Hey all.....I've found some nice products to use but I'm still tweaking and finding all natural things. I use several AO condishes now, as well as a couple soap based (and low poo based) shampoos. I'm using just AVG or Shea butter or AO B5 gel, similar things to that. But I'm still searching.

In my search I've found a company called terresentials that does a detoxing hair mud that I'm considering. I'm also considering giving shampoo bars another go. Since I now have a filter on my showerhead, I think the hard water thing will not be as much of an issue. Anyone have any suggestions there?

Also, I think I may have found some good options for color, without the chemicals and without the henna LOL.....Chagrin Valley has a coffee shampoo bar that she says can be used as a natural color, and I found another company that makes ready made tea rinses! I would have to do them at least once a week, but I think that may be enough to blend what I have on my hair now into my natural and cover the few grays I have to make those that I work for happy enough.

Any advice/suggestions/comments? TIA!

Lady Karaan, Guardian of Blessed Fauna in the Order of the Longhaired Knights
2B/F/iii
short/16"/?

hi Rymorg!

I've used Terressentials hair mud and loved it. The only reason I'm not using it now is $$. I end up using a lot of it, and rather quickly at that. It's really a nice product if you have a lot of build-up, or your hair tends to get very dirty - like if you work out a lot. I used both the Lavender and Lemon scents, but I think the Lemon won my heart.

It's an interesting product...you will probably want to get an extra squirt bottle (like an old dish soap type bottle) to mix it with some water. Your hair looks like it's about as thick as mine, and it can be hard to move that thick mud all through your hair. It's much easier if you water it down to a thin paste and squirt it onto your scalp and rub it in. And it takes forever to rinse out. I highly recommend doing an ACV afterwards. Also, when you condition afterwards, make sure you use a detangling comb to go through your hair - it will pick up any mud you might have missed and it will rinse cleaner.

Oh hey - I bought some Alaffia 'poo and conditioner - I'll let you know how I liked them!


Hairy facts of life - 27" long, type 2a C iii
wash with my recipe: castile soap, jojoba oil, seaweed extract, rosemary & ylang ylang essential oil
ACV rinse
oil ends nightly with coconut oil or shea butter
two braids for bed
23" as of Jun'07/27/going for waist (apprx31")

thanks for the tips......and let me know how you do like the alaffia!

I did plan on watering it down. I'm following a thread on the nat. curly site and they said to do that there. That's where I learned about terresentials from. :D

Thanks again!

Lady Karaan, Guardian of Blessed Fauna in the Order of the Longhaired Knights
2B/F/iii
short/16"/?

Aubrey's gels- the B-5 and mandarin jelly are very healthy for my hair.
I love Aubreys conditioners and Sea Buckthorn spray- too.
I'm looking for more natural alternative to color, too.
I love the Demi-perm color my stylist has given me(Redkens shades) but I noticed an itchy hairline and nape of neck about 12 hours after I last colored on April 22,which was not horrible but noticable. It persisted until I shampooed my hair 48 hours later. I don't know what to do next. I don't know if this is sensitization or something else unrelated to the dye. I haven't told my stylist about it yet as I haven't gotten a trim since then. Redkens shades has no ammonia but does have PPD, I assume- I don't know. I can't find any ingredients.
I used to get highlights and lowlights that were far more damaging and destroyed my wave- The Redkens is far more gentle to my hair- as deposit only color it doesn't seem to damage my hair or disrupt my wave pattern- although I assume it does some small amount of damage over time. I assume henna would be my only other option as I hate the greys coming in(about 10%). I would have to do it myself as my stylist hates henna- says it would dry out my hair and spoil(relax) my wave pattern. I might be able to grow my hair longer with henna, though. I've been using the shades for 2 years, coloring every 3-5 months to blend greys.
There's a lot about henna that attracts me, though, the shine, strength, I'd like to do it- I think it would be better for my hair- I'm just chicken!