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How To Find What Techniques REALLY Work For Your Hair

21 Feb

I’ve been asked in the past how i personally know what techniques work for my hair and which ones don’t and how they can figure out what makes their hair happy. My answer is and always will be EXPERIMENT! Experiment, experiment, experiment! Simple isn’t it?

Let me ask you this. If you’ve always done things one way, how can you be sure that way is the best way unless you have a comparison, something else to compare it to?

How do i know that my hair responds better to weekly rather than fortnightly washes? How do i know that detangling tools work better for me than solely finger detangling? How do i know my hair responds well to regular moisturising and sealing? Because i experiment. I’m always trying new/different methods with my hair. I’ll give you a few examples of some of my experiments.

Washing

I’ve gone two weeks without washing my hair on more than one occasion and i can feel the difference. After the first week, it seems that moisturising and sealing doesn’t work as well. My hair begins to feel really dry and straw like, as though the moisture isn’t getting through even though i’m moisturising daily. So i know that weekly washing keeps product build-up to a minimum so i get maximum penetration from my moisturising and sealing routine. My scalp becomes itchy if it’s not washed weekly too. I also find that my hair needs the weekly conditioning to maintain it’s optimum softness and manageability.

Detangling

I’ve also tried finger detangling exclusively for 3 weeks. I keep reading how finger detangling is ‘the best way’ to detangle your hair and so i thought i’d give it a try. I don’t use combs or tools to style my hair during the week and only fully detangle on wash days with conditioner and the Tangle Teezer. For those three weeks i washed my hair weekly and used no other detangling tools apart from my fingers. To detangle i sprayed my dry hair with my Detangling Spray (coming soon) and gently separated my strands before stepping in the shower to wash it, and again detangling with conditioner during washing. I thought i was doing a great job until the third week where i started to get tiny two and three strand tangles. It seems i was doing a good job removing the larger tangles but not so much the smaller ones. What i found was that i had loads of these two and three strand tangles and so was forced to bring out my detangling tools, but oh the work i had to do. It took me AGES to remove all those tiny tangles! I definitely did more damage than good with exclusive finger detangling. I personally know that detangling tools work better for me and are in better keeping with my overall lifestyle than exclusive finger detangling. I don’t have 3-4 hours to sit and pull apart every strand of hair. I have three kids!

Shampooing over Co-washing

This knowledge came about by accident. Since i’ve begun to formulate my own range, i’ve had to use my own hair to test out each product before passing them onto my panel of testers. That’s probably why i haven’t written so much about my routine in a while. It’s a bit all over the place as i test out new things. When i was developing my shampoo, i was forced to shampoo my hair weekly to test out different formulas. So for a few months i was shampooing every week, which i thought i would never do as i hate the way regular shampoos make my hair feel. I usually alternate between shampooing and co-washing. Once i was happy with my shampoo i went back to co-washing for a while only to find my scalp is no longer satisfied with it. My hair loves co-washing (can you say soft?) but my scalp does not. It does not cleanse my scalp as well as shampooing does. This also teaches me about products. Products DO make a difference. As i said, I’ve always hated the way shampoo makes my hair feel so i tend to steer clear of them. But my Aloe & Honey Conditioning Shampoo works so well for me and leaves my hair clean but soft and not stripped, that i’m pleased to shampoo my hair weekly. It’s no problem now. i co-wash only when i’m pressed for time, after intense workouts or if i need to add extra moisture mid-week in the summer months.

My Advice To You

Experiment to see what your hair likes. Try washing it weekly for one month and then fortnightly the next month and note the way your hair feels. In summer try warm water rinses/co-washes mid-week for one month and see if the extra moisture brings your hair to life or if it’s moisture overload. Try co-washing for one month and then shampooing and conditioning the next. How does your hair feel? Try moisturising and sealing daily for 2 weeks and then moisturising twice weekly (for example) for another 2 and see how your hair responds. You’re looking for happy hair (what does that actually mean?). Hair that feels soft and smooth. You’re looking for processes that bring out the best in your hair, that makes your hair easier to maintain, that minimises damage and split ends and that maintains a healthy scalp. Gradually you’ll begin to learn the processes and techniques that work best for you and your hair!

Until next time!

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Hair Care, Hair Care Basics

 

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A Clean Slate – Chelate, Strengthen, Deep Condition

12 Sep

After reading through ‘The Science of Black Hair’, i’ve decided to tweak my hair care regime for (hopefully) a better maintenance system. The author of the book suggests learning to carefully balance moisture and protein for the best hair results and suggests to not only have a protein conditioner/treatment but to also have some kind of protein rich leave-in or moisturiser. I’ll discuss in a future post about the importance of balancing moisture and protein, but for now i’ll outline what i’ve done and will be doing to kick start (or kick-continue?) my healthy hair care regime. I will be pre-pooing before every shampoo with coconut oil (overnight, preferably), finger detangling BEFORE washing, using heat to deep condition (whenever possible) and wet testing on a regular basis to learn how my hair is fairing.

So firstly i needed to give my hair a fresh start, a clean slate or blank canvas to work with. And because i live in such a hard water area i know that simply clarifying my hair is not going to be enough. I’ve always known about chelating shampoos but haven’t paid much attention to them. After reading Kelly’s post on the matter, found here, and after re-reading about using chelating shampoos in THE book, i finally bought the Pureology Purify Shampoo from the list provided by Kelly. Here’s what i did yesterday.

My Clean Slate Routine

Pre-Poo

I started by spraying my hair liberally with my Light Conditioning & Detangling Spray (available soon) and sectioning my hair into four (as always). Starting with one section, and clipping up the other three, i re-misted it with more detangler and smoothed it into my hair. It soaks in very well and makes finger detangling a breeze. I LOVE THIS STUFF! Anyway…Once fully hydrated, i ran my hands through my hair, gently separating my strands and removing any knots and tangles. I then saturated the section with coconut oil, twisting to finish. I repeated this for all the sections and covered my hair in a plastic cap (bag, lol). I sat under my hooded dryer for 20 mins and let my hair cool slightly before proceeding to wash.

Detangle

Once i got into the shower i rinsed my hair with water and going one section at a time, i un-twisted and rinsed the section for a few minutes, agitating my hair and scalp with my fingers. I then applied my Crambe Moisturising Conditioner (available soon) to the section and detangled using the Tangle Teezer. I never detangle the whole section at once. After applying conditioner to the whole section, i separate it into smaller sections (clipping up the rest) and apply a bit more conditioner to that. Then i carefully detangle from tip to root, sub-dividing the smaller section further if necessary. Once i finish detangling the smaller section i clip it out of the way and take another smaller section from the main until i’ve detangled that whole section. I then twisted the whole section and clipped it out of the way. Finger detangling before hand removed a lot of the tangles and knots and made detangling at this stage much easier, which translated into less breakage. I repeated for all the other sections. I tried wet testing at this stage but i still have to get to grips with it. With time i’ll be a pro at it.

Chelate

Taking down one of the sections, i untwisted and fully rinsed the conditioner out. I then squeezed some of the Pureology Purifying Shampoo into my palms and distributed it through my hair. What a lather. Holding my hair taught with one hand, i used the pads of my fingers to gently scrub my scalp. The instructions on the bottle says to leave the shampoo on for 2 minutes before rinsing so i clipped up the foamy section without rinsing and moved on to the next, repeating for all sections. Once i had lathered all sections i went back to the first section, unclipped and rinsed out the shampoo. What a strange feeling! My hair felt really… strange. Totally stripped of all oils but yet not crispy, crunchy. Just an odd sensation. Not sure whether that is down to the brand of shampoo or to the pre-poo.  Once fully rinsed i re-twisted the section, repeating for all sections.

Strengthen

I dried my hair gently before applying my protein treatment. I have a formula ready for making my protein treatment which includes Hibiscus, Coconut Milk and Hydrolysed Wheat Protein but i didn’t have some of the ingredients on hand so i mixed in some Hibiscus extract and Hydrolysed Protein into some leftover conditioner i had lying around. I undone a section, applied the mix from tip to root and re-twisted, repeating for all sections. I covered my hair in a plastic cap/bag and sat under my hooded dryer for 15 minutes, letting my hair cool before rinsing it out. I made sure to undo the twists and rinse the sections to fully remove the protein conditioner, re-twisting when done.

Deep Condition

Drying my hair gently, i proceeded to deep condition. I applied my Sapote Intense Conditioning Mask (available soon) to each section, really making sure to coat my ends well, covered and again sat under the dryer for 30 – 45 minutes this time, allowing my hair to cool before my final rinse.

Cuticle Rinse

This time i kept my four twists intact and thoroughly rinsed my hair with cool running water to help my cuticles lie flat and keep the moisture in. I then followed with a very diluted ACV rinse, about 2 tablespoons to 500ml of cool water. I only want the acidic benefits of the ACV to further close my cuticles, not the clarifying properties so i used a small amount. I use larger amounts of ACV if i wish to benefit from its cleansing effects. I poured the rinse over my hair and scalp and then stepped out of the shower. I didn’t rinse it out.

Protein Spritz, Leave-In & Seal

I made a protein rich spritz for my hair which includes hibiscus extract, hydrolysed wheat protein, rosewater, glycerine and aloe vera juice. Going a section at a time, i undone the twisted section, parted it into two and blotted my hair dry with an old cotton t-shirt. My hair felt really good. Nice and soft. I misted it lightly with the protein spritz which i could feel strengthening my strands further, as my hair started to harden slightly. I then applied my Creamy Leave-In Conditioner which really re-softened the strands beautifully. I finished by sealing in the moisture with my Shea Hair Butter and twisted the section. I repeated for the other half of the section and the further three remaining sections. By the time i was finished i had 8 large twists and air-dried overnight.

There you have it. This morning when i woke up, i felt my twists and i must say… i’m really pleased! My hair feels soooooooo good! Really soft and smooth. I will definitely chelate on a regular basis, maybe once every month or two months, to really remove any mineral deposits left on my hair by this yucky water i have to live with.

I’m going to concentrate on packing the moisture in this week by moisturising nightly with my aloe & rosewater spritz with added honeyquat and panthenol followed by the Creamy Leave-In Conditioner and sealed in with the Shea Hair Butter or the Shea Hair & Scalp Oil depending on how i feel. At the weekend i’ll cleanse and deep condition with heat. I’ll be cuticle rinsing on a regular basis as well for added smoothness.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the products mentioned here before they go on sale on the website (which will be at SOME point, lol) you can always request them via the Custom-Made Service by filling out the form on the website or by emailing me at sales@dias-allnatural.co.uk. I bought the Pureology Purify Shampoo from Beauty Flash Shop online.

Until next time!

 
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Posted by on September 12, 2011 in Chelating Shampoo, Hair Care, Protein Treatment

 

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Tangle Teezer Review On Natural 4b/a Hair

06 Feb

This little brush seems to have taken the world by storm. Everywhere i turn i’m seeing Tangle Teezer (TT) reviews. Even in the black natural hair community.

Most reviews are positive and some are not so good and so i’ve held off buying one. But a good friend of mine, Miss D,  encouraged me to try it out as she has had very good results with it. So i finally bought a pink one off Amazon for £9.99.

My Review

On My Daughter

I first tried out the brush on my 4yr old daughter’s hair on Friday. She has the same hair type as me 4b/a. I took down her hair from the braided style it had been in all week and sectioned it into four, twisting each section. I was meant to wash it but i was so tired i had decided i was going to leave it and restyle it on Saturday instead. But my lovely daughter decided to ‘wash’ her hair herself in the shower and completely saturated her hair with water. I still didn’t wash it though (naughty mummy) but just towel dried it.

I thought it would be a good opportunity to try out the TT so i untwisted one section and applied a little of my leave in conditioner. I then split the section in two and started detangling. Mind you, i hadn’t combed through her hair at all since taken down her braided style. I started at the ends and gently worked my way up. It detangled her hair beautifully. I mean, separated every single strand of hair and effortlessly glided through without ripping any out. The TT removed all the shed hair. Her hair was so soft afterwards it was quite unreal. I finished by sealing with my whipped shea hair butter and cornrowing the section. I repeated the steps for the other three sections. There was a little lint and dirt clumped in the brush afterwards so i filled the sink with warm water, added a drop of shampoo and swished the brush in it for a few seconds. It worked like a charm.

On Me

In my last post i spoke of how it takes a lot longer to detangle my hair now i put it protective twists for the week. Well here’s how it went this week.

I started by taking down my twists yesterday and pre-pooing with Aloe Vera gel on my scalp and ends followed by my oil mix. Covered with a plastic bag and headscarf and went to bed. This morning i rinsed my hair and divided it into four sections as usual. Starting with one of the sections i applied a little oil and finger detangled. I then co-washed with Herbal Essence Hello Hydration and proceeded to detangle. I found the TT quite easy to hold, not awkward at all. I split my section into about three and detangled these separately. Bearing in mind how long it normally takes to detangle my hair when i take down my twists, it was incredibly straight forward. I brushed the ends gently and worked my way up. It separated all my strands. It wasn’t hard, it wasn’t rough even though it’s all mostly hard plastic. Once completed, i rinsed out the conditioner and applied some Herbal Essence Beautiful Ends to my section and twisted. I repeated this for all remaining sections. before fully rinsing out.

The TT’s flexible rubber teeth, alternating from short to long and it’s smooth curved edges seem to ensure that it’s effective at gentle detangling. It didn’t rip out my hair or snag it. I had considerably less broken hairs in the bath and a surprisingly small amount of hair in the brush. VERY IMPRESSED. Effortless detangling, maximum removal of shed hair, minimum breakage. What more could you ask for! This handy little brush is going to reduce my two step detangling process to just one and will replace my wide tooth comb and Denman. Thank you Miss D!

My Rating

I would highly recommend the Tangle Teezer to any and everyone with natural hair. It worked so well on my 4b/a hair, especially considering it was in protective twists all week. If it worked for my daughter and i, it SHOULD work for you.

10/10

My only little niggle is with removing hairs out of the teeth which could be fiddly. But i used one of my small tooth combs and combed out the hairs quite easily so it’s not too big a deal.

My TT Detangling Tips

  • Don’t be tempted to take large bunches of your hair to detangle. Keep the sections small which will eliminate hard work and unnecessary breakage.
  • Hold the brush with your thumb resting where the brush curves inward. It’s much more comfortable to hold that way.
  • Take your time and detangle. Even though it’s good at what it does doesn’t mean you should take risks by brushing quickly. You WILL cause breakage. Slowly and gently is the way to go.

Happy detangling!!!

 
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Posted by on February 6, 2011 in Detangling, Hair Care, Product Reviews

 

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How To Wash Natural Hair

12 Aug

For some of us the daunting task of trudging through the endless knots and terrible tangles are a nightmare we just aren’t prepared to face. Washing your natural hair needn’t be a mammoth task though. It’s not about fighting with your hair, it’s about understanding it and changing your techniques to reflect this.

One thing i’ve learned so far is that washing your hair often really helps to promote healthy hair growth. Cleaning the scalp from product build-up and dead skin cells ensures your hair ducts remain unclogged and allows the hair to grow freely. Washing often keeps the hair strands clean and free from build-up allowing proper penetration of water and oils resulting in well moisturised and healthier hair.

So if we are going to be washing our hair more often then it’s wise to know how to go about it. Here i’m going to give you a few tips to help make wash day much less traumatic.

Pre-Poo

Start by doing a pre-shampoo treatment. This step is mostly necessary if you are going to shampoo your hair but is not always needed if co-washing. It helps to minimise the drying effects of the shampoo so as not to leave your hair totally stripped. Pre-shampooing your hair also helps to add much needed moisture to dry, thirsty hair. A pre-poo can be anything from oil, to aloe gel, to conditioner or a mix of these, it’s really up to you. Start by sectioning your hair into four or six sections and apply your pre-poo of choice to each section, really saturating your strands and making sure they are well coated. Twist or loosely braid each section and cover with a plastic cap and headscarf. Now you can leave your treatment on from 20 minutes to overnight. Whichever you prefer and whichever suits your overall needs.

Wash Hair In Sections

Now that you’ve pre-treated your hair you are ready to wash. Keep your hair in these sections. This is the most effective way of washing natural hair. naturally curly hair curls around itself, that’s just what curly hair does. When wet it shrinks up on itself and causes tangles. Washing hair in braided sections stops the hair from doing this which eliminates the need to spend endless hours detangling shrunken hair.

Soak your hair with water and let it completely saturate your strands. Now you have a choice. You can choose to shampoo/cleanse your whole head at once keeping the sections in and working on the scalp only with the balls of your fingers. If you do this then it’s best to dilute your shampoo/conditioner so it penetrates all the strands easier. When finished rinse off the remaining cleanser. Or you can choose to work one section at a time. Take one section of your hair and undo the twist or braid. Apply a small amount of shampoo or conditioner to the section and work it in slowly. DO NOT vigorously rub your hair. This will seriously matt it and then you’ll be in trouble. Smooth your hands down your hair to get a lather or to distribute the conditioner and with one hand hold the section securely and with the other rub your scalp to lift off the dirt and product build-up. This stops the hair from shrinking on itself whilst loose.

When done rinse it off and re-braid or twist the section (tip – if shampooing, apply a small amount of conditioner onto your hair before rinsing off the shampoo to stop that squeaky, stripped feeling). This is so important. At no one time should you leave your hair ‘out’. Always re-twist the sections right to the ends to keep the hair tangle free.  The benefits of pre-pooing your hair before hand is that it helps to reduce the formation of knots and tangles during the washing process.

Detangle

This is an important step in washing your hair as i personally recommend not dry combing. As a result your hair may go a few days to a whole week without being combed right through so detangling well on wash day is a must. There are many ways of detangling. Some choose to use their fingers only, some prefer to comb and others like to brush their tangles out. It’s up to you what you choose to do. I personally like to do all three. The fingers separate the strands, the comb removes knots and tangles whilst the brush removes shed hair. It’s better to start with your fingers then move to a comb and then a brush, in that order to avoid breakage.

Saturate your hair with water, and using your fingers separate the strands by pulling them apart gently and running your fingers through your hair. Apply your conditioner of choice and using your wide tooth comb, start at the ends and work your way up. Detangling in small sections allows you to get through your strands easier without becoming overly frustrated with your hair and loosing patients with the comb. GENTLY is the key. Do not force the comb through your hair. If it comes to a halt then remove the comb and start at the ends again. Slowly working your way up like this until you can comb from root to tip in one smooth motion. Always make sure you can do this. If you run away from detangling your hair properly, soon you will end up with matted roots and a horrible appointment with scissors.

If you choose to brush your hair after then follow the same principles. I use a Denman brush which i’ve modified to reduce breakage. Start at the ends and work your way up, ever so gently. If the brush comes to a stop then remove it and go back to your ends and work up again until you can brush your hair from your roots to your tips in one smooth motion. Never force the brush through your hair. It will rip your strands and you’ll end up with uneven, broken and split ends. Once you’ve finished detangling re-braid or twist the section with the conditioner still in to keep your hair nicely detangled. After you’ve completed all the sections then rinse your hair thoroughly under running water to remove the conditioner, squeezing the braids to get the water all the way through the hair.

Deep Condition

Apply the DC to your hair in the same sections, making sure to re-braid or twist your hair afterwards. Put on a plastic cap and sit under a hooded dryer if you prefer. Rinse out the conditioner with the braids still in, squeezing them gently to remove all traces of conditioner. Rinsing your hair like this ensures your hair stays tangle free. After all, you’ve worked hard to detangle it.

Dry your hair gently, either with a towel or a cotton t-shirt. DO NOT rub your hair. It’s the worst thing you can do. Dab your hair gently, squeezing the ends to remove excess water.

Air-Dry

Air-drying is much healthier for your hair then using heat. If you must use heat then make sure you apply a heat protectant of some sort to protect your precious hair. Otherwise air-drying is much more gentle on the hair and really minimises breakage, allowing your hair to be healthier and grow longer.

Go one section at a time. Apply a good leave-in conditioner and then seal your hair with an oil or butter mix or a ready made product of your choice. Oil your scalp if necessary and twist or braid your hair. Repeat for all your sections. Once dry take out your braids and style. Drying your hair this way stretches out your strands so your hair is elongated without the need of a blow dryer. If you prefer to ‘wash n go’ then apply your products and go. Simple.

 

I know this all seems like a lot of work but honestly it makes life so much easier. I promise you that you wont regret trying this out. I’d rather swap a few more extra minutes for a much smoother washing experience. Spend a bit more time in the shower and a little less time outside of it, rather than rush through the shower and spend hours afterwards raking through masses of matted hair. After a while you’ll be a pro at this and it won’t be anything to you. Starting something new is always slow and cumbersome but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be whizzing through wash day with ease.

 

 

 
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Posted by on August 12, 2010 in Hair Care, Hair Care Basics, Washing

 

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Clay Treatment – Tutorial

04 Jan

So, it’s the first Sunday of the month and i’m due a shampoo and protein treatment of some sort. The first wash of the month is when i spend the most time on my hair.

A good friend of mine told me how good coconut milk is on the hair and how protein rich it is. I was also told about using bentonite clay on hair and how good it is so i thought i would combine the two treatments together to make a coconut clay treatment. So here’s what i did on my wash day:

  • The night before i did an oil treatment using my oil mix, sectioning my hair into four and applying oil and then twisting the sections. I put a plastic bag over my head and then wrapped my headscarf round my head and went to bed.
  • I shampooed my hair using Aubrey Organics J.A.Y Revitalising Shampoo for dry/damaged hair concentrating on my scalp mostly, rinsed and then final rinsed with ACV diluted in water. About 1/4 cup ACV to 500ml of water. I didn’t wash out the ACV but left it on my hair as i went to prepare the bentonite clay.
  • Things You Need Things needed are: Bentonite clay, Rhassoul clay, Coconut milk, water, Olive oil, Cocoa butter, blender/hand blender, pot.
  • First, i added about 200ml of coconut milk to the pan and about the same of water and warmed it gently on the stove. Whilst it was warming i added in a chunk of cocoa butter and let the heat of the milk melt it. Then i added in some olive oil.
  • PICT0705 I put the milk mix into the blender and turned it on low. I added 1 tablespoon of Rhassoul clay and then slowly added in 2-3 tablespoons of bentonite clay until the mix was just a bit thicker than the thickest yoghurt.
  • Mixed This is what it looked like. I immediately rinsed out my blender as i did not want the clay to tarnish the metal blades. With the clay mixed i went back upstairs to continue with my wash routine.
  • I applied Herbal Essences Hello Hydration and detangled using the Denman brush by taking one section at a time untwisting, brushing, rinsing and retwisting.
  • Applying Clay I towel dried my hair and one section at a time took down the twist and applied the clay mix to my hair. I tried to make sure i really covered my scalp with the mix as well.
  • PICT0717 I also applied it to my face as i know bentonite clay is really good for the skin. If you suffer from acne then i would do this with caution as there are oils in the mix.
  • I left it on for about 15 mins and then rinsed it out, making sure i retwisted the section once fully rinsed.
  • I deep conditioned with JASON’S 84% Aloe Vera conditioner mixed with honey, macadamia oil and avocado oil. I left it on for about 2 hours with a plastic bag over my head.
  • I rinsed out the DC without taking down the twists, towel dried, applied my leave-in conditioner, shea pomade and hair oil, oiled my scalp with the pomade and braided my hair into four large braids to dry.

Notes – I really don’t like the way my hair feels after i shampoo it. It feels so striped. It’s dry and squeaky and horrible. I notice this as soon as i rinse out the shampoo. I tried to make sure i just shampooed my scalp but inevitably it got into my hair and striped it. I’m really starting to reconsider shampoo in my regular regime as i don’t think my hair likes it very much. What i’ll do is i’ll try using a different shampoo next time and see if that is the cause. If there’s no difference in feel then i think i’ll shampoo only occasionally and use the herbs, ACV and the clays to cleanse my hair.

Also, next time i’ll definitely leave the clay mix in my hair for bit longer, maybe 30 to 45 mins and see if i can get an even better result. When i was rinsing out the clay my hair felt so good, nourished and conditioned but on the inside. I can’t quite explain it but i know my hair liked it lots. The coconut milk really strengthened my hair whilst the oils conditioned and the clay’s removed any impurities and also added essential minerals into my strands.

I’ll probably follow this post with the benefits of each clay and coconut milk.

I bought the Rhassoul clay from Sheabutter Cottage
The Bentonite clay i bought from Naturally Green

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2010 in Alternative Cleansing, Bentonite & Rhassoul Clay, Deep Condition, Hair Care, Pictures Of My Hair, Protein Treatment

 

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