Product Review: As I Am Cowash

 

 

"CoWash: To cleanse hair with conditioner, oppose to using shampoo, instilling mosisture, oppose to stripping it with sulfates. (Sulfate free)"

I will start out with the good about this product. It smells like HEAVEN!!!! I reeeeally like the smell. That's about it. It comes in a jar, but would be much more convenient if it came in a bottle or pump. It seems as if the water that drips from your hand, into the jar, would eventually thin the product out.
I actually wish the product was a bit thicker, creamier. Also performance wise it was "meh". I guess it did what it was supposed to do, cleanse with out the sulfates, but I feel like I could have gotten the same results from the Aussie Miraculously Smooth, that I usually cowash with. Would I recommend this product to anyone? No. I am actually disappointed because I was so excited to try it myself! Will I be repurchasing it? No. As stated before, this product cost almost $8 for 16 oz, and I get Aussie Mircaculously Smooth for the same price for 29 oz and it comes in a pump :-). I will however use As I Am up, as it does do the job, just no wow factor, nope nothing special, yummy, or tantalizing.

The Castor Oil Challenge

The details are on: Hairlista

 

I will be participating in the:

Ultimate Level *New* :

• Apply Castor oil to your scalp every other day. Use sparingly. Massage it in. Focus on Damaged areas.
• Apply 1 tsp of castor oil to your deep conditioner weekly with heat. Rinse thoroughly.
• Seal your ends with a Castor oil after you moisturize your hair (or mix it in with your usual sealant). Use sparingly.
•  

My damaged area that I will be focusing on is the middle of  my nape area. I often part my hair down the middle and I guess I have recieved some major breakage back there.

I honestly hate having to DC under heat. Typically, I DC overnight bc I am too lazy to hop back in the shower after only 30 minutes of getting out, doing it overnight allows me to rinse it out during my morning shower...buuuut since the rules say to DC with heat, I will suck it up for the next 3 months and "just do it".

The deep conditioners that I will be using are:

Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor: Once per month
CON Argan Oil Intensive Treatment
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
I will be alternating between Creme Of Nature and Aussie

I will be mixing a tad bit of Castor oil with my Coconut Oil for a sealant.

Before Picture:

 
Hoping to make it to BSL by December 28th!!

Did I Just????

Yes I did.
Yesterday I relaxed my hair...it wasn't planned...and I was only 9 weeks post my last relaxer...I was attempting to flat iron my hair...and noticed that over 50% of my hair was "texlaxed" & I could see the different textures after straightening 1/4th of my hair...so I thought "If I keep stretching while I am already under-processed, then I will eventually just be texlaxed" sooo without a second thought I grabbed my half container of Motions, and went to work. I quickly oiled my scalp with Castor oil, and I had about half an inch of new growth, but because my main target was the previous under-processed areas I applied the relaxer almost all over my whole strand. I then parted each section and slide my fingers over it (thumb & index) to smooth it out. It turned out fairly well...except the last section I did, still looks under-processed when wet, but flat ironing it, it looked just peachy :-)
Next relaxer still set for April...that will be a professional relaxing and getting ends clipped...Im afraid that I haven't much retention, I protective style 100% of the time, but when I am bunning, I still have to brush my hair up in a bun almost daily....and when I was doing the black tea rinses my hair seemed "rougher" and seemed to break more...so I'm really just feeling blahh about my hair right now :-(....I may go get my ends clipped Friday, just to see the damage that was done and get the fear out of the way lol.

RELAX & Let it Grow.

Being apart of many hair forums, groups, sites ect. and seeing many begin their transitions to becoming natural, many motivated by other group members, I often thought of it myself. It truly bothered me as to why I wouldn't do it, aside from the fact that my husband wouldn't like it very much, what was it in me...am I truly dependant upon my hair? Am I victim of "self hate"? When I tell you that this bothered me....IT REALLY DID BOTHER ME!!! lol...Today combing my hair into a high bun it just hit me: "I LOVE CHEMICALLY STRAIGHTENED HAIR!!!" (this is literally the sentence that went through my head) LOL. I simply love it, I love my hair just the way it is. I was relaxed at 5 (nothing to brag about, but it's the truth) this is how I know and love my hair. I stretch my relaxers so I have an idea of my curl pattern or "type", but it just is what it is, I love straight hair. Not to say that I don't like natural hair, bc I youtube natural hair care, follow natural hair care blogs, oogle at women with beautiful natural tresses....but that is where it stops, our hair in it's natural state is extremely beautiful, but I prefer my hair to be straight. I think of it as looking at a woman with huge boobs (I am a 36 B...a small 36 B lol) Sure she looks good in those nice clevage showing shirts, but I enjoy being able to get away with being bra-less sometimes lol, I don't want to carry the weight of those things, and more importantly, I'm happy with my "B cup" even if I may glue a picture of my head on top of a pic of a model with DD's lol.

What I realized is I like the natural "look", I don't have the passion or motivation to be natural, and that is perfectly fine. If anything at all I was becoming a victim of "self peer pressure".

Let me just tell you realizing this has lifted a TON of weight off of my shoulders, I just felt a huge rush of "joy" go through me, with the simple realization that it's okay to love realxed hair.

People joke(or seriously) call it "Creamy Crack", they speak of how bad it is for your hair...but how many of those people smoke, drink, eat junk, don't exercise, and are over weight (not saying that all natrualistas are, I just mean ppl in general) but my point is not everything we do is good or necessarily "healthy" for us, but we do what makes us happy, and either deal with the consequences, or compensate to balance out the pros with the cons.

That's my "Ah Ha" moment for today, and it felt so good I just had to write a post on it.
HHJ Ladies

OFFICIALLY NL!!!!!!! & A Relaxer :-)

Welp 1 of my October goals were to not give in to the relaxer....and I did. Relaxed on last Sunday 10/23/11. My aunt applied the relaxer (Silk Elements Megasilk, regular strength) and I combed it thru, because I don't trust anyone else to comb my hair. My mom then, clipped my ends and even'd up my sides....my progress is as above :-)

My relaxer got pretty straight with just enough texture left...as you can see my back I am now OFFICIALLY NL!!!!! WOOP WOOP!!!! I will continue bunning and wigging until March (my next relaxer) I hope to then be full SL!!!!

Current Look...

Hair Journal Entry 1

So today I went and got more supplies, all inexpensive drug store products for now, since I hadn't really prepared for this, but excited to care for my hair NOW!!!

So I went and got V05 for a co-wash, altho my ultimate goal is to switch to WEN or Hair One. I've heard good about Hair One, a cheaper alternative to WEN, so I will see if Hair One works for me 1st. Hopefully it will.

I also got more Roots of Nature Shea Butter Oil, I've been using that and I like it. I can use it to seal.

I also have Optimum Oil Therapy 3-in-1 Oil Moisturizer, will try this as a moisturizer because Roots of Nature, moisturizer left my hair feeling really heavy and greasy. IDK maybe I put to much on it.

I'm really trying to pay attention to my hair now.

So I co washed today with the V05, and moisterized, & sealed. I also mixed all of that in a spary bottle with spring water just to mist as needed.

I had to work tonight tho so I couldn't leave it out, so I braided it. I know having 4A hair is fragile, and I hated having to braid it wet because I could literally feel some of my shafts breaking :-(

So I do not plan on co-washing again until Sunday. So I will leave my braids alone until then, unless oiling scalp or misting.

But I will say also that afterwards, my hair/head felt so light and tingly and just happy. I guess from the new found attention. Usually I just lay around the house all day, hair all over my head, throw it in a short pony and toss a wig on it. It would be dry, brittle...I just didn't care :-(. She was a happy head today :-)

I plan on getting long box braids pretty soon, so I can just leave my hair alone and let it grow.

My HAIR!!!!!!

The picture on the left is a picture of me a few months ago, before I considered a regimen. It's about 2-4 weeks post relaxer (and salon servicing) meaning my hair probably hadn't been washed in that long.

The picture to your right is the beginning of my regimen, well my care. This is before I really had any products so this is just a wash with Motions neutralizing shampoo, Deep condition with Roots of Nature w/ Shae Butter, as well as moturizing...I did not have any oil, so I sealed it with BB Oil Sheen.