Next Relaxer

My last relaxer was on October 4, 2008, which ended a 10 weeks stretch. I have decided that I am going to stick with stretching 10-12 weeks.

Oil Cleansing Method (OCM)

I have been trying the OCM of cleaning my face once a week for about a month. I mix 50% olive oil and 50% castor oil in a bottle. I pour the oil mix in my hands and rub together to warm the oils before rubbing on my face. I turn the hot water on and wet my wash cloth, then sit the cloth on my face and do a steam cleaning of the skin. Rinse the cloth out and wipe my face clean of any oil left. It is very important not to use the same wash cloth for your next cleansing because it may still have oil and dirt on it. My skin feels so soft and there is no left over oil. I apply witch hazel on as a toner and a light moisturizer.

Yes, my first thought was that putting oil on my naturally oily skin would break me out~well I was very wrong. Not only has this method of cleansing helped clear up the extra oils throughout the day, but my skin is brighter and the few blemishes that I had are actually clearing up. I would've never believed this could happen if I hadn't tried it myself. I will continue to use this method at least once a week.

Current Regimen

As of 8/26/08

Weekly:
Prepoo: (overnight or 20 minutes under dryer)
Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner
Vo5 Passion Fruit Smoothie Moisture Milks
EVOO
Castor oil
Honey
Coconut oil

HYDRATHERMA NATURALS LINE:
*Shampoo w/Hydratherma Naturals Herbal/Amino Clarifying once a month if needed [1st lather]
*Moisture Boosting Shampoo [2nd lather]
*Deep condition w/Moisture Boosting DC or Amino Plus Protein DC [alternate every other week]
*Sit under dryer for 10-20 minutes
*Apply Follicle Invigorator
*Moisture/Protein Balance Leave in conditioner
*Daily Moisturizing Growth Lotion seal with Growth oil
*Hask Pure Shine Polishing Serum (staple)
*Rollerset, Saran Wrap, pin curl or air dry [flat iron special occasions w/heat protectant] Ponytails, Braidouts, Buns

Daily: Moisturize, scalp massages and seal ends [2x's daily for temple area]
Night: Moisturize and seal ends, wrap in satin or silk scarf

Relax every 10-12 weeks:
*July 24, 08
*Oct. 5, 08

No Trim til after 12/1 [DC/NT Challenge]
*Use other products from time to time*

MY GOALS:
1) To achieve healthy hair and growth to MBL or WL.
2) Protect my ends by moisturizing/sealing, reduce shedding and strengthen my hair.
3) Start stretching and monitor my NG for any breakage, etc.
4) Limit heat usage by air drying instead.
5) Find staple products that are best for my hair.

Hydratherma Naturals Moisture Boosting Collection Review

September 27, 2008 at 7:30pm

I started using the Hydratherma Naturals Moisture Boosting Collection a month ago. I am going to do my best to give a review of the products in the package that I purchased. (sorry so long)

Herbal/Amino Clarifying Shampoo: I wasn't sure how I would feel about this shampoo because I am not a big fan of clarifying poos and don't use them too often. After using the first time I did notice that my hair didn't feel loaded down with buildup from all the products I had been using. I have decided to use it once a month or as needed, not every week for my 1st lather because I have cut down on weekly product usage.

Moisture Boosting Shampoo: This shampoo has seaweed which stimulates, algae that strengthens strands and kelp that conditions. I really liked this poo because it detangled and made my hair feel very soft and moisturized. I have noticed less breakage and it provided great slip for me.

Moisture Boosting DC Treatment: This is one of my favs in the entire line. I love this conditioner because it makes my hair so soft and moisturized. It is really great for the DC/NT challenge. I usually sit under the dryer for at least 20 minutes with a cap on. My hair doesn't feel as dry as it was before I started using this product and it is definitely a staple for me. It is to be alternated every other week with the Amino Plus protein DC, which I haven't used yet.

Follicle Invigorator and Moisture Protein Balance Leave-In Conditioner: (Favs) The follicle invigorator is used to stimulate circulation to the scalp to promote growth. I really like the fact that I can use it daily and it doesn't weigh my hair down, but leaves my new growth soft and manageable. I do have quite a bit of new growth and this definitely helps. The leave-in is light and gives my hair the right balance. It also makes my hair feel soft and silky without it feeling weighed down. Great for rollersets and pin curls.

Daily Moisturizing Growth Lotion and Growth Oil: (Favs) I think these two are perfect together for moisturizing and sealing the ends. A little goes a long way and my hair doesn't have that heavy feel, but is soft, shiny,moisturzied and my new growth has taken on the waviness of my natural texture. Great for rollersets and pin curls.

IMHO: This is great line for relaxed or natural hair, of course keeping in mind everybody's hair is different. The product has given me the moisture as well as added softness, manageability and shine that I have been missing. It has a great smell too~Vanilla cake. HTH and HHG!!!

My First Rollerset and Presentable Style from Pin Curl Set

August 24, 2008 at 6:30pm

Hello Ladies...it's been a while since I have blogged about anything hair related. I was reminded by my new friend, you know who you are lol, so here is goes. It has been three months since I joined Healthy Textures and I am really enjoying myself. I mean I can't get enough of my favorite subject~HAIR, HAIR, HAIR, and more HAIR. This is dream come true to have found somewhere that I can talk about hair and not get on anyone's nerves (well I guess not) but if I do then I guess you have chosen the wrong website to hang out on.

I have tried a few new styling techniques and some have been successful and some were less than presentable. My favorites so far are definitely roller setting and pin curling. Doing a good roller set took me about 45 minutes, but I managed to get it done and keep the rollers in my head. I decided that I really liked the results and decided to try this more often after I tweak a few things that I did this time. Now when I was in cosmetology school I could never ever do a pin curl to save my life and only thought they could be done on wet hair. So, this of course was a hard technique for me to master, but thank God I found HT and somebody who knew about pin curling dry hair. After my first attempt i wasn't sure if I would try it again, but I did and am very happy with the results. Here is a pic of my style after pin curling my hair last night. I wore it to church like this and got so many compliments. I am in the process of replacing the products in my regimen with the Hydratherma Naturals line and will keep my other products to use as I see fit. I would like to thank all of my new friends (family) at HT for always being an encouragement and helping me out when I needed it. HHG everyone!!!

Relaxer after 14 week stretch

July 24, 2008 at 10:43pm

Today I ended what was a long stretch for me of 14 weeks. I couldn't take it any longer. I am used to relaxing my new growth every 6-8 weeks so this took some getting used to, but I managed by trying braidouts and other styles. I don't really notice any major growth, but this is only my second month on HT so I am not really worried about that. I know that my hair feels much healthier and that's good so I am happy about that. I didn't really do anything spectacular because I don't really want to stray to far from my normal routine of relaxing my hair. This is something that has always worked for me so I don't want to take a chance on messing it up. What I did do differently though is I implemented a protein treatment and DC during my relaxer routine. Believe it or not, I never did this before but I was very happy with the results. My hair feels very soft and full of body. It was too late when I got finished to style it and take a pic so I just took one before I wrapped it up for bed. Overall, I am happy and will probably stretch to just 12 weeks. I have found some new staple steps to try during my relaxer routine.

2nd Prepoo with Moisture Mix

June 16, 08

Ok, I decided to try Sophia's moisture mix (big shout out!!!!). It was wonderful and I love it. I have decided to use this mix as a staple for my prepoos and for moisture. I used Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner, EVOO, Castor oil, and honey. Warmed in the microwave as suggested and mixed in a bowl. As I told Sophia, my nephew thought I was a little crazy and was very concerned that my hair would be sticky. It was not sticky in any way. I decided to apply the mix to my hair like I do when I relax it (I am approx. 11 weeks post relaxer) and made sure that I really got the ends good, put my plastic cap on for 45 minutes, rinsed out and washed with CON. My hair was so soft when I rinsed it. I conditioned my hair with Tresemme again and put my cap back on for another 15 minutes. After I rinsed this out, I applied my Motions Nourish Leave-in Conditioner and sealed my ends with castor oil. I let my hair air dry about 85%, but it was still wet the next morning so I sort of backslid and used the dryer for a few minutes. My hair was still very soft and manageable. I applied Let's Jam Heat Styles Straightening Creme and flat ironed because I was going to church. Overall, this was a wonderful experience and I would recommend if you haven't tried Sophia's moisture mix, please do. My hair still feels very soft, silky and looks shiny. As soon as I get my camera fixed I will post pics. I will definitely be doing this again so eventually you will get to see the end results.

Preparing Regimen

May 31, 2008

After trying my first pre-poo and falling in love with it (LOL) I am still in search of the right regimen for me. So I am going to spend some more time investigating and trying some new techniques. I know this can take time, so I guess I am being a little impatient. That's how I am when I really am enjoying something and can't wait to get the desired results. It's an addiction for sure...help me somebody please. I guess you can't help someone who refuses to reform and give up an addiction :o)