Protecting your Hair During the Winter

As you know I have been under some stress because my hair has been breaking. I am happy to say that I have manage to get it under control and all is right with the world once again . Since I've been using the AOWC my hair has improved a great deal, so it will definitely become a staple in my regimen. However, I still need to figure out what went wrong with my hair; why did my hair take such a horrible turn.

When I first noticed my hair "trauma" I immediately went into recovery mode. I also took a peek at my previous blog entries to help me determine where I went wrong. True, I had been neglecting my hair big time over the last month or so, but my hair issues were more than simple neglect. I kid you not when I say my hair felt like brittle straw. It was crumpling and snapping at the slightest touch and it had nothing to do with protein overload because I hadn't touched protein in three weeks.

So what was it? Well after reviewing my blog I realized that last winter (oddly enough when I had the best progress on my journey) I had been super protective with my hair. For months I completely covered my ends, conditioned my hair like nobody's business and followed my regimen religiously. More importantly, I used products that were more appropriate for the colder months (e.g heavier oils, conditioners and creams).

Over the last six months I have tried several products in an effort to find the best products for my hair texture and needs. In the summer/fall I had finally found some great all natural products that made my hair feel amazing. Unfortunately, in all my excitement I failed to recognize that these products weren't the best options for the winter months. To make matters worse I have been wearing my hair "out" more often than I have in the past, exposing it to the harsh elements. None of this information should be a surprise to me. I mean we wear different clothes,change our skin care routines and products to manage the harsh elements, so why wouldn't I do the same for my hair? It is unfortunate that I had to learn the hard way that I was unintentionally undoing my progress, but I am learning, as I should be, and have since made changes to my daily routine and my product list. These changes over the colder months (November-March) include:

1. Increasing moisture and sealing routine to 2x/day using heavier creams and oils

2. Air dry, with no heat passes

3. Wear protective styles 99% of the time

4. Stretch relaxers to 10+ weeks

I' m hoping this will help.

Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner

Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner ($9.79-11.99 CDN) 

As some of you may know I have been experiencing severe breakage over the last few weeks and I have been trying to put my hair back on track. Well I thought the best way to do that was to up my conditioning game since that has helped me out in the past. I also think my hair is suffering from lack of adequate moisture (even though I thought I was already giving my hair sufficient moisture), which brings me to my latest review. I came across this moisturizer on Friday and decided to pick it up because I had run out of my AOHR and while I like the Amla & Holy Basil Conditioner, I wanted to use something a bit more moisturizing. I figured this wouldn't hurt because of the ingredients, it was suited for dry hair and the price was right.

Promises: Tame unruly hair and replenish much-needed moisture with this intensive, ultra-smoothing conditioner. Vitamin-rich formula nourishes as it protects against heat styling damage and breakage, restoring manageability for the look you want—whether it's silky, shiny lengths or soft, controlled curls.

Results: All I can say is OMG this thing is freakin' amazing! I have to say I love most of the AO conditioners because they are all natural product and they always make my hair feel incredibly soft and manageable. Now this product absolutely delivers on its promises. It is ultra moisturizing and left my hair sooooo soft. The truest test for me whenever I judge a moisturizing conditioner is the condition it leaves my hair after a henna treatment. Henna treatments can leave my hair very dry, similar to protein treatments. I usually have to apply a deep moisturizing treatment for at least 3 hours to bring my hair back to a decent condition, but with the AOWCC I left it in for only half that time. When I washed it out it felt like silk and had absolutely no tangles. My hair got a little tangled by the henna (I'll address that in another post) and I was freaking out since I was already having hair issues. This took those tangles out like a dream. Afterward when my hair was dry it still felt incredibly soft and I had absolutely no breakage. My new growth is also very soft and manageable. I have to say I did not think I would find anything to top AOHR, but this beats HR hands down. The smell is pretty good and the consistency is a little bit runnier than the other AO conditioners, but I actually prefer that because if you are familiar with AO conditioners then you know they are murder to get out of the bottle because they are so thick. I can't believe I have been sleeping on this conditioner for this long, but it will definitely become a staple.

Overall, given price and condition I have to give this product a . That is the highest score I have given any product, and you know how picky I am. It would have gotten a 10 if the price was lower---LOL! Please note: If you hope to try this product I have very fine, dry hair, so take that in consideration as your results may not be the same as mine--but I'd be surprise if they weren't.

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

- = neither hit or miss; just okay

- = good product; really worth trying.

= amazing product!

Breakage: I'm in Trouble Y'all!

Once again I am experiencing a serious issue with my hair. I'm not just talking about a little bit of breakage here; I am talking about severe breakage. The whole right side of my hair in the back has broken off at least 2-2½ inches!!!!! It feels like it almost crept up on me, but if I am being completely honest I saw the indications that my hair was in peril weeks ago. I just thought I was responding to the issue. I should explain a little:

It has been really cold here in Toronto, so I thought I would give my hair a bit of a break from the cold and regular manipulation, so I put it in a quick weave. It was a cute little layered bob, which I really liked. It has been a minute since I wore a weave (2003 to be exact) and I forgot how much damage it can cause if you do not care for you hair appropriately before, during and after wearing the weave. I thought I was caring for my hair while it was in the weave: washing, conditioning appropriately. When I took it down it was a little dry, but nothing too horrible and I M&S once a day, wore it up off my shoulders, washed once a week and deep conditioned as usual. But day, by day I have been loosing more and more hair. Since they were fairly long pieces I thought it was normal shedding, but gradually I noticed the back of my hair was looking distressed. Today after washing and drying my hair I was horrified by what I saw. Where did all the hair on the left side of my head go? How is it I didn't notice this earlier?After crying (not literally) for 10 minutes and I snapped out of it and decided to go back to work reading over past blog entries, researching the blogs of my hair idols, all in an effort to get me back on track. I've been here before, so I can recover as long as I don't panic and make things worse. As much as it pains me, I am going to have to get my hair cut in the back to even my hair out. Oh well.....