Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Castor Oil Challenge: Week One

 Day 1 (Oct 26, 2009)

So I applied my first Castor oil "treatment" to my scalp for the week. Let me tell you that bottle really knocked me back when I first opened it. I wasn't expecting it to smell the way that it does. I am trying to put my finger on it, but if I had to identify what it smells like I would have to say it smells like roasted sesame. I'm not a fan at all. In the morning I could still smell it. It made me so self-conscious the whole day. I mean I am very big on hygiene, so needless to say I was concerned. The things we go through for our hair...

Day 2 (Oct 27, 2009)
The smell is not as intense. Perhaps my nose is just sensitive to this stuff.

Day 3 (Oct 28, 2009)
Okay, on the second try I attempted to reduce the smell and was somewhat successful at making it smell better by using equal parts castor oil and jojoba oil and adding a drop each of lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil and clary sage. Let's see, there is some itchiness after immediate use in some spots, which it's bearable, but I am noticing some scabbing on the scalp as well.

Day 4 (Oct 29, 2009)
The smell isn't as intense when I woke up this morning as it was the first morning; a definite plus. The itchiness is still there in spots and the scabs remain. I actually went by a store that Sunshyne over at Hairlista.com recommended to pick up a different brand of JBCO, so I will see if there is a difference in terms of smell and how my scalp feels. I will use the other CO I bought earlier for my pre-poos or something.

                                  
Day 5 (Oct 30, 2009)
So I tried the new JBCO and I must say it was much better. I only used it in my trouble spots though (e.g. temples and sides) because they are the slowest to grow. I must say I much prefer this brand. The smell was less intense and there was little to no itchiness. Getting a relaxer tomorrow, so I will  post some "before" pics. I know it is a week after I started the challenge, but really what difference will a week make? 

Day 6 (Oct 31, 2009) 
Got a relaxer. No burning, lost some length, but it was necessary to even out my ends. Despite losing some of my hair, the sides of my hair are still so short. It's always been that way,  but I am determined to get it growing. 

As far as the CO challenge is going, I did notice that my new growth was soft and my curls were more defined. Not sure if I can give credit to the CO for that one though. There was also little to no itchiness, which I will give CO props for--hey it may look like I have conquered my first mini goal . Well see. 

One week down, eleven more to go....
                                 

Castor Oil: Miracle Growth Serum?

Does Castor oil really encourage hair growth? A lot of people are asking this question especially among the ones who are facing hair loss and thinning problems. Apparently the answer is an astounding "YES"! Several women (including my sisters over at Hairlista.com--Holla!) relaxed and natural beauties alike, have been swearing by this miracle growth serum and they have the pictures to prove it. But you know me...I'm not convinced unless I see it (and feel it) with my own eyes. I mean maybe they all happen to be blessed with good genes. Eat a well balanced diet. Who knows , but I'm on the case.  So, yes I am going to jump on the castor oil challenge bandwagon to see if the stories are true. Truthfully, I have my own ulterior motives--listen I got a hair goal to reach!

Unfortunately, I missed the start date posted on Hairlista, but there's no reason why I can't create my own experiment. I'll post my results after my next relaxer*...

If anyone plans on jumping on the bandwagon with me tell me about it in addition to any issues or questions you may have along the way. I will try to get the information you require as soon as possible.

What I will be doing:
applying JBCO every other day following wash day
apply castor oil to my DC and henna treatment

Start date: October 26, 2009 (sorry I was a little late in posting this article)
End date: January 26, 2010

There are also several castor oil recipes that you can try as well.
                                 






*As of 2012 I have decided to wear my natural hair.

Castor Oil Recipes

There are currently a variety of castor oil hair treatment recipes that are available for specific hair concerns.

In conjunction with moisturizing castor oil treatments you can try, you can do a number of things to keep your hair healthy and create the best possible conditions for growth.
  • Try to stay in good overall health by maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep and avoiding smoking. 
  • Sticking to a regular hair care routine can also be helpful. In fact, consider giving yourself a scalp massage now and again while washing or conditioning your hair. This can increase blood flow to your scalp and stimulate hair follicles.
Here are some recipes you can also try:

For dandruff and itchy scalp:
Mix equal parts castor oil with jojoba oil for a scalp treatment.
Rosemary EO* also works well with castor oil to balance the oils of the scalp.

For hair loss/thinning hair:
Mix equal parts of castor, jojoba and grape seed oil then combine thyme*, cedarwood,  rosemary* EO. These essential oils stimulate the hair follicles to encourage hair growth and prevent future hair loss.
  • Apply the mixture to your scalp by gently massaging it and covering the entire scalp including the areas around your ears and above the back of your neck. After doing this procedure, completely wrap your hair with a towel and leave it covered for at least 15 to 20 minutes in order to allow the oil to fully penetrate your scalp and maximize it's effects.
  • Afterward, you can rinse your treated hair with warm water and completely wash out the solutions. If you do not like the smell of your hair, you can use shampoo after an hour to allow the effect of the solution to be fully optimized. Repeat this procedure for at least twice per week for the next few months and you shall observe great improvement on your current condition. 
  • If you have dry, relaxed and colored hair, add 3 tablespoon of Castor oil to your favorite conditioner.  It adds extra moisture to your hair and seals it in. 
 * do not use these essential oils if pregnant
                                 







source

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Hair Goals

So I've decided to make a commitment to get this hair thang right! Like most women I have come across I am experiencing some bad days and good days on my hair journey. Some of my fellow hair Divas at LHCF and HI are helping me out, but I realized that I had to stop, slow down and really figure out what I am trying to achieve because honestly just saying that I am trying to achieve "long hair" is just too vague to be a goal! So to avoid the pitfalls of the past (e.g. becoming a serious PJ) I decided to sit down and really organize my thoughts. What am I trying to achieve? What are some of the issues I have with my hair right now? Basically, what I was trying to do was come up with some mini goals, so that in time I would be able to achieve my overall goal of beautiful healthy hair. 

This is what I came up with:
  1. Eliminate (or at least seriously reduce) dry/itchy scalp
  2. Achieve strength/moisture balance
  3. Reduce breakage
  4. Reduce shedding
  5. Increase growth and even out hair length (SL by Summer 2010)
  6. Improve circulation
 
If you've read my Back to Basics post you will know that the way this works is to take each mini goal one at a time, only moving to the goal once the previous one has been achieved (to my satisfaction). It's a slow process, but it will help me find the right products for my hair and really know how my hair is responding to a particular product. Before I was throwing everything except the kitchen sink on my head and I had no idea what was or wasn't working for me.  

In addition to these mini goals I want to do a few things that should help my goals along nicely and just keep me and my hair healthy overall:
  1. Drink more H2O (minimum 2 litres/day)
  2. Eat 6 small well balanced meals everyday (esp. breakfast!)
  3. Take a good quality multivitamin (3x/day) as well as regular Iron, Calcium and B-vitamin complex
  4. Get adequate sleep
  5. De-stress with regular exercise/fun activity

Some of you may be asking, "well if your overall goal is to grow longer lengths why is it the last thing on your list?". Well I've done that for a few reasons: 1) I've heard conflicting thoughts on encouraging hair growth. Some believe that hair will grow at the rate it is meant to grow (approx 1/2 inch per month), and nothing can make more hair come out of your head, while there are the faithful few that swear by some hair growth aids (e.g. castor oil) and have "proof" of these miracle serums. 2) Plain and simple, if I am able to accomplish the other five mini goals, then I should be able to achieve number six without issue--right? Here's hoping.

I'll keep you posted, and I will post picture of my hair as soon as I get my next relaxer*....

                                 






*ETA: As of 2012 I've decided to wear my natural hair.




Friday, October 23, 2009

Personalized Hair Care

I have come across a lot of questions online related to choosing the right products for hair growth (e.g conditioners, shampoo, hair and scalp treatment). Every woman seems to be looking for that "magic in a bottle", which simply doesn't exist.  I have found that the only "magical" thing that is going on for these women with beautiful "locs" is their never ending commitment to maintaining and pampering their hair (some of these women out here are SERIOUS about their hair!). More importantly, there doesn't seem to be any one hair product that can do everything you need. Speaking from experience I have had to use a number of products to achieve the look I was trying to create, which may even require me to add additional stuff (e.g. oils) to various products to make my hair behave.

Finding the right products that worked for my hair was not an easy thing to achieve. Creating a regimen is even harder. My hair has various needs depending on the weather and my stress level at the time. Oh yes, stress seems to be impacting my hair in a negative way. So a lot of my hair success (and disasters) have been achieved through trial an error and borrowing ideas from other women.

In a previous post (Back to Basics) I have already shared ways you can encourage successful hair growth, but I thought I would spend some time discussing the way I've streamlined my products and fine tune my hair regimen. Tons of women have shared their secrets on hair growth online--and I have been so appreciative. Time to pay it forward.

So this is where I began:
  1. Create a chart that will help you organize the products your using. Some women like to use a journal, go right a head if that is what you prefer. I persoanlly found that when I have the information all together on one page it has helped me a lot more than flipping through various pages to see what I did/didn't do. I have organized my chart by product type (e.g. shampoos, conditioners) which has been helpful to me. 
  2. Your chart should have five columns which should include: Product Used, How Much Used, Additions, Issues trying to Address and Comments:
Product 
(e.g. AOHR)
How Much
(e.g. 2 tbsp)
Additions
(e.g. EVCO, EVOO)
Issue Address
(e.g. dryness, breakage)
Comments
(e.g. hair felt soft and moisturized)











These columns will help you examine what you are doing to your hair and the way each product is responding to your hair. Does 1/4 vs 1/8 cup of Sweet Almond Oil make my hair moisturized or does it make it feel slick and greasy? Does your hair feel dry or mushy after using a particular shampoo or conditioner?
  1. Be VERY specific about how much product you are using and what you are doing with it (e.g. 2 tbsp of jojoba oil mixed in 1/2 cup of Aubrey's GPB Conditioner). It may sound silly, but I have found that if I am even 1 tbsp off with a particular product my hair responds differently.
  2. Document how your hair feels before, during,  immediately after and a few days after using a product. What do you notice, if anything?
  3.  Measure your process and document any changes in hair in the "Issues Trying to Address" category. This section will be filled in over time as your hair grows and in between shampoos.
  4. Use the product long enough to give it a chance.
    I know this may feel a little time consuming in the beginning, but I found has been so helpful. Not only did it save me money because I was only buying and using products that proved to work for MY hair, I discovered I had much more room under my cabinet than I thought as I began throwing away the crap that wasn't working. More importantly my hair was finally growing! For years I would be using a product because everyone swore by it, only to find it completely ruined my hair, but I wasn't in touch with my hair enough to know before it was too late. This problem was usually masked because 1) I was using to much crap to begin with so it was hard to tell what product specifically was messing up my hair or 2) I just wasn't paying attention. Trying this method will slow you down a lot and force you to pay attention to what is going on with your hair.
                                     

    Thursday, October 22, 2009

    The Kitchen Beautician

    As you know I am always on the look out for valuable information that I can use to encourage successful hair growth. I will often seek out books or articles posted on line and I have found that there is a wealth of information that is out there (but not everything out there is gold--which I will get to later). So on my hunt for "gold" I came across this book by Lonnice Brittenum Bonner, an author that I have come to respect over the years because I have found her previous books to be quite helpful on my hair care journey. I would have to say I was more than disappointed with this one. Quick and simple: not only did it lack any substantial information, but there were only three pages dedicated to hair care (of which one and a half of those pages were filled with black and white photos)! I know Ms. Bonner is not promoting this book as a hair care guide, but the information she provided, if any, was nothing that you haven't heard before. The book did provide some skin care recipes that one could find helpful, but overall this book is not very worthwhile. It gets a Smileys. I am just grateful that I did not spend any money on this book and if I have managed to save you from buying this book as well--you're welcome!

    Smiley - Smiley = not worth the money, don't waste your time.



    Smiley - Smiley = neither hit or miss; just okay

    Smiley - Smiley = good product; really worth trying.

    Smiley = amazing product!
                                     

    Monday, October 5, 2009

    Back to Basics: Simple Steps to Black Hair Growth

    So here I am again... at one of my favorite natural health food stores about to fall off the product junkie wagon and buy every product under the sun in an effort to gain super speedy hair growth. Arms full of oils, shampoos, deep conditioners, bottles of essential oils falling all over the
    place. Who cares if the store owner wants to kick my butt out of the store, I am on a mission!

    It's funny because prior to starting my journey I haven't really noticed other women with naturally long hair. As of late, that is all I see. Don't get me wrong, my hair isn't tore up or anything, but it could use some real work. I use to be and still am in some way, horrible when it came to taking care of my hair due to my hectic schedule and just plain laziness at times. I mean hair care is a lot of work, regardless of how you wear it and like most black women I have worn my hair both straight and natural to test out that statement.  I get exhausted just thinking about the routine that is required to maintain and achieve healthy beautiful hair. So what does that mean for me then? Weekly and daily routines that produce beautiful healthy hair, or quick wash and gos, that require little maintenance and also produce lack luster, dry, brittle hair? (You noticed I didn't  mention long hair. I think if I can accomplish the first two goals, hair length will come naturally--right?). So I've decided on the former, however that leaves me with two important questions:

    1) How do I find the time to achieve these beautiful, awe dropping tresses?
    2) Where do I begin?!

    First off, I had to have a real honest look at my schedule and what I was actually doing with my time. I came to the realization that I spend A LOT of time in front of the television 
    I 'm talking close to 40 hours a week people! No wonder I don't have enough time to do even the most basic things I need to do to take care of myself, which includes going to the gym (but that's a discussion for another blog). I mean seriously, that's a work week. I'm actually a little embarrassed to admit that. Clearly time is NOT the issues here...

    Next, I really had to get back to basics?  Hair care does not have to be complicated at all. Simply ask yourself:
    • What are your issues regarding your hair? List and prioritize them. Mine are alleviating a dry itchy scalp; dry, brittle hair; breakage and shedding.  In that order.
    • Next work on eliminating each issue one at a time. Some will inevitably influence others, but if you work at one at a time, it avoids confusion about what is working.
    I know, I know, we are all striving to find that bottle of magic that will fix all of our hair ills, but addressing each issue at a time will help you recognized what does and doesn't work for your hair. You will also learn to develop a new appreciation for your hair. I mean how can you not appreciate your hair? After all the abuse it's still growing "strong"! Honestly, I think my hair should be clogging my shower drain right now, but it appears to still be attached to my head--through thick and thin (pardon the pun).

    As you're figuring out how to correct the issues you're having with your hair, be mindful that not every product will have the same results on your hair and scalp as someone else. Suggestions are great, but your hair will be the final judge of a "great" or "crappy" product. Taking this step by step approach may seem tedious, but it far worth it because you will have a specialized routine that helps your hair become the best it can be!
    I'd love to hear any hair goals other subscribers may have and the success they are having with different products....store bought or self created.
                                     

    Thursday, October 1, 2009

    Getting Creative with Homemade Recipes


    I came across this article a while ago and found it quite helpful on my hair growth journey. It is a big decision to go natural, whether it is natural hair growth or simply making the decision to start using all natural products.

    Some find it harder than other, especially when you just can't get your hair to look "right"---I personally don't have enough hats to keep my strut strong and confident. So if there are some key things that I can do to keep my hair laid, I'm all about it. The following article was written by Elle Paris the owner of My Naturals, a "no-nonsense user reviews for hundreds of products for natural hair". I've highlighted some of the information she provides regarding hair products, which can be helpful to any hair type. Let me know what you think.

    Do you wear your hair natural? No lye? As many will tell you, once you make a change to go natural your hair regimen must also change. This frequently includes an adjustment to the types of products you use on your coils. A number of your old stand-bys may no longer lend you the same results on your kinks as they did on your straight hair.


    Product junkies will agree -- you can spend hundreds of dollars testing out the numerous products available on the market, many of which are supposedly intended for natural hair use. However, breaking the bank is really not necessary for a healthy, strong and shiny natural. You already have key ingredients in your own kitchen and bathroom! Creating your own hair recipes not only saves money, but allows for a more intimate relationship with your hair -- you can gain a much better insight as to what your hair craves, prefers, or rejects with your at-home experiments.Get creative! There are a few simple rules to follow to find your perfect concoctions:
    • Don't mix too many things at once. Start out with simple recipes, say, mixing one main ingredient and adding a small amount of another. It's much easier to determine what worked and what didn't when your ingredients list is limited.
    • Create two-ingredient mixes and try them until you find a mix that works well on your hair. If it's a "perfect" mix, continue using it! If it's a "pretty good" mix, retry the recipe with the same main ingredient then alter the secondary ingredient until you reach perfection. You may find you need to reverse the amounts used, making the main ingredient the secondary ingredient.
    • If there is one particular ingredient you find most always works well on your hair, make it a staple for your hair recipes, adding it as a standard part of all your recipes.
    • Alter the way you apply the mixes to your hair. Try dousing your hair with your recipe while your hair is drenching wet in the shower. Does it work well this way? Try another time by making it a bit more liquidy and spritz it on your dried hair with a spray bottle. Perhaps your hair responds better to this application.
    • For ingredients, a general rule of thumb is if it's ok to ingest, it's probably ok to apply to your hair as well. Pureed fruit, honey, apple cider vinegar and many more items are great additions to homemade hair recipes.
    • Take note of what works for you and how it worked. Some recipes may be better for clarifying while others make for great deep conditioners.  
    • Search and compare! If you're a little timid about applying egg whites to your hair, make use of resources available to you before doing so. Search the Internet for your particular ingredients. You just may find others who have tried the same type of recipe and enjoyed success or experienced a nightmare.
    • Go beyond your kitchen! Many cities have well-stocked health food and natural stores with a huge selection of ingredients to boost your hair recipes. Experiment with essential oils (a few drops go a long way!), xanthum gum (a thickener, also known as xanthan), as well as conditioners and leave-ins you won't likely find at  the grocery store.

    Remember, a recipe failure is a good thing. It lets you know what your hair simply does not respond to well. The worst likely thing that can happen with the use of your homemade products is the need to wash your hair again, so get creative!

    Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from any article. Avoid using products if you are allergic to it.