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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

As I am double butter cream (review)






Product Review 
4 DIAMONDS PRODUCT RATING


































































































































About 3 months ago I purchased the double butter cream by As I am products. I found this product on sale at Target. At the time, this is the first product used from this brand, and I love it!  It comes in a small and large size. I purchased the 8 ounce size for 13.99 which is the sale price. The regular price is 15.99 for 8 ounces. That is more than I would normally like to pay for a product. I like to keep my cost per ounce at $1 or less. But this one is a keeper and a little goes a long way. 
PROS:
Gives you great definition
Long lasting
No need to reapply daily
Strengthens the hair
Stretches your hair
Sets quickly
Moderate Moisture
No build up
do not use it with other gels outside of the As I am gel

When you need to set your twist out quickly this is the product for you.. It is a water based product but it does not take a long time to dry and set your twists. No waiting all night for your twist out to set. This sets in 1 to 3 hours.

CONS:
Not enough moisture for extra dry hair
The cost is $2 per ounce
Try to catch this product on sale
Invest in the larger size it  you only pay around a $1.62 per ounce.

TWIST OUT USING THE DOUBLE BUTTER CREAM


I purchased this because it was on sale and because I had heard so many good things about this line. This was money well spent. I will purchase this product again. 

Other products by As I am, I have tried recently:
As I am leave in conditioner
(this product is light great for thin, fine hair)
As I am co wash
(nice low PH cleanser that will not dry your hair out)



How to choose your hair care products?



Part one: 

Choosing your basic care products 


A successful hair journey is broken into 3 parts. One half mindset, 1/4 technique and 1/4 products. The hair care regimen is included in with technique. Hair, for most people is a huge part of their daily outfit. Hair is a big deal to most, so your mindset about your hair is very important. You need to have a good attitude about your hair, even when it is not exactly the way you desire it to be. Your positive mindset combined with a good regimen and the right products will help you grow the hair you desire. 

The first in creating your hair care regimen is having the right products for your hair. The products you use are based on the current condition of your hair and the style you plan to achieve. In the beginning of your regimen it is good to perfect one style first, this is your signature style. This is better than trying different style each day and becoming discouraged. 

How to choose a cleanser for your hair

You need a cleanser that is formulated to cleanse the hair. Co washing with conditioner is not cleansing your hair. Conditioner is not formulated to cleanse your hair.  Choose a non sulfate shampoo or a conditioning cleanser. 

Choose a shampoo that is sulfate free, alcohol free and silicone free. Keep your cleansers between a PH of 4.0 and 7. Your shampoo should clean without stripping your hair. Look for the words "moisturizing on the bottle, those are usually good choices.

Cleanser suggestions:
Shea Moisture coconut & Hisbicus shampoo
Shea Moisture Thickening shampoo
Shea Moisture retention shampoo
Cream of Nature moisturizing shampoo
Lisa Rachel conditioning cleanser 4.5PH
As I am coconut co wash cleansing conditioner 5.5 PH
As I am cleansing pudding 4.5 PH
Eden bodyworks co wash


The entire As I am line is PH between 4.5 and  6.5 the perfect PH for maintaining healthy hair


How to choose your deep conditioner
Honey & Sage Deep Conditioner

Each shampoo should be followed by a  regular conditioner or deep conditioner. A regular conditioner, is applied to the hair and rinsed off in 5 minutes or less, in most cases. Deep conditioner should contain ingredients which penetrate the hair cuticle. Heat from a hooded dryer or steamer is used with a deep conditioner. Sit under hair dryer for at least 20 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Using cold or cool water will help to lock in the moisture benefits from your deep conditioner. Again beware of harsh alcohols, sulfates and silicones.

Conditioner recommendations:
Shea Moisture black soap masque
Shea moisture restoraton masque
Alikay Naturals honey and shea
As I am hydration elation intensive conditioner  5.5PH









How to choose a leave in conditioner

Follow each shampoo/DC with a leave in conditioner. Afro hair requires continuous moisture. So choosing the best leave in conditioner is extremely important. All other products are rinsed off, but your leave in stays on your hair. If the ingredients are harsh it will dry your hair out. Choose the leave in with the least amount of harsh ingredients.

No parabens
No sulfates
No harsh alcohols

Recommended leave in conditioners:
SM Curl enhancing smoothie
As I am double butter cream 5.5
As I am leave in conditioner 5.5
Taliah Waajid curly curl cream
 Afro stretch by 4Naturals
Cantu shea butter leave in
Cantu curl activator

Your leave in conditioner should also function as your styler for twists out and braid out. All of those mentioned above work great as a styler and leave in conditioner.

For extra hold use gel on top of your leave in conditioner. Not all products are compatible. Test your products on the back of you hand to see how they mix together. Also try using a leave in conditioner with a gel from the same line to avoid product conflict. Product conflict will leave flakes or white balls in your hair and require immediate cleansing. 
Twist out
Twist/braid outs work great with curling creams and leave in conditioners.

 
Wash and go wet sets need a leave in and a gel to freeze the curls in place. The leave in helps the hair to not dry out under the gel. 

Once you get your products, then be sure you are cleansing your hair using the correct technique. Read here on how to shampoo your hair effectively.





Thursday, December 4, 2014

3 FREE ways to increase your hair growth now!



Hair grows on average 1/2 an inch per month. Some people receive less  while others receive more. If you fall into the average you should gain 6 inches of new hair per year. This increase depends on how much growth you retain and how often you trim your hair.


THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO HELPING YOU ACHIEVE THOSE 6 INCHES EACH YEAR

3 easy, FREE ways to increase your hair growth. 


1. Scalp massage 


One of the best ways to stimulate your hair roots and promote hair growth are scalp massages. Touch your scalp. Do you realize that your scalp is full of muscles?  The biggest scalp muscle is at the base of the neck above the nape area. Muscles become sore, stiff and tensed from stress and lack of stimulation.  A tight tense scalp does not produce good hair growth. Using a little natural oil and your fingers massage your scalp for ten minutes twice a day. Wake your scalp up with a stimulating scalp massage in the morning. In the evenings relax by giving your scalp a nice 10 minute massage to relieve all of the tension from a long day of work. 

STAY CONSISTENT WITH DAILY SCALP MASSAGES YOU WILL SEE A DIFFERENCE IN 5 WEEKS


2. Finger untangling and finger styling

Combs and brushes tear Afro hair and
weaken it. Put all your combs away and practice finger combing and styling. It may take some time getting accustomed to not using a comb but pretty soon you will not even miss it. When you see how thick your hair is looking and the extra length you are retaining, you will wonder why you did not try finger untangling sooner. When you finger untangle take your time and work on small sections at a time. The better your moisture regimen is the easier it is to finger untangle. The CoilyQueens Regimen is perfect regimen to balance your moisture and strength. . Start finger combing today and watch your hair transform in a few weeks. Longer hair growth, stronger thicker hair and less split ends.


3. Water in and water on!

Notice how Caucasian hair appears to grow
faster than Afro hair on the average?  Notice how often men must get their hair cut? Now notice how often Caucasians wash their hair and how often men wash their hair. Both of these groups wash their hair frequently. If you want to increase your hair growth wash your hair more. Water is essential for life. It is a myth that dirty hair grows the best. Stop with the every two weeks wash routine. If you want your hair to grow better increase your shampoo regimens. The CoilyQueens Regimen requires washing your hair every 4th day. Washing your hair more frequently will not harm your hair, shampooing with bad products will hurt your hair. Be sure your cleansers are PH balanced for hair.

Dink more water! When someone tells me
their hair will not grow, I ask them how much water they drink per day. Water helps our blood to circulate better and our organs to function properly. Water lubricates and stops inflammation from remaining in the body. Inflammation makes hair growth difficult. Hair cannot reach it full grow potential in an inflamed body. Drink 64 ounces or more of filtered water a day.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

INCREASE your hair growth with New Moon Trimming (December)

 
Yes, you can increase your hair growth rate by trimming during the right days of the month. Do your hair trims during the best high energy days as the moon grows and you will double or triple your re-growth rate. 

Kay Bee is trying to grow her natural hair to great lengths. She did her first New Moon Trim on November 3rd. She only did a small trim. She said her hair could barely touch her nose last month now it touches her top lip. Look at her increase and her growth elevation should continue. So why wait? You need to trim your hair anyways. Happy healthy hair journey to you Kay Bee!

Great growth from her first New Moon Trim!!!



 POSITIVE ENERGY IN
 NEGATIVE ENERGY OUT

This method is all about energy, using the high energy of the position of the moon to increase your hair growth. In order to allow new good energy in, you must release all negative energy. Continuing to house negative energy will only get in the way of any positive energy trying to enter. 

Now is the time to release all the negativity you have concerning your hair. Stop using negative terms to describe your hair. Stop stating what your hair hates or cannot do. Stop relating to your hair based on your past. Just because you never had long hair does not mean that you never will. Stop deceiving yourself, by saying you are okay with average results. 


How to do a New Moon trim
  • Release all negative energy
  • Pick your new moon date
  • Trim your hair according to your needs
  • Write down your hair length
  • Follow a healthy hair regimen
  • Measure hair growth, 40 days after trim
  • Enjoy your growth increase
  • Continue to measure  growth every 30 days.

YOU WILL RECEIVE GROWTH BENEFITS FROM ONLY ONE TRIM, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY MONTH.

 
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NEW MOON TRIMS CHECKOUT MY OTHER ARTICLES

SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR THE BEST NEW MOON DATES POSTED EVERY MONTH

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Why it takes you so long to detangle your hair


1.  You do not practice oil therapy 

Oil Therapy is the process of massaging good quality specific oils onto your scalp and hair on a daily basis. This is an important part of the CoilyQueens Regimen

  • Choose from avocado oil, coconut oil, EVOO or castor oil.
  • Oils should be cold pressed, unrefined or virgin.
  • All suggested oils with the exception of castor oil are penetrating oils, they create no buildup.
  • Measure out 1 tablespoon of oil at a time. 
  • Daily application of oils makes it easier to untangle you hair come wash day.
  • No need to pre-poo your hair because you hair is already lubricated 

2.  Your hair is dehydrated

Hair strands are not properly holding in moisture


  • Dehydrated hair stays hard, requires moisturizer daily, does not hold definition well and breaks easily upon manipulation.
  • Dry hair forms single strand knots easily and tangles excessively.
  • Start a hydration regimen now to correct this issue

Two highly effective moisture treatments


3.  You expect Afro curly hair to be 100% tangle free!

  • Your hair does not have to be untangled completely
  • Type 4 Afro hair can rarely be combed through without curls being intertwined. 
  • Styles such as two strand twists and braids can be achieved without completely untangling the hair.
  • A comb does not always have to glide through your Afro hair, especially when it is shoulder length or longer.

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Make changes today so you can enjoy easier untangling sessions and shorter shampoo times. Following the CoilyQueens Regimen consistently  reaps you shorter detangling times. Untangling, cleansing and deep conditioning should not take longer than 1.5 hours.



Monday, November 10, 2014

Making your own deep conditioners and upgrading your flops



For many it is a challenge to find a great staple deep conditioner. Many naturals are also very conscious of the ingredients they apply to their hair. Making your own conditioners are a great way to control what you apply to your hair. Here are some DIY conditioner recipes for all of you do it yourself naturals. All ingredients are natural and can be found in the grocery store. Take it a step further and purchase only organic versions of these ingredients.

REMEMBER TO BE GENEROUS WHEN APPLYING YOUR DEEP CONDITIONERS

Gives your hair shine, elasticity, smoothness and increased growth!

This is the Coily Queens signature conditioner recipe. This conditioner will leave your hair very soft, tangle free and with a natural gloss.

Coconut cream: This is made from the meat of the coconut so you are getting full benefits from the coconut. Coconut penetrates the hair shaft making your hair stronger, so it is less likely to break. It smooths the hair shaft leaving your hair less likely to frizz. Treats your dry scalp issues and fights fungus growth on the scalp.
Honey:  Honey is an emollient, it softens the hair greatly. It is also an humectant this helps the hair retain moisture. Honey is anti bacterial so it keeps infections from forming on the scalp. Honey strengthens the hair follicles and has been known to reawaken dormant hair follicle. Honey is great for stimulating hair growth.
Avocado oil: penetrate the hair shaft and infuses moisture into your hair strands. Lubricates each hair strand improving its  elasticity. This leaves the hair easy to manipulate. The avocado oil also eliminates frizz thus making your style look way better.

Usage: Massage the entire amount through out your hair strands and scalp thoroughly. Cover with a plastic cap, sit under a hooded dryer for 20 minutes. Rinse out with cool water. This conditioner should be used twice a week to see growth and shine results. Use all ingredients no substitutes. 

PURCHASE THE BEST AVOCADO HERE


Raw Honey & Avocado oil

1/3 cup of raw honey + 2 tablespoons of cold pressed avocado oil. This treatment gives you moisture and strength in one application. 

As a deep conditioner: Apply the whole mixture on your hair and scalp, cover with a plastic cap and sit under a hooded dryer for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water to remove the honey. Then rinse with cold water to close your hair cuticle. Rinse under cold water for 2 minutes.
How to use as a hair growth treatment:
Massage the scalp for 5 minutes, then apply the entire mix to your scalp and hair. Do this the night before your shampoo day. Cover with a plastic cap, followed by a knit hat or scarf. Allow mix to sit on hair overnight. The honey will treat any bacteria on the scalp and it will go into your hair roots and stimulate hair growth. Do this twice a week and you will see better hair growth in 40 days.

Mayo & Honey




1/2 cup of mayonaise + 1 tablespoon of honey

Mayo:  Softens your hair greatly. It is not a protein treatment but it does add a little strength to the hair by helping the hairs elasticity.  The mayo will make your natural curls pop like no other conditioner you have every used.
How to use: This is a deep conditioner treatment. Apply all of mix to your hair strands, cover with a plastic cap and sit under a hooded dryer for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water to remove product. Then rinse hair for 2 minutes under cold water to close the hair cuticle. 



For those with oily hair.

1/2 cup of coconut cream concentrate + 1/2 cup of raw honey.

This conditioner is the same as the Coily Queens signature conditioner except the oils have been omitted. This is a half an half conditioner for those with oily hair.
Always use raw pure honey the brown honey is highly processed and will lighten your hair will repeated use. The brown honey will leave your hair soft and still help you to retain moisture but if you do not desire to lighten your hair opt for the raw honey instead. 

Red clay cleanser conditioner
Cleanses and conditions in one step. 
Saves time!
Mix together using plastic or wooden tools in  class or plastic bowl.  First mix 1/2 cup of red clay with 2 tablespoons of water. Mix together until there are no more clumps. Add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, mix together well.  Mix in 1/4 cup of coconut cream. Stir until you get a smooth consistency. If your mix is to thick add a little more water. You do not want your clay mix to be watery. Red clay can be messy so you want a thick mix but you want it spreadable. 
Usage:  Apply all of mixture to your hair, cover with a silver conditioning cap for 1 hour or more. Rinse with warm water until all of clay has been removed. Take your time and smooth your fingers through your hair under the water to help remove the clay. Once clay is removed rinse hair under cold water for 2 minutes.

PURCHASE YOUR RED CLAY HERE!!!

Apply a generous amount of the clay conditioner cleanse to your hair. You should use the whole mixture. Your hair will be red from the clay but it does not dye your hair. Apply the clay in sections taking your time, use clips to pin each section up into loose knots.



 If you have excess clay left over apply the mix to your face as a great face masque treatment. If your hair is really long you may have to mix up a second batch. This mix is best prepared right before you use it. You can store any leftover in the fridge, up to 2 weeks.
 
 Cover hair with a silver/gold conditioning cap, let it sit for 1 hour or more. Do not use heat. Rinse out with warm water to remove clay. Then run cold water over your hair for 2 minutes to close the hair cuticle. 

Feel how soft your hair is and how your curls pop!

So your tried a new conditioner only to be less than pleased with its performance. Upgrade a poor conditioner by adding 1 tablespoon of honey to 1/4 cup of conditioner. You can also add 2 tablespoons of clay to 1/2 cup of conditioner. Honey, red clay and bentonite clay are great staples to keep in your hair cabinet. Add them to your stash today!
 
Great value on bentonite and Moroccan red clay here! 

More information on the benefits of cleansing and conditioning with clay here! 


Friday, November 7, 2014

How to deep condition hair


 
CONDITIONING HAIR THE COILY QUEENS WAY

Every time you cleanse your hair you should condition your hair also. It does not always have to be deep conditioning. You can use a quick rinse out conditioner, if your hair is not chemically treated or damaged. If your hair is weak in anyway you need to deep condition your hair every time you cleanse it. 



THE COILY QUEENS REGIMEN CONSISTS OF CLEANSING AND CONDITIONING TWICE A WEEK. THIS CREATES A HEALTHY SCALP SO YOUR HAIR CAN REACH ITS MAXIMUM MONTHLY GROWTH POTENTIAL. 

If you are practicing the Coily Queens Regimen your cleansing and conditioning sessions should take no longer that 1.5 hours. Your hair should be easy to untangle, due to the oil therapy, if  you have been on the regimen for at least 30 days.

A deep conditioner contains some ingredients which can penetrate a few layers below the hair cuticle. These types of conditioners give your strands moisture from the inside and do not only sit on top of your hair and get rinsed down the sink. The effects of deep conditioners last longer than regular conditioners. Most deep conditioners require heat to fully penetrate the hair shaft.




DEEP CONDITIONING YOUR HAIR:

1. Rinse your cleanser out with medium hot water.
2. Apply a generous amount of your deep conditioner to your hair.
    Be sure to fully saturate every hair strand
3. Take a cloth and saturate it with hot water, remove some of the water but not all from the cloth.
4. Place cloth over hair and quickly cover hair with a plastic conditioning cap
5. *Sit under a hooded dryer for 10 to 20 minutes.
6. Rinse out conditioner with warm water.
7. Then allow cold water to run over your hair for 1-2 minutes
8. If applicable you do an apple cider vinegar rinse on this step, if not proceed to next step.
9. While hair is soaking wet apply leave in conditioner.
Towel blot only
10. Once you have blotted the excess water you may need to apply  more leave in conditioner. 
11. Proceed with other style products and styling.

Silver conditioning caps for color

*ALTERNATIVE TO USING A HOODED DRYER
1. Instead of a clear plastic conditioning cap, purchase the silver or gold plastic self heating caps.
2. Cover hair with a hot cloth
3. Put on your silver/gold conditioning cap
4. Cover head with a knit hat or towel
5. Walk around or do housework for 40 minutes. (these caps generate heat from your body, the more your move around the better)
6. Rinse with warm water to remove product.
7. Then rinse with cold water for 1 to 2 minutes.

PROCEED WITH YOUR LEAVE IN CONDITIONER AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

More help with special deep conditioning needs
DEEP CONDITIONING COLOR TREATED HAIR

DEEP CONDITIONING HAIR THAT IS BREAKING

CONDITIONERS COILY QUEEN APPROVED:
Shea Moisture Anti breakage masque
NubianHeritage growth strengthen treatment masque
As I AM hydration elation  
Alikay Naturals Honey & Sage deep conditioner
Miss Vee's DIY deep conditioner (recipe up top)

Alikay Naturals honey & sage deep conditioner, available at Target stores.


Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Moisturizing color treated hair





 

This regimen works for those with, henna, temporary color, semi permanent color, permanent color or bleached hair.

Before you get any type of hair color please read.
Know what you need to do in order to keep your hair from breaking off as a result of hair dye.
Have a clear understanding before you color your hair. Do not wait until after you have colored your hair to learn to take care of it.

Shea Moisture hair color is receiving raves reviews!


TAKING CARE OF YOUR HAIR AFTER YOU HAVE COLORED IT

Once you color your hair you must immediately change your regimen. Whatever you were doing to keep your hair moisturized you must triple that. Understand this regimen is all about caring for your hair in hopes that it does not break off. This regimen is not about preserving your hair color. You will have to navigate through this regimen if you come across something that dulls your hair color. 




 COLOR TREATED HAIR CARE GUIDE

1. Choose products that are formulated for color treated hair.  This includes your shampoo, conditioners and leave in treatments.

2. To cleanse your hair choose a conditioning cleanser or a co-wash. No sulfates.

3. Your deep conditioners should say moisturizing, for color treated hair, over processed hair on the label.

4. Continue to avoid ingredients which dry the hair out, such as sulfates and bad alcohols.

5. Cleanse your hair twice a week leaving 3 days between washings. Ex. if you shampoo on Monday then you do so again on Friday. 

6. Always deep condition using heat after every cleansing. Cover with a plastic cap and sit under hooded dryer for 20 minutes.

7. Baggy using some leave in conditioner every other night. This is 3 times per week. (start baggying immediately after your color treatment)

8. Apply a good quality creamy leave in conditioner to your hair daily or every other day.

9. Follow your leave in conditioner with a high quality, avocado oil, coconut oil, castor oil or shea butter. These particular oils feed the hair, moisturize the hair and lubricate the hair. 

10. If you use gels or stylers, watch out for harsh alcohols, high protein content or other drying ingredients. Look for botanical gels such as Kinky curly coily custard.


No ammonia, no parabens, covers grays well.


11. If after following this guide your hair still feels dry, then add apple cider rinses to your regimen once per week. The ACV will help to lock in moisture longer. 

12. Follow a low manipulation regimen. No brushing, limit your combing, finger comb most of the time. Your hair is weak, so treat it gently. 

13. Beware of covering your hair with any type of hair extensions. The hair extensions sit on top of the hair and causes it to dry out, this is not a good move for someone with hair color.

14. Know how to shampoo your hair correctly, read here.

15. Add a pre-treatment masque to your regimen
Shea Moisture anti breakage masque use as a pretreatment on shampoo day.







Anti-breakage cleansing and conditioning routine


  • Start with dry hair.
  • Apply a  mix of 1/2 grape seed oil to 1/2 coconut oil to your hair and finger untangle.
  • Next apply a generous amount of your choice of hair treatment masques.
  • Cover hair with a plastic cap for 30 minutes.
  • Rinse out with warm or hot water.
  • Cleanse your hair with a conditioning cleanser.
  • Rinse with medium temp water.
  • Repeat your cleansing step.
  • Rinse with medium temp water.
  • Apply a generous amount of your moisturizing deep conditioner.
  • Cover with same plastic cap, sit under dryer for 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Rinse out with cold water.
  • Do an apple cider vinegar rinse if necessary on this step or proceed to applying your leave in conditioner.
  • Apply leave in conditioner while hair is soaking wet. then blot excess water.
  • After blotting all excess water you may need to apply a little more of your leave in conditioner.
  • Proceed with other style products and style.