How to Grow Long Hair

Those of you who are familiar with the YouTuber, SunKissAlba, know that she just finished a hair growth challenge. I was apart of the challenge, and let me tell you, I learned so much about my hair. What my hair likes and dislikes and so forth. So now, I'm here to share what I've learned with you!

• Shampoo 

Now I know that some of you may be scratching the top of your heads saying "What does shampoo have to do with growing long hair?" Hair grows from your scalp, if your scalp is over saturated with sebum (Sebum is the natural oils your scalp produces) then that prohibits hair growth. (Basically the oil is suffocating the hair and scalp) Keeping the scalp clean, even for kinky hair, is very important. If you don't clean your scalp regularly (at least once a month) then you really can't expect to see much hair growth.

• Moisturize and Seal

When I say "moisturize" I don't necessarily mean use a leave in conditioner. Keep your entire body hydrated by drinking plenty enough water. Before you wash your hair, saturate your hair with an oil of your choice. Leave that in for an hour before washing it out. (This leaves your hair soft and manageable) And if your hair is need of extra moisture, deep conditioning is also really good. If your hair needs a leave in conditioner, use one. Just don't over moisturize your hair!

Sealing in that moisture is also quite important. Heavy oils for sealing are castor oil and olive oil. Light oils are avocado oil and argon oil. If you don't like oils, organic aloe vera juice is also a really good sealant.

•  Protect

Protective styling does not mean to go and get a wave. I personally am against protective styling with extensions.  It weakens the hair in my opinion. (I could be wrong) What I do recommend is buns, scarves (If you are into that sort of thing) and snoods (or beanies). Also, protecting your hair from the chill of winter and the heat of summer is important as well. Below is my favorite YouTuber with lots of wonderful protective styles.
Haartraum on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HaartraumFrisuren

•  Leave It Alone

Don't touch your hair more than necessary. Try not to manipulate (aka fancy styles, washing too frequently, etc) your hair too often. This can cause breakage which prohibits growth. Simply put your hair in a bun (or whatever go to style you have in your arsenal) and leave it alone. If your hair is misbehaving, braid your hair in two braids and slap a beanie or a hat on. Trust me, this works wonders.

• Don't Cut Your Hair

Let me rephrase that, don't cut your hair too often. Once or twice a year (for a large trim or cut) should suffice. Cutting your hair too often = cutting off your new length.


Here is how much my hair grew over a 6 month period. (Technically 3 months, because I couldn't figure out how to get my hair to grow at the time.)

Well those are my tips for growing long hair. I hope this helps you in your hair journey.

What are your top tips for hair growth?

Easy DIY Cleansing Face/Body Scrub

Hello Everyone, long time no see.
As you can see from reading the title, today's blog post is about making a DIY face/body scrub.

This scrub, depending on how much you make, and how much you use, will last you 4 months plus. So, without further ado, let's begin!

You Will Need:
- A Container to Store your scrub in
- Epson Salt
- Coconut oil (or any other oil you like)
- Vitamin E oil (optional)
- An Essential oil of your choice (also optional)
- If you have acne or acne scars, add 10 to 20 drops of Tea tree essential oil

Instructions:
STEP 1: If you are using coconut oil, warm it up in the microwave, or in a sauce pan. Warm up enough coconut oil to just dampen your Epson salt. 
STEP 2: Put your Epson salt into your container. (Use as much or as little as you would like. Make your batch large or small... it's really up to you.)
STEP 3: Add the coconut oil (or whatever oil you desired to use) to your Epson salt. Add  the Vitamin E oil and your Essential oil of choice if you wish to use one. You cannot go wrong with this recipe. If it's too watery add more Epson salt and if it's too dry, add more oil. 

And you're done!

 DON'T GET YOUR SCRUB WET!!! IT WILL RUIN IT COMPLETELY!!! It's ok for a little humidity to get to it, just don't wet it or the scrub will liquefy.

How to Use:
Take a small amount of your scrub and massage your face or body as needed. For better blood circulation, scrub towards your heart. Rinse with warm water. You can use it in the place of your regular soap or you can use it after washing. Your skin should feel soft, smooth and moisturized after use.

Benifits:
- Gently scrubs away dirt and dead skin cells
- Moisturizes your skin
- Vegan
- Healthier for you and the enviroment
- No harsh chemicals
- You know exactly what you are using
- It's cheep

I hope you found this helpful! Have a Blessed Day!

Creating the Perfect Hair Routine for You (Pt 2)

In my last post, "Creating the Perfect Hair Routine for You (Pt 1)" (Click this link if you'd like to read it: http://justmeandmycurl.blogspot.com/2015/09/creating-perfect-hair-routine-for-you.html) we talked about the importance of finding out what your own unique hair needs are. We also talked about your Hair's porosity. Now we will continue with hair width and density.

 Hair Width 
Hair width (sometimes called texture) refers to the thickness of individual strands of your hair, rather than to how much hair you have on your head. Knowing your hair width is important since it can affect your ability to retain length.

Determining Hair Width

To find your hair width, take piece of your hair from a brush or comb and hold it up to the light. If the hair is very wide and easily visible, then you have coarse hair. If it's so thin that you can hardly see it, you have fine hair. If your hair appears neither thin nor coarse, you have medium width hair. 

Coarse

The strands in coarse hair are very wide in circumference, making them the strongest of all hair textures. As a result, it's easy to maintain length with coarse hair since it's more resistant to damage.

Medium

Hair with medium width consists of strands that are strong and elastic, and neither too thin nor too thick. Medium width hair is also somewhat resistant to damage, making it easy to maintain length.

Fine

Hair with fine width has a very small circumference and is very delicate and easy to damage. As a result it's often difficult to maintain length with fine hair. 
But that doesn't mean it's impossible. My BFF has hair that's so fine it's like spider web and she has tailbone length natural hair!


Hair Density
 While hair width measures the width of individual strands of hair, density refers to how closely those strands are packed together on your head. Your hair's density can also be affected by your hair texture, porosity and width.

 Determining Hair Density
  One way to determine your hair density is to measure the width of you ponytail. Take your dry hair and place it in a ponytail. (It doesn't matter where as long as you can get all your hair into the hair tie) then take a tape measure and and measure around your pony. 
1/2 inch or lower = Low density (or thin hair)
1 inch or more = Medium density 
1 1/2 inch or more = High density (or thick hair)

Another simple way to check your hair density is to examine your scalp. Start with dry hair, because hair that's wet will often look thinner than it really is. Let your hair hang loose in its natural, unparted shape and look at it closely from all different angles. If you can see your scalp very easily, then you have low hair density. If you can see some of your scalp, you have medium hair density. If your scalp is difficult or impossible to see, then you have high hair density.

.In my Next post I will conclude with how to take the info I gave given you to create the perfect hair routine for you!

Creating the Perfect Hair Routine for You (Pt 1)

Curly hair routines... We see them all over the internet. And products, there are so many to choose from... and many are well promoted by our fellow curlies. But what about you? what is your signature style, routine, and favorite products? 

That is what this article will be about today.

 Now when I first became a curly girl I watched a YouTuber that is now called, "SpankieValintimeTV" (previously, UerbanOGcom) Being so new the curly girl concept I did exactly what Spankie does for her hair. I'm sure most of you have done the same thing; watch a convincing hair tutorial and copy the person's routine exactly expecting the same results.

But this is wrong. Why? Because no two heads of hair are alike, whether your hair is curly, wavy, kinky or straight. And yet we all have the same basic needs for our hair to thrive. How we accomplish that is up to us, how our own individual bodies are set up. Once you understand what your hair needs, your hair can only prosper. 

But how? By knowing your hair's properties. Your hair's Porosity, Density, Texture and Width play huge roles in finding the beast products and/or routine for you. 

Porosity
 Porosity refers to how easily your hair is able to absorb and hold moisture. It is affected by the flexible outer hair layer called the cuticle, which determines how easily moisture and oils pass in and out of your hair. For most people, porosity is genetic, but it can also be affected by external factors such as exposure, heat treatments and chemical processing.
  
 There are two methods you can use to find out how porous your hair is.

The Float Test: Take a couple of strands of hair from your comb or brush and drop them into a bowl of water. Let them sit for 2-4 minutes. If your hair floats, you have low porosity. If it sinks, you have high porosity.

The Slip'n'Slide Test: Take a strand of hair and slide your fingers up the shaft (toward the scalp). If you feel little bumps along the way, this means that your cuticle is lifted and that you have high porosity. If your fingers slip smoothly, then you have low porosity hair.

Low Porosity
  Hair with low porosity has a tightly bound cuticle layer with overlapping scales that lay flat. This type of hair is usually considered healthy, and is often very shiny, especially when it's dark in color. Low porosity hair repels moisture when you try to wet it and is hard to process since it resists penetration of chemicals.
Low porosity hair is also prone to build-up from protein-rich deep conditioning products, which can leave it feeling stiff and straw-like. 

Medium (also knows as "Normal") Porosity 
 Hair with medium porosity often requires the least amount of maintenance. The cuticle layer is looser, allowing just the right amount of moisture to enter while preventing too much from escaping. Hair with normal porosity tends to hold styles well, and can be permed and colored with predictable results. Over time, however, these chemical processes can damage your hair and increase its porosity.

High Porosity
 High porosity can be either an inherent property of hair or the result of damage from chemical processing, rough treatment or environmental damage. High porosity hair has gaps and holes in the cuticle, which let too much moisture into your hair and leave it prone to frizz and tangling in humid weather. Even simple acts such as bathing, swimming and shampooing can create more damage and breakage due to the sheer amount of moisture highly porous hair can absorb.

Now to keep the post from being too long, I must stop here. But stay tuned for part 2! 

Moisturizing My Low Prorsity Curly Hair

 I have low porosity curly hair.
When I go to on YouTube and watch curly hair routines by fellow curlies, I can't just go throw on a moisturizer and a styler like they do and call it a day. 
I have to do things just a little differently. And the moisturizing process begins in the shower. 

If you don't know what 'Low Porosity' means, click the link: (And give the girl a follow if you enjoined her blog!) curlysophieblog.blogspot.com/whats-your-porosity 


First, I cleanse my scalp with either ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar), OGX Sea Mineral Conditioner or my bff's homemade shampoo bar. I, personally, need a clean base so the moisture I provide will penetrate the hair shaft better. 

Now,  my hair is very tricky, I have to apply all moisture in the shower and once I hop out I have to quickly seal it in immediately. I apply moisture in 2-3 layers: layer 1 is water, (from the shower) layer 2 is deep conditioning, and layer 3 is  regular conditioner 
this is the one I use:

And then I seal it all in with a gel... but that's a post for another time. ;) 
so, here are the steps:

1.) Your hair should already be wet from the shower so this is self explanatory.
2.) Now to deep condition, I just apply my product of choice and leave it in for about  five minutes. You can leave it in for longer if you wish, but I let the steam and product work it's magic. Once your done, just rinse and move to the next step!
3.) Lastly, I apply regular conditioner and detangle, you can use any product that works for you. You can even use leave in conditioner. Apply your product and let the steam allow it to penetrate the hair shaft. Now I rinse out a good 60 to 75 or 80% of the Conditioner, but you don't have to, it's optional.

Now style as you wish!

Now I know this won't work for everyone, I'm just sharing what I do. basically I use the heat a steam from the shower to aid my hair in moisturization. (Or is that even a word...?) 

I hope this inspires someone!

And feel free to leave a comment below! What would YOU like to see?

***Disclaimer: This is NOT sponsored nor was a asked to promote any Blog, Company etc... this is all MY personal preference.

Diy Flaxseed Gel

Hello everyone!
Today I am writing a post about flaxseed gel. It's really simple and takes about five minutes to make. 
Disclaimer: Pictures are not mine.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of (organic) Flax seeds 
1 to 1 1/2 cups of tap water
1 to 2 tsp of Vitamin E oil
opt: 20 drops of Peppermint & Lavender essential oil
opt: 1 TBS of castor oil
opt: 2 TBS of coconut oil
opt: 1/4 cup of Aloe Vera gel

***NOTE: You can use as many or as little oils as you wish, but the vitamin E oil is important, do NOT skip it. It will preserve your gel for longer. Also, all those optional ingredients up there is just what I use, but I put it up there for you all to see.

You Will Also Need:
* A medium size pot
* A fine mesh strainer
* A jar or plastic container with secure lid
* A spoon

Step 1: Boil water and add flax seeds

 ***Note: the amount of flax seeds determine the overall strength or 'hold' of your gel. I like 1/4 cup because it gives me a medium, touchable hold. play around with measurements to get the perfect hold for you!

 ***Note: The amount of water used also contributes to the strength or hold of you gel. I use 1 to 1 1/2 cup of water. you may wish to use more or less. try my recipe first, and if you like the gel then tinker with the ingredients.








Step 2: Stir 
Make sure the flaxseeds don't stick to the bottom of your pot! you will know once its done, it will have become thick as opposed to runny. Picture below.

***Note: Don't stir too much!

 ***Note: This is the type of consistency you should be looking for.














Step 3: Strain, Add oils and pour into your container
Make sure to keep the lid off your container until it cools off a bit. The gel is to be stored in the refrigerator and will last you 3 to 4 weeks. You can save the seeds it plastic bag in the fridge for another use.

 And there you go, your own homemade flaxseed gel!

Welcome!

Hi! And welcome to my blog!
Here you will find my hair journey, curly hair rules and natural beauty.
I hope you'll find the articles here helpful and inspiring!
God bless!

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