Hair!

My current haircare routine: baking soda rinse (1x/week); apple cider vinegar/ACV rinse (every other week); Aubrey's Organics Honeysuckle & Rose conditioner (1x/month [DC]); combing hair every other week. These are my staples.

In need of a week-in/week-out conditioner (WI/WO) and a leave-in conditioner. I plan on adding an egg wash to my routine (for protein) on the same cycle as my ACV rinse. I created a new moisturizing spritz -- honey, apricot oil and water. I put too much honey in it so I get this gritty residue if I spray my hair liberally. But my hair is soft and moisturized, I just need to split the mixture by three and add more water to each.

My hair growth has been steady and I'm quite pleased. Pulling my kinky-curly hair from the hairline reaches my bottom lip. Straightened, my hair is approximately chin length, so yay! I recently flat-ironed my hair ... and swore never to do it again, lol! Every time I ran the flat-iron down a hank of hair I thought, "Damage." But I completed the job because I knew later I would wish I had. It was sort of fun to see it in a new way but it's not worth the hassle or the heat damage.

If you've been paying attention, then you know I am really into all-natural hair care for my all-natural hair. I'm not really a stickler for organic vs. natural but the former does tickle me pink (as pink as a Black girl can get). Aubrey's Organics makes an absolutely wonderful conditioner and I love its effect on my hair. I'm not so fond of the Honeysuckle & Rose "scent" (it's pretty minimal) so I recently purchased the Island Tropics version. Aubrey's has stuff for women and men and isn't hair exclusive. I'd recommend them heartily.

The baking soda and ACV act as a cleanser and clarifier; I'm a no (sham)poo girl. I prefer using my Aubrey's as my deep conditoner which I only do once a month, so I need a WI/WO conditioner -- 'cause that's what I do, condition once a week. My last conditioner, Honey Hemp by Oyin Handmade, is severely lacking. Many of the nat-girls I respect (Erin of Scandalous Beauty for example) swear by the stuff, and I dabbled in it several years ago to tepid results. However, that involved skincare products and I admit I wasn't diligent about it so I decided to give it another go. It doesn't moisturize or soften my hair for a comparative period of time (Aubrey's Organics being the comparison when used as a WI/WO). Not even in conjunction with my post-leave-in conditioner. After a few hours it was as if I hadn't conditioned my hair at all. Annoying.

So I've been on the hunt for a good WI/WO, checking prices and ingredients (plus a good leave-in) and have finally arrived at a relatively small list of vendors I am dying to try:

* Afroveda -- this is first up to bat. I bought the Holy Basil conditioner and Ginger Almond butter. I'm crossing my fingers, hoping it is as good as it reads.
* KynkCurls
* Ohm
* Chic Afrique -- this doesn't have much I want specifically for my hair but I like what I see for skincare.
* Max Green Alchemy -- the only thing I want here is the conditioner.
* Darcy's Botanicals
* Inky Loves Nature
* Treasured Locks