Sunday, January 16, 2011

JBCO Gripes

I forgot to mention some cons to JBCO that I've incurred thus far.  I've done my research on it and I know that it removes toxins from your body and that can lead to scalp itch.  When I say my scalp itched, it itched.  I couldn't wait to wash my hair!  I didn't have any flaking or anything, my hair was still shiny and silky smooth, it was just more itch than I could stand. 

Here's a link for more information:
http://www.hairliciousinc.com/2010/05/tropic-isle-living-jamaican-black.html

I think I'll limit my use to applying a moderate amount directly to the scalp on wash days. 

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!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

I am Stronger than Yesterdayyyy... LOL

 And yes, that is a Brittany Spears reference, LOL.  I have now washed my hair 3 times with Roux Porosity Control Shampoo and Conditioner and I can say that my hair is stronger than it has ever been.  Hair loss is to a minimum!  As I've been confined to my home due to inclement weather, I have had the luxury of washing as often as I like.  The regimen has been as follows:
  1. Apply EVOO directly to scalp
  2. Massage scalp for 30 minutes
  3. Rinse EVOO thoroughly out of hair
  4. Shampoo with Roux Porosity Control Shampoo 2x for about 5 mins each
  5. Condition hair with Roux Porosity Control Conditioner for about 30secs to 1 min
  6. Apply ApHogee leave in conditioner and Shea Moisture Hair Oil
  7. Air dry by applying scarf method
  8. When hair is dry, moisturize and seal hair with Shea Moisture products
Even though my hair feels great when wet and shedding is at a minimum, my hair still feels somewhat the same.  It's not soft, it's not moisturized, its not what I want it to be...  I keep hoping it will be different each time.  I know it's been this way a while, maybe it just takes several washes to restore the pH balance.  I know the directions approve for daily use, so I'm hoping that it gets better overtime and then I can just use it 1 or 2 times a month. 

On another note, I did apply Mega Tek to my scalp after the last wash and plan to with this wash as well.  I am looking forward to experiencing 'mega growth' - LOL. 

Saturday, January 8, 2011

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).

Friday, January 7, 2011

Delusional

Hello - My name is Lauren and I am delusional.  I expect long healthy hair and I don't expect to follow a regimen.  It's time to wake up (again) and get serious about taking care of my hair. 

I've been back in the blog-o-sphere and getting advice and motivation.  I realized I've been doing some things completely wrong and I'm ready to start the new year fresh.  I'm going to make investments in the right places - natural products, Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO), deep conditioners, etc - and do my hair right.

I'm starting out tonight by combating my dry hair issues.  I'm going to pre-poo/condition my scalp with EVOO overnight.  Believe it or not, I would just pour it into my hair and rub it around... Not quite how it works.  I'm going to section and massage the EVOO into my scalp.  Since it's in such a terrible state (plus it's late and I'm tired), I'm going to put a cap on and let it sit overnight.  In the morning (or afternoon), I'll wake up, shampoo with Roux Porosity Control and then Deep Condition with Shea Moisture Hair Smoothie.  I might even try a hot oil treatment with the EVOO.  I've got to get into habit of adding oil directly to my scalp and the EVOO will have to suffice until my order of JBCO arrives.

I'm hoping the added moisture and attention to my scalp helps with the tenderness.  I'll post an update tomorrow and maybe pics of how I'm starting the year off.  I know I'm way overdue...

Stay tuned!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year

It's that time again... time to pretend I'm going to do something different, LOL.  I think it is time for me to get back on the regimen and stop playing games with my hair.  I haven't noticed any significant difference in my hair or length or quality.  It is longer than last year, but hair grows.

I think I'm about 4 weeks post relaxer today.  My hair has been growing fairly evenly recently.  I'm proud of that fact.  If nothing else has been consistent, my growth has been.  More than likely, I will stick with a ponytail throughout the remainder of the winter.  The cold air and hats and big winter coats are just too much for my hair.  My ends feel so dry.  On the dry note, I finally bought the hair porosity shampoo today.  It's supposed to help my hair stay moisturized.  I shampooed today and my hair barely got wet.  And barely is not an understatement.  It's never been this bad before.  Additionally, I've started using natural products.  I still haven't changed shampoo and conditioner yet (waiting to use them up first), but I did get natural shea moisturizer and oils.  The products have been okay thus far.  I bought each bottle at Target for $9.99.  The name of the brand is Shea Moisture.  They have a full line of products, but I purchased the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Strengthening Elixer and the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Hold Smoothie.  According to the directions on the website, I've been using both products improperly, LOL.  The products come highly reviewed, so I hope with continued proper use, I'll be singing praises as well. : )

I'm once again seriously considering the natural route... In getting myself together spiritually, mentally, physically, going natural just seems like the right thing to do.  We shall see.  Maybe the products will help my hair become more manageable and I'll just go for it?

 Holiday Hair - Loved it!

Monday, November 15, 2010

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.


Tuesday, April 6, 2010

On to the Next One!

You heard me correctly, I am on to my next relaxer!  And it feels so good!  My hair is so thick and healthy looking.  Can you say - silky smooth my friend?!  I did the relaxer on Friday, April 2nd.  I made sure that I put oil on my already relaxed hair and I did not exceed the 25 minute mark.  It's so weird how my hair cannot take a 40 minute relaxer like I used to do.  I actually BURN now.  Like around the 23 minute mark, my hair is going - ok, it's time to start moving a little bit faster...

I didn't do a deep condition or anything special, just relaxer, rinse well, shampoo 3 times, Aphogee 2 minute constructor, condition in the shower, leave in conditioners, blow dry, flat iron, and out the door in about 2 hours total. 

I have noticed that I CANNOT go more than 3 or 4 days without washing my hair now.  If I don't wash, my hair gets beyond itchy.  Co-washing has trained my scalp to loath build up and dirt.  I like keeping my hair light and fluffy, but I can't stand the itch.

Goals for this week include working out, co-washing, and keeping it down and swinging.  But my ponytails are growing on me again.  As my hair gets longer and thicker and the ponytail hangs and sways, it looks really great.