Remarkable Beauty

Important Update; "Contact Me" Feature

2011-05-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

Wow!!!

All of you have been sending me great questions and I have been working hard to answer them all.....I will be posting new "contact me" questions soon.

From now on when using the "contact me" feature, please include your email address. This way once the I answer your question, I can send it directly to your email in addition to posting it here.

To ask me a question click here. Don't forget to include your email!

Best wishes,
Jasmine

Just a Quick Update

2011-04-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!
Just writing a quick entry to let you know about some new posts I have coming up...
I have recieved some great questions from you all that I will be posting and answering shortly. I will also be posting "Thicker hair....is it possible?" and "All about ingredients" soon. Stay tuned!
Best wishes,
-jasmine

Regimen Building 101

2011-04-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I've created a guide to help everyone develop their hair care regimen. This guide will consist mostly of questions you need to answer in order to develop a solid hair regimen. continue reading for the guide....

If there are terms you are unfamiliar with, click the word and it will take you to common terms that I will be using on this blog.
If you want to see my answers to theses questions see about me to read my regimen.

*You
How would you describe your hair now?
What are your goal for your hair?
How will you achieve these goals?
When do you hope to acheive these goals by?
...Mark this date on your calendar.....
Who is your hair "inspiration" and why?

*Washing/Conditioning
How often will you wash your hair? What products will you use?
Will you preshampoo your hair? If so, with what product(s)?
What conditioner will you use?
How often will you deep condition? What technique will you use to deep condition?
Will you conditioner-wash between shampoos? If so, with what product?
How will you take care of your hair after a wash?

*Moisturizing/Sealing
How will you wear your hair fom day to day In between washes?
Will you use protective styling?
How often will you moisturize your hair with a leave in conditioner? What leave-in conditioner will you use?
What oil will you use to seal in moisture?
Will you be using any other method to moisturize/ maintain your hair?
How will you maintain your hair at night?

*Heat styling
How often will you be using heat?
What measures will you take to prevent heat damage?
What will you use as a heat protectant?
How often will you trim split ends?
Will you apply any special moisturizer to your ends?

*Growth aids
Will you be using any growth aids? If so, which one? How will you use it?
Will you be performing any other type of growth rituals (I.e scalp massage, scalp oiling, etc)? If so what?

*Lifestyle
Will you be ingesting anything to help with hair growth? What?
How often will you exercise?
Any special foods you'll be eating for growth?

This is just a guide to help you get started. I actually filled out this questionare to give you an example, click here to see it
These questions should always grow!! If you have any suggestions or questions you think I should add feel free to comment below and I will add them to this list.
Best wishes,
-jasmine

Q&A: Determine your Hair Type and How To Work with your Curls!

2011-04-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

As always, thanks for your questions! For everyone that reads my blog, I have reopened the Q&A page. If you would like to ask me a question about your hair (or anything else) click here. Write me a question and I will answer it as thoroughly as I possibly can. Here is a great question I received:

"I have naturally curly hair that is in an in-between stage of growth. I have length when I take a curl and pull it downward however I want my curls to have more definition and not look poofy. I have been using natural products from beauty supply but I am not getting the results desired. I want the curls to be more defined and loose looking as opposed to being tightly shrunk up to my head. what advice can you give or can you suggest best products to try? I live in NY. I would like to find a salon that specializes in African American curly hair."

First of all, thank you for your question. I would like to start out by asking you about your hair type. Do you know you hair type? Your natural hair type is determined by the curl of the coils on your head and the coils shine. Here is a short guide (I will also include a link below so you can see what each hair type looks like and get a full description):

*Type 1 hair: your hair is naturally straight. No curl definition at all. Type 1 hair is typically found naturally in Asian and Caucasian hair. Many African-Americans relax their hair to get type 1 hair (relaxing bone straight).

*Type 2 hair: your hair is wavy. Type 2 hair has three subcategories; 2A, 2B, and 2C depending on how wavy the hair is. See link below for more information. Type 2 hair if found in a plethora of different races. Type 2 hair is common for "mixed" races. Many Caucasians perm their hair to get a type to wave (perming is the opposite if relaxing).

*Type 3 hair: Type 3 hair is coily and does not reflect light as easily as types 1 and 2 (this is why it appears less shiny). Type 3 hair is typically found in African-American hair, and is also subcategorized into 3A, 3B, and 3C. Again click below for the link with pictures.

*Type 4 hair: Type 4 hair is very kinky and has an "s" or "zig-zag" pattern. It is also categorized into 3 subcategories 4A/4B/4C. African-Americans can also have this hair type.

**Here is the link for pictures of hair types and source.

You hair type has everything to do with your hair and how it behaves. You may be wanting your curls to fall in a way that isn't possible for your hair type. The way your hair behaves in it's natural state is about 75% due to genetics and 25% due to products used (this is just a rough guess-stimate on my part). It may not be the product you are using, but your curls' genetic makeup. There are products that help to define your natural curl, however you cannot change your curl pattern without using chemicals like relaxing or texturizing.
There are some techniques to get a more defined curl, a popular one is shingling. Shingling is a technique of applying product in order to lengthen and define your curls. Here is a guide by Miss Jessie's, which is a popular brand for curly hair. You can use this technique with products other than Miss Jessie's (in the guide they are using the curly pudding). You can also use your favorite gel to shingle.
Aveda also has a great line for curly hair called "Be Curly". It consists of a shampoo, conditioner, style prep, and curl enhancer. The curl enhancer is a great product to use for the shingling method. Here is a link to avedas site for more information.

I hope I helped you to understand more about your hair and how it behaves. Best wishes,
-jasmine

Protein and hair growth...what does it mean? How to maximize your hair growth with protein

2011-04-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of protein? If youre seeking healthier hair, hopefully you have. Proteins are essential to each and every persons hair, body, and health. Many people use
protein, but don't really understand what it does or why we need it. Well, I'm going to fill you in. In this article I will tell you everything you need to know about protein AND explain how you can use it to maximize your hairs health and growth.
possible.

So, what is it?
Protein is found in our own bodies, and it is one of the main things our body uses to "work". Proteins are found in every organ and cell in our bodies, and are constantly being broken down and replaced. They are used by our bodies for growth, maintenance, and repairing cells. Proteins are made up of amino acids (which I'm sure you've heard of) that are broken down and used to create more protein for the bodies' use. Our bodies are only able to produce certain kinds of amino acids on it's own, and needs an outside
Source of other amino acids to perform properly. This is why we eat proteins so that we can give our body the amino acids it can't produce.

What does protein have to do with hair growth?
As I stated in the previous paragraph, proteins are necessary for the growth, health, and strength of your body. However, your body has a lot to do. Most of the time the protein in your body is not focusing on the growth of your hair, but the growth of what it deems more important like bone and cell growth. Hair and nail growth come secondary on your bodies "to-do list", and is a result of a healthy and happy body (internally). Many women have found that when they increase their amount of protein intake their hair and nails grow faster, stronger, and healthier. Ingesting more protein gives our body more amino acids to go around and the body can take care of everything equally. Thus, increased protein intake=a growth spurt for ALL hair types!

So how can I increase my growth with protein?
There are many ways to maximize your hairs growth with protein. The best way (in my opinion) is to eat foods rich in protein (see link below for a source on protein rich foods) and drink protein shakes. There are many ready-made protein shakes that you can find at your local grocer. I recommend making your own protein shakes. Here is a recipe I drink daily as my breakfast:

Protein shake
3/4 cup of milk
2 tbsp of raw wheat germ
1 tbsp wheat germ oil
Two big scoops of frozen yogurt (your choice flavor)
Fruit Or veggie of your choice
1 raw egg (optional)**

Mix all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
you may add a natural sweetener like honey. Wheat germ has a very pungent taste, so sweetener is recommended.
**consume raw eggs at your own risk, I recommend using organic eggs. Consuming raw eggs is not as bad as you may think. It actually can be healthy if done properly. I put a link below on the consumption of raw eggs if you would like more information.
I must warn you all that this drink is Faaarrrr from tasty, even with the added sweeteners. However if you consume this drink every morning for breakfast, it WILL give you growth and a healthy glow!

Protein on hair....
Protein is a great way to strengthen the actual strands of your hair. You can do this by applying protein directly to your hair (never alone, always with other moisturizing ingredients). Direct protein is important for ALL hair types, especially if you relax
(click here to read about how protein and healthier relaxing). As with anything else too much of a good thing is BAD. you must keep a healthy balance of protein and moisture in your hairs strand in order to keep it healthy. Too much protein= stiff, hard, and breaking hair. Too much moisture= mushy, soft, and weak hair. I will write more about balancing protein and
moisture in a different article.
Protein is a great way to halt breakage. Feel your hair. If it feels weak and mushy protein may help to strengthen and stabilize it. Protein comes in different strengths. If you are not familiar with protein and how it effects your hair, start out with a light protein treatment. Here is a great one. Some people do "hard" protein treatments like apHogee annually. I don't recommend doing this until you are familiar with how YOUR hair reacts to protein. You can also turn any of your regular conditioners into protein conditioners by adding 1 raw egg. Here's a recipe I love:

1 cup of your favorite conditioner (check ingredients to make sure it doesn't already contain protein)
1 tbspn of honey
1 raw egg
2 tbsp of your favorite oil (I use my homemade amla-coconut-castor oil mix)

Mix and apply to hair as you would a deep conditioner.

Thanks for reading! I will have some more articles on this topic in the future:

*Reading ingredients...whats good what's bad?
*Balancing moisture and protein

As promised, here are some great sources on protein:
*foods rich in proteins
*Consumption of raw eggs

EEEEEEK!!! Split Ends!

2010-09-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

SCARY split end!

Admit it! You hate split ends. But you’re not alone…so do I and everyone else. Split ends cause dry looking hair, breakage, growth inhibition and so much more. What’s worse: there’s no way to “repair” split ends. The only way to get rid of your split ends once they appear is to cut them off. However, reducing and preventing split ends is very possible.
To understand how to prevent split ends, you must first understand what they are. Each strand of hair is made up of coiled protein called the cortex. The cortex is protected by an outer layer of dead cells, kind of like skin. This outer layer is called the cuticle and is what you see when you look at your hair. The ends of each strand of hair are the “oldest” parts of your hair.This gives them the disadvantage of being more prone to damage and breakage (because they are older and weaker). As you move up the strand, the hair gets “younger” and, yes, you guessed it… HEALTHIER.

Ends “split” when something irritates the already fragile cuticle exposing the cortex. When the cortex is no longer protected by the cuticle, its fibers unravel and split. Irritation can be caused by many different things like brushing, heat, dry ends, etc. Split ends are not necessarily a direct result of mistreated hair…split ends happen to any and everyone, no matter what. So, it is important to understand that split ends happen to everyone. Split ends can only be prevented. There is no quick fix. Severe split ends are almost always due to mistreatment of the hair and is a common problem with African-American Hair. We tend to “stress” our hair a lot more than other races with relaxers, heat styling, color treatments, etc. On top of that, our hair already has a tendency to be drier than other races. So, here you have it, a simple guide to preventing split ends:

Moisturize, Seal, and Protect

The ends of your hair are older, drier, and more brittle than the rest. So when moisturizing your hair it is important to pay close attention to your ends. Use a good water based conditioner on your ends. Remember water is the number one moisturizer. Oil DOES NOT moisturize. Flip your leave in conditioner over and read the ingredients. Water should be the very first ingredient, not oil (or anything else). For more information on these topics, click here. Water/moisture will eventually evaporate from the strand, leaving your hair dry again. To prevent this “seal” in the moisture with oil. After you apply the water based conditioner, apply oil on top to help keep the moisture on the strand. Some great oils for African-Americans (and other hair types as well) are olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil…the list goes on and on. There are also some great essential oil blends out there like Africa’s Best Herbal Oil. In my opinion, oil blends are the best. Moisturize and seal your ends daily. The final step is to protect your ends. When you leave your hair down, your ends can rub up against the fabric on your clothing causing split ends. Your ends will also dry out a lot faster. To avoid this, wear hair styles that don’t leave your ends exposed. Ponytails and buns are a great way to do this. I’ll have an article coming soon with some “Fall Protective Styles”.

Use heat styling safely

The fastest way to fry your ends is using too much heat too often. Drastically cutting back on heat styling will greatly reduce the amount of split ends you get. Always buy flat irons that show the temperature. Everyone’s hair is different when it comes to “how hot is too hot”, however no one should exceed 350°F. I recommend keeping your temperature between 290°F-320°F. Remember to always use some type of “heat protect ant” before styling with heat and do not use heat styling appliances more than once a week (less if possible).

To trim or not to trim….that is the question

Many African-American women struggle when it comes to trimming their hair, especially those that want to achieve growth. We are resistant to cutting our hair at all however, when it comes to split ends it IS necessary. As I stated before, there is no way to get rid of split ends other than cutting them off (do not believe products that say they “repair” split ends). Everyone will get split ends eventually, no matter how well you treat your hair; it is a part of the hair’s aging cycle. So eventually, those split or “dead” ends must be trimmed. Why? Other than the fact that they look horrible, split will eventually split all the way up to the shaft OR break off. Trim them instead of allowing them to fully split or break off and your hair will thank you. You only need to trim off ¼” or less each month. Would you rather trim your split ends, or have them break off on their own? I think we all know the answer to that question.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind when protecting your ends:

When styling your hair use a 100% boar bristle brush. Boar bristles are gentler for human hair because they are similar in genetic makeup.
When relaxing, avoid getting your relaxer on the ends of your hair. This can really weaken them! For more information on safer relaxing, see Relaxing 101.
Coloring your hair is very damaging. I would suggest avoiding coloring all together. If you must color, try Henna.
Eat healthy and work out. A healthy diet is ALWAYS they key to long and healthy hair.

Back in Business!!

2010-05-07T12:03:00.001-07:00

Hello!
I have been extremely busy for the past few months, and I do apologize for not posting. However, now I'm ready to get back to business! Thank you for staying tuned. I have lots of questions and posts for you guys so continue to stay tuned!

About Hair Regimens....

2009-12-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

Quite a few people have asked me, "what did you do to make your hair grow so long?" There is no single answer to that question. Growing your hair long depends on many factors, and therefor no ONE thing can make someone's hair grow long. This is why it is important for everyone to develop a hair 'regimine'. A hair regimine is what you do to keep your hair healthy (healthy hair ALWAYS grows long). If you follow a stable hair regimine that keeps your hair healthy, you WILL see the results (long hair). So, how do you start? Gather the products you know work for your hair and write them down. Write down how often you will use them, and for what purpose. If you have gaps in your regimine, you need to research and find the right product to fill in the spaces. If you need an example on what a good hair regimine is, click here to view the "About Me" page and see my hair regimine. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me! I will gladly answer any questions you may have. I will have a Step-By-Step Guide on creating a hair regimen coming soon!

Another question, to be answered shortly!

2009-12-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,
I recieved another question:

"hi my hair is growing great it is on my shoulder but is thinning what vitamins and shampoo would y recommend and do you brush your hair?"

This is a great question, and I will be answering it shortly so stay tuned!

Natural/homemade Neutralizers

2009-12-02T08:31:00.001-08:00

I recently got a question about natural/homemade neutralizers for after relaxing, which is a very good topic. Here's the question:

"how do i make a homemade neutalizer for relaxed hair? I had a formula but lost it."

First of all, thank you for your question. Neutralizing your relaxer is probably the most important step when relaxing. A relaxer is actually a chemical reaction taking place in the strand of your hair. The normal pH of our hair is around 4 or 5. When we relax our hair, the pH is heightened to around 12 or 13, causing the bonds in our hair to break and become straight. Once the hair is straight, we stabilize the hair by bringing it back down to it's regular pH of 4 or 5. This is where the neutralizer comes in. Leaving the hair to stabilize itself can lead to damage and breakage. This vital step cannot be skipped or "under done". Now, you ask about a recipe for an all natural neutralizer.

There is no "natural recipe" that I know of, however there are many natural things you can use on your hair to neutralize it after relaxing. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR is one of the best "natural" neutralizers. Why? Like I mentioned before, when we relax our hair the pH makes it more basic (12 or 13 pH). To bring the hair back down to it's more acidic state (4 or 5 pH) you need to use something that has a very low/acidic pH. Apple Cider vinegar has a pH of about 2. This will work perfectly to stabilize that hair after relaxing. Just use 1 part ACV to 2-3 parts water (or see my article on ACV rinses for specifics). Apply to your hair and let it sit for a while, then rinse. You may want to do this twice, just to make sure. Remeber, this is the most important step to HEALTHY relaxing and it must be done correctly. If you don't like ACV, feel free to experiment! To neutralize your hair, you must find a susbstance with a low pH. There are many things other than ACV that are safe for the hair out there.
I must ask your reasoning, however, in wanting to use a natural/homemade neutralizer. I wouldn't recommend doing that unless you really know what you are doing. There really is no benefit to using an at home or "natural" neutralizer unless you it's an emergency (you forgot to buy one, or ran out). The store bought ones are much more efficient as most of them have color indicators. I highly recommend using a store bought neutralizer rather than a natural/homemade one (unless of course you know what you are doing). Thanks again for your question, and I hope that helped!

Remarkable Conditioner!

2009-11-15T21:07:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a great conditioner for your hair, you may want to try Organic Root Stimulator's Olive oil Replinishing Pak. I use this conditioner frequently, and it works great. If your hair is in need of a moisture and a little bit of protein (for strength), their "Deep Penetrating Conditioner" may be a perfect fit for you. The main ingredient in this conditioner are soybean oil and olive oil. Following them are hydrolyzed collagen and amino silk acid, which are proteins. Further down the list are great ingredients like orange oil, panthenol (Vitamin b-5), chamomile, sage, nettle, rosemary, aloe vera...the list goes on and on. The conditioner is thick, but not too thick and has a very "fresh" smell. The only downfall to this product is that it comes in a small pack enough for one use. The pack is very affordable, available for under $2. This may not be a downfall if you are looking to try this product out on your hair, however, if you love the conditioner you will have to keep purchasing the small packs. Try it out!

UPDATE!

2009-11-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

I've added a navigation bar across the top. Now you can ask me any question may have regarding hair, or anything else! I will answer your question by writing a full article that you and other users can read. Don't worry, it's all anonymous! Click the "Contact Me" link at the top of this page to start asking. I want to hear from you ( :

Homemade Face Mask For Acne

2009-11-12T22:14:00.000-08:00

I tried this face mask made up mostly from honey and cinnamon and absolutely LOVED it. You can make it at home yourself easily if you have the ingredients. It's for acne-prone skin, but will also work for everyone. Click here to learn more. Just thought I'd share.

10 Random Hair Tips

2009-11-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of little things that you can do to improve your hair. Here are a few random hair tips. Enjoy!

Rinse your hair with cold water. After washing and conditioning your hair, do a final rinse with cold water. This will help seal your cuticle and keep the moisture in your hair. It will also give your hair extra shine. Remember, warm water opens the cuticle (when washing) and cold water closes it.
Condition with honey! Honey is a great way to condition the hair naturally. Try adding honey to your conditioner after washing, or if you're brave try it alone.
Pre-Treat your hair before washing. The night before washing your hair, try pre-treating it. Apply either conditioner or oil to your hair and cover with a plastic scarf. Then sleep on it! The net day shampoo and condition your hair as you would regularly. You will notice the difference! ***You may any oil or any conditioner of your choice to pretreat the hair. It doesn't have to be anything fancy!
Check the ingredients to your products. This is probably the best hair tip I can suggest. Believe it or not, a lot of hair care products contain ingredients that may harm your hair. Get better aquanted with your products by checking the ingredients and doing research. You will learn a lot and your hair will thank you in the end!
Always wrap your hair at night. I can't stress this enough! It is important to wrap your hair at night, especially if you are an African-American woman. Covering your hair at night can help to keep it moisturized, stop breakage, and maintain your hairstyle. Use a satin scarf. Materials like cotton only absorb the moisture in your hair leaving it dry.
Always seal in moisture. Applying a moisturizer alone is not enough. You need to "seal" in your moisture. Your hair gets dry when all the moisture has evaporated from the strand. If you coat your hair with a small amount of oil after moisturizing, it will prevent the moisture from evaporating too quickly. Olive oil is great! ***Remember, oil is NOT a moisturizer. This is a common misconception in the African-American community. Water moisturizes, so make sure your leave-in conditioner is water-based (check the ingredients).
Baby those ends! Protect your ends, they are the most fragile part of your hair and also where most breakage takes place. Coat your ends with oil to prevent split ends (castor oil is great for this). You can even wear your hair in portective styles to protect your ends if you wish.
Use sulfate-free shampoos. Sulfates are an ingredient found in a lot of shampoos. Sulfates cause the "bubbles" or "suds" when washing your hair and are completely useless otherwise. Infact, they can be very drying. Give your hair a break and purchase shampoos without sulfates (check the ingredients). ***If your hair feels very dry after washing consider trying a different shampoo. the water isn't causing your hair to be dry, it's the shampoo. So if your hair is feeling dry after a wash, you're hair and shampoo may not be getting along.
Wash with conditioner. Is your hair in need of some moisture? Are you in between washes? If you answered yes to both of these questions, you may want to consider restoring your moisture by washing with conditioner. That's right, I said washing with conditioner. Skip the shampoo and wash your hair with your conditioner. Your hair will be packed with moisture without having to wash too frequently.
Pin-Curl your hair. Pin curl your hair at night. This will give you awesome curls and prevent you from using heat! So put down the curling iron and pick up the hair pins.

For more hair tips (and basics) check out Tips for Hair Growth (Vol. 1)

Tips for Hair Growth (Vol. 2)

2009-11-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

ALL ABOUT VITAMINS!!!
Vitamins are a great way to grow your hair long, healthy, and thick! I highly recommend them…Not only do they improve the health of your hair, they also improve the health of your body (internally), skin, and nails! So here ya go! Vitamins that everyone should take to maximize their growth potential.

Multivitamin. Everyone needs to take a daily multivitamin first and foremost. Overall health is the key to hair growth. Your body’s internal nutrition comes first. Your body automatically takes care of it’s vital organs first; things like your hair, skin, and nails come second. It is important to take a multivitamin first so that your body can get all the nutrients it needs so that things like your hair, skin, and nails get attention as well.
Hair Vitamin. Next, you need to take some type of supplement that is made specially for the nutrition of your hair. The ingredients in these vitamins contain specific nutrients targeted towards hair growth. A great hair supplement that I use is GNC’s Ultranourishair. To get an idea of what type of nutrients you should be looking for when picking a hair vitamin, I have included Ultranourishair’s supplement facts:

Supplement Facts
Serving Size:	Two Tablets
Servings Per Container:		30

Amount per Serving		% Daily Value

Vitamin A (100% as beta-Carotene)	1000 IU	20%

Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid)	60 mg	100%

Vitamin E (as natural d-alpha Tocopheryl succinate)	30 IU	100%

Thiamin (B1) (as Thiamin Mononitrate)	1.5 mg	100%

Riboflavin (B2)	1.7 mg	100%

Niacin (B3) (as Niacinamide)	20 mg	100%

Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride)	4 mg	200%

Folate,Folic Acid,Folacin	200 mcg	50%

Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin)	6 mcg	100%

Biotin	1200 mcg	400%

Pantothenic acid (as Calcium d-Pantothenate)	20 mg	200%

Iodine (as Potassium Iodide)	50 mcg	33%

Magnesium (as Magnesium Oxide)	40 mg	10%

Zinc (as Zinc Oxide)	30 mg	200%

Copper (as Copper Gluconate)	2 mg	100%


Boron (as Boron Citrate)	3 mg^*

Silica (as Silicon Dioxide)	1 mg^*

MSM (Methylsulfonyl-methane)	500 mg^*

Natural Amino Complex (Lactalbumin)	500 mg^*

L-Cysteine	200 mg^*

L-Methionine	100 mg^*

Choline (as Choline Bitartrate)	250 mg^*

Inositol	50 mg^*

* Daily Value not established.

As you can see, it contains nutrients that are specific for hair growth. It is important you look for nutrients like these in your hair growth supplement. Now that you have all the daily nutrients you need from your multivitamin and hairvitamin, it’s time to add the extra goodies. Biotin, MSM, Silica, Flaxseed oil, and Protein need to be added to your diet in order to see significant growth each month.

Biotin. Biotin is what hair and nails use to grow. Your hairvitamin and multivitamin may already contain biotin; however, your body may need even more biotin in order to grow your hair. It all depends on your body. The total amount of biotin one can take per day is 3600 mcg. In Ultranourishair, for example, there are already 1200 mcg of biotin. If you wanted to take the maximum amount of biotin permitted per day, you would still need to take 2400 mcg more of biotin seperately. I do not recommend taking the full amount, as most people do not need this much. However, I would recommend taking a total of at least 2400 mcg daily.
MSM. If you are taking a good hairvitamin, chances are it already contains MSM. MSM is one of those vitamins that are great for everything–joints, muscles, hair, skin, nails. I would recommend taking a total of 1500 mg of MSM daily. If you are taking Ultranourishair for example, you would need to take an additional 1000 mg of MSM seperately.
Silica. Silica is an antioxident and helps to strengthen the hair. I recommend taking 1000 mg of silica daily. If you are taking Ultranourishair, this means you need to take an extra 500 mg of silica seperately.
Flaxseed oil. Not many hairvitamins contain flaxseed oil, however it is awesome when it comes to growing hair. It contains omega 3 & 6 fatty acids which are essential for hair growth. Your body does not make these acids, so it is important that you supplement them. I recommend 500 mg of flaxseed oil daily.
Protein. Last but not least, there’s protein. This is a given, everyone needs protein whether they are trying to grow their hair or not. I recommend drinking a protein shake. Whatever you do, just be sure to get your daily amount of recommended protein, and then some.

So there ya go! A complete guide on the best combination of vitamins to take for hair growth! These are a lot of vitamins to take daily, however if you do this with dedication you will see results in as little as 3 weeks! Good luck!

Intense Moisturization from Deep Conditioning with STEAM at home!

2009-11-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

Is your hair in need of intense moisturization? If so, why not try deep conditioning with STEAM at home? This steam treatment is a great way to open the hair folicle and allow it absorb a great amount of moisture. This treatment is great if you do not have expensive equipment that you would find at a salon (i.e hooded dryer). I tried this and it left my hair feeling gorgeously moist. It also had loads of shine and bounce once I straightened and styled it. Try it out:

There are a few things you will need:
1) Regular plastic caps
2) a Self heating cap (see picture) these can be found at your local beauty supply store for around $3. They are really cool because they use your body heat to create heat underneath the cap to condition your hair. I love them!

3) Two turban towels, or small towels that you can wrap into a turban. The turban towels (see pic) are great for wrapping up your hair!
4) A bowl, gloves, water, and a microwave.
Step 1: Start out with freshly washed hair. Towel blot your hair and allow it to air dry as much as possible. Dry hair absorbs moisture better then wet hair! Apply any conditioner of your choosing thoroughly from root to tip (concentrate on those ends!). Comb through to ensure even distribution.
Step 2: Fill up your bowl with hot water and submerge the two towels in the water. Put the bowl with towels in the microwave and heat until the water is very hot (steaming, but not boiling). Put on your gloves and remove the bowl from the mocrowave. Be careful, it will be hot! Pick up the first towel and wring out the excess water. Place the hot towel directly onto your head and wrap it tightly. Be sure the water is not too hot, you do not want to burn yourself! Place the plastic cap over the hot towel. Next, take the second hot towel from the bowl and wring out the excess water. Place this towel over the plastic cap tightly. Finally cover with the self heating cap.
Step 3: Allow your hair to steam condition for about an hour! Once your time is up, remove caps and towels and rinse with cool water to seal the cuticle. Your hair will be insanely moist, soft, and shiny. Don’t take my word for it, try it out yourself!

Remarkable Moisturizer!

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Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Leave in conditioner is a great moisturizing product! Don't be discouraged by the name, it's not just for "long hair" or "split ends". When I use it, I put a small amount (dime-sized) in the palm of my hand. I apply that small amount mostly to the ends of my hair (they often need the most moisture), and then to the rest of my hair. A dime-sized amount is all I use because this product can be heavy if too much is used since it is water-based.
This product contains basic ingredients...nothing too fancy, but as we all know simplicity is bliss! The main ingredient is water, followed by stearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol. Don't be fooled by the "alcohol", there are both good alcohols and bad alcohols--cetyl and stearyl alcohol are like fatty acids and are great for moisturizing your hair! Another plus about this product is the smell, it's GREAT! It will leave your hair smelling fruity and delicious. So if you are looking for great, simple leave-in conditioner, try Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship. You may just fall in love with it! For more information on how to pick the right African-American hair care products, check out How to choose the Best African-American Hair Care Products. I will also have more on how to determine which ingredients are GOOD for your hair and which are BAD, so keep checking back!

Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship "Leave in Split-end Protection"

Got Dandruff? Try this...

2009-11-08T17:28:00.001-08:00

For years I was plagued by dandruff. I tried every dandruff prodcut on the market, but they all seemed to make my dandruff worse, and make my hair dry. Finally, after some research on Google, I came across something called and Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse. I tried it, and it worked beautifully. Since then, I have incorporated it into my weekly regimen. In addition to having dandruff-free hair, I also have conditioned, strengthened, clarified hair with extra shine and bounce. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Go to your local grocery store and purchase some apple cider vinegar. Go for an organic one, the benefits will be even greater. Usually the price ranges from three to six bucks. Cheap for a dandruff treatment, huh?
Step 2: Prepare the treatment by taking 1/2 cup of ACV and mixing it with 1 pint of distilled water. If you want to add extra conditioning agents to the treatment, add honey! Honey is a GREAT natural conditioner. When you combine ACV and honey, you will have a 2 in 1 anti-dandruff conditioning treatment!
Step 3: (optional)Prepare the scalp by gently scratching off any dandruff still attached to the scalp. You do not need to take a lot of time to do this, it just helps loosen up the dandruff. Do not vigorously scratch the scalp, as this can lead to damage. Gently scratch the scalp as if you were shampooing. Again, this step is optional so if you feel as if this may damage your scalp, skip this step.
Step 4: Pour the mix over your head. You don’t need to scrub or massage it in, just let it soak. I would recommend doing this in the shower; it may get messy. Cover your head with a plastic cap and let the concoction marinate for about 5 minutes. When your five minutes is up, rinse thoroughly. Shampoo and condition your hair as you would regularly. You should notice the results immediately! You will have a super clean scalp, and your hair will feel strong and moisturized.
**There’s something about ACV, I think it’s one of those things that just help everything. I’ve hear of people applying it for smooth skin, and using it to lose weight!

Tips for Hair Growth (Vol.1)

2009-11-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

I bump into a lot of black women who are dissatisfied with the length of their hair. All black women, no matter what hair texture, have the ability to grow their hair long. I’m going to give you some basic tips on keeping the hair healthy.
Many women say “My hair won’t grow”. I hate is when I hear some one say this, because it is completely false! Hair is growing all the time, it is just a matter of retaining length. For example, compare you hair to your nails for a moment…your nails grow, but will break off unless you take good care of them; however they can and will grow back. The same concept applies to your hair. Your hair will grow, but you can only retain length if you take great care of your hair!

Hair needs moisture to survive!

A lot of black women feel that water makes their hair dry, however this is false! Water=moisture, simple right? Washing your hair at least once a week will greatly help in keeping your hair moisturized. I personally recommend 2-3 times a week, depending on your hair. Use sulfate-free shampoos (look at the ingredients, more on this coming soon!) and always follow up with conditioner.

Keep you hair moisturized between washes. It is important to keep your hair moisturized between washes. This prevents breakage and helps you to retain length. Use a quality leave in conditioner and remember to check out those ingredients. Stay away from anything that contains mineral oil, petroluimm and other cheap ingredients as they clog pores and inhibit growth.

“Seal” in your moisture.

Do this by applying a thin layer of oil after moisturizing. This helps to keep the moisture from evaporating off of the strand, which will keep your hair moist longer! There are a lot of great oils you can use to do this (ex: olive oil, coconut oil). There are also a lot of great oil mixes of oils you can find at any beauty supply store. Again, try to stay away from cheap ingredients like mineral oils and petrolium. Moisturize and “seal” daily between washes.

Protect your ends.

In order to retain length and grow your hair long, you need to protect your ends from splitting. Split ends either break off or need to be trimmed away. Coat the ends of your hair (the last few inches) with an extra layer of oil to protect them. Wear your hair in “protective styles” such as ponytails, buns, etc. to prevent your ends from rubbing up against clothing (this can cause split ends!). Hide your ends as much as possible! Too much heat can also cause split ends and breakage. Avoid using direct heat as much as possible. When you do use heat, remember to coat the hair with some type of heat protectant to minimize damage.

Trim those ends when needed!

Most women avoid trimming their ends because they believe it takes away from their length. However, trimming is necessary to maintain the health of your ends. Some split ends come naturally and the only way to get rid of them is to trim, no more than 1/2 inch. The hair only grows about 1/2 inch each month, so do not trim too much. I recommend 1/4 of an inch as needed.

Everyone’s hair is different,

therefore you must create your own personal hair regimen. This means finding products that work for your hair, and letting go of those that don’t. Decide which products you will use and how often. How often will you wash your hair? What conditioner will you use? How often will you deep condition? Will you cut back on heat styling? If so, how much? All of these are questions to ask yourself when creating a hair routine. Keeping a hair journal (yes, a hair journal) can be of great help when creating your hair routine and beginning your healthy hair care journey.

These are the bare minimums to retaining length and growing hair long. In addition to these items, you may want to look into doing the following:
*Eating a healthy, balanced diet or taking vitamins. (Click here for information on vitamins)
*Deep condition regularly.
*Protein treatments; keeping a healthy balance between moisture and protein is an important key to healthy, long hair.
*If you relax, make sure you (or your hair care professional) are doing it correctly. See Relaxing 101.
*Visiting a hair care professional/ stylist regularly.

Relaxing 101

2009-11-08T17:20:00.001-08:00

Most African-American women I know relax their hair. I have no problem with relaxing, but most women fail to realize that relaxing is strictly cosmetic and does not benefit the hair in any way. Relaxers weaken the state of our hair and leave it vulnerable to damage. Because the hair is left weakened, women who relax their hair must take extra precautions in order to keep the hair in a “normal” state after the hair is relaxed. Here are some tips to make sure you are being as safe as possible when relaxing:
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1) Pretreat the hair!
Chemicals in a relaxer imbalance the hair’s pH. This means before you relax, you should pre-treat the hair. Many stylists tell their clients “not to scratch” their scalps 24-48 hours before a relaxer. However, that is not all that should be done. A protein treatment followed by a deep conditioning treatment should be done 24-48 hours before relaxing. Protein will help strengthen the hair before a relaxer. Protein can be drying to the hair, so be sure to do a deep conditioner to restore moisture. A healthy balance between moisture and protein is the key to hair growth, so be careful not to over-do either, especially protein. Too much protein will cause the hair to become hard and snap, while too much moisture causes the hair to become mushy and weak. Aphogee has a great line of products for protein treatment.

Protect your already relaxed hair. If you are getting a touch-up, it is important to remember you are only relaxing your new-growth! This means you need to avoid re-relaxing hair that is not new-growth. Don’t be afraid to cover those precious ends with conditioner or some type of repellant to protect you hair just in case relaxer accidentally touches it.
2) Always base your scalp!
Basing the scalp is important! Many women skip this step believing it prevents the relaxer from “taking”. WRONG! It prevents burns on the scalp. Burns on the scalp = damaged pores. Damaged pores do not grow hair!
**Be generous around edges, ears, and nape.
3) Do not comb or stress hair!
Do not comb or stress the hair in order to get it straight! this irritates and weakens the hair. You may gently use your finger to smooth the hair if need be, but avoid further agitating the hair at all costs.
4) Do not leave in relaxer for too long!
Leaving the relaxer in longer in order to achieve a straighter look does not benefit the hair! Please only leave your relaxer in as needed; the directions on the packaging should say the MAXIMUM time. Use a time to keep track of time. Any tingling or burning sensation you feel is a sign of scalp irritation, which leads to damage.
5) Rinse thoroughly.
Be sure to rinse out ALL of the relaxer. Any left behind can equal great damage. Wash! Rinse! Repeat! Wash! Rinse! Repeat, and use a neutralizing shampoo! This step is very important, as the relaxer continues to work until the hair is neutralized. Failing to neutralize the hair can cause extensive long-term damage like thinning and permanent hair loss. The neutralizer works by helping restore the hair’s natural pH (varying from 4 to 6). Without it, the pH of the hair would remain out of balance, and the chemical reaction of the relaxer would continue to take place.
Remember to avoid being “rough” with the hair. Keep the hair as smooth and straight as possible while neutralizing and the result will be a more desired look. Using a neutralizer with a color indicator will ensure all the relaxer is rinsed out and the hair is restored to its normal pH.
6) Do a Post-relaxer treatment & deep condition.
Deep condition the hair with heat if possible. If you pretreated your hair with protein, be sure that your deep-conditioner is not too heavy with protein. This can lead to protein overload. Instead, Go for a deep-conditioner with a mild amount of protein. This step will restore moisture to the hair, and help to stabilize it.
**Remember, the amount of protein your hair can withstand depends on your hair. everyone’s is different. If your hair enjoys more protein, feel free to use a deep conditioner with lots of protein!
7) Avoid styling with heat!
After relaxing, neutralizing, and deep conditioning, the hair can still be very fragile. With that said it is important to try and avoid using direct heat styling for at least 7 days after relaxing. Oftentimes we blow dry the hair straight, and then use heat styling such as flat irons or hot combs. Instead of putting additional stress on the hair, I recommend doing a roller set under a hooded dryer. Just try to avoid direct heat styling at all costs!
8 ) Hold off on relaxing.
Don’t be so quick to claim you have “too much new growth” and that it is time to get a touch up. Widening the gap between each relaxer you receive will ultimately lead to thicker, fuller, and healthier hair! Challenge yourself to go longer between each relaxer!
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So, there you have it. 8 steps to safer relaxing. I only recommend self-relaxing for those who know what they are doing. For everyone else, I recommend professional care. I know it is hard for black women to find hair care professional (not stylist) that they can trust. Many of them over-book, rush, do not practice hair care and focus more on hair-styling, are overpriced, etc. If you see visit a stylist/hair care professional regularly, please make sure they follow the steps when relaxing your hair. Happy Relaxing!
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Welcome!

2009-11-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome beauty lovers!
an introduction to hair

I absolutely LOVE all things beautiful. and despite popular belief, loving beauty does not make one shallow. self beauty is something that a lot of women struggle with, especially women of color. My favorite thing to talk and give advice about is HAIR. As all African-American women know, our hair defines us. I am in love with the array of hairstyles that can be achieved by our hair. but, like silk, it can be easily damaged. Most black women relax their hair, or straighten it in some type of way. Whether straightened or natural, I believe black hair is beautiful. I know this may sound cliche, but however cliche it may be, it is the truth.

This blog was created to discuss black hair, and to help black women learn how to take better care of their hair. I have found that most black women struggle with their hair, and do not know the basics of keeping a healthy head of hair. A lot of black women believe that their hair is healthy, but upon a closer look, discover it is not. Many things from the products used to the weather outside play a role in the health of our hair. And I’m here to explore them all, share the wealth, and then some.

2009-10-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

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About Me

2009-10-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE everything about hair! I am an African-American woman who has been natural for the past 7 years. I've been learning everything there is about African-American hair for the past 4 years, and I must say I have learned a lot! So why not share what I've learned?

my Answers to Regimen Building 101

*You
How would you describe your hair now? About bra strap length, thin but dense strands.

What are your goal for your hair? All around healthy hair thick and just above waist length. I'm fully natural.

How will you achieve these goals? Strictly following this guide and sticking to it no matter what.

When do you hope to acheive these goals by? Hopefully by June 23, 2012. My birthday : )

...Mark this date on your calendar..... MARKED!

Who is your hair "inspiration" and why? I would have to say the ladies with long natural hair that is healthy and remarkably beautiful. I don't have any specific person.

*Washing/Conditioning
How often will you wash your hair? once every 10-12 days. More depending on how my hair feels

What products will you use?
I will do an Ayurvedic rinse as my wash with amla and shikakai (by Hesh)

Will you Preshampoo your hair? If so, with what product(s)?
Yes, I will Preshampoo my hair overnight with my homemade amla oil. Sometimes I will Preshampoo with the conditioner I describe in this article.

What conditioner will you use? I will use either herbal essence hello hydration or Jasmine's Shea conditioner rinse (this is not made by me, I have no ties to this vendor. We just have the same name lol). I also sometimes use sally's hair one.

How often will you deep condition?
I will deep condition every time I wash my hair.

What technique will you use to deep condition?
I will either use the steam method here, or a self hearing cap for at least an hour.

Will you conditioner-wash between shampoos? No

If so, with what product? N/a

How will you take care of your hair after a wash? I will usually apply my leave in moisturizer, seal then apply a heat protectant. I will then put into 6 braids and let partially dry. Reapply heat protectant, then blow dry and flat iron.

*Moisturizing/Sealing
How will you wear your hair from day to day In between washes? I will always wear my hair in some type of protective style.

Will you use protective styling? Yes. Here are some cute protective style I like to wear (in variation).

How often will you moisturize your hair with a leave in conditioner? Every day, focusing on my ends.

What leave-in conditioner will you use? Aveda style prep smoother. Love it!

What oil will you use to seal in moisture? My homemade amla oil

Will you be using any other method to moisturize/ maintain your hair? I pretty much covered it. I may baggy my ends every once in a while overnight.

How will you maintain your hair at night? I will wrap, Bantu knot, roll, or pin curl to maintain my hair. Wrap with a satin scarf.

*Heat styling
How often will you be using heat? Everytime I wash. My hair retains length better straight.

What measures will you take to prevent heat damage? Always using a heat protectant , pretreating my ends, moisturizing them daily.

What will you use as a heat protectant? Chi iron gaurd and aveda style prep smoother.

How often will you trim split ends? I usually trim by the solar calendar. Click here for more info. Other than that I will trim as needed (search and destroy).

Will you apply any special moisturizer to your ends? Aveda style prep smoother.

*Growth aids
Will you be using any growth aids? Yes.

If so, which one? I will be drinking the protein shake I make for breakfast to maximize growth. I may also look into adding sulphur to my amla oil mix to help with dandruff and aid in growth.

How will you use it? Daily!

Will you be performing any other type of growth rituals (I.e scalp massage, scalp oiling, etc)? If so what? Scalp massage with amla mix nightly.

*Lifestyle
Will you be ingesting anything to help with hair growth? yes What? As stated above, the protein shake. I will also be taking vitamins. I have a vitamin guide here.

How often will you exercise? As much as I can, I need to get better with this!

Any special foods you'll be eating for growth? Intake healthy foods high in protein.

Develop your regimen by answering these questions in Regimen Building 101. Get inspired, and have a healthy hair journey!
Best wishes,
-Jasmine