Meet My Natural Hair | Keyda Update

I cannot believe it has been this long since I have posted! It has been so much going on that sometimes I'm not sure if I have time to just BE! I am sure ALL of you know where I am coming from! #queenin #blackgirlmagic So, many hats, so many super women!

Well, I have realized that I have not received a touch-up since July 2014!!!!!! And it was a journey through a long year. In fact, prior to my wedding day, I had a ...

BIG CHOP! Yes, this is not a typo! I cut off the rest of my relaxed ends and am officially all natural! It has been AMAZING! I LOVE MY CURLS and have grown to love my "fro". Honestly, I was very timid about wearing my curls out as I have not seen my hair in curls since middle school. Of course, I  make that face the moment someone goes for my hair (you know which one!) and try to bite my tongue when asked how does my hair curl (normal response.."wash it"). *le sigh* I have learned to own it and walk confidently in my natural hair, so who knows when, if ever, I will get another perm. I still love a good blow out! Although, my last one was for my wedding!

Positives:

• My hair is manageable.. surprisingly.. like really. While the tangles are not always fun, I am definitely more pleased taking them out compared to before. 
• My scalp can breath! It has not been as itchy or irritated in-between my washes. 
• I can literally just ... GO! Like, it's amazing that I can simply fluff and go! :) 
• Confidence. This is not something about my "hair" but what has grown in me since going natural. I have always been a fierce one hehe but now I just feel so much more confident in any style I wear and feel no judgement. 

Negatives:

• Laziness due to the fluffiness. Honestly, I have difficulty changing up my styles and remembering to wash at least 2 times a week. I hope to co-wash more often in-between my full-on wash days. (I need to do better)
• Trimming. I really need to find a method so I will definitely be exploring some of the ways KLP was discussing here. 

I have grown to have a few "go-to" styles that are easy and manageable with my hair. However, as my hair grows, I try to mix it up and I definitely plan on trying Curlformers that KLP raves about! I cannot wait to give them a try! :)

Let me know what you think and how your journey is going!

xoxo
Keyda

Volume Check

My hair is stupid dense.

Sometimes I feel like I have a million of the world's teeniest tiniest curls.

The changes that I've made in my regimen have made a world of difference in the way that my hair feels.


But does it look longer? Meh...not really.

When I found this picture from 2015; I had to really mediate on what indicators actually mark progress for my curls. Length is great, but it can't be the only factor worth considering.

My hair is probably 2-3x more voluminous than it was last year.

My hair is shiner, fuller and much more defined.

My ends clump and form these perfect little coils.

My hair has evolved and I think that it's time for my mindset on progress to evolve too because all of this volume and definition is giving me LIFE.

So I'm wondering, should I start doing volume checks in addition to length checks?

Besitos!
KLP

4 Ways To Make Deep Conditioning Easier

I love deep conditioning my hair. I know that my curls CRAVE moisture and I know that moisturized hair retains length. Like--what is there not to love about deep conditioning---except how long it can take. So here are 4 ways to make your deep conditioning session a little quicker and easier!

T E M P E R A T U R E

Hooded dryers, heating caps, and steamers are all fantastic heat sources to allow your fave deep conditioner to absorb into your strands but who really wants to sit under them? Next time that you deep condition, try warming your conditioner first then apply it to your hair. According to JC (healthy hair scientist) at Natural Haven, applying warm conditioner to your hair is just as effective as the other heat sources---but it's soo much easier!

D E E P   C O N D I T I O N   O V E R N I G H T

I get fried every single time that I say this, but it's my truth: I deep condition overnight. *gasps* I discovered this technique by accident---I fell asleep with conditioner in my hair---and I adore it. Over moisturizing is real; however I can  honestly say that this technique has done wonders for my hair. It also saves me time and keeps my hair more moisturized longer (even without daily moisturizing/sealing. 

L A Y E R   W I T H   O I L

I first picked up on this brilliant deep conditioning technique via Carol's Daughter's Olive Oil Infusion. I layer an oil over my conditioner to seal in all that moisturizing goodness before I cover my head with a plastic cap. Every single time, my hair feels like silk afterwards.

RELATED: How I Prevent Breakage in my Natural Hair

U S E   P R O T E I N

Protein conditioners keep my curls balanced, soft but strong, and thwarts breakage on my ends. My I use this cult classic from Aubrey Organics as a pre-shampoo treatment on my ends about once a month to balance out my moisture usage. However, I'm considering using henna in the future. Strong hair plus subtle color? Seems like a win win to me! 

What's your secret hack for making deep conditioning easier? 

Besitos!

KLP

Is Your Hair Regimen Working? | The #WashDayExperience

 

I noticed that my hair has been on its very best behavior over the last 3 weeks. Think super moisturized curls pump, clumped and shiny. So I checked my previous #washdayexperience posts to see what exactly had I been doing.


And to my surprise--I'd used the same exact product lineup and the same exact setting techniques.

So obviously I had to do it again...

Here's what I used:

Pre-shampoo- DIY Moisturizing Mist (tutorial here) + Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner  (review here)
Clay Rinse- Here's the dets on my recipe
Deep Condition- Jessicurl Deep Treatment Conditioner (review here)
Leave-Ins- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Why EVCO is AMAZING here) + Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner (why I love this stuff here) + DIY Hair Butter (tutorial here)

RELATED: My Minimalist Natural Hair Regimen


And here's how I did it:

I started my spritzing the ends of my hair with my DIY Moisturizing Mist (tutorial here). Then I slathered my hair in Herbal Essence Hello Hydration. I talk about this combo every week so if you're still sleeping on it---shame on you! BUT if you want tangle melting madness You can read my full review here!

RELATED: How I got these curls to POP!

I hopped in the shower, rinsed the conditioner section by section then applied my Clay Rinse with a narrow tip applicator bottle. This is my third consecutive clay rinse and I'm still tickled pink with how moisturized and defined my curls are afterwards. Next, I deep conditioned with my all time fave conditioner Jessicurl Deep Treatment Conditioner (review here), coated my ends in Extra Virgin Coconut oil (here's the kind that I use $) to seal in the conditioner and plopped under my hooded dryer for about 30 minutes.


RELATED: Why I'm in love with the Coco (Coconut Oil of course!) 

I t-shirt dried for about 10 minutes then installed Curlformers using a little more Extra Virgin Coconut Oil + Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner (why I love this stuff here) + DIY Hair Butter (how to make your own Hair Butter here) as my leave ins.

Can I just get a hand clap and dust of pixie dust for these curls?!?

I think that my hair regimen is working! Hopefully you won't get bored with m!

How did you style your hair this week? Do you think that your hair regimen is working? Share the dets below!

An InLinkz Link-up

How to Organize and Store Your Natural Hair Products

I tried for years to keep all of my lotions, potions, and miracle growth elixirs from spilling over, expiring, and getting lost in the sauce---only to find my stash in chaos a week later.

Related: Peek into my #WashDayExperience Corner

I'd clean it up, reorganize it, and try again, month after month. Until I realized that I just had too much stuff.; 75% of it I didn't need, want, or even use. Minimizing is my key to organizing.

Related: Declutter Your Product Stash in 5 Minutes 

Once I'd decluttered and downsized my stash--I came up with this crazy simple way to organize what was left. Here's how I started:

F R E Q U E N C Y   O F   U S E

First, I divided my minimized stash by how often I used it. The items that I use daily, I leave on my bathroom vanity. I keep my weekly #WashDayExperience products in my storage cart next to my bathroom. My other items, those that I rely on for super special occasions, I store in my closet. 

S T O R A G E   S O L U T I O N S

My daily products live on a tray that I picked at Dollar Tree (for a dollar too!). I'm not a naturally tidy person, so I love this tray because it gives my mind a designated spot for my items. (My husband also loves that my stuff isn't on his side of the vanity.)

My weekly #WashDayExperience items are stored in this cart from IKEA. Each of the four drawers has a specific designation:

1. Accessories & Combs
2. Shampoos & Styling Tools
3. Priming Products (Leave-ins and stylers)
4. Conditioners

Lastly, my super special occasion items like my steam rollers, perm rods, and flexis are separated into clear stack-able containers (also available at Dollar Tree).

S H O P   I T!

Cart- Ikea
Basket Insert- Ikea
Clear stack-able containers- Dollar Tree
Silver tray- Dollar Tree

Related: 5 Reasons Why Being A Product Junkie Is Ruining Your Hair

For all of my other items that didn't fall into any of these categories, I asked myself:

Why do I have this? and Do I actually use this? 

Most of my answers were really lame, so I let all that other stuff go. How do you organize your hair products?

Besitos!
KLP

Declutter Your Hair Products in 5 Minutes

 
If we're honest, we'll admit that our hair product stash is overflowing. For starters, this headline piqued your interest. Secondly, I'm totally in the same boat. While, it will be crazy hard to part with all of your gems, BOGOs, and miracle elixirs, trust me: It's worth it.

Related: Why Being A Product Junkie Is Ruining Your Hair

Decluttering gave me a chance to truly evaluate my products to see if they were aligned with my hair goals. My decluttering process took an entire year *insert shame face here* but it wouldn't have taken that long if I was more honest with myself.

So before you start your next #WashDayExperience, I challenge you to take 5 minutes to clean out your stash. Are you ready for a simpler hair regimen that still will give you amazing results?

Related: My Minimalist Natural Hair Regimen

Here's how you can get started:

3 0   D A Y  R U L E

If you haven't used it in the last 30 days---Let it go.

U N I D E N T I F I A B L E   L A B E L S

If you don't know what it is or how to use it in your hair---Let it go.

L O T I O N S   &   P O T I O N S

I know that you love to DIY---but if you don't use it in two weeks it's probably growing mold---Let it go.

O T H E R   P E O P L E ' S   I S H

If someone gave it to you and you haven't used it in the last 30 days then you probably won't ever use it---Let it go.

B R O K E N   H A I R   T O O L S

Combs with missing teeth? Brushes without handles? Hair pins all jacked up? It lost. Your hair won. Your hair will always win---Let it go.
 
Related: My Wash Day Corner

Let all of this mess that isn't working for you go, so that it can serve another purpose. I've used shampoo as hand soap, to clean my bathrooms, and even as solution for blowing bubbles with my minions. Conditioner can be used to shine stainless steel appliances, detangle doll hair, and even as shaving cream. The path to your best hair starts with aligning your actions and tools with your desires.


Do you have any other tips for decluttering your hair products?

Besitos!
KLP

[Beauty] My Wash Day Corner

My wash day corner is terribly simple. It's composed of a stand up hair dryer, a comfy chair, and a storage cart for my hair tools and products.

I've always wanted a organized space to perform my wash day rituals. A space that's intentional, encompassing and peaceful.

Here's how I went from product junkie to conservative chica:

Related: 5 Reasons Why Being A Product Junkie Is Ruining Your Hair

A   M I N I M A L I S T   A P P R O A C H   T O   S T O R A G E   &  O R G A N I Z A T I O N

First, I decided on a location. A location that was convenient and useful. My nook quite small, measuring 2.5 ft x 5 ft but it fits everything that I need and the other side of this wall is our master bathroom.
 
Next, I had to purge my product stash of excess---several times. Which required me to be very honest about my hair care needs. Ironically, this is something that my mother used to force me to do when my space got out of control. She'd say: "If you don't have a place for it then you don't need it." Because I was working with a small space, I knew that I could only keep essentials. I divided my products into 3 categories:

Love

Donate

Re-purpose

For example, I rarely shampoo my hair. Therefore, I didn't need 5-6 bottles of shampoo. I kept my two favorites. The unused bottles, I donated to our homeless shelter. The opened (and potentially expired) shampoos, I use as bubble soap when the minions and I play outside. #zerowaste I hope to scale my products even further over the next few months.

Related: My Minimalist Natural Hair Regimen

The one item that I had to replace was my dryer. I've had this table top hard bonnet dryer for about 6 years. It still works well, but it's not convenient and its extremely loud. Because I mostly stretch my hair with curlformers, I needed a dryer that could get the job done efficiently and effectively. I gave my old dryer to my sister-in-law then invested in this standing rolling dryer. I also purchased the warranty, so if anything goes wrong---back to the store it goes!

How do you store your wash day products? What was your #washdayexperience like this week?

Besitos!
KLP

An InLinkz Link-up

5 Reasons Why Being A Product Junkie Is Ruining Your Hair

It took me a year to purge my product stash. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? I'm quite embarrassed that it took me all of 2015 to use up my favorite products and throw away all the stuff that either didn't suit my regimen or my lifestyle. In the process, I realized that somewhere in my hair journey, I started to believe that the more products I possessed and used, the faster that my hair would become healthier, longer, stronger...

Boy was I wrong.

Owning dozens of conditioners doesn't mean that your hair will be moisturized. Using dozens of conditioners at once doesn't mean that your hair will be moisturized either. I've come to see that having an overflowing product stash was ruining my hair. Here's why:

I N S T A N T    G R A T I F I C A T I O N

Regardless of whether you're looking to repair or prevent damage to your hair; it's a process and nothing will work overnight. We tend to throw everything that we can think of (or that pops up in our Google self-diagnosis) at the issue. Most of the "cures" that we find aren't viable because they are not sustainable. Solve one issue at a time, using one product at a time. Seeking instantaneous gratification can ruin your hair.

O V E R K I L L

Too much of a good thing can be bad; very very bad. Using too much shampoo can strip your hair. Using too much conditioner can over-moisturize your hair. Using too many strengthening products can make your hair feel dry and brittle. Less is more and moderation is the key. Overkill can ruin your hair.

I N C O N S I S T E N T     R E S U L T S

Our desire for variety and experimentation inevitably leads to inconsistent results. If our goal is to keep our hair balanced, then results that yield hair that's too dry, moisturized, or brittle on a constant basis stunts progress and ruins your hair.

W A S T E F U L

Shampoos aren't supposed to last for years and years. Either are conditioners. Especially items made with more natural ingredients and less preservatives. When you're constantly buying more than you use, something is bound not to be used. Although using an expired shampoo or conditioner probably won't cause too much harm---why risk ruining your hair?

D E C I S I O N    F A T I G U E

When I had a ridiculous amount of products, I would literally stare at my stash forever trying to figure out what I wanted to use on wash day. If I use this pre-shampoo then I'll have to use this conditioner. But if I don't use this leave-in then I can't use this shampoo. Then when I used the wrong product combos, my hair suffered. In my minimalist stash---everyone gets along and I don't have to stress out or waste time trying to make simple choices.

Minimizing my product stash was long and tedious but totally worth it. I feel that my regimen is simpler---which encourages me to stick to it. My regimen is less stressful, more productive, less expensive and most of all---I that I can achieve consistent results with less "work."

I feel at peace.

What's your take? PJ for life or are you attempting the minimalist life?

Besitos!

KLP