Saturday, July 13, 2013

Product Review: TRESemme Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Conditioner



Ingredients: Wateraqua, Quaternium 18 , Cetearyl Alcohol , Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine , Cocodimonium Hydroloxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein , Panthenol , Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) , Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract (Sweet Almond) , Corylus Avellana Leaf Extract (Hazel) , Helianthus Annuus ExtractSunflower , Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract , Epilobium Angustifolium (Canadian Willowherb) Extract , Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Fruit ExtractFennel , Hydroxyethylcellulose , Stearyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , Quaternium 80 , Steareth 21 , Dimethicone , Disodium PEG 12 Dimethicone Sulfosuccinate , Oleamine Oxide , Glycerin , Citric Acid , PVP , DMDM Hydantoin , Disodium EDTA , Propylene Glycol , Butylene Glycol , Fragrance (Parfum)parfum


Promises:  The TRESemmé Moisture Rich Shampoo & Conditioner system delivers optimized hydration that targets dryness and locks in moisture where your hair needs it most. Created for daily use, this advanced moisturizing system with vitamin E helps restore vibrancy and makes dry, damaged hair soft without weighing it down. This moisturizing conditioner delivers a salon-healthy look and enviable shine.

How to Use: First apply an adequate amount from mid-shaft to ends. Work anything that's left through roots. Run a wide-tooth comb or your fingers from roots to ends to detangle and fully coat hair. Leave in 2-3 minutes, rinse thoroughly. 


My thoughts: I have used this products in several different ways to find out how this product would work best for my hair. Before getting into how I used this product I want to talk about the product in general. This product came in a bottle with a pump which I absolutely love. It's very convenient when using in the shower and the pump also allowed me to transfer to other storage containers with ease. The product smells good and I the fragrance is not overbearing. The product is very thin and thus can be used in many different ways with ease. I have used it as a pre-poo, co-wash, and as a moisturizer. When using this as a pre-poo this product was ok. I felt other cheap conditioners worked better and left my hair more moisturized. For my hair this product is a little too thin to use as a pre-poo.  As a co-wash I felt that this product worked pretty well. The product is thin so it allowed to apply it to my scalp without me feeling like my scalp was being coated. The pump allowed for this product to be used in the shower with ease. I was also able to control the amount that was dispensed with ease. By far I like this product the most as a moisturizer. It leaves my hair very moisturized and not coated. It also leaves my hair soft. With this product I don't need to reapply everyday. Because this product is water based I would not apply to straight hair. However this product works great when bunning or protective styling. I will probably not repurchase after it is done because I already have a great moisturizer. If you are looking for a cheap versatile product I suggest you give this product a try. Overall I rate this product a 3.5/5. 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

June Goals Recap/July Goals


June Goals
  • Wash and deep condition my hair at least 1x Success! I actually deep conditioned 3 times
  • Steam hair for at least 30 minutes using homemade steam method. (Will share in a later post). Failed
  • Clarify hair! Success! 
  • Do a set of two strand twists. Failed! I was a little discouraged when I found out it would take hours to complete.
  • Make homemade shea butter. Failed
  • Use castor oil on my scalp and edges at least 4x per week for at 2 weeks. Failed

As you can see I didn't do to well at obtaining my June goals. I plan to do much better with my July goals now that I am no longer pregnant and have more energy. Speaking of no longer being pregnant, my birth story post will be up within the next two weeks. I'm playing catch up with blog post. I also have to find the time to post with having a two year old and a newborn to tend to. Patience is much appreciated!


July Goals
  • No direct heat (with exception of the time I used it 7/2/13)
  • Steam hair for at least 30 minutes using homemade steam method.
  • Do set of medium two strand twists
  • Do braidout
  • Make homemade shea butter
  • M&S every other day and as needed
  • Use castor oil on scalp and edges every other day and as needed
  • Return to weekly or biweekly wash days
  • Start back working out at least 3 times a week
How did you do with your June goals? What are your July goals? Share the links below!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Swim Hair Regimen

Source
Now that summer is here many people enjoy the weather by swimming. This summer I plan to spend a lot of time in the pool cooling off. I want to become a better swimmer as well as start swim lessons for my son. Because I will be using the community pool and my gym's pool I will be exposing my hair to chlorine. If not properly cared for, chlorine can be very damaging to the hair. It can cause dryness and lead to breakage. Before my hair journey I never thought to prep my hair before going swimming. I would only take care of my hair after getting out of the pool. Sometimes it would be 2-3 days before I would wash my hair after swimming. Now that I know better I do better. I'm going to share what I do to my hair before and after swimming. Hopefully you can build your own regimen to protect your hair from chlorine and even salt water.

Before swimming
Supplies needed

  • Spray bottle with water
  • Cheap conditioner of your choice
  • Oil of your choice. I prefer a thick oil such as EVOO or Castor Oil
  • Hair ties
  • Swim Cap (optional)
I start off by sectioning my hair into four sections and secure them with clips. Depending on how thick your hair is you may want to use more sections. Working with one section at a time I saturate the section with water. I use my hands to massage in the water so that every strand is wet. I next take my conditioner of choice and coat the section thoroughly. I use lots of conditioner for this. After applying a generous amount of conditioner I use a generous amount of oil to seal in the moisture. The purpose of the conditioner and oil is to keep as little chlorine and water from penetrating the hair shaft as possible. Next I braid or twist each the sections and secure it out the way as I work with the remaining sections. Lastly I secure two sections together towards the back of my head and apply my swim cap. The swim cap creates another barrier against the chlorine or salt water. 

After swimming
Supplies needed
  • Shampoo (preferably a swimmers shampoo, clarifying shampoo, or sulfate shampoo)
  • Moisturizing Deep Conditioner
  • Plastic Cap
Immediately after swimming I thoroughly rinse my hair out with warm water. Even if you are not able to wash and deep conditioner your hair it is very important to rinse your hair as soon as possible. I try to remove as much chlorine or salt as possible. I do this without removing the twist or braids. I work with the sections that I previously created. I remove the twist or braid and rinse the hair one more time before applying my shampoo of choice. I make sure to thoroughly clean my scalp and hair. This is one of the only times I will apply a little shampoo to the length of my hair. I don't worry about the shampoo drying my hair out because my main concern is removing all the chlorine or salt from my hair. I put the moisture back in when I deep condition. After lathering 2x I apply my deep conditioner and retwist/rebraid my hair. I apply a plastic cap and sit under my hooded dryer for 15-30 minutes. I will then rinse the deep conditioner out and style my hair or place a winter hat on my hair and leave it for as long as overnight. 


**Side Note: I have never used a swimmers shampoo, but I plan on purchasing the Ion Swimmers shampoo this month from Sally Beauty Supply because it is on sale. If you have used this brand or a different brand please share your experience in the comments below.

These are the steps I take to protect my hair when swimming. What do you do to protect your hair? If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please leave them in the comments below.