Goal Review....October Goals

September Goals reviewed:
1.        Drink 1 litre of water over the weekend days - Fail
2.        Fix my hair product storage - pass
3.        30 min workouts twice a week - fail
4.        Learn how to make samoosa/chapattis - fail
5.        Roller set once – pass

Gosh 2 out of 5, very disappointing. I will keep my goals to down to 3 this month and will have weekly check ins so that I achieve them.

Goals:
1.        Drink 1 litre of water daily
2.        Roller set after each wash day
3.        Check in on my goals weekly

How did your September goals go?

Happy hair journey’s Ladies and Gents! :)
‘We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars’ – Oscar Wilde

Wash day 3

 

1.           Applied DC to hair, Organics APH steaming conditioner with glycerine and grape seed oil, for 2 hours a heat cap and my cotton shower cap

  

2.        Detangled each section of my hair, and rinsed

3.        Shampooed hair with Elasta QP crème and conditioning shampoo, once

4.        Tea rinsed with ginger tea and redbush tea (see below lists of teas in the ginger tea)

5.        Applied Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment for 5 mins and rinsed 

6.        T-shirt dried hair for 2 hours 

7.       Sprayed Aussie Hair Miracle leave in conditioner and detangled 

8.      Used Herbal Essence Split End Leave in Conditioner 

9.       Bunned and air dried    

Verdict: Am currently 3 weeks post. 

This wash day I added glycerine to my DC and it took better than without it, will use glycerine with it going forward, still not great! 

I have also been bagging my hair for the last week, a post will follow on my experience with it. 

I have also want to join the hairlista castor oil challenge for the next 3 months, however, as I am out of castor oil I will be using sweet almond oil, as we have embarked on winter this might be a good time for me to start getting some oils and butters on my scalp. I am concerned about my shedding and will use black tea next week

Last week on the left vs this week.

How was your last wash day? 

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies and Gents! :-) 

‘Always remember, God has another option. No matter how bad your circumstances look, it’s never too late with Him!’ – Joel Osteen

My product staples – series 2 – the deep conditioners

This is my second series of product staples; I have decided to undertake these series to help me out with thinking through and finding the perfect stable. So far with the shampoo series, I have now been thinking of a milder shampoo to my usual ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo, a shampoo that has a sulphate composition for clarifying, this was all from your lovely ladies comments, so thank you!
In this series I will be looking at deep conditioners and protein treatment.

Protein Conditioner
As far as protein treatment goes, I have only ever tried ORS products, the ORS Replenishing pak and ORS Hair Mayonnaise; I am totally sold on ORS Hair Mayonnaise. ORS Hair Mayo is a medium protein treatment, it can be upped the scale will an egg; however, I have not tried this before. I personally feel that any other conditioner stronger than this would be too strong for my hair, and I have had nightmare of my hair breaking off due to protein overload (wait....it’s happened before)!
 
I protein treat my hair about once a month, that is when am clarifying my hair. I have used this product almost all my life! I have never tried any stronger protein but something tells me am protein sensitive, also I don’t really like the way my hair feels after a tea rinse which I believe is the closest resembles to how it feels after a hard protein treatment. Anyway, bottom line is if it aint broke don’t fix it.......right......?

Moisturising Deep Conditioner
I moisturise DC my hair on a weekly basis. When am not protein treating my hair I am using a moisturising conditioner, I use this more than my protein, my hair wants more moisture than it wants protein. I tend to add oils to this conditioner and use it under a heat cap for 30 mins minimum. At the moment I have just finished my extremely large Vatika Deep Conditioner Hot oil treatment, though it worked really well when I added glycerine to it but on its own I didn’t feel like it penetrated my strands well enough, however, it still saved me from my protein overload so I do have a soft spot for it. It however has henna in it might not be the best weekly DC to use.....any thoughts? 
 
I am still toying with moisturising DC, I think I have found my con sitting on the shop isles it has behentrimonium chloride very high on its list and is a masque, Herbal Essence Hello Hydration hair masque. I have never seen Herbal Essence hair masque, but if it’s the DC version of the conditioner, am intrigued! 
 
What protein treatment and DC do you swear by and has anyone used a masque?
Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)
 
‘If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man’ – Mark Twain

Thickening hair

I am trying to find out the cause of my thickening hair over the last 14 weeks. After my relaxer #2 in June my hair was retaining length and was thickening up at my roots (my texlaxed hair) but it was not thickening up anywhere else.

With my relaxer touch up #3 I could really see that even my relaxed hair was thickening up!! I am not entirely sure what is the cause of this, and I am really trying to find out what it is and really double it up!!

The new things I did during my last stretch that I hadn’t done before was

1.        Pre-poo with ceramides weekly

2.        Deep conditioner on dry hair

3.        Used a moisturising DC (I know what you are asking, you never did??...Yes, I never did.... yes....I know, my hair did break off)

4.        Used a heat cap for my DC

5.        Use glycerine with my DC

6.        I used a henna based DC on a weekly basis

Could be any one of those.... From my understanding I have heard a research on hair and its reaction to ceramides was done and it helps new growth more than hair that is already out..... so if I remove that from the list I would say moisturising DC thickened my hair or the henna, could this be true?????

Can anyone please shed some light on this to me, if I have missed something so obvious?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.’ – Leo Tolstoy

Wash day #2 weeks post

1.        Sectioned my hair in 4 and applied Organics APH steaming conditioner to dry hair and wore a steaming cap, plastic bag and cotton cap for 3 hours

2.       Detangled hair

2.        Rinsed off the conditioner

3.        Shampooed hair with Elasta QP crème and conditioning Shampoo, once

4.        Tea rinsed with rosemary tea

5.        Applied TREsemme Naturals Vitamin E Moisturise Rich Conditioner for 5 mins and rinsed

6.        T-shirt dried hair for 30 mins

7.        Sprayed Aussie Hair Miracle leave in conditioner and detangled

8.        Applied Herbal Essence beautiful end leave in and sweet almond oil and roller set my hair

9.        I then air dried my hair for 3 hours and blow dried it for 5 mins before removing my rollers.

Verdict: I am currently 2 weeks post, and hoping to really take on the roller setting each work, it makes my hair during the week so manageable.

I found rosemary tea on its own was more moisturising that ginger tea, will be stocking this up till am deeper in my stretch, and go back to using ginger tea on its own for now.

New conditioner, hmmm.....it was rather dull, like so dull it just sat on my hair and did nothing at all. My hair did feel softer and moisturised but more due to the tea and TREsemme, the DC really didn't  penetrated into my strands, will mix it up with glycerine going forward, would never buy it again. 

My wash day procedure has really been trimmed to nothingness hehehe, my hair did ok last week, am hoping for another good week. I took a few texture shoots the back of my hair has a lot of texture for my liking. I have already tried corrective relaxing it, so I think its here to start, when I look at it, it just screams SSK :/

The texture at the back

I lost quite a bit of hair than I usually do, but nothing too alarming.

From detangling

How was your last wash day?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

 ‘Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common but it is essential for right thinking.’- Leo Tolstoythor

Mini set back #1

My first major setback was in May 2013 just before my second relaxer touch up and was due to protein overload.

With my last stretch I am happy to report I did not have any major setback but had a minor setback. My set back was due to inadequate detangling. When I was about 10 weeks post my new growth was taking up a whole new life, the back on my hair and my crown had/has a very under-processed texlax from my previous texlaxer and this really matted up and tangled with my new growth.

I would finger comb and moisture my hair on a daily basis. I would then finger detangle the knots I had found, but as soon as I detangled the knots that were there, the next day only brought more knots. From this set back I know that my optimum stretch if I have my hair out is around 10 to 12 weeks post.

During my relaxer I sectioned my hair and made sure I detangled it but alas after rinsing off my relaxer and detangling my freshly relaxed hair I came across quite a few knots and tangles in my hair, instead of panicking and carefully detangled my knots out, lucky I did not lose too much hair.

Learning points

Ø        Keep my stretches between 10 -12 weeks if I intend on keeping my hair

Ø        Make sure I am never out of Aussie leave in the week before my relaxer, this is an amazing detangler and works really well with my hair

Ø        I now understand why people use heat back to back before and on the relaxer day; I think I will be doing this on my next relaxer, at the minimum I will roller set the week before.

Ø        Use a comb mid week – I only used a comb on my wash days and only finger combs in between. I feel I could have benefited from using my wide tooth comb as it would have found the tangles and knots for me to fix them up with my fingers at the least.

I am taking these pointers on board for my next stretch and relaxer.

Does anyone else have drama with knots deep into your stretch that have impacted your touch up?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’ – Martin Luther King Jr.

My product staples - series 1 - shampoos

I thought this would be a good time for me to re-evaluate my staples before I dive into my long stretch this time around. I need to make sure I have my trusted staples at hand, and understand why my hair likes/loves them, I feel I need to understand this should I have to switch into a different product along the way.

In terms of shampoos I have 2 shampoos regular shampoos that I used

Ø        Clarifying and chelating shampoo –ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo – I clarify my hair once a month, to get all the product build up out, this is even more useful when am deep into my stretch when moisturising is more vital, unclean hair doesn’t take up products well. This shampoo is also used as my neutralising shampoo on my relaxer day. I do not use it too often as it would strip my hair of its natural oils, and from skim reading the Science of Black hair (need to read it through in more detail) ammonium lauryl sulphate ingredient can make hair more porous, if used too often. I have normal porosity hair, and would love love love to keep it that way.

Because a clarifying shampoo should remove all product build up I do not mind if it contains sulphates as long as it cleans up my hair, when I start getting more new growth, I tend to use products with glycerine, and my hair tends to have more build up each week, so clarifying is needed more often. I always pre-poo with oils before using this shampoo, however, I am questioning the need of pre-pooing more and more, it doesn’t feel like it’s doing much, but I don’t have the benefit of seeing my hair under a microscope so for now let me listen to the science. Moving on....

Ø        Weekly sulphate free shampoo –Elasta QP crème conditioning shampoo – I really love this shampoo because it does not strip my hair and it’s a safe shampoo to use on a weekly basis, this product has no sulphates, but lathers really well and it smells good too!

For my weekly shampoo I am looking for something that is moisturising, does not contain stripping ingredients that would make my hair more porous. Should moisture my hair and scalp, should lathe well and cleanse my scalp and hair better than a co-wash conditioner

As I do not use heavy products such as hair sprays, or go swimming, I feel I can afford to clarify my hair on a once a month basis. As far as shampoos go, I feel I have found my staples; each bottle is under £5 which is also good for my pocket.

Which shampoos do you swear by?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth. Instead of its bringing sad and melanchony prospects of decay, it would give us hopes of eternal youth in a better world’ – Maurice Chevalier

Wash day 1 week post - week after relaxer

This is my first wash day of this new stretch, feels like a theme finished one ride now on the next ride (stretch). I have been feeling so super lazy with my hair recently, and the thought of jumping in and out the shower...oh....so this is what I did this wash day.

1.        Mixed Vatika Deep Conditioner Hot oil treatment with grape-seed oil and glycerine and applied it to dry hair in 2 sections. Wore a steaming cap, plastic bag and cotton cap for 2 hours

2.        Rinsed off the conditioner

3.        Shampooed hair with ORS Aloe Shampoo, twice

4.        Tea rinsed with ginger and rosemary tea

5.        Applied TREsemme Naturals Vitamin E Moisturise Rich Conditioner for 5 mins and rinsed

6.        T-shirt dried hair for 30 mins

7.        I sprayed Aussie Hair Miracle leave in conditioner (yes I found it) and detangled

8.        I applied sweet almond oil and roller set my hair

9.        I then air dried my hair for 3 hours and blow dried it for 5 mins before removing my rollers and going to bed.

Verdict: This wash day I really wanted to clarify my hair, especially after my relaxer last week, and all the number of silicone products I used. I am not too happy that I clarified after my DC, but would have been less hard had I not clarified, what laziness does hey... I have been consistent with my M&S and also got a trim, it’s just the washing that got me lazy...

The ginger and rosemary tea combination worked really well, I will try the rosemary on its own, as it felt more moisturising than the ginger tea on its own.

On another note I have recently purchased a new moisturising conditioner Organic APH steaming conditioner, does anyone know what are the key ingredients I should be looking for with a moisturising conditioner? The one I got has a long cone word.

How was your last wash day and what do you do when you feel lazy....?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

 ‘Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.’ – Winston S. Churchill

Product review: Tresemme Naturals Vitamin E Moisturise Rich Conditioner

Product review: Tresemme Naturals Moisturise Rich Conditioner

Price: £4.99 (Boots/Superdrug) – Got this particular bottle from ASDA £2.50, for a whole litre!

Promise: TRESemme Moisture Rich Conditioner restores moisture balance for soft, shiny, healthy-looking hair. Protects from future damage. 

Ingredients: Water Aqua , Quaternium-18 , Cetyl Alcohol , Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine , Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protei , Tocopheryl Acetate , Biotin , Niacinamide , Ascorbic Acid , Panthenol , Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract Sweet Almond , Corylus Avellana Leaf Extract Hazel , Helianthus Annuus Extract Sunflower , Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract , Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract , Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract Fennel , Hydroxyethylcellulose , Stearyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , Butylene Glycol , Quaternium-80 , Steareth-21 , Dimethicone , Disodium PEG-12 Dimethicone Sulfosuccinate , Oleamine Oxide , Propylene Glycol , Glycerin , Citric Acid , PVP , Polysorbate 20 , DMDM Hydantoin , Disodiium EDTA , Fragrance Parfum

My thoughts: This was the first conditioner for my hair journey. I used it as

1.        Prepoo on its own

2.        Prepoo with oils

3.        Instant Conditioner

4.        Co-wash

5.        Leave in Conditioner

6.        Moisturiser

7.        Detangler

This is really a value for money product. I prefer it as a co wash and a pre poo.

Pro

1.        Value for money, goes a long way

2.        Has silicone but very low down on the list of ingredients

3.        Has Vitamin E

Cons

1.        Doesn’t give the hair that amazing soft feeling you get with other conditioners.

I personally feel this is a solid product and would recommend it. I have used 2 bottles (1 litre of product each) for over 8 months now, and am heavy handed, so it really does go a long way. Sadly, the so soft amazing hair feeling I get with my Aussie products or Herbal Essence products I don’t get with this particular product, but my hair never feels stripped, the major difference with this product is that it has siliciones for far down the list, so maybe the siliciones in the other product lock in the moisture and give it the great soft feeling after a wash.....? I could not say.....

I will definitely be repurchasing this product again in the future, but don’t require it to be a staple. I will get it a 4/5 as it doubles up for so many things, and it has no prominent silicones, and amazing value for money!

Rating: 4/5 -

My next stretch approach

I have recently retouched my hair and tried to fix my very under processed crown and back, I cannot really say if it worked. My retouch loosened my curl but the texture is definitely still there. 
For my upcoming stretch I have picked an odd number of 19 weeks because that will be me at 1 year! I do not want to have another relaxer in 2013. From my last stretch I know my optimum stretching time is 12 weeks, because I am a DIY relaxer, any more than 12 weeks I will find it difficult to take my new growth. ( I know I contradict my self with the hopes of 19 week stretch, planning on getting help with that touch up)

My reason for stretching for 19 weeks has been made acceptable by me because I will be using permanent protective styles. I am planning on getting box braids done when I am in Malawi for my brother’s wedding (amazing box braid for £5 I think so!)

So I have been doing some research around taking care of more permanent protective styles.

Another thought I had was I really haven’t had to take care of my hair during winter and boy am I scared, does everyone adopt a winter regimen or does the one we use for summer suffice? Am guessing the M&S will have been be on steroids?

What do you do differently in winter?

Happy Hair Journey’s Ladies! :-)

‘The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die any time.’ – Mark Twain

Relaxer day - 13 weeks post

1 week preparation – Protein Treatment at 12 weeks posts (ORS Hair Mayo) and massive hair detangling session, for my relaxer day keeping reading....

ORS No Lye kit

Relaxer day

1.     Sectioned hair in 4 sections

2.    Base scalp,  edges and length with  Vatika Honey, Aloe Vera moisturiser (2nd ingredient is paraffium liquidium) 

3. Mixed relaxer kit and added Grapeseed oil into relaxer to slow down it’s processing time.

4. Set timer for 18 mins, started at the back of my hair avoiding nape area and applied relaxer at roots, this took me 5 to 6 mins. I then applied it to my front which took me up to 12 mins, then applied to nape and missed out my hair line (it's already been though so much) and smoothen , but i could see that my new growth had a looser texture not bone straight, I then applied a corrective relaxer to the pre texlaxed hair at the back of my head, the texture did not change, the paraffium liquidium in the Vatika moisturiser really did help stop damage to pre relaxed hair. 

I still had 5 mins on the timer but i quit and jumped into the shower as i felt a tingling sensation on my scalp.

I jumped into the shower to rinse it off.

5.   I washed relaxer out with warm water until product was completely gone

6. Then I started neutralising my hair, I neutralised it 4 times.

7. I then used the ORS Replenshing pak and kept it on my hair for 20 mins with a heat cap and my regular cotton shower cap.

8.  I rinsed out my conditioner 

9.  I then t-shirt dried my hair for 30 mins

Hair air drying

Texture of hair

10.  Applied Tresemme Split Control leave in conditioner and processed to detangle my hair. This product has some keratin, however it's my first time using it and am all out of Aussie leave in

11. After detangling I added TREsemme heat protector and blow dried my hair on cool, it was pretty much dry before I started.

12. I sectioned my hair to start flat ironing it at 210 degrees, and this is where the problems unfolded. My back and crown had so many knots, I sectioned my hair and detangled again, oh my, it was heart breaking, but I powered on, I got them all with not as much damage as I anticipated, boy do I miss Aussie hair miracle leave in :( 

13. I then proceeded to flat iron, I think I have forgotten how to flat iron! The results were not as I remember them

Verdict - I have found a use for my Vatika 'moisturiser', my hair has retained length, ends still need to be cut off, I have already removed 1 inch, and will be removing another inch. Texture and thickness prefect, I am falling in love with the thick texture of my texlax end hair. I also think grapeseed oil in my relaxer helps me active the right texture for me. My bone straight ends really have no home any more, think I've gained an inch

Full ends than June but bone straight hair needs to go

From start to finish this process took me about 5 hours, full day’s work! See results below. I relaxed my hair at 13 weeks post! Will definitely try for longer next time, but use more permanent protective styles and blow dry my hair the week before relaxer, just to get all the knots out 

Hair Stats check (07/09/2013)

Hair length – full APL give or take after my next trim.

Look like a gained about an inch, don't know what am doing

 but looks like my hair is getting fuller

Nape & Ends

My nape has grown 1/2 an inch and my ends look better than they did in June, I think, still have a while to go for a full U shape!

Nape is growing out

Overall am happy with the state of my hair.

Have you recently relaxer your hair? How was it?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies and Gents! :-)

‘If you don’t plant knowledge when you are young, it will give us no shade when we are old’ –Lord Chesterfield

Wash Day - 12 weeks post - week before relaxer

This is the last wash day of the month so I will be clarifying my hair for the start of September. Also my relaxer day is next week, so preparations have to begin, this was done on Sunday.

1.     Prepooed hair in 4 sections with grape-seed oil on length and scalp for 1 hour

2.    Detangled each section of my hair

3.    Shampooed hair with ORS Aloe Shampoo, twice

4.    Tea rinsed with ginger tea

5.    Applied Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment for 5 mins and rinsed

6.    T-shirt dried hair for 10 mins

7.    Applied DC to hair, ORS Hair Mayonnaise, for 2 hours a heat cap and my cotton shower cap

8.    Detangled hair

9.    Rinsed out conditioner

10. T-shirt dried my hair for 1 hour

11.  Used Herbal Essence Split End Leave in Conditioner

12.  Detangled hair in sections and applied almond oil

13.  Air dried hair in bun and silk scarf

Am currently 12 weeks post, next week is my relaxer day at 13 weeks post, this wash day was all about detangling and protein to get myself ready for my relaxer day. I have run out of Aussie Hair Insurance Leave in Conditioner and all the shops seem to be out of stock! I mean everywhere I go it’s just not there!! :( So I got the Herbal Essence split end leave in conditioner (think I got the name wrong) it’s a creamy texture, like it so far. It like my Aussie leave in, it has silicones, my hair feels moisturised enough, I would not go any further with my stretch though need to avoid any setbacks at this stage.

Looking forward to my relaxer day, just to keep the puffy hair at bay for a while! This stretch has been easy breezy, I have had tangles at the back of my hair and crown but nothing too major that my detangler (Aussie Hair Miracle Insurance leave in conditioner) could not handle, I would stretch to the end of September, but I do not want to jinx it so far in my stretch will leave longer stretches to future me!

How is your stretch going?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies and Gents! :-)

‘Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them’ – Henry David Thoreau

Goal Review....Sept Goals

1.     Drink 1 litre of water over weekends – FAILED

Oh this has been so hard for me to do!

2.    Only buy products to replace finished supply – FAILED

3.    30 min work outs twice a week – SEMI PASSED

Did 3 sessions of insanity and went for a jog one day

4.    Bake or cook a new dish twice this month – PASSED

I cooked red lentil curry with chapatti and spinach and chickpea curry, learnt how to make smoothie, will need to do more baking next month

5.    Stretch past 12 weeks – PASS

Am currently 13 weeks post as of Wednesday

6.    Continue with protective style challenge - PASS

Will show the results in my next post

7.    Review my hairline challenge – PASS

Will share my results in my next post

September Goals

1.     Drink 1 litre of water over the weekend days

2.    Fix my hair product storage

3.    30 min workouts twice a week

4.    Learn how to make samoosa

5.    Roller set once

How did your August goals go?

Happy hair journey’s Ladies and Gents! :)

‘All changed, even the most longed for; have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another’ – Anatole France