Post-Wash Hair Routine (Best Results)

Learning how to get the best out of our hair is a process.  Circumstances change, our hair evolves, disposable income fluctuates - it's all about finding the best routine for your current circumstances.  In the last post's video I was talking about having some excellent hair days.  I wanted to recap and document it here so I don't forget!

My last style was canerows with twists (above), which I later turned into a twistout bun (pictured above).  I used my fingers to seperate each loc of twisted-out hair (hope that makes sense), and took out the canerows, and added my DC mix (AO GBP and a little AO HSR with some EVOO) and put my hair into about 5 large plaits.  I then put a plastic cap on and went about my business for approx 2 hours. 


To shampoo, I undid each plaited section, rinsed out the DC, and then used Giovanni TTTT to shampoo my scalp (hair still loose, but stretching with one hand, and massaging the shampoo into the scalp with the other hand).  Once I had gotten the scalp clean, I smoothed the shampoo down the length of my hair to remove product buildup.  When prepooing and leaving the large braids in to shampoo after my final rinse and upon taking down the braids I have found that I still have conditioner trapped in my hair - not good - (way too lazy/tired to go back in the shower and get it out - don't judge me!)  This method of shampooing worked well.  After rinsing out the shampoo I rebraided each section.

I applied Darcy's Botanicals Leave In Conditioner (still need to do review on these products), added some QB BRBC, detangled with my seamless comb, and twisted my hair - my normal practice after washing.  (I also added some QB AOHC to the end of each twist, and flat twisted my hair for bed.)

Well... The next morning... I had the softest, fluffiest, loveliest feeling hair ever on record (for me).  : )

I think it was a combination of really cleansing my hair well (removing all conditioner and any buildup from my strands), as well as using a leave in conditioner on damp hair for the first time after washing my hair.  I reaaaaaally loved how my hair felt.  

The very next day I stretched out my hair with about 5 big plaits in preparation for my next style.  Video on that coming soon...

Wishing you all lovely hair days,
Pooks

2011 NP London Meetup

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting up with some of the ladies from one of the hair forums I belong to: Nappturality.  This was my first meetup and I was super-excited!! (I usually have trouble attending meetups because they tend to be Saturday afternoons, and I worship on Saturday, so when a meetup was proposed for a Saturday evening I jumped at the chance). 

I was surprised at how excited meeting with some of my e-friends was, I've admired some of their hair for months, so I actually felt like I was getting ready for a date or something, lol. 

My style for the evening was a canerows in the front with a twistout updo in the back.  I used some new products for the twisting (reviews coming soon).  Pics of my hair on the night:

My hair was bouncy, touchable, soft and full.  I was feeling it, and got quite a few stares en route to the meetup.  :)

We went to Prezzo Restaurant near Marble Arch.  The food was 'just aight' for me, but real live hair porn, good conversation, yes! It was lovely putting faces to names and getting to chill with these beautifully fly natural ladies IRL (in real life).

If you're interested in locs, Narj (pictured in the middle) is blogging about her loc journey!  Check her out here: http://www.narjsjourney.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to more natural hair meetups in the future!

Peace and love,

Pooks

Kimmaytube on Fros

So I recently watched this video by Kim Love, where she talked about why she doesn't wear an unstretched 'fro' - well, at least not intentionally.  She explained that it just leads to tangles and potential breakage which could all be avoided by just keeping her styles in the confines of 'stretched styles'.  For me personally, I totally agree with KT's sentiments because of my current hair length, and goals.  My hair out for extended periods just equals more detangling than I find fun, and potential breakage.  So while I used to love wearing my puffs, I've seriously cut back on them. 

This is all subjective - if you have less hair, a looser texture, or aren't fanatical about retaining length, or simply love an afro, then go 'head, pick it out and rock it, if you like it, I love it!

I think textured (twistout/braidout) out styles are the way forward, as long as I'm trying to retain length to achieve longer hair. 



Twistout puff Jan 2010



Fluffed out braidout puff Jan 2011

Chunky braidout Apr 2011

Peace and love,

Pooks

'Fluffy Cloud' Bun Tutorial

As promised...

'Fluffy Cloud' Bun

After taking my minibraids down, I prepped my hair for this super simple updo  - YouTube tutorial coming soon!

Minibraids (and Length) Update

My hair will be back in another set of minibraids very soon.  Frequent exercising is cementing this as my perfect style for the upcoming month or so.

Style Icon Feature on BlackGirlLongHair!

BlackGirlLongHair is one of my top fave natural hair blogs.  Interesting on-the-pulse posts / vids / questions / articles, a great community vibe, great discussions in the comments sections all the time. As well as my favourite hair forums, I check in over there every day. 

Click here to check out my Style Icon Feature.

Happy Friday!

Pooks

My Initial Thoughts on the Tangle Teezer in Comparison with the Denman D41

Box Braids!

My favourite and most frequently worn protective style; versatile, long-lasting, allowing almost full access to the scalp, washable at will with no problems... I love my box braids! 

Recently I've discovered that whereas I used to love my braids when they were freshly done (because they showed off more length), nowadays I really don't like the first few days of box braids/pixie braids because it just looks too... well... scalpy.  It didn't used to bother me, but all of a sudden it... well, what can I say... does.

At about 2 weeks, my hair has got enough fuzz to it that my scalp is no longer seems to be screaming 'HELLO!!!' from my scalp.  Also when I'm in box braids I wash my hair at least once a week, sometimes more so the shrinkage begins.  When that advances, there are a whole new range of styling options, twistouts, braidouts, bantu knots... As opposed to always seeking to minimise it, I love shrinkage in my braids because my individual strands are still stretched and confined so they can't lose themselves in a horrendous tangle-fest. 

I'm going to take pictures throughout the life of this set of box braids.  For now... scalpy...

Video on my box braids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfH2aeYDuGM

Peace and love

Pooks

Curls from Wet Set Bantu Knots

Short compact curls one minute, fluffy fro or intricate cornrow style the next.  Don't you just love the versatility of natural hair?  This video shows how I set my hair after washing, to stretch it out.

Scalp Exfoliation with Brown Sugar - Take 2

*WARNING: 2nd 'journal entry-ish' post, conclusions to follow*

11/03/11

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Yes to Cucumbers Colour Care conditioner

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp aloe vera juice

2 tsp Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying shampoo

I pretty much used the same method as the first time, but it was a bit more liquidy this time because I decided to add aloe vera juice this time.

My hair was pre-sectioned into about 5 big plaits.  I mixed the above together, and applied it to my scalp, rubbing vigorously through all sections for about 3 minutes and then twisted each section back up.  No water had touched my hair or scalp.

I rinsed out the micture while my hair still in the twists, and then applied AO GBP to each section, plaited up and deep conditioned using my heat cap for 40 mins. 

I then detangled with the conditioner still in my hair (something unusual for me),  loosely rebraided my hair, and rinsed.  I allowed my hair to airdry in towel for about 20 mins  (I did not manipulate my hair with the towel, just allowed excess water to get soaked into it, and then twisted with a squirt of AVJ/water spritz and KCKT, rewetted whole head then sealed with AOHC and chinee-bumped.

Scalp Exfoliation with Brown Sugar

*WARNING: 'journal entry-ish' post, conclusions to follow*

Experiment conducted: 02/02/11

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Yes to Cucumbers Colour Care conditioner

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tsp Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying shampoo

I mixed these ingredients in a little plastic bowl, applied to my scalp, rubbed vigorously through all sections (about 6) for about 3 minutes – no water had touched my hair or scalp.  Scalp felt as though it was being exfoliated, whilst hair felt oily.  Unsure if my hair was really clean, I decided to put some water (about 100ml) into a colour applicator bottle and added a squirt of clarifying poo.  I squirted this micture on the roots of my hair, then used the pads of my fingers to clean the scalp as usual.  Hair instantly felt like poo was in it, (felt rougher, sudded up).  No rinse.  Decided to add Aubrey’s White Camellia conditioner and 'buffer out' the shampoo (add conditioner on top of shampoo before rinsing).  Smoothed condish from about 1 inch from roots, all the way through to tips.  Plaited hair back up, rinsed thoroughly with lukewarm water.  Took pics of AMAZINGLY CLEAN SCALP – could feel the difference while rinsing.  Took each plait out and applied AO WC with tbsp castor oil in sections, sat under heat cap for 25 minutes. Rinsed out deep conditioning mix, plaited hair (25 plaits) after moisturising with Afroveda’s Curl Define.  I also added QB AOHC to the very ends before bed.

Winterizing My Hair Regimen

"Where's your tam?!!"  The words of my father as I was growing up, horrified that I was going out into the cold without a hat. 

Coming back from 3 months in a tropical climate (we're talking 28-30 degrees celsius erryday!) in November last year, I was horrified at having to endure snow and freezing temperatures back home in the UK.  I don’t like the cold at the best of times, so I was really going through…

Nowadays, a hat (with satin bonnet underneath) is my head/hair’s best friend.  Tightly coiled hair is renowned for being dry - some of that is pretty much inevitable because of the way our hair twists, turns and bends, it's very difficult for oil which the scalp naturally secretes to travel down the hair shaft.  Dry cold weather on top of that?  Take cover! 

Just before the big freeze commenced, my hair was in between protective styles, so I went on the offensive and put in some mini-braids (my natural hair only). 

How I am ‘winterizing my hair regimen’ to protect from the cold outside and dry harsh heat of central heating at home is:

• upping my M&S (moisturising and sealing) game
• consistently double protective styling, and
• covering my head 90% of the time whether I'm indoors or out. 

So far, it’s been working quite nicely to help me retain moisture.  Donning hats like this in dodgy weather also gives you a great opportunity to get in undercover deep conditioning sessions.  #hair tip