Wash Day (Last Week)

FYI: This post was written last week after my wash day. I didn't get around to publishing the post until today. 

This wash day went very smoothly. My main focus was moisture. Since becoming fully natural in January I have been having a hard time trying to maintain moisture in my hair. Being able to maintain moisture seems to be a very common battle amongst new naturals. After a couple months of trial and error I think I may be close to finding my solution, but first let me share the steps to my wash day. 

1. I decided to pre-poo with coconut oil for about 30 minutes with saran wrap and a plastic cap. This was my first time pre-pooing in a very long time.  I think I will be adding this to my regimen because it definitely contributes to moisture.
2. Cowashed once with Shea Moisture Mango and Carrot Extra Nourishing Shampoo from the kids collection. I used this simply because it was the only other shampoo I have at home is a VERY stripping and drying Ion Clarifying shampoo. The Shea Moisture Shampoo is the one I use on my daughter's head and thus I used it to remove any product build up I may have had from my wash and go last week. I then followed up with a lather of Tresseme Naturals Nourishing Conditioner. Did I tell you all how much I love the Tresseme Naturals Conditioner?!!
3.  Next I deep conditioned with L'Oréal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm overnight with a Saran Wrap and Plastic Cap (total about 20 hours). I finger detangled with this conditioner in my hair under running water.  My hair was amazingly soft afterwards.
4. I t-shirt dried for about 5 minutes and then added my leave in conditioner by As I Am. I then sectioned my hair and did a protective style using  Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream and sealed with Jamaican Black Castor Oil.

Here I am 24 hours later and my hair is very moisturized. To keep this style up over the week I worse a bonnet overnight and retwisted/rebraided 2 days later. I find that there are a few products in my stash that keeps my hair amazingly soft and moisturized:

• Tresemme Naturals Nourshing Conditioner
• As I Am Leave In
• Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream
• Castor Oil

 I also realized that pre-pooing with an oil is a must along with moisturizing and sealing every 2-3 days. I don't find it necessary to moisturize and seal my hair daily. I also plan to make my own spritz using Aloe Vera Juice.

Rebuilding My Regimen

I know you have heard many transitioners or naturals talk about how their hair and its needs have changed over time. I can now attest to this. Products that use to work for my hair no longer work or don't work as well. Techniques that use to work are also no longer valid.

Here is an example: I use to wash my hair in one big section. As I got further into my transition I realized this method did not work as well for me. I experienced more breakage and tangles with this method. I learned quickly that I had to change my technique of detangling my hair to sectioning my hair into 2-4 sections depending on my hair's current state.

Because of changes in the state of my hair I realized I needed to rebuild my regimen. Figuring out what your regimen will be can be quite complicated if you make it. So many questions may run through your mind. How often should I wash my hair? What products do I use? Should my regimen change with the seasons? The truth of the matter is that you may not always know the answer to these questions right away. It may take some trial and error to discover what works for your hair. Your regimen could and should change over time. Keep in mind your should be consistent with your regimen to have a fair evaluation of what works for your hair and what does not. Remember no two head of hair is alike and what works for someone else may not work for you.

Some key components and steps that should be the basis of every hair regimen (in my opinion) include:

• Cleanser (shampoo or co-wash)
• Deep Condition
• Leave in conditioner
• Moisturizer
• Sealant (Butter or Oil)

Some things that you may want to include in your regimen, but may not be necessary for everyone includes:

• Pre-poo or pre shampoo treatment
• Hot oil treatment
• Tea rinse
• ACV Rinse
• Henna
• Clear rinse
• Steam treatment
• etc.

For my regimen I have had time to discover what works for me and so my regimen was created. These are the steps that will almost always be completed on my wash days:

1. Co-wash every two weeks. Clarifying my hair will replace a co-wash at least 1x a month.
2. Tea rinse at least 2x a month to reduce shedding
3. Deep condition either before or after co-wash/shampoo. When using a clarifying shampoo I will always deep condition after washing. When deep conditioning before I co-wash, I will follow up with a conditioner rinse. Conditioner rinse is referring to a 3-5 minute conditioning treatment to put moisture back into my hair.
4. Apply a leave in leave-in and possibly follow up with moisturizer (Note: My leave in may also be my moisturizer).
5. Apply a sealant which will more than likely be an oil.
6. Style as desired.

A few things that I may incorporate whenever I feel necessary will be clear rinses, pre-poo treatments, hot oil treatments, and oil rinses. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about my new regimen let me know. Again, thanks for following my journey! 

Operation Terminate Postpartum Shedding

Dirty hair before washing. I'm in need of a trim!

Unfortunately the monster known as postpartum shedding has arrived with a vengeance. During my last wash day I noticed an increase in shedding. My hair was shedding double what it normally does. I won't go as far as to say it was coming out in clumps, but it was above my comfort level. For those of you know don't know what postpartum shedding is, let me explain.

During pregnancy you have an increase in hormone levels. One of those hormones is called estrogen. The increase in estrogen causes your hair to shed less. On average we normally shed about 100 hairs a day. During pregnancy many will see a significant decline in this number, hence fuller hair during this time. After you give birth your hormones start to balance out and your hair enters a resting phase. You then notice an increase in shedding. Not all women experience this. I am a part of the "lucky" few who is/has.

After having my son I shed significantly for over a year. At that time I was going to a salon on a biweekly-monthly basis. My then stylist recommended protein treatments monthly. I'm not sure what products she used, but it did not decrease my shedding. After a while the shedding became "normal" to me and I stopped trying to fix it. This lead to thinner edges and uneven broken hair. Now that I know better I plan to do better. I immediately ran to my local BSS and picked up a few supplies. I purchased Queen Helene's Garlic Shampoo and ORS Hair Mayonnaise. While there I also discovered they sold Alter Ego Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Mask. These items ranged from $21.99-$29.99. I was tempted to purchase the hair mask, but decided to give the Queen Helene a try first. After all I only paid $3.99 for the Queen Helene.

Last Saturday (8/30/13) I decided to try out my new products. My first impression of the shampoo is that is is extremely drying to the hair. I had to follow up with a lather of my EverStrong Hydrating Sulfate-free Shampoo to add moisture back to my hair. This dryness almost made me not want to follow up with the ORS Hair Mayonnaise because I figured it would make my hair even more dry. After all it is said to be a medium protein treatment. Well I'm glad I decided to use the ORS Hair Mayonnaise because it left my hair super soft and moisturized. So far I am impressed with this product. I will be giving a full review of both products after a month or so of using them. I will say that the shedding has slowed down a little. I also noticed a decrease in breakage! Now that it is the end of the week I'm noticing the shedding has picked back up, but I will be using the Queen Helene shampoo on my next wash day. I will be keeping you posted on my quest to slow down this shedding.

Have you or anyone you know experienced shedding? What action did you or they take? Suggestions are greatly appreciated. Until next time happy hair growing!

Wash Day Post! Monday June 3, 2013

Source: Google Images

I finally washed my hair on my own! I'm shocked myself. I took my son to a pool party that Saturday and even though I didn't dip my head in the pool I'm sure my edges got wet. I'm currently working on a post about my swim hair regimen. It should be posted sometime this weekend so be on the lookout.

Here are the steps to my wash day which actually started Sunday night.

• Pre-pooed with Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner overnight. I sectioned my hair in two sections. I covered my hair with two plastic caps and a satin hair bonnet.
• The next morning I clarified my hair with my Ion Clarifying Shampoo. I kept my hair in the two separate sections while shampooing, conditioning, and detangling. I don't like how dry my hair is after clarifying so I usually try to follow up with a moisturizing shampoo. 
• I next washed my hair with L'oreal EverStrong Hydrating Shampoo. I have not used this shampoo in a long time and I almost forgot how much I love it! I think I will be repurchasing this one and swapping it out with the Creme of Nature Moisture Shine Shampoo. 
• I rinsed out very well and decided to do a protein treatment with Aphogee's 2 Minute Resconstructor. I left this on my hair for about 5 minutes. I was going to follow up with a deep conditioner, but I didn't for two reasons. One I was starting to feel a little sick and two my hair was already super soft.
• I broke my two sections into four total sections to add my leave-in conditioner and  detangle. My new-growth was definitely prevalent, but surprisingly not unmanageable. I'm currently 6 months post relaxer. 
• I used a new leave in conditioner I purchased a few weeks prior, GVP's Conditioner which is suppose to be comparable to Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner. I will have a review on this product once I use it more. I sealed with EVOO.
• I detangled my hair with a wide tooth comb and twisted my hair in a bunch of semi-large twists to air dry. After my hair air-dried I put my hair into a bun. I really should have blow-dried my hair on cool to stretch out my new-growth. 

My wash day was very simple and I plan to wash again today Wednesday June, 12, 2013 if I can build up the energy. I plan to do some small two-strand twist. This will be my delivery protective style. I will have a post up after wash day! How was your last wash day? 

Wash Day

Today's wash day went really well. I had plans to roller-set my hair, but they fell through due to lack of time. Here are the steps to my wash day.

1. Pre-pooed with a garlic and NTM conditioner mix. I finished the last of the NTM Daily Conditioner. I probably will not repurchase since I was using it as a conditioner rinse and may have found a substitute. I didn't mention this is my previous post, but my hair has been shedding excessively. This is my reasoning behind this particular mix.
2. Shampooed with CON Argon Oil Moisture and Shine Sulfate Free Shampoo.
3. DCed with ORS Hair Masque. Review coming later this week.
4. Rinsed out DC and applied Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment and rinsed after about 5 mins. I loved how smooth my hair felt. I think this will replace the NTM conditioner! So far I LOVE this stuff, but I will have a more through review after a few more uses.
5. T-shirt dried for about 5 mins then added Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In and sealed it with GVP's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. The combination of this serum with the PM SS Daily Treatment was a heaven send for my hair. It left my hair so soft, smooth, and shiny!! A+ combination! I just hope it works like this every time I use it.
6. I airdried my hair in a bun d/t a lack of time. I'm thinking about adding some bantu knots or flexi-rods to it tonight. I need to do something with my hair because on my days off I have not even touched my hair. It has been sitting all over my hair and my Honey told me it was wayyyy past time to do something to my hair. I definitely agreed with him.

Hair 100% dry at this point.

So with that being said I'm gonna try to stay clear of bunning my hair for a about a week or two. I may even flat iron it for Christmas. Lately I've been thinking of going to a salon to have someone else do my hair for a change. I'm not sure if I will be able to go through with it, but it has definitively been on my mind.

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Wash Day (My dryer is here!!!)

I ordered my LCL Beauty Salon Hooded dryer on wheels last week Friday and it was delivered yesterday Friday 11/3/12. The shipping was right on time and I could not have been more happy! It took me probably an hour to put together only because I'm not very handy and I was waiting to for my Honey to assist me. So for an average person it would probably take 20 mins or less. So far it's durable and heats great. It's way too soon to do a review, but I will make sure that I will post a review a month from now.

Source: lclbeauty.com

This week I decided to do a hard protein treatment because I plan to relax next week. I'm 11 weeks post and I'm not about that life!!! My new growth is so thick and my hair is having a hard time holding moisture. I think this is due to the change in weather (it's getting cold here) and my lack of energy time to moisturize my hair. I just started my new job a few weeks ago and it's kicking my butt! I love it, but my body has yet to adjust. This is how this weeks wash day went.

1. Pre-Poo with EVOO and EVCO for 30 mins under my hooded dryers

2. Clarified with Ion Clarifying Shampoo

3. Shampoo washed with CON Argon Oil sulfate free 

4. Hard Protein treatment with Aphogee 2 Step Protein + the Balancing conditioner w/ hooded dryer until hair was hard

5. Conditioner Rinse with CON Argon Oil deep conditioner (I probably should have DCed with heat, but I was feeling lazy.

6. Leave in conditioner CON Argon Oil leave in spray + GVP's PM Super Skinny Serum

7. Air-dried overnight in a bun

I tried to detangle my hair in the shower, as usual, but my hair was not cooperating! I know it's because of the hard protein treatment. I ended up detangling as best I could in the shower and finishing up once I got out. I had to add the leave in and serum to make detangling easier. I also noticed my hair has been shedding a lot lately. I will be incorporating garlic pre-poos in my regimen in the near future. I also noticed my edges have been thinning  This could be due to tension caused by bunning. I plan to do less buns after my relaxer. when I do decide to bun I will make sure they are not too tight. Maybe I'll try the Southern Tease bun. I also plan to purchase some Castor oil soon. 

What has been going on with your hair? What are your hair plans?

Wash Day/Last Length Check of the Year

Disclaimer: This was on last Sunday's Wash day (10/14/12). I was so busy that I didn't have time to finish the post and publish it.

Sunday night/Monday morning were my wash days. I spent all day Thursday through Sunday moving in to/setting up my new home and the time blew past before I knew it. It was about 10pm (if not later) Sunday night when I applied my deep conditioner. Here are the steps to my wash day.

• Deep Conditioned on dry hair with ORS Replenishing Conditioner mixed with 1 tsp of EVCO, EVOO, and Hemp Seed Oil each. I also added about 4 drops of Peppermint oil. I applied the conditioner as if I were applying a relaxer. I know my hair needed the TLC.
• Shampooed 1x with L'Oreal EverStrong Sulfate Free Shampoo.
• Conditioner Rinse with NTM Daily Deep Conditioner.
• I added GVP's Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum and blow-dried on medium high heat.
• I put my hair in a loose bun, wrapped it up and went to bed.

I got up early Sunday morning to flat iron my hair. Here are the steps.

• Added IC Fantasia's Heat Protector 
• Flat ironed in small sections with my Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Flat Iron on a setting of 25 out of 40? 

I wore my hair out the first day. The next day I wanted curls so I added a little foam wrapping lotion and set my hair on about 6 flexi rods. That was my simple yet late wash day! This week I plan to purchase my hooded dryer from LCL Beauty. I'm soooooo excited that I can finally get my dryer for better DC sessions and to perfect rollersets. 

I almost for got to announce that I am grazing APL! If you follow me on twitter on IG this is old news to you. I'm almost certain I will be APL by Dec. My goal is to be full APL by Feb and I'm well on my way!

10/15/2012

Wash Day

I gave my hair some much needed TLC on Saturday. I bunned all last week and my new growth was extra dry despite trying to tame it with moisturizer. I wanted to co-wash, but it was Thursday when I finally had the time to do it. I decided to just wait to and shampoo wash it. My wash day was pretty quick and simple. Here are the steps.

1. Sprayed my hair with water and applied the ORS Olive Oil Hair Masque. I love the smell of this stuff? I applied my plastic cap and winter hat and let it sit in about 2 hours.
2. I shampooed in the shower one time L'oreal EverStrong Hydrating Shampoo and one time with CON Argon Oil Moisture and Shine Shampoo. I'm very excited that the CON shampoo left my hair a moisturized. The L'oreal EverStrong dried it out a bit which I have never noticed before. I also discovered how to make the CON shampoo sud! 
3. I applied NTM Daily Deep Conditioner for about 5 minutes and rinsed with cool water.
4. I detangled under running water and I'm very pleased with the small amount of hair I have been loosing lately. 
5. I t-shirt dried for about 10 minutes. I parted my hair into 6 sections and added Cantu Shea Butter leave in and EVCO individually. I then plaited each section for a braid out. The only part made with a comb was my off center part. The rest was done with my fingers. 
6. I applied foam rollers at the end of each braid, tied my hair down with a satin scarf, and put of my bonnet. I let it air dry overnight.

I have yet to take my braids down. I don't plan on leaving the house today so I probably won't take them out until tomorrow. I'm going to try to make this braidout last until Wednesday. I plan to rebraid each section every night. To see the results follow me on twitter @blutifullyblaq or Instagram @2kizmet. Hope your wash days was as simple as mine. HHG!

Wash Day

Wash Day was Saturday and it was easy-peasy! Here are the steps to my wash day:

1. Deep conditioned for like 12 hours with ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I'm thinking of mixing this with oils and honey to see if it works better. 
2. Shampooed with CON Argon Oil Shampoo (This is not the official name). Lathered twice and massaged my scalp thoroughly. It had my hair very clean. I guess I wasn't doing that great of a job previously.
3. Conditioner rinse with NTM Daily Deep Conditioner.
4. Detangled in the shower under running water
5. T-shirt dried for about 10 minutes.
6. Cantu Shea Butter Repair Cream Leave-in and sealed with GVP's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum.
7. I air-dried over night in a bun.
8. Sunday morning I let the bun down so that my ends could dry completely.

Results: My hair came out very soft, smooth, and frizz-free. The GVP serum is definitely the reason for the frizz-free. I plan to bun for a few days and maybe try a braidout. I'm going to be  very busy these next couple of weeks so I know my hair will take a backseat. 

Wash Day

My wash day took place on Tuesday, just in time for my interview (which I got and accepted the job). I sprayed my hair with water and applied my Organic Root Simulator Olive Oil Hair Masque deep conditioner. This was my first time using this conditioner and I was pleased with the results. I left it in my hair for about an hour before rinsing it out in the shower.  It left my hair buttery soft and moisturized. I will be posting a review for this product in the near future. I shampooed with CON Argon Oil Shampoo and did a 1 min conditioner rinse with NTM Daily Deep Conditioner. I then t-shirt dried my hair and added my leave in, which was the CON Argon Oil leave-in spray. I added a small amount of GVP's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum and blow dried on medium warm heat. Next, I added a nickle sized amount of IC Fantasia Heat Protectant serum. I flat ironed and styled my hair in a traditional wrap. My hair was light and silky. I was in love with the results!

After my interview

After two days of wearing my hair down and straight, I curled it with about 6 bantu knots. Due to the heat my hair reverted back straight by the end of the night. Surprisingly, I didn't have a lot of frizz. It was nice while it lasted. Today I wore a mid-bun. I don't think I will be adding any more heat to my hair for a few months. I'm thinking until the end of the year. I plan to roller-set frequently during the fall. If I want a straight look I will more than likely do a silk wrap. In the meantime I plan to perfect my braidouts and bantu knotouts. 

Wash Day (Tuesday)

I went on a much needed mini-vacation to Atlanta this past weekend with my family so I didn't have the time or means to wash my hair. I decided to wash my hair yesterday and try out Aphogee's 2 Minute Reconstructor. I d/c on dry hair with NTM Daily Conditioner and a plastic cap. I put on a winter hat to add heat. I d/c for about 6 or so hours. Due to laziness I didn't apply this conditioner with my application brush. I ended up going outside to play with my son with both the cap and hat on. I live in the Southeast so as you can imagine, my head became toasty in no time. I ditched the hat, but kept on the plastic cap. 

I washed my hair with L'Oreal's EverStrong Hydrating Shampoo. I squeezed the excess water out of my hair and applied the 2 Minute Reconstructor for 5 minutes with a plastic cap. After I rinsed my hair I immediately felt how strong my hair was. I lost VERY little hair when detangling in the shower. I was very impressed. I will definitely be adding this into my regimen. I dried my hair with a t-shirt for about 15 minutes and applied Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in. I actually forgot I had this product. I put my hair into two loose twist and let my hair air dry. Last night I M&S with Hawaiian Silky 14-n-1 and EVCO and put my hair into 2 bantu knots. 

Today I wore my hair in a puffy pony tail. I wanted to do a braidout, but became lazy after a day of housework. 

Wash Day

Saturday was a much needed wash day. I had done the bare minimal to my hair since I last posted of my wash day. Truthfully I'd been in a bit of a funk since I graduated and I'm in what I call "limbo" or between stages of my life. I'm studying for my boards(NCLEX) which I plan to take next month and looking for a job and things were not happening fast enough for me. I was reminded GOD is always on time and that things will fall in place the way HE wants. I have it bad trying to plan my life and getting disappointed when it doesn't work out my way. I'm slowly doing better with that. To top off my funky mood I have been having some medical issues. I'm not sure what is going on, but I hope to have some answers soon. Just keep me in your prayers!

On to my wash day. I decided to deep condition on dry hair for a couple of reasons. One, my hair loves it more than on wet hair. Two, I wanted to see if the Argon Oil Intense Conditioning treatment worked better on dry hair because so far the product was not on my list to repurchase. I mixed about 1 tsp each of honey, hemp oil, and EVOO with my conditioner. I mixed them together and applied to my hair with an applicator brush. I will definitely be making application of conditioner a part of my regimen. It's a little time consuming, but every strand was covered and moisturized. I left the conditioner on for about an hour with a plastic cap and a hat. This is one of my versions of DCing with heat until I get my dryer. When I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair it felt amazing!!! My hair was soft as butter and I finally realized what slip was! I washed with L'oreal EverStrong Hydrating shampoo. I love this stuff. For a sulfate-free shampoo it sure does lather up and clean the scalp very well. I think I'll do an official review sometime this week.

I detangled in the shower under running water and I think I like this method better than doing it after I get out the shower. My hair detangled with ease! I t-shirt dried for about 15 mins then I applied my leave in: CON Argon Oil Leave in and sealed with One N' Only Argon Oil. I airdried and wore a low pony tail.

Over all I can say this was a successful wash day. After my hair air dried it still felt super soft! Sorry I have no pictures.

Wash Day

Today’s wash day has been one of the most smooth I’ve had in a few months. I’ve had an epiphany about detangling. I’m also learning how to deal with my texlaxed hair and it seems like this will be a learning experience. I’m currently experiencing breakage which I’m sure is coming from the area where my bone straight hair meets my texlaxed hair. This area always seems dry despite the moisturizers I’ve used and co-washing. I think I will need to M&S every night to reduce the breakage. I’m going to come up with a plan to reduce breakage which I will share in a later post.

I used EVCO to detangle my hair and as a pre-poo. I think I will invest in a detangle spray. Now that I have a thicker texture, detangling with oil is not enough. As I was detangling I experienced breakage at the same area stated above. I kind of used ECP’s 3 comb method except I don’t use the same combs she does (one day when I get some extra cash I will invest in the first two combs she uses). I will be getting a new detangling comb in the very near future. Detangling went great. I lost far less hair than I normally do with detangling and this is even with the broken hair. After applying the EVCO I applied a cap, a microwaved towel, and another heat cap. This is my rendition of a heat cap until I get my hooded dryer. It works pretty well. I let it sit for about ten minutes before rinsing out in the shower.

I washed one time with my clarifying shampoo and one time with the L’Oreal EverStrong Shampoo. My hair felt like butter even before adding the deep conditioner. It actually felt extremely soft after detangling. I washed my hair in two halves parted from ear to ear. This method worked great and really helped out when applying the DC later. I DCed with ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I wanted something moisturizing yet with protein because I planned to blow dry and flat iron my hair. I used the same method to heat my head as I did with the pre-poo except I wrapped my towel around my head to keep in the heat. It worked great! I could feel the conditioner working. You know the tingling feeling on your scalp? I know I’m not the only one who experiences this.

Next I rinsed my conditioner out using cool water. This closes the cuticles of your hair shaft and makes your hair smooth. I towel dried for about 5 minutes. I normally t-shirt dry because it soaks up more of the water, but I was not home so I had to make do with what I had. I put in a very small amount of Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in and a generous amount of IC Fantasia Heat Protectant. I love this stuff and it is definitely a staple. I spilt my hair in four sections and gently detangled. Detangling was a breeze! I used my new blow dryer, Gold N Hot Professional 1875 watt, with the comb attachment to blow dry each section. I then flat ironed using my Babyliss Pro tool c8 I did one pass throughout most of my hair since it was blow dried fairly straight. I was very pleased with my results!

Sorry this post is so long. I didn’t realize it would be this lengthy and besides this blog doubles as my hair journal.

Best Wash of My Life!

Yes my wash last night was that great! I was in need of a serious wash last night. After putting it off for a few days I finally decided that it was now or never. Well not really, but I'm sure you get my drift. I pre-pooed with EVOO. I'm trying to use the last in my applicator bottle so I can use the bottle for EVCO. It very oily but the results were amazing. After rinsing my hair it felt so soft! I clarified with my usual Ion shampoo. It left my hair dry as expected so I did a final wash with CON with Argon Oil Shampoo. I think this shampoo may be a winner. It literally made my hair soft and detangled it without a comb. Can you say amazing!!???

After washing I DCed with ORS Replenishing Conditioner for maybe 7 minutes. It made my hair even more soft. Who knew that mad possible? I did a final rinse with cold water as always and my hair was left smooth, soft, and feeling like amazing! I applied CON Argon Oil leave-in and GVP's version of Paul Mitchell's Skinny Serum. It left my hair smooth. I then did a low wet bun, tied my hair with a silk scarf and bonnet, and went to sleep. I'm very pleased with this wash. I don't know what I did differently, but I must keep this up!

Flexi Rod #1 (Wash Day)

As part of my march goals I committed to 3 flexi rod sets this month. I'm really trying to perfect this style! I decided to do a flexi set on dry hair for this black tie gala I will be attending this weekend. *sigh* I probably should have gone to the shop to get my hair done for this event and "played" around with my hair when I didn't have anywhere important to go. But I had this vision of how my hair would turn out.

Before I get into the details on my flexi rods I will share the details of my wash day prep. I prepooed my hair for maybe 30 mins with EVOO under a plastic cap. I then used my new CON with Argon Oil products to wash and DC my hair. After DCing I did a clear rinse with Jazzings. The results were to like the last time so I think it's safe to say my shine was the result of the Ic Fantasia heat protectant serum. Now I'm not sure how I feel about continuing with a clear rinse in my regimen. I just may have to use other brands.

To prep for my flexi set I sprayed my CON with Argon Oil leave-in. I'm still not sure how I feel about this product. I will say that I think I like this shampoo better than the L'Oreal EverStrong because it cleans my scalp better and it leaves my hair more moisturized. I will continue to assess my hair after a little more use. I think put about a quarter size amount of GVP's Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum. So far I'm not sold on this product and let me explain why.

After I set my hair using Elasta QP my hair came out a little frizzy. Could have been a combo of my technique or lack there of when setting my hair. I used purple rods in the back and blue in the front. I didn't take pics after I took ten down because I was disappointed I. The results. I definitely need more practice and plan to do another set this week. It will probably be on dry hair his time.

To dry my hair I used my SIL hooded dryer. I was soooo uncomfortable and her dryer gets so hot it makes my hair sweat. So I kept switching between 30 mins high and 15 mins cool. After an hour under the dryer my top was completely dry, but my back was still damp. I was very irritated at this point. So I went back under for another 30 mins before my hair was dry. I took out the rollers and.......no shine! The clear rinse was not successful. I added Argon Oil for shine. I had to re-rod some parts on dry hair because frizz.

Over all my hair was not a complete disaster but a far cry from successful. I will be getting more practice. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I probably should have taken some just so I can look back when I progress. I will have some pics later of my OOTN and how I styled my flexi-rod set.

I'm Back! (Wash Day)

After a much needed spring break I am back feeling refreshed and motivated! I have officially rededicated myself to my hair journey. 

I washed my hair on Monday and it was a much needed TLC session with my hair! I have not had the opportunity to enjoy my wash day in a about a month. I've really been doing quick wash days. Monday I decided to take my time. I pre-pooed overnight with EVCO. I initially wanted to use honey, but my new growth is not hard to manage at all. I will be 9 weeks post on Friday and my hair has been a breeze to manage. I don't think I will have much trouble doing long stretches. After pre-pooing I gave my scalp a great massage/shampoo session. I will definitely be clarifying on Friday when I wash my hair. I DC'ed without heat for about 3 hours. I then air-dried my hair using the scarf method. Since then I've been wearing my hair in a pony-tail or bun. I plan on doing a flexi rod set tonight on dry hair. 

It feels really great to be back and motivated. I know that I need to practice, practice, practice when it comes to styling my hair!! I realized that I become easily frustrated when my hair does not turn out the way I envisioned it. I'm so hyped up and motivated when it comes to doing a style, but after execution that excitement goes out the window. This is partially why my March goes include at least 3 flexi-rod sets. I'm determined to perfect this style. 

Wash Day with Clear Rinse

For those of you who follow me on Twitter you know that I tried my first clear rinse last Friday. I will be sharing my experience and results with you. First let me tell you about my wash day and the products I use.

I did an pre-poo with EVCO with a cap for about 30 minutes. I had just come off a 12.5 hour clinical rotation and I was extremely tired, but still did a pre-poo. I feel as if a pre-poo is a vital step in my wash day. I then shampooed with L'oreal Paris EverPure Sulfate-free shampoo. Truthfully I am very satisfied with this shampoo and my be adding it to my regimen permanently. I don't have to use a lot of the product and it doesn't dry out my hair. I DCed overnight with NTM Daily Conditioner. I do NOT like his stuff. I've used it 2 or 3 times already and I'm not impressed. It does not moisturize my hair the way it should. I think this is why I was experiencing breakage after my protein treatment. I will not be repurchasing this conditioner.

I didn't get a chance to wash the conditioner out until about 2pm. I rinsed then I tried my clear rinse. I used the the Jazzing brand from Sally's BSS. I sectioned my hair in four parts and added the product to every section thoroughly. I kept it on for 10 minutes and then I rinsed. I did not see an immediate change as others had. Well I did notice a little shine, but nothing that wowed me. I used Hawaiian Silky 14-N-1 as a leave-in. This was my first time using the product and I'm not sure how I feel about this product yet.

I air-dried overnight using my scarf and ponytail method. Saturday I went to visit in my-laws and Alabama. I was quite surprised and pleased with my Love's Aunt's hair product stash. I used her IC Fantasia Heat Protectant to flat iron my hair. I didn't use much at all. I was pleased with this product and will be purchasing this product for myself in the near future.

My hair turned out great! My hair had so much body and swang!!!! It had a shine out of this word. I could tell my cuticles were closed because my hair was soft, smooth, and light. But of course I didn't get to enjoy my hair out for long b/c it rained cats and dogs ll weekend. My hair got wet the first day. Surprisingly my hair didn't frizz the way of normally does. Now without further delay here are pics of my results.

Wash Day

Wash day was similar to usual. Only difference is I did a hard protein treatment and the products I used. I was experiencing a little breakage after getting my relaxer done about three weeks ago. I should had done a hard protein treatment at one week post. *slaps hand* But I finally got it done. I used my usual method explained here. I let it sit in 20 mins before I rinsed a shampooed.

I tired my NTM conditioner yesterday. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. It was very thick and that is something I am not use to. It smells soooooo good. I could still smell it after I applied my leave-in. Funny thing is I did not put on any oil after applying my leave-in. I definitely forgot. *slaps hand again* I then put my hair in a ponytail, put on a scarf, and let it air dry overnight. After my last two washes I discovered my hair behaves better, meaning lay down, when I put my hair in a pony tail, wrap the ends around the pony, and pin it. I let it air dry to 90% before taking off the scarf and letting the part where the hair tie was finish drying. So that will be my new air drying method. Currently my hair is low bun and I plan on keeping it that way until tomorrow evening when I will do another flexi set on dry hair.

The products I used
1. L'oreal Paris EverStrong Hydrate Shampoo
2. NTM daily deep conditioner
3. LTR Split Ends

* Sorry I don't have any pictures this time. There really wasn't anything picture worthy. *

Saturday Night Wash

Yesterday was a pretty easy wash day. I did a pre-poo with EVOO for about 12 hours. I then washed with a new shampoo I got a few days ago L'oreal Everpure Hydrating Shampoo. It's sulfate free and is sold at Target and Walmart. I got tired of looking for a sulfate free shampoo near my home. I decided to try this out after seeing it several times in the store. I will not give a review until I have used it several times.

I DCed overnight with ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I hate DCing overnight b/c I don't like sleeping with a damp head. I especially hate waking up with one. I had to DC overnight because my son was ill and he wanted his mommy. I did apply my DC differently than usual. This time I sectioned my hair vertically into about 6 parts and applied the conditioner from the root to the tip. I felt this way was better because every part of my head was thoroughly conditioned. I love this conditioner. It makes my hair instantly soft and it melts into my hair!! Love it!! I put on my cap on and a scarf and that called it a night.

The next day (mid-day) I rinsed out my conditioner and t-shirt dried my hair for about 30 minutes. I forgot to do a final rinse with cold water. I then applied my LTR leave-in, detangled using my wide tooth comb and sealed with Argon Oil. I air dried using a scarf to lay down my edges and the top of my head. I really have to do a post soon on the benefits of air drying. I love the way my hair looks after I air dry!

After I air dried to 100% I decided to do a flexi rod set. This was my first time doing one and I was pretty excited. I watched several YT videos to prepare me for this.The products I used were:  Lotta Body Wrapping Lotion diluted with water 1:4, wide tooth comb, and fine tooth comb. At first I diluted the wrapping lotion 1:3, but noticed it was a bit sticky after putting in a few rollers.  I used almost 3 bags of purple flexi rods (16 total) to do my set. It took me about 30 minutes maximum. They are really easy to put in! I sectioned my hair into four sections with my fingers so I could minimize parts when I combed out the curls. I did the front two sections first and then I did the back two sections. I used my fingers to make vertical subsections and sprayed each section thoroughly. My hair was already detangled well, but I did ran through each section with a wide tooth comb before doing so with a fine tooth comb. I wanted to prevent any breakage. I did not roll in an angle that would give me longer curls. Instead I rolled the hair as if using a magnetic roller. I used this video as a guide. This is what my hair looked like once I was done setting.

I put on a head scarf and bonnet and let it dry overnight. Sleeping in the flexi rods was very uncomfortable, but I made due. There were several times throughout the night that I wanted to get up and take them out. I took the rollers out mid-morning and there were about 2 or 3 still a little damp. I didn't bother to re-roll them so I expected a little frizz when they dried.

Before finger combing

One side is longer than the other. Longer side are the pieces that didn't dry

**Updated**

I will not be using lottabody Wrapping Lotion. It left my hair hard and dry. I will be going back to a foam lotion. I'm so happy I only bought the sample size. I  have heard this in reviews, but I had to see for myself. I'm not sure what brand I will be trying next, but I know it will be a foam. Foam seems to work much better for my hair.

The Battle with Shedding: Round 2

So are you know I've been battling serious shedding post pregnancy. This is due to decrease in hormones after you deliver. Well my shedding has been out of control for far too long and I have made the decision to decrease this shedding once and for all.

Well round one took place with the black tea rinse. I only tried it once and I didn't see any improvement with my shedding. The process was messy and I decided I didn't want to try it again unless absolutely necessary. I've been doing done extensive research and I have seen a few remedies. Some that come to mind are black tea rinses, garlic conditioners and shampoos (Alter Ego and Nutrine), and garlic oil treatments. I decided that my next battle will be garlic conditioner. 

My next option would be to make my own. So I went on a hunt for garlic capsules. This would be the easiest way for me to open the capsules and pour the powder in my conditioner. Well that hunt did not go well. I found gels, but no capsules. So a thought came to my mind; I wonder if I can use garlic powder from the kitchen? Well low and behold I found a recipe on LHCF. I decided to do it as a pre-poo so I could mask the smell of garlic with my shampoo, conditioner, and leave it. I was hoping something would eventually mask the smell. So I went to work.

My Garlic Conditioner pre-poo

 Pantene pro V for natural and relaxed hair- enough to saturate my hair

2.5 tsp of garlic powder

 About 1.5 tsp of EVOO

I applied it as if applying a relaxer. I sectioned my hair and added it to my scalp, new growth, than entire strand. I put on a plastic cap and let it sit for about two hours. Call me crazy but I think I had considerable less shedding than I was having. I will give you an update as the week progresses.

I clarified my hair and did a light protein treatment. I d/c without heat for about 3 hours then I did a braid-out. The products I used are listed in my regimen tab.