WASH DAY | ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo + Replenishing Conditioner

How is your hair journey going? Mine is going pretty good, for the most part. I ended an extremely long stretch last week with a texlaxing touch-up, so I haven't done much with my hair since then. And now that I'm over one week post, I decided it was time for a chelating cleanse. Check out my simple cleanse and conditioning session with ORS Olive Oil Shampoo and Conditioner below.

Lazy Girl's Wash Day | 31 Weeks Post

How has your hair journey been going so far, this year? It's been a month or two since I've updated about my hair journey here. And let me tell you, these last few months have been a lot of work!  I'm 31 weeks post, and my hair has been telling me to take it easy. I don't always listen, however. When I updated back in January, I was experiencing a little breakage and shedding. After careful consideration, I decided to do a trim, putting my hair back at shoulder length. I was pretty happy about my trim, but unsure about what to do next with my hair. I wanted to baby my ends as much as possible. I wanted to protect my sensitive nape and edges as much as I possibly could. So I decided against relaxing and have just been deep conditioning and protective styling. I have faced a few challenges with stretching, but I feel that with low manipulation my hair will be just fine. I've finally decided to keep it simple and let my hair chill out. My last wash day was yesterday and is pretty much the way I've been cleansing my hair lately (with the exception of the shampoo I had two weeks ago). Check out how I've been "lazy girl cleansing" below.

The Experience

Wash Day | First Protein Treatment of 2015

Happy January, loves! Has your hair journey started on a good note? In the last couple of months, I noticed a bit of breakage and shedding in my hair. So I got a trim, which basically turned into getting all of my broken see-through ends cut. Now I'm back to shoulder-length hair. It's all good though, because I'm hoping with patience, consistency, and time my hair grows back even healthier than ever! Since I'm about 22 weeks post and can't remember the last time I did a deep conditioning with a heavy protein, I knew I was way overdue for a protein treatment. It's the best way to get this breakage and shedding behind me, I figured. So I pulled out my Aphogee Two-Step Protein Treatment and did my first protein treatment of the year.

Wash Day Experience | Featuring Shea Moisture Yucca + Baobab

Happy December, loves! How is the hair journey coming along for you guys? With the changing of the seasons and a bit of neglect over the last couple of weeks, my hair journey is in desperate need of a breakthrough! Speaking of breakthroughs, I've noticed some breakage in my nape area and I'm not happy at all about that. Though I do tend to have some breakage when I get past the 12th week mark in my stretching, I don't want to let that stop me from continuing my stretch. So here, at week 16, I decided to pull out my trusted SheaMoisture Yucca & Baobab Anti Breakage Masque to give my tresses some strength. And since the weather has cooled, I'm switching to my winter moisturizer, SheaMoisture Yucca & Baobab Thickening Growth Milk. Read more to see if I got my desired results from using these products in yesterday's wash day regimen. 

Wash Day | SheaMoisture JBCO + 5 Minute Updo

Happy first of the month, loves! I know it's been way too long since I've blogged about #washday. I've been totally slacking in my hair journey, but I'm trying my best to make a comeback, y'all. And since I just had an awesome wash day using the SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil products I recently purchased, I had to do a quick share! Currently, I am about 6 weeks post-relaxer and I'm looking for ways to stay consistent with my hair care + become more creative with my protective styling. If you guys have any tips to share, please do so in the comments! In the meantime, check out my deets for yesterday's wash day experience.

The Experience

1.Pre-pooed with HairTrigger Growth Oil (not pictured) on the scalp and coconut oil down the length of my hair, overnight.
2.Completely saturated my hair with warm water and applied SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Shampoo throughout hair and scalp. I did two washes with this product and rinsed my hair thoroughly.
3. Applied warmed JBCO to my hair and scalp to oil rinse, followed by layering SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Treatment Masque on my hair. I put on my plastic cap and allowed it to penetrate as a deep conditioner while I showered. [SN: Am I the only one that hates sitting under the dryer?]
4. Rinsed oil + treatment masque and removed excess water with a t-shirt.
5. Applied OGX Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum to my hair then wrapped hair in t-shirt to dry for a couple of hours.

6. After my hair completely dried, I applied African Pride Olive Miracle Anti-Breakage Moisturizing Lotion and sealed with coconut oil. Then I applied a small bit of SheaMoisture JBCO Edge Treatment to my edges.

The Results

My results were AH-MAZING! Yesterday before I washed my hair, I had a very itchy scalp--- not an issue I usually have. So I decided to use a shampoo instead of co-washing and pre-pooed with oils for good measure. Much to my surprise, the SheaMoisture JBCO Shampoo did a great job of cleansing my hair without stripping it. This RARELY happens when I shampoo! After the wash, my hair felt so soft!

And if that wasn't enough of a treat for my hair, that oil rinse + deep condition was THE TRUTH. My hair was soft, had great volume, and had no tangles whatsoever. This was the first time in a long time I had a completely fuss-free wash day! Hopefully, I can share product reviews with you guys soon!

The only hiccup I had was having no clue what to do to my hair afterwards. I needed something quick that would last until Friday. I didn't feel like doing any rods or bantu knots (because I'm sorta lazy like that + Jj won't let me be great in the hairstyling department as of late). So I pulled out my jumbo braiding hair and did this quick 5 minute updo. What do you guys think?

How was your last wash day experience?

Co-Cleansing at 8 Weeks Post Relaxer

Hey guys! I'm happy to share with you all what came to be an awesome wash day yesterday. If you recall my last wash day post, you know that I tried KLP's method of co-cleansing for the first time a few weeks ago. And though my mix didn't work well for me, I was eager to try the co-cleansing method again. After over a week of doing nothing to my hair but moisturizing, sealing, and doing scalp massages, I was ready for a cleanse and good deep conditioning. Check out all the details from my wash day experience below!

The Experience

1.Pre-pooed with coconut oil down the length of my hair and Hair Trigger Growth Elixir on my scalp for 1 hour.
2.Combined Mill Creek Biotin Shampoo with grapeseed oil and Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Conditioner (it's inexpensive and makes my NG happy!) for my co-cleanser mix.
**Making your own co-cleanser usually calls for 1 part shampoo, 2 parts oil, and 3 parts conditioner.**

3. Deep conditioned with Shea Moisture Organic Yucca & Baobab Anti-Breakage Masque x Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil (won in this giveaway) while in the shower.

4. Rinsed deep conditioning treatment and applied OGX Hydrating Macadamia Oil Conditioner for 5 minutes.

4. Rinsed conditioner and removed excess water with a t-shirt..
5. Detangled with Aloe Vera Juice and wrapped hair in t-shirt to air-dry for two hours.
Leave Ins- Aloe Vera Juice, Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Leave-In Conditioner, and grapeseed oil (using the LCO Method).

The Results

Let me start by saying that I'm glad I tried co-cleansing again! I bought a bottle applicator from Walmart (the $0.68 bottles for condiments) and added one part shampoo, one part oil, and a little over three parts conditioner. Using the applicator bottle really helped me with precision. Using this mixture didn't make my hair wiry or dry at all! It wasn't stripping, but my hair really felt clean afterwards.

I was skeptical about using the Shea Moisture Organic Yucca & Baobab Anti-Breakage Masque, since it was very drying the last time I used it. But combined with the Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil, this deep conditioning was a win! My hair felt so much stronger after using it.

My shedding has decreased a lot over the last couple of weeks and for that I am ecstatic. I've also noticed that my edges are filling in nicely. I've been using Jamaican Black Castor Oil on them every other night and it seems to be doing the trick. So with the decreased shedding (with the aid of the Aloe Vera Juice daily spritzer), my improving edges, and what appears to be a winning combination of products this week for wash day, this has been the best wash day I've had since childbirth. I have thickening, soft, and manageable hair at 8 weeks post relaxer. I am one happy mama! I'm still in the process of doing my hair, so I'll share my final results in another post!

HOW WAS YOUR WASH DAY?

Wash Day: 4 Weeks Post Relaxer

Since my last wash day, maintaining my hair has been pretty easy. I've been keeping things simple. My hair has either been pinned up in a loose bun or pinned down and to the side in a loose bun. So much for avoiding buns, right? I did, however, discover my shedding and thinning edges were both due to post-partum changes. Now that I know that, all I can do is continue to nurture my hair and hope a turnaround happens soon.

My wash day came around last night. And for once, I was actually excited about washing my hair. Here's how it went:

1. I co-washed my hair with Herbal Essences Honey I'm Strong Strengthening Conditioner. I love using this as a co-wash because it smells great and gives great slip. I cleansed and rinsed my hair twice with it and warm water.

2. After rinsing the Herbal Essences Honey I'm Strong Strengthening Conditioner, I applied my Nexxus Humectress Moisturizing Conditioner Mix generously to my hair. For this mix, I simply added a few drops of peppermint oil and Jamaican Black Castor Oil to the conditioner. I then put on my plastic cap and let the conditioner steam while I was in the shower.

3. I completely rinsed the conditioner and removed as much excess water as I could with a tee-shirt. Then I sprayed Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Reconstructurizer all over my hair.

4. I saturated my slightly damp hair with Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Leave In Conditioner and sealed with grapeseed oil. I finished by gathering my hair into a loose bun and tying it up with my silk scarf to air-dry overnight.

I had a pretty simple wash night, didn't I? This mama was sleepy and tired so the less fuss with the hair, the better!

RESULTS: I'm happy to report that I've seen very little shedding after this "wash." There was none during the entire process, but I saw some shed hair as I created my bun this morning. My hair felt soft, thick, and full of moisture. I truly believe the Nexxus Humectress and the Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Leave In have contributed the most to my soft, moisturized hair. I guess I will put them both back into heavy rotation, especially with this on and off cool weather. Overall, I was pleased with my results this week!

How was your last wash day?
What products are you using?

The Wash Day Experience: Week One

Hello, loves! Today I'm co-hosting The Wash Day Experience with KLP & Keyda from Saving Our Strands. We're sharing on our blogs today about one of the most important routines within the hair care regimen, the wash day. We encourage you all to join in and take part in this experience as well!

My most recent wash day was on Sunday, March 2, 2014. 

It went a little something like this.

1. I begin my wash day experience with pre-pooing. Instead of using a conditioner + an oil of my choice per usual, I simply applied oil to my dry hair the night before I did my cleanse. I massaged my scalp and coated my hair generously with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Then I covered my hair with a plastic cap, stocking cap, and hair scarf and left it overnight. 

2. Since this was my first cleanse after relaxing my hair, I used a clarifying shampoo the next morning instead of co-washing with conditioner. I used ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo, which is currently my staple clarifying shampoo. I cleansed and rinsed my hair twice with shampoo and warm water. 

3. After washing my hair, I used a tee-shirt to remove some of the excess water from my hair before applying conditioner. I conditioned with ORS Replenishing Conditioner, a great light protein fix, under a plastic cap while in the shower. 

4. After rinsing the ORS Replenishing Conditioner, I applied my Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner (infused with peppermint oil) to my hair and let it sit for about ten minutes. I used the Herbal Essences to add a little moisture back into my hair and added a few drops of peppermint oil into the conditioner to stimulate my scalp.  

5. I completely rinsed the conditioner and removed as much excess water as I could with a tee-shirt. Then I sprayed Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Reconstructurizer all over my hair. 

6. I moisturized my slightly damp hair with Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer and sealed with grapeseed oil. Then I applied just a bit of GVP Silk Remedy to my hair, paying close attention to my edges and ends. I finished by gathering my hair into a loose bun and tying it up with my silk scarf to air-dry for the rest of the day.

RESULTS: My hair felt very soft, strong, and thoroughly moisturized. It didn't feel heavy, as it does sometimes when I use the Elasta QP Moisturizer. And it smelled great! That counts for something, right?

Now how was your wash day? Go ahead, tell us on your blog and LINK UP!

The Wash Day Experience Linkup RULES (via SavingOurStrands)

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1. Healthy Hair is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted.
2. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button below which links back to The Wash Day Experience page! Just copy and drop the code from Saving Our Strands into your blog post. 
3. Encourage the wash day experience contributor that linked up directly before you with an inspiring  comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; comment love for everyone! 

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