Us LA folks have been at home on punishment since March, and by the looks of it, we're on track to spend the rest of 2020 that way. 😭 Through it all, I can’t unerscore how incredibly blessed I’ve been in this season — to be able to work from home, connect with clients under Christina Patrice Creative, and of course, work behind the scenes with Samuel on Station 1923.

Admittedly, I haven’t had a bunch of free time to play in my hair, but perhaps it’s for the best. And even though I've had less time to play with and in my hair, I feel like my hair is in the healthiest growing phase I've had in a while.

I specify healthiest growing phase because my hair has been through some rough patches in the last few year, most of which were resolved by my 2019 cut with Brandie at Be Kekoa. My last cut with Brandie was in ye olden times, February of 2020 Pre-Corona. My cut in February was all about restoring shape and fullness, so that my hair could grow out and reach its full potential.

And while on quarantine, it most certainly has. 🙌🏽

In the past five months, my hair has grown considerably — although my shrinkage is at the peak of disrespect, so you can't really tell. My curls look and feel healthy, my wash and go's look full, and best of all, I don't have janky splitting ends that need to be cut every month.

So what's the secret?

A handful of regimen changes. While not wild or drastically different from my norm, the tweaks I've made to my wash day and styling regimen while in quarantine have helped me greatly to:

• retain length
• reduce frizz
• enhance definition
• reduce split and breaking ends
• preserve the health of my hair long-term

Change #1: Wash Day is No Longer an ALL-DAY Affair

Wash day is something like an olympic sport in the natural hair community. From overnight pre-poos to multi-day drying, time-consuming doesn't even begin to describe the effort some of us put into our hair. While my wash day was already whittled down to the basics (cleanse, deep condition, style), the styling portion always got me. Even though I could get my wash and go styled in under an hour, the dry time on that mamma jamma was insane.

You mean to tell me I gotta spend 1 hour styling, 2 more hours under the dryer — and still go to bed with wet hair? And y'all KNOW how annoying and hard it is to sleep on wet hair. Even with my wig net method. 

So I stopped doing it. Jesus didn't die on the cross for me to go to bed with hair that sounds like stirring mac and cheese.

After my cleansing and deep conditioning, I apply my leave-in in the shower, twist my hair in about 8-10 chunky sections and... go on about my business.

Usually that means I go outside to work out, and let the fresh air and sunshine do what it will in terms of air drying. And I don't need to tell you that hair dries a lot faster when there's not 15 layers of gel on top of it. 😭

But what does this mean for my wash and go styles? I'm glad you asked...

Change #2: Damp/Dry Styling

I know what you're thinking. You're wondering who's writing this blog post, and what they've done with Christina.

I promise, it's me.

Yes, the same Christina who's been saying since like 2014 to style on soaking, drippity, wet-wet hair. I'm now telling you that as of July in the Year of Our Lord and Corona 2020, I no longer style on wet hair.

Why? It all comes down to time and results.

Truthfully, I always shied away from damp or dry styling because I thought it would leave my hair frizzy and undefined. The lie detector test determined that was a lie:


So now that I've gotten the technique down and my style results are the same as, if not better than, the wet styling results, I have no reason to go back.

As far as time is concerned, can we talk about the fact that MY HAIR STARTS DRYING BEFORE I CAN EVEN FINISH STYLING? Not that dry from the mid-shaft down business, but dry-dry. Fully dry. As in after about an hour or so of air drying without even trying, my hair is done.

I don't go to bed with wet hair anymore. Praise Jesus.

I'll update you all with a video tutorial and breakdown of my damp/dry styling method soon, I promise.

Change #3: Apple Cider Vinegar
Although the products I've used in my regimen have remained somewhat consistent (save for a few that I'll explain in a bit), I have focused on adding two ingredients to my regimen — apple cider vinegar and rose water.

Back in 2013 I sang the praises of ACV in the form of a spritz, and about two months ago, something prompted me to revisit that post. If you choose to read it, please don't judge the VERY 2013 photos and graphics. Thank God for growth.

Anywho, I began incorporating apple cider vinegar into my regimen as a rinse using a 1:3 ratio. After rinsing my deep conditioner, I use an applicator bottle to apply the diluted ACV from scalp to ends before adding my leave-in.

My hair has felt phenomenal ever since.

In case you were wondering, I use the Kirkland raw, unfiltered, and organic apple cider vinegar from Costco because it comes in a 3-pack of 32oz bottle for about $7 or so.


Change #4: Rose Water-Based Mousses
Up until about April or so, I never really "got" mousses. I just chalked them up to being lightweight stylers that could never work for my hair. And well, that's only partially true.

While my hair could NEVER hold a lasting wash and go with mousse alone, I found the perfect way to incorporate it into my regimen with one caveat — it must contain rose water.

Why?

Rose water hydrates and soothes the skin in hair, and contains a wealth of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pH balancing, soothing, and blood-circulating properties. It's full of antioxidants and essential fatty acids, and aids in repairing hair porosity issues.


Anecdotally, I find it to help with hydrating my hair, keeping my hair shaft smooth (especially my ends that tend to get rough and gnarly), reducing frizz, and enhancing shine.

After my wash day twists are dried, I typically style my hair the next day or so. I'm in no rush, because well, where am I gonna go? We're in quarantine. Per section, I use 1-2 pumps of mousse to reactivate my curls and start the styling process.

Since April, I've only rotated between two mousse products to do this: Be Kekoa's Be Free Rose Water Mousse, and tgin's Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse. They both contain rose as the second ingredient, have great slip, and play well with my leave-ins and curl definers of choice. I'll do a review on the Be Kekoa Be Free Rose Water Mousse soon. You can check out my tgin Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse review here.

What Hasn't Changed

My Overall Regimen
Everything I covered in this post in my Natural Hair 101 series still rings true. I still alternate between co-washing and clarifying, and I deep condition with heat. And yes, I still proudly use silicones. 🙃


How I Preserve My Hair
Everything I outlined in this post in terms of preserving my wash and go's still rings true. To avoid too much stress on my strands, I don't band every night. In fact, most nights after I go through my gel cast break and stretch, I just use this gigantic banana clip I got at Ulta forever ago, cover my hair with a scarf, and call it a night.

I don't refresh between wash days, because my hair never really calls for it anymore.

During workouts, I've recently gravitated toward using the Puff Cuff, which I picked up at Sally Beauty some months ago. I have the largest one, but I know they come in multiple sizes.

My Products and Brands of Choice
Ever since my Natural Hair 101 series using the same products for three months, my outlook on being a product junkie has changed considerably. I switch things up sparingly when a product catches my eye — but by and large, I use the same things.

I'm sorry if it bores y'all. Here's what I use about 90-95% of the time:


Be Kekoa


Alikay Naturals
Lemongrass Hold It Styling Gel
Lemongrass Slay & Lay Edge Gel
Botanicals Hair and Scalp Balm (review here)


Zotos Professional All About Curls
All About Curls Collection Review

WetLine Xtreme Gel
Because I still got some with the green lid on it.

That other 5-10% of the time, I may be using products from another brand that I enjoy, trying something new, or using an occasional treatment.

That's it y'all, that's the tea! Got any other regimen specific questions? Feel free to drop 'em here or on Instagram! Stay safe, sane, and masked up!

If you've been wondering the real deal about Curls n' Roses by tgin, read and watch on!

[EMBED VIDEO]

Rose Water Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo

Cost

$14.99 for 13oz

Where to Buy

All Curls n' Roses products are available exclusively at Ulta.

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Rose Flower Extract: Derived from rose petals that works to hydrate and soothe the skin and hair. Contains antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pH balancing, soothing, and blood-circulating properties along with antioxidant Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and essential fatty acids.
• Extracts of Acai, Ginger, Lavender, Calendula: Stimulates and encourages hair growth while providing antibacterial and scalp-soothing support to hair follicles. Fights signs of aging and damaging in hair.
• Marula Seed Oil: Lightweight oil packed with nutrients and fatty acids that fight aging and signs of damage.
• Sugar Cane Extract: Moisturizing ingredient and humectant derived from sugar cane.
• Sugar Maple Extract: Natural antibacterial and exfoliant that aids in repairing damaged caused by free radicals.

The FDA requires that cosmetic products display their ingredient list in descending order of predominance. Therefore, whatever ingredients are at the top of the list are present in higher quantities. As the list goes on, the ingredients' presence in the product is less than the one before it. This is why I stick to "Active Ingredients" in my reviews — the first 5-7 ingredients listed will have the greatest impact on your hair. That miracle extract listed as 17th will not — and you're just paying for the name on the label.

What's interesting about tgin's Curls n' Roses formulation is that most of the products contain a core blend of extracts listed in the same order — rose, acai, ginger, lavender, and calendula — which is why I chose to put them all together. I don't actually know if tgin uses a single blend of all those ingredients, or if they're mixed in individually. What I do know is that they consistently appear at the top of the list — which means they're in significant enough quality to follow directly behind water.

That said, I wanted to make sure that in my ingredient breakdown, I also included the "other things" aside from the extracts that have an impact on the hair.

Protein Free?

Yes

Curly Girl-Friendly?

:::scratches behind ear:::

To be honest, I don't know how much longer I'll include this section in my reviews. Call me biased or whatever, but I never found the curly girl method to be of any use. Shampoos, sulfates, and silicones all have their place in a healthy hair regimen — and I will always, always, ALLLLLLLWAYYYYYS advocate for a clean scalp.

That said, the Rose Water Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is — a shampoo that gently cleanses the hair and scalp.

The Good

One of the first things that stood out to me about the entire Curls n' Roses collection is the fragrance. It's floral, but not Church-Mother-on-the-Front-Pew floral. It's gentle and sweet without being overbearing. It lathers up well, which is something I always appreciate about tgin's shampoos. It also does a great job of cleaning the hair and scalp without making them feel squeaky and dry.

The Bad

To be honest, I don't have anything "bad" to say about the Rose Water Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo. It doesn't strip the hair or scalp, and does a great job at removing the gobs of product I apply to my hair. It's not super slippy (but then again, it's not really supposed to be as a shampoo), but doesn't exacerbate tangles. 

What's the Difference?
As far as cleansing ability, it's very similar to the Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo. Both lather, cleanse, and prep the hair for deep conditioning quite well. The one difference I have noticed between the two is that the Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo does a bit better of a job with de-frizzing my hair.

The Bottom Line
For the shampoo, I'm going to defer to my fine-haired and low density sistas. As someone who's hair can handle a bit more (have you seen how much gel I use? 😂), I can't speak directly to the benefit of a lightweight shampoo. But by no means is it a bad shampoo.

Would I Buy Again?
To be honest, probably not. And it's not because it's a bad shampoo. Personally, I prefer tgin's Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo as my non-clarifying shampoo option. 

Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask

Cost

Rose Water Smoothing Leave In Conditioner

Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse

Rose Water Curl Defining Styling Gel

I think I cracked the code.

These wings are crispy, golden brown, and have the perfect ratio of crunchy exterior to juicy interior that you'd expect from some wings fresh out of the deep fryer.

Except there's no deep fryer. No getting popped while cooking. No lingering smells of fried oil for 3 days after the fact — and no reason to feel guilty about cooking them as often as you'd like.

And did I mention these wings are gluten free? Oh yeah.

I've had an air fryer for quite a few years now, and hands down, it's one of my favorite kitchen appliances (though the Instant Pot is a close second). It's versatile, magical, and makes transitioning to healthier eating really easy.


To achieve perfectly crispy and juicy wings, there are a few tricks of the air fryer trade and a few special ingredients involved — which I detail in the step-by-step instructions. One of the most important components of these wings is the Station 1923 Brown Sugar Smoke All-Purpose Rub — crafted by none other than my fiancé Samuel.

Brown Sugar Smoke is sweet, savory, and flavorful with bright notes that really give these wings that extra oomph. Use a little, use a lot — I promise you won't be disappointed. Grab yours here.

Now let's get into these wings. All flats for me, please. 😂


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Station 1923 Brown Sugar Smoke
• 1 tsp chicken bullion (I used Trader Joe's Vegan Chicken-Less Seasoning)
• 2 tsp onion salt (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground sage
• 2-3 lbs of chicken wings (I used Costco brand party wings)
• cooking spray (or Misto with your oil of choice) 

Note: you'll need to repeat all seasoning measurements twice — once in the flour, and once on the chicken. And of course, feel free to use more, less, or tweak the flavors to your liking. #YouKnowHowtoSeasonFood

Tools and Utensils

• air fryer (I have this one, but XL)
• storage bag
• large mixing bowl
• small or medium mixing bowl
• cutting board, plate, or parchment paper
• measuring cups and spoons
• tongs
• tray, dish, or wire cooling rack
• paper towels

Instructions


Prep
Wash your chicken and pat dry to remove excess water. Place inside large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a gallon-sized storage bag, add your rice flour, corn starch, Brown Sugar Smoke, chicken bullion, onion salt, granulated garlic, and sage. Seal the bag and shake to thoroughly mix. Upon opening the bag, you should be able to see the seasoning.



Crack your eggs into the small or medium-sized mixing bowl and beat until they're fully mixed.

Season
Add mustard to chicken wings, adjusting the amount if you plan to cook more or less. Mustard should form a thin coating on the outside of the chicken and be visible, but just barely. I promise, you won't taste it in the end.


Add your second round of Brown Sugar Smoke, chicken bullion, onion salt, granulated garlic, and sage directly to the wings and mix until all wings are coated evenly. Feel free to add more of each to season to your particular tastes. Just be careful with the chicken bullion — it's salty and can begin to overpower the other flavors.

"Batter"
Set up a mini assembly line for yourself in this order: bowl of chicken, bowl with beaten eggs, storage bag with flour, plate/parchment paper/cutting board.


Dip each wing individually into the beaten eggs, then drop them into the storage bag of flour until you reach 6-7 wings. Once there are 6 or so wings in the bag, seal it up and shake to evenly coat all wings in the flour mixture.

Open the bag and remove wings one-by-one, tapping them gently to shake loose the excess flour. As you place them on the plate, parchment paper, or cutting board, tap them again before laying down to remove more loose flour.


Repeat for remaining chicken wings.

Set
Pre-heat your air fryer to 400 F.

While the air fryer warms up, let your wings to set for about 10 minutes (if you don't want to leave them out, in the fridge is fine). This allows the moisture from the wings and the eggs to be absorbed by the flour, which will contribute to a crispy, battered-like exterior. About halfway through the 10 minutes, flip them over.


The wings will still have some spots of white flour, but should for the most part, look like they have a yellow-y batter on them.

"Fry"
Once your wings are set and the air fryer is hot n' ready, it's time to go! Lay your wings inside the air fryer, leaving enough space between each one for hot air to circulate. For me, that means cooking about 6-7 wings at a time.


Next, grab your cooking spray, and spend a few seconds spraying the coating of the wings. Give a lil' extra squirt to any areas that still look powdery and white.

Close your air fryer and cook the wings on 400 F for 6-7 minutes, depending upon their size and thickness. After 6-7 minutes, open the air fryer, gently shake to loosen any stuck wings, and flip them over.

Coat with more cooking spray, again paying attention to any powder, white areas. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.

The sweet spot for my wings was 13 minutes per batch — but yours could take less or more time depending upon their size and thickness. When cooking your first set, pay extra attention to how long your wings take — and base your total timing on that.



While your first batch of wings cook, get a tray or dish and line it with a few paper towels — just like you would from deep frying. Alternatively, you can set them on a wire cooling rack. The goal is to preserve the crispness of the wings while the other batches cook.

Optional: set wings in oven on a low temperature (180 F) to stay warm while the rest of the wings cook in the air fryer.


Enjoy!
Sprinkle a little more Brown Sugar Smoke on top of your wings as a "finishing salt" (or "fried chicken dust" as @mrsewill calls it) and serve. I paired our wings with gluten-free waffles, creamy grits, eggs, and a strong cup of coffee.
Brunch is served, my friends.

Hot Tip: If you end up with leftover wings, just pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes to reheat. Fresh, hot, crispy wings will be yours to enjoy all over again! 🙌🏽

Anywho, I was hype to at least have half of the collection in my possession. Next up was the work of figuring out:

• Do these gels actually work?
• How do they compare to WetLine Xtreme?
• Is there any actual difference between the two?
• Could they become a part of my wash and go gel rotation?

If you're wondering any of the above yourself, keep on reading!

Cost
$4.49 each for 16oz

Where to Buy
Select GELESSENCE gels are available at Target, on the Target website, and at KeraCare.com.

Active Ingredients
Note: The ingredient lists for these two gels are very similar. Where the Strengthening Gel has extra virgin olive oil and apple extracts, the Moisturizing Gel has Jamaican black castor oil. Everything else is the same. Dassit. Not gonna get into what that means right now, but I just wanted y'all to know!

• Water
• Glycerin: Generally vegetable-based humectant that absorbs and retains moisture from the air.
• Betaine: Amino acid that acts as a humectant and anti-irritant in hair products. Betaine molecules are great for hydrogen bonding, which helps them retain water and impart hydration and moisture to the hair. It also cancels out the "stickiness" of glycerin in product formulations while smoothing over areas of damage on the hair.
• Polysorbate 20: Emulsifier that enables oil and water to mix. It helps product disperse, is a thickener, and stabilizer of essential oils.
• Olive Fruit Extract (Strengthening Gel): Extract rich in fatty acids and Vitamin E. Great for hair growth, moisturizing, nourishing, and protecting the hair. Aids in strengthening hair and preventing hair loss.
• Apple Fruit Extract (Strengthening Gel): Pholyphenol-enriched extract believed to promote and stimulate healthy hair growth.
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil (Moisturizing Gel): Oil derived from roasted Jamaican castor beans believed to stimulate hair growth and promote scalp health. Also serves as a sealant that helps the hair retain moisture over long periods of time.
• Carbomer: Blend of acrylic acid monomers that acts as a viscosity controlling agent (thickener).
• Aminomethyl Propanol: pH adjuster and buffering ingredient

Yes! All GELESSENCE gels are protein-free.
If you love thick, humectant-rich gels (think Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker, Uncle Funky's Daughter Curl Stimulator), then you'll probably love the GELESSENCE Strengthening and Moisturizing Gels as an affordable alternative. But if you're used to some crunch, some hold, and a gel that makes you wrestle (but gives you amazing results), the quest to replace WetLine Xtreme shall continue.

Back in February, I had the pleasure of once again parking my behind in Brandie's chair at Be Kekoa. Unlike my last major cut, this one had less to do with me screwing up my hair, and more to do with my desired shape and style results. This time around, Brandie didn't have to cuss me out — because I did what I was supposed to as far as building a regimen that works for my hair. For more details on that, click here.

I'm beyond thrilled with my hair transformation and results. Whenever it comes to whipping these curls into shape, Brandie ALWAYS delivers. I was okay with losing some length, because my hair grows in like a trifilin' mullet. I also wanted black curls, because the depth of color really makes my hair pop. With pure talent, love, and a whole lotta skill, Brandie transformed my hair from super flat and a little dull to voluminous and full of life.

Check out my video below detailing the entire Be Kekoa Salon and Apothecary experience:

Here's everything I had done:

• Brandie's Signature curly cut
• Hair color (black)
• Clarifying shampoo and deep treatment with steam
• Wash and go style

Don't forget to follow @brandiekekoa and @bekekoa on Instagram!