Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

When I first heard about Apple Cider Vinegar for hair, I was quick to embrace the idea. People use all sorts of natural things for their hair and they've testified how it worked wonders. 

Apple Cider Vinegar is a great treatment for hair. We use harsh shampoos, dyes and other forms of chemicals that can be damaging to our hair. ACV helps to bring back the hair to a healthier nature. Apple Cider Vinegar removes residues from product build ups in our hair by cleansing clogged hair follicles without stripping hair off its natural oil. 

The acidity of Apple Cider Vinegar is close to that of hair. Hair is mildly acidic, having a pH of 4.5 to 5.5 while that of Apple Cider Vinegar is 2.9. Thereby, rinsing with Apple Cider Vinegar help balance the pH of your hair.

Porosity is your hairs ability to absorb and maintain moisture. Rinsing with ACV will enhance porosity by closing the hair cuticles. This in turn leads to a smoother and shinier hair. Also when the hair cuticles are been closed, split ends and breakage are prevented.

     

Comparison between open cuticles and closed cuticles.

Hair is the first state is more porous, retains less moisture, hard to detangle and dull. But frequent use of ACV rinse can put the hair back to its natural state making the hair curticles lie flat and smooth.

Because of its antifungal and antibacterial properties, dry, itchy scalp and dandruff can be combatted. If you suffer form itchy scalp, you should give this a try.

HOW TO USE

I. Do not use undiluted ACV on your hair. Mix with plenty of water. I use my ACV in the ratio of 4 (Water) : 1 (ACV)

2. Rinse hair after shampooing and Deep conditioning, leave on for a minute before wrapping your hair with a T-shirt.

The smell of ACV can be quite unbearable but it dissipates as the hair dries.

ACV is very affordable. I bought one for N520 in Port Harcourt

Love always, Martyna.

WASH DAY (Thorough Cleansing)

I've not clarified my hair since my last relaxer which is a month now and my hair needed a thorough cleansing. I used Organics by Africa's best stimulating therapy shampoo. I couldn't find my usual ORS aloe creamy shampoo so I decided to purchase this. You can use any clarifying shampoo of your choice considering the fact that it contains the active ingredient (sodium laureth sulfate). 

STEPS

1. I applied olive oil to my hair and covered with a heat cap for about 30 mins to allow easy detangling.

2. I detangled my hair, parted into 12 and box braided my hair. I always braid my hair before shampooing to avoid tangled hair.

3. I shampooed with Organics by African's best stimulating therapy shampoo. I shampooed 3 consecutive times to ensure all buildups are out. I mixed the shampoo with water after the first wash. I wrapped my hair with towel for 10 minutes to remove excess water.

4. I mixed egg yolk with ORS replenishing conditioner for my protein. Egg yolk is a hard protein so I always use it after relaxing my hair or every 4 to 6 weeks. After undoing each braided hair, I conditioned then I covered my hair with a heat cap for 30 minutes.

This is what the mixture looks like

5. I rinsed my hair thoroughly with cold water, wrapped my hair with towel to remove excess water before applying a deep conditioner. I mixed my deep condition with honey and olive oil. 

This is what the mixture looks like

6. I rinsed out the deep condition with cold water first before rinsing with my apple cider vinegar (ACV). After rinsing with Apple Cider Vinegar, I waited for a minute before wrapping may hair with a T-Shirt.

In my next post, I will review how you can use ACV for your hair. And of course it comes with lots of benefits for the hair.

6. I tied down my hair with a satin scarf, put my hair in a high pony tail then I air dried my hair. 

This was what my hair looks like before  I tied down with a satin scarf

My hair felt strong yet soft after conditioning my hair. After rinsing with ACV, my hair felt so shiny, tangle free and I feel my hair cuticles are closing gradually. I am so happy with the result.

Hope this was informative.

Do let us know if you benefitted.

Love always, Martyna.

HOW I CO-WASH MY HAIR

Good morning,

How was your night?

I wrote a post on the benefits of co-washing. Click here to view.

I have been quite lazy with co-washing. To be sincere, I cannot remember when last I co-washed my hair. I kind of feel my hair needs it.

So, I co-washed my hair yesterday and it was late and I was super busy so I couldn't take more pics. Pardon me please. But I will be explaining to you the methods I employed in co-washing my hair.

1. I sprayed my hair with water until damp.

2. I mixed my rinse out conditioners (VO5 herbal escapes, salon tech and olive oil) and applied on my hair.

3. I covered my hair with a heat cap for just 5 mins and then combed generously, using a wide tooth comb.

4. I rinsed out the conditioner and tied down my hair with a stain scarf and allowed to air dry.

5. When my hair was 90% dry, I applied my leave in conditioner (Organics by Africa's best Cholesterol Tea-tree oil) and sealed with olive oil.

My hair felt really manageable. I will be doing this more often especially when I have stretched my relaxer for 2 months or more

Thanks for reading.

With love, Martyna.

RELAXER: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY.

Relaxer is a crème or lotion that is used by people with tight curls to straighten the natural curls. The active ingredient is usually a strong alkali. It requires periodic treatment (8 to 10 weeks) to maintain a consistent appearance.

The relaxer is applied to the base of the hair and it alters the hair textures by breaking down the protein bond thereby weakening the hair and this leads to breakage.

TYPES OF RELAXERS

1. Lye relaxer

2. No lye relaxer

LYE RELAXERS

A lye relaxer consists of sodium hydroxide as its main ingredient. The content of sodium hydroxide varies between manufacturers. The disulfide bonds in hair strands do not get broken down when compared with the lye formulas. Lye relaxers are easier on the hair but harder on the scalp and this could lead to scalp burn but a petroleum base (vaseline) can be applied to the head to protect the scalp. Lye relaxers requires speedy applications or preferably by a professional for even application and time because sodium hydroxide straighten the hair quickly. A clarifying shampoo is usually used to rinse out the relaxer. The ph of lye relaxers ranges form 10 to 14.

NO LYE RELAXER

The active ingredient could either be potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, guanidin hydroxide or calcium hydroxide. These are weaker alkaline agent. no lye relaxers are not hard on the scalp like the lye formulas but are harder on the hair strands. No lye relaxers takes longer time to process the hair than the lye formulars. A neutralising shampoo is needed right after relaxing to remove those harmful ingredients. The pH of no lye relaxers ranges for 9 to 10.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Hair relaxer stripes the hair of its natural oils, causes breakage, scalp irritation and hair loss. But there are some pros to using a relaxer. Relaxer straightens the hairs natural curls thereby making the hair more manageable. When you relax your hair bone straight, you are over relaxing your hair and this removes any degree of elasticity and the hair is prone to more breakage. To avoid irreparable damage, hair should be 50% straight. Before applying your next relaxer, the following points should be noted;

1. Do not overlap relaxer crème onto previously relaxed hair. Relax only the new growth.

2. Shampoo your hair a week before relaxing.

3. Do not apply relaxer if your scalp is irritated. It wil lead to scalp burn.

4. Do not relax your hair if it is brittle, splitting or breaking. Use a protein conditioner to correct the problem before relaxing.

5. Do not relax your new growth again for at least 8 weeks.

6. Do not relax your hair immediately after removing braids or weaves. Wait two weeks before relaxing, during this period, condition frequently, using a protein and moisturising conditioner.

7. The total time of application and smoothening  should not exceed 20 minutes.

8. Use a clarifying shampoo to shampoo your hair again after a week.

9. If you have a sensitive scalp, base your head before relaxer application.

10. Do not comb through but rather smoothen with your fingers or you can choose not to Smoothen at all and rinse after applying relaxer.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

PRODUCT REVIEW/ ORGANICS BY AFRICA'S BEST- CHOLESTEROL TEA-TREE OIL.

Revitalises, Strengthens and Deep conditions

Product Review
Organics by Africa's best Cholesterol Tea-tree oil is enriched with Natural Herbal Extracts, Botanicals and Protein to help repair and revitalise damaged, dry, over processed hair. Used as a rinse out/or leave-in therapy, it delivers superior conditioning and moisture to strengthen hair and help return it to a healthy, manageable, soft state.

Rinse-Out Treatment Direction: After shampooing, massage a generous amount of Cholesterol Tea-Tree oil conditioner evenly into hair from roots to ends. For extra conditioning, cover hair with a plastic cap for 10 minutes. Rinse hair thoroughly with warm water and style as desired. For maximum conditioning, after rinsing, apply about a quarter size amount, distributing all over hair. Gently comb through with a WIDE TOOTH COMB. Do not rinse.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Polyquatenium-37 : They neutralise the negative charges of most shampoos and relaxers and help haor lie flat. It is useful on hair exposed to high alkalinity Relaxers to decrease damage to hair. They bond ionically to hair and provide conditioning benefits to ease combing, elasticity and shine.

Polypropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate: Used as an emollient, works by preventing water loss.

Propylene Glycol: Attracts water and functions as a moisturiser

Glycerin: it is a humectant, it acts by pulling moisture into the hair and retaining it.

Cetyl Alcohol and Stearly Alcohol: They are fatty alcohols. They add moisture by drawing water to the hair.

Stearalkonium Chloride: it is an antistatic ingredients in hair product. It increases luster and improves the condition of wet or dry hair, serving to detangle hair.

Dicetyldimonium Chloride: Smooths hair

Other ingredients are found in this conditioner. But these ones I listed above are of interest to me.

My Review
There are lots of products out there that promises to do lots of things and at the end, it will just be a waste of money. When buying any product, ensure you read through the ingredient. The ingredients above are found in cholesterol tea-tree oil and this leave-in conditioner is very helpful to my hair. Polyquatenium -37 is the second ingredient after water and it is very necessary for chemically treated hair and so are the others. I have been using this leave-in conditioner since I started my hair journey and I've not found a replacement for now in port harcourt.

I use it every other day as a moisturiser (I ran out moisturiser). But firstly I spray my hair with water before applying and then sealing with an olive oil. It leaves my hair feeling soft and manageable.

I also use it as a deep conditioner but definitely with a plastic cap for effective result.

Will I repurchase? Yes, Yes and Yes.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

MOISTURISING DRY HAIR

As an African, having a dry hair is normal. Our hair is not straight and that is one of the reasons most of us use chemical (relaxer) to loosen the curls. Loosening the curls doesn't determine an oily hair. My hair is texlaxed, dry and coarse. I moisturise my hair every day and yet during the day my hair feels dry. There are ways moisture can be returned to our hair despite the harsh weather and our hair type.

Drinking enough water is one of the most important step we must take into practice. Drink water when you feel thirsty and when you do not feel thirsty. I drink 3 or more litres of water every day.

It doesn't just end up in drinking  water. Our hair also thirst for water. One of the important ways of combating dryness is to spray our hair with water, during the day and at night. I would recommend spraying your hair with water and glycerin. Fill your spray bottle with one quarter glycerin and then fill it up with water. After spraying, follow up with a leave in conditioner.

If you cannot find a glycerin, buy a moisturiser. I use Scurl no drip moisturiser or soft and beautiful Botanicals. I make sure I apply more to my new growth and to length of my hair.

I moisturise my hair in sections so the moisturiser can be able to reach the sections craving for moisture

Before moisturising, I use Organics by African best cholesterol tea-tree oil. it is a leave-in or rinse out conditioner. I use it as a leave in conditioner or you can follow up with any choice of yours, and then seal with an oil (Olive oil, shea butter, grape seed oil, almond oil or castor oil). Just make sure you use what works for you.

WEEKLY REGIMEN
1.Deep condition- A deep conditioning treatment every week can be helpful in combating dry hair. I use ORS deep conditioner. I am still hoping to get my hands on another.

There are other good deep conditioners like the shea moisture deep treatment masque, Cantu shea butter natural hair deep conditioning hair masque and Crème of nature argan oil intensive conditioning treatment.

2. Co-Washing (link)

Every other day, I spritz my hair with water and olive oil, cover with a heat cap for 30 minutes or sleep with the heat cap. I do this most times when my hair feels dry.

Note

If you haven't sealed in your moisture with an oil, you haven't moisturised at all.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

BENEFITS OF WASHING OUR HAIR.

There are different ways of washing our hair:
1. By using a sulphate shampoo
2. By using a sulphate free shampoo
3. By using a condtioner (co-washing).

SULPHATE SHAMPOO

Active ingredient (sodium laureth sulfate)

Sulphate weakens the hair follicle and hair strands when used for a long time. Hence, making our hair prone to breakage. But there are times it can be beneficial to our hair.

Benefits

1. To remove buildup- at this point, we are aware that moisturising our hair is very important. When we moisturise daily, we are left with build-ups. Using a sulphate shampoo every 4 or 6 weeks is necessary to cleanse the scalp.

2. After relaxing- Relaxers are chemicals and a mild shampoo cannot be able to wash out this chemical. A sulphate shampoo is required to wash out the relaxer. After washing with a sulphate shampoo, I also repeat this process after 5 days, by washing again with a sulphate shampoo.

SULPHATE FREE SHAMPOO

A sulphate free shampoo does not contain sulphate and so very mild. Sulphate dries out the essential oils in our hair and this can lead to dry hair and breakage. Because washing our hair is necessary, sulphate free shampoo can be used every week.

Benefits

1. Increases the ability of our hair to retain moisture and oil- Our hair has natural oils and also gets moisture from the hair products such as moisturisers and oils . A sulfate free shampoo gently cleanses your hair without drying out the oils and this in turn prevents dry and itchy scalp.

2. Retains the colour of dyed hair- Because it is a mild shampoo, to enjoy your dyed hair for a longer period, sulphate free shampoo will gently wash your hair without stripping off the temporary properties.

CO-WASHING

Co-washing simply means washing your hair with a conditioner instead of a shampoo. Some conditioners have mild cleansing agents to cleanse oils and dirts from hair. To co-wash, all you need is a moisturising conditioner with a watery consistency because it is light weight. Thick and heavy conditioners such as deep conditioners should not be used.

Benefits

1. More moisture- Our hair retains more moisture by co-wsshing. it is therefore a great method to boost moisture in our hair.

2. Detangling- Ladies with coarse hair will also benefit more from washing with a conditioner because it makes detangling easier as it softens the hair.

Thanks for reading..

Love always, Martyna.

TEXLAXING

texlaxed- 30th June 2015

length- Armpit length

What is Texlaxing?  Texlaxing is the process of under processing your hair on purpose to loosen the texture of the hair. Instead of leaving the relaxer to relax your hair bone straight, what texlaxing does is to keep more textures on the hair, hence the name

      Texture -   Tex

      Relaxing - laxing

The final look of texturised is more straighter than natural hair (chemical-free hair).

I started texlaxing my hair since December 2013 and every day I wake up I am so greatful that I realised what texlaxing is all about.
I really like the way texlaxed hair looks when straightened. More textures, thick and full.

To texlax effectively, there are things we must know;
1. You can choose a mild relaxer. No lye relaxer is an ideal choice.
2. Another option is to dilute the relaxer by mixing about 3 teaspoon full of olive oil to the relaxer.
3. It is important to reduce the processing time. That means leaving the relaxer on your hair for a short time.
4. It is also important not to comb through but rather smoothen the roots of your hair with your fingers.

There are some PROS and CONS of texlaxing;

PROS
1. Thicker hair- This was the main reason I decided to texlax. Like i said earlier, I like my hair full and thick.

2. Less breakage- Relaxers are chemicals and they act by breaking down the protein bonds in our hair. So leaving the relaxer for for longer time leads to a straighter and more damaged hair. When your hair is texlaxed, the protein bonds are not fully broken down.

CONS
1. Detangling- detangling texlaxed hair requires patients.

2. Uneven textures- This is the major problem I am facing. From the picture, you will notice that I still have relaxed ends. You can decide to cut your relaxed ends off making it easier to handle. But for me, I prefer to deal with both textures.

When retaining some textures to the hair, you are also retaining some of the natural textures and this can lead to shrinkage.

Hope this was informative. Do let us know if you benefitted.

Love always, Martyna.