Now, I'm steamy hot!

About a week ago, I managed to talk the hubs (that's my husband to those of you who are sticklers for proper word usage and all that jazz) into buying me the Caruso Professional ProSet Steam Hairsetter. Perhaps his blood sugar was low or he confused Sally Beauty Supply for Game Stop, but he took me to Sally's nonetheless and turned my product junkie wishes into reality. I had actually been eyeing this thing for quite a while but I had managed to employ some restraint. Either way, it was just under $30 after tax with my Sally's card (so worth the 5 bucks by the way) and I have used it twice so far.

If you read my last post, you know I am several weeks post relaxer (almost 7 now) and my new growth is coming in something viscious. So, the first time I tried it was last Saturday. I had done a braidout a few days before and I wanted to see if I could use this hairsetter to extend the life of my braidout. I normally just wear a braidout 3-4 days and wash my hair when I'm ready for a new style, but I was hoping the steamsetter would let me eek out another day. Well... no such luck. I don't know; I feel like I'm only person to not have a good experience with this thing but it just did not do it for me. My hair felt great when I first took the rollers out- super moisturized and soft. And then like Mr. Hyde morphing in Dr. Jeckyl, it got hard, dry, and reverted back to its braidout crinkliness.

Not being one to write off a product after one use, I was determined to give it another go. This time I tried it on my hair a few days after a rollerset. This time I left the rollers on the steamer a few seconds longer (about 7-8 seconds), figuring that perhaps the first time I did not let them get quite steamy enough. I wish I had good news, I really do but no go. My hair was very moist when it took the rollers out (a good 30-40 minutes later), not moisturized but just plain moist! I was forced to blow dry the curls lightly and, just like before, within a few minutes my hair was hard and my curls were falling. I haven't felt my hair in this state since before I began my hair journey and I was not happy to be reunited with my pre-hair journey self.

Help me out ladies, am I missing something? I thought this thing would be the holy grail for a healthy hair care maven, like myself- a great, no heat way to add curl and body to your hair. The tenacious girl that I am, I will give it one more go after I get my relaxer (one more week!), so I can see if it's something that works better on just relaxed hair. But for now it looks like I'll be sticking to my rollersets.

Mmm, smells like coconut love

A few weeks ago my husband stumbled upon Suave's Tropical Coconut Body Wash and we have been in coconut heaven ever since. I say we because it smelled so incredible that I couldn't let him have all the fun. For once his frugality has paid off (I shop to balance quality and price, he wants to know: how cheap is it?) because I have been in love since. The rich smell permeates the house long after you have left the shower without being at all overpowering. I wouldn't call it a moisturizing body wash, which is what I normally go for, but it not drying either. I just follow it with my usual post shower routine of Jergen's Shea Butter lotion and a few spritzes of good ole Johnson's baby oil (I transferred mine to a spray bottle for easier application). If moisturizing then sealing works for your hair, why not your body, right? I was previously cycling between Dove's Deep Moisture body wash and Olay's Body Wash plus Body Butter Ribbons (which unfortunately leaves an oily film on your hands... ick) but this stuff is cheaper and just as fabulous.

All of this led me to try Suave's Tropical Coconut conditioner which I got on sale for about $1.50. I've used it mixed with coconut oil as a prepoo (pre-shampoo treatment) and as a quickie conditioner in the shower. I must say this stuff is wonderful! It really is an instant conditioner because all I did was apply it on my hair and rinse it off about a minute later and my hair felt so incredible. I could not believe it. I normally use Nexxus Humectress as my in shower conditioner (this used to be my staple deep conditioner but I have since found things I love even more so I am using it up) but this Suave works just as well (if not better, shhh) as an instant conditioner. And you cannot beat the price! Mind you, I would not use this as a deep conditioner without some finagling but as a instant or a conditioner wash? Puhlease! This stuff is the ishh. Sorry, Brooklyn moment. Either way, it has the same great smell as the body wash too, so all I need is a coconut body lotion and I'll have the trifecta of coconut deliciousness.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Distearyldimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, 2 Bromo 2 Nitropropane 1, 3 Diol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Propylene Glycol, Silk Amino Acids, Honey (Mel), Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Extract, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Extract, Coconut (Cocoa Nucifera) Extract

hairlove: Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Pak

Lest you think that I've only been thinking about makeup lately, it's time for some hairlove. My favorite conditioner right now is Organic Root Stimulator's Olive Oil replenshing conditioner. It is sold in these handy little packets, which are perfect for commitment phobes.
Description:

• Deep Penetrating Conditioner.
• Helps restore, moisturize, & rebuild damaged hair.

As an African America woman with relaxed hair, I need a lot from my conditioner. Our hair can be some of the driest and most damaged around, so extra care must be taken to maintain the proper moisture and protein levels to prevent breakage. This conditioner does just that with a wonderful balance of moisture and protein. I use this as my moisture based conditioner once or twice a week during my deep conditioning treatments. (I apply this conditioner in sections to my towel dried hair and cover with a plastic cap then sit under a heat source for 15-20 minutes.) It has a nice citrus smell that is not overpowering and leaves my hair incredibly soft and easy to detangle.

The "paks" can be purchased at your local drugstore, Target, Walmart, or beauty supply store for prices ranging from $.99 - $1.49. For those of you who are ready to settle down with this wonderful conditioner, it is also available in full sized bottles at your local beauty supply store and soon in stores everywhere.

Ingredients:
Water Aqua , Soybean Oil Glycine Soja , Glycerine , Olive Oil Olea Europaea , Hydrolyzed Collagen , Quaternium-80 , DMDM Hydantoin , Amino Silk Acid , Dimethicone Copolyol , Orange Oil Citrus Aupantium Dulcis , D'Limonene , Panthenol Vitamin B5 , Dimethicone , EDTA , Chamomile Extract Anthemis Nobilis , Sage Extract Salvia Officinalis , Nettle Extract Urtica Dioica , Rosemary Extract Rosmarinus Officinalis , Aloe Vera Gel Aloe Barbedensis , Yarrow Extract Achilea Millefolium , Kiwi Extract Actinidia Chinensis , Polyquaternium-37 , Trideceth-7 , Triethanolamine , Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans , Methylchlorosothiazolinone , Methylchlorothiazolinone , Yellow No. 6 CI 15985 , Yellow No. 5 CI 19140