Wham Bamn Thank You Ma'am - Quick and Easy Wash Days

We all hate those ultra long wash days that healthy hair journeys seem to bring. Some of us even go longer than we'd like without washing because the process is just too tedious and time-consuming. If this applies to you, stayed tuned. I've got your fix coming right up. Below are some things you can try to shave some time off your eternal wash days.

How Could I Live Without You?? - 5 Hair Must-Haves

There was a question in my Liebster award post about the products I would want with me if I were stuck on a desert. I gave it some more thought and came up with the 5 products that I absolutely can't do without. Check 'em out:


1.

natural oils

Out of the Cold - Winter Hair Issues Solved!

Dry, Dull, Brittle Hair

Our hair is dry anyway, when winter comes around the dryness is amped X10.

solve it: Deep condition with a moisturizing product. Don't be afraid to add oils to make your moisturizing deep conditioner a match for winter dryness. Skip the humectants such as honey, glycerin and panthenol as they can work against you during this time of the year. While during summer they are your best friends as they pull moisture from the air into your strands, in the winter it's vice versa. Instead, grab heavy sealants like castor oil, shea butter and even cone-containing oils.

Edge Control - How to keep/ regrow your edges

I recently shared in this post that after donning a wig cap for 16 straight weeks, I saw where my already naturally thin edges were looking even thinner. Fortunately I grew them back in and you can too. There are a barrage of means by which one can regrow his (her) edges. These methods can range from over the counter medicines to surgery. But what if that's not your 'thing'? What are some less risky actions one can take to get back to full, healthy-looking edges? Check out the following:

Oil it up - Tea Tree Oil

This popular oil has been used for everything from clearing up skin issues to cleaning bathrooms. But what exactly is it, and why has it been called "a medicine cabinet in a bottle"?

Tea tree oil is a steam distilled oil extracted from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant (Narrow-leaved Tea-tree), native to Australia and has a camphor-like smell. It is known to fight bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It also stimulates the immune system.

A dab of this potent essential oil can be used to treat acne or stubborn pimples, apply some to your cuts and burns to help with the healing process, a few drops in your bath can help you fight cold and flu symptoms, add it to your vaporizer for aromatherapy, to treat sinusitis and chest congestions. Awesome right?! But what does this have to do with hair? I'm glad you asked.

7 Deadly Sins - Hair Care Edition

It's Sunday! And while I'm not heading to church today ;-( I'm taking you there! Today's message is centered around the cardinal vices of hair care. Let's take a look at them, shall we?!

5 Hair Mistakes I Made That Stayed!

On any journey you are bound to make a few mistakes. Luckily, some of those blunders can lead to unexpected results, and the creation of new hair habits which can take your hair journey to the next level. Here are a few of mine.

Left Me Wanting More - Queen Helene Cholesterol Cream

As per website 

Between chemicals, styling and the elements, your hair takes a beating everyday. Reverse the damage and protect your hair with Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream. The original alcohol-free deep-conditioning treatment was created to save dry, damaged, chemically-treated and over-processed hair. It leaves a natural healthy shine with extra body and resilience.

Ingredients:

Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Mineral Oil, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lanolin, Ceteth-24, Choleth-24 (Cholesterol), Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Benzyl Salicylate, Fragrance (Parfum), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Red 33 (CI 17200), Red (CI 16035)"

Directions

Living on the Edge - Out with the Wig Cap!

When I bought my first unit for protective styling, I bought a wig cap as well. I wore the pair together religiously. These days, I totally go bare under my wigs because the wig cap, I feel, was doing damage to my edges. I have had thin edges since I can remember. Not bald-thin so I never had a problem. 

typical edges (pre-HHJ)

But a few wigs ago in about July, I noticed they were thinner than before (see below).

I Like it Strong, but not THAT Strong...

...Aphogee 2 Step Protein Treatment VS. 2 minute Reconstructor

I got a comment/question from a reader which inspired this post (Hey girl if you're reading :-))

Yes I have picked up the Aphogee two step. But I seen the Aphogee two minute treatment. Do you know the difference in the two?

After looking back at my hair habits and taking note of the products I used, it's no wonder I was having an issue with dry hair recently. I had been using so many protein-containing products and of course, these 2 are right there in the mix. Anyway, this is what I have to say about these two products.

Sleep in it - Pros and Cons of Overnight Deep Conditioning

There are mixed feelings in the healthy hair world about deep conditioning overnight. Some advocate for shorter periods of deep conditioning with the aid of heat, while others say they get great results from it. Let's dissect it.

Pros:

Just Relax - Best Relaxer for Texlaxing?

So as I mentioned in this post, around this time I start preparing for winter break hair. Continuing the trend, I have been compiling a list of some of the products I'd like to acquire for the upcoming months. I will be getting a relaxer in December at about 21 weeks post to have fresh hair for this winter holiday.

Drawing the line - minimalist vs. junkie

I've come across a myriad of posts lately about great products and how they helped, benefited and/ or cured the world well, their hair troubles.

I've never been a product junkie, this is perhaps owed to the fact that I live way across the pacific ocean and products are just not readily available. If I was living in the U.S., I'm not sure if my fate would be the same. But I digress.

Back to these miracle products. Needless to say, every now and then I wonder if the claims are true and whether or not they would work for my hair. You see, right now the products in my regimen are down to the bare minimum - oils, shampoo, deep conditioner, and regular conditioner, and a few others. This is due to my efforts to combat dryness. My hair has been thriving under my current (as well as my previous regimens), but sometimes I wonder "could I improve on 'good'"?

Looking Back while Looking Forward - Winter Vacay Hair '12

I really hate winter! The only thing I love about it is the two and a half weeks break I get from work, my birthday and the holiday vibe. Around this time of the year I start preparing for my winter time hair. I like to have not just great looking hair, but also hair that is easy to manage. As such, I generally schedule a relaxer for the winter break.

Last December my boyfriend and I were vacaying in Singapore (loved it there). I wanted beautiful hair for the trip, so I scheduled my relaxer for a few days prior. It was my second relaxer of my hair journey after an 8 month stretch. At that point I was 9 months into my hair journey. I was ambitious doing an 8 month stretch so early on, but luckily it was incident and accident-free. 

Here's a flashback look at my hair last winter:

Relaxer day - 8 months of new growth + freshly relaxed hair

Liebster Award

I have been nominated by the very sweet and supportive KLP of Saving Our Strands and the lovely Yvonne of Diaries of another Relaxed Chic. As such I'll go ahead and do a combo post responding to both bloggers.

OK let's get to it. First I'll address the interesting facts about me.

1. I want to get married at some point, but think weddings are kind o' pointless.
2. No one in my family or of my close friends knows I have started blogging except by beau.
3. I'm not a plant (or animal) lover. They are great to look at but that's as far as it goes. I don't really see the point of them. I'd much rather have a yard of fruit trees than plants.
4. When I was younger I wanted to be a lawyer (glad that phase passed lol).
5. I had always wanted to live in a totally foreign country and learn it's language, but now that I've been living here, turns out it's just OK. Well, at least I can strike it off my bucket list.
6. My favorite cartoon growing up was Tom and Jerry.(Yep 90's kid) I also loved Kids From Room 402 and Angela Anaconda (no one seems to know those except me lol).
7. I only want 2 kids.
8. I love to jot things down for future reference.
9. Which brings me to the fact that I am super forgetful!
10. I love DIYing, but I don't do it nearly enough.
11. I am a pretty private person. I am not really one for social media either :-\ 

Quickie - Super Cute Curly Up-do

This super cute style was done by Kim (backsyncfan). Although this was done on natural hair, I am sure us relaxed and texlaxed girls can achieve this look as well. When next my hair is loose, I'll give it a shot. 

Who's with me? 

XOXO,

Abbi

Underneath it All - Protective Styling (Wig) Regimen

One of the things I love most about wigs for protective styling is the fact that I have access to my hair. I am still very much able to execute my hair care routine while protective styling with them, unlike with sew-ins and to some degree braids.

Current protective stlye

This is a rundown of my routine during the periods I spend wearing wigs.

Ooops I Did it Again - Long Term Protective Style {Prep}

Since my last long-term protective style session, I wore my hair loose for 3 weeks and now I'm at it again.

Lightly blown-out hair

A few days ago I prepared for another 6-week run. Here's how:

My Substitute... for Flexi Rods

I love curly hair! You may remember in this post I listed flexirods as one of the things I've been dying to get my hands on but couldn't find anywhere where I live. I went to the 100yen shop and found some foam gadgets that I thought may well work as a substitute.

foam rollers (found in Japan)

Oil it Up - The Essentials { Peppermint Oil}

There are a myriad of essential oils out there with a great many benefits. Some of the more popular ones I've encountered include rosemary, lemon, lavender, cedarwood, sage, peppermint, tea tree and orange. But what exactly is it that makes these oils so 'essential'?

Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of sage. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant. It is very potent and is rarely used by itself for any purpose.

They are used in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps and other beauty products, for flavoring food and drink, and for adding a fresh scent to household cleaning products.

In this series I will refrain from addressing all these oils. Rather, I'll present the ones I've tried and loved. First up,

Peppermint Oil

For a cooling, cleansing treatment for your hair and scalp, try peppermint essential oil.

What is it?

You Say No No No, I Say Yes Yes Yes

Now I usually play by the rules when it comes to my hair journey. But it's my hair journey, hence my hair. Therefore, a one-size approach just won't cut it. At some point we've all got to figure out what works for each of us. With that said, here are a few things that many consider a "don't" that I consider a "do".

Regular conditioner (or even a deep conditioner) to moisturize or as a leave-in

"FALL" in love - 5 Hair Loves of the Season

There are some hair-related articles that I just cannot see myself going without during fall. They are geared towards both the health and beauty of my hair.

These are my fall hair faves:

Hats, hats and more hats!

Quickie - Detangle in the Shower

Detangling can take minutes, hours even. Cut down on your post-wash detangling time by using the aid of the shower stream to make detangling easy breezy.

This is particularly helpful when deep in a stretch. I do this and braid my hair in a few sections and there is no need to detangle when I get out of the shower. And the best part is, detangling with the shower stream takes me about 5 minutes MAX! Couple this with this method for some extra slip and you're good to go!

Go ahead, give it a try.

XOXO,

Abbi

Checking Me Out - HOTD

Heyy Loves!

So my hair has been "out" for about 3 weeks (since my 6 weeks of protective styling). I'm going to long-term protective style again soon, so this weekend I'm bringing you a "Hair of the Day" post.

Background Info.