back to basics: shea.

i think shea butter is going to be added to my list of staples. i just got my very first package of nasabb shea butter, and i’m so glad i did. i’ve completely forgotten the benefits shea butter has for both the hair and scalp. needless to say, i’m going to keep using nasabb’s shea butter. i used to use sher essence shea butter, which is equally amazing but only available in small 4 oz containers. definitely check her store out if you are looking to sample shea butter, though. sher essence also provides with east african shea butter, which is extremely hard to find and VERY SOFT.

i massaged some into my hair may be four or five hours after co-washing my hair with avalon organics olive and grape seed conditioner. my hair was twisted in many buns and still damp. i took out the buns, applied the shea butter, and twisted my hair in large two-strand twists. i took the twists out later on, and my hair felt like heaven! the shea butter also left my curls looking effortless, soft, and healthy. i love the smell of nasabb’s shea butter, and i love that it is creamy– not too soft, but melts and absorbs easily into the skin and hair. A+!

other updates? i just realized that avalon organics’s lavender conditioner contains silicones! shame on me. it’s still great at moisturizing and detangling, but i prefer the moisturizing olive and grape conditioner (which is silicone-free).

beware of the pick

do you have one of those black power/peace afro picks?

i’m just going to make this brief. be careful with that thing. it should seriously be used sparingly, or else your hair will break off a lot more than normal. even if you comb it through the roots a little bit, just to volumize. the super stiff metal teeth pull the hair in a really dangerous way if used frequently, and you could lose a substantial amount of hair.

and of course, eat well. take vitamins. especially biotin if you’re noticing weakness and hair loss. an unbalanced diet will also result in hair loss if you use styling tools like picks and tight headbands.

post-henna dryness remedy

so i mixed up 80 grams of henna with some lemon juice, coffee powder, olive oil, and honey last night. i left it in overnight, woke up, rinsed it off, and felt the usual lush-but-dry result. i remembered that i had a ripe avocado in the fridge, and decided to use it as a deep conditioning treatment. i’ve done this in the past, and it worked out so well. only this time, i didn’t have plain yogurt, so i only mixed the avocado with some olive oil. i massaged this mixture through my hair and scalp and left it in for about 10 minutes. i rinsed thoroughly, and finished everything off with a chamomile tea rinse. finally, i applied coconut oil throughout my hair, and added some olive oil to my ends and scalp. the dryness is gone!

more on henna here and here.

oiling scalp for dandruff

if you’re a regular reader, it’s obvious that i’ve had issues with my dry, itchy scalp and dandruff. a friend of mine and i were talking about this a little bit ago, and she suggested oiling my scalp and not washing it too much. that’s when it hit me, i would hardly ever moisturize my scalp. so i’ve been doing so with olive oil and my qhemet biologics heavy cream for the past month. i’ll massage and moisturize my scalp whether i’m co-washing or shampooing. it has definitely made a huge difference, and i recommend this to anyone who is dealing with the same issue. it’s easy to forget if you tend to be on the go.. especially if you co-wash once every few days, quickly moisturize your hair, and go to work/school. but just taking that extra one or two minutes can save you a lot of frustration, embarrassment, and irritation!

don’t use too much oil, a quarter sized amount will do for a large portion of your head.

bq staples: in detail

it’s been way too long since i gave any informative or detailed posts on here, and for that i apologize. i thought i’d give some tips and tricks for each of our staples.

aloe vera gel. i find aloe vera gel to be a lot more helpful as a styling product than anything else, but a lot of people enjoy using it as a moisturizer, when mixed with other ingredients. i use it when twisting my hair, so as to get a more well-defined twist out. aloe is also great when slicking your hair back. wet a boar bristle brush and apply some aloe with a little bit of castor oil. brush, and style. your hair will be smooth, glossy, and healthy looking!
**OT: aloe vera gel also makes a GREAT daily moisturizer, especially if your skin is oily and acne prone.

dr. bronner’s castile soap. this all-natural, vegan, organic liquid soap is truly multipurpose. you can use it to clean your body, bathroom, dishes, and hair. as a shampoo, i highly recommend that you dilute it. (actually, it should be diluted for almost any use.) i use 1 part soap, 3 parts water. dr. bronner’s clarifies my hair really well, and leaves it healthy and refreshed. at the same time, it isn’t drying. it’s hard to explain, because it does definitely clean out my hair, but i’ve never had that “stripped” feeling after using dr. bronner’s.
best scents? i definitely love the peppermint (tingly!) and almond. you can also get lavendar, fragrance free, and others!

vegetable glycerin. this is definitely one of the best moisturizing ingredients out there. i prefer to squeeze a dime or nickel-sized amount on my palm, and some water, rub my hands together, and distribute throughout my hair. a little definitely goes a long way. veggie glycerin is also great when added to a light conditioner (like suave or trader joe’s essential conditioner). it’s a popular ingredient in spritzes as well; try half a bottle of water, 3-5 generous squeezes of vegetable glycerin, 4 drops of rosemary oil, and a little bit of olive oil.
oh! and i like adding vegetable glycerin to my henna mixtures as well.

olive oil. i think olive oil is a little trickier, because a lot of people don’t necessarily have good experiences with using it straight out of the bottle. try using olive oil as a hot oil treatment: microwave a small cup of olive oil until very warm (but not too hot!); apply generously throughout dry hair, including ends and scalp; cover hair with saran wrap or plastic bag; leave in for 20-30 minutes; shampoo out. you’ll notice that your hair is much softer.
you can also try applying a quarter sized amount of olive oil after you’ve washed your hair (as a leave in treatment). this is especially beneficial if you’ve clarified and need something to seal in moisture.
**OT: i’ve replaced regular lotion with extra virgin olive oil. i apply it on my wet skin immediately after i’ve showered, and pat dry with a towel. my skin is left soft, healthy, and vibrant! a little goes a long way.

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as for my own staples, i always recommend trader joe’s nourish spa conditioner to people looking for a moisturizing and detangling conditioner. it’s great for both co-washing and pooing. i use auromere’s tulsi-neem soap almost any time i shampoo, because it does such a great job controlling dandruff. it’s also a moisturizing soap, so it doesn’t dry out my hair at all. i recommend massaging the soap on your scalp and applying another shampoo (like dr. bronners or elucence) throughout your hair, since auromere tulsi-neem doesn’t necessarily cleanse the hair thoroughly.
henna, of course, has always been my love, and i definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a natural hair dye and/or great hair conditioning experience. qhemet biologics heavy cream is AMAZING. that’s all i have to say.

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do any of you have tips and tricks for the products listed above (or your own favorite staples) that i haven’t mentioned? leave a comment! teach us something.

the verdict: auromere

remember when i tried auromere’s tulsi-neem soap for the first time? i just thought i’d give a quick update on how well it’s been working after two months: it’s great! the neem soap definitely helps with controlling dandruff and itch.

i’ve been using it sporadically (usually when i notice more itchiness than normal), and sometimes i’ll massage the soap on my scalp with my regular shampoos (elucence moisture benefits / dr. bronner’s castile soap). i have also tried a sample of auromere’s neem plus 5 shampoo, which did a good job clarifying my hair without completely stripping it. i’d definitely suggest either the soap or the shampoo, but if you want an effective cleanse, go for the shampoo. i’ll be sticking with the soap, because its moisturizing properties are working well with my dry scalp.

update on the challenge: end of phase one

the first month of the “does it really work?” challenge has ended, so i’ve got the “after” pictures posted up in my fotki. check them out!

overall, i’m not completely sure if i notice a dramatic difference in my hair’s length. it’s always hard for me to tell, but you can check out the fotki album and decide for yourself. as i’m starting the second month of the challenge, however, i found my scalp to be itchier without the rosemary spritz. my dandruff also seems to be more noticeable, especially around my front hairline. so, regardless of whether the rosemary has made a difference in my hair growth, it definitely is good for my scalp.

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side dish: about a month ago, i went to trader joe’s to get my favorite conditioner, trader joe’s nourish spa conditioner. unfortunately, they were all out and only had trader joe’s essential conditioner. i decided to just get that instead. so what’s the difference? the essential conditioner is much lighter, and doesn’t moisturize that well. however, it gets the job done for co-washing, and smells really good. if i had to pick between the two, i’d definitely choose the nourish spa conditioner, but any no-pooers who are in need of a lighter conditioner should check out trader joe’s essential conditioner.

olive and honey treatment + henna result

i can’t remember the last time i did a hot oil treatment with honey. that’s definitely a problem. so i decided to do one last night, the day after i henna’d my hair (more on that below). here’s what i did:

1. mixed about 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 3-4 tbsp honey.
2. microwaved for 30 seconds, until the mixture was very warm.
3. applied the mixture thoroughly throughout my hair, ends, and scalp.
4. covered my hair in saran wrap.
5. covered the saran wrap with a warm towel.
6. washed out with elucence moisture benefits shampoo and neem soap (for the scalp).
7. followed with conditioner to detangle.

what did this result in? super soft, tangle-free hair! this was especially beneficial after hennaing, because henna tends to dry out hair.

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side dish: check out my latest henna result!

more info about my recent henna mix and technique can be found here and here. look out for a henna FAQ on bQ:press. it should be coming soon!

update on the challenge

so my “does it really work challenge” has already started, and as promised, i have taken some pictures of the first month’s beginning length:

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i’ll also be wearing headwraps throughout the summer. these help protect my hair from the sun, and they also cover up any frizziness and messy-looking twists that i tend to wear during my protective challenges.

{i learned how to wrap my hair from CongoBrava’s very helpful fotki album/tutorial.}

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you can check out my fotki album for the latest photo updates on this challenge.

during this month, i’ll be spritzing my hair with the following rosemary spritz:

water (most of the bottle)
vegetable glycerin (several squeezes; probably 1/3 cup)
rosemary oil (a couple tablespoons or so)
coconut oil (a few tablespoons)

along with the spritz, here are other products that i’ll be using regularly:

• trader joe’s conditioner
• dr. bronner’s peppermint-hemp castile soap
• elucence moisture benefits shampoo
• blended beauty happy nappy styles cream
• fruit of the earth aloe vera gel

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side dish: vote for the latest bq hair feature if you haven’t already!

the “does it REALLY work?” challenge

i was looking through some of my products that i used a while back, and i stumbled upon the daily spritz that i’ve used here and there. i forgot about it, because i didn’t really find it necessary a while back and stopped using it for the most part. it had some water, glycerin, and rosemary oil, among other things. i heard a lot about how rosemary helped promote hair growth, so i tried it out. i took a couple pictures of the progress throughout my last summer protective challenge (2007), back when i was using this spritz the most.. but i’m not convinced that the rosemary oil really made a difference. may be i didn’t take enough pictures.

whatever the case, i still have some leftover rosemary oil in my cabinet, and i’ve decided to start up a “does it really work?” challenge. it’s basically going to be the same as my summer protective challenge; i’ll be wearing twists for the majority of the summer (through the end of september). however, this time i’m going to try to see if i notice any real hair growth by comparing my protective challenge with a rosemary spritz and without one.

i’ll use the rosemary oil spritz everyday for one month (july), and then i’ll use another spritz that doesn’t contain any rosemary oil for the next month (august). i’ll compare each month’s progress with before and after pictures (the beginning of the month’s length versus the end of the month’s length), and i’ll let you all in if i feel a difference texture-wise, which spritz i liked better, or anything like that.

so basically i’m trying to see if rosemary oil really makes THAT much of a difference. anybody want to join me?