Coily Beginners Guide: How to Moisturize Hair

Written By NaturallyChelsea of NaturallyCurly.com

As a tightly coiled natural, you’re probably all too familiar with the race to do your hair before it dries. Once that conditioner has been rinsed out, you nearly tumble and fall out of your shower and run to your sink to begin the process all while ignoring the fact that over 20,000 slip and fall fatalities occur in North America every year.
While keeping a spray bottle on hand to re-wet your hair is convenient, the aim of the game is to be in and out as quickly as possible and avoid being locked in a bathroom, arms in the air, beginning to tug and pull at your hair just to get it over and done with.
If this story sounds familiar, then read on for a short and sweet list of tips on how to moisturize you hair every day.

How to Moisturize Hair

• During the final step of cleansing your hair, ensure that you detangle it thoroughly. By doing this step in the shower, it will lessen the time you spend out of the shower battling knots as your hair dries. 

• Separate your hair into the sections that you intend to style. Let’s say that you want to do a twist or braid out and like to separate your hair into 10 sections. Do it in the shower. Them once you reach the sink, all you need to do is unravel each section one at a time and apply your product without wasting time separating.

• Before even stepping into the shower, make sure that you have your products on hand to use as soon as you get out. Nothing is worse than being dripping wet and looking around in cupboards for the leave-in conditioner at the back you wanted to try or the styler you left back in your bedroom.
• Use liquid products when styling. This does double duty to ensure your hair stays moist and helps to keep your hair tangle-free as you style.

Now that you know the secrets of how to moisturize hair, go forth and style like the pros in a fraction of the time.
As always, curlies, I wish you love, peace and curly haired bliss.

Creating A Hair Care Regimen

Now...this is something that should apply regardless if you are natural or relaxed.  I thought it would be helpful to share what should go into a Regimen and what I am currently doing....

First let's define regimen - A regulated course, as of diet, exercise, or manner of living, intended to preserve or restore health or attain some result.

Why have a regimen- Well most of us want healthy hair, and even more of us want length.  In order for your hair to grow you have to feed it and keep it healthy and establishing a regimen will help with this.

Now to what should be included in a regimen

Pre-Poo (The Pre Shampoo Treatment)
This is the stage where one can use some sort of oil from root to tip cover with plastic cap for at least five minutes. (Done twice a month)

Co-Wash (Using conditioner in place of shampoo so this would not need to be done when you are shampooing, this is a great alternative for those who do not want to shampoo their hair every week)
At this point you would apply the conditioner to your pre-pooed hair (it's recommended that you do not rinse pre poo out first).

Shampoo - pretty self explanatory....however be sure to massage your scalp while shampooing I am told this helps stimulate growth.

Style  as normal....


My Regimen....

I do this every two weeks and in between I replace shampooing with co-washing  with Carol's Daughter Rosemary Mint Conditioner (so I am treating my hair in some way every week)

Pre Poo - I used Beautiful Curlz Oil, I put oil from root to tip and apply a plastic cap, I let oil sit in my hair for about 30 minutes, sometimes I sit under the hair dryer.

Shampoo - I usually use Carol's Daughter Rosemary Mint Shampoo but sometimes I switch it out for Shea Moisture conditioner.

Deep Condition - Here I use my Aubrey Organtics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner .  I separate my hair into sections and apply to my hair doing a chunky twist as I go.  I usually leave the conditioner in my hair for 30-45 placing a plastic cap over my head and sitting under the dryer.

Style as usual.

There you have it! I hope this was helpful!

Product Review: Green Tea Hair Mask

Okay so one of my New Year's resolutions is to make at least one homemade hair or beauty product each month.  I created this resolution mostly because I just wanted to try new things but I also wanted a chance to provide you all some reviews of these products.  So for January I made a Green Tea Hair Mask.  This hair mask is supposed to stimulate healthy hair growth.  It will especially help if you have thinning hair or hair loss.   

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Green Tea - Strong
1 tablespoon of Mustard Powder
1 Egg Yolk

To prepare:

Mix all ingredients until you reach a creamy consistency.  If the substance becomes super thick you can add more green to it. 

To Apply:

Part hair into quads and apply mixture
Cover with cap and leave in for 15-25 minutes
Rinse hair thoroughly
Shampoo and condition as normal

My take:

Overall this mask was nice.  It didn't have the most pleasant smell.  After rinsing there was no noticeable change.  I personally feel this is one that you have to do a number of times over time before you see any real results.  All in all it's nothing that is going to be added to my hair regimen.

Don't be afraid to try it..you might actually like it....and no you don't have to be natural to try it....until next time....

Nighttime Curly Hair Care

Nighttime Curly Hair Care: Routines You Can't Live Without By:NaturallyChelsea via NaturallyCurly.com

Oh, to be newbie again! I can only imagine the things that I would have done differently. I can remember only too well the many, many hairstyles that were spoiled from not having a good curly hair care routine at night.
This post is for all the curlies out there who just want to sleep in and not spend an hour in front of the mirror on a morning redoing a style. It is possible, there is a way and now you can master it!

To Preserve a Wash and Go

The first popular method involves keeping the curls moist so that they do not dry in an awkward position while you sleep. Remember those days waking up to flat hair on one side and smooshed curls? Well, no longer!
All you will need for this method of preservation is a spray bottle and a shower cap.

1. Lightly spritz your hair with water then cover it with a shower cap. Once you’re finished, put on your satin bonnet or scarf and hop into bed.
2. The slight moisture and your body heat create a green house effect, helping to keep your curls moist so you can simply fluff and go come morning.

Another way to preserve a wash and go is to plait the hair. I know it sounds weird to plait your hair when trying to maintain the curl, but loosely plaiting the hair helps to not only get rid of first day crunchy hair, but it also helps to stretch it to get rid of the Jherri curl look. And because it’s done loosely, the curl pattern will be left undisturbed.

1. Grab large random sections of hair and braid it loosely remembering to leave the ends (an inch or two) undone to preserve the curl at the end. Use ouchless headbands to secure the braid if it begins to become undone.
2. Put on your satin scarf or bonnet and tuck yourself in for the night.

To Preserve a Twist or Braid Out

Second day hair for a twist or braid out seems to be somewhat of a myth or only enjoyed by a select lucky few.
Keeping in mind that the style may never look as defined, frizz free and gorgeous as day one, it is indeed possible to preserve it and get at least two days from a set with the right curly hair care methods!

1. Begin by applying pomade or gel to your hairline and tie a scarf around it. This will help to keep your edges down so come the next morning, there will be no battle to get them to behave and no need to pull out your hairline’s arch nemesis, the bristle brush.
2. You can then either loosely twist the hair in large sections or pineapple it. In order to pineapple the hair, bend at the waist and gather your hair at the very top of your head.
3. Secure it loosely with a satin scrunchy. Ensure that you do not tie your hair too tightly as it will leave a dent in it that will be difficult to remove in the morning. Put on your satin bonnet and hit the sack.

And, voila! Your twist or braid out is ready for day two!

To Preserve Straight Styles

For our straight haired naturals, or women who just love to change it up, it’s imperative that you maintain a strict curly hair care routine at night in order to get days and even weeks out of your flat iron job.

Press and Curl Maintenance

1. Grab each curl, and going in the same direction that it was formed, loosely begin to wrap it around your finger. When you have reached your scalp, grab a bobby pin and pin the wrapped curl to your scalp. Continue to do this until all your hair is done.
2. The following morning remove the pins and style your curls as desired.

Straight Hair Maintenance

1. Grab a wide-toothed comb and boar bristle brush (the boar bristles are less damaging to your hair). Part your hair from the centre of your forehead going back till the centre of your head.
2. Using your wide-toothed comb, begin to wrap your hair starting from the part going in either direction. Use the brush to smooth your hair down as you go along and continue to brush and or comb until your hair lies smoothly against your head.
3. Once done with wrapping, put on your satin scarf. Do not forget to wrap even the small hairs at the hairline to prevent them from reverting.

Tips: To really prevent reversion while you shower, opt for a shopping bag instead. Small shower caps simply don’t do a good enough job of keeping the humidity of the shower out and aren’t big enough to cover your entire hairline in the front and back. So grab a plastic shopping bag and tie it on your head. Then pull the front and back down to ensure that every last hair is tucked away.

Want More?

Woke up with the frizzies? Not to worry! We’ve got quick & easy second day hairstyles that will put the frizz to rest and have you looking your best!

Final Thoughts

Above all else, remember to cover your hair at night. The cotton fibers can leach the moisture out and create friction causing frizz. Also, wrapping your hair can help to keep it in position, especially for updos. For those of you who want to reserve the right to maintain your sexiest even while you get your REM, then opt for a satin pillowcase instead.
So until next time: love, peace, and curly haired bliss!