Product Review: Shea Moisture "JBCO Strengthen, Growth, & Restore Leave-in Conditioner"

Hello Lovelies!

One word: AMAZING. 

JAMAICAN BLACK CASTOR OIL STRENGTHEN, GROW & RESTORE LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER

Whats in it? The main ingredients are: Organic Shea Butter, Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Peppermint, but the rest of the ingredients are listed in the Shea Moisture website.

I love, love, this product. (find it HERE) I'm going to review it by how each of my senses (except hearing and taste LOL) reacted to it.

Touch/Feel:

• On hands: its thick, but not very thick.... like a yogurt, but not a pudding
• On hair: I have 4B (kinky, small spiraled, can't do co-wash) hair, and this product makes my hair feel SO SOFT, its AMAZING for finger detangling. It took out every tangle as soon as I smoothed it through my hair

Smell

• The blend of the peppermint and castor oil give it this light, almost desert like smell.... DEFINITELY aromatic (I love smelling hair products lol)

Look:

• It's a creme color and its very smooth looking... again, I would call it a hair yogurt

How I used It:

After I co-washed (washed my hair with just conditioner, no shampoo) I dipped my fingertips in the conditioner and ran it through small sections of my hair from tip to root. I did not need to comb it! (also amazing)

I thought I was going to need another product to supplement my leave-in conditioner, but I think this was all I used! I do like adding oil to my hair and scalp for a little extra moisture. Also, it made quite an awesome twist out after I let it set over night. 

I am SO excited to sample the rest of this Jamaican Black Castor Oil line. I will say that this is the best leave-in conditioner specifically for natural hair that I have used thus far. 

Have you been trying Shea Moisture's new products? What do you think about them?

Have you seen all the new natural hair Barbies they are making?

XOXO

Throwback to Mamma's Hair Grease: Yay or Nay?

Hey Lovelies!

As you might be able to tell, I am in constant experimentation mode with my hair products/regimen. I've been back to my natural hair texture since December 2010. From that time, I'm pretty sure I've watched hundreds of YouTube hair care videos and read hundreds of natural hair and black hair blogs.

I've faithfully adhered to many of the hair no-no's

1. No Sulfates
2. No Mineral Oil 
3. No Heat

etc, etc.

I've been careful to read the ingredients label on all my hair products, oftentimes buying more costly items because they are more "natural." I even considered investing in the Miss Jessie's line of products, which runs between about $20-70 per product. 

The thing is, I am a twenty-something with rent to pay, loans to pay off, and money to save. With all the delicious smelling, new, "all-natural" hair products available online and in stores, it is quite easy to be tempted into becoming a product junkie. 

With all of my obsession over products and hair length, I've slowly become frustrated and tired. It's not as though my hair went through a drastic growth phase to the length of many of the hair-fashionistas I admire.

Before the transition period and the big chop, even before the hair-dressers and the creamy crack, my hair was in my mother's hands. She did not have a ton of hair products. These are the products I have the most distinct memory of:

Anyone remember this? I just called it "Pink Oil"

Every morning before school I would use some "pink oil" to slick down the edges of my go-to high bun style. One of the old school brushes to hide frizzes or "ballies" and I was set.

My mom and I experimented with shampoo brands, but I remember this one in particular

When I was little I think my mom washed my hair every other week, then when I got older once a week.

This stuff smelled so good to me lol

My mom loves this pre-shampoo treatment for moisturizing my hair, especially in the winter.

This stuff was amazing!

Every Saturday night my mom would smooth globs of this through my shampooed hair with some olive oil and sit me under the drier for a half hour.

Best Leave-In Ever!

This is how the Infusium 23 bottle used to look when I was little. This stuff made de-tangling my hair soo easy!

Definitely was a staple product in our home

This was the standard grease product at my house.... I used to just sit around and smell it... LOL

                                          

My mom brought in these special forces if my hair was too dry or too itchy. They smelled gross to me, especially the Sulfur 8... but they worked!


I took a moment to recollect the products my mom used in my hair because, prior to going to the hairdresser, my hair was a little past collarbone length. Granted, my hair was relaxed, but considering the number of over-processed heads of hair I've seen... I thought my mom did a great job. For the 2-3 years I went to hair-dressers, my hair shrank to chin-length. I realized that my mom put a lot of tender loving care into my hair that neither hairdressers I barely knew nor I was able to give it.

I've decided to give a yay to Mamma's hair grease. With all the talk of which products we should use or not use, I'm deciding to go with what has been working to keep my hair moisturized and and growing. I'm not saying that I'm going to use all the products listed above, but I think I will take the time to be more open to what has been tried and true to my hair.

Right now, I'm re-trying Dr. Miracle's "Feel It" Formula to "grease" my scalp.

Photo Credit

I like to dampen my hair, at least with some oil moisturizer, before using this. I love the tingling feeling, and so far, I enjoy how it makes my hair feel. My mom used to use this on my hair's scalp too. I know this has mineral oil in it... but it has a lot of other great stuff too. I mention mineral oil because I've read and heard that with repeated application in between hair washes, mineral oil essentially blocks moister from entering the hair shaft.

I don't have this problem because I wash my hair weekly and dampen my hair regularly. Also, I now cleanse, message and grease my scalp just like my mom did. I also add a couple drops of castor oil and mix it into with my finger as I add this product to my scalp.

I don't think it's supposed to be extremely costly and hassling to do black hair. Neither do I think that we have to prescribe to a particular set of products. I think what is most important is that we are doing what we think will give us and our hair nourishment and moisture.

I may change my mind again.... who knows, learning about self-care means to you and how to do it changes. I guess I would call this the nostalgic part of my hair care journey. What hair products do you remember from childhood?

xoxo

P.S. I may go back to red hair y'all!!!

3 Possible Hair Changes on a Meatless Diet & How to Manage them.

Hey Lovelies:

I transitioned out of consuming meat starting last summer, and officially began my vegan date late last year (2013). Since then I have undergone a physical transformation. What's more, my relationship to the food I eat has dramatically shifted (I'll talk about this in another post).

I want to talk more about the physical changes, specifically as they relate to hair. Here are some of the changes I've noticed. I'm not going to label them as good or bad, rather, I see them as a part of the learning process of my hair journey. I will also say that I don't think these changes are restricted to African American/Black Natural Hair; the changes are specifically correlated to what I have been putting in my body--You are what you eat!

1. My hair is thinner. Explanation: The types and ratios of proteins in plants is quite different from the types and rations of proteins in animals (for more information see here). It is noted that some vegetarians and vegans struggle to maintain the same amount of the protein lysine as those who eat meat. Hair is composed of protein, so a lack of protein can result in thinner hair. Solution: Balancing the amount of protein in my diet. Foods like Tempeh, Tofu, and Lentils provide Lysine. As I balance my diet hair will thicken. (For information on protein in the Vegan/Vegetarian Diet, see here.)
2. My growth rate seems to have slowed. Explanation: This one is iffy, because, as noted in my previous post, some of my habits could have contributed to the lack of length retention. However, the thinner haid and this change are related, hair needs protein to grow. 
3. My hair is softer. Explanation: this one has a multifaceted explanation as well. It could be that I am trying a new hair growth regimen. However, it could also be that I'm drinking more water, taking vitamins, and moisturizing from the inside out--basically, I consume a lot more olive oil, avocados, and other healthy fats on a regular basis. 

The most important thing I've realized as my hair is changing is that research and effort are essential to creating results in my hair health. 

1. Explore healthy proteins. Eat different proteins; beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and leafy greens, and much more, to see which ones you enjoy. These foods are open to anyone partaking in any diet, with or without meat. Incorporating healthy sources of protein in every meal will ensure that you have your daily intake.
2. Drink lots of water. Humans are composed mostly of water. To function, we need to literally replenish ourselves daily. The number of ounces you should drink per day is two-thirds of you body weight plus your activity level. (for more information see here)
3. Take your vitamins! I don't mean hair vitamins like protein or anything like that, I mean your daily intake. Vitamins assist in catalyzing all of the processes in your body, including hair growth. 

Remember, everything is correlated; hair health, skin health, any body part actually, can be used as a marker to measure your general physical health.

Isn't her twist out fly?!

Happy Hair Journey!

xoxo

The Harvest Hair Regimen 2014: The Hair Growth Challenge

Hello Lovelies!

So, as a mentioned in my previous post, I've had some hair regimen hiccups that have caused me to change my hair care approach.

I call my new regimen the Harvest Hair Regimen not only because it will take me into the beginning of fall, but because I expect a "harvest" of new growth by the time I complete this challenge.

Basically, my plan is to keep my hair in cornrows throughout the month of August and September. During this time I will be keeping my hair very moist. Basically, my hair growth challenge was inspired by this YouTube Vlogger 7Princess7Noire7's  vid:

I won't be doing wigs, I'll be doing crochet braids, just personal preference. In my recent article I posted a link to a crochet braiding video if you're curious.

I've read two points of advice so many times 1) that protective styling is very important and 2) putting a lot of tension on strands inhibits length retention, but in my case, experience has been the best teacher. I'm being very cautious about my hair during this Harvest Hair Regimen; I'll only have it "out" on special occasions.

So... for the actual regimen:

1. Grease my scalp almost every night with a organic coconut oil, castor oil, blend. 
2. Some nights mix in a little tea-tree oil to my nightly/every other night scalp greasing
3. Keep hair covered at all times: scarves, silk bonnets or shower caps**
4. Wash hair every 2-4 weeks. I know this may be a point of contention for people who stick to washing once a week, however, I would prefer to keep my hair braided up for a long period. 
5. Cornrow wash and conditioned hair to secure moisture. I've found that when I moisturize my hair really well, then put in cornrows, my hair strand stay soft from root to tip. 

** Note: shower caps seal in H2O vapors--it works as a natural steam. 

Yeah, that's really about it. 

Wait! One more thing! This would be an excellent transition style! Why, you ask? Well:

1. It protects that fragile divide between the old, relaxed hair and the growing natural hair.
2. It seals in moisture. 
3. It gives you more growth time before cutting the relaxed ends. 

I will definitely updating you on how this works out!

Don't you love Harvest Season?! (Photo Credit)

5 Hiccups in my "Hair Growth Journey"

Hey Lovelies!

Just as a side-note, my posts are so far and few between because it seems like hair blogs are already a thing. By a thing, I mean this blog is a tiny drop in a huge ocean of very popular hair blogs. I love talking about hair, but I feel like everything about natural/black hair has been said already.

So, what I have decided to do is focus on my personal holistic health journey. My hair will still be the central topic of my blog, but I will be discussing it as it relates to my general health and personal growth.

I will say I am a bit discouraged as fair as my hair growth journey is concerned. I did my "big chop" at around the same time as several of the online hair personalities that I follow on Facebook and YouTube. However, they've surpassed me by FAR in terms of hair length. I've taken their hair-type and ethnic background into account when I compare my hair growth and theirs, however, those who still have similar "hair backgrounds" as me have still "outgrown" me. I began my hair growth journey in December of 2010 and its almost August 2014... this right around the time my big afro should be making its debut...right?

I guess not. I decided to do a bit of self analysis in order to figure out what am I doing to cause the hiccups in my hair growth journey. This is what I found:

1. I have severe Hands-In-Hair Syndrome. Its sooo bad. I play with my hair when I'm stressed, bored, in thought, or not fully focused.... so 90% of the time. Yikes
2. I was dying my hair quite often early on in my hair journey.
3. I was not as gentle as I could be with my quite fragile strands 
4. I wasn't protective styling enough
5. I began living a Vegan lifestyle in 2013 which destabilized my protein and iron levels for a while

What am I doing to improve my hair care habits?

• O July 17, 2014 I decided to start a whole new hair regimen. My hair has been in cornrows. I did crochet braids for almost 2 weeks, washed my hair, and re-did my cornrows. I will be wearing scarves for the rest the week. Every other day I grease with a castor oil.coconut oil mix. I don't plan on wearing my hair "out" for a while. I want to seal in as much moisture as possible and I've found that cornrows are the best way to do it. Also, I don't look cute in cornrows, which pushes me to find ways to keep my hair wrapped up... which meeeans... no more Hands-in-Hair!
• I'm taking my vitamins and minerals and trying to be more careful with my vegan diet. I am doing research and trying to have more well-rounded meals so that I can get all the nutrients my hair needs to grow

These are two quite simple solutions, but I'm very confident in them. For one thing, I've noticed that dudes who wear cornrows always have nice, lengthy hair. That's because they don't mess with their hair... its all braided up, and most times, in a du-rag. The pressure on women to "look cute" all the time, in combination with the natural hair "movement," have made the big hair with a gorgeous twist-out the holy grail of natural hair beauty. Trust, I want my big afro too, but most days, I think its best for me to protect my hair and keep it moist. Having "cute" hair everyday has led me to knots, dryness, and breakage. If I really want to be cute and fabulous, I'll find a nice natural hair wig or weave. 

So, the cure to my hair growth journey hiccups is be simplistic, realistic, and prioritize my hair health above all else.

Love y'all!

Spice Girl Melanie B. aka Scary Spice vs. Blogger Yomi

(Photo Credit)

2013 Regimen!

Hey lovelies.

I haven't been around in SO LONG. Sorry about that. I just wanted to post my new regimen and a couple little hair discoveries.

First discovery:

My hair does NOT like the curly girl method. Basically, the curly girl method is based on co-washing and finger detangling. No tools, no shampoo. See the video below for a better description:

Her hair is most def that 3/4A while mine is 4 to the max.

Second discovery:

That my hair is 4a/b/c. That means it spirals, but is very fine, wiry, and can get matted and tangled easily. it def matted up when I tried the curly girl method.

Third Discovery:

My hair is low porosity. That means I have to apply product when my hair is damp -- no wetter. That also means that I shouldn't apply a lot of product because it will not absorb. To learn about testing hair porosity see here:

Fourth discovery:

My hair loves twists. It stays moist and detangled this way. Everything I do with my hair involves twists, especially washing. I separated my hair into twisted sections when washing, but now I have refined my washing. I do The Breakdown. Watch this video for the breakdown method:

K, so here's my regimen.

Bi-weekly

• shampoo and deep condition
• detangle and stretch

Weekly

• deep condition
• detangle
• protective style

Every other day

• oil scalp with a coconut oil/castor oil mix

My detangling process

1. finger detangle with conditioner
2. comb out with a wide tooth comb
3. Finish out with the Denman brush

I have to have to HAVE to detangle thoroughly. Tangling/ hair that is not thoroughly combed means snapping and snapping means lost ends. NO NO!

My 2013 goal - 5 inches of growth. let's hope!!

Hairspiration!!!

XOXO

Hair Yoga: Stretching & Twisting for Healthy Hair!

Hello Beauties!

My hair has been stressed and tense lately, and I needed to find a solution. I was fed up with the tangles, knots and uneven growth. When my body is tense, I can rely on yoga to loosen me up and make me less stressed. I thought that if yoga can do such good things for the body, why can't there be yoga for the hair? Then I realized - there definitely is such a thing as hair yoga! It's basically what most naturals in a blogosphere and on youtube have been talking about, but I thought a comparison to yoga works to remind me that I need to "destress" my hair.

Let me explain exactly what I mean. There are only two moves in hair yoga

1. Stretching: This basically means keeping you hair detangled as much as possible. This limits shrinkage and KNOTS. Knots have to by clipped, which limits growth retention!
2. Twisting: Putting your hair in two strand twists or braids as much as possible keeps your hair in a stretched state. Twists and braids also retain moisture (in my experience at least). If you leave your twists or braids in for a week or more, then you will lessen the amount of "handling" (brushing, combing, playing with) that your hair goes through, which then limits opportunities for breakage. 

This is all I mean by twists:

This "hair yoga" analogy is kinda corny, but helps me remember that I don't want my hair to be all tense and tangled. Also, I think it pretty much explains why everyone is so hype over protective styling. Protective styling really does help. Now that I have 5+ inches of hair on my head, I really gotten to know my hair type. Its EXTREMELY curly, and the curls are small, which means endless knots. To be honest, I think this 5-6 inch average height is awkward. I'm struggling with coming up with cute styles, and sometimes I just don't have time. Furthermore, I'm getting tired of knots, so over the passed couple weeks I've rarely been seen out and about in just a wash-and-go afro. I keep my hair in twists. I don't LOVE the twists aesthetically, but I've found ways to make them work for me:

• Tiny Twists: smaller twists tend to "adopt" to my curl pattern, while larger twists just hang.

Larger twists 

I didn't really like how these twists came out, they remind me of spider legs lol

Smaller twists

These took longer (way longer) to do, but I like them better

• Curling my twists: Using Eco Styler Gel and perm rods I simply curl and set my twists. Here's how it looks:

At the end of the week, usually a day or two before I shampoo my hair, I'll probably untwist and wear a twist-out. This works well because the twist-out lasts through Friday and Saturday - the days I might want to go out, socialize etc. 

I really hope this "hair yoga" plan works to retain my growth. I plan to take it on as a hair-lifestyle, instead than just a thing I'll do until I have x amount of new growth. Although... I actually would like to have about 5 new inches of growth by this time in December. *crosses fingers*

While I've been protective styling for a while, this particular blog post was inspired by Kimmaytube's video: "AFRO - Why I won't wear my hair in one!" WATCH it - its very informative.

Be beautiful :)

xoxo

Estelle. so unique and fly!