Not gonna lie but...

I'm getting sick of natural hair blogs in general. Not any in particular. The undying obsession with having long hair and the whining to have the approval of men is just peeving me to death. In an attempt to be counter-cultural, I feel like a lot of women are sliding back into the perception of beauty as a virtue, something to strive for and develop. This kind of thing doesn't exist in the queer community and it intrigues me.

I'm going to quote Toni Morrison on this one:

“The concept of physical beauty as a virtue is one of the dumbest, most pernicious and destructive ideas of the western world, and we should have nothing to do with it.” Black is Beautiful is a “white idea turned inside out…Concentrating on whether we are beautiful is a way of measuring worth that is wholly trivial... and preoccupation with it is an irrevocable slavery of the senses.”

I'm not trying to claim nirvana or anything like that; but I'm over my hair. I'm over it. I accept it like I accept my knees, nose, fingers, toes, my bum and elbows. It's occurred to me that my hair doesn't require any more attention than other parts of my body; and to elevate it to the glory of my existence is just ludicrous to me. To devote hours of blog-reading to the maintenance of my hair to the point of over-information is nothing but a distraction from the development of actual virtue (whatever that is). It really is "just hair" to me now. My biology knows nothing about politics, what men and women think, and what style looks the cutest. My biology just "is". My biology just wants to "be".

So this blog will no longer be about my hair... because I'm over it. My life demands more meaningful occupations. I now completely understand why Najahface deleted her YouTube channel.

Wow

We've had some pretty balmy weather in the past couple o' days. It's been extremely hot and extremely humid. It was 32 degrees Celsius today and with humidity it was 42!

The only sentient being that was enjoying this weather was my hair. It's never stayed so soft and so moisturized for an entire day! I can't stop touching it.

A Major Setback

So, I had to take down my two-month old twists (which were just starting to lock) because my ever-present but normally benign eczema had been flaring up for the past month, leaving really disgusting and large flakes embedded in my twists. And in order for me to have the condition treated properly, it's best that I have loose hair (says the dermatologist). My twists were rather thick and so to apply my doses of cortisone cream I would need easier access to my trouble spots.

I'm not entirely saddened because who wants dreads with huge scalpy flakes embedded in them? No one? Thought so.

And in lieu of it all, my growth is astounding!
This is me after a good wash, deep condition, detangling, moisturizing, sealing, twisting, and twist out...

Masala Chai, an orgasm in a cup for spice lovers

I can never get enough of spiced ANYTHING. Here's my recipe for chai. This recipe contains cloves (which can be done without if you want. I heard somewhere that pregnant women should avoid large amounts of cloves in their diet. So mommies-to-be might want to either nix it or significantly reduce the quantity. I'm not a doctor; but ask yours!) =D

If you're entertaining, this'll make about 5 large cups... and probably 10 of those cute little tea cups with no handles (it's probably better for first timers in small quantities).... anyhow!!

**note... when i make this, i don't really measure things... you kind of just get the hang of it after a while. But if you've never made it before, you can start of with these measurements and make it more personal in time. Every Indian family has its own nuanced chai recipe. So there's no exact way to make it.

Masala Chai
(Masala = spice & Chai = tea/sweet tea with milk)

5 cups of water
1 and 1/2 tbsp of loose black tea leaves or 1 black tea bag (You can experiment with green tea and other dark teas if you're a thrill-seeker)
1 cup of cow's milk (or soy, or almond milk, even goat's milk!)
1/2 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tsp black pepper (yes, really!)
2 tsp of ground cardomon (or 3 seeds per cup)
2 tsp of ground nutmeg
28 cloves (or generally 14 cloves per 2 cups of water. It depends on your taste)
6-8 pieces of thinly sliced ginger root
1 tsp of vanilla extract ( I love how it adds flavour that just rolls over your tongue)
4 tbsp of brown sugar, or white sugar, or honey, or all of them mixed together! (to your taste!)

Stir constantly, and avoid covering the pot because it'll foam up. Bring all of these to a boil for 10-15 minutes. If you like it stronger, boil longer!

And to add my Jamdadian (Jamaican+Trinidadian) heritage to the mix, you can spike a shot of rum to each cup if you're looking for a good time! Oh lawd!

Ginger Tea

so very invigorating for the mind and body. Ginger tea can reduce the intensity of migraines, calm nausea (great for the pregnant ladies), reduce gas, aid digestion,

4 cups of water
6-8 slices of peeled ginger root
1 slice of an orange peel (about 5cm by 2cm?)
1 tsp. cinnamon
a dash of grated nutmeg
Brown sugar to taste

Boil all of the ingredients together for 10 minutes (at least) If you like your ginger tea strong, boil it longer.

Deux mois and labyrinths... minus Bowie

Friday will mark the second month in my locking exploit. I must say that the past month has particularly been difficult. Anxiety has been a close enemy of mine-- not just over the matter of my hair locking but over the school year that is ahead of me. This summer has brought a downpour of graces, involving me being awarded with two fellowships that will fully fund my grad program, and the offer of two jobs as a research assistant and teaching assistant. Of course, it would be logical to think that one is perfectly competent and fitting for possessing such status; but I can't help but be afraid that I might not meet my own standard, or the standard at which I am perceived by my faculty... or that I'll just plain fuck it all up. I'm trying to be positive, trying to tell myself that I am deserving of these rewards because of my five years of hard work at the undergraduate level, and trying to capture the negativity with self love. But it's so hard and too much to manage at times. There are moments when I feel so strong, motivated and eager to encounter the upcoming year. And there are other moments during which I feel so small, cowardly and meek. I can't let this anxiety stagnate me. That would be the worst thing for me to do. I have to keep going and take it slowly.

I walked the public labyrinth in downtown Toronto on Monday. It allowed me to transpose my anxiety into physicality, with kinetic energy, walking the winding path as if it were the depths of my twisted heart, walking through the mirages, past the trolls and through the murk of my feelings of inadequacy. I reached the center, which was so clearly defined in fixity, steadfastness and prominence. And as I stood in the flower of the labyrinth, I could see over all of the insidiously winding circuits that had led me to such a vantage point, knowing that it had been worth it all.

Interestingly, this all applies to my venture of locking my hair.

The labyrinth in Toronto Trinity Square Park

360-ish

Decorating on a dime

In the Fall, I'm moving to another town to begin my MA program. So this summer has meant busying myself with finding cheap furniture and accessories with which to dress up my new apartment. Last week, I acquired a solid oak table (for FREE!) from a lovely sikh man who lives down the street. He put the table by the curb, as if to leave it for the garbage truck to take it away. As my mother was walking by the man's house, she noticed it's good quality and condition and rushed home to tell me about it. Together we dashed back to the man's house to retrieve the table from the side of the road. Score? I think so! 1UP me!

Tomorrow, I'm going to paint the table black. And to go with the table, I've got some chairs that need refinishing (also thrifted for 5 dollars apiece). I've done one so far. Below is the before and after The other will get done along with the table.

do do do do....

Hiya!

(38 days)

Student ID

I'm starting grad school in the Fall; and that means getting a new student card and ID photo... muahaha. I decided to wear my hair out for it.

Et voila!

Pretty Much a month

Ok so my 1 month will be on the 17th. But here are pictures anyway =P

Three and a half weeks

It's been three weeks and then some and my twists are starting to tighten up. I'm able to shampoo every few days and rinse every day without them unraveling. I can't wait for them to grow out more so that the parts stop showing.

Next week will be one whole month.




the stupid flash makes my hair look dull and white =\

My new obsession

This is Harmony. Her MySpace page is here

How is Castile Soap Made?

Hello fellow naturals and castile soap lovers! Ever wonder how castile soap is made? Check out this video to find out.

Foaming vegan soap and other homemade bath products

For those of you who are newly-converted Castile Soap enthusiasts, like me, you may have already noticed that when diluted, the soap is rather watery. I've found that this causes me to use more soap than I normally anticipate to use during a washing session. This afternoon, while trudging through the netherworldly cabinet underneath my bathroom sink, I came across a foaming soap dispenser. A lightbult subsequently went off and I dashed to my soap stash in my room to pull out my favourite Dr. Bronner's hemp peppermint liquid castile soap. I dumped about 2 oz. of castile soap into the bottle, and then filled the rest of it with water. The moment of determining my success or failure would come after the test...

*Teesha presses down on the pump*

What elated me thereafter was the pouring out of thick, frothy, cloud-like foam that emitted a heavenly peppermint aroma.

"SUCCEEEEEEEESSS" I shouted, as my words triumphantly echoed in the bathroom. I then raised my fist in the air for victory.

From hereonafter, there will be no watery castile soap mess. My frugality is furthermore sustained, as more soap will be saved with the glorious foaming dispenser *inject maniacal laughter here*

-------------------------------------

I no longer use any chemically-infused products on my body. Why not? Since I've decided to stop using chemicals in my hair, why not go all the way and cease to use them everywhere else? All of my cleansers are now castile-soap based; and my black and ashy skin now loves me back for it. I never wear make-up, almost as a rule, because I find the daily face-beating ritual silly, frivolous and addictive because of the way the cosmetic industry feeds from women's anxieties as well as they create them. Hell, I never even wore make-up to my high school prom, five years ago.

Here are some of the concotions I've been whipping with things I've had in my organic stash and kitchen for a while now.

Honey-Peppermint Facial Cleanser
Thanks to Towards Sustainability for sharing this gem!

1 cup of vegetable glycerin
6 tbsp. honey
4 tbsp. liquid castile soap

Sugar Body Scrub (I don't remember the measurements that I used, but whatevs. I listed the ingredients from greatest to least)
White sugar
Almond Oil
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil (You know you're of west indian descent if you have this in bulk! =p)
Vegetable glycerin
Honey
Loose green tea leaves

(you really don't need all of the ingredients in here, just moisten the sugar with whatever oil you've got. The rest are just frills. I got curious, that's all)

Shower Gel (in a 750ml bottle)
1 cup of vegetable glycerin
6 tbsp of honey
4 tbsp of Almond Oil/Olive oil infused with essential oils
Fill the rest of the bottle with Dr. Bronner’s castile soap

::UPDATE::

I forgot to mention what's currently in my shampoo

Castile Soap-based Shampoo
8 caps full of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Hemp Castile Soap
2 cups (or three?) of water
Half a cup of rosemary tea
1 tbsp of olive oil infused with about 8 drops of Rosemary Oil (yeah, I caved and bought some)

I'd say, keep the sugar body scrub in a cool dry place when you're not using it. But as for the shower gel and the facial cleanser, they're good to be kept in the shower for a long while without having them spoil on you.

Revolutionize the world by making your own cosmetic products. It's cruelty/oppression-free and hella cheap. Up yours, inhumane and unrelentingly capitalist cosmetic industry!! Product junkies, free yourselves!

-t

Rosemary

I'm sure you've all heard somewhere in the natural hair community that Rosemary stimulates hair growth and blood circulation. So being the cheap bum that I am, I decided to boil some ground rosemary to extract its nutrients rather than just running to the health food store for its essential oil. I know the rosemary is organic because it was grown in my mother's garden.

What I did is I spooned the rosemary into a coffee filter and ran it through my coffee maker. This was all very experimental since I have never used a coffee maker to make tea (which is what the rosemary is now, essentially). And it turned out to not be fucked up! It smells heavenly and is a beautiful earthy red colour. I'm going to put some of this in my shampoo and daily spray for some added nutrients...... sooner or later I'm going to try drinking the stuff as tea.... =P

My favourite Freeformers on Fotki

Here's a list of some of my favourite (damn you spell-check for not accepting the Canadian spelling of the word) freeformed dreadheads on Fotki. I, personally don't have an account and refuse to pay for one; however, I am a frequent lurker in the darkness of cyberspace.

Yasu last one
Mochalocks
TalkingYam
Statontc2
BlackAngel Playah (my absolute fave!)
Soul-Rebel
Missharvin1
queenjahzara
Kesiah
nappyheadedblackgirl
somethingfree
chococanelleII *she twists occasionally, but I love the thickness of her hair

Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Hemp Pure Castile Soap as Shampoo

What works for me may not work for everyone else. But what I've found to be far superior to every shampoo/conditioner/moisturizer/facial cleanser/shower gel I've ever used is Dr. Bronner's castile soap. Diluted (4-5 caps full per 250ml of water), it makes the best shampoo for me. It lathers, clarifies and even seems to condition my hair after a good wash. The feeling of the peppermint on the scalp is also cool and refreshing. Now I can't help but sing Dr. Bronner's praises.

Shampooing is something I do every other day to every couple of days. That's only because I sweat a lot and I'm obsessed with smelling clean =). Using Dr. Bronner's full strength would surely strip my hair of moisture, with the frequency at which I wash it. But diluted, it's absolutely fine for me to do it every other day.

I use it for everything now, from showering to washing my face. I don't think I'll ever buy another special purpose soap, when this one seems to do everything well for me. I have a feeling that I'm going to save a shitload of money in the long run. Goodbye Product Junky-ism.


Ingredients: Water, Saponified Organic Coconut & Organic Olive Oils (w/ retained glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil, Mentha Arvensis, Citric Acid, Vitamin E.

Simple and few ingredients. All organic. Fair Trade. Pretty economical. =)

And one week passes...

Back in the game

Hey folks!

I'm back in the game! The locking game, that is! I'm going through a transitional period in my life and I'd like my hair to document that change. In a couple of weeks, I'll be the first in my family to graduate from university. And recently, I have been granted admission to a graduate program, which will be starting in the fall. There's probably no better time than now.

I carefully parted my hair on May 17th and twisted it. I've changed shampoos and am now using Dr. Bronner's peppermint castile soap instead of the Druide peppermint shower gel because it's much cheaper and lasts longer. Washing happens every couple of days because of the warmer weather and because I'm a clean freak. When i'm not shampooing, I still allow my hair to get a little wet in the shower.

So far, I'm in love with Dr. Bronner's and his eccentric religious ravings sprawlled all over the label. Of course, I use it diluted: 4 caps full per 1 cup of water, in a spray bottle and that stuff later's like a dream.

When I make my first impression on the people in my graduate program in the fall, I want to make a bold and radical statement with my hair. I think that thick, freeform locks will be the best way to do it... aside from my lefty politics =P

Pictures or a video will come soon.

ALL-ONE!

Update

You've all probably noticed that I am no longer documenting my loc journey. This is because I've decided to begin the journey during an upcoming meaningful period of my life.

I'm going to grad school in the fall and I think that I'd like to begin my journey as I embark on the academic career of my dreams.

So it's my usual fro for now, folks.
Thanks for understanding!

peace

A little bit on coconut oil and vegetable glycerin

I've been experimenting with some new natural products for moisturizing and conditioning. This week, I bought some pure coconut oil to give it a go. When I opened the container it was completely solid; and that was because it was -15C when I was walking home with it in my bag. It's melting point is 24C. I don't think that it will turn into pure liquid in my apartment because I don't keep it that warm. I like it a little chilly in here (yeah I'm a freak). But with a little experimentation, I've found that coconut oil is really easy to work with. It melts right underneath your fingertips if you dip your finger right into the container. It even melts faster than shea butter.

I spooned some out into a smaller container that I can use for finger-dipping because I don't want to spoil an entire container with constant handling: the dirt from your fingers, scalp and hair can make the coconut oil go rancid much faster.

So far, I really enjoy the coconut oil because it's really light, prevents breakage, makes your hair and scalp soft, and goes a long way if you use a little. I would consider it a great daily moisturizer if you moisturize your scalp every day. My only issue with it is using it in the winter. I used it to twist my hair a few days ago; and when I went outside in below freezing weather, the twists became a little bit stiff. My hair wasn't crunchy it was just a little stiff. It kind of feels like a weak gel in your hair. But as soon as I went back inside, it instantly became soft again. The drop in temperature will cause the coconut oil to thicken in your hair. It'll become soft again once you're in room temperature.

I'm not entirely sure if allowing coconut oil to thicken in your hair, in colder temperatures, is a damaging thing; I kind of wonder if it coats your hair from the temperature. I'm no biologist, so if anyone knows for sure, holler at me.

I definitely think that once the temperature is regularly above zero that coconut oil would make a great daily moisturizer for scalp and hair, since it's lightweight, in comparison to things like shea butter-- which is heavier and and needs to be applied less often, lasting longer in between washes.

A tinge of adventure struck me and I tried coconut oil as a facial moisturizer and I must say that I'm rather impressed. It's light and absorbs quickly on a freshly washed face and gives me a bit of a sheer matte glow. I have oily skin and so I've found that a lot of moisturizers make my skin look shiny after several hours; but with the coconut oil, I'm experiencing no shine I think I'm going to continue this and see if I notice any changes over a few days. Can't say if other people would experience the same thing... this is just what turned out for me.

On to Vegetable Glycerin:

So.... for people who use it on a daily basis... do you find it a little bit sticky? Not strong enough to be an adhesive but just a little bit tacky on the hair and fingers. Maybe I'm using too much. I should mess around with the portions the next time I mix up my morning spritz solution. I'm not sure if I'd buy it again; but let me see what changing the water-glycerin ratio does first. It's a little expensive, 15.99 CAD for 16oz. It's not entirely necessary and can be done without. After I finish this bottle I think I won't try it again until the summer. Since vegetable glycerin is a humectant, it draws moisture from the air into your hair. The winter months in Southern Ontario aren't very humid. So i don't know if I'm getting the most out of it.

I should let you all know...

I should let you all know that I decided to take down my twists and put my locking process on hold for a while. Last week, I had decided that I wasn't entirely ready to loc; and I missed my loose hair. I'm really happy with the decision and am not in any inner turmoil over it. I just wanted to experiment a bit more with my loose hair, you know. Of course, I'll still be documenting my exploits with my natural hair on this blog.

Sorry to have disappointed other freeform lockers out there =(

In other news... I had a pretty kick ass twist-out for a couple of days.

I was in the shower for 2 hours detangling this yesterday! No breakage really... just all the shed hair for the past month. And my hair is longer. Woopee!

My goal is to really work hard on moisturizing and retaining moisture. I went to the health food store on Thursday to buy some vegetable glycerin and almond oil; so hopefully those will help out in the experimentation. Another goal of mine is to learn how to cornrow my own hair so that I don't have to rely on mom. My motivation to learn how to cornrow is the possibility of wearing my hair in the popularized "fraux-hawk". One of these days I'll be able to do it.... one of these days...

1 Month Picture Update

I really like this picture because it allows me to picture what they'll look like in the future. I can't wait

Hooray for freeforming for a month!
Ho boy... I have a long way to go...

Now I want you to check out my freeform inspiration.
This woman is beautiful and her locs are just as beautiful:
http://public.fotki.com/BlackAngelPlayah/18-months-to-2-year-mark/

1 Month Update - Freeform Locs

The Story

There will be photos at the end of this. I promise!
I was really inspired to write this after finding Veronica's natural hair blog linked from the Feministing.com Weekly Reader.

Like so many women of colour who are now natural (or "nap"tural) I had been in the practice of having my hair permed since I was about 6 or seven. I do have some memories of my natural hair, from when I was much younger. My mother would braid my hair in cornrows or plaits and secure the ends with those big plastic bubbles and clips in the shape of hearts and candies. My recollection of relaxing my hair as a young girl involves images of "Dark N' Lovely" boxes filled with tiny bottles that contained curiously coloured liquids. Having relaxed hair wasn't really a tortuous period of my life. Yes, i did experience some breakage, but when I did, i would just have my hair braided with extensions and allow it to rest. I think the reason why my mother did it was to make her life easier when it came to combing it and braiding it. Which is understandable.

As I got older, I was able to make appointments at my mother's hairdresser. It was just something that had to be done, I guess. Like getting groceries and taking out the garbage. I had to "get my hair done" as soon as the roots began to show. Whenever I experienced long periods foregoing touch ups to my roots (during my first few years of university especially) I would be asked the question "what are you going to do with your hair?" Most of the time, I didn't really care what I did with my hair. I was a low-maintenance kind of gal when it came to hair. I would just comb out the roots and pull it back into a pony with the same hair clip I had been using for something like 7 years. Getting my hair relaxed was more of a thing I did to keep my mom from asking me what I would be doing with my hair. I really began to hate getting my hair relaxed because 1) I always ended up with the same hair style that was given to my mother 2) I hated sitting in a salon for 3 hours listening to celebrity gossip, flipping through the vapidity of glossy fashion magazines.

In the winter of 2007 I became fascinated by natural hair, and had a strong desire to learn about my own, to chop it off. I had become a new card-carrying member of feminism in my fourth year of university and wanted to practice my beliefs in a radical and visible way. That year I had won a scholarship to study abroad in Jerusalem for the winter semester of 2008. I had my final relaxer a week before my flight to Israel. Unbeknownst to my hairdresser, that would be the last time I was planning on seeing her.

While studying in Israel, the months past and the roots of my hair grew in, thick and strong, unlike the frizzy and splitting processed ends. I fell in love with the thick hair and I longed to feel only that texture in my head. I had decided in the spring that once I was back in Canada, I would cut my hair down to the roots and sport the TWA until it was long enough to be put into locs. My first day back in Canada brought an interesting encounter with my mother after my disclosing a desire to cut my hair and grow locs. This is just my guess, but I think that Christian Jamaican immagrants have some kind of animosity with natural hair... especially loced hair. I pretty much had my mind made up though. I continued to grow my hair throughout the summer by learning to braid it myself. And once I had moved back on campus for my final year of university, I bought a pair of hair cutting shears and cut my hair down to the roots, making the most intimate discoveries about myself.

I loved my hair. I loved the thickness. I loved the curliness. I loved the thick naps that would develop after leaving it uncombed for several days. I loved how I could wash it almost every day. I loved how having natural hair freed me from being bound to having someone else do my hair for me. And I think that's one of the lies that white patriarchy has perpetuated: that a black woman must not do her own hair and must allow someone else to shape it for her into something that is acceptable and attractive. And as long as white patriarchy has black women believing that their hair belongs in someone else's hands, the standard of beauty will be displaced from the self of the black woman and into the image of the dominant. And when a black woman takes her hair into her own hands, people start talking. That's what happened to me. Everyone in my church back home seemed to find out that "I cut off all my hair" as if it were a surprise that I allowed my own hands on my own head. Like I was tresspassing on someone else's property. It's funny how people think that a black woman's hair in its natural state is "radical". I think what I want to do is exploit that notion

Now... I'm not saying that women who process their hair are essentially oppressed. Not at all. I'm just saying what's true for me. I had to go a physical process of reconciling my personal politics with my body. I just had to reclaim my hair in this particular way, to take the scisors myself and cut away at the other hands that were in my hair. Women can reclaim themselves in whatever ways empower them (a notion that can get complicated, I know). This was my way. When it comes down to it... it's just hair... but it also isn't JUST hair... in that weird paradoxical way. You know?

I've neer been so in love with myself since I started growing it out in Jerusalem (Zion, if you want to look at it from a Rastafarian spiritualistic way. I've come to love my body and my beauty and my womanhood and my blackness. And interestingly enough, this self-love was something that I never experienced in my days as an evangelical Christian who was pretty devoted religiously. My inate low-maintenance radical amazon woman was bound by the possible questions of others "what are you going to do with your hair?" And the answer, by default, had to be straightening it because that's just what black women do, right?

Well, I've changed my answer to that question. What am I going to do with my hair? I'm taking control of it. And I'm going to let it loc up in its funky, freeforming kind of way. I could never do the manicured loc lifestyle. It really stiffles my desire for low maintenance and maximum political effect.

But anyway. I'm going to stop rambling and get to posting some pictures!!

Fall 2006
You can't deny that it looked good!
I just never had the desire or felt the need to maintain it until I was sent to the hairdresser by my mom.

This was taken on either my 19th or 20th birthday. I can't remember.
I used to like taking portraits of myself when my hair was fresh from the salon.
Then the novelty of straight hair would wear off and it would be back in a ponytail until my next visit to the salon. Hahaha!

This is when I had braids. Fall-Winter of 2005



I'm gonna knock you out!!... with my words!
This is the headwrap that i donned on the several days of extreme heat in Israel. I wanted to keep my hair out of the Middle Eastern sun (which was pretty harsh).



These are the plaits that I rocked for the summer of 2008
I was transitioning and plotting to cut my hair as soon as I moved back on campus
Yes, you can laugh at my goofdom.

I grew accustomed to wearing this hat throughout the summer when I felt like butching out

And on those summer days when I felt femme, I would don this hat.
Regardless of my constantly changing gender presentation, it's always pretty easily acheived.


This was taken during the Xmas break of 2008... so several months after my big chop.
Yes folks, I like to fuck with gender. Deal with it.



So now you have the lo-down on where I'm coming from.

18 Days

The next update will be on the 1 month mark: Feb 13

UPDATE:
Okay, I know that I promised to stay away from here until Feb 13th; but I couldn't help but come back to give an update. I washed my hair today but without the stocking cap I've been using for the past three weeks. I wanted to see what would happen if I was just a bit more aggressive with washing. It turned out fabulous, I must say! I lathered up and attacked my scalp with my beloved Druide peppermint, palmarosa and sage shampoo (which is actually a body wash/ shower gel; but who the hell cares if it works extremely well for hair too?). I ended up shampooing three times... I even stood under the shower for extended periods of time for rinsing. And all of my twists stayed intact. Well... all except for ONE. Haha! I was excited to shake them around when they were soaking wet. They're drying and shrinking now; and I'm so glad that I've found a shampoo that doesn't strip them of moisture and make them crunchy (yeah, ew). I experienced that with the Suave shampoo. It made my hair squeaky clean... literally. When I ran my hands over my hair it would squeak. Later it would dry out to a texture simillar to crunchy dry grass. This even happened when I diluted the Suave shampoo! Yeah, I don't know why the online Locing Community has such an obsession with Suave products. So it looks like I'm going to stick with all-natural vegan products for my hair. Later on, when my hair's dry, I'll put a little shea butter on my scalp to feed some vitamin and protein gooness to my hair.

I'm now down to two products included in my hair care regimen: Druide peppermint, palmarosa, and sage shampoo & raw shea butter. I immediately ceased to use the Soft and Beautiful 3 N1 botanical oil as soon as I found out that one of its components, mineral oil, is just a derrivative of petroleum (a no-no since it clogs the pores of the scalp and coats the hair with its greasiness. Maybe I'll use it very sparingly when I want a little bit of fragrance... because it does smell great. Unless I can find something that's organic and offers a long-lasting fragrance....

I'm not sure if I'll ever need the stocking cap again for shampooing since tonight's experiment. It'll stay in my bathroom drawer for now. I'm so amazed that after just 18 days, my twists (dare I call them locs now?) are allowing some more force to be applied to them when I'm in the shower. I guess I can even use a shower cap less often now. This makes me wonder if my hair simply has the nature to lock quickly... hmm...

Ok for realz this time... I'll be back on Feb 13th. Unless I have some groundbreaking news to share

Tuesday wash

I really enjoyed using the 100% vegan and organic Druide Refreshing shower gel as a shampoo. The peppermint and spearmint made my scalp tingle and the sage left a fragrance that I can still smell hours later. I think I'll be sticking with this shampoo forever...
I had a little bit of unraveling so I've resolved to re-twisting the ones that unraveled and then braided the tips to keep them from coming loose again in the future. Like I said a couple weeks ago... i want as little maintenance as possible. I love how my twists get puffy and stand up on their own after I wash them. And it seems that the Druide shampoo has given me the best results when it comes to increasing the size of my twists. I might just have to say goodbye to my Infusium 23 Shampoo. Or at least save it for a rainy day when I can't afford the Druide shampoo.

I wore my hair out without a hat today and I loved it. And the smell of sage made the experience of it all the more pleasant and invigorating. I only did this in the apartment today because my hair was air drying. There's no way I'm going out in the freezing cold without a hat on. Nuh-uh. I've developed the habit of wearing a hat indoors as well because it deters me from touching my hair. I'm such a fidgety person when i'm doing work, or at my computer.

New Shampoo

So I found this lovely product in my local pharmacy. The front of the bottle reads:

DRUIDE
Nature and Traditions

Shower Gel
Body & Hair

Peppermint, Palmarosa and Clary Sage


100% Vegan
Certified Organic

And most importantly, it was MADE IN CANADA! Can't wait to try this. The fragrance of organic peppermint and sage, together, is so strong. I love it! I'd also like to get around to trying the rest of the DRUIDE product line.

Check out www.druide.ca

Headgear

This is what a Canadian feminist loc'er looks likeThis is now my new favourite hat.
It's warm and protects my hair from the cold.
So there.

Couldn't wait

So i simply could not wait a week to wash my hair again as my set hair regimen prescribes. I find that after applying shea butter to my scalp, a couple of days later my hair starts to smell funny. It's very soft.... but still i can't deal with the sweaty-musky smell. It's probably because I apply the shea butter late in the week and dirt gets trapped underneath it. I don't think wearing hats all the time is helping either. So I think I may shampoo twice a week, alternating between some diluted clarifying shampoo (Suave Juicy Green Apple y'all) and Infusium 23 Repairologie shampoo.

But yes. I washed my hair and It's feeling much better. The twists are soft and fluffy and starting to frizz up already. I put a stocking cap over my head in order to protect the twists from too much agitation; and that method works very well. I even towel-dried my hair through the stocking cap and it really kept the twists from unraveling. I have a feeling that my hair will lock quickly because i remember having twists in my hair for 3 weeks one time and they were a pain to take out. I look forward to the time when i can shampoo my hair without the stocking cap... and use conditioner!

On the Third Day...

Three-day old twists which will hopefully spawn into fierce locs of dreadful rage... fwahaha! I'm not the most skilled of nappy-headed women. I am slow of hand and wavering in parts. I assume that these will turn out to be rather thick and wild..... I like it.

Hello World!

The purpose of this blog is to document my progress as I embark on the journey of locing my hair by the method of freeforming. I twisted my hair on Tuesday, January 13th, in no specific pattern; and my goal is to allow each twist to grow as it wills to grow into locs. As far as manipulations goes, I plan on only separating the locs. Perhaps when they're longer, I will palmroll them; but at the moment, I'm set on allowing them to take on their own individualistic appearance.

Why I choose to freeform?
1) First of all, I'm a lazy ass and can't be bothered to be retwisting every week. Low maintenance is key in my lifestyle.
2) I can't stand the scalpy, overly-manicured, almost-machine-templated looking locs.
3) Out of a desire for individualism, I want my locs to appear raw, organic, punky and thick.
4) I'm a poor canadian student in her last semester of an Hon. BA. and can't afford a "loctician" who will surely overcharge me for numbers 2 and 3, and give me unneccessary rules to follow, exploiting my lack of knowledge about natural hair for his or her profit.


Products
A lot of people in the online loc community seem to be using a slew of products that just aren't available in Canada (ie. the Jamaican Mango and Lime product line). So I'm making due with the things that are available to me and what I have found to be functional. I'm also not a fan of online shopping because I'm afraid of being manipulated by fraudulent merchants. This is my arsenal:
- shea butter (Shea "All Naturals" 100% Pure Shea Butter - found in the Shoppers Drug Mart "ethnic" hair care aisle.
- Botanical Oils (Soft & beautiful Botanicals 3-N-1 Botanical Oil)
- Shampoo (Infusium 23 Repairologie)
- A spray bottle of good ol' H20

No conditioner will be used until I know my hair is loced. I bought Infusium 23 Moisturologie conditioner and leave-in treatment but I'll be saving them for next month.


The regimen
As I already said, I'm pretty low maintenance; however, this is what I'd like my week to look like.
Monday - morning spritz with water
Tuesday - morning shampoo; evening oil treatment on scalp
Wednesday - water spritz
Thursday - Do-Nothing-to-Hair-Day
Friday - water spritz
Saturday - shea butter on scalp
Sunday - water spritz


For other Canadians out there who are thinking about locing, I should warn you to stay away from any of the African Gold products that you'll find in the ethnic hair care aisle at Shoppers Drug Mart. They're cheap, yes... but contain a lot of junk-fillers like petroleum, alcohols and perfumes and very little of the good stuff. The only products I've purchased from Shoppers Drug mart with which I'm very pleased are the shea butter and botanical oil. They cost a lot more but you get what you pay for, eh? So I'm trying to make them go a long way.

I figured I'd start locing in the winter since the frigid temperatures will force me to keep a hat on most of the time. Why not get most of the major work done in the locing phase now? For the first month, I plan on washing my hair once a week unless my hair starts to smell or feel dirty before that. If there's anything that I obsess about, it's that my hair has to smell clean all the time. After I had done the Big Chop on Sept 12, 2008, I washed my hair almost every other day and loved leaving my apartment with my loose hair smelling freshly shampooed.

My inspiration? This guy right here:











That's all for now folks! Stay tuned!