Recommended Hair Products for HHJ Beginners

This post is majorly for ladies that have just started their hair journey and those planning to start. I have received several messages from ladies asking which hair products they would need in their HHJ. I decided to compile this list and make it a blog post so that anyone interested can go through it. I made the list with my naija ladies in mind, although it can also be useful to everyone, so most of the products are easy to find here. They are also relatively affordable and with good reviews.

However, I have to point out that the success of your HHJ is not about products but about practices. Someone using the most expensive hair products but using heat too often and using fine toothed comb will struggle with making progress with their hair.

Read this post to know how and when to use each category of products in your regimen or how to build your regimen.

Shampoos
Creme of Nature Moisture and Shine Sulphate-free shampoo (sulphate-free; can be used weekly)
ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo (Clarifying/Neutralising; can be used once a month or more)
Alberto V05 Shampoos  (Clarifying;  can be used once a month or more)
African Naturalista Black Moisturising Shampoo (sulphate-free)

Rinse-out Conditioners
Alberto V05 conditioners
Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisturising Conditioner
Suave Conditioners

Moisture Deep Conditioners
Organics by Africa's Best Olive Oil Deep conditioner
Motions Moisture Plus Conditioner
Organics by Africa's Best Tea Trea and Cholesterol Deep Conditioner
Queen Helene Cholesterol Deep Conditioner

Protein Deep Conditioners
ORS Replenishing Conditioner  (Light or Balanced)
ORS Hair Mayonnaise  (Medium)
Organics Hair Mayonnaise  (Medium)
Aphogee Two-step Protein Treatment (Hard)
Aphogee Two Minutes Keratin Reconstructor (Light)
Vitale Olive Oil Hair Mayonnaise (Light)

Leave-in Conditioners
Profectiv Megagrowth daily leave-in strengthener  (Protein)
Beautiful Textures Tangle Taming Leave-in Conditioner (Moisture)
African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Moisture Intense Leave-in (Moisture)
Cantu Shea Butter Leave in Conditioning Repair Cream (Protein)

Moisturisers
ORS Olive Oil Incredibly Rich Moisturising Hair Lotion
Cantu Shea Butter Natural Hair Creamy Lotion
Elasta qp Mango Butter Moisturiser
Luster's Scurl Activator Moisturiser

Carrier oils and Butters
Extravirgin Olive oil
Extravirgin Coconut oil
Avocado oil
Shea butter
Cocoa butter

Essential oils (should be used ONLY Diluted)
Eucalyptus oil
Lavender oil
Peppermint oil
Tea tree oil

A good practice before purchasing hair products is to read reviews online.

P.S.: This list is by no means extensive, there are several other great hair products. I will be updating with new products from time to time.


xx,
Bee.

Deep Conditioning Hacks: What makes my hair tick

If you follow the #WashDayExperience you would know the theme for this week is "deep conditioning hacks". So in this post, I will be  sharing some of the little tricks that I use to get the best out of my deep conditioning sessions even when I'm time-constrained.

Add humectants: Humectants draw in moisture from the atmosphere around you into your hair. Hence, they help keep your hair moisturised longer. I usually add them only to my protein (light/medium) deep conditioner to help with protein-moisture balance. In fact sometimes my hair is so soft that I don't need to follow up with a moisturising conditioner.

Add natural oils: Adding natural oils to deep conditioners is just the bomb! I almost always add oils to my deep conditioners. Even conditioners that don't seem to do anything to your hair can do a complete 360° turn and become awesome just by adding oils. Oils also increase the slip of your deep conditioner while you get additional benefits from the particular oil(s) added. My favourite oil additions are Jamaican Black Castor oil, Vitamin E oil, Peppermint oil and Tea Tree oil. These oils also help to take care of my scalp; no dandruff,no itching. 

Use heat: Deep conditioners are absorbedfaster and better when you use heat. I have a heat therapy wrap that I just pop into the microwave for about a minute, and the heat lasts for about 30 - 45 minutes. I have a hooded dryer but I hardly ever use it. I just can't bear sitting in a spot for so long plus the heat from the dryer also makes me sweat. I also use a clingfilm to wrap my hair first. It's very secure and I believe it traps heat better. However, don't fret if you don't have any heat/power source for your deep conditioning session, good old body heat will do. It only takes a longer period; about 1 hour . You can make your body heat up faster by using the  opportunity to work out or doing some chores.

Hair Therapy Wrap 

Deep condition dry hair: Oh yes you read right. I do this to save time and it reduces my washday duration by more than half. I basically turn the pre-poo step to the deep conditioning step and after washing I use rinse-out conditioner and that's it . The only reason I started doingthis was to save time but I discovered my hair also loves it. It soaks up all the goodness from the deep conditioner and feels very soft after washing.

Mix it Up!: I love using up deep conditioners that are just "bleh" on my hair by mixing them up with the ones that are awesome. Mixing two or more deep conditioners also helps when your are not so sure if your hair needs protein or moisture. It is a good way to ensure protein-moisture balance. All you do is mix up your protein and moisture deep conditioners. Note that you should not do this with hard protein treatments. 

P.S: my hair also loves it when I deep condition overnight but this should be done with caution to avoid moisture - overload. 

So ladies, do we have any deep conditioning hacks in common? I would love to hear from you, please share your deep conditioning tips.

      

xx,

Bee.

Tips For Starting A Successful Healthy Hair Journey

Photo courtesy: Andrew Ridley 

This post is a guide for newbies to healthy hair care or those that are still trying to decide if to start the healthy hair journey or not. To start with, taking better care of your hair should not really be an option. It's what every female should naturally do. In fact I would rather call it healthy hair lifestyle than healthy hair journey. Calling it a journey might imply that it would end at some point. Even God wants us to take great care of our hair. The scriptures refers to a woman's hair as her glory. When something is your glory and pride you don't treat it shabbily or with a nonchalant attitude but with a lot of care. You would nurture it, not hide it away under a weave or cornrows or wigs without washing for months. You would attend to its needs, and handle with care. Whatever state you decide to wear your hair in; Natural, relaxed / texlaxed; short/long; straight/curly, the important thing is to keep your mane healthy.

Now that you have decided to take better care of your hair. It might seem daunting and like a lot to take on, but be assured that if some people are doing it, you can do it too. Below are some tips that should help you begin and transition you smoothly into a great healthy hair journey:

                                   

Make a decision and stand firm: Decide to take better care of your hair for better for worse. Just like in life, on your HHJ there would be highs and lows and what will keep you going is your determination.

Keep Going!

Thirst for knowledge: All through your HHJ, especially at the beginning, you would have to learn and unlearn things. There are things you have always believed that are actually mere myths. You would also need to change your mindset about certain things. For example, "African hair cannot grow long". There are loads of things to learn on the internet. Google is your friend, YouTube is also your ally.

Knowledge is Power

Patience: It's a journey not magic. Patiently nuture your hair, don't expect your hair to grow from ear length to Bra-strap length within a month. Set realistic goals. You will get to find out that averagely, hair grows about half of an inch per month. So focus on the health of your hair, the length will definitely follow.

Pick hair mentors: Look out for ladies you can relate to (either with similar hair type or on a similar journey - natural/relaxed/texlaxed) that have been on HHJ for a while. You can draw  from their wealth of experience, successes and setbacks. Their achievements can also inspire you and help you believe you can do it too! However, please do not give in to the temptation to compare. Just as you are unique, your hair is too.

Take a starting picture: Photos speak really. The starting picture will help to show you how far you have come. You might look in the mirror and think your hair is not growing, but take a picture and compare with your starting picture, you will be amazed at the progress you have made.

Build a personalised hair regimen: Take samples of regimen from your hair mentors, then develop a regimen that would work for you. Put your schedule among other things into consideration.

Don't be a product junkie: Try not to buy every product you read a review about. Using so many products at the same time will make it difficult for you to identify the product(s) your hair prefers. Using a lot of products at the same time may adversely affect your hair and your bank account (LOL!).  Start with the basics, and as you progress in your journey you will get to know the products your hair loves.

Document your HHJ: Keep a hair diary. It will help you keep track of the products you use and other hair related activities. The hair diary will also help you detect products or activities that affect your hair positively or negatively. Check this one out.

Documentation is Key

Lastly, make sure you enjoy your journey and have fun. It's just hair and getting to know your hair better should be exciting and adventurous not serious and boring.

Fun All the Way !!!

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask in the  comments section.

A post on regimen building should come up soon.

Catch ya!

Bee