one of the first things I used on my hair and my family has been using it ever since. It wasn’t until I watched the videos that I actually knew how it worked. Basically our hair’s natural pH is a 4 or 4.5 on the chart which is the same value given for Aloe Vera juice or gel (different brands may vary). Things like conditioner, shampoo and even water have a pH of 6 or 7. This change in pH balance opens up the cuticles along the hair shaft which can result in frizzy, puffy hair. Using the Aloe Vera is a way to bring the hair back to its’ proper pH making it easier to detangle and style.

KimmayTube is also known for her Leave-in conditioner recipe which incorporate’s Aloe Vera juice as the balancing ingredient. I’ve tried it and liked the results. For me and my family though I prefer a spray leave-in that can be used daily. For this I use the following:

Aloe Vera Spray Leave-In

1 part Aloe Vera Gel or Juice (Lily of the Desert brand)
1 part Water
5-6 drops Rosemary essential oil (natural preservative)
1 to 2 squirts Giovanni Direct Leave-In

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and shake vigorously until conditioner dissolves. The conditioner will continue to dissolve over the next few hours. Use as a moisturizing leave-in or re-wetting spray.

Some of the ways I use it:

Set my braidouts/twistouts
re-wet my kids’ curly hair before combing
detangling my husband’s long hair
re-wetting/moisturizing my wash n’ go

Most recently I found that it works when re-activating the Kinky Curly Curling Custard on my son’s hair for great 2nd day hair with the product. I like this mix because we’re getting the benefit of the Aloe and Conditioner in one easy to use spray.

*Be sure to stop by KimmayTube’s channel on YouTube to find out more about the structure of hair.

Curly Hair Products Now at Target Stores

Posted on by Michelle

Miss Jessie’s Products
Now available at Target Stores

I was at my local Super Target picking up a few things when I found Kinky Curly, Miss Jessie’s, Jane Carter Solution and Shea Moisture products on the shelves. I honestly just stood there staring at the display in disbelief. Girls with curls in other cities have had access to these products at their Target stores for a while. This was not the case where I’m at. I even looked it up online and the only place where you could find Kinky Curly products was at Whole Foods which is a little bit of a drive for me. The Miss Jessie’s was only available online which, combined with shipping**, made the cost an obstacle (actually, the price is still an obstacle but that’s another post…lol!).

Kinky Curly and Jane Carter Solutions
Natural Products for Kinky and Curly hair
now at Target Stores

I was already thinking about trying the Kinky Curly Curling Custard. Supposedly it gives curl definition while keeping the hair soft and moisturized. I hope this will work for my son who wants to wear his hair longer now. The Tightly Curly Method just isn’t taming his curls the way it used to. His hair is frizzy by the time he gets home from school. I really don’t want to get into using frizz serums and hair gel with his soft curly hair. On top of that, my hair has been acting funny whenever I use my staple Eco Styler gel. I use olive oil and leave-in conditioner under it but I still end up with crunchy hair that is dry by weeks’ end.

With all that, I still couldn’t justify the price (and the drive) for the Kinky Curly. At $32.00 USD for 1 large 16 oz. container of KCCC, I’ve been on the fence for quite some time. However, Target has the smaller 8 oz. jars in stock for only $16 so I thought, why not give it a try? I did a roller set last night so I won’t be able to try it out for a couple of days. Stay tuned for my upcoming Kinky Curly trials!

**FYI–Ground Shipping is now free for anyone who does not have Miss Jessie’s in their local Target stores–see website for details**

Crochet on the Brain

Posted on by Michelle

My “Rasta” Slouchy Beret

I want a hat that is large enough to cover up my braids when I’m trying to do a braid-out. For some reason my hair is never dry by morning when I’m taking the kids to school. Then, when I wear my hair out, the hats that I see at the store are just not big enough for my hair…lol! So, I’ve decided to make my own. That way I can make it as big as I need to.

Which brings us to the slouchy beret that I’ve been working on since early September. I found the beret crochet pattern on YouTube (my second home). It was posted by Bethintx1 in four seperate videos where she takes you through it step by step. The color I used (Limelight) is not really something I would wear out but the hat turned out kinda cute anyway. I did a couple more increase rows to make a “Rasta” style hat. I’m gonna start the pattern again (the first try was for experimentation) and make a few variations this time.

Back View
used double
crochet throughout

The yarn I’m using is called, “I Love this Yarn,” and is available at Hobby Lobby for about $3.50 (USD) per skein. I like that it’s acrylic for easy washing and is super soft which makes it nice to work with. It’s not only perfect for my budget but it comes in so many fabulous colors. My second beret is going to be done in the color “Ivory” which will be a fun look for the winter months.

The Satin Braid-Out

Posted on by Michelle

I joined yet another group over at the K.I.S.S. network. This time it’s a group where we will be doing “Satin Braid-Outs” and sharing info on how to perfect the look. I watched a video on YouTube by NinaPruitt where she demonstrates how to do it. I used a long satin scarf that I thought would work and cut it into 4 strips. I cut it using pinking shears because I didn’t want the fabric to fray. My hair was freshly washed and conditioned so I applied the KimmayTube Leave-in where I substituted Giovanni Direct Leave-In for my creamy base and coconut oil instead of jojoba oil. Then I sealed in the moisture with my castor, coconut and olive oil mixture.

The braiding wasn’t as tricky as I expected. It was just like adding extension hair to a braid except you’re using a piece of satin fabric. My strips were not quite long enough though so tyeing the ends was a little awkward. The next morning, my hair was very defined but, the strips did leave small pieces of frayed fabric in my hair. I did not enjoy picking those out of my hair all day. Also, my hair was still damp which I knew would lead to crazy, frizzy hair so I put it up into a protective style.

So it’s back to the drawing board on this one. I’ll have to check back with my group and find out what other ladies are doing for this style. I really hope to get the braid-out down because I know it will come in handy later on.

A Family Affair

Posted on by Michelle

My Dad is a licensed barber and has been cutting other people’s hair since I was very young. He always did cuts and trims for friends and family. I remember when he used to cut my younger brothers’ hair. When they were small he would sit them on top of phone books on a chair in the kitchen.

My mother on the other hand was always very good with braiding hair. She taught me how to french braid my own hair when I was 10 years old. Now that I’m Natural, I’m very grateful for learning this technique.

My younger brother and I took after my dad and learned how to cut hair for our friends. I did it more as a hobby throughout college and to get practice for when I did my own hair. My brother is currently going to school to become a licensed barber. He even participated in a “Barber Cut-Off” earlier this year at a large hairshow in downtown Denver. I am proud to say that he is very skilled at his craft.

Now that I have a family of my own, we do things just like when I was growing up. My husband has long straight hair and my boys have short curly fros. Mine is definitely the thickest of the bunch. Still, I manage to somehow keep up with everyone’s individual hair needs. I do all of our trims; curly and straight. My trims are usually once a month. Sometimes I’ll even have my mother over for a trim and flat iron. For me, it’s just always been this way. When it comes to hair, we like to keep it in the family.