Natural Hair: Oiling Hair - Oil Mister

As a Natural we are consistently looking for not only Oils, Butters and Products to put on our hair but also if there are any ways to ease putting it on our hair we are down for that too.

I'm sure you as the reader, just as myself, have regular spray bottles, Applicator Bottles and Squeeze Bottles with oils and Product you've mixed together for more than one time use.

For someone as myself who has Seborrehic Dermatitis (which I'm considering on working on a Blog more so dedicated around that) I am constantly oiling my scalp. More so to keep the scale and irritation recurrence down than for a Dry scalp in general.
I mix my Oils together and I apply with an Applicator bottle with a Nozzle.

It makes for ease when I have my hair cornrowed for a style or to just oil my scalp in general.

When I'm not using that, I use this one here:

I had seen it at Sally's Beauty Supply. It is for Hair dye application but it is built and functions great for Oiling Hair. I use this tip more when I have my hair free - in an Afro style and am Massaging the oil in.

Both of those work great for the scalp with no problem but if I want Oil on my strands - lets say a Refresher, then it's back to my Applicator bottle mixture and now this is where I get annoyed because there are times I am in a hurry. I do not want to fool around with Oil in my hand to rub on both to this pat around and rub through my hair. Now I have oil on my hands and the things I grab do as well. I had been looking for some type of Oil Aerosol bottle that could be used for such.

Here comes in the Oil Mister.

I came across this when I was Googling Oil Sprayers. Mind you I had seen these before but thought nothing of it.
Then it hit me "Hello. You use Olive Oil and stuff on your hair and THIS is what these things are FOR!" Had a serious Facepalm moment.

I have one that is like the one at the bottom.

I filled it with Equal parts of EVOO - CO - AO and put a little bit of Burdock & Neem Oil for my scalp.

You only fill it Halfway. There is a Fill line on it. You pump it and pump until it starts to feel resistant and it's good for about 10 seconds of Spraying which is good if you are Spraying your head for a light covering. If you need more then just pump again and spray.

I have tried Spray Bottles and they get clogged /don't work with it being pure oil - for my case.

This particular one was Mastrad brand. 

So far with my new use of it I am loving it. I wasn't sure with the mixing of the oils but they are all Light oils so I figured it wouldn't be much of a problem and so far it's not. The only issue I do have is the end of the pump, it touches against the wall of the glass inside so that can affect the pumping/spraying. Something I'm sure I can fix. Otherwise, I love it. I really do.

I can spray my head, I don't have to worry about oil all over my hands and everywhere else. It's nice. I love it.

Natural Hair: Henna on 4B/4C Hair - Low Porosity/High Resistant! (Pic Heavy)

Hello peeps. Work has been endless. I was working every weekend since January and finally near end of April the mandatory weekends slowed down and in May I went to Istanbul. Beautiful city, but that's a story for another time.

Once I get bored with my hair, I get bored. I wanted color again. I hadn't colored my hair since my last post involving the Manic Panic and that Semi-Perm Dye had washed out.

You see my ends are pretty much blonde again, no mistaking that. This is from an old Finger Coil.

I wanted a Burgundy hair color. This time a Permanent Solution. Though, I did not want to damage my hair more than I already have in the past with Bleaching, high developers.

Even though I had bought Ion Brilliance Burgundy from a previous purchase at Sally's, I decided to search the web and do my own Henna research on color options, as well as Pros and Cons.

I learned quite a bit, the main things that stuck out were:

• There are different types of Henna, based on where they are Farmed and the color they are known to stain more of.
• Always use a Plastic/Non-Metal Container and Utensils when involving Henna.
• Henna can strengthen and soften the hair. 
• The natural chemical Lawsome in it that also gives it the Orange-Red color fills in the damage of the hair cuticle.
• Body Art Quality (BAQ) Henna is the kind you want to purchase and use for your hair.
• Henna stains a Red-Orange color, regardless of kind. Some stain more intense than others. You can change the stain color by what you add to it (Coffee, Tea, Powders, Honey).
• Henna cannot lighten your hair. It can add color to Dark hair but if your hair is Black, do not expect Deep Red Hair. On Very Dark Brown/Black hair you might see highlights more in the sunlight than actual indoor/low lighting.
• Henna is a great moisture restorer - make sure to add something to it so it isn't hard to wash out.
• Henna does not Lift Color.
• If you are Hennaing for color, it takes HOURS to be left on your head. If you are just conditioning then 30mins - 2 hours is fine.
• Henna can define your curls but it can also loosen the curl - Some people only notice a slight curl difference, and for others it's drastic. Loosened curls is not common though.

• Henna is Permanent - Though I do believe this is based on how many applications and if it took to the hair. There are cases were people were able to remove the Henna. It's just a tedious process.

Natural Hair Care: Dealing With Dryness

(Image credit to Google)

I think every Natural, especially New hit the Dryness mark. I call it the 'Dryness Plato'.
"I can never keep my hair Moisturized." "My hair is so dry all the time." "I moisturize my hair all the time and still nothing!" "I cannot keep dealing with this, can you please help me!"

Been there, but how do you get over that if you are currently THERE???

My first questions are what is your hair routine?
What oils/products do you use?
How Often do you Shampoo your hair?
Do you do Hot Oil Treatments and how often?

Your Texture, as well as your hair and scalp needs in general need to be looked at. Also please keep in mind that what might help ONE Natural Hair Beauty will not necessarily help YOU!

One of the biggest leads to Dryness/Can't keep moisture is Over-Shampooing.

We Shampoo our hair to get the dirt, clean the hair, the pores. To generalize it. But how often do you Shampoo your hair and what kind do you use?
We live in a Society that is very into Grooming and those with Straight hair/Oily hair are always washing their hair to get the oils out. That's great except we need to put and KEEP oils IN our hair. You cannot follow the lead of hair that isn't yours!
You can't Shampoo your hair 3 Times out of the week. You're stripping your hair of oils as soon as you saturate your head with it pretty much.
If you using a Sulfate filled Shampoo then you really are leaving no oils behind, even natural oils and you must fully condition (recommend Deep Condition ((DC))) to replace that stripped oils and moisture.

"But I workout a lot/sweat a lot. I don't want my hair to smell."
Fully noted. Using NATURAL products e.g; Coconut Oil/Jojoba Oil/Avocado Oil, will aid in not only moisturizing your hair but also be clean to use and won't just sit on your hair/scalp. If you are someone who feels they must Shampoo 2 times a week then COWASH (Conditioner ONLY wash) your hair every other time you would normally Shampoo. Then work your way down from there.
Some Curlies don't even use Shampoo, they just strictly Co-Wash - usually based on personal preference. As your hair growths and you learn more about hair care, you also learn more about your own hair care needs.

"No matter how much I use my hair is always thirsty!"
I can most definitely relate to this one. I have 4B/4C hair and not only does my hair get major thirsty if I don't have my proper hair routine but my Scalp gets dry fast and here comes the flaking.

Do you do Hot Oil Treatments? Better yet, HAVE YOU?
Hot Oil Treatments are great for getting moisture into your hair as well as working with any Dryness you have hair OR scalp wise! Also a great way of keeping oils in your hair while washing. Some Store bought HOTs will say to apply after washing. Personally, I feel it's more effective before washing.
I do HOTs before I Shampoo and then I Deep Condition right after I shampoo.
If you have Trouble with HOTs, do you apply heat your heat while you have it covered? Your hair might be Low Porosity so the cuticle is very hard to get moisture in. Heat will help open up the cuticle to allow moisture/oils in.

A Great Pre-Poo is Coconut Oil. It opens up the hair shaft, allowing moisture in and also helps when it comes to Shampooing so your hair isn't being completely ripped of oils and 'bone dry'.
Pre-Pooing also helps with your Conditioning, it has something to hold onto and get into the hair better, faster, and you'll have softer/shiner hair!

Coconut Oil actually Relaxes my curl so I don't like washing with it. I have a Pre-Poo Mixture of Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Jamaican Black Castor Oil - Jojoba Oil - Wheat Germ Oil, Rosemary, Tea Tree that's in a Spray Bottle w/Water. I Saturate my hair with this before I CoWash.

Are you someone who puts heat on their head? Did you just color your hair? Then you might need a Protein Treatment!
Old Fashion Mayo w/an Egg and if you have some oils you want to add will Doctor your head up.

The LOC Method has also been on the Rise lately. Liquid - Oil - Cream/Butter. After washing your hair, you put in your Leave-In Conditioner, then Oil on your hair to help Seal in the moisture and then your favorite Styling Butter/Cream to help retain and maintain moisture.

Usually the cause of the Dryness is not necessarily the product/oils you are using but how your hair is taking them.

The further you go along in your hair journey the more you learn about the wants and needs of your hair. What causes it dryness and how to maintain moisture.

I get really dry hair and scalp, my Routine is CoWashing every 3-4 Days. If I've been in Protective Styling majority of the week/low strand exposure then Once a Week.
Pre-Poo before CoWashing.
Every other Week I Shampoo - Homemade Hot Oil Treatment (Jojoba Oil, JBCO, Wheat Germ Oil, Glycerin, Rosemary, Peppermint). Then I spritz my hair with a Coconut Oil/Water mixture with Lavendar/Glycerin/Castor Oil to open up my strands. Put on a Heat Cap for a good Hour to make sure. Deep Condition after Shampooing - Castor Oil as well as Wheat Germ added to it.

After rinsing that out I put in my Leave-In. Oil my scalp with JBCO, Avocado, Extra Virgin Olive, Jojoba, Sweet Almond w/Essential Oils. Massage my scalp very well with this.

Put my hair in a protective style using a Cream.

I oil my scalp every day/every other day to prevent flaking from Dermatitis.

Hope this is helpful :-).

Filtered Blytheye Grey/EOS New Adult Lens Pic

EOS New Adult Grey Lenses.

Was having fun with my Camera and added a filter to this picture, came out awesome. Debating on how to implement it on my blog aside from changing profile picture :-).

Natural Hair: Blonde -Hair Bleaching- Info.

First I would like to say that of course I am by no means a Hair Professional! I just like to experiment with my own hair and take care of it fairly well! Also this post might be poor in pictures and I am sorry for that. Next time I will do one solely on how I did my Own hair and I will break it down into Details if needed.

With that said, I would like to also clarify that people should REALLY REALLY REALLY make sure to read whatever hair coloring product they use on their hair! I will explain why I emphasis this later on. If it doesn't tell you on the box/product then GOOGLE IT!

*******

I have ALWAYS wanted to go Blonde - specifically a Golden Blonde but since BLONDE is so extreme, especially if you are like me who's a woman of color and have Natural coarse hair (my hair type is 4B), going Blonde with nice length of healthy hair will cause you to be hesitant real quick!

Breaking this into 3 steps, the first step is a no-brainer

First Step is Research:
No matter what you do, always research and try to find other stories with comparison to see what the results may be. Especially if you are doing it from home. You'll always have people who will say "you should just go get it Professionally done" but the thing about Black hair especially Natural is that just because the shop is a BLACK SALON doesn't mean that they honestly do Virgin Afro hair on the Daily, because usually they don't! If they get any Virgin hair it's getting Braided or Blown out, it's not being Bleached. LET'S BE REAL PEOPLE!
If you're like me, I don't trust just anyone with my hair! So if it starts breaking off I'd rather have myself to Blame and throw on a Wig than want to put my foot up the Hairdresser who did it bum!

WHEN IT COMES TO BLEACHING IT IS NOT JUST A ONE STEP PROCESS BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE TO EITHER GO BACK WITH A TONER SHAMPOO TO GET THE BRASSINESS OUT OR LIGHTEN COLOR(OR Adding The Blonde Tone of your choosing) THAT DIDN'T LIGHTEN WHEN APPLYING!

...Or you could be like me and say "screw the Brassiness", since my hair is a Golden Blonde it actually works well with it.

Second Step deciding the right Bleaching Process:
Some people find it easier to get just a Bleach KIT, these are Kits that similar to the hair coloring Kits. They have Developer and Bleach powder in them, along with a small mixing Bowl and brush. The Outside of the Box will tell you what the Developer is (30 or 40). The Number indicates the Intensity of it. If you are Brown Hair - Dark Brown and you want a Blonde, 30 should be good.
Manic Panic has a Kit that is called "Flash Lightning"

My experience with this Kit 3-4years ago, I had the 30 Developer one and I didn't bleach my entire head, just Certain parts throughout my hair. It was definitely a Blonde but my Curl did also loosen quite a bit from it.

There is also the Powder packets which are just the Bleaching Powder, you have to buy the Developer separate. Be sure to read Information on the Back of the Packet. Some Powder Bleaches use a Creme Developer, some use a Clear.

When using the Developers and Powders the ratio is 1:2 meaning that if the Powder is 1oz, you use 2oz worth of Developer for mixing. When it comes to the Dyes in the Bottles/Tubes its 1:1, 2oz Dye with 2oz of Developer.

Lastly you can always just get the Color Blonde of your Choosing that requires you to buy the Developer Separate and then get the Developer and an Applicator Bottle and mix it that way (you can use a Bowl but I feel the Bottles are better for applying to the roots and going over again). If your hair is Black I would suggest using the Bleach Packets before that though to help with the Lifting or you won't get the color you want. They say to go up 2 Shades to Achieve the shade you want when doing that. I honestly believe it depends.

Do NOT, and I Repeat DO NOT Buy Bleach Kit/Powder and Developer and then Use the Developer along with the Dye Back to Back the same day because that is OVER-PROCESSING your hair and will cause severe damage! It might even turn an ugly Gray color due to that, if it doesn't break off. I had a young lady who was asking me how I did my hair to get the Blonde and she told me what she did BEFORE asking me and her hair was this burnt looking Grey... I felt bad for her honestly but this is why you RESEARCH Before hand because a lot of these Products ARE for Professional use, therefore they don't actually Explain how to use one or the other.

Third Step - Protection/Conditioning:
Now that you've made up how you're going to do it, whether a Kit or powder/dye & developer, it's time to think about what you're doing to do RIGHT after you process and rinse the Chemicals out. Deep Conditioning is a MUST. I have Creme of Nature Deep Conditioner and I add Wheat Germ Oil (HIGH in Vitamin E which is great for Damage, Breakage), an Egg(2) for Protein because your hair is stripped of it and Rosemary Oil. This is just what I use, you can use whatever you want as long as it has properties for deep conditioning and treating your hair.
I usually keep it on for 1-3 hours when coloring my hair. This past time I left it on for 3hours since it was a full bleaching of my head process.
After rinsing out I put in my Leave-In and make sure to use a Heavy/Thick Moisturizer, like Castor Oil or Shea Butter. I use Shea Butter since it's a Heavy Moisturizer w/Grapefruit and Lavender in it to help with healthy hair growth and strengthening.

Lastly when it comes to touching up your roots you don't need to bleach(powder) them. You can use developer and dye in an applicator bottle, even if you did use a powder, the heat off your scalp will help with the lightening process :-)

(From a week ago, actually thinking about going a step lighter).