A New Year

What a great we've had here at HGH. We compared notes, shared stories, commiserated, and debated. We laughed, we cried, we talked about lice.

Tell me, what do you want to do next year?

I'd love to hear what you'd like to see published on Happy Girl in 2011. No suggestion is too small, no idea too big.

If you were in the driver's seat, where would you take us?

One Head, Many Curl Patterns

We rarely talk about different curl pattern on the same person at Happy Girl. I guess it's because Little B has entirely uniform coils and although Little R has slightly tighter curls in front, it doesn't make much of a difference. I got an email recently from a reader whose son has a few different looser curls types on his head, and some straight parts too. And that's another thing, we don't talk about the issues unique to looser curls too often either.  Let's take a moment to do both.

As I was reading the email I received, I was thinking about how familiar all the different curls sounded. It took me a moment, but I realized it all resonated because I have a few curl patterns too. I have tighter curls at the nape of my neck, big loopy, spiral curls on the sides, and wavy hair on the crown on my head. Just for a little more variety, my gray hair is coming in very curly, courser, and kinky. By kinky, I mean it there are many little twists all along each hair that can be felt, but not really seen, when the strand is stretched out. I get the one head, many curls patterns phenomenon.

Let's go over some of the issues common to looser curls and combination curls.

Issues 

It's hard to get the moisture balance right. Some curls seem dry, but too much product makes the rest greasy.

The hair is frizzy, fuzzy and frizzy again. The curls won't stay defined.

The styling challenges can be profound. What do you do if you have a head of curls and straight patch stuck right in the middle?


Solutions

Proper moisturizing is a big part of getting curls to look their best. Washing with shampoo less often, giving co-washing a try, and finding a conditioner that packs enough punch are important first steps. Even on really loose curls, the daily addition of a leave-in can make a big difference. There are lighter weight leave-ins and conditioning sprays that might be enough to boost the curls but keep the straight parts from feeling weighed down or greasy. There are a lot of products out there that are specifically for loose curls and waves. Alaffia's Beautiful Curls, Blended Beauty, Kinky-Curly, Jessicurl, and Darcy's Botanicals all have lighter products suitable for loose curls and waves. Many of these light spray leave-in are great for mid-day curl pick me ups or are perfect to use on non hair washing days.

Sometimes when loose curls are frizzy or don't hold definition, a lack of moisture is part of the issue. I suggest working on moisturizing first. Once the hair is well moisturized, curl definition can be helped along with a curl defining styling product. I'm not talking about regular hair gel, I mean products designed specifically for defining curls without leaving the hair feeling crispy, crunchy, or wet-looking. The companies mentioned above all make curl definers. They can be used over a lotion leave-in or a moisturizing spritz, some are also moisturizing and may be enough on their own. These are usually added to wet or slightly damp hair.

The obvious solution to styling challenges, particularly for children, is to wear the hair in styles that keep the hair tucked in such as braids, twists, or Bantu knots. That isn't always possible or even desirable. It can be hard to wear many curl patterns loose, especially when bountiful curls in most areas are paired with a straight patch. To help the less curly sections along, add a curl definer to wet or damp hair and then take small sections of the straighter areas and coil them until they twist down on themselves. Pin them down with duck bill clips. Leave them for 15-20 minutes and remove the clips. That will help produce curls that should hold fairly well.

Before
 (Feel free to gawk at all the gray on my 37 year old head. I do sometimes)
After about 15 minutes in clips:

Dealing with a combination of curl patterns doesn't have to be difficult, but it can take more time and effort to get product combinations right.

One Versatile Style

I was at the girls' school the a couple of weeks ago and I saw a little girl with a hairstyle that gave me an Ah-ha moment. She had a center part and the banded ponytails that worn close to her head. I realize that doesn't sound all that exciting or revolutionary, but I was struck by the potential.

I tried this one on Little R, stood back and marveled at how versatile this style could be. That's not to say I actually did any of the things I thought of, but that didn't stop the ideas from coming. Here is the basic style:

This variation of the style is a French braid with hidden parts.
It's banded an even intervals, close to the scalp.

You may be asking yourself what I making such a fuss about. And it's a good question. This is cute with the little colored bands and it keeps the hair neat and tucked in but it could be so much more. Looking at this, I thought about how it lends itself to braids- French, Dutch or cornrows. It could be done in twists, or piggybacks, or plain ponytails. The parts could be well-defined or hidden. It could be worn with all kinds of hair accessories. It could be dressed down or made colorful. Imagine discreet bands holding the style in place and then dressed up with ribbons, or decorated with something fancier. The style can be incredibly sturdy, making it a good choice for an event day, like a wedding, holiday, or picture day. 

This version has rope twists and clearly defined sections.

Before trying out the parted style, I did a quick and dirty version going down the center of her head. This could be a very conservative style or by starting it closer to the forehead and puffing up the sections of hair, it could be a very unique faux hawk.

This is super messy, but I wanted to work it out before committing
to the full, parted style. While we didn't leave this in, it got
me thinking in all kinds of directions. 

Here's how to go about creating this style. Choose six to eight bands that won't pull the hair and some sort of styling product with hold. Start with detangled hair, and part down the middle. Clip one side out of the way. If you want visible sections, carefully part the side you are working with in three sections, all beginning at a point just behind the ear. You will end up with wedge-shaped sections. If you don't want visible parts, skip that step. 

Next, take a small section of hair from the front and begin your braid or twist. Braid or twist a couple inches down. Take one of the bands and carefully secure the twist or braid. You really need to be careful to band close to scalp, but keep the hair that is still hanging down out of the band. With the braid or twist secured, take the tail end and continue braiding or twisting, incorporating the hair that is still loose. After a couple of inches, repeat the banding. Continue the braid or twist and band again at the base of the neck. Be careful not to do this too tightly here or it will hurt. Braid or twist the remaining hair and band the end.

I love all the possibility in this style. The only thing it doesn't have is a name. Any ideas?

Happy Holidays!

A Rough Guide to Hair Product Naming Conventions

This post was originally published in December 2009. I'm reposting it for product week because I think some may find it useful. I've cleaned it up and bit and included some further information.

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A reader (Hi Sarah!) emailed me with a terrific question. She asked me how to tell the difference between hair products and how to figure out what each one does. Shampoos and rinse out conditioners are obvious, and detangler is usually right on the bottle, but when it comes to other types of products you can buy for curly hair, it can quickly become confusing.

Of course, every company uses individual product names, but there are many commonalities between natural hair care companies. How many butters, creams, milks and hair puddings have you tried? So many seem to favor names of dairy products, and that can actually be helpful once you decode it. Sometimes, both the name and the bottle shape give great clues about how the product is intended to be used.

Here is a rough guide to product names and uses. The words in bold are those commonly found in the product name.

Detangler - These are meant to provide "slip" and moisturize lightly, so the strands of hair can glide past each other as the hair is combed. They can be sprays, have a lotion-like consistency, or they can come in tub.

Spray/Spritz/Juice/Mist/product that comes in a spray bottle - These products usually provide light conditioning and unless they have very specific instructions for use, they can be used as a daily light leave-in for looser curls and/or fine hair, braids, twists, or locs, or as a curl revitalizer on non wash days. Sometimes they can also be used as detanglers. They can also be layered with heavier leave-ins or styling aids.
Pictured Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In-Conditioner

Hair Milk/Milkshake/Shake/Hair Lotion/Leave-in -These products are meant to be used to provide daily moisture or refresh hair after sleeping. They can also be used after washing. While they are sometimes all that's needed for loose hair, they are not styling aids. Some companies make both hair milks and leave-ins. It can be hard to know which is lighter and which richer. If you can't tell from the ingredient listing, contact the company for clarification. Sometimes, you'll find a milk leave-in, or a leave-in milk - just to make it interesting.

 
Butter/Cream/Creme/Pudding/Custard - These usually come in a tub and have a creamy consistency, sometimes they are whipped. These are generally heavier moisturizing leave-ins. The word butter often refers to cocoa butter, shea butter, tucuma butter, cupuaçu butter, mango butter, or other natural butters. These products can be used every day for those with dry, tightly coiled hair, or as an occasional treat for others. They can also be used under styling aids. Pictured: Curly Q Custard (this does have light hold- see below)
 

This where it gets trickier. The words Butter, Cream, Creme, Custard, and Pudding often appear in the names of highly moisturizing styling products. If you are unsure of whether or not the product is purely a moisturizer or a styling aid, look for the word "hold" or look for a list of product uses. If it's described as having hold and/or it's recommended for use in twisting, braiding, locing, or setting- it's also a styling aid. Read product descriptions carefully!
Pictured: Carol's Daughter Loc Butter



Products with the word "Styling"/Pomade/ Jelly/Gel/Definer - These are always styling products. They are useful in helping braids and twists stay together, or for defining curls. Most have some conditioning properties as well. You will find these products in all types of bottles, tubes, tubs and tins.
Pictured: Original Little Sprout Whipped Styling Balm



Words like balm, nectar, and serum can apply to apply to many types of products so I'll say it again, read descriptions carefully! If you are still unsure about what a product does or how to use products together, never hesitate to call or email the company that makes it.

I want to be clear that it isn't necessary to have products from every category. Everyone is different and so much depends on individual needs and styling preferences. I hope I've made it just a little easier to choose the product you really want the next time you are looking to try something new. Happy curls!

Shopping for Natural Hair Products

I got a great question from a reader the other day. She wanted to know if there is specific time of year when there are sales on natural hair products. We all know how fast the costs add up and it is nice to be able to stock up using a discount.

A lot of online natural hair companies offer Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts but it's going to be a long wait until next the next round of Thanksgiving sales. In the meantime, I do have a couple of suggestions for finding boutique products for a little less.

• Is there a product line you really like? Sign up for the company's e-mail or e-newsletter list. You'll get email notifications of sales and promotions that you might have otherwise missed. 

• Check other outlets such as Curl Mart or Amazon. Curl Mart has a sale section and usually has some kind of offer code. Amazon can be a great place to buy staples like coconut oil and shea, watch for products that have low shipping or qualify for free super saver shipping. 

• Buy closer to home. At the minimum, you'll save shipping costs, but you may find a sale too. I can't tell you how many times I've walked into Whole Foods to find some of my favorite products on sale or offered at a regular price that is less than I paid elsewhere. The Vitamin Shoppe carries a very good selection of natural hair care products and some are really competitively priced. In many areas of the country Target is now stocking hair care lines like Kinky-Curly, Giovanni, Miss Jessie's, SheaMoisture, and Taliah Waajid. The prices at Target are similar to those online, but at least you'll save shipping and gas because let's face it, we're probably all going to Target anyway.

The selection at my local Whole Foods includes Aubrey Organics, Alaffia, Jane Carter, Giovanni, Kinky-Curly, Knotty Boy and many other products for natural hair. When I took this photo Aubrey products,  Alaffia products, and a few Giovanni products were on sale.

Are you on a on a limited hair care product budget, or just trying to cut down on the products you use? Check out this older post titled Happy Hair on a Budget.

Choosing Hair Care Products - Part 2

I'm sure you've tried more than a few products, and maybe you've found some that you love and are happy to use forevermore. That's great! Go for it! If you haven't found the products you love yet, or if you are like me and you just can't resist sampling the amazing world of possibilities, getting organized about it may end up saving you time and money.

Here is what I propose: take notes. Not the Katie-style, jot it down on the back of envelope, stash it in the pocket of a jacket you rarely wear, and find it years later note taking method. No, not that. I suggest getting organized about this, and to make it way easy I did something very out of character and made a chart you can print and use. If you can make comparisons between products and include details such as how the product felt, smelled, and worked, you may start to see the reasons behind your personal preferences. As you gather data, patterns may emerge and you might be able to more easily define what you are looking for in a product. Comparing the ingredients in the products you like and dislike will be very revealing and as you shop for new products. It may help you make better predictions about which products you will like and how they will perform.

You might be thinking, ugh, I don't have time for that. But ask yourself this: would you rather spend time or money? By comparing ingredients, I learned that my girls' hair loves products with BTMS in the top five ingredients and that if a product contains a lot of shea and comes in a tub, it probably won't work out so well for us. Knowing those two simple things saves me a lot of money and aggravation when it comes to trying new products. Taking notes is a little work up front but you will end up with a really useful reference guide.

Here is an example of my chart filled in with my thoughts on AOHSR, that was our example product in yesterday's post so we'll stick with it. The chart I've made for you to download contains the categories (there are more than those in the sample below) and blank spaces for you to record your impressions of the products you use.

Below, I've linked to a blank comparison chart that you can download, print, and fill in as you try products. You can also use it as a model to make your own chart.

Happy Girl Hair Product Comparison Chart

Whether you print my chart or make your own, I suggest grouping products by type. For instance, if you are printing my chart, print a few copies and record your thoughts on shampoos on one copy, conditioners on another, leave-ins on another, etc. Comparing like products side by side will make drawing conclusions much easier.

Choosing Hair Care Products - Part 1

I often get email from readers who would like to know exactly which products I use for one my girls. Usually, the reader, or the reader's child, has the same curl pattern as Little B or Little R and hasn't yet been able to find a combination of products that works well. I completely understand the logic and hope behind the question. It seems to make sense that if two people have the same curl pattern, they should be able to use the same products successfully. Who wouldn't want to save the time and expense of trying product after product if someone else has already discovered the answer?

I used to be pretty free with my product recommendations, but I've grown more cautious. Unless an email describes a very specific set of circumstances, I now reply to each of these questions in the same way. I write that one person's magic, holy grail product is often another person's did-nothing, take-it-or-leave-it product. I can point in the direction of product lines that have worked for us or those that have worked for others, but I try hard to avoid making specific product recommendations just based on curl pattern. We are all different. Our hair is different and likes different things. How a particular product works may not only depend on our own hair type, but on the other products we use, the climates we live in, and on our routines.

Finding products that work well is such an individual journey. Unfortunately, it just takes some experimentation to find the right combination of products for each individual head. And that can change over time too. It's hard to keep buying and trying products though. That is where product reviews come in handy. I like to do them here, but I try to be clear that they are our impressions and experiences and may not be broadly applicable. When you are looking to try a new product that I've reviewed, by all means, consider my review but I suggest you go looking for other opinions as well. I think that's a helpful way to carefully pick and chose which products to try before laying down hard-earned money.

To get you started, I've listed other bloggers' reviews the conditioner we use most often. These blogs are all on my personal reading list and each blogger is very specific and thoughtful about her experience with the product. You'll find some similarities and some big differences in our opinions. It's not about who is right and who isn't; there is no right or wrong when sharing personal opinions that are based on our individual experience.

Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Review at Coilybella's Haven

This a really illuminating series of posts from Nu Kynk highlighting how opinions can change and how other factors influence how a product works at any given time. The first review is here, the second here, and the difference is fully explained here.

Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Review at Natural Chica

And just for fun, here's a whole bunch of folks weighing in with their opinions on Naturally Curly.


In Part 2 of Choosing Hair Care Products, I'll offer a way to narrow down products preferences and make sense of what is working and what isn't.

This Week It's All About Products!

I planned to take it really easy this week, writing a post here, a post there, and taking a little break for cookies, eggnog, and family time. But sometimes an idea hits me and if I don't get it out right away it probably won't come out at all. I had a little idea last week that grew. It started with a simple reader question about products sales (Hi Andrea!). I got me thinking about the most common question I get about product choice. That left me pondering how to go about choosing products methodically.

I've decided to take this really inopportune holiday week to talk about products. I won't be reviewing products; this isn't about recommendations. It is about gathering information, making informed choices, and saving money. I hope you enjoy it.

Choosing Hair Care Products: Part 1 and Part 2

Shopping for Natural Hair Care Products

Rough Guide to Product Naming Conventions

Can You Help A Writer Out?

I hope some of us can, and will. My friend Monique, author of the blog Honeysmoke, is working on a book about raising biracial and multiracial kids in the United States. She will be conducting a survey in early 2011 and needs lots of participants. Here is what Monique has to say about the project,

When people started asking questions about whether Simone was my child, I did the only thing I knew how to do. I wrote, reflected and wrote some more. Those essays found their way into publications and onto this blog. Eventually they will be published as a book, a book that has become a research project without the fancy letters that often come with such work.

I've had the pleasure of reading some of Monique's essays and I appreciate her reflections and thoughts on the unique challenges facing multiracial families. I think we really need Monique's book, and we can help her make it happen. Right now, she is asking moms and dads to sign up to hear more about the survey. When she follows up with more information, you can decide if you want to answer the survey. If not, you can still help by passing it on to others.


Click here to sign up at Honeysmoke. It's really simple, all you need to do is enter your name and email address.

Twists - With Improved Parts!

Remember last week when I told you that I twisted Little B's hair and hoped it would last, but I wasn't sure I could resist taking it out because I disliked the parting pattern so much?  As it turned out I was not able to resist temptation. Not at all.

I will say that I made switching this up easy on myself and Little B. I co-washed her hair with her old twists in and then wrapped them in an old (clean) T shirt so it could absorb most of the water. When I went to style, I took a few twists out at a time, re-parted all my sections as I went and created much smaller rope twists and a parting pattern that I actually like. The pattern is on a diagonal with many of the twists naturally falling to her right. That allows me to gather them with barrette without having to cajole them into place. To accomplish that, I stood on her right side and twisted toward me. I only moved to her left side when I was well past the center of her head. On the left side, I twisted toward me again. The result is that the twists on the top of her head fall to the right in a very natural way and the twists on the left and right hang straight down. I stood behind her to twist the back, so those twists hang straight down too.

She was busy decorating Christmas cookies as I redid the twists and the time flew by. That probably sounds really unsanitary, but I promise, it wasn't. I'm happy with the new twists and I hope she can wear them through the rest of the month.

Joyful Dad always has fun with his cookie decorating ideas and I enjoy them immensely. This year we have bones inside a mitten, Xmas tree lightbulbs turned into monsters and bugs, an upside down snowman monster head thing, and a mitten turned into a fish. I take full responsibility for the Xmas cow and Xmas guitar, I bought the cookie cutters and made the cookies. I am so going to be the one to eat the bone mitten cookie. Every time we decorate cookies I think of that Simpsons scene where Marge says, "Hey kids! I made your favorite cookies: Christmas trees for the girls and bloody spearheads for Bart." While the girls decorated more traditionally, these are my favorites.

5 Quick Braids

"I don't like doing hair." she said as she made grumpy face at me in the mirror.
"Don't you like your hairstyles?"
"Some. Not all of them. I don't want to wash my hair."
Pout. Sniffle. Pout.

Can you guess who didn't want to wash her hair? 


Did you guess Little R? Ding! Ding! You're right! Now, do you think I did her hair anyway? Go ahead, take a guess, I'll wait.

That's right, I did. Sometimes schedules make mama merciless. Not only did I wash and style her, but I also subjected the poor kid to the list of things that I am obligated to do every day that I don't really want to do. It's a life lesson, right? I should mention that the reason behind the grouchy was nothing serious. Her sister got to use the computer without her for the fifteen minutes it took to wash and detangle her hair.

At least I made the styling simple and she got to go back to her computer game. I parted her hair in quarters  and added some styling cream to the front right section. I cornrowed that straight down and continued the braid until I got near the end of her hair. I banded that and added a little heart barrette.

In the remaining sections, I braided Dutch braids, each at a slight angle. You can watch a video explaining Dutch braids at the end of this post. I was aiming to make them all meet in the center of her head. It took a couple of tries to get that first section at the correct angle, but I got there eventually. As I completed each braid, I clipped it with a duck bill clip to hold it while I worked on the other sections. When all three sections were complete, I gathered the ends together and banded them into a pony tail.

I wanted to braid the ponytail but it contained hair of many differing lengths and before I could braid it, I needed to spritz it with water pretty well and add my styling aid. With the hair slicked that way, I was able to braid it pretty neatly. I wrapped the braid around the its base to form a little bun. I tucked the end of the braid under the band I used to hold all the sections. The little bun was very floppy, so I let it flop forward and used my new, tiny bobby pins to pin it place. I liked the result a lot. I think it even looks kind of fancy for just five braids.

I've been seeing mini pins everywhere lately and finally picked some up.
I find the smaller size just right for little kids. I used to often wish my bobby pins were smaller.
(Regular size Scunci bobby pins are in the center and the Conair mini pins on either side.

You know what? Little R later admitted to liking this style and she was astonished that hair was done so quickly.


What styles are you doing this week?

Did You Win a Hat? Let's see!

Welcome to another week of Happy Hair. Let's start it off well by announcing announcing who will be the proud owner of a new Curly Zebra hat of her choice.

Congratulations Brooke! Please email me at joyfulmom@happygirlhair.com by Saturday, December 18th to claim your lovely, warm hat.


Many thanks to Curly Zebra for sponsoring this giveaway, keeping our heads warm, and our curl intact. Curly Zebra is currently offering free shipping on orders of 3 or more hats (US and Canadian orders). Order by December 15th to ensure Christmas delivery.

Hello Hydration Review

I recently tried Herbal Essences Hello Hydration to see if the addition of a little silicone to Little R's hair would help see us through until we could get to our stylist to trim some breakage and damaged ends. Over several weeks, I tried it for as a post-shampoo conditioner, for co-washing, and mixed with a little water as a leave-in.

Hello Hydration contains Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Milk, Fragrance, Glutamic Acid, Fragrance, Bis-aminpropyl Dimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, EDTA (Ethylenediamine-Tetra-Acetic Acid), Propylene Gylcol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Citric Acid, Blue 1.

I paid about $3 for a 12 oz bottle at my local grocery store. Hello Hydration is widely available at drugstores, discount stores, and grocery stores. When I used it the first time, I was surprised to see that it's blue. It's a soft, pretty blue, but it's definitely blue, which I might have guessed had I read the ingredients all the way through. The scent is vaguely floral. It's pleasant and not overwhelming.

To my surprise, I had to use a whole lot of this to cover all the hair. I would estimate that I used about 1/3 of a cup each time I conditioned after a shampoo wash and more when I co-washed. It didn't spread as easily as I expected or as easily as our regular conditioner. I had to work at it a bit but it rinsed easily and quickly.

The girls' hair looked great after using Hello Hydration. Little R's hair had a lot of shine and I saw a noticeable reduction in frizz. Her damaged ends looked much better. Little B's hair had a lot of sheen and looked great loose. I know I had the silicone to thank for the shine.

While the hair looked fantastic, it didn't feel very good. It felt coated - and something else. I've been searching for a word to identify that something else for you, but I can't. Is there a word that conveys a meaning that's just short of crunchy, brittle, or crispy? It was that. I'm not sure why it felt so weird and coated to me. I really disliked the way their hair felt, but I was torn about this product because their hair looked so good.

Sometimes if I stop thinking about how a product is performing and just use it, I end up making a determination without any effort. If I abandon the product as soon as possible, or find it's nearly gone before I've had a chance to write a review, I realize I've formed an opinion. This product falls on the side of abandonment. I might hang on to it and use it in an emergency. I can envision a scenario where I don't realize I'm out of conditioner until we've already started washing. Otherwise, I don't think I'll reach for this again.

I've would have give this 5 star beads if I only cared about the way the girls' hair looked, but I love to touch their little heads so I deducted for how the hair felt and the spreadability issue.

Winter Care for Natural Hair

Winter hair care is always a hot topic around natural hair blogs and forums and it's easy to understand why. Cold, dry outside air and exposure to overheated, dry indoor can be hard on hair. Add in the use of winter hats and how uncomfortable it can be to wash the hair during the coldest months and the need for a few adjustments to hair routines becomes apparent. Today, I'd like to share what we change in the winter - and what we don't change.

This is how we change our hair care routine for winter:

• We decrease our use of shampoo in favor of more co-washing. 
• I prefer to co-wash as much as possible, so really this is our normal. We use more shampoo use in the warmer months when chlorine removal is an issue. Co-washing helps us avoid a dry, itchy, irritated scalp.

• We switch from simply air drying hair to the using a T-shirt to help dry hair. 
• It's so uncomfortable to have dripping wet hair on a cold day. Rather than using a terry cloth towel, which can be hard on curls, cause frizz, and leave fuzz in the hair, we use one of my old T-shirts. I put head hole just in front of their hairline and let the rest of the T-shirt encase the hair and hand down their backs. It's cheap and very effective. 

 It took me awhile to figure out wrapping this turban style wasn't the way to go.
Oh well, live and learn (and share what you've learned).

• Microfiber towels like this one are another option for drying curly hair. We haven't tried one yet because my old T-shirt seems to do the job. If you are interested in trying one, you check out these reviews.

• This year we'll be making more use of protective styling to protect the hair from rubbing against hats, coat collars, hoods, and cozy blankets. As always, we'll make sure those protective styles stay well moisturized!

• This winter we are adding a Deep Conditioning Mask to our routine for an extra moisture boost and sticking with our tried and true, favorite conditioners and leave-ins. 

• We will be getting trims about every 8 weeks to catch the inevitable winter split ends before they travel too far up each hair.

• On days when winter hat is required, we are careful to use satin-lined hats to preserve styles and keep avoid losing moisture to cotton or fleece only hats.

The girls enjoyed one of our rare snowfalls in their satin-lined hats last year.

Different Temp., Different Products?

There is always a lot of talk in the curly hair community about the use of humectants like glycerin in the winter. Many people put humectant-heavy products away for the season for fear that the combination of  dry, frigid outside air and heated, dry inside air means the humectants will pull moisture from the hair when none is available in the air. When considering whether or not to limit humectant use in winter it's important to think about how they work and your own environment. You can read more about humectants and climate in this Curl Chemist article from Naturally Curly. You can read even more about the relationship between humectants and dew point here. 

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have a Marine West Coast Climate with short, damp winters and relatively high dew points. In our house, we combat the dryness caused by the forced air furnace by adding some moisture to the air with a humidifier. This means we don't have to make too much adjustment in humectant use from season to season. If you live somewhere like Minneapolis, or Buffalo, you might make a very different choice. (Hi Minneapolis! Hi Buffalo!)

What hair care routine adjustments to do you make in the winter months?

Winter Skin Care

Most of the country is in the midst of a deep freeze right now and even though we aren't, we recently switched over to our winter skin care routine. As the weather gets colder, Little R tends to get eczema on her face and tummy and Little B's sides start to itch well before her skin looks even slightly dry. Our solution is to try to prevent these issues before they crop up and become an uncomfortable problem.

Over the years, I've learned a bit about keeping skin really well moisturized during these harsh winter months. Today, I'd like to share a bit about different types of moisturizers and how we use them.

Occlusive Moisturizers

How they work: These provide a protective film, limiting the evaporation of water from the skin. They can also fill small fissures, helping to keep allergens and irritants out. They slowly sink in to the skin and are most effective when used immediately after bathing.

Examples: Vaseline (petrolatum), mineral oil, Shea butter, Cocoa Butter, Dimethicone, beeswax, lanolin


Humectants

How they work: Humectants attract and bind to water molecules.

Examples: glycerin, propylene glycol

Emulsion Moisturizers

How they work: These moisturizers use emulsifiers to combine oil and water. There are water-in-oil combinations which are generally heavier, as well as oil-in-water formulations which are lighter. These moisturizers spread easily and sink into dry skin quickly.

Examples: Most lotions are emulsion moisturizers in which water, occlusive agents, and humectants have been combined.

Our routine*:
Now that you know a little about the types of moisturizers available and what they do, I'd like to share my winter routine for keeping my girls' skin looking good and feeling good.

Bathing days: I limit use the use of soap and avoid letting them sit in any soap product such as bubble bath, which can be drying and cause irritation. After bathing, we use a generous amount of an occlusive moisturizer. As much product trial and error, I now use CeraVe (read my review here). I've also had some success withVaseline, Aquaphor, and shea butter. Petroleum products can be pretty greasy, so when I use these products, I bathe the girls at night and put them in pajamas immediately after. Thick cotton pajamas tend to withstand this hard use pretty well and we don't ruin their clothes with Vaseline stains. The trick is to avoid getting too sentimental about their the cute, little PJs. CeraVe eliminates the need to be careful about clothing because it is easily absorbed as long as it is applied when the skin is damp or dry.

Non Bathing Days: Before putting PJs on at night, we use a oil-in-water emulsion moisturizer all over if it looks as though their skin needs it. If their skin looks well moisturized, we just smooth it on the places where Little B tends to get itchy skin and on Little R's face. We happily use Trader Joe's Unscented Moisturizing Lotion for its spreadability.

Face Care: The girls wash their faces in the morning with just warm water. After that we add an occlusive moisturizer. Again, CeraVe is go to solution. Little R tends to get eczema around her mouth in the winter and CeraVe seems to help even more than Vaseline or Aquaphor. I've heard a lot of moms talk about eczema patches around the mouth. This is an ongoing problem for many kids because babies and toddlers have their faces, particularly their mouths, wiped so often. When Little R was small, it took me a very long time to understand that every single time she ate I needed to use plenty of heavy, occlusive moisturizer around her mouth and on her cheeks after wiping that area.

See what I mean?
I spent a lot of time wiping that cute little mouth and those kissable cheeks.

I should mention a lesson I learned the hard way back in 2009 when I found peeling skin behind Little B's little toes. When it gets really cold out and/or the air gets really dry, don't forget to moisturize the little bits that rarely get attention such as the ear lobes and in between and behind little toes. 

How do use moisturizers in the winter? What are your favorites?


*This post was modified in 2011 to reflect our current product preferences.

Giveaway Closed

Would you like to see your little one in a hat that is both beautiful and warm? Would you like to help preserve the hairstyles you've worked so hard on? Would you like a winter hat that doesn't deplete curls of essential moisture? Or leave fuzz behind? Yes? Then you want a satin-lined hat. And you are in luck because it's time for our third and this season's final Curly Zebra winter hat giveaway!

These great hats come in a variety of colors, patterns and styles. Each design comes in several sizes to ensure the perfect fit. There are adorable hats for boys and girls, and plenty that work well for adults too. I love the leopard print pillbox.

Are you ready to enter the giveaway? Good. It's really simple. The giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on Happy Girl Hair on Monday, December 13th. All entries must be received by December 12th, 11:59 EST to be eligible for this drawing.

To enter:

1.You must be a Happy Girl Hair follower. If you aren't yet a follower, use the follow button on the top right of the page to join Happy Girl Hair.

2. Leave a comment on this post, please include your first name. 

Want more chances to win? Write a post about this giveaway on your blog, or let your friends know about it on Facebook, or Tweet a link to this post. Post an additional comment for every extra entry you've earned.

Many thanks to our friends at Curly Zebra for sponsoring this giveaway!

Protective Styles for Busy Girls

The girls are so busy these days. Besides school, they have a tree to decorate and then rearrange daily. There are cookies to make and then eat. As it gets colder, there are complaints to register about my requests that they wear socks, sweaters, and jackets. And Joyful Dad and I received written invitations from the girls to attend a Bear's Tea Party. It will be held in the dining room this morning, with many of the girls' stuffed animals in attendance. Joyful Dad ran out for donut holes to honor the occasion.

Hair time is just not on their list. They had a day off on Friday, I decided to put their hair in some protective styles that would last for a while. It worked out well because they had a trim the night before and needed a wash to rinse the little pieces of trimmed hair that got stuck.

Little R requested cornrows and box braids while Little B decided on twists. After washing, conditioning and detangling, I parted Little R's hair for cornrows. I decided on a little burst pattern going back to the crown of her head and then fairly large box braids for the rest. I followed the cornrow part lines for the box braids, so the sections are set on an angle. Little R's braids are all banded at the end, otherwise they just wouldn't stay in.

Little B's hair was easy to style in rope twists but I did a parting pattern that I've never done before and I don't really like it. By the time I got to styling Little B's hair, it was late afternoon and we were all getting tired. If my brain had been working better, I would have seen that pattern wasn't going to be what I was after. Happily, since the sections are medium-sized the parting pattern isn't really obvious. Her twists aren't banded in any way, but I did add some barrettes for decoration. I don't have any decent photos of these twists; most of those I took are blurry. It's funny that I'm not thrilled with the style and few of the many photos I took are even focused. Coincidence? Subconscious sabotage? You decide.

I used Darcy's Botanicals Coconut Pomade to style these, so they will be moisturized for some time. As they wear these styles, I'll add a bit of water-based leave-in as needed in the mornings. I generally put a little in my palms and then give each braid or twist a little hug to deliver the product. I'll use a little more product on the ends.

We have an exciting week coming up at Happy Girl. I have a giveaway to announce, we'll be talking about winter skin and hair care, and I have a product review to write up for you. I just learned that Happy Girl Hair won the 2010 Afroglitz Web Award for Best Website Design. Yay! This award really belongs to Joyful Dad, who is a very talented designer. He rescued Happy Girl from the template I initially used and my, um, bold color choices. He also built our Tumblr style gallery from scratch, sparingly and elegantly hand-coding everything. He's always making all kinds of behind-the-scenes tweaks to Happy Girl to make it look better and be more intuitive to use. I sure do appreciate it.

Update:  We just had the tea portion of the Bear's Tea Party and are about to move on to the games portion of the party, but I wanted to share a couple of cute photos. I hope this makes up for the lack of good hair photos!

Sweetbeatz Winner!

Happy Weekend! It's time to announce the winner of our Sweetbeatz Soulful Songs for City Kids winner. Our winner will receive this fun CD full of great music for kids.

And the winner is....

Congratulations Lisa! Please email me at joyfulmom@happygirlhair.com by Friday December 10th, to claim your CD.


Many thanks to Meredith Wright for sponsoring this giveaway and sharing her music and talent with us.

All Picked Out!

Little B had a trim yesterday and we always stretch her hair through styling the in the days preceding the trim. On the day of the trim, I take the style out, fluff her hair out with my hands, and then pick her hair out* to cut down on the time it takes the stylist to prep. When we get the stylist she finishes the picking and trims.

I thought it would be fun to show you Little B's hair all picked out. This is my pre-trim picking. The job our stylist does finishing this is amazing. I meant to bring a camera yesterday, but forgot. Just for the record, instead of pre-trim stretching with braids or twists, I used this week's style for stretching. It wasn't nearly as effective and it took much longer than usual to fully pick her hair out. I think it took about an hour and a half just to pick it out. Next time, we'll go back to twists or braids in the week before her trim to reduce the time.

Little B is amazed by her hair!
This is not styled, just picked out for a trim.
I think this would look great styled. Maybe when she's older.

Hey, don't forget to enter the drawing for the fun and energetic Sweetbeatz CD! Your kids will really enjoy it! The drawing is tomorrow and you have until 11:59 EST tonight , December 3rd, to enter. Better do it now!



*We only pick Little B's hair out for trims. You can read more about the use of picks here. And I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again, if we were doing a shaping cut as opposed to an even trim, we would show up at the stylist's with freshly washed and conditioned, air-dried, naked hair so the stylist would be able see the curl pattern clearly. 

Little R and Big Beads

Little R, and Little B, are scheduled to get a trim today and I can't wait. Little R needs one so badly. After school this afternoon, I'll co-wash her hair and let it air dry so her stylist can see the curl pattern before reaching for her scissors. Earlier this week, I chose a style that would be quick to put in, quick to take out, and that would keep that broken hair along the hairline protected.

Working with clean, well-moisturized, detangled hair, I parted her hair about an inch back from her hairline. I added some pomade for hold and put in a loose flat twist. When we got to the end, I kept twisting.

I have these great, huge white beads that I love for their size and versatility. I added those to the twist, covering the hair from the point the flat twist ended to almost the very end of her hair. I stuck an alligator clip at the end to hold both the twist and the beads in place while I worked on the rest.

Using pomade and natural bristle brush, I gathered the rest of her hair in the center of her head. I divided the hair into three roughly even sections and braided it. I wound the braid down into a bun and held it there. I then took the twist with the beads, and removing the clip, draped it back toward the braid bun. I wrapped the end of the twist around the braid bun and secured the whole thing with an elastic and some bobby pins.

She was well-pleased with those beads. I saw her smiling at herself in the mirror. I love that.