Just received products from Darcy's Botanicals!  Woot! (Who says woot anymore? lol)   The two products are the new Sweet Cocoa Bean Moisturizing Hair Whip and the Papaya Nectar Curl Detangling Milk.

Once I have a chance to test them for a period of time (not long), I intend to write up a full review.  However, I just wanted to post my initial reactions.

Another awesome product for you curlies! Pamper your curls with Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk! I had the opportunity to try this product and I love it.  Like everything I recommend (and I don't recommend a lot), it has great ingredients to help moisturize your hair.  

Their Curl Love Moisture Milk is said to help prevent breaking, shedding and styling damage.  It contains oils that my hair loves, especially Macadamia Nut oil (the 3rd ingredient! woot!) and Avocado oil.

Should you decide for yourself or take advice from the pros?

I've seen some hair professionals suggesting that naturals shouldn't wash their natural hair any sooner than at least 10 days.  However, the common wisdom followed by some naturals is that you wash your hair once a week.

For me, I wash when I feel like it.  Sometimes that's once a week, sometimes longer, sometimes twice a week.

I know naturals who use and test product, after product, after product, each day; sometimes layering the products and even putting gel on top for curl definition.  If their hair is in need of a wash before 10 days, I say do it.  

Sometimes I only need 2 minutes of clarity to center everything.  This one features Malcolm X w/ an assist from Ossie Davis . Push PLAY
{mp3remote}http://www.curlytea.com/MalcomXMIPopen.mp3{/mp3remote}

I was deciding on whether I should do anything to celebrate the fact that I went natural (or returned to natural) 12 years ago this month.  

I don't remember the exact day, but I do remember the month.  I also remember the exact reason why I decided to stop relaxing my hair.  

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror one day, I saw my shoulder length hair which was wispy as hell at the ends and was turning a rusty brown color even though I'd never colored my hair.

On top of that, my personality is such that I was through... just THROUGH honey... with the whole process of getting my hair done.   It had become a chore to wait and wait and wait, then wait some more, then finally getting into the beauticians chair... and getting the creamy crack... and hoping it won't leave any scabs... and sitting under the dryer forever with a head full of rollers.  I was just THROUGH.

I was browsing http://yournaturalhair.com and I came upon a post from Deborrah about using Aveeno body lotion as a leave-in conditioner for natural hair.  She was camping and in a pinch because her moisturizing spritz spilled out of her bag.  

So, she whipped out some "Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion".  Oh yes she did.  And she says it worked like a charm and her hair was soft all day.  She added Aveeno lotion to water in order to thin it out, consequently making it more spreadable in the hair.

Water is the main ingredient in conditioner which facilitates the hydration/moisturization of your hair.  There.  I said it.  As a DIYer, I've experimented with all types of oils, all types of herbs and all types of conditioning additives which I'd never used before I went natural almost 12 years ago.  

At some point, you will come to one main realization about conditioners:  most leave-in and rinse-off conditioners are at their best when they are mostly water.

Part 2 of my ingredientstodiefor.com haul! As you know, I bought some ingredients to experiment with!  Like some of you who DIY, instead of being a "product junkie", I seem to be an "ingredient junkie".

RELATED Read Part 1

I purchased this product haul from ingredientstodiefor.com (with my own money like I do almost everything else) and it includes:

• NatureSilk (1,3 Propanediol, ECOCERT approved for organic products)
• Sodium Lactate
• Xanthan Gum

I also got more ingredients from another online wholesaler as well, but I wanted to focus on these for now so I can talk a little bit more about each.

I got more ingredients to experiment with, yall!  Instead of being a "product junkie", I seem to be an "ingredient junkie" because I love to make my own stuff and experiment.

I purchased this product haul from ingredientstodiefor.com (with my own money like I do almost everything else) and it includes:

• Hydrolyzed Quinoa (pronounced 'Keen wa')
• Vitamin E T50
• Beet Sugar Extract (Glycine Betaine (Beta vulgaris (Beet))

I also got more ingredients too, but I wanted to focus on these 3 for now so I can talk a little bit more about each.

I was over at the curlynikki forums on one of the flaxseed gel threads. I've heard that some people have trouble using flaxseed gel because of flaking.  Personally, I've never had a problem with flaking.  I was looking for confirmation.  Namely, if anyone noticed that flaxseed gel doesn't flake when used with oil(s) or mixed with oil.