Product Paradise

"This conditioner really surprised me!"-DJ

So this Sunday I went to Whole Foods and Target with my sister specifically to buy new hair products. I bought Suave Professionals Humectant conditioner, Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk shampoo, Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum, Castor Oil and Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil. Because I will be featured in an article about natural hair for my school, I did a bantu knot set tonight in order to have a natural look tomorrow for the pictures that I and a few other ladies will be taking together. (more details soon) Anyway, tonight I decided to start off a little different; I decided to pre-poo! What exactly is pre-pooing? Pre-pooing is simply the conditioning of the hair prior to shampooing in order to prep it for the harsh ingredients of the shampoo. There are many different ways to pre-poo, there are even products out there specifically for this step! Most women who use homemade pre-poos just throw together different oils (most commonly EVOO) or just one oil and allow to sit for anywhere from 5 minutes to as long as overnight. I decided to try out my own pre-poo formula using the following ingredients:

• 1 tsp unrefined virgin coconut oil
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp castor oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp megatek equne rebuilder

I combined the above ingredients in a bowl and stirred them just a bit. I parted my hair in 4 equal sections and took about a teaspoon and a half of the pre-poo to rub into each section evenly. After my entire head was saturated, I placed a plastic cap on my head and sat under the dryer for 10 minutes with the settings on medium heat. Once I got from underneath the dryer, I shampooed in the shower with my Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk shampoo. One of my favorite features about this shampoo is that it doesn't take a lot to lather. Usually, when I use shampoos I have to wash, rinse, repeat and use a lot of product in order to get a good lather. I feel like I'm wasting my money when I have to take extra steps and extra product to get what I need out of it. So, I really appreciate the lather Organix! Other than that, my hair felt really clean but not overly stripped and the smell is great too! Not too strong to the point that it's annoying but I can still smell it after the fact. Once the shampoo was 100% rinsed out in warm water, I moved on to my Suave Professionals Humectant conditioner. Now, this conditioner really surprised me. At first I wasn't too thrilled about it because it's kind of thin and I'm used to using Herbal Essence's conditioners which we all know are thick and absolutely wonderful for detangling! I kinda had to take more time and extra care with my denman when trying to detangle with this conditioner but in the end it was worth it! After I was done detangling, I got back into the shower and allowed my shower head to rinse warm water over my head as I used my denman to smooth the hair down. Then, I detached my shower head and used cool/cold water to rinse my hair from underneath, smoothing with my fingers. I deliberately left some conditioner in my hair and rinsed out most of it (about 85-90%) out. OMGosh guys, when I say my hair instantly felt like silk.....I mean it! I don't think my hair has ever been this soft...ever!

So after I got back out of the shower I went on to do my bantu knot set. I part my hair in 4 sections again, which by the way was ridiculously easy because of how soft the conditioner left my hair. I pinned up each section except for the back right section and proceeded to brush through again and apply two pumps of the Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti Breakage Serum. I probably could have used one pump and been just fine but I chose two for tonight. I brushed that through with my denman and applied a small amount of coconut oil on top before parting and doing my bantu knots. I repeated on each section until I was done and tied my hair up with my head scarf to sleep on.

So tonight I used each and every last one of my new products and I think it's pretty safe to say that I love them all! Although I can't remember the individual prices of the oils, I do remember they came up to about $13 and some change at wholefoods. The castor oil is by a company called "Home Health" and the coconut oil is the 365 brand. Not bad! The Organix products were each $7 and under and the Suave conditioner was only $1.97 at Target! Nooot baaadd!! Unfortunately the ingredients dictionary is down right now, so I'm unable to check the ingredients on these products but the Organix shampoo does claim to be sulfate/paraben free, which is a good thing. Below are pictures of all the products listed in this entry. Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing! :)

(note: the coconut oil is not the brand that I used, just a visual. I bought the whole foods store brand "365 everyday value")

Co-Wash Chaos

"There has GOT to be a better way!"-DJ

Hey there! This past weekend while I was home visiting my mom and sister from school, I co-washed my hair. Now, normally co-washing is nothing to report about, but this time I was running into some serious issues that made me wonder if you all were having similar ones. My first issue was that my mom's shower head is not detachable and I find it kind of hard to wash my hair in there. It always seems to take entirely to long to saturate my entire head which is kind of annoying. I decided that this time I would wash my hair in the sink; never again. Washing my hair to the front was absolutely terrible! When I co-wash, especially if my hair is starting off straight, I begin by brushing my hair (in this case forward) with my denman to kind of get a jump start on the detangling process. Well not only was this awkward for my hair strands that are used to going in the opposite direction, but when it was all said and done, all of my hair was sitting at the front of my head needing to be brushed back! It was terrible you guys! I felt as if I was pulling unnecessary strands out which broke my heart. I tried to make it a little easier on myself by sectioning my head off and then trying to brush it back but I still felt traumatized. If you wash your hair in the sink and you know of another/better way to deal with detangling PLEASE let me know!

Usually, while in the shower I begin by brushing my straight hair back while letting the water hit and saturate it. Alternatively, if my hair is already curly, I let the water saturate first and then use a wide toothed comb to comb through. After these first two steps are complete, depending on the status on my hair, I put on whatever conditioner I plan to use and work it in all over my hair. I'll usually dab both hands on top and then head straight for the back, grabbing the nape and above to get conditioner all over it. These two sections typically get the most of the first bit of conditioner so I'll add a little more to the sides and middle. Once I'm done applying the conditioner, I turn once again to my denman to brush the conditioner through, being sure the brush massages my scalp in the process. I'll usually let that sit a while while I'm in the shower and then rinse with cool/cold water. After co-washing like this, detangling for styling is a breeze. Just add a nickle/quarter size amount of conditioner evenly throughout your hair and use your denman or paddle brush to detangle!

I hope this helped with anyone who's been going through what I experienced this weekend! Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

January 30, 2010

Today is the day that I'm supposed to update you all on my hair. I've officially been transitioning for 39 weeks and 3 days and yesterday made 9 months EXACTLY! So last night I washed my hair and had my older sister, who is also in her 9th month of transition, help me take pictures of my new growth. She also was so kind to let me take a couple pictures of hers while she redid a few of her braids. So without further adui, here are my updates!

wet newgrowth with gel & shea butter

dried

wet hair, no product

wet hair no product

wet hair no product

i have no idea..lol

i think i put gel..

raggedy relaxed ends. i suspect this is "scab hair" but we'll see.

i put miss jessie's curly pudding on this on little piece

Show & Tell

Minus the "show". Yesterday I tried something a liiiitle different with styling my hair. Even though I forgot to take pictures, trust me ya'll, it looked GOOD! So Thursday night I was too tired to pin curl my hair so I just threw my satin bonnet on and called it a night. When I woke up, my hair was feelin a little dry so I sectioned my hair off in relatively small sections and applied 100% raw shea butter and extra virgin olive oil to seal to each piece (focusing on the ends) pin curled, and wrapped it up in a head scarf. Immediately after, I hopped in for a hot, steamy shower. When I got out my hair probably sat for about 30 minutes before I took the pin curls down and styled. I'm not sure, but I think the steam had a lot to do with the results. My hair was smooth and easy to comb through. I think it was almost as if I had given my hair some sort of treatment. So next time you're in a rush and don't want to break out the curlers try this and see what happens! Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Sad But True..

I've been wanting to go back to my bantu knots for some time now and up until today, the only thing holding me back was my ridiculous levels of laziness. However, today it dawned on me that putting my bantu knots back would interfere with my megatek regimen and more than likely my moisture and sealing process as well. Since I'm transitioning, my relaxed ends don't behave the same way as my natural roots. I'm afraid that the moisture will ruin the bantu knot out results and make my ends go straight which, believe me, is not cute. At all! So now I need a new straightened regimen. I straighten my hair about once a week but now that I have my silk scarf to tie my hair up, I should be able to stretch that a bit longer. I use two different types of heat protectant, 1. Nexxus heat protexx and 2. Fantasia IC Hair Polisher/Heat Protector/Straightening Spray to try and avoid heat damaged roots. The reason for using two is this: Nexxus is a GREAT heat protectant, smells great and everything but the product is water based. Therefore, I only use it before blowdrying. To blowdry my hair and then turn around and spray a water based product onto it is insane and counter productive. I'd rather not. Instead, I turn to my Fantasia IC Heat Protector when it's time to use my handy dandy Chi flat iron! It smells like watermelon candy (yumm) and works like a charm! Hopefully in taking these measures to protect my hair, I'll keep my hair from getting damaged and will never have to report any bad news! Below are pictures of the products listed in this entry just in case anyone wants to check them out. Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Girl, No!

As you all know I've started my End Saver Challenge in an effort to retain my length and start healthier habits with my hair. I can't remember if I gave you all my regimen in a previous post and I'm much too lazy to create a new tab and find out so I'll just tell you all again. :)

Daily:

Moisturize with 100% raw shea butter focusing on ends

Seal with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Apply Megatek to scalp in small sections

Well over the weekend I traveled to New Jersey to visit family and of course while there, I fell off my regimen. I was there from Thursday evening until Sunday morning. The only days that I didn't do what I was supposed to do was on Saturday and Sunday and BOY did my hair let me have it! I know I've said it before but I am now truly learning that my hair TRULY loves and needs moisture to thrive. Those two days without my moisturize/seal routine really showed up in my comb! My hair was breaking off a little more than normal. I never grabbed my shea butter and EVOO so fast in my life! I'm back on track now however and things are back to normal. The megatek is really doing it's job also guys. My hair hasn't shown any major growth yet but it's definitely thicker! It's only been two weeks though. The young lady in the example I used when first introducing the product to my blog has been a devout user for 2 months. We shall see and I shall definitely update! Until next time...Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Color Me Bored

Looking at the ladies on youtube and just out and about, I've come to the conclusion that I'm ready for color! The first and last time I dyed my hair was for my senior prom nearly 4 years ago and I'm ready for something new again. I want a honey blonde or some sort of strawberry blonde or something. I don't know, obviously I have very little experience with hair coloring. I do know one thing however, I'm not too sure if I want to dye it now while I'm transitioning. My hair and I are still feeling each other out and I don't want to do anything to make my hair go "Girl, no!" Also, what if the two textures "take" differently. Ehh, I'd rather not take my chances on that! Last time I dyed my hair, my hair barely took. I'll show you all a picture. It wasn't terrible, cause honestly I probably wasn't ready for that kind of change anyways. But now, I'm grown up and I want something else to look at in the mirror. Hmmm, maybe I should just cut and dye and see how the world receives me! LOL, sike. I'm way too much of a punk for that! What do you guys think? And has anyone dyed their hair while transitioning? Am I right to be weary of the outcome? Let me know! Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

P.S.,

See, you can't even tell there's anything in it! Also, please excuse my 2007 self..lol. My, how I've changed!

Trader Girls

Tasha Jay

Hair Status: Transitioning since July 17, 2009

Tips & Tricks: ummm lets see that’s kinda a hard one. I don’t really have a lot of tips, but certain products have definitely made my transition smoother than it could have been.

1. Silicon Mix conditioner and leave-in conditioner has saved my life. it is a light protein so it helps strengthen my hair especially at the line of demarcation. It also has helped with detangling. It adds mega SLIP!
2. Minimal heat has definitely made my transition easier as well. I rarely add head to my hair right now because I cant stand dealing with the two textures
3. Co-Washing! When I first tried co-washing I definitely couldn’t get with it, but as I kept trying it, I felt that my hair retained more moisture and made my hair more manageable
4. Pony-tails and buns! I’m a student and I refuse to straighten my hair all the time so the pony tails and buns have been my chosen protective style.
5. Treat your hair like its fine silk during the transition process. Its very hard not to get frustrated with your hair and you want to basically yank it out. But even though I am transitioning, I’m also in it for retention. Until I BC I will be holding on to whatever hair I have!
6. Watch Youtube and visit hair blogs and forums for tips on how to retain hair and product reviews, but remember what works for everyone may or may not work for you. Don’t jump on every bandwagon you hear about. And of course Research new products before you buy them. That will save you money!
7. Don’t be discouraged. The first time I transitioned I went 9 months strong, and then I got discouraged and peer pressured into slappin some Kreamy Krack in my head. As a result, my hair broke off drastically. That was the final straw and now Im in this for the long hall. Don’t let people tell you that going natural Is a waste of time. DO YOU BOO! Its your hair, do as you please with it.

Staples: Hydratherma Naturals Growth Lotion and Gro

wth Oil. IC protein gel (the clear one), Silicon Mix, Just for me Hair Milk detangler, Chi silk infusion, Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, Wide tooth comb and paddle brush, My Handy Dandy Scarf! (the term wrap it up aint just for me. Tie

your hair up at night to prevent breakage)

Goal Length: FULLY NATURAL BSL

BC Date: July 17^th, 2011 (might change that who knows.

I Stand Corrected!

"Whoops." -DJ

So as I was tweeting about my usage of Megatek, one of my followers, fellow student at our University, and hair GURU let me know that what I was doing was counter productive! She told me that using the megatek on my actual hair strands everyday would most likely lead to protein overload and hair breakage! Instead, she recommends that I only use it on my scalp. SO, that's what I will be doing from now on! Starting NYE, I began my megatek scalp regimen and I will keep it up until the bottle is empty! I'm excited! The next couple entries will be Trader Girl editions! So stay tuned for real life accounts of how other readers are doin' their thang!

Until next time, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Rub You The Wrong Way

Sooo I meant to post this like..last month! LOL, better late than never right?

Hey guys! My account is still jacked up...I am yet to have that problem fixed but in due time dolls, in due time! Anyway, as I was sitting in my world of music class not paying the slightest bit of attention, I thought about my outfit. I'm currently wearing an all black scarf around my neck and although I bought this last year when I wore my hair down and out (lol..no pun intended), I thought of how many people don't realize that the materials in their clothes, especially their winter clothes (mainly wool) can really destroy their ends! It's very important to keep your hair off the collars of coats that may be harmful to your hair. Hats can also mess up your hair. One winter my favorite acrylic hat jacked my edges ALL the way up! Thank God my hair grows fast! Now hats can be tricky! You kinda need them during the winter and wearing a scarf underneath may not always be an options. One of my lovely Trader Girls, however, came up with a niftly little technique! Just browse through the Trader Girl entries. They're all full of great info! I'm sure you won't feel as though you've wasted your time! Well, until next time...Happy Healthy Hair Growing! :)

Trader Girls

Merry Christmas Guys!!! This Christmas, I have a very special Trader Girls to give you all! Leslie` Nikole is back with a pictorial for you all about henna! Thank you SO MUCH Leslie`! I hope you all enjoy!

HENNA IN TEN STEPS!

1. Put down newspaper like you have a dog that isn't potty trained. Henna stains are just that serious.

2. Sift through your henna into a bowl that you aren't going to be using anymore for anything special.

3. While your sifting, put five green tea teabags in a pot of 4 cups of water to boil. Let this boil up for about ten minutes, then take it off the heat to let it cool down a bit and pour out a cup and a half of water. ( I made a mistake with mine, I used 2 and some cups and it was too watery. I ended up putting flour into the mix; I sifted it so it worked out. Damm this stuff is BLACK! It kind of looks purple-y. )

4. Then, pour in your oil of choice. I heated up a bottle of (click here) Vatika (150ml) oil and poured it in. It's made up of coconut oil, lemon oil, rosemary oil and some other stuff. It was recommended to me by a Bengali girl in my class.

5. Stir up the mixture with a plastic fork and while wearing disposable plastic gloves. Then, let it sit with nothing covering it for 15-20 minutes. While you're letting it sit, do a quick clean up of wherever you mixed your henna and then move on to your bathroom or wherever you're going to put the henna on your head and put down more newspaper on the floor, cut open a plastic bag and put it in the bath tub or over the sink. Make sure you leave a hole for draining.

6. Make sections in your hair ( I did about 12 ) and start applying! You can do this however you want, with or without gloves. If your mixture is really wet, moist or runny; try not to move your head around to much. No one likes a henna splatter. Make sure your edges and ends are well coated and then "wrap" your hair with the help of the henna.7. After your done applying, wash off your hands/take off your gloves and get rid of the newspaper and garbage bag, you shouldn't have much more clean up than that to do, but if you do, get it done. 8. Get a plastic bag without a design on it ( if it has one, flip it inside out so that the ink won't touch your hair ) and cover your hair and make sure your hair line is well covered. After that, cover it with a towel. Wipe around your ears, forehead and neck so that the stain doesn't set in.

9. If you're going to sleep with your henna, you could try cutting a wife beater in two, making a cut at the arm loops (where the back and front connect, that little seam there) and down the sides. Use one or both pieces to wrap around your neck so that if the henna runs, it won't get on your pillows.

10. When you're done, put plastic wrap over your henna and pop it in the freezer until you want to use it again! >>

FIN!

#FAIL/End Saver Challenge

"Oh, I am not playing!" -DJ

So, I know I was supposed to go 6 full months without touching those scissors/shears...but i HAD to! Yes, I know this makes me a #failure, but you all didn't see my poor end! They were horrendous! While I didn't make it to my goal of 6 months, I did go 5 which is major for me! Eh, I'm still proud! So on to the details: I snipped probably 1/2-3/4" off of dead ends last night. I can still see growth progress but not as much as I would like. Hence, the End Saver Challenge! I have 100% sucked at taking care of them and that's pretty much been my issue for the past 5 years or so. So this time...I'm going smack into an "Ends Saver Challenge". Being as though I'm home on Christmas break and have no real obligations outside of my house I play to keep my hair sealed 24/7.





*back track*





Last week i received my first order of Megatek! For those of you who don't know about Megatek, it is a very powerful (and expensive) conditioner formulated to grow back the manes and tails of horses who suffer from skin conditions and other issues that make it difficult to grow their hair. The conditioner has been deemed safe to use on humans and lots of ladies have enjoyed remarkable results. I've only used it twice as a conditioner and I really really love the coconut smell! I honestly wasn't expecting it to smell as good as it does so that was a pleasant surprise! Here's a picture of a "faithful user" of Megatek with a 2 month comparison pic. According to her, without the product she was only getting 1/8-1/4" a month of growth which is below the average 1/2" a month that most people see.

So yeah, $30 a pop is a bit steep but the results can NOT be denied!

Anyway, like I was saying. I used the product on my wet hair as a deep conditioner overnight using a shower cap and a rubber band (i don't recommend). I applied the product, put a regular plastic cap on and kept it on with a rubber band, slapped a bonnet on and said *goodnight*. I woke up with a headache due to the rubberband cutting off all circulation to my brain during my slumber. SMH, never again. Thankfully, I discovered the other way to use Megatek; on dry hair! If you've ever used Luster's Pink Lotion and liked it, you'll LOVE using Megatek dry! I put about a dime size or less in my palm, rub my hands together and distribute all throughout. I then use my denman (for no reason in particular) to get a more even distribution and use about the same amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to seal it in with, distributing the same way. In oder to avoid using heat later on in the week (i'll get into that later) I pin curl my hair all over so my hair has some sort of bump to it. Going back to the shower cap, but smarter this time, I put it on the same way but secure it tight and twist the extra slack twisting it like a bantu know and securing it with a bobby pin. That'll keep the moisture on my hair and off my pillow case, in the air, or whatever other way moisture can be stolen. Today is Monday and I do plan to keep my hair like this at least until Thursday! Oh, I am not playing! My ends WILL be healthy in 2010!

Back to what I was saying though, it's never a good idea to apply direct head (flat irons, curling irons, blow dryers etc.) more than 2-3 days after washing your hair. Think about it, have you ever looked at your hair days after washing it? Like, REALLY looked at it? There's all kinda of lint and other ungodly things from your clothes, scarves, cleaning and just your environment in general in there. You don't want to bake those things into your hair deeper. Eghk! And constant heat is always a bad thing in itself. Instead of retouching your style every morning, try bantu knots, pin curls or rollers. These things will all help in keeping your ends together.

So, did I miss anything? If so, let yourself be heard in the next edition of Trader Girls with your own tips, tricks and concotions by emailing me at donnajenay@aol.com! Until next time Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

Hold Your Fire!

Okay, so I know I've been gone for the longest, closer to forever, but I have a GREAT reason! SCHOOL!!! You all know I'm in school and this has been my most stressful semester for a whole array of reasons. SMH, but we won't dwell. Let me quickly update you all on a couple things that has taken place. We'll start with my huge semester accomplishment that I am just ITCHING to share! So, what's pretty on it's left...and pretty on it's right? What's so so pretty it can't sleep at night? What's the first AND the finest? Why, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated of course! And that's why I am a part of the Fall 2009 line to cross at my University! YAAAAY Go Donna! LOL. I am #17 and my line name is AKApella. For those of you who don't know, I sing :)

Okay so on to things you all probably care just a tad bit more to know about. This is my 33rd week post relaxer! So that's 8 months by the 4 week=a month rule and 7 months by the 29th of the month rule. I haven't put any scissors to my hair so I'm still going strong on my no scissor challege!! My next trim will be on January 30th 2010! My new growth is a lot longer now but I think my obsession with my hair has subsided thank GOD lol. The weeks were inching by when I was always in my hair and had my hair aspirations constantly on my mind. My current hair status over the past few weeks is blown out and flat ironed for two reasons. One, it's cold out and washing my hair every few days is simply not gonna happen! I can't afford to go out with my pores open and risk flu especially with things like the swine flu going around and things such as that. Also, my hair stays straighter longer with the weather being colder so I don't have to worry about applying frequent heat to maintain the style. So it's all good!

Second reason for the straight style: doing my beloved puffs and twisted styles everyday has began to take it's toll on my edges. :( While I was aware that this would happen, those style are the only ones I was comfortable wearing with my bantu knot outs. Don't be alarmed though my loves, my edges aren't bad at all! As a matter of fact, I'm the only one who noticed a change! These are just precautions! I figure, keeping my hair straight will give my edges the much needed break and allow me to switch my look up for a however long I want. Well, I'll be back soon loves! School is over, however I'm nowhere near my computer and I must be honest, I hate blogging on this laptop! I know I owe you all major so maybe I'll make a few exceptions while I'm away from school! I do have more to tell!

Until next time...Happy Healthy Hair Growing!

P.S., don't forget ladies, if you'd like to be a Trader Girl for Girl, Yes! all you have to do is send an email to donnajenay@aol.com and you will be featured on my blog telling your side of the natural story! <3