Keeping Coconut Oil Rancid and Mold Free

Good day curlies!  I had to share my latest experience with coconut oil.  For those of you who read my blog, you know that coconut oil is one of my favorite oils to apply to my hair after a co-wash and leave in conditioner.  I found out that I was storing my coconut oil incorrectly after mold started forming in my oil.  I also noticed when it's stored or when I allow other products to get into the oil, it may develop a different smell.

In other words, here's what I previously did:  I previously stored my coconut oil under the bathroom sink in the upstairs bathroom of my house.  I kept it there, because that's where I keep most of my hair products, and it's convenient to grab it when co-washing my hair.  I also would apply conditioner to my hair and then reach into the coconut oil and scoop out some oil.  I began to notice green mold forming and a rancid smell in my coconut oil.  I had to toss it, because I would never put a rancid or molding product on my hair.

What I learned:  My coconut oil lasts longer when stored in the refrigerator.  It keeps it from melting and re-solidifying when the temperature gets warmer.  I'm also reminded that my upstairs bathroom sink cabinet is warmer than the cabinets on lower levels of my home, even though it's a dark place, it's not cool there.  I also realized that it's important to take an extra moment and rinse conditioner or any product from my hands before reaching into the coconut oil jar.

What I said to myself:  Duh, I should have known better.   Yall know how it is when you're rushing to get that wash and go done early in the morning, and you just want things to be convenient so that you can move from one step to the next.  Well I've learned my lesson, and my coconut oil lasts a long time now.  For one, I now keep my coconut oil in the refrigerator.  I scoop a small amount of oil into a separate container when doing a co-wash.  This step keeps me from causing any cross contamination of products, and it keeps the full jar of coconut safe and cool in the fridge.  I can surely say that I will not be throwing out another half used jar of coconut oil again.  I know how to store and keep my coconut oil rancid and mold free.

Here's a peak at the shine that I get from applying coconut oil to my natural hair. 

Coconut oil is a moisturizing and shine defining oil that is heavenly on my natural tresses.  Here's a great resource on How to Store Coconut Oil .  You can also eat or cook with this oil. Check out Dr. Oz's site on the health benefits of coconut oil, including regulating blood sugar and assisting with weight loss.  I also found some additional benefits of coconut oil, including claims that it eliminates lice eggs, dandruff, and assists with regrowth of hair when massaged into the scalp.

How do you store your coconut oil?  and  Have you experienced any other benefits from using coconut oil?

Bahamas Vacation Versus Mexico Vacation With Natural Hair Comparisons

This month has been such a great month.  I celebrated my 16th year wedding anniversary with my husband 2 weeks ago in the Bahamas!  We had a great time!  Life seemed like a utopia with no major responsibilities, except for the expenses that went along with this trip ( I need anyone who is interested to click my donate button right about now- scroll to bottom of page :) and LOL!  We got to eat, which I did to much of because everything fits a little snugger- LOL!  I also got to sleep, be merry, and have some much needed time just for us.  

I remember another vacation that we spent in Mexico and I can clearly see the progression of my hair from our vacation in Puerto Vallarta Mexico in August of 2009, compared to our Bahamas vacation in August 2012.  I wore 2 signature styles on both trips, which include wearing my hair pulled back into a  puff and also wearing a wash and go.  LOL! I also wore the same dress each year on 1 select day.  I just love those cute dresses that you can by on the beach!  Anyways, here are the comparison pics.

Wash and go 2009

Wash and go 2012

Puff 2009

Puff 2012

I can definitely see differences from August 2009 compared to August 2012.  My length went from a wash and go that wasn't quite chin length to a wash and go that hangs to past shoulder length.  My puff has also changed over the years. It went from being a length that could be secured near the top of my head, to a longer length that could be secured near the base of my head.  Yep, I'd say that my hair has definitely changed over the course of a 3 year span.  Has your hair changed within a 3 year time period?   

Here are a few more pics from the recent vacay.  Enjoy!

  

P.S. We stayed at the Atlantis resort.  It was truly amazing!  I thank God for the opportunity to experience such a beautiful place.  Like a family friend once told me, "try to create as many beautiful memories as possible, because as you get older that's all you have".

 

Meeting CurlyNikki and Tracee Ellis Ross In NYC

Barbaranaturallyspeaking & CurlyNikki

OMG!  This week was uber exciting for me!  I was on vacation last week and decided to peek at CurlyNikki's site even though I wasn't online much.  When I saw the event in NY posted for the following week with the opportunity to meet CurlyNikki and Tracee Ellis Ross in one place, I thought one thing: To my naturally curly self, this is like meeting Michael Jackson and Prince in one room ( 2 of the greats).  I instantly RSVP'd since it said that space was limited to 300 people.  They had such an overwhelming response that they had to quadruple the number of participants allowed.  When I got the email confirmation, I booked a flight and a room, with my husbands blessing and words that "You only live once, you love natural hair, so go".  My kids wished me well and my daughter drew me a picture saying "Mommy I love you even when you're on your trip".  

This was my first time in New York City.  It reminded me of Chicago, as it's a big city with lots of cabs and people.  One things for sure though, the line for the Curly Nikki event spanned blocks and around corners.  Once into the venue, it was truly an amazing evening.  It was crowded, curls were everywhere, red velvet cupcakes sealed the deal, and curl feelings (the opportunity to touch other curlies hair and ask how they mastered the style) were in order.  Curly Nikki's hair is fierce!  Her curls and hair looked just as amazing in person as it does on her blog.  She was also very down to earth, grabbed me by the hand and thanked me for coming.  She touched and complemented my curls, as did many of the curlies around.  Tracee Ellis Ross is also beautiful and had these wonderful curls spiraling all over the place.  

Tracee Ellis Ross

All I can say is, I had curl envy.  I also met another blogger with a informative blog, none other than Shelli of hairscapades .  She's such a beauty with a beautiful personality to go along with it.  I felt like our hair was blending in terms of similar textures.

barbaranaturallyspeaking and Shelli of Hairscapades

L)Misst1806- youtube, M)barbaranaturally speaking, R) Friend of Misst1806

Johnny Wright (stylist to Michelle Obama), Jason, Leanne, Barbaranaturallyspeaking, Mezei  Jefferson (Senior manager of education at Softsheen-Carson)

The product that was newly launched is one from the new "Optimum Salon Haircare Line".  The 6 in 1 Miracle Oil which has 6 different oils including argan oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, and avocado oil.  You can check out optimum's facebook page to view questions about the product and view additional pics from the event, or if you want to see the list of ingredients and learn more about the product check out the Softsheen Carson Website.  Again, this was an amazing night, with one exception, my camera decided that it wanted to only take blurry pictures.  My Godsister, who lives in NY saved the day by allowing me to use her camera.  Wew!  Thanks LeAnne!  I later figured out that it was a mistake to take my camera out of it's case to allow it to fit into my tiny purse.  I realized 2 days later that there was a smudge on the lens.  Once I wiped the lens my camera worked perfectly, 2 days after the event though.  Anyways, I think I got my curl fix for a while.  Ok now it's back to work, family, and reality.   

Motorcycles and Curls

Hey naturals,

I couldn't help but show you what my wash-n-go looks like on a bike, a motorcyle that is.  This is my wash-n-go from this morning.  I co-washed, applied Now Coconut Oil, and then finger combed Kinky Curly Curling Custard gel through my hair.  This is 9 hours after an early morning co-wash that I allowed to air dry.  It took about 2-3 hours to dry completely (outside air and heat from the day).  My curls are still holding strong.  Sorry for the glare in my photo, I used the camera on my phone to take this pic.  Here's a closeup of my wash and go.

 

Let me quit playing, I can't ride a motorcycle.  In fact this is my first time ever sitting on one.  This photo op is a thanks to my big brother who showed me how to mash the break on the handle while climbing on.  Maybe this will be the next thing that I learn to do.  LOL!  For real though, here are the real tips for what I do with my hair when riding my own bike with the kiddos.  It's just a look at how I style my hair to fit under my helmet (Safety first).  Check out an older post that I wrote regarding how to place my curls while biking. http://barbaranaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2011/07/benefits-of-biking-with-curls.html

How do you style your hair under your helmet?  Are your curls riding a motorcycle or a bike?  Fess up! LOL!  I'm truly riding a bike with pedals.