How acid water will make my hair and skin absolutely beautiful

A few posts ago, I hinted a little bit about my new-found gem.  This new addition to my hair product arsenal is a really big deal.  I am beyond excited!   It all started with a recent visit to my local alkaline water supplier.  For those of you who aren't familiar, alkaline water is said to be a healthier alternative to most of the water we drink which tends to land at a neutral pH  level.

This matters because our bodies are said to be at a healthier state when it has a slightly alkaline pH.  When our internal bodies are alkaline, the likelihood of ideal health is much more attainable.  Unfortunately, the foods we commonly eat and the stressful environment we live in, promotes an acidic internal environment.  For this reason, many have looked to alkaline water as a suitable aid to achieving a healthier ecosystem.  I've been drinking alkaline water on and off for a while now but there was a time when I hardly drank it because my nearest supplier shut down early last year.  Since then I've located another specialty water shop and now I'm back on track to bringing nourishing water into my life.

Alkaline water is great and all but what I'm really amped up about is alkaline's evil twin "acidic water."

O.k, I'm being a little dramatic when I say "evil twin" because acidic water isn't evil at all.  As a matter of fact, acidic  (or beauty) water can highly beneficial to us.  As I stated before, our internal environment thrives at a slightly alkaline pH. Our external bodies do well when it's more acidic.  This means our skin, eyes, and (yes) hair.  

Some of you old timers to this blog may have remember this post on the proper pH balance for hair.  In it I described how the cuticle layer of our hair responds directly to the pH of the environment.  At an alkaline pH,  (like when we touch up our hair) the cuticle layers open, creating a rough surface.  When the environment is acidic, the cuticle layers will constrict which creates smoother, softer hair.  

At a cost less than a gallon of milk, this acidic water is a steal when you think about the benefits I will receive overall.  When I first brought my gallon home, I immediately began using the water to wash my face.  As some of you many know, I'm on a skin care journey that will ultimately lead me to having glorious skin.  Eliminating gluten and receiving a couple of professional facials have been a great help for my skin.  Adding the acidic water is like the icing on the cake.  In the pics below, I have on no makeup.  In the past, I would rarely take bare faced pics without attempting to camouflage the dark spots and acne. 

One big difference in my skin since using the acid water, is smoothness.  My skin looked brighter and healthier after my just first experience.   Of course my skin isn't perfect but I'm just estatic about that I'm seeing so far. For years I've been applying ACV on a cotton ball to help treat the dermatitis that was appearing on my skin. I know that this acid water will work perfectly with what I'm currently doing to compliment my skin and scalp care regimen. 

I've had one experience using acidic water on wash day which was four days prior to these pics being taken.  I did everything as I normally do except I conducted my final rinse using the acidic water.  Instead of just pouring the water over my head and allowing it to flow down the drain, I added the water, in small amounts at a time, and massaged it into my strands as much as possible. 

The biggest difference I noticed overall was softness and moisture.  I wouldn't say that this water sealed my strands perfectly.  That's probably because, according to the guy I brought it from, the pH level of this water is somewhere between 5.5 and 6.0.  If I could have my way, I would have liked the water to be slightly more acidic.  But hey, beggars can't be choosers in this hair game.  I will say this, since using this water, my moisture levels have been off the chain!  So much that I think I'll incorporate some protein next wash day to balance everything out.  I'm approaching 4 months post and prior to the acidic water, I was contemplating touching up a little before I hit 5 months.  Now I think the possibility of stretching to even six months could actually happen (fingers crossed).

There are a myriad of uses for this "beauty water."  From now on, only acidic water goes into my steamer when I do facials, steam set my hair or when I'm steaming in my deep conditioner.  The look you see in the pics is after I set my hair on steam rollers using the acidic beauty water.  Normally, my hair would be set in a few short minutes. But because I was using a different type of water, the hair took longer to dry than normal.  Overwhelmed with excitement about how it would turn out, I took the rollers out a bit early (hence the frizz you see in the pics).  But oh well,  I learned from the experience and when I do it again, I'll leave the rollers in a till my hair dries completely.  

 

This acidic water excites me like none other because I believe it will be the foundation to many other wonderful things to come.  Perhaps my hair products will work better now that my hair is closer to being pH balanced.  I'm exploring the uses for this but I see much more possibilities such as a final rinse when I touch up.  Or I may use this water when I dilute my leave-in conditioner.

Hair and beauty aside, this wonderful water can also be used to rinse my veggies prior to juicing.  The water can also be used to sterilize surfaces after cleaning. The uses are endless.  I'm so glad I stumbled upon such a great find! 

My MicroMist Salon Experience: Did it live up to my expecations?

Shortly after I completed the feature on Miss Pink Pearls, I was excited to locate Kerastase products of my own so I conducted a zip code search online for the nearest retail location. The result that popped up was a salon located not too far from me. So of course I made my way over there to see about picking up some items. Being that it was my first time trying this product line, I requested that a stylist come out and walk me through the benefits of each to see which would best suit my hair needs.

While I waited for someone to surface, I visually browsed the inside of this swanky salon. I've seen it many times before but never had the opportunity to view the inside. As I was taking it all in, something immediately caught my eye. It was this weird looking steamer machine situated near the back of the salon. Intrigued, I immediately wanted to take a picture so I can find out more about this mysterious piece of equipment. After my brief consultation, I proceeded with my purchase. The ever observant receptionist noticed my purchase and graciously shared a special offer of a free (steam) treatment if I purchased a shampoo/conditioner combo. You guys know what happened next......

Fast forward a few weeks and I stumbled upon this salon in West Hollywood offering oxygen scalp therapy. My curiosity got the best of me so I immediately located someone who I could interview to learn about this process. While her answers were a bit veiled, what I got from her was that the Oxygen Therapy machine used technology that influenced the quality of the "oxygen." A little confused, I asked the lady, "so is this like a steamer?" A bit reluctant to use layman's terms, she eventually responded "yes."

That night, the first thing I did was research this magnificent steamer. I learned that it was a MicroMist steamer. Now, all of us by now should be familiar with steamers. We've discussed this topic many times on this blog. This steamer, my dears, is unlike all of them we've been exposed to whether via YouTube, hair forums, or whatever. The MicroMist steamer is the Bentley of the steamer world. Here's a brief summary describing it's benefits that you can check out. Basically, it uses ultrasonic technology to emit microscopic water particles that are better able to penetrate the strands. Plus this bad boy has the ability to release cool mist which we know can help seal the cuticle layer after the moisture has been infused. Immediately upon learning more about the MicroMist, I was ready to explore the option of purchasing one.....that is until I came across the price tag of $2,000. Y'all know I can get a little crazy sometimes with the hair related purchases but $2,000 is where I draw the line. Just before the tears of sorrow were about to well up from deep inside, I remembered that I had free treatment coupon from the Prive Salon.

Literally, the next chance I had, I went to book my appt. Part of the reason I agreed to a service at this Euro salon is because:

#1. The MicroMist steamer and

#2. They have an woman of color stylist on staff.

Prior to securing the appointment, I asked to have a face to face discussion with the stylist. I left the salon that day with a huge smile on my face because Marie was the most pleasant, accommodating stylist I ever met in my life. She put me completely at ease and let me know that my desires to keep my hair healthy during this process was her number one priority as well.

The day of my visit, I felt like I was part of the upper echelon. While sitting in the stylist chair, the salon's owner came by to offer clients chilled Mimosa drinks. Never had this experience in a salon before. Is this what it's normally like in these salons?

Another reason why I was excited for the service is because the salon uses Kerastase products, which means that I know the products will be effective and I could save the use of some of the products I have at home. Prior to my deep conditioning Marie broke out a jar of the Nutri-Thermique (which I've raved about). She used ample product on my thick, course hair and she took the time to part my hair in small sections during application while I sipped my Mimosa. What more can a girl ask for?

Then came the moment that I had been waiting for. It was as if cherubs where singing as she wheeled the MicoMist closer to me. The excitement I was feeling was disgustingly obvious. I couldn't wait to get started.

So she started off by loosely pinning my hair up placing the steamer over my hair. Next she secured the velvet cloth so there was no exit point for the steam. Most (I think all) other steamers I've seen have steaming coming from the hood that escapes out during the process. With the MicroMist, all of the steam stayed exactly where it needed to be.

The machine has numerous settings via a touch control panel located on the back of the machine. These settings could be customized according to the condition of the hair.

Ten minutes later, Marie popped back up and removed the hood to observe my hair. I too had a chance to take a look. Unlike when I do traditional steaming, my hair didn't feel hot. This is likely because the machine boil the water to produce steam like traditional steamers. Marie, decided to do an additional 10 minutes just to make sure my thick, textured hair could receive the full benefits. When she finally removed the steamer a second time, my first observation was how puffy my hair was. If was like each strand was swollen by the steam absorption. Instead of hanging downwards, it grew upwards. I take that as a good sign. Also, sometimes my hair drips when after my traditional steam treatment. This time, no sign of dripping. All the moisture was trapped in the strand. It was fabulous.

Marie then began the painstaking process of blow drying and flat ironing my hair. Mind you, my last relaxed was August and my hair has plenty o' texture in it from my use of mild relaxers. I think roller setting may have saved some time but she opted to use a different method. I was terrified of having my wet hair blow dried with a round brush. It was pretty bad when I had it done on dry hair at the Dominican Salon. I could only imagine how damaging doing it on wet hair would be. After voicing my concerns, Marie immediately switched to using a flat brush. Her blow dry technique was surprisingly gentle. The blow dryer was at a very comfortable temperature. No steam arose during the process. Marie was even gracious enough to provide tips on how I could get my hair straighter at home.

When each section was done, she began to flat iron my hair. Being the awesome stylist she is, she applied a small amount of Kerastase Fibre Architecte to each section prior to flat ironing and she showed me the temperature setting of the iron which was below 400 degrees. I think I actually love her.
When the service was completed, I skipped over to the receptionist desk like a school girl and paid for the experience. Then Marie and I walked over to a neighboring restaurant to order take out. While waiting for our orders, a customer complimented Marie on my hair as I walked to the restroom. The end result appeared similar to when I would go to the Dominican Salon but there were some notable differences.

First, my hair had a natural shine to it that was incredibly obvious. Secondly, it was baby soft to the touch and felt nourished and moisturized. I don't know if it was the steamer, the Kerastase products, or (most likely) the combination. But whatever it is, I liked it! My only concern is that I generally don't enjoy my hair being bone straight. But in this case I'll make an exception because it felt so incredibly healthy. My schedule prevented me from taking pics right away so I apologize to all of you for not fulfilling my duty to post fresh from the salon pics as any decent blogger would do. I believe these was taken a week after my salon experience and my hair still felt incredibly soft. As of today, I'm nearing two weeks and even still my hair is perfectly straight and my hair feels really nice.

I still wish I had my own MicroMist that I could have to use weekly. The salon experience, while great, is still more manipulation and heat that I use on a normal basis. Although I'm extremely grateful to have found Marie, I know getting my hair blow dried wet on a weekly basis will create long term results that don't align with my hair goals. I'm seriously contemplating setting up an account where I can draft a small amount of money on a regular basis so that one day, I'll have my MicroMist money sitting there waiting for me. Or perhaps, I will stumble upon a salon that is selling their equipment online due to closing or upgrading and buy the MicroMist at a fraction of the cost.

A girl can dream can't she?

Steam Deep Conditioning Video

I didn't expect it but I got quite a few comments from my steam pre-poo video. In that video, I parted the hair section by section while in front of my facial steamer. A couple people mentioned that it looked rather labor intensive. While I do agree that doing it section by section does take a lot of time and effort, it also has it's benefits.

Well now it's time to reveal how I used the same facial steamer, along with my hooded dryer, and converted it into a replica of an honest to goodness hair steamer.

You guys might remember another post from the good 'ole days when I tried, desperately to create my own version of a steamer with my caruso kit and a plastic bin. Well those days are no longer because I've now graduated from this to this:

Steam Pre-Poo Treatment Healthy Hair Video

Recently, I posted about my new and improved wash day experience ever since this facial steamer came into my life. I figured that mere text wasn't enough to detail the intricacies of readapting a facial steamer for hair benefits.

So I made a video......

Watch and enjoy!

Hydrate your hair with the nourishing qualities of steam

Heat.

Your hair's greatest enemy or your hair's best friend?

It all depends on the form the heat comes in and the method we use that heat. We all know that direct, high heat is a no-no to those of us who are in the process of creating healthy hair. High temperatures work to open the cuticle layers of the hair thereby making it susceptible to the damaging elements and, of course, dryness. As you may remember, the cuticle layer of the hair are structured in a similar way to shingles on a roof. Excessive direct heat basically leads to permanent damage to the cuticle layer. A damaged cuticle layer only leads to one result-damaged hair.

Now steam, on the other hand, works to help you intensify the moisture levels of the hair. How? By opening the cuticle to allow the deep conditioner to further penetrate. That, my friend is only one benefit of using steam in the conditioning process.
Steam, because it consists of tiny droplets of liquid water, works with your conditioner to dramatically increase your hair's moisture. When you use the power of steam while deep conditioning, you are encouraging both the nourishing properties of the conditioner and the hydrating qualities of water, to penetrate deep inside the hair shaft.

Previously, I used the "plastic cap under the dryer method" to help enhance the value of my deep conditioner. It wasn't until I found out that there were professional steamers on the market that I become unsatisfied with my practice. In my unending quest for hair perfection, I immediately realized that steam would be more beneficial to my hair than heat alone.

In an effort to curb my hair related spending, along with the need to manage the amount of space I use for hair related purposes, I decided that, for now, purchasing a professional steamer was not an option.

I spent several days wondering how I can harness the wonderful benefits of a professional steamer while using the tools that I already have at home. My answer came in the form of my Revlon steam setter and my Conair home steam facial treatment. Both of these machines could produce enough steam to help my conditioner to fully penetrate my hair. The problem I had to overcome was how I was going to "trap" the heat so it would be concentrated in one area (similar to the professional version which keeps the steam circulating within the hood). The answer to my dilemma came to me in the form of a large plastic drawer from my Rubbermaid storage caddy.

So what I did was place both of my steam machines on a table, filled them with distilled water, and positioned them close together so the steam was a bit more concentrated in one area. I then grabbed my Rubbermaid drawer and held it above my head as if it were a dryer hood (I did not use a plastic cap by the way, I allowed my hair to hang loose). The steam rose up and into my hood creating a mini sauna for both my skin and hair. I sat allowing the steam to work its magic for 20-30 minutes. At the end of the treatment, my skin glowed and my hair was poofy from all of the moisture that it absorbed.

After using this method, I completely understand why someone would shell out over $100 to achieve the super-moisturizing results on a consistent basis. My hair felt and looked incredible. Maybe someday I may give in and purchase a professional steamer but, for now, this method seemed to work well for me. If you are going to create your own home made steam treatment, please be mindful of the temperature of the water you use. I did not use boiling hot water from the stove for fear of scalding myself. The machines I used created steam that was a comfortable temperature. I did not have any safety concerns throughout the entire process. Make sure safety is your primary concern before you start to experiment.

Once you introduce steam into your weekly routine, you will never go back. Best of luck to you and your beautiful head of hair.

***After writing this post I stumbled upon a salon's site offering a mist treatment (which they claim offer better penetration because the particles are smaller than steam). They mentioned that they end their "hot mist" treatment with a cool mist to close the cuticle and trap the product inside the hair shaft producing longer results. I think I may try this next time by sitting under my dryer on the cool setting after my steam treatment.