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Showing posts with the label Natural hair regimen

The LOC And LCO Confusion

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Moisturizing and sealing is the food your hair needs to thrive and if you aren't doing it well, you'll definitely have to contend with dry and brittle hair all the time! Over the years, there have been several techniques a lot of YouTubers have proposed to be the best. However, recent trends point to one particular method as the most effective.  The LCO or B method The liquid, cream, oil and butter method for 4C natural hair is an amazing combination to keep your hair moisturized and soft for long periods. The confusion is usually with how to layer each product to achieve maximum hydration. First: You can use either watery  leave in conditioner, or water or aloe vera. I've even used rose  water as my liquid. Then you follow with a thicker or creamy based moisturizer or leave in conditioner. You then use your oil and or butter. Another point of confusion is with curl creams and styling gels. In the LOC method, the liquid  comes in and then the oil. You then follow with curl

Wash Day for Week 1 February, 2020

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I'm going to be more detailed in this wash to help you understand how I wash my hair. This will be a series so stay tuned. To wash, I use any shampoo available. I have hotfro shampoo and groganics shampoo I alternate. I use one shampoo per week as a first step to wash my hair either home or at the salon.  Assuming you are using any of these, the Doo gro tingling shampoo will be step 1  Step. 2. After rinsing off the shampoo, I follow up with the hotfro conditioner or groganics conditioner and leave for 1 minute and rinse out.  Step 3. At this point, I apply the hotfro leave in conditioner (Red label) or if I have mega growth leave in conditioner, I use that. If I have Hawaiian Silky moisturizer, I use that or S curl No Drip moisturizer or the mega growth anti breakage strengthener. I like to add the amla oil at this point or the hotfro oil mix before the rollers are done. Step 4. I don't use any oil in the hair again after it is dry. I use a hair pomade on the scalp, here, it c

4 Tips For Growing Natural Hair in Ghana

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1. Focus on moisture  products The weather here is very dry and your hair needs all the moisture it can get. Your shampoo should infuse moisture into the hair. Pre shampoo treatment aka pre poo with light oils prevent your shampoo from stripping your hair. The deep conditioning process should also boost moisture in your hair. Kindly put that eye treatment somewhere and pay attention to moisture products. The simple test is to read the ingredients and see where the protein is. Anywhere at the top 5 ingredients is a likely hard protein and further down, you get medium and light protein. The light ones are better since your hair needs list bit of boosting once in a while. Your moisturizer should be moisture based and I've found alternating between creamy and liquid moisturizers is  very helpful.  2. Hair type helps: Simple Google to know your hair to guide you select suitable products for your hair.  3. Read about your hair: After you identify your hair type, read about. Find bloggers

Why Your Natural Hair Is Dry

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As for this issue of dry natural hair,  the one advice I'll give you is trial and error with products and techniques. You don't sleep with a satin cap to protect the hair at night.  The hair is exposed to the sun which ultimately will suck up the moisture in your hair.  Your deep conditioner or wash routine isn't effective so you may need to switch things up.  Your hair spritz isn't working or you aren't diligent with it.  Find heavy butters to seal your hair. Coconut oil is known to penetrate the strands thus it won't seal in the moisture.  Lastly,  you may not be drinking enough water or hydrate the hair.  How do you combat dry natural hair?

Why Your Natural Hair Is Breaking Off

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You are so worried about your hair not growing yet there are some practices that are undermining your efforts. You comb it daily and that causes a lot of breakage. Use your fingers in styling. If the hair is short, use a wide tooth comb.  You don't deep condition often which leads to dry,  brittle natural hair. Try to deep condition at least once a month to provide moisture in your hair.  Your hair needs moisture especially in this part of the world where the weather is mostly dry. Have a hair spritz to use during the day to ensure moisture retention.   The hair products aren't working for you and you are reluctant to change them. These products may cause more damage so if it's not working,  either swap with another person or give it out.   You focus on growth and not retention and therefore don't know why you aren't getting the long hair you want. Pay attention to how you protect your hair and what you use in protecting it. Keep the ends from the shoul

My Moisturizing and Sealing Routine for Harmattan (2017)

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It's just fair that this dry weather is met with serious moisturizing and sealing routine.  Moisturizing has to do with using a water based product and sealing is done with oils or butters. I follow the liquid, cream, oil routine (L.C.O) as I find that to be a better option during this harmattan weather. To effectively moisturize your hair, you definitely need to apply moisture first. Using oil first is like wearing your trousers before your underwear. You block out any moisture loss when you seal with oil that us why you need the water first before sealing.  For each month of 2017, my moisturizing and sealing will be planned for the month for effective routine. For January, I planned my hair routine ahead of time to reduce the amount of time spent on organizing my thoughts Lol. Spray the hair with rose water  Apply a bit of Mielle organics avocado hair milk Seal with my oil mix.   I do this at night because my morning schedule is whack! I try to sleep with a bonnet to main

Ways To Protect Your Hair This Harmattan Without Protective Styles

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If you are like me and don't see harmattan as the time to wear wigs and weaves nor braids  then,  you have to develop a regimen that can provide you with moisture and fortify your hair against the  harsh winds and weather.  The first thing I recommend is decide on how you'll protect your ends from the harsh  weather. You can wear buns or roll and tuck in styles. You can also do halo braids with or ponytail with extensions to keep the ends from breakage.  You should also increase the moisture routines such as deep conditioning twice a week and sealing the hair with butters. Another way to protect your hair without weaves and wigs is to do green house effect or baggying about thrice a month.  My intention is to stop braiding when I can pull the hair into a good pony so if that  happens by December, then,  I definitely be weave and wig free for the harmattan like I used to do. 

Hair Vitamins Won't Give You Healthy Hair

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Lately,  hair vitamins have become a go-to  for ladies on a healthy hair journey with the assumption that  these vitamins will give them the healthy hair they want. Let me bust your bubble and point it out that  taking mane choice,  hairfinity, nature's bounty or whatever vitamins won't give you healthy hair. What will give you a healthy hair is a proper hair routine/regimen as well as shampoo,  conditioner,  leave in and oils. These hair vitamins only aim at increasing hair growth; what's the use of getting growth only for the hair to break off due to improper hair care habits. The same thing applies to using Jamaican Black Castor Oil In the hopes that your hair will be healthy overnight. These oils won't work if all you do is continue treating your hair in the old ways. Get a hair regimen and use the  hair vitamins to supplement your efforts. I don't depend on theses growth  aids to get strong and healthy hair; I use hair products and techniques daily and weekly t

The Coily Queen Regimen

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I came across the coily queen regimen when I was surfing for information on how to keep 4c natural hair moisturized for long periods. As part of my non conservative attitude towards my hair, I'm going to do a few hair regimens to help with moisture as I mentioned in my  6 months post big cho p Video. The basic requirements of the coily queen regimen is to shampoo twice a week, deep condition twice a week, apply leave in conditioner daily for 3 weeks, daily scalp oiling and massaging. You can find out more here . This is the regimen for September (we are about 15 people trying it) and at the end, I'll share my verdict. The aim is to increase moisture in the hair, reduce tangles and single strand knots. If you'd like to join this test drive, just follow the instructions or steps as listed by coily queen. The sheamoisture yucca and baobab shampoo will be used, kinky Curly knot leave in, body butter coil crown deep conditioner, grape seed oil, Jane Carter Solution Nourish and S

Wash Day With Sheamoisture Yucca and Baobab Shampoo

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Upon reflections and meditations, I've realized that perhaps my knotted ends have to do with my current twists. In addition to that, I often get tired of the gruelling  minutes spent detangling so I stop and use either the shampoo and running water to continue the detangling routine. These led me to rethink my regimen and where it will lead me. I hadn't shampooed in a while so I brought out sheamoisture yucca shampoo (thanks Diana for this gift). First of all, this shampoo smells like perfume - deliciously sweet! However, it doesn't have the same slip as the coconut and hibiscus shampoo. I topped up with the hello hydration conditioner and two hand full of coconut oil (I'm evaluating this oil in my regimen). I find my hair responding well to grapeseed oil. So, I really spent time detangling the ends which was such a daunting task. I'm happy I want to wear my own hair throughout September (more about that soon). Despite all the efforts to smoothen the ends, the