To Health: The Infamous Green Smoothie

Over the past several days, I've been reading online about different cleanses and diets that people are doing to be healthier.  I found a few very interesting articles called the "Detox Diaries" about ladies who tried 4 different types of cleanses - ranging from 3 days to about 3 weeks.  I've learned that no matter what the time frame, as long as you are putting more fruits and veggies into your diet (organic preferably) you are going to do your body a whole heap of good. 

So I decided to follow one of the main concepts which appears to be what several ladies are doing including fellow blogger Chary-Jay (shout out to LaNise who saw her at the Natural Hair Show in ATL this past weekend).  So I started on Friday morning with fresh veggies that I purchased at the farmer's market the day before.  I still need to run to GNC for a few other ingredients, but to make my smoothie I used:

• Kale
• Romaine Lettuce
• Apple
• Banana 
• Water

I wasn't exact and really didn't know what I was doing, but I knew it was going to take a few tries before I got it right anyway so I wasn't expecting anything magical or even yummy...  

I'm Bringing Sexy Back (Literally)

As we all know, I like to show up and show out.  This past Friday was no exception.  Given the fact that I had been awakened to a whole new world of makeup that I didn't know that I didn't know about, I just knew that this past Friday was going to be extra special.

Last weekend I did a flexi-rod set mainly because I couldn't really comb through it the week before (it was thick and dry) and therefore wanted to do a minimum amount that week.  Plus, I went to a holiday party that Saturday and I wanted it to be fresh and super cute. Overall, it turned out well and lasted until I was ready to relax my hair that Thursday.

Casual Party Attire w/Fresh Curls

I don't Whip my Hair Back and Forth...

You heard me!  I don't whip my hair back and forth because I don't wear my hair down anymore.  Unless it's a special occasion.  Mon-Fri you will catch my hair pulled back in a bun varying in different styles.  One of my new up and coming favorites is having the sides twisted up and pulling it back in a bun.

Please excuse the acne...

I Can't Believe it's Not Foam!

It's official.  Previously, I subscribed to the train of thought that the only way to keep and maintain curly hair via rods/rollers was by using wrap lotion.  The foam type was my lotion of choice.  But little did I know, that great curls were achievable through the use of my little concoction.

GNC or HSN?

Oh wow, please excuse my one month hiatus.   I started working on this post about a month ago, however, during that period I found a new home and have since moved in!  It's gorgeous and I'm settled in and very happy right now. 

Earlier this year I gave hair pills a try and since I received a coupon in the mail for GNC, I figured it was time to give them a try again, LOL. Since it had been recommended before I went with the GNC brand, Ultra Nourish-Hair. 

Going Natural?!

First things first, let's go Mavs!!!  Game 6 is on right now and it's about to go DOWN!

Secondly, throughout the past several month I've seriously been contemplating whether or not to go natural.  I have a lot of support on both sides and ultimately I know the decision is up to me.  So after playing around with it and getting use to the idea, I've finally made a decision...

Rules Smules...

Hair Updates!  I'm going to make this post quick -- I cut the remainder of my sister's relaxer out, I relaxed my hair (my hair is super long now), I bought Aloe Vera Juice (AVJ) and Veggie Glycerin, and I made KimmayTube's Leave In Condish.  Whew!  Ok, now to the details. Up first, JoJo.

She is now natural and loving it!  I cut the remainder of her relaxer up, gave her a good shampoo and condish, and did my first twist out!  It took me at least 2.5 hours to twist up her entire head, but it was worth it to get the results.  Next up, I relaxed my hair!

Horrible pic, but it's all I took.

Master of Many Trades

I've gone from mastering curls to mastering the braid out.  Yes, I did say the braid out and no, I didn't look like Sho Nuff this time around.  I've saw this video quite a while ago on youtube, but I finally decided to give it a try since I have flexi-rods now. 

I went swimming on Thursday and afterward I did a quick co-wash with Long Term Relationship.  My hair has been freakishly soft and moisturized lately and I'm loving it!  I'll also comment that I have not missed one day of taking the Ultra Hair Plus supplements.  I can't say that I've noticed any significant growth yet, but with the less shedding and breakage, maybe I'll have thicker hair?  So after my co-wash I braided up my hair and used the flexi-rods to curl it up.  I let it air dry for a few hours and the results were fantastic!

Ultra Hair Plus... Dreams?

It's that time of the month again -- my beauty budget is replenished and new products are begging to be purchased.  This past weekend, I made a quick stop at Sally's to purchase some more flexirods (same size and smaller) plus a Denman brush - $9.99 - for detangling.  In my last post, I included a video on detangling and knew it was the right direction to go.  A regular wide tooth comb is great for separating and making it manageable, however, it is far from a detangler (at least in my hair).

Not only did I stop at Sally's but I also stopped at Vitamin Shoppe to pick up hair vitamins...  but LT, weren't you supposed to go to GNC?  Yes, let me explain.  The hubby and I had an event last Friday and afterward went out to dinner.  Me, thinking that there was a GNC nearby, wanted to go to this particular place.  Turns out, my memory served me wrong and it's a Vitamin Shoppe.  I figure, close enough and so I go in and browse.  As I'm reading the ingredients of the products, I come across one made by Nature's Plus called Ultra Hair Plus.  It appeared to have the same ingredients as all the others (give or take a few vitamins - they're all the same) except a TON more.



 It cost just a few dollars more (around $18), so I figured why not?  I'm currently 8 weeks post relaxer (going on 9 woooohoooo) and I have a solid 1'' or more of new growth already.  I'm wondering how much more the pills will add?  I kind of want to wait until I complete the pills (30 days) before I relax.  Currently, I don't feel the need or urge to relax.  My scalp is not sore.  It's detangled now, which is amazing.  Plus, I've been wearing my hair curly so it's been super easy maintenance.  Speaking of which, last week I kept my curls pinned up for 2 days until I got ready to go out on Friday.   

To Health: Making Smoothies with Veggies

My Blender, sweet Blender.  Oh, how I love thee!  How did I come to have a love affair with my Blender you ask?  Well, being the smoothie enthusiast that I am, it is only natural that I also make them at home.  I bought my first blender about a year ago.  It was a Black & Decker Cyclone that I bought at Wal-Mart for around $30-$40.  It did alright.  It made smoothies and I was satisfied.  That was until it started acting up and smoking... and it finally broke last week.

So I began my search.  Site after site, reading reviews, watching videos... until I came across my love.  It has over 400 5 star reviews on Amazon.com.  It cost $99 in stores (but I was able to snag a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond).  What is it's name?  It is a Kitchen Aid KSB560OB 5 Speed Blender.  I didn't realize how crappy my previous blender was until I learned about this one.


Some of the pros:

• Durable Steel-Reinforced Coupler
• Jar coupler is coated for quiet operation
• Built for continual blending
• Powerful motor (.9 horsepower)
• Intelli-Speed control
• The pitcher is ONE piece
• Easy to clean
• Sturdy metal base
• Soft, Non-Slip Grip Pitcher Handle

Change of Condition

As my hair transformed from curly to matted, I decided to do a late night co-wash last night.  I had already started with the loving by giving myself an EVOO massage earlier in the day.  I did have a quick errand to run, picking up a few items at Target, so I threw on a headband, pulled the remainder into a ponytail, and headed out of the door.  Wearing headbands has become a lot more enjoyable lately.  I think I needed to stretch them out more.  At first, I could only wear them for a certain amount of hours before I had a killer headache -- Now I can go all day long.

Doing what I always do in Target, I started browsing.  I tried on swimsuits (the Hubbs and I are starting swim lessons!  we'll see how the hair holds up), I tried on dresses, and then I went to the hair care aisle.  I found they have added Kinky Curly to their product line.  I still didn't really find a great conditioner that I wanted to try (for under $8), so I went to the cheapie section.  I've heard a ton of buzz about it so I finally decided to pick up Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship.  I've used up what I previously had in the shower - Dove - so it was time to try something new.  Plus it was only 2 bucks and some change.

I didn't get around to co-washing until 11:30 PM, at which point, you know I'm not doing anything afterward.  The conditioner smelled great, and it was thick.  I did feel that I had to use quite a bit of it for my hair, but that's nothing unusual. 

Getting Excited....

10 AM
Yay! I've done a little better this week.  I was able to get in a 24 hour deep condition and today I am ready to deep condition again, along with.... wait for it...

Attempting a Flexi Rod Set!!!

First, I'm going to shampoo and condition with Roux porosity control.  Even though my hair is fairly soft and not brittle, it still doesn't feel all that great for some reason.  My new growth is giving me a run for my money!  I did notice improvement after my 24 hour deep condition because my hair was really in a FUNK.  I thought I had completely shook my dry spell, but maybe I haven't? Also, despite my lack of conditioning with heat, I have been pretty consistent with moisturizing and sealing at night. 

Earlier in the week, I was able to make a quick run to Sally's and I bought a couple packs of Flexi Rods.  I've been studying on YouTube and I think I'm ready!  I have a few work related tasks to get done, but then it's on to a shampoo, quick condition, maybe a deep condition, and then experimentation with the flexi rods.

 
The purple pack is 7/8'' thick and the orange pack is 5/8'' thick and they are both 10'' long with 10 rods in each pack.  I figured since my hair is thinner around the outside I'd use the smaller ones there and the bigger ones up top.   Since I only have 20 rods, I'm not exactly sure how big or small mine will turn out, but I have my fingers crossed that it will be cute!

Making the Most Out of the Day

With my stomach still upset, but less fragile than the previous days, I'm attempting to get work done along with taking care of my hair.  This will be another ALL day update. 

Friday, 1:30 PM:
Per last night's update, I was contemplating doing an overnight treatment.  I sat on the couch one minute too many and became too tired to implement that idea.  So I woke up this morning and applied EVOO, did a brief massage, and baggied.  As I wore the cap, in between looking at PowerPoint files, I also looked at a few youtube vidoes and some threads on Long Hair Care Forums.  As I watched/read a few ideas ran through my mind - I wanted to deep condition, but I didn't feel like washing my hair first.  So I started planning out a dry hair deep condition.  That eventually lead me to thinking about a protein treatment.  I only used an egg about 4 weeks ago and that wasn't the best experience.  I decided to do the later.

On another note, looking through the forum of relaxed ladies with super long hair, confirmed that I am taking the right approach in my hair journey, if not doing too much.  It appears that DCing once a week, not using a lot of heat, and using protein at least once a month are the commonalities for hair retention and growth.  Yay!

I just washed with ApHogee Shampoo for Damaged Hair.  My hair felt SOOO nourished and moisturized while wetting and shampooing.  I absolutely love wetting my hair now.  I then applied ApHogee Protein Treatment very generously all over my hair.  I paid a lot of attention to my ends and edges. I prefer to let it air dry versus using a dryer.  The only thing I don't care for with a protein treatment is how sticky it can be.  I prefer to pour it directly out of the bottle into my hand, so it could be my own fault.  Either way, in about an hour or so, I'll rinse, use ApHogee Balancing Moisturizer and then apply my Silky Smooth DC mix.

Stay Tuned!

Regimen and the Road

 After being at home the past two weeks (one due to the snow storm and one due to training), my motivation and hair plans were put to the test last week.  I began with a workout Sunday night.  I worked out at home (aka played with my Wii), so it wasn't too intense and I didn't feel the need to co-wash.  Being 9 weeks post relaxer, my hair was super thick, but I was able to manage with a bun on Monday.  The Roux products have left my hair very soft and shiny, I am a happy customer. 

After work on Monday I began my search for a adequate leave-in liquid moisturizer.  I use the Shea Moisture cream at home, but I prefer a liquid moisturizer so I wanted to have one for my road regimen.  I went to Sally's and I couldn't find anything worth purchasing.  This one has significantly less products than my local store, however I did buy ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner.  It was the ONLY "deep" conditioner in the store, so I didn't have much of a choice.  One positive outcome of that scenario is that the lack of products have inspired me to create my own leave-in moisturizer.  The actual execution date is TBD, but TRUST, it's going to happen. 

Monday night I worked out for about an hour.  If you know me, you know I sweat (a lot) and therefore feel the need to co-wash after every workout (hence the reason for Mon and Wed co-washes).  The workout was great and I felt amazing.  After, I co-washed with the ORS Conditioner and sat under my hood dryer attachment for about 15 mins.  I can't say that I noticed a significant difference using the heat - maybe it gets better over time?  I then used the scarf method to air dry, as I chatted on skype with my sister.  The next step, I did a little different.  Instead of pulling my hair into a ponytail to sleep, I used 2 big rollers and rolled my hair at the top.  I figured I'd keep my ends protected some more and get a nice curl.  It turned out to be a success!  In the morning my hair was super soft and shiny, plus my ends didn't frizz up as usual. 

Tuesday morning I tried something else new - head bands.  I've never been a head person.  My head is large enough on it's own.  I feel like extra items enhance the size... However, I decided to give it a try.  I used a black and brown band and pulled my hair back in a ponytail.  I was concerned about looking "professional" and not like a teenager, however, with my suit on I didn't look child-like at all. 

Tuesday night I hung out with family after work which lead to me being exhausted Wednesday night.  Therefore, no workout or co-wash.  On Friday night I did my relaxer.  My product of choice - Motions.  They claimed 85% less breakage and I've tried it before and liked it.  It turned out very well and I'm more than happy that I did it.  I had experienced more shedding than I cared to during the past week and this remedied the problem. 

After relaxing and neutralizing, I used 3 conditioners:  ApHogee 2 Min Reconsructor, what came in the box, and Roux Moisturizing Conditioner.  I had fantastic results.  

The success of the regimen on the road will be dependent on my energy levels.  It takes a considerable amount of time and dedication each day to have healthy hair.  I'll can only do my best each day.

If you Can't Stand the Heat

After my horrendous results this morning, I had to give my hair another try.  I will not accept defeat easily!  So I got online and read about Moptop Maven.com's Healthy Hair Challenge 2011.  It started Jan 1 and is supposed to last for 6 months, so I'm already late and I don't think I want to officially participate, but she did offer a lot of great tips.  One being a reinforcement that heat works wonders for deep conditioning.  With that being said, I began my search for an inexpensive fix.  What did I find?  A blow dryer soft bonnet attachment from Conair for $9.99 at Sally's Beauty Supply.  Can you say, bought it?!  I went to my local Sally's and not only found the attachment, but I also stumbled upon a S-A-L-E!  They had Roux products buy one get one free and a lot of other products deeply discounted.  I wanted to buy a TON of products, but I kept with the attachment, Roux Moisturizing Shampoo and Moisturizing Conditioner, and a box of Motions for my next relaxer. 

 

Roux Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner - hopefully magic in a bottle!

After I took down my buns, my hair was very dry, stiff, and looked horrible.  Considering the fact that I'm going to a party tomorrow, this hair style was not going to be acceptable for the weekend.  Since I feel like my hair is still in dire need of moisture, I went with the Moisturizing products and stuck with Roux: 1 - because the porosity control has worked wonders 2 - it was on sale.  When I started my wash, I wet my hair for about 1 min and was easily able to lather and shampoo with my ORS Clarifying Shampoo!  That's a major improvement.  I wanted to wash with that shampoo first because as I mentioned before, my hair felt like it had a coating on it.  The shampoo didn't really change that.  When I washed with the Moisturizing Shampoo, I can't say that it felt much different.  It lathered well, my hair felt squeaky clean, however, it still felt thick and coated.   Next I applied the Moisturizing Conditioner, generously, to my hair and let it remain 3-4 mins while I created my "Silky Smooth" DC Mix.  After I rinsed, I still didn't really feel a difference...

My Silky Smooth Deep Conditioner Mix

Next, I applied my SSDC Mix to my hair in sections and covered my hair with a baggy.  I'm now using my blow dryer and I must say, it's getting hot in here.  It was super easy to attach and it works really well.  The only gripe would be that it does blow off my head from time to time.  I either have to hold it or tie it to my head.  It does provide an even heat, it heats very well, and it's doing the trick.  I've sat under the dryer for about 30 mins and I think I'm going to do about 30 more. 

I found it easier to sit on the floor and to hold the cap.
(SN: I just realize how tired I look...)

Back to the heat!

Update and Miscalculation

Ignore the tired look... That's just me : )

Recap of last night:

• Pre-poo with Coconut Oil and EVOO (2-3 hours)
• Scalp massage (30 mins)
• Roux Shampoo (2 washes)
• Roux Conditioner (2 mins)
• Special Conditioner Mix with 1 egg for protein
• Rinse and detangled in the shower
• Air dry with scarf method

When I rinsed in the shower, my hair didn't feel super soft as I anticipated.  It felt and feels thicker, like my hair is coated or protected.  I'm not sure if I really like that or not.  Maybe that's what strong hair feels like?  Or maybe I just have to clarify again... I fell asleep last night mid-air dry.   I woke up this morning to a mess on my head.  My hair was dry, tangled, and tough.  Maybe it is time that I invest in a hooded blow dryer.  I need some penetration in my hair.  And no, the heat cap thingy that I bought does NOT do the trick.  Oh, I've also been looking into steam dryers... not sure what would be the best solution yet.

I spent my morning, oiling with JBCO and then moisturizing and sealing my hair.  I now have 2 buns in my head and my hair is a LOT softer and moisturized.  I do need to provide a correction to last night's analysis.  I said that my hair hadn't grown as much as it should have these past 8 weeks - huge miscalculation.  I have some seriously defined curls near the front of my head and around the sides - totally not normal!  I was geeked to see all the growth in my hair.  And after doing a quick ruler check - yes, my hair did hit the 1 inch of new growth target.  And almost ALL over my head.  I'm still not ready to relax... I'm wondering if that has something to do with my shedding lately, but I'm not that concerned about it yet.  Depending on how my hair feels for the remainder of the day, I might do another Roux wash and just let it air dry.  We shall see...

Oil Guru

In the course of 3 days, I have become a oil guru, LOL.  My order of Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) arrived via an amazon order a few days ago.  I was beyond ecstatic to finally be caught up in the hair oil world and begin adding it to my regimen.  Since there aren't any Castor Oil challenges occurring right now, I just looked at the previous ones and decided to try the "advanced" level - since I need to catch up asap.

Day one went well.  I my still doing a wash with Roux Porosity Control Shampoo and Conditioner.  My hair condition has changed drastically!  I am loving it.  After, I air dried without leave-in conditioners, but moisturized and sealed with my Shea Moisture products and then applied the JBCO to my scalp.  JBCO is very thick in substance.  It has a slight smell, but it isn't bad.  I used a color applicator bottle that I purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply.  The tip is small, so it's a very controlled amount that comes out.  Since I wanted to cover my scalp as well as possible, I parted my hair into 6 sections and then divided into subsections from there.  Similar to as if I were apply a relaxer.  I applied it very well and massaged it into my scalp.  I pulled my hair into a ponytail and slept on it overnight.

When I woke up in the morning, all was well.  Since I was going into the office, I decided to flat iron my hair.  I ran my hair through the heat, and let me tell you it felt as soft as silk.  My curls looked relaxed, it was "silky smooth" to the touch and it looked great.  Later that night, before I went to sleep I applied the JBCO to my scalp the same as the day before.  I moisturized and sealed, and I tied it up into a ponytail and went to sleep.

Day two, I didn't do anything all day so I kept my hair in a ponytail.  That night, I did the same routine as the day before.

Now, it's Sunday and I am a self declared guru.  I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods and ran into the oil aisle.  I purchased Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (OVCO) and honey.  I also stopped by target and picked up a jar of ORS Hair Mayo.  I wanted to do a deep condition today and mix all of the ingredients together.

My ingredients

I started with a hot oil treatment with JBCO.  I just put the applicator bottle in the microwave for about 20 secs and applied it to my scalp.  I massaged it for about 15-20 mins while watching TV and then proceeded to rinse and shampoo.  When I started my rinse, I noticed that it didn't rinse as easily as when I used EVOO.  My hair still had a thick coat of JBCO.  I shampooed twice with RPCS and my hair felt sticky to the touch and not smooth like I'm used to.  So I did a quick shampoo with my ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo that I use to clarify.  That removed the oil from my shafts.  I did another quick wash of RPCS and then applied the RPCC to my hair for a few minutes this time.  While it was in my hair, I ran around the house and collected my:

• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• JBCO
• EVOO
• Hair Mayo
• Honey

I grabbed a bowl, eyeballed amounts to mix, and just threw it all together.  In the order of the largest amounts, I used: Hair Mayo, OVCO, EVOO, Honey, JBCO.  I didn't melt the OVCO first, so I had to mash the chunks of oil until it melted.  I mixed it with a spoon and it turned a light orange color.  I was afraid to add too much honey because I thought it might make my hair sticky.  I sectioned my hair and applied it generously root to tip.  I am now sitting on the couch, rubbing the oil dripping down my neck and face with a paper towel, allowing the concoction to marinate in my plastic baggie.  I did pay special attention to the back of my hair around the nape of my neck, because when it air dries, it shrivels up and is still my thinnest section.

Since I don't have a hooded dryer yet, I plan on sitting near my space heater (not as a substitute) and allowing my hair to deep condition for about 2-3 hours.  It smells pretty good, thanks to the OVCO.  The only annoying thing is the constant oil dripping...

I'll provide an update once I have finished air drying.  And if I can find my cell phone, I'll take some pictures!

I'm Back in Action!

So I had a minor change in plans overnight.  I did apply EVOO directly to my scalp, massaged it in, and then covered it with a plastic cap so it could marinate overnight.  I got on Amazon and contemplated adding the Roux Porosity Control Corrector and Conditioner to my order of JBCO, then I realized it was distributed by Sally's Beauty Supply and decided to check them out in the morning.

In the morning I got up and low and behold, Sally's had the product.  It took everything within me to ONLY buy that product and nothing more. I am still trying to stick with my pledge of not buying new products until the old ones are gone.  I've already spent over $50 this month alone on products and it's only the 8th!

In hopes of starting a new routine, I tried out my new new products.  I thoroughly rinsed out the EVOO with warm water.  Next I used the Porosity Control Shampoo to wash my hair.  It still took a few washes in order for me to have a solid amount of lather in my hair.  Overall, it felt great in my hair.  I can tell that it was becoming moisturized again.  Similar to the experience I had the first time I used ApHogee Moisture Shampoo.  It was heavenly!  Next I followed with the Conditioner.  Your only supposed to use it for 30 secs, so I put it in, rubbed it around for a while, and rinsed it out.  I still wanted to Deep Condition, so I used the remainder of my Dark and Lovely Dry Hair Healer.  I mixed that with the remainder of my ApHogee Essential Oils and a dab of the Roux Conditioner.  I put on a plastic cap and allowed it to marinate for another few hours while I did my sisters hair.  She's in the process of transitioning and is still learning how to maintain her hair.  She has hair similar to mine and it was in dire need of some help.  I follow the same steps for her, except the EVOO only stayed on a few hours vs overnight.  She's about 4-5 months into it and has quite a bit of growth.  I'm very proud of her!  But she still has the mindset to where she feels her hair is "nappy".  I told her that her curls were beautiful and she just has to learn how to take care of her hair.  If her hair does feel "nappy" it's her fault and she needs to take better care of it.  She hasn't chopped off the relaxer yet, but I think she's pretty close to that point.

Due to my hectic schedule, I'm still not sure what will be my wash days yet.  While I'm on the road, I can do my quickie, cheapie co-washes, but I can't really deep condition and take care of it like I would hope to.  I'm in the process of air drying and took a quick picture of my hair to see where I'm starting the new year off at.  I can say that it was a bit disappointing... It is even and thicker - probably due to my latest cut, but it looks a lot shorter than were I was this time last year.  It's time for me to get back to work and take care of my hair!

This picture is from Jan 6, 2010 (hair dry).  

This picture is from today Jan 8, 2011 (hair wet).

Hair Cut!

After many months of "letting it grow out" and not really seeing the results I wanted, I finally got my hair trimmed and layered.  I'm happy to have the flow back again, but for some reason, my hair still doesn't feel as thick as it should be.  It's very relaxed and tame.  I'm not sure if I'm losing a lot of hair or what...

I have not followed any type of hair regimen at all.  Shame on me!  This summer and fall I have been crazy busy with work and I allowed it to have huge impacts on my everyday life.  Speaking of which, I need to go eat some breakfast.  I'm going to get back on track, put some plans in place for my life, and keep this party moving.

My Magic Potion

This past weekend, I did a Saturday shampoo instead of Friday.  My hair has been EXTREMELY dry lately (moisturizing and sealing has not been working so well), so I wanted to make sure I moisturized and deep conditioned a lot more than I normally do.  The dryness is that serious. 

So I started out by wetting my hair and using ORS Hair Mayo with a splash of olive oil and the heat cap for about 15-20 mins.   I rinsed it out and then I shampooed with my sample size bottle of Cream of Nature Moisturizing shampoo that I got when I bought the leave-in conditioner.  I shampooed quickly and then I decided to shake things up for my deep condition.  I've been watching some ladies on youtube recently on how they deep condition.  They mix their conditioners with oils and vitamins and veggies and stuff... So I said hmmmm, what can I mix together for my extra dry hair?  I knew I wanted protein, so I cracked open 2 eggs and mixed them in the bowl.  I wasn't sure if 2 would be enough, so I figured I'd rather have more than less... I also put in a dab of regular Olive Oil since I didn't have any EVOO.  Next, I ran and grabbed my conditioner and poured some in.  It didn't look as thick as what I'd seen on the internet, but I didn't want to use all my good conditioner, so I mixed in another conditioner that I had.  It was the rest of my dark and lovely conditioner for extremely dry hair.  After mixing that in, it still wasn't as thick as what I had seen in the videos.  I assumed it was because I had too much egg.  So I had to kind of pour the conditioner onto my hair - which was a huge mess.  I was still able to section my hair and add it all in, but it took forever and the conditioner kept dripping all over me and the bathroom.  Not fun :(

After that, I put a cap on my head and used the heat cap for about an hour.  I got in the shower and rinsed out, but my hair did not feel soft at all.  In fact it felt quite dry.  And a little dirty... Just by chance, I ended up air drying while spending time with the hubby, in which he commented on the flaky build up in my hair... As I was moisturizing and sealing, I noticed chunks of crusty build up in my hair... More uncoolness...

So I do a quick blow dry with the brush, which I'm still having trouble getting used to, and just pulled it back into a bun.  I did notice less breakage in the blow dry, which was great, but overall, I give Saturday two thumbs down. :(