MY NEW YEAR HAIR RESOLUTION

Happy new year to my lovely readers.

Yes!!! I am so excited and all my gratitude goes to God for keeping us till this new year.

Finally, 2016 has surfaced and people are making resolutions and hoping for better. I have actually made a list of my new year hair resolutions and I hope to achieve a long healthy hair this year. 

Here it goes

Firstly, I'll start by drink  a minimum of 10 glasses of water each day from the rest of the year.

Massage my edges with castor oil at least 3 to 4 times a week

Deep conditioning weekly with moisturising and protein conditioner.

Keep up with a hot oil treatment before every wash day

Massage my scalp with coconut oil at least 3 times weekly

Trim my hair every 3 to 6 months.

Protective style my hair 3 or 4 times this year.

Exercise every morning.

Eat lots of vegetables

And lastly taking my supplements at least once every day.

That's mine. What are yours???

Thanks for reading

Love Always,

Martyna. 

D I Y hair treatment/ what's in there?

Hello ladies,
Compliments.

How are you today? Almost coming to the end of the year. Hope it was a beautiful year. If it wasn't, I pray that 2016 will be better in Jesus Name. Amen

I had a mixture from the kitchen for my treatment on Sunday. I haven't tried this deep conditioning treatment but due to the good reviews from DIY ladies, I decided to give it a try.

I started off with extracting the coconut milk from raw coconut. After extracting, I kept it aside.

I mixed three table spoons of mayonnaise and two table spoons of honey together until I got a smooth consistency. Next of, I added a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of coconut oil and then about 5 tablespoons of coconut milk and mixed very well

I did a hot oil treatment prior to shampooing. I left it on all through the night and the next day, I shampooed my hair with warm water, using a sulphate free shampoo and towel dried my hair before applying my DIY mix.

I covered my hair with a heat cap and left this mixture for 30 to 45 minutes. Rinsed with cool water and wrapped my hair with a T-shirt for about 10 minutes. 

I massaged my scalp with oil and followed up with my leave in conditioner and sealed with shea butter.

RESULT

My hair felt revived, shiny and tangle free. If your hair is breaking and looks dull. I feel this is the right treatment for you.

This is a protein treatment so if your hair needs more moisture, you can add more honey and avocado.

Thanks for reading.

Love Always,

Martyna

Requested By A Reader/ Products to Use When Transitioning

Before thinking of Transitioning, click here to read what you should know when transitioning.

The products to use when transitioning does not entirely alter your normal hair care routine but your hair will need an extra care because you will be dealing with two different textures hence you might have to use different products.

You will soon discover that the products you use to maintain you relaxed hair are not going to give you good result when used on your natural hair. There are some basic products you'll need to start off but you can still add more along the way as you begin to understand more about your hair type and porosity.

Here is a list of product to start off with.

A SULPHATE-FREE SHAMPOO - sulphate free shampoos are by far more preferable to sulphate shampoo. Sulphate shampoos are drying. It was found to cause frizz in curly hair and harmful to colour treated hair. Sulphate free shampoo are mild and do not dry out the hair. Shampoo your hair every one to two weeks. A good sulphate free shampoo is ORS hairepair invigorating shampoo.

DEEP CONDITIONING TREATMENT - A deep conditioning treatment is essential for natural hair. If you want to get more benefit, after apply a deep conditioner of choice, cover hair with a heat cap and stay under a steamer for 15 minutes. A deep conditioner should be used after every wash day.

Deep conditioners to buy are

● Crème of nature intensive conditioning treatment

● Cantu shea butter deep treatment masque

● Eden Body works Jojoba Monoi deep conditioner

PROTEIN TREATMENT -  You cannot avoid breakage when dealing with two textures but you can keep your texlaxed/relaxed hair strong by treating with a good protein conditioner. Always cut off split ends. Split ends makes the hair uneven and unhealthy. Keep cutting off split ends and relaxed ends until you eventually get rid of the unhealthy ends. Always treat your relaxed ends with a protein conditioner every wash day and deep condition with a moisturising deep conditioner. For the new growth, use only deep moisturising conditioner. You can use a protein conditioner every 2 months on the natural hair.

Good protein conditioners are;

● ApHogee 2 step protein treatment

● ApHogee 2 minute reconstructor

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER - Leave-ins provide moisture, helps with hair manageability. Leave-in conditioners are  a staple for every naturals. After conditioning, a good leave-in should be applied when your hair is damp or dry (read the instructions on the purchased product on how to apply).

Good leave-in conditioners;

● Elasta QP olive oil and mango butter leave in conditioner

● Cantu shea butter leave-in conditioner.

DAILY MOISTURISER - Daily moisturising your hair will be an added benefit to maintain a healthy hair. You can mix up your moisturiser by added a good leave-in, oil and water in a spray bottle or using only water to spray on your hair or using a product such as Elasta QP olive oil and mango butter moisturiser. Healthy hair doesn't just have to be what you put on the outside because what you put inside can also keep your tresses healthy. Drink at least 3 liters of water every day to keep your hair and body moisturised.

OILS - Oil is used for different purpose. Click here to read on the oils I use, how I use them and how I make them work for me.

Other oils to purchase include

● Almond oil

● Castor oil

● Avocado oil

● Grapeseed oil

● jojoba oil

HEAT PROTECTANT - Heat protectant should be used before blow drying, flat ironing and roller setting. Apply heat protectant to wet hair with a setting lotion or foam before using any form of heat. Heat protectant helps to prevent the  hair from any further damage that can result from using heat tools. Exposure to too much heat without proper protection can loosen your curl pattern and damage your hair.

A good heat protectant you can find in Nigeria is African's best Organics olive oil smooth and polish serum. The ingredients are awesome.

COMBS

Always try to detangle your hair with your fingers first, try as much as possible to remove knots and when detangling your hair, try to work your hair in sections. Part your hair into four and work on one section at a time. Divide a parted section into two, comb with a wide tooth comb first before using a fine tooth comb then twist the detangled section. This helps to remove all Sheded hair.

SATIN SCARF/SATIN BONNET - Invest on a good satin scarf/bonnet. Do not sleep on a cotton pillow case after applying all these goodies on hair because a cotton pillow case will dry up your hair and this can lead to breakage. Cover your hair nightly with a satin bonnet before bed.

CO-WASHING -Wash your hair with a conditioner when your hair feels dry. Instead of using a shampoo, try using a conditioner. This can help infuse moisture into your hair.

Good conditioner include;

● Dove Intensive conditioner

● Inecto Pure Coconut Infusion Conditioner

● Salon tech conditioner

● Herbal essence hello hydration conditioner

Advice- There are so many good products out there. When you get a product that works for you, stick to it and don't let the product junkee habit get into you.

Thanks For Reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Transitioning From Texlaxed To Natural Hair without the ''Big chop''

Transitioning from texlaxed to natural hair is more than just deciding to stop relaxing your hair. Transitioning alters everything about your hair care routine. When transitioning, you are going to be dealing with two textures - Your natural and Texlaxed hair.

Some ladies prefer to big chop (cutting off the relaxed or texlaxed hair) and letting the natural hair grow without having to deal with two textures. They prefer to rock their TWA and see their true beauty while rocking their natural hair. While for others, cutting off their long hair might seem difficult.

Transitioning is the process of eliminating chemical treatments and allowing the natural hair to grow while gradually trimming off the chemically processed or damaged ends.

@ journeytowaistlength

Having to deal with two textures requires more care. The texlaxed/ chemically treated part is prone to more breakage due relaxer application and the natural part will have thicker texture and hence, breakage will surface at the line of demarcation.

What you should know when transitioning

1. Keep your texlaxed / relaxed texture strong with strong protein treatment. Follow up with a deep conditioning treatment.

2. Use a moisturising deep conditioner on your natural texture to keep it softer. Use protein treatment once in 6 weeks or 2 months

3. Use a good leave-in conditioner after every wash day and weekly before moisturising.

4. Always seal your hair with an oil after moisturising to lock in moisture.

5. Massage your scalp with oil. This softens hair and promotes growth.

6. You can't avoid breakage when transitioning or dealing with two textures, always cut the split ends.

7. Always use a satin bonnet / Satin scarf. Sleeping on a cotton pillow case will dry your hair

8. Water will definitely have to become your best friend. Spray your new growth with water. This hydrates your hair.

9. Co wash ( washing your hair with conditioner) when your hair feels dry. It makes your hair feel soft and moisturised.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Wash Day at 5 months Post relaxer

Good evening ladies.

How are you today?

I am so sorry this post is coming late. I was supposed to make an update since my wash day but I have been very busy. My hair was exactly 5 months post relaxer on 18th November 2015.

To start off, I prepooed using coconut oil mixed in my Inecto Pure Coconut Infusion Conditioner, covered my hair with a heat cap and slept off.

The next day, I detangled  my hair in smaller sections with my fingers then with a wide tooth comb and finally with a fine tooth comb. I twisted each detangled section before washing.

I washed my hair with Hawaiian silky hydrating shampoo, focusing on my scalp. I towel dried and wrap my hair with a towel for about 15 minutes.

I mixed egg (white and yolk) with olive oil and Vitale mayonnaise and applied on each section of my hair

The twist loosened a little after I washed my hair 

I covered my hair with a heat cap for about 1 hour (you don't have to stay that long but I was very busy so  I over stayed). 30 minutes is perfect for your hair to absorb all the goodies.

Next, I rinsed my hair with cool water and wrapped my hair with a T-shirt to absorb excess water.

I applied my leave-in conditioner and sealed with shea butter when my hair was damp

My hair after applying cantu shea butter leave-in conditioner and sealing with shea butter

This is the length of my hair presently.

I went straight to the salon after moisturising and sealing to roll my hair.

I bought this heat protectant for N1000. I applied on each section before rolling my hair

After rolling.

My hair didn't dry as expected because I was exhausted ☺

I finger combed and packed with a pony tail holder. I am sorry for the picture quality.

Long day but it was really worth it because my hair came out as expected. I am so happy with the result.

Thanks for reading,

Love always, Martyna.

MY FAVOURITE OILS/ HOW I MAKE THEM WORK FOR MY HAIR

There are many benefits of using oil on the hair and scalp and there are different ways of using oil to solve your hair needs. Below is how I use oil to solve my Hair need.

OLIVE OIL
I was using olive oil as a sealant (to seal the hair moisture), for scalp massage and to mix with my conditioner for slip. But I noticed that sometimes this oil didn't work for the purpose I was using it. When I used it as a sealant, my hair didn't absorb the oil. The oil sits on my hair and thereby making my hair greasy. When used as a scalp massage in small quantity, my hair pretty much absorbs it. But in all, olive oil gives my hair a great slip when mixed with my conditioner. I love this oil in my conditioner. No oil gives me such slip as olive oil. Even when I purchase a conditioner that didn't give my hair what it desired, I mixed 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the conditioner does wonders.

SHEA BUTTER
There are two types of shea butter. We have the refined and unrefined shea butter. Recently I got the unrefined sheabutter from Ghana and I notice one difference...... The smell. The unrefined shea butter has a bad smell when compared to the refined sheabutter. Shea butter is thick and a great sealant for my type 4c hair. It doesn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy. My hair absorbs this oil so well and it makes my hair feel soft. It is just perfect for sealing in moisture.

COCONUT OIL
Coconut oil is everything or maybe almost everything for my hair. I love love and love the smell. This oil helps reduce protein loss and it penetrates into my hair easily, keeping it healthy. It is great for detangling hair, great for massage and great to control frizz. I use this oil to massage my scalp, it is an excellent sealant but not for my 4c hair probably because the oil has a light consistency when compared with shea butter. Lastly, I use this oil when I'm not feeling my hair. It just makes my hair feel good.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Product Review/ Luster's S-Curl "No Drip" Curl Activator & Moisturiser Formula

Happy new month.

We are almost at the end of the year. Just 60 more days to go. Have you achieved what you planned on achieving this year? We still have few days to go and with faith in God, nothing is impossible for him to do. So keep praying and keep believing.

I can be kind of blunt when it comes to reviewing products. The truth is when a product is a "no no" for me, I'm definitely going to give it a big NO. But never mind because such product can work for you.

Luster's S curl no drip moisturiser is a product that is hyped by most bloggers and vloggers and I accidentally came across this product at Casabella PH for #3000

This product pomisies that if used daily, it can eliminate frizz, condition, soften and strengthen your natural, curly or wavy hair style. It contains botanical conditioning agents including Argan oil and Olive oil, as well as vitamins that strengthen, eliminate breakage and gives your hair a natural healthy sheen. The special "No Drip" formular is absorbed into the hair-shaft to condition and strengthen your hair from the inside out and it is soothing to the scalp. Never leaves the hair with a greasy feel.

Direction: Hold bottle six(6) inches from hair, spray S-Curl Curl Activator & moisturiser evenly over the entire head, using finger-tips massage completely through hair, then style as desired. Use daily to maintain proper moisture balance

The ingredients are nice and that was one of the reasons I bought it. The second reason I got this product was because of the review.

My thoughts
It didn't work for my 4c kinky coarse hair and I actually bought this product about 4 months back and actually  just realising that I have a moisturiser I haven't used up.

People said the old formular worked for them but I didn't realise on time that the product have been changed and in actuality got bad review after the changes.

I do not understand the problem with most manufacturers, if a product is selling and has got good review, why change it?

I am not going to condemn this product totally because it worked for my mum's hair. My mum has a finer texture and I guessed that could be the reason it worked more on her hair

It is still a good try because few people still admitted that it still works. But for me? NO.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

HAIR DYE RESULT

Last week, I went to a mall to get a hair dye. I like black, gold, red, purple, orange colour. Infact I like all colours of hair and I wanted to experiment with my hair as I was already becoming bored with my one coloured hair. I wasn't planning on colouring all my hair. I just wanted a combo (gold and black).

I purchased L'Oreal Sublime Mousse from Casabella PH for #1,300.

To start off, I needed to give my hair a treat. Dye is a chemical that acts just like relaxer. They both contain hydrogen perioxide as an active ingredient. But unlike relaxer, the chemical has the ability to strengthen a kinky hair. But in the case of hair dye, the chemical has the ability to alternate the colour of your hair. And in such case, proper care needs to be taken.

PRE-DYE TREATMENT (BEFOR DYE TREATMENT)
Because I already had in mind what my hair was going to go through, I had to get it ready. I used a hard protein to make the strands stronger.

Firstly, I sectioned my hair into 8, applied Inecto Pure Coconut Infusion Conditioner (detangler) and covered with a heat cap.

Secondly, I detangled after about 30 mins, sprayed my hair with water and then proceeded to apply the egg ( egg white and yolk)

After applying, I covered my hair with a heat cap for about 15 minutes.

Rinsed and towel dry. When my hair was about 50% dry, I used a blow dryer (low tension) and dried my hair.

I sectioned into 2 and braided.

THE NEXT DAY

I sectioned into 10 and used a ponytail holder to hold about half of my hair. I wasn't going to dye all my hair. I just wanted to colour half and because I was applying it myself, I needed to know the point I would stop.

I mixed the dye as instructed and then proceeded.

AFTER APPLICATION
I was expecting a dark golden blonde but I couldn't even get a light golden blonde but I said to myself, maybe the colour would surface after rinsing out. So I stayed for 25 minutes as instructed.

RESULT
My hair came out black.........
Complete waste of Naira. What nonsense???

If you have an African hair, DO NOT buy this dye. It might work for the white folks with straight hair but not for Africans.

But why would Casabella sell this product in Nigeria??? Seriously, I am pissed. I can't even rock my gold hair.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the gloves and conditioner rocks ☺

Product Review/ AtOne with nature silky Texture Mousse

When your hair needs an extra care,you'll go all the way to search for a product that would help and the problem is that, you'll never stop searching until you find what works for you. And that was what led me to buying this product.

I was suffering from severe hair breakage back in 2014 and then, I was serving in Akure and I couldn't find a supermarket that sells hair product. Whenever I find myself in such situation, I read through and buy.

I purchased this product for N700

The product says;
It is an alcohol-free botanically based formular that gives hair natural body and soft control.

So light it just slides on. Styles can be created with ease. It protects hair from thermal styling damage and contains paba-free sunscreen.

Direction;
Apply to damp hair, work through and style as desired. You can wrap, blow dry or roller set. To reactivate, mist hair lightly with water.

The product also claims to contain plant Extracts and Moroccan Argan oil and it helps detangles and repair hair.

My thoughts;
Because this product contains hydrolyzed keratin as one of its major ingredient, it helped curb breakage. And I loved this product for that.

It doesn't hold style and it works more on damp hair.

I use this product when my hair is 80% dry. Then allow my hair to air dry before applying my leave-in conditioner, and seal with oil.

The problem with relaxed hair is breakage and you have to try every possible means to deal with the problem because if you ignore this problem, you will always be stuck in one lenght hair.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Product Review/ Inecto Pure Coconut Moisture Infusion Conditioner

Hello ladies,
How's the weekend going?

I am reviewing a product I have been using for quite some time now but I had to try using it in various ways to see how best it worked for my hair

Coconut oil is a detangler, it reduces frizz, conditions hair, infact there are so many benefits of using coconut oil. Coconut oil is a girls best friend during bad hair days. So when I saw this conditioner while shopping, I said to myself. Why not give it a try?

I decided to co-wash my hair but this time, I did it on dry hair and I could feel my fingers sliding through my hair easily. I detangled my hair with ease. I'll give it a 10/10 when it comes to detangling.

The moisture didn't last for the whole week. My hair felt dry after the second day. I would prefer using it during midweeks from an extra moisture.

My hair have been tangling so much this period because of undergrowth. My hair is 3 months post relaxer and I have been spending much time dealing with tangles but this conditioner has helped alot.

Most times I mix this conditioner with Crème of nature intensive conditioning treatment for an added benefit. Crème of nature intensive conditioning treatment is a deep conditioner and mixing both of them gave a perfect mixture.

I have been cowashing my hair more frequently because I noticed my hair gets dry so fast. I co-wash every week, shampoo with a sulphate free shampoo every month, and clarify every 6 to 8 weeks

In all, this conditioner is a keeper.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

RETAINING LENGHT, POSSIBLE????

One major reason African hair do not grow pass  a particular lenght is because of breakage. Most Africans still doubt that their hair can grow. I wouldn't blame them for such idea. When you've Been stuck on a length for 9 to 12 years and someone begins to tell you waist lenght hair is attainable. Hahaha. Just wondering their reaction. Who wouldn't doubt anyway?

But my case was the opposite. I never doubted that my hair can grow. Infact I often question why our hair stops at a certain lenght and I have thoughts  about where the new growth goes to during relaxer touch up. I always see new growth but no length. 

When I had the worst encounter with my hair, I began trying to device means of maintaining a healthy hair.

Do have it in mind that the leading cause of one length hair is breakage. Our hair is made up of proteins. Relaxers alters the protein bonds in our hair making our hair prone to more damage. Most ladies return to natural because they feel relaxed hair is not healthy.

The case is otherwise for me. I feel you can have a healthy relaxed or natural hair. But it all depends on what you are comfortable with.

Relaxed hair needs more protein to curb breakage

Natural hair needs more moisture to curb dryness

Either way, you still need to put effort for a healthy hair.

Natural hair

Texlaxed hair

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

IS YOUR HAIR DRY? HERE ARE WAYS TO FIX DRY HAIR

My friend chatted me over the weekend and complained about how dry her hair is. Then I remembered how dry my hair used to be. Having a dry hair as a full blooded African is normal but despite how dry our hair is, there are ways we can fix it.

I am sharing with you some of the ways I employed in combating dryness

1.Deep conditioning- Rinse out conditioner is different from deep conditioner. Rinse out conditioner is known as a surface conditioner. They are designed to condition the cuticles and make it smooth. They have a light consistency but a deep conditioner has a thick consistency and are required to stay longer on the hair (10 -30 minutes). The ingredients in deep conditioner penetrates the hair and are long lasting. Hence, deep conditioning the hair can add moisture to the hair that can last up to a week.

2. Cleansing the hair and scalp - if you wear your hair often in buns or ponytail (protective styles), you definitely need to moisturise daily or at least 3 times a week. We use butters and oils to keep our hair moisturised and this in turn can build up on your hair and prevent moisture from penetrating into the hair and no matter how often you deep condition, your hair will still feel dry. To solve this problem, cleanse your scalp by clarifying with a sulphate shampoo to remove build ups. I use ORS aloe creamy shampoo or Africa's best stimulating therapy shampoo directly on my scalp. I do not use it on my hair. The runoff cleanses the hair. This allows moisture to penetrate effectively.

3. The L.O.C method.

    L - liquid (water) / leave-in conditioner

    O - oil

    C - cream/ butter

Section yoir hair into 6 to 8 sections, then Spray your hair with water or apply a leave-in conditioner. Apply any oil of your choice ( shea butter, olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil etc). Lastly, apply a butter/ cream. Which ever product you decide to use, (leave-in or water) always remember to seal in moisture with an oil or butter. This prevents moisture from escaping easily. Focus more on the ends of your hair. They are the oldest and needs special attention.

4. Co-Washing - Skip washing your hair with a shampoo next weekend and try washing with a conditioner. Section your hair and apply a rinse out conditioner to the length of your hair. You can mix the conditioner with oil for more slip and leave on for 10 mins. After  rinsing, deep condition.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

HAIR STYLES FOR NATURAL HAIR

One good thing about growing your natural hair is because you can create so much styles. Are you thinking of how to style your hair to work tomorrow? Then you should consider recreating these styles.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Sabbath school bible study guide/ Lesson 11- Paul: Background and call

Happy sabbath to you all.

This is my first time of sharing with you our lesson study and I have decided as much as I can to always share the lesson study for the week.

The lesson study for this quarter ( July to September) is captioned MISSIONARIES. We've studied previously about alot of missionaries: Abraham been the first missionary and lots more like Ester, Peter, Philip, and Jesus the master of all missions.

From the lessons studied previously, we have been able to understand how these missionaries worked for the progress of God's works and how we can emulate these missionaries in spreading God's words.

Today's lesson is captioned : 

Paul, Background and call

Memory Text: "But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of is real. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name" (Acts 9:15, 16, NIV).

INTRODUCTION

One of the most central figures in the New testament was Paul, originally Saul of Tarsus. Paul was to the early Christian church what Moses was to the children of Isreal. The difference is that while Moses brought God's people out from the Gentiles in order that Isreal would be able to do God's will, Paul brought God's word from Israel to the Gentiles in order that the Gentiles could do the same, that is, to do God's will. More is known about Paul than any other first-century Christian. He is especially remembered for significant contributions to the tremendous Christian outreach during the past two millenia. His missionary visits and activities to the nation's around the Mediterranean Sea set a powerful example for Christian missions in coming generations. Paul is credited with lifting biblical absolutes from their Jewish culture, where civil, ritual, and moral laws were so integrated into the fabric of Jewish life that there was hardly any distinction between the Jewish custom and what they thought was God's everlasting message to the nations.

Saul was born in Tarsus. Saul parents were Diaspora Jews ( Jews who were not living in the land of isreal) from the tribe of Benjamin. His birth name was Saul though, after he began his mission to the Gentiles (Acts 13:9), he took the name Paul( Latin Paulus, name of a prominent Roman family). 

Paul's pharisaic background was an important element in his successful missionary work for both Jews and Gentiles. It equipped him with detailed knowledge of the Old testament, the only scripture available for the early Christian.

Paul was clearly a man of great conviction and zeal. Before his born-again experience, he used his zeal to persecute the early church. He supported the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), took the initiative in imprisoning Christian women as well as men (Acts 8:3), made murderous threats against the disciples (Actsb9:1) and organised a raid on Christians in a foreign country (Acts 9:2, Gal. 1:13)

At the same time, too, we can see how his zeal and fervency were to be used for good, as he dedicated his life to the preaching of the gospel, despite incredible hardships and challenges. Only a man totally dedicated to what he believed would have done as he did. And though he lost all things for Christ, he counted them as "rubbish". Paul was also a humble man . No doubt, partly from the guilt of his former persecution of Christians, he viewed himself as unworthy of his high calling.

   " One ray of the glory of God, one realm of the purity of Christ, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct, and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human character".

One thing is certain about all of Paul's missionary endeavours: no matter where he went, the preaching of Christ and him crucified was central to his message. By making it so, he was been faithful to the call that christ has first given him, that he should preach about Jesus.

The message for missions today is obvious: whatever else we preach and teach, we must keep christ and Him crucified at the front and center of all our outreach and mission work.

Think about the last time you witnessed to someone, in whatever capacity. How central was Jesus to what you said? How can you make sure that you always keep him central?

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Benefits of using Honey and Olive oil on hair

Benefits of using Honey on your hair

1. Honey is an emollient which means it is a natural softener. This makes it a great hair conditioner that smoothens your hair.

2. It is a natural antioxidant, so it tends to make your scalp healthy and stimulate hair growth.

3. As honey is an emollient, it also improves the health of the hair follicles which are responsible for hair growth. Researchers say that proper use of honey of treatment of hair can waken up the sleeping hair follicles which boost the growth of hair.

4. We all know that honey is a humectant, it tends to prevent the loss of moisture from your scalp. But honey has also high sugar

content which helps to retain moisture. This as a result prevents hair fall and strengthens the hair follicles.

5. Honey also comprises of antibacterial and antiseptic qualities too. This prevents our scalp from infections or psoriasis and tends to keep our scalp clean and bacteria-free. This also keeps us away from dandruff and itchiness on your scalp.

6. If your hair is dry and as direct exposure to sun can make them lifeless, then use of honey can bring back that lost sheen and shine of your hair.

Source-stylecraze

Benefits of Using Olive Oil on your Hair

1. Dandruff treatments – Dandruff is usually caused when the scalp becomes dry and flaky, causing those unsightly white flakes. Olive oil is a natural moisturizer. When massaged into the scalp it will moisturize your scalp, reducing the appearance of your dandruff naturally, with no chemically laden shampoos. Use the treatment as often as needed until the problem fades and then just once or twice a week to keep it from reoccurring.

2. Frizzy hair tamer – Dry hair is brittle hair and even just brushing your hair can cause split ends that turn your hair into a frizzy mess. Using olive oil on just the ends of your hair moisturizes those brittle ends, and will help smooth down the split ends, taming the frizz and the flyaway hairs. Use it after styling on just the ends of your hair to tame your hair. This works great in the winter when hair tends to be dryer and this solution is perfect for those who routinely flat iron their hair. When used after straightening your hair, olive oil will hold give moisture and a bit of weight to the ends, keeping your hair looking smooth.

3. Adds Shine – Healthy hair has a natural shine. Damaged and dry hair looks dull and lifeless but you can bring your hair back to life with olive oil. When used as a conditioner olive oil infuses your hair with moisture, restoring it to a healthy and beautiful looking shine.

4. Easier to Manage – Unhealthy hair is not easy to style; it is either limp or frizzy. Using olive oil as a hot oil treatment will make your hair healthy and manageable once again.

5. Softens Hair – Some people have hair that is rough and course. Weekly olive oil treatments are a natural way to soften your hair because it will saturate your hair with moisture.

Source- Oliveoilexcellence

With all these benefits, you can only imagine what results you'll derive from combining both goodies.

How I use honey and olive oil on my hair 

1. I add 2 tablespoons of honey and olive oil to my conditioner for extra moisture and shine. Sometimes, I add just the olive oil but when I add honey, I stay for a maximum of 20 minutes before rinsing.

2. I mix four to five tablespoons of honey and olive oil together and apply to the length of my hair for 10 to 20 minutes, rinse and then condition afterwards.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Sulphate Shampoo VS Sulphate Free Shampoo

ORS hairepair

Hawaiian silky

Organics stimulating therapy shampoo

ORS creamy aloe shampoo

Before now, I would go to the salon without been mindful of the kind of shampoo used on my hair. All I wanted was a clean and itchless scalp. If my hair doesn't lather, then my scalp is not clean. Oh damn! Ignorance is a disease.

What are Sulphates?

Sulphates are detergents that cleanses by cutting through dirts. Imagine using detergents like Omo to wash an oily plate. The result will always be an oily free, clean plate. That's what sulphates does to our hair. It cleanses the scalp and hair. The common sulphates you'll find in ingredients are; Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate and Sodium Laureth Sulphate.

Then, what exactly is sulphate free shampoo? Sulphate free shampoos do not completely wash away the natural hair oil. The ingredients may sound similar to the sulphate shampoo like "sulfonate" but it is actually the milder form and do not work the same way as the sulphate brand.

Do your hair still need a sulphate shampoo? 

●Your hair will always need a sulphate shampoo after relaxing your hair because you really do need to wash out any trace of relaxer to avoid damage.

● On daily basis or every other day we apply moisturiser and seal with oil and We also massage our scalp with oil. All these can cause build up to our hair so most people decide to clean the hair and scalp every 4 to 6 weeks with a sulphate shampoo.

But while sulphate shampoo helps to remove buildup, they can also dry up your scalp and hair, causing lack of moisture, which eventually leads to breakage.

How can the sulphate free shampoo benefit our hair?

Because it is mild and doesn't dry up the oil in our hair and scalp, this can be used on weekly basis to gentle cleanse the scalp. Your hair still feels moisturised and clean.

Those with dry scalp will also benefit more form using a sulphate free shampoo.

For natural ladies, using a sulphate free shampoo is best for hair because you do not need those drying effect you get when using a sulphate shampoo and besides, there are no harsh chemicals that needs to be cleansed out of the hair. So Preferably, I would say a sulphate shampoo is not needed in your regimen.

There are lots of sulphate free shampoos but I've only tried the ORS hairepair invigorating shampoo and Hawaiian silky hydrating sleek shampoo with moroccan argan oil. Both Shampoos are nice I've made a review on the ORS hairepair invigorating shampoo and will also review on the hawaiian silky shampoo I just purchased.

The sulphate shampoos I have used are the African's best  stimulating therapy shampoo and ORS olive oil creamy aloe shampoo. They are both good product. I have always been using ORS aloe creamy shampoo since I started my hair journey but recently purchased the African's best when they ran out of the other. They both do their job perfectly. I use it after relaxer application.

Thanks for reading.

With love, Martyna

Product review/ Crème of nature intensive conditioning treatment

Price/ N1400

From the product: strengthens, imparts moisture and prevents hair breakage

Direction: After shampooing apply a generous amount to hair and comb generously for even distribution. Place a plastic cap over hair and sit under a warm hooded dryer for 10 -15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Ingredients

1. Water

2. Glycerin : it is a humectant, it pulls moisture into the hair and retains it.

3. Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetyl Alcohol are fatty alcohols. They are used as emulsifiers (mixes oil and water in hair product so the oil doesn't separate from other ingredients. They add moisture by drawing water to the hair.

4. Dicetyldimonium Chloride: Smooths hair

5. Polyquatenium -37 are polymers that provides conditioning benefits.

The first six ingredients are what you and I should be looking for in a conditioner. The product also contains;

Behentrimonium methosulfate: a detangler

Hydrolyzed wheat protein: richer in fattys acids and makes hair shiner and easier to manage. Most people seem to find a  little problem with this product because of the protein and since this is a moisture deep condtioner, it should work more in softening hair. If you want to mix protein with this product you might want to consider adding little expecially if you are protein sensitive.

There are other good ingredients like olive oil, honey, Propylene Glycol, kernel oil etc.

My review:

The ingredients stole my heart. And a lot of good reviews online so it was worth the try. On my first use, I noticed that it was sticked my hair together which I've not noticed in my other conditioners. I had a little problem with it at first but was patient enough to let it dry. I used a plastic cap to cover my hair for 30 minutes and rinsed out. I was very comfortable with the result.

Pros

● It's cheap

● Softens hair

● Adds shine

Cons

● It doesn't smell nice

● It's too thick and would be preferable in cup because it always hard to come out.

Will I repurchase? Sure

Love always, Martyna.

Benefits of deep conditioning with a plastic bag/shower cap

August is gone, September is here. The year is finally coming to an end. Happy new month to you all. Hope you have achieved your plans for the year and if you haven't, we still have 3 months before the year ends.

The hype about deep conditioning has been going on since naturals, relaxed and texlaxed ladies have been putting on extra effort to understand what their hair needs.

Before now, I would go to the salon and get my hair washed without even bothering if my hair was conditioned. Yes! That's the truth. I did not understand the difference it will make to my hair. I didn't even understand the difference between a protein conditioner, a rinse out conditioner or a moisture deep condtioner. But now, I clearly understand the importance and I cannot do without it, most importantly, a moisture based deep conditioner.

There are so many deep conditioner out there and I've used just two which is  the African's best deep conditioner and crème of nature intensive conditioning treatment and these two works well for me so far. I always add a little oil and honey to my deep conditioner. I have also tried DIY deep conditioner which didn't work quite well for me but I am always tempted to try again or maybe a different one all together.

A deep conditioner is meant to be left on the hair for 15 to 30 minutes and preferably, using a plastic bag or shower cap.

Conditioners are of three major types;

1. Protein deep conditioner

2. Rinse out conditioner

3. Moisture Deep conditioner.

Click here to read about protein conditioner and the rinse out conditioner can be used for co-washing. But today, I am focusing more on deep conditioner.

I can't go a week without deep conditioning my hair and the good thing about using a deep conditioner is that it gets the chance of been effective by leaving it in the hair longer and thereby allows heat to penetrate.

Benefits of deep conditioner

1. For those with dry hair, deep conditioning your hair weekly can add moisture to your hair and make your hair bounce back.

2. Your hair elasticity will improve because of the emollients and the moisturising ingredients in the conditioner. These ingredients softens hair damaged by chemical processes such as perming, hair colours, heat exposure (such as flat ironing, curling and of course, the damaging effect of sun).

There are other ingredients that can be added for a deeper deep conditioning such as honey, olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, shea butter and all these ingredients can benefit the hair in different ways.

Benefits of using a plastic bag/ shower cap

If you want your deep conditioning to work more for you, consider heating it up because heating it increases the effectiveness of the conditioner, making your hair super soft and smooth. 

Deep conditioning with heat enables the hair shaft to swell and allows the conditioner to go inside.

Note that Deep condtioner are thicker than rinse out conditioners. And if you still can't identify the difference between a deep conditioner and a rinse out conditioner, go through the instructions on the product of choice and if says rinse after 1 minute, then it is a rinse out conditioner but if it says leave on for 15 to 30 minutes, then it is a deep conditioner.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Wash day at 2 months post relaxer

I prepooed with VO5 Conditioner, salon Tech, olive oil and shea butter. I also added a bit of ORS replenishing conditioner (it is protein based) but because I encountered a lot of breakage during the week, I decided to give my hair a little extra treatment. I also massaged my scalp with shea butter. I covered my hair with a heat cap and slept.

I shampooed the next morning with ORS sulphate free shampoo and I was very patient enough to follow the direction. I allowed the shampoo to sit in my hair for at least 5 minutes before rinse and I did this two consecutive times. I noticed that I had less buildup in my hair. Will definitely keep up to that.

I tea rinsed with Earl Grey green tea (I always use the pour and catch method) I allowed the tea on my hair for 3 minutes before wrapping with a towel

I conditioned with crème of nature intensive conditioning treatment and Vitale olive oil hair mayonnaise under my heat cap for almost 2 hours. I don't really think it makes any difference staying for that long. But I was busy so I had to stay that long

I added honey and oil for a deeper deep conditioning

I rinsed with ACV( apple cider vinegar) after rinsing out the conditioner with cool water. I also used the pour and catch method during the rinse. I allowed the ACV sit on my hair for 5 minutes before wrapping with a t-shirt.

I loosely parted my hair into two sections to air dry. When it was 50% dry, I applied my leave in conditioner. I've notice that my leave in conditioner works best for my hair when damp.

Once dry, I sectioned into 6 and detangled, applied moisturiser and sealed with olive oil. I am 2 months post relaxer and my hair feels like I just relaxed. It was a breeze to detangle my hair. Even after using a protein deep conditioner to prepoo over night, my hair didn't feel too hard. I really noticed less breakage.

Spraying my new growth with water might just be a routine. It has really helped me deal with tangles.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.