Ghanaian Emprezz

 How is it possible to achieve your hair goals ? Begin this December! You can’t set off on a journey unprepared. How would you achieve your hair goals when you’ve not set anything in motion. Assuming you want to hit armpit length, what are you doing to reach that goal? I know you may have done a monthly outline like I used to do. That usually works for a couple of weeks in the new year and then it crushes. To keep the momentum going means recreating and re-evaluation of your goals on a monthly basis. What if there is a smarter way to go about it? What if you use the month of December to try out what you want for 2022?  Let me share some samples.  Goals: Try new techniques and new products from three or four brands. Do more protective styles. Eat healthy. Limit use of heat.  How do you achieve these goals before 2022?  You want to probably use weaves or sew ins, braids, wigs, buns etc in 2022. Pause! In order to succeed, formulate your goal like this: Evaluate your 2021 hair styles. Wha

I’m currently 4 weeks post relaxer and it’s been a smooth rider so far! My baby’s christening is in a couple of days so I had to get something decent done just to raise my glow up game!  I began with dry hair - I applied the Maui shampoo and left it for close to 10 minutes in the hair. It wasn’t intentional but I’m going to be shampooing like that these days. After leaving it in the hair, I combed through several times to make sure it was well distributed in the hair.  When I rinsed it out, my hair felt super hydrated and soft. I applied the John Frieda detox masque and left that too for some minutes. My hair was amazingly easy to comb through and it stayed moisturized until I applied the Pantene serum and the rest of the products! Next day, I got some cornrows installed. I should be able to keep this till mid December or more and then consider the next protective style!

 Amal gloss is a combination of Amla powder, conditioner or deep conditioner and oils of your choice with a few drops of essential oils.  🎀Currently 3 weeks post relaxer  1)First step: Shampoo 2x with mega growth stimulating shampoo 2)Applied Amla gloss and let it sit for 5 minutes  3) Rinsed out the Amla mask under shower whilst the water run down the hair. I used a wide tooth comb to help get the residue out  4)Applied Tresemme conditioner for another 5 minutes because I still had some Amla debris in the strands 😁 5)Followed with the Pantene multiplier, and Mielle ginger moisturizing butter before using a scarf to lay down the hair. PS: I skipped the salon because I wanted to do the gloss myself Check out my daily hair tips on my Instagram page @ghanaianemprezz  Next wash, it will be an oil rinse wash!

 Clarifying your hair means using a product that is able to remove build up in the hair. For this wash, I decided to clarify because I hadn’t washed in two weeks. 1) Applied the Giovanni 50:50 clarifying and moisture shampoo twice! This really leaves the hair quite stripped and clean too. I also have ORS aloe creamy shampoo that clarifies and chelates - I’ll use that next month.  2) Used the Aussie moist 3 minute miracle deep conditioner and this lives up to its reputation- extremely moisturising. 3) Used As I Am so much moisture and Giovanni direct leave in moisture conditioner and sealed with Mielle ginger butter.  I air dried and now, I miss my length! This combination really worked for my hair and I looked forward to more hydrated hair. I do moisturise twice a day too because I want to reach maximum hydration soon.  I will try a salon wash and roller set after the next relaxer to see if it will work. That’s in about 8 weeks time.  This week, I’ll do green house effect on Sunday, Tu

Whilst changing hair products too frequently is the hallmark for some, there are others like me who hold on to products for too long! To change that narrative, I’ve added a whole new range of products to enhance moisture retention.  There is Giovanni 50:50 shampoo and moisture conditioner, grape seed and avocado oil, neutralizing shampoo and conditioner, As I  Am So much moisture and Ultra growth oil from Difeel, Maui hibiscus shampoo, bamboo shampoo and Tresemme conditioner and Mieele Organics hair butter (probably my first time of using butter).  The main reason for such changes is  that I’ve used up some of the old products. In addition, my hair isn’t in the same state as it was some months ago hence I need to find new products to suit the current state.  This week’s wash began with the Profectiv mega growth neutralizing shampoo to clarify the hair. I followed with sheamoisture manuka honey mask and then rinsed off. I covered the hair with shower cap for some minutes and  applied ul

Using herbal rinses are quite popular in the hair community due to their immense benefits to the hair. Let’s see how you can incorporate Rosemary or other herbs in your regimen.  1. First you need to get rosemary leaves ie the normal one for cooking and boil for 5 minutes and allow to cool down.  You may use the dry or fresh leaves.  2. As you wait for the rinse to cool down, wash your hair with shampoo, rinse it out.  3. Pour a good amount of your rosemary rinse into the hair, cover with a shower cap for about 5 minutes and then rinse out. 3.Apply conditioner or deep conditioner as directed, then, rinse out.   4. Apply your leave in /moisturizer and oil and style your hair.  Rosemary rinse can be done on a monthly basis to strengthen the hair.  5. As a dandruff scalp mist, add a few drops of peppermint or tea tree essential oil and spray on your scalp daily. 

Postpartum hair loss can defeat all the efforts we put into caring for our hair. You can't prevent it but if you have the energy to do these things, postpartum hair loss may be less severe for you. [1] Don't ditch the prenatal vitamin! Once your precious one arrives, keep taking your vitamins. Your body will be recuperating and will need all the nutrients. If you can take a postnatal vitamin, that's also very helpful. Take it for as long as possible, even 2 years. Folic acid is equally good.  [2]Begin your Ayurveda rinses before baby arrives if you can. This won't stop the hair loss but it will promote faster growth. Kelp powder, Amla powder, shikakai, henna, aritha and a wide range of these herbs can combat the hair loss! Personally, I’ve prepared enough to last 6 months in order to allow my hair to benefit from it. I began using these herbs in the last part of the third trimester of pregnancy. [3]Wearing extensions etc can’t  prevent nor stop the hair loss. However,

Your hair regimen must vary according to your hair needs and seasons. One regimen can't cater for all the changes that occur as the months roll in. If your regimen isn't yielding any result, it may be time to evaluate it.  1. Using too many products at a time. We all wish for quick results but an overkill of products will hinder your progress too. For instance, it's not necessary to use a rinse out Conditioner and deep conditioner at the same time. Neither is changing brands within days of usage a good thing. Allow at least 3 months or more to try new products.  2. Too much manipulation and styling: Combing daily may not be advisable and so is trying to create new hair styles daily.  3. Changing regimen too frequently: Don't switch regimens within a couple of days just because you want quick results. Some regimens take up to even 6 months to yield results.  4. Listening to many conflicting advice: You think her regimen will work for you so you discard yours. This applie

 Babies arrive with a head full of hair which can sometimes be a bit more difficult to manage. We don’t want to expose them to chemicals and at the same time, we want healthy hair. Although my baby is a boy, I still want to make combing easy and also prevent matted hair. I follow a basic regimen: I shampoo about 2x a week with the baby shampoo and rinse off . Then, I apply baby oil to the hair and use an Afro pick (not Afro comb). For the other days, I simply wet the hair with water and apply the baby oil.  Prior to the regimen, I observed that his hair was turning brownish and I knew it was due to the daily  shampoo and the sponge. Once the new regimen set in, the hair began to reverse to the original dark colour again! The bonus? The curls are popping! I’ll keep you updated as the months roll by.

It may seem strange to talk about pre Postpartum hair or skin care but it is really beneficial to plan your routine ahead of time. For the pre Postpartum, it's all about how you want to restore your glowing skin and get your skin back to normalcy. It may take weeks and months but planning will speed up the results. One of the first things I began doing was being consistent with cleansing, toner and moisturiser when I hit week 35 of pregnancy. I purchased the Nip and Fab mandelic gel wash to gently exfoliate the skin. I used that to wash the face and alternated with Simple Facial Wash.  After that, I used Garnier facial mist or the Revolution hyaluronic essence to create enough moisture in the skin. I followed with a creamy moisturiser and the face oil from Jo Naturals as last step or switch it with The Ordinary hemi squalene oil. This routine took a maximum of 5 minutes in the bathroom and 5 minutes out, totally 10 minutes. I did it once a day regardless of the number of showers I

Hair breakage is a nightmare for everyone on a healthy hair journey and the major cause of setbacks too. Aside the few tips on why your hair may be breaking, I want to add a couple of ideas to help control the breakage. [1] Trim well: I've noticed that most of the trims don't really get rid of damaged ends for fear of losing length. If you have 5 inches of damaged ends, cutting them off at once might be more prudent than gradually trimming as split ends could travel up the strands. [2]Invest in a satin lined bonnet or satin pillow case to reduce the friction between the strands as you sleep. The cotton pillows suck the moisture from your hair! [3] Let prepoo treatment and hot oil treatment be constant in your wash routine. This adds to preventing products from overly stripping your hair leading to dryness and breakage.  [4] Bayyging your ends: This allows your ends to benefit from direct moisture. If you can't do it, try to moisturize the ends every night! Although you may

Although Protective styles are popular in the hair care community, a challenge that one encounters is usually that of a negative impact on the edges. The one year protective style challenge organised by Emprezzglamhub shop (on Instagram) is to guide everyone who uses them to find appropriate styles that won't hurt the hair line. If you want to participate in it, contact 0502417454 on Whatsapp to register. 

Cannibis for hair growth? This ingredient, popularly called weed is a well known growth booster. Imagine a product range with this booster in it? Hemp seed oil and CBD oil both derive from the cannabis plant. CBD oil comes from the flowers, leaves, and stems, while hemp seed oil uses extract from the seeds of the cannabis plant. I, actually, forgot about these until I changed on them in a corner (probably left them there during unpacking of products when we moved to the new place last year).  My scalp, especially, the crown area feels sore (which is what happens when my hair is super short).  [1] I applied a generous amount of the Sunny Isle CBD shampoo and left it for 5 minutes, rinsed out with water and applied the CBD conditioner, left that for another 5 minutes before rinsing.  [2]Sprayed the Ayurvedic scalp mist and sealed with oil.  I have the CBD leave in conditioner too but I've reserved that for moisturizing and sealing when the hair gets longer.  The present goal is to ac

For the past four weeks, I've been using a mixture of about 6 Ayurveda herbs as mt moisturiser before using any oil The preparation of the mist isn't that tedious and the smell is very mild. The two main changes I've noticed about my hair are: 1. Faster growth : Haven began with 1/4 inch hair as at mid June, the growth I have now is about 2 inches! I intend using the mist from June, 2021 to December 2022 to be able to hit armpit length.  2. Softer, more hydrated hair: The blend of the Ayurveda herbs means I'm deriving maximum benefit from each herb.  One of the herbs that boost moisture is kelp powder! To be able to keep the moisture levels even as rhe hair grows in will allow for easy styling and less breakage. Keeping dryness at bay is crucial in reaching at least full neck length by end of 2021! I also want to join in the one year protective style challenge in the hair group hence I need all the length by end of August.  

Did you know Thayers witch hazel toners come in different varieties? 1. Thayers Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner 2. Thayers Witch Hazel Cucumber 3. Thayers Witch Hazel Original 4.  Thayers Witch Hazel Lavender  5. Thayers Coconut Toner  They also have facial mists in cucumber, lavender and rose. One thing I've discovered is using these toners on your scalp can be quite useful.  Just as these toners hydrate your face and also take off left over dirt, you can using them to cleanse your scalp, and especially when you when wearing extensions and can't wash the hair thoroughly. If you don't have this brand, you can the Dickinson brand is equally potent.  Give it a try. 

Buns are the easiest but usually the least used protective style. Most hair styles make use of extensions which put a lot of strain on the scalp. Do you know you can equally use buns as protective styles to grow your hair long and healthy?  I've an article on using buns here as protective styles and I'll add a few more tips on utilizing this style. [1] Always moisturise the ends of your hair before you throw the hair into a bun. This will keep it from getting dry. [2] Moisturise the ends of your at night to reinfuse moisture into it. [3] Don't use rubber bands eg those used to wrap money. Opt for ouchless bands - ones without metals on them.  [4] You don't have to use gels to sleek down your hair. [5] You can take down your buns every night and restyle in the morning. Be sure to also sleep im a bonnet or on a satin pillow case. 

If you have short relaxed hair, I can relate to your struggles! [Check out our instagram page @emprezzglamhub].  Now, how do you grow short relaxed hair faster?  Not easy wearing your hair so braids can be your default styles for about a year or more. 1. During this time, try to moisturize the hair using braid spray.  2. Be sure to moisturise the hair even in its short state. That hair will become the ends as you grow out your hair so begin to care for it whilst you can. That will minimize the damage and help retain length better.  3. Still deep condition the hair irrespective of the short nature. Giving it the right treatment from the onset will nourish that hair as it grows out.  4. Stay away from  too direct heat: I know the struggle of air drying short hair! It's easy to blow dry weekly but if possible, use a heat serum every time and lay low with the flat iron!  5. Still detox your hair and scalp for optimum growth.  6. Growth oils and vitamins do accelerate the growth process

It seems I haven't mentioned hair butters on this blog nor in my wash routines. That might linked to my earlier readings about how mineral oils clog the pores, weigh down the hair and leave the hair dry. That perception has changed though  . There are  butters that are beneficial for our hair, especially, for us in Ghana. Ghee butter Mango butter Muru muru butter Cupuaca butter. Avocado butter Cocoa butter Chebe butter Sheabutter  How To Use Hair Butter Butter as a hair mask : This is essentially a prepoo mask. Ghee butter is noted for being an amazing butter for prepoo treatment. It is applied on dry hair and left for about 3 hours. Similarly, you can use chebe butter as a prepoo treatment too. As a sealant : For hair that easily becomes dry, butters are great as sealants. You can apply butters even after your oil, especially if you use coconut oil to seal. The hair absorbs the coconut oil and hence a heavy product like a butter will add an extra layer of protection. In addition,

The usual advice I offer is to allow a hair dresser do your hair. As you get familiar with the products and regimen, you can then makw efforts to do your own wash. What are some mistakes we can make during the wash? ... Not shampooing properly: Depending on how long you go between washes, using the shampoo once won't suffice. ... Too much deep conditioning. You may get protein overload or moisture overload. Doing weekly deep treatment may work well for those with Bra strap length and beyond because they have a lot of old ends to handle. Even that may not necessitate weekly deep conditioning.  If you have anything below that length, twice a month should be enough. ... Not knowing the right washing method that works for you. If you choose to use the salon, you'd still ought to know which detangling technique works. For most part, flowing water in the downwards direction makes detangling easier. Also, washing in section creates minimum tangles. This is one thing you shouldn't

Twists styles are the most versatile if you want a stress free natural hair journey. No matter the length of your hair, you can use it as a protective style. How can you use twists to grow your hair long? [1]Find a good stylist. From parting to combing to twisting, care needs to be taken in order to minimize breakage. You should know how to handle your own hair so that you can guide the stylist to treat your hair with care. [2] Use a hair mist and light oil to keep the twist moisturised. However, don't use too much to avoid unraveling them. Twice a week moisturising and sealing will be enough. [3] Find the styler that gives you a good hold. Curl creams, custards, twist and lock gels, styling gels and a host of styling products may have to be tested to find what works for your hair texture. This might be difficult one but once you do find that product, you'll be able to effortless maintain your twists.  [4] Protect the ends. If your hair is long enough to fit into a bun, it'

Rice water rinse seems to have booked its place in the hair care world and it's here to stay. However, in as much as we want fasy growth, there are some precautionary measures to take in order not to achieve the opposite effect. [1] Know your hair: does your hair tolerate protein? If it does, how much of it? Start off with once a month treatment to see how your haie responds and also be sure to observe changes oe otherwise. [2] If you wish to use rice water as a leave in, start off with weekly usage and observe your hair. Also, have a moisture based leave in conditioner on hand to balance the hair. [3] Try several ways of using rice. There are already made products you can choose from or even prepare a hair mask with it. You'll be able to choose what fits your needs [4] Do it long term. Use your rice rinse for some months, at least 3 months to determine its effect on your hair. However, if you experience any dryness, pause and switch to moisture products . [5]  Have realistic e

I want to share six ways you can use apple cider vinegar in your hair journey. Most of us know the components/ingredients so we will skip that.  1. Pre shampoo rinse: Dilute one one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with half cup of water. You should, however, consider the length of your hair in deciding on the quantity.  2. Post shampoo rinse : When you are done with your wash, you can use the diluted acv as a final rinse to close the cuticles.  3. Scalp rinse : Some also focus the rinse on their scalp than the hair. What you can do is to apply with applicator bottle.  4. Post relaxer rinse: Again, acv can be used after washing out your relaxer. It should be the final step. Leave for a couple of minutes and rinse out.  5. Braids scalp maintenance: Dilute the acv, use a cotton to apply and rub your scalp to remove dirt.  6. Together with Ayurvedic herbs: ACV can be used in your henna treatment to facilitate dye release. It can be added to clay treatment too to detox the hair and scalp. 

For the naturals that choose to big chop, it's easy to get overly excited about your mew hair journey. However, there are some pitfalls to avoid. 1. Don't expect t curls if your hair isn't naturally curly. I can't count the number of times naturals request for curling creams to makentheur hair curly as if these creams contain magical ingredients to create such a result. Type 3 hair naturally has curls and using a curl cream enhances those curls. For type 4,especially, 4B and 4C, you will be setting up yourself for failure and disappointment! Instead of curl creams, invest in deep conditioners. Even as short as your hair is, right from the onset, regular deep conditioning means that as your hair grows, it will stay more hydrated. 2. With short natural hair, there's not much you can do in terms of styling. That also means you tend to comb daily. This may cause breakage if the hair isn't moisturised first. In addition, there is no need to reapply butters or oils of

Let's tackle washing natural hair and some key steps to take. [1] Prepoo: Pre shampoo treatment is not limited to just coconut oil. You can use aloe vera or mixture of both to prepoo your hair. You may also choose store bought ones like the African pride pre-shampoo. [2] shampoo: After the pre-shampoo treatment, section or part the hair into about 6 and twisted up. This allows you to move to the cleansing step, using a shampoo, with minimum tangles and knots. You may shampoo more than once depending on how dirty the hair is. You may use a detangling shampoo at this step to take out shed hair as well as knots and tangles.  [3] Conditioner: You then use a conditioner after rinsing off the shampoo. Other naturals detangle their hair at this point using the running water from the shower as they rinse out the conditioner.  [4] The leave in conditioner: Next comes the leave in conditioner. St this stage, you may use a detangling leave in to untangle and remove shed hair. Keep in mind to

Once you decide on how long you want to stretch your relaxer, you need to really plan your weekly routine in order to minimize tangles, knots and of course, dryness and breakage at the point of demarcation. One essential addition to my hair oils is Hemp oil. Hemp oil is a ceramide oil - Ceramides are lipids (oil) that naturally occur in the strand. Their main purpose is to act like the glue that helps the cuticle layer lay flat and remain intact. Although ceramides occur naturally in the healthy strand, we impact normal levels when we undergo a chemical process, use excessive heat or even by the simple act of combing or washing the hair. Another product with ceramide oils is the Mielle Rosemary mint scalp and hair strengthening oil. To support and repair the hair, I decided to switch to ceramide oil and then some other ceramide based products. These are products such as conditioners, leave in conditioners, deep conditioners etc that contain ceramide oils like safflower oil, wheat ger

The longer your hair gets, the more you ought to protect the older parts because they tend to thin out so easily and break off more. The first step is fortifying the hair. Fortunately, new technology has allowed us to have a mirad of choices especially for bond menders. Olaplex No. 0 or No. 3 and Creme of Nature have great bond menders can be applied along with your Vaseline to buffer the hair against relaxer run off. Secondly, the relaxer application itself can make or break your effort. I've had several complaints about thin hair and for the most part, it has to do with the hair dresser using fine tooth comb to pass the relaxer through the hair. This moment is extremely crucial if you want thicker relaxed hair. Know your hair texture before you allow them to use that comb. Personally, when they pass the relaxer through the hair and comb through, I make them rinse off immediately. I DON'T sit and wait again for the cream to process. My hair becomes straight enough! If with all

OLAPLEX restores damaged and compromised hair by repairing from the inside out with our patented single ingredient, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate.  Once all the bonds are intact and in alignment, you have healthy, beautiful, shiny, touchable hair.  OLAPLEX repairs all types of hair damage. Thermal factors: High levels of heat from curling irons, blow dryers, flat irons etc. Chemical factors: Colors, perms, relaxers & keratin treatments.  Mechanical factors:  Brushing, friction, tugging & pulling on wet hair. Environmental factors: UV damage from the sun, humidity, extreme hot/cold weather conditions, pollution, etc. Aside Olaplex No. 1 and No. 2 which are meant for professional use, the rest can be used at home. How do you use the Olaplex system? No. 0 This is a pre wash treatment. The first to use if you have the No. 3 too.  It bonds, strengthens and protects hair integrity. Use as the first step in a two-part system with N°.3 Hair Perfector. Scientifically Proven: 68% mo

Prekese aka Aiden Fruit is well known as a spice for palm nut soup but do you know you can use it in your hair routine too?  If you're surprised, don't be! It has antibacterial agents that can help with your scalp. PREPARATION  1. Put your water on fire and add 1 prekese. You may choose to also use the powder form.  2. Boil for about 10 minutes, let it cool down and strain.  3. Use as a mid wash step, that's use after shampoo and before conditioner.  You can use this rinse once a month to strengthen your hair as a protein rinse.  If you want to use as a hair mist, use it about only two times a week to prevent protein overload!  As a mist, pour your rinse into a spray bottle and store in the fridge for use.  To subscribe to the blog (so you receive new article notifications,) enter your email address in the subscription box. Check your email after that to verify your subscription. Thank you! 

Has your hair really stopped growing? Well if your answer was a resounding YES, let me disappoint you. Hair actually never ‘stops’ growing. The problem is that, you're losing hair (through shedding / breaking ) at the same rate that your hair grows. What you’re experiencing is known in the hair world as a hair growth plateau . A growth plateau is when, due to breakage /shedding, your hair doesn’t retain length as it grows out, giving the impression that your hair isn’t growing. If you believe you’ve hit a growth plateau, here are some tips to increase length retention. TRIM No I don’t hate you. Most likely, you’re shedding more than you originally should. This could be as a result of split ends that have travelled up your hair shaft. It could also be because your hair is knotted at the ends and thus, when you detangle/comb, innocent hairs follow the shed ones. A trim basically is saying ‘let’s start afresh’, where you’ll have fuller, knot & split free ends. This can do wonders

In the first article about growing from thin to thick relaxed hair, I mentioned doing stretches among the tips. In this article, I'll be adding more tips I've gained over the past few months. 1. Relax only the new growth! That's the easiest way to maintain thick relaxed hair! 2. Check that small tooth comb! During relaxer application, the combing can thin out your hair. What I do is to either let them use only fingers to apply and massage or when using the comb, they do a few passes and I don't sit down again for the hair to process. 3. Relaxer run off! When washing out the relaxer, whatever touches the already relaxed hair during the rinsing out can still relax the hair and cause dryness, breakage and thinning! This is even more of a problem for those with longer hair. 4. Incorporate ayuverdic herbs like amla, Brahmi and others to help with the thickness. Every Ayurveda herb has its benefits and rotating them in your regimen will enhance the benefits! 5. Diet! You are