Sisterlocks: Using Alternative Products.

Hi everyone,
The purpose for writing a blog initially was to become a source and an example for other sisters who are considering locking their hair. Especially as I had very fine hair and could see clearly that most other bloggers had hair that was a lot fuller than my own (for numerous and varied reasons).

Fine Hair.

I did not inherit hair that was full and thick, my family are of varied mixed heritages. To boot I have a very tender scalp that cannot cope with too much manipulation. To add insult to injury I have used too many different straightening/relaxing techniques, no one product was better than the other, against my better judgement. I just wish all the information I have now, I had then!
However, true to the word, my latter hair days have proved greater than the former and I give thanks for the Sisterlock technique.I am fully aware that SisterLocks have developed their own products to be used in conjunction, but unfortunately, in London, I believe they are still a little hard to get hold of. There was a point that I knew of a distributer who was UK based, however that person may not be in that position any longer. I have to admit I have not contacted the SL headquarters to find out if there was another appointed person.
In the meantime ...   Alternatives.
My consultant originally recommended neutrogena T Gel shampoo which helped the locking process and protected against scalp issues at the same time. I used this initially in my first two years, but if you can all recall I get bored real easy and wanted to play with other shampoos ... I must say I did not jump on conditioners as my locks loved to bunch and unravel and I didn't want to upset Liz with a an Afro on my next Reti appointment!!!So I was known for my of love shampoo experimentation, mostly for shampoo that clarifies and leaves body to my SLs . Clarifying Shampoos for the most part are good for leaving the locks with volume and body.

Suave - a brand not sold readily in the UK ( asked my mum to purchase some on her last trip over here:) and I also found some on amazon and eBay.) was a brand recommended by a lot of lockers on the net. Was very good for deep cleansing locks and leaving it volumised. I am always researching - if not testing, I have found so many good products and where I have purchased and kept things, I have gone back to use them and found them great. In the early days some things did not seem to work, but as my locs matured I have found them very effective.

.

Happy Hair, hints, tips and pics!

The installation of my SisterLocks is responsible for the enhancment of my beauty routine (which was never low maintenance by any means! lol). In particular, my skincare. I first purchased AAA Shea Butter African Black Soap to wash my locs and for some reason I cannot recall I used it on my skin, and was thrilled with the results. This brand is the most effective I have found at removing acne and the scarring over time, the only thing ever to have worked this well.

THE JOURNEY.

1. I find that It can be good practice to alternate products to achieve the best result for your hair type. Select the few effective shampoos that give you the desired result and maybe alternate seasonally or whenever the mood hits!

2. Build up becomes increasingly obvious on longer locks as a) You can now obviously see more of them unlike before. b) They tend to come in contact with increased amounts of undesirable fabrics and material.

 3. I Use a Clarifying shampoo first and moisturising shampoo for second wash to condition and restore moisture.

4. Not all MATURE Lock types can manage cream conditioners, (I just can't seem to rinse rinse rinse enough!) If you are like me, then try a leave in water based conditioner. I have recommended a few.

5. To avoid unnecesary build up, cover hair at night with silk/satin bonnet or scarf and pony tail, if possible, when travelling on public transport.

6. Before Sisterlocks I was never a grease-your-scalp type girl. I couldn't understand why I needed to.

Only when I had my SL's installed did I find out that my hair type actually prefers water. I ALWAYS loved washing my hair but didn't know my hair liked it more! So I find that using a light water/oil based spritz 2 to 4 times a week keeps my locks happy, depending on the season. Paul Mitchell Awapuhi moisture mist forever its 5*!

7. 

7. I regularly braid out now, the pics here and below are an after-wash braid out. I use Crinkles and Curls in between washes. Braid outs after wash last longer on my hair type, however they didn't ever last longer than 48 hours.

8. Steaming is a regular treat overall, but find it great for my hair :).

The Current Routine, revised each season.

NEW, Yes to carrots (tomatoes!) Suave daily clarifying, Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Shampoo.

REGULAR, in rotation, Paul Mitch Awapuhi Mist,
Arosci leave in conditioner and KEMI conditioning spray.

Crinkles and Curls for baidouts etc.

9. Frequently I have read reviews about SUAVE clarifying shampoo, well experience is a great thing because I completely agree with is effectiveness in dealing with build up. Annoyingly, I had noticed so much more of it recently. However, I have used Suave twice and the results are clear ... It works!

10. My locks love pure Coconut oil, but I can no longer stand the scent, so need to find a suitable alternative ... :(. I currently heat it up and blend with olive oil in various forms.

11. Brushing ... simply love it! There is a video log on YouTube about lock brushing, it recommends that brushing before washing will dislodge any debris that may eventually embed itself. I don't have a special brush but I do use gentle strokes.

Summer Hols, Life and Sisterlocks@ 3 years 2mths

It has been a while, I started this and two other posts long ago but life got in the way, I surprised even myself that the summer break is here and I have written zilch!
I have been extremely tired,  I wasn't ill as is common among the UK school teachers at the end of any school year, but I slept like I was recovering from a severe bout of flu or something! I could do nothing for the first 3 to 5 days ... SUDDENLY the SUN came out, as tired as I was, I left the building as much as I could. Sunshine around here (England) is less common than gold dust ... kmt.

July 30th marked another great year in this life of mine and I have so much gratitude and love for the GOD who I serve who has kept me for so many years, through so many struggles, and headed a multitude of Victories! GOD is GREAT! (this was originally scribed a day before but I didn't complete it!)

Here are some random shots of my recent lock journey ... braid outs are more frequent and one day I even tried pipe cleaners, took a while to put in, but the results were ok.

SUMMER HOLIDAY LOCS.

So here we are one month since schools been out, I spent time away with the family which was fantastic,
Oddly enough though I struggled with my Loc Loving regime. I thought I was prepared but I couldn't exactly bring a vast selection of my fave products so settled for three of the best.  I had not planned for my middle son to shove me in the pool, a head full of chlorine I did not expect!  I added insult to injury by using the Sauna regularly without conditioner, my Locs did not like this, not at all! Sigh ...

Sigh! 

During the maintenace struggle I realised mainly that my Locs are in a growth phase, it was taking me longer to wash it properly and I needed a lot more spritzing to keep it moisturised. not complaining though!

I tried only rinsing my hair in water as opposed to a full wash, thinking that this would be better than applying product too frequently, however, as I frequented the pool/sauna quite a few times I had to make sure I washed out the chlorine.

Dehydrated.

As a result of the Sauna ( I think?) my Locs were dehydrated beyond the norm, even when I used my best product, Kiehls Amino Acid shampoo and Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist. I was thinking that the water may have been different, as in hard/soft, but when I checked that out I found that the water there, was the same as London ... very hard!

Honey Washed. Nearly there ...

To get it back I washed vigourously using Free Trade Honey by LUSH (new) hoping for a moisture boost and a return to the texture I am familiar with, I then mixed/diluted conditioner with water, LUSH American Cream conditioner, applied as a leave-in then melted down some pure coconut oil and applied it as a hot oil treatment. Phew! It was some hard work!!!

I have been using a variety of different products some of which I found affordable and good value for money, I plan to cover those in a later post.

Now thats better!

Today I just want to share pics ...

Images of Locs revived from dehydration and anything else that I may have done!

Hot Coconut Oil revived.

Longer Locs can require a lot more care time and attention. I am not complaining, just something I am learning. I wracked my brain to recall the best conditioning shampoo, and oddly enough the best result was from a NEW product I got from LUSH a week before I went away, It has Honey as its top ingredient and is quite expensive, but it worked! British weather is extreme, we get sunshine but the dry type, without wind or moisture. I am not used to hot sunny weather, neither are my locs, so when it happens its a whole new ball game. Climates matter when cultivating locks, like water types. That's why product results vary across the country even the world. I have tried lots of recommendations from across the water, the best referral was Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist which I have stuck with for the 3 years. I will try to update about my recent product finds asap ... :)

Three years SisterLocked Secrets, I did it my way. Why the products Nai?

Hey all at home today because a visit to the dentist has left me out of action.

I have been thinking about this post for a while and one thing I will cover is my experimenting with products and reveal my top (maybe forever?) products.

Yes I know that having Sislocs is suppose to reduce the need. However, I found that I wanted my locks to be in a certain condition. Ultimately, our hair is still unique and we all need something different.

FIRST, What is it I am looking for, (or why the junkie)?

Well I had fine hair naturally, so locs were not originally voluminous. I mean each strand was thin, Loc pattern 4,  the tightest, to help locking process. We tried pattern 3 but most would slip easily. See earlier posts. Some shampoos exacerbated the thin flat look.

So first off I will talk about why I still use products with SLS in them.


Sodium Laureth Sulphate.

I have used so many prods with and without this chemical, but really I was not that convinced that the results were any better. I was not surprised to read Natural Haven's latest post confirming my suspicions

http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/

Please read for yourselves. She found that not all non SLS substitute chemicals were exactly better than SLS. So it is a case of study to find the best ... I actually knew that it was not as simple as it seemed. Now do not get me wrong, I am not saying I am for SLS I am just not for being conned by these companies is all.

In saying all of that I will announce all my staple products with and without SLS.

 1. Kiehls Amino Acid.

Top of the charts and It is SLS free. What can I say about it? Well it has all the qualities I need, basically does what
It says on the bottle! It's moisturising, gentle, softening and best of all volumising, making my locks look fuller and fluffier and feel lovely. Not cheap, but neither am I! So worth it! The price came down a bit but it was originally £17.50 it lasts a long time, and i wash my locks often.

I believe in the process of alternating shampoos to reap the best results. I found this has worked for me.














2. Bicarbonate of Soda shampoo.

http://ofoslocs.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/baking-soda-shampoo-and-vinegar.html

This is a recipe I got via Ofo's blog. It is a very good one, for me it works really well. I have a bottle sitting on the bathroom window sill. I use it whenever I feel that it needs a clarifying. I can't use too much though as I find it can be drying.



3. DAX Vegetable Oil Shampoo.


If I had not found Kiehls then this would be THE one as for £2.50 it is brilliant! A great softening clarifying shampoo that DOES NOT strip the hair. Really good value for money. Very effective. SLS ...






4. LUSH.

Ok I have tried and loved almost everything LUSH. Why? Because there is something about the way they mix their products that, in my opinion, works perfectly on locked hair, I find it hard to say which I love the most, alternating them as I do they all do what I need them to. Now that I have discovered their solid soaps, I think they are fab! They are very affordable, £5 or £6 pounds but last for up to 80 washes, if you take care of them. Yes SLS, but they feel so gentle, soft and with no irritation.

Top of the solids is Godiva, (yellow solid) shampoo jasmine scented with cocoa butter to condition, instant results! A close second is Karma Komba, green. Smells soo good, so so good!
Both give hair good body!


Note: my method is to use either Bicarbonate shampoo or DAX as a base clarifier first and then one of my faves for the second and or subsequent washes.

CONDITIONERS.

I can't do them! I do not do well with them as I just don't rinse enough or I don't have a strong enough shower hose. Either way, they seem to build up. So another reason for my quest to find suitable products. My search is for a water based conditioning product, non creamy, leave in type. My staple is and was from the start,

1. PAUL MITCHELL AWAPUHI MOISTURE MIST.

From the moment I read a recommendation for this product as a newbie, I knew it was right for me. It is perfect. Again pricey in the eyes of some, circa £15 for 500ml.
But I use this over and over and my Locs drink it like water, even better when I rub a little oil in after. I even spritz in a little before bed in dry areas,




The SisterLock moisturiser is good too but not as effective as the Awapuhi.

I like 2. Arosci leave in conditioner too, but I am suspicious that it has contributed to a rise in whitish specks of build up in my locks. Again though, a great product, very moisturising and softening. I have had to spray it in my hands rub them and then add it to my hair to avoid this possibly negative effect.

COLOUR.

As you can tell, dry locs are not on my desirable list. It's all about moisture and softness. So one thing I did not do over the last 3 years was colour my locks.
I knew that I would have problems with my hair and dryness if I did. I know a lot of people have grey hair they want to cover so I understand, I feel I benefitted over the years to just leave them alone.

WASHING MY LOCKS.

My guilty pleasure, from the start. I stated my penchant for water running over my scalp,
I'm a washing addict, actually it's a whole bath, shower, swimming, water thing. It chills me out, especially though washing my hair.
Of course that encourages me to add to the experience by introducing different scents and sensations. So I am an addict, a true beauty addict. It's not just my hair but I do all things skincare, did I ever mention that I qualified as a beautician?
So there you have it. The motives behind my madness. I think I found
What I need for now, but it is difficult because I live in the UK and our weather system and atmosphere means that some things work seasonally so again I need to alternate.

Nai ... LOVING this locked life ... x