Valerie's Potion mixture- my version-->not going so well

I recently did a post about Valerie's potion for hair growth, so this will just be somewhat of a follow up.

I haven't used it yet, my woes right now are about the process of making it.

I need help.

So I did everything she asked for with the exception of the black tea. I wasn't exactly sure if the tea I bought qualified as black tea but I used it anyway. My mother heard about my five hour plan with her oven and decided she was not having it :( sooooo I went to my trusted friend, Google, to seek an alternate method. What I found was that Valerie's method is not exactly something new that she figured out. Many have been infusing cayenne pepper with oils for years and obtaining growth. The difference though is that Valerie infuses hers in one day with heat, and others infuse it for ten days, with no heat in a dark container.

I decided to try the oven thing anyway, but about an hour into it I thought that the mixture was burning because I used less ingredients than what Valerie used. I scaled my stuff down to 4oz because that was all the castor oil I had (bummer :/)

So since I thought it was burning I took it out and decided to continue with the no heat infusion.

That in itself could be a huge mistake, but we'll see. I'm still gonna use my oil because I don't intend to waste all my castor oil. the pepper should still help with stimulation I suppose.

Hair Update

So since my hair was feeling dry no matter how much moisturizing and sealing I did, I did the overnight pre-poo and then I did a co-wash in the morning. I had all intentions of doing a protein deep conditioning treatment with the olive oil hair mayonnaise, but I totally forgot about it. :/ I didn't even remember till I was almost done sealing with the shea butter.

My hair, however, feels much better now, so I guess I'll do my deep conditioning on my next wash day.

Shopping day!!!

I went to the health store today and then to the beauty supply store, and I got goodies :)

I bought:    (see product tab for complete product collection)

a new V05 Conditioner because I left the other one in my dad's car in the US

Carrot oil Conditioning Hair cream: this cream is awesome, it has Soybean oil, Coconut Oil, Castor oil, Avocado oil, almond oil, Peanut oil, Vegetable oil, Carrot oil, Vitamin E and lemon oil.


















Creme of Nature Argan oil Intensive Conditioning Treatment: Argan oil from Morocco strengthens, imparts moisture and prevents hair breakage.

























Hair Scissors:  for dusting

Spray bottle


And at the health store I bought unrefined 100% Castor oil.

Why is it dry????

I'm at home in this lovely hot weather and I'm not complaining.

BUT....

I really do not understand why my hair feels so dry even though it is drenched every night in moisture (ORS olive oil moisturizer or Herbal Essences Split Ender protecter)and sealants (coconut oil or shea butter).

(buckwheat from little rascals)

lol this is what I feel like...smh back to the post...

I just don't get it....


so I plan to do a overnight pre-poo with some conditioner and then do a wash in the morning. I will also do some research on how to take care of my hair in really hot weather, I hope i find blogs from people who live in constantly hot temperatures.

Thanks for reading, HHJ! :)

Shea butter and Valerie's potion that works for hair growth

Hey,  tomorrow is the day!!! :D

I'm going home my flight is supposed to leave way early in the morning so I definitely wont be sleeping until I'm settled on the plane (sorry for whoever is beside me because I'm prone to snoring lol).

Anyway,  I went to Harlem today and usually when I go there, there are always some people on the streets selling natural products. So I decided to pick up some shea butter.

To be honest I was a little unsure about how to use it but I know it is absolutely good for you hair and skin so  I purchased it. It was only $3 and the bigger container was only $5 ..love the cheapness.

this is the size of the small container:

this amount should be enough for me. So while reading about shea butter and watching YouTube videos I learned that it can be used as a sealant, it can be used in the deep conditioning process and it can be used to control edges naturally.

While on YouTube I found a woman (OhValerieMonCherie) who made her own version of black castor oil and her growth is AWESOME!!!

Like after watching it I definitely am going to try to make some of her potion since I'll be at home and have access to an oven and the products. Her hair growth in four months was phenomenal. I really hope it works for me too because I really want to see a vast improvement in my hair's thickness and length before its time to back to school.

You can check out her length check video here

Go ahead and watch how she makes the "potion" in her other videos

Quick Update!

This post is just to quickly comment on how little shedding I have been experiencing since I started using the raw garlic in my conditioner. Maybe the MSM capsules have something to do with it also, but the point is that my hair is not shedding! yaay!

by the way It's just 3 more days till i go back home to sweet Jamaica!! :)

Maybe the heat will do my hair some good...and I think I'll have to tweak my hair routine a little to fit the climate.

Any changes will definitely be recorded here.

Thank you for reading! HHJ!

Back on the hair stuff!

Hey!! Finals are over!!! That means I have no school till August *cue happy dance*.

So that means I'm now back in New York till I get back to Jamaica. I can't wait to be home in the warmth.

On the bad side though, I moved out of my dorm today and I think I left my biotin tablets at school :/ I  guess I'll have to buy some more, but I'm not sure when daddy will take me to get some so I don't know When I'll get them. That sucks because I need to be consistent with these supplements for them to work right??

Well I'll just keep taking my other supplements and do my hair routines.

After the deep conditioner

This is how my hair looked after applying the leave-ins

it's coming along I think :)

this is the texture my hair has, it curls up at the ends because I went through a phase where I wanted to transition to natural but I didn't know how to take care of my hair. The hair dresser didn't relax the natural parts of my hair properly so now this is how my ends ended up.

Deep Conditioner day!!

Hey, I got a new pack of ORS Replenishing Pak, so I will be using it tonight for my weekly deep conditioner.

I didn't do my pre-poo because I really have to get some work done tonight. I figured it wouldn't be that bad if I didn't do it since I'm doing a co-wash.

I started by saturating my hair with the garlic conditioner mix, I then let it stay on my hair for about 30 mins.

this is what it looks like now 

after the 30 mins is up, I will rinse then use my V05 Balancing Conditioner.

Then I will deep condition with the Replenishing Pak

After that I'll just add my leave-ins which can be seen on the   products I use page

Then I will of course air dry.

Thanks for reading :)

Blog Change

Hey I've been trying to find a blog template/design that i like for my blog, so if you visit my blog and see it looking different each time you visit don't be alarmed lol.....I'm just not sure what it should look like yet


btw suggestions are always welcomed :)


in the mean time check out the stupid stuff my friends & I do when bored :D

My Regimen

Hey,


This post will just explain what products I use and the regimen I feel most comfortable with so far.

Products:

Pre-poo-  Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair lotion

                       Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Shampoo- V05 Herbal Escapes Clarifying Shampoo (kiwi lime squeeze)

Conditioners-Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Conditioner (with raw garlic added by me)
                      V05 Herbal Escapes Balancing Conditioner (sun kissed raspberry)
                       Paul MitchellInstant Moisture Daily treatment

Deep Conditioners- Moisture Max Olive Oil Hair Mayonnaise Deep conditioning treatment
                                Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Pak Deep Penetrating Conditioner
                              
Leave-ins-     Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Split end Protector

Moisturize/seal -  Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Split end Protector
                       Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair lotion
                       Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Regimen


moisturize and seal every night before bed
greenhouse effect overnight as often as I can
co-wash 2x per week
deep condition 1x per week
shampoo 1x per month
protein treatment every 3weeks (or whenever I think I need it based on how my hair feels)
*I do not use heat on my hair too much. Unless I have an event or something which deems it necessary*




*this is just what has been working for my hair so far...I'm not sure how my regimen will work for another person.


Thanks for reading :)

Co-Wash day with Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Treatment

So I bought Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Treatment to try it out after hearing so much about Paul Mitchell from Jenni @ Just Grow Already.

I am using Head & Shoulders moisturizing conditioner that I added raw garlic to. I will leave on the product for about 15mins then rinse. I will use V05 Herbal Escapes Balancing Conditioner for added softness and to eliminate the garlic smell.

I will then add the Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Treatment, massage into the hair then rinse.

after that I'll just put my leave-ins and coconut oil, I wont be able to use the blow-dryer (on cool setting of course) on my hair because I have a class at 5:30.

the next time I co-wash I will  deep condition my hair.

Thanks for reading :)

Moisture Max Olive Oil hair mayonnaise concerns

Hey so today was wash day, I did my regular 1hour pre-poo with coconut oil and a plastic cap.

I then conditioned my hair with my Head n' Shoulders conditioner that I added raw garlic to. The garlic smells really bad I might add but many have said that it is good for hair.

Then I conditioned with VO5 Herbal Escapes Balancing Conditioner, I figured it would add extra softness and take away the garlic smell.

I ran out of my regular ORS Replenishing Pak deep conditioner,  but I have Moisture Max Olive Oil hair mayonnaise deep conditioning treatment. I was wondering if it was ok for me to use this deep conditioner because it has egg protein and when I did my last relaxer about two weeks ago I used the keratin treatment they included in the relaxer package. I'm not sure if I should be putting another protein product in so soon.

I guess if it comes out good then I'll be ok but I don't want to do something bad to my hair because many bloggers and hair forum people discourage excessive protein treatments.

After this I will do a good moisture treatment to try to help it out if it becomes too dry from the protein.

After that I'll jus air-dry as usual then go back to my trusty bun.


HHJ
Thanks for reading :)

Is It Growing Yet?? Is It Breaking?? My hair rant :/

I was really depressed about my hair just now so I had to do a post.

Its been a little over a month since I started this hair journey and I think maybe I'm a little caught up in my hair. I'm not sure if I'm being too obsessive, but to be honest sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed.

Sometimes my hair will come out when I use my wide tooth comb and I'm not sure if its too much hair or if its ok and if I'm worrying too much....I don't know.

I think I may have to change my hair clips because of the hair on the band when I take it out of a bun. Also, sometimes my hair seems so thin (I do not know if that's just in my mind )

idk if you can see the hairs 

Another thing, how long is this journey gonna take? :/

I just need some help/encouragement I think....maybe I am expecting too much too soon....

New Makeup Train case

Hey!

I got a new makeup train case from my friends for my birthday :D...I love  it!!!!

now all I need to do is improve my makeup collection :)

3in6 Challenge

So I have been reading scouring blogs different blogs and I found hairandhealth.blogspot.com. I saw this challenge on her blog and decided to give it a try. So I'll have to tweak this challenge since i found it late so my end month will have to be October and I wont be doing twists because I'm relaxed. I'm assuming the twists suggestion was for natural hair. Anyway, wish me luck!!

3in6 Challenge Rules

For the first post, read here.

--------------
To all the challengers (and interested readers), be sure tobookmark this post!

Purpose of this challenge: To retain 2-3 inches of growth in 6 months.

Challenge period: February 1 - August 1, 2011

Guidelines:
1. Eat fresh vegetables or fruits with each meal.
2. Take a daily multivitamin.
3. Drink sufficient water.
(Amt of water in oz. = Your weight in lbs * 0.5)
4. Wear twists or braids 2-4 weeks at a time.
5. No direct heat.
6. Pre-poo with coconut oil for 20 minutes.
7. Absolutely no trimming.  (Start with a fresh cut now if need be.)

Allowances:
Each challenger is allowed two 1-week periods of styling her hair as she pleases (e.g., puff, rollerset, etc.).

For documentation of your length retention:
- Notebook/journal or camera
- Ruler/measuring tape

Tips on wearing twists/braids long term:
- Do not twist/braid too tightly
- Redo the perimeter weekly or biweekly.
- Deep condition & detangle thoroughly prior to twisting or braiding.
- For more tips, check out posts in the twist series

The Challenge begins February 1st!  Start preparing.

(taken from hairandhealth.blogspot.com  )

Moisturizing and Sealing: nightly routine

I said I would do a post about the products I used last night, but I spontaneously decided to go to my dad's house in New York for the weekend and I didn't take my wash day products with me.

So all I can do today is a 'moisturize and seal' post.

So these are the products I use to moisturize:

then coconut oil to seal

I do it in sections like this

Then I put my hair up in little buns like this

In the morning it doesn't come out straight, but I don't mind because my hair goes in buns almost every day because I'm trying to protect my ends as much as possible.

If my hair touches my cotton shirt when I wear it out, I become super paranoid and think that my hair breaking off with every turn of my head......yea I'm kinda crazy lol

I really need to accomplish this goal though.

Thanks for reading :)