MsLawanda vs Alabama Heat

The summer has official began and my hair is feeling the burn.  The temperature is 90 degrees or more daily  but this week we are feeling the heat with chart topping 109 degrees! The moisture is being strangled out of my strands having them desperate for water like I reside in the Sahara desert. I knew I needed to take action so I put on my mixtress apron and set out to answer the S.O.S. from my desperate kinks.

I decided to give my hair a much needed deep conditioning (DC) and sit under my heat cap to help penetrate the curls. I gathered a few ingredients and went to mixing.  Here's what I grabbed and why:

•  Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Masque~ I truly like this product, its gives me results immediately and its a staple 
• TRESemme' Split End Remedy Conditioner~ I had a free sample that I received from Walmart and although I have no idea if it will send my split ends a packing I know it will provide great slip for detangling on my tender head
• Coconut Oil~ This is my favorite oil, it is amazing for sealing in moisture and helping my hair to reach its goal of strong hair
• Amyla Oil~ This is one of the oils I purchased on my trip to the Indian store and although its a bit strong I like the way it seems to be helping my hair with growth and retention
• Bed Head Moisture Maniac Conditioner~ I just had a small amount left in the bottle (about a tablespoon) so i added it to get rid of the bottle 

I mixed the conditioners together first and added each oil one at a time making sure the mixture stayed creamy.  Then I sectioned my hair in fours and began apply from root to tip separating each curl as I coated. My detangling was a breeze and the shine was amazing and instant.  I did this conditioning on dry hair (like a pre-poo) just damping my hair with my spritz bottle of water & Aloe Vera gel.  I placed a plastic cap (a target bag~recycling) on my hair and sat under my hair cap for 45 minutes. I finished the process by using As I Am Coconut  Cleansing cream to wash my hair, Koils by Nature leave in and twisted my hair into an updo with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie.

I intend to DC every week to combat this heat, what are you doing to make sure your kinks, coils and curls are not dying of moisture starvation?

Share your thought and comments! I enjoy reading them all.

No Indian in my family..but maybe in my hair?

Still on a journey to improve the health of my hair, I made a trip to the local Indian import store after reading a  post from one of my favorite mixtress Lola Zabeth.  The post described an Ayurvedic Cream (here) that intrigued me with ingredients that would improve the health of my hair by strengthening it, reducing hair loss and most importantly keeping away the gray! It was a journey in itself to find an Indian market but when I found one they shared the location of another. Cool!

Entering the market I was overwhelmed by the smells, the lack of English labels and the stares from the clerk who was trying to figure out why I was there. I asked the gentleman where the hair care items were and he directed me to an area that contained 5 shelves with a variety of items for health & beauty. I wasn't familiar with many of the products ( of course) but I did see some that made me feel a bit more confident.  Mahabhringraj Oil was the first item I tried to find, I couldn't pronounce it but I did write it down and showed the clerk who had no clue. (I also visited the other import market in my area and they didn't have it either.) Well the best part of making your own hair products is making it your own so I  changed a few ingredients and got ready to put my apron on.

 I had Shea Butter at home so I first created my version of Shealoe butter by whipping some Shea Butter & Aloe Vera Gel together. I then added some almond oil and some infused coconut oil to the mix. After mixing for a while to get a smooth consistency I added some Amla Oil also.  Now lets talk about Amla Oil....it is STRONG!  I will not add it to a butter again because of the scent but I will keep it for deep conditioners that I can rinse out.  I loved this butter! It was amazing in my hair, I did 2 strand twists on wet hair and the butter helped to keep the moisture in my hair and it was so soft and manageable. Because of the Aloe Vera Gel it must be refrigerated but its still great when the butter becomes solid.  Its great to style hair, place on your ends and to use for your finger tips when taking down a prepared hair style.

Have you tried some great hair mixes? Share them! Will you try this butter receipe? Where do you find your ingredients? Leave a comment and let's talk!