Wash Day

On Wednesday I got up and began working in four sections, detangled my hair and applied Kanechom conditioner to the length of my hair paying close attention to my roots and ends. It took me forever to this(at least it felt that way). I then put a plastic bag on, tied my scarf on top of that and got lost in my home work/ studying/wasting time; it was night before I realized, and I have no recollection of what time I grabbed my cantu shea butter moisturizing shampoo diluted with water in a spray bottle to make application to my scalp and root easier, and hydrating macadamia oil conditioner.

When I got out the shower I covered my hair with a shirt and went back to work. When my hair was probably about 80% dry I took the t-shirt off and fell in love with my hair! It was super soft, but my new growth still gave me some issues when I tried getting through it. I moisturized and put it into four braids so I could get curls to work with the next day...

...Next day hair was a big flop! hahahaha my new growth is trynna kick my butt at 19 weeks post; fighting hard not to let it. Game plan moving forward (as I have no plans to relax until December) is to try and get a cowash or some sort of faux steaming method into play to help make my new growth play nicer!

Wash Day

It's been a while since I've done a wash day post, any post for that matter, but here I am putting the proverbial pen to paper to share my last wash day experience post Havanna Twists.

Last Wednesday I just felt like I had enough of the braids and decided to take them out that night. The plan was to wash on Friday because my hair felt ridiculously dry, but it took me forever to get my hair separated with all the build up I had from the moisturizer I've been using. I eventually just sprayed my hair with a mix of condition, EVOO and water then tied it up for an overnight pre-poo (despite the fact that I swore up and down that I would never do this again). Saturday morning I got up and hopped into the shower with my clarifying shampoo, as soon as I began to unravel my first plait I realized that I hadn't done a good job removing the build up from my hair so it was starting to cause some tangles, and if I wasn't careful, matting. I took my time shampooing and detangling, fighting hard not to lose patience. I then had to sit down with a comb and detangle after I let most of the water dry out. I then asked my cousin to lather it another time, after this I had one big mess on top of my head Lol. It was all I could do not to freak out.


I then put Roux Repairing Conditioner in and layered that with Redken extreme strength builder plus, tied my hair in a plastic bag, put my head tie on then went running. After I cooled down, I hopped backed into the shower and rinsed the condish from my hair and put my hydrating macadamia oil conditioner in and combed through my hair the best I could, then rinsed. After I let it dry about 60% I continued my detangling, and got my hair in one of the neatest ponytails I've ever achieved, especially this many weeks post (wish I had taken pics). My hair feels, soft, but not as smooth as I would like and it is still tangling, methinks it's about time I introduced a cuticle smoothing product into my regimen.

Above is the amount of hair, I lost. Though by no way comfortable with said loss, I am aware that it's been a while since I detangled so it's not out of the ordinary.

Belle Moi!

Co-Wash Day

I decided to do a co-wash to infuse some well needed moisture into my hair. I haven't done this in awhile, but the excitement bubbled up inside of me at the thought of put my mixologist hat on. I mixed five different conditioners, EVOO, EVCO, and eucalyptus oil. I sectioned my hair into four, then went through each section meticulously ensuring that I first saturated my new growth and line of demarcation, then the length  of my hair and ends. On my scalp I used roots of nature Shea butter green tea stimulating scalp oil. After what seemed like forever, I tied my hair under a plastic bag for a little over two hours. After showering I just simply washed the mixture out. I put a t-shirt over my hair and let it hang there until it was about 95% dry then I detangled and plait it in four for the night.


The next morning I oiled my scalp, then moisturized and sealed. I then asked my cousin to cornrow my hair in two (how I've been wearing it for the past three days).



Random Thoughts

I don't know what it was, but my scalp was unbelievably itchy while I was under the plastic bag.

My hair still feels reinforced from what I'm assuming was the effect of the protein treatment I did on Sunday with the egg mix. Something tells me that if I keep this up my hair will be stronger than it's been in awhile.

Wash Day

I did an hot oil treatment with roots of nature Shea butter green tea stimulating scalp oil on my scalp and a mix of EVOO and eucalyptus on the length of my hair. I spent 15 minutes under the dryer and ten minutes cooling down...In retrospect this step was completely unnecessary because I...

Clarified with Organic Health Invigorating Shampoo:Tea Tree Oil Enriched with natural Botanicals.This is my second time using this; the first time I used it my hair actually squeaked, and while it didn't squeak this time around, my hair felt too stripped. Now I know this is the point, but I have to pay close attention to this one, maybe I should only lather once instead of twice with it.

I did a protein treatment because I was experiencing a slight breakage that I wasn't comfortable with. This time I experimented with an egg, some EVOO, and Organic Health Invigorating Conditioner:Tea Tree Oil Enriched with natural Botanicals. I did this for a half hour, after which I used my Cantu Shea butter moisturizing rinse out conditioner.

Deep conditioned for 50 minutes (25 mins with heat, 25 without) with hydrating macadamia oil intensive moisture mask. This made my hair feel a lot better than it had throughout my wash. I then did an ACV rinse as my final rinse.

I tried to detangle and wasn't comfortable, so I decided to take a page out of  Jeni's book and let my hair air dry to about 90% then detangled. After which I sectioned, re-wet and set my hair. It was taking forever to dry under the dryer so I decided to jump into bed with the rollers in.This lasted all of two seconds before I jumped up and went back under the dryer for another 5 minutes before removing the rollers and tying my hair up for the night.

Wash Day

 Let me start by saying I did everything in sections. I parted my hair and applied my pree-poo and ended up with six plaits. From washing out the oils to applying each product and washing it out, I undid each section one at a time and held the ends in my hand in order to reduce tangles and re-plait each after I was done. I picked up this trick awhile back from a naturalista on YouTube, and I must say I am glad I used it today. Though it was tedious, it saved me some troubles.

• I pre-pooed overnight with a mix of EVOO and eucalyptus oils on my scalp and the length of my hair and conditioner on my ends.

• Shampooed with Cantu Shea butter moisturizing cream shampoo.
• Did a heavy protein treatment with aphogee two-step protein treatment.
• Deep Conditioned with Every Strand Aloe Vera Treatment: Deep Conditioning Hair Cream for a little more than an hour (fell asleep during this session).
• Finished up with an ACV rinse.

My hair felt soft throughout, and fortified after the protein treatment. However, it continues to feel rough, and my ends seem to be in love with each other. When all was said and done, I tied my scalp around my hairline and left it to air-dry. When it was 80% dry, I detangled with my wide-toothed comb then moisturized with my trusted Cantu Shea Butter leave in conditioning repair cream and sealed with coconut oil.

Once completely dry, I got my cousin to plait it for me; this is how I will be wearing it for the next two weeks. Gotta keep protecting them ends babeee! lol.




Texture shot at almost two weeks post.


Belle Moi.

Wash Day

So this is my first wash day post since my braids were installed. This is what I did:

• I pre-pooed with a mix of EVOO an eucalyptus oil on my scalp and the length of my hair for approximately two and a half hours.
• Clarified twice because I haven't washed in a while and I thought that it was best that I clarified. 
• Conditioned with  Cantu Shea butter moisturizing cream shampoo

*This is a bit (read alot) late.


Belle Moi

Wash Day

On Tuesday I washed my hair and it was thankfully better than the last. Here's what I did:

• Pre-pooed with EVOO for 30 minutes (15 under my cap alone and 15 under my dryer).

• Lathered twice with Lathered twice with Cantu Shea butter moisturizing cream shampoo.
• Deep conditioned with hydrating macadamia oil intensive moisture mask (first time use) for 2 and a half hours.

I am happy to say that my hair felt soft!
I air dried for a part of the time then sat under the dryer for the remainder. I have no time frame for this, but I do know that it was mostly dry.

I finally decided and got my hair braided! Will be keeping this in for the remainder of the challenge that I am participating in.


Belle Moi

Wash Day

I pre-pooed with evoo for 3 hours!
Lathered twice with Cantu Shea butter moisturizing cream shampoo.
Deep Conditioned with Every Strand Aloe Vera Treatment: Deep Conditioning Hair Cream for an hour.

My hair felt absolutely HORRIBLE! It seemed nothing could make my hair feel good. After my pre-poo session I could feel the effects of it, but my hair still felt moisturized, but dry;soft, but not quite. Even my shampoo didn't do the job the way I'm used to it.

When I put deep condish in I was still skeptic that it could do anything. However, when I wet my hair it began to feel a bit better. This was short lived. I lost some hair trying to detangle and gave up, I didn't want to pull the comb through my hair while upset.

I must admit this past week I have been ignoring my hair because I still haven't found a moisturizer (don't know why it's so hard to find one in stores), and I don't like using my Cantu Shea Butter leave in conditioning repair cream with plaits in my hair. Maybe I should suck it up and use it until I find a moisturizer.

On a different note, my hair gets way too tangled, hope to get something to help smooth my hair by my next wash day.

Until then, keep safe during this storm!





Belle Moi

Today's Wash

 On the eve (well almost eve) of my eighth week post relaxer, I decided to do another wash before re-plaiting my hair and placing my ends in the witness protection program this is what ensued:
I took hours trying comb out my hair, trying to get as much of the curls, and tangles as I could without causing any damage. I was getting annoyed, but kept a level head. I then:

1.Pre-pooed with a mix of conditioners and liquid vitamin for well over two hours. (My mind is on a million different things). I didn't really like the way my hair felt this session. I might have to change up what I use to do this step next wash.

2. Lathered twice with Cantu Shea butter moisturizing cream shampoo.

3. Did my first ever black tea rinse. Wasn't in the shower so this was a bit tricky (messy).

4. Deep conditioned with Soft Sheen Carson's Roots of Nature Shea Butter Green Tea Reconstructing Deep Treatment for an hour or so. 

Overall: My hair felt soft, but my edges are no joke! They simply Refuse to be moisturized. It seems to laugh at my attempts. I lost too much hair to breakage when I detangled prior to pre-pooing.

I need to find a way to wash my hair that prevents the excessive tangling/matting or whatever it is  that occurs because it is a pain to comb through even with the right product.
Moisturizing and sealing nightly has been good to me, but I need to find a superb moisturizer to stick with.
The areas of my nape that are now extremely short are growing, but combing it seems to make the relaxed sections break. This section obviously needs different attention; I need to figure out just what that is.

Belle Moi

Lessons learned

I learned a couple things this past wash day:

• My hair is seriously uneven.
• I have all these fly-always because of breakage I have suffered and this is why
• My hair feels rough 
• I HAVE WAY TOOOO MUCH BREAKAGE!
• I REALLY REALLY NEEEEDDD TO DO SOMETHING about my nape area this wretched short section(s) gots to gooo!

I will be doing all that I can to combat these issues going forward.



Belle Moi

Wash Day

Products Enlisted and Process:

1. Pre-pooed with a mixture of conditioners Vitamin World's extra virgin coconut oil, and liquid vitamin. I applied the mix to my scalp and the length of my hair, paying close attention to my ends. I then put my hair into four plaits and covered it with a plastic cap for an hour and half.  
*This pre-poo session took a little more than an hour to do because I sectioned my hair into four and had to detangle each section before I proceeded to thoroughly applying the mix to my roots then the length of my hair. Plus, I'm really slow, and I didn't want to cause any breakage.*

2. I shampooed with Cantu shea butter moisturizing cream shampoo twice.  After this my hair felt quenched, for lack of a better word. Granted, my pre-poo step made my hair feel moisturized, but after using this shampoo my hair felt even better...soo soft!

3. Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment: this step wasn't part of the original plan, but after I shampooed and was playing in my hair because of how soft it was lol, a strand came out, now this isn't enough to call for a protein treatment and I almost didn't. This is because I first thought this hair was a shed hair because it was soooo long, but after close inspection I realized that it was broken. I couldn't have anymore of this!

*I absolutely detest this step because it's so sticky and mess, not to mention the smell ugh. Imma be a big girl and suck it up tho."

4. Deep Conditioned with Every Strand Aloe Vera Treatment: Deep Conditioning Hair Cream. Applied it the same way I did my pre-poo, then covered with my plastic cap for an two and a half hours (mainly cause I was pulling out my baby bro's hair and he wouldn't sit still.

5. After my final rinse, I sealed in the moisture with EVCO then finger parted my hair and twisted it.

This wash day was mostly about inducing moisture into my hair, yes I have been moisturizing and sealing faithfully, but I soon realized how inadequate my moisturizer was (more to come on this later). All in all I'm pleased with how the wash went.

Belle Moi