Natural Hair #7: Defining Curls with Eco Styler and Liquid Lanolin

I've tried an assortment of gels and creams, but there is one that is a keep sake in my hair arsenal; that is good 'ole Eco Styler gel.  I started using Eco Styler back in 2009 after hearing about it from some other Naturalistas on YouTube.  The Eco Styler combined with Castor Oil created massive curl definition for me and provided great hold.  But in this "How To" video, I decided to try a different combination.  In my past videos, you will notice the use of Liquid Lanolin for many of my styles, so I decided that I should test it out with the Eco Styler gel.  

You will notice in the video that I did not rinse out the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Milk conditioner.  My reasoning behind this was that I felt the conditioner would help reduce the crunchy feeling that I get when using gels alone.  I got this idea when I first started wearing Wash-N-Goes using Kinky Curyly products.  I would use the Kinky Curly Curling Custard and the Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner along with Castor Oil to seal in moisture.  Using those 3 products would always leave my hair soft and well defined for the duration of the style (usually 7-10 days).  


When I first started applying the liquid lanolin on top of the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Milk conditioner, I couldn't tell that the lanolin was actually on my hair.  All I could feel was the conditioner.  As a result, I added a little more of the lanolin to each section and focused on working it onto the ends of my hair.  Even when I began applying the Eco Styler with Olive Oil gel (level 10 hold), I could not tell whether the gel was on my hair.  However, I continued to apply and shingle as usual...and hoped for good results. 

After the application process, I lightly misted my hair with water to give my hair concoction a boost and then allowed my hair to air dry.  In the pictures at the end of my video, you will see how my hair progressed from Day 1 through Day 7.  I must say that my results were AWESOME.  Throughout the week, my hair remained soft and well defined.  Even my gym escapades did not jeopardize my curl definition nor create excessive frizz.  I didn't have to mist my hair with water until Day 5 to reshape the style, but really could have reshaped without it.  The Liquid Lanolin and Eco Styler gel combo is a winner in my book!

Day 1

This is how my hair looked on Day 1 after styling.  Although it is still wet in this picture, my curl definition is visible.

Day 7

By Day 7, my hair still maintained a lot of curly definition.  I decided to switch the look up by doing a simple up-do.  

Below are a list of highlights about the products I used: 

1. There is a wide variety of Eco Styler gels.  I've only used the Olive Oil formula which is a level 10 hold.  
2. Eco Styler gels can be purchased from stores like, WalMart, Sally's Beauty Supply, WalGreens, and CVS.
3. A 32 fl oz container costs less than $5.00.
4. Liquid lanolin can be purchased online.  I actually purchased a 4 fl oz bottle from the Vitamin Shoppe for around $8.00.  
5. Eco Styler does NOT contain Alcohol.
6. Eco Sytler DOES contain Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein for those of you who may be sensitive to this form of protein.

Check out my interview here-->My Hair Story with Black Hair Information

Using LacQit One Step Gel Polish to create Color Blocks and Curves

LacQit One Step Gel Polish has released the 2013 Summer Color Collection and the owner, Nanci Spencer, sent me some colors to try out.  I decided to get a little creative and use a combination of various colors to create some nail magic.  Check out my demonstration video below.

Nail art definitely adds flare to the overall look of pampered hands, but as an amateur, it is a challenge...but in a good way.  The challenging aspect of nail designing is that I seem to spend hours trying to decide what look I'm going for and what color combination I should use.  So in this attempt, I finally decided to use the 3 colors listed below:

1. In a Blue Streak
2. It's a White Out
3. A Flare for Pink

I started off with In a Blue Streak as my first color.  Next, I used nail tape to section off a portion of my nails to create a color block using the It's a White Out color.  Lastly, I used A Flare for Pink to create mini dots and abstract curves.  Below are a few pictures of my final results:

My 1st Attempt at Nail Art Designing

I am always looking at creative nail art work on Pinterest and wanting to give it a try, but always talking myself out of it...until now.  For the past 2 weeks, I've been wearing the LacQit Cosmo to Go color, so I wanted to spice up the look.  Using 3 LacQit One Step Gel polishes, a dotting tool and nail tape (both purchased from Amazon.com), and a nail decal (purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply Store), I set out on my FIRST attempt at nail designing.

Items used

After deciding on a design, the application process was simple.  I used the nail tape to section off a portion of the nail so that I could add the Pop the Cork color.  I followed with using my dotting tool to add about 7-8 dots toward the lower portion of the nail to create a subtle burst of color with a combination of Road Trip with Rosie and Pop the Cork colors.

My amateur nail work!

Take a look at my demonstration video.

Shingling method using Gorilla Snot Hair Gel

These days, there are so many curling gels on the market offering those with natural hair a plethora of options.  I recently watched some fellow YouTubers demonstrate their application process using Gorilla Snot Hair Gel or Moco de Gorila.  I've been doing wash-n-goes using the shingling method for years using products like Kinky Curly, Uncle Funky's Daughter, Eco Styler Gel, and the list goes on (LITERALLY). So, it made me want to try this Gorilla Snot out for myself.

I purchased the Gorilla Snot Hair Gel at a local Walgreens for $2.99.  This gel comes in a few different hold/strength levels, so I picked level 9 out of 10.  I felt this would give me the hold I need without too much of a crunchy feeling or that helmet hair look after it dries.    Now keep in mind that this gel is used by various ethnicities, such as Hispanics or Latinos to create spike styles.  With that in mind, who would have guessed it would be suitable to maintain wash-n-goes of those of us with curly textures.

My impressions of the Gorilla Snot Hair Gel:

Display Look & Feel: The design of the container is cleverly funky yet very practical because it allows you to easily squeeze out the product due to the fact that the bottom of the container is also the lid.  This eliminates the need to turn the container upside down to get that last tiny weeny bit of product out.

Smell:  Very pleasant scent with a hint of lemon smell.

Cost:  $2.99 + tax....no further cost point analysis needed:-)

Gel Look & Feel:  This gel has a slime consistency.  It is sticky, but not as sticky as some other gels I've used.  As my hair was drying, I didn't have a sticky residue feeling on my face or neck, so that is a  plus.

Ingredients off the bottle: Water, PVP, Alcohol, PEG-150, Sorbital, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Cyamposis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Fragrance.

Hair Impact Review:  The Gorilla Snot Hair Gel is good, but the alcohol seems to have caused frizz by Day 2.  Although my curls remained defined, my day 3 hair had more volume than expected.  I decided to  lightly spritz my hair with water and add some of my shea butter mixture for moisture.  I repeated as needed on the following days.  Overall, I will continue to use this product and tweak my regime to see if I can reduce some of the volume and retain more curl definition throughout the week.

Day 1 results using Gorilla Snot Hair Gel

Application Process:

1. I applied Castor Oil and Lanolin Oil to wet hair from root to tip.
2. I applied a generous amount of Gorilla Snot Hair Gel to each section.
3. I smoothed sections of hair from root to tip to allow my natural curl pattern to take shape (Shingling Method).   NOTE: In some areas I used my Denman brush to help separate my curls. 
4. I allowed to air dry from morning until night.   
5. I pineappled my hair with a satin hair tie.  

Take a look at my application process and more pictures in my video.

Day 5

Refreshing an Old Braid-out Using Curl Popper

Sometimes you just don't feel like shampooing & conditioning your hair just to get a new style so you begin to realize that nothings wrong with reviving a style and saving time to do other things. Well, my hair goes through a lot of those "reviving" situations too not only save time, but also to reduce the chance of my hair and scalp being stripped during the shampooing process.

With this in mind, I decided to give the Curl Popper product another try to refresh an old braid-out.  This time, I just lightly misted my hair with water then mixed my shea butter mixture and Curl Popper together before applying to my hair.  This was applied to each section of hair before braiding.  Since my hair wasn't soaking wet, I let it air dry and slept wearing a head wrap. The next morning, my hair was completely dry and ready for take down.  I got great definition and shine!

In the days that followed, I just added a small amount of Curl Popper to wet hands then applied to each section and re-braided to maintain the style each day until time for my next shampoo & condition regime.

Here's my demonstration using Curl Popper to refresh an old braid-out.

Finished Results!

Check out my initial Curl Popper blog entry experience at:  http://thediydoctor.blogspot.com/2013/05/curlpopperreview.html

Snap Back to Your Roots Natural Hair Forum in Birmingham, AL

Although I knew the natural hair phenomenon had spread like a forest fire, I didn’t think the age range of women strutting their natural crown of glory would be so broad until I recently attended a natural hair forum in Birmingham, Al.  This event was hosted by Dr. Dianne Coleman, a cosmetic chemist and instructor, who has developed her own line of natural hair products.  The event was held one Saturday afternoon from 2-5 pm at the Crestwood Festival Center.  When I arrived there were other vendors show-casing their businesses, which offered the event attendees an opportunity to mingle while waiting for the main symposium to start.  There was a mid-size crowd of approximately 40-50 eagerly awaiting the opportunity to ask natural hair care tips at this symposium.  One key take away was Dr. Coleman’s advice on the importance of moisturizing and sealing in the moisture for healthy hair growth and length retention. 

Unlike a classroom room full of unenthused students, these women asked question after question, took notes, and shared their personal hair experiences.  By the end of this event, Dr. Coleman had given several door prizes and I was the recipient of a full size bottle of her Curl Popper (the original formula).  Of course after winning, I thought it would be a good idea to test out her product and share my results.

The application process of the Curl Popper potion was simple.  After shampooing & conditioning (with Alba Botanica products), I applied castor oil to my hair while wet. Next, I sectioned my hair into four sections and applied a liberal amount of the Curl Popper potion to each section of hair.  I locked in the moisture by using my shea butter mixture (see mixture ingredients below) then braiding my hair.  Due to the thickness of my hair, I sat under my hooded dryer for 2 hours using a low heat setting until my hair about 80% dry. 

You will notice in my video that I did over saturate my hair with my shea butter mixture, so I decided to use a bandana to cover my hair at night so that it would absorb some of the oils.  This really worked wonders because when I styled my hair, I had a smooth finish without an oily or weighed down feeling/appearance.  Also, I didn’t have to add more oil for the entire week. I noticed that the lanolin I added really enhanced the shine and reduced frizz.  After high aerobic exercising throughout the week, the roots of my hair remained smooth with minimal frizz.  In addition to the use of lanolin, the reduction of frizz is also attributed to the fact that about 2-3 nights out of the week to help maintain the braid out, I just re-braided at night and tied on my bandanna.    

My shea butter mixture consists of the following ingredients.  I used a hand mixer to blend the ingredients until it reached a fluffy texture very similar to whipped cream or butter cream frosting.  Note: I have been using this mixture as my hair and body moisturizer for about 6 weeks; enjoying it thus far.

1. Raw Shea Butter
2. Vegetable Glycerin
3. Vitamin E oil
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5. Lanolin

Check out my video demonstration:

Check out the Snap Back to Your Roots Facebook page for future hair symposium and product announcements. https://www.facebook.com/SnapBack2YourRoots?fref=ts

Also, coming soon is the hair care product line, which will be available at: www.snapback2yourroots.com

LacQit One Step Gel Polish Removal Process

Well, it's been 21 days since I applied the LacQit One Step Gel Polish so this weekend it was time to remove it.  Wearing LacQit has been a unique experience for many reasons.  First, the fact of being able to wear polish for longer than 3-5 days without it chipping is a phenomenon in itself.  Second, having access to polish for home use without spending a fortune is amazing and budget friendly.  Third, the attention it draws from others when they find out I did it myself as some people have asked, "Who did your nails" and look at me in disbelief when I say, "Oh, I did them" as they take my hand closer to their eyes to examine my nail application ability AND with the look of disbelief in their eyes.

I've been paying closer attention to gel polish worn by others and inquiring about their gel polish experience.  Recently, I ran into a friend at the mall as she was heading to a nail salon to have her gel polish reapplied.  She had been wearing a pretty nude color for 3 weeks, but I noticed that it had a significant amount of chipping.  The cost to have the old polish removed and  fresh polish applied was $20.  This was a good price because a fellow grad student recently told me that she paid $60 and her polish started chipping during week 2.  Okay...let's calculate this up from these 2 examples.  There are 52 weeks in a year, so if you get your nails polished every 3 weeks then that averages to be roughly 17 trips to the nail salon per year.  In ONE years time, that would equate to $340 for the polish application and removal at the $20 rate and $1,020 for the polish application and removal at the $60 rate.

With the yearly cost of gel manicures ranging from $340-$1,020 and beyond, you still should take into consideration the sanitary condition of the tools used on customers.  A workout buddy of mine was telling me about someone she knew who had to have a toe nail removed due to a bacterial infection she picked up in a "high-end" nail salon.  More of a reason to reduce or eliminate visits to nail salons.        

Using an at home gel system, such as LacQit would currently cost $59.95 + tax and shipping.  This price includes the LED lamp, 1 color (Cosmo to go), timer, cuticle oil, 2 cuticle sticks, 2 nail buffers, and a nail file.  Additional colors cost about $16 each.  A big savings  overall compared to going to the nail salon.

Now on to the LacQit (Pronounced: Lac-it) removal process:
I used the foiling method to remove the LacQit polish.  By doing so, it prevented the acetone from quickly evaporating from my nails.  So using cotton balls, I soaked each with 100% acetone, applied to each nail, and covered with a piece of foil (NOTE: use a piece just large enough to wrap around and cover the nail). Using this method, I soaked for 10 minutes.  I then removed the foil from ONE nail and in a downward motion, I used the cuticle stick to scrap the polish off.  When finished with that nail, I decided to reapply the acetone soaked cotton ball and the foil back to the nail to soften the remaining residue on the nail; thus making it easier to do my final clean up.  I repeated this process until all nails were polish free.

So I know you are wondering what challenges I had during the removal process of the LacQit polish.  For me, the challenges were applying the foil because I was basically working with one hand, which kind of made me feel clumsy.   When you watch the video, you will notice the awkwardness of wrapping the foil over the cotton ball.  Also, another thing I did was over saturate the cotton balls, so the acetone did drip out until I secured the ends of foil. However, I had a paper towel underneath my hands to catch the leakage and my technique improved by the time I got to my second hand.  Keep in mind this was my first time EVER applying and removing a gel polish, so the challenges too me are minuscule.

Below are the items I used during the removal process:

1. 100% Acetone: Purchased at Wal-Mart for $2.50 for a 16 fl oz bottle.
2. Cotton balls: Previously purchased store brand at Wal-Mart.  
3. Aluminum foil:  Previously purchased the inexpensive generic brand at Wal-Mart.  I just used the same foil used for cooking.  
4. Cuticle Stick: Provided in the LacQit kit. Used to scrap off polish after the soaking process.
5. Yellow Nail Buffer: Provided in the LacQit kit.  I actually didn't have to use the buffer but you can use it to buffer away any polish residue on your nails.
6. Paper towel: Used to catch the polish shavings as I scrapped off the polish.  Makes for easy clean up after you are finished.

Be sure to check out the awesome NEW colors at www.lacqit.com

Take a look at my video demonstrating the removal process of LacQit.