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Bentonite Clay Treatment – Welcome Back!!!

04 Jul

Today i have returned to my all time favourite treatment – the Bentonite Clay Treatment. I didn’t do it at all last month as i was reviewing the curl harmony range exclusively so now i’m done with that i can return to what i know my hair loves. Don’t get me wrong, the Curl Harmony products worked very well on my hair but i am happy to return to my natural treatments.

I started by gently heating a can of coconut milk in a pan on the stove. I dropped in a few chunks of cocoa butter and added a little bit of water to increase the overall amount. I poured this mix in the blender and added in 1/2 Teaspoon each of Hydrolysed Wheat Protein and Silk Amino Acids for an extra protein Kick. My hair really needed it after a month without any kind of protein aside from that which i put in my Leave-In Conditioner.

I turned the blender on and added 1-2 tablespoon of Rhassoul Clay and 2-3 tablespoons of bentonite clay until it was nice and thick. I poured it into a plastic bowl and measured the pH of the mix out of curiosity. It measured a 7, which is fine to use on the hair and scalp as this is within the safer pH range but (you know me) i wanted it closer to the hair’s pH range so added in a 1/4 teaspoon of Citric Acid which lowered it right down to 4.5. Nice. If you don’t have Citric Acid you can use ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) or Aloe vera juice in place of the extra water added which should bring the pH range down.

Once the mix was ready i co-washed and detangled first with Curl Harmony Cleansing Conditioner a section at a time and Clarified with an ACV Rinse. I didn’t rinse out the ACV i just squeezed out the excess. I then applied the Clay Mix a section at a time. There was a lot of mix so i didn’t hold back at all. I really smothered my hair and scalp with it and clipped up each section out of the way. I smoothed some of the left over mix on my face for a nourishing face mask. I left it on for about 30mins.

I rinsed it out a section at a time. I love this clay treatment. It really works wonders for my hair. The extra protein made a difference as my hair felt strengthened, but not hard or wiry. The clay itself is SO EASY to rinse out and it doesn’t leave any grittiness in the hair. My hair felt silky smooth, soft and yet strong. It was great!

For a picture tutorial of how i make and use the Clay Treatment see my previous post Here.

I deep conditioned with my favourite DC Conditioner JASON’s 84% Aloe Vera Conditioner, mixed with a little honey and oil. I applied it a section at a time and covered my hair with a plastic bag. I left it on for about an hour before rinsing it out under cool water. Mmmm Soft. Lovely. lol

I towel dried, smoothed in some leave-in conditioner and Shea Butter mix, Buttered my scalp and braided my hair to air-dry, all a section at a time.

My hair feels wonderful – So soft and silky. What a difference a ‘clay’ makes. lol.

 

For my previous post on the benefits of Bentonite, Rhassoul Clay and Coconut milk click here.

 

 

 
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Posted by on July 4, 2010 in Alternative Cleansing, Bentonite & Rhassoul Clay, Deep Condition, Hair Care, Protein Treatment

 

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Mid-Month Cleanse – Tutorial

16 Dec

So…. I had a dream one night this week that my hair was long and cascading down my back. It was Bra Strap Length and was styled in what seemed to be a braid-out with sides pinned up and the back hanging down. Interesting. Is this dream a sign of what the future holds for my mane or is it that i’m dreaming about that which i desire? We’ll see.

Anyway, i wasn’t able to wash my hair on Sunday as planned because it was my nephews birthday and Monday was quite busy so yesterday i determined to make time.

PICT0475-2  Firstly, i did a pre-cleanse treatment of aloe vera gel and oil. I sectioned my hair into four and applied the gel liberally to my scalp and massaged it in and then rubbed a little into the ends. I then oiled my hair with my oil mix and and twisted the section. This was repeated for all the sections. I put on a plastic bag and left it on for an hour or so.

PICT0437I then went on to mix up my herbs. For a detailed breakdown of measurements and how to make it please see my earlier post on Ayurvedic Herbs.

PICT0463 Here is what it looks like once mixed. I let it stand for a while before i applied it.

 PICT0481 To apply the herb paste i took down one twist and applied a good amount of paste onto my hair and rubbed it into my scalp.

PICT0483 I then wrapped up the section into a knot and repeated the process for the rest of the sections.

PICT0485 Here’s what it looks like once i finished. I intended to leave it on for about 10-15 mins but in the end it was about 30 mins and it went a bit dry.

PICT0487 So with the herbs in my hair i went downstairs to mix up my deep conditioner. The conditioner i used was JASON’s Aloe Vera 84% Conditioner. I also used honey, olive oil, avocado oil and macadamia nut oil.

PICT0503 PICT0504 This is the first time i’m using this conditioner and i was quite shocked at how thick it was. So thick that i could just about get it out of the bottle.

Once i had my deep conditioner mixed i washed out the herb mix by taking down one knot and thoroughly rinsing. Feeling my strands as i rinsed out i noticed how ‘fat’ and strong they felt. I’m really glad i gave these herbs a go. They really seem to have a positive effect on my hair.

Once rinsed i added my co-washing conditioner to the section and rinsed out. Applied some more conditioner and then detangled, first by using a wide tooth comb followed by a Denman brush. I make sure i take my time with the brush as i don’t want to cause any damage. I start at the end and work my way up. If there’s a slight bit of resistance i take the brush out and then start at the ends again.

PICT0507 PICT0508 I must admit, when i looked at the amount of hair that came out once i detangled my whole head, i was surprised and elated. I have been getting a lot of shedding and that’s one of the reason’s why i decided to take my hair on a journey and see if, by paying it a little more attention, it could become healthier and stop the excessive shedding. Well i’m absolutely delighted. The amount of hair that i saw on the comb and brush was a very minimal amount which means that all my hard work is paying off.

I’m now seeing how essential brushing is in the detangling process. The comb gets rid of tangles, but the brush gets rid of the shed hair. Since i’ve added brushing to my detangling regime i’ve noticed a significant reduction in loose strands during the week. Much less shedding.

PICT0515 Once i detangled, rinsed and re-twisted all the sections, i  towel dried my hair and then, one section at a time took down the twist, applied the deep conditioner and retwisted. I put a plastic bag on my head and left it on for about 2 hours.

PICT0520  I then rinsed out the conditioner without taking the twists out and towel dried. I then added my leave-in conditioner, shea pomade and hair oil to my hair and oiled my scalp with the shea pomade also, one section at a time.

PICT0524 I then cornrowed each section and air-dried.

I have to admit, my hair is the softest it’s been. I keep touching my ends and chuckling to myself. Is it the new conditioner? Is it the herbs? or is it  the mix of oils i added to my Deep Conditioner? I think it’s all of the above.

My Post Cleanse Braid-out

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BackView

 
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Posted by on December 16, 2009 in Alternative Cleansing, Ayurvedic Herbs, Deep Condition, Hair Care, Pictures Of My Hair, Pre-Poo

 

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My Weekly Co-wash

07 Dec

Yesterday I co-washed my hair and deep conditioned. I meant to do it earlier in the day but I had to do shopping and laundry and deal with the kids and the day just tumbled into night. So rather than wash my hair in the morning i did an evening wash. My husband works during the day and washing my hair with 3 kids under 5 (the youngest being just 1) without him, would not be a pleasant experience (hey don’t touch that cream! Put the comb down! Get what i’m saying?). So I thought i’d make the most of the evening and go ahead with the wash.

 

So I started out by sectioning my hair into four twists, making sure there was plenty of space at the root to get my fingers in to wash my scalp. I then gave it a good rinse and the slathered on some Herbal Essences It’s A Curl Thing. I scrubbed my scalp using the ball of my fingers and then applied conditioner to the ends. Then Detangled by taking down a twist and putting more conditioner on the ends, then using a wide tooth comb to comb through the section. I then took my Denman brush and starting from the ends worked my way up slowly to the roots. I rinsed the section and then re-twisted it. I repeated this process for all the sections.

My Deep Condition (DC) consisted of J/A/S/O/N’s Sea Kelp conditioner, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Honey. I towel dried my hair by putting the towel over my head and patting and squeezing. I don’t rub my hair with the towel as this can cause breakage. One section at a time, i untwisted, applied my DC mix to the section making sure all strands were coated and then re-twisted, repeating for each section. I placed a plastic bag over my head and then left it on for about 45 mins. I did intend to sit under my dryer hood but i got talking with my hubby and the time just flew by so i settled for just the heat generated by my own head. I rinsed out the conditioner without taking down the twists, towel dried, then one section at a time, took down the twist, applied leave-in conditioner, my Shea Pomade and Hair Oil to the strands and then Shea pomade to the scalp. I then cornrowed the section to air dry. I repeated this for all the sections.

I normally use Macadamia Nut Oil in my DC’s but i decided to try EVOO and see if that works better. It worked very well but i’m not sure if it’s any better than the Macadamia Nut oil. I think i’ll stick with the Macadamia Nut Oil for DC’s but at least i know that i can reach for the EVOO if it runs out.

Another thing to mention is the Herbal Essences conditioner. I think it smells really nice and it’s thick and sumptuous. I noticed that it washed away really cleanly and didn’t leave any build up. My hair felt clean after rinsing it out and it didn’t have any film over it as i find with the Vo5 range.

Overall, very pleased with the wash session. My hair feels silky, smooth and soft and ready for another week of COLD, wind, rain and central heating.

 
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Posted by on December 7, 2009 in Co-Wash, Deep Condition, Hair Care

 

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