Sunday 13 March 2016

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY WHILE MAINTAINING YOUR NATURAL HAIR




Many of us are conscious of the cost spent on natural hair that we often want to seek ways to cut down on the cost and still maintain a healthy hair. It is very possible. You may not be a product junkie before you grow a healthy hair. You can still grow a healthy hair without spending thousands on hair. I know ladies that spend N7 to N8 to purchase one product so it's left for you to imagine how much will be spent on purchasing a set of starters kit.

Most products sold in Nigeria are U.S based products. So, you can also imagine the cost of buying them here. With all the expenses incurred on shipping, the sellers will definitely need to make ends meet. And the dollar rate in Nigeria is nothing to write home about.

Now the question is. How can I cut down on the cost of maintaining natural hair?

1. Get the essentials: 
There are lots of products with lots of promises in the label. Some, promising to speed up hair growth within 2 months.  Don't misquote me! I'm not saying it doesn't work but if you must cut down on the cost of spending all that, you must stick to the essentials.
After spending money on various products, I've come to realise that all I need is a sulphate free shampoo, a rinse out conditioner, a deep conditioner, protein conditioner, leave in conditioners, butter and oil. I could also use gel to hold my style in place. .. keep it simple ladies.

2. Practise DIY treatment.
There are lots of DIY treatments that can help heal scalp and promote healthy hair. Maybe it's time you start practising them if you really want to minimise the cost of maintaining natural hair.

3. Stock different oil
Oil is very essential. You can't do without it. If you have not started using it, then it's time to go get some. Because someday or when it's late, you'll come to realise that oil has been missing in your regimen. Go the kitchen, get some, massage your scalp.
The only growth oil I've come to realise that works magic is castor oil so if your edges are all gone, treat it with castor oil. I am sure you don't want a healthy hair with no edges.

4 Get to know what works for you
You might however keep spending on products if you don't try to understand your hair. Most products you use on your hair are likely to sit on your hair if you have a low porosity hair and thus, causing build up. And if you have a high porosity hair, you might likely keep using products that cannot fill up the open cuticles in your hair and thus, making your hair dry and frizzy.
Know your hair type, know what your hair lacks and don't end up buying products that promises all the results you might never see.

See you there, confessing about the good hair days without spending $$$

Love Always, 
Martyna

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Coconut Banana Hair Mask

The weather has made me dig deep to find hydrating mask for my dry hair. The weather is so dry that every day my hair keeps crying out for moisture and on weekends I can't do without a good hydrating mask.

I have been experimenting with lots of DIY lately, trying to find out what difference it makes to my hair and in so doing I experimented with coconut and banana. 

Ingredients
1 Coconut
1 Banana
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil

You'll also need a blender and a strainer for the coconut and banana, a shower cap and a mixing bowl to mix the ingredients together. 

I extracted my coconut milk from fresh coconut. 

And after blending the banana I strained the mixture in a bowl. You definitely do not want to skip this step because Bananas are difficult to remove unlike avocado hair mask.

I mixed both ingredients together and added 1 tbsp honey and I tbsp olive oil.

I mixed the ingredients together before applying.

After applying, I covered my hair with a shower cap as usual for 45 minutes. 

I used this treatment as a prepoo. So afterwards, I shampooed with ORS hairepair invigorating shampoo (sulphate free) and deep conditioned with Cantu deep treatment masque and 2 tsp of olive oil, allowing the deep conditioner for 30 mins under a steamer before rinsing.

I will definitely be repeating this treatment again especially because my hair is less frizzy. (banana at work)
My hair is recovering from a lot of heat damage and coconut milk has been my good friend *smiles*

Thanks for reading. 
Love Always, Martyna. 


BEGINNERS GUIDE: BUILDING A HAIR REGIMEN 2


Photo credit; Omoni Oboli

I have blogged about how to build a hair regimen but I decided to blog about this again because of the frequently asked questions I get on my mail.

Keeping your natural hair healthy is your responsibility.  If you don't keep up with your regimen, your hair will act negatively. Just the same appearance you'll get on your skin when you don't drink enough water.

Read also: Products to use when transitioning

Every effort you make on your hair will reflect. It may not reflect immediately but eventually you'll notice it. So it is not just all about growing your natural hair. You definitely do not want an uneven, spit ends, tangled and unhealthy hair. Seriously, who wants that?

Read also: Transitioning or big chop?

Regimens are intended to yield a certain result. You have to decide on your hair goals.
Do you want a healthy long hair?
Do you need to prevent breakage?
Does your hair lack moisture?
Are your edges thin and unhealthy?

Take a few minutes and decide on what you really want......

Now you've done that, let's group the  products for easy understanding

1. CLEANSERS - sulphate free shampoo, Co wash, cream cleansers, mud wash, clay wash

2. CONDITIONERS -  Deep conditioners, Every day conditioner, leave in conditioners.

3. MOISTURISING- Water, oils, moisturising cream

4. SEALANTS- Butters, oils

5. STYLES- Custards, puddings, gels

6. HOT OIL TREATMENT- Oils

7. PRE-SHAMPOO- Conditioners, oils

Read also Garlic for hair growth

Always prepoo your hair before every wash day and deep condition after every Wash day. You don't have to wait until you start experiencing breakage before you think of deep conditioning. Every week should be perfect for your hair. Or at least twice in a month.

If your hair feels dry during the week after moisturising and sealing, try using warm water to wash your hair on your next wash day. This helps to open the cuticles and hence, allow for easy penetration of products.

Hot oil treatments can be done three time in a week and don't forget to always sleep on a satin pillow or bonnet.

Love Always, Martyna. 


Tuesday 8 March 2016

5 BEST MOISTURISING DEEP CONDITIONERS

Deep conditioning your hair should be a norm for a healthy hair. Deep conditioners help to eliminate frizz, it keeps your hair moisturised for a longer period and therefore increases hair manageability.

There is such thing as over - conditioning so, pay attention to your hair. If it's spongy or mushy, then you are over doing it.

Deep conditioning once a week is enough especially after every wash days

READ ALSO Benefits of deep conditioning with a plastic bag / shower cap

Conditioners that work magic
Cantu deep treatment masque

Creme of nature intensive conditioning treatment
Shea moisture deep treatment masque
Shea moisture strengthen, grow and restore treatment masque

Eden body works jojoba monoi. All natural deep conditioner

Thanks for reading.
Love Always, Martyna. 



Sunday 6 March 2016

HEALTHY HAIR PRACTICES I LIVE BY



When it comes to achieving a long healthy hair, there are things you can't do without. I call these things regimen or practices

Having a healthy hair is not just a day dream. It takes time and consistent practice.

I big chopped after 6 months. I am just 8 months into the family. There were lots of challenges I was faced with whilst transitioning. Keeping two textures was quite cumbersome and somehow, I couldn't cope with it so I decided to big chop.

I have come to understand that other people's regimen and product cannot work for me. When I started my hair journey, the first blogger I stumbled upon was Lush Strands and I wanted to use exact product she was using because she has  a healthy long hair.  The only product that was a keeper is Dove Intense Conditioner.

Then, I was focusing on length and not health. I didn't care about my edges. I just wanted a long hair and I'm still paying for the consequences till date.

So today, I will start off by listing the healthy practises I live by and hoping you don't end up making any hair mistakes.

1. I changed my mindset. Now  I crave for a healthy hair rather than length 

2. I deal with breakage as much as I can. Hair breakage = no length 

3. I am always on low manipulative style especially because of my edges.

4. I alternate between a deep moisture conditioner and a protein conditioner.

5. I massage my edges with castor oil and sometimes make a mixture of 2 or 3 oils, heat and massage my scalp.

6. I moisturise and seal after every wash day and nightly (3-4 times weekly)

7. I always prepoo my hair before every wash day.

8. And of course, sleep on a satin pillow or bonnet.

Thanks for reading. 
Love Always, Martyna.