I Don't Know What You Been Told, But I Love My Blow Dryer (Though Its Old)

I know many naturals have sworn off of heat styling, and I do go for long stretches of time without using any heat. Recently I've been impatient with drying time and I've been enjoying the look of blow dried hair. So for the past month I've been blow drying my hair after my weekly washes. AND (are you ready for this?) I haven't been using protective styling that much. As it turns out heat doesn't have to be my arch nemesis. Are there other naturalistas who would defend their blow dryers like a play cousin in the hood?

Before we were so close I was afraid of blow dryers. Like, I would cross the street and grab hold of my purse if I saw one... they scared me so much! For years blow dryers meant tired arms, lots of breakage, somewhat straight roots and crunchy frizzy ends. There is nothing attractive about any of that. But I no longer have that association with my blow dryer even though it is the same ole' dryer from high school! But the results are drastically different.

What changed? I learned about deep conditioning, diffusers/comb attachments and heat protectants. Now that I am diligent about the use of all three, I can blow dry my hair in a fraction of the time, I have much less breakage and my hair is smooth from root to tip. I deep condition my hair in twists after detangling. I finger detangle again while adding my homemade heat protectant. I prefer my comb attachment over a diffuser and separate comb, its seamless and wide-toothed and concentrates the heat on my strands for faster results with less effort. And um yes, I am using a $1.99 comb attachment from the beauty supply store!

All three things in conjunction improved the experience but I think I owe the majority of my success to my homemade heat protectant. Its worked so well for me I just had to share the recipe with you all. Click here for the full recipe and post your results if you use it.

DIY Recipe: Pia's Dry Don't Fry All-Natural Heat Protectant

Ingredients
raw shea and/or mango butter

extra virgin coconut oil

avocado and/or grapeseed oil

vitamin E

flax seed oil

soy lecithin

Ratio

To avoid a runny mess use a 2:3 ratio of liquid oils to solid butters. 2 tablespoons (combined) avocado, grapeseed oil, vitamin E, flax seed oil, and soy lecithin with 3 tablespoons (combined) shea butter and mango butter. This fits a 4 ounce container and lasts up to 2 months (for me).

Mixing

Here are the different methods I've used for mixing:

• Lazy Method - Melting and mixing all ingredients together, then allowing to solidify. This method is my least favorite because the shea and mango butters get grainy as they cool down, creating a lumpy mixture. It can take over an hour for the butters to solidify at room temperature, about 20 minutes in the freezer. You have to keep watching the mixture otherwise you end up with something like a chocolate bar when its cold. 

• Thorough Method - Whipping the shea and mango butter at room temperature then adding in other ingredients a little at a time. I like this method a lot, but as I don't have an electric hand mixer it is very tiresome. With an electric mixer you can whip the butter in 3 minutes. Whipping by hand can take up to 10 minutes depending on how soft your butters are. 

•  Compromising Method - Partially melting the shea and mango butters then whipping in the other ingredients a bit at a time as it cools works best for me without an electric mixer. I speed up the cooling process by placing the mixture in the freezer in 5 minute increments. All of the ingredients blend smoothly and I achieve the creamy lotion texture I'm looking for. This usually takes me about 20-30 minutes, but I do this while deep conditioning and making my other products, so the time is not wasted on just waiting.

Kick @$$ Qualities

- Shea and mango butters are excellent deep conditioners; are loaded with vitamins that protect the hair from heat and sun damage; make a great base because of their firm textures at room temperature and interminable shelf life.

- Extra virgin coconut oil easily penetrates the hair shaft making it an excellent deep conditioner. It also adds a subtle but delicious scent!

- Avocado has an extremely high smoke point around 500º, providing excellent protection for your strands when heat styling. Avocado oil is also loaded in essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins A, D, E and B6, magnesium, copper, iron, amino acids and folic acid.

- Grapeseed oil has an extremely high smoke point around 480º, providing excellent protection for your strands when heat styling. is very light, making it an excellent carrier oil for diluting heavier and more potent oils. It helps prevent dandruff, won't cause buildup and is easily absorbed by hair strands for deep conditioning benefits.

- Vitamin E (in my unprofessional opinion) works best for sunscreen protection when applied topically. The other benefits are best achieved when ingested, by eating foods that are rich in vitamin E or taking supplements. It is a very thick viscous liquid, so I'm sure it has some (however little) emollient properties.

- Flax seed oil contains all of the vital omega-3 fatty acids, which add sheen and luster. It also increases circulation in the scalp to stimulate hair growth.

- Soy lecithin contains inositol which is rumored to be critical in hair growth (I haven't read any certified studies). In the heat protectant it is an emulsifier, adding slip that remains even after blow drying. My hair is chronically dry, so I like the light non-greasy coating it leaves. I don't have to reapply any product for 3-4 days. Use sparingly because too much would definitely cause build up.

Give it a try and let us know how it works for you. What other natural items provide heat protection?

Reasons to Start Your Own Kitchen Salon

Ingredients for my Winter Hair Mask

There are two trends in the natural hair community that have inspired me to make major changes in my lifestyle; greater interest in DIY hair care and greater interest in natural products. What started as a quest for healthy long natural hair has completely shifted my approach to my nutrition and expanded an already growing interest in reusing and recycling. It's amazing how much I've learned about the multifaceted uses of common items that are always in my kitchen and bathroom!

I'm sure many people are reading this thinking it sounds nice but time consuming- isn't natural hair time consuming enough? When I first started making my own hair products it was very time consuming. But I must admit I loved having an excuse to block off an entire day for pampering. Now that I have a routine and an understanding of how to balance the products, it doesn't take much longer to do my hair with purchased products than homemade products. Like with anything you improve with practice.

Still need to be convinced why you should try your own DIY Kitchen Salon? Check out the benefits I've reaped:

- I've save money because the items I use for my hair are already on my grocery list.

- I've expanded the use of packaging from previously bought products, saving a few more items from a direct trip to the landfill.

- There is no worry of harmful chemicals in my homemade products, its all natural and mostly food. If its safe enough to go in my mouth, it's safe enough to lather all ova' my booooooooody!

- Now that I understand how various ingredients work for my hair and body I can adjust the balance as needed. This is extremely important for moisture and protein balance!

- My hair has improved tenfold! It is much more resistant to breakage; maintains greater moisture and retains length (after eight years of staying at the same length without ever trimming).

- Did I mention I SAVE MONEY?!

So how many of you have I converted? How many already have a thriving kitchen salon? Tell us why you started your kitchen salon and what you love about it.

Those who are new to the DIY practice can go here for some tips on starting your own kitchen salon.

Lessons in Mini Twists: The Cheat Sheet

So here's the thing: I'm not usually a fan of mini-twists. Rather I should say I am not a fan of putting them in and taking them out, but the duration of wearing mini twists is often a fantastic experience! One night I found myself putting in some of the tiniest twists I've ever done, and while I cursed myself in my head my hands would not stop. About 6 hours later (that includes making and eating dinner; talking on the phone; periodically checking Facebook...) I was very proud of the mini twists in my hair.

My best set of twists lasted over three weeks, but I usually can't keep them in for so long because they get frizzy. I'm amazed at those who keep their twists looking fresh for four weeks or more! What are your experiences with mini twists? Any of you able to reach an entire month?

Here's what I've learned from my mini twist experiences:

1. Twisting on wet hair and using a wet product like gel creates a tighter, longer-lasting twist, but also produces greater shrinkage. Twisting on dry hair using an oil or butter creates softer, less-defined twists that tend to unravel. I find lightly spritzing dry hair and mixing a light oil into gel products produce tight twists that last long and are well defined when unraveled. The twists also retain greater length because they are not saturated with water.
2. The rope twist method (rotating each section clockwise while twisting counter-clockwise or vice versa) creates tighter and longer twists that last longer than regular two strand twists. However the hair can get very tangled if the mini twists are styled often. I use the rope twist method for all of my twists, my hair will unravel otherwise. Tangles used to be a problem for me, but my three step unraveling method has nearly eliminated the problem.
3. Roller sets on mini twists can mimic many straight styles, like bobs and drop curls, but somehow manage to last longer. I wore a roller set mini twist bob to my two hour dance rehearsal and still had curls at the end! I have a theory that its something about the twists and natural curl of the hair, blah blah blah...
4. Trimming your hair while in mini twists is not always such a great idea, especially if a comb wasn't used to make straight and even parts. When I saw scraggly ends I kept trimming them. When I took my hair loose I noticed how uneven it had become because of my "arbitrary" trimming. Besides, those ends didn't look as scraggly when clumped in coils rather than randomly parted mini twists. Ooops!
5. Some natural recipes don't work so well with small twists- like yogurt-based hair conditioners. Even after several rinses I didn't get it all out, but it was a couple of days until I was alerted by a less than pleasurable smell (first noticed by my husband). Yikes!
6. When unraveling mini twists I follow three simple rules: Use lots of lubrication (oil, conditioner, etc.). Follow the coil (in reverse, of course). Be patient. I like using oil on dry hair for unraveling twists. My strands have a tendency to straighten and slip right out of the twists. When I wet my hair it curls tighter and is harder to detangle. When I rush I often create knots, but when I take my time and follow all three steps I can get through my whole head with very few knots!

Style Tutorial: Mini Twist Styles 1

Sometimes I forget that having twists, especially small or mini twists, is just like having loose hair. There is an endless amount of fantastic styles that can be created with twists- most anything that can be done on loose hair and more! If you're new to wearing mini twists, take a look at the styles I've done below for a few ideas. If you're a veteran and would like your photos posted, please share what you've done: Submissions.TheKitchenSalon@gmail.com. Either way, please tell me what you think!

Style 1

Pinned to the side.

Pinned to the side.

Style 2

Double rolls pinned at the top with a pompadour.

Double rolls pinned at the top with a pompadour.

Double rolls pinned at the top with a pompadour.

Style 3

Bun with a bang. (Accessorize with a ribbon!)

Bun with a bang. (Accessorize with a ribbon!)

Style 4

French roll with a side bang.

French roll with a side bang.

French roll with a side bang.

French roll with a side bang.

Style 5

One long roll with front rolls.

One long roll with front rolls.

One long roll with front rolls.

Style Tutorial: Twist Up & Bump (Quick & Simple Protective Styling)

So I mentioned the other day that it was the start of my protective styling season. Although I don't think its absolutely necessary for all people to use this method t protect their hair during winter or to retain length, I know it works for me. I am afflicted with HIH (Hand-In-Hair) syndrome and this relieves some of the symptoms like wandering hands. Also I tend to wear a lot of hats in the colder months, and protective styles usually assist in hat-friendly hair.

This is the first style of the season, well technically the second. For the past week I've been wearing two cornrows with a side part, I've been dancing a lot so didn't want to get too fancy. Honestly, this style isn't too much more involved either, but here ya go! I call it "Twist Up & Bump."

I made one large flat twist up the center of my head from the nape of my neck to the crown of my head.

Then I pulled the front section of hair over the ends of the flat twist (for added cushion), then tucked and pinned the under the flat twist.

I had to sneak in this shot of my tights too... loving them!!!!