Alright, so it’s been way too long since i posted on this blog. I’ve been so caught up with the school run and all sorts. But here i am, making time at nearly midnight…. (sigh)

So I’ve decided to make a few changes to my routine. Firstly, and i think this is the biggest change, i am going to remove commercial shampoo from my regime. I hate the way my hair feels after i shampoo. It’s always so dry and crispy feeling. I am already incorporating other cleansing methods in my regime such as indian herbs and bentonite clay which both do such a good job at cleaning the hair without drying it out that i prefer to leave it at that. If i feel i need a deeper clean then i’ll do an ACV rinse to clarify my hair. I think i might even look into the benefits of bicarbonate of soda for this purpose as well. I may still shampoo, but that will not be often. I’ll listen to my hair and work with it. If i don’t require a shampoo for the next 3 months then i wont use one.

The second change is that i’m going to stop doing deep conditioners every week. I think i’ve nurtured my hair into a good place and now i can reduce the amount of deep conditioners (DC) that i do during the month. Instead, i’m trying a leave-in conditioner by A’Kin. I figure a really good natural based leave-in will do my hair good on the weeks that i don’t do a DC. I’ve also made my own leave-in conditioner using herbal teas, conditioner and oils among other things and i think it’s pretty decent. But until i can perfect it, i’ll safeguard my hair by using a more well known brand.

So here’s my updated regime:

• Week 1 – Bentonite Clay treatment and Deep Condition
• Week 2 – Co-wash
• Week 3 – Indian Herbs treatment and Deep Condition
• Week 4 – Co-wash

If it’s a five week month i’ll do an extra co-wash on that week. I will also keep doing my pre-cleanse treatments of overnight oil and aloe when i cleanse. Especially with the indian herbs.

The products i’m using at the moment are:

• Herbal Essences Breakage Defender for co-washing and detangling
• JASON’s 84% Aloe Vera Conditioner for deep conditioning mixed with some oils and honey
• Rhassoul and Bentonite Clay treatment with coconut milk and oil
• Indian Herbal treatment
• A’Kin Leave-in conditioner
• Homemade Leave-in conditioner mix
• Homemade Whipped Shea Hair Butter
• Homemade Spritz of glycerine, aloe vera juice and rosewater for hydration in between washes
• Aloe Vera Gel for slicking down my edges and also for my pre-cleanse scalp treatments
• ACV for clarifying

I know it seems like a lot of stuff, but really it’s not. I’ve tried to keep my routine quite simple because i know that simple is best. Most of the products are natural and chemical free and making some myself ensures it’s 100% good stuff. It’s only the co-washing conditioner that’s questionable right now and maybe in the future i’ll look into it but for now it’s cheap and it works.