...and of course, a couple updated hair pictures too! Thanks for watching xoxo!!

S M O O T H❕Nothing like fresh flat ironed hair💕 ▫️ #flatironedhair #relaxedhair #relaxedhairjourney #seduflatiron

A post shared by Sunshyne☀️ (@hairlicious) on Apr 20, 2018 at 6:28am PDT

I recently flat ironed my hair and posted a photo on my Instagram account. I got a ton of DM's regarding the products I used and how was I able to get my hair so smooth and straight! Not to worry, I will share all the details below.

First things first, I don't flat iron often! I flat iron typically 1-2x with every relaxer, which is every 10-12 weeks. I maintain my flat ironed style for approximately 5-7 days. I maintain my straight look by lightly moisturizing the very ends of my hair (no oil as it would weigh it down) and wrapping it every night with a satin scarf.

....now on to the products I use:



1. Small wide tooth comb - I use the small wide tooth comb AFTER I use the big wide tooth comb. This helps to remove any tangles that I may have missed with the big wide tooth comb. This comb also helps to ensure shed hair is removed. I use the tail part of the comb for parting and sectioning my hair.

2. Big wide tooth comb - After I wash, deep condition and air dry my hair, I thoroughly detangle with this seamless wide tooth comb to remove tangles. It works like a charm!

4. Hair Clips - These clips help to section off my hair so that I can focus on one section at a time. I use about 2-3 clips every time I flat iron. It's a must.

5. Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protectant - This right here is the BUSINESS!! This heat protectant not only protects my strands from heat damage but it really smooths out my cuticles allowing them to lay flat after I'm done flat ironing! It doesn’t weigh my hair down AT ALL!! It actually leaves it light and fluffy.  The scent is so light and refreshing - like a fruity/floral scent - making my hair smell so fresh and clean. It has made its mark in my straightening routine and it's not going anywhere!

6. ORS Olive Oil Edge Control - The last step! This edge control is perfect for laying down my edges. I get great hold for hours with no residue or flakes. I love it!

7. Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm - This moisturizing treatment is the PERFECT treatment for bringing out smooth, moisturized yet strong hair for a bomb flat iron. No joke! This deep treatment smooths my hair like no other making the cuticle lay flat. The slip assists in detangling my strands in prep for flat ironing. First I shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo, then I follow up with this treatment for 5-10 minutes in the shower. I rinse and then move on to my leave-in conditioner and heat protectant (pictured above) - that's it. My flat ironed hair is moisturized, strengthened, smoothed and frizz-free as a result of this treatment balm! I can't see my straightening routine without it!!

Oh! You're probably wondering, "Don't you blow dry your hair ?" Well I don't blow dry my hair unless I'm several weeks post relaxer, otherwise I just air dry and then flat iron. The way I look at it is that my hair is already straight, why add more heat to it? Too, by skipping the blow drying step I get way more volume in my hair.


*Not pictured*: My One and Only Argan Oil! I use a small amount of product per section prior to flat ironing for extra smoothness and sheen. Not to mention, it's anti-frizz protection holds up very well. It works perfectly every time!


There you have it! What products/tools are essential in your straightening routine?

Weeks ago I asked my followers on Instagram (@hairlicious) what Blog topics they would be interested in knowing more about and the first question was:

 "What are your top tips for retaining length on relaxed hair?" See below.

Now tell me, what's a hair journey without retaining length? It wouldn't be much of a hair journey if there's no movement in the length of your hair - right? Of course! If you can't hold on to the new length, something is wrong. But if you're like many, retaining length can be a struggle, rest assured, I will provide you with my "tried and true" gems that have helped me over the years!

[Please note there are no miracle products that will make you retain length. It's all about the methods and techniques you incorporate daily, weekly and monthly into your regimen.]

First things first, length retention starts with the care and protection of your ends and strands overall. The condition of your ends will determine the amount of length you retain. Here are my 7 Steps For Retaining Length On Relaxed Hair:

Step #1 - Moisturize and Seal!
One of the most important things you can incorporate into your hair journey is moisturizing and sealing your ends - Period! The ends of your hair are the oldest part of your hair, and not to mention, easily prone to dryness. Hair that is dry and brittle will snap and break off, thus leading to shorter hair. Using a water based moisturizer and sealing with an oil will lock the moisture into the hair increasing elasticity; therefore, preventing dryness and breakage. Breakage is the #1 cause for not retaining length; therefore, it's best to prevent it from happening in the first place. My advice is to moisturize your hair anytime it feels dry, rough, brittle etc. Remember, Dryness = breakage = shorter hair.

Step #2 - Hide Your Hair! 
By keeping your ends protected and away from the elements i.e. weather, harsh fabrics etc. your ends can remain healthy and strong. Look to incorporate buns, braids, updo's, weaves, wigs etc. into your regimen, if possible, as a way to preserve your ends. Protecting your ends will not only prevent moisture from escaping the hair but also keep the ends reinforced and preserved by not exposing it to the elements. My advice is to protective style 99% of the time, if you are just starting out your hair journey or have a specific goal that you are trying to attain, in order to retain length.  Oh don't forget, always tie your hair at night with a silk or satin scarf and/or bonnet to prevent your hair from drying out!

Step #3 - Deep Condition!
Deep conditioning with heat is the foundation to any healthy hair journey. Deep conditioning for at least 25-30 minutes with heat (steamer, hooded dryer, heat cap etc.) restores strength and increases elasticity making the hair manageable and fortified to resist damage i.e. breakage. The hair is nourished from the inside out. Strong hair = less breakage = increased length retention. Maintaining a proper moisture/protein balance is crucial to achieve strong yet moisturized hair aiding in better length retention. My advice for those looking to increase their length retention quickly, incorporate deep conditioning into your regimen 2x/week with heat for 30 minutes mixed with Avocado oil, Coconut oil and Olive oil (3 Penetrating Oils that fortify the hair preventing damage). You will see a big difference!

Step #4 Leave Your Hair Alone! 
Low manipulation is key in successfully retaining length.  Put down the comb, hot comb, flat iron, blow dryer and just let your hair be. No, seriously! The less you do to it, the better. Opt for finger combing, that way you don't loose hair unnecessarily. Incorporate no heat/protective styles into your regimen i.e. buns, braid outs, twist outs, perm rods, weaves, braids etc. to give your hair a b r e a k. If you need to comb your hair, use a wide tooth comb to do so, but finger detangle first! I finger comb my hair daily and detangle on wash days - which is twice a week. Less manipulation i.e combing, styling etc. prevents the loss of protein in the hair and reinforces the integrity of the strands over time resulting in better length retention. Trust me LESS is MORE!

Step #5 Listen To Your Hair!
I hate to break it to you, but if this skill isn't developed, the success of your hair journey is at risk. Why? Because if you fail to listen to your hair when it reacts to certain products, the health of your hair could suffer causing a setback. My advice to you is if you notice your hair is dry - moisturize it! If you notice your hair is extremely limp - do a protein treatment! If you notice that your hair breaks easily to the touch - do a moisture treatment! Sit back and listen to your hair, it will speak to YOU and guide YOU to longer tresses, just trust the process.

Step #6 Don't Overlap!
Overlapping is a term used to describe when you apply fresh relaxer on top of previously relaxed hair. This is OVERKILL on your relaxed strands – don’t do it! Why? Because your creating a weak point in your strands which will become dull and excessively brittle leading to breakage = shorter hair! It's important to let the new growth grow out to at least 1" before you do a touch up. Relaxing your hair every 4-6 weeks is simply too short of a time frame for enough new growth to appear. My advice is to stretch your relaxers to at least 10-12 weeks (or more) giving you more than enough new growth to work with for a touch up. By doing this, you can clearly see where the line of demarcation is to apply your relaxer. For extra measures, I like to protect my previously relaxed hair with conditioner or a thick oil to prevent possible overlapping. Applying the conditioner to the length of my hair also prevents "relaxer-run-off" (the length of your hair being processed by the relaxer during rinse out) which can lead to thinning and breakage.

Step #7 Don't Overprocess!
Leaving relaxer on way too long, longer than the recommended time on your relaxer jars, is considered over-processing. Going past the suggested time frame can make your hair overly straight, harm your scalp and make you prone to breakage i.e. shorter hair. Sitting with relaxer on your hair like its conditioner is not the way to go! Over-processed hair tends to be thin and extremely weak (remember your new growth eventually becomes your ends as your hair grows so treat it with care). I apply and smooth my relaxers in 20-25 minutes. I don't sit with it in my hair. As soon as I'm done, I immediately hop in the shower, rinse thoroughly, and proceed to neutralize for 20 minutes. I can always expect straight hair with texture left over. Because there's texture is left over in my hair, my strands are stronger and thicker resulting in better length retention.

That's it! I incorporated all steps into my regimen early in my hair journey and they never failed me. I swear by each and every one of the steps listed above as without them my hair wouldn't thrive, be healthy and retain length. I hope this was helpful!

Finally it's h e r e!!

My wash day routine is L I V E on my YouTube Channel! This highly requested video will show my entire step by step process. I did a poll on my Instagram Stories and 92% stated that they would like to see my wash day routine, so here it is.

I've been following this wash day process for the past 7-8 years without fail.  I complete this process on Sundays (once a week, every week). I always apply my protein treatments on dry hair (for better absorption) with heat, shampoo it out, follow up with a moisturizing deep conditioner (mixed with oils) and then my leave-in conditioner. I do the scarf method - while air drying - until completely dry.

This routine has been working for me and my relaxed hair. I swear by all of the products that I use. On a few occasions I will substitute my conditioners and swap them out with other protein and moisturizing deep conditioners just to experiment :)

Products used in video:

Step 1: Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor and Virgin Coconut Oil (2 tsp)

Step 2: Keracare Sulfate Free Shampoo with Scalp Invigorator (Be sure to get yours for 50% off using discount code: HAIRLISTA5)

Step 3: Keracare Humecto Creme Conditioner mixed with Avocado Oil (1tsp), Coconut Oil (1tsp) and Olive Oil (1tsp)

Step 4: Creme of Nature Argan Buttermilk Hair Milk Leave-in Conditioner and Jojoba Oil

Step 5: Satin Scarf

That's it - Enjoy!




Thanks for watching :)