Favorite Thing #11: Ethnic Hair and Body Care

A friend who is adopting asked for some info about the products I like to use with Crown. I thought it would be fun to share it here too!

For her body, my favorite moisturizer is coconut oil. I buy it at Sunrise Natural Foods for about $11 a tub. (I just get their least expensive brand.) It lasts 6 months or so. I rub it all over her body and face (especially around her nose and mouth, which tends to be her driest area) every morning and after baths. I only give her a bath once or twice a week (unless extra baths are needed due to accidents), and I wash her hair once every week to two weeks. I feel that helps her skin and hair not get too dried out.

For her hair, I use Hawaiian Silky Miracle Worker every day (I get it at Sally's Beauty Supply for about $5 a bottle). In the morning when I oil her body, I also spray HS generously on her hair and massage (if her hair is in twists or ponytails) or brush (if her hair is loose) it in. I have found that a boar bristle brush works best for her fine but very curly hair. It seems to get most of the little tangles out if I work it in sections (which I do about once a week or so - the rest of the time it's usually up in twists or ponytails). If there are larger tangles, I will use a wide-tooth comb, but that does bother her more.

To wash her hair, I use Just for Me brand shampoo and conditioner. It took me some time to find these in Roseville, but recently the Walmart in West Roseville started carrying them. I use regular baby bath soap for her body.

I have also tried some other products that have been recommended to me. I used a Just for Me straightening mist, but I couldn't tell that it did much. Silken Child just made her hair really coarse, though I've heard it's popular. Coconut oil on her hair did the same thing. Olive oil can be used on hair, but I found it a bit too light. I like Carol's Daughter hair milk (which I could only find at Arden Mall Sephora - the one in Roseville doesn't carry it), but it's pretty expensive ($18 per bottle). There are a lot of other products out there that can be tried, but so far I'm happy with the price and relative simplicity of the ones I am currently using.

I do have one other product that I use for twists, Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist. I can post more about that later, but I don't want to include too much info in this post.