Twist Series: Long Lasting Twists

Here are some tips for increasing the wear of your twists:

1) Twist on dry, stretched hair.  
Twists done on wet hair tend to frizz faster than those done on dry, stretched hair.

2) Use a twist pudding.
Use a twist pudding to twist your hair.  This step will help to add hold to your twists.  The pudding can be made from a simple mix of gel, a butter (e.g., shea), and a little oil (optional).  Be sure not to use too much pudding.

3) Refrain from using moisturizers with humectants.
Prior to twisting, do not use a humectant-based moisturizer.  Humectants draw moisture from the air and can cause your twists to frizz faster.  Glycerin, propylene glycol, and honey are just a few examples of humectants.  (If you absolutely cannot do without humectants, then neglect this step because health comes before beauty.)

4) Use the rope/Senegalese twist method.
Take two strands, coil each one upon itself, and then twist.  The coiling makes for smoother, longer-lasting twists.  For a further description and tutorial of the rope/Senegalese twist method, check this post.

5) Wear a silk/satin scarf to bed.
Bonnets are fine, but scarves will lay down any frizzies and keep the style looking fresher longer.  Be sure not to tie the scarf too tight.

6) Wear a silk/satin scarf under your shower cap.
The scarf will reinforce protection of your style from the water and steam.

7) Keep moisturizing to a minimum.
If you are spritzing your twists daily, then your style will not last long.  Find a moisturizer or sealant that can allow you to go days, or even a week, without reapplication.

8) Keep washes to a minimum.
A good twist style can usually survive 1-2 washes before it is time for a redo.  If you are washing more times than that during the week, your twists will not last long.

9) Braid your twists before washing.
Doing this will help to keep your twists intact and minimize frizzing.

10) Airdry in braids.
Not only will this minimize frizzies, but it has the added benefit of minimizing shrinkage.

11) Redo the perimeter only.
Re-twisting the twists on the perimeter (particularly after a wash) will give your overall twist look a fresher appearance.

12) Wear smaller twists.
The smaller the twists, the longer lasting the style.  Bigger twists tend to unravel and frizz faster.

For other posts in the Twist Series, check this label.
If you have questions you would like to be answered in the Twist Series, comment below.

Valentine Day Treats … Lower in fat but still so YUMMY!

By Stephanie of Infinite Life Fitness


Valentine’s Day is a day about love…a day of appreciation…a day of caring…but most importantly a day of indulging in some of your favorite sweet treats! It is OK to allow yourself to splurge every once in a while if you are trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. But be careful of how much you are splurging and don’t forget to limit how often you allow yourself to do so!

So, to all those love birds that are scrambling to try to plan a romantic evening filled with dinner and tasty treats, why not consider some of the healthier options for your Valentine’s Day desserts?

Here are just a few treats which are healthier than the original recipes, but taste just as good! You can still have tasty treats that will satisfy your sweet tooth while trying to stick to your healthy diet!

Strawberry Cheesecake Minis
{Photo by TASTE OF HOME}

• Prep: 15 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling
• Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese
• Sugar substitute equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 12 reduced-fat vanilla wafers
• 1 can (12 ounces) strawberry cake and pastry filling

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REVIEW #13: Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk

NOTE:  I am not paid to review this product.

Purpose: Detangles, conditions, and controls curl; Restore moisture, body and shine

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut)*, Sugar Starch, Silk Protein, Essential Oil Blend, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil (Neem), Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitol Esters, Algae Extract, Hlyssopus Officinalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf and Equisetum Arvense Extract (Sage), Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil (Carrot), Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract (Honeysuckle and Japanese Honeysuckle), Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

*Certified Organic Ingredient

Number of trials: 1/4 of the bottle (several uses)

How I used it:

Method #1: Applied on freshly washed and conditioned hair.

Method #2: Applied on dry hair in need of moisture.

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THE REVIEW:

Though this product is called a "curl & style milk", it boasts "moisture, body, and shine" for "thick, curly hair".  I used it for the sole purpose of moisturizing my "thick, kinky" hair and not for styling curls.  The ingredients of shea butter and coconut oil - two substances my hair loves - gave me hope in the product's claim of moisture.  However, I was left disappointed after a two-month trial.  I had to reapply the product about 2-3 times over the course of a few days for my hair to feel soft and moisturized.  The three positives I will say about the milk are that it 1) smells extremely pleasant, 2) it is mostly natural and 3) it is light enough (water-based) for hair that needs just a touch of moisture.  

For an alternate review (a natural woman with curly hair):  VIDEO REVIEW

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PROS: smells pleasant, mostly natural ingredients (no propylene glycol, paraffin, mineral oil, etc.), reasonable price

CONS: too light (ideal for those who prefer light products)

RATING: Overall, I give the Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk 2 out of 5 stars for moisture.  No rating is given for curl control (since I do not have curls).  Check out the video review above for a curly girl's perspective. 

This product may work well for those with:

- curly hair

- fine hair
- and/or hair easily weighed down by heavier products

Healthy Hair Feature: Pre_medicalrulz

For 2010-2011 relaxed/texlaxed and natural features, check this post.

1) Are you natural, relaxed, texlaxed, or transitioning? (And how long?) 
I am relaxed and as of Dec 2011, I am/was MBL. Haven’t done a length check since.

2) What mistakes have you made in your hair care journey?
I wouldn’t call them mistakes but more like a learning process. LOL. When I first started I followed everybody else’s regimen instead of simply listening to my hair. I was using cheapie conditioners because I heard everyone say ‘all conditioners are made equal’. That is a pure lie. LOL The first 10 months of my hair journey was at a standstill. I didn’t retain a thing.

3) What is your current HEALTHY HAIR routine?
I currently wash my scalp every week. I deep condition for more than an hour. At every wash I do a protein/moisture treatment. I currently only use Nexxus products. I keep my regiment very, very simple. The less manipulation – the better.

4) Do you have a HEALTHY BODY routine? If so, what is it?
I only recently started ‘clean’ eating. I never did that before in my life but I started noticing my curves were becoming more…… curvaceous. LOL I had to make a quick change. So far, I love it and I see the difference the most in my overall skin.

5) Do you have any advice for those seeking healthy tresses?
In the beginning you’re going to expect major change and may get frustrated if you don’t see any. You’ll even have people telling you that your hair can’t grow or won’t grow pass a certain length. Have patience and stick to what works for you. Eventually, you’ll see a major difference and your hair will thank you. Many people don’t like to protective style, I suggest they start.

Friday's Length Retention Tip!

Do you want to reach your goal? Then ...

adopt a low-manipulation shampoo routine.  Instead of massaging your hair while you wash, massage your scalp only.  Allow the water and shampoo to run from your scalp to your strands for cleansing.  Additionally, lather only once instead of twice or more.  If you are prone to product buildup and this routine is insufficient for cleansing, then reevaluate your product or shampoo collection.

Additional tips:
-Wash your hair in braided/twisted sections in order to minimize tangling
-Blot the hair, instead of rubbing, with a towel
-Use a natural shampoo, which is less abrasive than a sulfate (SLS, SLES) shampoo
-Use a microfiber towel, instead of a regular one that is likely to snag the hair

For Wednesday Hair Growth Tips, check out this post.

A Healthy You in 2012!

By Stephanie of Infinite Life Fitness


Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier? Lose weight? Work out more? Or maybe you just want to adopt a healthier more active lifestyle? Well I have some great news for you…you can and you should start TODAY! Sound too easy? Well yes…it is THAT EASY!

You do not have to invest in a fitness center membership to start obtaining your personal health goals. Today, I will give you some suggested tips to help you kick start your new healthier lifestyle.

First, you have to sit down and make a plan. Create some goals that you would like to achieve and be realistic when you make those goals. You cannot say that you want to lose 20 pounds in one month. Realistically and in a non-life threatening way that can NOT be done. There is no healthy way to achieve that goal in that amount of time. Losing weight takes time, patience, and dedication. It is good to make an overall goal. For instance you want to lose 20 pounds. Well then you have to make smaller goals to go along with that major goal. For example I want to lose 2 pounds this week, and try one new healthier recipe this week. That is a great mini goal to help you reach your overall goal. You will have to adopt a healthier eating style, you will have to adopt a new fitness routine, and you will have to set weekly goals for yourself (like I will only have 2 cokes this week and drink more water).

When you have your goals set you can then decide how you want to achieve these goals. This will consist of a mixture of adopting a new workout routine as well as adjusting the food you consume. It is important to learn what the right portion sizes are and to try to have a variety of things to eat throughout the day. (I have written a post about portions sizes that can be found here.) You do not want to starve yourself! You can eat and snack during the day as long as those foods are nutritious and beneficial to your body. Your workout routine should start off being about 3 times a week. (More would be great if you can find a great workout and if you can fit the time in to do so.) You can do some of the following things at home or in your neighborhood to start your workout routine:

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Interview with Mala Rhodes of AFROVEDA

The following is an interview with Mala Rhodes, CEO of AfroVeda Hair Products at http://www.afroveda.com/.  AfroVeda strives to represent true, Ayurvedic hair care remedies for curly, kinky and coily hair types.

1. How long have you practiced healthy hair care? Tell us about your healthy hair journey.

Although my hair has been natural for more than 10 years, I have only practiced healthy hair care for the past 5 years. As I began to educate myself about the benefits of natural hair products, and utilize the principles of Ayurveda for my own hair health, I realized that having beautiful healthy hair was not just about what is applied externally. Being conscious of what I consume makes a huge difference in how healthy my hair really is.

My hair journey has been a very long one and began very early in life. I can remember the weekend hair sessions with my mother who would wash my hair (along with my four sisters) on Saturday night, and press it with a hot comb on Sunday. Although my hair didn’t “blow in the wind” from way too much grease, I loved the smoothness of it and the fact that it reached the middle of my back. That was “good” hair to me.

Once I turned around 12 or 13, I received my first relaxer. I’m sure with 8 kids putting a relaxer in the hair of her 5 daughters made my mother’s hair care sessions much easier. We could wear wet-sets on special occasions and even wear it “down” sometimes for school. It was easy enough for us to take care of, so we were left to do just that. Despite the continued use of heavy greases and pomades, my hair still seemed to thrive. It wasn’t until I began experimenting with various other chemicals in my hair (Jheri Curl, hair color, and more relaxers – compliments of my sister who was in Cosmetology school) did I begin to notice a change. I didn’t take care of it like my mother did, and boy did it show.

Fast forward about 20 years and countless relaxers later, I found myself with thin, damaged hair from all the years of abuse. Beauticians continued to apply my relaxers incorrectly – only adding to my hair-thinning issues – and my own methods for restoring my hair’s health wasn’t working either. I seriously needed help. The chemicals had destroyed my hair and it was time for a change.

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