Oil it up - Argan & Jojoba Oil

Since it's Halloween, my treat to you is an "Oil it up" post with not one but two oils being put under the microscope ;-) I've decided to double up this post to include both argan and jojoba oil as these oils have been interchangeable in my hair journey. It also serves as a good opportunity for me to evaluate whether or not these oils are indeed similar and to find out why I felt that they did pretty much the same thing for my hair. Let's take a look.

Argan Oil

Argan oil, also termed "the Miracle Oil" or "liquid gold" (hmmm interesting) is a plant oil derived by pressing the pits of argan kernels. The argan tree grows in only a part of Morocco and is little known outside of that area. This oil can be used for nutritive as well as cosmetic purposes as it contains vitamin E, phenols, carotenes, squalene, and fatty acids. It is said that depending on the extraction method, argan oil may be more resistant to oxidation than olive oil.

Asian Persuasion - Black vs Japanese hair (care)

I ride the train to work every morning. This morning I took note of a young lady who at about a year or so ago had neck length hair. However, today her hair is just about BSL heading to MBL. Now, I live in Japan so of course this lady is not black but Japanese. So it got me thinking...what are the differences between our hair. I know (or atleast I think I know lol) that she doesn't spend her Friday nights pre-pooing so she can wash, deep condition, tea rinse, towel/ air dry and then protective style.

We already know that the shape of the follicles has a lot to do with the structure and appearance of our hair and that in turn affects the strength and hence length retention. Asians tend to have round follicles producing straight hair which is easily lubricated by sebum, while African descendants have flat follicles which result in kinky, curly/ coily hair. There are two major issues here 

1. sebum doesn't travel as freely, causing dryness and 
2. the kinks which form at the turn of each curl or coil represent a point of weakness, making black people's hair vulnerable to breakage.
   
   But that's not what this post is about. We can't change nature and biology, but there are some things we can do.

What can we learn from our Asian (Japanese) counterparts?

Left Me Wanting More - ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo

Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo

As per website:

Aloe Vera and Olive Oil are two of nature’s most nourishing ingredients. This shampoo detangles, neutralizes, and moisturizes your hair, leaving it more manageable and soft. It’s not simply a neutralizing shampoo, it is the perfect moisturizing and detangling shampoo that conditions while cleansing the hair. Now available in a Pak!

Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo: Moisturizes and neutralizes the hair leaving it tangle free and soft after every shampoo. A rich blend of Olive Oil, Aloe Vera, Panthenol, and Lecithin to provide moisture. When used regularly it can help prevent calcium, magnesium, and iron build-up on the hair.

How To Use

Budget-Friendly Journey - Making the Most of your Products

Let's face it, times are hard and not everyone is a billionaire YET. Some of us are students, budding entrepreneurs, mothers and the like. We just don't have money to throw around on 6 bottles, tubs or jars of product for each step of our regimen. So how do you make-do with a few products and still have a successful hair journey? Milk those MUHGS for all they are worth!

Here are a few tips:

Trying Something New - Wash Day

I am not one to do wash day posts every week, but since I tried something new, I thought I'd go ahead and do one this week. I had cornrows for two weeks as a protective style. This is how it went down:

On Friday Night...

13 weeks post wash day