Satin Lining

In the winter, I always wrap or pin up my hair, put my silk or satin scarf on, and put a hat over it. I have seen a big difference in the amount of moisture I retain by doing this. I've been doing this way before I started my healthy hair journey. I hate being a cold, so a hat is a must, but I also realize that most of my hats are wool or cotton, which wreaks havoc on my hair.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a yard of satin fabric because I like satin scarves at night better than silk scarves. After I cut out a square for my night scarf, I still had plenty of fabric left over, so last night I sewed a satin lining into one of my hats. I wore it today, and I loved it. My head was just as warm, and I didn't have to worry about combing my hair out when I got to work. I also won't have to worry about wrapping and putting a scarf on before I leave to go home. I want to do some other hats, but I wear a lot of my man's hats and I don't think he wants a satin lining in his hat! I do have a couple of my own hats, so I'm going to buy more satin to match the colors of my hats. I'm also thinking about lining my baby's hats. His hair is so cute and curly before we leave the house in the morning, but when we get to daycare and I take his hat off, he looks like Don King!

Vacation Hair

I just came back from a fabulous vacation in the Caribbean. For the first time during vacation, I loved my hair every minute of the time I was there. I had gotten a relaxer a week before my trip. I didn't wash my hair before I went, so it was pretty straight the first 2 days. After that, I washed, air dried, and did a bantu knot out. I was a little worried that my hair wouldn't look full since it was so recently relaxed, but I was wrong. I loved how wavy and full it looked. Sometimes it looked a little wild, especially on the beach when the wind was blowing, but I loved it like that too! My girlfriends asked me what I did to it. When I told them, one of them said, "that wouldn't work on me because I don't have good hair like you." WHAT?! In all of my 30-something years, no one has ever said that I have good hair, lol. Even my man kept telling me how much he liked my hair and that I should wear it like that more often. He loves my longer hair!

This is making me think about air drying more often to get a thicker look.

Product Review: Clairol Beautiful Collection Advanced Gray Solution

I've been using the regular Beautiful Collection semi-permanent colors off and on for years. I've seen the gray solution for the past year, but for some reason, I've been hesitant to try it. My stylist told me that it works pretty well, even if I just want to use it in the front, where most of my gray hairs are. I was in the beauty supply store yesterday, so I decided to try it. I bought the Light Golden Chestnut color. When I colored my hair a few weeks ago, I used Toasted Chestnut by Jazzing, so I wanted to use something similar.


Product Description
Cover more gray, longer with Beautiful Collection Advance Gray Solution. Clairol Beautiful Collection Advanced Gray Solution Semi-permanent Color gives relaxed hair intense gray coverage, while adding back moisture and shine. The gentle, semi-permanent haircolor leaves hair feeling silky soft and looking beautiful.Professional Features:-All tones are excellent for refreshing color treated hair -Gentle no ammonia formula allows use immediately after relaxers -Formulated to cover more gray -Covers more gray for up to twice as long -Penetrating, saturating color that leaves hair feeling moisturized and full of shine -No peroxide. Advanced Gray Solution shades cover up to 50% gray.

Advanced Gray Solution’s breakthrough SynAIRgy technology contains an oxidative dye that uses oxygen in the air as a color developer to form a large dye molecule, eliminating the need to use a product with hydrogen peroxide for longer-lasting coverage.

Directions
Apply directly from bottle generously and thoroughly to shampooed and towel-dried hair. Can be used immediately following a relaxer. Be sure hair is thoroughly rinsed and shampooed per relaxer directions before applying any Beautiful Collection shade. All Advanced Gray Solution shades are intermixable for custom colors. Intermixing with Beautiful Collection Moisturizing Color is not recommended. No developer is used with Beautiful Collection shades. Process up to 25 minutes at room temperature. Use of heat is not recommended. Rinse well, do not shampoo.

Ingredients
Water, Oleic Acid , Toluene-2 , Ascorbic Acid, Undeceth-3, Cetearyl Alcohol, 5-Diamine Sulfate, 2-Methylresorcinol, Alcohol Denat., Glycol Distearate, Fragrance, 2-Amino-6-Chloro-4-Nitrophenol, Ethanolamine, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Resorcinol, Disodium Edta, Hydroxyethyl-2-Nitro-P-Touidine, Basic Blue 99, HC Red No. 3, M-Aminophenol

My Experience
I'm glad I read the directions, because they said not to use heat and not to shampoo it out- both things I do when I apply a semi-permanent color. I noticed that this product is a lot thicker than the regular Beautiful Collections colors, or any other color I've used. I thought this was a good sign, because maybe there is more conditioner in it. I applied it to my whole head, not because I had a lot of gray to cover, but because I wanted to see how much it would moisturize and condition my hair. I put a plastic cap over my hair and let it sit for 25-30 minutes. I rinsed it out, and deep conditioned with Aubrey Organics White Camellia conditioner. I then used diluted Infusium leave-in conditioner and roller set my hair. When my hair was dry, it was shiny and bouncy. My grays in the front were covered, and looked pretty dark, considering I used a light color.

I liked this product, but I'm not sure if I'll use it again. Today, my scalp is a itchy, which makes me think that there is something in it I'm allergic to, because my scalp never itches. I'll also have to see how long the color lasts. If it doesn't last long, I might as well use the other colors I've been using.

12/16/10 Update: Okay, I couldn't take the itching (and a little burning) yesterday, so I washed my hair last night. I also didn't want to cause any damage to my scalp. I'm not sure what ingredient I'm allergic to, but I will not be using this product again. Even after I used a clarifying shampoo and conditioner, my nape still itches/burns a little!

December 2010 Relaxer

I got a relaxer after 9 weeks. I could have gone longer, but I have an important event coming up, and I didn't want to have to deal with my new growth for that. I got a little trim because my ends seemed a little scraggly to me.

I'm officially claiming armpit length! It took a little longer that I expected, but I'm glad I can close out 2010 having reached my length hair goal. Now, I'm working on my thickness goal even more. Whatever additional length I achieve is great, but I'm really focusing on thickness and moisture. If I can improve upon those, I plan on getting a full trim after my next relaxer in 12 weeks.

Product Review: Africa's Best Kid's Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil Plus Shea Butter Detangling Moisturizing Hair Lotion

I wrote in a post a few weeks ago how my dry my hair was and how I would try some different products. My girl has been telling me about the Africa's Best Kid's Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil Plus Shea Butter Detangling Moisturizing Hair Lotion for a while. She uses it on her 6 year old's hair, and although her little girl's hair is not relaxed, she believes we have similar hair textures. I finally decided to buy it. I bought it from Walgreens for $3.99.

Product Description
Allows for easy, tangle free combing while restoring a healthy moisture balance. Formulated with shea butter for extra shine and softening. Deep penetrating and helps to prevent breakage. Gentle enough for daily use and is an excellent therapy for all hair types.

•Contains no petrolatum or mineral oil
•Enriched with extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Work lotion into hair, applying from roots to ends. Gently comb through with a wide tooth comb. Do not force comb through. Apply more as needed, to tangled areas and gently comb through. Style as desired.

Ingredients
Aqua (Water) , Propylene Glycol , PEG-150 Distearate , Cetyl Alcohol , Glycerin , Polyquaternium-37 , Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate , Dicaprate , PPG-1 Trideceth-6 , Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) , DMDM Hydantoin , Cyclopentasiloxane , Cyclohexasiloxane , Phenyl Trimethicone , Lanolin Oil , Glyceryl Stearate , PEG-100 Stearate , Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride , Acrylamide Copolymer , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Stearalkonium Chloride , Fragrance , Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil , Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive) , Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter (Cocoa) , Carota Sativa Seed Oil (Carrot) , Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit (Shea Butter) , CI 19140 (Yellow 5) , CI 16035 (Red 40) , CI 42090 (Blue 1) , Hydrolyzed Glycine Soja Protein (Soybean) , Mustela (Mink Oil) , Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba) , Tocopherol , Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil (Tea Tree) , Ovum (Egg Powder) , Lactis Proteinum (Milk Protein) , Mel (Honey) , Silk Amino Acids , Cholesterol , Zea Mays Oil (Corn) , BHT , BHA , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil (Safflower) , Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract (Rosemary) , Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettle) , Equisetum Hiernale Extract (Horsetail)

My Experience
When I first opened the bottle, I noticed how watery this moisturizer was. I panicked, because my hair was straight, and I thought it would make it wet and frizzy. After I applied a little moisturizer to each section of my hair, I sealed with coconut oil. When I combed my hair, the comb glided through my hair. It was like my hair was instantly moisturized! I wrapped my hair and when I woke up, I couldn't believe how great my hair looked and felt!

I've been using this product for about 2 weeks, and I can't remember the last time my hair felt this good. I love how it softens my edges and new growth. This moisturizer is really light, so my hair just absorbs it in while still staying light and bouncy. It's not sticky or greasy and it leaves some shine- my hair really shines after sealing with oil! I am currently 7 weeks post relaxer and I think my hair looks like I'm about 3 weeks. My ends feel great too. I really feel like I have a new head of hair!

This is definitely a staple for me. The odd thing about this moisturizer is that it doesn't work well for my one-year old's hair. His texture is much different than mine, but his hair seems to get just as dry. When I put some on his hair, it did nothing.

Pincurl Week

This week I decided to pin curl my hair every night. This isn't that new, but I tried a different method of pin curling every night.

I washed and conditioned my hair on Sunday. Sunday night, I did 7 pin curls (2 on each side, and 3 in the back). This is how my hair came out on Monday:

My hair looks really short here, but I loved it because my hair didn't touch my shoulders. It was rainy and windy on Monday, so I kept the pincurls in with my scarf on, put a hat on my head, and took the pincurls out when I got to work. I feel like this is a protective style because my ends weren't exposed and didn't rub against my shirt.

Monday night, I did 3 pin curls- on on each side and one in the back. Here is how I looked on Tuesday:
The curls were looser, so my hair looks longer, but it's still curly. I got a lot of compliments this day. It was still rainy and windy, so before I left the house, I put my hair in a bun at my nape and put a hat (with a satin lining) on.

Tuesday night, I did only 2 pin curls- one on each side. This is how I looked on Wednesday:
I liked this, because it looked wavy. The only thing I didn't like was that the back of my hair looked a little thin since it had been up to the sides.

Wednesday night I just did one tight bun in the back. Here is how I looked on Thursday:I think this was my favorite look because my hair looked so full and thick. Too bad it was my day off and I didn't have anywhere to go, lol!

Thursday night, I fell asleep on the couch, woke up around one and barely had enough energy to change my clothes, so I just moisturized and put my hair in a loose bun on top of my head. Here is how my hair came out on Friday:

This almost looks like I wrapped it. My hair is a little dirty and weighed down with moisturizer and oil, so even if I did more than a bun the night before, I believe I would have had similar results.

The only products I used was Kids' Organics Shea Butter Hair Lotion (which I'll review soon) and cocounut oil. I liked my hair every day this week, which is the best thing. My hair stayed moisturized and curled, even in bad weather conditions. It's nice to have such versatility without using any heat.

Buns I Want to Try

I'm not sure I have enough hair, but I love these buns! I'm going to try to wear my hair up during the week and down on the weekends (as long as I'm not wearing wool) until the warm weather returns next year.

Just Starting to Deep Condition???

I've been on my hair journey for almost 3 years, and I think I am just starting to truly deep condition my hair! I had a great wash experience last weekend, and I think it was mostly due to the length of time I deep conditioned with heat. I usually spend about 15-20 minutes under the dryer with conditioner in my hair. However, this time, I stayed under over 30 minutes. When I took the plastic cap off, I hardly recognized my hair! It was soft and moist- like butter! Now, I have read about women who deep condition with heat for 45 minutes, but I never did because I didn't think it would make a difference, and I didn't want to devote the time. I am truly a believe now. I will deep condition with heat for at least 35 minutes from now on!

I also used Roux Porosity Control and Infusium 23 Leave-in for this wash. I washed on Saturday, it's now Thursday, and I have loved my hair since. I have been wrapping it every night, which is rare- I can usually only wrap my hair for 3 days before it starts getting limp and flat. At night, I have been applying Hask Pure Shine Polishing Serum and then wrapping. Although it's a serum, it contains some really good oils, and my hair loves it. In the morning, I comb my wrap out, and maybe apply a little coconut or grapeseed oil to my ends. My hair has stayed moist and full.

Fall 2010 Hair Strategy

Although my hair has been growing, I'm not too happy about the condition of it. However, instead of wallowing in self pity, I've been working on coming up with ideas to improve things. My hair has been feeling thin, and doesn't hold a curl or moisture.

I'm pretty sure this is from a combination of porosity issues and hormonal issues. I had a baby a year ago, and for the past 9 months or so, my hair has not been the same. I stopped nursing a month ago, so my hormones are balancing back. Now, that I'm not pregnant or nursing, I have the following plan:

- I need to increase the protein. I'm still not ready for the hardcore protein treatment, so I have been using Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstuctor after every wash. I also have been using Infusium 23 Leave-in, which contains protein. I have seen a difference in just a couple of weeks.

- I started taking hair, skin and nails vitamins and garlic vitamins over a week ago, along with my prenatal vitamins. I am expecting these to curb any excess shedding, and make my hair a little stronger.

- I will use Roux Porosity conditioner after every DC for a while until I notice some results.

- I will try some different moisturizers, paying close attention to the ingredients, so I can figure out what my hair does and does not like.

October 2010 Relaxer

I got a relaxer last weekend. I went 10 weeks. My hair was getting hard to manage, and I didn't want any excess shedding. My stylist used the Mizani Butter Blends for fine hair. I also got a Joico K-Pak protein treatment. She gave me a dusting and said she was happy with the condition of my hair, even though I wish it were thicker. I complained about the black rinse still being in my hair. She said that my hair is dark, but not black, and my roots and ends are my natural lighter brown, so that's a good thing. She told me that the next time I put a rinse in my hair, I should use a light brown. I don't know how well that will cover up my platinum hairs, but I'll try it.

My hair is grazing arm-pit length, but I'm not ready to claim it yet. Reaching my goal length has taken a little longer than I planned, but I'm fine with it as long as my hair is healthy.

I still have a way to go to reach my goals of thick, long, moisturized hair. I'm in the process of incorporating some new products and methods into my haircare regimen...

Locks of Love

Last week my 17 year-old stepdaughter got her hair cut so she could donate it to Locks of Love, which will use it to make a wig for a child who suffers from medical hair loss. I'm so proud of her- she has had hair past her armpits since she was 3. I am so glad that she does not feel defined by her hair!

Here is her hair before the cut, at a prom a few months ago:

And here is her hair after the cut. Her friend made the comment on facebook that she still has longer hair than most black girls, lol!

This is a picture of her braid. It measured almost 10 inches. She was required to donate 8, but she went a little longer.

Product Review: Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner

I posted a few days ago that I bought this conditioner. I'm working on increasing my hair's moisture level, and I believe I need to start with the conditioner I use. I was planning on buying the Honeysuckle Rose flavor, but Whole Foods didn't have any. I've read good things about the White Camellia, and it was on sale, so I bought it.

Product Description

Tame unruly hair and replenish much-needed moisture with this intensive, ultra-smoothing conditioner. Vitamin-rich formula nourishes as it protects against heat styling damage and breakage, restoring manageability for the look you want—whether it's silky, shiny lengths or soft, controlled curls.

* Deep-conditions & smooths; enhances shine
* Replenishes moisture
* Nourishes & protects

Directions:

Shake well before using. After shampooing, apply to damp hair and work through,

concentrating on the ends. Leave on for 1 or 2 minutes, then rinse.

For deep conditioning: Apply to dry hair and distribute from scalp to ends. Leave on for 15 minutes, then shampoo and condition as usual.

Ingredients:

Coconut Fatty Acid Cream Base, Organic Aloe Vera, White Camellia Oil, Wheat Germ Oil; Extracts of Fennel, Hops, Balm Mint, Mistletoe, Camomile and Yarrow; Organic Geranium Oil, Organic Rosemary Oil, Organic Sage Oil, Carrot Oil, Aubrey's Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E).

My Experience:

I pre-poo'd without heat for a few hours with Organix conditioner, shampoo'd with ORS Cream Aloe Shampoo, and did a protein treatment with Aphogee's 2 Minute Reconstructor. I then applied Clairol's Beautiful Collection semi-permanent hair color in Wine Brown. I haven't used a semi-permanent color in over 4 months since I've been trying to get the black out, and I really love how well it conditions my hair (plus my platinum hair along my edges were really out of control). I sat under the dryer with the color in for about 10 minutes, rinsed it out and applied the Aubrey Organics conditioner. I was a little worried before I put it on because I read that it was thick and hard to apply, but it was easy for me to work into my hair. As soon as I applied it to one section of my hair, I knew something good was happening. My hair instantly felt soft and smooth. After I applied the conditioner to my whole head, my shower comb slid through my hair so easily. My hair had more slip than with my usual ORS Replenishing, which is really saying a lot. I sat under the dryer with it for a little over 15 minutes, rinsed and rollerset my hair.

I know it's only the first time, but I kinda love this conditioner already! I didn't even have to apply any moisturizer! I'm 6 weeks post-relaxer with a good amount of new growth, and my roots feel great. I thought the smell was a little strong in the bottle, but I didn't even smell it once I rinsed it out. I've also read that this is best on fine hair, so maybe that's why my hair loves it so much.

Next time, I will keep it in a little longer to see if the results are better. I also want to try the GPB protein formula.

Less is More

Although my hair has been feeling dry lately, I've been experimenting with the amount of moisturizer I apply. For the past 3 nights, I have been putting on a few drops of moisturizer on my hair and ends, and then nothing in the morning. Well, last night I felt like my hair was the most moisturized it's been in months!

I remember an old stylist of mine telling me years ago not to use any moisturizer and that my hair gets its moisture from the inside of my body. At this point, I only half agree with that. I will rely on the majority of my hair moisture from conditioning and drinking water, but I do need some topical moisture, even if only to retain my length.

For me, moisturizing at night is key too!

New Conditioner

Today when I was at Whole Foods, I decided to buy some Aubrey Organics conditioner. I planned on getting the Honeysuckle Rose, but they didn't have any, so I bought the White Camellia. I really hope this works, because my hair has been really dry lately. My being on the beach all day yesterday with no hat on didn't help.

I'll write a review after I use it this week! Keeping my fingers crossed...

Holding Onto the Curl & Other Updates

My curls haven't been holding as well as I wish, which is partly due to my fine texture, but I think it's also from weighing my hair down with product. Yesterday after my wash and deep condition, I applied some diluted Giovanni leave in, a few squirts of my aloe vera juice mix, and less than a dime size of serum for my rollerset. My hair came out really curly and full of body. Now, I usually have lots of curls, but this time, the curls seemed a little "stronger." This was the first time I used the aloe vera mix for a rollerset, and I used Hask Serum instead of my usual diluted Paul Mitchell. Like most times, I did my rollerset in the evening. My hair usually looks great the night of the rollerset, but I'm not going anywhere until the next day! So, I need to figure out a way to have the same great hair the next day. I vaguely remembered my long-haired girlfriends talking a few years ago about how they keep their curls, so last night I put my hair in a very loose bun on top of my head, put my scarf on and went to bed. This morning, I still had curls and body! It's windy and rainy today, so I put my hair back into the loose bun for my commute to work. My hair is still very curly. I don't know how many days this will last, but I'm so glad I found something. I feel like I looked a little crazy with a loose bun on the subway, but I don't care- that's much better than having a frizzy mess in this weather.

I've realized some other things about my hair. My fine hair doesn't like a lot of product on it. I'm in the process of looking for a new moisturizer. I've been using KeraCare for about 2 years and it's just not cutting it anymore. I don't know if it's too heavy or what, but my hair only stays moist for about 1/2 a day when I put it in. I think I need to concentrate on better conditioning and night time moisturizing.

I really want to get my mane thick again. It's not thin, but it's thinner than it was this time last year. I was pregnant last year, but I'd like to get a little of that thickness back! I'm thinking about taking biotin, but I've heard of a lot of side effects that I don't want to deal with. I'm also still trying to get all the black rinse out of my hair. I have been putting rinses in my hair off and on for years, so I think my hair has just absorbed it in to become just about permanent. The ORS Creamy Aloe shampoo has helped a lot. I apply it once for a few seconds, rinse, then apply it again and leave it in for about 5 minutes. All of the suds become blue so I'm thinking it's doing its job by washing out some of the color. I read online that to wash out semi-permanent color quickly, you should use a harsh shampoo. I'm not willing to use a harsh shampoo because I don't want my hair to feel stripped and dry, so I thought the ORS was a healthy compromise. It contains sulfates, but it's also moisturizing, which I think is a good thing while I try to get this black out. My hair really loves this shampoo anyway. I really promise this time that I'm not putting any more black color in my hair!

July 2010 Relaxer

I got a relaxer this week. I had only gone 10 weeks instead of my usual 12 because my roots and edges were really hard to manage. My stylist was really pleased with my hair. I told her to just dust it, but I think she actually trimmed it. I was hoping to see more length, but my hair's health is more important, so I'd rather see my ends look healthy. She used Mizani to relax and deep conditioned with Joico. She roller set my hair with ORS moisturizer and KeraCare setting foam, then she wrapped it.

I'm hoping to be arm-pit length by my next relaxer in October.

An Apology to My Hair

Dear Hair,

I sincerely apologize for letting you down these past couple of months. I know you were dry, hard, tangly and really struggling. It took me some time to figure out what was wrong, but I finally did. I realized that only thing you wanted (and needed) was a chelating and neutralizing shampoo. I went as fast as I could to the store and bought some ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo, and I can see you are so much happier because of it. Just applying it twice allowed you to get rid of all of the build-up you have held onto all of these months. After the shampoo, I fed you ORS Replenishing Conditioner, and immediately you were your moist, soft, de-tangled, shiny and healthy head of hair again. You hold onto moisture so much better. Your body is thick and shiny and you maintain curls like you did 6 months ago. You even let go some of that black rinse that we are trying so hard to wash out. I thought I had lost the happy, healthy you forever, but all I needed to do was listen to your cries and research your symptoms.

Thank you for being patient with me and not breaking before I could find the remedy to your pain. I wish I could use this shampoo on you weekly, but you know what they say about too much of a good thing. I don't want to cause you any more harm, so I will only use it once or twice a month.

Again, I apologize profusely, and I promise to not let you go this long in pain ever again.

Truly,
Tiffanita


Ingredients:
Water Aqua , Cocamidopropyldimethylamine Propionate , Trideceth-7 Carboxylic Acid , PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate , Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate , Ammonium Laureth Sulfate , Lauramide Glucoside , Lauryl Glucoside , Polyquaternium-10 , Cocoglucoside , Glyceryl Oleate , Disodiium EDTA , Olive Oil Olea Europaea , Cetrimonium Carboxydecyl , PEG-8 Dimethicone , Cetrimonium Chloride , Sulfated Castor Oil , Lecithin , Propylene Glycol , PEG-12 Oleate , Silicone Quaternium-2 , Panthenol Succinate , Fragrance Parfum , Aloe Barbadensis Gel , Glyceryl Polymethacrylate , Propylene Glycol , Polyquaternium-7 , Cocamide MEA , Glycol Distearate , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Triethanolamine , DMDM Hydantoin , Methylparaben , Propylene Glycol , Propyl Paraben , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone , Green No. 3 Cl 42053 , Yellow No. 5 Cl 19140

Aloe Vera Juice Mix

I am really enjoying my aloe vera juice mix, which I adapted from Traycee. I spray it on my hair while it's wet and it air dries really moist:

1 cup aloe vera juice

2 teaspoons glycerin

1/4 cup distilled water

I also use it on my baby's hair. His hair is curly (not kinky like mine at all!), but gets dry fast. I spray it on after his bath. Before I started using this, parts of his hair would be curly, while other parts stayed straight. Now his whole head stays curly, and the curls are a lot more defined. His hair has really benefited from it in the past couple of weeks.

I keep my spray bottle of this mix in the refrigerator. I bought a big bottle of the aloe vera juice (from Walmart), so I don't know what I'm going to do with all that juice I have. I tried to drink it, but didn't like the taste. Yesterday, I gave my friend, who is also on a healthy hair journey, a liter of it, but I still have a lot left!

Bantu Knot Success!

Finally! Last night I co-washed, air dried and set my hair with bantu knots. This morning, my hair looked pretty good! I have received a lot of compliments from my co-workers, and my man, which is rare.

Again, I co-washed with V05, applied Salerm 21 leave-in, my aloe vera juice mix and some Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1. After my hair dried, I applied more Hawaiian Silky, some Silk Elements Mousse, and sealed my ends with KeraCare Essential Oils. I did 3 bantu knots- one on each side and one in the back. I usually do 6 or 7, but I've realized that doing fewer knots makes my hair look so much thicker. I was worried when I went to bed about the one knot in the back, but when I woke up, it looked great. I just put a little oil on my ends and some serum on my hair for shine. I still need to work on getting the top of my hair smooth, but I'm happy with the results overall.

My edges look a little better today than yesterday too. I did the scarf method on my edges while it dried. I didn't use the aloe vera gel; instead I used Paul Mitchell Foaming Pomade. My hair stylist used to use it to slick my hair down when it was short. It worked okay, but I'm still looking for something better. The good thing is that my hair covers most of my edges today. I still have some Elasta QP Glaze at home, so I'll try that tonight. If that doesn't work, I'll have to go shopping for something. I forgot to take a picture, but I'll try to take one later tonight.

I also need to do something about these gray platinum hairs sprouting up around my edges. I had been using the Adore black rinse, but it has started to dry my hair out. Plus, after a while black rinses become permanent in my hair, so I don't want to do them as often. I've been seriously considering henna, but I'm going to wait until after my next relaxer.

Update: I took a picture when I got home from work:

Air Drying

It's has been hot as hades lately. I washed and rollerset my hair on Saturday, but by Tuesday, it was so nasty from all the sweating I did over the weekend, I had to wash it. I used to be very cold-natured, but ever since I got pregnant last year, my body temperature is about 10 degrees higher. I thought I would balance back out after having the baby, but nope. Anyway, I had to wash my hair last night. I co-washed with V05. When I got out of the shower, I applied a little Salerm 21 leave-in, and sprayed my new aloe vera juice-glycerin-water mix (thanks Traycee). I put a little Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 on my ends. I then put some aloe vera gel to my edges, put a scarf just around my edges, and let my hair airdry.

Because it was 200 degrees outside, my hair didn't take long to dry at all. I couldn't believe how soft and moist my hair was! I didn't want to do a braidout or bantu knot out because I'm still new to these styles, and I never know what I'm going to get. I wasn't trying to go to work looking crazy. So I put a little moisturizer in my hair, sealed my ends with oil, put my hair in a bun and went to bed. This morning, my hair was rough! My ends were good though- probably from the oil and from tucking them in. I just put some more moisturizer on my hair and put it in a side bun. I would have liked my hair and my edges to be smoother. The aloe vera gel isn't cutting it on my edges, so I'll have to try a better gel. Also, for my hair, I probably should have kept smoothing my hair down like Sunshyne does. But at least I know I can airdry! I may co-wash again and try the bantu knots. Worst thing that can happen is that I have to put my hair up in a bun, right?

Mega Care Grape Seed Oil

I have written about how much I love grape seed oil a few times on here. I have to admit though, that the oil I use is not 100% grape seed oil. I use the Mega Care brand, which has other oils in it. I love this stuff! It keeps my hair really smooth- even if my hair gets frizzy from the weather or something, I apply a little of this to my hair and it's smooth again! The best part is that it only cost me 99 cents at my local beauty supply store. AND, I've been on this same bottle for almost 2 years. A little goes a long way. I seal with it almost every day, and for my last wash, I added a few drops to my conditioner. I may buy 100% grape seed oil one day, but for now, I'm sticking with this. Here's what it looks like. Sorry for the bad picture- I took it with my phone, and the bottle is a little grimy. I did say that I've had it for 2 years!


Ingredients: Grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, wheat germ oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), fragrance

All of these oils are really good. My hair usually loves anything with sunflower oil. I've also seen Mega Care shea butter oil, carrot oil, olive oil and tea tree oil. I tried the shea butter oil and wasn't that impressed with it on my hair, but it's pretty good for my skin.

Product Reflection

I don’t know what is going on with my hair right now, but I. don’t. like. it. I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the post partum shedding earlier this year. It just feels thin to me. It’s also been harder to keep it moisturized lately. I’m starting to re-evaluate some of my products. I haven’t been trying a lot of different products, but I do feel like I need to go back to what has worked for me in the past and stick with those products:

Pre-poo: I’ve been pre-pooing lately with either just vatika oil, or the Jason’s conditioner, which I don’t like, but wanted to use it up. I should just toss it, because it’s not good as a pre-poo either. I used to use Organix conditioner, so since it’s on sale at CVS this week, I’ll get some and use that to pre-poo later this week.

Shampoo: For my last couple of washes, I’ve been using Hair One for color treated hair with jojoba. I find that products for color treated hair do well for me even though I don’t have color. Also, the other kind of Hair One was the olive oil formula, and my hair doesn’t like olive oil. I’m going to stick with the Hair One for a few more weeks, because I do think it’s better than using shampoo for me.

Leave-in: I used to be able to tell a distinct difference when applying my leave-in, but it hasn’t been happening lately. The Giovanni Direct Leave-in formula has changed, but I thought it was better once I started diluting it with water. I just don’t have that same feeling anymore. I used Infusium 23 leave-in this weekend, and I had instant slip, my hair detangled super easily and my hair felt stronger and moisturized after I took my rollers out. I think this will be a consistent part of my regimen.

Deep conditioner: I still really like the ORS Replenishing conditioner. This weekend I mixed in some of my grapeseed oil mix and I loved how it made my hair feel. I will continue to add a few drops of oil to my conditioners.

Protein: I’ve been slacking on the protein ever since I got rid of my Aphogee 2 minute treatment—it wasn’t doing anything for my hair. Not using enough protein is probably the source of my problems. This weekend I used the Ion protein pack (it was 99 cents at Sallys). It helped a little, but nothing makes my hair strong like mayonnaise, so I’ll be doing a mayo treatment in a couple of weeks.

Moisturizer: I just remembered that I’m 6 weeks post relaxer, and my hair usually changes around this time, and I need to increase my moisture level. Also, I have a lot more new growth than usual, so I definitely need to use more moisturizer. I’m going to start applying castor oil to my scalp twice a week.

I recently bought some aloe vera juice and glycerin, so I will experiment on incorporating them into my regimen.

As far as styling goes, I’m getting better at the bantu knots. I actually went out- to a social function- with them this weekend. My hair looks a lot thicker when it’s textured like this, so I’m going to try do more of them this summer and maybe even try them during the week. Besides, it’s too hot to sit under the dryer with rollers every week!

7/1/10 Update: After writing this, I went home and took action. I oiled my scalp with castor oil and moisturized my ends with some B&B Oil. I think I used a little too much castor oil, but my hair was so much happier regardless of that. I usually only use the B&B Oil Moisturizer when I'm past 6 weeks post relaxer. My hair loves it. Ever since then, my hair has felt and looked much better. I will clarify this weekend because maybe I just have too much product in my hair.

Summer Protective Styles

I saw these styles on realsimple.com. I think they're all great summer protective styles. I wear the first style a lot around the house, but I think I'll wear it when I go out on the weekends too, even though my bf doesn't like it! The second style is cute and reminds me to get some nice headbands. The third style is great for a casual look or with a nice dress. It's also a little like bantu knots, so you could have a wavy style the next day.

Bantu Knots 2.0

Thanks to Traycee, I tried Silk Elements Designing Silk Mousse for my bantu knot out this weekend. This is what I did:

1. Co-washed with V05 Moisture Milks
2. Applied Salerm 21 leave-in, some serum and a dime-sized amount of Aussie conditioner to my hair
3. Put a scarf on my edges and air dried for about an hour
4. Applied Silk Elements Designing Silk Mousse to my hair and did 5 bantu knots. I also put some KeraCare Essential Oils on the ends
5. In the morning my hair was still a little damp so I sat under the dryer for about 15 minutes

My hair definitely had more waves, and they kept all day. It actually looked like a braid out. My ends were not straight at all, which is what I wanted. Overall, I was pleased. The only thing I did not like was that my hair wasn't as smooth as I wished. I think I need to do only 4 knots, and I also either need to let my hair air dry completely before the knots, or do the knots immediately and sit under the dryer. I think sitting under the dryer will make my hair smoother.

June 2010 Hair Update

I haven't been posting recently, mainly because nothing new is going on with my hair. I've just been trying to keep it as moisturized as possible, and deep conditioning to get my thickness back- I lost a lot from postpartum shedding.

I have also been experimenting with bantu knots and braidouts. I've decided to concentrate on the bantu knots. Braidouts take too much time and I feel like it's too much manipulation on my fine strands. I have been doing the bantu knots on the weekends, before I wash my hair. I'm not ready to risk it by wearing the style during the week when I have to work. So, I usually like how they come out, but the waves don't last- maybe I need some kind of product that will help them hold? The only product I used was Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 on my dry hair. Yesterday, I thought my hair was too curly, but after spending 10 minutes outside, parts of my hair were straight again. I also think my ends are too straight, so I need to work on getting the ends a little more curly. Here's how I looked as soon as I took the knots out:




I tried a black tea rinse last week. I want to do it one more time before I have a definitive opinion!

Warm Weather Hair

I'm so glad it's finally warm out. I don't feel as guilty wearing my hair out in the warm weather. This past winter, I hardly ever wore my hair down- and when I did, I wrapped it up in a silk scarf and hat while outside. I don't think my hair felt the winter air once this past winter. I actually think that is how I retained my length and why my edges grew in so fast after my postpartum shedding period. I'm going to sew silk and satin liners in my hats next winter. I also NEVER wore my hair down when I wore a wool sweater.

I'm not sure what my summer regimen will be just yet. The past 2 summers I did a lot of co-washing and rollersetting, but with a baby, I just don't have the energy to set my hair and sit under the dryer more than once a week. I did try a bantu knot out this past weekend, which was okay. I only did 4 knots, and I think I need to do at least 6. I want to try a braidout, but that seems like more work than rollersetting, especially to keep it up every day. If it continues to be so hot, I'll be wearing it up off my neck most of the time, so I may not even have to worry too much about styles!

In terms of products, I definitely need to find some new ones. My leave-in isn't cutting it anymore, so I need to find a good one. I also want to try glycerin, because my hair has been pretty dry. I've been using Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 sometimes, which contains glycerin, but I'm not that impressed with it, and I hate the way it feels on my hands. It's great for my baby's curls, so I apply some to his head every day- and I immediately wash my hands afterward! I also want to try some aloe vera juice (maybe I can make my own), rosewater, and avocado oil.

Traycee did a post a few weeks ago about the pros and cons of having long hair. I don't think my hair is long yet, but it is the longest it's ever been and now that it's past my shoulders, I feel like I can speak on some cons of having long hair. So far, I've been experiencing:

- my hair getting caught on my bag straps and seat belt

- strands sticking to my lips when I have lip gloss on

- my bf and baby's hands accidentally get caught in it

- strands get caught in my necklace and earrings

- I've been using more product

- Hair getting in my food

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining! The pros definitely outweigh the cons. I just never thought I would have to deal with those things. I love looking at my hair in the mirror or in pictures. Even my man told me the other day that he is so proud of me for having the patience and determination to grow my hair.

May 2010 Relaxer

I got a relaxer this weekend. I went about 11 1/2 weeks this time. I think my postpartum shedding has stopped, but I got the usual shedding I get when it's time for a relaxer. My relaxer experiences are so pleasant now. I never burn anymore, and I used to burn every time. My stylist deep conditioned, trimmed and rollerset my hair. She used the Lottabody foam wrap, which didn't really impress me. I usually have her pincurl it after she takes the rollers out, but this time I had her wrap it because I wanted it to be straight for a few days:

I like how it came out, and I'm so happy about my growth. I can't believe how close I am to arm pit length! Now that I feel like it's long enough, I'm going to start trying braidouts. I know it will take me a while to find the right products to use, so I'll just do it on the weekends at first! I also need to buy some new hair accessories. All of my clips are too small or weak because they always break in my hair now. Not a bad problem to have, huh?!

Aloe Vera Gel

I just couldn't take my edges anymore! I am 11 weeks post relaxer, but that's not why my edges were so bad. It's basically all new growth, as I lost most of my edges a couple of months. Last week I bought some 100% aloe vera gel, but decided to use it last night. I put a little water on my edges, some aloe gel, brushed it, and put a scarf on tight overnight. This morning, my edges were smooth. My edges aren't as moisturized as I had wished, but they're not dry either. I put a little castor oil on them, and I feel a lot more presentable. I wish I had done this last week before I went out of town looking crazy!

Staples

I've been trying some new products over the past month or 2, but I've decided to stop experimenting. My hair was doing well with my staples, so why would I change products? I don't know, maybe I was bored. Last week, I did have a good roller set result, but I didn't like how tangled and hard my hair was when it was wet. My hair also got hard and felt like there was a film on it only 2 or 3 days after I washed it. I'm not sure if it was the amla oil, the rinse, the Infusium leave-in, or a combination of the three products. For this past weekend's wash, I decided to go back to my true blue products. My hair didn't look as silky, but it felt (and still feels) great. I also think it looks a lot thicker and healthier this week.

My staples for wash days:

• Pre-poo: Organix Coconut or Vanilla Conditioner
• Shampoo: Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo OR Creme of Nature (green label)
• Conditioner: V05 Moisture Milk
• Deep Conditioner: ORS Replenishing Conditioner
• Leave-In Conditioner: Giovanni Direct

I'm going to be sad when my green label Creme of Nature shampoo runs out. I know many people think that it's not discontinued and that it's in new packaging, but the ingredients are different. The Giovanni Direct Leave-In is also a different formula. I hated it at first, but this weekend, I diluted it with water in a pump bottle and it felt like my old stuff. As always, I would like to try new products, but I need to work on getting my hair long, and using up the products I already have.

I'm 9 weeks post relaxer today. I'm going to a family event this weekend and away for work next week, but I will not relax. My edges are a little kinky (it's all new growth since I lost a lot during my postpartum shedding). It's fine though. I want to make it to at least 11 weeks this time before getting a relaxer. My hair looks fine, other than my edges, but it doesn't bother me too much. I cover most of it with my hair, and I could use some gel or something if it really gets bad.

Best Rollerset

Last night I achieved the best roller set I've ever done. The only thing I did differently was that I pre-poo'd with amla oil. I actually mixed the amla oil with some garlic powder for shedding and a little evoo. Since my last garlic pre-poo resulted in drier hair, I thought I'd mix the garlic powder with oil instead of conditioner. I tried amla oil 2 years ago, with not-so-good results. My hair was in pretty bad shape though, so since I still had the amla, I decided to give it a try. I deep conditioned with Pantene Relaxed and Natural Breakage Defense Deep Conditioning Mask. It usually gives me a lot of "slip" but not yesterday. I noticed immediately that my hair was a little hard to de-tangle with a wide-tooth comb. After I sat under the dryer for 20 minutes, I rinsed it out and did a quick conditioning rinse with Pantene Relaxed and Natural Intensive Moisturizing Conditioner. I have to say, I was a little worried that my hair wasn't as easy to comb as it usually is. I proceeded to roller set. I decided not to use the extra thin rat tail comb I usually set with, because I didn't want to lose any hair. When my hair was dry, I noticed how shiny my hair was as I took the rollers out. When I combed my hair out, I could NOT believe how soft and bouncy my hair was! I really have never had such a good set, even when I professional did it. I'll have to research amla a little more and see if I can make the conditioning experience a little better. I did only pre-poo for about 45 minutes, so maybe I need to leave the oil in longer? I have also been battling a cold for the past 2 weeks, which shows in my hair, making it drier than usual. Here is how my hair looked after taking out the rollers:

I've also been smoothing my hair on the roller as I roll for the past couple of weeks, which has made my hair a lot smoother.

April 2010 Updates

I decided to give the garlic another try this weekend. I was reading how Traycee puts the powder from her garlic pills in a pre-poo to cut down on shedding, so I added some garlic powder from my spice cabinet to some conditioner as a pre-poo. I applied it to my scalp and new growth and left it in overnight. When I washed it out, I immediately noticed less hair in the drain. I also didn't have as much in the comb when I set my hair. So it just about stopped the shedding, but it also made my hair a little drier than usual. As I watched tv last night, I remembered that I usually change my regimen and products once I'm 6 weeks post relaxer. 7 weeks have gone by since my last relaxer and I hardly noticed! So I moisturized my roots and ends with B&B Moisturizer with Castor Oil, and my hair literally drank it up. Within seconds, my hair was moist and shiny.

Another reason my hair felt drier may have been the fact that I haven't put a rinse in my hair for a while. The rinses, especially the dark brown and black ones, moisturize and condition my hair so well. I'm thinking about trying henna, so I want to make sure that I get most of the color out before I henna my hair.

Also, my rollerset came out really nice this week, which I attribute to doing more smoothing on the roller as I rolled my hair. It took longer to set, but the results were worth it.

Now that I'm between shoulder and armpit length, I will start trying braidouts in the next few weeks. Since I started my healthy hair journey, I've always thought my hair was too short. Now I have no excuses to try it.

Products Revisited

I was going through all of my products the other day and decided to try a couple that I haven't used in a while. The first was Infusium 23 Leave-in Conditioner. I used this faithfully when I had blond hair in college. It really kept my hair in good condition. I stopped using it when I grew the color out. For some reason, I had a sample size of it in my closet. Since the Giovanni Direct Leave-in is different now, I'm not so impressed with it. It does what it's supposed to do, but the new formula doesn't de-tangle my hair as well anymore. I will still use it as a moisturizer every now and then.

The other product was Lottabody setting lotion. I use it every once in a while to rollerset my hair, especially when it's almost time for a relaxer. Even then, I only spray it diluted with water on my hair a couple of times and use mostly water for my set. For my wash this weekend, I co-washed with V05 Strawberries and Cream and deep conditioned overnight with ORS Replenishing. I applied the Infusium 23 and then I saturated my hair with diluted Lottabody. I sprayed it on whenever my hair wasn't soaked. When I took my rollers out, I couldn't believe how moist my hair was. It was shiny and looked so thick!

I'm not sure if it was the Infusium or the Lottabody or a combination. The Infusium has some protein, and I think my hair needs more protein right now, especially since I'm still shedding a little. I've realized that the Aphogee 2-minute protein conditioner just isn't doing it for me. I don't know why I've been trying to force it to work- the reality is, it's never done much for me. So like Sunshyne says, I need to change and adapt quickly when a product doesn't work for me. I need to find my protein someplace else!

I found some other leave-ins in my closet that I want to try. I can't believe I haven't gone through my products in so long. My mother used to always tell me to go shopping in my closet before going to the store!

Mesh vs. Magnetic

I have always used mesh rollers to set my hair. Always. I use end papers, mesh rollers and pins. This picture shows the rollers I use. As my hair grows, I have to go up in size. Well, the red is the largest size I've seen, and I need a larger size so that my hair doesn't take 2 hours to dry. I haven't seen them larger than the red.

This weekend I decided to try magnetic rollers. I bought a pack of 10 and some clips. I used the magnetic rollers to roll the top of my head, and the red mesh ones to roll the bottom, just so that I could see the difference. It wasn't a total disaster, but my hair didn't come out as nice as I wish it had. I couldn't get the magnetic rollers to stay tightly, so my roots were a little puffy. The curls with the mesh rollers were perfect, since I could control how tight they were with the pins.

I guess I need to watch some youtube videos to learn how to get the rollers to stay tightly. If I can get the magnetic rollers to work well, I think I'll save a lot of time on rolling and drying my hair. I'll keep trying, but I will also keep searching for larger mesh rollers!

I welcome any advice!

Buns!

I've been really good at wearing my hair up in a bun lately, although I do need to experiment with different bun styles. It's not hard for me to put my hair up, since I'm obsessed with my ends not touching wool, and I've been wearing a lot of wool sweaters and scarves lately. I was going to join Traycee's Bunning Challenge, but I'm not quite sure I can commit to bunning 5 days a week. I usually wash on Sunday, so I like to wear my hair out the 2 days after. Even though I don't bun, I keep my hair wrapped under a silk scarf and a hat while I'm outside in the cold dry air. I have been moisturizing and sealing my ends with oil (castor, coconut or KeraCare Essential oils) twice a day. When I get home from work, I usually wear my hair out for an hour or 2.

It is starting to get boring, so I'd like to try some styles with the front or side out, maybe a twist somewhere, and some side buns. I also want to buy some hair accessories to jazz up my buns a little. I did get a couple of clips, but I need to get some more. I haven't been using any elastic things at all, so some days my bun is a little loose, but that's okay. I've been able to keep it together with 2-3 pins.

I took these pictures with my phone, so the quality isn't great, but here are a couple of buns I rocked this week:

The semi-high bun:

The bun kept together with a big clip:

I've been good at keeping my hair in a bun every day. I did wear it out on Monday since I washed and rollerset it on Sunday. I need to learn how to do some different kinds of buns, because all I do is twist it up in a bun and pin it. I really don't want to use any elastics, but I also want it to look nice. Here it is when I took it out of the bun yesterday:


My wash on Sunday went pretty well. I co-washed with Aussie Moist, which I'm not in love with yet, but I'll try it a few more times. I put in a dark brown Adore rinse, and deep conditioned with Silicon Mix. As my hair gets longer, I realize that I need to use more product in my hair. Products used to last me forever with short hair, but not so much anymore. I'm getting faster at rollersetting my hair too. I didn't use as many rollers this week, but that was okay since I had a fresh relaxer, and I knew I wasn't going to wear my hair curly. I love the results of a good rollerset. My hair looks so healthy and smooth.

My shedding has decreased a lot. I still had some hair in the drain after I washed my hair, but not as much as I did a few weeks ago. I can't take garlic pills since I'm nursing my baby, but I'm still taking prenatal vitamins, which are supposed to help. I have decided not to let it bother me. I'm doing the best I can, and it's mostly out of my control, so I'm letting it go.

February 2010 Relaxer

I wanted to wait 12 weeks to get a relaxer, but with all this shedding, I didn't want to go another week. I went 11, which I think was just as good. My hair sheds when it's time for a relaxer anyway, so I'm sure that was part of the problem. I just knew that my stylist, D, would tell me that my hair was in terrible shape and that I would have to get an inch cut off!

When I washed my hair this weekend, I did the Aphogee 2 minute protein treatment and used the Roux Porosity Control treatment. For the last 3 nights, I based my scalp with my Softee Castor Oil (I really like the Hollywood Beauty kind, but the bss didn't have it the last time I was in there; this one is pretty good too). D bases my scalp well, but I like to have another line of defense! I didn't burn at all when she applied the relaxer.

I'm not sure what kind of conditioner she used. She usually uses Humectin, but we were talking, so I didn't notice. She then dusted my ends and roller set my hair. She used the ORS Wrap/Set Mousse to set my hair. She said she likes it better than the KeraCare. When she took the rollers out, she said she was loving how my hair felt. I couldn't believe it! She said that my hair is doing well and not to worry about the shedding- not only am I postpartum, but she said when your hair is longer, you experience more shedding. There was another woman in the shop with beautiful, long hair, and she said she sheds a lot too. That made me feel better, but I do want my shedding to decrease a little, because I hate seeing all the hard work and hair go down the drain, literally!

It was cold, windy and rainy out, so she pincurled the top, and wrapped the sides. I combed it out when I got home, but I moisturized and pincurled it back and didn't take it out until I got to work this morning.

I'm really happy I went yesterday, and even happier that D liked the condition of my hair. I may pick up some ORS Wrap/Set Mousse for my next set and compare it to the KeraCare.

Product Review: KeraCare Foam Wrap Set Lotion & Essential Oils for the Hair

I just bought some more Lottabody for my rollersets last week. I usually use diluted Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum, but it doesn't seem to work as well for me lately, and Lottabody works well for me when I'm due for a relaxer. I was at the outlets this weekend and the hair outlet had some KeraCare products. I bought the Foam Wrap Set Lotion and the Essential Oils for the Hair.

Product Description
Produces full, incredibly lustrous wrap-set and wave-set styles.Deep conditions and moisturizes during dryer setting.Leaves hair with a healthy sheen.Contains natural lubricants that provide protection from the heat of dryers and other thermal styling appliances.Provides superior manageability with remarkable bounce and body.Detangles for easy wet combing and effortless combouts.Does not flake.

Directions: Shampoo and condition with Keracare products of choice. Shake Foam Wrap set lotion vigorously and distribute throughout hair. Comb Through for even distribution. Proceed to wrap set, sculpt or mold hair.

Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-22 TEA- Lauroyl Keratin Amino Acids and others

My Experience
I pre-poo'd with coconut oil, tea tree oil and a little garlic juice. I shampooed with Creme of Nature Detangling shampoo and deep conditioned with KeraCare Humecto. I diluted the lotion with water and rollerset my hair. Although it says it's also a conditioner, I still used a leave-in. My hair came out shiny, moist and bouncy- probably one of my best rollersets. This is definitely now one of my staples. I rubbed a drop or 2 of the oils in my hair and my hair looked even better!

I also bought some Moroccan oil. I'll use it later this week and post a review.

Random Hair Thoughts

When I was on the subway this morning, I had some thoughts about my hair:

• My shedding is from hormones, but I've talked to a lot of other women lately who are experiencing shedding. I think it's the time of year.
• I just realized that I'm 9 weeks post relaxer, and I usually shed some at this point. Not this much of course, but I shouldn't be too surprised.
• The dry, cold air has made my hair extremely dry. I need to increase the moisture! The other day I applied coconut oil all over my hair (not just the ends like I usually do), and it made a big difference in the look and feel of my hair.
• I read on one of the boards about some women who never comb their dry hair. I've just been using my fingers for the past couple of days, which has decreased the amount of shedded hair I see.
• I'm nursing my baby so I can't take garlic supplements, but I'm trying to drink a lot more water and eat more fruits, vegetables and proteins.
• I'm only doing protective styles until my next relaxer. Even though I keep my hair in a silk scarf and hat when I'm outside, I need to keep my ends protected.

Big Hair

I love big hair. I have been pincurling my hair consistently because I feel like I get so much more volume. I only wrap my hair after a relaxer, and after my last relaxer, I only wrapped the perimeter and pincurled the top for bigger hair. Some times I'll do 5-6 pincurls for a lot of curls, while other times I'll just do 3 (2 on each side at the front, and one in the back).

I haven't been wearing my hair up as much as I planned, but last week I wore it up in a bun or a ponytail with a front "poof" all week.

I know I've been slacking on photos, but I'm going to try to do better. The first picture is from today, after combing out 3 pincurls. The second is the day after my relaxer in December when I pincurled the top and wrapped the bottom:

Still Shedding...

I'm still shedding a million hairs a day! I got really freaked out when I washed my hair on Sunday, but history has taught me that stressing out about my hair just makes it worse. I'm going to relax and let nature take its course....my hair still doesn't look any thinner, so I'm just going to keep conditioning and moisturizing.

I put in a rinse this weekend, and did not like the results. The color is fine, but my hair was tangled and felt hard for a day afterwards. (It's much better today) I think it's because I used a color from the Beautiful Collection when I've been using Adore for the past year or two. I was going to wash and deep condition it again this week, but I don't want to see any more hair in the comb. I only bought the BC rinse because Sallys didn't have the Adore. Another thing I don't like about the BC is that the color runs so much- I had so much color in the sink when I rinsed it out, and when I was rollersetting my hair, a lot of color dripped on my shirt- that never happens with the Adore. I don't plan on using the BC again!

Postpartum Shedding

I had my baby just about 3 months ago, and for the past week I've been experiencing a lot of shedding. My hair doesn't look or feel thin, it's just all that hair in my comb, on my floor and even on my baby is freaking me out a little. I know I need a protein treatment, even though this shedding is hormonal and is caused by things inside of my body. The air is cold & dry and I haven't done a good protein treatment in a while. I went to the beauty supply store today to get some Aphogee 2 step, but they were out. This is a good thing in a way, because I'm afraid to use that hard stuff. I think I will try the mayonnaise again and see how that works.

Ponytail

For some reason, my boyfriend loves it when I wear a ponytail. He was so excited yesterday that I wore a ponytail and that it's so long. I like when he's this easy to please! I pinned it up in a bun, but it fell out.

This isn't my favorite style, because I've always thought that the ponytail holders were bad for your hair (even though I'm using the "good" kind here). I also think wearing all of my hair back like this makes my forehead look big. But, I am happy that my ponytail is this long and looks so full!