Products

Once upon a time, this was the only product we really needed for hair and skin care for the boys...



If I was feeling really ambitious, I used baby lotion on them after their baths.  That was about it.  Fast forward a few years and here is what we now have for baby hair and skin care:

It's a whole different ballgame now!  Here is what I have discovered through scouring the internet for hair and skin tips and trying them on our sweet Ethiopian girl:

*I LOVE LOVE LOVE Cetaphil in the tub.  It is a cream, not a lotion, and a little goes a long way.  The above pictured jar has been in use for 3 months and we have only used about half of it.  I bought the jar pictured below it of store brand (Target) to keep in her bedroom and I don't like it quite as well.  It is worth it to spend a few bucks more for the name brand on this - especially since it lasts so long.  I started with Aveeno baby lotion and her skin dried out quickly with that.  We visited the dermatologist and he prescribed an ointment for eczema, but she really hasn't had much of a problem with that since I started using the Cetaphil. I put it on immediately after she gets out of the bath when her skin is still damp and often do not have to reapply until after the next bath (we are on an every other day schedule).  Good stuff!  Her skin is SO soft now.  It really is quite amazing.

*The Aveeno hair and body wash is gentle and smells good, too. 

*I just purchased Aubrey Organics shampoo and conditioner after reading recommendations online and I really like them.  The scent is honeysuckle, which isn't my favorite, but the results are great, so I'll get over it.  The shampoo cleanses really well and the conditioner leaves her hair SO soft.

*I was a big fan of Miss Jessie's products until I realized they were starting to dry her hair out. I have purchased Baby Buttercream (like it), Curly Pudding (not so much), Curly Meringue (love it), and Super Sweetback Treatment (like it).  I use the Buttercream as a leave in conditioner, the Pudding leaves a hard sticky feeling, the Meringue is a styler that smells really good and helps define her curls, and the Sweetback is a good deep conditioner, though it does smell a bit peculiar.  I will alternate using them with other products.

*I like Carol's Daughter Leave in Conditioner spray in Black Vanilla.  I use it at random times whenever her hair just seems to need a bit of moisture.

*I also like Aveeno conditioner.  I apply it liberally when Sena is in the tub and then comb through with a wide toothed comb.  I use it as a leave in conditioner, even though the bottle says to rinse it out.

*I finally broke down and purchased Coconut Oil - it smells so good!!!  It is solid and I have to sort of melt it with my hands before putting it in her hair, but it provides instant moisture. 

*I have tried the Johnson and Johnson detangling spray with no success.  Any of the above mentioned conditioning products are much more helpful in getting the tangles out.

*My  new favorite MUST HAVE products are Kinky Curly Knot Today and Kinky Curly Curling Custard.  They are reasonably priced, smell great, and work amazingly well!  After she wakes up, I spritz her hair with water, smooth on a dime sized amount of Knot Today and finger comb her hair.  It takes out the tangles so easily.  I put about a dime sized amount of Curling Custard on after that and we are good to go.  It really helps define her curls and is not drying at all.

Thus has been my experimentation so far and I will continue to explore the options out there.  And, I really wish I had curly hair... 

Taking it easy

These guys are growing up WAY too fast!

Where have my little boys gone???