Did You Know...

Click image to purchase organic ACV

Did you know that apple cider vinegar has multiple uses in the home? From flea control to teeth whitening, ACV is one product you should not be without! Here is a list I put together of some of the best uses of ACV:

• Scalp regulator - weather you have oily scalp, dry scalp, or even eczema on the scalp ACV can help. Apply a 50/50 mix to your scalp a few times a week (Leave on for a few minutes before shampooing) to unclog pores and relieve dandruff and destroy bacteria. Apply a mix of 1 part ACV to 3 parts water as a post shampoo rinse to balance the PH of your scalp, and regulate the scalp oil production.
• Hair Smoother/Shinier- Add one part ACV to 3 parts water and use as a pre-shampoo step to remove product buildup, or even chlorine. Use as a post shampoo rinse to close the hair cuticle and make hair nice and shiny. You'll smell like a salad for one hour but after that it's smooth sailing.

Do It Yourself White Teeth!

Cool videos on a home remedy for white teeth. Be careful and don't over do it (only once a week is recommended until teeth are white with the baking soda one). You know what they say about too much of a good thing. P.S on the vinegar please mix it at least 50/50 with water otherwise it could be too strong.

Deep Condition Sunday

A simple day today. Didn't want to do too much. Y'all know I haven't had a relaxer in 2 years, and a texlax in 1 year & five months, so I can't really be too lazy but I've found ways around that.

I mixed up Proclaim Cholesterol (Sally Beauty Supply $2.00) with Suave Humectant Moisture (Walmart under $2.00) 3 tablespoons of honey and a pinch of salt.

First I shampooed my hair in 6 braids I put in last night (I moisturized and sealed them the night before). Then I applied my mix to my hair. Placed a plastic bag, followed by a scarf on top(broke out the old school Rhinestone Doo Rag this time). Left it in for an hour. Rinsed. Combed hair into too buns UNDER RUNNING WATER.

I was too lazy to comb my hair after that, so I just undid my bun, (it's 2 strand twisted) blotted my hair, applied conditioner, oil (coconut, olive, castor mix), & Dax lanolin to my 2 strand twist and pinned it back up into a bun. Then I just applied conditioner, oil (coconut, olive, castor, peanut, cap of wild growth oil) and Labella level 9 hair gel (Walmart $2.00 + added 5 tbsp oil) to the top and edges. Applied scarf and I'm through.

In the AM I'll apply conditioner and Dax to my nape and coil it. That's it for me. The following are some quick pictures of what I did.

Hair after washing in braids. My shrinkage is greatness!

Dress Up Your Hair!

These are bold but fun headbands from Beals Outlet. They retail there for around $3.00 each. But you might be able to catch them on sale for less.

My Mother's Stash!

So I went to my mother's house and these are all the products she showed me. I was amazed that healthy hair care has rubbed off on her. I nudged her in the direction by having her try coconut oil, Shea butter, and just one Shea Moisture product but now she is knee deep in it. P.S she is currently rocking an Afro she hasn't rocked since before I was born :o)

Quick Update: My mother now adores Suave Professionals Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner and Suave Scalp Solutions Revitalizing Mint Euacaltus Shampoo and is thinking about switching a lot of these products too it. She still loves the Aussie Spray Leave-in (Hair Insurance) though. And the coconut oil.
 

Did You Know...

Did you know that hair texture can change 7 times over the course of a person's life? Hair texture can also change every 5-7 years too! I know we can get hung up on "grade" of hair as people of color but the truth is it changes constantly for many reasons.

Diet can change hair as well as supplements like MSM. Treating hair differently can change it too. Excessive heat can change hair and so can simply moisturizing and conditioning frequently.

Even things like sulfur, cayenne pepper, and henna can have a loosening effect on a person's wave pattern.

Did You Know...

Did you know that studies have found that capsaicin, found in red hot peppers (which make cayenne pepper), and Soy Isoflavones have been scientifically proven to help hair growth in men when used together?

The soy works to reduce the DHT and increase the testosterone. Capsaicin increases IGF, an insulin-like growth factor. When taken together orally they were found to improve hair growth in men. It is uncertain how strong the effects are on bald men, but this did well on thinning men.

I'm willing to bet money on it though that if you combine a healthy diet with red pepper, soy, msm, and silica supplements you could be whipping your hair back and fourth gentlemen. 

Don't be jealous ladies. Capsaicin in the form of cayenne pepper can also be used as a scalp message to increase circulation which can also lead to better hair growth. A side effect of hot pepper oil is often softer new growth.

Another Wash/Rinse Day

I didn't think about it until after I got out of the shower, but I decided to give a little blow by blow as to what I do on wash/rinse detangle days in pictures.

Now what you don't see here is that I had my hair in 6 braids (what I do some nights after I oil my scalp). I took the braids out because I was planning to just co-wash/co-rinse. But once I got in the shower I felt I needed a shampoo.

So I washed with Salon Care Shampoo then filled my hair with a mixture of White Rain, Tresemme Silk Protein Healthy Volume, and Organix Renewing Conditioner Moroccan Argan Oil (No reason why I used 3 different brands other than I'm trying to finish off 2 of them to keep it simple). Let it sit a few minutes. Comb through it and put it in a bun under running water. Here is the end result.

Deep Condition Sunday

My Sunday henna. I will be using only half of this packet and mixing it with my deep conditioner for a hair strengthener. Then will follow with a moisturising conditioner as needed. I will update when I fully decide on my mix:o)

UPDATE: I just mixed roughly half the pack of henna (Note: this is pre-mixed henna not regular henna which gives hair a red hue). with about 1/3 cup of Proclaim Cholesterol, 4 tbsp Suave Humectant Moisture, 2 tbsp glycerine, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tsp of honey, and a pinch of salt. We'll see how this works out :o)

2ND UPDATE: This went well! My hair came out soft. I still conditioner rinsed with Tresemme Silk Protein Healthy Volume Conditioner. Then it felt like silk. I noticed my hair shed less and combed out way easier. I had forgotten my hair bands so I couldn't do my usual ponytail in the shower which upset me. So I combed my hair into 4 tight braids under the running shower water and prayed for the best.

Baggy N Stimulate Scalp Oil Trial

Scalp oil treatment I'm working on for tonight. If you read my Baggy & Stimulate post on this blog then you already know my theory about opening the hair root to allow heathy minerals, vitamins, and other things beneficial to hair growth, to penetrate deeper.

Now I love peppermint oil but decided to go back to experimenting with hot pepper (cayenne pepper is the same in case you are wondering) just for a change.

For the first time in god knows how long, there is no cayenne pepper in the house. However, there is plenty of crushed red pepper. So I decided to make hot pepper oil.

Switch Up Your Look

Don't ever be afraid to switch up your look. Protecting your ends doesn't have to be boring. I rock my hair in a bun daily, but really... who can tell?

What To Do With Old Wigs

Got bored and took one of my old, rugged looking wigs, cleaned it up, brushed it out, and... cut it! View before and after.

Protective Style Files

Big hair love. weather you're transitioning, natural, or a relaxed that just wants to play with some texture, thius is a cute one to play with. this wig retails for around $14.99 - $16.00. LINK TO A PLACE TO PURCHASE

Protective Style Files

This is one of the cutest lace fronts I've seen:

Protective Style Files

In love with this one. Oh yeah, and rate/comment/subscribe to TwinGodesses one of many of the half wig queens (I bow down to your selection, lol). 400 degree curling iron safe. Retails for between $20-25.00 Link Site You Can Purchase It At

Protective Stlye Files

For all you straight hair lovers that want something a bit more natural looking. Or to dream about what you hair is going to look like at this length (real life vision board anyone?). Or give it a trial to see if you would ever want it this length, lol:

Protective Style Files!

Straight and short half wig! P.S rate/comment/subscribe to thomasadrianna YouTube she's talented with her half wig/weave game!

Kiddie Tights Make The Best Hair Bands

So I got these kiddie tights in the mail free with something I ordered a while back (don't remember what). Unfortunately I didn't know anyone little enough to fit them. However, it was recommended to me on a hair forum in 2010 to use tights or knee highs as hair bands (when my hair kept wrapping around, & getting stuck in store bought ones). So I decided to try these kiddie ones this year and let me tell you they are a keeper. I'm never going back to store bought hair bands again!

Protective Style Files!

I good way to basically do a sow in half wig style :o)

Protective Style Files!

I'm a half wig rocker so I absolutely love this!

The Slick Back: Taming Edges!

Now as you read in my about I haven't relaxed in 2 years, or texlaxed in 1 year and 5 months. But I don't have to use heat to tame my edges.

The first thing I use is a little thing called H20. Oh, you're edges are dry? Well, what is the opposite of dry?

Wet!

I make sure my roots have some for of H20 at least every 2-3 days. Daily when it's hot. I either sprints my hair with a water conditioner mix, or co-rinse my hair. I find that my waves respond better and are more moldable when I use something they love (water,conditioner, oil) than something they hate (heat).

Next I apply a leave-in. I don't buy leave-ins as my hair like just plain regular conditioner. Then seal with an oil like my coconut castor mix, or Dax because lanolin locks in a HUGE % of moisture. Finally I reach for a good gel. My La Bella I add about 5 tbs of oil to & a teaspoon of glycerin (not too much, it could make the hold too soft) to half it. Double it for a whole container.

Add a satin scarf for at least 20 minutes and wallah. My slick back! Edges tamed!

Deep Condition Sunday

Deep condition Sunday has now become Monday as it is 1:34 AM now. So I think I will apply it to dry hair, baggy my head, and go to sleep. Then shampoo in the morning. And of course protective style. So here is what I'm working with.

Proclaim cholesterol, 1 tsp of honey, 2 tsp of glycerin, 2 tsp of coconut oil (note: this one is not 100% but still works well), 1/2 teaspoon of salt (helps it penetrate deeper).

Protective Hair Style Files!

My lace front that I'll probably rock like a half a wig. Vanessa by FifthAvenue with a LOT of gel (she's way too poofy without it). It's a little too hot for me now but will come in handy in the fall/winter to keep my head warm as I frequently co-rinse.

Protective Style Files!

Took this picture quick but I'll have to take another one later this week because the lighting is not hot. Here I'm rocking a jumbo afro-puff hair piece (no it's not my hair,lol) over my bun. And stuck one of my many flowers in the side.

Protective Style Files!

This is a protective style I did over the weekend. It made me laugh because everyone thought it was my hair. It's my laid back princess Leia look. I put my my hair in buns like I always do with my ends gently tucked under. Then I twisted and wrapped fake braiding hair around them and pinned it. Note: My edges were actually coiled with gel. Don't know why they look so ratchet here. Should have taken a closeup picture to redeem myself. Then again, it was around midnight when I took these so I was over it.

My Summer 2012 Routine

This is my entire hair routine for the summer. Sometimes I may skip a day but never two. My scalp doesn't like because it is too hot. And my hair is much softer too.

My Spring/Summer Routine

• Co-wash daily (it's more of a co-rinse I do) in 4 ponytails with Aussie Moist Conditioner or Tresemme Naturals Conditioner.

• Brush hair back under running shower water into a ponytail or two ponytails (2 strand twisted).

• Apply leave-in like VO5 or Suave Humectant (yes plain old conditioner) to ponytail and edges. Seal with coconut oil, olive, castor oil mix. Add a dab of Dax lanolin to my ends and pin into a bun. Apply Proclaim Aloe Gel or La Bella Level 9 gel and air dry with scarf on to smooth edges. Baggy bun as needed.

• At night apply sulfur & peppermint oil mixture to scalp. Cover head with plastic cap, and scarf. Leave on overnight and rinse out in the morning. Note: Don't like to do this more than 4 days a week.

• Shampoo 1-2x a week.

• Deep condition with moisture once a week.

• Protein treatment once a month.

• Bun EVERYDAY! Rock a phony pony/bun/afro puff over it from time to time. Half wig with headband if it's not too hot out.

Random Thoughts. My Favorite Hair Products

Just a random list I made on Hairlista of my all time favorite hair products. Probably will be adding to them in no time.

MY FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCTS

• Aphogee 
Deep Moisture Shampoo
• Suave Humectant Moisture Conditioner
• Tresemme Naturals Conditioner
• VO5 Conditioner
• Aussie Conditioner
• Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner
• Coconut everything (oil/milk/cream)
• Honey
• Jojoba oil
• Castor oil
• Lanolin
• Flowers of Sulfur
• Peppermint oil or menthol in anything
• Castor oil mixed with Coconut oil and Jojoba oil
• Flax oil
• Generic (I'm cheap, lol) Joico K-Pak
• Aphogee 2 step
• Cholesterol
• Sea salt added to conditioners
• La Bella gel level 9 (oil mixed in)
• Proclaim Aloe gel
• Ampro Pro Styl Protein Gel When needed (conditioner mixed in)