No 'Poo for me, Thanks

I can hear my mother now, "Jasmine, you are so gross. Did you HAVE to pick this title?" Yes, actually, I did. I have learned the hard way that my hair hates shampoo. Even before I went natural washing my hair left my scalp dry, flaky and itchy. I always attributed this to getting relaxers or the constant heat that was applied in order to maintain straight hair or hard water.

I learned about co-washing, using conditioner as a mask and to detangle only to rinse it out, from of all places QVC. Yeah, I watch QVC for entertainment-tragic! Well, they were selling a product called Wen which is just a series of conditioners for different hair types to be used as a cleanser and conditioner. The reviews for the product were pretty good and of course the QVC spokesperson raved about it. Well, I wasn't going to buy Wen but thought if there is any validity to using conditioner only to wash your hair, then it should work with any conditioner. I can't even remember what brand of conditioner I used, but it did seem to work. My hair felt as if it retained more moisture and was so much easier to detangle. As my journey from relaxed hair to natural progressed, I experimented with different conditioners (Oyin Handmade's Honey Hemp continues to be my favorite) to find that my dry, itchy scalp was a thing of the past! No more flakes (eff you Head and Shoulders)!


Now, using conditioner to co-wash is great; but you do have to be careful of product build-up. I decided that I would use shampoo to wash build-up out every two weeks. I bought some all natural shampoo and after the first use my hair felt dry, stiff and was difficult to detangle. I did a little research and found some low detergent shampoos, a.k.a. lo-poo, to try out. There was still too much 'poo! Though my hair was easier to detangle, my hair felt dry and stiff and it did with the full on shampoo. I even tried to reduce my shampoo washes to once a month; but the 'poo still stripped my hair of its natural moisture.

My next step is to try a few methods I've heard about here and there. One is the 'sugar scrub' method. I love sugar scrubs on my body; but I am not too keen on having sugar stuck in my hair (plus more rinsing means more time under hard water). Then there is the baking soda treatment (mixing baking soda and water to make a paste), but I am fearful this too will leave my hair stripped and dry. And if these home remedies don't work, there are some no-poo products that may work. Last weekend, I washed with lo-poo, so in 3 weeks I will have a report on the no-poo strategy (I need time to build up some build-up:).

Wash Day-Jasmine's Routine

Hi Everybody! It's Sunday which means it is time to wash the mop and I wanted to share my current routine with you.

Disclaimer: My mother and her associates at Keepers of the Krown made their own line of haircare and body products. I have added them to my routine and soon these products will be available online. That being said, I will offer similar products I have used and still use alongside any Keepers of the Krown products.

What I use

• 12 0z. Spray bottle of filtered water and 1 teaspoon of Castor oil*.
• Wide toothed comb
• Oyin Handmade's Honey Hemp Conditioner
• Oyin Handmade's Grand Poo Bar detergent free shampoo
• Keepers of the Krown 'Mae Butter' Shea mixture ( I have also used Afrikan Republic's Shea Butter in place of the KotK Mae Butter)
• Aloe Vera Gel

What I Do

1. I section my hair into three sections (back, left side and right side) and start to spray my hair with the water and castor oil mixture until damp but not soaking wet. I then work in sub-sections untangling my hair with my fingers first and use the comb on any stubborn spots re-wetting as needed. Once the sub-section is untangled, I spread the Oyin Handmade's Honey Hemp Conditioner on that section and proceed to the next area, using a hair clip the keep the conditioned sections out of the way. I leave it on for about an hour.
2. Shower time! I start in the back and begin to rinse out the conditioner while using my wide toothed comb to do any left over detangling. After the conditioner is mostly out, I use Oyin Handmade's Grand Poo Bar to get the rest out without stripping away all the good stuff.
3. After my shower, I wrap my hair in a T-shirt and let it dry for about 15 minutes. Armed with my spray bottle, shea butter and Aloe Vera Gel, I again start in the back. Usually, the back is still pretty wet, so all I have to do is use a little bit of shea butter from root to end. Lately, I have been rocking twists/twist and curl and twist-outs so this will be the example I use. Once I've used the shea butter, I coat the section in a thin layer of Aloe Vera gel, divide the section and twist away. I found that the Aloe Vera gel help smooth my hair, keeps the twist together without feeling gross ad gives it a little shine. I keep going with this pattern spraying my hair as it dries to keep it damp.
4. Once all my twists are in (about 15-20) I use the smaller perm rods to roll up my twist overnight. Yes, these can be a pain to sleep in; but I've found a perm rod pattern that fits my sleep-style and I have used one of those neck pillows you find at the airport. Now I think my head is used to it.
5. If I am going to undo my twists, I just put a little shea butter on my finger tips as I undo them. Depending on how big you want your hair, you can separate to the twists more for bigger hair (although you may get more frizz).