Thursday 30 July 2015

Status update: my hair's response to the castor oil challenge

In my last post at this link, I mentioned that I was taking part in the intermediate level of the castor oil challenge. As you may know, castor oil has many benefits such as:


  • Promoting healthier and thicker hair strands
  • Regrows edges and helps with a receding hair line
  • Moisture sealing and conditioning of hair
  • Does not clog pores
  • Controls dry and itchy scalp
  • Improves scalp circulation which in turn promotes hair growth
How has the challenge been so far?

I have been faithful in applying the oil to my scalp twice a week. However I am in a protective style and was only able to properly use the oil as a sealant before plaiting my hair. I also have succeeded in using the oil in my daily spritz,which I apply to both the cornrows and the twisted braids of my hair. When I take down the protective style next week (it will be 4 weeks then) I will use the oil in my deep conditioner as well. So far my hair is loving it and there's a significant amount of growth I am seeing as well as lesser itching. Here are some pics:




Sunday 19 July 2015

Castor Oil hair challenge

This post comes from http://hairequest.blogspot.com/2015/06/blog-post.html and was written by a lady who inspired my healthy hair journey, i.e. Ms Fatima Yikona. The following words are to her credit and I am not claiming any ownership to the written piece. I have chosen to do the intermediate castor oil challenge. Now, let's get to the story:

Everyone wants beautiful, healthy hair but unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with the hair we desire. The second Hairequest Castor Oil Challenge is here and it’s bigger and better! This isn’t just a challenge focusing on the use of castor oil but basically a hair journey boot camp where one gets to intensify their entire hair routine. One not only has to be consistent with the use of castor oil during this challenge but be consistent with their hair journey for maximum benefits. Apart from motivating each other this exercise will give us an opportunity to learn new techniques and practices which could be beneficial to our hair. Read how I use castor oil here.

Benefits of Castor Oil
·         Promotes healthier and thicker hair
·         Regrows edges
·         Stops receeding or thinning hair
·         Can be used for natural or chemically treated hair
·         Excellent sealant and conditioner
·         Does not clog pores
·         Controls dry and itchy scalp
·         Improves scalp circulation


  This challenge will run from 5th July 2015 to 4th October 2015. Any type of castor oil can be used as long as it is plain castor oil. These include cold pressed castor oil, pharmacy castor oil ( Link Pharmacy carries a good brand), Jamaican black castor oil (Tropic Isle, Sunny Isle, Simply Organic), etc. Brands such as Blue Magic are not pure castor oil as they contain other ingredients hence not getting the full benefits of castor oil. Pure castor oil is what is encouraged.

  During this time, protective styles such as braids, wigs, buns, ponytails, two strand twists, updos and other hair styles are encouraged to help retain length. Track any changes in your hair regardless of whether good or bad. Below are the Challenge levels:

Basic
·       -  Apply Castor Oil to your scalp twice a week. Make sure to massage well. Do not be heavy handed. Less is more.
·       -  Use castor oil to seal your strands after moisturizing your hair. Remember, castor oil is quite thick so mix it with your oil of choice to enable easy application.

Intermediate
·         - Apply castor Oil to your scalp twice a week as in the basic level
·      -   Use castor oil to seal your strands after moisturizing
·       -  Add a few drops to a tablespoon of castor oil to your deep conditioner.

Ultimate
   -  Apply castor Oil to your scalp atleast three times a week
·       -  Use castor oil to seal after moisturizing your hair
·       -  Add a few drops to a tablespoon of castor oil to your deep conditioner
·         -Use castor oil in your prepoo mix or on its own as a hot oil treatment. Read more about prepooing here.

 Some people may be concerned about moisturizing hair while in protective styles such as braids and weaves. Simply make a spritz of your own which can consist of water, a little leave in conditioner and your favourite oils including castor oil.

My pre-entry photos(AfroMoriri)



Wednesday 8 July 2015

How to wash natural hair that's braided

Many people are of the notion that hair cannot be washed properly while it is in braids, and from my observation this idea exists both in the natural and chemically processed (relaxed) hair community. However it is a false believe that requires a new way of thinking about hair care!

Why should you wash braided hair?

  • To keep the scalp clean and promote hair growth.
  • Prevent product and dirt build-up that causes hair strands to lock and therefore cause breakage when the braids are taken off. There tends to be a lot of build up at the roots, especially where the main knot of installing the braid is.
  • To maintain the routine of your hair regimen and thus not interrupt your hair's healthy habits.
  • Aid the process of conditioning your hair - obviously before conditioning you have to wash your hair first. 
How to wash your hair while in braids
  • Get a spritz bottle and add shampoo and water to it. Start off with little water till you reach a point where the shampoo fully foams, i.e. the bottle is full of lather.
  • Work you way sequentially along the lines/rows of the plaits and apply the foamy shampoo to the scalp.
  • Once you have the foamy shampoo on the scalp use your finger tips (not nails) to gently rub along the lines in order to remove dirt and product build-up. Also massage your scalp while doing so. Remember to avoid using your nails!!
  • Focus more on the hairline. I find this area to attract lots of build up.
  • Stand under the shower using luke-warm water to rinse the shampoo off.
  • Don't worry about shampoo-ing the hair strands as they will be washed automatically by the water that will run from your scalp downwards the braids while you are under the shower. But if you'd like you could also spray the foamy shampoo along the braids till the point where your natural hair length ends then gently squeeze while under the shower.
  • After this apply hair conditioner from the roots of your hair till the point at which your natural hair strands end and sit for few mins while the conditioner does its magic(15mins or more).
  • Wash off the conditioner and air dry. Once 80-90% dry apply a water based moisturiser (I use a hair spray) from the roots of your hair, all the way through the length of your hair (stop where your natural hair's length ends). If you want you can use a small amount of a light hair oil to seal the moisture (e.g jojoba oil or grapeseed) by applying along the braids up till where your natural hair ends. Personally I don't seal the moisture with an oil, rather I moisturise religiously every morning (sometimes evenings as well if I'm not too lazy).
  • DO NOT rub the braids while washing them as this will result in horrible frizz!
Some pictures illustrating the washing instruction above: