Personal Hair Challenge/Starting Week 5

Haven't really had much to update on as far as length because I'm still rocking my Crochet Braids.

Fun webcam picture for you all with my Harry Potter shirt (Absolutely LOVE me some Potter, Books and all).
It's been 3 weeks or so since I've put these in, and let me say that I am STILL enjoying them. I love them, I do. I feel a certain type of way, confidence wise. I'm not even going to lie, haha.

Meanwhile since last update I've Crochet my moms hair, and I'm trying my best to take my Supplements on the daily. I haven't been as strict my eating because well dammit it is the holiday season, come on now! lol

I was concerned that once my hair starts growing if it would ruin the style. I was also worried about how much build up would I get on my Scalp. How much DANDRUFF I would get since I am not actually washing my scalp, but doing the Witch Hazel Method of wiping the scalp with a cotton swap.
How dry would my hair be?

Well I've been Oiling my scalp with my JBCO Extra Dark, Avocado Oil, EVOO, Jojoba Oil, Sweet Almond Oil w/Essential Oils mixture in a bottle and spraying my hair the best I can with Shea Moistures Moisture Mist spray they have.
I try to do this every other day.
My hair doesn't smell. I was putting Beautiful Textures Mousse on it every other day to help with the frizzing and to calm this Diana Ross/Chaka Khan hair DOWN, lol.
I haven't had any Flaking. My New growth actually lays down some of the hair since it's not sticking out at the braid from my scalp.

I will probably rock again for another week or two and then will take down my hair, Hot Oil Treatment, Shampoo, DC my hair and quite possibly Install my 2nd Crochet Braids.

I am very very pleased with myself on how my hair came out. I was so apprehensive but I am happy. I will keep it long.

Also, I organized my Cabinet, now to figure out what did I do with the Burdock Oil I bought!

Natural Hair: Productive Winter Styling - Crochet Braids.

It's getting colder. Much colder. I live in Northern Illinois. I can get quite cold here. Luckily with it just now hitting December it hasn't hit the peak of how cold it can get. I'm enjoying the High 30s for now. But regardless of the temperature, the air is dry as well. Cold + dry hair = Dry and Brittle Natural Hair, which is a No-No in anyone's book. One can easily say "just add more moisturizer/wash your hair more" Yeah, I'm sorry but you move slower in the colder weather and one just simply does not have time for that! The Less manipulation the better.

I want my hair to be Styled the Weekend before Thanksgiving. It was also my Birthday Weekend (Nov. 25th). I've done Marley Twists. Thought about doing them again but I don't like how my hair is still out in a way because it's twisted in the hair, I'm always messing with the twists and if the twists are dry, my hair is dry. Also, the Weighted of the hair, PULLING, tension, No no.
I thought about Box Braids, but it's the same concept. I thought about Cornrows but I don't look good with just hair plaited on my scalp.
I came across Crochet Braids. 
Now I NEVER had any type of loose weave, outside of a Wig. I've always had either Braids, Synthetic Dreads or Marley Twists. Never a Glue/Sew-In, No Tracks. And when I FIRST saw this style I thought it was one of those.
Also saw someone saying these are backing a Comeback. Now people should KNOW that styles never die. Just because one loses it's popularity doesn't mean no one is wearing it at all!

Luckily we live in the days of the Internet and Youtube. I came across some Tutorials and I just LOVED the fact that I could Protect my hair, NOT have to add any glue to my hair and Rock this style! I love the fact that I could easily oil and moisturize my hair and scalp underneath the hair that is just Crochet through with a Latch Hook:

All you need is Bulk Hair of your Choice, A Latch Hook and Patience. Oh and maybe some Mousse if you bought some hair with Curls and to help soften them up when splitting them.

The hair I bought, Water Wave. Can get in Freetress or Model Model. Same name under both. I noticed that people seem to CUT the hair in half, so that it's shorter, also they buy less packs. I bought 6 Packs, 5 of a #2, one of a #30 I believe. I ended up needing 7-8 Packs of #2 because I DID NOT cut the hair and I just love me some big hair. Mind you it seems most people use 2-3 backs with it cut so I used triple.

I broke each twist into 2-3 pieces, Using the Mousse to smooth it out.

I am by all means, not the best Braider in the world, I don't cornrow my hair often. Think this is the 3rd time in maybe 4 years. It's not hard, I know, lol. I tried my best with my thick hair.

You noticed I didn't get all my hair on my edges because I didn't want that stress and actually me having them out and smoothed down HELP with the Natural look at the end.

I watched AfricanExport's Crochet Braid video on how she Latch Hooked her daughters hair.

Starting at the back of my head, which was the most complicated. Not only because it's hard to see the back of your head even with mirrors but because your hair, if your cornrow it back is now kinda in a cluster back there. You are trying to crochet your hair and cover it up back there.

Was almost done with my hair, you see how full the right side is.

Finished product.

How long did it take: With JUST The Crocheting Process, 8 hours. MIND YOU - This was my very first time doing these. I had a hard time with the back because I wasn't sure HOW I would crochet it but it ended up very cute and I love it.

Also getting them out is a BREEZE. You just cut slightly above the Knot, pull the Knot and it comes out, like nothing. So much better than braiding. So much better than twisting, lol.

I clean my Scalp with WITCH HAZEL on a Cotton Ball. I only use Oils on my scalp. No Butters. I spray my Cornrows with a Mist for added moisture.

Can keep for 1-2 Months. I would do a Month, then Hot Oil treatment, wash hair, deep condition and do again.

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 :-).

Personal Hair Challenge Week 1 Summary, Start of Week 2.

Week 1 wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

This is the Beginning verse now.
It's only been ONE Week so I do not expect anything as far as change in Length. Also I Blow Dried my hair in the Week 1 Picture so it wouldn't be accurate anyway I don't think. But still I am enjoying what has been going on.

Products I've been Using:

Beautiful Textures Moisture Butter - (about to run out of that).
Beautiful Textures Leave-In when I wash.
Beautiful Textures Curl Definer in a Spray Bottle w/Water & Glycerin
Beautiful Textures Deep Conditioner (actually just ran out. Shea Moisture Deep Masque is next).
Shea Moisture Style Milk w/Added Oils
As I Am Coconut CoWash (Will NOT Be buying that again, waiting to use it up.)
Homemade JBCO Scalp Mixture w/EVOO,Jojoba Oil, Sweet Almond, Avocado, Wheat Germ Oil, Essential Oils,
Homemade Hot Oil Treatment
TIGI Catwalk Oats & Honey Shampoo
Whipped Shea Butter w/Grapefruit & Lavendar

All items except The Curl Definer and Whipped Shea Butter have JBCO added to them and Essential Oils.

My next CoWash Conditioner will be the Organix Coconut Conditioner I have.

There are some Miscellaneous products that I'm testing out that I JUST got but those above are my STAPLE products.

I just got Organix Keratin Instant Repair spray. I hope to control any damage on my ends with it. I've used it over the weekend and today as I did my Protective Styling.

Planning on making an Oil solely for my ends once I get my Neem Oil, Lemongrass Oils in the mail.

Which brings up one of the hard parts of the Challenge will be Styling. Now I don't have a problem with Protective Styling. Specially since it's getting colder here in the Northern Midwest but it's the LACK of styles that I personally know to Choose from. The main thing I've been doing is Bantu Knots.

Which I have never been a big fan of BUT it's the best way for me to protect my Ends from Damage, with the rest of my hair :-).

I usually keep them in for about 2 days and then I fluff out my hair to either Re-Moisturize or CoWash. I don't care for having Two Strand twists all over but I see those 2 being my Main (if not only) styles as far as Major protection and less Manipulation.

My Main Goal the first Week was to keep my hair Moisturized and to control my Dermatitis. I had very bad flaking the first 2 days. I was becoming frustrated. Then I CoWashed and made sure to really really rub the oils into my scalp as much as I could when it was time to Oil my Scalp.

So far I haven't had any more issues. I Hot Oil treated and Deep Conditioned my hair yesterday.

Big Problem Area: The Middle of my head. The hair there grows different, and it's actually shorter. It even feels different compared to the rest of my head. I can't describe the texture. Other than it's short but thick but never retains length. It's getting better.

I can tell I have some new growth coming in because of the texture of hair. My hair has been very moisturized and soft. This has been the softest it's been in a while actually and Detangling has been easy.

Very happy with the first week so far with my hair.

Now as eating goes I am proud of myself. No soda, no junk food, no fast food. Meat intake is low. LOTS of Green & Blueberry Tea. Hard Boiled Eggs almost been daily.

For next week I'll try to actually see if I have any Growth of Length and to keep good track of it. I'm not fond of hair length tracking to be quite honest, lol.

Manic Panic Dye on Natural Hair (Afro/Ethnic)

Hello Everyone!
Meaning to do this post almost 2 months ago but wanted to wait :-).

I know there are those Naturals out there who do want to Experiment with color but do not want the Possibility of Breakage or you lightened your hair already with a Developer/Bleach and would like to add some Color without adding more harsh chemicals. Here comes in Manic Panic Semi-Permanent Hair Dye.

If you don't have any lightening in your hair don't fret. You can get color using this product but you will need to let it sit longer.

NOTE: IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR POROSITY IN YOUR HAIR IS, IF IT IS LOW AND YOU HAD A HARD TIME GETTING MANIC PANIC TO STAY THEN I SUGGEST YOU DO IT ON CLEAN DRY HAIR AND ALSO USE A HEAT CAP TO OPEN UP THE HAIR CUTICLE. IF YOU NEED TO SLEEP WITH IT OVERNIGHT THEN DO SO! If you're afraid of damage don't be.

Now I'm not big on Semi-Dyes because they Bleed. As in the color rinses out/comes out as you wash your hair. Depending on the Brand and color (as well as what you put in your hair) will depend on how long it lasts in your hair before completely fading to a off-lighter color further from the original. But I got bored with my Blonde. I had been growing my roots out as I tried to make up my mind on what I wanted to do with my hair. Finally I decided I wanted a Red color but nothing permanent until I made up my mind completely.

Manic Panic is NOT Harsh on your hair. It is Vegan Friendly. It's kind of like a Conditioner with Color Dye in it.
You can freely play with the colors and not feel the brittle/dry/fragile results that can come with Chemical dyes right after rinsing out.
You CAN mix the colors to get the Preferred color of your choice and with that Said I HIGHLY suggest doing so since they actually only come in very Vibrant/Bold colors. If you want a Rich Brown, Burgundy, you will need to mix Colors.

With that said, I wanted a Burgundy so I bought Vampire Red which is one of the Darkest Reds they have. It is a very Crimson/Bloody Red color on it's own. Purple Haze is their Standard/Dark Purple.

Materials Needed:
Dye(s) of your Choice
Gloves
Bowl to Mix if you are using more than 1 color and need to Blend it.
Color Brush (it does help) if you don't want to just use your hands.
Styling Cape or Your Least Favorite Shirt.

I used a Styling Cape. As well as I had Hair Wrap papers I never used so they came in handy for me to tie around my neck.

Side Note: I would not Wash this out in your Tub or you will need to get a good cleaning agent to help get the staining out. If you have a Stainless Steel Sink or a Basement with a Sink you use for Washing clothes, etc I would rinse/wash your head in there. At least for the first 1-2 times you need to wash your head.

I wasn't sure how much of what color I would need so I slowly mixed each color together until I got the Ideal color I liked:

I actually did end up using a 1:1 Ratio with both Colors. I thought it would be a 1:2 with Purple being 1 and Red being 2 for the color I wanted, I actually purchased 2 Vampire Reds because my hair is thick, I wasn't sure how it would be.

Now since I did use BOTH Colors, that was 2 Containers used. I have 4B/4C Hair and it is thick. So don't let my Shrinkage fool you on my Length! If you have Short/Fine hair then 1 is Plenty. If it is thick, get 2 Containers if you are not Mixing.

Applying:

For best Results I would apply this to clean dry hair. There are no harsh chemicals. You don't have that chemical smell with this product so you don't need a product barrier on your strands. Again this is like a Conditioner with Dye. The Cleaner the hair, the better the results and deeper the color is saturated on your strands.

I don't do Strand Tests. I am a big risk taker, why yes I am, lol. This is the color compared to the blonde of my hair and my Towel which is a Black/Purple-Burgundy color.

My whole head now with the color and I let this marinate on my head for about 2-3 Hours. The longer you let it set under a Cap the better the color will stay.

For Washing, all the Color will not wash out. You to Rinse your hair with a Cool/Warm water. I did use a Shampoo to get some of the color out but that is not Recommended. You keep rinsing your hair until the Water is mostly clear.

Results:

My Hair after 6 weeks:

The Color is holding up pretty well. I Shampoo every 2 weeks. Co-Wash Mid-Week/Once a week.

And here's my hair from the Weekend:

Webcam Picture but it actually does show the Fading well. The color is still there but it is faded. I will probably do a Touch-Up Next Weekend.
Hope this is Helpful :-).

Product Review: TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Shampoo [Disconnected (Can still buy)]

Hello Everyone.

As Titled this Review is going to be on TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Shampoo. This bottle that is 12oz (and matching Conditioner bottle color that's 8oz) is Discontinued. TIGI has a new Oatmeal & Honey that I believe is ONLY in Salons for Purchase (aside from spots Online) Locally if in your area. I haven't seen it at the Targets here. It's a different Presentation of packing.

You can still Buy this one Online and at Target.

I bought this back in early April of this Year and I still have the same Bottle, it's a little under Halfway gone currently. Mainly due to trying out other products and also not Shampooing my hair as Often. I was using Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Shampoo & Conditioner which is a pretty decent Shampoo line. And I use my Suave Professionals Almond & Shea Butter.  But I wanted something that was different but still Beneficial to my hair. Was browsing through Target, I just wanted to see what kind of Products they had. I never go to Target and I came across this Shampoo. I had never seen it before, and to have a Shampoo with Oatmeal in it FOR HUMANS just BLEW my mind.

In fact if you were to Google 'Oatmeal Shampoo' you will get nothing but Dog Shampoo links, I kid you not!

But when you actually look at the Ingredients on the Bottle it doesn't have any Oatmeal or Honey in it. I assume it was more so for the SMELL than anything else lol. Even though that doesn't sound promising the list of Ingredients is not bad at all. In fact they are beneficial and overall I enjoyed the Product. The first 5 Ingredients are: Disodium Oleamido PEG-2 Sulfosuccinate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract (Cucumber), Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract (Kiwi), Coriandrum Sativum Extract (Coriander),

It is a Sulfate Shampoo, so if that's a big No No to you then I suppose you wouldn't like it. But as for someone like myself who can get bad Dermatitis this was godly on my hair! A little can go a long way. I am so use to having to pile on Shampoo that I actually put too much in my hair and the lather is just ridiculous. My hair feels so soft afterwards and my scalp feels so good!

I feel it's a really good Shampoo that you can get easily at Target, and it's suppose to be Professional/Salon grade. It even has a "SOLD ONLY IN PROFESSIONAL SALONS" Warning line on the back, lol.

Overall this is a 4 out of 5 for my 4B/4C Hair. 

I'm trying to focus on my Scalp health, as well as Overall Health of my hair and body so the next Shampoo I aim to Purchase will be something on the Organic/Natural side.

Note: Just because something says For Damaged/Dry Hair on the Product does NOT mean you have to have Damaged/Dry/Colored Hair to use it. In fact that is just something called MARKETING. It's the same type of Marketing they do to the African Hair consumers all the time. The 'Black Hair' Products when it comes to Shampoo & Conditioner are the same that's in the Mainstream Products... lol.

I find that Damaged/Dry Products actually have more MOISTURIZING ingredients in them compared to others that I've seen!

Today Starts A Personal Natural Hair Challenge...

When it comes to my Natural Hair, I never cared to do a Challenge.

I've always felt that Hair Challenges in the Black/Afro Online Community were more so for those New to their Natural Hair. Going from a Big Chop to a TWA and wanting to see exactly how much they can get in Growth in a Concentrated, short period of time. Keeping the thrill of the New Hair Journey you just embarked upon and gaining insight. As well as easily keeping Track of Growth.

I'm not saying that's ALL that Hair Challenges are for because I know there are many of Long hair Beauties who participate. Just a personal view of Hair Challenges in general is all.

As for someone like myself; I've been Natural on and off my whole life. I say On and Off because a Relaxer has Touched my hair before. Though I was never relaxed frequently or often in that fact. It was a once a Year thing, if even. My hair would eventually after some weeks just curl back up, it would be what would be considered a Tex-Lax today, and a Weak one at that.

When I wasn't cutting my hair, my hair use to be big ^^^^.

If you ever saw the Kids book called "Nappy Hair" that was Me. About a girl who's hair was the Nappiest, Thickest, Unruly, Hair ever in her Family. And actually even to this day I get the "GIRL YOUR HAIR IS THICK!" From strangers. Aside the Classic "Is that all your hair" Line.

But as the weeks have gone by this year, as I aim to set a regiment for myself that I will stick with, A Personal Hair Challenge has become quite more appealing. And I now see why others who aren't fresh from a Chop do it.

I could just join upcoming Challenges that I'm sure are coming soon. Like the Castor Oil Challenge that Kinky Curly Coily Me host every Season. But I'd rather update my personal Blog than a Forum.

I want to see exactly how much Growth I can get between Now and End of Winter.

My Challenge Rules:

• Add Essential Oils to all Products being used, the Essential oil doesn't matter or how many.

• Implement Jamaican Black Castor Oil into as many Products/Mixers as Possible e.g; Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Butter, Scalp Oil, Hot Oil Treatments, etc.

• Deep Condition & Hot Oil Treatment Once A Week.

• Work on Eating better, Consume less junk, drink more Teas and Water.

• Implement Exercise By Week 3.

• Keep hair in as many protective styles as possible since Winter is approaching (Gotta love N. Midwest). At least 5 Days a week.

• Protein Treatment Every 2 Weeks.

• Biotin, Green Tea, MSM & Multivitamin Pill everyday.

I just Blow Dried my hair yesterday because I was in dire need of a Trim/Cut.

My Hair is at the Start of my Arm pit, below Collarbone after the Trim.

Now find a good Protein Treatment.