Haircare: Brutal Cold + Dry Hair = A Steam Session

This winter has been brutal on everyone's hair. My hair has been been drying out in record time lately, so I think it is time to pull out the heavy arsenal and do some steam treatments. 
 A few years back, I invested in a good quality bonnet steamer. I used religiously once a week for several months, then stopped when summer rolled. After washing, I will mix up a nice, deep conditioning masque and sit under the steamer for 30-45 minutes. Hopefully this will stop my curls from screaming for moisture! LOL!
Image Courtesy Of BlackHairInformation.com

Product Review: Taliah Waajid's Black Earth Products - Enhancing Herbal Conditioner

I picked up a bottle of Taliah Waajid's conditioner toward the end of the summer and put it in the closet and forgot about it.  Since the weather is major nasty outside today (rainy and now snowing - but not sticking...yet) I decided to do my henna gloss today.  After I did my co-washing after rinsing out the henna glossing mixture I saturated my tresses with the Enhancing Herbal Conditioner.  It has a medium consistency..not too thick not to thin and smells lightly of coconuts.  I decided to steam for 30 minutes...since I did have the time. :- and plastic cap.  I will probably leave it for the night and rinse out in the morning,since I have no intention of going out. I have my new "Star Trek" DVD and Seafood Risotto on stand by for tonight!! 

Today's Hair - 12.01.2009

I did a deep condish last night with Biolage by Matrix Ultra-Hydrating Conditioning Balm and I didn't like it as much as the Delicate Care Conditioner.  In fact, my hair is a little dry today..not sure if this is from the conditioner or if it's just time to rotate my leave it from Tresseme to something else for a bit.  Will have to play around with it.  I mixed in my Camellia oil, aloe gel and honey in a dish and squirted the entire tube of condish in and mixed it.  Steamed for 30 mins and capped, rinsed this morning.  It felt strong and smooth after rinsing, but when it air dried completely...a little dry....I think I should increase the humidifer in my bedroom.  LOL!

Product Review: Steam Scalp Oil

UPDATE!  Nice email from the salon ower and creator of Steam Creams and Oils, Carla!

Hi Tina,

thank you for your review and I'm glad you liked the oils.Right now we are featured on naturallycurly.com I'm glad I found your blog. I love to hear hair journeys.

Carla

Steam Creams and Oils

Since I bought my hair steamer, Sally (LOL!) I've definitely become enthralled with steaming my hair and the results that it gives.  I swear I saw a jump in hair growth in the time I have had it.  Defintiely in softness and fullness.  It definitely increases the effectiveness of any treatments applied to the hair tenfold.  There is a lovely little salon devoted to the art of the steam and the hair oils they use for their scalp massages and treatments are available on-line for at home use.  100% natural, 93% Organic.
The Steam Hair Oil is a nutritious blend of oils that will condition and mend your split ends restoring shine and luster to all hair types.
I purchased the Steam Scalp Oil #1, a nutritious blend of anti oxidants and jojoba oil. Scent #1 is light, flowery and citrusy, meant to enhance self image. I massaged into my scalp and bathed my ends in my trusty camellia oil infused with hibiscus petals.  Steamed for 30 mins and co-washed with EO Restorative Moisture Rich Chamomile & Honey.  The results were soft, wonderful smelling wonderfully defined tresses. 

Ingredients: Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, Calophyllum inophyllum (foraha) seed oil, Orbignia speciosa kernel butter, Astrocaryum murumuru butter, Passiflora edulis seed oil, Oriza sativa (rice) bran oil, Euterpe oleracea (acai) pulp oil, Pentaclethra macroloba seed oil, Serenoa serrulata (saw palmetto) extract, Citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil, Citrus aurantium var. amara (petitgrain) leaf oil, Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower oil, Salvia officinalis (sage) leaf oil, Backhousia citriodora (lemon myrtle) leaf oil, Cedrus atlantica (cedar) bark oil, Juniperus communis (juniper) berry oil, Vetiveria zizanoides (vetiver) root oil, Rosmarinus officincalis (rosemary) extract

Today's Hair - Results Of Yesterday's Henna!!

Results of yesterday's Henna pack.  I made it a bit more liquid than usual because I read somewhere that it will apply easier to the roots....true..but the dripping in my face was driving me insane the entire time...even after I put the plastic cap on after steaming..I had to keep a paper towel handy to wipe the random drips running from my ear area.  Next time I will make a bit thicker (like I have in the past) to get rid of this issue.  

Well, it's all about experimentation...especially where Henna is concerned.  The perfect alchemy varies from person to person....but Henna is definitely an excellent addition to anyone who is interested in strong hair and chemical free color. 

 I co-washed this morning as I did still feel some residue, and it is soft, defined and smooth today.  I will probably steam with 30 mins of deep condish with Neutrogena Triple Moisture Mask, plastic cap it and sleep in it tonight or tomorrow, depending how I feel later on. 

Today's Hair - 11-11-2009 - Emergency Steam Deep Condish!!

Well, my Elasta QP DPR-11 with hot cap treatment and overnight DID NOT last a day!  My hair was hella dry again last night!  I think my hair must be getting spoiled with me giving the steam treatments..*side eye to my hair* LOL!  I pulled out the Aubrey's Honeysuckle Rose, the last of the Matrix Biolage and about 4 tablespoons of my trusty Camellia oil, mixed that up and slapped it on, steamed 45 minutes and plastic capped it for the night.  NOW! I have some long lasting moisture in my tresses!  It's soft, frizz free, defined.

I think I will have to get like 5 bottles of Aubrey's next time I hit the health food store.  Even though it's  hard to get out of the bottle and looks like it's too heavy for my finicky hair, it does the job without leaving my hair coated and feeling heavy.  Yay!

Deep Condish Fridays

I typically will deep condish on a Friday night, plastic cap, sleep and rinse out Saturday morning. As I love to play around with mixtures and try different things together, Friday nights are usually a good time to relax and give myself a well deserved weeks end treatment.  This time I used for the first time Aubrey's Honeysuckle Rose Moisturising Conditioner mixed with a warmed dose of my favorite oil, Camellia, that I steeped in rose petals, fresh organic rosemary, nettles and hibiscus flowers. Mixed up well and slapped on well rinsed, wet hair and then 30 minutes under the steamer while watching the movie, "Twilight" (eegh-was alright, was expecting a little more).

So, this morning I will rinse and style and enjoy a great hair day!

Product Review: Biolage Delicate Hair Masque Results

Definitely liked this conditioner!  Will use again.  Only problem is the very strong perfumey smell, but I can live with it.  I did 30 mins under the steamer, plastic capped it and rinsed out this morning.  Left me with silky smooth, strong feeling, substantial tresses. Walked my son to school in the windy rain earlier with wet hair, so got a bit wind blown, but overall I think it came out okay.

Product Review: Darcy's Botanicals

An Etsy.com addict like myself loves to window shop and book mark all the things I like and want to try. I've long had Darcy's Botanicals products on my list. My hair tends to be on the dry side so the cooler weather has me having to keep on top of making sure my tresses are moisturized. I purchased the Organic Coconut & Aloe Moisture Pudding and the new Deep Conditioner.

WHAT'S IN IT? Distilled Water, Lavender Water, Vegetable Glycerin, BTMS ( a mild emulsifying conditioner), Manketti Oil, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Marula Oil, Cocoa Butter, & Shea Butter, Panthenol, Yarrow, Sage, Nettle & Lavender Extracts, Bentonite Clay, Organic Kelp, Hydrolyzed Oats, Guar Gum, Ylang Ylang, Sweet Orange, Vanilla, & Patchouli Essential Oils and a paraben-free preservative.

I loved this! Smells wonderful in the jar and on the head (was that a faint undertone of chocolate I smelled?) When applying it to my hair I couldn't help but notice the "slickery creamy" consistency and how my hair seemed to be drinking it in as I applied it.

I sat under the steamer for 30 mins and then applied a plastic cap and when to bed. Rinsed out in the AM and was left with smooth, frizz free uber moisturized tresses! At $20 bucks a pop, plus $5 S/H...it will be saved for once a month or so usage ( i used a little over half the jar, but I am heavy handed with deep conditioners).

WHAT'S IN IT? Organic aloe, organic virgin coconut oil, vegetable wax, organic castor oil, organic jojoba oil, vitamin e, & food grade preservative

It's okay..a bit of a funky smell when first applying (maybe mixing with the other products did it-didn't smell in the jar), but it did the job of setting and sealing. I still prefer my melty Aloe Butter from Organic Creations Wholesale as my sealant, though.

On a side note, the seller gives wonderful customer service and detail to packaging and product, so big clap to her! <3