Daughter’s Wash Day

 I haven’t written up a wash day post in years. And the last time I documented them they were so thorough, I spent the whole Saturday going through them. But at the start, I enjoyed them. Over the years they started becoming tasking and steps were slowly cut off. 

Now we two daughters later, wash days have become a luxury. I just get the job done. Gone are the days of 3 hours aimless walking around with a heat cap. Nowadays if I leave the shower with conditioner on my head, the chance that will be rinsed off again (within the day) would be rare. I have a 7 month old and a 3 year old.

Now my wash day glories have shifted to my 3 year old daughter. They aren’t long and elaborated, she doesn’t have the patience for that, and my 7 month old would not be amused either. 

So how do they go, well this is the process, it really takes no more than an hour from start to finish with the longest part being detangling 

1. Detangle - I finger detangle with a diluted conditioner and then proceed to go out her hair in sections from tip to root. This is the only time I detangle it use a comb. 
2. Shampoo - one lather
3. Tea rinse - I limit any treatments to once a month. Today we used fennel tea, fennel has really get properties to stimulate blood circulation and is a great antioxidant 
4. Deep condition - or just condition, the conditioner doesn’t stay too long on her hair, 5-10 mins tops 
5. Rinse
6. Moisturise and air dry

And there you have it. I am living my best hair days through my daughter because heavens know I couldn’t do this process on my head without a crisis going on - ‘the chair bumped me’, ‘Ahhhh, mama, spider, wait, no it’s a fly’, ‘mama, mama, mum, can you make my Peppa Pig talk and I’ll be Georgie Pig’

What quick wash day hacks do you use?

Current Situation

So I have not posted on my blog in a long time. This blog started as a relaxed hair journey documentary, this lasted for about 3 years. It soon became a natural hair blog, since 2015. Down the line I have had 2 baby girls, time robbed from me and a silk press gone wrong, so I ‘big chopped’, in December 2018. My intention was not to grow my hair out again, I loved the ease of short hair. 

 

Then came quarantine, this forced me to start growing my hair again. 

After reviewing my life, I feel the best thing for my hair and my self at the moment is to get locs. To keep things easier for myself, I will start on two strand twist and maintain my new growth using the palm roll method. The aim is to be able to maintain my hair by myself, but also go to the salon should I need to. But my trust levels with salons is at an all time low, after my silk press and also the flaky products they always use when I would get a twist out.

As I have 2 daughters, one who is 3 years and a new born just gone 6 months, I will be dedicating my time to maintaining healthy loose natural hair for them. For my 3 year olds, her hair is just over shoulder length, but I could do better with detangling, moisturising and styling. 

I am hoping to get to re-learn how to maintain loose natural hair and to incorporate the fun aspect of healthy hair maintenance with my girls, so they don’t feel like caring for their hair is a chore, but rather the same as taking a daily bath or brushing their teeth. 

My aim is to be more consist with my documentation of my locs and their loose natural hair journeys and see where we end up in this new rediscovery. I will aim for twice a month posts to hold myself accountable, also because really not much happens to our hair on a weekly basis.

 

Hair | 2 years Post Relaxer

I have been MIA for the longest of times. I am still on my hair journey, and my hair is making great progress. I am not officially 2 year post relaxer, and 1 year into being fully natural!

1 year hair growth progress

I haven’t had too much change in my routine. I keep my wash day’s weekly, and the process is pretty much the same:

1. Sulphate-free Shampoo

2. Deep Conditioning

3. Leave in and Moisturising

4. Protective style

Other routines I have taken up are:

Clay treatment: I have used Bentonite clay, and will be trying out Rhassouls clay as well. I plan on carrying out a monthly clay treatment, as I love the way my hair looks and feels after the treatment and is a great way of getting rid of build up. It can get a bit messy though.

Clay treatment

Long term protective styling: I have recently improved on my flat twist with extension application and have been installing protective styles that last me for 2 weeks, as such, my wash days have moved to every fortnight, it's been working really well with me over the colder winter period

Shea butter and coconut: I have been using shea butter whipped with coconut, this has been a lifesaver for me in keeping my hair moisturised. I have also found that whipping shea butter makes it much easier to use.

Shea butter and coconut oil whipped butter

I have been enjoying the simplistic life that my hair has adopted, and I feel as though I am now in my stride and I don't have to actively think about my hair. Caring for it has become second nature to me.

When life changes, I just adapt around the change. My hopes for this year is to carry on retaining length and volume. I will maintain my protective styling till the end of winter and enjoy some twist out and high buns in the summer.

What are your hair goals for 2017?

Happy Hair Journeys :-)

Hair Update | Head Wraps/Dhuku/Turbans

I have been experimenting with accessories and protective styling for the most part of 2016.

Just recently I was surfing YouTube for hair inspiration and came across head wrap tutorial.

I have always tried head wrapping, but the outcome was never quite right. 

My recent results have been something to be proud of. I know I still have a lot to learn on perfecting my head wraps but this is a milestone on this blog!! :o)

This has been my look all weekend. Will definitely be trying more styles with my head wraps.

Have you tried head wrapping?

Happy hair Journeys! :o)

Protective Style Edition | Crotchet Braids

Hello Ladies,

Last week after my not so curly curls left me with a stretched afro, I thought it would be a great opportunity to install some crotchet braids!

I had 2 packs of Cuban pre twisted twists and the idea was to have twists done, but when I realised how little hair is in the pack I toyed with the option of cutting them into half and unravelling the twist to get some lovely curls for my crotchet braids.

So my tools were:

1. My hands :)
2. Crotchet needle (Amazon)
3. 1 ½ packs of Jumbo Cuban Havana twist (link)
4. Pair of scissors

My installation process was pretty simple, I had one cornrow at the nape of my hair that was horizontal, then the rest of the cornrows just went straight back.

I combined a few cornrows half way to allow for my effortless parting.

I did not use any other hair for my cornrows, apart from my own.

After preparing my cornrows, then it was just crocheting the twist on my hand and looping them twice, there are so many YouTube videos on this process (link).

I absolutely love the end results; I feel this will be my go to protective style for this year. When I just finished installing them I thought I would have them on for 3-4 weeks, but coming to the end of 2 weeks and I would not might taking them out to have a good wash of my scalp and start over again the joys of being your own #hairstylist.

And to maintain my hair, all I used is:

1. Water
2. Shea butter
3. Aussie leave in conditioner

How has your hair been week?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :)

Wash Day | Curlforms

After seeing how juicy KLP's curls have been I thought I would get in on some of that action!

I had a super quick wash day, and my routine has been pretty standard, 

1. Prepooing - wheat germ oil 

2. Shampoo - herbal essence butter me shampoo

3. Conditioning - herbal essence butter me conditioner 

4. Leave in - auntie jackies leave in

So this is how the curls went 

I had high hopes, but this happened 

I fluffy it up and ended up with a stretched afro

Will try the curls another day, but if nothing at all I got hear free stretched hair. 

How was your wash day? 

Happy hair journeys ladies!

Hair | My 2016 Hair Plans and Reflection

Time to reflect

Hi ladies, it feels like I have been on and off again, can’t believe we are pretty much in April, did we not just start 2016, and Spring is now around the corner (I see you Spring)!!

I have had time to stop and reflect on my hair journey. It feels like I have been on so many ‘journeys’. Started off trying to get long relaxed hair, then I learnt about texlaxing (deliberately under processing my relaxer touch ups) I absolutely loved the thickness that my hair had, then came my natural hair journey.

I have had so many mixed feels with my natural hair, but I do really like it. I have decided to work on growing out and retain as much length as possible over 2016 and beyond. What will be success for me…being able to use my own hair to braid a crown braid. I think that will put me at shoulder length or APL.

flash back Friday!!

So, what has been happening with my hair lately? I am still protecting my ends using wigs, (last post).

My usual weekly and daily routine remains the same, (with a few new products):

Weekly routine

1. Pre-poo – with Wheat germ Oil – I will finger detangle my hair at this point
2. Shampoo – with Herbal Essence Butter Me Shampoo (loving it)
3. Deep conditioning using heat cap – with Macadamia Natural Oil Care & Treatment Nourishing Moisture Masque (Heart it!!) and my usual’s (ORS HairRepair Nourishing Conditioner and Aunt Jackie’s In control ‘anti poof moisturising & softening’ Conditioner), at this point I will detangle my hair using a wide tooth comb.
4. Leave in conditioner – Auntie Jackie’s Quench Moisture Intensive Leave In
5. Mini 2 strand twists using Shea butter

This is how I protect my hair under my wigs, and I redo my twists every week during my wash day.

Works great as a gym hair style too

With my Wig

 

On a daily basis I spritz water on my hair using a spray bottle and I moisturise my twists with ORS HaiRepair Intense Moisture Crème every other day.

I am really enjoying the simple life that my hair care has taken.

My plan going forward is to keep protecting my ends for the next few months and review my hair care on my next length check which will be end of July.

What protective styles have you been playing with this winter?