Daily Archives: December 6, 2012

Dec6

July-September GOC Final Update: Margaret (#5)

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mjg 1 GOC Nov 2012
This is a July/ Aug/Sept update of the 2012 GOC. Here I am summarizing my accomplishments, challenges, continued commitments as well as lessons learned.

Hair
I continued to involve myself in the mid-week modified co-wash using H2O/Aloe drench, shea butter mix and coconut oil. Love it!!! With the fall/winter season, I realize I will need to up my moisture and there have been some awesome ideas presented here to maintain moisture for a week or more.

I am still washing with Terressentials Left Coast Lemon Mud Wash (undiluted) weekly. I also have a bottle in Lavender Garden when I want to switch it up. My hair seems to favor the Left Coast Lemon more due to the essential oils. ACV is used monthly before the mud wash on the days I henna and continues to work well.

Henna and Ayurvedic powders (Amla, Brahmi and Bhringaj) monthly make my hair conditioned and dark. Although I do not use indigo, I mix my henna and place in the freezer a month ahead of time. I understand repeated henna’s as well as freezing and thawing henna will allow your hair to darken.

mjg 6 GOC Nov 2012

I found a new HG … Blensblend 3 in 1 Conditioner. It is an all natural conditioner that can be used for 3 purposes … detangler, rinse out and/or leave-in. I have been using it just as the conditioner in Shelli’s cool and seal technique. Once it is placed in my hair, any existing tangles melt like butter and the slip is phenomenal. I have also used the Blensblend hair and body butter after applying Giovanni Direct Leave-in (GDLI). I have not used the new formula for GDLI, however I plan to soon. I have also experimented with adding full fat yogurt to my deep conditioners. Works like a charm.

Finger detangling is continuing to work well especially with slippery conditioners. I pre-poo weekly, prior to every wash, with coconut oil and will switch to EVOO for my Fall/Winter Regimen. I may start using the comb at least once a month as a safety measure and for trimming purposes. Any stylist for the most part will comb prior to trimming. I have dusted my ends during this time and have a recommendation for a stylist, who I will consult with soon for a trim. Regarding length check, I appear to be at waist length at my longest layer. (Excuse the oily hair/fingers) lol. I am aiming for continued growth with hip length being the ultimate goal.

mjg 5 GOC Nov 2012

Health & Fitness
Carlson’s Fish Oil has been great; however I am going to order Viviscal to further support my goals (I have some thinning that has to be tackled). Walking 6 days per week is not a problem due to having a partner to encourage. Being consistent with fitness classes have been more of a challenge due to my second job schedule. This particular portion of the challenge I am continually working on. My food vices are no-no’s right now as it seems the items I like are those that cause my GI problems to occur.

Cleansing
I am continuing to work on this element of the challenge as well. On a good note, although negative situation continue to raise its ugly head, I have been blessed with strength to stay away from the drama and toxic situations.

I feel that I have not obtained the goals I originally set forth and plan to continue my plans throughout the remainder of the year. My reward will come next year in the form of a trip to the mountains in Spring 2013. Life is full of its challenges and I am not going to allow these defeat me.

Shelli, with everything you and your family have endured this year, I appreciate the strength and perseverance you have shown during challenging times. We take so much for granted. Thank you for sharing with us the good and bad. I hope all of you ladies did well as we continue to isnpire and uplift each other. 🙂

XOXO

mjg 2 GOC Nov 2012

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Check out the rest of  Margaret’s GOC-The Sequel posts here:

Initial Submission
April Update
May-June Update

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Dec6

Final GOC Update: TerrificLady (#6)

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5JUL2012

Hair
This is the end of the challenge and I should say I did not reach my goal of 8″ long hair. However, I am close. My front section reached 6″+ and the rest of the areas are 7 to 7″+ long. Keep in mind that I dusted my hair in July and August and lost maybe a 1/2″ only. Here is a line up of progress pics from April to September.

I did not continue using the JBCO and WHGO … for no apparent reason. However, I will try them again for a longer period of time. I guess I was not consistent. Dunno.

Anyways, a new product that I like is the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I kept the same hairstyle for this month, which is the one where I pull half of my hair and hold up in the middle and leave the back area loose.

I flat-ironed my hair with my Solia flat iron. The ends were terrible. Too many knots at the ends. you could feel and see them on the pic I took :-(.

IMG_0774[1]IMG_0769[1]

Health & Fitness
Now that we are at the end of the GOC, I started going to the gym finally on Ocotber 5th. My weight varies between 137 to 140 pounds, depends which scale I step on. Does not matter, I don’t really want to loose weight, I just want to tone my body and lose belly fat only. I am from the Caribbean, I like to have curves. lol.

(By the way, I also did my medical tests and got good results. Hope to keep it that way with Jehova’s help. Nobody wants to get the big C.)

And my two beautiful daughters are going natural as well. The youngest 1 year before me and the eldest about 7 months after me.  At the left is my eldest and at the right my youngest. My niece is in the middle.

13OCT2012 RIENNE,MIRELLY&JARRI

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Want to read TerrificLady’s GOC-The Sequel journey from the beginning? Check out her initial submission and updates here:

Initial GOC Submission
April Update
May Update
June Update
July-August Update

Dec6

Kay Vel Creme Press: Yea or Nay?

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kay_vel

I have a good friend who has been transitioning for almost 2 years now with straight styles. A couple of months ago, she told me about this blue heat protectant that she uses that works great, Kay Vel Creme Press. I’d never heard of it in my life and was immediately intrigued, of course! So, I looked it up and was pleasantly surprised at the ingredient list. I mean, I do love me some Herbal Essences Hello Hydration, but blue-colored hair products aren’t generally an indicator of quality ingredients ;).

via KayVelHairProducts.com

“SMOKELESS AND GREASELESS”

The original and World’s Finest “Creme Press” is a light, natural creamy, blend of soybean, cottonseed and essential botanical oils. Designed to coat and protect the hair from the damaging effects of excessive heat from the Flat Iron, Blow Dryer, Pressing Comb and over processed hair. It is concentrated with natural essential oils and can be used as a daily hair dressing. It will not stain or discolor gray or color-treated hair.

Ingredients: Soybean and cottonseed active components derived from plants, Rapeseed, sunflower, other essential natural plants, color, fragrance

Sounds really good, right? So, I asked my friend if she would bring a little in for me to try. Well, she never did, but yesterday, I reminded her given my recent flat-iron job. But, I decided to do a little more research on the product too.

The first thing that caught my eye upon a Google search was a “testimonial” about the creme press on MyLongHairJourney entitled: Kay Vel Creme Press Vamps Up Your Heat Training. Hol’ up. Who says what now?!? Yeah … see … “heat training” is just a euphemism for “heat damage” in my world. So, I read the article and looked at the pics and it wasn’t quite clear to me if her hair was relaxed from the Creme Press since the comparison pics were of dry and wet hair.

So next, I hit up YouTube and found this three part series demonstrating the Kay Vel Creme Press on transitioning hair and comparing the results to “untreated” hair. (Note: I just skimmed these videos as I don’t have much patience to sit through 6-7 min. of footage, let alone 30 minutes. But, 6:30 on Part 3 is very interesting.)

After watching scanning these videos, I took a look at the Kay Vel products brochure on the company site and honed in on this information about the Creme Press:

SOFT OR FINE HAIR: With soft or fine hair you should only PARTIALLY STRAIGHTEN when using KAY-VEL. The curling or waving process will give the hair the NATURAL straight appearance desired. This method will also make your hairstyle LAST LONGER. In many instances after several uses of KAY VEL on soft or fine hair , the stylist finds that just brushing while drying is all the straightening it may need. REMEMBER KAY-VEL is FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT NATURAL SOFT LOOKING HAIR.

Ummmm … “In many instances after several uses of KAY VEL on soft or fine hair, the stylist finds that just brushing while drying is all the straightening it may need.” What the frick? Brushing while drying is all the straightening hair may need?!?!? Awwwww, heck naw!! So, you know I’m sitting here trying to figure out what is missing from this picture. I keep looking at the ingredients and Kay Vel’s claims that its products are all natural and botanically derived … and something just isn’t adding up!!

Then, I looked at the claimed “benefits”:

  • THE ONLY ALL NATURAL PRODUCT FOR SILKING
  • Leaves hair Greaseless, soft & silky.
  • Used as a Transitioning Creme. (from relaxer to natural).
  • Softens the new growth to make it softer and more manageable.
  • After using Kay Vel Creme Press for a period of time, hair becomes easier to manage.
  • Protects hair from becoming dry, dull, and brittle.
  • Extends the time between Relaxers
  • Conditions hair while enhancing a natural-looking sheen.
  • Leaves coarse hard to manage hair softer and easier to style.
  • Protects hair from thermal heat damage.
  • Smokeless when Flat Ironing and Pressing
  • Use with medium heat flat iron, pressing comb or blow dryer.

Finally, I went back to the brochure and noticed the claim on the cove page: “You can get the same results as a relaxer except you can wash it out and go back to natural styles.” Really? Really, really?!?!

So, you know that I’m still intrigued. Now y’all know that I have soft, fine strands and don’t want anything loosening my curls. Shoot, how long has it taken me to transition out the loosening caused by excessive henna treatments. But, I’m wondering if I can apply a “real” heat protectant first, like the Aveda Damage Control that I used this past week, and then layer a teeny, weeny, tiny, itsy, bitsy amount of the Kay Vel Creme Press onto to my dry hair, will it provide a nice finish with one pass of the flat iron? Of course, the real question is will my hair revert after the experiment?

This is my dilemma!! Should I just dismiss the Kay Vel Creme Press out of hand or give it a whirl? Hmmmm, maybe I should do a “strand” test on some shed hair?

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What do you guys think? Yea or Nay?

If any of you use/have used Kay Vel Creme Press, please chime in and let us know your experience with it (please describe your hair — soft, fine, medium, thick, coarse, wavy, curly, coily, kinky, etc.)! Does it loosen/permanently relax your curls? Does your hair revert when washed? Inquiring minds want to know!!