Back in the kitchen...

So I only managed to keep the kinky twists in for a week, they didn't turn out like I wanted them to and were quite annoying, next time I'm going to try crochet braids. Taking out the kinky twists gave me the opportunity to work my version of Smooth and Shine Curl Activator Gel. I was in the kitchen this morning working on it, and it's in my hair now, the formula I made up is not exactly how I want it to be, but it's well on it's way to doing what I want it to do. I co-washed my hair TIGI Moisture Maniac then sprayed with my moisturising spritz then put the gel mixture on. It has defined my curls and I was able to style it in record time. I'm currently waiting to see how it dries. Things I don't want it to do is: dry hard and crispy, flake or dry white, I'm hoping to have a soft hold. I've also used some to hold down the baby hairs so we'll see how it goes.

So, so far in the BeUnique Hair Care range we have:

• Twisted Mango Custard - for twists and braids
• Coconut Cocktail - a moisturising, hair softening spritz
• Shea Passion Puddin' - a curl defining hair cream, with soft hold
• Next will be a moisture lotion and hair butter

BeUnique: The Journey

BeUnique

A few pictures documenting the progress of the hair care range

Grabbing an opportunity

So I've been at it again, researching ingredients! I'm still on my quest to perfect the perfect gel, one that will hold your curl pattern, and provide shine and moisture without the crunch. A gel that is spoken highly of in the natural YouTube community is Smooth and Shine Curl Activator Gel, but people are no longer happy with it because of the change in it's ingredients, it now has amongst other things parabens (shock, horror). I myself have never tried the gel, but not one to miss an opportunity, I am setting myself the challenge of recreating this so called wonder gel. I'm going to use the original good stuff, but take out the artificial stuff e.g. carbomer which is a polymer, Triethanolamine which is a thickener that can cause dryness, DMDM Hydantoin a preservative and Oleth 20 which is a surfactant and emulsifying agent.

It may seem like I'm taking out a lot but I'm replacing them with more naturally derived ingredients. One heads up I'll give away for free is I'm going to experiment with Carregeenan, which is used to provide hold in gel. While researching today I found out that Carregeenan is the gelatinous extracts of the Chondrus crispus seaweed. What the hell is Chondrus crispus seaweed? I here you say, well it's Irish Moss which is very good for afro textured hair. When Irish Moss is boiled up with water it produces a gel this is the Carregeenan, therefore I propose that in much the same way many naturals have tried the homemade Flax seed gel, you can also try to produce Carregeenan from Irish Moss.

Carregeenan will not obviously be the only ingredient I use in my hair gel, but it used to replace some of the thickening and emulsifying properties of the other ingredients that I'm taking out of the original formula for the Smooth and Shine Gel. I'll keep you posted.

Making moves..

At church last week the guest pastor was telling us where to find money, he told us 10 places that money is hiding two of those places where in 'problems' and in 'you'. There are always going to be problems in the world and if you can find a solution for them you will have the potential to make money. Money is on the inside of us, because we have ideas and need to take up opportunities when they arise.

I had a problem that was my hair and I know other naturals have similar problems but rather than paying through the nose for hair products I wanted to create my own, to meet the specific problems of my hair. So you see money potentially is on the inside of me. I have spoken on YouTube about hair products that I want to create and some people have shown an interest in purchasing them. So I've decided to be proactive get off my bottom and get the ball rolling, I have 3 products that will soon be ready to sell.

New growth

I don't seem to update this blog that often but when I'm not on here, I'm usually uploading to YouTube. I think if I commit to updating once a month that will do me.

Well I'm feeling so, so right now, I thought that I had perfected the recipe for my hair gel, but I can't seem to get the exact match the same as the batch that I loved so much. So I'm starting from scratch. I did make a new product that I kind of like and I used it to do my twists and twist out, it's a mango butter hair balm which has two different butters in it and three oils one of them being meadowfoam seed oil which is supposed to be good for shine a moisture I used this to do my twists and my hair was really soft when I did the twist out. I also moisturised every day with an oil and water spritz one of the oils was coconut.

I tried an experiment with my hair gel, I melted a small amount of my mango hair balm and mixed in with my gel, it has created hold that defined my curls so I may experiment some more. I also fell of the wagon for a day opting to use shop bought gel but I hated it so much, so like I said I only lasted a day

Holla - it's been a while

I haven't posted for a while due to not having time to sit down long enough, and sometimes it's easier to just post a video on YouTube.

I've begun to get into a routine with my hair and have found the products that it likes and I'm going to stick with them, I tried a new product reluctantly last week and my hair didn't respond well probably because it had parabens in it (I know shock horror!). It was TIGI Bedhead Moisture Maniac, people rave about it on YouTube, but my hair doesn't like it.

Another mishap this week, and another thing my hair doesn't like INDIAN POWDERS, I tried them my hair smelled like curry and it messed up my curl pattern I was sooooooooo unimpressed.

So okay the products I use and my hair likes, and are currently my staples are:
Garnier Fructis Repair and Shine Conditioner (I want to try sleek and shine too)
Faith in Nature Conditioners
Oyin Whipped Pudding (which I have now finished :( but will create my own)
Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner
Giovanni Direct Leave in Conditioner
Dr Bronners Castile Soap
Water and vegetable glycerine
Natural oils (to many to mention but my hair loves Avocado Oil)
My own homemade hair gel and moisture cream
Afro Shampoo Bar - By Shea Butter Cottage
Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smooth Conditioner

So that's all I'm using for now as well as experimenting with making my own conditioners and deep conditioners, but my hair gel is the only one so far that I'm really happy with.