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6 More Ways To Use Aloe Vera On Your Hair

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How do you use aloe vera gel or juice on your hair? Cleanser Aloe vera is known as a mild cleanser. In the water only wash regimen, the gel is said to gently clear excess sebum. After relaxed application, use the aloe vera on your scalp. Moisturizer The water in the Aloe plant is considered to be very moisturizing and thus a lot of ladies, both natural and relaxed, use it as their moisturizer. Here's how to make yours. Leave in If you want a natural leave in, look no further. The Aloe vera gel or juice can serve as a leave in too. In fact, a lot of commercial products make use of it - from shampoo to deep conditioner! It's seen as a humectant that is pulling moisture into the hair and so you have a great natural leave in so long as you know the time your weather won't favour Humectants. Hair Spritz: All you need is to mix a bit of aloe vera gel, a few drops of essential oil, some carrier oil like olive oil and water in a spray bottle. Use this when yo

Two Reasons Why You Get Biotin Acne

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If you've not heard of biotin, well, it's like the salt of everyone aiming to grow long hair quickly. What happens though is that when the dosage of the biotin leads to overproduction of sebum, your face becomes the deposit site of the excess which can clog your pores, get infected and cause breakout. The second reason why you break out from biotin is that because your sebum production has increased, your facial routine has to be tailored towards regular cleansing. Now, the challenge is most often, we don't have a facial routine and that means we are unable to clear the excess sebum. Therefore, if you are taking biotin, you may have to either reduce the dosage or get your facial routine game on!

When Your Products Fail, What Can You Do?

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Many of us purchase items hoping to get the best out of them. However, it doesn't turn out right always. Let me commence with failed shampoos. If you're like me who lives on a budget all the time, then, having to throw away a shampoo that is relatively cheap or expensive is a big NO! But I find ways to enjoy some benefit. *Give it to one of my sisters. It may work for them. *Pre poo hair properly- this helps to condition the hair such that if the shampoo is too stripping, the hair is protected. *If the shampoo isn't able to clean well, I use a lot! I get to benefit from it and speeds up the emptying process. *Doesn't smell good? Use an after shampoo product with a great smell. Rinse out regular conditioners : *Pre poo with it. That way you can enjoy some benefit. *Use a lot at a go! works to add moisture and get rid of it quickly. *Mix it with other conditioners. *Swap or give it to someone. How about deep conditioner? *Add oils to it- to improve its eff

Add Silk Amino Acids To Your Regimen

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First and foremost, what is silk amino acid ingredient and what does it do? Read the previous post ( Know Your Protein Part One ) But, the question is, "how do I  incorporate  silk amino acid in my regimen? If you have silk amino in  powder or liquid form  that you want to use together with your hair products, you can do so through the following ways. Pre-relaxer treatement: Use the liquid one straight on your hair a few hours before relaxing. This is to serve as a buffer against the relaxer. Apply to your ends and leave to dry Add it to your leave-in conditioners for the hair to absorp it. This nourishes your hair and prevent breakage.  Add to your Deep conditioner mixture to provide a boost in the elasticity of your hair.  As a rinse, the powder can be used to restore the protein in the hair.  I  got my chi silk infusion and haven't slept on it at all! It's a must have for all relaxed hair ladies. References http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t

4 Prepoo (Pre Shampoo)Treatment Hacks

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Prepoo are obviously an integral part of our hair routine but there are moments we don't have time so here are a few tricks to make prepoo easier. 1. Overnight prepoo: This is by far the most easiest way and most beneficial method. Apply the oil at night and cover with caps. You wash the hair the next day. 2. Prepoo under wig: if you wear wigs and want to wash, you can apply the oil on the hair and cover with a plastic cap, wear your wig and allow the heat from the body to do the rest. 3. Apply the oil and do a workout: Your body's heat will allow the prepoo treatment to work faster. 4. The pack prepoo: This is a method I created a few years ago when I was too busy. I put on a plastic cap, followed by a shower cap or poly bag, followed by a beanie and then a scarf. This generates tons of heat to speed up the process prepoo. It's my favourite technique too. 5. Hooded dryer: You can use a hair steam cap like what I use or a hooded dryer. Apply the oil, cover with a

How To THICKEN Already THIN Relaxed Hair

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Thickening already thin relaxed hair definitely poses a difficult. The hair has undergone the damage already so how do you salvage the situation? Try a protein treatment once in a while to strengthen the demarcation between the thin and thick parts. This will prevent breakage just as when you have new growth and the already relaxed hair. Protect your ends to prevent further thinning. That reduces the extent of damage and how much you'll need to trim off. Try Jamaican black castor oil and coconut oil. Although the effectiveness of these oils at this point may not be noticed, applying them is said to have indeed thickened hair. Find the cause of the thinning to avoid further damage. Be it not trimming regularly, using heat from flat irons too often and even wearing the hair out without fortifications with deep conditioning and moisturising products. Lastly, try to protect your ends by trimming regularly. That prevents split ends too.

Herb: Ginger For Hair Growth

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My niece is notorious for sleeping late in the night. Now, back in those days, she would have been given a hot enema with ginger to put her to sleep (that's Ghana for you). Ginger is so common that it is difficult to overlook its usefulness in hair care. Benefits Scalp Massage Ginger can be used as a scalp and hair rub to both control your dandruff and stimulate hair growth, according to HolisticOnline.com. Make a rub by grating two ginger roots. Add the roots to 3 tbsp. sesame oil and 1/8 tsp. lemon juice. Place the ingredients into a juicer or food processor and blend until a juice-like consistency is reached. Gently massage the mixture into your scalp. Massaging will increase blood circulation to your scalp, according to HolisticOnline.com. In turn, this encourages hair growth. Let the mixture work for 15 to 30 minutes, then rinse your hair thoroughly. Massage your hair with this rub three times weekly. Here's a video demonstrating the use of ginger for hair grow

4 Ways To Protect Your Edges

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When was the last time you applied your hair growth oil to your edges? We are still on the edges challenge and this week, I want to share four ways to protect your edges. We already know of leaving out the edges when you braid. But what about getting them to look sleek? Get a gel with a good hold. I avoid those black hair gels for the reason that they contain protein which leaves my hair stiff. Opt for eco styler gel instead or any edge control that has a good hold but won't cause breakage too. Move the position of your satin cap to the lower part of the forehead so there is no tension on the hair line. Be sure to shampoo, deep condition and moisturise your edges too. You want those parts to also benefit from the regimen. Apply your hair growth oils as a preventive measure against breakage. You don't have to wait until the hair line recedes before applying growth oils to the edges. Maintaining healthy edges involve still applying your hair products as often as possibl

When To Use Light Protein and Hard Protein

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When your hair is relaxed, it's more fragile as a result of the breaking of the protein bonds hence using a protein based product fills the vacuum created. The protein won't restore the lost one; it will serve as a sort of adhesive to hold the bonds together.  The strength of the protein depends on the level of damage. Light protein can be used as a preventive step before relaxing; mitigating the impact of protein loss during relaxer application. Hard Protein comes in when you have mushy hair as a result of moisture overload to strengthen the hair or if your hair is extremely damaged from chemicals and dyes. How your hair responds to any of these will be the ultimate deciding factor. Hard Protein treatment should be followed by a moisture deep conditioner as it leaves the hair hard. Light protein doesn't usually have the same level of hardness. Protein for Natural Hair Yes, your natural hair doesn't need that much protein reinforcement unless you've been

Sunny Isle Extra Dark Castor Oil (Grow Your Edges)

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The Sunny Isle Jamaican black Castor oil is what I've been using for the past 6 days and I must say that I really like the texture and consistency. The difference between the Sunny Isle and Tropic Isle Jamaican black Castor oil for me is the thickness. The Tropic Isle one is thicker and the smell of the ash is quite stronger compared to the Tropic Isle. Aside these, I don't think the results will differ. The essential thing is both brands have to be used consistently to see results. What's the big deal about extra dark? It has more ash! The ash, per readings: 'Our Organic seeds are roasted and ground by a manual Grinder and then the crushed beans are boiled to extract the 100% pure, dark brown, organic oil. Compared to other brands it is the darkest Jamaican Black Castor Oil because we roast our beans longer which produces more Ash Content in our oil than any other oil on the market' (Sunny Isle). That's that guarantee more hair growth, well, by Decemb

How To Choose The Best Facial Cleanser

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Whether Micellar water, facial wash or facial soap, the important question is which one is best for me. Aside consulting a beauty therapist for this help, you may want to do a trial and error test. Read about what each type of cleanser does and the skin concern they are suitable for before spending money on them. Lately, there has been the influx of cleansing balms and oils too. Have you tried finding your skin type? Google how to do a skin type test. It's simply washing your face and allowing it to dry naturally. How your skin feels and the oil on it determines your skin type. Each product is formulated for different purposes so know why you need that particular item. Brands   Which is the best brand? Read reviews, ask friends and test them. Facial washes and soaps work well but it all depends on your skin type. Try both and decide on the best on

Can You GROW Your Edges

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Haven seen a lot of progress with my edges, I've decided to extend the challenge to the blog. The rules are quite tough but not impossible Lol. 1. No braid, No Weave, No cornrows. Absolutely nothing except wearing buns which you should also vary. The essence is to stay away from any tension on the edges. 2. Don't relax your edges until the end of the challenge. 3. Apply hair growth oil daily on the edges. You can also massage with a scalp brush. Growth oils include chapter 2000, Jamaican black castor oil, coconut oil etc. You just need to use something for growth. 4. Last rule is we'll check in every week on Saturday. Just comment on the edges growth post that will be published on Saturdays. Post your starting pictures in the comment box. On the LAST DAY of every month, we'll share progress pictures. Here are starting pix.

Ayurveda (Aritha and Shikakai) Detox Shampoo

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Ayurveda has become an integral part of the healthy hair community and especially among those who aim for organic or natural products. I jumped on the amla powder mask and it was OK. For the aritha and shikakai, I have to say that my hair loved the treatment. To prepare : Mixed about three tablespoons of the two powders together. I, actually, mixed enough for my face, hair and whole body and I didn't regret it one bit. I had super soft skin and the mixture didn't strip my hair. I conditioned with cantu sheabutter conditioner (last bit of it). My hair felt like I'd deep conditioned! **Applied creme of nature mango and sheabutter leave in conditioner and Mielle organics hair milk (to buy, call 0502417454). Covered with a scarf to dry it. I really love the feel of my hair and hope to continue to enjoy no setback.

How To Do A Clay Mask Facial Treatment

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Clay masks help to detox your skin and using them about twice a month can be of immense benefit to your face and skin too. Here's I do my clay mask treatment: 1. Facial cleansing: I use forever Claire hydrating wash( I think I'll switch to the acne wash at the next purchase). 2. Facial scrub: I use either brown sugar tea tree facial scrub or the Queen Helene oat and honey scrub. I use these about four times a week alternating between them. 3. Mix the clay with water or use the Queen Helene mud mask. I allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes and rinse off. If I use the Teiva mask, I leave it for 15 minutes as directed.

Is Hot Oil Treatment Better Than Prepoo?

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Every pre shampoo step contributes to moisture retention therefore prepoo and hot oil treatments, though different, both provide the hair with protection against the impact of shampoo as well as retention of moisture. The question a reader posed was whether hot oil treatments are better than prepoo. Another wanted to know if hot oil treatment is faster to do compared to prepoo. The answers to these questions depend on several factors. If you don't heat up your oil but sit under the hooded dryer for 5 minutes on medium to high heat, the oil gets absorbed faster. Coconut oil has become the go to prepoo and hot oil treatment to prevent hygral fatigue. The heat will allow faster absorption of the oil during the heating process. On the other hand, if the oil is preheated before application, the penetration is equally good. So, which one takes less time? I'll go for hot oil treatment since preheated oil works faster too. With prepoo, you may not have to time to sot under a