Oil ain't so bad afterall...an ode to EVOO

I had a pretty good experience not too long ago that I would like to share with y'all. It kind of counter balances my previous post about how certain types of hair (extra thick, course hair like mine) needs a cream or lotion to keep it hydrated and moisturized. On the other hand, oil serves it's purpose as well. Warning: detailed hair washing regimen ahead... Couple days ago, I washed my hair with the desert essence shea butter hydrating shampoo & conditioner mentioned a few posts ago...

I did a deep condition using the desert essence conditioner mixed with about a half cup of olive oil, wrapped my head in a bag and used a blow dryer to heat up the concoction. (Remember kids, the objective is not to dry your hair or blast it with heat, it's just a way of getting all that moistur-ey goodness to seep into your hair and scalp so use medium heat or a low pressure.) Kind of like a steam job.

So, I washed that stuff out, towel dried the hair enough for it to be damp and drippy (rather than soaking wet) and decided not to retwist using my usual mango lime locking gel.

Which smells really really goood, but I've been on a 'no residue' kick lately, and I'll get into that later. Instead, I decided to retwist with some good ole' fashioned EVOO.

The whole time I was doing this, I was thinking to myself that my hair is not going to hold as well with oil. But I finished retwisting (which has become increasingly easier, since I am already locked up-aaand, I got a little help from the boyfriend ;-) I blew the hair dry with my blowdryer, (set on medium heat) and not only did they manage to hold, but they hung straight and did not leave any residue at all, except a beautiful shine.

Oil was very important back in my permie days because it gave me length, as well as shine and added a little weight to my hair without product buildup. I must have forgotten that, because I was really shocked when I finished blow drying my hair after retwisting with oil and ended up with hair that laid down a bit more and had a smoother texture, rather than a fluffy texture (which dries out quicker). There was no residue at all and I actually felt the hair on the back of my neck, slightly touching my shoulders a little bit. I wonder if my hair would have turned out a little more cylindrical if I'd have done this from the start. But I don't want to think about that...lalalala! (Places fingers in ears and shakes head)

I feel like my scalp is an indicator that tells me how I'm holding up in the moisture department, and it was feeling itchy lately (meaning it was dry). But not lately. When I feel my scalp and the hairs close to it, everything is pretty soft. So all is good in the neighborhood. I would not advise this to anyone who is in the process of locking, because I don't know if it will work as well...but then again give it a try anyway, who knows? Either way, it's a great way to keep the moisture in your scalp and hair sealed up.

Now the only problem is...what do I do with all those extra containers of mango lime locking gel?