Produces a rich lather to remove excess oil from the hair and scalp without stripping. Lightly conditions. Decreases interfiber friction to ease wet and dry combing. Repairs damaged areas and fly-away split ends. Moisturizes. Excellent for relaxed, permed or color-treated hair. Sulfate-free

Directions:
Wet hair thoroughly. Rub shampoo between palms and gently massage into a lather. Rinse and repeat. Proceed to deep condition with affirm or Keracare conditioner of choice.
Ingredients:
Water, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, Trideceth-7 Carboxylic acid, Cocamide MIPA, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Polysorbate 20, Glycolstearate, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Citric acid, Fragrance, Tetrasodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Alpha Isomethyl Lonone, Yellow #5 (CI 19140).

Truth:


Purchase: Keracare Hydrating Detangling Sulfate-free Shampoo - https://amzn.to/2BpzxF4

Thanks for watching!

Happy Relaxer Day!

Don't you just love when this day rolls around? I love when relaxer day comes because #1, it resets my relaxer stretch and #2 it gives me a fresh start with no new growth to "baby" for several weeks. LOL. So, I ended my relaxer stretch at 12 weeks post and I got a trim! Can you believe its been 5 months since my hair cut? Time really does fly.
Today, I wanted to share with you 'Why I Don't Relax Bone Straight' and the benefits of not doing so.  I get comments/questions/messages from people who think I'm texlaxed because of the fullness of my hair - but I'm not. Again, just to clarify, I'm relaxed but not entirely bone-straight. Relaxed hair does N O T and should not be 100% bone-straight!

You see, I believe relaxed hair should be relaxed at 85-90% leaving some room for texture to remain in the strands. The whole point of relaxing is to relax the curl pattern so that it's straight but not to the point where the hair is stick thin, lifeless, limp and over-processed.

In fact, back when I first began my healthy hair journey, I noticed that many of the ladies who I admired had thick, long, healthy relaxed hair and they all had ONE of many things in common...they relaxed their hair leaving a tad bit of texture behind!!! To be clear, they were not texlaxed, but they had just enough wave/texture so that it wasn't super 100% straight. You get me? This was a HUGE game changer for me and the turning point in achieving healthier relaxed hair. Since that tip was shared with me, I never looked back!

OMGosh, flash back!

I remember, prior to my hair journey, when my hairdresser used to apply each and every one of my relaxers from root to tip and make me sit in the relaxer like a deep conditioner until my hair and ends were SUPER straight. I cringe just thinking about it - such a HOT MESS! Of course, my hair was thin, lifeless, constantly breaking and excessively dry!! I thought it was normal for relaxed hair to have those characteristics. I didn't know any better :(



But as the saying goes "when you know better, you do better" - so let's fast forward.

Now that I self-relax (with the help of my sister) I control what relaxer strength I use, how long I leave my relaxer on for, how often I smooth/comb my new growth, my neutralizing process, how I protect my previously relaxed hair etc. which all play a key role in how straight my relaxed hair will become while preserving the texture and health in my hair.

Top 5 Contributors as to Why My Relaxed Hair Isn't Bone Straight:

1. Using a Lye relaxer - Lye relaxers provide a low degree of hair bond breakage that preserves the natural strength and elasticity in the hair. Lye relaxers tend to me more harsh on the scalp than on the hair. Less bond breakage = more structure, fullness and strength remaining in the strands.

2. Using a normal strength relaxer - Normal strength relaxers tend to process the hair slower but perfect enough to achieve my desired straightness. I don't recommend extra stretch relaxers as they are formulated to process the hair quickly increasing the chances of over-processing the hair.

3. Limited smoothing and combing of my new growth - I smooth twice in the front, smooth 3x's in the back & comb twice in the back to ensure my hair gets straight enough and not over-processed. This gives me approximately 85-90% straightness.

4. Not leaving the relaxer on for over 25 mins - I finish my relaxer process usually at the 22-23 minute mark. I don't like to leave my relaxer on longer than that out of fear of it being "too straight". This amount of processing time is perfect for me as I'm able to apply the relaxer all over, smooth, and comb with no fuss.

5. Neutralizing in 3 phases - Taking my time to neutralize my roots for a total of 20 mins ensures all of the relaxer is out of my hair and it's no longer processing my roots. During this process I also notice that the texture of my roots begin to re-appear.



As you see in the picture above, there's a slight wave/texture remaining in my roots post relaxer day. To some, this may be horrific and an alarming state of panic because the "relaxer didn't take"; however, this makes me happy to know that there's texture remaining in my strands. Once you're over-processed, there's no turning back from that!

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Relaxer stretch reset to 0 weeks post! Fresh relaxer💁🏾‍♀️💕 P.s. it’s been 5 months since my hair cut💇🏾‍♀️ ▫️ #relaxer #relaxerupdate #relaxerday #relaxedhair #relaxedhairgrows #naturalhair #naturalhairrocks #relaxedhairstyles #teamrelaxed #relaxedhaircommunity #relaxedhaircare #relaxedhairjourney #trimmedends #healthyhairjourney #longhair

A post shared by Sunshyne☀️ (@hairlicious) on Sep 25, 2019 at 8:08am PDT

This is probably the MOST frequently asked question I receive on a daily/weekly basis and - of course - it’s a valid one too. Unfortunately, many still perceive relaxed hair to be "thin", "stringy" and "limp".


While thinning and "chewed-up ends" was a common thing to witness in Relaxed hair decades ago (see above), I would say this perception is no longer the norm.  The perception that equates Relaxed hair to being thin,  pre-dates the era of ladies embarking on a Relaxed hair journey and taking the time to understand their hair, its needs etc. Nowadays, Relaxed hair automatically equating to T H I N hair is faaaaar from the truth - with the help of proper care of course!

In my opinion, obtaining and maintaining a thick Relaxed hair ponytail, or hair in general, is never accomplished by just doing “one” thing. I believe a combination of multiple things done frequently attributed to the fullness of my Relaxed hair and ends. Below, I share with you all of the healthy hair habits that I've instilled into my hair regimen contributing to my thick and healthy Relaxed hair ponytail.

1. Washing and Deep conditioning weekly - Words cannot express how important it is to deep condition your hair on a consistent basis. I know you hear it time-and-time again, but it's no joke!! For me, washing and deep conditioning on a weekly basis (using heat i.e. hooded dryer and steamer) has been a game changer. My hair gets a weekly dose of moisture and protein which helps in nourishing my strands to withstand breakage preventing damage and it increases the fullness of my strands. Also, using the 3 penetrating oils (Avocado, Coconut and Olive oil) mixed with a few of my deep conditioners has really helped to strengthen and preserve my hair cuticle from the inside out - which equals fuller healthier hair.

2. Incorporating protein in my regimen frequently - Since I began incorporating more protein (balanced with moisture) into my regimen, my hair has increased in thickness by far! Being scared of protein, to the point of never using it in your regimen, will set you up for a serious setback. Facts! Protein is great because it causes the hair shaft to swell in diameter; therefore, increasing the overall thickness of your Relaxed strands. Protein treatments fortify my hair preventing breakage. So less breakage = more hair on my head = fuller looking hair and pony overall. I always look for "Hydrolyzed protein" in my protein treatments/DC's. Hydrolyzed keratin and Hydrolyzed collagen are my favourites. Every time I do a protein treatment, I always follow up with a moisturizing treatment to soften and hydrate my hair. Balance is key!

3. Keeping my ends trimmed - Having a ponytail with "chewed-up" ends is neverrr a good look!  I maintain my ends on a cycle that works for me. I notice that when I trim every 10-12 (essentially quarterly) my ends remain at its fullest! Incorporating this "preventative maintenance" trimming schedule catches thinning or split ends before they get worse without having to do a big cut months later (better to be proactive than reactive). When I trim every 3 months, my ends remain full, my ponytail looks and feels thicker and my hair hangs better. Never skimp on your trims, your ‘future-self’ will thank you for it.

4. Moisturizing and sealing frequently - Let's just be clear, oils do NOT moisturize the hair. Period. Oils cannot hydrate the hair, only water based products can. It's important that all moisturizer's have water as the first ingredient. I personally prefer water based moisturizers that have a liquid-y consistency, typically containing Glycerin, and I seal with Jojoba oil. I moisturize and seal daily, if not every other day. Moisturizing and sealing has increased the elasticity and fullness in my strands due to the increased moisture levels. Increased moisture levels = prevents breakage = less thinning = fuller hair. Just being consistent with this simple hair habit has kept more hair on my head and less on my clothes, bathroom counter and floor.


5. Stretching and using a "Normal" strength relaxer - Relaxing at 10-12 weeks post Relaxer has always been beneficial for my hair and hair type. Stretching out my Relaxers gives my new growth a chance to grow in fully and become "visible" enough to apply the Relaxer touch up to my new growth ONLY. Relaxing sooner, with no visible new growth, can cause overlapping (relaxing previously relaxed hair) which can lead to over-processed hair which causes thinness, breakage and overall damage to your Relaxed hair. So avoiding the entire over-lapping and over-processing drama, has allowed my strands to remain at its fullest. Also, Normal strength relaxers process slower, in comparison to Extra strength. Slower processing time translates to more texture remaining in the hair after a relaxer touch up. More texture = fuller, thicker hair & ponytail.

6. I prevent "Relaxer run off" - I do no relax my new growth without my ends being protected from the Relaxer. Relaxer run-off is a term used to describe the process of when you are rinsing out the relaxer and the possibility of the relaxer "re-relaxing" your strands/ends as it's being rinsed from the hair.  As mentioned before, Relaxing previously Relaxed hair can cause over-processing which, of course, leads to thinness and breakage. I always protect the length of my hair from Relaxer run- off by creating a barrier between my hair and the Relaxer. I always coat my ends with ROUX Porosity control and DAX (petroleum based hair grease) for maximum protection. This layer of protection prevents the Relaxer from penetrating and processing my ends. As a result, my ends remain full!

7. Doing Scalp massages - After wash days, I typically like to massage my scalp with Jamaican Black Castor oil. I find that massaging my scalp with JBCO, in a gentle circular motion, stimulates my scalp and increases the blood flow to my hair follicles. As a result, I noticed that my hair growth rate has sped up and the density of my hair has increased for an overall thicker ponytail.

8. I Protective style weekly - Approximately 4 days of of the week my hair is in a safe protective style. By safe I mean a style that will not negatively impact the health of my hair/ends i.e. bun, clipped up etc. I rock protective styles so that my hair is off of my shoulders and not rubbing back-and-forth against the fabric of my clothing (causing friction, tangles, dryness etc.). This simple hair habit, preserves the healthy of my ends as they are shielded from the elements. Too, the moisture levels remain higher in my hair as opposed to having my hair loose and hang down (my hair will lose moisture quicker). More moisture = less breakage= less thinning = fuller ponytail!

Hey loves! I’m close to 8 weeks post relaxer and during this time I like to keep my new growth soft, manageable and my ends tucked away.

approximately 8 weeks post relaxer!

Today, I’ll be showing you how I do my “ends tucked under” bun protective style. I've shown this look before on my Blog and Instagram and since then I've received a lot of requests to do a tutorial. It's finally here :)

This is a really simple look that I like to do every-so-often. When I wear this bun my hair retains moisture, my ends are not exposed to the elements and my hair is off my shoulders in a cute, chic look!

Products Used:

Scurl No Drip Curl Activator - Moisturizer

Keracare Essential Oils - Sealant

Eco styler Olive oil + Black Castor Oil Gel - Smooth down edges

Check out my tutorial below on how to achieve this look!
Thanks for watching :)

Feeling really humbled right now to hit this milestone💫

Words can’t even begin to express the gratitude and appreciation I have for each and every one of my subscribers! No seriously, you guys are dope! From your overly generous compliments to your desire for more videos and quick sassy clapbacks towards natural nazis'...you guys have my back forreal - I'm honoured and grateful!


Your love and continued support does not go unnoticed. HUGE thanks to everyone who engages with me and my content - those who watch, like, share and comment under all my videos. I truly love and enjoy our conversations. Thank you! WE did thisssss!!!

To another 50K *cheers*