All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors.
However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
At a very young age, I was taught thatbeauty is painbut it was an exciting pain.
Lauren Breedlove
It was worth it just thinking about all the compliments I was going to get.
I went natural seven years ago, fed up with the pain in my scalp from relaxers.
I stopped using the creamy crack, and dealing with my hair became less torturous but more difficult.
Lauren Breedlove
Tightly coiled 4B/4C hair is no joke.
Yes, that means no pool, beach, or hot tub Jacuzzi situation.
Nah, it’snot happening with this hair.
Lauren Breedlove
But recently I took on a new challenge: going to the beach with my natural curls out.
But I didnt factor sitting on the tarmac for hours upon landing and getting off the plane late.
Therefore, I had no time to do my hair.
I had never been anyplace without my hair being done in aprotective style.
I had some interesting revelations along the way.
Heres what I learned.
I was trying every product I traveled with on my hair, but boy was that a bad idea.
I hated the ghastly smell.
It was a yucky and smelly situation.
The water was so clear and so warm, that I just swam and swam and swam.
And my hair kind of loved it!
But I got the message when sweat began dripping from the top of my head just five minutes in.
I pushed through hot yoga but dramatically dropped to the ground as soon as it was over.
Hot yoga isnt something I would do with a puff on top of my head again.
A major reason women wear extensions is so they dont have to touch their hair.
Its just that plain and simple.
Combing the curls is a very tedious procedure.
Moisturizing all my strands using the LOCliquid, oil, creammethod can get messy.
Perfection takes timeand I didnt want to spend all that time in the bathroom.
Initially, I planned on honoring my fro in a braid-out once I got to West Palm Beach.
They became my go-to products for the rest of the trip.
The shea butter in this line kept my hair super hydrated.
I was apprehensive about the whole trip experience, but it turned out fairly well.
With my hair bang out, I typically wash closer to once a week.
But the new products definitely helped with the new routine, and my hair benefitted.
The time-consuming aspect of combing and styling my curls every morning just isnt efficient.
I also dont have the punch in of hair that should be touched every day.
It is prone to breakage, so low maintenance styles are just my reality and Im fine with that.
But my verdict is: Yeah, this is not happening again.
