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

And We're Back! L'oreal for Kids, Moisture Max, and more.

After a long hiatus, we're back with more product reviews, tips, and tricks! It's been a busy summer for G and me as we've traveled, hit the beach, the kiddie pools and beyond. G's hair is still growing and my frobaby's fro is "gon' do what it do!" On our travels, we got some great product recs from moms of older fro-kids and on a great forum I'm so late on discovering: longhaircareforum.com. To say that I have found my hair care mecca would be dramatic, yet accurate. There is a whole discussion area devoted to children's hair care that highly recommend (of course, you may put my blog down altogether after reading it, but I'll take that chance!)

So onto the products:
Spray-on Detangler
As this blog is dedicated to the babies, I feel duty bound to give an updated report of G's baby hair care regimen, prior to us having to "step it up."

Noodle and Boo Shining and Conditioning Polish
What an excellent find. This is a great detangler, with a wonderful fresh scent and is a multi-use product. Tackles bedhead, cowlicks, snags and snarls with relative ease and leaves a nice, weightless shine behind. I really recommend this for newborns and small infants with finer hair. It definitely will work for fro-babies, but as the babies get older and the hair gets thicker, it can present new challenges.

You see, as G is becoming a "big girl" (yes we have a walker, a talker and an occasional pooper in the potty) it's becoming increasingly difficult to detangle and style her hair using "baby" products. Noodle and Boo Conditioning Polish still works, but it also takes us about 5 minutes just to detangle her hair (and we are working parents without that much time!) G's hair, when stretched is down to her mid-back, so that's a lot of hair!
A very nice lady whose daughter has a five year old with a head full of fro-baby spiral curls was having a rough time detangling at the beach without her handy dandy fave detangler, L'oreal for Kids Tangle Tamer. She described the bottle to me, and I went on what I thought was a wild goose chase to find it. Of course, after finding it online, I found it in about five drugstores, one of which was selling two for the price of one. As I had already ordered it, I didn't take them up on the offer--turns out I should have snatched it right up! L'oreal for Kids Tangle Tamer took G's tangles out in no time! I'm talking down to about 60 seconds to comb through. This is a spray that comes in a green bottle ( I think it's pear scented). By the time she get around to fussing, we're already done! I have to say, I was skeptical since L'oreal for Kids appears to be designed for kids who are not fro-kids, but once again, surprise, surprise. We've come a long way since J&J's original "no more tangles" formula.



Shampoo and Conditioner
Noodle and Boo Shampoo
A nice alternative to typical baby shampoos, this on has N&B's signature scent and more moisture than garden variety baby shampoo. Only a so-so detangler and I wish they would make a conditioner, but the conditioning polish works well in conjunction. I would highly recommend these products for babies with looser curl patterns or newborns with straighter hair.

Another great find: California Baby Swimmer's Defense. Now, I can't tell you if all CB products are as good as these, but considering that they are mostly organic/natural and detangle like nobody's business, I had to shout them out. I originally got these because I thought we were putting G in swim lessons and no way was I letting chlorine ruin my fro-baby's locks this young! Well, turns out G is afraid of any and all bodies of water (her bathtub included), and here I have this product on my hands. And boy am I glad! Both shampoo and conditioner are very moisture laden and the conditioner works as a rinse out (which is what I was looking for) and a leave-in. Using these, you really don't need a spray-on detangler, and as a leave-in the conditioner made G's hair soft, defined her curls and even left her with a little movement.

Moisture Lotion
I l ike to travel light, so I really didn't pack G's product cavalcade on purpose on one of our trips. I decided to use Moisture Max Oil Moisturizer on her hair if it got dry--which, of course it did. Wow, was I impressed with this stuff on her hair. it works great on mine, and has no beeswax, which is a big factor for me in deciding what to use on G's hair, as she's still a baby and does not need anything that is going to weigh her hair down. It's not remotely all natural, and contains the dreaded mineral oil, but I have to say, baby's hair was shiny and moisturized and stood up to the beach wind, sun (it has a built-in sunscreen) and rain beautifully. As with adult usage of this product, a little goes a long, long way, and there is a little concern re: product build-up on the child's hair, but so far, I've had no issues washing anything I've used out of her hair or any build-up.

Honorable Mentions:
Having been on the longhaircareforum, I've seen all sorts of product recs and reviews, none of which I can vouch for, but some things on my buy/try list are: Kid's Organics Hair Lotion, Curly Q's (still haven't made it around to that one, and I believe we've officially outgrown "It's a curl by the same company) and Kinky-Curly. I think I will wait until G is a little older, but considering how time is flying in terms of her growing up, I should probably research where to buy, etc, and have my little ducks in a row!

Fro-baby powers...Activate!

And We’re Back!

After a long hiatus, back to fro-babies. Georgia's fro has reached massive proportions, such that I have been forced to do ponytails, cornrows, and flat twists—far too early, in my opinion. The diva Miss G, however, has enough hair to cover about 5 baby heads, so I had to do something. However, before her hair got long enough for all this creativity, she reached a "tweener" stage, where her little baby fro wasn't quite the happy little halo from her early infancy.

My fro-baby’s ‘fro stopped looking cute at around 8 months--primarily because it was no longer a ‘fro: too long for a ‘fro and too short for ponytails. We had not yet even graduated to ‘fro-puff status (for the uninformed, afro-puffs—or fro-puffs—are ponytails made from fros. They do not stick out straight or hang like straight hair, they puff out like little mini afros) so I was completely at a loss, since my baby’s “Amadeus” hairstyle had quickly become a fro-ish Benjamin Franklin.

I had to poll my friends in cyberspace to find out some solutions to this conundrum. They key: curl activator! Oh yes, jheri curl juice. You see, it’s not just for jheri curls anymore! It actually can help better define and “shorten” afro curls so they are less “frizzy” and easier to manage.

As with any product—a little dab’ll do ya’! To be honest, I never put any on my fro-baby, but I had enough people say that one that I’d thought I’d pass it along. Organic babies may have a tough time for finding organic curl activator, but I'll keep my eye out!

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!

Thou Shalt Do Thy Fro Baby's 'Do

OK, I may get into a little trouble on this one, but I since I'm on a mission to spread information and share experiences, I feel compelled to say a word or two on this subject. I am a big proponent of multiculturalism and this new trend of crossing and erasing racial lines. Every day I see biracial families, both married couples and people who have decided to adopt children of different races, and I feel this is definitely a step in the right direction. What I hate to see, however, is parents of fro-babies and fro-kids who seem to simply "give up" on their child's hair and leave it unkempt, unruly, and unhealthy. Rarely, if ever, do I see parents of non-fro-babies allowing their children's hair to stick out every which way, uncombed, and uncared for. More to the point, the parents of these fro-babies in question comb and groom their own hair! So what gives???

Now, don't get me wrong, I am all for celebrating the beauty and freedom of the curls of the world: tightly coiled, loosely waving, and everything in between. When we let fro-babies' hair do what comes naturally, we see these adorable little angel faces surronded by something akin to a halo, or the sun. And obviously, true fro-babies (which I would term under 1 year) are very much prone to having crazy hair days about which there is little you can do. But the basics for fro-babies are these: Cleanliness, Conditioning, and Combing. For fro-kids, it may involve Cutting (for boys--or girls, depending) and Cultivating--meaning neat braids, ponytails, twists, or something that allows the child to look groomed. If you want your fro-kid's fro to fly free--get it evened up, or cut into a "style" that can look neat.

Don't know how? Ask! Who? Other moms of fro-babies, moms who were fro-babies themselves! Read this blog (I will be putting up some tips for combing and grooming soon)! You would be surprised how many moms (or older sisters, or aunts, or grandmas) of fro-babies are willing to share their secrets. Yes, fro-babies and fro-kids put up fights when you try to do their hair (some do, some don't actually--I sure did), and yes, it's work. But remember that our babies and kids are forming their self-image and their self-esteem in these years, and differences between the hair of fro-babies and non-fro-babies are one of the first things they notice. Teach them to take pride in and therfore take care of their hair, instead of treating it like a big ol' mess. Love your fro-baby or your fro-kid, and do their 'do!

"It's a Curl!"

I mentioned a line of products earlier called Curly Q's, a product line for kids with curly hair (and by curly, they mean nappy, frizzy, wavy, kinky--you know, fro-kids). Well it turns out the company actually makes an organic line of baby hair care products--shampoo, conditioner and leave-in called "It's a Curl!" for fro-babies! Isn't that the cutest? I am curious about this product line, only because as Georgia gets older, her hair is getting curlier (is that a word?) and drier, and I'm not sure that the non-fro-baby products are going to be as useful in the coming months as they were when she was a newborn. So far so good, but the hair is changing...

The "It's a Curl!" products appear to be aloe vera based and contain certified organic ingredients. I'm not certain the entire product is certified organic...or even how that works. I know that a product cannot be called "organic" unless it has been certified by the USDA, but if it contains organic ingredients, it can say so. The product uses natural oils like jojoba and sunflower seed oil, both said to be good for the hair of most people. It also uses a derivative from coconut oil, also good for fro-babies.


I can't say for certain that the "It's a Curl" product line doesn't contain phthalates, since "fragrance" is listed among the ingredients. There are, however, phthalate-free products out there that are fragranced, so unless those other companies are lying, it's possible the fragrance could be a non-phthalate fragrance. I should check to see.

If anyoone tries this product out, I'd love to get a review. We're currently testing out another organic product--which I'll be reviewing shortly.

Holy Phthalates, Batman!

Gee, thanks for the warning, baby product safety guys! About 36 years too late, I’d say! So after all this wonderful field research, I’m reading that a lot of these products could actually contain ingredients that are not just irritating, but HARMFUL! Now, to be fair, I am a bit of an old schooler with the whole “my-mom-used-it-on-me-and-I-never-grew-a-second-head-or-an-11th-toe” mindset, but one can only read so many reports and warnings before it gets a little scary. I've never really been "all about organics" before the baby, but I'm slowly but surely becoming a convert. Why all the crap in the products and food, man? Anyway, being the information junkie that I am, I have to do the research (granted, it’s Elizabeth Hasselbeck-style internet research) and I think it’s only fair I address the issue. If you’re not familiar with phthalates, here’s some newsworthy info:

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL45600320080204

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ReproductiveHealth/Story?id=4230408&page=1

In the end, only you can decide what’s best for your baby. It’s important to note that most articles state that virtually any time you see “fragrance” it means “phthalates.” Since I blog a lot about these products, it’s only fair that I give a rundown to be a useful as possible.

Here is a list of products I’ve mentioned on this site, categorized by: confirmed as or claiming to be phthalate-free, products that are fragrance-free and therefore may be phthalate-free, and products with fragrance (phthalate content unknown) and products that are confirmed as containing phthalates. Where possible, I have included a link to what the respective companies may have said about phthalates.

Pthalate Free – According to manufacturer, contains NO phthalates
Noodle and Boo – all products (even thought they do contain fragrance)
http://www.noodleandboo.com/chatterbox/2008/01/29/noodle-boo-products-are-100-phthalate-free/
Earth Mama Angel Baby – all products http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/ (read left side panel)
California Baby – all products http://www.californiababy.com/ingredients.html
Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Soap - http://www.drbronner.com/drb_press_story1.html


Fragrance Free – Phthalate content unknown (probably does not contain phthalates)
Aquaphor Baby Gentle Wash
Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment
Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream
Aveeno Advanced Care (formerly Aveeno Eczema Care)
Mustela Stelatopia Products

Contains Fragrance – Phthalate content unknown
Burberry Baby Touch Products
Mustela Hydra Bebe and 2-in-1 Bodywash - It’s unclear if they use phthalates or not. You be the judge: http://www.mustelausa.com/faqs.php

Definitely Contains Phthalates
Johnson’s Baby Products - most or all http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/phthalatesStudy.do

Other Unknowns
In one post I mention Curly Q’s. Unsure of fragrance or phthalate content. The company’s baby hair care line, “It’s a Curl” is advertised as “organic,” leading me to believe it is phthalate-free, but this is not confirmed.

Hope this was helpful!