Friday night update

Yes! I am making a blog post on a Friday night when I should be out losing myself. I promise I would not be long. I am just here to say that I got two new products today. Conditioners actually. Here's to second chances, I decided to give the Organics Root Stimulator Replenishing conditioner another go. Secondly,I added the Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise as promised in a previous post. Stay tuned for a review.

How to 'cheat' a roller set?

In my previous wash day post I expressed my reluctance to do roller-sets. Few days ago I was surfing the internet when I saw a blog post "Pony tail roller set",instantly it caught my attention. I decided to read all there is about it. To further satisfy my curiosity I looked for you tube video to enhance my understanding of the technique. My next wash day I plan to try it. Here are some pictures I stumbled upon.

It is not necessary

Since I am on my hair journey these are things I deem unnecessary or bandwagons I would not jump on.

1. Sulfate free shampoo - Personally,I think that sulfates are vital in my regimen because I use products with silicons and mineral oil. After a week or two of continuously moisturizing and sealing the hair needs to be cleansed. I see sulfate free shampoos as dish washing liquid without sulfate. Imagine that! I have been using my sulfate shampoo for almost 2 years now and I have been seeing growth and there was no breakage. I think that using a sulfate shampoo just requires you to put back the moisture that was lost during the shampooing step. On top of that I newly discovered pre-shampoo treatment  which offers some conditioning which prevents sulfates from having its way with my hair.

2.Co-washing-I never did it while I was relaxed and still reaped benefits. I did this when I big chopped only to pop my curls. After I grew out of that phase I discontinued. Washing and deep conditioning every 1-2 weeks is enough.

3.Stretching- No matter how much you write an article on ways to stretch I would still not be interested. I tried this once and lets say I loss more than I gained. They say it makes the hair thicker. Obviously it would feel that way in the roots area but I think no technique or product can give you what is not in your gene pool. I relax anyway from 6-8 weeks and my hair is just fine. The creators of relaxers knew what they were saying when they said touch up can be done from 6 weeks and beyond.

4. Tea/Coffee Rinse- At this point I am skeptical about it.I would rather resort to a protein treatment to combat shedding.

Wash day (5 weeks & 1 day post)

I am sorry to say that wash days are very tiring days for me. I no longer look forward to washing my hair,especially roller-setting. I feel like I just do not have time for that. I know the feeling is bad but I guess I got over the hype. Today I did the regular steps. I did a pre-shampoo treatment with my Organics Cholesterol Tea-Tree oil and it stuck to my hair like glue. That product and I have a love hate relationship. Sometimes it will rinse clear other times it just would not. I think it is time to set that treatment aside. As a result of it sticking to my hair I shampooed once with my clarifying shampoo and shampooed two more times using my moisturizing shampoo. Shampooing was followed by a protein treatment using Organics Hair Mayonnaise which I am almost out of. Then I used up my last pack of SoftSheen Carson Deep Conditioning Masque. After I applied my leaving conditioner, I could not get myself to do a roller-set so I air dried my hair and flat ironed it passing the flat iron over it only once to minimize the risk of heat damage.

what is my ultimate hair goal?

I honestly do not want extremely long hair. I want to get to  Armpit length to Bra Strap length. I believe those length are very manageable and can be styled a certain way. The ultimate style I want to to do with my real hair is the side braid. Once I can achieve that look my hair journey will end.

SoftSheen Carson Optimum Care Salon Collect Deep Conditioning Masque

This conditioner was actually the first moisturizing conditioner I implemented into my regimen. My hair stylist was the one who recommended it. I washed my hair today and decided to use the last pack. I really like it but I did not repurchase because of its packaging. Hence the reason for the Hollywood's Beauty Cholesterol. I tend to wash my hair frequently and one pack per wash just cannot cut it because each pack is $7 dollars while my newest deep conditioner is $12 dollars for a 20 ounce jar. A win win right? If it came in a bigger container it would have been a staple conditioner because the results are phenomenal. When it touches your scalp it tingles which I believe would help to stimulate growth. It has a thick,white and creamy consistency,which is easy to rinse out and leaves your hair buttery soft and smooth to the touch. If SoftSheen Carson decides to repackage I would definitely repurchase it.

Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol Deep Conditioning Creme Review

It is cheap but it works. This product smells like candy,simply sweet and welcoming. The consistency is different not the typical creamy consistency you are accustomed too. I deep conditioned using this product for 20 minutes with a dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It was easy to rinse out and after rinsing out my hair felt slightly soft to the touch and even softer as my hair dries. Would I recommend this? Yes,its a cheap conditioner and does what it says except for the "super shine". Remember it is through trial and error we actually learn what our hair likes

Wash day (almost 4 weeks post)

I decided to wash my hair today which took many different turns. I pre-pooed using my Organic Hair Mayonnaise,shampooed twice and followed up with my newly purchased Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol to incorporate some moisture into my regimen. It was the first time I pre-pooed using a protein treatment. I am not sure if I would do it again. I also want to use up that product, maybe that was motivation to use it a pre-shampoo treatment. At the end of the wash my hair felt soft and strong. Also I tried  wet wrapping my hair for the very first time and I like it. My hair came out straight and I did not have to use any heat tools to perfect the look. It came out well. On wash days to come, I believe I would be resorting to this method more often because it is easy and less time consuming compared to alternative means.

Hair Goals

• Armpit Length by October,2013

• Finish some products:

1. Organics by Africa's Best Hair Mayonnaise
2. Organics by Africa's Best Cholesterol Tea-Tree Oil

• Stick to what WORKS!!!

Hair Haul (3)

The last time I went shopping I got myself this deep conditioner. It is more of a replacement for Optimum's Deep Conditioning Masque. It served me well but for an unemployed graduate its beyond my pocket. We shall see how this one goes. Depending on the result it would become a staple in my regimen.Stay tuned for a review!:)

Organics by Africa's Best Hair Mayonnaise VS Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise

Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise

Water Aqua, Glycerin, Polyquaternium 37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate,PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Dimethicone PEG-7 Cocoate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate,Cetearyl Alcohol, Safflower Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Olive Oil, Lanolin Oil,Tridecyl Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate,Tridecyl Trimellitate,C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Wheat Germ Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Cholesterol, Nettle,Paprika Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Dimethicone, Egg Powder Ovum, Fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate,d-Limonene, LINALOOL, DMDM Hydantoin, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methyl Paraben, , Propyl Paraben,Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone,Yellow #6, Yellow #5

Organics by Africa's Best Hair Mayonnaise

Water,Glycerin,ParaffinumLiquidum (Mineral Oil),Dicetyldimonium Chloride ,Polyquaternium  32, Lanolin Oil ,Behentrimonium Methosulfate ,Olive Oil ,Cetyl Alcohol,DMDM Hydantoin ,Cetearyl Alcohol,Phenyl trimethicone , Fragrance ,Dimethicone PEG-8 Laurate ,Oregano Leaf, Carrot Seed Oil,Cholesterol, Soluble Collagen,Tocopherol, Egg Powder ,Panthenol,Safflower Seed OiI, CL19140(Yellow 5),CL42090(Blue1),CL16035(Red 40),Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Horsetail) Extract ,Nettle Extract

Hydrolyzed Collagen - Adds body, resiliency, shine, and manageability as well as reduced static charge also provides moisturizing benefits. Used to strengthen hair structure. It is the primary element for hair elasticity.

These are considered to be protein treatments for damaged over-processed hair which are not of equal strength. One seems to be a mere replica of the other. For about 2 years I have been using Africa's Best Hair Mayonnaise. My hair is not breaking but I think I am up for a change. Yes, I know about the statement if it ain't broke don't fix it. After endless research I am convinced that one's regimen should consist of a medium-heavy protein just to give the hair that extra TLC that other or lighter conditioners may not be able to give. After looking at the composition of each product the ORS Mayonnaise is more of a medium protein treatment while its competitor is on the lighter side. The vast majority  of a product is consist of the first 5-7 ingredients. Simply put the Africa's Best Mayonnaise is not that effective,at least for what I want it to do. So the search begins for a stronger protein in my regimen.

Length Check

Did you know?

I was just doing some research based on "deep", "nourishing" or "intensive" treatments whether protein or moisture. Let me just say this,it is nothing but a play on words. A mere marketing scheme, to capitalize on one of the major P's in marketing which is "promotion". It is human nature to purchase a product due to elaborate promotions. On to the meat of the matter. After hair leaves the scale it is dead. Yes,DEAD! The hair is alive whilst in the follicle but after that it is consider to be dead. When we die,we do not eat. I wonder why?Well it is the same with the hair. Also, those deep and intensive treatments that promises to combat damage do not really combat such damages. It is more of a "temporary" fix than a permanent one. Hence the big urge for frequent conditioning of the hair. Some of the product ingredients simply fill chipped gaps and split ends but wears away over a period of time. Where moisture is concerned some ingredients from the conditioner is left back which smooths the cuticle, that is often soft to the touch. So what happens to the damaged hair?Eventually we end up trimming it. Have you ever had a bad case of breakage? I did, and the solution was to cut a couple of inches of my hair to combat that breakage. So now you know,there is no said pot of gold. For healthy hair you need to stay on top of your conditioning. Just thought you should know...

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