Finding the real you!!!!

          so today is my first day posting in some time.. a few months actually... a lot has happened and i guess i just needed sometime to process!!! I had a horrible few months which lead me to acting out and giving minimal care to my natural tresses. Very bad move b/c as I've mentioned i have been a natural for about 3yrs now, but, i only started to take care of my hair in jan 2011. As it turns out, abandoning the art of taking care of my natural strands in such an early state was not the best idea. This is the time when you learn what works on one persons head may not be what works on yours. This is the time when you find out which styles best suit you and which styles are best left behind the closed doors of your home. This is your foundation and I'd broken my foundation by going back to weaves and heat and thinking that was the only way i could achieve styles that allows me to look my best!!! Thank goodness i came back to my sense in time!!! expect more posting and updates from now on!!! =)

My first regimen Based on Ayurvedic factors and some traditional products!!!

My first day of my regimen was Jan. 23, 2011...  it was a challenging day and my hair did not exactly turn out how i imagined. I Failed to add the right amount of oils to seal in my moisture after applying my leave in condition. But this is my trial and error phase and i am trying to find what works for me. Later this week i will co-wash and the results will be what i expect(hopeful thinking is always best). I also want to adhere to a fully strict Ayurvedic regimen but i could not get all my products at the time i wanted to start. It was just too cold to go to the city to visit different indian grocery stores, so i just stuck to brooklyn and got the basics, i will be ordering the rest of my products this week. My bf and i made a friendly bet: He says: "i bet you wont be able to go 1 yr. without cutting your hair." Let us just say $200 will be in my pocket next yr around this time. * but  between me and you.... i love to cut my hair...On the other hand, i also want to prove to myself that i can do this and have actual results. So let us see what shall happen.

 This is what i did.. All this can be gotten from MOPTOPMAVEN's blog. As we go along you will notice that i get a lot of my advice from there, i research those products as well as my own!!!!

 So here it is:

Ayurvedic hair day #1 Monday January 23, 2011

Step :1 Part hair into four even sections. Two in the front and two in the back and Detangle hair with a wide toothcomb.

PRE-POO

Step :2 Pour a ¼ cup coconut oil in a pot and turn fire on very low. Add a teaspoon of each of the following Rosemary oil, Aloe Vera, Sage leaves oil and bring to a slow/low simmer for about 15-20 mins. Remove sage leaves and let oil cool. Starting with one section in the front, massage the herbal oil through out the hair and entire scalp.

CLEANSING

Step :3 first cleanse will be with a mixture of the following:

1 TBSP organix enriching cucumber yogurt sls free shampoo

1 TBSP Giovanni “smooth as silk” moisture shampoo

1 TBSP honey

            Second cleanse will be with a mixture of the following:

2 TBSP of Amla

2 TBSP of Shikakai

1 TBSP of Hibiscus

mix with enough boiled water to make a thick paste. Apply evenly on wet, freshly pre-conditioned hair and massage gently massage mixture on to scalp. Allow to sit on hair for about 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with cool water.. Follow up with a basic light ACV rinse to remove any additional oils/residue left behind. [1/2 cup of ACV + 2 cups water] 

Before conditioning I did an oil rinse with coconut oil

•                TRY OIL RINSING! It really works. Here's how you do it:

 - Shampoo hair

- Apply your favorite oil to hair, & leave in for 5 mins [my fav is Brazil Nut Oil]

- Rinse out the oil with warm water

- Then condition your hair with your favorite condish

- Rinse out condish with cold water 

DEEP CONDITION

Step :4 Creamy Conditioning Mix 1

1/4 cup Aubrey Organics glycoprotein conditioner

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

¼ cup peppermint oil

2 tbs Hibiscus Petal Powder

2 tbs Brahmi Powder

In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients together and use immediately. Gently section your hair, and use an applicator brush to generously apply the mixture starting at the scalp, and working your way down the hair shaft. Cover with a plastic cap and allow mixture to sit on head for about 45minutes-hour. 

Then I followed up with Giovanni “Smooth As silk moisture” conditioner. This was to add moisture to my dry hair from the protein conditioner.

I also did an ACV rinse to get out the little particles that was stuck in my hair!

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse: This is another natural product that helps close the cuticle, and restores the PH balance of the hair. This is also a good rinse to implement if you have hard water, as this gently removes mineral deposits left behind from tap water.

How to Use It:                                                                                                                        After rinsing out your condish, do a final rinse with TWO TABLESPOONS of Apple Cider Vinegar per THREE CUPS of bottled spring water [Start off with this formula, then up the ante with the ACV as needed]. Simply pour this mixture throughout your hair [be cautious of your eyes, this stuff burns], and voila. 

There is no need to rinse out the ACV.  You will notice a distinct smell, however as your hair dries the smell dissipates. 

For an added treat, add 1 teaspoon of honey to your ACV rinse for additional shine and moisture

RINSE & LEAVE IN

Step: 5

Red Tea zinger tea(hibiscus tea), peppermint oil, rosemary oil.

Leave in: Aussie leave in conditioner, Rose water, coconut oil.

To use bags, steep one "tea bag" in hot water until cool. If you like, you can add your favorite essential oil [I love adding Rosemary EO for crazy sheen] to the water after it has cooled. Never add EO's to hot water, as they lose their therapeutic properties.

Pour the mixture over your entire head. You can also place a large bowl in the sink to "catch" the water, and repeat the process ensuring you get even coverage. Towel dry hair, and style as usual.

For my leave in I poured half of the Aussie Hair insurance leave in conditioner in a spray bottle, I then followed up with ¼ cup of rosewater , ¼ cup coconut oil and a 1/2  teaspoon of 100% African shea butter gotten from the Indian grocery store last time I visited!

After the whole process I added a DALLOP OF MISS JESSIE curling pudding  AND STYLED! I AM USING MISS JESSIE FOR NOW!!! IT WORKS PRETTY OK!!! REMEMBER THAT I FULLY WELCOME ALL ADVICE AND INQUIRIES

Just a starter!!!! Told you i like to snap snap snap away

As i embark on this world of "bloggerization," lol..... i'll be posting up pictures... mostly of myself... lolool... im often times labeled as "full of myself" because i love to snap, snap, snap away. But, what better way is there to record growth. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words after all. I am hoping to get my new nikon within the next month-so ill look like a tourist in whereever i go out- but at that point i will be snapping away a picture of everything so do stay tune!!!

a PHOTOGRAPHIC memory lane: Relaxer Free!!!

This was my hair after a Wash&Set/Flatiron!

i would wear my hair in it's natural state also but as can clearly be seen i didn't know what i was doing!!!



then i got my haircut!!!!!! And absolutely loved it!!!!

 then there was the weave!! AND I ALWAYS LOVE MY WEAVE!

I got my septum pierced in the process!!!

and this is me now in my natural and moisturized form.
(earrings thanks to my sis—ordered from: MopTopMaven's
"Frank&Myrrh")

A new Experience: A new me

Hello all.... boy am i new to this blogging venture! Yes, i have read many blogs, but nothing compares to the experience of creating your own. I don't know if i will follow up because an effective blog seems to be time consuming. But... let us see what shall occur. 

   

    I have been a natural for going on 3+ years. My mistake was the following: No Relaxer(perm) = Natural. So i just wore weaves and for the most part got a wash and set from my dominicans in the bronx weekly/bi-weekly even though i live in brooklyn I religious boarded that F train for about 30-45 mins and then the D train for another 30-45 mins to reach to my destination. Yeap thats how good my hair would come out. I mean after my follicles was halfway fried, then i would come home and flatiron until it flowed like the wind. The only good thing i was doing the whole time?? I used heat protectant while i flat ironed. But now i am smarter. No thank you to a follow-up of that routine. The whole time it seemed like my hair would grow to a certain length and then start to break off. So i am on a new journey now my mission is to grow my hair by naturing and caring for it in anyway possible. I am trying different products to see how my hair responds but, at the same time i do not want to become a product junkie.. I hear that can easily happen. Don't get me wrong for the past 3 years i have been using traditional but for the most part natural products. So i guess that was one step taken in the right direction. Whatever happens, as long as i don't have to take my weekly trips to burn my scalp, Im fine with that. lol.!!!

      

     My main purpose of creating this blog is to to get advice. At the same time i hope to be able to learn so much that i'll start giving advice also. Being a natural is not easy because of the special attention you have to ditch out to your hair but, i find it to be well worth it and very rewarding. We prove that being ethnic doesn't mean you have to be mixed with asian and black, be part indian, have "GOOD hair" or wear glamorous weaves to love your hair( don't get me wrong weaving for fun is excellent). Instead loving and caring for your natural hair is all we need. We have to embrace our s because that is a part of who we are.

   So lets have fun together and grow together. And please bear with me and my blogging as i am very new to this!