Merry Christmas!

Yes I know I've been gone for a while, but I wanted to make sure I came to wish you all a wonderful, happy, prosperous, and loving Christmas holiday!

I shall return, alive and kickin, in the days to come....

Be Blessed

Ouidad Double Detangler

 Well great googamooga.....I've done it, not all the way, but I've done it.  I planned on conquering a 6 month stretch and although I am relaxing tomorrow at 5 1/2 months (24 weeks) post, I am still claiming my victory (even though it's 2 wks earlier than scheduled).

Suprisingly this has been a fairly easy stretch, much easier than I thought.  Thoughts of transitioning even occurred from time to time but I will say it's something I may do one day but it won't be anytime soon.  During this stretch I opted to not try anything new, techniques, products, nothing....but that all changed when I came across the Ouidad Double Detangler.  Let me just say this comb is heaven sent.  I detangled the mess out of my hair in preparation for tomorrow's re-touch w/little to no hair loss.  Like all things nothing is perfect and the only flaw is this comb does absolutely nothing for me prior to any new growth appearing.  However, once the kinks start coming in, they don't stand a chance against this thing.  I purchased this comb from Sephora some months ago for 24 bucks.  I didn't have to start using it until I was about 3 months post.  My suggestion to all the stretchers out there, run don't walk and buy this comb in a hurry!

Only Me

The good news ....on Oct 1 I officially made 5 months post.  This is a big HUGE deal for me.  I 've never gone past 3 months in my life. So far so good great.  I have not had one single bump in the road and it's been much easier than I thought, that is until Sunday afternoon.

Last week I got pretty lazy. I'd gone the whole week only washing once so I had to buck up.  I moped around the house pre-pooing and dc'ing and then it was time to shower out the condish. Well b/c I didn't feel like the whole process I thought to myself let me head to the sink this one time, it won't hurt....I've been lucky enough for my detangling to be a breeze so I'll just do it when it's semi-dry.  Big rather HUGE mistake.  I am still checking for matting and tangles and it is 2 days later.  I want to slap myself, I thought how could you be so stupid, I felt extremely guilty.

 Last night I had to grab my Bee Mine Luscious moisturizer and go to town, Hairveda just didn't seem like it could do the job.  I made sections in my hair and parted with my fingers and applied the Bee Mine to the new growth in the same fashion as you would a relaxer.  I followed this procedure throughout my entire head.  I than detangled and massaged any knots and matting out as best as I could with my fingers.  This stuff really softens and melts my new growth  It's funny b/c I have this love hate relationship w/the Lucscious Moisturizer but after this fiasco I have a new found respect for it.  Anyhoo, can you believe after 2 separate days of detangling and de-matting that I felt my hair and found another knot.  I am done, this is just too much. Sometime tonight I will repeat last night's process using my Bee Mine and detangling.

Moral of the story, 5 months post is not the time to get lazy, laxed or unmotivated.  Proper procedure in handling your hair is just as important as the products you use.  It can make or break you and your hair!  When stretching and that ng starts kicking, stick to what you know. We should all be open to new practices and ideas, it's how you learn, but I suggest you test and try to incorporate new practices and techniques during your early weeks post relaxer.  This way if something doesn't work out to well you don't end up doing more harm than good.  Remember, stretching is meant to help us gain healthier, thicker strands by using less chemicals over time.  So if you're gonna do damage with improper techniques what's the point?

Sunshine Award

Thanks to our friend over at Diary of a Hair Obsession for nominating us for a Sunshine Award! (isn't that special!).  This award is a great compliment as it's a token of appreciation from  fellow bloggers for your positivity and creativity in inspiring others.  The best thing is I have to spread the love to some of the other great bloggers out there.

So here are the rules:

1. Place the logo within your post 

2. Share the love and link back to the blogger who nominated you. 

3.  Nominate 10 bloggers for the Award (you can go up to 12)

4. Comment on the nominees blog to let them know they've been nominated
5. Link the blog of your nominees in your post

So without further ado, here are my nominees:

1. Fine Hair Sistas

2. Honey Brown Sugar

3. Just Grow Already!

4. Coarse Hair Long Hair

5. Hair Gurl

6. The Anti Hair Slave

7. ZanAndRob

8. Keep It Simple Sista (KISS)

9. Hairlicious Inc

10.Protecting Your Crown and Glory

EdgeStick Giveaway

Let the good times roll......  Our friends over at EdgeStick are giving away up to $500 to an EdgeStick user. If you're interested, and I'm sure you are, see below for details:

These are the rules:http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Foriginaledgestick.com%2FVideoRules.html&h=4f792.

The Edgestick (Special Offer Included)

 Some months ago I was introduced to a "variation" of the EdgeStick by a  friend.  Neither of us were familiar with this product so we plugged it in, I showed her how I thought it should work using it on my edges and that was the end of that.  At that time, with that particular variation, I was not impressed.  Fast forward some months and I accidentally came across a "better-looking" EdgeStick.  One with a digital temperature gauge reaching 400 degrees (unlike the version I tried w/a numerical dial indicating 1-5).  "This" EdgeStick was receiving rave reviews, had my attention and I was sold! Being a long term stretcher I thought this would be the perfect heat tool to control my number one issue when stretching...my edges.  My edges get disrespectful, unruly, and down right rude. I figured with the EdgeStick in my corner I could possibly up the stretching ante.  So my mom surprised me and ordered it for me as a gift last month and when it arrived I couldn't wait to try it.  I was about 2 wks shy from being 3 months post at the time and trust me I needed something serious!

Well something serious did I get!!!  Woo-hoo, I'm on a roll! It's like this was the missing piece to the "everything I need for my hair puzzle!!!" My description of the EdgeStick is a combination of a flat iron and a hot comb.  It's the middle ground if you will.  The ceramic barrel in the center is encased in a double comb. The comb aspect works something like a rat tail comb, w/o the the snagging and pulling, really working out the coil/kink and of course the heat is laying those strands down leaving your hair straight and silky!!!  I was very satisfied, even with my first attempt.  Now what really has me going is that I just finished up my mom's hair and she is 9 months post. After blow-drying her hair, I used the edgestick to straighten her ENTIRE HEAD!!!!!  (Hair's tha thing with that, my mom has 4a FINE hair, it's not coarse at all, much different from my 4a/b coarse, densely packed strands.  I attempted to pull it all the way through my hair and that was a big NO NO).  Anyhoo, what I love about this heat tool is I had it on 390 degrees for both my mom and myself and the double-comb feels like nothing more than a warm rag rubbing across your scalp.  It was actually quite soothing. My primary interest in purchasing was to utilize it for the coarse, short hairs that are growing back in my alopecia patch. They are too short to flat iron and the hot comb burns the scalp.  The EdgeStick was perfect!!!  I was able to pull it through that area w/o any burning or flinching on my part.  It felt like nothing more than  me combing my hair with a slightly warm comb.  I was actually shocked to have a bush in that spot b/c I haven't been able to straighten it! You can only imagine the smile on my face to see that spot is finally growing in. I even took this with me on vacay.  In the process of doing my mom's hair she couldn't believe that the EdgeStick was touching her scalp b/c she felt minimal heat. My mom was so impressed with the results of her hair she said she is ordering one immediately! And the greatness doesn't stop there folks, our friends over at EdgeStick are kindly extending a 20% discount to Hair's Tha Thing's readers for a limited time!!! Simply click on the link below to purchase at the 20% off discounted rate (the deductions are already reflected in the price shown via the attached link).  The best part is you can choose from either the Consumer (200°F - 400°F, available in white) or the Professional (200°F - 450°F, available in black):


http://originaledgestick.com/orders-HairsThaThing.html


Enjoy!

PR: Kinky-Curly Knot Today

So I've finally found my Holy Grail leave-in/detangler.  That's right, move over Giovanni Weightless Moisture there's a new sheriff in town and her name is Kinky-Curly Knot Today.....My affair began a few months ago...at first it was nothing, curiosity at best, I would see KCKT everywhere I went, as I was searching the forums, hair boards and blogs, I noticed a lot, and I mean a lot, of natural women* were using this KCKT as their detangler and leave-in.  It sparked my interest and on numerous occasions while shopping in Whole Foods it was calling me on the shelf, but I rejected the urge as I had a "couple" of bottles of my Giovanni left......And then there was 1.....Since I am far into a stretch I decided to stock up so that I wouldn't have any last minute disasters as this new growth is kickin!  Now don't get me wrong, I have like 4 stores in a 5 block radius that sell Giovanni but of course this was my excuse to appease the inner pj in me.  So the day b/4 my trip I took the ultimate chance and purchased the KCKT, something I would not normally do esp. while travelling with all this new growth.  Ok, so to balance it out I decided, to wash and curl my hair before I left for my vacay, of course it was an excuse to try out my new leave-in. And so our affair began!  Let's just say I was not disappointed in any area; this stuff smells amazing, feels amazing, works amazingly, good gosh ya'll!  I used this everyday on my vacation, even had the hubby dipping his grubby paws into my stash!  The slip is like no other, now don't get me wrong Giovanni definitely holds its weight, but it's something about KCKT that just takes it up a notch. Is it the fact that it just melts the kinks away in my new growth and makes the comb glide, or b/c a little definitely goes a long way, or maybe b/c if you happen to use a lot, your hair still doesn't feel weighed down, heavy or greasy, or how about the fact that everytime I smell it, it put's me right back on an island with a tropical drink in my hand!  Folks, it's not just one thing, it's ALL of these things that make me say to Giovanni, honey I ain't never coming home!

Funny thing is I was never dissatisfied with Giovanni so I'm not sure why subliminally I was never "complete" with her either.  I had no complaints, even referred her to many a person but the reviews and the Whole Foods shelves were just calling me w/KCKT.  To be honest, I am upset that it took me this long to give in to my inner pjism.  This is a good and a bad thing but I won't go into that now. Bottom line is, run don't walk to the nearsest store (or websites) and order you a bottle of KCKT Natural Leave-In Detangler.  I highly doubt you will be disappointed! (Btw I used it on dry hair once or twice to moisturize and it was very moisturizing as well).  A new staple, esp for stretches.

Ingredients: organic Mango fruit extract, organic slipper elm, organic marshmallow root, organic lemongrass, cetyl alcohol, behentrimonium methosulfate, citric acid, phenoxyethanol and natural fragrance

*(I watch a lot of products referenced and used by 4a/b naturals.  When these ladies say something "softens" or makes their hair more "manageable" I quickly take heed. I mean during a stretch your new growth IS your natural texture and IS what's actually causing all of the breakage and manageability issues at the line of demarcation so for me it not only makes sense but it IS effective.  However this is a theory and practice that works for ME)

Sun & Fun

It feels good to be back from a much needed, but much exhausting vacation.  7 days in the Caribbean sun and beach water did good for relaxation and rest assured I was fully equipped to handle my hair.  My hair care items were just as important as my bathing suits and sunblock, and let me tell you, I felt good handling my hair like a real pro, no tangles, no snarls, no dryness.....it made the vacay that much easier.

First off, before I stepped off the boat for each island I made sure I thoroughly saturated my hair with water while taking a shower that morning.  I then used my mixture of avocado and olive oil that I prepared in a small bottle, making sure it was distributed along all of  my hair strands.  I pulled my hair back in a pony and bun.  On the way to and from the beaches I wore a large straw hat to protect my hair from the sun.....We spent so many hours on the beach each day, so on return to my cabin I would step in the shower really quickly to rinse the sand from my hair and out of my bathing suit. I then towel dried and alternated the application of either Jessicurl or Hairveda's SitriNillah.  Shout out to Traycee at KISS b/c I picked up this next part from her, I would go up to the steam room and sauna with the dc in my hair to really let it penetrate while I further relaxed from all the wear and tear on the beach (falling off the banana boat (twice!), jumping the tarzan swing off the pier into the ocean, the water trampoline...I'm just glutton for punishment sometimes..lol). I spent about 1/2 hour alternating between the sauna and steam room, then headed back to my cabin and showered while I cowashed my hair with Nature's Gate.  I did a final cold water rinse and t-shirt dried while I handled my business.

I then used Kinky Curly Knot Today leave-in (review later today, maybe tomorrow) and moisturized and sealed w/Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer (review to follow) and my olive oil/avocado oil mixture.  I primarily air-dried except for two nights which were elegant/captain nights on the ship where I blow dried and flat ironed. My hair felt and still feels amazing!  It was so soft, and moisturized and felt really healthy.  My new growth was so manageable, detangling was a breeze, I was on easy street.  I only brought along these six products and it made me realize how much of a solid regimen I have. Not one bump in the road!  Cowashing 5 out of 7 days gave my hair some serious moisture benefits, I may just up the amount of x's I cowash until the weather changes.

 BTW, I am 15.5 wks post (more on that later)

Test of Time

So I've got a big challenge ahead of me next week.  I am leaving on Sunday for vacay and am officially 13.5 wks post.  Yep, I went past the 3 month/12 week mark that I am accustomed to.  It's not too bad but the only thing is I'm not sure how this is going to pan out with the sun, the beach, cowashing, detangling etc for 7 days....... I've past the point of no return so I'm determined to make it work.  Needless to say I will probably need an extra bag for hair products alone :-(

 I am not going to announce how long I plan on stretching, b/c it seems whenever I do so I have to eat my words.  I am just gonna take it one week at a time.

Washing in Braided Sections!

I've read about washing in braided sections last year . It's a method you will may find necessary as the length of your hair and your stretches become longer.  I've incorporated the method into my wash routine over the last month and  whoo, it's a life saver!  This is something I find will benefit you as you get deeper into your stretches, however you may not need it when you have a fresh relaxer.  I've read it works wonders for naturals, I will be trying on my nieces hair next time I wash and braid it for school.

To wash in braided sections just follow these steps:

1. Gently detangle your hair b/4 beginning the process.
2. Part your hair into 4 sections.  Make a part down the middle of your head (from forehead to nape) and another part across the crown (from ear to ear).
3. Optional - If you are going to pre-poo, here's where you would do so, if not skip to step to step 4. Thoroughly apply the product to each section of your hair. (Let it sit w/or w/o heat however you work your pre-poo magic!)
4. Braid each section in a plait style braid.  (Think Celie plaits)
5. While in the shower wet hair thoroughly and apply conditioner to the scalp of each braided section ( I co-wash hence the conditioner but if you use shampoo then do so). Focus on one braided section at a time, using the pads of your fingers, not your nails, to "scrub" your scalp clean.
TIP: I use an applicator bottle to apply the product to scalp.  It makes it so much easier to navigate through the new growth and evenly distribute the product.
6. Rinse thoroughly
7. Unbraid a section, apply your conditioner to that section and then re-braid the section after the product is thoroughly applied.  (Repeat on sections 2-4).  Let your condish sit for as long as you like!
8. Again focusing one section at time, rinse the condish from your hair under running water.  You have 2 options here:
      a) unravel while rinsing and detangle with either a detangling comb or your fingers and rebraid
                                                                            OR
      b) leave the braid in while rinsing and detangle further down -
                ***whichever option you choose you should end back up in your 4 braided sections
9. Towel or t-shirt dry the hair for at least 10 minutes in order to absorb excess water from the hair
10. Unbraid a section, apply your leave in (here is where you would detangle before re-braiding if you didn't do so in step 8) and:
     a) re-braid to airdry
                                                                           OR
     b) proceed with your styling option of choice

That's it! I hope I didn't confused anyone, I tried to make it a simple as possible. Let me know how it works for you!

HHG

Nape Care

One of my biggest issues for MOST of my life has been my nape!  Breakage, dryness, alopecia, slow growth you name it, even at my longest lengths it was always just plain old choppy and never the length of the rest of my hair.  Throughout the years various practices have helped the hair grow and become healthier but right now with my last alopecia flare up it still isn't anywhere near where it should be.

Well if you are a fragile nape sufferer and looking for some great tips in treating and "rebuilding" your nape check out the following article which, imo, has all the basic steps you need to get your nape growing in long and strong!  Thanks to Eryn over at hair2toe for sharing!

http://www.hair2toebeauty.com/2010/03/how-to-grow-your-nape.html

Dr. Ali Syed's New Growth System

I've been looking for a hair care "system" to help battle this alopecia.  I basically wanted to get one complete line for the specific use of thinning/balding and shed hair.  In reading Dr. Ali Syed's blog he's introducing a new system coming soon, that I hope may be the answer to my prayers!

Check out the link below:

http://www.dralisyed.com/2010/06/syntonics-grothentic-anti-thin.html#more

Long Time No See

Hey All,

How ya been?!  I know I've been m.i.a. so yes we've got a lot to catch up on but we'll get to that at another time.  One of the things I've been meaning to incorporate in my blog is giveaways.  Since I never got the chance why not advertise for a fellow blogger and take the pressure off of my self ?! (and gain another entry..lol)

So without further ado,  here's your chance to win a Corioliss flat iron courtesy of Misikko over at LHDC. Click the link below to enter and for contest rules.  Good luck!

CONTEST CLOSED

Miconazole Nitrate (MN)

Back in October after perusing all the blogs and forums I decided to try MN in a desperate attempt to get some quick growth where my hair loss patch is.  For those of you who are unaware, the full title is Miconazole Nitrate Vaginal Cream (2%).  That's right, yeast infection cream on your scalp!!!! The theory behind it is that since the active ingredient, MN, wards of bacteria and fungus in the vajayjay, it should serve the same purpose on the scalp in which bacteria and fungus also grows.  By removing, the fungus/bacteria and keeping it at bay, it allows for the hair to grow faster b/c there are no longer hindrances preventing the growth from coming through or suffocating the scalp, in a nutshell.  I must admit at 1st I had some serious reservations but the more I researched the more I saw how popular it was and ladies were claiming these amazing results and growth rates that they were able to achieve with the stuff. So after getting over my skepticism I thought what the heck, if its safe for down under which is much more fragile it can't hurt right?!  


So, my initial attempt I used it neat, naked whatever you want to call it.  Just straight outta the tube.  That was a big NO.  I got major headaches and was gonna stop using it all together but again I did my research and saw this was quite common and b/c of this,  most ladies created their own concoction comprised of oils etc. to decrease the intensity.  So I got to mixing on my own.  My formula of choice was 1. Tube of MN 2. JBCO 3. Garlic Powder 4. Cayenne Pepper (Powder) 5. EO's of Peppermint & Grapefruit.  I used an old conditioner jar and applied to my scalp anywhere from 4-7 nights a week.   


The truth of the matter is I did not receive the fantabulous results that most spoke of.  There definitely was not an incessant growth spurt to the point I had to think of retouching that spot in 3 weeks, or the famous claim of 1/2 and inch per week or an extra inch per month.  Definitely not!  But what I will say is that it promoted growth in that area b/c at one point I wouldn't notice any growth between my stretches.  Upon using the MN mixture hair definitely began sprouting in the patchy areas and filling in so to speak, which is still growth, but there was definitely no major length improvement.  BTW, I limited to my edges and hair loss areas, the whole point is to get them to catch up.


All in all it was okay but not the miracle worker that its portrayed to be, at least not for my hair.  I saw a slight difference so it does something but due to the nature of what it is intended for I decided to back off after about 4 months of use.  I mean hey, you wouldn't put it down there for 4 months right?! That's the main reason I decided to back off and choose more natural herbs and remedies.  The end result is I don't have a problem with it but wouldn't necessarily run out to purchase it again.  


Have you tried MN?  How did it work for you?

Relaxer Prep

 I did it yet again and made it to 12 weeks, I am an official 3 monther!  I will be 12 weeks post and relaxing on Sunday.  The best part about it is that it's so dang easy now, so there is no turning back.  What's also great is the fact that I feel confident that I can stretch longer; the only reason I don't is b/c of this patch of alopecia and it's location really minimizes my style options.  Anywho in preparation of my relaxer this Sunday here's what I did last night:
1. Prepoo'd w/a mix of Aubrey Organic GPB (review coming soon), an egg, wheat germ oil and olive oil and Nature's Gate Condish.
2. Chelated w/L'anza Healing Hair Care Swim & Sun HPF 30 Daily Chelating Shampoo -Sulfate and EDTA free(review coming soon)
3.Deep Condish w/Jessicurl Weekly Treatment
4. ACV Rinse for porosity control

I didn't apply any leave-ins, I simply put some distilled water in a spray bottle and saturated my hair, sealed w/olive oil and let air dry using Sunshyne's scarf method.  When my hair was about 90% dry I applied Hairveda's green tea butter (review coming soon) on the ends and mid-shaft down the hair, wrapped in a bun and went to bed.  I woke up to soft, moisturized hair and new growth.  I will  be using the distilled water and olive oil solely to moisturize and seal until my relaxer in order to minimize product build-up on the hair which can cause under-processing and/or uneven relaxer results.

Wonders Never Cease

Funny thing; At one point I used to relax every 4 weeks but I'm 10 wks post this weekend and never been able to better manage my hair this far into a relaxer stretch.  I've got some hardcore newgrowth, I ain't lyin, but I've had absolutely no difficulty managing my tresses.  I think this is largely due to the fact that I've learned what works for MY hair and now I am keeping it simple and sticking to those specific products.  No deviating for me....I even did the unthinkable this past weekend and fell asleep w/o moisturizing, sealing or putting on my scarf!  To make matters worse the next night I wasn't feeling too hot and tied my hair up for bed real half -you- know- what, and when I woke up my scarf was off again! (The next morning the hubby said I look like Edward Scissorhands..lol!!!)  No sweat thought I recovered by giving my hair a lil tlc with a hot oil treatment pre-poo for about an 1.5 hrs, a co-wash w/baking soda, deep conditioned for 45 min w/heat and air-dried.  My hair was like new, my new growth was soft and fluffy and I was cool.

I remember when a light "snip" was the answer to all my hair problems: a lil dryness, limpness, boredom etc but now I opt to fix what's wrong by listening to what my hair needs.  Knowledge is definitely power!

Progress Pics - 1yr

It seems I made the mistake that everyone on the hair boards and forums advise you NOT make;  I didn't take photos of my cut in Dec 08!!!  My 1st pic was in March 09 so I took some pics a couple of weeks ago and decided to post what a difference a yr makes;

The top left photo is March 09 an ear length bob.  And now for March 2010:

Outside of the "hole" where my alopecia patch lies underneath, I can't complain, but that "hole" is enough to make me go crazy trust me.  Don't worry, I have a quickie solution for when I want to wear my hair out b/c of course I can not let that show and look like a hot mess:

Just sew to mini comb-clips on a track of hair, measure and cut to suit your needs and voila!

HHG

HairVeda Whipped Cream - Ends Hydration Leave-In

You're  gonna def hear me talking a lot about going cone free for the next few posts b/c, well frankly since I have done so, some beautiful things have occured. The main and most important aspect since doing so is my hair is back to it's ability to retain moisture.  And so it begins!   I was eager to try HairVeda's Whipped Cream - Ends Hydration, but refused to purchase until I was close to running out of Jane Carter's Nourish & Shine (which btw is so worth the price b/c it's lasted me a couple of months for that small tube).  In  any event I received my HV WC in the mail about a month ago and washed my hair in order to test it out on a clean/fresh head of hair.  Boys & Girls - LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING (of course in my fire marshall bill voice!), this stuff is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME !!!!!  I mean I just don't know what to say but after I moisturize w/this and seal w/extra virgin olive oil (evoo) (remember how my hair used to hate evoo?!, not anymore but we'll get into this in another post) and go to bed, I wake up in the morn with the softest hair ever.  The end result is as if every bit of every ingredient in this moisturizer has gracefully penetrated it's way past the cuticle layer and was welcomed w/open arms; and meanwhile as I rest at night, it  is carefully absorbed, so that I wake up w/the softest, most supple head of hair I've seen in a couple of years!  On top of that the smell is divine. You all know I have a penchant for tropical and fruity fragrances, so the fact that it fits the fragrance bill just puts this product over the top for me.  And no, the smell is not overbearing, the fragrance is lightly lingering if not gone by morning (I am a perfume wearing gal so I don't like too many fragrances intermingling, it makes me nauseous, no matter how good they all smell individually).  Although not an issue, my only con is that it's not as creamy as I anticipated but trust me it is not a problem at all. I do think I will, rather I know I will go through this 8 oz bottle much quicker than the Jane Carter N&S because of this. 


Overall, this is definitely a staple for me and it will be replacing my Jane Carter N&S (although I am proud that I used JC consistently for a couple of months w/o buying every moisturizing product in site). Hair's to my new victory in hair hydration!

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Whipped Cream - Ends Hydration
Leave In & Moisturizer 

Not too heavy, not too light! Whipped Cream has Just the right amount of moisture and oils to give you moisturized ends.

Whipped (Baggy) Cream was originally formulated to work with the baggie method. However our customers reported that they use it for roller setting, wash-and-go styles, sleek ponytails, and as a leave in conditioner.

Just a dime size amount will do! It softens your new growth, adds unbelievable shine and gives new life to your hair! Your ends will love HairVeda's Signature Whipped Cream. Product may settle. Just shake well before use.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Ricinus Communis Oil, Beeswax, Lauryl Laurate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Cetyreal Alcohol, Proysorbate 60, Steryl Alcohol, Sunflower Oil, Allantoin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Germall Plus, Frangrance

Nature's Gate Herbal Daily Conditioning Conditioner

So I finally found it!  Thanks to From Short to Long (FSTL) for hooking me up with Nature's Gate, my new cowash conditioner of the year.  Lemme tell you how it all begin.  You gals know last year I finally figured out that my hair hates cones. At 1st I couldn't figure out why my hair wouldn't fully absorb moisturizing products and always felt like it had build up and a stiff crunch.  I stopped the protein so I knew it wasn't that and that's when I realized it was cones.  I did my research for natural condishes/poos/moisturizes and that's how I came to build up my Hair Arsenal. My only prob was that I could NOT find a condish 2 cowash w/that was cone free, and honestly I was thinking about  not looking further b/c I absolutely loved my Aussie Moist and didn't think that nothing would compare.  I was willing to take the risk of having some cone some of the time w/my Aussie but lo and behold along came the good news!.... FSTL did a post on cones and I mentioned my dilemma about a cowash condish and she referred me to Nature's Gate.  I immediately ran out to purchase some for my next cowash and try it out.  Folks, I wasn't disappointed!  This stuff is the truth, it has an earthy, musky scent, it reminded me of the spa, my cousin said it reminded her of baby powder and mom says fruit ( I think she needs to be tested...lol).  Anyhoo, this stuff puts some serious moisture into your strands, it's definitely up there w/Aussie Moist. I've used a couple of x's, even after clarifying to test the moisture and ya'll it works.  It's brown, which I found weird, dont ask why.  It resembles apple pie filling sans the apple chunks with the viscosity of apple sauce sans the clumps and graininess (I think I need to stop eyeing this apple on my table!!!!)

 I can't wai to try other condishes from this line.  If I had to rank it, it would come a close 2nd ( I mean neck in neck close) to Aussie (the smell of Aussie by far, nothing can top, I'm in love with it and it's a tad, just a tad bit more moisturizing), but since it finally makes me 100% cone free, it's #1 to me!

Product Description: With herbal extracts to naturally fortify, smooth and detangle hair.
Our Original Herbal Conditioner is created from an exotic blend of unique botanicals that add intense shine and help smooth the hair shaft. Our rich brown conditioner works great on all types of hair leaving it soft, glossy and naturally radiant. Effectively conditions hair while helping to enhance texture, shine and radiance. Hair is revived with a unique blend of Water Lily, Lotus, and Oak Bark used for their amazing conditioning benefits. Soothing Chamomile, Lavender and Cherry Bark leave hair soft, silky and smooth, making this the perfect conditioner for everyday use.


Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Quaternium-87, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Bark Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Lilium Candidum (White Lily) Bulb Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Flower Extract, Quercus Alba (Oak) Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Caramel.

11 1/2 Weeks

Yup, I did it.  Finally a 3 month stretch, one of my resolutions for better hair care in 2010.  Greatest part about is no shedding or breakage.  That's what's up!  It was a lot easier than I thought, which made me realize it's all about the products!  Folks, you need the RIGHT products for YOUR hair.  In the beginning I tried everything that worked for anybody who seemingly had healthy hair.  I thought it must work for me and my issue if its working for them, but that's so wrong.  Don't get me wrong it takes experimentation but the bandwagon can cause you more harm than good at times.

Learn to read ingredients and see the common denominator in different brands that make your hair feel a certain way after use i.e. silicones makes my hair stiff and tangly, I am VERY protein sensitive, olive oil is just too heavy for my hair (I don't my prepooing w/it though b/c of the fact it will get washed out), my hair loves coconut oil and the list can go on but the point is I had to pay attention to what works and what didn't in order to get the perfect regimen for MY hair.  So as I've stated before, I prefer the more natural, organic lines, doesn't mean I shun the rest, I still have a few in the stash, but you get the point.

I will relax this weekend.  I was thinking of going another 4-6 wks but its becoming a pain in the butt and I don't want to overdo it.  One week and one stretch at a time, right?

Happy New Year!

12 days late, I know but better late than never right?!  I always get so wrapped up in the holiday season and festivities that it can take me a while to get back in the swing of things when it's all done but I am back.

Lets see whats new: I am currently 8.5 weeks posts and there is no major news to it.  Usually I'm like whoa I can't take it anymore but so far so good.  I am moseying along with little to no breakage and/or shedding.  Can you believe it?  My original plan was to relax at 10 weeks post but b/c of the manageability I am going for 12.  Of course if I see too much breakage etc surface I wont push it.  Remember health 1st.  With this, my new goal will be Feb 15 which will put me at 3 months solid.  This will be my longest stretch ever, let's hope I can make it.

Now here are my goals for the new year:
Strengthening and lengthening my nape
Conquering this alopecia patch (once and for all!!!!!)
3 month stretching from hereon in
Consistency with the current products in my regimen (not promising I won't try anything new)
More photos

What are your goals?