My Tips for Moisturizing & Moisture Retention

The information I'm going to share will be based on porosity. Feel free to scroll to the part that pertains to you but the information is good to know either way. If you are unsure what your porosity is here is a quick how to on testing for porosity:

STEP 1: Get a bowl. Fill with room temp water.
STEP 2: Place clean, dry shed hair into bowl. (I suggest hair from the shower or sink that has shed during your wash routine NOT pull hairs from you head)
STEP 3: Watch how hair reacts to the water. (Watching over time will increase accuracy) Does it float? Low porosity! Does it sink? High porosity! Hang out in the middle? Normal porosity!

Moisturizing Your Low Porosity Hair

If your hair floated welcome to the low po team! Your hair absorb little to no moisture, yay! (Sarcasm) The key to moisturizing low po hair is opening those cuticles for moisture to absorb better. How do you do this? Use substances with a higher pH or that are known to lift those cuticle layers. So what can you use?

*Warm water
*Baking Soda
*Vegetable Glycerin
*Black Coffee (Yes I said Coffee)

How can they be used?
Wash your in warm water or put warm water in your spray bottle.
You can add baking soda to you deep conditioner.
Vegetable glycerin (a humectant that attracts moisture form the atmosphere) can be put in your spray bottle, added to Deep Conditioner and other mixes.
Black Coffee can be used as a final rinse or rinsed through the hair prior to Deep conditioning.

Now that you've opened the cuticle moisturize with a water based product. This can include leave in sprays, leave in creams, spray moisturizers/creams and those lovely home made concoctions! I believe the LCO method works the best for low porosity hair. I have used water as my L(iquid) in this example. Leave in as the C(ream) which I suggest be creamy with slip, and now O(il)! The Oil you use will be based on the thickness or thinness of your strands. Thin strands will be weighed down by oils like castor oil and possibly EVOO so you might prefer grapseed, coconut, or jojoba oils. Thicker strands will be able to withstand EVOO or castor oil however castor oil is SUPER thick. In winter months I suggest sealing with a butter. I do LOCB or LCOB. Either one work well.

Be generous when moisturizing! Its better to have excess than to starve your hair!

Moisturizing Your High Porosity Hair

So your hair is highly porous! Not a problem. Time to go to work! You have the hardest time retaining moisture. Your hair cuticles aren't closing well enough to lock in moisture and that stuff is just evaporating right out! So what will help close those cuticles? Substances with a lower pH than your hair! Like:

*Lemon Juice
*Aloe Vera juice/gel
*ACV

All of these can be added to your spray bottle, rinsed through your hair as a final rinse, and added to Deep conditioners and other homemade recipes.

Both Porosity Types can...

Moisturize using the LOC or LCO methods! We can all also use the substances that aid in closing the cuticle. I know many say closing the cuticle won't help low po hair BUT if you're opening your cuticle well enough you'll need to close that sucker back up..LOL. You're cuticle will not lock down like the Pentagon under attack and stop moisture from coming in after using a substance with lower pH. They aid in eliminating tangles because the cuticles aren't getting caught up on each other as they are now laying flatter. They also assist in achieveing shinier and healthier lookin hair. Say goodbye to that dry, dull look and feel.

Final Words...

Deep Condition weekly.

If need be to correct dryness co wash with a co wash product or conditioner that doesn't have silicones. (Dimethicone, amodinethicone etc.) Silicones cause build up when not washed or shampooed out with a sulfate shampoo. (And we don't want those sulfates!)

Sulfate free shampoo monthly while correcting dryness is okay. Find one that your hair likes!

Pay attention to your entire hair strand. Root to ends! Many times we neglect those ends.

Clip those ends (as needed!) when they're raggedy and just won't stay moisturized to keep the rest of your hair healthy.

DRINK WATER!!! Become a fish if you have to..LOL!

That's all for now.

Thanks for Reading!

My Current Regimen: One Year Post ReChop!

Normal Regimen Schedule:

Sunday - Wash, Deep Condition, Style for the week
*Take down - (if twist or braid out) at least 24 hrs later.
*Nightly - oil (JBCO) on edges for post partum regrowth
Retwist/ Mini pineapples at night w.scarf or bonnet.

Protective Style Regimen Schedule:

Sunday - (starting style) Wash, Deep Condition, Set protective style
*Nightly - oil (JBCO) on edges for post partum regrowth.
Bun (if done with extension hair)
Scarf on edges/ usual scarf or bonnet
Style with own hair - Co wash if/as needed the leave in/LOC in a bottle.
Style with extension hair - Co wash/shampoo if/as needed. Style in for 4 weeks tops. Scalp spray for itching if/as needed.

Treatments:

Hot oil - Monthly
Protein - Monthly
Rinses - As needed

Trim:

As needed without straightening. Hair is sectioned into 6 sections, 4 or more twists in each, dust ends with shears.

Products I currently use:

Cleansing - Cantu Shea Butter For natural Hair Sulfate Free Cream Cleasning Shampoo (Great stuff!!!!)
VO5 Tea Therapy Clarifying Conditioner (I co wash with this. It has NO silicones which makes it better for co washing! Less chance of build up issues) -OR- As I Am Cleansing Co wash

Deep Conditioner - Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque (will be trying other soon)

Leave in - My LOC in a bottle (VO5 Free Me Freesia, water & EVOO)

Protein Treatment - Elucence Extended Moisture Repair Treatment or ApHogee 2-minute Keratin Treatment

Oils - EVOO, Coconut, JBCO

Essential Oils - Peppermint, Tea Tree (trying rosemary and lavender soon)

Butter - Whipped Shea Butter Mix

Itch Spray - EVOO, lemon juice, Tea Tree oil, aloe Vera juice or water

Multi Purpose - Aloe Vera Juice, ACV

5 Reasons Why Your Hair is Dry

Oh dryness! This has ALWAYS been my biggest problem with my hair. Here are my top 5 Reasons why your hair might be dry!

1. You Don't Know Your Porosity.

Porosity is so very very important when it comes to battling dryness. Porosity in a nut shell is your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. There must be a balance between low porosity (little to no absorption) and high porosity (absorption with little to no retention). Porosity issues can be fixed once porosity is identified.

2. You Only Use Stylers/Puddings

Many people get so focused on definition, the don't realize if they moisturized properly they'd get definition without the use of gel, stylers and puddings. Moisturizing properly and controlling porosity eliminates frizz and the need to "tame". If you're not using conditioners or water based moisturizers to first moisturize THEN a styling product and only using a styling product your hair might be experiencing dryness.

3. You Wash Your Hair in Hot Water

Washing our hair in hot water can have adverse affects over time. It can open the hair cuticle making the hair more and more porous causing dry, dull, frizzy hair and more and more frustration. Warm washes and cold rinses help to first remove dirt and excess oils then seal and close the cuticles when a wash is complete.

4. You Don't Seal/Well Enough

Sealing in moisture is essential. Two of the best oils to seal with on dry hair are EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and castor oil, especially during the winter months. If you're not sealing, the moisture is evaporating and drying right out of your hair! Now on the other hand you may be sealing but not well enough. Like running your hands through your head with a dime size of oil on your hands KNOWING you no longer have a twa! Lol. Section by section is the way to go, Sis!

5. Product Build Up

We all love cowashing but product build up is a mother! And cowashing cannot cleanse your hair of gunk!!!!! Though it is great on a weekly basis or daily depending on your needs, try to shampoo at least once a month to keep product build up to a minimum. Product build up can cause the hair to become weighed down, suffocated and dry. Not a a good look! Remember a good sulfate free gentle shampoo won't hurt!

Thanks for reading!

*Upcoming post: How To Test for Porosity*

I DID IT!: Lady

Name: Lady (fellow blogger)

Age: 31

Location: Paterson, NJ

My Story:I big chopped one year ago
Ive had very long permed hair since I was 10.

I DID IT because...Turning 30 prompted me to make a drastic change and I love it!!

Stay Tuned for the launch of Lady's Fashion and lifestyle blog!

*Follow Lady on Twitter & IG: @innercitylady*

Post Partum Shedding: OH My Edges!

So I took down my twists..

*sigh* Before I continue to go on a rant about post partum shedding, thinning edges and aggravation let me just say I'm excited to be celebrating one year post rechop this month!!! Woohoo!!! Now back to the regularly scheduled program.

OH MY EDGES!!! As soon as I took out the first twist on the perimeter of my hair, I knew what was up (lol). I am 4 months post partum and the shedding has come :( Why oh why my edges though?? Okay, getting sidetracked. So you may be thinking that I had my twists too tight or I was using a brush and its breakage. Nope! Entire hairs left my scalp. (Come back!)

As I mourn my edges whatever have I begun to do to restore them? JBCO also known as Jamaican Black Castor Oil baby!! When my edges broke off from permanent color, I grew them back with this stuff and I plan to so it again! Bald edges? No ma'am, not me!

More updates to come! If you know how to pray, pray for the speedy return of my edges! Lol.

Til next time,
Samantha Michelle

Big Chop Tips: Do Your Research!

The Big Chop is a BIG step. I mean we don't go around chopping our hair off everyday! Though I'm the first one in a room to say it's just hair, I'll also be the first one to say, DO YOUR RESEARCH!! You're going from one hair life to another. You need to get yourself informed for the road ahead or else post BC will be a time of separation anxiety and depression (YES it happens). Allow YouTube to be your Oracle! Join natural hair groups, forums, online communities etc. When you know, you're hair will grow!

I DID IT!: Ashley

Name: Ashley Cochran 

Location: Chicago

My Story:
I am 28 year old mom of three and future med student. I've had a love/hate relationship with my hair for years and it would get REALLY long and then start to thin and break (totally heartbreaking). I big chopped in April of this year and I love it! It was so liberating to cut it all off. I promise, I feel like a brand new woman!

I did it because...

I wanted to know what my hair really looked like because I've been relaxed for as long as I can remember.

Follow Ashley: @AshCake0 on Instagram 

Big Chop Tips: Use Shears!

Regular scissors are too dull to cut hair efficiently! Use shears.

The 'I DID IT' Big Chop Series

Introducing the 'I DID IT' Big Chop Series featuring beautiful naturalistas telling why they decided to chop it off and liberate themselves. For the month of August help us celebrate the liberation of the big chop!