Thursday, August 27, 2009

I'm so EXCITED!!

Like many aspiring mixtresses, I have been working diligently on formulating products for MY hair. Unlike most product lines, mine will be OIL FREE. The focus here is creating moisturizing products that provide slip. This is the PERFECT recipe for FRAGILE hair like mine and my daughter's. I don't think the answer is PILING ON PROTEIN as much as providing slip and moisture to prevent the loss of strands. MY hair type (kinky AND fragile) is PRONE to breakage AND dryness. Right now, my daughter (who also has kinky and fragile hair) has two major patches of breakage and I TRY very hard to be gentle with her hair. My goal for HEr is fullness and evenness rather than length right now. However, I think I have the theoretical part of our haircare down to a science, now I just have to figure out the product ingredients needed to make sure that our hair is well taken care of. I am on my way....I made my first test batch of conditioner. Now I am beginning to finalize the list of ingredients for each product. Since I am in the process of moving, I'll have to wait to get settled before I can do my SERIOUS work. So, I think that October will see the beginnings of the ACTUAL product line being consistent and THEN I should actually be able to get some samples out. My goal is NOT to compromise my product as I have seen so many others do. I also want to market to the few people (like myself) who have sensistive skin or who just prefer to use minimal ingredients in their haircare. Wish me luck!!!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The quest to make the PERFECT leave-in....

So I have the moisture phase of my leave-in down and now I just need to add some slip. I think BHTMS will do the trick. It will be tricky figuring out how much to use. That's the fun part!

IT IS GROWING!!

Well, my fragile hair care essay has paid off! I have exceeded my typical bang length of below my browlie. My hair is just at the bridge of my nose when stretched, which is something that I haven't been able to achieve i the past. Yes, the progress IS SLOW but at the same time it IS STEADY. I made up my own oil-free moisturizer usig vegetable glycerin, aloe vera gel and a little bit of water. It makes a very viscous liquid, but it sprays out nicely and makes my hair feel wonderful. The only thing that I don't like is that it doesn't have any slip. I am going to research and see what ingredient I can find that will add slip and yet be silicone free. If I can get that ONE key ingredient, I will have a WONDERFUL oil-free moisturizing serum. GOOD STUFF!!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Cathy Howse products

Okay, I actually like the conditioner. It stimulates my scalp and is supposed to help strengthen my hair. The creme moisturizer is actually okay. My hair is soft and nongreasy. I will probably repurchase due to the lower cost of the product and her low shipping costs. I will never purchase the Dew product again. I am going to take some pics to start my 365 day challenge to see if these products help retain length. Wish me luck!

Monday, August 17, 2009

UPDATE

Ok, so Carol's Daughter didn't do it for me. I also ordered some Cathy Howse products and I have to say that they were a disappointment as well. I think the creme moisturizer will be a great product for my daughter's hair, which thrives off of oils. My hair does well with oils, but my skin does not do well. I made a concentrated glycerin, aloe and water mix and it seems to make my hair soft. I guess I'll save money in the long run, but it won't make up for all of the money that I've wasted. Ah well, I have to move on.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Trying something new...a review of Carol's Daughter

Okay, historically I have NOT had much success with glycerin-based leave-in sprays, but I decided to give Carol's Daughter leave-ins a chance. Here's what I found: The product is light and easy to use but DOES NOT have any slippage for my hair. That's fine because I no longer use a comb or pick of any kind on my hair. After my hair dries (using Khoret Amen leave-in) it feels soft, but I'm not overly cray about the way that it looks. The benefit is that my skin is less oily than when using a traditional oil-based product. I have another product on the way. It is from Cathy Howse. I'll let you know how I like that one when I get it. Her leave-in is chocked full of silicones and propylene glycol. I'm not sure if it's going to work, but since I ordered it I have to use it. We shall see....