Congratulations! It's A Curl!

So finally at long last, I broke down and ordered the "It's A Curl" products from curls.biz. Initially, I saw the Curly Q's line in Ricky's and picked it up. But I felt hesitant to use the products on the baby due to her age (16 months) and the relatively fine texture her hair still has. It's a lot of hair, but it's still baby hair. Now at 9 - 10 dollars a pop, the It's A Curl products are not cheap. You will not, however, be using enough of this product at one time to be concerned about ordering it very often.

I was pleasantly surprised by the result of these products. They are gentle, non-irritating and incredibly light in comparison to other products I have tested. Ever since Georgia's hair got to be a little too "much" for Noodle and Boo Conditioning Polish, I've been searching for something that will tame the frizzies and help to define her natural baby curls. Noodle and Boo will still do this to some degree, but we have to use more product and let it sort of "sit" in her hair to penetrate before combing (and who has time for that?) In addition, Georgia has needed an upgrade on the detangling action as the fro has gotten harder to maintain the longer it gets. We tried L'oreal Tangle Tamer, but the product was a little too heavy for baby hair and G's dad didn't like the "burst of fresh pear" smell. I always felt the need to wash her hair after a few days due to the build-up.

The first thing you will notice about these products is the smell. It is practically identical to J&J's Bedtime bath product line. I didn't realize that at the time and was a little put off by the fragrance--I just like for my baby products to smell, well, baby-ish. It grew on me after a while, however. The product line has 4 products so I'll list them individually and give my opinion on each. Warning: Extreme cuteness ahead, the names of these products are marketing genius...

Peekaboo Tearless Shampoo - A true cleanser, not a moisturizing shampoo. I really wish I had not stalled buying these products when we were fighting the cradle cap battle. It left the hair a little rough, and is definitely not a detangling shampoo, but it was tearless, non-irritating, and my baby's hair was clean. I'm sure that we could have used this to remove flakes and oil from her scalp and hair. Live and learn.

Pattycake Conditioner - Smooth! As soon as I applied this conditioner, G's hair went soft and smooth. I was ready to declare the test-run a success right then and there, but there were still two more products to go. The conditioner rinses out clean, but leaves behind a good amount of moisture and slip. The only thing I forgot was to comb it through while it was in her hair (G was screaming this whole time, because she was in a strange bathtub at her grandma's house). Detangling after it was rinsed out was a breeze. We usually wash twice a week, but the company suggested a once a week shampoo and a conditioner wash with this product between shampoos. Based on the cleansing action of the shampoo, I'm inclined to agree and will try that regimen out.

Itsy Bitsy Spirals Moisturizer - Interesting product! Not at all what I expected. It is a glaze-like moisturizer that leaves hands a little sticky but leaves hair really soft. It can be used on wet or dry hair. I think I may have put a little too much of this on, but it really didn't matter when I did her hair. I haven't tried it on dry hair just yet, because we always spritz her hair with water before we comb, but when she gets back from "Camp Grandma" I'll have to report back. The company's customer service said this should be used prior to the leave-in conditioner and in between shampoos for "refreshing" the curls.

Ring Around the Curlies Leave-In Conditioner - This product is a keeper. A light cream/lotion product that gives a very soft hold to the curls and allows you to shape and style soft baby hair without weighing it down. Georgia looked like a kid in a magazine after her hair was done...and I think she knew it!

Overall, I have to give these products an "A." They address the specific needs of fro-babies hair without looking or performing like adult products. These are not adult products labeled with pictures of baby faces, they are gentle products made with organic ingredients that don't make the baby's hair sticky or greasy. And, while Georgia's curly girl style did not survive her afternoon nap, the condition of her hair was still great. My baby's hair was so soft, I could barely keep my hands out of it. Later that day, we had to pony-puff her, (afro puff her, if you prefer) - but with a little spritz of water you could still feel the moisture and slip of the products and getting through her hair and styling it was no trouble at all.

If you'd like to see pics, I also reviewed these products on the Long Hair Care Forum (w/ pics)

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390066

Tips for Combing and Detangling

What could be simpler? Start and the root and tug, right? Wrong! In fro-baby world, up is down and right is left. Fro-babies' hair is more likely to snap from the stresses of combing generally and due to the curly pattern of the hair, more likely to tangle or knot. The best way I've heard to unsnarl these "naps" as we call them down south is with gentle tlc, not an iron fist. Traditionally, the approach has been to "bust those naps" and yes, it sounds as brutal--and for those "tenderheaded" fro-babies (like yours truly) as painful--as it sounds.

First and formost, detangling for fro-babies should involve one key component: lubrication! There is nothing worse than trying to comb dry, tangled, knotted hair--and nothing more damaging! Once Georgia got to be about 3 months or so, a lot of that natural oil in her hair from when she was born started to dry up and her hair became frizzy and began to knot. The Angel Baby Oil I used to eradicate her cradle cap found a new beginning as a daily hair conditioning oil. Not only does the oil help lubricate for easier combing, it also combats the frizzies, so it helps to keep the hair from re-knotting as the day goes by. If your fro-baby's hair is a little finer, you may want to try Noodle and Boo Polishing and Conditioning Mist. This also works well for Georgia for detangling purposes, but she often needs the extra moisture from the oil throught the day. Not all fro-babies do.

Now, on to combing. A while back (a long while back) there was a product for African-American hair sold by a supermodel named Wanakee, whose hair was all the way down her back. One of her tips for helping to preserve length was to start detangling at the ends, not the roots. This is the most effective and least traumatic way I've found to effectively remove knots and tangles.

I usually separate a small area of hair to start and gently comb the ends. If the ends have no tangles I move up about a quarter centimeter up from the ends and continue this way all the way to the roots. If I hit a snag, the best way to untangle is not to yank the comb through the hair, but rather tap the area gently with the teeth of the comb. This loosens the tangle and dislodges some of the hairs from the snarl. It's surprising how many tangles will come out using this method.

If there is a stubborn tangle or an out and out knot, conventional wisdom would chalk that knot up as a loss and go ahead and break it--and the hair off. Lots of knots can actually be pulled apart using your fingers. The best method I've found is to put the knot between your thumb and forefinger and gently pull hairs leading into the knot with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand, continuing to hold the knot. Start with a few strands at a time, always holding the knot. Eventually--in most cases, you can pull the knot completely aloose (is that a word? it is in NC where I grew up :D). Sometimes, there will be a small amount of hair that cannot be unknotted...alas...just means you need to come the hair more often! :D

Hopefully this technique will save thousands of hairs of fro-babies everywhere!