The Denman Brush

THE DENMAN BRUSH.

Ladies be careful when using this brush and if you have a tendancy to become impatient when untangeling your curly cues please do not invest in this brush. It is so strong that it can rip your hair straight from the root.

I bought this brush because everyone rants and raves about it and I am the natural hair test dummy since I love to buy products. I always untangle in small sections and in the shower with lots of conditioner for slip. I usually have a strand here and there comming out in my brushes or combs when detangling. Nothing horrifying until my latest experience. Well ladies, when I used the denman in one small sections I think maybe 5-10 hairs came out....AAAAARRRRRGGGGG!!! I screamed and cried and immediately checked to see if itwas bad (luckily it wasn't even noticable) and I put that brush away and never will use it on my curly hair. I think I will try it again when my hair is straight though.

Tips when using this brush:
1. Use in small sections
2. Make sure there is lots of slippage sustance in your hair
3. Do not brush through hard tangles because this brush will rip right through them
4.***Try taking some of the brush brittles out so that there is less chances of ripping***

**Please comment about your denman experiences, both good and bad.**

Until the next time ladies,

Love your curls!!

Hi Ladies,

I just wanted to post a quick entry on what my hair looks like. I will probably post again with another entry with my hair wet.

What you see is the result a twist out on wet hair (thanks to curlynikki.com) and a great shea mixture (I will give more details about later).

I probably have type 4a hair with spots of 4b.

Until next time...

Love your curls!!

Silicones

Silicones make your hair feel good right after a wash. But what is it exactly doing to your hair? How long after a wash does your hair feel dry again?

Usually after I wash my hair with a silicone based product it feel GREAT! However once I start styling and wearing my hair gets really dry and whatever I apply doesn't work as good as I wanted. I had to ask myself if I was looking for long term moisturizer or if I wanted instant graitification and will reapply moisrurizers throughout my do. Basically I wasn't sure what I should do until I did a bit of research.

"Silicones are viscous oily liquids that coat the hair shaft in gloss, giving the illusion of healthy sheen. As most curly hair tends to be dry and often frizzy, silicones seem like the miracle ingredient to combat these complaints. The downside is that most silicones are not water soluble, and can only be removed with harsh detergents. The very detergents needed to remove the silicones strip the hair of all its natural oils, leaving it stripped and straw-like. This causes the user to think she needs more silicones to combat the dryness. Thus, the cycle begins again. If the user is not using these harsh detergents to remove the silicones, they can build up, creating a barrier on the hair shaft. This barrier prevents moisturizing conditioners from penetrating the hair, further drying it out."

Basically silicones are both good and bad. Mostly bad if you have a hard time retaining that good ol moisture. I figured out through more research that some silicones you can use and still avoid build up and harsh treatments by lightly rinsing or conditioner wash (co. wash) your hair. These types of silicones are water soluble.
If you want to avoid silicones but love some products that contain them you may be able to save that bottle just by reading your label to make sure the silicone is a water soluble "cone".
If you don't mind clarifying your hair after using silicones then you may use sparangly. Since I avoid clafiying often I have to stay away from non-water soluble silicones.

There are two types of silicones. Water Soluble and Non-Water Soluble

If a silicone is non-water soluble it will build up in your hair, leaving your hair dry (opposite of what it is suppose to do) and you will need harsh clarifying products to get rid of it.

If a silicone is water soluble it does not need a harsh shampoo to get rid of the build up in your hair.


Here is a small list of silicones I see most often in conditioners.

NOT SOLUBLE IN WATER: (harder to get rid of in hair)
Amodimethicone - not soluble in water by itself
Cetearyl methicone
Cetyl Dimethicone
Cyclomethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone
Dimethiconol
Stearyl Dimethicone
Trimethylsilylamodimethicone

WATER SOLUBLE:
Lauryl methicone copolyol
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane
Dimethicone Copolyol
Stearoxy Dimethicone - sparingly soluble in water
Behenoxy Dimethicone - sparingly soluble in water

***Silicones are not always bad. They do protect from heat so I would just use your judgment and hair likes and dislikes when using "cones"****

Naturally Giving Back!

Natural hair is delicate hair in all senses. This is the easiest type hair to break on your head and break your heart. In order to protect this delicacy many people try and cover up this beauty(I mean...how many times has your hair been made fun of in its natural state and you go running to the beautician to "fix it"?). It can be so easily damaged by the touch and talk.
Blogging is important to me because up until recent months it was very hard to find natural support. There are so many people out there to tell you that your natural hair isn't good enough. I am so fortunate that I found much needed comfort through many natural blogs and natural friends that have truly inspired me to love my natural hair first as an enhancement of my own beauty. I want to give back to my natural sista's who are looking to get advice and give advice on what is the latest and greatest in our natural community. If just one person learns from this blog that they should be the best person they were naturally intended to be then this blog is a success.
I coined the name caramel curls because I was told that my hair has a tint of caramel coloring in the sun. For this blog I will coin myself caramelcurls because when my curls feel as smooth, thick, and moisturized as caramel does than I know I have healthy curls. Healthy curls means a healthier me. I can't get healthy hair without first acknowleging that I have to be healthy too.