Everything that glitters is not gold

I have to constantly remind myself that what works on others' hair usually doesn't work on mine. Stylists have tried to tell me what hair products to use, and I used to blame them when the products didn't work. Now, I listen to my hair and I'm really really trying not to go out and buy products because of someone else's success. I've been noting what products work on my hair and finding common ingredients and techniques.

I know I've written this here before, but my hair does not like olive oil! I mixed some in some Queen Helene Cholesterol with Ginseng and dc'd last night. As I washed it out, my hair felt so hard and weighed down. I tried an acv rinse, which softened it up just a little. I then put in some Pantene Relaxed and Natural conditioner for a few minutes and that seemed to help. I just need to accept that straight evoo is not good for my hair. I'll only use it for cooking from now on!

I had to wash yesterday, because I sweat my hair out so much over the weekend. I tried to get up early to walk my dog and mow the lawn, but it was still hot as hades outside at 7am! I just couldn't take going to work looking crazy another day, so last night I decided I would wash without using the dryer. I pre-poo'd with vatika oil and Organix Coconut conditioner (I alternate between the coconut and vanilla for my pre-poos). I co-washed with V05 clarifying conditioner, dc'd with the cholesterol-olive oil mix for 20 minutes with a heated cap, and applied Giovanni Direct leave-in, combing it through with my Jilbere shower comb. I wasn't planning to use setting lotion, but since I was a little nervous about airdrying for the first time in a while, I sprayed a little diluted Lottabody on my hair and put some Paul Mitchell Foaming Pomade on my edges and nape. I then combed my hair with a rat-tail comb in a half wrap and put a scarf on. Tight. Since my house was so hot from this heat wave, most of my hair dried within an hour or so. Before I went to bed, I exchanged my scarf for a smaller one that I wrapped just around the sides, so the top could dry while I slept. I got up a half an hour earlier this morning to flat iron and bump my hair. I applied a dab of KeraCare Creme Hairdress in my hair, concentrating on the ends, and used some Motions heat protectant before I flat ironed. When I was done, I half-wrapped my hair again while I took a shower. When I took the scarf off, I sealed my ends with grape seed oil. I also had to press my roots at the part with a hot curling iron (I'm almost 4 weeks post relaxer). I really liked the results. I think that this is better than rollersetting for me for a while, because molding my hair together while it dries keeps my hair "together" and makes it look so much thicker. It also keeps my edges straighter:


My takeaways from this wash experience:

• My hair does not like straight olive oil, although I have had some good experiences with products that contain olive oil.
• I don't like the V05 Clarifying conditioner. I will stick with Suave, and shampoo every week and a half. I'm not sure if I ever need a clarifying product.
• The condition of my hair is getting so much better, that I will only use semi-permanent color on my roots where I have some platinum hairs.
• I think the vatika oil is helping my platinums- I don't see as much around my hairline as I used to, and I haven't been using the semi-permanent color as often.
• I will continue to do a wet half-wrap and curl my hair for at least the summer.
• A lot of women on the hair boards speak ill of Pantene Relaxed and Natural shampoo and conditioner, but it works for me. I threw out the shampoo when I started my journey because I heard about all the bad things, but my hair responds well to the conditioner.