Lesson in Healthy Hair Episode I : Liquid Green

Ladies and gentleman, class is in session. Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable. In today's class, we'll be re-learning about healthy foods and, of course, the benefit to our overall beauty. I found this nifty video on youtube from fellow blogger Beauty Logic. Here "DE" (Dominican Enigma) is interviewing Kimberly, founder of Envision Beauty, about the tips and tricks she uses to keep her skin and hair as healthy as possible.

Before we get started, I wanted to give you a hint. What's smooth, rich, and has lots of green? No, not the man you were dreamin' about last night, I'm talkin' about morning smoothies!

You ladies know that I'm big on eating and drinking healthy so this video is right up my alley. As you might have remembered, I wrote a post a while back on green foods. I've even written a post recently on healthy drinks for the summer. I could go on and on but I figured that you might enjoy hearing it from someone else for a change.







Now, it's completely obvious that Kimberly is fully devoted to her natural eating and raw food lifestyle. I'm not saying that we should all give up our rice and beans for vegan/raw diet. I am suggesting that we can try a little harder to give our bodies some nourishing foods every once in a while. I for one, love the idea of starting the day off with a healthy smoothie. Maybe you don't want to drink a head of lettuce for breakfast but perhaps you can add some more palatable green powders and your fave fruits for taste.

O.k. ladies. Class is dismissed. Thanks for being prompt and attentive for today's lesson. I appreciate you joining me and one last thing before we end for the day........please don't forget your homework.

Beautiful hair even when the funds aren't there

If you're like most people, funds might be pretty tight for you nowadays. Even if you're fortunate enough to have maintained the same level of income during this economic downturn, you're most likely still making more cost conscious choices on how you spend your money. Chances are, you are probably not able to jump on every new product bandwagon like the good 'ole days. Long gone are the days when we'd just swipe up a product off the shelves simply because it looks pretty. Nowadays, we absolutely have to make smart hair buying decisions without compromising the fabulous-ness factor of our beloved tresses.

So what's a girl to do?

Here are some simple tips to fabulous hair on a limited budget:

Tip #1: Use what you got!

There are times of plenty and times of lean. Chances are, during the times of plenty, you bought up every brand name product raved about. Now, even though you're not able to purchase as much as you used to, you've probably got enough in your stock pile to last you 'till the next economic upturn. So take a good look at your hair product closet. Probably half of what you now have works pretty decent. Now's the time to use it up. Who knows you might even fall in love again with one of your oldie but goodie conditioners.

Tip #2: Focus on the ingredients

Do you notice that every product you tend to buy has avocado oil or coconut oil? Take a look at the products you already have, if you're seeing a trend in the main ingredient, why not save some money by purchasing the avocado oil straight and adding it to what you already have. Sure, you could spend another $10 on a moisturizer with jojoba oil or you can spend $10 on straight jojoba oil and add to your conditioners, pre-poo and other moisturizers. You'll get the effectiveness of jojoba in everything you already have without having to go out and buy a bunch of other products. Now that's a smart move!

Tip #3: Go back to the basics

Yes, quality products are a major part of an overall healthy hair routine but without solid techniques, you are only half way there. During times of plenty, we look for miracle products which sometimes take our focus away from the foundations of a solid hair routine. How beneficial is your pricey conditioner if you're not taking the time to part the hair and apply to each section? How impactful is your strengthening product if you opt not to sit under the dryer for more intense results? No matter how fabulous the product, if you're loosing length because your detangling skills are lacking then you're waisting your efforts. Good hair practices aren't pricey. Take the time now, to really work on the basics of good hair care. Your hair, and your wallet, will thank you.

I personally have made a decision to curb my overall hair product spending. But to tell you the truth, I started by focusing on my technique and results. When I wanted to increase moisture levels, I would ask myself "what can I do to increase moisture?" I didn't say "what can I buy to increase moisture levels?" As a result of asking (and answering) those types of questions, I began to find alternatives that really worked. Sure, I've bought some products here and there, but I'm making more calculated decisions about what I do chose to buy.

One more thing, when I do buy products, I only get items that specifically address issues that I am working to eradicate. In a recent post, I advised that we target one major concern at a time. This means that any purchase you make should be of a product that has been proven (based on the intensive research you've conducted) to be effective at responding your issue. You have do not have the time, or the money to waste on a "nice to do" product purchase when you have real hair concerns that need addressing.

Take my word for it, this temporary pinch on your finances could actaully turn out to be a good thing. Now, more than ever, is the time to buckle up your bootstraps and get back to the business of haircare 101. Focus on what you can do to improve on the health of your hair. Take calculated steps in the right direction. Make educated decisions on what products are best for you right now, and enjoy the bountiful fruits of your labor. Yes, times are lean right now, but that doesn't mean that you will have to sacrifice on the essentails of life which are food, water, and glorious hair.

Till next time.

Braidout Tutorial!

I've posted my latest video tutorial on Youtube. This episode is all about the braid out. I share my technique to working to manage the new growth prior to the actual braiding process. Braidouts are a lifesaver at the end of your stretch. It's one of those styles that works with your new growth, not against it. I know there are a million braidout tutorials out there already but I thought I'd share anyways.

Enjoy.

Longer, thicker hair with the help of the Moon?

by Jsome1

You all may have remembered my review of a wonderful product called Zen Detox. The creator of that product, Anthony Morrocco, has practiced holistic hair care for over 40 years. He's worked with celebrities and has dedicated his time to helping people like you and me to achieve beautiful hair.

One of his mantras, which has recently caught my attention, is his belief in using a lunar chart, that documents the phases of the moon, as a guide for hair growth. More specifically, hair cutting and growth.

This idea of cutting the hair according to the phases of the moon is not a new one. I found countless of articles online by numerous people claiming to have utilized this chart in their quest for fabulous hair. Here's a quote I found online on a popular hair board.

"my sis trims her hair with the new moon, it's supposed to help your hair grow faster. Another woman I know that used this method when she was younger said there was a substantial difference between when she did follow it and when she did not."


When I first heard of this method, I immediately dismissed it as hogwash. How in the world could anyone affect the growth of their hair by relying on the moon for advice on styling options? But then I thought about it, the moon has the power to impact the tide of the mighty ocean, could it be possible that it could help a sista out with her hair growth?

That's when I found this article by Marie Ann Lionel on buzzel.com.
Mary goes out of her way to detail the basic laws of physics and how much the moon truly affects our planet. She even states that doctors often will see an increase of patients suffering from an epileptic seizures or bleeding ulcers during the time of the full moon. It all has to do with the moon's gravitational pull. The theory is that when the moon's gravitational pulls are lower, the hair grows slower. A higher gravitational pull means a greater likelihood of faster growth.

Whether you believe in moon cycles and hair cutting or not, I will certainly say that it's interesting to say the least. I haven't tried so I won't knock it. This new way of hair cutting, has certainly peaked my interest and I'm willing to give it a shot!

So I located a copy of a lunar schedule to see when the next possible opportunity is. The schedule on Anthony Morrocco's site was the most complete one I've been able to locate. He spells it out in black and white what the optimal days for haircutting are this year. You best believe that I'll be calendaring these dates so I get a timely reminder.

For those of you who are afraid that I've officially fallen off the wagon truck and suffered a nasty bump on my head, let me salvage my reputation by saying this.....

We all need to trim (or dust) our hair periodically for optimal health. I, for one, can say with certainty that I've experienced the most growth (and retained the most length)after I've given myself a well deserved trim. If there's even the slightest chance that I can get even more benefit from trimming if I schedule it for certain times of the year....them I'm in!

Those of who who've been contemplating a trim, check out this calendar first, try this method and see happens. Hopefully, your results will be so fab, you'll howl with excitement.

Are you struggling to perfect your hair routine?

Photo: limpciano



Some of you have experienced this...you've revamped your hair routine, you have what you would consider to be pretty healthy hair, but for some reason, you just can't seem to realize (or retain) any length. Believe me, I know how incredibly frustrating it is to continue down a path which seemingly has no reward. We all know that a hair journey requires a great deal of patience but after a year of going on a journey, you'd expect to be a lot farther ahead then when you first started.

Right?

We'll today, I'm here to talk about those frustrations and how we can work together to find those pinhole leaks in your hair routine and stop the bleeding once and for all.

I use the pinhole leak analogy because we should all know by now that our hair grows pretty consistently every month. For those of you who aren't seeing the fruit of a year's worth of hair growing, you can safely assume that something is happening-daily-weekly-monthly, that's chipping away at all the wonderful growth you've been experiencing. I should know, I'm in the same boat.

For this reason I've been really scrutinizing every hair move I make in order to self-identify what I'm doing wrong.

*Either I am not doing something I should be doing.

*Or I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing.

*Or I'm doing something ineffectively

I've narrowed it down to these three statements for the sake of keeping this process simple. As you transition from having mere interest in your hair care to becoming a student of the hair of healthy hair, you need to equip yourself with tools. For me, one of my greatest tools has become my all important hair journal. With this journal I've been able to internalize and express the fears, frustrations, joys, and successes related to my hair care. I've had many of aha moments simply by documenting my journey one step at a time. I encourage you to read my post on creating an effective hair journal if you haven't done so already.

As you look at your hair routine holistically, you should first identify the major buckets of hair care. For a lot of us it's the wash routine, daily/weekly styling, relaxing, nutrition, and the nightly routine. I would say that most of what we do with our hair does have something to do with one of these five areas. Your job now, as a healthy hair apprentice, is study the fine art of perfecting each one of these areas.

No, you cannot, nor should you, try to master all of these areas at once. Doing so will only heighten your frustration levels. In order to master each portion of the hair care routine, you must first pick an opponent, focus on it intensely, and dedicate all of your mental capacities to eliminating any inefficiencies that secretly hide within your routine. Are you struggling to maintain moisture levels? Good...now you have a target. Now you live and breathe increasing moisture until your hair has no choice but to react. You contemplate day and night on how to inject more moisture into your routine if only just a little. You know that a little more moisture every day will eventually lead to hair that is more elastic. Elastic hair leads to less breakage, less breakage leads to healthy hair.

In my experience, the more I focus in one specific area, the more opportunities are revealed to me that I couldn't see before. I heard a proverb once that said "the man that chases 100 rabbits catches none." I love this saying because it's so applicable to everything we do....even our hair care routine. I'm not saying that you totally neglect one area of your routine while focusing on another. Doing so is like squeezing one end of a water balloon (all the water travels to the other end of the balloon and we receive no benefit). If there are several areas of opportunities, work on both.....but focus on one.

When I say focus, I mean that you should be working on eliminating the issue. Your goal should be to comfortably exclaim that you have no issues with [fill in the blank] because you have overcome. You are now the conqueror. This year for me has revolved around one single-minded theme- find the enemy and eliminate it! Yes sometimes I feel as if I am playing a game of whack-a-mole as I focus in on my intended target. But when I look at my progress as a whole, I am content. Content with the fact that I have made progress on this journey. Every step along the way is (and was) not in vain. I take comfort in the fact that, even though I have a long journey ahead, I am not standing in the place where I first started.

I hope you take comfort in that fact also.

Be well, my friends.

All Hail Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Treatment!

How did I get so lucky? I feel like I've struck gold with my recent hair product finds. You guys all know that the only thing I've been talking about lately is Asience. Well today I decided to make a quick visit to my local Ulta beauty store just to enjoy the sights. So there I am browsing and touching and smelling and sampling when, lo and behold, I find myself right in front of a tube of Burt Bee's Avocado Pre-Shampoo treatment.

I stood there still for a few moments, quickly trying to retreive all the memory stores I have of other people's review of this product. Every thing I've heard about this treatment has been extremely positive. Add that to the fact that there was only one tube of it on the shelf. I had no other choice but to snatch it.....that was my only option (you guys understand). I could not allow myself to walk away from a product which could possibly revolutionize the results of my pre-poo treatments as I know it. Don't get me wrong, there was a millisecond where I asked myself if it was worth paying money for a pre-poo treatment when I had tons of conditioners I could use for the same purpose at home. But before I had a chance to finish that thought, I was already making my way up to the register (Burt's Bees in hand).

So the first thing I do when I get back home was to get comfortable and commence to pre-poo. I squeezed a little bit of the product in my hands and rub together. All of the sudden, I feel this warming sensation which kinda frightened me to tell you the truth. I've never had a product react to me like that before. I didn't let a little heat activation action stop me from using it. The Burt's Bees Pre-poo treatment smelled heavenly. I literally smelled my hands after each dollop I used. Moving on....This stuff is thick. The only way I could describe it is like the old blue magic grease (but not). It's not as greasy as grease but it left my hair feeling like I just put grease all over it (my hair felt weighed down and really coated). So right after I finished applying I was only about 50% convinced that I made a good purchase.

Then something wonderful happened....

As time passed, my hair began to feel increasingly soft. The Pre-poo treatment had began to sink into the hair (unlike grease). I was soooo excited about what was happening. Twenty minutes later I could not wait to see what my hair would feel like as I rinsed it out. Thankfully, this product had no problem rinsing out.

Let me tell you people....by the time I rinsed the Burt Bees Pre-Shampoo treatment, and washed with my Hair One Conditioning Cleanser, I literally began to dance in the shower. I don't mean this in a figurative way to help improve my story-telling. I mean that your girl was dancin' and shakin' in the shower while thanking God for answering all of her hair prayers. My overly-emotional reaction was a really a result of how much my hair has improved in just a short time frame with the help of Asience and, now, Burt's Bees Pre-poo treatment. I could barely control my excitement.

After my wash, I usually step out to apply my deep conditioner. This time when I stepped out, it already felt like I had applied my deep conditioner. I still used my Asience mixed with a little Humecto and let sit for half an hour. Long story short, my wash day was incredible. I am absolutely stoked about these two new products and how much they've impacted my hair in such a short period of time.

Life is good. I feel like a fat, happy, tick after getting it's fill of an unsuspecting host. I know that's a really bad analogy but what I mean to say is that I feel really satisfied right now. I can honestly say that my hair has no immediate needs at this moment. It's sitting smack dab in the middle of the moisture/strength pendulum. It looks and feels unbelievably wonderful.

Life is good.......

(check out this post where I Burt's Bees and Ojon go head to head)

Asience Product Review.....Redemption!!!

There's nothing more satisfying than realizing first hand, the almost incredible claims of a hair product. When I first posted on the Japanese originated product called Asience, I wasn't sure what the outcome would be on chemically treated African-American hair. I admit that my first stint with Asience was not as magical as I would have liked. Today, however, I'm signing a different tune 'cause my hair is the healthiest that it's looked and felt in a long while.

So what was different this time?

First off, since my hair was still feeling a just a teeny bit stiff from from my last wash, I decided to really make this wash all about moisture. I pre-pooed with Nioxin Moisture and Strength conditioner mixed with a little NTM Deep Recovery Hair Mask. After 20 minutes or so I jumped in the shower and washed with my Hair One Cleansing Conditioner. Once that was over I stepped out and prepared for my deep conditioning step. That's when I broke out the Asience conditioner and mixed with Keracare Humecto Conditioner. The two conditioners blended together felt wonderful on the hair. Still remaining cautious of protien overload, I opted to only leave the conditioner blend in for about 15 minutes. No heat.

Last but not least, for my rollerset, I made sure to solidify this moisture routine by using Salon Care's Honey and Almond conditioner as a leave-in along with some Aloe Vera juice in leiu of using plain water. 

Rollersetting was a breeze.

 The minute I started removing the rollers I knew that I done good. The hair had so much health to it. My curls fell easily to my shoulders as I removed the rollers. Next I rubbed in a little bit of my oil blend and the rest is history.

If you remember my original post on Asience, you may recall the fact that the product claims to continue to improve the look and feel of the hair with consistent use. Call me gullible but I actually believe it. Sure I had to learn the best way to use to product but I feel completely comfortable saying that it was certainly worth the trial and error required to get these results.

This product is absolutely going to be a staple for me.  My hair has seen so much benefit from it.  The strands are silkier, stronger, shinier, and..........more supple!   I'm absolutely ecstatic that Asience has come into my life.

For those of you who are information junkies like me, here is some data I found from a  press release about this product.

Asian Beauty Essence

ASIENCE is formulated with natural and nourishing ingredients to specifically treat Asian hair. It contains Pearl and Soybean Essence that work to repair damaged and brittle hair, Korean Ginseng and Camellia Oil keeps hair hydrated and nourished, while the essence of Eucalyptus protects hair from harmful effects.


• Pearl & Soybean: Nourishing protein to repair and strengthen• Korean ginseng & Camellia oil: Excellent emollients to moisturize and control frizz• Eucalyptus extract: Soothing extract to protect and seal in cuticles

Japan’s Advanced Hair Beautifying Technology

Hair damage occurs on the surface and inside. After several research studies from KAO, they came up with 2 technologies.

• For repairing inside: HBT
• For repairing outside: 18-MEA

HBT or Hair Beautifying Technology, helps regain hair’s original protein which restores the beauty and suppleness of Asian hair. This unique technology penetrates deep into the root to improve the health of hair.



18-MEA is a natural protective coat that wraps around the hair’s surface. It is easily depleted by constant exposure to chemical treatments and blow-drying. Without 18-MEA, hair becomes dull, dry and rough. With this knowledge, Kao succeeded in developing a technology that makes 18-MEA adhere to the surface of the hair, forming a film that protects the cuticle and thus improving the smoothness of the damaged surface.


As a result, hair is more manageable, doesn’t tangle easily, feels more supple with texture so smooth even water beads roll off with ease.

Healthy hair with 18-MEA(water beads without losing shape)
Damaged hair without 18-MEA(water disperses)