2015 was a year of high points for my relaxed hair, but there were also some points. I tried several new products, styled my hair a few times, and continued to protect my ends with protective styling.
Now that 2016 is only a few weeks away, I took some time to sit down and reflect on 2015. I wanted to see how I did with achieving my relaxed hair goals set for 2015 and then start to create new goals for 2016.
Keep reading to see my 2015 hair goal recap and the new goals I have for 2016.
When using heat styling tools it's important to protect your relaxed or texlaxed hair as much as you can. For me, I cringe and actually feel a bit sick if no heat protectant spray is used before a curling iron or flat iron touches my hair.
I've been co-washing my relaxed hair for a while now and my hair has really liked it. When I first heard about co-washing I had no idea what it was. What I learned is co-washing is short for conditioner washing or no-pooing. When you co-wash you're cleansing your scalp and hair with a conditioner or cleansing conditioner or cream instead of a shampoo.
If you're interested in hair and read blog posts and articles about hair care you may have seen the term protective styling.
When I first saw that term I wasn't sure what it meant. I'd never heard about it before. I was so confused and curious about protective styling and why I should be interested in it.
Now that I've taken a greater interest in my hair care I've learned more about protective styling and started doing it more and more.
If you're not sure about what protective styling is and why you should try it, continue reading.
When I first saw that term I wasn't sure what it meant. I'd never heard about it before. I was so confused and curious about protective styling and why I should be interested in it.
Now that I've taken a greater interest in my hair care I've learned more about protective styling and started doing it more and more.
If you're not sure about what protective styling is and why you should try it, continue reading.
When I made the decision to take better care of my relaxed hair, the first place I went to was the Internet. I used search terms such as healthy relaxed hair and taking care of relaxed hair to see what recommendations, tips, recommendations, and products I could find.
Related read: 7 Of The Best Tips For Shampooing Relaxed Hair
The first year I didn't make anything because I had just started working the week before and my living situation didn't provide time to bake or cook. Since I'm settled into my own place, I decided to bake a dessert. My pick was gingerbread which is a recipe I hadn't made in years.
I couldn't find my grandfather's recipe so the one I ended up using was taken from the 2006 edition of the Better Homes and Garden Cook Book:
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup mild-flavored molasses
1/2 cup
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round cake pan (I used another type of baking dish)
3. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside
4. In a large mixing bowl beat the shorting with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds (I think I ended up doing it for more since I didn't keep track of time). Add brown sugar; beat until well combined. Add egg and molasses; beat for 1 minute more. Alternately add flour mixture and water to shortening mixture, beating at low speed after each addition is combined. Spread batter into the prepared pan
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean
6. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm
The gingerbread came out tasting delicious, so I would use this recipe again for another holiday party.
What's your favorite holiday dessert recipe?
I couldn't find my grandfather's recipe so the one I ended up using was taken from the 2006 edition of the Better Homes and Garden Cook Book:
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Bake: 35 minutes
- Cool: 30 minutes
- Makes: 9 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup mild-flavored molasses
1/2 cup
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round cake pan (I used another type of baking dish)
3. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside
4. In a large mixing bowl beat the shorting with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds (I think I ended up doing it for more since I didn't keep track of time). Add brown sugar; beat until well combined. Add egg and molasses; beat for 1 minute more. Alternately add flour mixture and water to shortening mixture, beating at low speed after each addition is combined. Spread batter into the prepared pan
6. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm
The gingerbread came out tasting delicious, so I would use this recipe again for another holiday party.
What's your favorite holiday dessert recipe?
Tea rinses are an important part of my hair regimen. The tricky part has been remembering to prepare the tea in advance of washing my hair. At first, I tried brewing the tea, putting it into a container, and then freezing it. I would then defrost the whole container before every wash day. I soon realized that was diluting the tea each time it defrosted. I needed to find a better way.
I'm a proponent of tea rinses. Since doing tea rinses on my relaxed hair I've seen good results - a scalp that itches less, a less flaky scalp, and reduced shedding. So far my tea of choice has been green tea.
I had tried black tea in the past for my tea rinse, but I didn't have good results. The last time I used black tea for a rinse my hair didn't feel so great afterward. My hair felt dry and was tangling. My diagnosis was it was caused by the black tea since I'd seen online those were issues others faced when doing a black tea rinse. After this negative experience, I switched to green tea for my rinses
I had tried black tea in the past for my tea rinse, but I didn't have good results. The last time I used black tea for a rinse my hair didn't feel so great afterward. My hair felt dry and was tangling. My diagnosis was it was caused by the black tea since I'd seen online those were issues others faced when doing a black tea rinse. After this negative experience, I switched to green tea for my rinses
After not using a blow dryer on my hair for several weeks I decided I wanted to use a blow dryer again and the one I had wouldn't cut it. It was old and didn't have the types of settings I wanted.
So I visited a few stores in the area to find one that had the features I wanted - a cool setting and a cold shot. That's how I found the Helen Of Troy Hot Shot Tools Turbo Ionic Dryer. Besides the $39.99 sales price what drew me to this blow dryer is that it's an ionic dryer with tourmaline.
So I visited a few stores in the area to find one that had the features I wanted - a cool setting and a cold shot. That's how I found the Helen Of Troy Hot Shot Tools Turbo Ionic Dryer. Besides the $39.99 sales price what drew me to this blow dryer is that it's an ionic dryer with tourmaline.
This fall I got the chance to visit New York City (NYC) for three days and four nights with my mother. While it wasn't my first trip to New York it was my first time being there in over 20 years. I was born in New York, lived on Long Island, and was a little girl when my family moved to North Carolina, so I don't remember much.
The main reason for the trip was to see my sister perform. She's a ballet dancer with the Memphis, TN Ballet and they were doing a week's worth of shows at Joyce Theater. My mom and I decided to take advantage of the trip and do some touristy things like visit Times Square and go to a Broadway show.
The main reason for the trip was to see my sister perform. She's a ballet dancer with the Memphis, TN Ballet and they were doing a week's worth of shows at Joyce Theater. My mom and I decided to take advantage of the trip and do some touristy things like visit Times Square and go to a Broadway show.
When I first tried the SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo on my relaxed hair I didn't like it for various reasons.
It didn't lather like other SheaMoisture shampoos I've used. My hair felt stripped and it messed with my moisture levels so no matter how much moisturizing and sealing I did during the week my hair felt dry. I do think part of it had to do with using it in conjunction with the SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Hair Masque.
Yep. I'm one of the few who prefers going to a stylist for my relaxer touch-ups. I just don't trust myself with the chemicals. I know how I am and know I'll forget to rinse it out on time, or it will take me too long to apply relaxer and my hair would turn out wonky or even worse be damaged.
I've been searching for a good hairstylist for a few years now. A stylist who doesn't care that I stretch my relaxers, who won't relax my hair bone straight, will cut my hair how I like it and doesn't take forever to do it.
The search has gotten harder since I moved to Florida. It seems that hairstylists here don't care about customizing their services for clients and treat each head the same. I've also found they really don't like relaxer stretching and try to deter it by charging 20-30% more if you have more than 1" of new growth. And they don't tell you how much more it will be until you're in the chair and they can examine your hair. It's exasperating.
The search has gotten harder since I moved to Florida. It seems that hairstylists here don't care about customizing their services for clients and treat each head the same. I've also found they really don't like relaxer stretching and try to deter it by charging 20-30% more if you have more than 1" of new growth. And they don't tell you how much more it will be until you're in the chair and they can examine your hair. It's exasperating.
After moving to Florida I decided to cut the cord, ditch cable, and use antennas or stream my TV. To make this even easier I won a Roku 3 Streaming Media Player. Since I've been using the Roku 3 for several months now I wanted to share with you my experience and review of it.
Related read: How To Create A Hair Care Regimen For The Fall
If you're kind of at a lost of where to start, check out this infographic below to see three things that should be included in a fall hair regimen. Oh and if you like this infographic, please share it by pinning to Pinterest or posting to Facebook.
- Wash day 1: Grapeseed oil, almond oil, and Jamaican Black Castor Oil
- Wash day 2: Grapeseed oil, almond oil, four drops of tea tree oil, and Jamaican Black Castor Oil
- Wash day 3: Eden BodyWorks Jojoba Monoi Hair Oil (mix of sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, and coconut oil), four drops of tea tree oil, and almond oil
- Wash day 4: Five drops of tea tree oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, and Jamaican Black Castor Oil
I follow lots of hair bloggers both relaxed and natural. Most, if not all of them, say they are on a healthy hair journey but their focus seems to be on the length of their hair. Their blog may have long hair in the title, they have several posts or videos focused on growing your hair, and they may even do regular length checks.
I purchased and tried a new leave-in conditioner Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Moisture & Shine Leave-in Conditioner which I mentioned in my wash day recap at 10 weeks post blog post. I usually try to use a product three or more times before forming an opinion, but now that I'm more familiar with what my hair likes and doesn't like I don't always need that long to decide if I should toss it or keep it.
It's time for another wash day recap! For this wash day, I'm 11 weeks post my last relaxer touch up so my new growth is making its presence known.
I've been participating in a 30 Days of Hot Oil Treatments Challenge and this is my last wash day during the challenge. My wash day last week didn't go so well so I had to change some things up in the hopes my results this week will be better than last week.
I've been participating in a 30 Days of Hot Oil Treatments Challenge and this is my last wash day during the challenge. My wash day last week didn't go so well so I had to change some things up in the hopes my results this week will be better than last week.
As you may have seen in my post that I've joined a 30-day hot oil treatment challenge. To participate in the challenge I'm doing a hot oil treatment on my relaxed hair each wash day during the month of September using the natural oils of my choice. So far my choice of oils has been grapeseed oil, almond oil, tea tree oil, and Jamaican Black Castor Oil.
For my hot oil treatment mixture for this wash day, I decided to use almond oil, tea tree oil, and some of the Eden BodyWorks Jojoba Monoi Hair Oil I had on hand which has sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, and coconut oil. Being 10 weeks post my last relaxer touch up my new growth is loving the hot oil treatment.
For my hot oil treatment mixture for this wash day, I decided to use almond oil, tea tree oil, and some of the Eden BodyWorks Jojoba Monoi Hair Oil I had on hand which has sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, and coconut oil. Being 10 weeks post my last relaxer touch up my new growth is loving the hot oil treatment.
I've been stretching my relaxer for nine weeks now and my new growth is thick. As a result, to fully detangle my new growth takes a bit of time so I don't cause any damage to my hair.
Despite having a lot of new growth and dealing with two textures, I was able to achieve smooth hair after my latest wash day. How I did this was a combination of how well I detangled my hair before washing, the products I used, and how I dried my hair. Keep reading to see the details from this wash day.
Despite having a lot of new growth and dealing with two textures, I was able to achieve smooth hair after my latest wash day. How I did this was a combination of how well I detangled my hair before washing, the products I used, and how I dried my hair. Keep reading to see the details from this wash day.
Well, I just got some more and these were a gift for participating in a virtual VoxBox! I think they may have been leftovers from other VoxBoxes as I found several reviews on these products from people who received VoxBoxes earlier this year. Here's what I got:
It's been a while since I've been a part of a hair challenge and when I saw the 30 Days of Hot Oil Treatments Challenge Jay of Relaxed Thairapy and Jen of Just Grow Already I just had to join. I did hot oil treatments regularly last year and really liked the results I got from them.
When I'd do a hot oil treatment my relaxed hair would feel moisturized, have a nice shine and my scalp wouldn't feel dry during most of the week. The results were always so good that I'm not sure why I stopped doing hot oil treatments other than they can be time-consuming and messy.
When I'd do a hot oil treatment my relaxed hair would feel moisturized, have a nice shine and my scalp wouldn't feel dry during most of the week. The results were always so good that I'm not sure why I stopped doing hot oil treatments other than they can be time-consuming and messy.
Have you ever heard about pre-pooing? Do you know what a pre-poo is, why women do it, and how it's done?
If you answered no to any of those questions then you may want to check out this video and infographic. They share what a pre-poo is and how you can do it on your own relaxed hair.
If you answered no to any of those questions then you may want to check out this video and infographic. They share what a pre-poo is and how you can do it on your own relaxed hair.
Nope. Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. I'm back with a wash day post! After several weeks of not chronicling my wash days, I decided it was time for me to share one. In fact, it'd been so long I had to pull out a calendar and count how many weeks post my last relaxer touch up I am. After looking at the calendar I realized it's only been seven weeks since my touch up, but it feels a bit longer. Anyway to the wash day.
The Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner is a rinse-out conditioner I've seen so many hair bloggers, especially relaxed hair bloggers share reviews on. A lot of the reviews were good reviews, but they hadn't convinced me to run out to the store to buy the conditioner.
As promised here are my first impressions of the SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo and Hair Masque that I bought a few weeks ago.
You can also check out my first impressions video to get more details on what I think about both products.
I have naturally dry hair so when it comes to hair products I like to try ones that talk about moisturizing and hydration. So when I first saw and read about this line from SheaMoisture I was so excited to give it a try.
You can also check out my first impressions video to get more details on what I think about both products.
I have naturally dry hair so when it comes to hair products I like to try ones that talk about moisturizing and hydration. So when I first saw and read about this line from SheaMoisture I was so excited to give it a try.
As I continue on my healthy hair journey I try to provide monthly updates on how my hair is doing by sharing what has been going right and what hasn't. For July I'm going to track how I'm doing against my 2015 hair goals. You can also check out my hair update video on my YouTube Channel.
My wash days have been going smoothly since I've had my relaxer touch up. This includes my wash day at three weeks post. Keep reading to see what I did.
Here it is at long last. My relaxer touch-up update. The plan was to do a video, but between a busy schedule and bad lighting, it hasn't happened. It may still though. We'll see.
Now to the update. I got my hair relaxed at 18 weeks post which was the longest stretch I've ever done. This was my second touch-up of the year. I was surprised at how few issues I experienced.
Now to the update. I got my hair relaxed at 18 weeks post which was the longest stretch I've ever done. This was my second touch-up of the year. I was surprised at how few issues I experienced.
I stink at wrapping my hair the traditional way. I always have and it seems like I always will. I've watched several videos, read many posts, and have had stylists walk me through it multiple times. Despite all of that help, I can't get my hair to wrap smoothly or stay in place. So imagine my great joy when I discovered cross wrapping.
I came across cross wrapping by reading some other relaxed hair blogs. One of those bloggers also had trouble with doing a traditional wrap so she started cross wrapping. This got my attention because I could relate. Another blogger noticed her hair thinning on the side she wrapped her hair when using a traditional wrap. This made her switch to cross wrapping.
I came across cross wrapping by reading some other relaxed hair blogs. One of those bloggers also had trouble with doing a traditional wrap so she started cross wrapping. This got my attention because I could relate. Another blogger noticed her hair thinning on the side she wrapped her hair when using a traditional wrap. This made her switch to cross wrapping.
You're probably curious about how my touch-up went, well my recap is coming but for now I've recapped my last couple of wash days. Being that I'm one week post these were the easiest wash days I've had in a while. Because I had sweaty hair from working out, I've washed my hair twice since my touch-up.
I recently had my second relaxer touch-up of the year and over time I've discovered a touch-up is more involved than just the day of the touch-up. To help retain my hair's length and health there is some preparation that my hair needs several days before the touch-up.
I start my preparation about a week before my relaxer touch-up because some of what I do can cause slight irritation to my scalp. So I want to make sure my scalp has some time to recover before I get a touch-up lessening the chance of scalp burn and irritation from the relaxer. Keep reading to see my blueprint for preparing for my relaxer touch-ups.
I start my preparation about a week before my relaxer touch-up because some of what I do can cause slight irritation to my scalp. So I want to make sure my scalp has some time to recover before I get a touch-up lessening the chance of scalp burn and irritation from the relaxer. Keep reading to see my blueprint for preparing for my relaxer touch-ups.
Price
I purchased the Ambi Even and Clear Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 for about $11+ tax in big box store. It can retail for about $13+ tax, but I was able to find and use a $2 off coupon. This moisturizer can also be found online, sometimes for a little bit less than in the store.Description
"This advanced moisturizer goes beyond nourishing skin to help even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of skin discolorations. This lightweight moisturizer is enriched with Even Blend, a combination of natural soy and vitamins C and E. It also contains advanced sun protection to help protect your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays."
I made it! Without doing it on purpose I made to 18 post my last relaxer touch up. This is the longest I've stretched so I couldn't believe it at first and had to count the weeks a few times before it sunk in.
While outside of a few weeks this stretch has been pretty easy I've decided week 19 will be touch-up week. I've booked an appointment with a new stylist after doing some online research on her. I'll be posting an update on my relaxer touch-up.
This wash day was all about prepping my hair for the touch-up. So I focused on clarifying, moisturizing, and strengthening with protein.
While outside of a few weeks this stretch has been pretty easy I've decided week 19 will be touch-up week. I've booked an appointment with a new stylist after doing some online research on her. I'll be posting an update on my relaxer touch-up.
This wash day was all about prepping my hair for the touch-up. So I focused on clarifying, moisturizing, and strengthening with protein.
Ah, summer. With it comes multiple opportunities to spend time outside. Time at the beach either lounging on the sand or playing in the water.
Yes, relaxed ladies. I said playing in the water. Just because you're relaxed doesn't mean you can't get your hair wet.
I wash my hair once a week sometimes twice. I swim and even shower without using a shower cap. Nothing bad happens to my hair. In fact, water adds moisture to hair so water can be a good thing.
While water can add moisture to the hair, saltwater combined with the sun can wreak havoc. So a day at the beach could be a setback in your quest for healthy hair. Don't let it! Take action and do some prep for your hair before you head out into the sun and sand. Here are my key tips for prepping relaxed or natural hair for a day at the beach.
Yes, relaxed ladies. I said playing in the water. Just because you're relaxed doesn't mean you can't get your hair wet.
I wash my hair once a week sometimes twice. I swim and even shower without using a shower cap. Nothing bad happens to my hair. In fact, water adds moisture to hair so water can be a good thing.
While water can add moisture to the hair, saltwater combined with the sun can wreak havoc. So a day at the beach could be a setback in your quest for healthy hair. Don't let it! Take action and do some prep for your hair before you head out into the sun and sand. Here are my key tips for prepping relaxed or natural hair for a day at the beach.
I bet I've been using mine longer than you've been using yours. Keep reading to see.
Watch: My Morning Skincare Routine
An important component to achieving healthy hair whether it's relaxed or natural is a good protein-moisture balance. Having that balance is important because having too much of one or too little of the other can lead to hair breakage.
One way to get the desired protein-moisture balance from using protein and moisturizing conditioners. Check out the info below to see what makes a conditioner protein or moisture-based, the benefits of each and how to determine which one you should use on your chemically-treated or natural hair.
One way to get the desired protein-moisture balance from using protein and moisturizing conditioners. Check out the info below to see what makes a conditioner protein or moisture-based, the benefits of each and how to determine which one you should use on your chemically-treated or natural hair.
I'm back! After a few weeks off I'm back with a wash day post. I haven't done one in a while because I've been too lazy to take pictures and my wash days have honestly been boring. With that being said this wasn't an exciting wash day, but I took several pictures and didn't want them to go to waste.
Suave is a brand I had used off and on for years but had stopped using right before starting my hair journey because I felt the shampoo was drying out my hair drastically. I only picked up the Natural Infusion Moisturizing Conditioner is because of the good reviews I saw from other relaxed ladies and I was able to stack a coupon on top of a sale and get it for next to nothing. I'm glad I did.
Related read: How I Save Money On Hair Care Products
The SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Shampoo is "a clarifying, Sulfate-free shampoo that removes product build-up, while infusing hair with moisture. Leaves hair soft and shiny. Gentle enough to use every day. Promotes growth by nourishing and strengthening damaged or chemically processed hair, reducing the appearance of breakage and shedding. Apple Cider Vinegar aids in regulating and balancing pH levels on the scalp, while softening hair to promote enhanced growth."
Related read: Why I Rinse My Hair With Apple Cider Vinegar
I found I was spending a lot of time trying to find the product I wanted and setting products right side up. I needed to find a better way to store all of these hair products so I could keep my sanity.
And one day it hit me. I could solve my problem by finding a container to put them all in.
Related: 10 Great Hair Products Under $10
It's finally here. A little overdue (this seems to be a trend for me), but I've completed and uploaded my April relaxed hair health update.
My life has been busy lately what with a visit from my mom so she could check out my new apartment and work getting really busy. So I didn't have as much time to spend taking care of my hair during the last month. If you're curious to see how my hair did this past month, check out my video below or on my YouTube Channel.
My life has been busy lately what with a visit from my mom so she could check out my new apartment and work getting really busy. So I didn't have as much time to spend taking care of my hair during the last month. If you're curious to see how my hair did this past month, check out my video below or on my YouTube Channel.
Tea tree oil is made from the leaves of the Tea Tree which is a plant native to Australia and has been around for years, centuries even. The name came from a British explorer who saw the leaves from the tree being brewed by Australians for tea. He did the same and gave it to his sailors to treat scurvy.
Tea tree is known for its antiseptic and antifungal abilities. In fact, I remember my mom using it to treat burns and scrapes I'd get as a kid. This is one of the reasons it's a good essential oil to incorporate into a regimen for relaxed hair.
ABOUT ME
Hi I'm Leah, the creator of A Relaxed Gal blog providing hair, beauty, and lifestyle inspiration and tips for women who want a simple way to look great, feel great, and live great.