Last week, I did this post on the three mainstay components of my regimen that I believe have allowed me to retain a lot of length: Moisture, Protection and Strength. I’ve shared how I do these three things over the course of the last year through a variety of posts. Well, I thought it might be a good idea to put the links to these articles all together in one place. As new readers come to discover the site and “old” readers want to find a post that they know they read, but just can’t find, thought it would be helpful to have a “Library” for quick reference. I hope that you agree!
So, here is Part Two of How I Retain Length with links to core posts related to my regimen!
Let’s not forget the all important leave-in conditioner: The Power of pH
(I use the Kimmaytube recipe, but modify it to use less oil for my fine hair: 2 tbsp Kinky Curly Knot Today, 2 tbsp aloe vera juice [food grade-whole leaf], 1 tsp jojoba oil or Jamaican black castor oil; the “regular” recipe includes 2 tsp jojoba oil & 2 tsp castor oil.)
This past Saturday I finally made time for a long overdue henna day.
Pre-Shampoo Deep Conditioning On Friday night, I decided to take a leap of faith and do a pre-shampoo deep conditioner treatment with the Aubrey Organics GPB (Glycogen Protein Balancing) Conditioner mixed with Vatika Oil. Though it’s a protein conditioner and I was doing a henna treatment, I suspected that I could violate the cardinal rule to not use protein and henna at the same time for two reasons.
I only henna my roots, so I could concentrate the protein conditioner on my length and go lighter on the roots that would get henna.
I was doing the protein treatment prior to shampooing, so I would still be following the henna treatment and protein with a moisturizing deep conditioner.
I slept in the treatment overnight and, on Saturday at around 1 pm, I set out all of my henna and indigo supplies and hopped in the shower. I rinsed the AO GPB/Vatika Oil combo and my hair felt strong, sleek and smooth! SCORE!! It wasn’t hard or brittle at all, it just felt good! After rinsing the deep treatment, I placed my hair into 6 loose twists and shampooed with diluted DevaCare No Poo (again, diluting the shampoo with water makes it go on so much easier, more thoroughly and aids in detangling). I rinsed that and then applied Herbal Essence Hello Hydration to thoroughly finger detangle before rinsing and hopping out of the shower. Again, detangling was a total breeze. I can’t tell you how awesome that feels as my hair had started to become a struggle to detangle and I thought that it was due to the added length and wear and tear. What a difference Aubrey Organics makes!!! I am in love (I even begged Wei to let me put it in his hair on Sunday for a pre-poo DC before he hit the shower so that he could see what I was talking about!!! I was just so excited about it. I don’t think he was too impressed though . Of course, he didn’t condition after he shampooed either. Men. *lol*).
Henna/Hendigo Now on to the henna/hendigo treatment. I reeeeeeeaaally didn’t feel like adoing a two step treatment,which at the minimum adds another 1 1/2 hours to the process, so I decided to give hendigo another whirl. I applied straight henna (mixed with honey and Sally’s GVP Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm) to the center top roots of my hair. Then I applied what I think was about 2/3 indigo mixed with 1/3 henna to do the sides and back of my hair (again, roots only) in hopes that it would make them a dark brown. Finally, I applied Sally’s GVP MBCB to the untreated length of my hair and sat under my heat cap for a full 4 hours. #FAIL … AGAIN.
Ugh. So, it looks like I have no option if I want dark brown/black hair in some areas. I can’t take the shortcut. I have to do the two-step henna/indigo process *sigh*.
Anywho, though the hendigo was a bust, the length of my hair that had conditioner on it was so smooth and sleek!! The parts with henna had the typical, post henna, dry, hay-like feel. As it seemed the Sally’s GVP MBCB worked wonders on my length, I decided to pull out the jar of the real deal that I picked up many months ago on sale at Ulta!! Although it isn’t formulated as a deep conditioner, it seemed to work great! So, I applied it heavily to my henna treated hair and very lightly to the length. Then, I sat under the heat cap again.
After an hour, I removed the heat cap and allowed my hair to cool for about 10 minutes. Then, I pulled out my other new Aubrey’s acquisition, the Green Tea Cream Rinse. This is a different looking conditioning product. It has a light, minty green color and smells like mint green tea. The consistency is like Pepto Bismol, which was a surprise. I guess it is because the first ingredient is “coconut fatty acid cream base?”
What they say:
Want shiny, healthy-looking hair in a hurry? Fast-acting cream rinse infuses vital nutrients and rinses clean to help hair dry quickly for easy styling. Detangles on contact and controls flyaways to leave lengths silky and full and curls softly defined.
I diluted it with filtered water in a dye applicator bottle and applied it directly over the DC, then rinsed with cold water. Again, smooth, sleek, silky hair!!
Styling Finally, I hopped out of the shower one last time and proceeded to gently and easily finger detangle and set my hair in 13 plump twists … yes, you read that right. THIRTEEN PLUMP twists! When does that happen on my fine hair?? I used AO Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner as my leave-in and sealed the ends with a JBCO/EVOO mix.
Wei and I then went out to dinner and those jokers had the nerve to be dry by the time we got home a couple of hours later. AGAIN, another “never” event for my hair!! The hits just kept coming!!
Since my twists were dry, I decided to release them and found a very defined, but soft and silky twist-out!
Could have used some more fluffing, but it worked. I can’t wait until I fully transition out my thinner ends!
And that’s it!! Aubrey Organics is a KEEPER!! My PJ ways may be over y’all! I’ll probably still try other things to give reviews, but I really think that the products in this line are going to be my staples/holy grails!! I mean, have you seen Jasmine and Zhara’s hair?!?! The proof is in the pudding!! I ordered one other product that I’ve yet to try, the Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo. I didn’t want to strip my hair too much as I was doing a henna treatment. So, I didn’t use it this wash day. But, I want to try it this upcoming Friday in order to get nicely clean hair for my first Curlformers attempt!! We’ll see!! I don’t know if I should be experimenting with a Meet-Up on the line! LOL!!
Oh, and lastly, I put my dryer together on Sunday! It was very easy to assemble. Test drive pending.
Don’t get it twisted. I assembled it! He’s just Vanna White;).
GOOD MORNING SUNSHINES!! WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFUL MONDAY!
Last week, I mentioned that I was getting quite a few questions about what I do/did to get my hair to its current length. Usually when I get asked that question, I’ll point to my regimen post. But, to be honest, that is ever evolving and what I may be doing or using today may be totally different a week or two from now. So, I started to think about the various Tips and Tricks that I’ve shared over the last year. Then, I grouped them into categories of things that I consistently do to retain as much length as I can.
Right now, my hair is the longest that it’s ever been in my life … not ADULT life … my ENTIRE life. I have what is viewed as a “looser curl” and some assume that length automatically comes with that. However, I was not one of those little girls with a thick, long ponytail hanging down her back until the yearning for a “perm” set-in and destroyed her long, luxurious mane.
Instead, my hair was fine, frizz prone and armpit length was probably the longest it ever was pre- or post relaxer. All this to say that, at 40 years of age and 12 years natural, my hair is the longest that it has ever been … EVER.
Now here’s the disclaimer! LOL! This post isn’t to say that I’ve got this length retention thing down to an exact science, that my methods are the only ones that work, that I don’t have setbacks or that I have a perfect head of hair. I am trying to grow out a shorter, dryer, coarser and more breakage-prone crown, a shorter nape, transition out henna-loosened ends and recover from the amla induced “Great Shed of 2010.” I don’t have a perfectly even, thick perimeter and although my longest areas have reached waist length, not all of my hair has (I’m testing Chicoro’s “Lead Hair” Theory and the goal point method of trimming). So, yeah … my hair is a work in progress and I hope some of the things that I learned and began incorporating late last year will help me to achieve healthier, thicker, stronger and longer hair in the twenty twelve!!
So, without further ado, here are the 3 things that I am doing to “grow” my hair long or, more accurately, retain the length that I grow!
1. MOISTURIZE: Every week (or two weeks at the most), I pre-poo with Vatika or coconut oil, deep condition, apply a leave-in conditioner and seal with an oil. I re-apply a water-based moisturizer and seal between wash sessions, as needed.
2. PROTECT: I’m not just talking about protective styling. I think about protection as everything I do to reduce stress on my hair and prevent “premature” breakage. I finger detangle, use gentle hair accessories and tools, search and destroy to trim knots and splits that can cause “collateral damage” to adjacent strands, sleep on a satin pillowcase, wear a satin scarf or bonnet every night and wear low manipulation/protective styles that tuck away my ends 5-6 days a week.
3. STRENGTHEN: Throughout most of 2011, this element was largely missing from my regimen and I think it resulted in preventable breakage. But, I rectified this in November 2011, learned how to use protein correctly and began incorporating strengthening protein treatments every 2-3 weeks, or as needed. I also use henna. But, as I do roots-only treatments due to curl loosening caused by repeated applications, it isn’t sufficient as a strengthening agent alone. So, it became imperative for me to begin using protein to reinforce the “structural integrity” of my strands.
Here are a few pictures that show my progress from 2008, when I had my hair cut to ear length straight, to present.
Okay, I am officially an Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose (AOHSR) Conditioner convert!! OH EM GEE!! On Saturday morning, I melted some Vatika oil and mixed it with AOHSR. I globbed the mix on my dry, stretched hair and smooshed it down the length, but didn’t detangle. Once I worked the conditioner through and ensured that my hair was thoroughly coated, I bunned and donned a baggie while I hopped in the shower. Then, I got dressed, removed the baggie and went about my day. That evening, I placed my hair into 6 twists and hopped in the shower to shampoo with DevaCare No Poo diluted with water (thanks to Bdanni of mightyfinenatural for this tip! It makes my DevaCare even more awesomer!!).
My hair was sooo smooth and soft and felt virtually tangle free through the length. But, after rinsing the Deva Care No Poo, I still applied HE HH to each twist, one by one. Then, I started with the first twist and thoroughly finger detangled. Given that I hadn’t detangled at any stage prior to this, you’d think that this would have been a little tough. Not at all!! My roots were the most tangled, but I was able to get through them very easily.
Once I finished detangling and re-twisting each section, I rinsed with cold water. I exited the shower, blotted with a Curl Cloth and then applied my modified kimmaytube leave-in (1 tsp jojoba oil only) to each section and decided to braid my hair for a braid-out! I don’t think I’ve done a wet braid out since I’ve been natural, to tell you the truth! LOL! Oh, and as an afterthought, I applied Wonder Curl Butter than Love (BTL) Pudding down the length of each braid. You see, it hit me, I’d been somewhat doing the L.O.C. Methodon my TnCs when I used the kimmaytube leave-in (the “L” and the “O”) and then BTL (the “C”). So I thought, what the heck? Next time, I’ll apply BTL before braiding.
Once I finished braiding, I set the ends of each braid on big doobie pins to seal and curl. Then, I tied a satin scarf around my edges and hit the sack. I didn’t release my hair until around 2 p.m. on Sunday. As usual, my hair was still slightly damp, but actually wasn’t as wet as usual as I didn’t apply as much leave-in as I usually do. In fact, I was surprised how close to dry it was as my hair was very wet when I applied the leave-in and braided it. Anywho, when I released the braids, my hair was very defined and oh so soft. It lost some of the definition once I fluffed since it wasn’t fully dry. But, as you know though, I don’t mind sacrificing definition for big hair .
I re-braided Sunday night with a new acquisition and sealed with JBCO. I’ll reveal the new product with a results posts tomorrow . (On another note, I need to henna in the worst kind of way! I really planned to do it this weekend, but it was sooo nice out after 2 weeks of overcast skies! I just couldn’t bear to stay in to henna. But, I know what I’ll be doing this upcoming weekend!!)
Okay, now back to Aubrey Organics. Ladies, I am so sprung on this conditioner!! Mixing it with Vatika Oil and washing with diluted DevaCare No Poo seems to be a match made in heaven!! And, as I previously indicated, I love pre-pooing and deep conditioning in one fell swoop, with the bonus of being done with one round in the shower!! No going back in or having to use the kitchen sink to rinse!! In fact, I’m so sprung, that I went back to Jasmine’s November GOC update to figure out what shampoo she uses and ordered the Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo, the GPB Conditioner, the Green Tea Finishing Cream Rinse and another bottle of Honeysuckle Rose from the Aubrey website (I should have researched a little better first though, each product is about $2 cheaper on Vitamin Shoppe’s site)!! Anywho, I really want to see how the products from this line work together!! If they are anything like AO HSR, I may really give up my PJ ways y’all and retire a lot of stuff!!
Okay, let me not get ahead of myself. But, it’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about a product!! Keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be as blown away by the other offerings in the line!!
On Sunday, I decided to start going through my photo “archives” from 2011 to present to build a Protective Styles album on Facebook. And, it started me thinking about the recent questions I’ve been receiving about how I’ve been able to “grow” my hair long. I put grow in parentheses as I think “growing” hair long is generally a misnomer. As many of us know, absent a medical condition, our hair is always growing. Shoot, how many used to relax every 4-8 weeks, because that new growth was coming in so fast? So, yeah, that smashes the concept that our hair doesn’t grow. However, what is often happening when hair plateaus at a certain length is that we aren’t retaining that growth.
Enter protective styling. Now, there are a variety of factors that I believe have contributed to my ability to achieve my current length, which is the longest my hair has ever been, though it’s still a work in progress. What I do know is that protective styling (i.e. wearing styles where my ends are tucked) has played a major part in helping me get where I am now and will continue to be of benefit. But wait. Let me be more precise. Low manipulation protective styling has played a major part in helping me get closer to my goals.
You see, unlike those with hair of heartier stock, my fine strands can’t deal with too much pulling, tugging, braiding, twisting, cornrowing, flat-twisting, etc. So, I learned about a year and a half ago that my hair fares much better when I stretch it with twist-outs or TnCs and then place it in protective styles that can be done in 5-15 minutes with large sections of hair and pretty much left alone for several days or even a week at a time. Although I love the idea and look of small twists, mine tend to unravel. So, having to re-twist every couple of days kind of defeats the purpose of that particular protective style (though, I still wear twists on occasion). And wearing my hair down results in tangles, knots, splits and breakage due to friction and debris!
Now, to my real point. I have often read the sentiments like the following about protective styling: “What’s the point of growing your hair long if you always have to hide it?” and “Protective styling is boring.” But, I’d like to posit that “hiding” one’s hair can be anything but boring and is actually fun! In the last year and a half, I have done more simple, protective styles than I can even remember. The key for me has been to:
Play around with a few gentle tools and accessories (i.e. banana clips, satin scrunchies, bobby pins, Spin Pins, Comfort Flex barrettes, flowers, hair sticks, headbands and *gasp* braiding hair! *lol*).
Search YouTube for inspiration from all sources, not just naturals with my texture and/or length (shoot, one of my favorite Youtubers for protective styling inspiration is Lilith Moon, a Russian blonde with naturally straight, shoulder length, thin hair).
Use my imagination.
With those things, I have found protective styling to be enjoyable and generally prefer to wear my hair up and hidden, over down and out, most days of the week.
So, with some creativity, a few hair tools, a little time and patience, I think protective styling can be fun, fancy, and fierce for hair of all different textures and lengths. And, bonus!! Switching up protective styles from week to week can save our strands from repeated tension on the same areas, which can cause thinning and breakage. With that, here is a sampling of the protective styles that I’ve done over the last year and a half. The same old plain bun and twists aren’t our only options!!
(Check out the Style Library to find tutorials for most of the styles pictured.)
Last week, my aloe vera juice (AVJ) to seal experiment didn’t go so well. I suspected that this was due to my concurrent plopping experiment (see here if you missed it). So, this past Saturday, I decided to try it again. Here is how wash days (yes days, that’s not a typo) went.
On Thursday night, I pre-pooed and finger detangled with Vatika oil, placing my hair in 6 twists. I donned a baggie and hit the sack.
Friday morning, I placed the twists in a low bun and slicked the edges with some Sofn’Free Mold & Hold Wax for work.
Friday night, I untwisted each section, applied Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner directly over the Vatika oil and retwisted. Again, I donned a baggie and hit the sack.
Saturday morning, I hit the shower and washed with the last of the Terressentials Mud Wash (TMW) Left Coast Lemon. I untwisted each section, one by one, to wash and then re-twisted.
I got out of the shower and finger combed, then used a wide tooth comb, to detangle each section.
Finally, after I combed each section, I raked Kinky Curly Knot Today (KCKT) through it, then AVJ.
My hair took about 4-5 hours to fully dry, but it was huge once done!
Now, a few observations and additional notes.
I am really digging this dry hair deep conditioning before washing as it means I don’t have to get back in the shower or use the sink to wash the DC!!
My hair was very tacky when I used the TMW this time. It was tacky during the wash and the post wash detangling session, which is why I resorted to the wide tooth comb after finger detangling. Last week I used the DevaCare No Poo and my hair detangled like a breeze. Not sure if it was the products I used this past week, but I did NOT like the feel of my hair. I will say that I didn’t use any conditioner after washing and I also didn’t do a cool water rinse. So, the omission of those steps may have impacted my results. Next week, I’ll try this again with the TMW Lavender Garden and a cool final rinse to see if I have the same problem. I’m trying to eliminate the rinse-out conditioner step to see if I can use the TMW alone.
I should have re-wet each section of my hair prior to applying the leave-in and AVJ as my hair was only barely damp by the time I got to the right side. Fran indicated her hair has to be very wet to get the best results.
Once my hair was fully dry, I used a little JBCO to smooth and seal as I felt my hair looked too dry without a little oil.
Before bed, I oiled my scalp with Wild Growth Hair Oil (white bottle) and applied a tiny amount of the Wild Growth Light (yellow bottle) to the length. Then, I placed my hair in 8 twists and put on my satin bonnet for bed.
On Sunday, I used some Eco Styler Olive Oil gel, a satin scrunchie and a few bobby pins to place my hair into a big, low bun. I’ll probably wear it in a bun the rest of the week, unless I have time to put it in twists.
In other news, last week was a complete fail in regard to my exercise and diet regimen. It was a very sad week due to an unexpected and deeply impactful loss. I had time to work-out, but I just didn’t do it out of stress and emotional exhaustion. I really need to stop allowing those things to take me off the course though, as exercise often helps one cope with stress and it’s just another excuse. Well, today is another day to get it right.
Finally, I saw Avengers this weekend … TWICE!!! OMGosh, no spoilers, but it did NOT disappoint! If you are a comics/cartoon/superhero fan, I think that you’ll probably enjoy it. I can be the harshest of critics with these type of movies, but I was very pleased. Guess that’s no surprise since I already said that I saw it twice … and on the same day. I think it falls somewhere between X1 (about which I was mostly ambivalent) and X2 (which I LOVED). That’s all I’ll say as I don’t want to give anything away for those who haven’t seen it yet. But, if you haven’t seen it yet … what are you waiting for??? Oh, wait, I do have one more thing to say … stay until the end of the credits. That is all.
Dang, I forgot to show my Avengers ID! I might have gotten in for free!!
“Today on Wash Day Shenanigans: Shelli decides to try a three new things! Want to learn how it will all end?!?! Then, don’t change that channel!!” *teehee*
Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner After less than stellar results using Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose (AO HSR) Moisturizing Conditioner as a post shampoo “quick” conditioner, I decided to follow the directions on the bottle for using it as a deep conditioner. I deep conditioned BEFORE shampooing. Yup, you read that right. I’ve heard of this before and knew that others had success using this technique, but I’d never tried it.
Directions Shake well before using. After shampooing, apply to damp hair and work through, concentrating on the ends. Leave on for 1 to 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 hair as usual. (emphasis added)
On Friday night, I put my stretched hair into 2 braids after oiling my scalp with sunflower oil mixed with the remnants of my EO mix. I applied a little oil to the length of my hair too. Then, on Saturday night, I divided my hair into 4 sections and applied about a tablespoon AO HSR to each area before twisting. I really didn’t detangle much at all. Once done, I donned a plastic cap and winter hat. Then, I did 10 minutes of Abs of Steel and 30 minutes of The Biggest Loser Cardio Max. After that, I chilled for about an hour, playing on the computer, eating dinner and watching and episode of The Big Bang Theory that I had somehow managed to never see!! Finally, I hopped into the shower, shampooed with diluted DevaCare One No Poo and rinsed. My hair felt GREAT!!! It felt strong, moisturized and smooth. And, I’m telling you, it was the easiest detangling session that I’ve had in MONTHS!! I don’t know if it was the AO HSR as a pre-poo DC or if my hair was just that stretched!! But, I can’t wait to try this again next week to see if I get the same results (I may do a Vatika oil pre-poo under the AO first or mix a little oil with the conditioner just to get the protein retention benefits of coconut oil). Anywho, then, for good measure, I applied HE HH to do a final finger detangle. However, I really think that it might not have been necessary!
Preliminary Review of AO HSR: Thumbs up and 5 stars as a pre-poo DC on dry hair!!
♥♥♥♥♥
Aloe Vera Juice (AVJ) to Seal Next, I decided to use two products that have been part of my natural hair arsenal for almost two years in a different way. What prompted this deviation? This post and video on blackgirllonghair.com by HeyFranHey: Moisturizing & Sealing 3B/3C Hair. In it, Fran explains how using oils to seal left her hair flat and lifeless, because they were too heavy. But, AVJ was the perfect lightweight sealant! She also shared this YouTube video tutorial demonstrating her technique!
Now, as many of you know, I use a modified Kimmaytube leave-in, which contains 2 tablespoons each of Kinky Curly Knot Today and AVJ (whole leaf) and 1-2 teaspoons of oil. I’ve thought about leaving out the oil altogether, because I remember reading that someone else did that because the oil was too heavy. However, I never got around to trying it … I think partly because I felt like I needed an oil to seal in the moisture. But, after reading and watching Fran’s post and video and thinking about how the pH of AVJ seals the hair cuticle, it made so much sense to give this a try! I wanted huge, curly and fluffy hair too;)!
I proceeded to pull out my KCKT and AVJ and followed Fran’s steps for applying the leave-in and sealant. I had allowed my hair to dry to damp, so I did have to rewet with filtered water from a spritz bottle. Therefore, my hair wasn’t as soaking wet as hers. But, it still seemed to respond very well! This seemed so much easier than mixing and applying the Kimmaytube leave-in! Again, my hair was very detangled, so applying the products was almost a breeze and my hair already had volume and curl after finishing the application.
Preliminary Review of KCKT leave-in with AVJ to Seal: Thumbs up wet. Dry? The verdict is still out, because …
♥♥♥♥♥
Plopping Given that it was the evening, I would normally do some type of TnC or twist set. Though wet hair in the morning is inevitable, my hair is controlled so that I don’t wake up with a tangled, matted rat’s nest. However, Saturday night, I decided to experiment with an overnight Wash and Go “drying” technique touted to enhance curl formation, definition and volume: Plopping. I think I tried it once before, but don’t remember the results. So, they probably weren’t that spectacular. Regardless, I decided to try it again. However, I needed to research how to do it as it had been so long. I came across this video using a long-sleeve t-shirt rather than the short sleeve one that I’d typically seen.
I grabbed a long-sleeve tee and followed the directions (using my bed as the flat surface, rather than a chair). A couple hours later, I hit the sack. I woke up Sunday morning and decided to do the reveal prior to working out. Figured that I could pineapple my hair if it came out all big and lovely like I desired.
It came out big all right … lovely? Not so much. *sigh* My hair was still slightly damp, very soft, big, but with next to no curl definition. I watched another video that indicated that a styler should be applied and left to air dry for an hour prior to plopping. I’m wondering if I had applied something like a curl gel over the AVJ and then waited for an hour prior to plopping, maybe this would have worked out better. But, as it was … I bunned it up for a fundraising Mother/Daughter’s Fashion Show that I attended for my niece’s school. My niece wasn’t in it, but my sister co-chaired and Sofistafunk loaned a slew of wonderful skirts for the event!! I’ll try to share some pics later, but mine weren’t that great as the girls were moving too fast for me to catch good ones!!
First Time Plopping Experience: #Fail
So, last night, I used a couple new products for the first time and placed my hair into 8 twists, setting the ends on flexirods. I’ll let you know how that turned out tomorrow!
GOC Health & Fitness Goal Update (BONUS ) I stuck with the plan in regard to exercise and did The Biggest Loser Cardio Max Week 1 (30 min) 4 days, Lauren Brooks Kettlebell 2 days (40 min. Wed.; 12 min Sun.) and Abs of Steel (10 min) 6 days. I took my supplements every day and ate pretty well most of the week. I was down from 136.5 last Monday (bloated from pancakes on Sunday) to 132 yesterday. Yea!! Why did I get on the scale this morning and it was back up to 135?!?! Boo!!! Dang water weight loss and gain!! Had creme brulee at the fashion show and some shrimp fried rice (after eating some healthy steamed shrimp and broccoli with brown rice; no sauce) last night with friends. *sigh* I know that 135 really isn’t right and it’ll go back down today when I eat well and exercise … but DANG!!
What did you do with your hair this weekend? Try anything new? Anyone else try AO HSR, AVJ for sealing and/or “plopping?” If so, how did it/they work out for you? Any tips or tricks?
To my GOC ladies, it’s the end of the month! So, start getting those April Updates together and sending them in to hairscapades@gmail.com!
Remember to let us know the following:
How you did in regard to following your planned regimen (hair and health & fitness)?
What tweaks have you made (did you try something new? Add something? Remove something, etc.)?
Have you had any challenges? Setbacks? Accomplishments?
And don’t forget the pics!! We love to see your beautiful hair and lovely styles:)!
Hair After I cut off 2 straggly inches in the back on my hair and an inch in the front (see here), I got a professional trim this past Friday. I got about an inch cut off of my longest lengths in the back and 1/2 an inch off of my shorter crown. The plan is to keep trimming the longest length every couple of months in order to keep it at the same length and in the hopes that the crown will catch up with it so I can get that full thickness waist length perimeter that I’ve been jockeying for since the CurlyNikki/Kim Coles GOC last year . I also want to focus on protecting and growing my ultra fine (strand thickness and density) nape hair.
Full length (L); Shorter crown (R)
Please excuse my oily, pre-pooed hair .
Health & Fitness I can’t believe that I allowed myself to get back here . I’m up 15 lbs, to 135 guys (can you see me sucking in my gut in those side poses? *lol* ). Yeah, I know … absolutely ridiculous. So, my goal is to lose 10-15 lbs by the time I go on vacation to Cancun this summer so I’m back at my fighting weight of 120-125 lbs. I have a couple of months to get ‘er done.
This is the thing, I really need to find the work/home/exercise/blog balance. Over the last couple of months, my house has been an absolute mess. Paperwork piled on the buffet and kitchen table, dirty clothes falling out the hamper, clean and unfolded clothes piling out of the laundry basket, worn and discarded clothes covering every free surface except the bed, small birthday items lining the top of the couch, jewelry everywhere but the 3 jewelry cases in which it belongs … I could go on and on. It was bad.
When that happens, I get stressed and become immobilized by inertia. I’ve failed to exercise, eat well, drink enough water and have not even taken my vitamins and supplements in months. I’ve allowed the blog to dominate the majority of my free time and keep me up until midnight or later most nights, resulting in my complete exhaustion almost every day of the week. Now, y’all know I love you guys! But, this has got to stop. So, in order to ensure that I am exercising most days of the week and maintaining an orderly and clean household, my blog posts will become less frequent. I still plan on posting at least once each week day … maybe even twice on a good day. But, the 3-4 posts a day is not gonna happen (except today! LOL!). I need to slow down for the sake of my own health and well-being!! LOL!!
This is why there were no posts on Sunday or Monday. Wei and I spent almost 9 hours cleaning the house and there is still all of the laundry to do! It was major spring cleaning though and my mind heaved a sigh of relief!! I needed this to get myself mentally and physically prepared to get back on my A-game!! Yesterday was Day 1 … again!! LOL!!
Regimen:
Hair
Weekly:
Pre-poo and finger detangle dry hair with Vatika oil (minimum of 30 min.).
Conduct Search and Destroys (S&Ds) to eliminate split ends and SSKs
Braid or twist pre-pooed and detangled hair in 4-8 sections.
Shampoo hair in braids with DevaCare No Poo.
Condition and finger detangle further with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (HE HH).
Deep condition with heat (bonnet or winter hat) with JessiCurl Weekly DC, Darcy’s Botanical Pumpkin Seed Moisturizing Condition or Shea Moisture Raw Shea Deep Treatment Masque (minimum 1 hr)
Clarify with Terressentials Mud Wash(TMW), bentonite clay mask (working on a homemade TMW recipe!) or a diluted sulfate shampoo.
Do a heavy duty protein treatment (ApHogee 2 Step Protein Treatment). This is dependent on the acquisition of a hard bonnet dryer (I may hit Sally’s this week to pick up one I saw on sale for $99).
Daily (?):
Massage scalp with EO mix, sunflower oil (to decrease shedding – more on this soon) and/or Wild Growth Oil (I purchased the light this past weekend, but may exchange it for the original formula).
Health & Fitness I will start the mornings right by eating breakfast and doing Abs of Steel. I will put on my gear immediately upon arriving home from work and exercise. I will not write any posts until after I work-out.
After completing my work-out each day, I will post on the wall of our 28 Day Workout Challenge Facebook Group. (If you need some help getting motivated, maybe my post, Motivation, will help. I sure needed a refresher!!)
Supplements (daily after dinner):
1 Pre-Natal Multi-Vitamin (Vitafol-One [Rx] until it runs out, then an OTC pre-natal)
Breakfast (btwn 6-8 am) – 1/2 c. oatmeal or cooked Grapenuts with 1/2 cup blueberries (Dole frozen/thawed) OR the aforementioned green smoothie; 1 cup of instant coffee w/2 packs of Truvia, 1 tsp agave, a little powdered skim milk or almond milk.
Snack (approx. 10 am) – 2% or 0% fat Greek yogurt (fruit variety – Fage or Oikos)
Lunch (approx 12:30-1) - Lean Cuisine (chicken/turkey/fish with rice or potatoes) w/added vegetables (spinach, broccoli or sugar snap snow peas) and a piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana, etc.).
Dinner (approx 8 pm) - Lean Cuisine (chicken, turkey or fish w/rice, potatoes, whole wheat or orzo pasta) w/added vegetables (spinach, broccoli or sugar snap snow peas); fruit on occasions.
60 oz or more of water (three 20 oz bottles in a metal thermos)
May also incorporate Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) Shake (Nectar Strawberry Mousse) as a post-workout recovery drink.
In bed by 11 pm Sun-Thursday (this is crucial)!!!
Need to get back to this!!
Rewards: Finding THE BALANCE!! Oh, and to feel confident rocking the bikinis I purchased last year (and have yet to wear) on my vacation in Cancun!! Improved health and well being!! There’s nothing like feeling strong and energized!
And that’s it!! If you didn’t get your entry in time to be part of the “official” line-up, don’t fret! You can still “Play at Home” by creating your own GOC journal or blog, establishing your goals, regimen and documenting your progress!! So …
The GOC: Whew, getting close to the end now!! Five more GOC submissions today and I should just about wrap this up tomorrow! It’s been hard work man!! But, it’s also fun and rewarding to be able to provide a platform where all of these wonderful ladies can share their journeys and, hopefully, help others who are following their progress. So, again, if you’re moved by a particular story or contender, please like, rate, comment and/or share. I’m sure that the recipient will appreciate your support and encouragement:)!
Hair Today: In other news, I’ve been wearing my hair in a loose bun all week. I applied Carol’s Daughter Health Hair Butter to the length and used it to smooth my edges before using a Goody Ouchless elastic to make a bun. I put the elastic around my hair to form a high ponytail, twisted it once, folded my hair in half and then wrapped the elastic around a second time, close to the ends to form a bun. I left the curly ends hanging out around the elastic and used a hair pin or two to secure the curls that were hanging to long closer to the base of the bun. Then, *BOOP* … hair flower! LOL!!
OOTD: And here’s my outfit from yesterday. I love this green watercolor print dress by Merona. It’s sleeveless with an asymmetrical cowl-like tie neck and empire waist. It was about $40 at Target and I got the long yellow cardi on clearance there too (I also snagged this cardigan in red and lime green … the latter of which I usually wear with this outfit, but didn’t take the time to look for it yesterday morning!). I almost always wear a cardigan over sleeveless and short sleeve dresses/tops when going to work because they try to cryogenically preserve you up in there!! However, to keep the look from becoming boxy and shapeless, I cinched the cardi with a skinny green belt secured at the empire waist of the dress. Then, I completed the look with flower earrings and one of my favorite shoe acquisitions in years, these leg elongating, camel-colored, knotted leather wedges by BGBG (I also have them in black, but they are a couple of seasons old and sold out everywhere:(.).
Man, I sure do love easy, breezy, summer dresses! I need to hit Target and Walmart to check out the newest offerings and supplement my existing inventory;)!! Oooooh, I see a few potential options here!!
Yup. I finally took the Terressentials Mud Wash (TMW) plunge! Since November, my feelings have been bouncing between an intense desire to try it and a fear of the results. My intense desire was due to reading the claims of amazing post-mud wash hair: fullness, shine, body, easy peasy detangling, no need for conditioner, all natural. My fear was related to reading other reviews that indicated hair was tacky, coated and difficult to detangle after the wash. After having my desire to try it reignited and placing the order in mid-March (see here for what prompted the plunge), I became hesitant again once it arrived. I wondered if the Terressentials would remove the protein treatments I’ve come to view as essential components of my regimen. My concern arose due to these statements on Terressentials FAQs page:
Chemical hair treatments permanently alter the outer layer of the hair shaft creating a porous cuticle – under a microscope chemically treated hair looks like Swiss cheese. Once hair is damaged by chemical colorings, perms or straightening chemicals, people are sold a myriad of synthetic products that artificially coat the hair with plastic or protein polymers to make it look and feel undamaged. The more damaged the hair, the more porous it becomes; the more porous the hair, the more it absorbs these synthetic “protein” polymers (e.g. soy, wheat or oat proteins- that are NOT edible foods), plastic polymers such as PVP (petrochemical polyvinyl pyrrolidone) and gum coating agents. These are the substances the “mud” removes in the detox protocol, but the detox process takes time.
Sometimes when people begin using the Hair Wash, their hair may feel stiff, sticky, oily, heavy or dry. This feeling may persist until the residues of protein and plastic polymers have been completely removed …
It is highly likely that your current shampoo, conditioner, hairspray or other styling product contains some type of petrochemical polymer – a PVP vinyl, acrylate, silicone, carbomer, or hydrolyzed synthetic protein (soy, wheat, oat) polymer – all of which add a coating to the hair to make damaged hair appear undamaged. These plastic polymers also glue broken hairs together. Since polymers are difficult to remove with a gentle clay cleanser, it usually takes several washings to completely remove these gummy, oily residues from the hair. As these materials are being removed from the hair, hair may feel stiff, sticky or dry. It may even be a bit more difficult to comb out, especially if it’s long. (emphasis added)
Maybe you understand my hesitation now? I mean, I care about the ingredients in my products, but am no where near using all-natural/organic products. But, after reading the Terresentials FAQS for, like, the 100th time, I realized hydrolized animal protein (as contained in ApHogee) wasn’t listed. In addition, several ladies told me that they continued to use TMW with their normal, non-natural products with no problem. Then, fellow blogger EmilyCottonTop eased my mind further with her posts about loving Terressentials AND ApHogee. Finally, I came across this interesting thread in the NaturallyCurly.com forums, where someone shared the link to this thought-provoking video:
So, finally, after all of that, I suspected that my hair would survive the introduction of TMW into my normal, cone, animal protein and polyquat laden regimen;). And here is how it went!
The Process As most of you know, I’ve been researching this one for a while and have shared several posts on the Terressentials Mud Wash, including one with a link to Naptural85′s video tutorial. I’m not going to re-hash any of that here. However, if you are interested in checking those out, just use the “Search” box and type in “Terressentials” to find all of the posts on this topic:)!
Ultimately, I decided that I was not going to follow the 7 day detox protocol as the folks over at Terressentials indicated that this was for those who wash daily. Therefore, I plan to shampoo with the TMW once a week based upon my normal wash schedule.
So, this is what I did:
I purchased two “flavors”: Lavender Gardens and Left Coast Lemon. I decided to go with the Left Coast Lemon first as I prefer the light, citrusy smell over the stronger floral scent of the Lavender Gardens.
Divided hair into 8 sections and twisted each one (I did not pre-poo or detangle).
Thoroughly wet my hair in the kitchen sink.
Diluted about 3-4 tablespoons of TMW with filtered water in a small plastic bowl and mixed using my fingers (I used too much water, resulting in a runny mix). NOTE:I had to mix more wash as I ran out after finishing half of my hair.
Poured diluted TMW into a dye applicator bottle for ease of application (since it was so watery!).
Removed first twist and applied TMW to the roots, massaging it into scalp. Then applied more wash down length of hair, working it in and finger detangling the section before re-twisting.
Repeated until all sections were treated (this probably took about 45 minutes; I was trying to be very thorough as I wasn’t following the 3 wash or 7 day detox protocol).
“Baked” hair for about 10-15 minutes with blow dryer. I did this as the Terressentials FAQs page indicated that the detox process can be sped up and absorption ehnaced by “baking” the mud under the sun for 15-20. There was absolutely no sun in sight on Saturday, so I figured the dryer would do!
Allowed mud wash to sit on head, uncovered, for an hour or so. This was another tip from the site to speed up the detox process.
Hopped in the shower and rinsed mud. Released each twist to rinse and finger detangle under the shower stream.
Applied about another tablespoon or so of TMW for a second and final wash and rinsed.
After this process, I didn’t condition at all … no regular conditioner, no deep conditioner, no leave-in conditioner. I wanted to be able to evaluate the unadulterated results from the TMW as so many indicate that no conditioner is necessary after using it.
So, I blotted with a hair cloth and then allowed my hair to air dry (which it did pretty quickly without any product). When my hair was mostly dry, but not quite, I placed about a dime-size amount of JBCO/EVOO mix in my palm, smoothed it and applied to my hair, focusing on the ends. Then, I proceeded to do two strand twists using some Sofn’Free Mold & Hold Wax on the roots of a few of the twists for control and hold.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
My Thoughts So, what do I think of the Terressentials Mud Wash? I think it … or some variation of it … is a keeper. After the rinsing (which was very easy), my hair felt heavy like it does after a henna treatment, but with less mess and time involved. My hair also looked like a sheet of waves and looked very defined and shiny. I will say that it did have a very slightly coated feeling, but that totally dissipated and was replaced by softness as my hair dried.
In addition to being soft, ,my hair was fluffy and full. I took the opportunity to finally do some two-strand twists, because I suspected that I might be able to achieve a decent, non-anorexic looking, set. I usually twist on dry hair to get the plumpest set possible. I further stacked the deck by trying a technique Chy’sCurlz suggested for fine-strand naturals here. She recommends twisting in the opposite direction of what feels natural in order to form a plumper twist and I agree that it works!
Back to the wash, overall, I really liked it!! The only cons I experienced thus far are the cost due to shipping and, directly related to that, how much I had to use to wash my whole head!! I’m pretty sure I used half of the 8 ounce bottle!! If the bottle lasted for a year, no biggie. If I only got 4 applications out of it but it cost $4-$5 and could be found on the ground, fine. But, at $10.75 a pop, plus approx. $9 for shipping, this stuff needs to go a lot farther or cost a lot less!!
With that being said, I was trying to do a very thorough “detox,” since I had no plans to wash three times or every day for 7 days. Therefore, I don’t think I will need as much wash going forward. Also, maybe half of it won’t end up on the sink next time .
“Final” Verdict So, I know what you’re thinking. Will I buy it again? Is it worth the cost? Hmmmmm … well, I have a bottle and a half to go and I’m going to continue to use it weekly until it’s gone. I did really like the results and the ease of detangling without the need for a pre-poo or any conditioner. However, I’m already on the hunt for a DIY recipe, because I don’t see myself spending that much for something that I may be able to easily and cheaply make at home. I already have the ingredients that I need to make a “mud wash” (aloe vera juice, bentonite clay, carrier oils and essential oils). It won’t be the exact recipe of course, but I think I’ll be putting on my mixtress cap to see if I can come up with something that closely mimics the results at a fraction of the cost. So, stay tuned for more on that front!
In the interim, if I happen to be in Middletown or Frederick, MD, I’ll probably be making a pitstop at a Terressentials store to stock-up, sans the shipping costs!!
.
. I’m up 15 lbs, to 135 guys (can you see me sucking in my gut in those side poses? *lol* 
