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)

PR - DevaCare One Condition

Okay so I've been on the hunt for a moisturizer that I absolutely L.O.V.E. I have some that I really like, but none of them really rock my hair world. Well after the henna treatment w/no condish, I had to run out and find some good d.c's to really restore the moisture. I racked up my arsenal in order to avoid any breakage or protein overload and I decided to try this new one for me, DevaCare One Condition - No-fade ultra creamy conditioner. Now I tried this as a d.c. and thought it was o.k. When I rinsed out my hair I used it as a leave in and was somewhat impressed. The next time I did my hair w/one of my more "normal routine products", I noticed that my hair still seemed rather dry after it air dried. I was out of my NTM Silk Touch Leave In and opted to try the DevaCare OC since i felt it could use the extra conditioning in the moisturize and seal step. Well, shiver me timbers, my hair felt so soft, moisturized, manageable. I was one happy camper. I haven't even picked up my olive oil cream or repurchased the NTM, I've been using DevaCare since September and it's great. No build up, no greasiness, just good old moisture. Now it's been almost 2 months, as I like to see effects over time in order to give a proper review and ladies and gents I am still in L.O.V.E. This is a new staple that I plan on using for the long haul (for now..lol). Oh yeah and I did try it again as a d.c. and liked it better than the 1st attempt, so I will try again. Who know's maybe the 3rd times the charm and if so I'm def in for doubling my pleasure!!!

Product Desc: All you need is one: Love this super rich, ultra creamy conditioner for moisture deprived, colored and chemically processed hair. Enriched with orange-peel wax, Vitamin-C, olive oil and other essential botanicals, One Condition provides maximum hydration and color retention. Not tested on animals. Made in U.S.A.

Directions: Evenly distribute a palm-full of One Condition between both hands. Work through hair with fingers. Rinse. For an intensive conditioning treatment, leave in for 30 minutes under a shower cap. If hair is dehydrated, apply to ends before using No-Poo Shampoo or Low-Poo Shampoo.

Ingredients: Aqueous Extracts of: Achilea Millefolium, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria), Cymbopogon Schoenanthus, Humulus Lupulus (Hops), Melissa Offcinalis (Balm Mint), Rosmarinus Offcinalis (Rosemary), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel; Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Esters, Orange Peel Wax, Olive Oil, Ethylhexly Methoxycinnamate, Trideceth-12, Diazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Fragrance, Red 40, Yellow 5.