Ready...Set...Big Chop! (Transitioners Read Up) An All-Inclusive Guide to Preparing For the Big Chop

I am super-exhausted from a weekend away from home but I wanted to post some information right away for those transitioners about to start their natural hair journey.
At least for me, a large part of lessening my nervousness about doing the 'big chop' was being prepared (especially if you are only a few months into transitioning and will have only  a few inches of new growth when you big chop).
When I big chopped I didn't have anyone who broke it down for me the way I'm about to break it down for you.  I had to trial and error (and waste some money buying products I didn't really need) to figure out what I really needed for my hair.
Now I'm not going to be product-specific because everyone has their preference of products and the products you use will often boil down to your hair type and cost.  Some are willing to spend more than others. I am also not going to tell you that you have to get all-natural or organic products.  I will only give you a list of the ingredients that should send up a red flag to you if you find them in the products and that should indicate that this product is not the best for you.  I encourage all my other current naturals, veterans and newbies who may have already figured out a thing or two to chime in with comments so we can help our soon-to-be naturals get off to a good start. Here goes:

Key things to know before you start this natural journey and to keep in mind throughout your natural journey.  Never forget them and you are not likely to fall off the bandwagon:

• Natural black (kinky-curly) hair, needs lots of moisture
• Moisture is water; moisture is not oil
• Natural black (kinky-curly) hair needs moisture all the time (I will explain how to achieve this so you are not constantly dousing your head with water).
• 'Moisturizers' as in oils, butters, or creams (emulsified mixes of  oil and water) act on hair as sealants
• Not all oils are created equal.
• The type of oils you use depends on what you want your hair to look and feel like, and therefore depends on your hair type. I don't use a typing system so when I say hair type, I simply mean, the unique characteristics of your hair, (i.e very kinky and coarse, loosely curled and silky, thick, thin, etc.)
• How much growth you retain will depend on two things only, aside from genetics,: The health of your scalp and your ability to retain the current hair you have - which leads me to the next point:
• The health of the hair that grows out of your scalp will depend on two things: The health of your scalp and your general health. If your scalp shows signs of ill-health (flaky, dry, excessively oily) this will affect the quality of the hair that grows out of it (i.e. whether the hair that grows is strong or weak).
• Just like the skin on your face, your scalp needs to maintain proper oil balance to be healthy. Hopefully, if you notice the skin on your face is excessively oily or dry, you look into it, the same should go for your scalp. It is usually partly genetic but the oil balance in your skin is optimized by your diet, your general health and the products you apply to it so PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SCALP always.

So lets start at the beginning:
There are two main activities you will do as frequently as needed to maintain moisture in your hair. They are:

1. Moisturize
2. Seal

Moisturize
Moisture is water and only water.
Discard the myth that oil is moisture. When you were a child and your Mom 'moisturized' your hair with some hair oil, she was really sealing in the natural moisture in your hair. Test this by applying oil to hair that feels very dry. Do you notice your hair now feels oily but still dry?
Don't bother applying oil to dry hair. You are just wasting the oil. The rule I follow is this: Always 'moisturize' (seal) hair before it is fully dry (as in damp or wet).

Seal
Oils, butters, and creams with their wonderful smells and slick feeling do nothing but seal moisture into hair shaft (temporarily - which is why you must do it regularly).

The very air  that surrounds us is constantly robbing, not just our hair, but our entire bodies, of moisture. Remember water in the air is maintained at an equilibrium. This drives evaporation and precipitation. But unless you are in very humid climates, water tends toward evaporation into the air  -  meaning the air pulls water from the surface of whatever it can: Rivers, trees, and, yes, you!

Oils and butters are purely for sealing purposes.
Creams with oil and water, attempt to do double-duty: imparting moisture and sealing. How effective these butters, oils and creams are at it is entirely trial and error and up to what feels right to you.

So the takeaway of everything I've told you so far is this: Your primary duty in taking care of your natural hair for as long as your hair is natural will always be to keep moisture in your hair by applying moisture (water) and sealing it in with oils, butters, creams etc.

By the way, when I say not oils are created equal I mean that some oils, due to the size of their molecular structure, can be absorbed to some degree into the hair shaft, thereby helping to reduce protein loss from the hair strand. These oils are: coconut oil, avocado oil and olive oil. I feel like this is another post since this one is already tres long.   :-)

Your Scalp
Many of us naturals, especially us newbies, become so enamored with our new 'curls and coils' and so fixated on getting perfect curl definition and discovering our textures that we forget the other half (a big part, right?) of the healthy hair puzzle - the scalp.
It's not an interesting part of us. It doesn't curl prettily like our new coils. It doesn't glow like the rest of our skin (I mean we can barely see it, especially if we have thick hair). So its easy to forget that this much-hidden stretch of skin, makes or breaks (literally) our hair. It is the manager behind the scenes, while we are so focused  and enamored with the celebrity on the screen, making it easy to forget that the celebrity that is our hair, does not stand a chance without a happy scalp.
The scalp is no different than the rest of your skin. In fact, the behavior of the skin on your face may indicate what is going on with your scalp. Do you tend to have oily skin? Dry skin? These are clues to pay special attention to your scalp. What your scalp needs most is balance (just like the rest of your skin). It does its magic by producing sebum (in addition to producing hair) to nourish the hair on our heads. Too much sebum, just like on our faces, clogs pores and may inhibit your natural rate of growth. Too little leaves the hair that grows out of your scalp, dry, and perhaps even weak and brittle.

Maintaining A Balanced Scalp

Three things come into play here:

1. The products you apply to your scalp
2. How clean your scalp is
3. Hydration moisture

Does Your Scalp Love Your Products As Much As You Do?
This is where it is important to choose the right products. And this is where I will list the ingredients to avoid when looking for the right products.  Products with certain ingredients will either clog the pores/follicles in your scalp, or disrupt its natural oil balance by causing your scalp to produce too little or too much sebum in response.
When looking for the right hair products, I'm not going to tell you they have to be 'all-natural.' I go this route because its a safe bet that if the product is 'all-natural' (and of itself this is a vague term) it is less likely to have the disrupting ingredients I am about to list.

Ingredients to Avoid (ingredients with asteriks by them mean use in moderation):
-Petroleum-based ingredients in general but specifically: Mineral Oil.
Note: Propylene glycol is also petroleum-based (see previous post about) but scientific studies have not proven that it harms your scalp or hair. There is the risk it may disrupt the natural oil balance in your scalp because it does act as a humectant. Here is a tip: whenever you encounter an ingredient you know to be petroleum-based, do some research on the ingredient to discover if it has proven to be harmful or disruptive when applied on or in the body. Be informed.

-Cones (silicone, dimethicone anything ending in cone etc)*

How Clean Is Your Scalp?
I inspect my scalp several times a week. I gently scratch the surface with my nail. If I see dead cells, or flakes under my nail or if my scalp looks greyish or dull, I know it needs a wash and a treatment. Wash your scalp regularly (shampoo not necessary). And when you wash it, gently scrub it to remove dead cells that clog follicles. Massage it (preferably with oils) to stimulate blood circulation and to seal moisture unto it.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
I specifically use the term 'hydration' here to differentiate between this moisture and the one we talked about above. Hydration refers to the moisture balance inside your body. If you are dehydrated, your moisture balance is off and it will affect your scalp. When we are dehydrated, our hair, skin and nails are the first of our body parts to be deprived of what hydration levels we do have in our body (the body considers vital organs to be a much bigger priority than your skin and nails when it comes to needing water). So a good indicator of how hydrated you are is how dry your scalp is and whether your nails and hair are brittle (from continuous dehydration). Keep your body hydrated and your scalp benefits as well.

Starter Products
Now the part I know you transitioners have been waiting for.
Below is a list of all the products that should start you off on the right foot as a new natural:

1. Moisturizing Deep Conditioner
 Notice the emphasis on moisturizing. Remember my post about knowing the different types of conditioners? It may help to refer back to it here.
Many new naturals complain of excessively dry-feeling hair when they first 'big chop.' There may be several reasons for that including how you took care of your new growth during the transition period but here is a tip to overcome this temporary but frustrating stage: Deep condition very frequently.
I won't tell you how frequently - its up to you. Just listen to your hair and when it feels dry, deep condition. I am not a fan of baggying (the term for applying deep conditioner to your hair, putting on a heat cap (baggy) and sleeping with it overnight) but if I ever recommend it, it would be during the first few weeks after the big chop (if hair feels dry).

2. Co-Wash Conditioner
You know how when you were relaxed you shampoo-ed at least once a week with any old shampoo? Well, cut it out!
Here are two invaluable tips, I learned along the way:

• Give up on shampoo (almost). Yes give it up. Curly heads do not need to shampoo often as it strips the hair of much-needed moisture. Moisture is the life of your curls. Strip moisture and you will end up with dry, frizzy hair (goodbye defined curls). Shampooing once a month (for those who tend toward dry scalp) or once every two weeks (for oily scalps) is just fine.

• Become a conditioner-wash guru. Conditioner-wash (also called co-wash) is the process of using only a conditioner to wash your hair (use it like you would a shampoo -  scrub and massage your scalp and rinse). One of the fun things about having a teeny weeny new afro (twa) is you can do what is called 'wash-n-go's' pretty much every day. But not with shampoo! Use only a conditioner when you 'wash-n-go' and your hair will love it! And generally I don't recommend using your deep conditioner for your co-washes, (especially if you co-wash often) as this will cause buildup.

To find the perfect co-wash conditioner:
Choose a conditioner mild enough for daily use. Do not choose a clarifying conditioner unless you have oily scalp and hair (and most of us naturals do not tend toward oily hair). Daily use of clarifying conditioners, even mild ones, will add to hair dryness. Instead look for a daily use conditioner that says: 'moisturizing.'

3. Sealants (Oils, Butters, Creams)
Make sure you have at least one good sealant that works for your hair type. You may have to trial and error to find the ones that work for you but some good, popular ones are:
Castor oil (my personal favorite)
Shea Butter
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
If you prefer creams to oils and butters, try ones by these natural-hair focused vendors: (Qhemet Biologics, Oyin).

*My natural sisters, help me out here. What are your fav natural-hair focused vendors out there?*

Gel
Not a necessity by any means but I know part of the eagerness to go natural is to see and rock your natural curls.  And gel is probably the one product that will get you there.  My one caution for you is that gels are drying so use in moderation and always protect your hair before applying gel, either with a sealant or a leave-in conditioner.
You may have to trial and error with different brands to find one that fits your hair type, don't get frustrated. And a tip: Expensive gels do not guarantee better results. Just avoid products with questionable ingredients (again, be informed).

I also recommend stocking up on the following in preparation for your big chop:

Detangling Comb
A wide-toothed comb is a must for detangling. Make sure your comb is free of sharp knicks or edges which can snag on (and possibly tear) hair during detangling. You want to only detangle your hair when it is saturated with a product that provides some slippage for easy comb gliding. Many naturals (myself included) detangle only in the shower and only when hair is saturated with conditioner (which provides slip).  If you insist on detangling dry hair, Qhemet Biologics (and I'm sure there are others) sells a detangling cream some naturals rave about (I haven't tried it so I can't vouch for it personally).
Detangle only as often as necessary. This does not mean detangling once a month unless you are going for free-form dreads!
Remember this, the longer you take between your detangling sessions, the more knots you will have to fight when you do and therefore the more risk of breakage during detangling. I also think, however, that too much detangling (every day, for example) is unnecessary and increases hair breakage.

Water bottle
Water spritzes help restore moisture to hair on dry days when you are not close enough to home to just jump in the shower. Add a bit of glycerin (and I do mean a bit! Think one tablespoonful to a cup of water) to keep those curls looking moist even longer (glycerin acts as a humectant). Do not apply glycerin undiluted! It is a recipe for dry, miserable hair.

Satin scarf
Sleep with your hair covered to prevent knotting and to help retain moisture.

A list of your fav natural hair youtuber links - Watching the vids of natural hair veterans who've been doing it for years and making it work - with great hair to show for it - will be a great pick-me-up on those days when you are wondering why you ever cut your hair or reaching for that relaxer. Find a natural youtuber whose hair type is similar to yours. I may do another post just to list my top favs.

The main thing is to listen to your hair and respond to its needs. Don't get stuck on a regimen. If you are trying a range of products and find your hair is not happy (is dry, brittle, etc) try to find out which product is causing the undesired reaction and replace it with a better alternative. Don't fall in love with your regimen.

Propylene Glycol In My Conditioner??

One of my favorite deep conditioners arrived in the mail yesterday.

I've raved about this conditioner in several posts on this blog mostly because of how it helped care for my relaxed hair.  I have always been discriminating about what I put on and in my body but since going natural, I've become even more diligent about reading ingredients lists of the products I put into my hair.

I don't want to use any product that will inhibit my hair's ability to do what it is inclined to do.  So even having a history with the phytokarite deep conditioner (I felt good enough about it to buy it in bulk because I got a really good price), did not stop me from looking over the ingredients again.

Nothing on the list made me uneasy....until I came upon it:

Propylene Glycol

The name was looking at me like it was daring me to send the product back. Or daring me to write a letter to phyto and ask them what the hell is up.

I have seen propylene glycol in many products, but I was disappointed to find it here.  The root of my disappointment is not that propylene glycol is harmful (ethylene glycol its distant cousin, is very harmful but propylene glycol has not been proven to be), but that for a brand that touts a natural approach to making its products and for the retail cost,  they could not have chosen a plant-derived alternative to a petroleum-based product. 

Propylene glycol is a petroleum-based product that serves various purposes in cosmetics including as a humectant and emulsifier.  

I know the rationale behind  using propylene glycol comes down to cost.  Phyto gets to continue charging what they do for their products but increase their margins by switching to cheaper ingredients, and guess what, Curlies?  Phyto isn't the only one doing it!  The economic downturn has driven many businesses to make tough decisions with their products: Often the options are either to increase margins by increasing  the cost to consumers or by switching to cheaper ingredients.  And while the idealist is inclined to raise a fist and argue about how wrong this is, the reality is businesses have to make money, and offset rising costs affecting their bottomline (think of the impact to businesses of rising fuel costs).

So if we're being realists about the likelihood of ingredients in our favorite products changing, we also have to be rational and ask ourselves:  Does the change mean this product will do harm to my hair or provide a less desirable result than I am used to?

Faced with this new ingredient discovery, I did ask myself this question.

Finding propylene glycol in my 'plant-based' deep conditioner, make me balk because I am not a fan of propylene glycol in my face products. Why?  I tend to have oily skin and found over time that when I used products with this ingredient, my face would be oilier than ever (and for me, more oil  =  more breakouts).

Despite a lack of scientific support for this observation, I switched to products without any petroleum-based ingredients, and found my skin was better able to maintain it's oil balance.  Only time will tell the effects of a product with propylene glycol on my hair and scalp (and of course I will keep you updated) but I will tell you this:  So far, there has been absolutely no scientific basis behind the propaganda that propylene glycol is harmful when used cosmetically despite what you will read on the internet (and there is alot).

One conspiracy theorist claims it denatures skin proteins and causes liver and kidney abnormalities. Please know, scientific studies have been done extensively on propylene glycol (read about propylene glycol and one such study HERE) and none have concluded any of the claims listed above.  Having done my research, I feel safe using a product with propylene glycol on my hair.

But the key takeaway here: Always do your research. Don't blindly use products on or in you without knowing where they come from.  They may not show harm the first or first ten times you use them but the cumulative effect of anything damaging will show itself over time, even if that's decades later.  We have to be informed about what society offers us or else how can we ensure they maintain quality in the goods they make available to us?  Companies are in business to make money. We, as consumers need to make sure they get only as much as they deserve and only after we get as much as we deserve. 

What I've Been Up To And Upcoming Plans for My Hair

I'm planning to kick off June with a henna gloss treatment (henna plus my deep conditioner, and a few other ingredients for shine). For this henna treatment I will soak overnight but leave on for no more than one hour (my focus will be not so much on getting color but shine).  I will of course post the results and more details afterward.

I also need to make another batch of shikakai tea for my hair cleansing as I am running out.  I will do that early June and probably make more than last time (a full bottle) since I know the recipe works well for my hair.

Yesterday I did a deep conditioning treatment.  I wish I had pictures but I didn't think of that.  I know I need to so I can share results with you guys. A new camera would help me alot because I've been using my blackberry to take pics and that's not exciting.  I also want to add videos but videos from my phone turn out weird. I promise though, more result pics to come.

Anyway, it was a brahmi tea strengthening treatment.  I applied my brahmi tea (recipe found here) directly to co-washed and towel-dried hair.  The tea was not mixed into a bentonite paste so it was runny (I didn't want clarifying because I had poo-ed with my shikakai tea about 4 days before).  I applied in the shower and  used a shower cap to prevent dripping.  I left the treatment in for about 30 minutes and then rinsed out. If you do this and your hair isn't slippery-feeling after, just run a commercial-brand conditioner through your hair and wash out immediately.  My hair and scalp were happy.  I then applied my 'super-moisturizer' mix and let dry.

 I don't do an herbal cleansing and conditioning treatment at the same time becauseI think  of it as herbal overdose for my hair.  So generally, when I do an herbal hair cleansing, I just use a commercial-brand conditioner after and then a few days later (usually 4 days or more) before my next poo, I co-wash with my commercial-brand co-wash conditioner and apply my homemade herbal conditioner.  I have no reason to think that an herbal hair cleanse with an herbal homemade conditioner will have any negative effects on my hair I just think my current regimen is a balanced approach to caring for my hair. 

That's all folks!

Product Review: DevaCurl Heaven In Hair Deep Conditioner

Hello, Curlies
Happy Saturday! It is hot and humid where I am, but I'm used to it. The heat, though, has made me even more lazy than ever  (I just woke up from a midday nap so I'm feeling extra relaxed).
So, as my Kerastase Oleo-Curl Intense deep conditioner is running out, I thought to branch out and look for a comparable alternative at a lower price.  I am on a tight budget these days and just cannot make my dollars stretch as far as another bottle of what has so far been my favorite conditioner.  If only I could find a sale - like 75% off (like that's gonna happen, right? L'Oreal, are you out there?  Can you hook me up?).

Until this magic sale happens, I decided to make DevaCurl's Heaven In Hair my new deep moisturing conditioner staple. 

I heard rave reviews about it from other naturals and I liked that, like my other fav deep conditioners (Phytokarite is one of them) it touts these great oils and butter, such as murumuru, among its list of ingredients.

I had planned to mix it with my existing deep conditioner, but after purchasing it, the first thing I notice is that it has a super-strong smell - that I don't like.  I don't know what it smells like - something like overly strong, old-time perfume.  It claims to have jasmine flower (which could be the reason for the strong smell?).Whatever makes it smell so strong, that turned me off.
I absolutely love, love, love the smell of the Kerastase Oleo-Curl so I was concerned mixing the two like I planned would have resulted in an overall but equally unappealing smell. I kept them separate.  After poo-ing my hair this Friday with my shikakai cleanser, I applied the Heaven In Hair to towel-dried hair.  I was hoping for a slippery, kind of silky feeling I get when I apply the Kerastase - but this didn't happen.  Thus I didn't get much help from it as a detangler, and the fact that I have been detangling after my shikakai poo while I have in a deep conditioner, means I needed detangling help from it.
To its credit, it probably didn't have that slippery feeling because it does not include silicones (which I have heard from other naturals is bad for our hair though the only reason I have gathered is that using products that have silicones will give a false sense that the hair is healthy when its not, because of the smoothness and shine silicones impart).  I think if you are paying close attention to your hair, as in inspecting it sans product, silicones shouldn't delude you. The only other thing I can think is using products with silicones excessively can be drying - not so much because silicones are drying, and they may be, I don't know, but because they make the hair feel strong and shiny, temporarily, so it's tempting to think, the hair has enough moisture and this is dangerous because silicones do not impart moisture.
The Kerastase, I think, contains some silicones (I think), which may have to do with the very slippery feeling I get when I work it through.

All in all, I don't hate the Heaven In Hair.  I  certainly plan to continue using it until it's done.  What I will do is use it to stretch my daily conditioners, not as a deep conditioner.  My plan is to mix it with my co-wash conditioner, hopefully to impart some of the great benefits of things like cupuacu and murumuru butters among other great ingredients - if only it smelled better.  If you don't mind strong smells, Heaven In Hair will probably work just fine for you.  My recommendation, though, is to smell it before you buy it and don' try to use it as a detangling conditioner.

On another note, I am almost out of my daily conditioner, my Everyday Shea (sad sigh).  I am on a tight budget so I was considering getting a cheaper conditioner like a Suave or something....in my next post I'll tell you about my little adventure to find another co-wash conditioner.
I hope you found my Heaven In Hair review helpful.
Later

Hair and Moisture - How Much Do We Really Understand?

I can't stress enough the importance of reading your hair.  And this goes, not just for Naturals but for those with all types of hair. Many of us, (and I too have been guilty of this) become so in love with or lazy about our routines we just mechanically keep doing the same things and then wonder weeks later why our hair are still dry or limp, or why our scalps are still flaky.

Moisture OverDose
The other thing, and one of the reasons we should pay attention to our hair, is that it is possible to over-moisturize our hair.  I have read so many crazy suggestions around moisturizing.  One person recommended applying a deep moisturizing conditioner mixed with some other water-based ingredients, and baggying the hair overnight. Every night!
Now if you happen to have hair that is not receptive to water, as in does not seem to absorb water well, this may be ok advice, I don't know.  But if you notice your hair feels limp and super-soft, but maybe too-soft, is brittle and is not holding a curl, then maybe you have been leaving too much water in your hair for too long.

Like I said, we all have different hair with different needs.  Hair's absorption rate for water varies individually but, on average, hair does not  need to be doused in copious amounts water 24-7, I mean we are not mermaids.  (Think of this: Hair and nails share similar properties and needs. What happens to our nails when we have our hands in water for a long period of time ie. that delicious but super-long bath?  )
Sealing in the water moisture when we do apply water is the key.  There are numerous amounts of good sealants provided by oils or butters. Some people say their hair does not like oil.  I am going to dispute this. I have found that to some degree, the hair has to be used to oil.  My hair seemed to hate oil when I first started this journey.  It would just sit on top of my hair.  But I didn't give up.  I just learned what kinds of oils my hair responded favorably to and what kinds of oils it didn't.  For me, I found that thicker oils like castor oil worked well on my kinky curls.  I got creative and started mixing butters (just oils that are solid at room temperature) with thin oils to get that thick-oil consistency my hair loves.  And I stopped applying oils to dry hair - made sure to dampen hair first.  But dousing the hair in water spritz's throughout the day, never giving it a chance to dry?  Well if nothing else, creates a breeding ground for bacteria and a recipe for over-moisturized hair.

Does Your Deep Conditioner Match You?
We love our deep conditioners. We rave about how much our hair adores them - me included.  But do you know what your deep conditioner does for your hair?  Do you know that there are different kinds of deep conditioners?  There are reconstructors/protein conditioners that attempt to restore protein to the hair shaft and there are moisturizing conditioners meant to seal moisture in the hair shaft.  These all, of course, provide only temporary protection for the hair.  Did you also know at different times your hair may need different types of conditioners?
Here is a key:
If your hair feels over-moisturized - very limp, fragile, and super-soft, won't hold a curl or breaks when you touch or gently pull on it, then you probably need a strengthening/reconstructing conditioner, generally a protein treatment.
If your hair feels dry, hard, and brittle, then a moisturizing conditioner is the answer.  Our individual hair types  (I'm not referring to the 1a-4b typing system)  kind of lets us know which type of conditioner we may need as the staple but changes in the hair's behavior (usually responses to stress, diet or your regimen) will also indicate that you may need to switch it up.
For example, protein treatments should pretty much be a must and a staple for relaxed heads because the hair cuticle's integrity is compromised and protein links have been broken and so are impaired.  You will notice after a relaxer, hair is super-soft and may be limp.  To prevent breakage, a protein treatment temporarily restores the protein lost during relaxing - temporarily (which is why you have to keep it up).
Natural heads, unless you have colored or apply heat regularly or genetically have super-fine hair that's prone to breakage, you are generally   in more need of moisturizing treatments because natural hair tends toward dryness.  But this does not mean from time to time, especially if you have a regimen based on almost constant water moisturizing, that your hair will not need a protein treatment to restore its strength. Just remember, all treatments are temporary.  It should also be a sign you need to adjust your regimen and probably reduce how often you wet your hair.

Glycerin is Two-Faced
I have noticed that some Curlies swear by glycerin and its become a staple of mine too.  But some use glycerin undiluted, applying directly to hair. Especially if you live in a hot, or cold, dry environment, this is a recipe for constant hair dryness.  Why?  Glycerin is a self-serving water-absorber.  It works great for our hair because diluted, it actually will pull water out of the air, thereby acting as a humectant for hair. But glycerin does not distinguish where it pulls moisture from.  So undiluted glycerin on hair plus dry air means glycerin will likely make your hair even drier by pulling moisture away from your hair.  A bit of glycerin added to water goes a long way and adding a few drops of oil helps to prevent glycerin from drying out your hair in dry climates.
I hope this post shed some light on some of our most common misconceptions about the products we use. The takeaway: listen to your hair, always. She is telling you what she needs. 

The Low-Down on my Current Regimen

There have been some minor changes to my haircare regimen, especially as she is growing, growing, growing!
Here goes:

Washes
Since my hair is growing out, which means more detangling, I have reduced my co-washes from every day to about every other day, sometimes I go even two days. Of course I de-tangle in the shower with a wide tooth comb while conditioner is in my hair. When I don't co-wash, I still let steam and water get to my hair by leaving it out in the shower or I spritz with this mixture:
Glycerin
Water
few drops of jojoba oil
a drop or two of tea tree oil (to prevent my mix from mold)

I poo-wash once a week, sometimes I'll go a week and a half. I no longer use shampoo.  I have successfully transitioned to my homemade shikakai hair cleanser.  It's awesome and my hair responds well to it which makes me happy! *happy*

When I use the shikakai to cleanse my hair, I detangle after the wash, with my commercial-brand deep conditioner in it.  The shikakai mix does not provide slip so I don't try to de-tangle until the conditioner is in my hair so I have some slip.  More slip equals less breakage.
If I feel buildup, I will shampoo once a month with Organix Coconut Milk shampoo, but only if I feel like I need some clarifying that an acv rinse or bentonite treatment is not providing.  If I shampoo, I apply my daily conditioner before the shampoo and detangle with the conditioner in it, then add a bit of shampoo on top of the conditioner to cleanse.  I rinse then deep condition.

Conditioning
My daily conditioner (used for my co-washes) is a pretty generic one from Whole Foods.  It's called Everyday Shea, is natural, and most importantly, is gentle enough for everyday use.

My commercial-brand deep conditioner is still my Kerastase Oleo-Curl but I plan to mix that with DevaCurl Heaven in Hair (right now its just Kerastase).  I recommend Kerastase only if you don't mind paying alot for your conditioners, and its why I'm switching to DevaCurl which I've heard rave reviews about.  I'll let you know how my hair responds to the mix.

Of course there are my homemade deep conditioners, some of which I have shared with y'all.  Some of these have changed, for example, my bentonite clay hair treatment now includes marshmallow root powder  which acts as a humectant (and adds slip).  I will share new recipes and changes to posted recipes in later posts.

My homemade deep conditioners can be broken into four categories which I alternate based on how my hair is behaving:

Clarifying Treatments
Right now, my homemade bentonite clay treatment does the trick

Protein
This is my Braggs Liquid Aminos treatment that I shared in an earlier post (I'll add the link here).  This is great for those who do not need or whose hair does not respond well to protein treatments (like mine).  It is a 'lighter version' of a protein treatment.

Moisturizing
Usually for this, I just use my commercial-brand deep conditioners but when I feel like treating myself I do treatments like my chocolate treatment  (add link here) or a caramel treatment.

This also includes my pre-poo hot oil treatment (recipe provided in an earlier post - will add link).

Strengthening and Growth
This includes my henna and brahmi clay treatments which I have yet to share - but will, definitely.

I generally do deep conditioning treatments no more often than once every two weeks and I might cut back to once a month depending on my hair needs.

Daily Care

Scalp Moisturizing. I have a scalp oil concoction which is a mix of the most nourishing oils I know of:
Here is what is included in this mix:
Hemp seed oil
Castor oil
Jojoba oil
Macadamia nut oil
Kukui nut oil
Few drops of Tamanu oil
Spearmint essential oil (to cut the nutty smell from the macadamia nut oil and the castor oil. Nutty smells drive me crazy!)

I think olive oil but I can't remember.  Anyway, I massage a bit of this mix into my scalp at least every other day, and if I'm home all day, I do this more often.

After Wash
After a wash, I apply a pureed mix of gel, butters and olive oil.  It provides the hold to define my curls but doesn't make me choose between curl definition and moisture.

When I don't want any gel in my hair, usually if I will be home all day, I apply my super-moisturizer:  Its a pureed mix of the following:
Mango Butter
Shea Butter
Kukui Nut Oil
Coconut oil
Glycerin
Fragrance (I add almond fragrance oil with vanilla and it makes this mix smell super-yummy!)

If I am going out, getting dolled up, I will do a leave-in like Knot Today and gel, usually Eco Styler and big, loose, messy twists.  Its my current NSTWA going-out look. :)

That's the full scoop. If I left anything out, I will add it later.