Another year down and so much progress has been made for both Z and I this year. I have learned a lot about how to take care of not only my thick, dense hair texture but Z's fine texture, and in doing so, we both have retained most, if not all, our hair length throughout 2014.
This year has pretty much been a hit for us. I think it helped that I stuck {for the most part} with products that have worked for both of us, and I incorporated protective styling for majority of the year. Below is my top 10 hit list along with a few undecided/misses following it.
{10} Reading new blogs and following other healthy hair journeys
- Thanks KLP and Jen for hosting the #WashDayExperience weekly link up. This has been such a great opportunity to meet new ladies and read how they are doing on their personal hair goals/journeys whether they are natural, relaxed, texlaxed, or transitioning. I definitely enjoy reading the posts because we all are striving for the healthiest head of hair we can achieve in our own way (and through many trials and errors). I will say I am so amazed by the relaxed ladies who are succeeding in their journeys. My relaxed hair was a total fried and over-processed mess for a good portion of the time I straightened my hair...especially in college. Thank goodness for maturity, and thank you all for supporting me and leaving comments! ::hugs::
{9} Protein Treatment
- I learned the difference between mushy and over moisturized hair (which I thought was normal) and "protein/moisture" balanced hair when I did my first protein treatment in November. I loved how strong my hair felt! Z's hair benefited from her first treatment as well. :-) Look forward to improving our hair balance even more this upcoming year.
{8} Shea Moisture African Black Soap Purification Masque
- This has worked amazingly on Z's scalp; she had a bad bout of flaky, itchy scalp last winter but so far so good. No signs of dandruff at all. My scalp is a whole other issue...
{7} Applicator Bottle
- What would I do without this simple bottle? It is so effective for diluting my shampoo so I can efficiently cleanse my scalp as well as doing my ACV rinses.
{6} Homemade Products
- Shea Butter mix: Raw Shea butter is soooooo thick especially in the winter time. Creating a mix allows me to add some leave-in, oils, and aloe vera gel to help stretch out the Shea butter and make it easier to apply to hair as a sealant in the LOC process.
- Moisturizing spritz: So easy to whip up a batch using distilled water, a leave-in, and a few drops of oils in a spray bottle that lasts generally for a week. In 2015, I will start using more aloe vera juice in my batches to help with scalp issues.
- Flaxseed gel: Very new to me but I am hooked! Check out my twist out results using flaxseed seed gel for the first time. {click here}
{5}Tea Rinses
- This has been working pretty well for me in reducing shedding. Although I have been using green tea only, I plan to play around with different concentrations and different tea medleys to see how my hair/scalp react to the combinations. I find that this is a relaxing process of my wash day.
{4) ACV Rinses
- They are easy, quick, and a nice way to wrap up my wash sessions. Very effective in relieving the itchies.
{3} Hot Head Deep Conditioning Cap
- Thanks to Relaxed Thairapy for introducing this awesome product to me on her blog. I can finally get the most out of my deep conditioning and pre-pooing sessions and love how long the heat lasts. Definitely a hit since the first time I used it!
{2} Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner
{1} Protective Styling
- The less I have to focus on styling hair, the better it is for me. Both Z and I have benefited from protective styling. Styling Z's hair every 2 weeks truly helps with her fine strands. Wearing wigs has helped me to look past this seemingly slow growing out phrase I am in. The biggest hit for the both of us was yarn wraps. It was definitely our year of the wraps!
The following are neither hits or misses:
- Coffee Rinses: I only tried it once so I can not say how effective they are long term. I definitely prefer the ease and smell of the tea rinses. I will explore further in 2015.
- Knot Genie Brush: Not sure if it is a good fit for my hair at its current length, but it works better on Z's longer hair. It is definitely gentle on the scalp for those who are tender-headed (I think Z is becoming this way ::sadface:: #getsitfromherdad)
- I am nowhere tender-headed so I enjoy a little more vigorous stimulation that comes with brushing/detangling hair with my modified denman brush
- I don't like how water accumulates in the base, which can lead to mildew/mold if I don't compress the water from inside the base. Seems like an annoying extra task. #ohwell
The only miss I can think of is more so error on my part: Using too much Shea Butter leads to greasy hair and oily scalp and face. Don't know why I forget this sometimes.
So this pretty much wraps up our year relating to hair. I hoping 2015 will bring more progress not only in things hair related but physically, mentally, and most importantly, spiritually. I hope you all had a great year and look forward to sharing a new year with you. Happy New Year!
Share your hits/misses at the link up:
Labels: Hits and Misses, Year Review
