Dry Hair

Hey people!

Lately my hair have been dry due to the weather getting colder.
I need to go back to DCing twice a week to increase the moisture level in my hair. I must confess that I've been less consistent on this for the last couple of weeks but I'm coming back in the game.

My mid-week wash will consist in:

• DC on dry hair under my heating cap
• Cowash with Hairone or a cheapy conditionner
• Detangle with hair full of conditionner, rinse and towel dry my hair.
• Add leave-in and air dry or blow dry on cool setting.

The week-end wash will consist in :

• hot oil treatment under heating cap
• shampoo wash if I need to clarify or cowash with HairOne
• Roux porosity control if needed
• use an instant conditionner to detangle under the shower,
• DC under the steamer or heating cap
• rinse and towel dry my hair
• Add leave-ins, air dry or blow dry on cool setting.

I've started already this routine and my hair is thankful for that. I hope to see more results as we go deeper in the winter time.

Ciao Ciao

Wash day

Hey people,

I've been missing for a while now . I was busy with life.
During this period, I also slacked a bit to take care of my hair. I know, I know, too bad.
 I haven't DC for 2 weeks now when I used to DC twice a week.
But tonight, I'll try to recover from it.

After lathering once with Paul Mitchell moisture shampoo, I cowashed with Hair One Olive oil for dry hair. I left it on the time of a shower and detangled before rinsing.
I DCed under the steamer with Paul Mitchell Super Charged moisturizer mixed with Paul Mitchell Strength conditionner and a teaspoon of castor oil.
I applied Cantu Shea butter leave-in and Coconut oil.
I'm currently air drying and my hair feels super super soft but strong at the same time.

Hopefully, it will recover from the bad days.

Ciao Ciao

Moisturizing hair creme: The results!

Et voila!
This is how I pack them.

A picture of the consistency.

Ciao Ciao

Concoction time: Moisturizing hair creme

Hey people,

I decided to make a new batch of my homemade hair moisturizing cream.
This time I'm posting all the steps and ingredients, so enjoy it.
If you try it for yourself, let me know how it turned out.
If you tweak it also, please share.

Ingredients:

• Oil phase
• Shea butter: ~20ml - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Mango butter: 15ml - 1 tbsp
• Coconut oil: 15ml - 1tbsp
• Macadamia Oil: 5ml - 1 teaspon (tsp)
• Argan oil: 5ml - 1 tsp
• Jojoba oil: 5ml - 1 tsp
• Cartham oil: 5ml - 1 tsp
• Jamaican black castor oil: 5ml - 1 tsp
• Olive oil: 1 tsp
• Camelia oil: 1tsp
• Emulsifier: Olivem, BTMS
• Emulsifying wax
• Water phase
• Water infused with burdock, Horstail (Equisetum arvense)
• Aloe Vera Gel: 2 tbsp - 20/30ml
• Glycerin: 2 tbsp - 20/30ml
• Others:
• Preservative: Cosgar: 20 drops
• Coconut fragance: 20 drops or less upon your liking
• Vitamin E: 20 drops
• Phytokeratin: 1/2 teaspoon
• Silk amino acid: 20 drops
• Provitamin B5: 20 drops
• Ceramide: 20 drops

You can use less ingredients obviously but I like to mix these together as my hair love them.
Basically, you can use 1 oil or butter, an emulsifier and water.

Heat separately the oily phase and the water phase to 70°C.
Do not forget to add in the oily phase the emulsifier.

Mix the oily phase in the water phase. Use a blender to mix it well. Let it sit 5 minutes and mix again. Let the mixture cool down.

All the ingredients listed as others has to be added later when the mixture has cooled down. Then mix again before transfering the cream in the container of your choice.

You can play with the oil/water proportions to have a cream consistency or a lotion.
My mixture is 60-70% water and 40-30% oil.

I'll post the result later.

This mixture can be use during 6 month at room temperature.

Now, it's your turn!
Ciao Ciao

Back to the basics!

Hey people!
There's a lot going on right now and I've been missing around. So sorry for that!

I'm now to a point where I want to simplify everything hair related. Why?

1. I do not have as much time as I wish
2. I know what my hair likes or not. This one took a while to get in.
3. I want to enjoy my hair

I had to identify and set up a backbone to my regimen and product. I've identified products and techniques that work for me. This can and will be always improved as this is why I've been in this journey!
Now that the backbone is set up, I can play around trying products, concoctions and enjoying my hair!

I've relaxed my hair 2 days ago. Last relaxer, I used the ORS Lye relaxer normal strength. My hair was texlaxed mainly but the moisture level was better than usual.
This time around, I'm back again to Optimum anti-breakage salon no-lye relaxer normal strength. I used the new version and y hair came out bone straight. I was looking for bone straight look this time as I have an event to attend.

So back to the basics to the no-lye relaxer.

Detangling: paradise or hell

Detangling has always been underated in my hair regimen.
I've always relied on the product to work it's magic for it and never really felt the need to improve my technique. Oh boy I was wrong!!!

With my hair's current length, I understand now how important it is to have a good technique for detangling. Do not get me wrong, I'm combing from tip to roots, with a large tooth comb but still my technique had to be improved.

My detangling process is now the following:
1- Take my time. If I'm in a hurry, no detangling for me. I just lightly separate the strands and push back my hair in a bun;
2 - Grab all the products and tools I need: combs, moisturizer, oil, butterfly clips
3 - Gently part the hair in 4 sections and lightly separate the strands with my fingers. This helps a lot to remove all the tangles GENTLY!
4 - Part each section in 2 or 3 and apply the moisturizer to each section and put a butterfly clip on each.
Since my hair does not like wet detangling, I use my moisturizing spritz with aloe vera very lightly before applying the moisturizer.
5 - Once all sections are done, start with applying the oil to each section and put a butterfly clip on each.
6 - Start detangling the first section from tip to root with gentle short strokes using the shower comb. Then use the wide tooth comb to get all shed hairs.
7 - Once all sections are done, I can proceed to styling.

With this technique, no more tangled hair and less breakage from combing.
These are the combs I use in this process.

Ciao Ciao

Aloe Vera juice detangler

I've been using Aloe vera juice and gel since the beginning of my hair journey but in and off.

With the hot summer, my hair is so dry and the new growth is difficult to detangle when I'm many days post wash.
I came up with different spritz to detangle, moisturize my hair inspired by Kimmaytube recipe.

Hereby the recipes I use:

Moisturizing and detangling spritz:
- 1oz of Aloe vera juice
- 1/2 oz of leave-in conditionner of your choice (neutrogena silk touch leave in or kinky curly knot today or herbal essences long term relationship beautiful ends)
- 1 teaspoon of macadamia oil

Prepoo detangling spritz:
- 1 and  1/2 oz of Aloe vera juice
- 2 oz of instant conditionner of your choice with the best slip ever (I use Timotei couleur éclat après-shampoing)
- 1 teaspoon of macadamia oil

This is the brand I use:

Ciao

Paul Mitchell: moisture and strength

Hi people
So far so good with the Paul Mitchell products I've been using.
I'm currently 12 weeks post and my under-processed hair and new growth are thriving with this product right now.
I'm due for a relaxer but I decided to stretch until mid-september as my hair is so manageable!
There is one thing I wish would be better: I like to DC on dry hair before a cowash. I find myself using way more product for my liking.
I will try spritzing my hair first with Aloe vera juice before applying the DC.
I hope it will help to cut down the amount of product used.
Ciao

Regimen revamping: product testing

Hi people
Following my post on the ONE brand/line quest, I've purchased the Paul Mitchell products:

• Moisture line: shampoo, instant daily conditionner, super charged mositurizer

• Strength line: shampoo, instant daily conditionner

• clarifying: Paul mitchell Two shampoo

I've been using them for the last 2/3 weeks and I must say that I'm impressed!
The Super charged moisturizer is heaven in a bottle for my 4 weeks 7 weeks post  (I did not realize, time is flying!) and underprocessed hair! we'll see how it will work deeper in my stretch.
The strength line delivers what it says: strengthen and soft hair at the same time.
I've used all the products straight: no oils or glycerin added and they work wonders.

Keracare you better watch out!

My final choice will be made in July/August because I want to see how these products work during the stretch.
Ciao Ciao

Regimen - product revamping

Hello everyone

I've been checking my regimen and products to further improve them.
I'm happy with the results achieve but I would like to take my hair to the next level.

Furthermore, my stash is full of products but I do not have the whole system for any brand represented.
Let me explain, I buy a conditionner from a brand A, then the shampoo from brand B, the leave-in from another brand etc. Is this bad? Well, I would prefer to use my favorite shampoo designed to work with my favorite conditionner, so ONE brand.
Don't get me  wrong, all products in my regimen are staples and work very well on my hair. But usually, there is always something I don't like in the system. As far as we are talking about the leave-in, I'm fine with it. When it comes to the conditionner or shampoo, that's another story.
So I would like to simplify and take my hair to the next level.
I will probably choose one or two professional brand that will carry all I need:

• clarifying shampoo
• moisturizing shampoo
• moisturizing deep conditionner
• protein shampoo
• protein conditionner
• hard protein treatment

To select the brand, my hair should respond well to all the items listed above. It might sound drastic but I think it can be done.

I will not change for the moment:

• my moisturizers: I'll stick with my homemade moisturizer and Neutrogena Triple moisture silk touch leave-in
• my leave-in conditionners (Neutrogena Triple moisture silk touch leave-in and Herbal Essence beautiful ends leave-in and Cantu shea butter leave-in).
• Affirm 5 in 1 conditionner that I use during my relaxer process
• My relaxer: I haven't decide yet if I will stick with the Optimum care relaxer or the ORS Lye relaxer. My next relaxer is scheduled in August, so I have time.

So far, I've identified two brands: Paul Mitchell (moisture line and strength line) and Keracare.
Below the Paul Mitchell items

Any suggestions?

Ciao

Hairveda Whipped Creme Ends Hydration Leave-In & Moisturizer

Hi everyone!

I know, I know I haven't posted for a while, hum too bad!

The review of the Hairveda whipped creme Ends hydration was a long overdue but I wanted to give you an honest review.

My hair is 4a and fine and after reading some other reviews, I wanted to try it. Y'all know I'm a moisturizer and DC obsessed.

How can I tell you? I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted to like/love this moisturizer but it's too much for my fine relaxed strands. This moisturizer seems to sit on my hair except when I used it with the baggy method. Then my hair would feel soft but greasy, yep, very greasy.

I'm starting to learn from my PJ and bought the sample size of it. I'm glad  did!!

What works for others did not work for me!
Ciao

Relaxer Day

Yesterday was my relaxer day.

I decided to switch to lye relaxer and I used the ORS Lye in normal strength.

I was so scared of burning that I underprocessed my hair! I overdid the whole basing thing. First of all, I did not use coconut and and castor oil as I usually do but vaseline. Yep thick greasy vaseline, I could slap myself for that!

I left the relaxer for the minimum recommended time. With my sensitive scalp, I was fully convinced that I would burn if I left it any longer.

Now, I do like this relaxer as the relaxed new growth is way more shinny and soft than the rest of the hair.

I will probably use it again for my August relaxer but this time I would leave it the extra 5 minutes and I will use coconut oil, not vaseline.

Lye relaxer are maybe for me and my sensitive scalp :)

I'm loving my hair right now for the shine and moisture level: purely amazing!

I'm APL now, yeahh!!!

Ciao

Product review: Bee mine Luscious balanced cream moisturizer

I wanted to try this moisturizer for a while.

I've ordered from British curlies website this item in my last hair product haul.

First, I have to say that I made my own cream moisturizer with all natural ingredients before puting my hands on this moisturizer.
I'm very happy with my personal recipe but the PJ in me wanted to try Bee Mine Luscious Balancing Cream.
With all the hype around it, I was dying to test it.

The consistency is light and fluffly and the smell is nice and exotic . The first time I used it the smell was a little to strong for my liking but I got used to it.
The cream is rich and I do not advise to use it when you are about to flat iron. But for the braid out and buns: it's the business!
The first time I used it, I was in a dry climate which was a big no no for my hair. My hair was dry and greasy. I could not understand why the product was siting on my hair leaving it like Sahara desert!
I was a little bit puzzled: is this the moisturizer everyone is raving about?

I did not gave away and once I got back home, I tried it again. My hair was butter soft! I could not believe that the same product gave such different results!
I could sleek my edges so easily when wearing buns and my curls were so defined when I did my braid out.

All in all I like this moisturizer but I will not purchase it again.
Don't get me wrong: it's a very good moisturizer but I have the same results with my own cream recipe.
Plus my recipe is  bit lighter and I can use it when I wear my hair flat ironed.

Rating: Excellent
Ciao ciao

THE secret weapon, well not anymore

Hi people
In the beginning of this journey, my hair could not take a lot of protein even though it needed it.
After any protein treatment, my hair would be hard and tangled like hell. Even though I tried it all: detangling before washing, long DC sessions, wash and condition in section etc.
My beloved steamer was my saviour!

This is the best investment I made in my hair journey and believe me I, yes I am, I am a product junkie. I must confess. Worst, I do not want to go on rehab, no no :).
I DC under the steamer from 8 or 10 weeks post until the end of my 5 monthes stretches.
I must say that I'm addicted. I could never stretch that long with my kinky 4 a/b hair. My hair can become a unruly when I'm deep in my stretch.

Today my hair is strong but soft at the same time: mission accomplished!
Ciao Ciao

Time for STRENGTH!

Hi Everyone

Today I did my Aphogee 2 step treatment which was long overdue!

I've been scared to death about this product but I learned to use it on my hair now. I might use it once during a 5 month stretch, not more.

I started by clarifying with ORS aloe shampoo and then applied the 2 step treatment.

My hair does not care about the balancing moisturizer.  So after rinsing the hair for 20 minutes, I gently towel blot my hair (well not really as I use the turby twist) to remove the excess of water.

I mixed my DC: Keracare Humecto (the tub version) with glycerin, avocado oil and castor oil.

After applying it to my entire hair, I went under my steamer from where I'm posting now.

More to come on the results.

I'm currently 14 weeks post relaxer.

Ciao Ciao



Product Haul

Hi people!

I've been a bit curious about these products. 

I'll post later my review for each of them. So far I've tested two of them.

I've ordered them online as they are not sold in stores here.

Ciao ciao

Timotei couleur eclat après shampooing

Salut les filles

Apres avoir utilise VO5 moisture milk pendant quelques mois pour mes cowash, j'ai été confrontée à un dilemne.

Suite à mon dernier demenagement, je ne trouvais plus aussi facilement les AS VO5 en magasin. Par principe les AS que j'utilise pour mes cowash doivent etre bon marche et faciles à trouver. Pourquoi me direz-vous? Tout simplement à cause de la quantité de produit utilisée.

La product junkie en moi a commencé sa recherche vers des produits naturels.

Les AS Aubrey Organics White camelia et Honey succle rose me tentaient.
Avantage: detendent les repousses et démèlent les cheveux durant les stretch. Le nirvana absolu pour mes cheveux!!!
Inconvenients: je dois les commander en ligne et ils ne sont donc pas dispo facilement. Donc pas si simple que ça!

L'AS Aubrey Organics White Camelia est celui qui me tentait le plus car beaucoup de filles mettaient en avant ses qualités pour detendre les repousses et les rendre plus malleables durant les stretch, sans parler des propriétés pour démeler les cheveux. 
J'ai donc fait quelques recherches sur un ingredient principal: Huile de camelia (cela fera l'objet d'un autre post).

Je suis tombée sur les AS Timotei Couleur Eclat qui contiennent de l'huile de camelia et de l'extrait de baie d'ACAI. Miracle! Je l'ai tout de suite acheté et testé sur mes repousses de 12 semaines. Je ne l'ai plus laché jusqu'à mes 20 semaines avant mon défrisage!!!!

Mes repousses étaient domptées et hydratées pendant tout le stretch! Plus aucun noeud et pas de cheveux gras, que demander de plus?!!!!

Après 5 utilisations, ce produit est devenu incontournable dans ma routine capillaire et j'ai ajouté le Timotei nutrition intense à l'huile d'avocat dans ma rotation.


Ce dernier est à la hauteur du couleur éclat pour le démélage et pour détendre les repousses.

Note: 10/10 pour les deux


Ingredients Timotei couleur éclat = apres-shampooing= 
Aqua, cetyl alcohol, dimethiconol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, peg-150 distearate, tea-dodecylbenzenesulfonate, lactic acid, sodium chloride, camellia japonica flower extract, aspalathus linearis leaf extract, helianthus anuus seed oil, euterpe oleracea pulp oil, glycerin, maltodextrin, dmdm hydantoin, disodium edta, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, parfum, benzyl alcohol, benzyl salicylate, hexyl cinnamal, limonene, linalool, ci 14700.

Under the weather

Not feeling well at all!
My hair is also very dry but I'm too sick to do something about it.

Hello World!

I finally decided to blog after years of stalking other blogs.
This blog will be about relaxed hair care essentially but not only! I will post my hair journal and products reviews.
I'll post in French or English: just use the translate button to get it in your own language.
Now sit comfortably and enjoy reading!
Caramelle

Happy Valentine day!

Share this day with your sweet love and make all other days feel like Valentine day!