Scalp Massage with Jasmine Oil

I know that isn't pure Jasmine oil and that it also contains mineral oil BUT it makes me feel so good! I always say "do what your hair likes not what someone tells you to do" and this is something that my likes.

The smell of Jasmine oil was something that I really had to get used to and once I did I realized just how relaxing the scent of jasmine oil can be when used in small doses. To use jasmine oil to massage my scalp I attach the top of the roots only bottle to the jasmine oil bottle and applied the oil directly to my scalp. I massaged for 5-10 minutes and then shampooed my scalp as usual. I only do the massaging when I am sure that I am going to shampoo because I don't want to leave the oil on my scalp for too long and it starts to clog my pores.

Jasmine oil does exist in pure form and can be mixed with another light oil (almond, olive, jojoba, etc) and used in the same manner (using jasmine oil in its concentrated state can be harmful). Listed below are a few of the benefits that can be gained from using jasmine oil:

• Jasmine oil is an anti-depressant
• Jasmine oil can make your hair feel thicker and healthier
• Jasmine oil is an antiseptic

For more info:
Jasmine Oil Benefits for Hair
Jasmine Oil
Jasmine Oil (blurtit.com)
Jasmine Oil - wikipedia

I'm thinking about color

Color is not something that intimidates me because I have been doing my own color for years now. A few months ago I dyed my hair blue black because it had been such a long time since I had seen myself in dark hair. Well, now I am bored with it, I have a ton of gray hairs popping up, and I want to do something fresh for my 29th birthday (Mar 5). Yep {sigh} my last year in my 20s.

So the following color pattern ideas (not the colors) have popped in my head:

Utilizing 1 - 2 of the following colors:

At this point I am still undecided. I may not end up doing anything at all but I have bought a box of black dye. If I don't do anything with color there is a 100% chance that I will make an attempt to get rid of these pesky gray hairs. 

Have you dyed your hair recently? Thinking about it? 

Please share your experience.

Moisture, Massages, and Maintenance

As a result of having the yarn braids in for about a month and moisturizing my scalp regularly I realized something. I experience less itchy scalp in the winter if I keep my hair and scalp properly moisturized. Properly for me is applying some form of moisture to my hair and scalp almost daily. The Huetiful Hair steamer is also great for those days I want moisture but I am too lazy.

Incorporating a midweek co-wash has done wonders but my hair is telling me it can be better. So along with the mid-week co-washes I am also going to add in nightly scalp massages. I plan to try this for one month to determine if I get any additional benefits from the massages. Hopefully, nightly massages will not be too much for my hair - I will assess daily.

Wash Day

Regimen/Product Update & Tips

After removing the yarn braids I decided (along with the help of this brutal winter) that I need to amp up the moisture in my hair care regimen.

So far, I have been consistent with deep conditioning every week and limiting the use of shampoo. I am still deep conditioning with Giovanni SAS and we I do use shampoo and make sure to pre-poo with either Jasmine oil or Amla oil.

Mid-week I have been trying to implement a additional co-wash into my regimen. My hair needs (and loves) more exposure to water - water is the ultimate moisturizer. For the mid-week co-wash I have started using HE Hello Hydration because it is thick and creamy has worked well for my hair in the past.

Daily I am spritzing my hair with more moisture by spraying it each morning and night with Aloe Gro. I am following up that spritz by sealing in that moisture with coconut oil. My hair also soaks up coconut oil like there is no tomorrow!

Protective styles can be the busy lady's best friend. Doing my hair once a week saves me time and also limits me from over-manipulating my hair. Last winter I learned that a simple and consistent regimen can yield desirable results and I believe that anyone can do it.

First, decide what you will do on a regular schedule (monthly, weekly, daily).
Next, you want to select products for each step of your regimen and make sure those products work well together and work well with your hair. Choose products based on what your hair likes instead of what is popular at the moment.
Then, start doing some styles with your hair that will encourage styling practice and protect your strands from too much stress or harmful elements. This does not necessarily mean that you have to stay in braids and/twists. Don't limit your self, get creative.
Finally, garner your patience and perform your hair care routine on a consistent basis - write it down if you have to. There is a 99.9% chance that the results will not be instant but with time you will reap the benefits of simple yet effective hair care.

Good Luck! Happy Healthy Hair Journey!

Please comment and share your tips.

Curlformers (Days 1-3)

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3 

Day 3 with curls pulled apart.

I hate to fight the urge to do another Curlformer set for the week. I am curious to see how long a set will last if I take my time and put some real effort into the style. I am sure the set could have last up to Day 4 but I really needed to deep condition and do my protective style for the week. I look forward to do more Curlformer sets in the future.

To preserve the Curlformer set I simply wore a satin bonnet at night and only put a Curlformer or two back in at night if a curl had gotten a little too frizzy.

I trimmed!

I trimmed my ends and the hubby helped me even out the back. It's not perfect but it gets the job done. My split ends and SSKs were out of control!


I must say, I thought I would miss the length but I am loving my hair right now. It's so much easier to handle. I will be bunning all winter and I am looking forward to the length that I will retain over the next few months.


The caption under each pic identifies the line on my shirt in which my hair reached at the time of the pic:

Line 3
Oct 2010

Line 7/8
Oct 2010

 What a difference!

Line 5
Apr 2010

My reason for straightening

The ends of hair are extremely curly and coil around themselves easily. The picture below shows the curls that form from simply wetting my hair.

As a result of all of this "curliness" I experience a lot of SSKs. Sometimes I feel like I get more than the average curly girl. To remedy the problem (temporarily) I figured I would roller-set my hair for awhile because a roller-set stretches out my curls and prevents them from curling up onto each other. 

Also, roller-sets make it easier for me to identifying split ends and SSKs - then I S&D (it sounds so evil, LOL). By destroying those ends I can retain more length and experience less breakage. I have found that healthy ends are a great contributor to my length retention. I believe that my ends are now suffering as a result of a busy life and lack of proper hair care many times over the last two months. Roller-setting will help whip my hair back into shape for my bunning this winter. I can feel myself getting close to a length in which I will just focus on maintaining and not so much retaining more length. 

Un-stretched

Stretched

SSKs = Single Strand Knots
S&D= Search and Destroy

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Then my hubby got jealous and wanted his own length check, lol (we're racing):