Silicon Mix w/ Pearl Extract Review

Saturdays have become the primary day I set aside for washing and setting my hair. This Saturday was a bit more exciting than the usual, for me, because earlier in the week, I stumbled upon a new product that I was dying to try. The product isn't exactly new, its actually a new formula from the makers of one of my favorite products, Silicon Mix.

While on a recent trip to Miami, I ventured upon a newly opened beauty supply store that I could not help but explore. The shelves were barely full but that didn't stop me from gingerly strolling down the aisles in hopes of finding a special treat for my hair. The first product that caught my attention was Salerm Deep Impact moisturizing deep action mask. If it weren't for the price tag of $22.00, that product would be in my grips right now. I walked away from, and back to, the product a few times before finally deciding that this purchase was not meant to be. Looking back, I am glad I did because I just found in on Amazon for $15.00!

After tearing myself away from the Salerm mask, I found the product which eventually became my reason for stopping into the store in the first place, Silicon Mix Fortifying Hair treatment enhanced with Pearl Extract. Though pearl extract is mainly used in skin care products because of its wonderful effects on the skin, the high amounts of proteins, amino acids, minerals and micronutrients, also make it a superb ingredient to include in a hair product. Without hesitation I snatched up the smaller of the two sizes available for purchase. Next I quickly mumbled a short prayer asking God to make this product available in my city if I needed to replenish my supply.


Once my hair was thoroughly washed, I quickly reached for my latest purchase and opened the jar. The first thing that struck me as I twisted the top is the color of the conditioner. Its a light blue (I guess that goes with the pearl theme...not sure). After getting over the weird color I was introduced to its strong scent. Please be aware that this product has an extremely strong scent. The scent isn't bad, it's a mix between Febreeze blue rain air freshener and mountain breeze scented candle. I'm sure the makers had the best intentions but this stuff is really strong. I washed my hair yesterday and as of right now my hair is still scented. I don't mind it much, I just want to make you very aware of that possible side effect. If you plan on trying this product, you want to make sure to open in the store to see if you like the scent.

The texture of the product was much thicker in consistency than the regular Silicon Mix. For some reason thicker conditioners make me feel like I am applying a more potent product to my hair. Once the conditioner was in I put on a plastic shower cap and wrapped a Turbie towel around the cap then headed to my hooded dryer for deep conditioning. Before washing the product out I carefully combed the conditioner through my hair with my newly purchased shower comb for a bigger impact.

Rinsing this product out was not at all like rinsing out the regular Silicon Mix. The regular Silicon Mix leaves my hair silky and soft with tons of slip. Not with this one, this one left my hair feeling o.k. but not like the original. During the rollerset is when I could tell that something was different with my hair. The hair felt strong and protected (all while smelling like a freshly mopped floor). Once I took out the rollers I could immediately see the impact of the product. My hair was shiny, healthy looking and had a silky feel to it. The my curls were more loose than normal but did not frizz up in this 100% humidity (a huge plus). I immediately tied my hair down with a scarf and proceeded to let my hair settle (the reason I tie my hair down after removing the rollers is because I do not normally use heat to finish the hair after a rollerset. I use the tension of the wrap to tame the hair thereby creating a sleeker look). My hair has been hidden for most of the day but I did take it down for a few moments to play with it a little. I am absolutely loving the results and can't wait to use my new heavily scented product again next week.

I definitely think that this is a good buy and would recommend to anyone who likes the Silicon Mix brand. I absolutely love the way my hair feels right now. Even if you don't like Silicon Mix, this product is different enough from the original to make you change your mind about the line.

Take a gander at my pictures taken a day after my wash and set.

Give your relaxed hair a boost with carrot juice!

So I am back to adding carrot juice to my regular routine. A few years ago, I first heard of the healthy hair benefits of carrot juice on hair forums. If I recall correctly, a member of the board detailed her experience of when she was hospitalized and drank carrot juice daily as a source of nutrition. The side effects, she soon discovered, were healthier hair and clearer skin. As soon as I finished the post, I went out immediately and purchased some ready made carrot juice. Over the next several weeks, I made sure to have at least a couple of swigs of carrot juice a day in expectation of fabulous results.

Because carrots are loaded with nutrition, consuming it in liquid form is an extremely effective way realizing the benefits of this wonder-food. Let's take a closer look at the nutritional content of carrots and, more importantly, how it benefits our hair.

Beta Carotene-Carrot juice is, of course, loaded with beta carotene. The bright orange color is a testament of its beta carotene richness. In the body, beta carotene is converted to vitamin A. According to the label on my Bolthouse carrot juice, one 8 oz serving contains 700% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. One of the healthy hair benefits of vitamin A is that it helps your scalp to produce sebum, which is the natural oil your scalp produces to keep the hair from drying out. Relaxed hair can benefit greatly from the normal production of these natural oils. As sebum production increases, you should massage your scalp to keep the sebum form clogging the pores on your scalp. A little jojoba oil on the scalp also helps to manage overproduction of sebum and the potential for clogged pores.

Vitamin C-This wonderful antioxidant is water-soluble which means that it is not retained (stored) in the body. You should consume vitamin c rich foods on a daily basis in order to consistently realize healthy hair and skin benefits. Without the necessary amounts of vitamin c, you may find that you are experiencing excessive hair loss. Not only that, you may also experience premature grey hair if you aren't getting your C's. Another benefit of vitamin C is improved scalp circulation. Think of healthy scalp circulation like you would a delivery truck that drops off all of the merchandise for a retail store. All of the nutrients in the bloodstream are delivered to the hair follicle efficiently with proper scalp circulation.

Vitamin E-Also helps in scalp circulation because of the increased oxygen to the blood. Because vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, increased levels of this vitamin in your blood can help combat against hair loss and possibly help against premature greying. Not only can this vitamin promote healthy hair, it also has wondrous benefits for the skin. I sometimes apply the contents of a broken capsule to my skin before bed. By morning, I can visibly see a difference in the overall texture and look of my skin.

B Vitamins-According to fitday.com, carrot juice contains both vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. These vitamins are essential components of any healthy hair plan. They prevent hair loss and help maintain the vitality of the hair. B vitamins also help increase our energy levels. Take advantage of the increased energy by adding a workout to your daily activities and benefit from the extra blood flow to the scalp.

These are just some of the reasons why carrot juice should be incorporated into your diet. There's no need to sit and munch on a bag of carrots to reap the benefits, just keep a bottle of the organic stuff in the fridge and take a swig once or twice a day. Enjoy.

Nanokeratin, could this be the salvation for our relaxed hair?

My husband's family reunion is over the July 4th weekend. After 3 months of stretching, I figured that a visit to the Dominican Salon would be just the thing to get me ready for my California adventure. Let me first start off by saying that I normally dread every trip I take to the salon. I actually begin having a minor panic attack over the thought of having some heavy handed, busy shampoo girl run a comb though my tangled hair.

The reason why I have such apprehension about my salon visits is because no matter how much I prepare for the experience, I still end up losing a ton of hair in the process. I preteat, detangle, and oil my hair before trip but they still manage to leave half my head of hair on the floor between the comb out at the shampoo station and the rollerset.

The good news is that I may have figured out how to minimize the amount of tangles I experience during the process. One of the joys of the wash and set, for me, is the heavenly scalp massage I receive as the stylist vigorously scrubs my hair. I normally just roll my eyes in the back of my head, sit back, and enjoy the experience. Yesterday, the tangles we so bad that I asked that the comb to be handed to me so I could attempt to undue the damage myself. As I worked through the massive tangles, I asked myself, "why doesn't my hair get this bad at home?" "why is this happening to me right now and how much hair will I have left when this is all over with?" The answer to my question became clear as day to me. The scalp massage! The way they massage the scalp is not condusive at all to tangle-free hair. When I massage my scalp at home, I take extra care not to cause or create tangles. Going forward, I will forgo my beloved scalp massages as a necessary sacrifice for the hair which I love so much.

Although I have long thick hair, one area where my hair could definitely improve is in its strength. Whenever someone (usually a stylist) does my hair without using the utmost amount of care, I end up losing lots of hair in the process. For years stylists have told me that my hair is not in the greatest condition and that I needed the healing touch of their hands to nurse my hair back to health. Judging from the amount of hair on the floor, I would usually decide not to take them up on their offer. My alternative was to take care of my hair at home. This arrangement worked well for me for two reasons:

1. I actually like doing my own hair and I have the patience needed to avoid causing any damage.
2. I usually experience more growth when I do my own hair as opposed to when I go to the salon.

So yesterday, the guy who did my hair (not my usual stylist) took a look at my hair and summoned an English speaking employee (the one who was responsible for the massacre of my hair that took place at the shampoo station) and asked that she interpret a message that he had for me. After listening to him speak in Spanish (in hopes of being able to miraculously understand what he was saying), I turned to my interpreter and waited eagerly for her explanation. She then proceeded to tell me that I needed have a special process done to my hair called Nanokeratin.

Nanokeratin, she explained, would help make my hair stronger by adding keratin to the hair. Her English was not fluent enough to convey the message completely so I quickly looked for someone else who could do some justice to his message. A second stylist told me that for a minor cost of around $250.00, I could literally have keratin infused into my hair strands from a revolutionary system invented by scientists in Brazil. According to her, once my hair received this treatment, it would once again regain its natural strength along with shine and softness.

I know that most of you are thrown off a bit by the price tag. I was thrown off by the fact that this is a new system created in Brazil (remember the Rio disaster of the 90's) If the claims of this product were actually true, $250.00 would only be a minor inconvenience for having a head of strong, soft, long, healthy, hair. I read somewhere online that unlike normal protein conditioners and treatments, the size of the keratin particles are so small that they literally bond to the weak and broken areas of the hair shaft. Normal protein particles are large and therefore lay on top of the hair which restrains the movement and ultimately causes that "protein hardness" that we all try to avoid.

Here is some additional information that I obtained from their website:

History

The Tanagra Nanokeratin machine is made in Brazil. Dr Fausto Silva discovered the system whilst working for the Cancer Research Institute in Brazil, trying to find a cure for skin cancer. Using Tanagra Nano technology on his patients� arms he had so far been unsuccessful in curing their cancer but found that the hair on their arms was becoming stronger and healthier. It took 6 years to develop this find, into a product, which could be used on human hair.

His company �TANAGRA� is now one of the biggest names in the hairdressing industry in Brazil for innovative products and services. The Tanagra Nanokeratin - Permanent Hair Repair System can be found in most salons throughout South America and is now available in many countries around the world, including Central America, USA, The Middle East, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.



How it works:

Tanagra Nanokeratin is a revolutionary approach which uses the combination of keratin and nanotechnology to recover cuticle damage in the hair by replacing the hairs natural keratin lost through chemical and heat usage.

This advanced state of the art system produces keratin nanomolecules turning them into a micro mist which is then brushed into the hair. Unlike traditional keratin sprays, the Tanagra Nanokeratin process reaches the flaws and fissures of strands avoiding the hyper conditioning and the feeling of dry hair.



What is Keratin?

Your hair structure is a combination of a complex natural protein called keratin, and moisture.
In normal healthy hair, keratin accounts for approximately 90% of the structure and moisture the remaining 10%. Keratin is principally responsible for the hair’s strength and resistance to general wear, while moisture is mostly responsible for its elasticity, flexibility, softness and manageability.

Unfortunately straighteners, colours, perms, blow drying, sun damage, pollution, pool chemicals and even everyday wear and tear like brushing can damage your hairs keratin and moisture levels.

How do you know your hair is damaged? Well your hair will feel and look coarse, woolly and dull. If we look at our hair through a microscope you would see cracks, splits and craters in your hair strands.

Now, with a breakthrough in advanced nanotechnology, scientists in Brazil have developed a
brand new and permanent hair repair system that can ‘turn back the clock’ and restore your
hair structure back to how nature intended it to be, soft, shiny and healthy.

The state-of-the-art Tanagra NANOKERATIN system uses nanomolecular keratin, particles so small that you could get millions onto a pinhead! An incredibly fine and powerful penetrating mist
inserts them into the damaged areas of the hair structure filling them completely. Then the nanomolecules are locked into the hair with another mist, forming permanent and insoluble keratin, just like natures’ own!

The result is beautiful, soft and silky hair in superb condition with an incredible shine. The hair instantly becomes healthier and more manageable. The TANAGRA NANOKERATIN system quite literally puts life back into the hair! Repair is approximately 80% effective on the fi rst application, 90% on the second and 100% on the third application. The TANAGRA NANOKERATIN system uses the same keratin protein as would be found in your hair, but in its smallest possible size, which is then locked in to the hair structure for permanent repair.

TANAGRA NANOKERATIN is quite simply the fastest, most technically advanced and efficient hair repair system in the world. All hair types benefit from this new technology, but the most dramatic results are seen in extremely damaged porous hair.



Here is a lengthy youtube video produced by the company describing the process in detail.



I am extremely excited about this technology but I am also a bit apprehensive about using "new technology" on my hair. If I do decided to shell out $250.00 dollars for this Nanokeratin treatment, you guys will be the first ones to know. By the way, the stylist said the process could take like three hours because they have to cover every strand with keratin molecules.

I also read online that African American women who are natural do not benefit much from this treatment because the hair is already in a pretty healthy state naturally. Women with relaxed hair receive better results with this treatment.

What do you guys think? Is it worth the money?

Updated Pics from my recent salon visit

First of all I must apologize for taking sooooo much time between posts. Right now I am about 3 hours away from catching a plane to the other side of the country. I'll be visiting my husband's family on the West Coast. In honor of the occasion, I made a visit to my local Dominican Salon. Here are some early pics. My hair looks better in person then in these pics. And for some reason my hair always looks better a day or two after getting it done.

By the way, my stylist recommend that I undergo some kind of treatment that is supposed to replace the keratin in my hair that is lost from relaxing process, styling, etc. Get this, the treatment will cost me around $250.00 and depending on the condition of the hair, I may require several sessions.

Over the next few days I will be researching the web for more information about this treatment and will post an entry when I have the details. I am extremely excited about the potential benefits if the claims are true. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here are some pics taken today.

Keeping your hair healthy when visiting Dominican Salons

I can not tell you how elated I was when I first heard talk of Dominican salons. These salons were described as a wonderful place for those of us who were disheartened by the not-so-positive experiences of many traditional African American salons. Not only were these salons less expensive and delivered faster service, the stylists also seemed to possess
magical powers that could transform our dull lifeless hair to silky strands unlike anything we have ever known before.

Then reality set in. We soon learned that too many visits to these salons could eventually led to thin, lifeless, and even damaged hair. I have personally experienced damaged hair from doing the Dominican salons the "wrong" way. I also have met some wonderful people who understand the Dominican salon experience and how to do it the "right" way.

I want to share with you the best practices of three ladies I came across at my favorite salon. These ladies served as examples of how to frequent Dominican salons the right way. Lets talk about them and what they did to protect their hair along the way.

**The experiences I am about to share with you are real, names have been changed to protect the innocent.**

Example #1: Nikki
Nikki was already about to receive her blowout when I walked into the salon. She sat in her seat with her rollers neatly in place. The stylist removed the magnetic rollers one by one and began to blow out Nikki's hair. Nikki had extremely thick hair that reached her shoulders. The length and "eveness" of her hair led me to believe that she sported a cute bob not so long ago. I sat amazed at how thick and healthy her hair looked. No thin ends for her.

At the foot of Nikki's styling chair sat a large bag. Bringing a bag to the salon was not unusual. My bag was the place for my books, water, snacks and whatnot. Nikki's bag, on the other hand, had within it her hair product stash. The stash consisted all of the products that worked well with her hair. Nikki even brought her own relaxer with her. Nikki knew what worked well for her hair and made sure that her hair was receiving the same benefits whether she was doing her own hair at home or at the salon.


That, my friend, is the first lesson of doing Dominican Salons the right way. Bring your most effective products with you.


Example #2 Dominique
Dominique was next to me as we sat under our hooded dryers.
I immediately was intrigued by her large jar of garlic conditioner. I opened our conversation by asking her if the product was worth the price. One thing led to another and she began to detail her weekly routine of coming to the salon for a wash,set, and wrap.

No blow out for her, Dominique came in only to receive weekly deep conditioning treatments from her favorite stylist. Week after week of maintaining this ritual allowed Dominique's relaxed hair to regain its strength and length.

The lesson I learned from Dominique was to look at the salon in a new light. The Dominican salon was not just the place to go for blow outs, you can also go visit your local Dominican salon for deep treatments to help bring your damaged hair back to life. When doing so, you should avoid the blow dryer and opt for wraps instead.

Example #3: Anya

Anya walked into the salon and had every one's attention immediately. She had the most beautiful mid-back, thick hair that I've ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. After seeing her on several other occasions, I just had to ask her how she could come week after week and still maintain the health of her hair. Anya told me that she was unable to do her hair herself and came to the salon every wash day. I became even more intrigued and asked she give up her secrets.

Here they are:
1. Anya only allowed certain individuals to wash her her hair. With her hair being so long, she knew of the likelihood of experiencing tangles. Tangles are the one of the worse culprits of damaged hair at Dominican salons. Most of the stylists run a comb small tooth comb through your hair with little concern about how much hair is lost in the process. She would literally make requests for certain individuals not to wash her hair. She knew who could handle her hair the right way and she made sure that only those individuals could touch her beautiful hair.

2. Anya made special requests to have her only her roots blown out. She admitted to me that her hair would not turn out as straight as others in the salon but she preferred having more body to straight lifeless hair. Anya also required her stylist roll her hair in a different direction than others in the salon. Client after client would have her hair rolled "under." Anya's hair, on the other hand, was rolled in the opposite direction so that her final blow out would result in full fabulous hair.

I remember one visit when Anya and I were finished with our style at around the same (I actually stayed and waited for her to get done so I could see the finished product). Anya's hair was full, healthy looking, and fabulous(think Kimora Lee's hair when its done up). My hair was super straight and limp. I envied Anya and her luscious hair. What's more amazing is that Anya have type 4 hair just like I did. The difference between our visit is that she took the initiative to modify her Dominican salon experience to fit her hair's needs.

The lesson that I learned from Anya is not to just sit in the chair like I am just another client. I need to make special requests (if necessary) to obtain the results I want without sacraficing the health of my hair.

Are Dominican salons the answer to our prayer for silky beautiful hair? Perhaps. But we must make certain to learn from those who have cracked the Dominican salon code. Those lucky few can endure the harsh styling methods and still maintain healthy hair.


Oh, before I go, I want to include some of my tips of how to help protect my hair when I go to the salon.

Tip #1: Pre-poo. We always make sure to pre-poo when we are at home doing our own hair but do we take the same precautions when we get our hair done? Before every appointment, I make sure to saturate my hair with as much conditioner and oil as I can.

Tip #2: Detangle before you go. I have suffered greatly from not taking the time to prepare for my salon visit. When I take the time to comb out the hair that shed the previous week, the person roller setting my hair does not have to battle with a bunch of tangles.

What tips do you have that help protect your hair from damaging blow outs?

My coconut milk alterantive for stronger hair

This week while browsing through some of my favorite hair blogs, I found yet another recommendation for including coconut milk into my hair routine. The milk would serve as a nice source of protein for my pampered tresses. I love coconut oil for numerous reasons so I immediately knew that adding this step would be a good move.

Much to my dismay, some of the various websites who covered the subject detailed the drippy, potentially messy, experience of having milk run down your back. Not only was I turned off by that visual, I was also weary of having to throw half a can of coco-milk away because of not having used all of it in one sitting.

A few days later, while gingerly strolling down the aisles of my local Asian supermarket, I stumbled upon the answer to my dilemma. There before me was a tuna sized can of coconut milk powder.

A myriad of thoughts began to run through my mind.

"Coconut powder will probably last forever."
"In powder form it'll be easy for me to use as little or as much as I need without having to throw the rest away."
"I can use the powder in my green smoothies."
"I'll mix this powder with my moisturizing conditioners to add a kick of protein."



Before long the can of coco-powder had found itself a new home. Last night I cracked it open the can and gazed upon the fine white powder. Everything in me wanted to taste it soooo badly. Without the help of a spoon, I immediately stuck my tongue into it and scooped as much as my tongue would allow. The powder immediately melted down my throat leaving a slight hint of coconut flavoring. After the episode repeated itself a few times, I decided it was now time to actually use it. I separated the powder in two zip lock bags, one to be used for hair purposes and one for consuming.

The powder is so fine that I had absolutely no problems mixing it in with my conditioner. I experienced wonderful results and would highly recommend that you try powdered coconut milk as an alternative to the runny sticky milk. You also have the option of adding water to you powder and creating your own coconut milk if you chose to do so.

(Maybe next time I will mix with coconut oil and create some sort of coconut-milk-oil-concoction )


Coconut Milk Powder-Try it, you might like it!

The Top Ten Ways to Know if You Are Spending Too Much Money on Hair Products

I'm feeling a bit lighthearted today so I decided to list my top ten ways to know if you are spending too much on hair products.

Here we go.....

#10. Every time you go to the grocery store, your first and last stop is the hair product aisle.

#9. You researched all the non-traditional holidays to see if there are any more that involve buying of gifts. If necessary, you will convert and participate in whatever rituals just to have another opportunity of receiving new hair products as gifts.

#8. You have all of the email addresses of major hair product manufacturers in your contact list.

#7. When you receive a credit card offer for 0% intrest on purchases, your very first thought about is about placing your hair product wish list order.

#6. The guy who owns the beauty supply store knows you by first and last name.

The number five way to know that you are spending too much money on hair products...

#5. Your carpel tunnel starts acting up again when you post your long list of hits and misses on LHCF for the last month.

#4. You start to exhibit crack head like behaviors when purchasing new products.
First you ask the girl in the counter "you got dat new.... Then you proceed to clasp the product with both hands before sniffing it for potency. You quickly put the money on the counter and run out of the store without a bag or the receipt.

#3. You are now to the point where you have to hide your hair product purchases because at first everyone thought you were doing good things to your hair, but now everyone thinks you're crazy.

#2. Every time someone on the forum lists the new product you get all excited only to find out that you have it already.

The number one way to know that you are spending too much money on hair products.


#1. You spent all of your grocery money on hair products so you reason with yourself that you and your family can consume some of them because they contain natural ingredients.