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)

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

Being “Squeaky Clean” The Truth About Shampoo.....

So in the past week I’ve had 2 convo’s in which I’ve explained to folks some of the issues with using shampoo.

Many traditional shampoos contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) and/or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS) which are cleansing agents a.k.a surfactants, found not only in shampoo but in detergent, household cleaners, body wash, you get the idea. The purpose of surfactants is remove dirt and oil build up. Some are mild and some are harsh. The problem with SLS & ALS as surfactants is that they end up stripping your hair of your natural oils and can leave your hair a dry and parched mess.

I remember being a teen and my mom telling me to wash my hair until it was “squeaky clean”. I would lather sometimes 2 and 3 x’s searching for that “squeak”, shoot sometimes I would hear the “squeak” only in certain parts and do it again until the whole head was “squeaking”. Needless to say I also remembered how tangled my hair would be afterwards. Of course I didn’t know anything about SLS or ALS back then and the effects also of over-shampooing your hair, but now that I do allow me to share some alternatives with you!

1st – Pre-Shampoo Treatment b.k.a Prepoo. This is where you apply conditioner and/or oil(s) to your hair prior to shampooing. This helps to saturate the hair shaft and protect it from harsh cleansers and stripping during the washing process. Prepooing also helps add moisture and can be done as little as 30 mins or done overnight, again prior to washing.

2nd - Consider using a sulfate free shampoo to wash your tresses. Sulfate free poos are way more readily available today than years ago. You should be able to find them at most beauty supply retailers. There are countless brands out there but here are a few:

Abba Pure Moisture/Pure Color Protect/True Shine, Brocato, Deva Curl No-Poo, Giovanni Direct, Kenra Platinum Color Care, Pureology, Treasured Locks HumiNature/Nothing but Nature

3rd – Only wash your hair 1x, that’s right I said 1x. A healthy head of hair begins with a healthy scalp. You are just trying to keep your scalp clean and your pores unclogged, there's no need to overdo it! Rinse your hair for a minute or 2 to help rid some of the oil or buildup off of the surface. Apply your SLS/ALS free poo to your scalp and begin scrubbing (do not use your fingernails please!! think of it as more of a massaging action, use your fingertips). You will notice the poo will trinkle down the strands on its own therefore you don’t need to manipulate the hair shaft itself with vigorous rubbing as this is also damaging. As you rinse, the poo will rinse away remaining dirt, oil etc from the hair as it glides down.

4th – Try Conditioner Washing b.k.a. co-washing. Co-washing is where you wash the hair with conditioner, usually a cheapie condish, and you get the benefit of cleaning your scalp while adding moisture. Conditioners typically have many of the same ingredients of shampoos minus the sulfates. Think of it as a moisturizing shampoo free of harsh detergents. There are cleansing conditioners also sold on the market for this purpose. Here are a few:

Wen Cleansing Conditioner, Hair One Cleansing Conditioner. Cheapies such as Suave Naturals Vo5 Moisture Milks and Herbal Essence are very popular for cowashing as well, of course you can use the condish of your liking!

Remember the lathering action or “bubbles” are all in the sulfates so don’t judge the effectiveness of the product based on the lack of that action. You won’t get it! You’ll get a mild sudsing at best, very mild. Don’t be alarmed, your hair is getting clean. Again you only need 1 wash to get your hair clean.