Curly in Colorado

Celebrating 5 Years with Natural Hair!

Posted on by Michelle

Happy to be Natural
Five years strong!

This past weekend marked the fifth anniversary since I went natural back in 2009. I did my big chop on the third day in May after a nine month transition. Recently I looked back on my natural hair journey and thought about how I would have done things differently. It took a lot of trial and error to get to where I am today but I finally figured some things out.

In some of my more recent posts I discussed the different uses for hair oils. I spent a very long time thinking that I was sealing in moisture with coconut and olive oils. In actuality, grapeseed oil was the true winner when it came to this because it was heavy enough to lock in the moisture. Now I know that coconut and olive oils are to be used to help moisturize and condition the hair; not to seal.

My Current Hair Length

Another new discovery is that hair gel is not the enemy. I had so many failed attempts at styling my hair that I often blamed my beloved Eco Styler gel for the outcome. I learned that if used in the right way it could enhance my styles and make them last longer. Now I use the grapeseed oil to seal in moisture and apply the gel as a holding agent with no issues.

Watch my Youtube video for more on what I learned over the past five years with Natural Hair

MITCHELLZEE’S 5 YEARS NATURAL VIDEO

MYTHS AND TRUTHS ABOUT NATURAL HAIR

Growing Heirloom Tomatoes in Colorado

Posted on by Michelle

curlyincolorado.com growing heirloom tomatoes colorado

Heirloom Tomato plants and hearty basil

I can’t believe that it has been a year since our last Heirloom Tomato plant sale. This will be our fifth year selling and we can’t wait to see some of our repeat customers. The weather here is still on the chilly side but with Mother’s Day coming up, hopefully we will be planting in the garden soon. In Colorado, we have a different growing season so growing good vegetables takes a little bit more planning. That is why my husband started the seeds for our tomato plants months ago so that they would be ready for planting in May.

We still have a garden plot at a local community garden where we grow most of our vegetable plants. At home we’ll also be trying a few lettuces and leafy greens in a raised bed. We’re not sure how they’ll fare though because there are a couple of rabbits in the area. If we’re lucky they’ll leave enough for our family to have at least one salad.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY GARDENING IN DENVER

Planning our garden is always fun because that’s when the kids chime in with ideas of what they would like to grow. It feels good knowing that our little ones are learning how to care for the plants and also how to prepare them for the table. They call them, “free veggies,” because instead of going to the store we just stop by the garden for some good eats.

curlyincolorado.com Heirloom Tomatoes gardening colorado

Getting ready for this year’s Heirloom Tomato Plant Sale

If your in the Denver Metro area, feel free to stop by our Heirloom Tomato Plant sale. It will be held at 1568 S. Fairfax St. in Denver 80222, May 2nd-4th. We’ll be starting around 9am on Friday and Saturday and 10am on Sunday. We usually wrap up sometime around 4pm or until they’re gone. We’ll have some customer favorites like Ananas Noire, Mortgage Lifter and Brandywine. We also tried a few new varieties this year like Yellow Pear, Cherokee Purple and Green Giant. We even have some basil this year which is always a favorite. My husband has a wealth of knowledge and loves to share what he knows with other gardeners. We also give tips on how to grow strong, healthy tomato plants in our climate. Hope to see you there but if not, happy growing!

Thinking About Crochet Braids for a Summer Protective Style

Posted on by Michelle

For a while now I’ve been watching videos on Youtube that illustrate how to install crochet braids. At first, I was just curious how the style was done. The crochet braids that I remember were stringy, pre-braided strands that were attached to the hair with a latch hook tool.

It looks like the technique has come a long way since then. Now, people are using all different types of hair textures to create various looks. This means the style can be worn curly or straight; short or long. I’m interested in doing this type of style over the summer because it looks like an easy way to protect my growing hair while having the look of a style that is always ready to wear. It may take me up to two to three hours to complete but can last four to six weeks.

I watched several videos on how to install crochet braids and this one, by MamiTresses, was the best at explaining how it’s done. Enjoy!

Tea Tree Oil for My Scalp and Skin

Posted on by Michelle

I love to play in my hair but lately my focus has turned to my skin and scalp. My psoriasis is slowly trying to make a comeback, but hopefully my green juices and vitamin D will help me out there. Until it clears up, my scalp is sometimes an itchy mess. Just oiling my scalp does not cut it because it results in more flakes and itchies, making my condition even worse. I found this out when I mixed a few drops of the tea tree oil with my grapeseed oil and applied the mixture to my scalp after washing and conditioning. A few days later my scalp was going crazy again! So, this weekend, I decided to switch to a mixture of Aloe Vera gel and tea tree oil. This way, I wasn’t adding any oil to the area. It’s been a couple of days and I can tell that it’s working. I just tested a small area but will apply it to my whole head the next time I co-wash.

I also decided to add tea tree oil to my skincare regimen. I have adult acne and it pretty much has me at my wits end at this point. Tea tree oil has been known to have some of the same effectiveness as benzoyl peroxide in regards to acne. I’ve been using witch hazel as a toner but it didn’t seem to clear my skin on its’ own. This weekend, I purchased a new bottle of witch hazel and added 20 drops tea tree oil to it. Then, I just applied it with a cotton pad like normal. Thankfully, the tea tree smell didn’t linger. I have noticed that my skin is having fewer breakouts so I think it may be working.

curlyincolorado.com tea tree oil scalp skin

I added tea tree to my toner to
help with my adult acne

Tea tree essential oil has antiseptic properties, so when it is applied to the scalp or skin, it can help to get rid of any bacteria that may be present. I’ve also read that it can help with dandruff and other scalp issues so that was my reason for trying it. It comes in a tiny bottle but a little goes a long way. I only use a few drops at a time so one bottle lasts a while.

The only thing is, essential oils like this should not be applied directly to the skin. Tea tree oil should always be added to a carrier oil like olive, grapeseed, castor oils or, in my case, the aloe vera gel. In some cases it has been known to cause irritation so discontinue use if this happens. Also, the oil is toxic if taken orally, so topical use only! It can usually be found at health food stores in the bath and body section. I get mine locally at Sprouts or Vitamin Cottage but have also seen it at Whole Foods.

Grapeseed Oil for Hair

Posted on by Michelle

curlyincolorado.com grapeseed oil for natural hair

I use an old Hot Six Oil bottle
to store my Grapeseed oil

In the natural hair world we always hear about using oils for our hair but I’m beginning to learn more about how they work. I’ve mentioned in recent posts how coconut and olive oils are both light enough to actually penetrate the hair shaft. For this reason, they tend to make great moisturizers but not sealants. It’s important to moisturize the hair and then seal it in with something heavier.

In the past, I reached for castor oil to seal with because it has a very thick consistency. However, it left my hair feeling really heavy so I thought I would give grapeseed oil a try. Grapeseed oil is heavy enough to use as a sealant after moisturizing but is lighter than castor oil. An added benefit for me though is that it has a high smoke point meaning I can use it when I use heat on my hair. Now, I’m still not sold on the idea that it can protect against heat damage, but I have noticed a difference.

SEE HOW I STRAIGHTEN MY NATURAL HAIR

curlyincolorado.com grapeseed oil for hair

My straight natural hair after
using Grapeseed oil and a serum
for protection against heat

I recently used it when I straightened my hair and I was very happy with the results. Sometimes after heat styling I’m left with hair that is dry and crispy feeling but I didn’t get that when I used the grapeseed oil. My hair felt very soft and moisturized after using my flat iron on a heat setting ranging from 370 to 400 degrees.

The only drawback is that I’ve read that other naturals noticed that their hair reverted quicker after using the grapeseed oil as a heat protectant. For this reason, I also used a silicone based serum by IC Fantasia to help keep my hair straighter longer. I was able to go a full ten days and probably could have gone longer but it was time to cleanse my scalp.

I‘ve decided to continue using the grapeseed oil in my hair routine for oil rinses, sealing in moisture and for added protection against heat. I prefer the Napa Valley Naturals brand which I found at a local health food store. If you haven’t tried it I say give it a go!