Update week 9

I'm in week 9 of my stretch. My new growth is visible and my hair is officially tangley. I watched a few youtube reviews for the Tangle Teezer after a suggestion from P.S. I Love this and I think this is something I really should get. Especially now when my hair get's a tangled mess! Anything that can prevent hair loss while detangling I'm all for!

This week I prepoo'd with grape seed oil and another tea tree conditioner I picked up at Wh.ole F.oods called Shi kai.  It's really a good conditioner and stopped my itching scalp. Shut it down! LOL!

I co washed with the Giovanni Tea Tree conditioner I reviewed last week. Further cooling comfort for my scalp.  But it didn't get my scalp as clean as I wanted so I washed just my scalp with the Giovanni Tea Tree shampoo. I really like this shampoo! I think I'll just re-purchase that. I like the Shi kai tea tree con better!
I am being extra cautious with my scalp because my relaxer is coming up in 2 1/2 weeks and my last relaxer I really burned because my scalp was in such an irritated itchy state.

After I rinsed the shampoo my hair was stripped so I conditioned with ORS con for 10 minutes then I deep conditioned with SE Mega Moisturizing Con my favorite staple. I didn't sit under the dryer this time. I walked my treadmill for an hour and let it condition an additional hour. I rinsed and did my leave-in with a mix of aloe vera juice and S-curl no drip and air dried. Once dry, I detangled. Then I moisturized and sealed with 6 and 1 Leave In moisturizer and coconut oil.

This week I'm protective styling. I'm bunning until my relaxer March 12, 2011.

Best bun I've ever done!

Sally's Beauty Supply coupon

Product Review No.3 Giovanni Products

On the hair forums I read that Giovanni hair care products are good for all hair types including relaxed hair.  The line is all natural and organic. So yesterday while perusing the aisles at Whole Foods I went down the hair care aisle and saw they had trial sizes. I have had a few problems with itching scalp and bought the Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner.  Each bottle was 1.99 for 2 ounces.

TEA TREE TRIPLE TREAT SHAMPOO
Tri-functional shampoo - alleviates dry, flaky scalp; unclogs pores, removes product build up.

TEA TREE TRIPLE TREAT CONDITIONER
A natural blend of essential oils, minerals, vegetable proteins, tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint oils. Nourishes and restores strength and shine. Tingly sensation invigorates the scalp.

My hair felt really clean! I mean really clean. So that means the shampoo is moisture striping
and clarifying. It seemed good as a clarifying shampoo. I usually only co-wash and I made sure to only wash my scalp but the shampoo that got on my hair did make it a bit dry. However, I really liked the tingle I felt during the wash.  I think I will be able to use just the  tea tree conditioner to co wash with in the future when my scalp feels itchy.

Update: Not able to just use the conditioner it did not get my hair as clean as I needed it to be.

I recommend following up with a good deep conditioner like Silk Elements Mega Moisturizing

 
Overall I liked it!  I think if your scalp is having a real problem with dandruff and/or itching both products together will help! You can check out the products at the link below.

http://www.giovannihaircare.co.nz/products.htm

UPDATE WEEK 6

I am in my 6th week of this relaxer. I plan to relax at 10 weeks but if my hair is doing well I may stretch to 12 weeks. I know I keep switching up but I really want to stretch to 12 weeks each relaxer. I always get tangly around 9 weeks so that will deterimine if week 10 will be my relaxer week.

Last night I pre-pooed my hair with olive oil and EQP Intense. Today I washed with Hair One for dry hair. I like the tingle of this product and my scalp is really clean.  I DC with ORS Hair Mayo for 30 min. It is a light/ med protein. I felt like my hair needed some strength. I hope I did not protein overload my hair. I then moisturized with  Aphogee Balancer Moisturizer for 10 min  and Silk Elements MM for 5 min.

My hair felt so soft and strong after I air dried. I wanted to know what my hair would feel like without a leave in and it feels GREAT!!!

So  I will be washing with Hair One weeks 1-6 and I have to find a really good detangling shampoo or conditioner to wash with weeks 7-10 or 12. Any suggetions??? I miss the original version of CON!

My next step is to begin a vitamin regime for strength, health and growth. My blog friend at P.S. I love this... told me about the use of  B vitamins and how they help your hair. So I plan to follow Traycee from K.I.S.S. vitamin plan she used to go from APL to WL with relaxed hair.

This came straight from K.I.S.S.

GNC Women's Ultra Mega Vitamin

Super B-Complex with vitamin C & Folic Acid -
Helps Convert Food Into Energy Supports energy production
Helps offset the wear and tear of stress
Assist homcysteine metabolism

Specifically the B's are responsible for the health and maintenance of nerves, eyes, digestion and skin, as well as the processing of carbohydrates, fat and protein, growth, the production of hormones and digestive enzymes, prevention of anemia, maintenance of the sex glands, sebaceous glands and bone marrow.


MSM
provides Sulfur that is a building block for joints, cartilage, skin, hair, and nails, and methyl groups,
that support many biochemical processes in the body and energy production


Biotin is also known as Vitamin H or B7...It helps skin , and hair health..It is important for metabolism of carbohydrates,, proteins and fats

Fish Oil Omega-3....Great source of protein
Doesn't have high saturated fat that fatty meat products have
Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people and those that are high risk of cardiovascular disease

I do nails too!

Recently, I saw a manicure on a beauty blog that I had to try. I love beauty blogs by the way. I decided to do all my nails with the glitter. It is a fabulous gold glitter french manicure. I had everything but the glitter polish.

I painted my nails with one coat of Sally Hansen Nail Growth Miracle
http://www.sallyhansen.com/product.cfm?product=111

Then one coat of the best top coat in the world Seche Vite LOL! It dries so fast. I love this stuff!!!!

http://seche.com/products/product-83005.html

Then I used one coat of Sinful Colors Nude Satin 109. I tried to find it on the site but it's not available it's similar to this one. But any nude will do.

http://sinfulcolors.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=sinfulcolors&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=nail-polish

Then another coat of the Seche Vite top coat.

I waited about a hour to let everything set. Then I did the glitter french part. Sephora has this great gold glitter polish I was going to get but it costs 9.00. I'm on a budget right now.

One of the beauty blogs I read raved about Sally's Beauty Supply version which cost .94. It's a little bottle but Umm Yeah! It's GREAT!! looked similar and did what I needed it to do.

To add the french part you have remove excess polish on the side of the bottle and dot the tip of your nails until you get the desired affect. After adding the french part add one more coat of Seche Vite.

I am totally going back to get all the chunky glitters since it's a trend right now!  Sally's has silver and pink too. The end result is a gel like manicure that should last 7 -10 days!! I just add a little topcoat as needed when it gets dull.

After all that it better last LOL!

UPDATE: This manicure has lasted 8 days!!  No chips!!! I'm only removing it because my naisl have grown out. Make sure you seal the topcoat by adding polish to the front and back of the nail.