First Low Manipulation Style

So last night after my deep condition (which I hadn't done in several months - smh), and co-wash, I tried my hand at my first low manipulation style.  I wanted to see if I could even pull of the process of it.  I mean, is it going to take a long time doing these styles? Am I going to get frustrated with the time it takes? Will I even be able to do the style? How would I even look, can I pull the look off? Plus I wanted to get a little taste of what my life is going to become.  I plan to do mostly low manipulation styles because I can't where weaves or braids because the tension on my scalp is no bueno around my front edges.  I did try a weave once thinking it was going to be different from braids but I had the same problem, cause guess what? I needed braids for the weave! So then I just started wearing half wigs so I could keep my ends out (and of course just relax the front - bad idea). Anywhoo... I just wanted to get a feel for these low manipulation styles that I am going to need to know how to do. So for my very first one I did a bantu knot out.

Last night

So that was last night after I did 5 knots.  I figured five was a good number. I didn't need them to small because I still have a head full of relaxer.   But I did want them small enough to show me what I look like with shorter hair.  So in the morning this is what I ended up with.

The next morning.

All the knots are out.

So after pulling the knot outs apart and trying to fluff the parts away and blend the hair (to no success),  the finished result. Warning: Sorry about the no make-up thing.  I don't like to wear it mostly because it is to time consuming and I like my face to breath.  So I know I look bland but hey. Oh and I hate taking photos of myself so that's why there is no smile.

My Thoughts

The process wasn't bad.  However, I know it will be more time consuming as my new growth comes in.  I am going to have to figure out how to tie up my hair at night.  I have come up with a better and easier way than I have done in the past, but my satin scarves always still want to slide off? Hm, I wonder, does the satin stay better as our hair gets kinkier (less silky) or am I going to have the same problem in a few months from now?  The knots did help it stay in place a little better, but by morning the scarf was all wonky.

Next time I am definitely trying a knot right in the front center of my head.  The part has been driving me crazy all day.

My hair was still damp in the morning by the time I took it out (okay, maybe it was mid-day), but by the time I got dressed it had dried and wasn't to frizzy.  I do realize I am going to have to plan and figure out what products to use, if it should be wet or dry, etc. to do these low manipulation styles.

All in all, it wasn't a bad process and the result, I have to say was not that bad for a first time.  Of course there are things I am going to change next time.  And it did take almost the day to get used to it.  My dad and especially my mom loved the look on me.  I wasn't digging the look at first. It was just to short and to big for me.  Most of my life my goal was to get my hair as straight, long, and flat to my head as possible. So for it to be short, curly, and slightly big (for me) was just weird.  It grew on me by the end of the day. I like it.  I can definitely rock this look. We shall see how I feel about it with some new growth. Next I will try braid outs.

UGH!!!!! Sulfates and Mineral Oil!

I was in the shower doing a co-wash and randomly I thought to look at the ingredients in my body wash. Okay maybe it wasn't so random since I've been looking at ingredients in my Shampoos, conditioners and hair dressings.  And to my horrified-ness (yes, I tend to make up words), there were two sulfates as the second and third ingredient. What the H - E - double hockey sticks! Then when I got out of the shower, it dawned on me, "what am I putting on my face and body?"  So I checked my face wash, and low and behold, SULFATE! Number two ingredient. Ugh! Why?! Lotions, Mineral oil, Baby oil, Mineral oil.  I call myself "sealing in the moisture" while still wet with baby oil for years now and this year I got so fed up with how dry my skin gets in the winter.  Even after "sealing in the moisture" and then putting on a thick lotion afterward.  So a few days ago (the day before I decided to go natural with my hair), I figured I'd use my Vaseline Lotion and a Baby oil  gel together. That has to fix my dryness. Nope.  Now that I am on information overload, researching about transitioning to natural hair, I learned about mineral oil and sulfates and how they dry your hair. Well if they dry my hair then that is probably most likely why my skin has been so dry in this cold weather.  Luckily and surprisingly my Vaseline brand lotion was mineral free and water and glycerine were number one and two ingredients.  So tonight I tried it alone and will see how that works on my body without the added drying effect of the mineral oil I'd been slathering my body with.

So I went online in search of products that are sulfate and mineral oil free.  Geez, it is just ridiculous how many products are out there with this crap in it.  After going to many a products websites, in hope they list their ingredients (some did, most didn't), I finally found a few at Ulta that I will be going to get in the morning.  I will be taking the body wash and baby oil, I bought at Target the other day, back.  I am not about to waist my money. 

Luckily my face moisturizer and Vaseline Lotion was mineral free, and my face scrub was sulfate free.  I now need a new daily facial cleanser, and body wash.  When my Vaseline lotion is all gone I will try to find a more natural one to use, but for now it'll work. 

If anyone has any suggestions on sulfate and mineral oil free face and body products, I would love to hear them.  I prefer on the cheaper end (unemployed teacher).