The Mane Objective

Showing posts with label how-to and diy. Show all posts

I was soooo uncomfortable with that twist-out. Still sorting out why. So naturally (haha), I'm back to the wash and go. Front pinned back to stretch it, will show the results when fully dry. I was in a super rush this morning, and didn't have time for multiple products, leave-ins, sealing, and whatnot. As hard as it may be to believe, this product junkie only has one thing in her hair: @tginatural Twist and Define Cream. #naturalhair #naturalhairproducts #productjunkiesunite #thestruggleislreal #betrayedmytwistout #maybenextdecember

When I first got my Deva Cut, I thought all things would stay the same. In fact, that very night I just threw a little tgin Butter Cream on my hair, scarf pineappled, and went on my merry little way to dreamland. The next morning, I woke up (a little shocked) with a serious case of mushroom-top hair. Meaning, the hair at the front and center of my hair is more tightly wavy (because it definitely ain't no curl), and shrinks up into a mini mushroom while the rest of my hair just hangs. I knew about this phenomena during my transition, which is why many of my wash and go styles started off looking like this while they dried:

Front and center of my hair has a tighter curl pattern than the rest of my hair, especially the back. To avoid a mullet mushroom look, I twist/tuck/bobbypin that hair in two sections, so it stretches as it dries. That way, it will frame my face better later on. When you have multiple textures of hair, you gotta learn to work with what you got!!! #naturalhair #transitioner #curls #naturalhaircare #washngo

Because I don't want to spend half of my day rocking a style I didn't intend to for the sake of my hair setting and drying, I figured I needed to do something. While I still do the above pin back situation as my hair is drying (as evidenced by the first photo in this post), I had to think about the days ahead. Wash and go's require refreshing and moisture, both of which would revert me back to mini mushroom-dom. Rather than refresh my hair in the morning, I decided to refresh at night, and rock the modified pineapple below:

After I went through my hair thoroughly with my Q-Redew and Soultanicals Fluffalicious Curl Nutricious, and did a throwback to my banding days. Using 6 scrunchies, I gathered my hair into two medium-large sections, parted slightly off center (because this is how I wear my hair most days...okay, like, every day). I banded those two sections with 3 scrunchies each, about 2 inches apart (give or take). They are loose enough to not tug at the ends, but secure enough to stretch. They are new scrunchies, so that was only about 2 or 3 loops around. I left the sides and back of my hair down, because they don't shrink nearly as much, and I proceeded to scarf pineapple as usual. The bottom two pictures in the grid show how my hair looked when I woke up this morning, and I'm sure they highlight the reason why I also sleep on a satin pillowcase every night. So, how did night banding work out for me?

Pretty darn well, if I must say so myself. My hair is moisturized, full of body, stretched, full, and just all around awesome. I'm having a great day 2 hair day. FYI, for this wash and go I used tgin Twist and Define Cream only. It wasn't until I got home at night that I was able to hit it with the Q-Redew and lock in some light moisture with Soultanicals Fluffalicious Curl Nutricious.

I love easy quick fixes!

As you all know, my first attempt at making flax seed gel was a complete and utter failure. Not only did I make a mess (I'm looking at you, kitchen strainer thingie), but I had an airhead moment and added coconut oil to my mix. Coconut oil is awesome for many reasons, but unfortunately, once cold it congeals. So when I poured it into my first batch of gel that had yet to cool off, it looked good. But a few minutes in the fridge turned my DIY project into Frankenflax. Instead of a smooth, golden-brown goop, I was stuck with a jar full of goopy mess with white blobs. I tried to convince myself that it was cool as long as I rubbed the gel in my hands before applying it...but that didn't last for long. Eventually, I gave up on the gel and just threw the entire container away.

Last night, I was chillin' on the Insta (I think that's what the cool kids are calling Instagram these days), and saw Hey Fran Hey promoting her latest vid; flax seed gel. I don't know about you, but Fran has an awesome motivating aura about her. Her website and videos make me feel like I can conquer the world in the blink of an eye. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but she is pretty inspiring. Annnnd she responds to comments and inquiries on her posts, which I love. In this particular video, she and her friend made whipping up flax seed gel look like a walk in the park. I still had a TON of flax seeds (they're only $1.19 a pound at Sprouts), and some oils that don't congeal. Why not give it another shot?

This time around, I am happy to report DIY success! Even as I type this post, I can't help but periodically grab my cooling bottle of flax seed gel and swish it around in the bottle just to make sure my eyes aren't deceiving me. I just checked again -- we're still claiming victory here! As I revel in my success, here's a step-by step breakdown of what you'll need:

Small Pot
Measuring Cup
Spoon
Storage Container
Straining mechanism (I prefer nylon stockings, because you can just throw them away afterwards. I used a strainer the first time, and cleaning out all the little metal holes was a pain in the...)
Plastic bowl (with lid if you're going to use the same bowl to store the gel in)
Storage Container (optional, if different from your plastic bowl)
Super straining mechanism (tongs, or some other kitchen utensil you can use to smoosh the seeds between to get all the goop out)
2-3 of your favorite oils that are NOT solid when cooled
Water
Flax seeds (brown or golden...either one works)

Got all your stuff? It seems like a lot, but everything has its place. Let's go!

Note: In Hey Fran Hey's video, she adds Aloe Vera and Jamaican Black Castor Oil to hers. As with all things natural, do what works for you. I don't particularly care for castor oil all up in my hair, as a transitioner. For my add-ins, I chose jojoba, sweet almond, and vitamin E.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in your small pot (on a medium flame/heat).

While waiting for your water to boil, create a "net" over your bowl/storage container by covering it with your nylon stocking or strainer.

Scoop 4 tablespoons of flax seeds into the boiling water, and stir periodically. After 2-3 minutes, a white foam will appear. Let the seeds continue to boil until you reach 5-6 minutes, then reduce to a low flame. The white foam should dissipate and while stirring, and you will be able to see that the water has visibly thickened. Continue stirring, and allow the water to thicken until you reach 12-13 minutes.

Turn off the flame, and get ready to strain! Pour gel slowly into the straining mechanism. Pick up stocking and use your super straining mechanism to smoosh down then length of the stocking to squeeze all the gel out. I found these white spatula scraper things to be perfect-- it was almost like being able to use my hands to squeeze the excess gel out.

Once your seeds have been strained, you can either store them for future use (that's super recession proof!) in your fridge, or toss them. I personally just throw mine away. Flax seeds are super cheap out here, but I understand that readers from other areas may not have that same luxury.

Pour in desired amount of your favorite oils, and whisk the gel with a spoon as if you were beating an egg.

By this time, your gel is cool enough to pour into a storage container. Let it further cool down, then store in the fridge for use.

Enjoy!

Tip: A good storage container is everything. Not only will it make your product easier to dispense and use, but it will help preserve it longer. Last time, I used an old Shea Moisture container that I cleaned out. This time around, I wised up and cleaned out a shampoo bottle with a squeeze top. That way, I can keep my gel pure and not worry about grubby little bacteria from my hands finding their way into my products. If you don't have any good storage containers, Target has travel-sized squeeze bottles for $1.09.

You've heard time and time again that hair care and beauty can be expensive. You also know that both are booming industries, and advertisers are always looking for new ways to get you interested in dropping dough on their products. How can you still give your hair everything it needs without burning a hole in your pockets? Read on for a few ideas on how to maximize your money when it comes to four key areas of haircare.

1. Clarifying
You've heard all about the benefits of an ACV rinse, but did you know you can use Apple Cider Vinegar to clarify your hair? Just mix one part Apple Cider Vinegar (organic, with Mother) and one part water. Shake it up in a spray bottle and saturate your hair. Let the ACV mix sit on your hair (and scalp) for 20-30 minutes, then continue with your regular co-wash or a deep condition. Apple Cider Vinegar can be purchased from Vitamin Shoppe for $2.99. If you're not a fan of the scent of Apple Cider Vinegar, Aztec Healing Clay is an odorless alternative. Mix the clay and water until you achieve a mud-like texture. Apply to your hair and scalp for 20-30 minutes and rinse thoroughly. You can also follow this up with a co-wash or deep conditioning, depending upon your hair's needs. You can grab a 16oz jar of Aztec Healing Clay for around $7 at retailers like Sprouts and Vitamin Shoppe.

2. Conditioning
Arguably, conditioner is something that naturals tend to spend the most money on -- and rightfully so. We need protein conditioners, moisturizing conditioners, co-washing conditioners, deep conditioners, conditioners for our conditioners, leave-in conditioners, and so forth. The thing about conditioners to remember is that just because it comes with a hefty price tag doesn’t mean it’s worth the money. As we explored in this article, the expensive conditioners often couldn’t hold a counter to their cheaper counterparts. When it comes to conditioners, avoid purchasing at grocery and pharmacy stores (like CVS and Walgreens) if possible, and unless there is an irrefutable sale. Often times, these stores carry many of the same brands you can find at Target, but tack on $2 or $3 more than Target prices. Additionally, you can always find conditioners that do double duty – like a nourishing conditioner that can also double as a deep conditioner if mixed with a favorite oil, or left on your hair a little longer. And, don’t underestimate the cheapie conditioners. Just because the bottle says Suave, Aussie or Tresemme doesn’t mean it can’t do your hair any good. In fact, Aussie Moist and Tresemme Anti-Breakage are staples in my haircare collection!

3. Moisturizing/Leave-In
Unless there is a dire need, one thing I vowed to never spend money on is a leave-in. There are far too many ways to cut that cost out of your haircare budget. For starters, you can always buy a conditioner that doubles as a leave-in. My personal favorite in this area is Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner that I use not only as a regular conditioner, but also sometimes as a leave in, and sometimes as a deep conditioner. Alternatively, you can leave a little bit of your regular conditioner in your hair by not rinsing all of it out. Just make sure you double-check the ingredient list to ensure that nothing in the bottle is going to irritate your scalp. Or, since most leave-ins are nothing more than a diluted version of a standard product, you can always pour some of your favorite conditioner into a spray bottle, add water, shake, and spray. Lastly, you can have your styling/sealing product double as a leave in – as long as it contains water or a penetrating oil like Coconut.

4. Sealing

When it comes to sealing in moisture, there are tons of money saving options that are fair game. If your hair loves oils or straight up butters, Shea, Coconut, and Castor are pretty inexpensive go-tos. You can also use your styling products to double up as sealants. Two of my favorite double-duty sealants are Shea Moisture’s Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, and my Napptural85-inspired fluffy styling cream. With the Shea Moisture product, I alternate between applying after a diluted conditioner leave-in, after a little coconut oil, or by itself – all depending on my hair’s needs at the time. My DIY fluffy styling cream is so chock full of goodies that I just spritz on water for moisture, and follow up with a small amount of the mix. There are dozens of different recipes out there, so make sure to follow or modify one according to what your hair likes. My DIY cream is made with Shea Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, and a Sweet Almond/Vitamin E Oil blend. It is heavy enough to seal, but light enough to give my hair life with amazing braid-outs. A cool bonus: the DIY fluffy styling cream is an awesome body moisturizer too! For more information on my DIY cream, click here.

Cookin' up flaxseed gel...

So, like forever and a day ago I went to Sprouts and purchases some brown flaxseeds for about $1 a pound, with the intention of making flaxseed gel for my hair. Tip: never, ever purchase pre-packaged flaxseeds if they are available in bulk. Save yourself a considerable amount of money.

Back to the gel. I put off making it for so long, because for some reason I thought it was more complicated than Napptural85 made it seem in this video. Sidebar: I totally have a hair crush on her now. I still love Hey Fran Hey, but AHHHH!!! I can't wait to finish this transition.

Once again, back to the gel. In order to make it, I pretty much followed Napptural85's recipe...with the exception of the essential oils. I added my own oil, which I will show you a little later in the post. Get ready, here's what you'll need:

Recycling my Shea Moisture jar

1/4 cup flax seeds
2 cups water
Pot
Spoon
Airtight container
Old hosiery (for straining gel from seeds)
Tongs (for straining)

The recipe is simple. Put flaxseeds in pot. Add water. Boil for about 10-13 minutes, stirring intermittently. When it's nice and gooey, pour through nylon hosiery and strain with the tongs. Refrigerate and enjoy. Simple, right?

Finished product, before added oils.

Oops..heat got to the jar a little.

Right. So because I didn't have all the fabulous essential oils Napptural85 has, I thought it would be a bright idea to mix in 2 teaspoons of Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil. Silly rabbit, I somehow became compleeeeeeetley oblivious to the fact that I KNOW coconut oil congeals when the temperature drops. As a result, I was left with this a few hours later in the fridge:

www.fail.org/ishouldknowbetter

Next time Christina, add oils that keep the same consistency at any temperature...duh. Well, it looks freakish, but it still works. As I worked the catastrophic combo into each section of my hair for a braid-out, the coconut oil melted down because of the heat emitting from my hands. Well, we shall see how my braid-out turns out tomorrow.

Check-in with ya'll about the results soon!

As a recovering product junkie, I am always on the prowl for ways to acquire hair products that I love (or want to try out) for less than full retail, or reinvent uses for products I already have. In my journey, I have discovered that there are just some things that it makes little to no sense for me to spend money on -- like leave-in conditioners, moisturizing lotions/sprays, and "hair oils". Why? Because I can make them my darn self...and they work just as well, if not better. Are you ready to recession-proof your hair products? Keep reading, as I share with you a few of my favorite tips:

#1: I Leave My Leave-In on the Store Shelf.

The best Target spray bottles to use.

Sure, the product junkie in me has wanted to try an array of leave-in products, despite me having the regular conditioner in my arsenal at home. Theoretically speaking, leave-ins are a lighter version of the full conditioning product anyway. How do you make something lighter? My simple solution is to dilute it with water. Grab a spray bottle from Sally's or Target's travel section, squeeze in some of your favorite condish, add water, shake well, and spray! Play around with the ratios to figure out which works best for your hair. If you find your hair is too oily after your hair has dried, add more water (and vice versa). Not only does your hair get the conditioning it needs for refreshing (without the likelihood of hydral fatigue), it allows you to make your bottle of conditioner last longer!

DO NOT use this Target spray bottle. It comes out in STREAMS!

#2: Making My Purchases Work For Me...

In a future post (soon to be complete, I promise!), I write about reconsidering my use of Shea Moisture's Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie. Let it just suffice to say that I really like the product, and its uses are very versatile. However, I have learned that using too much (and on wet hair) leaves "white stuff" in your hair until it dries. Also, because it is such a rich product, it builds up quickly. What's a girl to do? Go out and buy the Curling Milk or Mist instead? Absolutely not. I simply scooped a few knifefuls (the neck of my spray bottles are small...don't judge me) of the Smoothie into a spray bottle (I added some Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque, and Infusium 23 Repair & Renew just to show my hair some extra love), and added water. Guess what? Shake n' spray! This mixture works well and does a great job of sealing in my leave-in moisture without weighing my hair down or giving me too much buildup. Plus, Shea Moisture's products retail for about ten bucks a pop...this method allows me to streeeeeeeetch those jars out.

#3: I Don't Get Hair Oil on the Hair Aisle.

I tell folks all the time, the cooking oil aisle at Whole Foods or Sprouts is my new BFF. Forget all that Dr. Miracles, Hot Six, African Mystic Royal Amazingly Fantastic Super Mega Gro Oil business. Chances are, they tout ingredients such as coconut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, etc. as their mega-moisturizing, healing, and life-changing ingredients. That's cool and all, but the ingredients they're marketing to you more times than not, are not in the top 5 (sometimes even top 10) ingredients. Translation: There ain't that much ______ (insert miracle oil here) in there. And this is why the cooking oil aisle is my new BFF. Why waste my money on an oil mix that only contains a few drops of my favorites, when I can just buy the darn jar myself? Buying a few different oils (to make your own mixes) may cost a little more than buying a bottle of the hair aisle, but you end up saving your money (and your hair) in the long run. A jar of coconut oil and a bottle of castor oil last me for months, and they're 100% pure and unrefined. Plus, they have alternative beauty uses. Oh, and I guess I could cook with them too. Talk about a win-win-win-win.

What money saving methods do you use when it comes to your hair? Share!!!

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