My First Wash n' Go

Happy Valentine's Day, guys! I'm so excited to bring you this post because this is my first wash and go! It turned out so great and I hope that the methods I share with you today can be helpful.

The wash and go isn't something new. I'm just late to the party. There are tons of videos online showing you how to get the best definition possible in the shortest amount of time. However, the truth is that if you want the best definition from a wash and go, be prepared to work.

A few months ago I tried a twist out that I posted on my Instagram and it came out so well. My only issue was that by the second day, the dreaded flakes began to appear. I remember using the Olive Oil EcoStyler Gel and I had completed the twist out on dry, stretched hair. I knew it was a result of the gel (and because my hair wasn't clean), but I think I may have figured out how to fix that.

When I tried this wash and go, I made sure not to be too heavy-handed when applying products before adding the gel. I used a light leave-in conditioner after washing my hair, which was the Creme of Nature Coconut Milk Detangling and Conditioning Leave-In Conditioner. Then, I applied the OGX Hydrate and Defrizz Kukuí Oil, which is a very light product as well. This is what I think prevented the flakes from showing up. That, and starting out with clean hair.

The gel that I used was the EcoStyler Krystal Gel. I had always used the EcoStyler Olive Oil Gel, but this time I wanted to try another version. 

After detangling my hair with a tangle teaser brush, I took my hair in about two inch thick sections and smoothed the gel through it. Again, I made sure that I wasn't using too much product. I used the shingling method to define my curls, which is when you take almost individual strands of your hair and separate them to ensure better definition.

I do not consider my hair to be very thick, but doing this method took me more than four hours to complete. Yes, four hours. 😭 But these were the results.  

By the time I was finished I vowed to never do a wash and go again, but at the same time, my hairstyle for the week was set. I didn't have to twist my hair or pull it into a tight puff. This was a cute and easy low-manipulation protective style that allowed my scalp to breathe for the first time in a while. Major shrinkage was expected, but at that moment, I decided to embrace it for once. I spiced up my fresh wash and go by pulling the front of my hair into two curly puffs. 

I'm very excited to try different styles with my new wash and go routine. Next time I do a wash and go, which will probably next week, I think I'll try different methods to see if the outcome is better and faster, if possible. As for how long this wash and go lasts, I'm still wearing my hair in this state 3 days later and I won't be surprised if it lasts the rest of the week. And the best part is that there are no flakes whatsoever! 

I know this wasn't a long post but a wash and go is pretty straightforward, so it made sense that this post followed suit. Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your Hump Day/Valentine's Day! Take care and I'll talk to you next time.

My Current Twisting Routine

Twists are low-maintenance, low-manipulation, and they allow for easy care between washes. They have been my go-to protective style since I went back natural.  I prefer to keep my hair in twists because compared to a stretched style like a bun, I'm able to care for my scalp and ends without the fear of messing up a particular style. Even though I've been doing many different styles lately, I always felt the urge to twist my hair.

This will be an update of my twisting routine, and I consider it an update because of the products, technique, and maintenance methods that I have been using.

Whenever I twist my hair, I do the L.C.O method. This is the L.O.C method but instead of using liquid, oil and then cream, I use liquid, cream and oil. I personally think that this order makes more sense because oil is a sealant. For my particular hair chemistry, the L.C.O method is more effective because the cream (or leave-in conditioner) is being sealed in with the oil rather than sealed out. 

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, Natural Hair Rules goes into detail about what each method can do for your hair.

Twisting your hair is pretty self-explanatory, but even twists can cause damage to your hair if you are not careful. Detangling each section when it's dry or twisting too tight for example, may turn out to be counterproductive and set you back further than you want to be. Also, give your hair a break once in a while. Try different protective styles such as low buns, crochet braids, and even wigs. 

Twisting

I always twist my hair when it's freshly washed, or after it has been banded, which I will explain in detail on another day. My hair is usually detangled when it's banded, but I tend to pass a tangle teaser brush through each section before I start twisting. 

Sometimes, however, I cut out the middleman and start twisting immediately after I wash my hair. I've been liking this a lot better because I don't have to spend an hour banding my hair and wait overnight for it to dry. 

So going back to the L.C.O method, I spray warm water on each section to keep it moisturized because of how quickly my hair dries out. My second favorite liquid to use is Aloe Vera Juice. After that, I apply the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curling Enhancing Smoothie as my leave-in. 

I've been using the product for about two years and it seems to give my hair the moisture it needs. The oil I have been loving for a few months now is the Amla Legend Rejuvenating Oil. It seals my twists wonderfully and it smells amazing. 

Sometimes I use the Mielle Organics White Peony Leave-in Conditioner or OGX's Kukui Oil, but I always tend to stick with my favorite cream and oil. 

To detangle my hair I sometimes use a wide toothed comb, but most of the time I prefer a detangling brush.

Weekly Care

Once my hair is twisted, I'm free to do whatever I want with it for as long as I choose. Nowadays I only wear my twists for a week, but I quite enjoy leaving it for about a month while washing the twists each week. 

I have a schedule of what I do to my hair each week, so on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I massage Jamaican Black Castor Oil into my scalp followed by the Eden BodyWorks Peppermint Tea Tree Temple Balm.

My aunt was the one who actually introduced me to this product but you'll see a more in-depth review on it very soon. 

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are reserved for the Greenhouse method (or GHE), which is basically adding moisture to your hair overnight. I simply put on a plastic shower cap and my satin bonnet and go to bed. While I sleep, my body heat creates moisture that is trapped by the shower cap, and it helps to hydrate my scalp and hair. 

I would not recommend doing this method every night because your scalp needs to breathe. 

When I have work or plan to go out, I don't wear my twists out. I prefer to wear either a beanie or my favorite headwrap. 

Headwraps are my number one way to maintain my twists and my already large collection grows by the day. I'll also show off all of my beauties in a separate post.

Thanks for reading!

January Length Check

TGIF! It's the start of a new month and we are long, long, long overdue for a length check. The last length check that I did was in May so it's been a whole 8 months since I checked the growth progress of my hair. This post is not going to be very long because I tend to get straight to the point when it comes to length checks.

I consider these length checks to be informal because the only way to see your full length is to straighten your hair, which I haven't done since I went back natural because I'm absolutely terrified of heat damage. One day soon perhaps... 🙈

Checking my growth has become a science. I basically check the 3 longest points of my hair: My nape, the top of my head (not quite the crown), and the hair above my ear.

I started with the nape, and that length turned out to be around 9 inches. I try to keep my head straight in order to get an accurate measurement, especially since I did not have my length check shirt to mark my progress. I also pull the hair from my nape and measure it against my chest.

9 inches from the nape!

Next, I measured the hair on top of my head, but not quite the crown because my crown isn't the longest part of that section of my head. That measured in at about 9 inches as well, which was surprising because my hair tends to grow in layers. Also, I was excited because when I pulled the hair over my face, it was close to touching my chin!

Lastly, I measured the hair above my ear because it tends to grow quickly as well. I counted the measurement at 8 inches only because the ends looked like they needed a trim. But let's just say that it's 8 and a half inches for now.

That's basically it for this month's length check. This wasn't as in-depth as my previous length checks but that's because I want to reserve what I've been doing to my hair in my upcoming Winter Hair Regimen post. Thank you for reading and have an awesome weekend!

Breaking Out of My Natural Hair Shell

The original purpose of going back natural was having the freedom to do endless hairstyles. As I went through my transitioning stage, I remember looking forward to learning how to cornrow, flat twisting, and even attempting box braids. As I've adjusted to a year post-big chop, I have also wavered in my routine. Because of my intense hair care regimen, which I brought entirely upon myself, it seemed easier to twist my hair and leave it for weeks at a time while wearing headwraps whenever I left the house. 

Admittedly, I've also been hesitant to experiment with my hair. I knew that experimenting with new styles would take hours of practice and at the time, I was not ready to take on such an intimidating prospect. But I was growing sick of wearing headwraps, especially once summertime came around. Also, I reminded myself of why I started this journey. I began by practicing chunky cornrows on myself. They were not perfect, but I was glad that I was able to complete a simple style in less than 10 minutes. As I gained more confidence in my growing skills, it encouraged me to mix things up a little. 

One of my favorite styling methods became flat twisting. Not only was it easier than doing cornrows for me, but it enabled me to create simple styles that I could easily refresh. I also played around with elastic band styles whenever I did not feel like spending too much time on a hairstyle. 

Another easy style I did was cheating a halo braid using elastic bands. This style was something that I came across on a YouTube channel called Sekora and Sefari. If you don't know this channel, it's run by a mother who does lots of adorable hairstyles for her two daughters. Although the style was done on a child, halo braids are suitable for anyone no matter their age. If you would like to try this regal yet easy hairstyle you can check it out here. I am by no means an expert at parting, and parting my hair took several hours. But I did not give up because I knew that the results would be amazing. This was the result. 😍

I utilized some of my hairstyles to benefit the health of my hair as well. My hairline is notorious for growing very slowly. Lately, I've been trying to grow out my edges in hopes that they will eventually catch up to the rest of my hair. If you've ever searched how to care for your edges, the usual answer is to avoid manipulating them. However, I recently discovered how to flat twist my edges in a way that actually helped them to grow.

Back in the summer when it seemed like everyone was wearing Ethiopian and Eritrean inspired braids, I adjusted the various hairstyles to suit my skills and the health of my hair. Because I did these styles by myself, they were not as intricate as the gorgeous styles below.

In any case, my method was loosely based on their standout details and resulted in another round of simple flat twist styles. 

As you can see, my hair is kept in two buns most of the time. This sounds silly but before the summer, I was slightly terrified of styling my hair into two buns because I was afraid that it made me look even younger than I wanted to. This is coming from a 23-year-old who is dwarfed by middle schoolers on the regular. However, I slowly began to not care and learned to embrace wearing my two buns. They were cute and they were the best option when it came to keeping my hair tamed. As for the flat twists in the front, I avoided twisting too tight and as a result, my edges began to grow faster and stronger.

I experimented with a twist-out for the first time as well. In the picture above I used EcoStyler Gel, which you will see details about in an upcoming post. A journey is never really done, is what I've learned for the past few months. It's constant and the things you take with you are always of some use even if the lesson is over. Although this wasn't a long post, I hope you enjoyed reading. Have a great week, guys and don't forget to find me on Twitter!

May Length Check: Six Months Post Chop

May has officially ended and that means another length check! This month marked the end of a long semester for me and it has also brought me some interesting findings. 

While I usually do my length checks using the hair above my nape, I recently discovered that it was not the longest part of my hair. It's actually the hair behind my ear that's the longest. When I measured the hair at my nape this time, it was 7 3/4 inches. The hair behind my ear measured at 8 inches, as pictured below. 

In last month's length check, I mentioned that the hair above my nape was 7 inches, which means that I've had pretty average growth this month. Compared to the growth I had between April 4th and April 30th it was not much, but that doesn't take away the excitement that I feel for having surpassed 8 inches. Not bad for 6 months post big chop! It's amazing that I've been fully natural for half a year, and despite the long wash days and my overall willpower to take care of my hair, I'm extremely proud of myself for the progress that I've made. 

As you can see from the back, I am about to hit armpit length again, this time with unprocessed, natural hair. 

Please overlook my unkempt hair. It was washed this past Sunday and I've just been keeping it banded until I go to the hair salon on Friday to get my protective style for my trip in a few days. I'll be traveling to Boston this Saturday to visit my family and friends, and you guys will definitely get to see the finished results! 

That's pretty much it for today, guys. Thank you so much for reading and I'm wishing you a fun-filled summer. The next time you hear from me, I'll already be in Boston. Peace out! ✌

Fenugreek-Moringa Oil for Hair Growth & Thickness

In my fenugreek hair spritz post, I mentioned that I took inspiration from some of these concoctions from my favorite natural hair YouTuber, Ife of ife360tv. My latest concoction was inspired by her as well. I used whatever oils I had lying around my bedroom, but the two main ingredients that make this recipe so unique is the mixture of Fenugreek seeds and Moringa powder. 

Consuming Moringa in my smoothies in tandem with using it in my massage oils or hot oil treatments may possibly aid in hair growth. It's pretty impressive considering I haven't had time to care for my hair like I usually would over the past few weeks. One day I'll follow the recipe exactly but for now, I have tons of oils that are in need for use. Here's the link to Ife's recipe. 

If you have different oils than me, feel free to make your own mixture, but don't forget the Fenugreek seeds and Moringa! Make sure to use a glass container to store your oil as well. I started by toasting about 1/4 cup of Fenugreek seeds in a skillet. They brown pretty quickly so just keep stirring them around the pan so that they toast evenly. Let the seeds cool completely before adding them to your glass container. 

I then added 3/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, followed by a heaping tablespoon of Moringa powder. Use a funnel if you'd like to avoid making a mess, and give the mixture a good stir. 

Add in your other oils and stir again. These are the remaining oils I used, which included Peppermint oil and Jamaican Black Castor Oil. I also added a few drops of Rosehip seed oil. 

However, my favorite oil at the moment is this Reshma Henna oil. It has five different oils: basil oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, henna extract, and cedar wood oil, that help to nourish a dry scalp and skin. I love it not only because it's moisturizing, but because it smells like tea! 😍

And there you have it! Your Fenugreek-Moringa Oil. Here are a few tips I recommend before using this oil. 

• After creating this mixture, I was inclined to immediately slap it onto my scalp and start massaging. But I followed Ife's advice and left it out in a sunny area for about a week before using it. The color will change considerably but that's because the oils have had time to settle into each other. 
• Stir before each use, of course. 
• This is a last-minute tip, but use a piece of cheesecloth or pantyhose to strain the oil before applying it to your scalp. I learned this the hard way this past weekend. Because the Moringa powder doesn't really dissolve into the oils, putting it on your hair may leave behind tiny green balls of residue. A regular strainer may not work because the holes are too big to prevent the powder from getting into your hair, so that is why I recommend using a cheesecloth or pantyhose. 

If you try this recipe with different oils, let me know what you used and how it worked out for you. I'll make sure to post an update so you guys can see how much my hair has grown after using it. Once again, thank you so much for reading and happy Hump Day!

April Length Check

Welcome back, guys! What a crazy few weeks it has been. It feels like forever since I've posted. Life happens and sometimes and you gotta do what you gotta do, but I promise I'm back this time. For my St. Thomian readers I hope you all had an awesome J'ouvert and Carnival! 

Yet another month has passed and I've gained some more length. During this monthly length check, I kept track of the maintenance and habits that I kept up with throughout April and I'm still making adjustments as I go. Since I've been so busy lately I haven't had much time to really care for my hair like I usually do, but I think I did pretty okay considering the growth I achieved. 

Right now at its longest point, my hair has finally reached 7 inches. I kept my hair in its usual twists while moisturizing and massaging my scalp ever so often. I suspect that consuming Moringa in my smoothies is lending its hand to my growth as well as my waistline. You'll find out more in my next Smoothie Saturdays post. 😉 

At first, I was going to do my length checks at the beginning of each month however, I changed my mind and decided that it would be best to do it at the end of each month. As this month is halfway over, you'll be seeing another one of these posts in about fifteen more days. As you can see, as I stretched my hair to see it's true length, it's considerably longer than my first length check. I have officially surpassed collarbone length!

Here is me breaking my arm to hold my strands from the back. Hopefully, on the next length check, I'll be able to hold my hair comfortably.

As far as length checks go, it's pretty self-explanatory so enjoy the rest of the pics. 

This post wasn't very long but I'll be back pretty soon with another post. And guess what? I'm now on Snapchat! Follow me at Hair, Health & Heart! I'll be showing all my behind the scenes antics and other fun stuff. Thanks for reading and have an awesome day!

Create Your Own Length-Check Shirt!

Creativity is in my blood, and I truly believe that it runs on both sides of my family. A huge part of my love for crafting is the fact that I have the ability to make certain things instead of spending money to get them. I was not willing to spend money on a length check shirt simply because there are better things I could use that money for and, I really just wanted to make my own. 😁

The other day, I was going over some old clothes that I planned to add to the "Goodwill" bag to donate, and I came across a tie-dye shirt I designed in 2014 at the daycare I used to work at. It was my first time ever doing tie-dye and my co-workers and I had fun creating our own shirts as well as shirts for the kiddies.

This was right after it dried in the sun. The colors were so vibrant!

As you can see, the tie-dye had faded considerably since then. I didn't want to donate the shirt because it reminded me of the amazing experiences I had while working at the daycare, and that's when I decided that it would be perfect for a DIY length check shirt. There's always a variety of craft items in my house at any given time, so I did not have to go out to buy any supplies. If you're planning on doing this yourself, you'll need a t-shirt, a ruler, masking tape, acrylic paint, some cosmetic sponges and of course, paint brushes. 

I created the measuring tool on the back of the shirt according to the average length check chart. In order to get the most accurate measurement, I had my sister help me mark my armpit, my bra strap, the middle of my back, my waist, my tailbone and my hip.

Before you paint anything, make sure to put a piece of cardboard in between the shirt to prevent the paint from bleeding onto the front of the shirt. I forgot while doing the first application but the bleeding isn't too visible on the front. I then used masking tape as a stencil for the lines. I made sure that the edges were as smooth as possible to prevent the paint from seeping underneath the tape, and I used the cosmetic sponge to paint each line. Two coats were enough for me since I used black paint.

Next came the best part: peeling off the tape. Look at those crisp lines!  

Instead of painting the acronyms for each measurement, I decided at the last minute to apply some rhinestone letters for a more glamorous look. 

Although I consider myself to be a perfectionist, I was surprisingly excited to paint my own designs and motivational messages by hand. I also did it by hand because I didn't have letter stencils. So the perfectionist in me said...

Here's the final product!

As for the front of the shirt, I'll be using the blank space to mark my progress each month as well as my length in inches. Since I've recently hit collarbone length, I marked the month and length. This progress is amazing considering I was past armpit length with my relaxed hair not too long ago. I'll regain that length and more in no time!

This DIY was so much fun to do and I can't wait to track my hair growth until I hit hip length one day. Getting there will take years to accomplish but I'm determined to grow healthy natural hair and enjoy the results of my hard work.

Thank you so much for reading and let me know if you plan to create your own length check shirt. Take a picture and post it to my Facebook page or to Instagram using the hashtag hairhealthandheart so that I can see your awesome creations. ¡Adiós, chicas!