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iamnaturallykinky

Tag Archives: JBCO

My observations using Jamacian Black Castor Oil (JBCO)

01 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Growth, Natural, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

hair growth, JBCO

I’m not one of those people who just accept that something works because it’s the new trend, or must have product boasting miraculous claims. I don’t jump on the bandwagon and absolutely love this new item because everyone else loves it. No…I’m a skeptic…a glass half empty type of person. I don’t accept someone else’s words that something works. I have to have personal experience. It must be proven to me.

I’ve always been this way. I’ve always needed the whys and hows of any process. This really annoyed my teachers when I was in school. As they say, some things never change. So when it comes to hair and skincare products that promise to be miracle workers that will fix all of the issues that the other products couldn’t even begin to fix, yes, my radar goes off and I get a bit skeptical.

So imagine my mindset when I read about this little, inconspicuous oil here:

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Many bloggers and vloggers rave about JBCO. I’ve read many of their blogs and seen many of their vlogs that taut its praises. I’ve been using this oil for well over a year now in my hot oil treatments, as well as adding it to my deep conditioners sometimes, and often in my spray bottle. I’ve even participated in a few challenges where I was supposed to use castor oil on my hair so many times a week for so many months, usually three. However, I was never consistent enough with any of this to notice any changes. The big deal about this oil is that it is supposed to make hair grow. To say that I was a bit skeptical is putting it mildly. I have always believed that our bodily functions and processes will happen in their own time and on their own accord; I wonder why should I pad someone’s pocketbook when their product will do nothing out of the ordinary to correct problems A, B, C, or D.

Well, I must say this…the proof is in the pudding (that’s cliche, I know!) But it’s true. For the past month, I’ve been using JBCO on my eyebrows and eyelashes. I’m in awe of how much thicker they are. My brows and lashes have always been fairly thin. I’d started to use liner to darken my brows a bit. I’ve always used mascara on my lashes. I can see a remarkable difference. I can see hair sprouting and filling in areas of my eyebrows where hair has long since stopped sprouting. My brows are much darker and my lashes are longer.

I’ve added some photos, and hopefully you can see the difference. I wish I would’ve taken actual before photos. But, you can see the normal shape of my brows, as well as where the new hair is growing. I am not wearing any eye makeup in these photos. Please overlook my oily face, I was in the process of cleaning it.
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My random thoughts…

23 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Hair Care, Homemade, Natural, Natural Hair, Products

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Alikay Naturals, co-wash, coconut butter, coconut oil, conditioners, DIY, EVOO, homemade, JBCO, jojoba oil, natural, natural hair, sealant, shea butter, vitamin E oil

Random Thought #1 – Today was the first time in weeks that I manipulated my hair and there wasn’t damaged strands scattered all over the floor and sink. That made me feel good. I smiled about my hair for the first time in a long time. 🙂 I’m sure I haven’t gotten rid of all of the damage but it seems I might be on the right track.

I made a coconut oil, coconut butter, and shea butter sealant. I added JBCO, EVOO, jojoba, and vitamin E oils as well. After co-washing and detangling my hair tonight, I sealed with this and my Alikay Naturals Shea Yogurt Hair Moisturizer.

Random Thought #2 – I’m having the hardest time finding an all natural leave in that I don’t have to order online. I broke down and picked up a bottle of Kinky Curly Knot Today from Whole Foods. I’ve only used it once, so I’m not sure how I’m going to like it; it seems a little too lightweight. However, since discovering that I have fine strands, lightweight products may be what I need.

Does anyone have any other recommendations? I’m thinking of trying Karen’s Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia, but I wanted to see if there are any good ones that I don’t have to order online first.

My staple products

26 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Hair Care, Natural, Natural Hair, Products

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

ACV, aloe vera juice, Aussie Moist, Elasta QP, EVOO, Herbal Essences, JBCO, natural, natural hair, products, Shea Moisture, staples, water

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I have been natural a little over two years now, however I didn’t actually start my natural hair journey until a year ago. You can read about how my journey began on the tab on the home page. Since starting this journey, I have tried many products. Some worked well and of course some failed drastically. What I’ve learned is that there is no cookie cutter recipe for maintaining all natural hair. Everyone’s hair is different and what works for one may not work for another. The key to having healthy hair that thrives, flourishes, and grows is knowing the hair that grows from your scalp.

Now, becoming an expert on my hair has not been an easy feat. There have been many ups and downs, along with times of frustration, panic, and despair to say the least. Many times I considered throwing in the towel and going back to relaxers. However, I stuck it out and I’m glad that I did. By no means do I know all there is to know about this mane on my head. I’m still learning everyday. But…

…I have learned there are products that have worked well for me and caused my hair to thrive. These products are staples that I absolutely can’t live without. I use these religiously and at this point in time, I don’t see myself replacing.

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1) Water – While it is not necessarily a “product”, good ol’ H2O is a must. My hair drinks up moisture, so I water my hair twice a day – in the morning and at night.

2) Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV rinses are a part of every wash day. I’ve found that it keeps the balances the pH level of my hair and makes my curls pop, while adding luster.

3) Aussie Moist Conditioner – I use this primarily for my leave-in. It has great slip and moisturizes my hair well. I also love the sweet scent.

4) Herbal Essences Hello Hydration – This provides the same function as Aussie Moist. I uses them both interchangeablely. This creamy, blue conditioner also has a lovely scent and makes my curls look gawgeous!

5) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) – This has proven to be the absolute best sealer for my hair. It penetrates the cuticle well and does not sit on my hair.

When I use these products consistently, I find very few curly hairs on my bathroom floor and sink. Hair shedding is minimal.

Now, there are some products that I use faithfully in addition to the above. I won’t say that they are irreplaceable, but for the moment they are working well in my hair maintenance regimen.

1) Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) – I use JBCO in my hot oil treatments, as well as on my edges. I also put it in my spray bottle.

2) Elasta QP Mango Lime Curling Pudding – This pudding has worked well in adding moisture to my hair and defining my curls.

3) Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie – I use this interchangeablely with the Elasta QP. It also defines my curls well.

4) Aloe Vera Juice/Gel – I use this in my spray bottle as well. It’s supposed to prevent thinning, shedding, and breakage. The gel adds shine.

5) Olive Oil EcoStyler Gel – This gel provides the hold I need to maintain my twist/braid outs without the sticky, tacky residue and crunch factor. It holds well while leaving my curls soft.

My relaxing wash day

31 Saturday May 2014

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Hair Care, Natural, Natural Hair

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

ACV, Aussie Moist, deep conditioning, EVOO, flat twists, JBCO, pre-poo, Quidad, Shea Moisture, V05, wash day

Today was wash day and I must say my hair definitely needed the TLC. The last few wash days consisted of me doing a quick wash while in the shower. Today, she got the deluxe treatment!

I pre-pooed with almond oil last night, pinned my hair up in two sections, and slept in a plastic bag and my satin bonnet. I woke up this morning and added my deep conditioner, which consisted of V05 Pomegranate & Grapeseed Strengthening Conditioner as the base with coconut milk, vegetable glycerin, JBCO, Austin Moist 5 Minute Deep Treatment, and Quidad Climate Control Defrizzing Conditioner. I covered with a plastic bag and let it sit for about an hour and a half, while I sat and watched some TV.

After I rinsed the conditioner out, I used my Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo. This time I concentrated on only washing the roots and scalp. I usually don’t pay attention to this and wash the entire length of my strands. Since my hair has been really moisturized, I wanted to take all measures to not dry it out. I did an ACV rinse, and finished with a honey rinse. Three hours down and I was half way done.

Finally, I applied Aussie Moist as my leave-in, sealed with EVOO, and applied Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Curling Pudding to define my curls. I decided to do flat twists this time. They were nice and juicy!

I’m usually very particular about my hair when I leave the house. I’ve never been fond of going out with my hair in twists. But since they turned out so well I decided to throw caution to the wind and went to get a mani and pedi while my hair dried. This was a very liberating moment!

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My current length check

18 Sunday May 2014

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Hair Care, Natural, Natural Hair

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

3 strand twists, breakage, deep conditioned, JBCO, length check, natural, seal, twists, wash

OK…so I finally got around to doing this length check! First, I washed, deep conditioned, moisturized, and sealed my hair. I used JBCO on my edges and on the crown (I noticed that my crown area is quite a bit shorter than the rest. Gotta learn to keep my hands out of my hair!) I will be doing 3 strand twists once it dries a bit.

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My new protein treatment experiment

29 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Natural

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

ACV rinse, clarifying, coconut oil, curl definition, deep condition, egg, EVOO, flat twists, hot oil treatment, JBCO, leave-in, natural, peppermint oil, protein, protein treatment, tea tree oil, wash day

Well another wash day has come around and I decided to change things up in an attempt to revitalize my strands. Instead of doing my normal deep condition and hot oil treatment, I decided to try a protein treatment. In addition to the protein alone, I used conditioner as a base and added some oils as well – kind of like a 3-in-one treatment.

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I started with a clarifying wash in order to get rid of build up. Then I applied the treatment and let if sit for about 30 minutes. After rinsing the treatment out, I did my standard ACV rinse. I skipped the honey rinse this time since honey was included in the protein treatment and I don’t need too much moisture drawn into my strands.

I applied my leave-in and sealed my ends with coconut oil. After letting my hair air dry until it was damp instead of soaking wet, I flat twisted it.

My twistout was turned out great – no frizz or fly-aways. My curls were very defined and I love the sheen the ACV rinse provided. (Forgot to take pics of my first day hair.)

Here is a pic of my hair after being in flat twists for the past three days. It is still extremely soft, well moisturized, and has awesome sheen.
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My thoughts about my hair problem

20 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Natural

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

aloe vera gel, dandruff, deep condition, flaking, folliculitis, hair, hot oil treatment, JBCO, natural, psoriasis, scalp

So last night I massaged my edges with JBCO and aloe vera gel. Can’t say that it made much of a difference. But I’m sure it will take time and consistent use before I’m able to tell if it’s helping or not.

After work I came home, took my hair down, and observed my scalp. I noticed that it is very dry and when I scratched it, it started to flake. I went through my whole head and gently scratched and it flaked. I’m starting to think that I could possibly be dealing with severe dryness and dandruff. Now I don’t understand why this would be. I do hot weekly hot oil treatments but then again, other than that I never oil my scalp. Being that I slept with conditioner and oil in my hair overnight one would assume that my scalp would be sufficiently oiled right now.

Could the products have dryed my scalp? Is it possible for my scalp to be so dry after all of that? I guess it is possible because that’s exactly what it looks like. I haven’t noticed anymore breakage or areas where it looks as if my hair is falling out. Thank you, God for that!

I’ve been researching about scalp psoriasis and folliculitis and from what I’ve read symptoms are the scalp would be covered with silvery flakes, which is not what I have on my scalp. So I’m pretty much ruling that out for the time being. However, I also found that dandruff can be caused by irritated, dry skin (known as Seborrheic dermatitis), reactions to certain products (which I’m starting to think is my problem), dry skin (which we all know), stress (which I’ve had plenty of!), yeast (don’t know why I would suddenly have this issue), and a host of other reasons.

So I’m going to oil my scalp really good and keep massaging with the oil and aloe vera gel and see if this resolves the problem. *crossing eyes, fingers, and toes*

Winter Castor Oil Challenge

10 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Challenge, Hair Care, Natural

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

castor oil, challenge, JBCO

WINTER-CASTOR-OIL-CHALLENGE-KINKYCURLYCOILYME.COM_

I’m participating the the Winter Castor Oil Challenge hosted by Kinky Curly Coily Me. I’ve tried this challenge before, but only put in half the effort. I’m going to try this again. I use JBCO often, but I want to see firsthand if the claims made about castor oil are true by using it consistently.

My improvisation

02 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Hair Care, Natural

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

avocado oil, clarifying, deep condition, EcoStyler, Elasta QP, EVOO, gel, hair care, Hello Hydration, hot oil treatment, JBCO, LOC, wash day

It’s wash day…being that my hair has grown so much, it doesn’t fit underneath a regular plastic cap for my hot oil treatment and deep condition. Soooo, how does one improvise? Pull out one of those plastic Kroger bags that’s stashed in the pantry.

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Today’s procedure: hot oil treatment, protein deep condition, clarifying wash, LOC using HH as leave in, avocado oil, JBCO, & EVOO, twisted using Elasta QP mango & lime curl pudding  and EcoStyler gel – 2 flat twists along the front and two strand twists all over.

My getting back to basics regimen

07 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by iamnaturallykinky in Hair Care, Natural, Products

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

aloe vera gel, Aussie Moist, Cantu, curl definition, EASE, EcoStyler, EVOO, frizz, gel, glycerin, hair, hair care, Hello Hydration, JBCO, jojoba oil, leave-in, LOC, moisture, natural, natural hair, products, sebum, shea butter, Shea Moisture, theory, water, water bottle, YouTube

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Cantu Shea Butter, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, EVOO, EcoStyler Gel, & water bottle

I’ve been noticing lately that for some reason my hair is no longer doing as well with the conditioner leave-ins. It absolutely LOVED the Hello Hydration and Aussie Moist for awhile, but now that my curls hang a bit more, they are not as defined as before. It doesn’t appear to be as moisturized and I’ve also been having more shedding. Even today, after taking down my three day old twists, my curls did not cooperate. The curls were tight, but the style wasn’t what I expected. I was unable to separate the curls without causing to much frizz and they would not hang. The overall look of it just wasn’t as appealing. (I failed to take a picture).

I’ve been going over in my mind what could possibly be the problem. It came to me that my hair did so much better with styling in the earlier stages of my journey. I came to the conclusion that I’ve gotten away from the basics. While trying to incorporate other products into my styling regimen, I’ve neglected the products that worked for me in the beginning. So, I’m going to go back to the initial products that I started with – shea butter leave-in, curl enhancing pudding, EVOO, gel, and my water bottle. I can’t remember when the last time was that I spritzed my hair using my water bottle!

Now, about the EcoStyler gel. In my previous posts I lamented about my strong dislike of this gel. However, I’ve decided to give it another try, but by using it in a different way. In the past, this gel left a white residue in my hair. I’m thinking that was because of the amount of other products that I was using in my hair and also the amount of gel. So I’m going to try it again, but by using less product and less of the gel.

So, this evening, I moisturized using the LOC method and also incorporated the EASE method that I saw on a YouTube video by The Trendy Socialite. Using EASE simply involves LOCing in parts: edges, all over, sections, and ends. I flat twisted each section after it had been moisturized. Being that I didn’t saturate my hair when I spritzed it as I’d done in the past, it stayed pretty stretched. (Shrinkage was the main reason that I’d gotten away from using my water bottle). While I was going through this process, I noticed that my scalp was kind of dry, so I used a little jojoba oil and lightly oiled my scalp to remedy this. Since jojoba oil is similar to the sebum that is naturally produced by the scalp glands, it shouldn’t clog the hair follicles. I also hit my edges with JBCO. Now I’m patiently waiting until tomorrow to see if my theory is correct. Once again, I’m crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes in hopes that this solves my problem.

Contents of my water bottle: mostly water with a little vegetable glycerin and aloe vera gel

OK…so I was unable to wait patiently until tomorrow, so since my hair has pretty much dried, I untwisted a couple of at the front. They looked great!!! Re-twisted and now patiently waiting until morning. 🙂

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Any images that are not stated as my own or that do not feature myself are not owned by me. Images used are purely for commentary purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. Please email me at iamnaturallykinky@gmail.com if you are the owner of any images for credits or removal.

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