Rachie's Regimen Deconstructed: My Basic Hair Care Regimen :-)

Hey There Guys!

Here we are on Part 3 of the "Hair Typing Series".

In Part 1 - We broke down the different components of Hair Type

To re-read Part 1 CLICK HERE

In Part 2 - We then discussed how different aspects of a Basic Hair Care Regimen are important with regards to the different components of Hair Type

To re-read Part 2(a) CLICK HERE

To re-read Part 2(b) CLICK HERE

Now in Part 3, we will cover the following:

• Rachie's Hair Care Regimen Deconstructed - My BASIC Hair Care Regimen
• Rachie's Staple Products
• Does My Hair Type Determine How Long My Hair Will Grow? 

Rachie's Hair Care Regimen Deconstructed

It just so happens that I have every component of hair typing that makes one prone to easy tangling knots and breakage,

say it with me people, sigh!

Because of this I err on the side of caution MOST TIMES when it comes to my hair care regimen. It was very annoying at first, as in, like, can't I just go to bed normal & just wake up with fabulous hair? Can't it just moisturize itself sometimes?!

LOL!

Anyhow, I soon recognized that there was no short cut, and that these things were what my hair NEEDED, so I kept at "My Regimen/Plan", and eventually it became habit.

Can I tell you, typing up this Updated Regimen has really got me thinking about the things I've slacked off on here and there over the weeks,

and reminded me that I need to get back in the game!

I TRIED MY BEST to make it as CONCISE as Possible,
Forgive me if it still ended up being a bit long!
Anyhow, here we go...

:-)

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My Co-Wash Wash Day! :-)

Hey There Guys!

This is a really quick Wash Day Post/Check-In.
We are (well I am) interrupting the Hair Typing Series to bring you a realllly quick Wash day post!
Worry not, Part 3 is on its way very soon!
*wink, wink*
This past weekend, I was all set to do a proper co-wash (no shampoo because my hair was feeling a tad dry), followed by my Tea Rinse, Moisturizing Deep Conditioning, ACV Rinse, Air-Dry and Twist hair with a home-made flaxseed gel recipe that I've been wanting to try a la Naptural85 and my friend Shana...
Yeah, so that was the plan but then I realized, shoot I had work that weekend! So I'd just have to do a make shift wash session with the pockets of free time that I had...

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Hair Typing Series Part 2(b) of 3 :-)

Hey There Guys!

Here we are now on Part 2(b) of 3 of The Hair Typing Series!
Yayness!
Just in case you missed it, see:
PART 1 - Click Here!
& PART 2(a) - Click Here!

Okay so in this post I will be addressing - Hair Typing - How does this affect how I go about building a Hair Care Regimen?
In the last post,

         My Hair Regimen Basics:

·   Cleansing

·   Moisture Supply and Retention

·   Protein/Moisture Balancing
Were already addressed,

So now we are on to:

·   Hair Manipulation & Protective Styling

·   Relaxing/Texlaxing & Relaxer/Texlaxer stretching

·   Heat vs No Heat

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Hair Typing Series Part 2(a) of 3 :-)

Hey There Guys!!!

:-)

Yeppers peppers! So here we are, on Part 2(a) of 3 of the Hair Typing Series.

In this post I'll be answering the following question…

Hair Typing - How does this affect how I go about building a Hair Care Regimen?

*Due to the length of the original post it was split into 2 parts, (a) and (b) so as to not BOMBARD the potential reader, :-D*

Goodie! So now that we have a fair idea of all that goes into Hair Typing, now what?

…

Over the past year of learning and information/tip gathering, I've been following a certain plan so-to-speak of Hair Regimen Basics. It’s kind of a shell that allows me to experiment with products or techniques in the future ONCE all of my basics are covered.

      My Hair Regimen Basics

·   Cleansing

·   Moisture Supply and Retention

·   Protein/Moisture Balancing
*will be covered in this post

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Hair Typing Series: Part 1 of 3 :-)

Hey There Guys!!!

As promised, I'm starting off my Hair Typing Series today, albeit a bit later in the day than originally anticipated, but better late than never! :-)

So this post is the first of 3 in my Hair Typing Series, and it's actually a re-post; 
Part 2 will be posted on Tomorrow evening (September 19th 2014) and the third will be posted on Saturday (September 20th 2014).
Excitement!
Lol
Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoy!
...

Hair Typing!

Hair Typing can be such a Controversial topic sometimes, but I'd like to touch on it a bit as it pertains to hair care and what hair care regimen you use/ should use.

I think everyone who is on their hair journey or just beginning knows about the Curl Pattern Classification System. Naturals especially for obvious reasons. Relaxed ladies may want to know it to determine how long they can stretch their relaxers or if they are considering going back to Natural.

But if you are like I was back in 2012, this whole Curl Pattern Classification System is a completely new and foreign concept.

In a nutshell, there is a number-letter assignment to hair based on the curliness or kinkiness of it:

It stands to reason, I mean its just logical, that ALL type 3 girls use one regimen that works mainly for them, ALL type 4 girls use a different regimen that works mainly for them etc, right???? 

NOPE! Lol, not at all...

But hang on, why not? Because guys honestly, there's more to your hair than just the curl pattern. 

Did you ever notice that you can have 5 different girls online saying they are 3c for example, but their hair looks different from one another? Did you notice that some people with say 4b hair can use a denman brush to detangle their longer-than-BSL hair, where as some 3cs complain that the same denman brush causes too much breakage or split ends for them?

The LOGICAL explanation for this is... There MUST be more to this Hair Typing thing than just the Curl pattern, wouldn't you agree?

There are 3 questions I'd like to ask and subsequently answer in this post:

1. Is Curl Pattern all there is to Hair Typing?
2. How does this affect how I go about building a Hair Care Regimen?
3. Does my Hair Type Determine how long my hair will grow? 

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Hair Typing and Hair Care Regimen Series - Coming Soon! :-)

Hey There Guys!

Since being on my hair journey I've gotten quite a few questions from friends and co-workers (Hi there!) who are either anxious to start or have already started their HHJ:

What do you use in your hair?

How do I make it grow fast? as in, Lightening-speed Doc! :-)

You sure I can reach waistlength? Because, my hair just doesn't grow! like ever!

My type of hair (kinky, i.e. not straight or loosely curly)  Doesn't grow!

I put oil in my hair to moisturize it but it still feels dry!

I love to get questions, because I have been there before in some way shape or form. I had LOTS of questions and LOTS of doubts in the beginning too!

In fact I still have questions:
Like, 
"honestly, why the heck am I having breakage over the past week and 1/2 despite my best efforts? Ugh!" - *admittedly it IS less since the protein treatment (side-eye), but I digress...
(Please excuse the grumpiness, bad hair day,
you know the deal, LOL!)

As I was saying :-)...

I've the 3 main things I've learned over the past year are:

1

KEEP CALM and BUILD a REGIMEN

(that includes a good moisture/balance, low manipulation, care for the ends)

2
BE FLEXIBLE enough to change one aspect of said regimen that may be seemingly working for "everyone else" but NOT your own hair,

This part generally comes in when you are getting to know/learn your OWN HAIR TYPE - what its likes and dislikes are.
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Lastly,
and sometimes annoyingly,
but quite importantly,
is PATIENCE.
For some people (like me) length came AFTER health and thickness so there was a good lil wait between SL (shoulder length) and APL (armpit length)

So!

Over the next 2 weeks I will be doing 2 series:

1. Completing the HAIR TYPING series 

that I started earlier on this year

and,
2. RACHIE's REGIMEN DECONSTRUCTED: 

where I will do a post to explain each aspect of my Regimen and why I do it.

So That's about it!

See you guys again tomorrow!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below :-)

Xoxo,

Rachie :-)

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Wash Night-Day Results & Product Reviews (Roots Only Applicator Bottle, Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist & Aubrey Organics HSRC) :-)

Hey There guys!

Yeppers, so I wanted to do a real quick recap of how my last wash day went as well as a review some of the new products that I used. You remember that impromptu product hall that I did the other day? "to see click here :-)" I'll be reviewing 3 of those purchases today.

I wanted to give them a few uses before I said yay or nay - unless of course they were COMPLETELY terrible off the bat! :-)

Okay,
So Wash Night-Day!

• I called it wash Night-Day because I actually started my "Wash Day" from the night before :-). I parted my freshly detangled hair down the middle and applied my hair oil mixture to my scalp using the "Roots Only" Comb Applicator Bottle - "To see how I make the Essential Oil Mix, click here :-)"
• I then added a small amount or water to each section of hair so that it was moist but NOT Damp.
• I then applied the very last teensie bit of the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner that I had left - about 2 tablespoons.
• I then applied 1 tablespoon of Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner to each section, worked it in from root to tip. 

• The hair was then covered with a plastic cap and then a scarf and left overnight - moist but not DAMP
• The following morning I rinsed the conditioner out with warm water, then applied Nexxus Polymedic Emergency Reconstructor to both sections - left in for 5 minutes, then rinsed thoroughly.
• Shampooed with Design Essentials Moisture Retention Shampoo.
• AT THIS POINT My hair felt quite DRY, I was slightly panicked, but after I added a handful of the Mane & Tail Deep Moisturizing Conditioner, it felt like butter! A-Men!
• I then rinsed out the conditioner with warm, then cold water, and towel dried for about 40 minutes.
• I then air dried with a scarf, applying my "Grapeseed+Castor oil mix" to my ends and Shea Moisture's Coconut & Hibiscus Curl and Style Milk to the length of the hair (only a dime-sized amount, a little goes a long way!) - I'm in LOVE with this stuff! :-)

• I then put the hair in 2 braids and left it in a bun for 2 days, yesterday (the 3rd day post wash) I took down the braids, brushed it out a bit with my denman brush for a "fluffy" Braidout look  

RESULTS:

*Hehehe burning the midnight oil/procrastinating, 
Meh! The coffee was good though! :-D*

Now onto the review of the new products I used...

Roots Only Comb Applicator Bottle

1. PROS: Low cost, Easy to use, Gets product right to the scalp where you want it!
2. CONS: Can't find any right now:-)
3. Overall Score: 10/10!

I luv luv LUV this product! I'll be using it quite regularly to apply my Essential Oil mix to my scalp. This product made the process A LOT neater than I'm used to, and what's more, I used less Oil Mix than usual because it wasn't all over my hair strands, just at the scalp where I wanted it in the first place. I saw this at Sally's on my vacation and I'm really happy with this purchase! :-D

Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner

1. PROS: Super Moisturizing!!! Lovely smell!
2. CONS: Not much slip, Can be pricey ($), Not readily available here in BVI so I have to buy it online in the future
3. Overall Score: 9.5/10!

Oh how I love this product, let me count the ways... One one thousand, two one thousand... LOL!
Seriously though, this was a great buy. I had read good reviews on amazon and from other bloggers blog posts so I decided I'd give it a try, NO REGRETS!
True, it's not the most helpful in terms of "slip", for my hair at least, but honestly this is one of the most moisturizing conditioners I've ever used in my HHJ, EVER!The hair feels like butter when I use it! Luv luv LUV it!
I wish it was more readily available here, but so it goes, I'll definitely be making an online purchase soon ;-)

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Conditioner

1. PROS: Low Cost, Easy-to-use cute bottle, nice mild smell
2. CONS: Not much slip (for "my" Texlaxed hair), not as moisturizing as I had hoped.
3. Overall Score: 7/10 :-)

I used this product twice prior to the wash day mentioned above. I tried it for "Cowashing" and then a few days later I tried it post shampooing on damp hair. 

Both times, I felt as though my hair wasn't too excited. My relaxed hair ends LOVE it but my Texlaxed length (which is now over half of my length) was a bit underwhelmed. It didn't give me as much slip as I would like, I found I had to add a bit of Coconut Oil to it while it was one my hair to get some "slip" going.

I do luv the convenient & neat spout though, no messes around here! :-) I just wish it was a bit more moisturizing for my hair. I still have more, so maybe I'll mix some coconut oil in with the conditioner in a bowl before I apply it to my hair next time,

Waste not want not! :-)

Yeppers Peppers, so that's about it!
I hope these reviews are helpful to anyone thinking of getting any of these products. There will soon be more reviews coming your way; Until then,
Have a fantastic week!

Don't forget to like/follow me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rachietowaistlength

To see other Ladies' Wash Day experiences, click the link below!

Xoxo,

Rachie :-)

6

Yayness! A Feature! - With A Quick HHJ Recap... :-)

Hey There Guys!

I just wanted to share a quick post as I've really felt quite blessed over the past few days.

Despite all the stresses that life can throw ones way, you have to really stop and give thanks for the good bits here and there.

I'm really happy to share with you guys that I was featured on one of my FAVOURITE BLOGS since the very beginning of my HHJ, Relaxed Hair Health!!

I'm so excited and humbled at the same time!!! Y'all have no idea :-D

To have come 360 and be featured by a blog that was one of the main resources when I started DAY 1 of my HHJ, it's pretty cool.

On reflection...

To go from THIS...

(October 2012)

To THIS...

In less than 2 years, 

DESPITE the setbacks I faced, has been pretty cool too.

For that, I am very grateful to all those ladies that SHARE their advice and experiences and inspire us to give this HHJ a try despite our often deep seated self-doubts,

Like: 

www.relaxedhairhealth.blogspot.com, www.justgrowalready.com, and my fellow UWIite/country-mate www.belowthawaist.blogspot.com 

just to name a few!:-)

Some things(techniques/products) work for some people, others work for others, its all trial and error, a fun process, a JOURNEY! Overall, its been a great experience!

Thank you guys for stopping by to read my posts from time to time, and thanks to those that follow me :-)Hugz!!!HHJ to us all!!!

Oh! By The Way, 

I just just just started a Facebook page, its in its very early stages, but feel free to visit and "Like" as you please! I'd love to hear from you guys!

Click here for "Rachie's Facebook Page": 

https://www.facebook.com/rachietowaistlength 

"WashDay Recap" and "Product Review" in progress, So I'll see you tomorrow!

Xoxo,
Rachie :-)

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