Review: Wild Growth Oil

I forgot all about my Wild Growth Oil (WGO).....

I am not sure if it really grows your hair cuz I am currently alternating between WGO, BT and MTG which I rarely use because of the smell.

Ummm but anyway its really great for softening up your new growth. No I mean it really softening!! I may try to use this on my scalp once I get my micros next month to ease away the tightness of the braids.

The smell: *Warning* if you use this to baggie it can leave your hair really stinky. I would recommend you let your hair air out at least 30 minutes before leaving the house.

Girl Save That Hair!

So you wanna transition to natural without the BIG Chop huh? Have you been told it's not possible? Well I am not a witness of this myself but my Internet buddy SouthernTease is! This girl is doing her thing when it comes to transitioning to natural and her hair is looking good and thriving! Like most of us she treasures her hair and is tired of the "played out" perm. Since April 2007 she has decided to take better care of her hair and transition. She does not use shampoo but she makes up for it by co washing everyday with Suave Humectant. That is one of her favorite products. Her hair has grown a great amount and she doesn't even use growth aids. She keeps it simple. One thing I like about her is she not only blogs but she shows her hair growth pictures and is letting us know how she got there. She also has a very cool attitude and a laid back approach about it. On her blog she posts her growth progress every three months. Her latest pictures are coming soon around October 15! So be on the look out for this chickie because she is serious and coming hard when it comes to this natural thing. You can check her out at: SouthernTease Hair Blog

Growth Check!

I just wanted to share a picture that I had off my growth a couple of weeks ago. I plan on taking these fire read twists out of my hair October 8- 10! Yahhh! I can't wait to see how my hair turns out. Y'all know I was concentrating on thickness. I am not too much worrying about length. I just want healthy hair! But length is nice..

So far I plan on not putting the "killer relaxer" in my hair. I think that is the only way I will combat the thinness issue. Shout out to SouthernTease for the motivation! That girl is doing her thing. I will post a link to her blog when she gives me permission. But anyway here is a comic picture.

Take Notes!

Do you remember what kind of conditioner you used on your hair last week? Do you remember when the last time you used a protein treatment on your hair? I don't! I am realizing that's its very important for us to remember what we use on our hair to know what works. We might be either be putting to much protein or not enough moisture in our hair. Next time you are out shopping for hair products pick up one of those little $0.50 notebooks and store it next to your hair care products so that way you HAVE to write it down.

Amino Acid

... I think I am going to start looking to pop some more pills. Read this:

METHIONINE(ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID)
A powerful anti-oxidant and a good source of sulfur, which prevents disorders of the hair, skin, and nails; .... to read more click here: I want a cookie (okay, I couldnt help it!) Click the link, it really works.

What is hair? How is it made? Where does it come from?

Hair starts growing from a bulb which is lodged just under the skin. The beginning of a hair is made up of cells, which are bulging with keratin. The cells lengthen and then die, leaving behind protein bundles.

..Yeah, Yeah....Blah..blah blahhhhh...but Where does it come from?

Hair Comes From Where?
Whether hair is growing out of your head, arm, or ankle, it all rises out of the skin in the same way. It starts at the hair root, a place beneath the skin where cells band together to form keratin (the protein that hair is made of). The root is inside a follicle (say: fah-lih-kul), which is like a small tube in the skin.
As the hair begins to grow, it pushes up from the root and out of the follicle, through the skin where it can be seen. Tiny blood vessels at the base of every follicle feed the hair root to keep it growing. But once the hair is at the skin's surface, the cells within the strand of hair aren't alive anymore. The hair you see on every part of your body contains dead cells. That's why it doesn't cause pain when someone cuts your hair with scissors!
Nearly every hair follicle is attached to a sebaceous (say: sih-bay-shus) gland, which is sometimes called an oil gland. These sebaceous glands produce oil.

12 Hair Tips 4 those "NEW" to this Hair Obsession!

Add a tablespoon of evoo or your favorite oil to relaxers.
Use nothing but natural oils or growth aides on scalp. Remember give your hair a break from the growth aides for a couple of days especially if you are using Sulfur.
The more you wash hair the better but remember to moisturize and seal!
Keep those ends away from clothes than can snag the hair. Remember those ends have been hanging there for a LONG time. Try protective styling.
Deep condition when u clarify. Clarifying is stripping your hair of ALOT of moisture.
It is not necessary to clarify more than once a month unless you are using a lot of buildup products. Just make sure you moisturize.
When relaxing hair that’s other than the new growth use oil on ends to keep the perm from overlapping. This is a preventative measurement to keep your hair from over- processing
****Detangle hair b4 using protein or and kind of hardener****
Stay away from heavy protein when coming out of braids
After Shampooing you need to follow with a moisturizing Conditioner
Stay away from brushing your hair when wet.
Try not to manipulate your hair so much by excessive combing.

Remember these tips are what’s working for me. Everybody will have different things that work for them. I have been blessed to learn these tips from BHM and LHCF.

What's that Darn BAD Ingredient in my Relaxer Box that they talk about?

Ya'll ever wondered what's the difference in Lye and no Lye? Or what the hell is Sodium Hydroxide or Guanidine Hydroxide? I want to know but I'm too lazy to actually do a search for it. So if you find out let me know ok! ....................I'm joking y'all.

But first lets talk a lil history. Do you know who first patented the first chemical straightener? No not Madamn CJ Walker! It was Garrett Augustus Morgan around 1910. He was the child of former slaves. His intentions was not to invent the lye but he was working to invent a lubricating liquid for a machine needle and instead created lye!

I just stumbled across this good site and here's what I found out:

"Sodium Hydroxide is the strongest type of principal chemical used in some chemical relaxers because it provides the most long lasting and dramatic effects. However, this same sodium hydroxide is found in drain cleaners which well demonstrates the strength of this chemical. It is what is used in products that are referred to as “lye” relaxers. The strength varies from a ph factor of 10 to 14. With higher ph, the faster the straightening solution will take hold, but the more potential the damage.

Guanidine Hydroxide is the other common option of relaxer chemical used today. This is what is referred to as “no-lye” relaxers. This label can be misleading to some consumers. It does not imply that there aren't any strong chemicals used or that the chemicals used are somehow less potentially damaging. Some have mistakenly thought that with “no-lye” relaxers there are less steps and all the worry of chemical hair straightening is removed. Although this type of chemical hair relaxer can be less damaging than its counterpart, the hair and scalp should be in top condition before attempting treatment, and this type also requires special care when applied."

All relaxers require conditioning treatments before and after application.

...sorry you had to read all that, but was it helpful? What did you say? Speak up I cant hear you. No not really... well keep reading on at this site: Chemical Relaxers . It's well worth it and takes about 10 minutes!

Tangles!

Having trouble getting those tangles out? If you are tender headed like me then you will love this method. I hope this works for y'all.

If your hair gets tangled badly try sleeping with some oils in your hair overnight. Of course you will need to put a plastic cap over your head! You don't want hubby to slip out of the bed! The results will give you oily and softer hair and it should combat the tangles.

(I wish I would have knew this information when I had a bad brand of wet and wavy hair and my braids tangled soooooo bad!)

See picture. Matted Mess! (look up)

Are you trying to find a use for a oil or that fruit?

Well then check out Emih19's post on BHM. I just received some Avocado oil in the mail today and I was wondering what to do with it. Did you know Avocado's are rich in vitamins A, D, E, potassium, sulfur and chlorine, this fruit is used in facial and hair packs and is deep penetrating.

From her post I was was able to get the Beer Shampoo Recipe. Beer has proteins in the malt. So before you alcoholics decide to gulp down a beer try this recipe:
Beer Shampoo
The proteins from the malt and hops in the beer coat the hair and build it up and help repair damage. It leaves the hair with wonderful body.
3/4 cup beer (any cheap brand)1 cup inexpensive shampoo
Boil the beer until it reduces to 1/4 cup. Cool the beer and add it to the 1 cup of inexpensive shampoo. * I haven't tried this yet but I'm shooo curious as to how it works!*

...Wanna know more? Check her out her posting: EMIH19. Thanks for the info Emih19! You are putting out great info!

Do you "Baggie?"

...No, no that kind of baggie!
For most of the women who are aware of this method they use a plastic shower cap to baggie but because of my XL head I like to use saran wrap....but that's besides the point.

Why do I baggie?
Right now the temperature in Afghanistan is 120 in the sun and my hair gets very dry. I need to make sure I am keeping that much needed moisture in my hair and my ends are protected. Did you know that your ends are the oldest on your head? This makes them the driest and it makes them more prone to breakage. Imagine how much them bad boys have been through. When I hear my ends whispering in my ear telling me they are thirsty that's when I run for the moisture. LOL!
Yes, I wear braids but I still need to baggie. Remember its important to treat your hair as if you are not in braids.

How do you baggie?
I learned this method from one of the member's on BHM who has been very successful with it. Here are the simple steps:
1. First find yourself a good moisturizer.I like to use SCurl. Spray this on the ends of your hair.
2. Next find yourself a good sealant. Most people like to use 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) or other natural oils as coconut. I like to use Jamaican Black Castor oil since I am trying to work on thickness.
3. Next take your shower cap and place the ends of your hair in it and secure it with a "safe to use" scrunchy on top of the bag and hair.

Yup, that's all to it! Using this method you are able to maintain moisture on the ends of your hair while you sleep or through your normal day activates. Uh huh..yup I said it....through your normal day activates. How? Some of the women on the boards like to baggie their ends and style their hair in a bun. This way the plastic shower cap is concealed if you do it right. So you are protecting your hair and looking good at the same time. You do it girl!

The Appearance of Thicker Hair....

Why does your hair look thicker after you blow dry or color it?

When you look at a strand of hair under a microscope you will see something that resembles a fish scale. If you have a virgin head of hair that has never been touched by a chemical process, this scale will look smooth, just like it lays neatly against the fish close to its side. Highly bleached, tinted and permanently waved hair will have all the scales up and open. The coloring mixture opens the cuticle and colors inside and out. This is why you appear to have more volume in your hair when you color. The texture appears thicker and fuller because the scales are wide open. (HairFinder)

..... And if our cuticle is open our hair is prone to all kinds of damage!

Wash that comb or that brush.....yup.... Right NOW!

Clean hairbrushes and combs are a lot better for your tresses than dirty brushes and combs. Hairbrushes and combs collect debris and the transmitted buildup is not good for your tresses.

It is easy and quick to get a clean hairbrush or comb in many ways.

Get either one hairbrush and one comb together, two combs together, or two hairbrushes together before shampooing your tresses. Wet the (aim for bristles and not bodies of tools) brushes, combs, or brush and comb under warm running water. Then, place a small dab of shampoo onto the bristles of one of the brushes or combs. Carefully rub the brush's bristles together when cleaning two brushes at a time. Information taken from: HairFinder

You Ever Wonder The Difference B/W Leave in Conditioner and Deep Conditioners?

Yeah I was just wondering why I need to buy so many darn conditioners. I'm already trying to recover in Product Junkie anonymous! Why use a leave in conditioner when I just washed my hair with conditioner? What in the world would make me want to just RINSE a conditioner through my hair? Ladies I have finally found the answer so PLEASE gimmie a Cookiee

Here's a picture. HTH's! Also here is a great site I retrieved this from: HAIR

Ummm so you cant see the little bitty writing in the picture? Here's what it states:

1. A Rinse - Through Conditioner: Coats the cuticle and deposits moisture and sometimes protein



2. A Deep Conditioner: Swells the cuticle, replenishes protein and restores strength



3. Leave in Conditioner: Coats the cuticle and protects the hair.
   

Review: Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo

Are you looking for a moisturizing Shampoo?

Check our Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo. I used it last night for the first time and it does EXACTLY what it states on the bottle. I didn't know that it was sulfate free so that's a plus. It's not all creamy neither.

Do you have a hair REGIMEN yet?

In order for us to grow our hair we need to have what is called a regimen. It consists of the essential stuff for your hair, ie..Moisturizer, Deep Conditioner, Stimulant and sometimes a growth aid. It can also consist of other stuff that accommodates your hair.

Dabur Amla Hair Oil

Since my Vatika oil worked so well when I used it as a pre - poo. I think I will break out the bottle of Alma oil and try it as a pre- poo.

Tips about oil...

Oil hair a day before washing or 30 minutes to an hour. The oil provides a protective coating and makes your hair shiny. A good oil massage also helps stimulate blood circulation and promotes hair growth.

Essential Oils enriches your hair, protects it and the massaging stimulates better hair growth.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO)

This stuff has many uses...
Raw, unrefined Jamaican Black Castor Oil is a rare commodity. Only a handful of elderly women in Jamaica still engage in the art of producing this product.

Castor oil is used to give hair a fuller, thicker look. This can be used to seal the hair or on the scalp.

Can be purchased at: Sam's Caribbean

Price: $9.99

DABUR Vatika Coconut Hair Oil

Vatika Hair Oil is a delicate mix of pure coconut oil with special hair care herbs including henna, amla and lemon. Blended together to strengthen each strand of hair from within

Since my "No Shampoo" trail is officially over I decided to pull my old dusty bottle of Vatika oil out of storage and use it. I do not care for the smell of coconut oil so I never really used it. But this time I decided to use this to Pre-Poo my hair along with Suave Apple after I clarified it.

Results: It gave my new growth a nice gloss. I think I will use this when I am to lazy to mix some oils.

Can buy at: Indian Blend

Price: $4.99