The Health & Beauty benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

If you do not have a bottle of organic apple cider vinegar in your kitchen cabinet, you should purchase a bottle on your next trip to the grocery store. I have used apple cider vinegar for years in my beauty regimen and health care regimen.

Dry Hair

Having an issue with dry hair? Does your hair become dry easily? Do you find yourself needing to reapply conditioner on a daily basis? 

It is possible your hair is overly porous and the cuticle is opened and consistently losing moisture. Here is an easy quick solution, make an ACV rinse for your hair. Mix 1/4 cup of ACV with 2 cups of filtered water. After you shampoo and deep condition your hair this will be your final step before applying your leave in conditioner. Pour ACV rinse over your hair thoroughly saturating all your hair strands. Leave on for 3 minutes, then rinse for 3 minutes,using cool water. Then rinse your hair under cool water for another minute. Towel blot dry and feel your hair. It should feel amazing and have great sheen. Proceed with your leave in conditioner and style. You should notice your hair retaining moisture for a longer period of time. During the first 30 days you can do ACV rinses once per week, after 30 days you can do them once or twice per month. Your goal is to get your hair to retain moisture for 3 days without needing to apply more moisturizer. 

Remember porosity changes with conditions so even if you have low porosity you can still benefit from ACV rinses, if your hair is not retaining moisture.

Product Buildup

Do you feel like your hair has product build up? Not happy with harsh clarifying shampoos?  Add a tablespoon of ACV to 1/8 or 1/4 cup of your shampoo, and rub through your hair thoroughly. This will remove build up and create wonderful shine. ACV does not strip the hair nor throw the PH out of balance. 

This is not an ACV rinse

Colds

Tis the season to beware of colds! Do you feel like a cold is coming on? When you first feel the signs of a cold, drink one tablespoon of ACV mixed with one cup of warm water 3 times a day. This will lesson the duration of the cold. Do not take on an empty stomach and brush your teeth after each cocktail.

You can add honey to help with the taste. Always use organic ACV.

Skin

Instead of buying costly toners and astringents. Mix up a solution of ACV and use as your toner or astringent. Work with different solutions to get the right one for your skin type. My skin is not sensitive I can apply ACV straight to the cotton ball without diluting it. It makes my skin beautiful. 

Start with 8 ounces of bottled water and 1/2 cup of organic ACV.

The truth about Protein and your hair.

For all my sisters with slow growing tightly coily curly hair giving your hair a protein treatment such as Aphogee 2-step will make a huge difference in you retaining length. It is the best thing you can do for your hair, in my experience and opinion.

 Protein, whats the real deal?

Frequently the subject of protein comes up on the hair forums, hair blogs and amongst  the youtube haircare gurus. So what is the deal with protein treatments and why are people constantly talking about protein overload and protein sensitivity?

What are protein treatments?
These are treatments comprised of proteins from various sources such as: silk protein, wheat protein, human hair collagen  and other various animal proteins. Forget about the long lists the best protein you can use on your hair is a treatment which contains hydrolyzed keratin protein. Remember the majority of your hair is made up of protein.

What should I expect from a protein treatment?
Hydrolyzed protein is small enough to adhere to your individual hair strands. Your hair will feel different. Why? The different texture is from the tiny particles of hydrolyzed protein which are stuck to your hair strands. These tiny particles instantly make your fine or weak hair stronger. So you are creating an illusion here, because protein treatments are temporary. How long a treatment lasts depends on the quality of the protein treatment you choose. Always follow the directions of the protein treatment you choose to use. Remember anytime you add something foreign to the hair your hair will feel different. When you add extensions your hair feels different. When you add conditioner your hair feels different. Your hair should feel stronger but not like straw. Instantly after a good protein treatment your breakage should decrease by 50% or more after just one good protein treatment.

Who needs extra protein on their hair strands?

Anyone who:

has chemically treated hair  (relaxers, perms and permanent color)

If you use curling irons, or flat irons or blow dryers.

If you style your hair a lot

if you brush your hair a lot

if you have weak hair that tangles

if you are currently experiencing breakage

if you decide to press your hair


Why do I recommend hydrolyzed keratin protein as the best to use?

Because this particular proteins molecular structure is small enough to adhere to the hair shaft and strengthen each strand for up to 6 weeks each treatment. These treatments involve infusing protein which has been hydrolyzed, and when applied to the hair it hardens with the help of heat and your breakage will stop by at least 50% after the first treatment and 70% after the second treatment on average. So look for treatments which have hydrolyzed keratin protein listed as the second or third ingredient on the bottle. If a product says it is a protein treatment or hair reconstructor but the protein is listed as the 5th or 10th ingredient, leave it in the store. You are wasting your money. When your hair is breaking you cannot afford to buy weak products which waste your time and wash off your hair down your drain.

So you think you are protein sensitive? Since your hair is protein, it is less likely that you are protein sensitive.  Here are 4 common reasons why some have a problem with protein products

Reason 1: Using to much protein. You only need one good protein product in your regimen. When you do protein treatments, do not use shampoos or conditioners that contain additional protein. Do not apply treatment more frequently than the directions specify,this  leads to over coating your hair strands, which makes the hair feel hard. If this happens, all you need to do is give yourself a series of deep conditioning treatments.

Reason 2: Your hair is normal and healthy and you do not need the additional protein. Just because its popular does not mean that you need it. Evaluate your hair first. You hair is already protein, and if you eat healthy and take care of it and do not abuse it, you probably do not need additional protein. (Note: because of our standard beauty practices this applies to very few women)

Reason 3: Not applying enough moisture back into your hair after a protein treatment. Moisture, moisture, moisture. Follow the directions of the protein treatment you choose to use, do not make your own instructions up. Your hair will feel a little different after the treatment, that is normal, but it should not be hard nor stiff. It should feel stronger. You are instructed to apply a deep moisturizing conditioning treatment after you rinse the protein from your hair. 

Reason 4: You did not follow the instructions. It is very important to follow the instructions on your bottle and not what someone else is doing.

For more information about protein treatments please look for my other articles listed under Protein to your right>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I recommend the Aphogee 2 step protein treatment if you are experiencing breakage or have relaxed hair. It is the best on the market and cost effective. Subscribe to this blog for more information about protein or hair, and leave your questions below.

Nail health and growth from Mineral Rich

Keeping your fingernails healthy and snag free is very important to your beauty regimen and in maintaining your natural hair. What do healthy nails have to do with hair, you may ask? Well as a woman with tightly coily hair, I rarely use a comb so I finger untangle my hair 95% of the time. In doing this, it is extremely important that I keep my nails filed and free of splits and snags. Because if I do not my coily hair will get entangled within my fingernails and cause breakage or splits in my hair shaft.

How do I maintain my fingernails?

I keep my nails filed and free of splits as much as possible. So I keep a 3-way buffer handy at all times. I keep one in my home office and one in my bedroom, so if I get a snag I can address it immediately. And before shampoo days, I make sure my nails are snag and split free. 

My nails have a tendency to split really deep in the corners and this really hurts and hair gets caught around this split. So I brought a home gel kit, that I apply every two weeks to keep my fingernails from breaking really deep in the meat and keep my nails looking good. This also keeps my polish from chipping and getting in my hair.

I found this liquid vitamin supplement called Mineral Rich and I take 2 tablespoons of this supplement daily. This make my hair and nails grow longer and stronger.

 January 1, 2013 nail length, notice the growth near the nail root? This is 2 weeks from taking Mineral Rich liquid vitamins. Top/bottom pictures.

 These are my fingernails after two more weeks of taking Mineral Rich vitamins. Notice only the thumb nail is short when I started out it had a deep split in it that had to grow out, and it did.

 Both photos show 4 weeks of nail growth from taking Mineral Rich. Notice how healthy my nails look. My nails have a thin layer of gel as a protective coat with polish only.

3 Steps to Longer and Stronger Hair

 Moisturize---Stimulate----Protect
=Great Hair Growth



Anyone can grow their hair long and healthy, if their haircare regimen consists of three categories. Your routine must moisturize the hair, stimulate the hair root and protect the hair strands. If you are healthy and your hair roots have not been damaged, then implementing these categories into your haircare regimen, will ensure that  you will achieve longer, stronger beautiful hair.

Moisturize
Stimulate
Protect

Your hair and scalp for longer hair growth

 

Step one: Moisturizing your hair

The best way to keep moisture in your hair is by shampooing your hair once or twice a week using a conditioning cleanser or a non sulfate shampoo.

Always deep condition your hair after cleansing.

Always rinse with cold water during your final cleansing step.

Always use a good leave in conditioner which has the first ingredient listed as water.

Apply natural oils to your scalp and hair daily. Choose natural oils such as: coconut oil, olive oil or avocado oil.

Avoid products with harsh alcohols.

If your hair has a hard time retaining moisture, then give yourself an apple cider vinegar rinse. 1/4 cup of ACV to 2 cups of filtered water, pour over hair and allow to sit for 3 minutes, rinse with cold water. Do this after you rinse out your deep conditioner. 

Drink 64 ounces of water daily

Step two: Stimulate

Exercise daily to keep your blood flowing well

Massage your scalp 10 minutes daily. Stimulating your scalp with your fingertips stimulates blood flow which nourishes the hair root where hair growth takes place. Use oils when you massage your scalp

Apply stimulating essential oils that stimulate blood flow. Oils such as peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, coconut oil, ylang ylang oil. Add these oils to a carrier oil and apply 3 times a week. 

 

Step three: Protect

Preserve and protect your hair strands by covering your hair, with a satin scarf or bonnet at bedtime or anytime your head will rub against a surface for long periods of time.

Wear your hair in styles which require less manipulation and the ends of your hair concealed. 

Wear hats in the hot weather for protection  from the UV rays.

If your hair has been relaxed or is prone to break easily, get a good protein treatment to strengthen your hair strands and keep them from breaking so easily. Use a product which contains hydrolyzed keratin protein, these small particles of keratin stick to your hair strands and fill in the broken damaged spaces of your hair strands and keep it from breaking off so easily. This enables you to retain more length and see more growth. 

 

So tell me does your haircare regimen cover all these steps?

If you are not getting the results you desire, give your regimen a makeover.

Figure out which step is missing with your haircare regimen and then add it.

 

 

 

 

Vmack Products Copyright©2012-2013

 

 

Miss Vee's Crescendo Twistout

2 strand coily twist out

Bloggers and youtubbers if you use any part of this method at least give CoilyQueens Rock credit.

I hear lots of women with tightly coily hair express aggravation with achieving the twistout or braidout look they desire. Some women with tightly coily or type 4c hair have issues with frizz, getting their hair to clump and their hair to stay defined while in the twistout style.

Miss Vee's Crescendo Twistout method enables your tightly coily hair to achieve beautiful definition and long lasting coils. How? The crescendo twist method starts with small twists to build texture, then increases twist size each day to add volume. No gel needed only leave in conditioner and natural oils.

Day one: Always start your twistouts on freshly washed and deep conditioned hair. Style your hair in small two strand twists, using a leave in conditioner and natural oils.If you desire a part go ahead and make your style part before you begin twisting.  Depending on how long and thick your hair is you should create about 50 small twists all over your head. On this picture I did about 5 twists per row and I had 10 rows going horizontal. My hair is normal density and long. Allow style to set overnight.

Day two (a.m.): Apply some natural oil to your hands separate each twist once. This is close to how your hair should look in the morning.

After taking all your twists out, proceed to separate each section (yellow arrows above) one or two more times. How to separate:  hold your hair on the end and see where the hair is separating on its own.  Do not force it if your twists do not want to separate, this will create frizz. Shake your hair to fluff a little and go. Do not use a pick or comb.

Day two (p,m.): Bedtime hair prep. Apply a little leave in conditioner to each section but this time create medium twists. You should have 18-21 twists on your head when you finish.

Medium size twists  day 2

Day three (a.m.): Apply oil to your scalp and hair, or you can do this step the night before. Separate your medium size twists. Firmly pull as illustrated below, on the ends,

 (Coily Queens original take down method)

You will be able to see where your twist separate naturally. Notice the picture below this is one medium twist unraveled and gently pulled by the ends, notice the yellow arrow you can see where the hair separates. The small twists you created on day one give you the definition on day 3, this definition makes it easy to separate your twist into smaller sections without causing frizz, which is common with tightly coily 4C hair.

Remember do not force separation of your hair this will cause frizz and breakage. Only separate hair where you see it separating naturally. Below is another illustration of the definition this method give you. I count 5 sections on this one twist below (notice pink arrows)

(Coily Queens original untwist method)

On day three you should have a full well defined twist out which will our last 1 to 2 weeks. Be sure to cover your hair at bedtime. For the duration of your style you only need to apply your leave in conditioner as needed. Apply natural oils daily. Bedtime prep for the duration of your twist out, you can put your hair in medium large twist for bedtime.  Generally 10 to 15 twists to maintain this style.

Notice my roots, I  still have shape from the original small twist set on day one.

From day three and beyond,  I set my hair  by doing 4 or 8 big twists, at bedtime.  Each night your twist get bigger and bigger. The small twists you started with create texture and definition to help your twist out look more defined.

So why does this work?
Many tightly coily ladies find it difficult to get their hair to clump and define they way they desire. This method will take someone with 4c hair and temporary give them a curlier base to build on.  How does it do that? The small twists created on day one give your hair definition and each day your twists get bigger and bigger. Each size twists build on the next twist. This cuts down on frizz because your hair separates into sections easier. With this style you need to oil your scalp and hair daily, this eliminate tangles and single strand knots and gives your hair sheen. Besides creating your starting part, no comb is needed to do these twists unless that is your preference. Using a good leave in conditioner is essential to creating a beautiful twist out.

Different twistout looks throughout the years

Day two soft hold twist out years ago.

Once upon a time I dealt with lots of frizz!

Day 5 twist out still holding on not to bad!

Very important to accept your twist out for what your hair is  currently capable of doing. Meaning do not judge your twist out by another person's twist out. To some my twist out may not look that defined or good. But I know hair and I know it looks good for what my hair can do. My hair is tightly coily and it never photographs as well as it looks in person. So do not judge a look by picture alone.

During the last week of my twistout it gets bigger and bigger. Generally by this time my bedtime routine consist of about 8 twists. If I have a special occasion, I can always apply more leave in conditioner and natural oil and create smaller twists to give my twist out a fresh look.

Great definition no frizz!

My everyday twist out 2014

Using a good styling product is essential for creating a long lasting well defined twist out. For tightly coily hair I recommend the following products for twistouts: Cantu shea butter leave in conditioner, shea moisture enhancing smoothie or the As I Am double butter cream. 

CHECK OUT THESE  LOVELY COILY QUEENS WHO ARE PERFECTING THEIR TWIST OUT USING THE CRESCENDO TWIST OUT METHOD.

Meet Andrewnette McElroy she is perfecting her twist out by trying the Crescendo Twist Method. She has a hard achieving good definition in her twist outs.

"Been working on a newly learned twist out method the last 4 days and I love the results! Thanks MissVee Holistichaircare! Gotta go, work calls..."....Andrewnette McElroy

"Love the definition Miss Vee!! My boyfriend walked in and said oh I like that! My hair was so much more easier to separate, the smaller twist just separated on out as I gave the larger twists a pull or two.it's also not as dry"......Andrewnette McElroy

About 20 two strand twist for day two

Her twist out for day 3. Look at her awesome definition!

Before trying the Crescendo Twist Method she had a hard time getting twist definition.

Front view of her awesome twist out!!!

Day 4 of the Crescendo twist out method. The hair retains definition from your day one small twists set.

Back view of day 4. Your twist out will continue to have definition until your next shampoo. After day 4, you set your hair in  large twists, if your hair is medium density or lower. If your hair is thick then set your hair in medium twists every night, until shampoo day.

Haircare tips while wearing braids or weaves.

5 reasons why you experience breakage from extensions

 

Reason #1
Because the hair extension lays on top of your natural hair, your hair becomes dried out after a time.  
Hair extensions are layered in chemicals which dry your natural hair out. 
Dry hair breaks.

Reason #2
Hair being pulled to tightly.
You should be able to bend your single braid back and forth without it being painful.
When you look at the root of your braid it should not be pulling from the scalp.
If you see white bumps form, remove braids immediately.
If your extensions are painful to sleep in still one week after receiving the style, then you should remove your hair extensions or wash your hair to loosen the braid extensions.

Reason #3
Leaving extensions in hair to long.
All braids or extension services should be removed after 10 weeks.

Reason #4
Your hair was dry and breaking before adding the hair extensions. Although many people do this, it is not recommended to add extensions to damage hair. Also hair should be cleansed and deep conditioned before applying hair extensions. Never braid dry hair.  If your hair is having a problem with retaining moisture, correct your moisture retention issues before you get your hair braided or weaved.

Reason #5
Your hair is weak.
Strengthen your hair strands with a protein treatment before adding any type of hair extension. Braiding and weaving requires the twisting and manipulation of your hair strands and if those strands are weak this will cause breakage. This is why many will see that while they gain length when their hair is braided or weaved, in many cases their hair is not as thick as it should be.   
    
 
  

Want to know how to grow your hair longer with braids? Read:   Ms. Vee's Braid, Retain and Grow haircare method. Proven results by many!
  

Vmack Products Copyright©2012-2013