Ever since the beginning of 2019 I've had the urge to do something new and different with my relaxed hair. I'm not going natural any time soon and I've always been "too chicken" to actually colour my hair, so cutting my hair to a shorter length was definitely an option! Mind you, my hair wasn't damaged or thinning, it was in it's healthiest state - but I wanted a something different.
I'd say towards my birthday (end of March) the urge got stronger so I took this whole "hair cutting" situation to my Instagram Stories to get some feedback from my Hairlistas. I wanted to see what they thought about the whole idea of me cutting my hair to the approximate length you see in the photos below: (I don't own these photos, I found them on Pinterest for inspiration)
Many ladies were "for it" and encouraged me to try something different saying "you know your hair so well, if you cut it now it will grow back fast either way", "change is good, go for it", "you're hair will still be gorgeous!" etc. However, there were some that were against it saying "OMG don't cut your hair!!" and EVEN "if you cut your hair I will unfollow you!"...LOL. Yes, it was that serious to some people I guess.
Anyway, the way I see it, it's just hair. I've maintained MBL for almost a decade and experiencing a different length sparked my curiosity. I saw no harm in cutting my hair because, if anything, I could always grow it right back. Case closed.
Overall, I want to say I took off maybe 4" inches in length. I'd say I'm Bra strap length now. I adore it!! I also got the hemline of my hair into a "U" shape like I wanted so it hangs in a rounded shape. I didn't want that 'straight across blunt look' anymore. My ends feel great and my hair feels even thicker t & fuller than before. I can still do top knots, low buns, braid outs etc. It's still long enough to do the styles I love. This is a big change for me. But as they say, change is good and it feels great!!
Let me know what you think? Have you cut your hair recently? How are you liking it?
One of My Favourite Moisturizers - Scurl No Drip Curl Activator! | Relaxed Hair
Moisturize and Seal Monday, April 15, 2019
So I get a lot of questions about my relaxed hair, products and healthy hair tips/advise in general, but out of all the hair questions I get, I’m frequently asked:
Well, there are several moisturizers that I keep in rotation depending on what my hair is craving and my desired style at the time. But I’d have to say, one of my favourite moisturizers of all time would be Scurl No Drip Curl Activator and lately I've been using Keracare Essential oils instead of Jojoba oil to seal. Don't get me wrong, I still love and use Jojoba oil to seal but Scurl with Keracare Essential oil is a Bomb combo!
If you’ve been following my blog/my hair journey for a while, you know that Scurl has been a staple of mine from the very beginning; however, once the formula changed (back in 2012/2013), I slowly stopped using it. I felt as though my hair stopped responding to the new formula ie. due to the argan oil, olive oil and fragrance. My hair felt dry and stringy. I was so disappointed - to say the least. Now fast forward to 2017/2018, I revisited my beloved moisturizer and we hit it off. Not sure if they changed the measurements/ratio of the ingredients but my hair has fallen back in love with Scurl No Drip - the new formula! With this moisturizer, my hair retains moisture perfectly and it softens my new growth when I'm 10-12 weeks post relaxer.
So as I mentioned before, Keracare Essential Oils is new in my regimen. I’ve been using it as a sealant and I just adore it because it's packed with stellar oils like castor oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil, just to name a few. As soon as I apply a small amount over my moisturizer, my hair softens immediately. It locks in moisture right away and imparts shine and smoothness to my strands. It quickly became a favourite of mine and is comparable to jojoba oil.
Now, this moisturize and seal combo has been working for me and my relaxed hair for a while. A few people have told me that “Scurl is not formulated for relaxed hair, it's formulated for natural hair and you should stop using it” Well, to put it simple, I use what works for me, my relaxed hair, and my texture. This moisturizer helped me retain length and keep my new growth soft. It's loaded with ingredients that I love ie. Glycerin, Panthenol, Stearalkonium chloride, etc. which all help to provide moisture and softness to the hair. Too, if it ain’t broke why fix it?! Just because it may be marketed to “natural hair” doesn’t mean it won’t work for my relaxed hair. And, if it works for me, why should I stop? We have to start thinking outside of the box and start looking at ingredients for proper moisturizing properties rather than labels.
I typically moisturize and seal nightly - if not every other night. I moisturize and seal in sections (1-2 pumps/section for a total of 5/6 sections) to ensure every area is covered. It doesn’t make my hair “wet” or greasy. I use these products on air dried hair - only! I wouldn't use this moisturizing combo on flat ironed hair as it could revert my sleek flat ironed look. Where styling is concerned, Scurl works perfectly to lock in moisture when wearing protective and low manipulation styles.
I typically moisturize and seal nightly - if not every other night. I moisturize and seal in sections (1-2 pumps/section for a total of 5/6 sections) to ensure every area is covered. It doesn’t make my hair “wet” or greasy. I use these products on air dried hair - only! I wouldn't use this moisturizing combo on flat ironed hair as it could revert my sleek flat ironed look. Where styling is concerned, Scurl works perfectly to lock in moisture when wearing protective and low manipulation styles.
Why I use Scurl:
- it penetrates my strands with moisture
- zero protein
- it’s light and non greasy
- affordable and easy to find in stores
- has a spray feature which allows me to moisturize my roots when relaxer stretching
- softens my hair and new growth
- great for protective styles
I do have other moisturizers that I keep in rotation, but Scurl and I have history so I don't think we'll part ways anytime soon!
How to Use: After shampooing with TGIN Moisture Rich Shampoo, and conditioning with TGIN Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner, apply a generous amount of TGIN Honey Miracle Hair Mask to hair and comb through to ensure thorough distribution from roots to ends. Place a plastic cap over hair and sit under dryer for 10-15 minutes or leave on the hair for 35 minutes to 1 hour without heat. Rinse thoroughly with warm water, followed by cool water.
Ingredients: Water, Raw Honey, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glutamic Acid, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, EDTA, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.
Moving forward, approximately 3-4 weeks ago, my sis was purging her product stash and offered me whatever was left in her TGIN Honey Hair Mask jar. Being optimistic, I took it, shampooed, applied it to my hair and immediately noticed instant softness on my strands. This time around, I did exactly as the directions stated. I didn’t bother to go under heat but instead I used a heat process cap (see pic above) and left the conditioner on for 1 hour - NO Heat! Let me tell youuu! Upon rinsing out the deep conditioner, my hair was like BUTTER. The slip was crazy, my tangles were melting away while rinsing out the conditioner, and the scent was so good it reminds me of cherry’s. After rinsing, I t-shirt dried my hair, air dried and I couldn’t get over the softness and how easy it was to detangle. The smoothness of my strands was a total shock that lasted a good 2-3 days. Like what? How was I missing out on this?! So, because I was in total denial, I had to repeat my exact same steps the following wash day, just to make sure it wasn’t a "fluke". Fortunately, it wasn’t! The following wash day, I experienced the exact same results = softness, smoothness, moisture and more manageable hair!
You see, the trick that made my hair adore this deep conditioner was using it WITHOUT heat (using the heat processing cap). The heat cap allowed my natural body heat to warm up the conditioner to penetrate into my strands. Don't get me wrong, I love using my steamer and hooded dryer for deep conditioning, but using this heat cap was a win for me. I was able to get things done around the house while running behind my 13 month old who loves to run, not walk, everywhere and get into everything LOL. The TGIN Honey Miracle Mask combined with the Heat Processing Cap is LIFE!! Girl, my results were so good I repurchased my own jar! And I’m savoring it until I re-stock! Yes, it's that good.
I highly recommend this protein-free DC for dry thirsty hair whether you are relaxed or natural!
Pros:
Little goes a long way
Slippy
Instant moisture and lasting hydration
Softens hair and new growth
Detangles well
Smells good
Cons:
Expensive!
Small jar
Price: $18.99 CAD 12 fl oz.
Hairlicious Rating:
(5/5) Excellent
Directions: Apply a generous amount from roots to ends on unwashed towel-dried hair. Comb through once and leave on for a minimum of 10 minutes or more. Rinse from hair, shampoo and condition.
Ingredients: Water, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Quaternium-91, Sodium Benzoate, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Polyquaternium-37, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Etidronic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Phytantriol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate.
Pros:
Cons:
Price: $38.00 CAD 3.3 fl oz. /100ml
Hairlicious Rating: (5/5) Excellent
Flat ironed hair after using Olaplex No. 3 Treatment on Relaxer Day!
Truth: If you've been following me through my "Olaplex Journey", I've been sharing my thoughts on the take home treatment over the past few months. If you've missed it, you can check out My First Impression With Olaplex No. 3 here.
I've been incorporating Olaplex No.3 into my regimen and I find that I get the best results when I use it on wet/damp hair before I shampoo and right after neutralizing on my relaxer day. Because I prepoo with a light protein weekly, I find it hard to incorporate Olaplex No. 3 into my wash day process i.e. wet hair, apply olaplex No. 3, rinse, shampoo, do light protein treatment, rinse, do moisture treatment, rinse etc. It's just too many steps that I don't have time for!! So I've been thinking of incorporating Olaplex No. 3 on relaxer days - only! Plus that's the best time to use a Bond Rebuilder! Using a bond rebuilder like Olaplex on relaxer day (applying it in my roots and down the length of my hair), when the disulphide bonds are broken down (which creates the straightness in relaxed hair), is probably the most beneficial time for the hair. Just to be clear, Olaplex No.3 is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a protein treatment!! Okay, good LOL.
During my last relaxer (end of Jan 2019), I remember using Olaplex No 3. right after neutralizing and it gave me amazing results! My hair felt ridiculously soft and smoother than normal - my cuticles were sooo flat. Typically after a relaxer, the hair cuticles remain raised/open due to the high pH of the relaxer. This can also make the hair tangle and feel rough at time. But right after using Olaplex No.3, my cuticles were left smooth, flat, strong and any tangles; that I did have, quickly melted away with little manipulation. I noticed that my hair remained very smooth but felt stronger and reinforced even after I flat ironed!! Olaplex No. 3 will definitely be a part of my relaxer day process. I highly recommend Olaplex No. 3 for relaxed and natural hair. It's especially good for those who have major damage from heat tools, excessive manipulation, or colour treated hair etc.
I've been incorporating Olaplex No.3 into my regimen and I find that I get the best results when I use it on wet/damp hair before I shampoo and right after neutralizing on my relaxer day. Because I prepoo with a light protein weekly, I find it hard to incorporate Olaplex No. 3 into my wash day process i.e. wet hair, apply olaplex No. 3, rinse, shampoo, do light protein treatment, rinse, do moisture treatment, rinse etc. It's just too many steps that I don't have time for!! So I've been thinking of incorporating Olaplex No. 3 on relaxer days - only! Plus that's the best time to use a Bond Rebuilder! Using a bond rebuilder like Olaplex on relaxer day (applying it in my roots and down the length of my hair), when the disulphide bonds are broken down (which creates the straightness in relaxed hair), is probably the most beneficial time for the hair. Just to be clear, Olaplex No.3 is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a protein treatment!! Okay, good LOL.
During my last relaxer (end of Jan 2019), I remember using Olaplex No 3. right after neutralizing and it gave me amazing results! My hair felt ridiculously soft and smoother than normal - my cuticles were sooo flat. Typically after a relaxer, the hair cuticles remain raised/open due to the high pH of the relaxer. This can also make the hair tangle and feel rough at time. But right after using Olaplex No.3, my cuticles were left smooth, flat, strong and any tangles; that I did have, quickly melted away with little manipulation. I noticed that my hair remained very smooth but felt stronger and reinforced even after I flat ironed!! Olaplex No. 3 will definitely be a part of my relaxer day process. I highly recommend Olaplex No. 3 for relaxed and natural hair. It's especially good for those who have major damage from heat tools, excessive manipulation, or colour treated hair etc.
Flat ironed hair after using Olaplex No. 3 Treatment on Relaxer Day!
Here are the steps that I will be using on my next Relaxer Day:
1. Base scalp, protect previously relaxed hair with conditioner and hair grease
2. Apply ORS Olive Oil Relaxer (20-25mins)
3. Use Neutralizing Shampoo
4. Apply Olaplex No. 3 Treatment for 10-15 mins (cover with plastic cap)
5. Use Sulfate-free shampoo
6. Deep Condition for 30 mins - 1 hour
2. Apply ORS Olive Oil Relaxer (20-25mins)
3. Use Neutralizing Shampoo
4. Apply Olaplex No. 3 Treatment for 10-15 mins (cover with plastic cap)
5. Use Sulfate-free shampoo
6. Deep Condition for 30 mins - 1 hour
7. Apply Leave-in Conditioner
8. Air dry
9. Flat Iron
Pros:
- Smooths the hair cuticles
- Little goes a long way
- Provides moisture
- Softens hair
- Hair feels stronger/reinforced
- Expensive for size!
- Small bottle
Price: $38.00 CAD 3.3 fl oz. /100ml
Hairlicious Rating:
(5/5) Excellent ![About [span]me[/span]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJ-OsqTpjwUx6WGVITW4ZgfpwWcy6ohcmxzywksod6SoNT833CkUghcABUDw6R5szEcgPNIy1G8Hz3TZDw_yvDpGTORLApguLMsj7oKRJufcX5-bwtMQWEBhtLb-vkx_kfMSMIuMsMp4/s1600/Untitled+design-6.png)
