SELF-RELAXER REVIEW

So, I finally relaxed my hair myself after years and I am semi-pleased with the results.

The Good:
Cheap - $7.50 for relaxer (Vitale Super strength)
Most of my hair is bone straight and feels great because the relaxer came with a chelating shampoo that truly clarified and removed relaxer from my hair. The parts that relaxed are healthy.

The Bad:
I used the shower cap method and thus didn't adequately relax certain parts of my hair that were obstructed by the shower cap. And I missed a couple other places which only texlaxed. Also, it too 5 hours to comb through my new growth!!!! (Of course, I was doing other things at the same time like watching movies, lol!).

Nevertheless, I have concluded that I will self-relax again, but not when I am more than 10 weeks post. Being only 10 weeks post will allow me to get through the hair quicker and easier.

After rinsing out, I used the neutralizing shampoo, then Silk elements con in the bottle. I then used the hairbrew I created with oregano, rosemary, thyme, mint, lavender, basil, sorrel. It immediately made my hair strong - clearly a protein brew. I then followed with 35 minutes of SE olive oil con and then rinsed. My hair felt alright but I applied Aphogee 2 min keratin con for less than 2 minutes and rinsed.

My hair felt perfect.

I felt like crying for all the breakage in the back that I have because my longest bits are APL!!! Anyway, I applied silk serum, moisture mix, pulled my hair into a small bun and passed out.

In the morning I let it out to lovely curls! I applied my oil mix to seal and then bunned again.

I'm going to apply my sulphur mix and pay speciall attention to the parts of my hair that texlaxed. Especially the right lower quadrant where I added more relaxer while damp (I know, I know) in an effort to straighten it out.

My next relaxer will be on or around my bday - 10 weeks!

SELF-RELAXER STRATEGY

I am trying to come up with a self-relaxer strategy that will make sense for me and my hair.
Here it is (I think)

1. Hair prep: put oil on my strands, avoiding the new growth and then apply conditioner as well.
2. Scalp prep: apply oil to my scalp and around the perimeter.
3. Relaxer prep: mix it up!
4. Shield: Pin a shower cap over whatever half I am not relaxing so that I can take my time and deal with one half section at a time. Will take longer but I believe the end result will be better.
5. Rinse: Rinse with water, neutralizing shampoo, add conditioner, neutralize again.
6. Wash: Use aloe vera shampoo once all the relaxer is out.
7. Tea Rinse: Make a tea from rosemary, thyme, oregano, mint, lavender, basil and sorrel. Use it to rinse. Drink whatever's left (add aloe vera to it) hehe
8. Protein conditioner: Apply Aphogee 2-minute keratin conditioner for about 3 minutes and rinse.
9. Moisturizing conditioner: leave in for 15-20 minutes.
10. ACV rinse: 'nuff said.
11. Air dry.
12. Silk Serum.
13. Air dry.
14. Moisture mix.
15. Seal.
16. Wrap.
17. DONE.

This is clearly going to take FOREVER. I think I'll do this on Monday and just rock a wig till then. Will actually wash my hair today...um, nope. Just gotta wait it out, I guess.

MAKE YOUR OWN WAX

I want to start waxing my damn self!!!! hehehehe Here's info from the Andrea's Choice Youtube chanel: Sugaring wax recipe: 2 cups sugar 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup lemon juice (FROM REAL LEMONS preferably)

Here's a great video:



Easy peasy!

Buy a mason jar from the Dollar store to store the wax.

Heat on a medium heat and once it boils, lower the heat to extremely low and let it simmer.

UM, SALT IS GOOD FOR MY SKIN?????

A video I found at Nadege's Relaxed Healthy Hair blog -





Excellent! Will try it this weekend! Hmm, how can I incorporate this with my current toner? It contains tea tree oil, jojoba oil, clove bud oil and lavender oil.

HERBAL TEA RINSES

So, I was at Nadege's site and saw a post about tea rinses for the hair and realized that given the abundance of herbs I have in my back yard (Thank you God!) I should take advantage of them.

As such, with my relaxer I will boil a pot of rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, lavender and mint. Once i have rinsed out the relaxer and such, I will follow up with a tea rinse and then with an ACV rinse.

The post even mentioned - MORINGA!!! I called Minia immediately and again made my request for the stuff!

I can't wait to self relax!!!!

Yay!

Another post I read - http://www.organicitsworthit.org/make/herbal-hair-rinses

MORE SELF-RELAXER VIDEOS

Here's a video I am watching to research how I'm going to relax my hair =)

http://youtu.be/rTiTPNEsTQs

Cowash and ACV rinse

So, I washed my hair with conditioner yesterday, about 4 times. Then I did at least 4 full ACV rinses and stayed in the shower to rinse EVERYTHING out of my sad hair.

I let it air dry while watching Olympics and combed though with fingers first and then with my shower comb. I applied moisture mix and Rusk serum. I wrapped it up and went to bed.

Today, I am afraid to look under my scarf. No, I am terrified to see what is going on.

If I am still experiencing shedding, that will be a serious problem.

I pray I am not.

I'm going to go clean bathrooms for now. After that, I will try vacuuming the first floor. I need to go to Target and get a large plastic tote container to store blankets. We have a lot of them and proper storage of them and certain other beddings will make my life easier.

STILL SAD!

My thinning hair continues to shed and break and despite working through the tangles, letting it airdry and then blowdrying (on low) and flat ironing (to make my hair presentable, it looks like a mess!!!!!!

I will therefore do a co-wash in a few days and an apple-vinegar rinse, with hope that my hair will respond positively.

I have begun searching for Vitale relaxer, which was used on my head in DA in January. I can get it from Sally's and will go there soon. I plan to relax the weekend of the 18th, hopefully.

*sigh*

DISASTER!!!

Yes, the title says it all. I had a major setback today.

After almost 3 weeks of great hair, my last wash ended in tears.

As usual, I used my tea tree oil shampoo from nature's Gate and followed up with my Aphogee protein conditioner for about 5 minutes. I then put Silk Element olive oil con in my hair for about 10 minutes and rinsed.

The result was a TANGLED MESS!!!!

I have no idea why, and every attempt to untangle left me with so much hair lost. I had a humongous ball of broken and shed hair, in addition to what I must have lost in the shower.

I am not sure what went wrong but I am left with brittle, thin, lifeless hair and it ain't pretty.

The only possible explanation is that my hair needed another Apple vinegar rinse as was the case after my last wash, which left my hair feeling and looking GLORIOUS!

This is my second set back this year - I already lost so much hair in the back and left qquadrant of my hair. I think that was due to a combination of 2 factors. 1) running without washing my hair more than once a week left hair brittle and crunchy - thus, prone to breakage. 2) wearing my hair down while driving allowed hair to get caught and broken by the seat belt IMO.

Anyway, off to dust off my wig. I will clearly need it!

Oh, and I cannot get a relaxer next week, not with this set back. I must get my hair healthy before I apply any chemicals in it.

*sigh*