Washing My Hair at 1 AM...and I decided to create a blog about it!

What would make me stop to create this blog at 1:34 AM on a Monday morning? The same thing that caused me to get out of bed and wash my hair at 1:00 AM... hair products gone wrong! I was so excited to finally take the leap and make that purchase, had been thinking, "These are the [natural] products that are going to do it all!" I spent $65 (including shipping) and couldn't wait for my package to arrive so that I could get started on "making it happen" for my hair. But this morning is not my first attempt at making it happen with these products. Oh no...my first attempt ended in the same exact way--washing my hair! So let me take you back to that fateful day 1.

The products arrived and I was so excited to wash my hair and get started. I received a free shampoo bar with my order so...why not start there? Step 1: I washed my hair with the bar, never having used a shampoo bar before. It felt great! The bar was very moisturizing and left my hair feeling clean without feeling overly stripped. Step 2: It was time to prepare my scalp before styling. The package included a free, 1 oz sample of hair oil, which promises to nurture the scalp and encourage hair growth. I transferred the oil into an applicator bottle and began to apply. Now I'm thinking, "Whoa...this stuff smells strong. Maybe I should use my fingers to spread it evenly and massage it in." My head begins to spin. I hold on to the sink because all of a sudden I feel like I'm going to pass out. But I continue on applying the next product. Step 3: I began sectioning my hair and applying the hair moisturizer, raking it through with my fingers. Now my head is really spinning and I'm getting sick to my stomach. I'm thinking, "Let me hurry up and finish applying these products so I can get some food and sit down a while. Maybe that will help me feel better." Step 4: After applying the moisturizer all over my hair, I proceeded to the last step, applying the styling cream. I quickly took scoops and raked it all over my hair, desperately trying to keep it together to avoid getting sick at the toilet.

With the application complete, I'm doing everything I can think of to help myself feel better. I pop open a Sierra Mist and eat a piece of bread, hoping this will help to settle my stomach. I lay down, I sit up. I'm steadily getting sicker and sicker. My head is spinning...I've got to wash this stuff out! Dreading the fact that I'm about to waste all of these products by washing them down the drain, I realize that I have no other choice. To the sink I go. First I washed my hair with the shampoo bar, but I thought better of this and decided to wash again with my organic shampoo. With everything washed out, I apply some of my regular hair products just to keep my hair under control. At this point I'm barely making it. I can barely stand up for being so sick and dizzy. I'm practically crawling on the floor to my cell phone, which I use to call for help (yes, it became THIS serious!). I called my mother to come over immediately to help me. I had recently had my baby and I was so sick I couldn't even hold and rock her as she cried with sleepiness.

My mother arrived about 15 minutes later (while she was on her way I called twice to see if she had left yet...I was desperate I tell you!), with saltine crackers and chicken noodle soup. What a mom! She knew exactly what was needed to get me back together again. As I lay on the floor, shoving crackers in my mouth, Mama picked up the baby and, thankfully, rocked her to sleep. I had even called my sister to come and help me hoping that one or the other would get here faster. Within an hour's time, I was eating soup and feeling much better. I was able to be vertical again, and that was saying a lot!

Why I didn't throw away these "make it happen" products at once is a mystery. After all I had gone through, I still decided to save them and try it again later. Which brings me to this morning. Two weeks later, I decided it was time to try out at least ONE of the products again. Maybe I had just gotten the flu or something and it really wasn't the products that caused all of that madness. So I washed my hair with my regular organic shampoo and conditioner and decided to apply only one product. I used the moisturizer and braided my hair in six sections. So far so good. My hair dried overnight and the braids were taken down for a Mother's Day braid-out. The style looked cute after I fluffed and pulled and fluffed. The curls were defined in most of my hair, but the stubborn crown area got frizzy (as usual). I was able to wear my hair out all day without any problem...maybe I'll be able to keep these products after all.

Then I get to about 12:45 AM. My scalp began to itch, only a little bit at first. I started scratching my hairline around my temple area, then behind my ears. At first I thought it was my satin bonnet causing all the ruckus until those areas began to burn a bit. Now I'm thinking..."Uh oh...what's going on here?" So I got out of bed and went to look at my hair in the mirror. Oh my goodness! My scalp looks fiery red (and I'm a brown skinned girl!). What's going on now?? Itching, itching. Burning, burning. I think I better wash this stuff out of my hair. Foiled again! It's 1 AM and I'm in the shower using the most regular shampoo and conditioner I could find (Pantene), just to get totally away from the natural stuff for a minute and get my scalp and hair back under control!

It's 1:34 AM and I've just gotten out of the shower. I washed my hair and left in the conditioner, detangled and put my hair in two ponytails with buns on the end. I'm back in my bed and realizing that I wasted my money. The gig is up. I will not use any of those products again. Maybe it's time for me blog about this...to start that blog that my sister has been encouraging me to do. Its 2:15 AM and I've done two things: 1) Learned a great, big ole lesson on the importance of being careful with hair products--you can't use everything in your hair just because it's "natural" and 2) Written my first blog entry.

Good Night.