Search Results: Michelle Breyer

When Rita Hockenbury went to her daughter’s soccer games, she was always holding her hands over her eyes to shade them from the sun.

“Being curly, there was no way I was putting a hat on my head,” Hockenbury says. “That would smash my curls.”

So she sat down at the kitchen table and

began cutting the bills off her husband’s baseball hats, attaching the visor to her sunglasses with wire and Velcro.

“That’s how it all started,” Hockenbury says.

Nine years later, her tinkering has turned into Vizini, a patented strapless visor that slips onto your sunglasses.

“When I started, I wanted to do something for myself,” she says. “And then I thought, this is a good idea.”

Initially, she says, she ran the business on the side, working full time at a real estate investment firm and raising two children. She has since taken marketing classes, and began selling her Vizinis full time last year. She says the response has been overwhelming.

“Women really get the no hat-hair concept,” Hockenbury says. “It’s a concept that sells itself. Even at trade shows, people want to buy my samples.

”One of the side benefits of Vizini is the benefits to the skin. Because you’re not squinting, “it’s like Botox,” she says. Her dermatologist believes people should wear it year round to protect the eye area from sun damage.

“That’s a huge bonus,” she says.

She currently sells her Vizinis on her web site, in boutiques, beauty salons, sporting goods stores and eyeglass shops. The Vizini is available in nine colors. For summer, she is adding such colors as lime green and hot pink. They are also available with a company logo.

Hockenbury says she has lofty plans for Vizini -– plans that include helping empower other women through an organization called Women for Women International. The yearlong program offers direct aid, rights education, job skills training and small business development. Since 1993, Women for Women International has mobilized more than 125,000 women and men in 105 countries worldwide to reach out and support women survivors of war — one woman at a time.

“I want to open a factory in a worn-torn country Hockenbury says. “I want to be a part of this endeavor that teaches women skills to grow their own businesses and to become profitable.”

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Check out other Spotlight stories here.

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From the luxurious waves of Katherine Heigl to the face-framing tendrils of Ellen Page’s updo, the look of the night at the 80th Academy Awards was soft texture. The look was retro Hollywood, complementing the sleek, brightly hued gowns. Curly actresses, including Keri Russell and Nicole Kidman, opted for smooth updos rather than rocking their curls.

For curly Kelly Preston’s romantic style, Redken stylist Jonathan Hanousek first blow-dried her hair. Then he divided each section around a medium curling iron. Once curls were set, he lightly brushed out with fingers. Hanousek then separated one-inch section at the front of head from the rest of the hair and created a side part only at the front section. Then taking the back section, he gathered her hair into a half ponytail, and let pieces fall out naturally.

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Season 7’s crop of American Idol Final 24 had plenty of talent — and plenty of curls. Let’s hope they continue to rock their curls as they rock out.

There’s no denying that curlies use products in a different way than people with other hair types. Curly girls have become makeshift chemists, creating their own concoctions of gels, mousses, serums, mousses and pomades, customizing them to the unique needs of their curls and kinks.

NaturallyCurly has listened.

In October 2007, we launched Curly Cocktails™ — a collection of seven intoxicating styling offerings tailored for specific curl types. They include the adult cocktails Curltini™, Cosmocurlitan™, Curl & Tonic™, Curlaccino™ and Hot Buttered Curls™ as well as the Curly Temple™ and Curly Bubbly™ for children’s curls and kinks.

Each cocktail was created using input from our loyal curlies, and contains a customized combination of your “Holy Grail” products. They come specially packaged with a range of three to five products, a recipe card and a wide-toothed comb.

“The benefit of using more than one product in curly hair is that you can fine tune the texture and resilience of the curl and the shape of the style,” says Giovanni Giuntoli, a session artist for Redken. “Sometimes one product doesn’t give you all the benefits of two or three. It’s similar to giving your hair a multivitamin, compared to just a Vitamin C tablet. It helps out more.”

Diedre Boone, owner of The Root of You Salon and Day Spa in Houston says women with curls and kinks have such a wide variety of hair types and one product rarely does the trick.

“The fact that their hair textures vary so dramatically, we find it necessary to mix together different products on different people,” Boone says.

In addition to offering up our new cocktails, we are kicking off our “Create Your Own Curly Cocktail™” contest during the month of October. Readers are invited to submit their own cocktails, and the winning creation will be announced in NaturallyCurly’s Nov. 20 online newsletters as well as on the NaturallyCurly site.

Readers are allowed two options: create a cocktail using products available in CurlMart or create a cocktail using any products of their choosing, whether they be salon brands or drugstore offerings. Winners will be selected for each option, and each will receive a $50 CurlMart gift certificate.

You know how sometimes you feel like you’re saying the same thing over and over, and nothing is getting through to your child?

And then one day, something happens that makes you realize they’ve been listening all along.

I was folding laundry when my curly 7-year-old, Emma, came running into the room full of excitement. She told me to sit down because she had a story she wanted to read me out of her “Highlights” magazine. I couldn’t imagine what it could be about. Horses? Cats? Candy?

She began to read “Sassy Noodle Hair. The story is about a little girl named Sass who was going to be in a wedding, and she asks her Aunt Ella to straighten her hair.

“Nobody wants curly hair these days,” says Sass.

She idolizes Tina Marie, a little girl in her class with straight blonde hair – a girl who will also be in the wedding. Her aunt tells her she should appreciate her beautiful curls. But she finally gives in and straightens her hair. When the little girl arrives at the wedding, she looks for Tina Marie.

“I could see a girl with the same dress as mine,” Sass says. “She was standing with her back toward me, and talking to a group of people. But that girl couldn’t be Tina Marie. Because there, spilling out of her tiara, was curl after springing curl. I stood trying to make sense of it all.”

Of course, it was Tina Marie.

“She learned to appreciate her curls,” Emma told me. “You need to put this story up on your web site so kids will like their hair.”

When F. Butler launched Qhemet Biologics — a hair-care company with products tailored for people with curls and kinks — in 2004, many believed natural hair was only a passing trend.

“With so many support networks available for naturals now, I think it’s safe to say that textured hair love is here to stay,” Butler says. “Once people learn about the range of management and styling options available and/or become aware of the social and political roots of hair shame, the decision to transition is made easier. Information is always the catalyst for change, and what it has created is a growing demographic of knowledge-driven consumers with revised standards and very specific demands.

“Companies like Qhemet have responded to this growing demand for high-quality, high-performance products that accentuate the beauty of textured hair rather than fight it.”So not only are we rejecting scented mineral oil in favor of ingredients that are actually beneficial, we’re also rejecting the condescending marketing campaigns renowned for their use of misspelled words and gaudy color schemes,” Butler says of the products traditionally marketed for the ethnic market.

Qhemet was the result of Butler’s own frustrated attempts to manage her newly natural dry, damaged hair and scalp. She decided to create a line of quality, effective, tradition-inspired products for health-conscious consumers.

After two years of research, she launched Qhemet, borrowing her recipes from the rich, cultural hair-care traditions native to Africa, India and the Mediterranean.

“I wanted those of us who have been displaced to become reacquainted with the history and use of the materials our ancestors valued for their hair and skin benefits,” Butler says.Her first product was the Olive & Honey Intense Hydration Balm, which she created to provide lasting hydration to thick, coarse or dense hair. The balm contains virgin sesame oil and pure olive oil, which was referred to as ‘liquid gold’ in ancient Egypt because of its high levels of oleic acids and antioxidants.

“I felt that a product with natural emollients and moisturizers would provide nourishment, impart sheen and shine and keep the hair touchably soft, no matter the environmental conditions,'” she said.After developing that product, which turned the history buff into a lay cosmetic chemist, she decided to create an entire line of products. Some were intended as natural alternatives to existing products and others were designed to address needs she didn’t think were bering met. She wanted to avoid the petrochemicals, animal fats, proteins and irritants found in many of the products aimed at the ethnic market.

“I have two history degrees, so I obviously love history and folklore,” Butler says. “Sometimes, the most enjoyable aspect of developing a new product is exploring the indigenous value and use of an ingredient.”

When it launched, Qhemet had five products. Today, it has grown to 20, including a vegan body-care line for mom and baby. Many of her newer products have been the result of customer feedback, including the new Egyptian Wheatgrass Cleansing Tea, Castor & Moringa Softening Serum and Karkady Tea Replenishing Mist. Qhemet’s most popular products are the Amla & Olive Heavy Cream, with Olive Cream Conditioner & Detangler running a close second.

With each product, Butler has paid special attention to each ingredient. For example, the pomade includes Amla oil and virgin sesame oil because of their Ayurvedic tradition. The formula is traditionally prescribed to encourage hair growth, prevent dandruff, maintain hair pigment and soften hair. She said it’s gentle enough to use for babies and children. Her newer products contain even more botanicals, she says.

She said all Qhemet Biologics products work synergistically to counter the ravages of physical and chemical abuse. In some cases, Qhemet products have changed lives.”Since we’ve been told that textured hair is naturally unmanageable, dry and slow growing, the realization that it isn’t true can be an intensely emotional and liberating experience,” Butler says.

Spotlight Archive

You’ve finally figured out your hair routine when the temperature and the humidity plummet. Almost overnight, those holy grail products stop working, and your curls may turn dull and droopy, not to mention the static.

Hair tends to becomes at equilibrium with the environment. Cold air holds less moisture than warm air because it closes the cuticle layer faster. And because moisture conducts electricity, winter hair is prone to static, which increases five fold for every 10-degree drop in the mercury, says Victor Sabino of the Sabino Salon in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Add to that central heating and an increase in the use of hair dryers — and the tendency to over-dry the hair — and it’s no wonder that winter curls need extra help.

“Your hair feels dryer, and you’ll notice more static,” says Lesley Bride, a senior scientist at Pantene. “So when it comes to products, it’s about moisture and hold. “Keep shampooing to a minimum, and when you do cleanse your hair, use a product that is gentle.

“Be less aggressive with shampooing and don’t work hair into a thick lather,” cautions curl queen Ouidad of the Ouidad Salon. “This will irritate the hair and cause unwanted frizz.”In terms of styling products, creams tend to be more moisturizing than gels. Avoid products with a high alcohol content, which can be drying to the hair.

Winter also is a time to add a leave-in conditioner to your regimen to keep the hair hydrated and to fight static. To cut down on drying time, gently blot with a micro-fiber towel or a t-shirt. If you use heat appliances, make sure you use a product to protect your strands from damage. Make sure you turn off the dryer the moment the hair is dry.

Although moisture is a must, don’t use too much conditioner because it can weigh down the hair. Nick Chavez, owner of the Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Salon, suggests using conditioners with essential fatty acids and humectants, which hold moisture in the hair.

Once or twice a week, apply a deep conditioner to keep dry, parched, moisture-starved curls in check.”Heat helps the conditioners penetrate and allows it to go a little deeper,” Sabino says.

Wear a scarf, hat or cap to protect your hair from the cold and wind. Another weapon in fighting static is to carry a dryer sheet like Bounce in a zip-lock baggie, Sabino says.”You can occasionally pat the hair when you’re moving from a warm room to cold weather, or vice versa,” he says.Winter provides can provide new styling options for people with curly and wavy hair.”The cuts this winter are shorter, with more dramatic and diagonal angles,” says Christo of Christo Fifth Avenue.But when opting for a shorter style, Christo urges people to choose a cut that works with their hair texture, density and face shape. Also choose one that gives you the option to wear it curly and straight.”It is crucial to feel comfortable in your hairstyle,” Christo says.

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Product Recommendations

Shampoos

AG XtraMoist Shampoo

Pantene Frizz-Control Shampoo

Curl Junkie Hibiscus Bliss Moisturizing Shampoo

Curlisto Bio Curl Shampoo

Cutler Extra Gentle Shampoo

Curly Hair Solutions Treatment Shampoo

DevaCare No-Poo

Innersense Color Awakening Hair Bath

Jane Carter Solution Moisture Nourishing Shampoo

Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream

John Masters Organics Evening Primrose Shampoo

MyHoneychild Banana Creme Scalp Cleanser

Ojon Ultra Hydrating Shampoo

Wen by Chaz Deal Cleansing Conditioners

Redken All Soft Shampoo

Conditioners

AG Ultramoist Moisture Treatment

Blended Beauty Curl Quenching Conditioner

Curl Junkie Coco-Milk Conditioner

Curl Junkie Give ’em Slip Conditioner

Curl Friends Nourish

Curlisto Bio Curl ConditionerCutler Daily ConditionerInnersense Pure Inspiration Daily ConditionerJane Carter Solution Nutrient Replenishing ConditionerJessicurl Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing ConditionerMop Top Daily Conditioner

MyHoneyChild Banana Creme Conditioner

Ojon Ultra Hydrating Conditioner

Redken All Soft Conditioner

Ouidad Curl Quencher Shampoo

Leave-in ConditionersAG Fast Food

Blended Beauty SilkShake

Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Honey Creme

CurlFriends Replenish

Curly Hair Solutions Silk Leave-in

Curlisto Repair Styling CreamMixed Chicks Leave-in Conditioner

Ouidad Curl Quencher Conditioner

Deep Conditioners

AG Deep Reconstructing Treatment

Arbre de Vie Hot Oil Treatment

Blended Beauty Herbal Reconstructor

Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix

Curlisto Deep Therapy Masque

Cutler Intensive ConditionerDevaCare One ConditionElucence Extended Moisture Repair Treatment

Greenridge Herbals Hot Oil Hair Treatment

Hickox Intense Conditioner

Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner

Mop Top Deep Conditioner

My HoneyChild Honey and Horsetail Reconstructor

Ouidad Deep Treatment

Styling Products

AG Details Defining CreamAG Re:coil Curl Activator

Blended Beauty Curl Styling Butter

Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme

Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper

Innersense Quiet Calm Curl Control

Jane Carter Solution Hair Nourishing Cream

Ojon Hydrating Styling Cream

Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding

Philip Pelusi ReCurl

Wen by Charles Dean Sweet Almond Texture Balm

Sabino Moisture Block

Pantene Frizz-Control SerumPantene Frizz Control Balm

Pantene Strengthening Spray

Is it our imagination, or are curls everywhere these days? There are more actresses and singers wearing their hair kinky and curly. And curly models are finding their way into ads for companies too numerous to mention. While we’re thrilled with this development, it made it especially challenging to select the winners for the 2007 Curlies. Some curly celebs were also curly singers, there many of these people were nominated in multiple categories.

NaturallyCurly initiated the awards two years ago to recognize those people and companies that have advanced the curly cause. The selection is made by us, with input from our members. Last year’s winners included Shakira, curly product companies Devacurl, Curl Junkie and Children’s Place, a retailer that regularly features curly models in its ads.

So drum roll, please. Here are the winners of the 2007 Curlies!

Best Female Curly Celeb: There were so many great women from whom to choose that we decided to choose two this year: American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and singer/actress Taylor Swift. It’s hard to imagine either of these beautiful singers without their curls. We love seeing young women embrace their curls.

Swift and Sparks have served as a positive role models for many young curlies who see how their natural curls make them beautiful and unique. In fact, some straight-haired teens have even gotten perms to emulate Swift’s look.

Sparks seems to have moved away from her curls toward a straighter look, which we find a little puzzling since she has enviable ringlets. Maybe our Curly award will prompt her to toss her straight iron and rock those curls!

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Best Male Curly Celebrity: There was a smorgasbord of curly men from whom to choose this year’s winner. But the overwhelming winner was Adrian Grenier, star of HBO’s “Entourage” and movies such as “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Rather than cutting his hair short to hide any sign of wave, he wears his curls long — a trend we’re thrilled to see more of lately.

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Best Curly Musician: Corbin Bleu is an adorable teen musician and actor, who starred in the hit “High School Musical,” and his selection was a no-brainer. He received numerous votes in the celeb and musician category.

Corbin represents the new generation of curlies who truly embrace their curls — the bigger the better!

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Best Curly Movie: It was hard to ignore the curls that dominated “Knocked Up,” a movie about a curly underemployed slacker named Ben (Seth Rogan”>, who meets and accidentally impregnates Alison (Katherine Heigl”>. Alison’s sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann”> is a curly as is her adorable daughter, Charlotte (scene stealer and Shirley Temple look alike Iris Apatow”>. It’s refreshing to see movie characters wearing their hair in its natural state.

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Best Curly Model: You may not know her by name, but you’ve seen Jordan Richardson’s face and gorgeous hair in ads for companies such as Benetton. This supermodel in training, who wears her hair natural, could join the ranks of models who we’ve come to know and love on a first name basis: “Naomi,” Tyra”, “Iman” and “Gisele.” She shows that natural hair has become a new standard of beauty.

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Best Curly Ads: Devaconcepts’ print ads celebrate curls in all their glory. They are another example of the creativity and innovation Deva has used to promote the beauty of curls.

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We asked for your favorite Curly Cocktails™, and you sent us a wide variety of delectable concoctions for every curl type It was tough to choose a winner! We chose two that were creative as well as user friendly. Thank you for all your wonderful entries.

Cocktail #1 (CurlMart products”>: Piña Curlata (For type 3b hair”>

Mixed by Laura Benton, aka mysteryflavored

Innersense Quiet Calm Curl Control

Alagio Crazy Curl Curl Enhancer Balm

Curl-Ease Towel

DevaCurl Set it Free

Mix equal parts Innersense Quiet Calm Curl Control and Alagio Crazy Curl Curl Enhancer Balm in the palm, and rake/smooth into wet hair. Scrunch or plop in the Curl-Ease towel and finish it off with a couple spritzes of DevaCurl Set it Free. Voila: soft, frizz-free curls with a yummy, fruity scent!

Cocktail #2 (non-CurlMart products”>: 2 Smooth “Fixor” Creme (For type 3a hair“>

Mixed by Carrie Bowling

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

Bumble and Bumble Curl Creme

Aveda Confixor and

Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid

Apply Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum to lightly coat hair. Apply Bumble and Bumble Curl Creme and Aveda Confixor to control and activate curl. Air dry or diffuse. Then apply a small amount of Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid to the ends.

Both winners receive a $50 gift certificate to CurlMart, NaturallyCurly’s online boutique, just in time for some holiday shopping.

Laura will see her idea become a real Curly Cocktail™ next year in CurlMart!

Carrie wins virtual retail therapy — customized, personalized expert tips and tricks for tackling the toughest clothing calamities — courtesy of FashionJunkie.com.

Congratulations again to Laura and Carrie!

Shani Chen and Jo Jonz had a simple mission when they started Oshune Body Care.

“We’re here to make healthy, affordable body-care products for everyday people,” says Chen.

To that end, Oshune sells more than 50 products, from Belly Balms and Body Butters to Sugar Scrubs and Sweet Cremes. The products contain natural ingredients such as coconut oil, shea butter, almond oil and olive oil. The company’s mission is “to nourish, cleanse, and fortify the body” with its all-natural products, which are made fresh weekly.

The company got its start seven years ago, when Jonz and Chen moved to Los Angeles — he from New York and she from Miami. The climate change took its toll.

“We both had moved from humid places and suddenly we had dry skin and dry hair,” recalls Chen, who developed a severe case of dermatitis.

They had a hard time finding products that quenched their parched skin, so they began tinkering with natural ingredients. Jonz, an anthropologist by nature, began looking for ingredients on his travels. Coconut oil is found in many of the ingredients because the coconut is a “miracle nut,” Chen says.

“It is a staple for us,” she says.

Their initial line included body butter, lotion, cream and oil. They named the line “Oshune,” which comes from the Yoruba religion, where Oshune is a deity representing love, sensuality, and prosperity.

“We thought it was an appropriate name,” Chen says.

Initially, Oshune was a weekend sideline. Chen was working for Citibank trying to break into television writing, and Jonz was an actor and businessman. They started small, selling the products at an L.A. flea market. The company made $2,000 the first year.

“After Sept. 11, it was time to make a decision if we wanted to take it seriously,” Chen says. “That’s exactly what we did.”

In November 2001, Oshune incorporated and became a full-time endeavor. The products now can be found in stores and hotels around Los Angeles as well as at CurlMart The products were featured at Fashion Week, and have appeared in magazines such as Honey, Vibe and Essence.

They’ve created new products as they’ve seen a demand. For example, Sweet Creme, a light creme made with coconut oil and shea butter, was created when Chen found that the body lotion worked well in her long, naturally curly hair.

“We decided to create one product that could do 10 things,” says Chen, who also uses it as a body cream and to remove makeup.

The company is developing an upscale line as well as an organic line. A men’s line also is in the works — something “sexy, urban and hip,” Jonz says.

“The market will dictate what direction we’ll go in,” Jonz says. “We know we want to get products to people that are beneficial to their health.”

If Aveda celebrity hair stylist Paco Camp could give one message to curlies, it would be to embrace their natural texture.“They can look beautiful whether their hair is straight, curly, wavy or whatever,” says Camp, who owns an

Aveda Concept Salon in Coral Gables. “Women tend to become fixated on whatever the media is portraying to be ‘in.’” Camp, a curly himself, encourages his clients to keep it simple. He likes clients to leave the salon with natural, touchable hair that’s easy to maintain and to recreate at home.“I want them to learn to love their hair’s natural texture and quirks,” says Camp, who has worked on such celebrities as Gloria Estefan, Hillary Clinton and Ivana Trump. He believes people put way too much product on their hair, making it look goopy and flat instead of beautiful and touchable.“Remember less is more, and distribution is key,” he says. Using the right products also is important.“The majority of people use products that cause a lot of build-up on the hair,” Camp says. “This keeps hair from receiving the full benefit of what they are using. It’s important to use natural, plant-derived products like Aveda so hair is ready to receive the full benefits.”

So what is the best way for curlies to battle frizz – the number one curly complaint? He encourages them to use the right products. Aveda Be Curly Curl Control is great to help eliminate frizz, he says. On really humid days, he mixes a little Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid with the Curl Control for extra control. What is the biggest curly no-no? “Once the hair is dry, women should absolutely not brush their hair,” Camp says. “It causes the hair to lose its shape and get frizzy. I recommend my clients give their hair a good brushing prior to taking a shower. Use an Aveda Paddle Brush with a little Aveda Beautifying Composition on your scalp, and start at the ends to untangle the hair and work the brush all over the scalp. It helps produce natural sebum, breaks down product, exfoliates the scalp and removes broken hair.” Camp believes people should find somebody who is experienced and comfortable working with curls. “Curly/wavy hair has its own little nuances and behaves very differently than straight hair,” he says.

When Camp was traveling with Estefan, who has naturally curly hair, he said her biggest issue was keeping it from looking frizzy. “She wanted her hair to look healthy and natural,” Camp says. “She was always very open to change. I remember styling her once for the American Music Awards when she was hosting. I did four hair changes for that show. It’s always great to work with someone who is willing to step outside the box and try something new.” The sexiest thing is a woman who feels comfortable about the way she looks, Camp says. “I think that sexy is an attitude. Look at Sonia Braga. She was always able to pull off wild, curly, frizzy hair and come across as one of Latin America’s sexiest actresses. It really is an attitude. Women end up looking beautiful and sexy because they exude a confidence from within.”

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Curl Like a Pro: Aveda’s Top 10 Tips for Curly/Wavy Hair

1. Start with the right shampoo and conditioner. Be Curly Shampoo and Conditioner moisturize and reduce frizz to set you up for styling success.
2. Always blot wet hair dry with a towel. Don’t rub—rubbing creates more frizz.
3. Try not to shampoo every day. The natural oils in your scalp are beneficial to the health of your hair.
4. Refresh scalp and hair style between washings. If you decide to skip a shower one morning, simply spritz hair with Light Elements Reviving Mist, scrunching as you go to revive and refresh curls.
5. Curly hair needs moisture. Use Be Curly Curl Enhancer when hair is damp and Be Curly Curl Control once hair is dry to keep curls moisturized, defined and frizz-free.
6. Blow dry hair on low speed with high heat and use a diffuser. This gives you defined, frizz-free curls. For extra lift and volume, flip head upside down when blow drying.
7. Avoid running fingers through hair as it dries. It causes curls to separate and become frizzy. For on-the-go touch-ups keep Be Curly Curl Control in your purse to redefine and de-frizz as needed throughout the day.
8. Don’t brush or comb curly hair when dry. It removes curl and causes frizz.
9. Spritz curls with a firm hold hairspray. Pure Abundance Volumizing Hairspray prevents frizz in humid and/or windy conditions.
10. Wrap hair in a silk scarf before bed. It helps prevent frizz while sleeping.

I was watching “The Bachelor” the other night, and it became crystal clear that I could never be on the show. It doesn’t matter that I’m a 40-something married woman who isn’t a blonde size 4 bombshell with a boob job. It’s the fact that my curly hair would be such a mess!!!!

I was watching Jenni and Brad cavort with the dolphins in Cabo, and her hair looked perfect as she emerged from the water. It looked perfect as they gazed at each other over dinner. And I’m sure it looked perfect when they woke up the next morning in their fantasy suite.

Unfortunately for us curlies, our hair isn’t so wash and wear. It can morph over the course of a date, especially if you throw in a iittle humidity or a pool – or a little romance. It’s something our mates know about us, and hopefully appreciate.

As I watch Bettina’s blonde hair whip romantically around her on a sailboat – knowing that mine would like like a huge bush — I console myself with the thought that none of the Bachelors ever ends up with the girl from the Final Rose ceremony anyway.

NeAisha Campbell’s natural hair journey began 11 years ago when she headed off to college.

“There were no stylists who knew how to do my hair near where I went to school,” Campbell says. “I wasn’t looking to go natural. I stumbled upon it.”

Heavenly Hemp Hair & Body Butter

By the summer after her freshman year, she had a significant amount of natural hair growth. After four years of going natural, she opted for locks.

But as she traveled down the road to natural hair, she was frustrated by the lack of resources to help her navigate the path. She searched through the “bowels of Yahoo and Google” for informations. But she didn’t even know the correct terminology to start searching.

“If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s hard to figure out how to find it,” says the 29-year-old Virginia native. “Most sites were for people with straight hair, I realized there was a need for information about natural hair and locks.”

Naani — dedicated to the memory of her mother, Juanita Campbell — was conceived as a character who would help guide the site’s readers through the natural hair journey. She created a database of articles, and launched www.naani.com in 2001 with the goal of creating a comfortable and supportive online environment where individuals could gather free hair care and styling information.

The site includes a wide variety of photos and articles, with libraries on such subjects as cornrows, dreadlocks, weaves, braids, weaves, natural hair and relaxers.

Her interest in pure essentials, organic herbs, butters and oils led to the development of personal recipes and products designed to address a wide variety of her own hair and skin issues, a line called Naani’s Naturals. The bath and body line now includes over 200 organic, vegan and cruelty-free products — most handcrafted and naturally derived. The line includes sulfate-free shampoos, herbal conditioners, Aida No More Frizzies, Lock ‘D Down Dreadlocks Butter, Curly Custard Maximum Definition Hairdress as well as Juanita All-Natural Design Cream

“It’s nice that I can make a living off something I have a passion about,” Campbell says.

She was able to leave her day job in mid-2002 to devote her full time to the site.

“We’re still growing and like a child,” Campbell says. “There have been some hiccups along the way. We’re constantly tweaking it.”

There was a little girl

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead

When she was good

She was very good indeed

And when she was bad she was horrid

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Michelle Breyer, Curl expert and co-founder of NaturallyCurly.com, talks about her own biases when dealing with her daughter’s curly locks.

My 7-year-old daughter, Emma, woke up the other morning and asks me if she looks any different. I don’t know quite how to react to that, so I say no. She then asks if her hair looks messy. Since she was blessed with curls — although not quite as curly as my own tight ringlets — her hair does indeed look a little crazy. Then I notice that the front of her hair is a good six inches shorter than the rest of it. Yes, she says, she cut her own hair. A huge chunk.

I grew up with a straight-haired mother who had no idea what to do with her curly daughter’s hair. She thought it looked cute an inch long, so I had a pixie until I was in 8th grade and old enough to say no. Even then, it took years to grow it long. So the thought that my daughter had voluntarily cut her beautiful, long, Giselle curls short was hard to fathom. Then she told me she wanted a short haircut. At first, I was horrified. Then, it hit me that it’s her hair to do with just as she pleases. Just as I was angry that my mother subjected me to involuntary pixies, my daughter longed to have a short bob like her friends. She wanted to make a decision for herself.

So off we went to the hair salon, and she told the stylist how much we wanted cut off. It was painful to watch the long, golden ringlets fall to the ground. I would have died for long hair like that when I was her age, with my short helmet of curls. But Emma was thrilled with her new look. She bragged to her friends, “My hair is shorter than yours!”

It’s not too hard to spot Lindsey Jacobellis on the slopes.

She’s one of the world’s top snowboarders, flying down frosty mountains, free and fast, twisting and flipping down the half-pipe and racing over obstacles in the snowboard cross. But in addition to her superhuman skills, she is known for the blonde ringlets that peek out the back of her helmet.

“It’s me,” Jacobellis says of her curls. “People know me by my hair. It’s my trademark thing.”

Jacobellis has become a snowboarding icon, as well as one of the world’s most famous curly athletes.

She began snowboarding in rural Roxbury, Connecticut, when she was 10-years old.

“I didn’t snowboard well right away,” she says. “I got frustrated and put it away. I went back to skiing so I could keep up with the family.”

But she decided to give it another try. Coached by her older brother, Ben, Lindsey was forced to compete against boys since there was no girls’ division for the sport. This coed racing helped her develop a highly competitive spirit. Leading up to the Olympics, she trained with the American men since she is the only U.S. woman competing in snowboard cross. She made frequent trips to Vermont to train, eventually moved to Vermont to begin serious competitive training. She won her first prestigious event when she was 15.

“That’s when I knew it was more than a hobby,” she says.

She gained infamy at the 2006 Olympics where she attempted a grab during the final race and fell, losing her sizable lead and getting a silver medal instead of a gold. She says she went for the jump because she was having fun, and she wanted to share that with the crowd. Asked whether she will return to the 2010 Olympics, she said she takes it one year at a time.

“It’s not something you can dwell on,” she says. “It can really drive you crazy.”

Jacobellis has had curly hair since she can remember, but admits she wasn’t always so comfortable with her ringlets.

“They were a pain — a lot to manage for a little kid,” she says. “If I wore braids, they turned into dreadlocks. I brushed my hair every night with conditioner.”

Cutting it short gave the athletic kid much-needed freedom. By high school, it had grown long, making it easier to take care of. She didn’t do another drastic haircut until high school, when she donated 10 inches of her long curls to Locks of Love, an organization that takes donations of hair and makes them into wigs for cancer patients.

Jacobellis says she sometimes longs for straight hair, and says it can be frustrating not to wear the latest trendy hairstyle. Her friends have straightened her hair every now and then — a 3 1/2-hour ordeal that requires three people working on her.

“I’m limited in the styles I can do with my hair,” she says. “I pretty much live on the road, bouncing from mountain to mountain.”

When she’s in the mountains, where the humidity is low, she says her hair is easy to work with. But during a recent surfing trip to Fiji, she said the curls turned into a big frizzy poof.

But even on those bad hair days, she says she now sees her hair as a major asset. One of her sponsors is hair-care giant John Paul Mitchell Systems. When the company’s chairman, John Paul DeJoria, first met her, she said he went crazy over her hair.

“He told me it was one of a kind,” she says. “It made me feel really good that it was something unique. It just goes to show you that you’ll have things in your life that you don’t appreciate. But once you become your own person, you come to appreciate those individual differences. Embrace it! It’s not something everybody has!”

Lindsay’s favorite products: Paul Mitchell’s The Conditioner, Round Trip and Skinny Serum. “There really is no replacement for The Conditioner,” she says. “It makes my hair look really natural and normal, like it hasn’t been styled for two hours. I don’t really have the time to do my hair all the time.”

We’ve all had it happen. We finally find our Holy Grail styling product or conditioner. It gives us the shiny, defined ringlets we’ve longed for. Then, overnight, it stops working. Your curls turn to frizz. Your hair feels like straw.

Has your hair become immune to the product?

The unanimous answer is no. If a product isn’t giving you the same results it once did, the culprits could be product buildup, hormonal changes, environmental damage and even the weather.

“There are many reasons why products can seem to stop working,” says curl expert Christo of Christo Fifth Avenue.

A major culprit is product buildup, and improper cleansing.

“You can have too much of a good thing, especially with products designed to control and give weight to curls,” says Ethan Shaw, a curly hair specialist at Ann Kelso Salon + CitySpa in Austin, Texas. “Eventually they can leave a substantial film on the hair.”

A clarifying shampoo. or a vinegar rinse, should be used once or twice a month to remove buildup from products. Products that contain oil, silicones and waxes are especially susceptible to buildup, creating a barrier that can prevent products from doing what they are supposed to do.

Jonathan Torch of the Curly Hair Institute in Toronto, Canada, says protein can also affect how products work over time.

“Some proteins can cause the hair to become brittle, and can cause breakage if they build up,” Torch says. “The smaller the protein molecule, the deeper the penetration into the hair. The larger the molecule, the easier it is for it to buildup as the protein adheres to the outside of the hair shaft.”

Seasonal changes can have a major impact on the effectiveness of products.

“The weather does have a huge effect on how your looks, and how products seem to work,” Shaw says. “Humidity, or lack thereof, can give or take away curls.”

Many times, people may not realize their hair texture has changed over time. It may become coarser, curlier or thinner. Hair tends to change every seven years.

In some cases, the length or style of the hair may change over time, requiring different types of products. A light gel that may have worked perfectly in a short curly style may not be heavy enough for longer ringlets.

“Just think of how different your hair was compared to when you were a kid,” Shaw says. “It’s natural for your hair to get more or less curly, and more or less coarse, especially with gray hair.”

Because of that , the formula of a person’s styling products will have to change as well as the way she uses them, Christo says.

If you’ve been using the same products for several years, and have noticed a change in how they work, consult with your stylist. There may be different products better suited to the changing needs of your hair.

Ouidad, of the New York curl salon Ouidad, believes it’s a fallacy that people need to change their products over time — a creative marketing strategy perpetuated by product manufacturers trying to sell more products. She said she constantly tests her products on her clients and on herself, and she believes good products continue to perform over time.

“When there is a change in the way it works, it is most likely from an extenuating circumstance, such as a medical conditioner or a chemical process such as color or straightening,” Ouidad says.

It’s been a busy two and a half years for Blended Beauty. During that time, the Canadian curly-hair product company has grown from five to 23 products—a vast array of cleansers conditioners, spritzes, lotions, butters masks and puddings. The company has had three web sites, and the products have had three different labels.

Founder Stacey Canfield believes Blended Beauty now has hit its stride. The company has broadened its strategy from biracial curlies to all curl types—from waves to kinks. The company’s product line, as well as its web site and packaging, now better reflects the diversity of Blended Beauty’s customers.

The child of a white French Canadian mom and a Black Guyanese dad, Canfield was born with a head full of tight ringlets. After years of texturizers, braids and extensions, she decided to embrace her natural texture. But her challenge was to find products that worked with her natural hair texture.

Her search led her to create Blended Beauty, a line of natural hair-care products for curly and kinky hair. Initially she thought the company’s five products would meet the needs of her customers—people with curls like her own.

“I didn’t realize that other curlies were looking for products,” Canfield says. “I’ve listened to what everyone has asked for. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the customers.”

For example, she added products like Straight Pearl and Straightening Glaze, for those who like the option of wearing their hair straight some days. These products contain beantree, a natural silicone replacement. She created her Blended Cutie line for kids. She has created lighter and heavier versions of products in response to customer requests.

Blended Beauty’s two newest products, Blended Beauty SilkShake and Blended Cutie Curly Cake Shake, were developed because customers were asking for a creamier spritz. The products, which work on all hair types, have the styling effect of a a light Soft Curls & Swirls or a Butter Me Up, adding definition without the weighing hair down They also work as a detangler and as a moisturizer, “sucking moisture from the air into the curls.”

“Some people like to add a leave-in cream when they’re not washing,” Canfield says of the two products. “You can use them even if you don’t have another product in your hair already. I love them so much! I think it’s my new favorite, for sure.”

She spent six months creating the products, tweaking them until she felt they were perfect. The self-proclaimed perfectionist searched the globe for the perfect sprayer top for the bottles. SilkShake and Curly Cake Shake will available this month.

Canfield says she has no plans to create any new hair products — at least not in the near future.

“One product led to another, which led to another, which led to another, but I think I’m pretty much done now,” she says.

In addition to the creation of new products, the outside of the bottles now have a new look, with new labels. Gone are the cute characters.

“I didn’t want to have characters that related only to one type of person,” Canfield says. “I found a look that matches the new web site and suits my personality. This will definitely be the last label change.”

The new labels not only have a new look. They’re also more earth friendly, made from corn instead of vinyl or petroleum. They are more biodegradable, and require less energy to make, she says.

To accommodate requests for larger sizes, Blended Beauty now has 500 ml sizes available of Curl Quenching Conditioner, Tug Me Not Conditioner, Soy Cream Shampoo, SIlky Swirls Shampoo, Curly Frizz Pudding, Jelly Cream and Butter Me Up. Eventually, all the products will come in larger sizes.

Blended Beauty’s web site also got a face lift several months ago. It includes such features as hair and product charts that match hair types with specific Blended Beauty products.

“We’ve had a lot fewer questions regarding what to buy since we put up the chart,” Canfield says. “The biggest advantage is you don’t need to have a Paypal account to shop on the site.”

Canfield said her next focus will be the Blended Beauty Complexion line she created a year ago, which she plans to market more aggressively. She also plans to create body products and hair accessories, as well as a styling video.

When Justin Hickox decided to develop his own product line, he wanted to make sure that anything with his name on it was the best it could be.

The products were designed by the Justin Hickox Studio staff of hair design and color specialists. Hickox uses his Portland, Ore. salon as the test lab, trying out products on clients to make sure they meet his standards.

“(Hickox Studio”> products never make it to the web site until they’ve been tested two to three years in the salon,” Hickox says. “If there’s stuff out there that’s a lot better, the product never makes it to the web site. Our line doesn’t have a lot of gimmicks. They’re just products that work.

Although they have been available at the salon for decade, Hickox only began offering his products online four months ago.

“I don’t want to have a product line that I play with for a little bit and sell,” Hickox says. “I want to hold them to a higher standard.”

Hickox was destined to be in the hair business.

His parents, John and Sharon, owned a salon, and he worked there from the time he was 13.

“I can’t remember a day that I wasn’t at the salon working or just watching,” says Hickox. “It was a natural progression for me.”

After he graduated from school, he returned to Portland, Ore. to begin the year-long apprentice program at his parents’ salon. He went on to work as a stylist in the salon while taking classes to learn how to teach advanced techniques to future apprentices. During the past 11 years, he has done hair for television, photo shoots, fashion shows and celebrities.

Through a group called Intercoiffure Mondial — an international organization of over 3,000 countries worldwide — he was exposed to some of the leaders in the hair-care industry. These people served as role models and mentors as Hickox became a successful hairdresser in his own right, opening his own salon in 2000 and launching his own line of products.

Hickox says his initial decision to develop a line of products came from his own frustration with what was on the market.

“I was finding that a lot of things products were making my life harder,” he says. “Products designed to give the hair shine were creating buildup as well. They were solving one problem, but creating another one at the same time. I wanted to bring out a line that was good for my own needs.”

The Hickox Studio line currently has 14 products in it.

One of the stars of the line is Phat Hair — a gel-mousse that has become a favorite among Hickox’s curly clients. When he developed it, he wanted a styling cream that gave definition without being to heavy. It creates frizz-free, defined curls without feeling sticky or dirty. Other products that have been big hits with the curly set include Pink Stuff and X-Treme Wax.

“I put my name on it because I feel my name is the ultimate stamp of approval,” Hickox says of his line.