Autumn / Winter Hair Regimen 2016/17

I have been on my hair journey for over 4 years now and I try to keep my regime as simple as possible whilst maintaining a moisture & protein balance for my low porosity hair. I used to be a ridiculous product junkie with so many products I was running out of space so I decided to take it back to basics and stick to my hair loves. I still like to try new products, just not as often and only if it’s a product I currently need, either way, my actual hair regime always stays the same.

Weekly

Pre-Poo (Pre-shampoo)

Prior to washing my hair, I like to do a pre-poo treatment on the length of my hair. I alternate my pre-poo, one week I will pre-poo with just extra virgin coconut oil overnight and the alternate week I will pre-poo using a light protein conditioner sealed with extra virgin coconut oil, cover with a plastic cap and sit under the hood dryer for 30 minutes.

Shampoo

I shampoo my hair once a week using a sulfate free moisturising shampoo. My go to shampoo is Crème of Nature Moisture & Shine shampoo. 

Deep Condition

Having washed my hair, I go on to deep condition, alternating weekly between a moisturising conditioner and a light protein conditioner. The week I pre-poo with just extra virgin coconut oil, I will deep condition with a light protein conditioner. The alternate week when pre-pooing with a light protein conditioner, I will deep condition with a moisturising conditioner. My go to moisturising conditioner is Crème of Nature intensive conditioning treatment, for light protein, my favourites are ORS Replenishing conditioner and ORS HaiRepair Nourishing conditioner and I alternate between the two. I always mix oils in with my deep conditioner and my favourites are Jamaican black castor oil, extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil. Once I have applied the conditioner to my hair root to tip, I cover with a plastic cap and always sit under the hooded dryer for 30 minutes to an hour.

Leave-Ins & Air-drying

Once my hair is 50% - 60% dry, I apply my leave-ins; Crème of Nature Strength & Shine Leave in which is a  light protein and I follow this up by applying Aunt Jackie's quench moisture intensive leave-in conditioner and a dab of serum which helps me to achieve smoother sleeker results once dry. I prefer to use no heat on my hair at all so I will air-dry the majority of the time, alternatively I will blow dry with cold air. Once my hair is 90% dry I will then go on to moisturise and seal my hair.

 

Daily

Moisturise & Seal

Every evening, I section my hair into four and apply a water based moisturiser from root to tip. My all-time favourite moisturiser is Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturizer and has been a staple product in my regime for the last 3-4 years. I also have my moments when I will switch to other products to moisturise but the above is my ultimate love.

Once my hair is moisturised, I go on to sealing the moisture into my hair by using two drops of oil on each section. My go to oils for sealing in moisture are; avocado oil, grapeseed oil, extra virgin olive oil or a mix of all of the above with a tablespoon of Jamaican black castor oil. I use extra virgin coconut oil in the warmer months but I am worried about the effect it may have on my hair in the colder months so I leave this for pre-pooing.

I am currently sealing in my moisture with Africa's Best Herbal oil and I love how it makes my hair feel soft and moist every day. 

Daily Hair Care:

• Oil my scalp every other night with my oil mix.
• Keep my hair in a low manipulation bun hairstyle 99% of the time.
• At night I put my hair in a loose bun with a satin scrunchy and cover with a satin scarf. I also sleep on a satin pillow case.

Styling / Detangling

I use Crème of Nature Edge Control to lay my edges when wearing low manipulation styles.

I don’t have to use it very often but when if am struggling to detangle my hair I use Mane & Tail Detangler which always does the trick at helping me run my fingers or comb through my hair at ease.

Monthly

Clarify Shampoo

Once a month, I use a clarifying shampoo to remove any buildup of product and I always use the ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo which doesn’t make my hair feel dry or stripped.

Protein Treatment

Following my clarifying wash, I go on to give my hair a medium protein treatment using  ORS Hair Mayonnaise and again I always mix the conditioner with oils for that extra oomph. I cover with a plastic cap and sit under the hood dryer for 30 – 40 minutes then rinse once cool. The ORS Hair Mayonnaise never leaves my hair dry or hard to manage once rinsed but I always do a last rinse by applying a conditioner like Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner for a boost of moisture. I leave it in my hair for 5 minutes then rinse.

  

Relaxer Day

I relax my hair every 10 -12 weeks using ORS Olive Oil Relaxer in normal strength.

Apply extra virgin coconut oil to the length of my hair including my new growth the night before as well as oiling my scalp with my oil mix. On the day of my relaxer I will base my edges and scalp with petroleum jelly and apply extra virgin olive oil to my hair avoiding my new growth just before applying relaxer.

What are your go-to products which you cannot live without?

                                                  

II have not updated my hair regimen since 9th September 2013, well over a year!!!

Here is my updated hair regimen - January 2015:



I have tried to keep my regimen as simple as possible whilst maintaining a moisture & protein balance. I wash  and deep condition my hair once a week which is usually at the weekend, If I feel like my hair is in need of a refresh during the week then I will do a quick co-wash.

Week 1-2:

Pre-poo with a moisturizing conditioner and or an oil mix on dry hair, cover with a plastic cap and sit under the hood dryer for 20 - 30 minutes, then rinse.

• Shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo, then towel dry for 5 minutes.
• Tea Rinse.
• Deep condition;

• apply light protein protein reconstructor for 3-5 minutes, rinse then follow with a moisturising conditioner mixed with an oil mix;

Or

• apply moisture & protein balanced conditioner mix with an oil mix
• Cover with a plastic cap and sit under the hood dryer for 20 - 60 minutes, then rinse.
• T shirt dry my hair for 15 - 30 minutes.
• Spritz with detangler and detangle my hair in sections.
• Apply leave-in conditioners.
• Use satin scarf method to air-dry, when I get 8-10 weeks post, I stretch my new growth with the tension method using cool air if I plan to wear my hair down.
• Oil my scalp.
• Moisturise and seal my hair in four sections.

Week 3:

• Exactly the same as above but I shampoo using a clarifying shampoo to remove any build up.

Co-wash Routine:

• Co-Wash with a moisturising conditioner, then towel dry for 5 minutes
• Apply Deep conditioner mixed with my additions, cover with a plastic cap and sit under the hood dryer for 15 minutes.
• T shirt dry my hair for 15 - 45 minutes.
• Apply Leave ins and then detangle hair.
• Use satin scarf method to air-dry.
• Oil my scalp.
• Moisturise and seal my hair in four sections.

Daily Hair Care:

• Moisturise and seal my hair in 4-6 sections; 1-2 times a day.
• Oil my scalp every other night.
• Keep hair in a bun or other protective styles majority of the week if not 7 days a week.
• At night I put my hair into a low loose bun secured with a satin scrunchie and cover with my satin scarf. I also sleep on a satin pillowcase.

Other:

• Texlax hair every 12-14 weeks.
• Dust my ends every 4-6 weeks or as necessary.
• Trim when needed (approx every 3 4 months).
• Baggy my ends/hair when needed.
• Light protein treatment once a week 
• Hard protein every 5 - 6 weeks.
• Clarify hair every 3 weeks. 
• Tea rinse weekly.

Texlax Prep:
Base my scalp with vaseline and apply Roux Porosity Control and Vaseline to the length of my hair from the demarcation line.

Relaxer:
ORS Professional Olive Oil Relaxer Creme - Lye / Normal Strength (18 - 20 minutes). 

A few tips...

•  Try to keep hair manipulation by combs and brushes to a minimum. I used to wrap my hair every night with a paddle brush, I stopped using brushes in October 2012. I use a wide teeth detangling comb to detangle on wash days and a rat tail comb to part my hair in the week. Other than that I just finger comb my hair where possible.
• Always remember to detangle your hair starting from the ends of the hair and working your way up to the roots.
• A satin scarf or satin pillowcase is a must to help you on your hair journey. Without a satin scarf or pillowcase, your hair is then left to rub on cotton pillow cases all night, leading to dry hair, unnecessary rubbing and breakage.
• Keep the use of direct heat to the very minimum, if you don't have time to roller set or air-dry every week then try using the cool setting on your hair dryer.

My Hair Regime - Updated 27th October 2013

The cold is creeping in and it's time to tweak my regime to keep my hair moisturised, protected and retain my length. 

I wash my hair once a week which tends to be either a Friday night or Sunday afternoon if I am home for the day. On a Wednesday if my hair is in need of a refresh, then I will do a quick co-wash.

My Staple Loves...

My hair regime entails a moisture and protein balance.


Sundays  Week One:

• Pre-poo with a light protein conditioner on damp hair for 15-20 mins with a heated cap, then rinse.
• Shampoo
• Deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner mixed with an oil or oil mix for 25-30 mins with heat or heat cap, then rinse. Final rinse using cold water.
• T shirt dry my hair for 15 - 20 mins
• Apply Leave ins and a few drops of Orifluido oil then detangle hair 
• Use satin or mesh scarf method to air-dry until hair is 80% - 90% dry
• Blow dry my hair using cold air and the nozzle to straighten out the roots.
• Oil my scalp in four sections and also oiling my hairline and nape of my hair
• Moisturise and seal my hair in four sections.

I haven't done a wash day post in a while but I had good intentions by taking pics on wash days but not getting round to doing a post.

Here is a mini collage of recent wash days:



I have been washing my hair once a week with maybe a co-wash in between, pre-pooing, deep conditioning, air-drying, moisturizing and sealing, basically everything as I normally would in my hair regime.

I have been thinking about joining YouTube for a while now but have been sceptical because I hate the sound of my voice on camera. I have a few days off work this week and have been home alone giving me the peace and quiet needed to get back on my blogging game and must be feeling adventurous, because I found myself in front of the camera, recording my first YouTube Video...

It's just an introduction video, giving a brief description about when I started my hair journey and why etc. Eventually I will start making videos on tutorials showing how I do my hair e.g. wash days, moisturising and Sealing. For now I'll be posting a few videos to discuss my hair regime, staple products and will take it from there.

I sound so British and posh but don't be fooled lol!!! Check it out and let me know what you think..

My Staple Products - Updated 7th September 2013

The products below are my staple products used throughout my Hair Regime...  I try new products all the time, but the products I have listed are literally products I cannot live without....
                      





Shampoo:
Creme of Nature Argan Oil Shampoo
Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo 





Clarifying Shampoo:
ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo



Protein Treatment/Conditioner:
ORS Hair Mayonnaise
ORS Olive Oil Hair Masque










Moisturising Conditioners:
Creme of Nature Nourishing and Strengthening Treatment
Keracare Humecto Creme Conditioner
Elasta QP DPR 11+










Leave-In Conditioner:
S-Curl No Drip Activator & Moisturiser
Cantu Shea Butter (contains protein)
Creme of Nature Argan Oil Leave In  (contains protein)











Moisturiser:
S-Curl No Drip Activator & Moisturiser
Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturiser by Elasta QP
ORS HAIRepair Intense Moisture Creme
ORS HAiRepair Anti-Breakage Creme
Vitapointe Leave In Conditioner








Sealants:
Avocado Oil
Creme of Nature Argan Oil Treatment
Orifluido Argan Oil

Scalp Oil:
Jamaican Black Castor Oil
Pure Castor Oil
ORS


Deep Conditioner Additions:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Avocado Oil
Pure Coconut Oil
Grapeseed Oil - New
Almond Oil
Jamaican Black Castor Oil















Heat Protector:
Fantasia IC Heat Protection Straightening Serum












Relaxer Prep:
Base my scalp with Pure Castor Oil, as well as my hair & ends (except for actual regrowth).









Relaxer:
ORS Olive Oil Relaxer Normal Strength 
ORS Olive Oil Relaxer Girls

My Hair Regime - Updated 7th September 2013

My aim is to keep my hair regimen as simple as possible.

My hair regime entails a moisture and protein balance.

My wash days were Sundays and Wednesdays  but in recent months I have been washing my hair once a week and will be continuing to do so. If I feel in between washes that my hair needs a refresh then I will just do a quick co-wash.



Sundays  Week One:

• Pre-poo with a light protein conditioner on damp hair for 25-30 mins with a heated cap, then rinse.
• Shampoo
• Deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner for 25-30 mins with heat or heat cap, then rinse. Final rinse using cold water.
• T shirt dry my hair for 15 - 20 mins
• Apply Leave ins and a few drops of Orifluido oil then detangle hair 
• Use satin or mesh scarf method to air-dry until hair is 80% - 90% dry
• Oil my scalp in four sections and also oiling my hairline and nape of my hair
• Moisturise and seal my hair in four sections.