[Mad Hatter]

19 hours ago, Everstorm said:

don't have tangling issues at this length, but I could see where it would be a problem for longer hair.  Have you ever tried co-washing (at any price point)?  It's a cleansing conditioner instead of shampoo, so it glides quite nicely.  I can only use it every other wash because my scalp tends toward oily, but maybe it would help you with the detangling?

I have but my scalp gets too greasy. When my hair is at its worst (like free diving plus pool swimming in the Philippines and showering in slightly salty water) I’d use conditioner to detangle, shampoo then conditioner after as well. Here it’s nowhere near as bad. Now it’s even less of a problem after the hairdresser bleached the shit out of my hair. ? You’d think it’d get worse but since it’s much straighter now it’s way easier to care for.

 

19 hours ago, Everstorm said:

I have heard that CG method is very slow and can take months before you get your hair the best it can be (partly, I think, because you have to grow and cut off damaged hair).  But who wants to look like a scarecrow for 8 months in the hopes that in month 9 it's miraculously better?  It's challenging. 

So have I but I have a hard time buying it. A few weeks sure, but months? By that time everything can have changed away so how would one know it’s not random? Skin cells and refresh at a very fast rate so I wouldn’t think the scalp would take that long to adjust from that perspective…

 

19 hours ago, Everstorm said:

My hair definitely looks smoother and shinier now than before I started the curly girl stuff, but since I didn't go about it very scientifically, I have no idea if that's about the products or because I actually handle my hair differently (no dry brushing, bedtime pineapple, using gels when I previously used no styling products, diffusing, etc etc).

Tricky. You could try removing one thing at a time and see if it has any effect or not.

[Sea-to-sky]

I keep hearing about curly girl method but i haven't a clue what it is. Personally the shampoo I'm using now is much less harsh than the pervious one i had and the double conditioner thing i do has helped it so much with it not frizzing and breaking constantly (also not using cotton towel, man that was an eye opener). 
Maybe i just lucked out and found a good brand first time (my luck is squiffy) but the unscented range from only curls seem to work well for me (though the gel and my hair type did not get on). 

 

 

[Everstorm]

5 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

have but my scalp gets too greasy.

 

Fair enough

 

5 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

So have I but I have a hard time buying it. A few weeks sure, but months? By that time everything can have changed away so how would one know it’s not random? Skin cells and refresh at a very fast rate so I wouldn’t think the scalp would take that long to adjust from that perspective…

 

I don't know about scalp, and I have definitely heard other women say their scalp hasn't changed despite using CG method for years.  I think it might depend upon why the scalp was oily to begin with.  However, those same women said that their hair changed after X months: tighter, more defined curls/waves, larger curl clumps, less breakage, more shiny, etc.  In which case, the "everything new" part makes sense.  You've cut away damaged hair and then learned how not to damage the new hair, so it's healthier. 

 

5 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Tricky. You could try removing one thing at a time and see if it has any effect or not.

 

I think I need to make a hair log and note which things I do each time and how it turns out.  There are so many moving parts it's getting hard to keep track.

 

1 hour ago, Sea-to-sky said:

keep hearing about curly girl method but i haven't a clue what it is.

Short answer:

What is the Curly Girl Method?

The method was founded by Lorraine Massey, author of Curly Girl: The Handbook, and the crux of the method is saying yes to specific products and kicking others to the curb in order to achieve curls that are #HairGoals. “The Curly Girl Method is a process of caring for curly hair to minimize damage, promote moisture and reduce interference of the natural curl pattern of the hair,”

 

See here for the full article and a reductionist summary of the key points.   It's fairly complex and covers every aspect of how you handle your hair, even how you apply the shampoo and conditioner, what you do with your hair while sleeping, what fabrics you should/should not allow to touch your hair, etc.  The idea is that by doing all these things, you prevent damage to curly hair -- which is more fragile than straight hair -- to get rid of the frizz and dryness that tends to plague curly-haired women.

  

The ideal is this sort of before and after:

[Sea-to-sky]

11 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

The idea is that by doing all these things, you prevent damage to curly hair -- which is more fragile than straight hair -- to get rid of the frizz and dryness that tends to plague curly-haired women

This is really interesting. Seems like I'm actually doing most of this already. 
i have yet to find a styling product that will mix with my fine hair, and i havent converted to silk pillowcases, but the rest has made a huge difference to my hair health to be honest. Its shinier, thicker and I'm not fighting frizz and broken ends any more. 

[Everstorm]

33 minutes ago, Sea-to-sky said:

yet to find a styling product that will mix with my fine hair

 

Yeah same

 

34 minutes ago, Sea-to-sky said:

havent converted to silk pillowcases

 

Satin pillowcases are nearly as good and cost less.  You lose the natural antibiotic and cooling properties, but they are still better in terms of breakage and hydration. 

 

Both silk and satin are supposed to be good for skin health, too.  I am keeping an eye on the silk prices over the holidays to see if I can catch one on sale.

 

39 minutes ago, Sea-to-sky said:

the rest has made a huge difference to my hair health to be honest. Its shinier, thicker and I'm not fighting frizz and broken ends any more. 

 

Wow, nice!

[Sea-to-sky]

2 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Both silk and satin are supposed to be good for skin health, too.  I am keeping an eye on the silk prices over the holidays to see if I can catch one on sale.

Im thinking cyber monday sales. You can snag some good things in those

[Everstorm]

On 10/10/2024 at 12:12 PM, Sea-to-sky said:

Im thinking cyber monday sales. You can snag some good things in those

Exactly.

 

Who else is already mentally in the next challenge?  Just me then? ?  I swear my challenges actually run from Week 5- Week 3.  Week 4 is Zero Week.

[Artemis Prime]

1 hour ago, Everstorm said:

swear my challenges actually run from Week 5- Week 3.  Week 4 is Zero Week

I so feel this.

[sarakingdom]

On 10/8/2024 at 5:55 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

for curly hair i read you actually need much less than you realise

 

I started putting my shampoo in a foaming dispenser, and you dilute it 5:1 so it can foam. That means you're using almost nothing when you take a couple of squirts to shampoo. Turns out my hair prefers that. More is really drying. So "use less product" is probably a helpful one.

[sarakingdom]

2 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Who else is already mentally in the next challenge?  Just me then? ?  I swear my challenges actually run from Week 5- Week 3.  Week 4 is Zero Week.

 

1 hour ago, Artemis Prime said:

I so feel this.

 

We are responsible adults who plan ahead.

[Harriet]

 

On 10/10/2024 at 4:04 PM, Everstorm said:

Satin pillowcases are nearly as good and cost less.  You lose the natural antibiotic and cooling properties, but they are still better in terms of breakage and hydration. 

 

Both silk and satin are supposed to be good for skin health, too.  I am keeping an eye on the silk prices over the holidays to see if I can catch one on sale.

 

Satin is a type of fabric while silk is a type of fibre. Fabrics are woven or knitted or otherwise created from fibres, which are spun or extruded from animals, plants, synthetic material. Satin can be made from silk or polyester fibres, for example. If you buy a satin pillowcase that is not silk, it is likely polyester. It will be just as smooth and slippy as silk, if not more so.

[Sea-to-sky]

10 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Who else is already mentally in the next challenge?  Just me then? ?  I swear my challenges actually run from Week 5- Week 3.  Week 4 is Zero Week.

Yup. Me also. 

[Mad Hatter]

12 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Exactly.

 

Who else is already mentally in the next challenge?  Just me then? ?  I swear my challenges actually run from Week 5- Week 3.  Week 4 is Zero Week.

This challenge is ending?? Excellent!

[Everstorm]

11 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

I so feel this.

 

10 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

 

 

We are responsible adults who plan ahead.

 

2 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Yup. Me also. 

 

I want to do my next challenge on Circadian rhythms.  Maybe part of it should be realigning my challenge with the challenge dates ?

 

17 minutes ago, Mad Hatter said:

This challenge is ending?? Excellent!

 

Tomorrow, in fact ?

 

10 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

 

I started putting my shampoo in a foaming dispenser, and you dilute it 5:1 so it can foam. That means you're using almost nothing when you take a couple of squirts to shampoo. Turns out my hair prefers that. More is really drying. So "use less product" is probably a helpful one.

 

Oh interesting!  I have done that with regular handsoap to make it foam, but hadn't thought to try it with shampoo.

 

4 hours ago, Harriet said:

 

 

Satin is a type of fabric while silk is a type of fibre. Fabrics are woven or knitted or otherwise created from fibres, which are spun or extruded from animals, plants, synthetic material. Satin can be made from silk or polyester fibres, for example. If you buy a satin pillowcase that is not silk, it is likely polyester. It will be just as smooth and slippy as silk, if not more so.

 

Correct.  Satin is the weave.  I don't think I have ever seen (at least in the US) silk satin listed as such.  Usually, they just list silk, and use satin for other fibers (often polyester, as you said).  That practice may be different in other countires. 

 

The lovely slipperiness of satin weaves prevents breakage and the fabric is less absorbant, so it doesn't dry hair out.  Non-silk satins don't have the other beneficial properties of silk -- like the antimicrobial and cooling properties I mentioned.

[Harriet]

8 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

Correct. 

 

Ah, you already know all the things. Excellent.

[sarakingdom]

3 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Oh interesting!  I have done that with regular handsoap to make it foam, but hadn't thought to try it with shampoo.

 

Yup! And shower gel. I foamed all the things. (I tried conditioner, but no luck.)

[Sea-to-sky]

5 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Tomorrow, in fact ?

Ah fudge. I knew i should have  found a rock for my jar the other day when i was out. 
 

[Everstorm]

I guess it's about time to put a bow on this challenge.  Report Card:

 

Reclaiming Your Wings: A-

I did this perfectly imperfectly.  Most days, I did some form of shoulder-strenghtening exercise and even added some Elements and swimming into the mix.  I did miss a few days here or there, but nothing too alarming until Week 5, when a different movement modality hijacked my brain.

 

For next challenge:  need to focus on maintaining my current habits while adding other things.  In short, juggle better.

 

The Price of Magic: C

 

I did count calories most of the time, but I tended to stop counting when I was losing control of my eating which rather defeats the purpose.  I did manage to stop the insidious march of weight gain and maybe step it back a minor amount, so I will call that passing, if not exactly impressive.

 

For next challenge:

Need to manage stress and hunger better.  I generally do well with food until dinner, when I cave to the day's stress and overeat.   I need more physical outlets for stress and perhaps better balanced macros so I am less hungry during the day.

 

Fashion for Nevers: A

I delved quite a bit into what my personal style is and in which direction I would like to take it.  The second half of the challenge ended up focused on managing my hair, which was good, if unexpected.  I have learned a metric ton and I already see signs that my scalp and hair are healthier from the changes I have made.

 

For next challenge:

This may not be an explicit challenge goal next round, but moving forward, I would like to continue to experiment with styling products, acquire a silk pillowcase, and pick up a few wardrobe items to fill in some perceived needs.

 

Portraiture: A

Not sure how I felt about this class.  Since the school year started, I am finding it very difficult to get my brain into a decent flow state for art.  I kept to the letter of the law for this art habit, but found it kind of frustrating until Inktober started.  Is it good to push even when I don't feel it?  Maybe.

 

For next challenge:

This may also not make it to an explicit goal, but I do intend to finish out Inktober at the very least.  I do wonder if part of my relief is that my Inktober sketches are very fast and loose compared to colored pencil art, which is almost painfully slow and meticulous.   I have thoughts that maybe I have not found my medium yet, although I am close.  I am very curious to know if pastels would be the perfect medium, which would allow me to put down big, loose layers for the background/underlayers, but then focus on the details with pastel pencils. I would love to try some out, but that is unlikely to happen before next year.

[Elastigirl]

Well done on the challenge!

7 hours ago, Everstorm said:

I did count calories most of the time, but I tended to stop counting when I was losing control of my eating which rather defeats the purpose.  I did manage to stop the insidious march of weight gain and maybe step it back a minor amount, so I will call that passing, if not exactly impressive.

I do this too sometimes. I remember a challenge I did where  I got points for tracking when I went over.?  

[Mad Hatter]

Nice challenge, really well done!

 

12 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Is it good to push even when I don't feel it?

Not sure. My gut feeling is that it can be good to push to start, but stop if it's still not enjoyable after the initial meh. Unless someone's burned out, then taking a break or changing medium are probably better options.

[Sea-to-sky]

14 hours ago, Everstorm said:

am very curious to know if pastels would be the perfect medium, which would allow me to put down big, loose layers for the background/underlayers, but then focus on the details with pastel pencils. I would love to try some out, but that is unlikely to happen before next year.

If you want a bash with pastels, getting just a white and maybe a grey and using them on black paper can look amazing with minimal outlay cost wise. Gives you a chance to play with the smudging, and light and dark effects. 

[TimovieMan]

On 10/12/2024 at 12:50 AM, Everstorm said:

Who else is already mentally in the next challenge?  Just me then? ?  I swear my challenges actually run from Week 5- Week 3.  Week 4 is Zero Week.

I'm undecided on whether I'm currently in Week 6 of the previous challenge, or Week 2 of the new one... ?

[Everstorm]

On 10/13/2024 at 10:16 PM, Elastigirl said:

Well done on the challenge!

I do this too sometimes. I remember a challenge I did where  I got points for tracking when I went over.?  

 

I feel like I am seeing a pattern where food is out of control because of stress and that same stress also makes me nope out on all my other responsibilities (e.g., recording what I eat).  So probably both issues would be ameliorated by finding healthier outlets for stress.

 

On 10/14/2024 at 3:15 AM, Mad Hatter said:

Nice challenge, really well done!

 

Not sure. My gut feeling is that it can be good to push to start, but stop if it's still not enjoyable after the initial meh. Unless someone's burned out, then taking a break or changing medium are probably better options.

 

This is why I set a 10 minute minimum and was fine with quitting after that if that's where my head was at that day.  I do wonder if doing some kind of focusing activity prior to art (like walking or listening to music) would help.  I also would probably do better if I could art in a quieter room, but that is not on the table right now.

 

On 10/14/2024 at 4:40 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

If you want a bash with pastels, getting just a white and maybe a grey and using them on black paper can look amazing with minimal outlay cost wise. Gives you a chance to play with the smudging, and light and dark effects. 

 

That's a good call!  I could order pastelmat paper, which is great for either pastels or colored pencils, so the rest wouldn't go to waste if pastels were not for me.

 

3 hours ago, TimovieMan said:

I'm undecided on whether I'm currently in Week 6 of the previous challenge, or Week 2 of the new one... ?

 

Sounds about right ?

[Sea-to-sky]

29 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

That's a good call!  I could order pastelmat paper, which is great for either pastels or colored pencils, so the rest wouldn't go to waste if pastels were not for me.

Ooh, Good thinking. 
what i can say from having used them, is decent quality ones are much easier and nicer to use. 

[Everstorm]

1 hour ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Ooh, Good thinking. 
what i can say from having used them, is decent quality ones are much easier and nicer to use. 

 

Unfortunately for my budget, that is often the case.