Braid Out Using Eco Styler Custard

Corkscrew Braidout using
DIY Eco Styler Custard

When I discovered how well my little recipe for Eco Styler Custard worked for my wash n' go, I never really thought of using it any other way.  This was until I recently revisited my Corkscrew Braidout method for an easy no heat style.  That's when I decided it was time to put the custard to the test.

Normally when I do the braidout I start with stretched hair so that I'll have more length and bounce.  This means pulling my hair back and letting it airdry for one whole day before starting the braids.  I just didn't want to be bothered with all that this time so I did the style on damp hair right after I washed, conditioned and detangled.

I pretty much followed the same Corkscrew Braidout method I used in the video (link below).  However, this time I decided to use Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner for my leave-in.  Then I applied the custard to each section of my hair before braiding and curling the ends.  I didn't worry about sealing my hair with oil because the custard mixture already has castor, coconut and grapeseed oil in it.  I also switched to smaller grey perm rods because they give me more of a spiral effect than the medium size rollers.

Check out my YouTube Video for the 

CORKSCREW BRAIDOUT

The back

I was really surprised with the results.  My hair was very soft to the touch and moisturized.  I've been wearing the style for three whole days without applying any other products.  I haven't seen any weird product build-up and it still feels pretty soft.  I re-braided a few sections that started to look a little fuzzy at the end of day two.  This was because I just slept on it as is one night.  Otherwise, I've just been pineappling my hair at night to help keep the curls in tact.

Small grey rods to roll the ends vs. the larger pink rods
both from Sally's

I'm really thinking about wearing my hair like this more often.  I get to have the big, curly hair I love while keeping my hair stretched.  The bonus is that my ends stay smooth which means fewer single strand knots.  It's a win, win if you ask me.

FIND MY DIY ECO STYLER RECIPE HERE

3 days later still lots of curls and softness

Saying Goodbye to Heat Damage

In the last couple of videos that I posted to YouTube, I discussed my straight, heat damaged bangs and how I styled them so that they would blend in with the rest of my hair.  Shortly after posting those I started a six week Wash n' Go binge and wore my hair curly the whole time.  For a while I was fine with pushing the straight pieces back or braiding the hair into a headband.  During this time I was also reading the Curly Girl Handbook by Lorraine Massey and learning more about my curls and how to work with them.  I kept looking at my damaged hair and wondered, why was I holding on to the straight pieces?

Using small perm rods to camouflage the straight pieces

After much contemplation, I finally decided to break out the shears.  I already knew that I had curly bangs in my future so why not just get on with it?  First, I wet the hair that I sectioned off for the cut.  This made it easier to tell where the textured hair met the straight ends.  Then I placed a long metal clip across that line of demarcation and cut.  I thought that would do it but the straight pieces were still another inch into the length of my bangs so I snipped again.  I was surprised to see a small, one inch section where my hair was just blah; not really curly or straight.  The rest of the bang was curling up the way I expected.  I ended up with a Betty Paige style look which for me was just fine.

AFTER
Short Bangs

BEFORE
Straight Pieces in Front

It's been about a month and a half since the mini chop and I have to say that for the most part, the bangs are fine by me.  The curls are in good shape even after wearing my hair straight a couple of times.  I refuse to use my flat iron on that area because the 400 degree temperature is just too much.  Instead I use my Gold n' Hot Curling Iron which only gets up to 300 at best.  I'm also liking the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny for my heat protectant these days.

I do wish the bangs were a teensy bit longer though so that it would be easier to braid them down into a cute headband.  Of course this is possible with a little help from my Eco Styler gel.  I'm also realizing that I won't be able to slick all of my hair back for awhile.  For now though, I'm just enjoying the new look and loving the curls.

Used a metal clip to section off bangs

Bye Bye Heat Damage

Bangs before cutting a bit more

Check out my post on how I treated my Heat Damaged Hair

To Market, to Market

This weekend I'm helping my husband sell the plants he has grown for our  Heirloom Vegetable Plant Sale in Denver.  This is our second year and the turnout has been great so far.  I have to admit that the past ten weeks have been full of ups and downs.  Still, we like the fact that the plants we watched grow from seed are now strong, healthy and ready for the garden.


Why buy Heirlooms?

Heirloom Tomatoes and Peppers

Normally you'll find hybrid vegetable plants at your Big Box stores like Home Depot and Walmart.  This is when you cross two plant varieties to create a completely new one (a hybrid).  Because of this, the seeds cannot be saved to plant the following season.  Heirloom vegetables offer more taste and nutritional value than those that are grown from hybrid varieties.  Also, the seeds can be saved and used to grow new plants the following season.

It's fun to hear how the plants will be added to gardens and containers.  Still, even though we have been lucky with the warmer temperatures this spring, we explain to our customers the importance of waiting until May to plant them.  This is because of the unpredictable Colorado weather.  One frosty night can stop a healthy vegetable plant in its' tracks.

We are both weary from today's activities but happy to know that there are lots of people in town who prefer to by from local growers like my Husband.  We're so excited to meet others who appreciate the value of our heirloom plants.  The plant sale will continue through Sunday.  Here are some pics from the first day.

Straight Eight Cucumbers

Heirloom Bell Peppers

Genoa Basil

 CLICK HERE  for more details on the Plant Sale

DIY Eco Styler Gel Custard Recipe

After many months of searching for an alternative to Eco Styler Gel, I finally resigned to the fact that it's the only gel that gives the hold and definition my curls crave.  Still, I always got the dreaded dry, crunchy feeling everytime I used it.  I usually apply a leave-in to my wet hair and seal the moisture in with an oil underneath the gel.  No matter what, I kept getting the same result.  After reading through the book, Curly Girl, by Lorraine Massey, I found out that the crunch or "cast" the gel leaves behind is actually a good thing.  This is when you know your curls have been set into place.  I found this to be true because after air drying, I'm usually able to fluff and style my hair without worrying about losing my curl definition.  The book suggests that you scrunch the hair to remove the crunch but I sometimes kept getting a dry feeling after this step.

I figured out that the combination of an oil and a mositurizer underneath the gel gave me much softer hair.  This however led to applying lots of products one by one.  By the time I reached the front sections of my hair it was dry and not as manageable.  I wanted a way to apply the products quicker so I decided to just whip them all together and came up with a nice custard consistency.  I'm realizing that this is a much easier way to apply my products and my curls love it!  

Here's the recipe I came up with



Eco Styler Gel Custard

6 oz. Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel (or fill a 12 oz container half way)

2 Tblsp. Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme Hairdress for Dry Hair*

1 Tblsp. Castor/Coconut Oil Mix**


Place ingredients in a small container.  Whip together until all ingredients are combined.   The mixture will have a pudding like consistency. 

*You can substitute another moisturizer; one that pairs well with Eco Gel

**I use a 50/50 Castor/Coconut oil mix to seal my hair.  For this recipe I just used 1 Tblsp of my pre-mixed oil.

The Application

After cleansing and conditioning, I apply my leave-in conditioner (currently Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner) to my hair while it's still wet.  Next I section my hair into four sections to keep my hair up while I'm styling.  Within each section I make small parts and apply my Eco Gel Custard.  I use a smoothing and raking motion to help give the curls definition.  I've also started sealing the hair with oil after applying the gel custard for an even softer hold but this is optional.  Then, I let it airdry for about an hour or so before I use a blow dryer on the roots.  You can also plop the hair with a T-Shirt to help with the drying time or just continue to air dry.

Final Thoughts

I'm finding that the mixture also works on my edges when I wear my hair up.  I haven't done a braid-out or twist-out with it yet but it looks like it may give good results.   I'm going to continue to play with the recipe but this version seems to work well on my hair which is a 4a/4b texture.  I've also started using it on my son's curly 3b/3c/4a hair and it is also responding well.  The only thing I noticed is that I'm getting a lot more shrinkage because my curls just love the moisture.  To get more hang time I usually just stretch it by pulling it back at night.

Revisiting Braid Outs and Twist Outs

Large Twists
for a Twist Out Style

I'm always searching for new ways to style my hair because I love variety.  Recently though, I decided to just go back to the techniques that got my hair to where it is now.  During my first year with natural hair, braids and twists were what I used to stretch my hair for a bigger look.  They also helped to keep my hair protected at night.   After watching a couple of my favorite YouTubers, I was inspired to try something a little different.  I decided to try styling my hair with braids and twists but only use one product; leave-in conditioner.

Using small to medium individual
braids for more definition

In videos by JoStylin and HairCrush, both ladies mentioned that the only product used to style their hair was leave-in conditioner.  Of course I was lookin' back at the screen and thinking, "Yeah, right.  That won't work on my hair".  Well, it not only worked but it also resulted in some of the best twist outs and braid outs I've had in a while!  

I started by using Giovanni Direct Leave-in because it's what I had on hand.  Before, it seemed like it was too heavy on my hair and I kept getting this foaming action when I combed it through wet hair.  I realized that this "excess" conditioner dries clear and leaves the hair really moisturized.  Not only that, I was really happy to see my twists staying together and not unraveling like they used to.  I'm so excited about this discovery because using one product to style will save money while also helping me to "keep it simple".

Here are some of the styles I've tried so far

Twist out Definition

Faux Bob Style
with hair textured with a Braid Out

Faux Bob Front View
With ends pinned under

Braided Ponytail Back View

Braid Out Style
Cornrows up into a ponytail