My 4c Natural Hair Growth Update!

Fast Growth for 4c Natural Hair!

So since I started not combing my hair and only finger detangling my hair has TOOK off in a short period of time with me only using Water, Quidad Moisture Lock and Emu Oil! Keeping it simple does work!

I was afraid that my hair would tangle so bad if I stopped combing it. LIESSSS! Nope not my hair. All I have to do is let the steam from the shower penetrate it or spray a little water and its makes finger detangling a breeze. And yes my hair is 4c.

So using all those growth products and stuff  works BUT I have found that MY hair doesn't need that and my pockets are thanking me. I am about to go home in Dec and do a cleanse of products underneath the sink.  I swear its crazy how we are easily sucked into the hype about a new product. I am done chile!

So if you all follow my blog you remember back in March timeframe I think... I said I was going to keep it simple and stop combing my hair. Well below are the results!

My Natural Hair Growth Update - 31 July 2016

So sometime back in March 2016 I posted that for 105 days or more I would be doing the minimal to my hair. I was extra lazy. I said I was going to take biotin but I failed. I don't even think I took them for more than 1 week. But what I can definitely say is I did the very minimal to my hair. I deployed to work 19 March 2016 and returned home 02 July 2016. Here is what I did to my hair.

1. Washed my hair only 2 or 3 times. Yuck I know right.
2. Keep my hair in small twists. About 8-10
3. I untwisted my hair when I washed it and washed it in sections
4. After washing I immediately applied the Quidad Leave In, applied my emu oil, then applied both or one of the Qhemet Biologics products. (Alma or Burdock Cream) and that was it!
5. Stopped using a comb! Now for the 1st month I was detangling my hair with a comb. So when I stopped using a COMB I fell in love with just finger detangling....especially after my hair started thickening and I noticed less knots at the ends.
6. Didn't play in my hair as much
7. And of course I did protective styles with lace wigs

How has my hair benefited from this?
Gurllllllll my hair has been so happy lol. It stays moisturized, no single strand knots, LESS Shedding and more curl definition. The comb will never touch my hair like before. I can't wait to see how my hair does for the next 105 days.

Here is a pic:

Removing Dark Spots from Face Using Kojie San (Kojic Acid)

Hmmm, I was so sick of these dark spots on the sides my face! I wear my hair covering the side of my 99% of the time. Its getting hot now so I need air chile! This hair will make you pass the hell out. So I took to using an old soap that I had used back in the day by Kojie San. Its a lightening soap. No NO NO I am not trying to lighten my face like Lil Kim or any of them. Just wanted to clear that up. :) I just wanted to remove these dark spots and see if I can even out my complexion. So fast forward... once I got the soap I decided to try the cream. Hell the cream seem like it sped up my results. I was already seeing a difference with using the soap in ONE WEEK but once I started with the cream things took off from there. So next update this side of my face will be pure white... LMAO... Ok let me stop joking. 

What is Kojic Acid?

Obtained from mushrooms that are native to Japan, kojic acid is a fine, white powdery substancecomposed of tiny crystals — the by-product of the fermentation process for sake.

Benefits

Kojic acid is a natural acid that is primarily used for lightening skin pigmentation. It is an effective, safer alternative to hydroquinone.

In skin care products, kojic acid functions primarily as a skin-lightening agent. To understand kojic acid's effects, it is necessary to understand how the skin gets it color. The body naturally produces a pigment known as melanin through specialized cells known as melanocytes. A person's genes determine how much melanin the body naturally produces. In people with fair skin, only small amounts of melanin are manufactured by the melanocytes, while copious amounts of the pigment are made by the cells of those with dark complexions.

My Hair Regimen for the Next 120 + Days (March 2016)

Confessions of a product junkie!

Lord help me...PLEASE .... I have been buying all these products and I always go back to my staples.  The new products only work for a short period of time and my hair goes to shit. After looking at some of my long relaxed hair days before the thinning I vowed I am going to get my natural hair to grow long and reclaim a healthy scalp.

Soo as of 03 March 2016 I am STRICTLY using the following products and in this order. Together they give me soft moisturized hair and ends that STAY moisturized beyond the first freaking day!


1. 10000 mcg Biotin (preferably Natures Bounty) I couldn't find it so I am using the Walmart "Spring Valley" brand.

2. Spray scalp and hair with water

LOC Method

3. Section hair, Apply Quidad Moisture Lock Leave in

4.  Apply JBCO to strand and ends

5. Apply Qhemet Burdock Cream to strand and ends

6. Apply Qhemet Amla & Olive Oil Cream  to strand and ends

7. Apply Emu Oil to Scalp (Every now and then I will alternate with JBCO on my scalp)

8. THATS ALL!

Yes that is all that I will be doing to my hair for the next freaking 130 days while I am deployed. Where I am going I will not be able to order any products and I am limited on what I can take SO I am keeping it simple.

The LOC Method for 4c Natural Hair Using the JBCO Shea Moisture products

SOOOOOO for 2016 I said I was going to be more open with trying new techniques for my hair. Last night I decide to try the LOC method for the 1st time. I was very successful! I think its because of the combo of products I used.

What is the LOC method? The L.O.C Method has been praised in the natural hair community for some time now. Known for it's amazing ability to moisturize natural hair while maintaining defined curls, the L.O.C method is a MUST for any curly with dry thirsty curls. 

L.O.C represents a combination of hair products to achieve the ultimate moisture. 

• "L" stands for Leave-In 
• "O" for Oil
• "C" for Cream 

The order of the method is very important as well, and is what makes the method so effective! The key to doing the method correctly is in how you layer the products. 
The order is 1.) Leave-In 2.) Oil 3.) Cream. (Ref: curl mart)



For some reason after using the JBCO products I can't explain the feeling but its a feeling of finally accomplishing the right feeling for your hair..... Especially if you are 4c hair type and your ends feel dry. 

One thing I can explain is that when applying the products using the LOC method I noticed that my strands felt thicker and moisturized and it  and clumped easier. Before I was layering products like QHMET(still my fav) and Camille Rose products to just get to that level. But this LOC Method does it all for me. And my hair doesn't feel like its coated with too many products. Its crazy that the technique you do counts so much as well as the products you use. I know it may be common sense but it just takes trail and error to learn. Thank God I didn't completely destroy my hair before learning this. :) 


Below is my freshly washed hair (using the JBCO line) and after applying the LOC products listed below. The hair is about 85% dry here.

Also, I used the Shea Moisture JBCO oil  entire product line as mentioned above for the first time. I was able to get all of their products when they had the buy one, get one free promo at Walgreens. I am so glad I decided to try the products again. Back in the day I tried the coconut and hiscubus line (orange label) and it was a FAIL! I absolutely hated it and I dislike every YouTuber who I saw promoting it. You can never trust them reviews. I swear lol.  But at that time I was newly natural and still figuring out what worked for my hair. And I wanted my hair to feel like it felt when I was relaxed. But as I see now the technique or method I was doing was all wrong. I was still trying to use the same method I did as when I was relaxed. The method of simply 1. Using a liquid moisturizer, 2. Applying a Growth Aid and 3. Applying an oil was not going to work anymore.  4c hair tends to be more on the dry side because of the texture. Its no longer able to absorb products faster as my straight relaxed hair did.


My FAVORITE product from this entire line is the Leave in. OMG it gives sooooo much slip! I don't even have to comb thru my hair. Even if I do decide to comb it will help the comb slip right thru any tangles. If you have a tender headed little girl I highly recommend this. I can seriously guarantee it will work. This will forever be a staple!

Protein Free Moisturizer / My Combo Mix for 100% Moisturized 4c Hair

 I strayed away from liquid moisturizers. Why didn't y'all tell me? LOL I had to read it. Ain't nobody got time to be doing all that reading. :)  After being natural for 2 years I am JUST now realizing this. Damn shame. Yup its a damn shame how we hold on to practices that we used when we were relaxed. 

While I was relaxed, Scurl and Coconut oil were my babies. Now that I am natural those products are at the bottom of my list. :( Liquid Moisturizers don't seem to do the job on my #4chair. It quickly evaporates.  So I went on a product haul to find a good moisturizer. I came across this article (pic below) over on bglh.com and decided to try the Camille Rose Naturals Aloe Whipped Butter Gel. It has noooo protein at all in it. I think thats rare, dont you? Back in the day I would research every product but I rarely do it now. I just look for the absolutely bad stuff. But its true, this product is protein free! This product smells sooo good and it melts into my hair like butter and moisturizes really good. Its not greasy and does not dry hard. It's actually like a thick creamy whipped butter. I am glad I didnt let the word gel fool me. This stuff is like the water you crave on a hot azz day. :) 

My Combo Mix for 100% Moisture for 4c Hair - Guaranteed Girl! 

You can use this product by itself but I like to pair it with my Qhemet Biologics Products. First I apply the Burdock Root Butter Cream and next the Amla & Olive Oil Heavy Cream and THEN I apply the Camille Rose Naturals Aloe Whipped Butter Gel and lastly I seal with an Oil. Right now I am using the December 2015 Oil Mix from the Curl Mix box. 

Yeah I know that sounds like ALOT of products but I have also learned that my hair loves "layering" of products. I am not sure if its just because its winter but it is whats working for me now. I feel like I have been doing things the SAME for so long and its time for a change. 

Why? That damn almost bald spot on the side of my head that I have been struggling with. I think I have finally found my cure but I am still testing it out. I want to test it out before I post it. But I will give a clue. It involves oils! So that will be in a later post. 

Anyway I am SO off topic so back to this moisturizer and my combo. Here is a picture I posted on Instagram. What 100% moisture products are you using?

The III Sisters of Nature listed below is good but the hair is kind of crunchy after it dries. But I do love it. I will only use this when I trying to do a Wash n Go and want to shingle my hair for curls. Now the Tahlia Wahjid Curl Cream works wayyyy better but its not as moisturizing as the III Sisters product listed below. But hands down Tahlia Wahjid Curl Cream is the BEST defining product for us 4C Naturals. 

Health over Length - Dusting My Ends - Jan 2016

So to top off the new year...well actually a couple of days later 12 January 2016. I was tired of my ends being difficult to comb thru and I wanted the ends of my curls to pop like they were doing a couple of months ago. So I got the scissors and snipped VERY little off each end of my twists. Results...MUCH better curls and less tangles. I almost have it in my head that it needs to be health over length. With health will come length. So I just need to be still until it happens.

Hair Treatments That WORK on My 4c Natural Hair

Since I have started doing regular "treatments" on my 4c natural strands my hair has taken a completely different turn for THE BEST! My hair has never been this thick and healthy feeling. It stays moisturized. I also owe this to my change in regimen. Instead of using liquid moisturizers, I now use butter cream moisturizers. But I will talk about that in a future post.

Some of the treatments I have done are listed below with pictures. So keep scrolling. Also for weekly updates on my hair check out my Instagram here: 4cCurlPop

• Avocado Deep Treatment (Mixed with Olive Oil in blender)
• Bentonite Clay Mix (Mixed with 100% Clay from Alikay Naturals, ACV and Honey)
• Shikakai Indian Powder Mix (Water Only)
• Egg yolk & Olive Oil Deep Condition (1 egg yolk, EVOO, ORS Replenishing Con & Anita Grant Peppermint Oil
• Mayonnaise Deep Condition (Use Mayo Only and Heat)
• DIY Deep Conditioner Mix (White Rain Moisturizing Conditioner Lavender Escape, Africa's Best Herbal Oil, 100% Pure Castor Oil) Left on Overnight
• Hot Oil Treatments before shampooing (This will make your hair feel SOO much better)
• Cassia Obovata Deep Condition treatment (Mixed with Lemon Juice, Bottled Water) I let this sit for 12 hours and left on my hair for 3 hours with shower cap

Avocado Deep Treatment (Mixed with Olive Oil in blender)

Bentonite Clay Mix (Mixed with 100% Clay from Alikay Naturals, ACV and Honey)

Shikakai Indian Powder Mix (Water Only)

Egg yolk & Olive Oil Deep Condition (1 egg yolk, EVOO, ORS Replenishing Con & Anita Grant Peppermint Oil

Mayonnaise Deep Condition (Use Mayo Only and Heat)

DIY Deep Conditioner Mix (White Rain Moisturizing Conditioner Lavender Escape, Africa's Best Herbal Oil, 100% Pure Castor Oil) Left on Overnight

Hot Oil Treatments before shampooing (This will make your hair feel SOO much better) I used the oils from the December 2015 CurlMix Box

Cassia Obovata Deep Condition treatment (Mixed with Lemon Juice, Bottled Water) I let this sit for 12 hours and left on my hair for 3 hours with shower cap.