I’m not going to call myself a product junkie, but I do love trying out new products. After all, how would you know if you’re going to love something if you don’t try it? That’s just my philosophy and one that I use with everything. I always say, “I’m willing to try anything at least once”. When it comes to hair care products, however, I’m really picky about what I put in our hair. Being African-American or Caribbean-American, as I like to say, it’s an entirely different ball game.
As you may or may not know, we all have different hair textures throughout our entire heads, and even my own kids’ hair is as different as night and day. Kyle, my oldest son, has the curliest hair of the bunch, with his curls being a lot looser while Mikael has the tightest curls you’ll ever see. Kristal’s curls aren’t as loose as Kyle’s, but they’re not as tight as Mikaels’, while Madison’s just seem to be right in the middle. While there are charts to identify the “type” of hair you may have, I never focus on that. My focus has always been on whether that product can moisturize our hair.
I’ve mentioned it every time I talk about hair care. I talk about how the lack of humidity here in Colorado, means that I have to find products that are moisturizing. Products that don’t leave a lot of build-up and products that don’t have any ingredients that will damage our hair. I ALWAYS make sure that I read the ingredients before purchasing hair care products, and there are a few ingredients that I avoid like the plague. Products that contain Isopropyl Alcohol and Mineral Oil and Petrolatum, NEVER make their way into our hair care regimen. I have found a few products that do not include them, and one of the brands that I’ve come to love is the As I Am® brand.
If you’re African American, you may know about co-washing. It’s something that I do with my own hair and that of my daughter, Madison. For those who are wondering what I’m talking about, co-washing is washing your hair without shampoo, instead of just using a conditioner. I have been using the As I Am® Coconut CoWash, and I also use it in Madison’s hair as well. However, As I Am®, recently released a new product, As I Am® Born Curly™, that I just have to share with you. Born Curly™ is the only hair product for naturally curly kids (kids from birth to 10 years old) that is certified organic. And they carry the NSF seal of approval.
If an organic product for curly-haired kids doesn’t have the NSF seal, it is not trustworthy. This mark is our assurance that the product has been tested by one of the most respected independent certification organizations in existence today. It is valued by consumers, manufacturers, retailers, and regulatory agencies worldwide.
Madison just HATES getting her hair washed. She hates the water getting into her eyes, and she hates me combing it after. However, I’m one of those parents who don’t wash their child’s hair too often. I have admitted here before that I wash Madison’s hair about once every 2 to 3 months. I do that so I don’t strip the natural oils from her hair, and no, it doesn’t stink. I also keep her hair in protective hairstyles as often as I can.
I co-wash her hair once a month, but I give it an actual wash with shampoo and conditioner once every 2 to 3 months. While I would use my AS I AM Coconut Co-Wash, I was elated to see that Born Curly also had a Co-Wash, and Avocado Shea Co-Wash. The products that you see behind Madison in this photo are the co-wash, the Aloe Shampoo & Wash, and the Argan Leave-In Conditioner and Detangler.
Madison claims they “smell like candy,” but I have to disagree. While they don’t smell quite like candy, they do smell amazing, and the reason she also loves getting her hair washed now with the Born Curly products is that they are also tear-free.
When Madison’s hair is washed, like most African-Americans there is usually a lot of shrinkage and it needs to be handled gently. Since it’s natural, it can break if you’re too rough. I used a wide-tooth comb to detangle but the Argan Leave-in Conditioner & Detangler does a really great job. It adds moisture to her hair and leaves it easy to comb through. While there are the occasional “ouches”, I have to say that there are way fewer than before. Once I’ve combed through her hair from ends to roots and gotten rid of the tangles and knots, it’s time to either do a protective style or one for a day out.
No matter which I’m doing, I add a bit of the Nourishing Hair & Body Oil and either the Rosemary Vanilla Twist Defining Smoothie or the Argan Curl Defining Jelly, or I might even add all three. The Nourishing Hair and Body Oil gives her hair a shine and it includes some of the oils that I used to use originally by themselves in her hair, such as coconut oil (nourishes your scalp), grapeseed oil (protects from dandruff), and avocado oil (which is way better than extra virgin olive oil for dry hair). It also smells great like all the other Born Curly™ products.
The Rosemary Vanilla Twist Defining Smoothie is great for twists and twist-outs and I love using it when her hair is damp, and I’m doing a protective style such as Bantu Knots (see photo below of what Bantu Knots look like). The Argan Curl Defining Jelly is a soft hold jelly, so it doesn’t leave her hair feeling, hard and crunchy, which is one reason why I don’t use gels in her hair, however, this one is awesome! I use this around her edges to keep those flyaway baby hairs down. It doesn’t leave that white flakiness that is usually associated with gels and it leaves her curls defined.
I am truly pleased that there is now an organic hair care product for our kids. I’m all about using as natural as possible products, whether that be with the foods that we eat or even the clothes that we wear. The As I Am® Born Curly™ products are professionally formulated with certified organic/natural functional ingredients and are specially designed to provide safe and toxic-free ingredients for our naturally curly-haired babies and children. They provide worry-free maintenance and styling of our children’s hair and I couldn’t begin to tell you how much in love I am. Give them a try!
You can purchase Born Curly™ hair care products at any of the following retailers (Sally, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, RiteAid, and local beauty supply stores).
