Give your hair a special treat for the holidays

Hello everyone, it's been a really long time since I've made a post. You won't believe all the changes I've had in my life... nevertheless, look out for continued posts on my blog.

Whenever the holiday season rolls around, we have family & loved ones in town and everyone likes to look their best. All of you that relax/straighten your hair here are a few really, really good tips:

- use a LYE CONDITIONING relaxer. The container must say "CONDITIONING". If you do not see this word, look for another product. I've used Revlon for years. Hawaiian Silk also is a product I've used and have been satisfied with. Lye relaxers never need to be mixed for any of you that do not know the difference between a lye and a no lye relaxer.

- choose the right strength relaxer for your hair type. Ex. fine hair & tender scalp please use a MILD relaxer. Coarser hair types use the REGULAR or SUPER strength.

- base your hair properly.

- move quickly & carefully.

-leave the product in your hair only for the time the product recommends... any longer causes overprocessing & hair damage. When hair is overprocessed it actually starts getting more on the kinky side, rather than being straight.

- After rinsing out the relaxer completely, use a really good moisturizing conditioner & leave in for about 5 minutes then follow with your first shampoo.

- use a neutralizing shampoo preferrably with the color code option; this way you know when all of the relaxer is washed out. You could follow with a moisturizing shampoo for the second wash.

- Condition again after you have washed your hair. If you're able to & have the time it's best to follow a relxer with a deep a conditioner. If you cannot do it the same day ensure by your next wash you do deep condition your hair.

Follow these tips and your hair will really remain healthy and moisturized with your relxer. Remember the introduction of chemicals to your hair makes it even drier than it may already be.

Excellence in Beauty!

Naturesk

Silk Peptide Powder

It was time for me to deep condition and trim. I trimmed about 2" from my ends because it's been a little while since I've gotten around to trimming. I tried a new ingredient in my deep conditioner... silk peptide powder. I've heard of it, but never did purchase it before now. I will say that I loved the results. while my hair was masked with the deep conditioner, it felt so silky soft... I instantly fell in love. I purchased the silk peptide powder from the site: http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/.

Silk peptide powder is rich in amino acids protein which is easily absorbed by your hair and your skin and gives it a silky feel. In fact, it contains 18 amino acids that provide a great balance of moisture, shine and elasticity for your hair. The powder has a very silky feel to it and it is an offwhite colored powder. It also has a wonderful feeling in skin care products.

This product is perfect for your bi-weekly to montly protein fix for your hair. Add it to your deep conditioner mask and leave on your hair for 20-30 minutes under heat or 45 mins-1 hour + without heat. Over time it will help to strengthen hair, help with moisture retention and aid in stopping breakage because it helps with elasticity.

Make time to deep condition... your hair will thank you.

Ms. Naturesk

Excellence in Beauty!

Tips For Effective (Basic Conditioning)

Have you ever felt like you've been conditioning and deep conditioning, but for some reason your hair is still dry or doesn't appear to be nourished? That has happened to me... until I realized how important it is to use a clarifying shampoo or vinegar rinse to remove excessive build up from the hair's shaft.

I also did provide a vinegar rinse earlier on in this blog that also serves to remove excessive build up to ensure your conditioners are able to deliver all of the nutrients to your hair & scalp. Be careful of the "cones" in conditioners... they make your hair feel so great when you do apply them and they do a great job of sealing your cuticle. However, they are notorious for leaving build up and possible scalp irritants. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you're effectively conditioning your hair:

• Blot your hair to remove excess water before you apply your conditioner.
• Gently massage the conditioner in your hair.
• Use a wide toothed comb to release tangles and make hair more manageable.
• Pay attention to the type of conditioner you have; is it a leave in or rinse out conditioner?
• Remember to leave the conditioner for the time specified
• If necessary, rinse it thoroughly (for rinse out conditioners). Otherwise, you'd be leaving the conditioner in your hair until it is washed the next time (for leave in conditioners).
• Be extremely careful when detangling your hair while it's wet; avoid harsh rubbing, pulling or stretching.
• Stay away from conditioners that have cetyl alcohol because they could dry out the hair.
• Remember to always rinse with cool water to seal your cuticle for shiny hair.

Here are some other tricks to note:

1. If you have severe tangling, do not start combing through from the root of your hair. Instead, start clearing the ends and work your way up. This would make the tangles closer to the root easier to comb through to the ends.


2. If you do not use a clarifying shampoo when you wash, try not to use any hair pomade, grease or moisturizer at least 2 days prior to washing to ensure your conditioner is more effective.

Until next time... EZ conditioning!

Ms. Naturesk

Excellence in Beauty!

Do You Need To Condition Your Hair?

We've talked about cleansing and some tips to pay attention to when cleansing your hair and scalp. To have our hair looking its best, lets see if we do need to condition it or not. I don't know about you, but have you tried styling your hair without conditioning it? Isn't it difficult to manipulate? Don't you have many tangles to deal with? I know you're thinking God bless the person that invented the conditioner.

Life happens to our hair... we style, we dry, we curl, we pull, we gel, we flat iron and our hair looks great! Doesn't it? Meanwhile, the abuse caused by heat, products or rough handling lifts our cuticles, allowing necessary moisture to leave and this causes our hair to be dry, dull, brittle and become prone to knots and tangles. As this type of ill-treatment continues, the cuticles would eventually break or become frayed. That's how our hair breaks off or you end up with split ends.

We want to avoid breakage and split ends if we want to preserve and maximize our length. Not to mention, we always want our tresses to look FABULOUS! So it is absolutely necessary that we not only condition after shampooing, but as I've indicated in previous posts, we have to deep condition at least one a month (2X if your hair is much drier than the average person) and use a resonstructor (for chemically processed hair) to add strength back to the core of your hair shaft (cortex & medulla).

A good conditioner should help to:

• Make hair manageable


• Smooth down the cuticle


• Seal in moisture


• Prevent frizz


• Add shine

If your conditioner is not doing these things for you, then ditch it and find a new one. As always, I recommend an organic conditioner. Be aware of products that advertise their products as being "Natural" when more than 50% of their ingredients are anything but natural. I also have postings on this blog called "Know Your Ingredients", become familiar with the most common offenders. I use different brands, but always read my labels to make sure that harmful chemicals are not included in my products.

More on conditioning coming...

Time to Deep Condition

I will deep condition my hair today with products from my kitchen & you can too. This is a great deep condition that you should do at least once a month because sometimes we just don't have the time to do it on a more frequent basis. Not to mention, not everyone needs all this moisture or protein.

What you need:

I mixed, 1 egg yolk (you can also use the entire egg), 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of coconut oil & a heaped tbsp of crushed avocado. I massaged from scalp to the end of my hair. For longer tresses, you may double the recipe.

Ingredient benefits:

• The egg yolk is rich in cholesterol, honey is a natural humectant and will help your hair to retain its necessary moisture. Egg white is rich in protein & Vitamin A. ** remove the chalaza from the egg if you're able to. That's the little semi-solid white things you see after cracking open an egg.**


• Coconut oil is full of nutrients & proteins necessary for healthy hair growth; it's also great for treating dry scalp (which I have at this moment).


• Olive oil replaces moisture, elasticity & nutrients lost from your hair being exposed to the elements; it's rich in Vitamin E.


• Avocado has hydrating benefits & will help do away with dull looking tresses.

What to do:

- For a good deep condition sit under a dryer for 15-20 minutes with a plastic cap on.

- Wash thoroughly.

- Remember to always rinse with cool (not cold) water. This will seal your hair cuticle and help to reveal beautiful, shiny hair.