One year and randomness

I officially hit my one year mark of going natural. I'm proud of myself, my hair and that I've kept my hair healthy. MSatch hit her one year healthy hair journey as well and her hair is looking better than ever these days. I got to see her hair last weekend as she is nearing the end of another texlax stretch and it's looking great. It is curly, shiny, soft and thick. We exchanged a few products and as soon as I get the chance to try them, I'll do some reviews.

I found a natural salon in my area and decided to go to them and get my ends trimmed yesterday. I do think the chick was a bit scissor happy and took of a lot more than necessary but that's okay. It was only and inch and I'll have that back in no time. She did comment on how healthy my hair was and the she didn't have to even take off that much. I was disappointed though b/c the salon specialized in locs as do all natural salons in this area. They claim to do loose hair but really don't and therefore did not have the products to style my hair. I wanted a frohawk and had to explain to the what it was. smh. I ended up just getting a wash n go which meant they loaded my hair down with the stuff people use when they have texturizers. My hair was hard and jacked up. I washed it out immediately.

A high note from that whole thing was one of my sisters finally got the big chop! Yay! Her hair was so very badly damaged and now she rocking about 2 inches of healthy hair. I'm proud of her and it looks so cute on her! (my other sister is currently transistioning again. hope she makes it this time. She's lasted longer and made it through her first urge to give up and relax.)

I've always had an issue with scarves staying on my head and even moreso now that I'm natural. I was in Target and saw a satin pillow case for $4.99. I LOVE IT! I sleep with loose hair every night and my hair loves me for it. My wng last longer and don't seem to be as tangled as before. I only wear a scarf if I'm sleeping with medium two strand twist for a twist out. That's only because I'm afraid they'll unravel. I wore small two strands the other day and slept w/o scarf. I love that my twist were still fat in the morning.

On a personal note, I just have to say that I am really happy right now. Not with just hair but with life. I'm excited about my future and I can feel that everything is going in a positive direction. I am in a place where setback don't bother me because I know I can make it through. I may not have everything I want but I have what I need and then some. Doesn't get any better than that!

Product Haul

I was trying to straighten up my bathroom closet and wicker back that I keep my products in today. It was easy to do since I never let it get that messy but I realized just how much product I have. It's not a lot compared to a lot of people but I was surprised at just how much stuff I have.

My wicker basket that contains the things I don't use every day. It's pretty much tons of conditioners and poos. I have a baggie full of headbands and 2 jars of IC Fantasia gel (don't use that very often). My beloved olive oil and honey are in there too.

Sorry for the sideways picture but this a 2lb tub of shea butter. One of the two I bought at AFRAM Festival in Norfolk,VA.

Protein dc mix.

Moisturizing dc mix.

Best moisturizer ever!

The Shea butter/Hollywood Olive oil Creme mixture. (I've been debating adding some olive oil and re-whipping this one.)

The base for all of my moisturizing dc mixes.

The only shampoo that doesn't strip my hair.

These are my regulars. The 4 products I use almost daily. Elasta QP moisturizer sitting on top of Shea/Hollywood Olive oil mix. A spritz bottle with the water/oil/condish mix ( I wrapped a bunch of headbands around it to stretch them.) And my all time favorite condish for wng and detangling Hello Hydration.


Whew!

Just a little spritz

Shortly after I did my bc, I read how a lot of people would spritz their hair throughout the day to help combat dryness. I tried that, I don't remember what I was using (something I made, I believe) and my face started breaking out. I discontinued the use of it and dumped it down the drain. I rinsed my spray bottle and filled it with filtered water. I would only use it to revive my hair in the mornings.

With the moisture issues I've encountered, I felt I should try again. I don't want to moisturizer and seal everyday. That would clearly lead to buildup and I'm not a fan of shampoo. I filled my bottle with mostly water, added some EVOO and a little bit of Herbal Essence Totally Twisted. (I don't measure so have no idea how much. And the water was warm.) I shook the bottle for a few minutes to blend and help break down the conditioner. HETT is pretty thick so I had to shake for a while.

Just like with the plain water, I only use once in the morning to revive my hair. I have to say, this is soooo much better than just plain water. It helps to keep my hair from drying out through out the course of the day. I only use enough to dampen my hair. It's dry within 10 minutes.

Although this and using plain EVOO work okay, I'm still on the hunt for some way to better retain moisture. I still end up with really dry hair a lot. I'm going to have to set aside some time to go back through the things I've done in the past and figure out what I need to reincorporate into my routine. Pure shea worked really well but I don't like the buildup. Hmmm...what to do.....

Olive Oil to the Rescue!

I'm sure I've mention before that I have been experiencing issues with moisture retention. I know a big part of this is because I wear my hair out a lot. But I'm at that odd length and can't really do the great protective styles. I can only get a good pony puff with a blow out or hair stretched from a old twist out so I can't do a bun yet. I haven't even tried pin up styles on stretched out hair yet. I haven't had the patience to play around with that. So wng and twist outs have been my styles.

I was twisting up and old wng last Monday while having worried thoughts about how long it would last due to dryness. I applied a liberal amount of Elasta QP Mango Butter, followed my shea mix. I added IC Fantasia gel because I wanted a lot of definition the next day. I had the thought of wanting shine (my hair always looks dull to me) to I grabbed the olive oil, poured too much in my hand and applied it through out my hair. My hair immediately felt softer.

The next day, my twistout came out funky because too much olive oil prevented it from becoming defined. I had to pin the front back. But my hair was very soft, shiny and held moisture really well for a couple of days. I've added olive oil straight from the bottle after a wng this week and was pleased to have similar results. This will probably be a step that I'll incorporate into my routine once or twist a week. My hair really loves olive oil.

Product mistake

This post is extremely late but as I've told you guys before, the hectic work schedule I have is to blame. But there have been a few changes over the past 2 wks that will hopefully cure this for the most part.

Anyway, on to business! I headed to my local bss to pick up the new Elasta QP Mango Butter with the added olive oil ingredient. I love it. It works just as well as the original formula although here is a slight difference in the consistency. It's only a little bit thinner.

So, I took a quick trip around the store because I'm always on the hunt for a  new moisturizer to try out. I saw this stuff from Ultimate Organics. It was a whip made from extra virgin olive oil. I looked at some of their other products and wasn't really impressed. The whip didn't have anything that JR doesn't like so I figured I'd give it a try. It was thick just the way she likes. I wasn't impressed with the smell. It had the hair product smell. You know how someone's hair smells when it's loaded with chemical based products? It's hard to describe but it smelled like processed hair.

I get it home and figure I'll try it out when I do a twist out. I have to admit, I'm not one to analyze a product too much before I purchase it. I took a quick look in the store and decided to buy. When I start to read everything on the container, this is what I read:

Directions: Rub a generous amount of cream into dry skin, concentrating on hard to soften areas as needed.

I was like what the heck? This nasty smelling stuff is for your body. I was shocked. I couldn't imagine using that and walking around all day with my skin smelling like a hair salon. I was too through. But that's what I get for not paying attention to what i was buying. Still smh at myself.

Suave's Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner

After reading MSatch's review of Suave's Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner, I had to run out and buy me a bottle. I was just about out of conditioner anyway.

Product Description: Salon proven to moisturize your hair as well as Aveda® Dry Remedy® shampoo and conditioner. Infused with 100% natural almond and shea butter, which are known for their rich emollients. The shampoo and conditioner system replenishes lost moisture, leaving your hair well-nourished and beautiful. (I straight jacked this whole section from MSatch's blog! lol!)

First, I love the way it smells! It's sooo yummy. I really wanted to lick it off my fingers. It's nice and creamy which Jessi Rose loves and the slip is great. I've used it 3 times I think and it has made detangling really easy. I do have to use a lot of it though. More than any of the Herbal Essence conditioners. And did I mention I love the smell!

Although it smells good and is nice and creamy, I don't think it works well for JR. I've had it for about 2 weeks and am not pleased with how it leaves my hair. When I wng, I leave some in for hold. This products isn't holding anything. My hair ends up frizzy and curls undefined as if I washed all the condish out. I even added a little extra after I rinsed yesterday and ended up with the same results. And the worse part is, I think it's sucking the moisture out of my hair. I always end up with rough feeling and dried out hair by the time it's dry. I applied more Elasta QP mango butter than I normally do and it still ended up really dry. The only time I retained moisture is when I had my hair in two strand twist. But about an hour after my twist out it was dry and dull again.

So despite the great things, I won't continue to use it. I'll be making a trip to the store for some of that good 'ole Herbal Essence. I'll probably get the Hello Hydration. I miss that stuff and I know JR loves it! (And MSatch, this is another condish I'll be passing on to you and the girls next month!)

Random

I don't think the overnight dc caused the itchy scalp issue. I'm feeling that since my hair is longer and I wearing it in more stretched styles, not as much product is reaching my scalp. No moisturizer on the scalp obviously leads to dryness and the itchies. I'm going to incorporate some type of moisturizing spray for my scalp or "greasing" it directly while wearing two strand twist. Shea butter will act as grease.

Speaking of two stand twist. I love them. I've begun to wear them often. I knew before I did my bc I would love wearing the twist. I am surprised at how much I love twist outs as at one point, I had a strong dislike for them.

I've been wanting to wear a beanie style hat since winter. I could never find one that seemed to look right. I was at a bss and saw one. I grabbed it without even bothering to try it on. Gave myself a twist out. Let the front hang out like a bang. I loved it! I was really feeling myself and the outfit that accompanied the hat.

With the exception of when my hair is stretched from a twist out, I continue to detangle a couple of times a week. The really tight curls in the back demand it. The twist out allows me to go longer since I retwist often and sort of detangle when I do that.

There will be a product review and product mistake coming up later this week.