Relaxer Update #3

Good afternoon!
Yesterday I relaxed my hair after 9 weeks, since I've been back at the gym my new growth has been poppin, so I figured I would relax before it got to hectic lol. Here are the steps:

Relaxer Prep:

1. On Thursday:  I used my 6+ week detangling method using coconut oil and Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Moisturizing Smoothie.
1. I left that in for about 30 mins with heat and 2 additional hours because I was busy :o).
2. After rinsing, I shampooed in 4 sections using the Dove Intense Repair (sulfate) shampoo to gently remove any build-up prior to relaxing. I then shampooed a second time Shea Moisture Retention Shampoo.
3. I then conditioned briefly without heat with Aussie Moist and proceeded to finger detangle.
4. After rinsing, I t-shirt dried for about 5 minutes, applied Rusk Smoother Leave-in Conditioner and argan oil and proceeded to finish detangling with my fingers.
5. After my hair was about 90% dry, I applied Giovanni Direct Leave-in, aloe vera juice/water mix and some more argan oil to seal my ends.
2. The day before I relaxed (Saturday): I coated the previously relaxed ends and length with coconut oil and fully detangle all sections.
3. Relaxer day: I applied vaseline to scalp and completely around hairline.

Relaxer Day:

1. My hair was parted into 4 sections and then relaxed using the half and half method (click here to see explanation of this method) with the Gentle Treatment No-Lye relaxer in regular strength.
1. The back two halves were relaxed first, then the front.
2. The total relaxer time for each half was 18 minutes.
3. The hair was then rinsed and neutralized.
4. I then deep conditioned with Nexxus Humectress for 30 minutes under my heat cap.
5. I rinsed, then t-shirt dried for about 10 minutes.
6. I applied my leave-ins: Rusk Smoother and argan oil, then detangled and allowed my hair to air-dry hanging loose.

 

My hair at 70% dry, prior to trim. I wore my hair out for the last few months to give my scalp a break, 
my ends took more a beating than usual, so a trim is definitely in order, most likely later this week.

I randomly decided to try to flat twist my hair, and it actually didn't come out too badly. The twists were done of dry hair, with no products used. This was more of an experiment, but now that I know that I can flat twist I will be sure to try this method again!

 

...and yes those are absolutely barrettes lmao, I was too lazy to go get rollers #laziness!

Final results, best pic I could get since I was running late for work. 

The waves were fairly uniform :).

I plan to try this style again in the future, so I will def do a post on it. I will be updating later this week with a length check after I trim!

Thanks for reading :),

Nexxus Giveaway [CLOSED]

Happy Hump Day!

It has been 4 months since I published my first post on the blog. I had few expectations; all I knew was that I wanted to document my hair journey and to share my trials and tribulations with others. I am truly honored that you guys have come on this journey with me and I really do appreciate it.

I figured it was time to show how much I appreciate my regular readers, visitors and subscribers with my first giveaway!

Nexxus is my favorite hair product line and I wanted to share it with you guys!
One winner will receive a full size (13.5oz) bottle of Nexxus Therappe, Humectress and Keraphix along with a Nexxus Style Effexx black paddle brush. This giveaway is open internationally!

To enter simple do the following:

1. Subscribe to me on Google Friend Connect (the buddy list on the right side of the page).
2. Follow me on either Twitter(@jen_chronicles) or Instagram(jenchronicles) (optional-whichever you have is fine with me :)
3. Under this post leave a comment saying Enter Me, also be sure to include your email address
1. optional - along with this comment, you can also tell me what your favorite hair product is

That's it! I like my giveaways simple lol. This giveaway is open until September 5th at midnight ET. The winner will be chosen randomly and will be posted on September 6th.

This is my way of saying thank you for reading! Each and every comment brings a smile to my face.

Thanks for reading :),

Tech Talk: Protective Styling

Hey there :),

A topic that frequently comes up in healthy hair care is protective styling. A protective style is defined as a style that protects your ends from the environment and excess friction by keeping them off your clothing, shoulders and away from the air and other environmental stresses that can potentially cause breakage. There are two types of protective styling: complete and low-manipulation.

Complete protective styling involves the hair being up off of the shoulders as well as the ends being tucked in away from the elements. A few examples of complete protective styles are buns and tucked-in french braids.

Low manipulation protective styling, however, just requires that the hair is either kept off the shoulders, for example: braid-outs/twist-outs that are above the shoulders or pinning up the hair (without the ends being tucked in). This type of protective styling, however, can leave the very ends of the hair vulnerable to more weathering and environmental stress than complete protective styles.

Protective styling is a great weapon in the fight against breakage; since these styles require less heat and keep the hair moisturized for longer periods of time than styles where the hair is left free, there is less opportunity for breakage to occur which leads to the hair retaining more length and keeping ends that are in good condition for longer periods of time. Protective styling has definitely aided my length retention over the last year or so. It certainly helps keep the hair safe, especially in conditions where the hair cannot be treated appropriately or you lack the time to deep condition, moisturize and seal, etc.
Although protective styling is often touted as one of the most important hair techniques, it is definitely possible to attain your desired length and hair health without protective styling--it may just be a more difficult and lengthier journey without protective styling. In a regimen in which this is absent, there are fewer areas in which you can slack off. That certainly means that you have be sure that your regimen is protective in other ways; whether that is by deep conditioning, moisturizing and sealing or avoiding direct heat.

There is also certainly a dark side to protective styling; from personal experience some of my worst breakage incidents came from not being sure to switch up my protective styles and not making sure that my hair was adequately balanced before putting it into a long term protective style. Just be sure to vary your protective styles and to be sure to assess the moisture/protein balance of your hair frequently to make sure that your hair is being properly cared for. If incorporated correctly, a combination of treating the hair and protective styling can yield amazing results! For a great example of the power of protective styling click here to view an article by Nadege of Relaxed Hair Health.

What's your favorite protective style and how has it helped 

improve the condition of your hair?

Thanks for reading :),

Product Review: Carol's Daughter Tui Moisturizing Hair Smoothie

Good evening gorgeous!

One of the major issues that I've had since the start of my hair journey has been tangling. My hair tangles all the time, wet or dry and sometimes it's just one giant mess :p. In fact, relaxer stretching has always been a bit treacherous for me because of my issues with detangling. It was only during my last stretch that I finally figured out a technique that melted my tangles and helped my hair retain the moisture that it desperately needs during a relaxer stretch. After about 6 weeks post relaxer, I begin to use my detangling method to help me manage my new growth as well as my relaxed ends. My favorite conditioner to use for detangling is the Tui Moisturizing Hair Smoothie; this conditioner contains a ton of moisturizing and smoothing elements to ease detangling and soften the hair. Since I leave this conditioner in and apply heat (for 30 minutes or more) after detangling, I found it important to make that while this is a moisturizing conditioner, that it has some protein/strengthening aspects to ensure that my hair doesn't become over-moisturized and weak. The Tui Moisturizing Hair Smoothie completely fits the bill; it detangles, smooths and still leaves the hair feeling somewhat strong. It has a fresh smell, a lotion-like consistency and it spreads really well through the hair. I must confess, I have never used this conditioner the way its directions state lol. I typically use it during a stretch, on dry/moistened hair rather than on freshly shampooed hair. I will try it on wet freshly shampooed hair after I relax in a few weeks.
I truly do enjoy using this conditioner, it certainly makes stretching easier and it also smells amazing. As with all Carol's Daughter products, this also lacks mineral oil, petroleum, artificial fragrance and a number of other irritants. This conditioner isn't a staple just yet (have to try it on wet hair before I can give it that honor lol), but so far I've been very pleased with its performance :o).

Rating: 4/5
Claim: Deeply moisturizes to rescue extra dry and dull hair. The rich blend of Shea Butter and Pro-vitamin B5 intensely conditions your hair so it has a healthy texture and natural shine. Quickly absorbs into your hair so you’ll notice an immediate difference and hair will not get weighed-down.
PLUS, No Parabens, No Petroleum, No Mineral Oil, No Artificial Colors

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Helianthus Annuus ( Sunflower) Seed Oil, Amodimethicone, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Mauritia Flexuosa (Buriti) Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol ( Pro-vitamin B5), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aspartic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Polyquaternium-37, PEG-40 Castor Oil, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum)
pH: 7
Type: Moisturizing Deep Conditioner (protein containing)

Thanks for reading :),

Wash day

Good afternoon!

I found out the hard way (again) that laziness REALLY doesn't pay off lol! My last wash day prior to this one was late Saturday night, after the gym at 7 weeks post and it turned into a disaster! My hair had been in an old twist out, so the texture + the new growth + not detangling prior to washing = matted, greasy, TANGLED hair! My hair looked so short, and so thin that I thought I had lost half of my hair volume in like one evening; it was so bad, not even the supreme detangling conditioner (ORS hair masque) was able to cut through my tangles. After using a leave-in, moisturizer, oil, nothing worked so I just left that joint in a bun until I had the time to get to it. I finally got to it last night and it took 3 hours, a half cup of sweet almond oil, patience and a snack break (lol) to finally detangle my hair. Oddly enough, I feel like I didn't lose a ton of hair last night, of course there was more breakage than I would've liked, but eh, I def don't plan to make a habit of what happened last night. Here are the wash day steps that saved my hair last night:

1. Pre-poo and detangle in 4 sections with warm sweet almond oil and water. 
2. Apply Carol's Daughter Tui Moisturizing Smoothie to detangled sections.
3. Sit under heating cap for 30 minutes
4. Rinse in warm water.
5. Shampoo twice in sections with Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo.
6. Condition for 10 minutes with Aussie Moist without heat.
7. Rinse.
8. T-shirt dry for 10 minutes
9. Apply leave-ins: Rusk Smoother Leave-in Conditioner and argan oil to ends
10. Complete detangling, spray aloe vera juice/water mix on hair while still damp, then air-dry with back hanging loose and front pinned up.

Now, at this point in my journey I'm well aware that after 6 weeks (whether my hair is texlaxed or relaxed bone straight) things start to get hectic. My hair is very dense, my new growth is very tightly coiled and the hair in most of the front and middle of my head is coarse--these factors alone make for rough detangling sessions, in addition to the amount of shed hair that I had from a low manipulation style at 7 weeks post. I was clearly trippin when I tried to avoid detangling before washing last week. I definitely paid for that poor decision last night when I had to painstakingly detangle new growth to make sure that I got as little damage as possible. The moral of this story is, if something works STICK WITH IT!! Lol, anyway, after all of the detangling drama, my hair came out buttery soft, smooth and tangle free. This morning all I had to do was put some of my Giovanni Direct Leave-in and seal with argan oil.

 

End of day pics... I think I'm doin' okay for 7 weeks post :)

As I type this post, a little before 4pm today, my hair still feels good, looks full again (phew), is detangled and is still soft and moisturized. So all I really needed was some patience, to detangle in sections and an epic deep conditioner. I just need to remember to stick to the products that I know work for me, that takes the guesswork out of wash days.

What wash day step can you absolutely not live without?

P.S. - I have a giveaway coming up soon! Stay tuned :)

Thanks for reading :),

My Sister's Update #1

Hey all,

Last night my sister, Janelle, sent me an update on her hair progress (and I didn't even have to remind her :). It has been a bit less than a month and she seems to be sticking to her regimen so far. All is well, and she tells me that her hair feels softer, stronger and retains moisture longer. We have also discussed the idea of keeping up with her semi-permanent color by dying it again soon, but I figured it would be best to improve the hair's condition before coloring it again.

Here are the details of her wash day:
Janelle is lucky enough to have a stylist that she trusts, so aside from the pre-poo all of these steps took place at a salon :).

1. Pre-treat with coconut oil at home.
2. Rinse.
3. Shampoo with Organix Moroccan argan oil shampoo. Towel dry hair until damp.
4. Apply Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Hair Masque (light protein deep conditioner). Sit for 5 minutes. Then sit under warm dryer for 10 minutes. Rinse.
5. Apply Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk.
6. Seal with Sweet Almond Oil.
7. Roller set, sit under dryer for roughly 40 minutes.
8. Blow dry roots only.

Here are the final results:

 

Lookin' good there Jan! 

Her one critique about this wash day was that perhaps she used too much almond oil, so her hair came out a bit heavier than desired. There's definitely a learning curve when it comes to how much oil to seal with to keep the hair from being heavy. Other than that, I think it came out great!


Added notes from Janelle (08/14/2012):
When roller setting, moisturizing and sealing is only required  a few days after the initial set. When air-dried and styled, moisturizing and sealing is required daily. She also included a picture of her hair a few days after it was initially done.

lol, notice the sweet new headband :)

 Thanks for reading :),

Product Review: Nexxus Signature Line

Good evening!

If you have ever read any of my wash day posts, especially recently, you'll notice that any of various Nexxus products are featured on wash days. I have to admit, when I first started my journey in 2011, I was not impressed. I was expecting these products to work magic, but after realizing that there is no magic product, I noticed it was more about determining the proper placement of a product in your regimen to obtain optimal results. After figuring out where Nexxus belonged in my hair care routine, these two of us have been madly in love lol. I use and own the bulk of the Nexxus signature line (excluding the styling products, I don't really use styling products at all) and I have for quite some time. This is definitely going to be a long post, but I promise it will be informative =)...

Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisturizing Shampoo

This is one of the few sulfate shampoos that I still own. I use this whenever I feel like I have build up or if I have been using a lot of silicone (like if I were to heat style or rollerset). This is a good moisturizing shampoo, with a pearly, somewhat thick consistency similar to that of most moisturizing sulfate shampoos. It smells like fresh coconut and cleans my hair in one lather without over-drying or making my hair feel hard. If you are sensitive to sulfates and silicones, of course this shampoo is most likely not for you. My scalp is sensitive to sulfates so I am just sure to do a hot oil treatment prior to washing and I follow up with my moisturizing sulfate free shampoo (Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo) to ensure that my scalp does not become irritated after use. As far as sulfate shampoos go, this one is pretty good.

Rating: 4.5/5
Claims:  Therappe Luxurious Hydrating Shampoo, now enhanced for superior salon performance and advanced moisturization, is specially formulated with Rosemary, Chamomile and Nettle, gently cleanses for nourished, healthy looking hair.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-10, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Gylcerides, Fragrance (Parfum), Cocamide DEA, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Coumarin, Panthenol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Methylisothiazolinone, Honey (Mel, Miel), Magnesium Citrate, Allantoin, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Stearic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Ceramide 3, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
pH: 7
Type: Moisturizing Sulfate Containing Shampoo

Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner

Nexxus Humectress is a hair forum favorite for a good reason. This is the only protein-containing conditioner that actually manages to moisturize my hair. It always adequately conditions my hair without overmoisturizing. Humectress always comes through in the clutch-- during a stretch, after a fresh relaxer and even works magic for post gym dryness. The consistency is similar to that of a lotion, its more of an instant conditioner, but I've also used it to deep condition with and it does an amazing job. My hair always comes out soft, smooth and moisturized, usually I don't even need to use a leave-in before detangling! Humectress is definitely my go-to conditioner for rollersetting, as it smooths and detangles the hair making rollersetting a breeze :). It's also pH balanced and has an amazing coconut scent, that is particularly persistent when heat is used.

Rating: 5/5--Staple!
Claims: Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner, now enhanced for an elevated level of moisturization, is specially formulated with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil, and Honey Extract, provides nourishing moisture, leaving hair luxuriously soft, manageable, and full of lustre.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Bis(C13-15 Alkoxy) PG-Amodimethicone, Stearalkonium Chloride, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Fragrance (Parfum), Cetrimonium Chloride,  Dimethiconol, Isostearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, DMDM Hydantoin, C14-15 Alcohols, Alcohol Denat., Limonene, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sodium Chloride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Panthenol, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Propylene Glycol, Red 33 (CI 17200), Red 4 (CI 14700), Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Polysorbate 60, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Honey Extract (Mel, Extrait de Miel), Ceramide 3, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
pH: 5.5-6
Type: Moisturizing Deep Conditioner 

Nexxus Keraphix Restorative Conditioner

KerapHix definitely has a special place in my heart lol. During my first moisture overload during my journey my hair was limp, breaking and weak, I wasn't sure what protein treatment to try so I checked the suggested list of products in The Science of Black Hair (if you haven't read it yet, you should read it soon!), and opted to try Nexxus Keraphix to fix my moderate-severe breakage. I skated over to my local rite aid, purchased it, used it and 3 minutes later my hair was soft but STRONG, the breakage stopped and I've been in love with this product ever since. This protein conditioner has saved my hair multiple times and has helped it withstand daily wear and tear without that horrific hard feeling a lot of protein conditioners can give to the hair. Keraphix also has suprisingly good slip and it's pH balanced so the hair comes out stronger but super smooth. It also works in the 3 minutes suggested without heat. Since Keraphix is a medium (can be heavy for some) protein conditioner, if used too often it can put your hair into a protein overload, I would suggest using it no more than twice monthly. This conditioner was a staple from the first time I used it and hopefully they won't change the formula so we can stay together for a long, long time lol.

Rating: 5/5--Staple!
Claims: Keraphix Restorative Strengthening Conditioner, specially formulated with Collagen and Keratin Amino Acids, gently repairs damaged hair for softer, stronger, healthier looking hair from root to tip.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Aspartic Acid, Quaternium-18, Fragrance (Parfum), DMDM Hydantoin, Isostearamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Citric Acid, PEG-9, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, DNA, Panthenol, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Sodium RNA, Zinc Chloride, Rhodochrosite Extract, Magnesium Citrate, Polyquaternium-10, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Myristic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide 3, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols
pH: 5.5
Type: Medium Strength Protein Conditioner/Protein Reconstructor

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this line to anyone in need of a good moisturizing deep conditioner or protein treatment that works quickly and effectively. I do want to include a few notes:
These products are not compatible with no-poo or sulfate-free regimens. The bulk of Nexxus products contain a lot of silicone, and if they are not removed regularly by sulfate shampoo usage build up can form and that can lead to breakage. Also for the protein sensitive or for those currently suffering from protein overload, be careful with the Nexxus signature line. Most of the products either contain protein or natural components that may strengthen the hair and that can worsen the hair's condition if protein is not necessary at the time of use.

Aside from those notes however, this line hasn't failed me yet!

Thanks for reading :),

I've been slippin'...

Good afternoon :)


Lol as the title says, I've been slippin on my hair care. I haven't updated in a while and I must admit, I have been the most bored with my hair. Between the gym, the fact that my new growth is coming in faster than previously expected and that my hair has been acting strangely, I just haven't been feeling it. I still keep up on my wash days, moisturizing/sealing, but I need to step up my deep conditioning. Now that my scalp has recovered from the tenderness, I can get back to protective styling. I will primarily be keeping it simple and very light on tension, so no tight buns or butterfly clips, etc, mostly just clipping it up with a duckbill clip (which is only semi-protective, but I'll get into that in my next post ;) and leaving it alone.

 

pics of today's super messy bun (with no elastic bands)
and my new floral shirt! lol

Aside from that it's been business as usual, I've noticed more breakage, but since I've been slacking a bit on my deep conditioning and my hair was out all the time, I anticipated there would be some. It doesn't seem like I lost any length, but my ends did certainly take a beating, especially the last 2 weeks. I plan to trim the next time I relax, so hopefully this won't turn into a setback. What the scalp tenderness has taught me is that I need to be exceptionally gentle with my scalp, no crazy massaging, high water pressure, irritants, tight styling, etc; when I am rough with my scalp my hair will always pay for it.

Last night was an odd wash day, I had been to the gym twice since the last time I washed so it was definitely time to cleanse. Here are my wash day steps from last night:

1.  Pre-poo for with coconut oil for 30 mins with heat
2. Shampoo twice with Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo
3. Deep conditioned without heat for 15 mins with Aussie Moist
4. T-shirt dry for 10 mins
5. Apply leave-ins: Rusk Smoother Leave-in and argan oil
6. Detangle and let air-dry loose.

I feel like I do this routine all the time, but something about it didn't work out last night. I think it was the coconut oil. Last week's wash day disaster with CHI Deep Brilliance Moisture conditioner seems to have kicked my hair into protein overload. Even after clarifying and a few (real) moisturizing deep conditioning sessions, the property that coconut oil has of reducing protein loss seems to have kept the excess protein from the CHI in my hair longer than desired. It was hard, tangled and there was a bit more breakage than usual even after deep conditioning last night. I forgot that although coconut oil is good under balanced conditions, that I should run away from it during a protein overload! Coconut oil will just reduce the ability to remove the excess protein and make it more difficult to restore the hair's moisture level. After I remembered that little tip, I brought back one of my favorite moisturizers, Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner (instead of using Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk which is mostly coconut oil based), sealed with argan oil and my hair was back to normal. I've been failing on wash days recently, so I definitely need to keep it simple and stick to the products that I absolutely know work for me.

Thanks for reading :),

Pheww.. Fixed my bad hair day :)

Good afternoon ladies!

As soon as I got home I got to work fixing the mistakes I made in last night's wash.

1. Pre-pooed with macadamia nut oil for about 30 minutes under a plastic cap.
2. Shampooed once with Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo (sulfate shampoo to remove the crap from last night)
3. Shampooed once with Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo
4. Deep conditioned with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner.
5. T-shirt dried for 10 minutes
6. Applied leave-ins: Redken Smooth Down Butter Treat to length and argan oil to ends.
7. Detangled and combed out at about 50% dried and allowed hair to air-dry loose.

This wash day was absolutely needed! My hair is smooth, detangled, soft, doesn't feel coated and sticky and it moves again. There doesn't appear to be too much damage done, but I suppose I won't know until the next time I see it straight, which will probably be the next time I relax, which will probably not be anytime soon lol. Yesterday I was bummed about how badly that wash went yesterday, but at least I went to the gym last night so it wasn't a bad thing to wash my hair again. All is well in my hair world right now lol. However, I will definitely be laying off trying new products for awhile. I have to admit, this rarely happens; by now from the ingredients I can usually tell what will work and what won't but this conditioner really came at me hard lol.

All I did this morning was moisturize and seal with Deja's Hair Milk and macadamia nut oil (really feeling this oil right now). I will take pictures as soon as I can.

Thanks for reading :),