13 Weeks Post Relaxer Mid Week Wash Day

I honestly have to say that as much as I love wash days, there are some days when it is simply a chore. On these days it's tempting to take short cuts, but I try to overcome the urge as much as possible. :D

Pre-Poo - Coconut Oil

When I got home from work I took my hair down (was wearing a halo flat twist protective style), and applied coconut oil to my hair with my new Misto Oil Sprayer. (The jury is still out on how I like using the sprayer.) I then twisted my hair back up and went for a run.


Shampoo - Nutress Hair Stop Break Sulfate Free Shampoo

This is my all time favorite sulfate free shampoo. It contains protein and aloe. It has an incredible amount of slip and leaves my hair soft. I'll do a more detailed review in a later post.


Deep Condition - Giovanni 2Chic Ultra-Moist Deep Deep Moisture Hair Mask and Coconut Oil

The Giovanni moisture mask contains avocado and olive oil. I blended the mask with 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil and wore a heat cap for about 45 minutes.

Leave-Ins - Rosewater, Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer, and Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Leave in Conditioner

I applied my leave-ins in the above order. I targeted the rosewater to my scalp and did a mini massage in an effort to stimulate hair growth.

After this I knew I wanted to air dry but was at a loss on how I wanted to proceed with styling. Don't you hate those days?


Style

I air dried and after my hair was about 80% dry I applied some Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Serum made by Spring Valley. I did four Bantu knots (1 on each side and 2 in the back) and went to bed.

The next morning I took my Bantu knots out and the results were so-so.

However, my curls were more defined than I thought considering I didn't use a styling custard or pudding of any kind. I did have a bit of frizz.

Overall this wash day was fairly successful. My new growth at 13 weeks post relaxer is definitely something to contend with, but the continued use of coconut oil and product favorites makes it bearable.

Thanks so much for reading and if you believe this article may help someone, please share! If you any questions please leave them below.

Blessings and Happy Hair Journey!

~Candra

Rosewater Benefits on Relaxed Hair - Conditioning and Setting Lotion

Hello Ladies! It's Monday, but I pray your week is already starting off blessed and beautiful!

Just wanted to introduce you to my new love for my hair and skin...."rosewater". Rosewater is a natural product simply made with water and rose petals.

You can make rosewater yourself, purchase it online or find it in your local health food store. The rosewater I purchased online contains purified water and natural rose oil. Here is a quick rundown of some of the benefits of rosewater.

Hair

1. Conditions and Moisturizes Hair

2. Setting Lotion

3. Healing Properties for the Scalp

4. Sparks Hair Growth

Skin

1. Reduces Pore Size

2. Fights Acne

3. Skin Toner

4. Sets Makeup

5. Soothes Sunburn

Rosewater is beneficial for most hair and skin types. I say "most" because, for a variety of reasons, not every product works for everyone. I was very happy to see fast and beneficial results on my skin and relaxed hair!

Stay tuned for DIY beauty tips featuring rosewater!

Thank you as always for visiting and watching! If you have any comments or questions please leave them down below!

Blessings!

~Candra

Subscribe for Relaxed Hair Health and Growth Tips! Enter your email below and let's grow together!:





Delivered by FeedBurner

Wash Day With Oils and Conditioners Only

Tomorrow is my scheduled "full" wash day but yesterday I went running and had a pretty sweaty workout. My hair hates perspiration and since I perspired so excessively, I decided to throw in an extra wash day.

My initial plan was to do a quick cleanse with a conditioner (co-wash), but since my hair has been loving oils, I thought I'd try something new!

So last night I cleansed by my hair using a combination of oils and conditioners only. It made for a quick and easy wash day and the results really surprised me.

I started by pre-treating my hair with coconut oil for about an hour while cooking dinner.

I then hopped in the shower, rinsed the coconut oil out completely with very warm water and co-washed my hair using the Herbal Essences The Sleeker The Butter conditioner.

It smells nice, it's thick and creamy, but it lacks the slip I love in a conditioner. I've been reaching for it lately just to finish it up. 

After rinsing the Herbal Essences conditioner thoroughly from my hair, I applied organic hemp oil to my hair for an oil rinse.

I put my hemp oil in a separate applicator bottle and keep the rest in the kitchen. My hubby has been taking it internally for its nutritional and Omega benefits. I'm the shallow one who uses it on her hair. Lol...

After a few minutes I applied Tresemme' Naturals conditioner on top of the hemp oil and proceeded to rinse.

When I rinse my hair I like to make sure that the product is completely rinsed out before proceeding to the next step. My hair was soft like butter!

For a deep condition I used the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Pure Strength Conditioning Treatment. I left it in for the duration of my shower and then rinsed with cool water. 

The NTM Pure Strength Conditioning Treatment is a great product that leaves my strong. I wish I could repurchase it locally, but since my passing in the night with it at Big Lots, I haven't seen it anywhere. :(

My leave in conditioner is the Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Leave in Conditioner. I applied this after letting my hair air dry just a bit.

And for my last oil of the night, I bring to you my Key West Jamaican black castor oil.

Since I planned to air dry and wear my hair in a bun, I sealed with JBCO which is a heavier oil. I love this oil for sealing my ends and edges especially.

Once my hair was about 70% dry, I combed my hair back and installed two small flexi rods for some curl and went to bed. In the morning my hair was completely dry and super soft.

12 Weeks Post Relaxer

I removed the flexi rods and decided to throw on a head band and just let my curls hang loose instead!


Wash Day Recap...My OCOCCCO method...Haha...

1. Oil (PrePoo)
2. Conditioner (CoWash)
3. Oil and Conditioner (Rinse)
5. Conditioner (Deep)
6. Conditioner (Leave In)
7. Oil (Seal)

Over all I was very pleased with my hair's response to an oil and conditioner only wash day... especially at 12 weeks post relaxer!
Detangling was easy and my hair is soft and moisturized.

If you would like a full review on any product mentioned just leave me a comment below!

Blessings and Happy Hair Journey!

~Candra

Subscribe for Relaxed Hair Health and Growth Tips! Enter your email below and let's grow together!:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Stretching My Relaxers Comes With Its Struggles

As of July 31^st I am eleven weeks post relaxer. My goal is to reach a relaxer stretch mile stone and stretch for sixteen weeks. 

Before my hair journey I went to the salon to get my hair relaxed every six weeks. Now that I am relaxing my hair every three months or beyond, my hair has thickened up beautifully. No more over processing!

While relaxer stretching has been great for my hair, it comes with its struggles.

1. Detangling two different textures

2. The delicacy of the line of demarcation

3. Creating desired hairstyles

Extending my stretch from three months to four months may not seem like a big deal, but I know I need to be proactive and have a plan. After all, I have found that not every relaxer stretch is the same.

For example, I am currently eleven weeks post relaxer, but because of a change in my regimen my hair is a lot thicker and therefore more difficult to manage than during my previous stretches. 

My Plan For... Detangling Two Textures

• Deep condition twice a week. – This strategy is actually a part of my ongoing coconut oil challenge, but keeping my hair moisturized and soft helps with detangling. I plan to use my conditioners with the most slip.

• Finger detangle often. – The last few weeks of this stretch, I’m going to reach for my comb less and finger detangle more. I'm less likely to cause breakage. This includes finger detangling after each step of my wash day to prevent knots. I have experienced a few knots this stretch already! 

• Work with my hair in sections. – I’m going to take my time and prepoo, wash, deep condition, rinse, and style my hair section by section. 

My Plan For... Line of Demarcation (Where my relaxed hair and natural hair meet.)

• Protein treatments – Every other week I deep condition with a light protein treatment. My go to product is the ORS Replenishing Conditioner. The week before my relaxer I will apply a medium to hard protein treatment, most likely, the Aphogee Two Step treatment.

• Finger detangling – I can be more gentle using my fingers, preventing breakage at the line of demarcation. 

• Minimal heat usage – I do have plans to flat iron my hair this weekend but will use a heat protectant and the lowest setting possible on my flat iron. The line of demarcation is the weakest point of a two textured hair shaft and too much heat can cause breakage…which defeats the whole purpose of relaxer stretching.

My Plan For... Desired Hairstyling

To be honest the jury is still out on this one. “Doing” hair, as far as styling is concerned is a struggle for me on any day. So, I’ll stick with what I can do best. These styles are not always what I feel like wearing, but at least my hair looks presentable and there’s little manipulation.

• Buns

• Medium to Large Bantu Knot Outs

• Roller Sets
  

My ultimate goal is to get to the point where I only relax my hair three times per year. If I have issues or get too frustrated I will relax earlier than planned... But never again will I do the 6 to 8 week thing. It works for some, but it wasn't the healthiest time frame for my hair.

Thank you for reading and HHJ! Blessings! 

~Candra