If you have to use shampoo on your curls, the #1 rule is to dilute it.  

People use store-bought shampoo straight out of the bottle for a number of reasons.  And sometimes you just HAVE to get that product buildup off, especially if you test/review products.

I once heard a natural hair stylist say that she never uses full strength shampoo directly out of the bottle on naturally curly hair.  She always dilutes shampoo with water.  I'm not sure what the ratio is, but it makes senses.

I've been testing out the creation of a hair milk recipe. I know, I know!  Hair milks seem to work best for people with a looser curl pattern.  But that's not even my concern.  My main concern was creating a good consistency for it.

Initially, I kept getting a medium cream -- not too thick but not as thin as I wanted it to be.  

I wanted a true milky consistency. I wanted something loose enough to be put into a spray bottle, BUT which isn't as thin as water.  

Okay, I need to know something.  There appears to be two types of "Rhassoul" clay on the market.

One is a deep red/orange color called "Moroccan Red clay" popularized by the NOW brand.  

Another one is more grayish in color with a slightly muted brown/pinkish hue which reportedly does not stain everything it comes into contact with.

Specifically when it comes to clay for a deep hair conditioner, which clay is the best clay? I'm looking for the best clay for HAIR; the one people brag about which helps to soften and condition the hair.

Maaaaan, how many 'oils for hair' lists have yall read on hair blogs already?  I know, I know! But someone asked me which oils I preferred to use on my hair and in my DIY mixes and why.  So I thought I'd compile a 'best of the best' carrier oil list.  

All of these oils can be classified as emollients which help to improve the feel of hair and can help add sheen to the hair if used in certain amounts.

A few of these oils are on the list of "ceramide containing oils". Ceramides help protect the cuticle layer of the hair and helps to thwart moisture loss.  They are also said to help stop protein loss, making it possible for you to need less protein treatments. Oils that are high in linoleic acid often contain ceramides.

If you don't see an oil listed here, that DOES NOT mean I don't like it.  I just means I like these just a little bit more. Let's get into it!

At twitter, I clicked a link to a Bloomberg Businessweek article dealing with the exploding phenomenon of the natural hair movement created by people who are embracing and purchasing products designed by small business for natural hair.

No wait.... that's what I WISHED the article was about!  What I read was a kinda shallow report about how Target managed to cash in on the natural hair phenomenon and how the company has helped smaller companies.  

The article's bottom line is: "With the help of Target, a handful of small companies have created a fast-growing niche in the U.S. hair-care market."  That's fine. But there's much more to the story than that.