Mixology || Making Your Own Aloe Butter at Home

Ingredients:
aloe vera juice
coconut oil
vitamin E oil
beeswax
preservative

For the instructions, check out the video below: 

Protective Style Lookbook || Rolled Updo on Twists

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

Model: Anneka

Difficulty level: 2/5

Description: Rolled updo on chunky twists.

Healthy Recipes || Mashed Cauliflower - Low Carb Alternative to "Mashed Potatoes"

Mashed cauliflower that looks and tastes like mashed potatoes ... except with much less starch. Have you tried it?  In an effort to eat more vegetables and less carbs, I decided to give the dish a try.  What's the verdict?  Yo, this dish is DELICIOUS!

Various forms of the mashed cauliflower recipe have been floating around the Web.  Some contain butter while some use olive oil ... some use romano cheese while some use mozzarella.  It really depends on what you want to add to your mashed cauliflower, though I will say a bit of salt and pepper is a must and cheese certainly enhances the flavor.  (I personally use salt, pepper, sharp cheddar, and organic butter.)

Without further ado, here is what you will need at the minimum: 

Ingredients:

1 cup of mashed cauliflower

a bit of salt

a bit of black pepper

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or melted butter

Optional ingredients:

cheese of your choice (e.g., Parmesan, Mozzarella, Romano ... as much or as little as you want)

garlic powder

etc.

Directions:

1. Steam the cauliflower until it is "mash-able" (i.e., soft but not too soft).
2. Use a food processor to mash the cauliflower.  (If you don't have a food processor, using a blender on pulse is okay or mash with a utensil.)
3. Mix all the other ingredients into the mashed cauliflower.
4. You're done!  Enjoy!

Healthy Hair on Youtube: Megan

If my hair was relaxed, this lady would be one of my biggest hair crushes.  (Okay, well she already is even though I am natural.)  Anyway, her regimen is on point and her hair looks healthy and bangin'!  If you're texlaxed or relaxed and looking for a new hair inspiration or hair care tips, check out her channel.  In the mean time, here are a couple of videos demonstrating her air drying and detangling technique.

 

Study || Palm Oil + Conditioning Damaged Hair

Damaged hair has a higher degree of swelling in water than relatively healthy hair.  Because of this increase in swelling, damaged hair will experience even more damage.  According to a 2012 study, hydrogenated palm oil is effective at preventing water-induced swelling of damaged hair, possibly because it can "penetrate into the cuticle and outer cortex" of said hair.

SOURCE:
"Distribution Analysis of Triglyceride Having Repair Effect on Damaged Human Hair by TOF-SIMS." Toru Kojima, Shiho Tsuji, Masanao Niwa, Kaori Saito, Yasuyuki Matsushita, Kazuhiko Fukushima.  International Journal of Polymer Analysis and Characterization. Vol. 17, Iss. 1, 2012.

Hair Diary || Jumbo Twists and Then What?

Wore small twists for 3 weeks.

Right now I am wearing jumbo twists (not pictured) in an flat-twist updo after about three weeks in small twists.  After that, I'm not quite sure what I want to do with my hair yet.  I have been craving braid extensions -- as I always tend to do during the winter season -- but I don't know that I have to patience to do them myself nor the courage to let someone else do them for me.  I have also been toying with doing back-to-back weekly jumbo twists in February, but that may be too much manipulations.  What is a gal to do?  I have some things to consider ...

... in the meantime, here are a few more hair pics:

Back shot of the small twists.

Side shot.  Circa week #2.
I undid a few twists in the front to create bangs ... and jazz things up a bit.

Better shot of the front bangs.

The new batch of whipped shea butter (the multi-oil one) that I mentioned in an earlier post.
Definitely loving it.

And it melts instantly.

'Til next time!

Mixology || Coconut Banana Deep Conditioner

Here is a yummy recipe (from The BraunSugar Blog) for conditioning your tresses!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 bananas
2 tbsps coconut oil
1 tsp honey

Directions:
Combine all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.
Blend until extra smooth.  Make sure that there are no banana lumps.  (They are hard to remove later.)

RECIPE CARD:

Check out The BraunSugar's post for more details.