Deep Conditioning Treatment

Since I'm working on incorporating a new regimen for BG "S" with the Terressentials Mud Wash, I decided to deep condition this week.  This is our first deep condition since using Terressentials.  I think I may deep condition and cleanse the hair twice a month alternating the weeks.
Example:
Week 1 - Cleanse
Week 2 - Deep Condition
Week 3 - Cleanse
Week 4 - Deep Condition
This week, I decided to go with the Greek Yogurt and Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment which I first used HERE.  It's a great protein/moisturizing deep conditioner.  My only complaint is that is can be very messy and smelly.  You can find how I deep condition HERE.

I used the same ingredients with the exception of the shea butter.  This time I used 100% unrefined USDA Organic Shea Butter which I ordered online (I've heard that shea butter was sticky/waxy like but this was my first time actually encountering that).  I always tried to aim for the unrefined shea butter but sometimes its not marked as refined or unrefined on the containers in the beauty supply store so I guess you don't really know what you're getting at times.  Anywho, this mix was thicker and took a little longer to rinse but I must say her hair was super moisturized, I was in awe!!  For my next deep treatment, I think I will try a recipe with shea butter as the main ingredient.  Here are a few pics...

Greek Yogurt and Shea Butter Deep Treatment
Can you see how moisturized her hair is, I wish you could feel the softness...

After rinsing, I simply sealed and threaded for drying.
 Look at that shrinkage!!!

What homemade deep treatments do you use?

Detoxing w/ Terressentials Organic Hair Wash

I have been struggling to find a really good leave-in and styler for BG "S" type 4 hair.  Nothing seemed to work, so out of frustration, I decided to revisit my whipped shea butter mix and flaxseed gel. However, on my continued quest the Terressentials Organic Hair Wash caught my attention.  So I began watching some YouTube videos, starting with Naptural85 who pretty much brought this product to the attention of many naturals. I decided on which wash (there are 5) based on this video and this one by YT'er Dawnyele (R.I.P) whose hair type was closest to daughters'.

Lucky for me they are based in MD but instead of taking the drive I decided to order online which I knew would be quick. I ended up ordering the 16 oz. in the Left Coast Lemon which seemed like a better deal since shipping was just about $9.  I ordered on late Tuesday night and go it on Thursday. This product detoxes by ridding your hair of impurities and synthetic ingredients which just coat the hair to give damaged hair the look and feel of being undamaged. The catch is that you can't use other products such as shampoos, conditioners or stylers as they may be loaded with synthetic ingredients that the wash removes and it becomes counterproductive.  But you can always do as you please...

I am going to start this new washing regimen with simply the mud wash and my whipped shea mix and/or oils and see how BG "S" hair responds!

I decided to detox for 3 days leaving the mud wash in for a longer period of time.  I only used the mudwash and my whipped shea mix to seal, no additional products.  It works like a 3 in 1, it cleanses, condition and detangles!  I must say I am really impressed by this product.

Full Product Review coming soon...

Day 1 Detox
The hair felt a little funny during the first wash but got better with the next two.  The last wash, I let it sit in her hair for an hour to speed the detox process.   I was actually able to finger detangle with this product

Day 2 Detox

Day 3 Detox
Her twist-out was so light and fluffy.

Here is some additional info on the mudwash and detoxing: http://www.terressentials.com/hairhelp.html

Check out this list, its crazy...very interesting: http://www.terressentials.com/ingredientguide.html

What do you think and have any of you tried Terressentials Products?

DIY: Flaxseed Gel

On the hunt to find the "perfect" styler, I decided to try flax seeds to make a hair gel...

Last month I started making homemade Flaxseed Gel to use as a styler.  It took me three attempts to get it to the consistency I wanted.  I watched a few YouTube videos and did some additional research before putting together a recipe I liked.  I had great results with the gel and found it to be extremely moisturizing.  The only thing I didn't like was the roasted smell which doesn't seem to go away no matter how much essential oil I use o_O but that smell doesn't linger in the hair.  Oh, I also store any remaining gel in the fridge. 

Overall, I love flaxseed gel!  Its inexpensive and have great benefits for the hair.  I got my bag of Flax Seeds from Trader's Joe for about $3.  I tried making a custard like styler by adding some of my shea butter mix but it didn't blend too well...maybe I'll revisit that another time :)  Urban Bush Babes pretty much sums it up below and I have to agree with everything stated.

-From Urban Bush Babes

{There are 2 types of Flax seed (linseed), a light golden yellow and brown. The brown Flax seeds are slightly higher in omega 3 fatty acids.

Benefits:

-Leaves hair soft, shiny, and moisturized

-Promotes hair growth

-You can reuse the flax seeds

-Cost effective (more for your money)

-Nourishing for the hair rich in omega 3

-Gives great curl definition

-Gives hold with no crunch/non flaking/not drying to the hair/doesn’t cause breakage/or shedding

-Fast drying

-Great for wng's /sleek styles/twists and twist outs and sets the twists once dry for a lovely twist out

-Mixes well with oils/conditioners/ many products

-All natural..organic.

-A lot of reviews compare it to Kinky Curly’s Knot Today, but say Flax seed Gel  is actually better (maybe they meant KCCC ?)

-Great for all hair types}

**Update- I didn't put the steps on how to make the gel (silly me).  It is very easy to make, you can watch Naptural85 video HERE.**

Here are some pics of my flaxseed gel and my daughter's hair after using it to style her twists...

Before adding additional ingredients

Two Strand Twists Using Flaxseed Gel

Have you tried Flaxseed Gel?  If so, how do you like it and if not, would you try it?

**HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY**

This beautiful video was made by Sdestra (one of my blogger buddies), you can find her HERE and HERE.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :D

Product Review: Luv Naturals

Luv Naturals "Wash Me Gently"Hair & Scalp Cleanser

Cost: $13.00 (www.luvnaturals.com) 

Size: 8 oz.

Scent: Peppermint/Tea Tree
Consistency: Rich & Creamy

What They Say:
Gently and effectively cleanses hair & scalp of mild to moderate build-up
pH balanced (5.0 - 6.0 pH) to encourage the hair's cuticles to close which:
Helps to minimize hair strands from swelling during wash
Helps to prevent hair from feeling "stripped" of surface oils.

Naturally derived and organic ingredients
No artificial fragrances
No artificial colors
Food grade preservatives
Shelf life is 1 year from purchase date

What I Say:
I was excited to try this shampoo after seeing her video tutorial.  I can't say that I was blown away, it was okay, I mean after all it is a shampoo.  It had good slip and the hair did feel clean without feeling stripped and moisturized but I need a shampoo that lathers and the lather I saw in the video I did not get on my daughter's hair.  Its not a bad shampoo but its not something I will re-purchase.

Ingredients: 
Aqua, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Organic Oil, Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Glucono Delta Lactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Mentha piperita (Peppermint, Triple Distilled) Essential Oil, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil

**** I give this product a 4 out of 5 Baby Curls****

Luv Naturals "Don't Be So Clingy" Hair Detangler

Cost: $13.00 (www.luvnaturals.com)

Size: 8 oz.

Scent: Orange
Consistency: Rich & Creamy

What They Say:
Helps to release knots, tangles and shed hairs (which help to prevent hair breakage)
pH balanced to help reduce breakage caused by clingy hair (4.5 - 6.0 pH)

Naturally derived and organic ingredients
No artificial fragrances
No artificial colors
Food grade preservatives
Shelf life is 1 year from purchase date

What I Say:
I like this a lot!  The slip is crazy good.  I spritz the hair first and then applied this product and the knots literally melted away.  I was actually able to successfully finger detangle (I still used my trusty detangling comb though!).  The more water used, the less product you have to use.  This product can also be used as a pre-shampoo; the directions does call for it to be rinsed out, so it cannot be used after washing which is fine with me because I have always detangled before washing so this is right up my alley.  The question for some may be does this work better than regular cheap conditioner...I think it may be a little better because it releases the knots effortlessly. However, the product can get expensive when you include shipping.  I have always used a detangling cocktail to detangle the girls hair, so I have substituted this product in place of the usual conditioner and love it even more plus I get more use of the product and don't have to purchase as often.  I will definitely re-purchase.

Ingredients: 
Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citrus sinensis (Orange, Sweet) Essential Oil, Ulmus fulva (Slippery Elm) Extract, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Mangifera indica (Mango) Butter, Corylus avellana (Hazelnut) Oil, Olea europaea (Organic Olive) Extra Virgin Oil, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Organic Oil, Brassica oleracea italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Acrylic Polymers, Glucono Delta Lactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Mica

**** I give this product a 5 out of 5 Baby Curls****

Back to the Basics: Keeping It Simple

Boy, what a journey!  I decided to begin this month on a "new" healthy hair journey with BG "S".  Why?  Well, it has been about 5 months since removing her locs.  Since then I have done trims/dustings throughout those months (altogether it can be classified as a mini-chop, lol).  I am finally at a place where I can wash and detangle her hair without having a matted mess on my hands and getting completely frustrated.  I also finally got rid of those nuisance ssk's and there were A LOT!  We have also tried tons of new products and have had our share of ups and downs with ingredients, so I pretty much know what works and what doesn't work for her hair.  She will also be 3 this month!!!

This brings us to the basics of keeping it simple!  I found myself getting off our regular hair regimen a little bit just to experiment but it wasn't yielding the results I wanted or had in the past.  I veered off trying new things and following the masses such a finger detangling and other methods of sealing, etc but I am back on course with following our regular hair regimen! Her hair flourishes with our regimen.  I love my Grapeseed Oil and will continue to us it during daily moisturizing but I will be going back to sealing with my shea butter mix on wash day (I have altered the recipe a bit to avoid refrigeration).

The only thing left for me to try is the Chicoro Leave-In and if that doesn't work I will be sticking to my faithful Kimmaytube Leave-In Recipe! I have also been trying out shampoo bars which I like so far. :)

This is the amount of hair I have trimmed after her 1st initial trim of 2 inches after loc removal.

This is a comparison of pics between Jul 12- Jan 13. July 2012 (before loc'ing), Dec 2012 (after removing loc's and cutting),  Jan 2012 (hair growth)

Current Pic (April 2013, I trimmed last in March) at a good place.

So here we go...healthy hair journey AGAIN! :)

The Science of Black Hair: Protein/Moisture Balance Basics

In my previous post, I spoke about proteins and briefly mentioned the importance of keeping a good protein/moisture balance. Well, good news...just in case you're a visual person like me :), here is a great video demonstration on Protein/Moisture Balance.  This video is by the author of The Science of Black Hair Audrey Davis-Sivasothy.  This is a great video which is very informative. Happy Watching...

Protein/Moisture Balance