What's in the Phytospecific Relaxer??

This is the ingredient list for the Phytospecific Relaxer. Just the straightening cream though because I really do not feel like doing everything that comes in that box because it's entirely too much going on in there. They say it's "non-chemical" and "odorless" but one of the ingredients says "fragrance" and there are "carefully selected molecules from egg and soya" so..........? which one is it?

The DO-NOT'S of the relaxer are:

That's crazy to me. A lot of people think it's so much work to use/make natural products, and honestly whether you're relaxed or natural, using natural products will make and keep your hair healthy, and it'll be worth the effort. Some of these ingredients are used in your cleaning products, and parts of some of them are used to clean rust off metal.... and this is what you're putting into your hair. Anyway. I'm not going to tell you to not use anything, but at the end of the day, there's alternatives for everything. Even relaxers. Yea... But send me a message and tell me what you think about this!

Water <  we don't need to explain that.

Mineral Oil: it's not terrible, but it's not the best. it's a lubricant and forms an occlusive film on hair. That means it doesn't let moisture (water) go in or out of our hair. basically it's a film on your hair. you can't just use any or everything to wash it off because it's a "water-hater"

Emulsifying Wax NF: it's four ingredients:

-Cetearyl Alcohol (a mixture of fatty alcohols),

-PEG-150 Stearate (PEG= polyethylene glycol. used in making cleansers to dissolve oil and grease as well as thicken products. a lot of times used in caustic spray-on oven cleaners. caustic = "able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action." Stearate is a fatty acid. a waxy solid. stearate is derived from the Greek word 'stear' meaning tallow, which is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat and sometimes lard.)

-Polysorbate 60 (used to help "grow hair" by breaking up sebum. we need sebum because its a natural oil. its only potentially harmful to hair when our body creates too much of it; but if that happens, that's why we wash our hair..)

-and Steareth-20. (It mirrors the properties of cetyl alcohol while promoting the thickening features of stearyl alcohol.)

Propylene Glycol: It is widely used as a moisture-carrying ingredient in place of glycerine because it is cheaper and more readily absorbed through the skin. It is related to polyethylene glycol (PEG) and is known to cause contact dermatitis even at very low concentrations. It is recognized as a neurotoxin by the US National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, and it may cause kidney damage. The Material Safety Data Sheet for propylene glycol warns workers handling this chemical to avoid skin contact. [X]

Egg Extract: see egg oil Lanolin is the smelly pale-yellow natural oil found on sheep's wool. As a waste product in wool processing, it's also known as wool oil, wool wax, wool fat, or wool grease. It's a natural water repellant.

Steareth-100: a cleansing agent and solubilizing agent. A waxy compound

PEG-75 Lanolin:  Lanolin is the smelly pale-yellow natural oil found on sheep's wool. As a waste product in wool processing, it's also known as wool oil, wool wax, wool fat, or wool grease. It's a natural water repellant.

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate: a synthetic amphoteric surfactant routinely used in personal care products. amphoteric is a molecule or ion that can react as an acid as well as a base

Oleth-20: Organic perfume stabilizer, derived from unsaturated fatty acids. an emulsifier.

Cetearyl Alcohol: a mixture of fatty alcohols, consisting predominantly of cetyl and stearyl alcohols and is classified as a fatty alcohol. 

PEG-10 Rapeseed Sterol:  PEG + the fatty acid component of the rapeseed plant. Used as a surfactant and to help make products soluble.

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein:   The extraction process of hydrolysis involves boiling in a vat of acid (e.g., sulfuric acid) and then neutralizing the solution with a caustic soda. The resultant sludge is scraped off the top and allowed to dry. In addition to soy protein it contains free-form excitotoxic amino acids (e.g., MSG) and other potentially harmful chemicals including cancer-causing chemicals in many cases. A newer method of hydrolysis involves the use of bacteria by itself or in addition to the chemical processes described above. There is a possibility that genetically-manipulated bacteria may be used.

In almost all cases, hydrolyzed soy protein contains a significant amount of genetically-manipulated soy. The hydrolyzed protein products currently added to foods should be considered a detriment to one's health. There are much healthier sources of soy protein and soy nutrients. [X]

Fragrance

Egg Oil: some special process they do to extract natural oils from hen eggs. they used to do it using heat, but now the process is done using hexane or ethanol. 

(hexane is a colorless, significant part of gasoline with a gasoline-like odor. relatively safe when not exposed to it a lot of it.)

(ethanol is also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol. it's a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid) 

- Lauren

Daily Regime

Hello UntouchMyHair readers! Okay I have been SUPERR busy trying to get financial aid and other things ready to start my senior year at Florida A&M ! Yayy! Okay so, I would like to discuss with you guys the products I use almost everyday and how I use them! I would also like to give you all a quick run down of my weekly wash schedule and everyday regime.

REGIME: 

I style my hair every night either two strand twist, bantu knots, flat-twist or I will put flix-rods in them. I wash my hair everyWednesday- the first three Wednesdays of the month I will co-wash with my hair with Tresemme Naturals Silicone Free Conditioner or Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating Calming Conditioner and the last Wednesday I will wash with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo then I will Deep Condition using a homade deep conditioner ofHoney, Sugar Free/Plain Yogurt, Your favorite Leave-in (If you want to turn this deep conditioner into a protein conditioner add a raw egg to the mixture). I will leave the deep conditioner in for 30 minutes with a plastica shower cap and towel over my head then rinse out, then I will style after. 

STYLING:

Depending on how much energy I have, I will section my hair in four equal parts using Goody Ouchless Hairbands or clips. I apply a leave-in conditioner to each section then I will detangle using a wide teeth comb or denman brush, being gentle with the ends of my hair. I will seal my hair with either Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil, Castor Oil or Africa's Best Herbal Oil (My Favorite!!). I will allow my hair to dry a little because If I style it right away my hair will still be wet in the morning, then frizz will come and we don't want that! Once it's dryed a little I will style my hair whatever way I like using a little Eco- Styling Gel. I put on my satin scarf and in the morning put a little Coconut oil in my hair then set my hair.

PRODUCTS:

 Shampoo:  

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo

Conditioner:

Tresemme Naturals Silicon Free Conditioner

Giovanni 50:50 Balance Hydrating Calming Conditioner

Leave-In's/Moisturizers:

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave In Conditioner

Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream

Homemade Leave In in Spray bottle (Water, EVOO, Vitamin E Oil, Your favorite conditioner)

Spray Bottle's (EVOO/Water, Aloe Vera Juice/Water, or just plain water)

Oils:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Unrefined Coconut Oil

Castor Oil

Africa's Best Herbal Oil

Gels:

Eco-Styling Gel

Ampro Olive Oil Gel

Curls Passion Fruit Control Paste

-Toni

Good Bad and Ugly

I can remember sitting in the barber shop. The room filled w/ men, the only exception me and my mother. It actually had the atmosphere of your typical salon just masculine. I sat there listening to the men discuss football, girls and shoes while I waited to be called next to the chair. I sat there examining the man my friend was shaping up. He was a little cutie. Especially with his fresh cut fade. Which of course made me wonder how I'd look after I got up from that very same chair. Would I even still look like a girl? Maybe this is a mistake my hair doesn't look that bad. I say looking into a mirror hanging on the wall. Oh yes it does honey. I admit to myself.  

Finally it was my turn. I sat in the chair looking at my damaged choppy looking hair. There's no point in trying to save the length. My friend Steve was so excited that I had decided to go natural. He's been telling me that a short style would look great on me. His friendly way of telling me my hair is fried perhaps? I half engaged in conversation with him while I sat turned away from the mirror and he took a pair of clippers to my head. I just knew I was going to look like a boy! I'm 5'10 w/ side burns. Ugh. I felt so embarrassed being watched by literally every guy in the barber shop. 

When he finally finished and turned me around the girl I saw in the mirror frightened me. It was definitely me but this could not be my head. This little fuzz ball. I looked like a boy. The compliments coming from my mom and Steve as well as some bystanders floated through one ear out of the other. The only thing my mind was focusing on was this drag queen reflecting back in the mirror. Tears crept into my eyes. What did I just do? 

Steve looked me dead in the eye and told me that I looked beautiful and that my hair cut was bold. 'you're going to get a lot of attention girl so you better own it.'  After I left the shop I felt like everyone was looking at me and they were. I got a lot of compliments on my TWA ! I actually felt really pretty. I still had some insecurity of course. I never really got used to not being able to style my hair. It was nice though. . .while it lasted. Not having to do anything to it, simply wet it and call it a day. 

Many natural say that when they BC'd they were in a state of shock. A shock indeed it was, but it was the beginning of something wonderful. 

I know a lot of people choose to go the big chop route. Many transition. Whatever route you chose to go natural it won't be easy. Its a learning experience. I guess that's why they call this a journey. 

Tell me about your transition into natural hair!

-Piper

LIFE BEFORE NATURAL

                As a little girl, my hair was always a "problem".  I don't remember a time when I didn't have something in my hair; a relaxer, Jheri curl, sew-ins, braids.  I was always trying to cover up the naps and create the illusion that I had long luxurious hair.  In reality, my hair was damaged, thin, and unhealthy.  My hair was so thin and unhealthy that when I got sew-ins, my hair was too thin to cover up the tracks.  My mother took me to numerous hair dressers trying to get my hair to grow or figure out a way to tame my super coarse hair.  Never was it suggested that I should be my natural self.  My natural hair was something I was ashamed of and as much confidence as I tried to exude, deep down I didn't feel pretty.  In college I went through the phase of getting my hair cut short, which I liked at first, but still required all day appointments at the hair dresser to get a relaxer and maintain the cut.  In addition to that, the daily maintenance of a short cut that needed to be curled added the extra stress of heat.  As I have gotten older I realize that while I love to look good, it has to be with the least amount of effort possible.  Therefore, the short cut eventually lost its appeal and I was back to looking for something else to cover up my hair.  

                My last hair style was what finally made me decide to go natural.  The style was super cute and I stuck with it for a little over a year (which is really long for me).  It was the short hair cut style that Rihanna was famous for (shaved on one side, longer on the other side with a longer bang).  Even though the style was cute, it drove my self esteem even lower because in order to pull off the style, I STILL needed a little bit of weave in the front.  Who needs weave for a hair CUT?  I had had enough.  I decided that as soon as my hair grew out enough for braids, that I was going natural.  I didn't know what I was going to do with my natural hair, but I decided that I would figure that out later.  I began getting braids in February 2009 and wore them without fail until September 2011.  Each time I got my hair re-braided, I cut the relaxer out of my hair little by little.  I was so amazed at how my hair was growing.  There were a few times that I tried to wear my afro out but being new to natural hair, I was unaware of shrinkage.  I tried to blow my afro out to make it bigger but the heat began to damage my hair again so I went back to the braids.  Finally, I decided, you know what? I'm not going to worry about how short my hair looks or what people will say, I'm not wearing braids, weaves, or anything.  I'm going to get locs.  Getting locs was THE BEST decision of my life.   I love my hair.  I love the low maintenance and the carefree feeling my locs give me.  I have been loc'd for almost 2 years and this is the longest and healthiest my hair has ever been.   My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner and avoid a lot of the turmoil I went through trying to understand and accept my authentic self.   

-Shaun Scott

               

Big Chop

I big chopped 9/8/2012 and it has been such an amazing experience. I've learned to care for my hair and watch it grow. My goal is BSL by the end of summer. I've had so much success with hair growth and retention and I could list the products that I use but your health plays a huge part as well. Hair vitamins, natural products, and heat free styling only go so far. I wanted to do a series on health tips that not only help with hair growth but also with overall health. I think we forget our body is a machine working to keep us going. We can't just focus on hair we must focus on the body as a whole.

Hydration is key. You must drink water every single day. It is so important not just for healthy hair but for clear skin, better metabolism, and helps energize muscles. If you want healthy hair drinking water is a must. The amount of water you should drink daily varies from person to person. I personally try to drink at least 2 liters a day. If you take your weight and divide it by 2 that's the numbers of ounces of water you should be drinking daily.

I know a lot of you don't like the taste of water but don't let that stop you from drinking it and staying healthy. It should be health over taste but if you're not quite there yet try making your own vitamin waters. Adding fresh fruit, fresh herbs, and even some veggies to water is a great way to add flavor to water and also add vitamins.

 Vitamin water recipe.<http://www.theyummylife.com/Flavored_Water> 

Sassy Water Recipe.<http://www.asweetsimplelife.com/home/2012/1/16/sassy-water.html/>

-Demetra

He Say She Say They Say I Heard...

I could write a post telling you what to do, what to buy, how to do it, how often etc... 

You can come on here and rant and rave about how frustrated you are because you tried a method someone else told you worked for them, and you expected the same results. I guess this post is for the newbies because I see a lot of frustration on here because some of you had high expectations for your hair, and a couple months later, you're frustrated because your hair isn't growing as fast as you want it to, and it's curls aren't as defined as you were hoping they would be. Some have become complete product junkies and just layer products over each other to get a slick bun, or a shiny twist out. Well I need to tell you something...

Stop.

Your hair isn't the issue. Or a burden. Your hair is doing what it's supposed to. The sooner you realize that shrinkage happens to everyone and that it's not a bad thing, that nobody's curl pattern is the same, and 100 products won't make life easier, the more enjoyable this journey will be for you. Give your hair a chance. Just love it, and take care of it, and you'll be rewarded. Trust me. 

Never take assume all advice or information will apply to your hair. Just because something works for some people and/or the informant has done their research, doesn't mean it will always work for you. If you just want to experiment and see if it works, that's fine. But don't expect everything to work; and don't get upset if it doesn't. Just move on to the next thing. Most, if not all, natural vets have gone through trial and error. We didn't just know what to do, and what to use. You don't get to dodge the mistakes either!

Patience really, really is the key to success with your hair. Be adventurous, be curious, and don't be hard on yourself or your hair when it doesn't turn out how you want. Have fun. Ask questions. Learn about other's experiences, and share your own. You'll be surprised what you learn -- even from yourself!

- Lauren

Going Natural, It Isn't Just A Fad.

It seems that as time passes you hear of more and more women cutting their relaxed hair and 'freeing' themselves from social standards. You see women of color sporting a fierce TWA, stretching relaxers, and transitioning. Natural Hair is in, even the media is on board. Seeming to only be casting black women with big curly natural hair in television commercials.

Big Curly Natural Hair-- everything a newly natural longs for. It all looks easy from the outside looking in right? That is until you realize that the Big and Curly look may take a little longer than you bargained for.  

Just remember. This is a JOURNEY. So while you're surfing through YouTube channels and googling everything natural hair remember your hair is your own. There may be someone out there who has a curl pattern similar to yours, but no one has your unique curls. OWN THAT! Try not to become envious of the vloggers and bloggers ((i know its hard when you have a hair crush))  As your hair is growing longer and stronger you yourself should be as well. Take the time to get to know your hair and Y0U. 

The best way to achieve long healthy hair is to work from the inside out. Its one thing to keep your tresses hydrated but what about your body? Are you getting enough water? What about your fruit and vegetable intake?  Are you feeling stressed? Once you are taking care of your body, healthy hair is destined to follow.

Being natural is more than no longer undergoing head frying sessions. Its embracing a whole new self confidence. Being naturally you. So you better werk *snaps fingers*

- Piper

Summer Time lovin', lovin' in The Summer Time

My brother had his high school graduation last week, so you know that's the symbol of summer.

Summer freedom to go to the beach, travel, work, or lay around in the A/C. But I'll be working hard to bring you guys fresh ideas, products, stories, videos, and more all summer long and beyond.

While I'm doing that though, there will always be video projects going on, giving you a chance to help others in their hair journey. Sometimes reading someone's words doesn't help. Actually seeing their hair, while listening to them tell you about their experiences and give advice works better for some. For those that are camera shy, I have a section for you to tell your own story of your journey and/or send in pictures to accompany them, so that you can contribute in your own way.

I'm also coming up with products to help some of you out (especially my 4c ladies) and I'd really appreciate if I got a couple of ladies willing to try them out, when I create them.....

Anyways, explore the site, and I hope you see something you'd like to get involved in!

I hope to get this page full of activity before 2013 ends and I can't do it without you!

- Lauren

Rub-A-Dub

I keep procrastinating with creating my hair schedule so pretty much I just oil and style my hair until I feel it's time to wash it.... today happened to be that day. I washed my hair about a week or two ago with this vegetablesomethingorother shampoo that... didnt do bad things to my hair, but I wasn't really feeling what it was doing to it, so today i ACV washed. I have one of those applicator bottles, so i put about a 1/4 cup of baking soda in it, then filled it up with water and squirted it aaallll in my hair. Then I poured some baking soda powder in my hand and rubbed my scalp to make sure i got it good and clean.

then i rinsed the bottle, and poured vinegar in it (typically apple cider vinegar is used but i didnt have that... i had white vinegar). I squirted it all in my hair and it started to fizz up and watnot, feelin good feelin great, and i rub and rub and rinse.

After that's all done I rinsed my bottle and put aloe vera juice in it and saturated, sectioned and combed my hair, and put coconut oil in.

Okay i put too much coconut oil in my hair, so my mom rubbed my head and used some oil on her skin -______-

But anyways, my hair feels clean and moisturized, and my scalp feels so good...

- Lauren

Summer Hair Care

 Ladies! Summer is coming quick, but before we get too excited and grab our cute sun dresses and sandals we have to make sure our hair is protected. Believe it or not the sun can be a threat to your natural hair, but there's always a solution. If you take anything from this let it be moisture!! I can't express enough the importance of it. The sun and heat will leave your hair dry and that's a natural no-no. Keeping your hair moisturized isn't too hard or expensive.

-water can be your best friend (and cheap too!)
-deep conditioner
-leave-in conditioner
-essential oils
-sealant (Shea butter)
If you don't want the hassle, don't worry! There are some really cute protective styles. You can rock braids and twists which lock in moisture. A few popular styles are:
-Box braids
-Senegalese twists
-Havana twists
 -Beeper braids
-Mini twists (with your own hair)
-Sew ins (try avoiding heat)
Don't get too comfortable, you'll still need to maintain the moisture.

- TEONA