You guys know my go to pre poo is the coconut oil and herbal essence conditioner. It leaves my hair so soft and loosens any tangles in sight!! Its crazy, I swear!! God bless Naptural85 for this idea/method!
Anyways, some may ask, what exactly is pre pooing? Why should it be done? What are the benefits? What products can be used? Well my little picture below gives you the straight forward answers.
Lets discuss below, do you pre poo? Whats your go to pre poo mixture? Tell me, I wanna know!! :)
So is another week, another Wednesday, and the usual Wash day routine is here. My last wash day was kind of unexpected but expected. I woke up with no plans to wash my hair, changed my mind hours later and decided to try the MaxHydraytionMethod, then changed my mind again after a failed product shopping(didn't find all the necessary products) left me with a huge headache. After sleeping it off, I decide to just go ahead with my normal wash routine at 9pm. LoL talk about indecisive.
Anyways the best part of this wash day was my hair style. Remember when I said I have lots of plans for this year? Well one of them is to actually find a way to enjoy my hair with different styles, that last at least a week long so as to avoid too much manipulation. This gives me a good balance.
And it 'went' like this.....
Pre pooed the usual way, coconut oil and a cheap conditioner. Except this time I used a mixture of my ORS Replenishing Conditioner and my CON Argan Oil intensive Conditioner Treatment because silly me bought the hello hydration shampoo instead of the conditioner. Hmmmhp. Kept that on for about 30-40mins under a shopping bag.
Cleansed my scalp and hair with my CON Argan Oil Moisture and Shine Shampoo.
Soaked up excess water with a cotton T-shirt and followed up with a moisturising deep conditioner mix of ORS Curls Unleashed No Restrictions Moisturising Conditioner, raw honey and my oil mix (almond oil, JBCO and Jojoba oil). Sat under my steamer for about 20mins, and I was left with soft cotton ball like hair.
Rinsed my hair with lukewarm water to seal in some of the moisture from the deep condition treatment, and moisturised and styled my hair in Bantu knots using my staples, Kinky Coily Knot Today, Jojoba oil and Jane Carter Nourish & Shine.
My wash day didn't take that long, what took long was the styling. However I actually had fun doing it and I didn't get lazy as I normally would. Check out my video on YouTube to see how I did it. Also, hope you are following me on YouTube cause I plan to post more fun, helpful videos like this!!
Let me first apologize for being absent for the past weeks.
I have been really ill, off and on for the past three weeks, and after it all,
I went for a little holiday from which I just got back. I planned to post this
wash day experience last week but in between being weak and trying to pack for
my trip, I couldn’t pull it through. Anyways, although I have washed my hair
again since then, I still think this is post could help some people so I am
posting it now.
This is a two in one wash day, how to care for your hair before and after taking out
braids!
Remember I had kinky twists installed towards the end of
last year? And I was a bit lazy with taking care of my hair (I washed, or
rather co-washed my hair twice during all of the five weeks I had them)?
Remember also when I said you can be a little less strict
with your hair in braids, IF and ONLY IF you do a proper care right before and
after you take them off? That was exactly what I did.
WASH DAY BEFORE TAKING OUT BRAIDS
I cleansed my scalp and the length of my hair
(not braids) with a sample shampoo I got, Palmers Coconut Oil Formula Conditioning Shampoo. I
figured with was a clarifying shampoo because of the ingredients, which are not
the best btw but I figured I could get away with it just this once. I needed to
get rid of the buildup, and avoid having those dirt balls at the root of the
braids
Followed up with a deep conditioner using my
Cream of Nature Argan Oil intensive Conditioner Treatment. Sat under my steamer
for about 20mins (got a bit antsy towards the end and got out right before it
went off).
Rinsed my hair with lukewarm water to seal in
some of the moisture from the deep condition treatment
Moisturized with ORS Shea Butter Softening Hair
& Scalp Lotion
Next day, my hair was not fully dry, but I still took out
the braids. I was so easy and I had little to no breakage. The picture below is
the amount of shed hair I had after five weeks. This is a smallest amount I
have had, and I attribute it to the tea rinse, but mainly the Manetabolism
pills I took (Check out review and comparison pictures -> http://youtu.be/KNSN5Mb3U30).
WASH DAY AFTER TAKING
OUT BRAIDS
I did an overnight hot oil treatment with my oil mix of almond oil, JBCO and Jojoba oil.
Shampooed with my ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe shampoo, to make sure that all the buildup was gone.
Next up, I did a protein treatment, which is necessary to restore strength to your strands after any long protective style. My treatment consisted of avocado, coconut milk, oil mix and another sample protein conditioner I got, Elasta QP Soy Oyl ULTRA HYDRATION Conditioner, as I was all out of my ORS mayonnaise and I always like adding a conditioner to my protein mix just for the extra oomph. I left this on for about an hour to two hours and rinsed it off.
My hair is a bit sensitive to protein, so I always do a moisturising treatment on days I do my protein treatment because of the fear I have that my hair will break due to too much protein (might be in my head). Oh well, I finally made use of the Manechoice Natural Nourishing Growth & Retention Green Tea & Carrot Deep Conditioning Mask for my moisturising treatment. Deviating a bit from my usual treatments, I skipped adding the extra oils and honey, just so I can have a good judgement of this product and I must say, I LOVE it. So much so I went and bought another one on my recent trip. I will post a review on this after I have used it a few more times. So look out for that. I sat under my steamer again for the whole twenty minutes this time and after, covered my hair with a shower cap and beanie for an extra twenty minutes to trap in the heat. At the end, I was left with super soft moisturised hair (I was in love, LOL)
Rinsed the conditioner off with lukewarm water and immediately applied my Kinky Coily Knot Today, Jojoba oil and Jane Carter Nourish & Shine (THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH).
Banded my hair right after applying my LOC products and left it in all night (didn’t dry all the way but I was okay with that). The next day I pulled it into a puff and did this cute “cinna bun” puff so as to protect my ends.
Guys, I have raved about this LOC
combination for day’s un-end now, and I got reminded why. Omgosh, my hair was
so soft days after my wash day and although I can’t pin point what caused this,
I am 100% sure it’s a mixture of all these treatments and products (duh), the
Manechoice green tea and carrot mask as well as the nourish and shine
especially. They aint lying when they say your hair will thank you when you
treat it right, so check out these other ladies to see what I am taking about -> #WashDayExperience
PS: My lovely 4C-4B in very little areas-hair is coiling up
guys. I have started finding little coils here and there. Although I absolutely
love my afro, I am really curious to see if my strands really do coil up all
the way. I have heard a lot about the Max Hydration Method and I am currently doing
research to find out everything about it. I have heard mixed reviews, but seen
great results. I am all for anything that adds moisture (low porosity and all)
and if they say one can reach 100% moisture level, then sign me up (minus the
time duration though side eyeing that part so bad), defined coils are just a
side dish.
So guys, let me know, has any one
tried it? How did it work for you? I am having major issues with the time
duration, 7 days? Every day? Who has that time? Did you do all 7 days? Or do
you have a cut down version? What about baking soda? Can’t I just do a protein
treatment? HELP!!!!!!
PSS: In case you missed the link, heres my review on the Manetabolism Hair Vitamins! Go check
it out -> http://youtu.be/KNSN5Mb3U30 Love, Dumsy
So remember when I did the tea rinse while I was in braids? My main reason was to help reduce shedding, but there are many more benefits of tea rinses depending on the different types of teas. I highlight the benefits I have researched and how to do a tea rinse.
HOW TO:
You can easily make a tea rinse at home by steeping 3-4 bags of tea-black or green or both- in half a liter of hot water. This should be steeped for as long as possible, perhaps 3-4hours. If in a hurry, I advise you as least wait till the water is cool enough. It is best to use this water as the last rinse after you have shampooed, and before you deep condition your hair.
BENEFITS:
1) Research shows that the caffeine helps curb the growth of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), which is known to hinder hair growth and cause hair fall(shedding) (Green and Black tea).
2) Helps prevent and cure common hair problems such as dandruff and psoriasis by reducing the inflammation due to its antiseptic properties (Green tea).
3) Helps stimulate hair growth and soften the hair. (Green and Black tea).
4) A good source of Vitamin E and Vitamin C which boosts lustrous hair, and panthenol which is sometimes used in shampoos/conditioners to strengthen hair (Green tea).
5) Darkens hair colour (Black tea).
Any other benefits you know, share with us in the comments below!
My last washday was the simplest washday ever.I have been in braids for 2
weeks and I finally washed them for the first time. To be honest, when I am in
braids I usually slack off a bit, because I feel I can get away with not being
so strict. This is okay IF and ONLY IF you treat your hair very well
before you take off braids, if not, you’ll see the results of your slacking off
going down the drain, literally. Anyways, my washday involved a nice tea rinse
and a cowash.
I have been looking into doing a tea rinse or coffee rinse
and I finally settled on the former. I have done a tea rinse in the past and it
turned out great so I decided why not. Plus I am not a fan of coffee, the taste and
especially the smell so I felt it’ll be silly to pour that over my head despite my
dislike for it. Anyways, tea rinses are wonderful for many reasons, but the
main reason I do it is due to its ability to help reduce shedding (I hope to do a full post about the benefits
of tea rinses soon). As I have said probably 100 times, I am in braids and
this means my shed hair is currently accumulating. This can lead to further
tangles when taking out the braids so I figured this is the perfect time for a
rinse.
I steeped my black tea in hot water for about 4-5hours,
letting it cool off as well as absorb as many “nutrients” as possible, if that
makes sense. I bent over the sink, putting an extra bowl below my head to catch
the tea so as to repeat the process again. Once I was done, I wrapped my braids
in a towel to soak up any excess water and sat for about 30mins to an hour.
Next, I went into the shower and using my As I Am coconut
cowash, I began to wash my hair. I focused mainly on my scalp and any excess I
used to coat the length of my braids, up until where my actual hair ends. I
rinsed, repeated the step and did a final rinse. I made sure to rinse my scalp
thoroughly and in the end, my hair felt pretty clean. I was pleasantly
surprised, cause the product didn’t lather up like a shampoo (not sure if this
normal to others that have used this product, let me know in the comments please), but it did as expected, left my hair moisturised without feeling mushy.
I squeezed the excess water by making my palms tighter as I
went along the length of the braids, rather than twisting the hair like you
would a towel. I then put it in a big bun and finished up in the shower. Right
before I left the shower, I put my head once more under the shower-head for a
final rinse under cold water. I then proceeded to warp my hair in a cotton tee for
about 10mins just to soak up excess water.
Lastly, I did my LOC method by applying my braid spray, then
my oil mixture (JBCO, Argan Oil & Jojoba Oil) and then finally my Sheabutter. I applied a bit extra of my oil
mixture to my scalp and did a scalp massage for about 5mins
I let my braids fly free for an hour before putting it up
into a ponytail and tying it up for bed. And that was it; quiet an extensive
explanation for such a quick/simple process yea? LOL.
PS:
To maintain my braids in-between washes, I simply repeat the
last step-LOC method-as
much as I feel is needed. This can be anywhere from every three days to every
five days. On one of these days, I may just apply the braid spray and oil. I try
to limit it as much as I can to avoid build up, while trying to honor my hair
needs. I also try to fit in a scalp massage on these days as they aid in hair
growth.
For real now, that’s it guys. Thanks for stopping by again,
and go check out how other healthy hair journey ladies did on their respective
washdays -> The Wash Day Experience
Love
Dumsy.
PSS:
Please help me by sharing this post and following my page. J
It was that time of the month again and I was excited
because I was checking my progress. It has been 2 months since I cut off my
relaxed ends and became completely natural. I transitioned for about 8 months
so I would say I have about 10 months’ worth of growth on my head. I must say,
I am pretty happy with my progress. By my calculations, I grew about 1 to 2cm (0.5 to 1 inch),
which is expected. Check out my progress in the pictures below.
Front: From 12cm to 14cm
Right Edge: From 12cm to 14cm
Left Nape: From 10cm to 12cm
Left Edge: From 9cm to 10-11cm
Right Nape: From 8cm to 10cm
I know I said I would chop off the but I decided to wait till my one
year growth mark in March. I also decided that I am not sure (LOL) I will even
my hair out as to be honest; hair on one’s head doesn’t always grow at the same
rate. I will finally decide in March based on my progress, if I will even
everything out or just cut of the straight ends.
Anyways, I have started a bottle of Manetabolism. I took it in the past and I did notice all good things, but I feel like I
cannot do a proper review because I didn’t track it properly. So that’s my aim
this time, to track all pros and cons and come back with a detailed review for
you guys.
Manetabolism promises to "promote healthy hair, nails and skin by supplying nourishment to the body’s cells and by directly targeting hair folicles, nail beds and skin layers. In addition, it boosts energy levels and helps to strengthen the immune system that will overall promote a healthier you."
I will definitely be looking out for each point, from my nails to my
hair length to even its overall thickness.
According to the ManeChoice, each pill is made up of:
Vitamin A: A multi-functional antioxidant that promotes healthy skin, hair and nails and also enhances the immune system. Vitamin A allows the scalp to produce sebum which aids in the thickness and shine of hair.
Vitamin C: Helps to build collagen, a protein that is crucial in the progress of hair growth. Effective in the treatment of hair loss. Aids in the health of the skin and enhances the immune system. Increases scalp circulation, which aids in hair growth.
Vitamin D3: Plays a key role in preventing hair loss as well as fostering hair growth. Enhances the immune system.
Vitamin E: One of the strongest antioxidants available to the body. Increases hair growth and strength by stimulating more blood flow to the scalp. Protects the scalp internally and externally. Enhances the immune system.
Vitamin K: Heals damaged scalp and skin and keeps hair healthy.
Niacin (B3): Minimizes cholesterol buildup on the scalp, which enhances hair growth.
Vitamin B6: Particularly important for hair growth and may cause hair loss when there is a deficiency in the body. Stimulate hair growth, especially in people who suffer from hair loss or thinning.
Folic Acid: An essential vitamin that plays a key role in the overall health of hair and is involved in all three hair follicle cycles, helping to determine a hair strand’s quality and longevity. A deficiency can stunt hair growth. Promotes hair growth by renewing the cells that grow hair. A deficiency in folic acid can inhibit the health of your hair and lead to hair loss and premature graying.
Vitamin B12: Energy booster. Many people who suffer from hair loss have vitamin B12 deficiency. Nourishes scalp and heals the scalp thus promoting hair growth.
Biton (B7): B-complex vitamin useful in the prevention of hair loss and premature graying. Promotes elasticity within the hair’s cortex while thickening cuticles to eliminate breakage. Decreases itchy dry and flaky scalp. Supports the health of the hair, skin and nails.
Zinc: One of the most important vitamins needed for healthy hair. It helps the body to sustain healthy hair in many ways. Helps the body to utilize protein and also contributes to speedy hair growth. A deficiency can reduce the effectiveness of other vitamins in the body.
So thats its for now. Has any body taken these pills before? How was your experience? Lets discuss in the comment section!!
Love,
Dumsy
PS: I also made a video!! Please check it out, like, and share.
So I saw this tag on youtube and decided to answer the questions. It seems fun, as well as a way for you guys to get to know me/my hair a bit better. Weirdly, this actually forces me to know my hair better too! LOL. Anyways, I made a video down below for this post for those who would rather listen than read. :)
1. Why did you start your hair journey ?
I have always loved all things hair since I was a baby, but I could never grow my hair past shoulder length. I was of the belief that very long hair was only possible for African American and mixed girls until I came across a post on Bella Naija, where a full blooded Nigerian girl had mid back length hair and was shocked. I decided to go through her blog, where I discovered lots of new information about how to care for your hair, and how not to handle your hair. I became a youtube addict and started researching all things relaxed, hair growth and the likes, and there your have it, my hair journey was born.
2. How long have you been on your hair journey ?
I have been on my hair journey for about a year and 10 months? Nearly 2 years.
3. Are you natural, relaxed or transitioning ?
I am recently natural.
4. What is your hair length now ?
I have a little more than a TWA. I'd say stretched, my hair is at about NL or less
5. What is your goal length ?
Short term, armpit length. Long term, Bra strap to Mid Back length.
6. What is your hair texture ?
My hair is a mixture of 4b and 4c, with mostly 4c.
7. Health or Length ?
I would definitely have to say health. Without health you won't have length.
8. If you could only live with one hair product what would it be ?
This is a hard question but I would say Jane Carter nourish and shine. 9. What's the worse product you've ever used ?
ALOEVERA JUICE!!! Made my hair so brittle!!
10. What is your go to hair style ?
Since big chop, I would say a braid out/ twist out. But my hair stays under a wig for most of the week. Before while transitioning, I loved my buns. 11. Are you a product junkie ?
Ehhh... Maybe ? Yes ? Yeah, I am. But I do have some staple products.
12. How often do you trim your ends ?
I try to trim as needed. about 2 times a year.
13. How often do you use heat ?
I hardly use heat! Last time I straightened my hair was in April of last year I believe, and that was the only time in 2014. While I was transitioning, I used a hair dryer, but always on cool air.
14. Do you take supplements ?
Yes, I currently take the manetabolism hair vitamins
15. Favorite Oil ?
I am in love with grapeseed oil, argan oil and Jamaican black castor oil, and I recently discovered jojoba oil.
16. Who is your hair crush ?
I have a couple of them. Lulu of Pure Estrogen, Mstanish1, Jenn from jemy1415, and Chizi Duru, just to name a few.
17. How long does it take you on wash day ?
Too long. I would say about 5 hours. But this included product applications, waiting time, and a bit of down time here and there cause I get tired and lazy sometimes. Pre-poo, wash, deep condition, styling....
18. Worse thing that ever happened to your hair ?
Seeing some chunks fall while washing off my relaxer. I cried!!!
19. Do you dye your hair if so what color ?
No
20. Who do you tag ?
I tag everyone and anyone that wants to do this tag!!
And thats it guys!! Heres the video, go check it out and please, like, share and subscribe!!
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