Butterfly Mama is Hippy Chic

I have always been a big fan of hippy/Bohemian type clothing. I love the look and feel of them. So a while back I stumbled across this fab website that sells all kinds of fun, hippy/Boho type clothing. It's called Butterfly Mama, and I'm really feeling these clothes.

If you find this style of clothing fun - take a look at these cuties! I mean, what?  How fun is this!

 

And look at these darling tanks.

Additionally, I always enjoy visiting the Gypsy Moon website. Unfortunately, they are a bit too pricey for me now, but I still like browsing their line. I' m not really good at talking about or describing clothes, so I'll let your eyes do the talking for me:). And if you do get a chance to visit the Gypsy Moon site, make sure you take a look at the Customer Album- it's lots of fun^-^.

Happy shopping!!

Ciao!!

Water Filters

About two weeks ago, I bit the bullet and purchased a water filter for my shower. I had been thinking about getting one for quite a while, but the ones I had seen previously were a bit too pricey for my budget at the time.

So, this particular day when I purchased the filter, I really wasn't planning on buying one, but I was in my favorite health food store, Fresh and Natural, and there was this older gentleman standing beside a stand and he asked me if I wanted a drink of water. I looked at him kind of surprised, because I wasn't expecting him to offer me water - people normally offer food, but water was rare, and I hadn't noticed the device he had positioned beside him, which was a medium sized filtration system that people can use to filter their tap.

Anyway, I told him "No, thank you", and continued to pull out a bulk bag, so that I could get some of my favorite decaf organic coffee. In true salesman fashion, he continued to talk to me - most of which I didn't even catch because I was busy spilling coffee beans everywhere. That's when he went in for the kill - he said, "Did you know that most people are concerned about hard water on their hair and skin, but they never really think about the chlorine that's in the water?". Hmmm, he said, "Hair" - now he had my attention.

I turned and asked him if chlorine is really that big of a deal in our area, and he went on to tell me the stats of how much chlorine is in our water systems and how it wreaks havoc on the hair and skin. 

He then told me that before he started doing sales for the Water Marque Company that his wife was having problems with her hair and skin. Dry, dull looking hair and scaley skin. He said after they put in filters that within a couple of weeks, her hair started to become noticably shinier, and her skin was softer.

Ok, so I know he's a sales guy, but this guy really pulled me in. His story was compelling. Anyway, I had already read a number of testimonials from other ladies who experienced good outcomes with their hair after they installed a water filter, so I already knew the benefits - it was the price that was about to stop this freight train:).  So, I had him show me his water filters, and yes, he did try to up sell me the larger filter, but I ended up taking a smaller one, which was only about $10 less, but still - $10 is $10.

This is the one I purchased:  Water Marque Shower Filter:

75SH KDF/GAC Shower Water Filter

And it cost me about $35.00, because at the time they were having a sale. If you order from their website, it's priced at $54.00. 

When I got home, I had DH install it right away, and maybe it was just all in my mind, but I'm telling you, it felt like I could already feel the difference in the water on my skin and hair. Now, after a couple of weeks, I feel confident in telling you that it really does make a difference.

My hair is now requiring less product to get the same results that I used to get with much more product. My hair cuticles feel smoother, and my skin does feel softer, plus,  it's also doing wonders for my little girl's dry skin. Geez, I forget the hair - that alone is worth it's weight in gold to me.

A little information about chlorine and hair:

"The structure of your hair is vulnerable to drying agents, including chlorine. The cortex, or inner layer, of hair is protected by the cuticle, or outer later. Sebum is a natural lubricant that protects the cuticle. The chlorine in water sucks the sebum out of your hair, which may cause the cuticle to crack. This damage causes your hair's natural sheen to diminish, and the unprotected cortex to "split" (split ends)."

Why is chlorine put in tap water?:

"Chlorine is a highly efficient disinfectant, and it is added to public water supplies to kill disease-causing bacteria that the water or its transport pipes might contain."

Now that I've used my filter, I can't imagine not having it. There was a time in my past when because our water was so hard, I used to buy gallons of distilled water to wash my hair. What a hassle that was:0/. Now, I know that I can get the same, if not better results with a quality water filter. 

With regards to replacement filters, I was told that if on average I take a 12 minute shower, I shouldn't have to replace the filter, but every 8 to 9 months. The replacements cost about $29.00. That's not bad in my mind.

I have no idea if this kind of filter is considered the best of the best, I can only tell you that I have noticed a very nice improvement in the condition of my hair, and for the price, I think it was very worth it:0).

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Ciao!!

And the Winner is...

...ChocolateOrchid!!

Yay, ChocolateOrchid!! Please email me or send me a PM on NaturallyCurly with your contact information, and I'll put your brand new Ketylos in the mail, ASAP.

Thanks Everyone!!

Ciao!!

Hair Toy Giveaway!

When my hair was much longer one of the ways that I worked toward protecting my ends, so that my hair could continue to grow as long as possible, was by wearing my hair up in an updo.

My dilemma was how to wear my hair up, but without damaging it with bobby pins or other odd little clips and such.

What I discovered was that there are lots of different kinds of hair toys available that are specifically designed in such as way as to allow you to style your hair in a cute and fun manner yet keep your hair protected and safe at the same time.

One such hair toy is the Ketylos hair toy, which I discovered via the Long Hair Community. I bought one, and I liked it so much I bought several more, and I've been hooked on them ever since!

I have several with various "crowns" (i.e. pretty beads on top) and many without. 

These are fun little corkscrew hair sticks that hold your hair neatly in place by scr*wing into the hair. They are perfectly smooth, without any jagged rough sides that can pull, rip or snag at your hair. 

Here are a few pictures of my hair when I was wearing a couple of my "crowned" ketylos.

I have several of these beauties, many of which I have never even used before because unfortunately, I had to cut my hair so, of course, it became too short to use.

I'd like to give one lucky follower a chance to try one of these out, so I am doing another give away! Obviously, this is a hair toy that can only be used on longer hair, so many of you sporting a twa may not be interested. Then again, perhaps you'd just like to have one on hand so when your hair does get long enough- you'll be ready to go! I still have a twa, but I am anxiously awaiting  the day when I can use these again^-^.

In any event, I will be giving away this little baby - a brand new 6" Gold/Black Aquapearl Ketylos Hair  Stick:

 This picture most certainly does not do it justice^-^

So, if you are a follower of this blog, and you are interested in this aquapearl beauty, just leave me a comment stating your interest. If you're the only one interested - you get it. If there are others - you guessed it- your name will go into a drawing, and this Saturday, I will announce a winner!

I found this link on the Long Hair Community where the lovely ladies there were kind enough to share pictures of their ketylos. Lots of hair toy eye-candy!!

Also, if you're interested in just purchasing one on your own - here's the website: Ketylos - the owner is a very nice man:0).

Ciao!!

The Itchy Scalp Dilemma

For weeks off and on, I have had issues with an itchy scalp. It's been very annoying and for the life of me, I could not figure out what was going on:0/. I noticed from other posts online that having an itchy scalp is unfortunately, not uncommon. There are  apparently, a lot of lovelies out there experiencing the same thing.

So, in my effort to find out more about possible causes, I headed online to see what I could find. And boy did I find a lot. Apparently,  there are many of things that can cause an itchy scalp - anything from having an overly dry scalp to bugs (yes, I said bugs) and fungus *eeekkk*, to allergies. I mean, the list could be exhaustive, because there could be a multitude of various causes for the itch, and it really just depends of the individual and how they are grooming their hair.

For myself, thankfully, it's not bugs or fungus (Praise God)!! My scalp does tend to feel dry, but I don't have any issues with dandruff. The other possible culprit could be that I'm allergic to some of the ingredients in the products I'm using on my scalp.

So, I had to take a look at that  and figure out what exactly I am using on my scalp that is causing this issue. 

Well, like any good product junkie there are a variety of things I'm using: I've used my Trader Joe's Nourish Spa with honey and Evoo, pretty much religiously. I've also used Hesh brahmi and  neem powder, bjringraj oil, coffee rinses, shae's curly pudding(with various ingredients), long aid curl activator gel, clear ecostyler, Giovanni Smooth as Silk, and the list goes on. Now, of course, I'm not using all these things at one time, but I am using them, and honestly paying very little attention as to whether or not any of these products got plastered all over my scalp.

It wasn't until the itching kept coming back that I started to really think about whether or not one of these things was causing my scalp to become inflamed. Then the last straw was when I developed a bump on my scalp in the same area that had become the most irritated! So you know I had to find out what the heck was going on!

One of the things that my family can not live without is organic hemp seed oil. We literally have to have it in the house. My baby developed a diaper rash a while back and a naturopathic doctor recommended hemp seed oil. Cleared it right up!! Now, if ever she or anyone else in the family has a skin flare up - that's what we reach for. I also take 2 tablespoons internally with juice, and my baby girl loves to drink hemp milk. So it's an all around miracle product for my family.

Anyway, I had completely spaced out about putting hemp seed oil on my scalp. In fact,  I didn't even think about it until I had my husband look at the bump on my head. It appeared to be an ingrown follicle, which he pulled(I know, too much information:0p). After he pulled the hair, I began thinking about what to apply to it to help with healing, and that's when the hemp seed oil came to my mind.

So I washed my hair with some watered down shampoo and rinsed very well. I then applied my conditioner, BUT I made sure to keep the conditioner off of my scalp.  I then rinsed most of the conditioner out - again, I made sure it was not on my scalp. I litely went over my hair with a towel to help the drippies, then I took a plastic container and poured a small amount of organic hemp oil in it. I then took several q-tips and began to apply the hemp oil to my scalp in sections. I covered my whole scalp with a lite layer of hemp oil and then styled as usual - only this time, I again made certain that none of the products touched my scalp.

After doing this the itch factor went down considerably - it wasn't completely gone, but it was a lot calmer.  The trick is to not itch even when you feel you need to. The hemp oil is very soothing, but it did not completely eliminate the itch factor right away. So, what I did my first try at this was to simply scratch my scalp whenever I felt an itch. But this only made it worse again. So what I found was that if I did have an itch, I  would just pat at my head rather than scratch at it.  This helped with the itching and also kept me from irritating my scalp even more.

We have to remember that our fingers and finger nails are full of bacteria, so when we itch our scalps we are creating little microscopic lesions. These lesions then become a breeding ground for bacteria, and continue to perpetuate the inflammation, which then becomes a vicious cycle.

Ok, so I did this routine for about 3 days and each day the itching got less and less and less. Now, I have virtually no itch at all.

I'm also no longer applying the hemp oil to my scalp, because I feel like I don't really need it any more. I may do it again, here and there if I feel it's necessary, but hemp oil can be somewhat pricey, so I'd rather save it for when I really need it.

Am I still using all of my same products? Absolutely! I just make certain not to apply them to my scalp.

So, here's my theory - and I'm no expert here,  but I think what happened was that something in the products I was using gave me an allergic reaction, which caused the itching. Because the itch was so pronounced, I did what any normal human being would do - I scratched the h*ll out of it. By scratching like that though, I irritated and inflamed my scalp even more - so that created a bigger problem.

What I did to remedy the problem was to cleanse my scalp with shampoo - this also  helped to kill any bacteria, etc. Then with a clean scalp, I applied some hemp seed oil - this helped with the healing. I don't know how the hemp seed does it -but it does - people, my daughter's diaper rash was healed in just a few days with this stuff! Ok, so the hemp helped with the healing, and then by keeping the other products off of my scalp, my scalp was free to continue to heal because the products were not there to continually irritate the skin.

Does that make sense? Anyway, like I said - I'm no expert, but I can tell you what works for me, and this worked.

Originally, you may remember that I was raving about brahmi powder helping with the itching, and it did. But I believe because I continued to put the other products on my scalp - the effects of the brahmi just couldn't last. 

This being said, if you don't have any hemp seed oil, but you do have some brahmi powder you could probably just use the brahmi powder and receive the same soothing effect. After you apply the brahmi though - you must remember to keep any other styling products off your scalp - give your scalp time to heal.

I think if you have highly textured hair, you may over estimate what your scalp is capable to taking. I know, for myself - I always thought because my scalp tended to me dry that it could take pretty much anything conditioning - so I'd just slather my conditioners all over my scalp and never really worry if it was all rinsed out. And for some people this may be perfectly fine to do, but there are others of us whose scalps simply can't take all of that added product loaded up on them.

Anyway, if you have an itchy scalp give this a try and see if it helps. It's worth a shot and it won't cost more to try. 

Here's my disclaimer though- everyone is very different, so if you are experiencing an extremely itchy scalp or you have sores or anything that would be considered extreme - my advice is to get to a dermatologist and have them rule out anything serious. For myself, my troubles were not severe - annoying yes, but not severe, so this is why it was easy for me to give this protocol a try.

Also, another word about fungus. Scalp fungus can be spread from person to person, animal to animal, or animal to person. If you have an extremely itchy scalp and you have kids, and you are using the same grooming tools as your children - you may want to get to a dermatologist to rule out a fungus.  Kids in daycare or in other environments with a lot of children can fairly easily pick up a fungus or lice, etc., so this is just one more thing to consider if you have extreme itching. Lastly, if you have a pet and you notice your pet having any hair loss, please be careful not to touch the irritated area and then touch your own hair or skin without washing your hands, because this too, is another way to expose yourself to a scalp fungus.

Fortunately, I am not dealing with any of these issues, as my little one is still at home with me, and I do not have any pets.

Anyway, I hope this information may have been helpful in some way, and if you give it a try - let us know your results.

Thanks for reading!!

Ciao!! 

P.S. Some of you may be wondering how in the world am I going to continue co-washing if there is something possibly in the products I'm using that's irritating my scalp. Well, I believe that I can still co-wash but perhaps just not as often. I was doing it just about every day. My scalp needs time to heal, so I'm backing off the daily co-washing, and I will just be using a spray bottle to dampen my hair and restyle.  When I do decide to co-wash, I will make certain to completely rinse every bit of it out. The coffee rinses will continue as well, but again  - I will make certain that it is all completely rinsed out - which may just defeat the purpose, but we'll see.

I'll keep you posted:0).

Cree Summer and Lisa Bonet - The Pirate Sistahs

And speaking of nose rings, take a look at this baby ^-^:

Revelation Sunshine

You know, I've always been a big fan of Cree Summer's unique 

style, eclectic persona, and her enthusiasm for embracing her 

natural curls and coils even before embracing the natural was 

considered hip. So when I saw this video, I just had to post it.

Because I'm being completely honest here, since of course, 

being completely honest is a good thing, right? I honestly 

have no idea what this song is even about. But I ask you -  

is her hair fierce?? I mean, what? And is she working that 

nose rang?!? My goodness! 

Geez, just another reason for me to want one, ok. And 

Cree is older than me (not by much), but dang, look at that 

bod, for crying outloud. I'm sitting here thinking - Life just 

isn't fair, LOL - and my other thought is - why is my husband 

bending his eyeballs to try and see over my shoulder?? Hahahahaha!!

Oy, and look at this picture of Lisa Bonet!

My goodness - is she Hawt or what? This is who I want to be

when I grow up! No - seriously!!

 

Ok, I'm so sure that I'm 100 years late here, you all have 

probably seen thesepictures a thousand times over, but 

for me these are all new. Amazing!

And apparently, Cree Summer and Lisa Bonet have this 

fabulous friendship going -one that has withstood the test 

of time, starting back in the day when they were on the tv 

sitcom "A Different World".

What I find most interesting about these two - other than 

their unique style and artistic talents,is the bond that they 

share with each other, I like the idea of this ultimate sisterhood 

that supposedly only women can share should they choose to 

commit themselves to a dear friend. They call themselves the 

Pirate Sistahs. 

Unfortunately, this is also a commitment that I know can be 

very difficult for many women, because often times, once 

a man gets involved, the allegiance dissolves, and bond is 

lost. I'm just as guilty of this as so many others. I would 

love to be one of the lucky few to have a BFF, but life deals 

you a hand, and you've gotta play with what you've got. 

Have you ever had a really good friend - only to lose them 

when they met a guy? Why do you think this happens?

Oh - Here is their "PIRATE WOMANIFESTO":

Pirates move on the water. The element in which the primal feminine is at home. It seems that at sea, women have the home advantage. Women on board ships were either feared or regarded as bringers of luck. Pirate women were considered especially dangerous, and accepted as leaders at a time when women on land had been robbed of their rights and dignity. We pirates set sail for new shores into a world of adventures. Breaking out of structured obedience, preset orders and moral unities. We plunge into unpredictability, danger, excitement, dance, song and everything that strong, free, cheerful action implies. A pirate has developed her own kind of pirate life, determined by her self and no other. Under the Jolly Roger, the black sea robber's flag, pirates show what it means to live in a permanently actualizing process of individualization and liberation. The love, loyalty and friendship that we have found in our pirate sisterhood springs from nothing less than a serious attempt to find a form of life that can fulfill the piratical desire for truth and freedom. 

In truth, the first time I read this - I thought, "Wow, this is pretty cheesy":0/. 

I mean, initially, it reads like a pact that one might make with their 7th 

grade BFF, at a ritual weekend slumber party. 

But, after I thinking about this a bit, I began to see this as much more 

than just a prepubescent-like declaration of principles and intentions.

 But rather, a call to the inner kinship that makes women such divine 

and mysterious beings. I mean really, I've read it a few things, 

and I'm hard pressed to find anything in it that I don't really agree 

with:).  In fact, it actually sent me on a quest to find out more about 

this Pirate Sisterhood of which they speak. 

I was thinking - "Hey, I want to be a Pirate Sistah, too!"*pout*. 

Unfortunately though, I wasn't able to find much, the members 

that may have once congregated to discuss poems, life's lessons, 

and "bonding" have long since gone. Or at least, that's what appears 

to have happened. Oh well. Regardless of if their pirate sister thingy

worked or not, these two ladies still look fabulous, the hair, the body,

 the works. And I hope that they will continue to wow us with 

their gorgeous bohemian, Mother Earthly - kick ass - kind of style 

for many more years to come!!! 

Ciao!!

Yet Another Blogger^-^

 As you all know, I made a call for any one of you who are followers to let me know if you have a blog. Low and behold,  I just found out that we have yet another fellow blogger out there! April, from Less of April, is a blogger writing about life -  her life, and the decisions she is planning on making in her coming future. As she says in her profile, she is on a quest to make some major life changes, and from what I have read, she is very candid and open, sharing a great deal about herself through her writings. Go check her out!!  Less than April

Ciao!!

Nose Piercings - Opinions Please - Video Included

Another video - Should I do it? Opinions please^-^.

Another Blogger

Hey Everyone!

I made the call for anyone one of you who are followers to let me know if you have a blog, and it was just brought to my attention that M3RLz, is a fellow blogger! I haven't had a chance to go through all of her posts,  but some of them that I have had a chance to read are very funny. Go check her out!!  M3RLz

Ciao!!

My First Video

I know I keep talking about this shae's curly pudding,  so I think you all are going to get tired of hearing about, LOL. But I just can't say enough about it. It's just a great option for those of us who are trying to save a little cash in this crazy economy right now. 

As a lot of you know, I'm a devout Product junkie:0), I love trying out new products. But for the past few days, I keep reaching for this pudding. And it makes me feel so good that I've got a lot of it, so I'm not nervous about applying it the way that I want to because I'm trying to conserve or something. Now, I'm not saying I'm giving up my pj'ism, but as I may have mentioned before, this one will definitely stay in my rotation.

Anyway, I created a quick video of my hair with the pudding in it. My hair is actually a bit frizzier than usual, because  I can't seem to keep my hands out of it - plus it's second day hair!! I can not believe that I actually had second day hair!!  But well anyway, here it is:

Here's the link to the recipe again: 

shaes-pudding-curly-pudding

Once again, I made the extra Moisture Version, only this time I used Brown Ecostyler instead of IC Gel, because I wanted to see how the ecostyler would compare. The ecostyler is good for those of you trying to avoid cones.  And the ecostyler works just a nice as the IC Gel, but with a bit softer hold. Oh, I also used a bit of coconut oil, and I think that might be a nice plus for added shine. My hair did initially feel a bit more oily with this recipe  than with the original one posted on Shawnette's page (this might be the coconut oil), but I don't mind the oily feeling and by the end of the day it was gone.

Get creative with this one guys - pick oils that you know work well in your hair, I think you'll like the results.

Ciao!!