Sunday, January 30, 2011

Organique Amla & Holy Basil Conditioner

Organique Amla & Holy Basil Conditioner ($8.59 CDN)

I saw this product around for a while and wanted to try it out, but didn't want to disrupt my current hair regimen since it seems to be working well; you know the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Anyway, I was running out of my faithful AOHR and figured I should pick some of this up. The price was comparable to AO products and you get just a little but more product. So off I go....

Promise: Gently effective, this exotic combination of herbs packed with natural proteins help condition, moisturize, nourish and restore natural softness and shine, giving you silky soft and tangle-free hair.

Results: There was  good slip and it detangled my hair quite nicely. I wouldn't say my hair was incredibly soft, but felt moisturized. I've read and researched some of the products and I don't see any protein despite the indication that there are proteins in this product. I was worried of course because of my sensitivity to protein. Overall, I was pleased. The smell is strong and lasted for days after I washed my hair. If you are not into the smell of herbs (sweet basil, marjoram and rosemary) than the smell may not be for you. It is not so strong that you think someone has just cooked an Italian meal on on top of your head (lol), but you do notice it.  I personally like it. Overall, I will give this product an Smiley. I would have given it more, but it lacked the softness I was hoping to achieve, I guess the level of softness that my AOHR provides me. It is definitely worth giving it a try though.

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, January 10, 2011

Remembering the Basics

There are times when I get so frustrated with my hair (which seems to be almost everyday as of late)! This pic of me is after yet another cut because I had damage ends. When this occurs I just want to throw in the towel and hack it all off. I will be the first to admit it, I want the quick fix. I want to have long hair tomorrow without having to work for it. I dislike the fact that I have to M & S everyday, deep condition for hours, rotate my protein and moisturizing conditioners every 2nd or 3rd week, detangle from the ends up to the root, fight with my hairdresser over whether or not I should trim--it's a lot of damn work! So why do I continue to do it? Easy, nothing worth having is ever easy. I think it's a misconception that women that have beautiful skin, hair or bodies just woke up one day and had it fall in their lap. They had to work for it. The trick is to work smarter, not necessarily harder for what you want. So how do I work smarter in terms of hair care? Go back to the basics.
  
Well some time last year I realized that my hair wasn't like everyone else. Products and regimens that worked for others just didn't have the same effect on my hair. So I payed attention, and through much trial and error I figured somethings out about my hair. The one and perhaps most important thing I discovered is the fact that my hair is fragile, even at it's strongest. Although my hair has been more than forgiving, given the amount of abuse I use to put it through, this one "flaw" makes my hair super sensitive to neglect. When I hear women say "consistency is key" they aren't kidding. As much as I want to look towards a particular product to help me with the various hair issues I am having at the moment the most basic, and perhaps one of the most beneficial things I can do for my hair is be consistent. I will be honest I think many of the issues I have had for the last 4+ weeks (I am experiencing some breakage y'all!) has had a lot more to do with my inconsistency than the fact that my hair "simply won't grow". I laugh at myself because even writing that sounds silly. I know my hair is growing, but that small voice seems to creep in every time I see tiny pieces of hair in my hand or I get a relaxer touch up and see that the sides or various sections of my hair hasn't budged. Rather than drive myself stir crazy I need to really look at what it is I am or am not doing to my hair. What is the simplest thing I can do for my hair that I am not doing to help bring it back on track? When in doubt, always go back to the basics.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Relaxer Day

So I got a relaxer Thursday morning (my last relaxer for 2010) and I am proud to say I stuck to my guns--no trim. My hairdresser insisted it was necessary, but didn't push it--he knew better. I always find it interesting that before he even washes the relaxer out of my hair that he is already talking about cutting my hair! I mean really?! Why don't you look at my hair after it has dried to determine if in fact it needs a trim before recommending it? Geeze! Even if my hair did "need" a trim, I was determined not to get one by him. Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoy going to my hairdresser. He is very professional, never keeps me waiting, and relaxes my hair beautifully. He is a gifted hairdresser. Unfortunately, when it comes to "trimming" hair I think he is a little off the mark. Why is this always an issue for black women? Next to breakage I think a scissor happy hairdresser is the biggest problem black women have when trying to achieve longer lengths. Anyway, with that settled I was happier then I have been in the last little while, however that was short lived...

My hair grew some (nice), appears to be looking thicker (also nice), but the sides and nape of my hairs is still a big problem. These areas are growing, however they seem to be stunted. I may just need to give these areas a little more TLC. This leads me to my mini hair goals:

As you already know I have been reflecting on my journey thus far and I have come to the conclusion that I have been too focused on gaining length and ignoring the fact that my hair is simply not as healthy as it should be to truly thrive. I've denied it up to this point, but I don't have any other explanation as to why certain areas of my hair are still breaking off. I mean some breakage can be expected because the hair bonds have been broken to achieve a "relaxed" look--it comes with the territory. However, the amount of breakage I am experiencing is so consistent that it feels like my hair hasn't budged in certain areas (e.g. sides, nape), but fine in others (e.g. front, back). So, it's time to regroup and put the horse right back in front of the cart where it belongs.

So this is the progress on my goals thus far:
  1. Eliminate (or at least seriously reduce) dry/itchy scalp
  2. Reduce breakage (better, but still an issue)
  3. Obtain and maintain strength/moisture balance (pretty good)
  4. Reduce shedding (better)
  5. Increase thickness 
  6. Increase growth potential and even out hair length
  7.  Low manipulation style 95% of the time 
  8. Daily 1 min scalp massages (need to be more consistent)
In addition, these are my overall health goals which should help me get to my hair goals:
  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 (need to be more consistent)
  4. Get adequate sleep
  5. De-stress with regular exercise/fun activity 
Well I've still been sleeping on my overall health goals *deep sigh*, so I will need to put more effort there. Let see if I can turn things around.

Next check in March 4, 2011

Hits and Misses for 2010

As a new year begins I am thinking about my future hair goals. I have had some success this year in terms of hair growth, but I need to keep it going if I hope to reach APL by Dec 2011, especially now that I am taking matters into my own hands. Here are a few products (and techniques) that created magic as well as a few disasters for my hair over the last year:

Hits
Aubrey Organics GPB Conditioner
Aubrey OrganicsHoneysuckle Rose Conditioner
Aubrey Organics Rosa Mosqueta® Nourishing Conditioner
ACV Rinse 
Co-washing
Elasta QP Design Foam
EVCO as a pre-poo/deep conditioner
Henna Treatment
Live Clean Argan Oil Smooth & Shine Cream
Komaza Shea Butter Hair Lotion
M&S once a day
Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave in Conditioner 
Relaxer touch-up 8-9 post
Oiling scalp 3x/week
Detangling in the shower

Misses
Burt's Bee Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Treatment
Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol Plus
Relaxer Touch-up 10+ post
Protectiv Mega Growth Daily Strengthener
Using protein conditioner more than every 3 weeks

Neither Hit nor Miss/Just There:
Silk Elements MegaSilk Moisturizing Treatment

What I learned about my hair and products in general through this process:
  • Oil based leave ins do not work on my hair, ends up making my hair feel dry and crunchy (Smiley "JustThis Girl1" for the help on this one).
  • Heavy proteins wreck havok on my hair! Using light based proteins once every 3 weeks was the most beneficial for my hair.
  • Moisturizing and sealing and pinning my hair up really helped retain moisture. This can only be done once a day at night otherwise my hair looks limp and greasy--not a good look!
  • Condiitoner can not sit on my scalp--hair only!
  • I need to trim my ends, base my own scalp and protect hair myself rather than trust that my hairdresser will do a sufficient enough job (still love you though M!)
Well that's me and my journey thus far. I want to send out a big "thank you" to all the ladies tht helped me a long the way ...much luv!

Happy New Year to all my followers...and may you achieve all your many hair goals in 2011!!!!!!