The Best Natural Hair Products of 2015

I can officially say that I'm a reformed product junkie.

*applause please*

I spent all of 2015 purging my stash and only keeping products that I knew I couldn't live without. Now I'm praying that they're never discontinued! (You do it too...don't get bougie on me now. Keep it 100!) 

Here are my favorite natural hair products from 2015!

How I Used Kurly Klips To Protect My Natural Hair

1. Kurly Klips

I talk so much about Kurly Klips that it's even starting to annoy me! I just need y'all to understand how deep my love for these thangs go! When I said that they are the most versatile protective style for your hair---I meant E V E R Y word of it and they are worth every penny.

2. Aubrey Organics GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner

I had Aubrey GPB on my list of conditioners to try for ages! In late 2015, I finally went ahead and took the plunge. My hair thanks me for it. While I haven't posted a full review, last just say this: I'm on my 3rd bottle of this stuff. It makes my curls smooth, strong, but still pliable and soft. My hair is perfectly balanced---oh and it smells really great too. I know that my hair really likes protein so I wasn't surprised that my curls loved it. If you're looking for a gentle mild protein conditioner---Aubrey GPB is your guy!

3. Bentonite Clay Hair Mask Treatment

Whenever my hair feels BLAH...I know that it's time for a clay mask. Bentonite Clay is amazingness in a jar. It's moisturizing, detoxifying, a shine enhancer, frizz eliminator----just curl defining goodness. I mix it up with a little apple cider vinegar, glycerin, and aloe vera juice to form a conditioning mask, cover with a plastic cap for a little while, then rinse it out. BOOM. And just like that it feels like I have a head of new "act right" curls. 

4. Jessicurl Deep Treatment

So Jessicurl Deep Treatment isn't new for 2015. But, I've reaffirmed my love for all of it's creamy moisturizing goodness. I just adore this stuff. So if you are dealing with dry, brittle curls---give your hair a dose of Jessicurl Deep Treatment and I guarantee that you'll be joining me on the mountain top singing Jessicurl's praises. Oh and remember when I told you guess that Jessicurl was coming to a brick and mortar near you? Well you can grab the line in Sallys now! #winning

5. Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker

This is the product that I didn't see coming. I'm minding my own business in the curl girl aisle in Target, when an older lady passes by. She has the most beautiful curls---we strike up an conversation that ended up lasting an hour! Anywhos, she recommended Camille Rose Curl Maker and of course I went ahead and bought it! Everything that she said about it was true. While it's technically a gel, it doesn't flake or make your hair too hard. It's has a light/medium hold. And it's actually moisturizing. Oh and it smells AMAZING! A little goes a long way too. My first bottle lasted for about 3 months. I'm on my second bottle now.

My favorite Twist out of 2015 using Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker

I'm totally keeping these gems in my stash for 2016. What products did you discover in 2015 that made the cut? Share them (and your review) below! Fingers crossed that I don't have a relapse in my product junkie ways!

Besitos!
KLP

Happy Birthday SavingOurStrands + Top Stories of 2015

We're three years old!

Pop the confetti, sprinkle the glitter, it's Saving Our Strands BIRTHDAY!!!!

Omgosh so much has changed over the last year...

I went from MBL

Final Relaxed Hair Length Check

to "chile I don't even know how long my hair is"....

My hair lately: twist and curl

My bloggy bestie got hitched....

Just Married Mark & Keyda

and I rocked extensions for the first time in YEARSSS!

Meet My Kurly Klips!

It's still hard to believe that SavingOurStrands is 3 years old! Keyda and I NEVER imagined that our silly slightly neurotic hair blog would attract hundred's of followers or nab over 505,000+ page views from 10 countries across the global. Y'all DA REAL MVP! Thanks for allowing us to share our shenanigans and teeny tiny spot in your hearts.

Un mil besitos!
KLP

The Best of 2015: My Hair's Hits & Misses

2015 was a really great year for my hair. I wasn't concerned with length, I didn't use heat, and I lived for deep conditioning. I still made a TON of mistakes along the way. Here's a recap of the best things (and the worse things) that happened to my hair.

Hits: Protective Styling

If you haven't read about my LOVE AFFAIR with Kurly Klips---then---idk where you've been chile! It's all that I talked about for the last 6 months! So here's your chance to catch up on why I think that

KURLY KLIPS ARE THE WORLD'S MOST VERSATILE PROTECTIVE STYLE EVER!!!!

Hits: Trimming

I've trimmed and dusted my hair several times this year (Like here, here, here, and here). Way more than I ever have in my healthy hair journey. And while frequent trimming would have been a miss for me in past years---this year it was a hit. My hair is as healthy as it's ever been. My curls look fantastic when wet and my ends are perfectly blunt---and y'all know that I LIVE for healthy blunt ends!

Hits: Curlformers, Perm Rods, and Twist Outs
When my hair wasn't in a protective style---I styled using (most recently) curlformers, perm rods and twist outs. I can't say that I've masted any one of them, but I can say that y'all will definitely see more of them next year.

Hits: My New Staple Products Bentonite Clay Hair Mask Treatment
When I first chopped my hair, I cut it whilst it was straight---which was a total mistake because I was still left with some bits of straight hair on my bangs. It was nearly impossible to tell the difference between my texlaxed hair and my natural curl so I turned to Bentonite Clay! It's amazingness in a jar. It's moisturizing, detoxifying, a shine enhancer, frizz eliminator----just curl defining goodness. Here's how I mix it up and get my curls poppin!

Misses: Wash and Gos
I mean---wash and NOsss!  After about a month of experimenting with wash and gos---I realized that my hair behaves better when it's stretched. It's less tangled, it stays moisturized, my end are far less prone to breakage. Maybe one day, I'll revisit wash and gos, but for now---I'm staying far far away from them.

Misses: High Puffs
My staple natural hair style! Omgosh---how I love this style. It's effortless. And that's the problem. It's so effortless that I'll rock this style for days without moisturizing or sealing my hair. My ends dry out and the curls tangle. Whilst, I'm not vowing to never wear a high puff again, I am going to wear them less and make sure that I moisturize my hair better. Plus, my hair is long enough now, that I can rock a high bun instead! Which is far more kind to my ends!

What were the best (and not so wonderful) moments of your #washdayexperience this year? Share the dets below!

Besitos!
KLP

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Birthday SavingOurStrands + Top Stories of 2014

We're two years old!

What started as a way for Keyda and I to share our hair obsessed babble with each other has quickly turned into a force of the world's best followers, friends in our head, and fiercely fabulous hair junky partners in crime. We never---even in our wildest dreams---expected our pitiful little hair journeys to attract hundred's of followers or grab over 315,000+ page views from 10 countries across the global. Real talk---y'all are some serious ROCKSTARS. Thanks for allowing us to have a peek into your hair journeys and teeny tiny spot in your hearts.

We took a look back over the last 365 days and compiled a list of your favorite reads. Oh gosh, I can't wait to see what 2015 holds for #teampositivepixiedust!

What is the #WashDayExperience? 

How To Do Bantu Knots

LCO vs LOC which Moisturizes Longer?

Dutch Side Mermaid Braid

How to Stretch Your Relaxer for 6 Months

The Moment when I fell in love with my curls

Why I Deep Condition Overnight

Prospero Año y Felicidad!

KLP & Keyda

The Best of 2014: My Hair's Hits & Misses

2014 has been an amazing year for me--and my hair. I've had tons of highs and several low valleys but I feel so blessed to have grown and matured through the journey. Here's a recap of the best things (and the worse things) that happened to my hair.

Hit- Perm Rods

Y'all know that I love me a good bantu knot set, but I started to notice that the further that I got into this stretch---the harder it was to get a set that blended my super curly roots and my slightly straighter texlaxed ends. Then I discovered perm rods (shout out to Britt for the intro!) BEST. THING. EVER. Perm rods are relatively inexpensive and create the smoothest, bounciest make you wanna jump for joy curls ever. I could actually see my roots when it was all said and done! Oh the things that you get excited for when you haven't had a relaxer in a million years. Ha-ha!

See Related: How To Use Perm Rods on Natural Relaxed or Transitioning Hair

Hit: Steam Rollers

So, I'm chatting with my bloggy bestie Ebony from Longing4Length complaining about how terrible my hair looked and how little time I had to get glam for a girls night, when she suggests Caruso Steam Rollers. Since then---I've been HOOKED y'all. I just love how quick and easy they are to install and all without direct heat! Thanks Ebony!

See Related: How To Use Caruso Steam Rollers on Relaxed, Transitioning, or Natural Hair

Hit: I made it to MBL!

After 3 years of slowly but surely cutting off my ridiculously over-processed thin ends, a shedding fiasco, and the worse relaxer experience of my life---I finally made it to MBL last July!

See Related: Length Check and One Year Post Relaxer

Hit: BSL/MBL Length Bangs

I've never intentionally wanted bangs. Never not ever. But until recently, I've always had them because I would flat iron them daily. *cringes* Once I stopped that and started protective styling---my bangs have flourished! Today, they sit the same length as my hemline and I've never been more proud!

See Related: How To Grow Out Your Bangs

Miss- Twist Outs

Sure, this twist out looks cute, but it was totally a fluke because I couldn't replicate it plus it didn't last. Even when I followed the same exact steps! Ugh...But life is like that some times!

See Related: The #WashDayExperience- My Best Twist Out Ever (Kinda)

Miss- Fighting Tangles

I had to cut 3-4 very long knots out of my hair a few months ago. I cried. A long ugly cry. You know the kinda cry that you have when you know that everything that you are crying about was the result of your own negligence ugly cry. When I finally had the nerve to straighten my hair---I saw the damage. It wasn't pretty. Lesson learned.

See Related: The #WashDayExperience- Fighting Tangles

What were your hair's hits and misses this year? Link up your compilation below! Prospero Año y felicidad!

An InLinkz Link-up

2014 Hair In Review | Keyda

It has been a wonderful year and I am so excited for the NEW YEAR! Hopefully we all have new experiences and make more memories with our loved ones.


I have been MIA for a bit, however KLP has been holding it down! She is so wonderful with her posts and I am absolutely in LOVE with her hair journey! :) I promise that I've been washing my hair lol---even though I don't post about it and I've made a lot of changes this year:

• Last Relaxer/Touch-up: July 2014! Yes! I can not believe that I have not had any type of chemical within my hair. I must say that my scalp has been more manageable and less irritable as the time progressed. However, my shedding and knotting as increased. So, I have invested in a few detangling products to help alleviate the feeling of "pulling" my hair out! 
• Heat: I have used minimum to no heat on my hair. When I do use heat, I primarily use a hooded dryer and rarely have I used my blow dryer. No FLAT IRON! This shall change...I miss my straight hair...  
• Styles: I have kept my hair in buns, curls and braids. Twist and braid outs are also a favorite. I am mindful of my hair knotting so I try to keep it in a lasting style where I do not have to manipulate frequently. 

Overall, my hair has grown about 2 -3 inches, however with the shedding/knotting, I think my hair is going through growing pains. I try to do a protein treatment every two-three weeks to ensure my hair is strong with my moisturizing treatments. I am trying my hardest to find a good balance of protein and moisture for my hair.  :) I plan on trimming my ends significantly (cutting the relaxer ends) in the new year without taking too much length. As the biggest news of all...

I AM ENGAGED! Yes.. It has been quite crazy these last few months and it will only get crazier as I continue to plan my wedding! I am soo excited and happy to be sharing this new journey with you all! :) Looking forward to posting in 2015!

-Keyda

Best of 2013: My Hair's Hits and Misses

Alas, I can't say adios to 2013 without recapping the best things (and the worse things) that happened to my hair. This year was full of new techniques, tips, and products so let's get started!

Hit: The Bun Effect

There is nothing boring about these buns honey! I protective style not just for my hair, but for ease and comfort. I have two little ones under 4, a demanding work schedule, a very busy super hero hubby, and I love working out. That leaves not so much time as I'd like to style my hair. Which makes me so thankful for the styles that I learned during The Bun Effect. Last May, I featured a different updo each day. May of which have made my weekly rotation!

Hit: Jessicurl Too Shea! 
My goal this year was to find a fabulous creamy leave-in to keep my thristy hair hydrated. Jessicurl inched forward and out smarted the competitors in the Battle of the Leave Ins in absorption and nourishment while not falling to the bottom of the pack in price per use or hydration. It's multi-facteted; allowing me to use it as a co-wash, deep conditioner, and daily moisturizer. Although I didn't care for the (not so sweet) Island Fantasy scent, they have two other options to choose from. It works the best with my hair butter, and provides some of the best detangling slip around. While I'm totally smitten with Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Nectar, it's price per use was the highest. If Jessicurl ever fails me, this gem will be waiting in the wing.

Hit: Bantu Knots
When lurking around SavingOurStrands, you can't miss seeing shots of bantu knots. They are my thing. I used to be all about sleek straight gone with the wind fabulous hair, but this year I've been all about big bad curls. I've learned how to make them last for 4-5 days without having to manipulate my hair again. Plus, they stretch by 25 weeks post roots, blend all the textures in my hair, and force me to keep my hair moisturized to keep those defined curls looking beautiful. Bantu knots aren't the easiest curly set to master, but I promise you that once you get it---you'll love them too!

Hit: Tea Rinses
I can not say enough about tea rinsing. I. LOVE. IT. I talk about shedding. A Lot. A Whole Lot. I suffered a huge setback last spring (you can read about it here) and although it was a over year ago, the balls of hair that used to clog my shower drain still linger on fresh in my memory. This year, I made it my business to find products and implement techniques that could at least minimize my shedding and *fingers-crossed* prevent it. I can definitely say that tea rinsing is one of the reasons, I have very little shedding. Today, I mix it up a bit by adding Aloe Vera Juice and rosemary to my rinses. It's the bee's knees y'all!


Miss: Weekly Shampooing 

I try to love shampoo. I really do. I've only found one shampoo that I think is decent (Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie Hydrating Shampoo). My hair just behaves better when I skip shampoos more often than not. For the days that I do need to get rid of the gunk on my scalp, I've turned to Curlicious Curls Cleansing Cream. It's non-stripping and non-tangling, but I utterly refuse to buy another shampoo until I've used up the 4-5 full bottles of shampoo sitting in my stash. Enter my DIY Co-Cleanser tip: 1 part shampoo + 2 parts oil + 3 parts conditioner = KLP's happy hair.

Miss: Braid-outs

Braidouts hate me. No seriously. I can't get a defined fluffy big braid out to save my life. I try. I fail. I try again. I fail again. However, the best part of a busted braid out is the way that it gives an updo life, honey! Y'all have met my Old Faithful 30 Second Style many many times. I've sported this style on straightened hair, air dried hair, bantu curled hair, and now {busted} braid out hair. I've done it so many times that I can do it without a mirror, one bobby pin, and in 30 seconds with a baby on my hip. Sometimes, I add a braided bang. Occasionally, I do a deep side part. Whilst, other times, I throw in a great hair accessory. I'm just going to stick to what I do best: bantu knots. 

What were your hair's hits and misses this year? Link up your compilation below! Prospero Año y felicidad!

PS: Tomorrow's Our 1st Blogiversary!!!!!!!! Can you believe that it's been a year already??

Best of 2013: Sunday Healthy Hairology Medley

Sunday Healthy Hairology Medley is the place where I share my favorite healthy hair related blogs, vlogs, and forum features. But this Sunday is a little different. Its time to say goodbye to 2013, so I thought that I would spotlight the best of HHM from this year:

Britt @ One&20

HOTD: flat twist-out one&20: The definition in Britt's flat twist-out is to die for. Avocado butter? Yep. That's on my wish list.

Simple Fixes for Dry New Growth relaxedthairapy: Dry, crunchy, tightly coiled roots are no joke. Not keeping your roots moisturized is a sure fire way to prevent retention and aid breakage. The two mortal enemies of stretchers. Read Miss Divachyk's 8 tips and tricks to fix dry roots.  

Happy Endings: Can this process help stop your ends from breaking? RelaxedHairHealth: Nadege explores the idea of layering the strength of your protein conditioner as a way to reinforce weak ends. I love a good hair experiment!  




Texturizers 101 tressedforSuccess: I used Just For Me Texture Softener for years and years. But stopped for the exact reasons that MJ did: their marketing. The packaging and branding that the gurus at Just For Me came up with is cute; but it's deceitful to naturals and I can't agree with marketing relaxers to kids. The ingredients are the same!

4 Tips For Minimizing Tangles When Shampooing JustGrowAlready: Shampooing sucks. Too much manipulation, causes too many tangles that can lead to too much breakage; especially in texlaxed hair. You can probably tell by the lack of wash days where I actually use a shampoo that I'm just not that big of a fan. Jeni shares 4 awesome tips to keep shampooing from being so annoying.

Detangling Impossible dailycurlz: Daily is my all time favorite brown skin latina curly superhero and if you've been shedding like crazy for the last few weeks---relax. You're not the only one and it doesn't matter if you're relaxed, natural or somewhere in between. Read up on Daily's take on seasonal shedding and how you can deal.

An Inch for Your Thoughts #16: “Do you ever get tired of doing that?” hairthereeverywhere: Most days, the only me time that I get is "hair-time," so I try to enjoy every moment of it. Do I think that I'll ever get tired of doing my hair? Probably not---9/10 times---I'm totally looking forward to wash days. I love that my hair gets a clean start, I love my hair's versatility, and I love that its allll mine. Yep. ALL MINE! Ellerlashanda relates relaxer day length checks to Christmas---and I totally agree!

NO More Popping Pills to Boost Hair Growth tomesedition: With hair growth supplements flooding the market and thousands of healthy hairlista's starting about it, read about why Tomi takes a stand against them. 

What healthy hair posts made your best of 2013 list? Share with us below! Here's how:

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.savingourstrands.com/search/label/Sunday%20Healthy%20Hairology%20Medley" title="SavingOurStrands" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqB6kX7yrYrt6YDKoj_0BkM5LBgkLfL4x7kAMJJGmwowa15xiRHon9oTfw9Gc5KLo4sT6k8awYgtbgvyTPvBbsahXDE4Y4N3zoO_sIjXHzNA0d7vjGNFM-D9DIskJkhkjDOlSymlRdiLc/h120/HHMbadge.png" alt="SavingOurStrands" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

1. Share your run down the week's best healthy hair related blog posts, YouTube clips, and forum features that you've found about the web this week. Be it relaxed&radiant tresses, big fluffy naturalidad curls, or anything else in between. (Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!)
2. Link back to this site so others see. Looky at this nifty button we made for you!
3. Muy Importante chicas: Visit the healthy hairology post of the person who linked up directly before you and leave the author an encouraging comment. This is the most important component of this linkup. We are each here to encourage each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends.

Besitos! KLP & Keyda a Rafflecopter giveaway