Tuesday 31 December 2013

Review of December Goals…Setting January Goals


December Goals

1.     1 litre of water – 30 day challenge - FAIL

2.    Scalp massages while moisturising hair and scalp – scalp massage –FAIL, moisturising hair and scalp -Pass

3.    2 new braid styles – Pass

January Goals

1.     Get back to my regular blogging pattern

2.    Moisturise and cover away ends

3.    Start exercising once a week.

4.    Check-up monthly goals every week

 

How were your December goals, I am not utilising my full potential with my monthly goals anymore, I will be reviewing them every week to make sure am on track.

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :0)

‘Those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young.’ – Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Monday 30 December 2013

Braids take down & Wash Day


So I have finally removed my braids over the weekend. I was planning on removing them in 2 weeks’ time but I noticed with my new growth my hair was twisting on itself, so I quickly removed them before I get any damage.

The take down was not too painful, and the detangling process was not as bad as I was expecting it to be. My hair was moisturised as I was un-braiding it so it was really easy to detangle.

After removing my braids I washed my hair and protein treated it.

1.     Prepooed with walnut oil for 3 hours in a heat cap

2.    Shampooed my hair with Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Shampoo, I believe this is a milder sulphate shampoo to my usual clarifying ORS shampoo

3.    Protein treated my hair with ORS Hair Mayo with a heat cap for 1 hour.

4.    Rinsed hair and T-shirt dried it for 45 mins

5.    Sprayed Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance leave in conditioner and Herbal Essence Raspberry No Split Ends leave in

6.    Detangled my hair

7.    Flat 2 strand twisted my hair in 6 sections and let my hair air dry

 

My new growth was super soft and the detangling process at 16 weeks post having just taken down braids was not bad at all.

This protein treatment has prepped my hair up for my relaxer this coming weekend. I can hardly wait for a touch up. I will be ending my stretch at 17 weeks post instead of 19 weeks post


‘If a man does not keep pace with his companions perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away’ – Henry David Thoreau

Monday 23 December 2013

Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year


Hello ladies 

Wanted to wish everyone and amazing festive season and a happy new year!

Happy holidays with the family and friends.

Hoping everyone achieves their hair goals in the new year !

'You must live Iin the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of oppurtunities andlook towards another land; there is no other land; there is no other life but this' - Henry David Thoreau

Sunday 22 December 2013

Wash day (1week late)


I washed up my braids last weekend in pretty much the same way as I have been doing every fortnight 

1. In sections and with diluted shampoo, I wash my roots, I carry out this process twice.

2. Rinse my braids thoroughly and apply instant conditioner to the roots and length of my braids and leave it there for 5 mins

3. I rinse out the conditioner and towel dry my hair

4. This time round I used the drier to help speed up the hair drying process, I thinkn before I gave up my hair was 30% dry and I opted to air dry the rest.

5. I moistured my scalp with a mixed of grapeseed oil and aussie leave in conditioner, to the length of my hair I used the aussie leave in conditioners. 

I am currently 15 weeks post, the longest I have been post with the help of braids.
I will wash my braids one more time and undo them in January, ready for my protein treatement and relaxer a week later.

My braids have really done well, and am hoping I get maximum length retention this stretch. 

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

'Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficultly I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many peopke who led difficult lives and led them well' - Theodore Rooseveltthor

After the wash

Sunday 8 December 2013

Styling my braids

Mid high bun on my braids, the pictures doing do the style justice. But it was very cute.


Happy Hair Journey's Ladies! :)

'“ Growing old is no more than a bad habit which a busy person has no time to form. ” - Andre Maurios

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Wash Day - 12 weeks post


Due to my hair being in braids I have not been doing much to it, just moisturising my scalp and spritzing my extensions and washing them even 2 weeks. I do miss my hair, but due to work being super busy, it really helps to be in braids, I have started researching on wigs and weaves to take me through the rest of winter.

Back to wash day, it was very simple

1.     Washed my scalp with diluted Shampoo a mixture of Elasta QP crème and conditioning shampoo and ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo, I let the shampoo run through the ends, I did this twice

2.    I applied Herbal Essences Bee Strong to the roots and the length of my hair and left it on my hair for 10 mins.

3.    I rinsed out the conditioner and wrapped my braids in a towel and after 2 hours I left it to air dry.

4.    I massaged a blend of oils on my scalp and sprayed Aussie Hair Miracle Insurance Leave in Conditioner to the length of my hair.

 

My hair is feeling clean! Recently, I have been feeling tendered head which is so weird because my braids are over 5 weeks old!

I am now 12 weeks post and would normally be getting the protein out to get ready for my relaxer, however, as I have my braids installed I think I will push it through the month of December and look at relaxing my hair in January.

In the meantime as I prep for the time when my hair is out, I have been search for the perfect conditioner, has anyone tried the Redken All Soft Heavy Cream Super Treatment?

I have been following all you ladies progress, you all keep me so motivated.

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs.’ - Confucius

Monday 2 December 2013

Review of monthly goals


I had 3 goals for the month just gone.

1.     Drink 1 litre of water a day – FAILED

2.    Moisture my scalp every other day – Semi pass

3.    Go to 2 work socials – PASS

 

My goals for this month

1.     1 litre of water – 30 day challenge

2.    Scalp massages while moisturising hair and scalp

3.    2 new braid styles

How did you do in you November goals?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure.’ – Edward Eggleston

Sunday 17 November 2013

Braids wash day - 10 weeks post

I have had my box braids for 2 week now and Saturday was my wash day.

1. Diluted ORS aloe shampoo with water and poured it over wet hair in sections. 

2 Scrubbed my scalp with the tips of my fingers 

3 Rinsed

4. Diluted Herbal Essence Bee Strong conditioner and applied it to hair from root to tip.

5. Bunned braids and left the conditioner for 10 mins


6. Rinsed off the conditioner and towel dried hair 

7. Applied grapeseed oil, castor oil and peppermint essential oil mix on the scalp and Aussie leave in conditioner to the length of the hair.

8. Left loose to air dry



Happy hair journeys ladies! :-)

“ What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday 15 November 2013

Liebster Award – Take 2


Am so honoured to have been awarded my second Liebster Award, thanks to Tasia from Smooth Cuticles!

As I have already written up on 11 random things about me in an earlier post, I will be addressing Tasia questions in this post.

Tasia from Smooth Cuticles asked…..

[T] Why did you start blogging?

[Y] Well, I started blogging to help me document my hair journey and also interactive with other ladies who had been on hair journeys and achieving amazing results. I honestly did not know or think that black women could grow hair past APL, I really wanted in!

[T] What inspired your hair journey?

[Y] I think the first person I saw on Youtube was actually a naturalista, owner of love naturals, but after watching more videos I stumbled upon prettywitty77, Traycee from KISS and Jeni from Just Grow Already. I really could not believe what these women had achieved and I was inspired, I then found more and more ladies with long amazing hair that was their own hair!

[T] How long do you put post in draft before you post them?

[Y] Haha, not long at all, if I type something that day I will post it by the end of the day, if I have more than one post on one day, I will just schedule the other to be posted later on in the week. I am terrible at proof reading my post. I really do enjoy writing and posting up a new entry.

[T] How do you feel about viewers asking about product recommendation?

[Y] I don’t think I have been asked for a product recommendation before, so not too sure how I would feel about it, the only person who has asked are my non blog world friends. I tried to understand how they thought their hair was doing and feeling and I told them what I thought it needed i.e protein, or moisture, as for products, I told them that they would have to try what suited their hair but gave them 3 sample product names to look at.

[T] How do your family/loved one feel about your blog?

[Y] My family are very supportive about my blog, they recommend it to people and link me on their own blogs and are so helpful when I need their input in terms of photos and just to have a look at my blog. It is always better when the people around you cheer you on.

[T] What is the best hair advice you could give someone?

[Y] Get to know your hair. Give yourself some time to bond. You don’t have to be on a journey but just understanding and embracing your hair, it will be one of the best self-relationship you can ever have. At least it has been for me!

[T] If you could get free products from a company for a year, what company would you choose and why?

[Y] As I am a cheapie girl when it comes to products this will be so wasted on me as I have not delved into the more expensive products *sigh* therefore as of today, I would go for my tried and tested line ORS, I can get my relaxer, shampoo, protein conditioner, moisturisers, not sure they do moisturising conditioner….hmm….but definitely ORS!


[T] Which is better; cake or cookies?

[Y] Definitely cake! I only like cookies when they are hot straight from the oven and maybe when I am having hot chocolate, but cakes are so versatile, and soft! Come on which would you rather have a chocolate fondant and ice cream or a chocolate chip cookie and ice cream? Fondant please!!!

[T] What inspires your post?

[Y] Just my day to day with my hair, or conversations with friends or something I read on the many blogs I follow.


[T] How do you feel when products do not live up to the hype another person loves?

[Y] Oh my hahah, I think I got the most disappointment with my new buy from Herbal Essence, the hair mask ticked all the boxes ingredients wise but oh my, oh my, it was just blah on my hair. I really wanted it to work so badly but it never lived up to all its packaging and words in the ingredients list.

I don’t really go on a product bandwagon so I haven’t really been disappointment due to someone else’s review, most of the stuff I have tried that people raved about actually worked, and got them because I was looking for a similar product.

For my 5 nominees see my earlier post. Thank you for the ladies that have accepted my nominations so far! ;)

Happy Hair Journey’s ladies! :-)

‘To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves’ – Federico Garcia Lorca

Thursday 14 November 2013

Long term protective style – ready for instalment


These are my 3 checklists before and during installation of any long term protective styles on my hair.

1.     Clarify hair and scalp

·         It is harder to thoroughly wash your hair in a long term protective styling, so it vital to clarify before installing.

2.    DC with a protein treatment before installation.

·         Protein treatment strengthens the hair. As your hair will be manipulated during installation it is important to prepare your hair for this process.

3.    Don’t make the braids too small or too tight, as this is likely to damage your hair follicles. Also be careful with glues.

·         Braiding hair too tight or using extensions that are too heavy for the hair to support will surely damage your hair from the scalp. Permanently damaged follicles cannot be repaired. Also be careful with glues as inappropriate use can lead you to pulling out your hairline.

 

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

 

‘Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’ – John Greenleaf Whittier

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Iron & our hair


I recently went for blood tests and found that I was low in iron. Low iron is very common in women, and can affect how our hair grows. In this post I will be looking at how iron is linked to hair growth.

Our hair is made up on protein – this is why it is so important to maintain good protein levels in our hair but not to overload it with protein therefore balancing it out with moisturise

To help hair grow we need to have a healthy scalp and good blood flow to the scalp.

For good blood flow we need our iron levels to be at a sufficient level, low iron means less oxygen around the body and less oxygen means you feel tired and other process in your body slow down, ie your nails constantly break and your hair doesn’t grow as fast as it would, why? – these are not vital for your body to operate and therefore will take a backside until your iron levels pick up.

I would never advice to take vitamin supplements as these could cause unnecessary complication in your body, or will just main you are producing expensive urine!

Keep a good diet, to help your body absorb iron

1.     Drink a glass of orange juice in the morning – Vitamin C is helps with iron absorption

2.    Eat plenty of iron rich foods such as potatoes, broccoli, liver, red meat.

 

If you have a good balance of vitamins and nutrients to help your hair grow do

1.     Scalp massages – this stimulates blood flow to the head

2.    Use peppermint essential oil –diluted with your carrier oils or shampoos, it has antifungal properties which is great for a healthy scalp.

3.    Clarify your hair – Clarifying removes any product build up that prevents all the great products getting to your strands.

 

Bottom line message keep a healthy balanced diet, you will be amazed at what good supplements you are picking up even from the junk we eat (side note: this is not to encourage junk eating), however, unless you are found with a vitamin deficiency tablets might not always be the best option for hair growth.

(disclaimer: I am currently on iron supplements to correct my iron deficiency, per doctor’s recommendation, they are not been taken to help my hair growth)

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be’ – Douglas Adams

Thursday 7 November 2013

Holiday

I have been MIA for the last 2 weeks, as I was on holiday in Malawi for my brother’s wedding! It was amazing! Food, dancing and family would do it again!
For my hair I used direct heat twice #yikes!
For my sister in law’s bridal shower (week before wedding) I flat ironed my hair, my relatives were all gasping about my length and asking what I have been doing

From left: younger sister Angela, me, Mum's younger sister (aunt), mum and second cousin Cathy

Throughout the rest of the week, I had it down


Mr pouter himself, my nephew


For the wedding I went to the salon, armed with my hair oil, pre-pooed hair and wide tooth comb and steamed and rolled steam my hair, and then wrapped it for the wedding, it was a bit of a mess for the church in the morning, but worked something out


At church service for wedding with the other half

For the evening do, I flat ironed it. (Believe it or not I have no selfie of me at the evening reception :( ), new goal take more pictures!

For my engagement dinner (get to know the family dinner) below had a braid out

Me, the other half James and my younger sister Angie.


After that I rocked a side bun, the pictures don’t do it justice, but I think it was cute ( with fiancé nephew) 


         With the little nephew


Then on Thursday last week, I washed my hair and blow dried it and I had box braids installed, as I used a protein treatment just 4 days prior to getting my braids installed I did not do another protein treatment.
So this is me for the next 10 weeks, got my hair done for £13.

Box braids, in mum's kitchen making cookies apparently my cookies are the best


That was pretty much me over the holidays. 

Mum's wedding hair was a mini afro
From left: brother's mother in law, my brother thom, my sister in law Sheila, Mum and Dad.


My sister has locks, she swipe them to the side for the wedding, she was a bridesmaid

Side view in the evening 



Toast to the bride and groom! I have a new sister #yeah!
All the kids from both sides minus my dear brother mwai 


Finally for my hair I packed
1. Head scarf 
2. Wide tooth comb
3. Heat protectant
4. Herbal Essence Hello Hydrations hair mask
5. ORS carrot oil


Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘A bone to a dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.’ – Jack London

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Ginger & Rosemary tea


I have been using a mixture of ginger and rosemary tea recently, I am so happy I have switched out of using black tea, though black tea really curbed my shedding it left my hair shift after using it. I never really had any bad effects with it as I always followed it up with a smoothing treatment.

I have also used coffee before to combat shedding, but the smell…. oh dear me…. it lingers on for days and I found that the shedding was not cut down as well as when I used black tea, so coffee and me are done!

I have been using ginger tea rinse for the 3 or 4th time now and the rosemary tea was added to my wash day and I really do like the way it works. I do not think it has an impact on my shedding because it has no caffeine, but my shedding isn’t bad.

The reason I am using ginger and rosemary tea regularly now is it does not harden my hair and ginger and rosemary are both beneficial to the scalp!

Ginger promotes blood circulation to the scalp and is therefore great for a healthy scalp and a healthy scalp means better hair growth! Rosemary also stimulates hair growth for the same reason, it aides with the blood circulation to the scalp.

I still use the ginger and rosemary tea rinse after my shampoo and finish it up with a smoothing treatment or an instant conditioner.

I have also bought burdock root, which I am going to try after I remove my protective style

Have you even tried tea rinsing and what tea blends are you using and why?

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.’ – Nelson Mandela

Monday 4 November 2013

Goal Review


Review of October goals and setting of November goals.

Now this post has been delayed because I just got back from holiday yesterday went to Malawi for 2 amazing weeks, and witnessed my brother’s wedding and got engaged myself. It was an amazing and family filled 2 weeks, now back to the sub-zero temperatures from 79F to 50F!

Anyway on to the goals

1.     Roller set weekly – missed one week

2.    Drink 1 litre of water a day – was good up to when my holiday kicked in so 50/50

3.    Review goals weekly – Reviewed my goals for 2 weeks and then life took over

Lol, don’t know what to make of these goals, anyway let’s try this again.

1.     Drink 1 litre of water a day

2.    Moisturise my scalp every other day (as am in a protective style)

3.    Go to 2 work social event – need to go big on the work scene.

 

Hope your October goals were better than mine!

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :-)

‘Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect’ Mark Twain

Liebster Award Nomination


Yeah!!! I just got nominated for a Liebster Award, by the lovely Tomes from Tomes Edition!
 
This is my first ever blog award, am so honoured! It’s nominated to new blogs with less than 200 followers.
 
Now to fulfil the rules around the award.....

List 11 interesting facts about yourself

1. I am a Taurus (29th April baby woop woop)
2. I am Malawian by birth but live in the UK
3. I am an accountant by profession and love numbers
4. I am notorious for starting new exercises and never following through
5. I started blogging in January this year on hair, but had another blog before that.
6. I have 1 really cute nephew; he pouts a lot, such a drama king!
7. I recently got engaged
8. I absolutely love pork, but think I might be allergic
9. I used to love chemistry in school
10. I have a younger sister who has dreadlocks
11. I used to love love love baking, but now I don't bake anymore
L


and for my nominations……….


- perfect tress
- Scarlet Girl
- dessyluv
- hair here there everywhere
- below the waist



My interview from Ms Tomes….

[1]   Where was your favorite vacation to date and why?


Favourite vacation will have to be my last holiday to Malawi this year, I witnessed my brother's wedding and got engaged myself, nothing can top that!

[2]   What’s your favorite hairstyle to rock?

I loved the results I got from my side bun, so effortless, yet sophisticated.

[3]   What’s your favorite Food and Drink?

Love roast pork and fav drink will be fresh mango juice

[4]   What’s your favorite movie and why?


Hmm... I love my movies, I will say Untouchable, that is the best movie I have seen in a long time, it is a French movie with subtitles and it translates to well, if a movie can be funny after translation, this it’s amazing. It’s wins with me.

[5]   How long does you wash days take?

Hmm... I would say 3 to 4 hours if I remove air drying time, I am really trying to cut this time down.

[6]   Where do you spend some of your free time – Blogs, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, hair forums?

I love hair blogs, my free time is spent reading blogs and writing blogs and watching YouTube hair video, seriously, it is sooooo addictive!

[7]   If you were stranded on a desert what are the 3 hair essentials you would want on you?

- Moisturiser, my hair will surely dry up on this warm island
- Wide tooth comb – nothing like detangling at 10 weeks plus post
- Moisturising conditioner – I am hoping am not stranded for more than 4weeks
J

[8]   What motivates you to blog?

I love connecting with people and helping others out. When I get lazy I always remember it’s a community out there and need to power on.


[9]   What was your career choice when you were a teenager and why?


I wanted to be a chemical engineer, I really wanted me to sit in a cosmetics manufacturing place and just make cosmetics, you would think I would opt for the oil places, but making cosmetics just fascinated me.

 

[10] Describe yourself in 3 words?


- Smiley

- Reserved at times

- A silent fighter

 

[11] Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

 

Wow, with my partner and 2 kids in some hot country working as a consultant, with amazingly long hair!!!

 

 

Thank you again Tomes Editions for the nomination, and I hope you got to know me a little better!

 

Happy Hair Journeys Ladies! :)

 

‘For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.’- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

Friday 18 October 2013

Caution on protective styling

I am a believer in long term protective styling, I have got my best length retention from it in my pre-hhj days, so I will never knock long term protective styling, the only thing I will knock is the lack of hair bonding time you get with permanent protective styling.

I have a good friend of mine who is always protective styling, and she has recently just got past MBL, with little effort, the issue is, as soon as she removes her weave she has to quickly install another weave because she complains about breakage. Her hair breaks , not stupid crazy, but it breaks. She is uber scared to have her hair out. The issue is she has never had bonding time with her hair. She doesn't know what protein and moisturise balance is, she doesn't know that conditioners have different properties. She definitely has no clue why she has her hair snapping midway, or feels dry and brittle.

I do my best to tell her to use more moisturising products when her hair feels brittle and dry and protein just before her weave installation and not to forget moisturising with a good moisturiser and a give her hair and scalp a good wash. 

Now don't get me wrong I am not trying to say everyone should be on a journey or protective styling is bad, absolutely not my point, I just feel that if my friend gave her hair some time other than relaxer days and the week after to be with her hair and understand it's needs she would enjoy her MBL hair more! Her fear now is she has long hair but if it's left out it will break right down to pre long term protective styling days. As for healthy hair practices, her attitude is 'oh it takes so long, not for me'

A hair journey isn't for everyone....yes.... but an understanding of your hair is so important. 

I will always long term protective style my hair in winter, but if I didn't it's not the end of the world, I understand my hair and we can work something out. Long term protective styling should be a style and not a remedy to avoid dealing with your hair, because as soon as the protective style is gone you start losing all your amazing length.

In the same way we take care of our skin, teeth and general healthy of our bodies, do the same with your hair, if you can't deal with it get a good stylist/beautician, however, if you don't know much about your hair I wonder how you would make sure your stylist is treating your hair well? 

I personally don't think we all need to spend an half a day doing our hair, over the weekends or precious evenings, but we do need to spend some time In order to understand our hair. I don't see a quick fix with hair, unless am missing something can anyone let me know however I can help my friend without her feeling like she is on a journey?

Happy hair journeys ladies! :)

“ To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past. Your history is not your destiny. ”— Alan Cohen

Thursday 17 October 2013

Review of goals #2 oct

Week 2

1. 1 litre of Water a day - did 7 days out of 7, yeah me! 

2. Roll set - #fail, due to travelling over the weekend I couldn't? Should have packed my flexirods 

3. GHE - check did it Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as stated. This sadly makes my scalp itchy, so once a week is all I'll do from now on

This weeks 

1. 1 litres a day
2. Roller set
3. GHE once on Thursday


Happy hair journeys ladies! :-) 



Wash day - 5 weeks post

I have been so busy lately and the way this wash day went shows it. I couldn't do my normal weekend wash day as I was out of town visiting my friends new born, so my wash day was moved to Monday morning.

1. DC on dry hair for 15 to 20 mins with Herbal Essence Hello Hydrations Hair Mask.

2. I rinsed off the conditioner and shampooed my hair  with elasta qp creme conditioning shampoo.

3. T-shirt dried my hair 

4. Spray Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance leave in.

5. Detangled and applied Herbal Essence Beautiful Ends

6. Bunned my hair and left it to air dry for the day.

7. Moisturised with Elasta QP Olive oil and mango butter

Thoughts on my HEHH hair mask, I don't think I benefitted fully from it this wash day, more detailed review to follow when I use it for a month, notes so far

1. One tub can only be used for up to 3 washes.
2. It soaks right into the strands, maybe why I used about half a tub
3. It has really good slip. 

All in all shortest wash day but it got the job done!

How was your last wash day?

Happy hair journeys ladies! :)

“ The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. ” — Paul Valery

Thursday 10 October 2013

My product staples – series 4 – the moisturises

Last week in series 3 it was all about the leave ins and the instant conditioner, and it was interesting to learn about the different leave in combos that you ladies use and instant cons. I will be experimenting different leave ins depending on what I am doing to my hair after, i.e. roller sets, air drying, flat ironing etc, at the moment, I use the same leave in for any styling option I go for.
This week in series 4 it’s all about the moisturizers. I use several moisturizers on my hair and one thing I have noted is I rarely seal in my moisture, it’s a combination of laziness and also because I feel I have my oil within my moisturiser and this will make my hair oil and weigh it down.

My current staples are:

Ø        ORS Carrot Oil – I used to use this at the start of my hair journey and then stopped it for a few months to try a new moisturizer. Now, since ORS rebranded (Organic root simulator now ORS) the new packaging seems to have changed an ingredient in the product I am not sure what but the oil that used to sit at the top of the moisturiser is gone, it has a buttery consistency, just like Elasta QP which another one of my staple. The ORS Carrot oil moisturiser has a lot of oils, castor oil and carrot oil to name a few, plus it does not weigh the hair down. I was not so keen with it before because of the separation of oils, but ORS I think am sold again!

Ø        S Curl No drip moisturise – this moisturiser, I use on my new growth only. My NG gets so dry when I am a few weeks post, and I find using S-Curl or a glycerine and water mix really helps me out. I usually use it when am 8+ weeks post. This product seems to be a hit or miss with other HHJ ladies, but for now I definitely cannot go through a stretch without it. The only issue I have with this is I need to use a clarifying shampoo more often or even wash my hair more than once a week, as I have a lot of product build up (I use it almost every other day if not daily at about 8 weeks post)

Ø        Glycerine & Water – I use this as stated in the note above. I mix 1 part glycerine to 4 parts water and spray it on my NG.

Ø        Elasta QP Mango and Olive Butter –This moisturiser I love, love, love. It soaks right into my strands and does not weigh the hair down. It is much cheaper that the ORS Carrot oil moisturiser, but it’s not stocked in main stream shops. The only thing that bugs me is the smell....it’s just weird! It not mango and it aint olive oil, what is it!!! Every time I use it my brain goes into overdrive trying to place that smell....Aside from that, all the hype around it is so true, it’s a really good moisturiser. (...but seriously...what is the smell in the moisturiser? Lol)

Other products I used for moisturising are my leave ins on my wash day only, I tried moisturising with them mid wash, my hair did not like it one bit.

As for sealing oils, as I don’t usually seal in my moisture, I don’t use them often but when I do I use oils, it would be coconut oil or almond oil.

What moisturisers do you swear by?

Do you always seal your moisturiser in with an oil even though your moisturiser already has an oil?

Happy Hair Journey Ladies! =)

‘He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator’ – Francis Bacon