Category Archives: Treatments

May10

Deep Condition :: The Natural Root 2-in-1 Sweet Honey Deep Conditioner

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Lauren

Deep Condition :: The Natural Root 2-in-1 Sweet Honey Deep Conditioner

I LOVE HONEY!!! I love honey in my tea….I love honey on my face (yup, to wash my face!) and I love honey in my HAIR!

Honey is an amazing multi-use natural gift from God and is an amazing conditioner and humectant for our hair. I won’t go into too much detail on the benefits of honey because I plan on doing an Ingredients 101 post on it but I mention honey because it’s the main ingredient in the 2-in-1 Sweet Honey Deep Conditioner from The Natural Root. If you missed it, I did a review on their wonderful and very affordable Gourmet Rosemary, Sage, Lemongrass Shea Butter, AND they just updated their website which looks awesome might I add :o)

So the Sweet Honey Deep conditioner is a honey based, conditioning treatment and it comes in a glass mason jar ((I have an obsession with mason jars for some reason lol they just make whatever is in it look so pretty lol #weird)). I was sent the 8oz jar in my goodie bag I received awhile back. It retails for 6 oz for $6 or 8 oz for $15 on The Natural Root’s website.

Product Description
Our Sweet Honey treatment is comprised of the best oils for your hair. The coconut oil in our formula is one of the only oils that actually penetrates the hair shaft, leaving your hair soft and elongated, also it’s your built in hot oil treatment. The many characteristics of honey makes your hair nourished and enriched. Honey is food for hair, it hydrates, strengthens, stops shedding, breakages and adds elasticity.

How to apply: shampoo, rinse and towel dry hair. Remove excess water with towel. Mix honey in small bowl. Section hair into four areas. Apply honey with applicator from root to end of hair. Repeat steps on each section. Use fingers to work honey through hair. Cover hair with damp hand towel or bonnet, then plastic bag. Sit under dryer or steamer for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and rinse with cool water.

Ingredients
Raw Honey, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, argan oil and avocado oil

So the 2-in-1 Deep Conditioner is a sweet and yummy combination of honey and oils, and it can be used 2 ways. You can use it either by itself (using the method above) or you can add it to a conditioner to enhance the benefits of the conditioner. If your hair is damaged and you are trying to nourish it back to health, it’s best to use it plain and strait from the jar and it’s even better if you use it with a steamer!! Unfortunately I don’t own a steamer but I have my Hair Therapy Warp Thermal Turban that I plan to use with this DC next time :o)

But since I feel like my hair is at a point where I can ((by the grace of God)) consider it healthy, I have just been mixing the Sweet Honey DC with my conditioners, mostly my cheapie conditioners like my Nature’s Gates or Trader Joe’s conditioners (Tea Tree Tingle or Nourish Spa) to give them a serious boost. I was actually amazed and what a huge difference it made!

I section my hair into 4 parts, squeeze a big old gob of conditioner in my hand and scoop some of the Sweet Honey DC into my hand and mix it with my fingers before applying it to my hair. I must caution you that it’s best to do this in the shower because it can get a little messy! lol Also, the honey and oils separate so you have to mix them together in the jar before you scoop it out. Oh and I am not sure if the label is waterproof or not so just be cautious with that also, I keep the jar on the little side ledge of my tub behind the shower curtain when I use it so it doesn’t get wet. Sometimes I will leave it in and sometimes not, but either way, it conditions my hair.

I can’t tell you enough how much honey REALLY improves the elasticity of your hair! I use it in my own DIY treatments like my Honey Banana one, and my hair loooooves it and it loves this Sweet Honey DC too! My hair feels so strong and soft after each use. The honey is a humectant so it just pulls aaaaalll that moisture into your strands (this is why using a steamer would be wonderful!). It’s got amazing oils, especially my beloved coconut hehe, which help seal in all the moisture the honey brings in. And another great thing about this DC also, is that honey is water soluble so it’s not sticky and doesn’t leave any residue.

This is definitely a really good, nourishing, restorative treatment for anyone trying to re-gain the health of their hair or trying to keep it healthy (which would be all of us not that I think about it lol) :o)

Oooooo and I also wanted to share some other goodies I got from The Natural Root (I feel SO spoiled!! THANK YOU!! God is Great!)). So I got a cute lil canvas bag with The Natural Roots signature “lady bun” as I call her :o), if you live in Montgomery County Maryland you will know HOW MUCH these bags come in handy because of the daggone bag tax! I also got some more of their amazing Gourmet Shea butter in the Tea Tree, Peppermint, Cinnamon. This has a very strong scent and reminds me of the holidays, probably because of the cinnamon. It’s very nice if you like the spicy kinds of scents! Of course, it works wonders for your hair and skin! I aaaaallso got some cute little greeting cards! I think this is such a cute, clever idea, they have cute sayings and messages so you can send cards to your curlfriends if they’re reached a “natural hair milestone” like a big chop or reached a length goal lol :o) I love giving hand written notes and cards to people (Hallmark is one of my favorite stores lol) so this touched my heart :o)

Oh and all of these items are of course for sale on their website! Check ‘em out!

Mar23

Treatment :: Karen’s Body Beautiful Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Lauren

Treatment :: Karen’s Body Beautiful Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment

Hey there :o)

OK I have finally tried and reviewed ALL the products from Karen’s Body Beautiful that are available in select Target stores NOW! The last review is on the Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment which retails for $25 for 4 oz and $38 for 8 oz on KBB’s site and also on CurlMart 4 oz for $25. YES I know, I know, KBB’s price point is a bit on the high side BUT you really are paying for what you get, high quality, all-natural, consistency in results and a little goes a long way. I’ve mentioned in the past that I was an avid user of the Sweet Ambrosia, it was something I ALWAYS made sure I saved up for and my hair was probably the healthiest it had ever been (that was back in 2008). It’s definitely worth the investment. Oh and if you missed my other posts on KBB product experiences, check them out below:

The thing I LOVE most about KBB (besides the fact that her products are all natural and work phenomenally well AND consistently) is that there is literally a product for EVERY need that a natural may have. You know how we have SO many steps, rituals and practices in maintaining our hair, and KBB recognizes that and literally has a product for every step of the way. It makes being natural really easy if you hate having to search around for different products or if you don’t like mixing up a bunch of different things. KBB already has it covered for you!

Now,I don’t mean that KBB’s products are like a “system” where its like Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, I mean that there is a product for every need and hair type i.e. moisture, spritzer, sealing, hold, treatment, pre-poo, condition, scalp, etc. etc. I also love that some of her products have multiple uses, not just what’s indicated on the labels. PLus they all work really well together so you can mix and match! It’s just an extremely well-rounded line of products and you can clearly tell the KBB listens to what us naturals need, how we use our products and I am sure she uses her own stuff on herself! I just love it! :o) ….and now you can buy all this right down the street from Target! #winning :o)

But ok, let’s stay focused lol back to the Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment….

Description
Karen’s Body Beautiful Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment is a velvety textured deep conditioning pre-shampoo treatment that strengthens, repairs and restores tresses. Filled with Argan, Carrot Seed, Aloe Vera Oils, Pygeum, Nettle, & Saw Palmetto Extracts and Rosemary & Rose Otto Essential Oils.

Melt Secret Weapon in your palms. Thoroughly massage into hair and scalp. Leave in hair for at least 20 minutes or even overnight (wear a shower cap). Shampoo and condition. Use weekly

Ingredients
Palm Oil, Lecithin, Argan Oil, Vegetable Wax, Citric Acid, Vitamin C & E, Aloe Vera Oil, Pygeum & Saw Palmetto Extracts, Stevia, Silica, Rosemary & Carrot Seed Essentials Oils, Biotin, Nettle & Rose Otto Essential Oil. Glycerin Free. Paraben Free. Silicone Free. Sulfate Free. Protein Free

This product is really unique to me. I have never seen a pre-made product intended for pre-shampooing (see, this is what I mean by KBB has a product for everything a natural already does!). Most pre-poo treatments I’ve ever done or hear others talk about are just applying oil on their hair and sleeping with a plastic cap overnight. So this takes that practice to another level. You still get the benefits of the oils but this contains other enhancing ingredients like the stevia, silica, biotin and all those delectable essential oils :o) It is unscented which kind of saddened me because you know I love KBB’s scents. Oh well :o)

I apply this creamy, emollient treatment the night before wash day on dry hair. It surprisingly has a lot of slip so I didn’t have to go overboard on the application. I leave my hair in about 4 sections, pin them down close to my head (for comfort sleeping), place a shower cap on, then my scarf over the plastic and go to bed. The next day, I rinse out the treatment, wash and condition regularly. I really, really like how strong my hair feels after this treatment! You can definitely tell that it penetrates your strands. I didn’t have as many snap, crackles and pops after my hair was dry!

This is definitely a higher end product and my hair is pretty healthy at this point (by the grace of God and good hair practices!) so I don’t think I would buy this regularly but I definitely would consider treating myself to this maybe 1-2x a year to give my hair a strengthening boost. If you are trying to recover your hair from damage from maybe heat or color (or even relaxer!) and trying to nourish it back to health, this may work wonders for you :o)

Jan21

Deep Condition : : Hair Therapy Warp Thermal Turban

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Lauren

Deep Condition : : Hair Therapy Warp Thermal Turban

I have been wanting one of these things for so long! Finally treated myself to one hehe

It’s the Hair Therapy Warp Thermal Turban!! One of my Girl’s Behind the Curls, Kelley, said she uses hers all the time and loved it and ever since then, I have wanted one! I finally got mine from Curlmart.com for $21.95 (I think I had a coupon or something, because their shipping rate is kind of ridiculous, so the coupon helped compensate for that).

Product Description

The Hair Therapy Wrap Thermal Turban Heat Wrap is a reusable, heated hair wrap. Remember when deep conditioning meant soaking a scalding hot towel, wringing it out, and it still went cold in 5 minutes? The heated Hair Therapy Wrap does away with that and will stay hot up to 30 minutes, cordless, reusable and NO MORE sitting under electrical hairdryers!

It comes with 3 gel packets and one terry cloth wrap (comes in pink, white and brown…they only had brown when I ordered mine) that you insert the gel packets into. Once you insert the gel packets, you pop the whole assembled wrap in the microwave for 45 – 60 seconds and then wrap it around your head! (You wear a plastic cap under it of course) Simple! The wrap stays secure with velcro. I would definitely recommend “compacting” your hair as much as possible with some loose twists pinned down to your head so that the turban can fit over your head (unless you have a peanut head hehe)

That’s one of the side packets

That’s the second side packet and the zipper

This thing is great because you can deep condition while still being able to move around your house. It stays warm up to 35 mins. I actually re-heated it and had it on even longer, just because it makes my mind think that my hair is getting even more conditioned lol plus I just get lazy and don’t feel like hopping back in the shower again so soon…

The wrap itself is machine washable and the zipper/velcro are all plastic, which makes it microwave safe (I had a moment of paranoia and checked everything just to make sure lol microwave + anything metal = no good!). I’ll admit that inserting the gel pouches was kind of annoying but once you get them in, you only have to take them out when you wash the terry cloth part. I haven’t read much about the longevity of the gel pouches or if anyone has had problems with them. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing but hopefully they last for a long time with no problems.

This is what I used to have before lol remember these heat caps?! haha ———————>

This thing makes deep conditioning so much more effective and it is WAY cheaper than investing in a hooded dryer. If you already condition with a plastic cap on your head, get one of these and you will get an even deeper condition! The heat opens up your hair cuticle and allows whatever conditioner you use to penetrate deeper. After I condition, it feels like I partially rinsed out the conditioner because my hair soaks it up. You could also do an impromptu Green House Effect treatment if you are pressed for time.

Even through all my hype over this, nothing is ever perfect and there are some flaws (nothing major though). I did have some issues with the distribution of the heat. I feel like the two packets on the side get warmer than the larger one in the middle. It could be how I have it situated in the microwave or something. I have to play around with it and figure out how I can get the middle one warmer. It did say you can warm the gel packets on the stove so I think I may try that and see if I get better results. I saw a lady on Instagram wore the wrap backwards, maybe that helped with the distribution of heat for her. Might have to try that. OR the problem could be my big ole head lol for real though, I was worried it wouldn’t fit over my head haha

The second thing is more of a precaution to keep in mind, if you have earrings in your cartilage, they will get hot!! I have to stuff a towel over my ears, under the wrap until the wrap cools a bit because it made the tops of my ears hot lol See what I mean below lol

Yea, don’t mind these hideous bare-faced shots of myself lookin all kinds of crazy…. but overall, I do think this is a good thing to have, it’s not expensive which makes me feel better about buying it lol It does the job :o) I plan to use this every time I condition!

Dec20

Deep Condition : : Banana, Honey, Coconut Oil Hair Mask

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Lauren

Deep Condition : : Banana, Honey, Coconut Oil Hair Mask

How YUMMY does this hair mask sound? and YES you can definitely eat it! (even though strangely enough I hate bananas lol)

~~I am too broke to spend money buying an expensive azz deep conditioner~~ I wanted to experiment by making a homemade deep conditioning treatment and I was browsing the internet to find something with inexpensive ingredients and what I already had at home.

I came across several recipes that used…bananas!!! I can’t say banana without saying “nana-bar” because my little cousin used to call bananas, “nana-bars” when he was a baby lol so cute :o)

So why bananas? Well, here’s a few reasons that were enough to get my mad scientist on! (not really but you know what I mean lol

Great for dry hair itchy, flaky scalp because it keeps hair hydrated and healthy. With regular use, banana hair masks can increase the moisture content of your hair, smooth frizz and prevent dandruff by soothing and moisturizing your itchy scalp.
Contains vitamins A, B, C, natural oils and carbohydrates which all help prevent split ends, breakage by improving your hair’s elasticity. If you have super dry, color-treated or even relaxed hair, this treatment could be helpful. Also, if you apply heat to your hair a lot as well.
Potassium softens the hair shaft and creates more manageability. Makes your curls super soft and springy!
Decreases hair loss because it helps address scalp issues. I’ve said it before….a healthy scalp = hair that grows and less hair that falls!

I saw that people mixed all kinds of ingredients with the nana-bars hehe but I picked a few I know work well with my hair so this is sort of my own concoction that was inspired from other recipes. I like to keep my recipes somewhat simple, with few ingredient, because I want to get the full effect from each ingredient. I feel like if you go crazy and put a million things in one recipe, each ingredient isn’t as effective.

So I stuck with just banana, clover creamed honey and coconut oil. Here’s the measurements I used (these are approximations, you can use more or less depending on the length, thickness of your hair):

3 somewhat over-ripe bananas
2 large tablespoons of raw honey
1 tablespoon of coconut oil

Yes, my jar of coconut oil has gone through war lol I actually infused the last bit of this jar with some essential oils hehe but in case you were wondering, this is the Spectrum brand of coconut oil.

Some of recipes I saw also had milk or yogurt, dark chocolate or cocoa powder (unsweetened). Some people used the baby food version of bananas (more expensive if you ask me…) I would love to try this with yogurt next time to get that extra boost of protein! The chocolate would make it smell sooo yummy I would imagine…You can also substitute the coconut oil for another type of oil or add some essential oils. I used coconut oil for obvious reasons and the honey because it is a humectant and helps retain moisture in my hair.

One thing I will note, I used clover creamed honey (the kind that is solid) because I like for my deep conditioners to be somewhat thick, I hate when they are runny. That is also why I only used a tablespoon of the oil. I think if I used any more, the warmth from my head will have made the conditioner extremely runny and a big mess!

So I put all of my ingredients in the blender and blended it to a thick puree. I think I should have mashed the bananas in a bowl first though. Usually you need some kind of liquid in the blender to really get it going. I ended up adding some water to try to get it going. It could be the cheap blender I have but after stopping, smashing, stirring, etc. for a while, I got a good consistency. I made sure to smash any remaining chunks of the banana because they will surely get stuck in your hair lol.

I think my favorite part of this treatment was the application! lol it has a SERIOUS slip too it! I guess its because bananas are kind of slimy by nature but it just smoothed in my hair so nicely. I made sure to rub it into my scalp and smoothed up the entire length of my hair. I always apply treatments in semi-small sections and wrap the section around itself and pile them all on top of my head so it will fit under a plastic cap. I let the mask sit on my hair for about 45 mins (much longer than I probably needed to, I just didn’t feel like getting back in the shower right away lol). I also wrapped a long-sleeve t-shirt around the plastic cap like a turban to keep any drippys from sliding down my face and to keep the warmth from my head stay in. ( I have a pic of this on my instagram)

I rinsed VERY WELL to make sure I got out any banana chunks. I followed up with a quick condition with the Nature’s Gate Hemp conditioner ONLY so I could get a quick lather to help dislodge any more nana-chunks and do a quick detangle with my denman brush.

My hair felt….fortified! That’s the main word that comes to mind lol it just felt stronger. I definitely noticed an improvement in the elasticity. One thing I will note is I was due for a protein treatment so my hair didn’t feel as soft as I thought it could (that’s why I want to try it with yogurt next time). I can always tell when my hair needs a boost of protein.

All in all, I will be adding this into my DIY conditioner rotation!

…be sure to drink the leftovers if you like nana-bars! (only if you don’t use a lot of oil, essential oils, etc. duh!)

Dec5

The Many Uses of Coconut Oil — Cute Infographic!

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Lauren

The Many Uses of Coconut Oil — Cute Infographic!

Hey Curlies!

As many of my readers know, I have an undying love for coconut oil (La COCO bella….get it?! lol) Well, the other day I got the daily email from Naturally Curly and saw this AWESOME infographic! I HAD to share it! If you have never used coconut oil or have been curious to try it, read this for some coco inspiration!

Click the image below!

Jul15

Ayurvedic Treatment…..Neem!!

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Lauren

Ayurvedic Treatment…..Neem!!

*peeks head around corner*

Hi…um…anybody there??

I know I know, I haven’t been blogging. Life happens and we have to tend to our priorities. Hate me or love me, whatever will be, will be :o)

I’m going to just jump right in…

So you know I LOVE ayurveda, so I wanted to devote this post to neem powder! I used the Hesh brand powder that you can get from local Indian markets for about $3.

The main reasons this little gift from the earth are that It is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-oxident and anti-inflammatory so it is a great treatment for the scalp. This is the primary reason why I use it, my scalp. My scalp creates build-up quite rapidly so I really have to make sure I cleanse and clarify my scalp often (once a week usually does it). I have found that ayurveda powders have worked best for that. A clean, clear scalp will encourage healthy hair growth. Also, fungi and bacteria on the scalp can clog your roots and cause other issues which can ultimately lead to hair loss. Not fun. Neem also contains aminos (proteins) so it helps strengthen hair and is great for relieving itchy, dry scalp. It’s just an overall great treatment for your scalp, even if you don’t have any issues with it, it just encourages over all health.

This last time I used the powder, I made the paste by adding peppermint tea instead of plain water like I normally do. I went through an obsessive phase of drinking peppermint tea so I had a bunch of tea bags to spare lol besides the delectable scent of peppermint, it is great for adding shine, conditions hair and makes it more vibrant. I saved a little of the tea to do a rinse at the end!

The powder itself is green in color, being that the powder is made from the green leaves of a neem tree. I think adding the peppermint tea made it even greener. It is kind of nasty looking if you ask me lol. The smell isn’t too bad, very earthy/herbal/plant-like. The peppermint tea made it a bit more pleasant. Peep the spatula lol I was paranoid after learning about using metal with the bentonite clay lol.

As with all my messy treatments. I apply my hair in small sections to ensure full coverage and leave it on for about 30-45 mins. Check out the flicks.

Gotta love the application of hair treatments…..

So after I let the paste nourish my hair under a plastic cap, I rinse really, really well until the water runs clear and follow-up a conditioner and BAM, super soft, strong, non-shedding, healthy-scalp having head of hair! Doesn’t do much for de-frizzing or curl definition but hey, nothing is perfect lol

I’m way due for a trim btw…

— what are your fav ayurvedic powders?

Jun4

The Greenhouse Effect

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Lauren

The Greenhouse Effect

image via Google images

Every now and then I like to do this thing I discovered by stalking other natural hair bloggers lol. It’s called “the Greenhouse Effect” NOTE: this is NOT the same thing as the baggy method! In a nutshell, it is a moisture infusing treatment that works with just 3 things: 1) a plastic shower cap (or plastic bag or saran wrap) 2) an oil of choice and 3) the heat from your head!

So we know our body temperature drastically rises at night and it is also the time where our skin, scalp, organs, etc. rest and rejuvenate, so night time is the optimal time to do this treatment. The heat from your head in conjunction with the plastic bag creates a moist, steamy environment that locks moisture in your hair. The oil coating will seal in the moisture. It’s sort of like a mini-steam treatment! Some naturals like to sleep with a beanie/winter hat over their scarf to create even more heat/steam but if you’re like me and produce heat easily, you probably don’t need to do that.

There are many variations of this method and I believe it was created by the owner of a site called http://realqueens.net/real-queens-regimen. She goes into more detail on her regimen (with Q’s & A’s) and how it helped her gain an average of 1 inch of growth per month by doing this 5 nights a week and washing once a month. I personally wouldn’t recommend doing this every night because I feel you need to allow your hair and scalp to breathe. You also don’t want your hair to be wet all the time because that can cause bacteria growth, mushy hair and a host of other problems I imagine (another reason I do this before I wash). The Real Queens site owner also notes that she doesn’t get hot or sweat easily which also may be why she can do it every night. Me on the other hand, I sweat lol. If you’d like to try this, maybe start with once a week and build up from there to see what works for you. I do this treatment 2-3 times a month on the night before I wash.

Here’s what I do: I heavily coat my hair with an oil (usually my beloved coconut, EVOO or castor) I twist my hair in 6 loose twists and pin them down loosely to my head. I only do this because I have a lot of thick hair and I want it to fit under the shower cap lol I also make the twists loose so that the moisture can reach the inner parts of my hair. I put the shower cap over my hair, tie a scarf over it to keep it in place (and minimize some of the crunchiness from the bag lol). After that….I go to sleep!

When you take off the plastic cap in the morning, your hair (mostly the scalp) will be damp but really soft and moisturized! Some have contributed major hair growth due to regular use of this treatment. This isn’t why I do it but hey, I’m down for whatever helps growth. As I mentioned before, I do this on the nights before I am going to wash/co-wash because my hair will be wet, sweaty, shrunken and oily lol.

If you have dry hair, give this treatment a try a few times a month and see if it helps!

— Have you tried this moisture treatment? Have you created your own variation of it? Do share!