Here is a little history on my mane adventure. Now, I contribute many things of my body to stress and my head is no exception. I've had (enough of) my fair share of odd growth and breakage. My hair has ALWAYS grown fast and long from my crown up and below to nape. I have noticed the bulk-age of my stress breakage has always been a thin middle, from temple to temple, like a bad mullet, fro. The occasional scratch with a finger always makes me feel great when strands of hair are tangled on my finger. Blaming stress, never found it severe enough to see a doctor. Still don't, but not quite there to rule it out.
Happy "Leap" Day!
I started this blog with the intention, I would begin regular hair experiences, weekly. But as I mentioned before, i'm not very high maintenance and am quickly discovering that my hair is. So after some research and distracting activities I realize that "we" have to come to a mutual agreement on necessity, needs, and requirements.
Since my last post, I have been playing with Shea butter. I remembered I had bought some at a past arts and crafts festival, but never had time to just focus on how to use it. I remember being curious and understanding it had useful healing properties for my then "REALLY" dry skin. Of course, I put it away and essentially forgot about it. Since I have been doing more and more research on natural tresses, hair care and products, I've begun a new found love for my little stash and adventure into other essential oils.
Ultimately, with all my Shea research, I was led to create my own personal Shea butter creme mix. Using it by itself, just didn't feel right to me, at first. There are many wonderful websites and YouTube videos on just the "perfect" concoction. And all pretty much suggested to use ingredients to you your own liking. So, I did. Here are the ingredients for my Shea butter creme:
- 1 C Shea butter (unrefined; double boiler melt)
- 1 T Coconut Oil (virgin)
- 1 T Olive Oil
- 1 T Castor Oil
- 1 T Jojoba Oil
As any good cook I stopped myself at 5 ingredients, because being my first mix, I wasn't sure exactly how much it all made. It was a LOT (fills a 9oz container). I have enough to last me a lifetime and still have plenty extra unrefined Shea butter.
I love how it makes my hair feel so soft! I've applied it to my hair different ways, trying to find my groove and mane agreement. I've applied it as a topical after a shower, sectioned and applied to my scalp wet, damp, and dry like I used to oil my hair. I've even spritzed my hair with a little water and oil mixture and applied the Shea then wrapped my hair with a scarf. I do feel my hair taking to the extra moisture. Also, my curly roots are becoming very bold and can feel the coils extending down the shaft to the damaged dry hair. So something is working.
Of course, me and my habit, I only use the Shea creme about twice a week. And the euphoria of excitement I get goes too and the little word "maintenance" begins its little argument with me. It is such a motivator. So far, I like what I have discovered and will keep as tools of my regimen. Back to researching I will go until that happy median is found for me and my mane.
As promised, I took a pic of where my hair is currently at. My hair has been short most all my life, natural kink for many years, a brief stint of growth when pregnant with baby, then reverted back. Here I am today. My beginning point.
If you have any suggestions or ideas, even how to make this a more positive experience, please comment below. I'm welcoming all recommendations a sporting try.
Thank you for viewing and Take Back Your Mane Control! ~ Miss EM
My daughter, Alexis, has been blessed with a head FULL of HAIR! Beautiful. And I wanna raise and teach her how to care for here hair and body minus the torment and, eh, torture I grew up with. *Love you mom :)* And so far, its been a pretty good job in combing. What always gets me is the products to keep our hair type moderately healthy looking and feeling. Without a lot of unnecessary chemicals and additives and pretty much nonsense. Someday I hope to get together a list of the products I have tried in the years before and after she was born and give my review of how I liked them.
But for now, lets begin with, no better place than why I chose to start this blog, my first experience with a scalp scrub. I only made a small amount cause 1. my hair is short and 2. I wasn't sure how I would like it. The result-> a Marvelous easy concoction:
- 1 Tbs brown sugar
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- tea tree oil (3 drops, optional)
Generally, you would make sure your head is soaking wet to part and apply mixture to scalp. I began this just before getting into shower and used a spray bottle straight at my roots. It helped some. I think it would have been better if my hair was thoroughly wet to ends. This got a bit out of my comfort zone of simple maintenance but once I got started I had no choice but to follow through. You want to apply scrub to part and begin a brief gentle circular massage into hair. I didn't do that. I parted, applied as if oiling my hair and massaged entire head with finger tips. The brown sugar provides a wonderful abrasive friction. I then did a hot water rinse in shower, shampoo, conditioned, then followed with an Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinse (1/3 ACV and 2/3 water) in a squeeze/spray bottle, quick massage, and rinsed again. I think my portions for the ACV rinse are incorrect, but because of the acidity, I stayed away from liberal application and used sparingly.
The result. I have small tight waves of curly hair at my roots spiraling midway on portions of my long hair and to the very ends of my short length hair! And shiny! I hadn't seen this much action on my head since my big chop of over 10 years! Of my long length of hair where I can see the curls stop, I can recognize where the damage begins. I find this disturbing yet positive and motivational. Plus, my scalp was not itchy!
What I have learned from this experience is that you cannot take for granted your 'normal' routine for hair maintenance. For proof positive, evaluate yourself. With the scalp scrub I found recommendations for follow up of once or twice a month or, depending on best judgement, about once a week. The same with the ACV, using best judgement. I Googled many sites and YouTube's and found this link to be a fantastic basic recipe jump off: http://collegecurlies.blogspot.com/2011/09/brown-sugar-scalp-scrub.html
Future blogs I hope to have progressive pictures of my Mane Control and perhaps some videos to show and discuss. Your input is greatly appreciated, as well as any tips tricks or recipes you recommend I try.
Thank you for viewing and Take Back Your Mane Control!
