Tag Archives: shea moisture

feb 2018 hair care routine

*drumroll* IT’S TIME FOR AN UPDATED HAIR CARE ROUTINE!

Though not much has changed I just want to keep you all updated!

Prepoo-

  • Before I wash my hair I always add a generous amount of oil- normally either shea butter or avocado oil

Washing-

  • Prior to washing, I rinse my hair with warm water to get rid of the excess product and oil
  • I wash my hair once a week using Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo. I normally wash three times; I could probably do two washes and be fine but I like three.
  • Normally when I wash I try to massage my scalp for at least one of the washes. Scratching your scalp can leave your hair tangled, so I try to limit it.

I always use warm water to wash

Conditioning-

  • I always deep condition after EVERY wash. it’s essential to making my hair easy to maintain. I’m currently using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment mask, but I also really like Eden Body Work’s Natural Deep Conditioner (they just didn’t have it at target when I needed deep conditioner).
  • I section my hair in four parts. I work one section at a time to add conditioner then comb out that part using my denman brush (which is a lifesaver- it defines your curls and makes detangling easier). Then I normally twist the section that I just added conditioner to or use a ponytail holder to secure it. After all sections are done I go over my hair once more with the denman brush
  • I either sit under the drier for 15 minutes (while wearing a clear shower cap) or use an old target bag over my shower cap for about 30 minutes. I like both methods but the bag is easier if you’re trying to do other things while deep conditioning.
  • I rinse out the deep conditioner with warm water then after it’s all out I use cold water to rinse my hair. It seals in the moisture and reduces frizz.
  • I then take a t-shirt and wrap it around my hair to dry it.

Styling-

protective styling is a must, especially in the winter. it helps you retain moisture plus it’s easier to maintain. I need something that’s going to be easy to maintain. Mostly because I’m a little lazy.

  • pick the right protective style- the two most popular styles are braid outs and twists outs. i used to do braid outs a lot until one of my friends twisted my hair and I saw how much less shedding I had. After that, I pretty much only do twists or twist outs.
  • Once a week I wash, deep condition and style my hair. I do twists of some sort. How I style the twists depends on if I’d like to wear it down or not- I’ll do flat twists if I want to wear it down. I like flat twists because the root is twisted so it’s easier to get through.
  • Normally i leave the flat twist in for a day or so then untwist it. I moisturize my hair every day.

Moisture-

Normally I do the LOC method, but I read that doing the LCO method reduces frizz so I plan on trying that out.

  • Liquid/Leave-In- I use water and peppermint oil first (they’re mixed in my spray bottle; Leave-In- I use Miss Jessie’s Leave In Condish
  • Cream- I use Cantu’s Coconut Creme and Camille Rose’s Curlaide
  • Oil- I use OGX coconut milk, shea butter and avocado oil.

my main tips-

  • wash and deep condition weekly
  • protective style
  • drink lots of water! at least half your body weight
  • use satin ponytail holders and bonnets
  • also use a satin pillow case
  • be gentle while combing your hair

this is the amount of shedding I had after eight days of no combing (i don’t comb my hair when it’s twisted, I had it in a twisted style for two days, then wore a turban for three (i put a bonnet on underneath to keep my hair protected from the turban), and then wore it different ponytail styles for three days.

make sure you’re following my blogging instagram- mayahn24

my hair routine (nov 2017)

hey y’all! it’s been forever since i’ve posted my hair care routine (I actually need to do a review on this homemade deep conditioner my roommate and I made). I just wanted to give you all an update on what I’ve been doing!


this was my hair in August of 2017


this is my hair this week!

isn’t it crazy how much it’s grown?! well here’s how I did it

major tips:

  • wash once a week

I used to wash my hair every ten days, with a shampoo that helped my eczema and then co-wash every five days. I thought that doing this was helping to keep my hair moisturized. After I had my sew-in  I really realized how much I was overwashing my hair. Your hair needs water, but it doesn’t need to be washed that often. I shifted to washing my hair once a week and deep conditioning. I really like it, plus it’s easy to keep up with.

  • deep condition weekly

I cannot stress the importance of deep conditioning. What I’ve recently been doing is adding my deep conditioner (I’m using Natural Deep Conditioner by EDEN), deep conditioning for 15 minutes under the drier and then detangling after. The deep conditioning makes it really easy to comb through.

  • use a satin bonnet AND a satin pillow case

I only use satin products on my hair. I have two satin wraps, a scarf, a long bonnet, two regular size bonnets and two pillow cases. though my bonnet normally stays on, I like having the satin pillow case just in case my hairline comes outside of the bonnet. Plus the pillow cases are really pretty lol.

  • drink lots of water

I know I drink WAY more than most people do. I drink probably around a gallon of water a day. It keeps my body hydrated and my hair moisturized. You should at least be drinking half of your body weight in ounces!

  • detangle outside of the shower

As my hair has gotten longer, detangling takes a lot longer. I started detangling in the mirror outside of the shower for a couple reasons. One, I was tired of my hands turning pruney from being in the shower too long. Two, I wanted to see my hair as I was detangling it. This has allowed me to see tangles earlier so I’m not just ripping out my hair. Last week, I kept my hair in two french braids for a full week to see how much I shed, so I could get a basis for how much I should be shedding.


This is how much hair I shed after a week! I believe my routine along with detangling gently allowed for this to happen.

  • trim your hair (NOT YOU A PROFESSIONAL)

Getting trims are so important to maintaining healthy hair. I get a trim just about every time I need one- since I go so long with curly hair, I get them close to every time I get my hair done. After a trim my curls are so bouncy and beautiful. You should get your trim done by a professional- they went to school to learn how to trim properly and it is impossible to accurately trim your hair. My hairstylist has been doing hair for at least 20 years and told me she still struggles trimming her own hair. It’s just hard. So let someone else do it for you! And make sure that person is a professional.

  • keep a regime

Keeping a regime is crucial. As a college student, I’m busy. So I want to make sure that I can manage my school work, personal life and hair. Knowing how I’m going to do my hair helps me manage it all.

actual routine:

  • Wash day

Normally I wash my hair on Saturday or Sunday. I use Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen and Restore Shampoo. I normally wash three times.

  • Deep Conditioning

I use EDEN’s Natural Deep Conditioner when I deep condition. I lather it on my hair, then I put on a clear shower cap and sit under my drier for 15 minutes. I detangle outside of the shower; then I rinse my hair out with lukewarm water, then after it’s all out I use cold water to seal in the moisture.

  • LOC

After I rinse out the conditioner, I put a cotton t-shirt on over my head to dry it. After a while (I can leave mine on for like an hour and be fine, but I try to leave it on for like 10/15 minutes- my hair retains a lot of water), I take my hair down.

L (Liquid/Leave-In)- I spritz my hair down lightly with water. I then use Aloe Vera Gel (just regular from target) and Miss Jessie’s Leave in Condish.

O (Oil)- I use OGX Coconut Milk and Shea Butter. I try to limit my oils because I can get heavy handed (lol). When I use too much oil my face ends up being really oily. So just using the Coconut Milk with Shea Butter has really helped.

C (Cream)- I use Cantu’s Coconut Cream and Camille Rose’s Curlaide. I like the coconut cream becuase it’s really thick but the Curlaide leaves my hair feeling more hydrated so I use both.

  • Protective Style

I try to make sure that I do at least one protective style a week. Last week, I did french braids and left them in all week (I did wear a turban for about 3 days because the braids got a little too curly to wear out). This weekend one of my friends twisted my hair. That was on Saturday night, so I wore twists Sunday and Monday. Tomorrow, I plan on taking the twists down. Since twists work really well for my hair type, I will just add aloe vera, coconut milk and shea butter each night until I wash it again (this will preserve the curls and keep my hair moisturized). I love aloe vera gel because it goes on really easy and keeps my hair looking really nice (but it’s not water based so putting it on twists won’t ruin the twist out). Shea butter also can work as a cream!

These are recent pictures of my hair straight! I’ll do a blog pretty soon on how I care for and maintain my straight hair without heat!

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions! 

well here we go again

time after time it black women are excluded from important conversations. from white companies, this is something that as a black woman I’ve just come to understand as reality. black hair care products are limited; I’ve found about a solid four brands- Shea Moisture, Camille Rose, Cantu and As I Am. finding organic products for my hair (which is 3B/3C) is difficult- but my hair is not as coarse as many other black women. so finding good products that work for 4C (the curliest type, which does not hold moisture well and is often viewed as “ugly” (I don’t believe this to be true)). so when Shea Moisture unleashed an ad that talked about hair hate, I had high expectations. They failed me. The video included three women, two of which are white and one was black- with the perfect mixed girl curls that society loves. they didn’t represent black hair accurately- though majority of their consumers are black women. it’s a black brand, based off of hair recipes of an African woman named Sofi Tucker in Sierra Leone (see how many times I’ve read that bottle?! I didn’t even have to look at it!). I’ve been using Shea Moisture for years and it’s been a faithful product in my house hold. The products are pricey, normally about 13 dollars for just conditioner; my family has spent hundreds of dollars on their products. not to mention all the people I’ve recommended these products to (in real life and on my blog). they’ve issued an apology but honestly we all know it’s just to get good press. the damage is done. as of now i’m boycotting. don’t know how long it will last, but i am. they’ve gotta do better. black women have to be included in the picture because we matter.

Attached here is the video!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=5WWFxEnJovA

regime

Having a steady hair care regime is essential. Especially during times of the year like this- I have a two weeks of classes left and lots to still get done. So I’ve been protective styling this past week so that life is a little bit easier. Ill take you all through my last week to explain what happened, how it happened and the great news I have to share! 

  • Friday

Friday night I decided to wash my hair. It had been about a week since I co-washed, which considering I was styling my hair daily that’s really long for me. Normally if I’m braiding and unbraiding and styling my hair, I try to co-wash at least once in between my weekend washes, so that I don’t have too much product build up. I just didn’t have time that week, so I waited until Friday. I used Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow and Restore shampoo (which removes build-up and balances hairs pH levels), OGX Biotin and Collagen Shampoo (it’s sulfate free and really makes my hair so moisturized) and Shea Moisture’s Coconut and Hibscicus Co-Wash. For the first time I used Shea Moisture’s Superfruit Complex 10 in 1 Renewal System as my deep conditioner (I did sit under the drier for like thirty minutes). I rinsed it out (with cold water), then did the LOC method (I’ll do an update LOC method post soon!), and braided my hair. 

  • Monday

Monday morning I unbraided my hair, after making sure I oiled and spritzed my hair every day. I also used Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Complex Moisture Retention Conditioner (which can work as a leave in too) and Ecostyler Gel (Argan Oil). I use water, then the conditioner then the gel to slick my hair down. But on Monday I wore my hair up in two buns, so I undid my braids and sprayed the hair and added leave in before I combed it out. 


this is how much hair came out. I was shocked and very happy.

  • Monday evening

One of my friends twisted my hair Monday night. So I co-washed, and used a deep conditioner as a regular conditioner (meaning I had the shower cap on while i was in the shower but I didn’t sit under my drier). 

This is how much hair came out after washing. I was also very happy. 

  • Everyday process from Tuesday until now

Every day I spray my twists down and use a little oil. Every couple days I do the LOC method, and make sure that I sleep with a bonnet and a satin pillow case (luckily with my hair like this, my bonnet actually stays on). Today I will be taking my twists down and probably getting it braided tonight. 

My advice to all of you: when you’re busy protective style. It makes life so much easier when you don’t have to really worry about your hairs health. Yes you will still need to water your hair and add some oil and stuff but that’s not time consuming. Take care of your hair- especially when you’re busy! 

hair care regimen

Taking care of your hair is really important. It’s just like brushing your teeth, or washing your hands, it just takes a little longer but it’s still important. Today I wanted to talk about the importance of establishing a steady hair care regimen. Life gets busy. But having a schedule that you’re used to sticking with is what’s going to allow your hair to really flourish to its full potential. Below are some important things to consider while creating a regimen!

  • Washing

Clean hair is really important. How often you wash is also important. I typically co-wash my hair (with Shea Moisture’s Coconut and Hibiscus Co-Washing Cleanser) about once a week. It really all depends on how my hair is feeling. I use a balancing shampoo (like Shea Moisture’s Jamaican and Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow and Restore Shampoo). Since this shampoo is drying, I only use it about every ten days. I also have a rule of thumb- my hair should never itch. Mostly because if it starts itching I should just wash it. I also always try to oil my hair before washing. I will use olive oil or Jamaican Black Castor Oil, to pre-poo my hair. Before washing, it let my hair rinse under warm water which helps to remove the dirt. 

  • Conditioning 

Conditioning just makes your hair flourish. The weather just recently got drier, but conditioning helps. Also, if I happen to co-wash and not deep condition, I just warm up my conditioner. I typically add olive oil to my conditioner too. After I co-wash, I’ll add the conditioner, comb out my hair and leave a shower cap on while I finish showering. I’ve recently started conditioning my hair in sections. My hair has gotten really thick over the last couple months, making it harder to comb through. I find that the sections help me make sure everything is combed all the way through. I also rinse my conditioner out with cold water, because cold water helps seal in moisture. 

  • Deep Conditioning

This is a weekly must do for me. I normally sit under my drier for 15-25 minutes under a medium temp and maybe 5 minutes under cool. Deep conditioning honestly helps your hair grow so much. It gives it the added moisture that you need, especially in the winter when there’s not much moisture in the air. Deep conditioning adds shine, prevents damage, moisturizes and promotes elasticity (which helps with reducing breakage). 

  • Protective styling

Braids to me are a must. Even if it’s just four braids before I go to bed, I always go to bed with my hair braided. Braids retain moisture really well, with helps grow your hair out. Other great protective styles include twists (one of my friends twists her hair very often and it’s so cute on her). Also make sure you’re investing in a good satin bonnet and scarf. I use both every night to make sure that my hair retains its moisture.

  • Other important hair tips 

Water is your hair’s best friend. I spray my hair down with a mix of water, olive oil and a couple drops of peppermint oil. It’s been leaving my hair incredibly soft and smelling great (the peppermint). The water and oil combination is great. If my hair is braided, I oil my hair everyday and use Curlaide by Camille Rose (which is my favorite product ever- it works on straight or curly hair). I then tie my hair down and go to sleep. Some of my favorite oils include Extra Penetrating Argan Oil by OGX, Silk by Design Essentials, and Raw Organic Shea Butter. 

Creating a basic hair care regimen will simplify your life! Plus it will create the structure that so many people (including myself) need to make sure they’re really taking care of their hair well!