Showing posts with label hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hair. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

7 Hair and Skin Products Our Multiracial Family is Using This Winter

Winter is upon us!

It's been awhile--too long--since I've shared with you what's going on with our kids' hair, including our favorite products, tools, and accessories. Just when we get a routine down--something changes. The weather, a child's preferences, or their own hair skills/mine.



I've shared with you in the past what we do for our son's hair. I've also shared a list of the best children's hair and skin picture books. And of course, I keep you posted on my three daughters' hair. But that was then, and this is now. 

Here's the hair products, accessories, and tools we're loving these days:

1: Leave-in conditioners.

We've been using almost all Camille Rose products lately. It's a Black-owned company, and the products are healthy and affordable. I've tried many different leave-ins, and our current fave for all three girls (with three different hair types) is Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk. It smells like marshmallow!

A close second is Curls creme brulee which we've used for a few years. Again, natural, affordable, and smells delish--like cake batter. I use this in my son's hair, too! We switch to blueberry in the summer. 

Don't forget spray to keep the scalp healthy and comfortable! We're obsessed with Honey Baby's milk and honey spray.



(Our shampoo/conditioner routine hasn't changed. If we're just doing a cleansing rinse, I use Camille Rose Naturals ginger rinse.  If we're doing an all-out shampoo and conditioner routine, we use Organix Coconut Curls products.)

2: Detangling brush.








Let’s talk about hair product and tool storage! πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸ½πŸ‘‡πŸΎ I use hard plastic shower caddies (they’re clearanced out right now!!) because they’re wipeable! I love the various compartments. Plus, I do hair all over my house, so the handle is helpful for a grab-and-go moment. 🧴 We own SO many products...but I’m working hard not to overbuy anymore. (#failing) We buy natural products, preferably created by Black owned companies. πŸ’° Someday when I organize my house... I’m going to create a hair product closet. πŸšͺ How do you organize hair tools and products? πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸ½πŸ‘‡πŸΎ . . . #blackownedbusiness #hairstyles #naturalhair #blackgirlhairstyles #blackgirlhair #multiracialfamily #organized #melanin #curlyhair #tuesdaymotivation
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We use two different detangling brushes depending on the child. One of my girls likes this Bestool, while my other two prefer this one. The Wet Brush is easier for the older girls to use solo, because this one requires more technique and precision. The directions are on the box, but as a heads up: you brush a section of hair w/the brush vertical, then you brush again with it held horizontal.

3: First-aid.

So for any bumps, scrapes, pimples, or bug bites, we use this product by Derma-E. It doesn't bleach skin, it doesn't sting (it soothes!), and a little bit goes a long way. For boo-boos, we are fans of Tru-Colour bandages--and the variety pack is perfect for my kiddos who each have a different skin tone

4: Hair protection.



We use standard (inexpensive)sleep bonnets on the big girls and Africa Sleeps caps on our toddler. For winter hats, we buy hats lined with satin or exercise-clothing material (I find these at Target: C9 brand). And everyone has these satin pillowcases--affordable and come in a variety of colors.

Keeping hair protected from harsh winter weather conditions is important to prevent breakage and promote growth.








Last night, my daughter asked me to read her our book. Of course I said yes. πŸ“– There’s a poem in it that’s all about her-so she picked that one first. πŸ€“My Santa” is my personal fave-so we read that one, too. πŸŽ…πŸΎ Our book is #poemsforthesmartspunkyandsensationalblackgirl - and we created it together. πŸ’“ 20 poems, all inspired by my daughters. Their experiences, emotions, and dreams. πŸ‘©πŸΎ‍πŸ¦±πŸ‘©πŸΏ‍🦱 Paired with gorgeous, bold, detailed, diverse illustrations by @coilyandcute 🎨 Available wherever books are sold. πŸ“š Do you have a copy yet? πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸ½πŸ‘‡πŸΎ . . . #childrensbook #poetry #representationmatters #melanin #multiracialfamily #whitesugarbrownsugar #daughter #mommyandme #bedtime #nightnight #goodnight
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5: Hair accessories.

Hands down, we prefer Gabbybows to secure the ends of braids. They don't fall out--ever!  We have plenty of beads and ballies, too, as well as hair ribbons. I highly recommend this set of 40 hairbows--they are affordable, there's a variety of colors, and the quality is great!  You can also pick up this 40 piece satin scrunchie set for a great price--which is back in style now. (Hello, 1980s childhood!). 



6: Lip protection.

My whole family uses Burt's Bees--the plain version. My older daughter (tween!) and I use a tinted Burt's Bees to add a little pop of color! If you aren't sure which one is right for you and your child, I recommend buying a variety Burt's Bees multi-pack to save a few dollars. My kids each have one in their bathroom drawer and one in their backpack to use throughout the school day. If your child likes a bit of sparkle, try this one, or if you have a teen who likes wearing lipstick, Burt's Bees also has options.

7: Lotion.

We struggle to keep skin moisturized year-round--because I refuse to use chemical-laden, toxic lotion on my children. Remember, what you put on the skin, it "drinks" inward. Lately, all my kids have been using this Alba unscented lotion. It's working great, it's affordable, and I love that everyone can use the exact same product. 









How lucky am I that I get to hold these hands? πŸ–πŸΌπŸ–πŸ½πŸ–πŸΎπŸ–πŸΏ When people see our family, we’re met with a variety of responses. Curiosity. Compliments. Questions. We’re quite used to it. But the truth is, we are just a normal family. Yes, our story is different than the typical, but day to day we laugh, argue, forgive, problem solve, and love. πŸ’“ I also must say this...again. I didn’t rescue my kids. I’m not a saint, savior, or superhero. I’m a woman who chose to adopt. That doesn’t make me special - nor does it make my kids charity cases. πŸ’“ What’s your response to people who ask you about your family? πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸ½πŸ‘‡πŸΎ . . . #adoption #ouradoptionstory #ouradoptionjourney #adoptionjourney #adopt #transracialadoption #thehopefulmomsguidetoadoption #multiracialfamily #specialneeds #adoptivemom #whitesugarbrownsugar #adoptionislove #melaninpoppin #tuesdaymotivation

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Tuesday, April 24, 2018

5 Hair Products This Multiracial Family Can't Live Without, and How We Choose What We Buy

Hair.  It's a BIG topic in the transracial adoption community.  And for good reason.

Trying to find the perfect hair products is overwhelming and expensive.  Not to mention, confusing! And for a family likes ours where we have four kids (and four different hair types, lengths, and style preferences), it can get pretty complicated!   

However, we have a good routine in place for each child, including the products we use.  And if you follow me on Insta, I post new hairstyles often!  



First, here are our rules for choosing hair products:

1: Affordable.  I'm not spending $20+ per bottle of hair product.  No way.  Not with four heads of hair.  Not happening.    

2:  Healthy.   No dirty beauty ingredients allowed.  We try to live a life as toxic-free as possible, and this includes hair products!

3:  Scent-worthy.  I'm super scent-sensitive, so I'm picky about products.  If it doesn't smell amazing (and not overwhelming), I'm not buying it, no matter how good of a product it is.  

4:  Accessibility.  I'd better be able to order it from Amazon, or I'm not buying it.  Because when you need product, you NEED product.  (Now, I do try to stay ahead-of-the-game by buying product from my local Black beauty store.  But with four kids, I sometimes forget to get product before a hair styling session.)  

5:  Black-created.  I prefer the products come from a Black-owned, Black-created company.  (Though I have purchased products we've enjoyed from other companies as you'll see below.)  



So here are our top five favorite products:

1:  Camille Rose Naturals.

This is the brand I use on my oldest two girls.  Every single product smells amazing, is affordable, and works!  There are instructions on every bottle stating how to use the product (free hair tips?  yes, please!)  Here are just a few of the products we use: the cleansing rinse, kids' brown butter hair balm, and the kids' sweet pudding buttercream. I haven't met a Camille Rose product I don't like!  

2:  Curls.

This is the brand I use for my son.  The creme brulee leave-in smells like dessert (duh) and is my absolute favorite!   The blueberry bliss is also delish, but I prefer to use it in my son's hair in the summer, as it just smells summery.  There's also a blueberry bliss gel option.   We "finish" his hair using a coiling sponge:  it gives the curls definition and looks simply adorable!  

3:  Honey Baby Naturals.

So I was having a hard time finding products for my baby girl (1.5 years old) that would keep her finger coils moisturized.  I much prefer finger coils to afro puffs!   They are a protective style for shorter hair, easy to re-do, and so cute.   After I tried one Honey Baby product, I just KEPT ordering more products from them!  We currently use the shampoo, conditioner, detangler, and leave-in moisturizer.  AND, to top it all off, they make a body lotion in a matching scent!   I love when ALL products have the same scent, otherwise the mixture of scents is just overpowering, even nauseating.   

4:  Satin pillowcases and crib sheets.

Yes, this is a hair product.  We use satin pillowcases over the backs of car and booster seats to protect hair, as well as on our kids' bed pillows.  There are many colors to choose from to match their preferences and room decor.  We own over ten of these!   

The satin crib sheet is a hair-saver for my toddler.  Now, satin crib sheets can be really expensive, which is why we only own one.  But this one is the most affordable I've seen.  Fair warning:  it snags easily on things like velcro (think bibs) and zippers, so if you wash it, wash it by itself or with other soft bedding or clothing.  There's a pink and blue option, too. I'm asked about the crib sheet ALL the time.   

5:  Trader Joe's Tea Tree.

Cradle cap and dry scalp struggles are real, especially with infants!  I swear by Trader Joe's Tee Tree shampoo and conditioner for dry scalp situations.  (I DO NOT recommend it for day-to-day or week-to-week use otherwise.)   To remove cradle cap, slather the child's scalp with coconut oil and leave on for twenty minutes.  Then brush with a baby brush.  Then wash the hair with the tea tree shampoo, followed by the tea tree conditioner.  Then apply your favorite leave-in moisturizer.  Three treatments, and my baby's cradle cap was gone!   We then transferred the shampoo and conditioner (which is really affordable, by the way; and the bottles are large) to our guest bathroom shower for any guests to use who forgot to bring their own product.  


Friday, June 30, 2017

Dear Sugar: On Multiracial Motherhood, From Diedre Anthony's Point of View


Dear Sugar:

Today I'm introducing you to one of my newest favorite people, Diedre Anthony.  Diedre is the author of a fabulous up-and-coming blog called Are Those Your Kids?  And if you follow me on Facebook, Diedre and I have made multiple appearances together on Facebook Live, talking about hair, nosy strangers, school, and much more.  


What I love about Diedre (pronounced Day-dra) is her authenticity.  What you see-hear-read is what you get.  She's also incredibly supportive of fellow multiracial families, running a Facebook group just for moms like me (and you?).   


Rachel:  Tell me about yourself. 


Diedre:  I've been a school counselor for 10 years...a middle school one for 6 of those years. I guess you can say that has prepared me to deal with drama :) 

I live in Statesboro, Georgia, a small town 45 minutes from Savannah, Georgia. Thanks to the college, it has brought diversity to our town. I met my husband here while in graduate school. He was born and raised here. We have been married for 7 years and dated for 3 years prior to getting married. We met while folding shirts in the men's department at JCPenney. 

I'm an "Air Force brat" but I grew up on the same base for the majority of my life. Looking at my group of friends was like looking at the United Nations. The base brought a variety of cultures and races together. Diversity was our way of life. 

I have 2 daughters ages 3 and 5 going on ages 16 and 21. They both have very different textures of hair. Trying to figure out what worked best in their hair is what prompted me to start my blog, Are Those Your Kids. I couldn't find many resources for biracial kids, so I decided to be that resource for others. 

In my free time I love to write, shop for makeup and hair products (I'm a self proclaimed product junkie) and read.


Rachel:  What is the mission of your blog, Are Those Your Kids

Diedre:  To empower multiracial families with resources and help them navigate the journey of raising biracial children. Having a multiracial family poses some unique challenges that monoracial families never have to consider. All sorts of questions arise and parents are looking for some guidance to answer them. Questions like, what if my child is the only minority in their class? Or what if someone asks what my child is? Or what if a kid makes fun of my child's lunch because it's culturally different? 

Rachel:  You and I have discussed this top at length on Facebook Live, because our followers LOVE talking about this topic.   But I'll ask again:  how do you react when someone makes an inappropriate remark or asks an absurd question about your multiracial family? 

Diedre:  I usually respond with some level of sarcasm if I feel like they are being intrusive or mean spirited. If they are asking questions, I usually follow up with a question like, what do you mean? Or why do you say that? Sometimes that stops the conversation from going to uncomfortable places.




Rachel:   Let's talk about hair!  Give me your single best hair tip and your top three favorite products right now. 

Diedre:  Wow, just 1? That's tough! I guess my best tip would be to do the majority of curly hair styling while the hair is soaking wet or damp. This makes detangling and styling so much easier. My top 3 favorite products are the Mane Choice Shampoo/conditioner, Mielle Organics Babassu Oil and Mint Deep Conditioner and; Shea Moisture Curl Gel Souffle. 



Rachel:  What's your favorite quote, verse, book, song, tv show, or movie about race? 

Diedre:  I would have to say either India Arie's "I Am Not My Hair" or Michael Jackson "Black or White."

Find Diedre on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

-This post contains Amazon affiliate links.