WRITING N MY DIARY...VERSE 1...

okee so i waz thinkin that now would b a good enuff time 2 take some people'z advice & start a hair journal...so while i waz @ work last nite, & my patientz were all settled n 4 the balance of the evening, i started typin wat haz worked & hasnt worked 4 me so far...so instead of doing a separate blog about it, im just gonna copy & paste wat i typed 4 my journal...thiz shall include my thoughtz and wat i have come up with through trial & error...my likez & dislikez...my *keeperz & my *tosserz*...etc, etc, etc...get the picture?...
6/24/08

DAY 1
Applied mask- (2) avocadoes, coconut milk, EVCO, EVOO, & 1 banana…left on hair for over an hour…washed hair w/clarifying shampoo (VO5 Vanilla Mint Tea) & Organix Coconut Milk poo…conditioned hair w/humectress, tea tree, EVCO, organix coconut condish, & avocado oil…applied heating cap for about 30 mins…washed out & re-applied VO5 condish as a leave in…aloe/glycerin moisturizer, followed by avocado oil as a sealant on the ends…braided hair all over & also applied some mango butter to nape area….tied hair up in scarf & let air dry…
RESULTS
unbraided hair & proceeded to separate curls…applied aloe/glycerin moisturizer along with some avocado & natural 7 oil to hair….hair felt kind of greasy but for the most part was pretty much moisturized throughout the day. The mask is supposed to be for *dry* hair, which is how I see my hair. Although I tweaked the variation, I don’t really feel as if my hair was moisturized afterwards. It could be because I added the coconut milk, when the original recipe doesn’t call for it at all. The coconut milk is supposed to be a protein, & @ the moment I don’t think that my hair is in need of that.
VERDICT
I think that I will continue to use the mask on an *as needed basis*. Whether or not I will continue to add the coconut milk, I’m not sure of @ this moment. I definitely like the way the aloe/glycerin moisturizer is maintaining the moisture throughout my hair. It seems like I only have to apply it once, and it basically holds it for the whole day. The avocado oil is definitely a keeper as well. The mango butter to me isn’t very heavy, although I haven’t just used it strictly by itself. I still may need to research this product a little more before I can give an honest opinion of it. Maybe I will try to use it as a moisturizer the next time I do a co-wash to see how well it holds up on its own. So where this is concerned, the jury is still out.
6/25/08
DAY 2
Co-washed my hair with VO5 Strawberries n cream condish…applied to dry hair & rinsed out in shower….Applied aussie moist condish while in shower and proceeded to comb thru hair…wasn’t able to get comb thru hair, so I immediately washed that out & got out of the shower…Applied the balance of my pantene in hair and combed thru…washed that out and applied Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 as a leave in….sealed ends with avocado oil…braided hair all over and applied some natural 7 oil and mango butter to nape area, as well as to sections of my hair…tied with a scarf and let air dry…
RESULTS
Applied aloe/glycerin moisturizer, along w/EVCO & avocado oil to hair in the morning, w/braids still in for the balance of the day…unbraided hair & proceeded to separate curls prior to going to work…hair was soft & no further moisturizer/oils were needed.
VERDICT
Hawaiian silky 14 in 1 worked pretty good as a leave in along w/the avocado oil, but I did notice that it contains mineral oil. So, I may have to do some more research into why mineral oil is not a good thing for the hair, and base my decision on whether to keep the Hawaiian silky in my hair regimen or just finish off this bottle. As for the Aussie Moist, I don’t think it works that great in terms of being a good comb thru condish. I will more than likely continue to use this as a *co-wash* only condish, & follow it up with a cocktail consisting of Pantene, & some other hair conditioners. I don't forsee me buying Aussie Moist conditioner in the near future. Pantene has & always will be my #1 conditioner/staple. The Natural 7 oil is definitely a keeper. It contains almost all the oils I’m already incorporating into my regimen, along with a few others I’m not. It can also be used on the skin & has a nice overall smell to it. More than likely I’ll be alternating between the Natural 7, EVCO, & the avocado oils. In terms of price, the 7 oil is about the cheapest.
6/26/08
DAY 3
Applied aloe/glycerin moisturizer, along w/EVCO & avocado oil to hair w/braids still in for the balance of the day…unbraided hair & proceeded to separate curls prior to going to work…hair was soft & no further moisturizer/oils were needed.
RESULTS
Soft, moisturized hair. A tad bit on the *greasy* side for me though.
VERDICT
The aloe/glycerin moisturizer mix is more than likely gonna be my staple moisturizer. I like that it doesn’t take much to maintain the moisture in my hair throughout the day. I’m used to constantly spraying my hair, but with this you don’t have to. I’m wondering how the aloe vera gel & distilled water combo would fair by themselves though? I like moisturized hair, but I don’t like *greasy* hair. This seems to be what I’m getting from the mix with the glycerin. I might have to separate the 2 in the future, & do a compare/contrast to see which 1 of them I can possibly omit. They do work nicely together, but I’m wondering if I use less of the glycerin & more of the aloe will I get the same results that I’ve been getting? Hmmm…the saga continues.