It's the end of the month!! Creme of Nature and I are hosting a 5 day giveaway (October 30th - November 3rd @ 11:59PM EST) to celebrate the #LovingMyRelaxedHair Series!

The giveaway prize will include the following: 
♡ Creme of Nature Straight From Eden Relaxer
♡ Four (4) Creme of Nature Hair Care maintenance products
♡ One (1) Creme of Nature T-shirt

 Winners must be 18 and older and in the continental US. No purchase necessary to win. 

Introduce yourself! what's your name? where are you from?
Hello My name is Antoinette. I am a wife, & mother of 2 (boy/girl). I grew up as a ‘military brat’ so I am from ‘Everywhere”(fun fact: I was born in Germany). I moved to Ohio in 2005 after I graduated from Morris College in South Carolina (I have a Bachelors in Business Administration). I currently live in Ohio – so I call this home.

How would you describe your hair? What's your hair type?
Before I started my hair journey (January 2011) my hair was thin, but over the years it has thickened up tremendously (which I love). I’ve never really been interested in hair types, so I’m not sure what my type may be.

When did you start your relaxed hair journey? What is your hair regimen? Share a few of your "go-to" hair products.
I started my Hair Journey January 2011 at neck length. My hair was not damaged when I started my hair journey but I just wanted to grow it longer. I knew that in order to achieve healthier hair, I needed to practice healthier routines (i.e. not relaxing every 4-6 weeks, wearing protective styles etc).

My Regimen 
Wash days are Sundays! I pre-poo with Jamaican black castor oil  mixed with peppermint essential oil. I add this mixture to my scalp only. I then apply a light protein conditioner to the ends of my hair and put on my heating cap for 30min. I shampoo with Keracare hydrating and detangling sulfate-free shampoo.

I then use a t-shirt to squeeze out access water and apply a moisturizing deep conditioner – Kurlee Belle Banana Nut & Avocado Deep Treatment (this helps to balance my protein/moisture) for 30 minutes under my heating cap. I always add an oil to my deep conditioner mixes i.e. EVOO, EVCO, Grapeseed oil (whatever natural oil I grab first).

After rinsing out my deep conditioner, I t-shirt dry for about an hour. I later apply my leave-in conditioner (MuraMura Moisture Milk by: PuraBody Naturals) and lightly detangle with a wide tooth comb.

I air dry 90% of the time. I typically flatiron and/or blow-dry once every 2 months. I wear protective styles (bun w/my own hair) 90% of the time. I relax every 4-5 months. I moisturize and seal (Grapeseed Oil & MuraMura Moisture milk) every 2 days with a bonnet covering my hair at night.

I have never been into sew-ins, wigs, braids. I have nothing against them, I actually think all the different styles are pretty; it’s just not for me. I always joke around by saying, "I stretch cold turkey". I think stretching ‘cold turkey’ helps you to understand what your hair likes/dislikes. It definitely takes extra work and patience.

What #1 hair tip you would pass on to other relaxed haired ladies who are starting their hair journey?
STRETCH your relaxers! It’s soo much healthier for your hair in the long run. I used to relax every 4-6 weeks. After all the knowledge I've learned about my hair - and having a lot of patience - I can now go 5 months in between each relaxer.


Nowadays it's becoming more uncommon to see relaxed hair or products geared towards relaxed hair. Do you feel the pressure to go natural? Why or why not? What are your thoughts on the natural hair movement?
I definitely don’t feel the pressure; as a matter of fact, the MAJORITY of the products I use are geared towards naturals OR have all natural ingredients. My relaxed hair LOVES natural products. My go-to Moisturizer/Leave-In is by PuraBody Naturals – MuraMura Moisture milk. The natural hair movement is really popular in the hair community these days. However, relaxed hair can be just as healthy & versatile. It’s just a personal preference that shouldn’t get knocked down either way ..if you choose to be natural or relaxed. Just embrace your hair & do what works best for you.

Why do you choose to remain relaxed while many are transitioning back to their natural hair?
I choose to remain relaxed because it works best for me and my lifestyle.

What do you absolutely love about your relaxed tresses? And why?
I absolutely love how HEALTHY my relaxed hair is, and the length I’ve achieved over the years. My relaxed hair is very versatile. I can wear buns, braid outs, bantu knots, straight, curly, & ponytails.


Let's Be Friends!
Hairlista Profile: Antoinette Instagram: @aricedotcom

1) Apply Castor oil to your scalp every other day followed by scalp massage (2-5mins focusing on damaged areas)

2) Add 1-2 tsps to your weekly deep conditioner.

This time around, I decided to focus more so on specific areas in my hair i.e. edges, hairline and nape. These areas are typically the weakest areas and the most vulnerable to breakage/thinning.


What I've been doing:



What I've noticed:

Introduce yourself! what's your name? where are you from?
Hello Lista's! My name is Stephanie. I'm originally from Westchester, New York, and currently reside in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

How would you describe your hair? What's your hair type?
My hair type is 3a/3b. I occasionally suffer from dry scalp and I'm protein sensitive.

When did you start your relaxed hair journey? What is your hair regimen? Share a few of your "go-to" hair products.
I started my hair relaxed hair journey March 30, 2014. My hair regimen consists of:

• Shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo and use a deep conditioner once a week with heat
• Moisture and Seal every other day with Giovanni Weightless Direct Leave In and my oil of choice
• Scalp Massages weekly
• Use Aphogee Green Tea Reconstructor Spray on wash days
• Use a silk bonnet or scarf at night
• Relaxers every 9-10 weeks
  
  
  My"Go-to" Hair Products: 
• Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
• Giovanni Direct Leave In Weightless Conditioner
• ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner

My oils of course: EVCO, EVOO, almond oil, avocado oil, and JBCO

What #1 hair tip you would pass on to other relaxed haired ladies who are starting their hair journey?
Clip your ends on a regular basis! I think this is one of the biggest reasons why I am able to retain length without any major setbacks. I have a weak area in the back of my hair, so I make sure to pay close attention to that spot.

Nowadays it's becoming more uncommon to see relaxed hair or products geared towards relaxed hair. Do you feel the pressure to go natural? Why or why not? What are your thoughts on the natural hair movement?
I can honestly say, I don't see myself going natural anytime soon. With my busy schedule, I think going natural at this point will require too much maintenance and time that I don't have much of. I love my relaxed hair. At the end of the day, whether its relaxed or natural it doesn't matter, as long as its healthy!

Why do you choose to remain relaxed while many are transitioning back to their natural hair?
This journey for me was my own little personal challenge, something that I wanted to see if I could do. I really want to show my friends and other young girls that relaxed hair can grow with patience and the proper care.

What do you absolutely love about your relaxed tresses? And why?
I love all the different styles I can try out from curly to buns. I think its versatile.

Let's Be Friends!
Hairlista Profile: Stephanie Instagram: sweetestgirl_88

In this video I share with you how I blow dry and flat iron my relaxed hair. I flat iron my hair once every 3-4 months. I always do 1-2 “passes” through my new growth and 1 “pass” through my hair so that my hair maintains fullness and volume.

Items/Products Mentioned:

• Creme of Nature Straight From Eden Leave-in Conditioner: http://amzn.to/1Mnx8H6
• Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Heat Protectant: http://amzn.to/1MnxlK9
• Hair Clips (Walmart)
• Paddle Brush (Walmart)
• ION Anti Frizz Solutions Ceramic Whisper Quite Lite Blow Dryer: http://amzn.to/1jkN5qE
• Sedu Revolution Flat Iron 1.5”: http://amzn.to/1G1NZ5C
• One n Only Argan Oil Serum: http://amzn.to/1MnxOfv

Thank you for watching!