Saturday, September 28, 2013

Hair Update



July 7 - last shampoo wash
July 14 - first BSV (baking soda and vinegar) wash
... WO washes almost daily, dry hair and scalp.
July 21 - second BSV wash
July 23 - 50/50 vinegar water rinse - happy hair!
July 26 - egg rinse (shiny, smooth, happy hair)
July 28 - Water wash and 20% vinegar and 5 drops Lime EO rinse
Aug 3 - soapnuts wash, 50% ACV, half tbsp coconut oil, 5 drops lime EO with equal parts water for the rinse. CO added liberally.
Aug 4 - SoapNuts wash, 50%ACV, 50% water rinse. CO mid and ends.
Aug 8 - 1 part ACV, 5drops lime EO with 9 parts water rinse only. (CO added to ends only once since last wash. None added today.)
Aug 13 - Egg wash. 3 eggs to equal parts water with a lukewarm shower and a good long rinse. I also did a coconut milk rinse and an ACV rinse with 10 drops tangerine EO. Felt oily and heavy and yuck!
Aug 16 I did a SoapNuts wash with 20% ACV to water with 7 drops of tangerine EO rinse. I rinsed a very very long time. It was easy to detangle, but ever so slightly waxy/squeeky while wet, but I let it dry all out, no braids or elastics. It looked great and felt light and soft. It dried quicker than I'm used to with "product" in it though. 
Aug 28 - SoapNuts wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.  Added Jojoba on day 2 and then day 5, on the ends after WO washes as well.
Sept 7 - Washed with an Argan oil castille soap wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.
Sept 12 - Rinsed with 50% ACV and used the argan oil soap on lower half and ends only.  Great for oil distribution. 
Sept 15 - SoapNuts wash and 50% ACV with 5 drops lime EO and a capful of jojoba oil with very warm water as a rinse.
Sept 22 - Washed with an Argan oil castille soap bar with 50% ACV to very warm water with 7 drops of Lime EO and four spritzes of jojoba oil (which I use as my moisturizer normally) as my rinse.
Sept 27 - Picture Day and a visit to the hairdresser so did an early wash.  Had a little scalp pimple, so changed up my rinse a little.  Washed with an Argan oil castille soap bar with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Tangerine EO and combed out tangles before rinsing out with water.  Then refilled my rinse bottle half way with very warm water and about four spritzes of jojoba oil (which I use as my manually added moisturizer normally) as my second rinse, I avoided my scalp and focused on the thickest part of my hair, and ends, then combed it through with a finer toothed comb and rinsed again with water.  I noticed my ears need cleaning more (probably from the oil right in my water rinse!).

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The Oil Cleansing method

I've heard many many people using oil for cleansing their face, and with much success.  I'm not quite there yet, but I'm still very curious.  I have started using a handmade goats milk soap for facial cleansing with has lots of lovely oils so I'm kind of half way there ;)

Here's a great link to learn all about it from Crunchy Betty.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Argan Oil bar still a happy relationship


Note: I use a boar bristle brush to brush my hair 100 strokes (like in the old days) at night and before I rinse with water. Once brushed, the curls are obviously gone. They have to be rewet to restyle. I usually wear my hair curly within the first three days of washing my hair with SoapNuts or the Argan Oil Soap Bar - and I plop to dry :)

Last time I washed I used SoapNuts which was great. I had to take the time to add my jojoba oil for moisture, but I have no complaints, except I think my curls suffer slightly.



Sept 22 - Washed with an Argan oil castille soap bar with 50% ACV to very warm water with 7 drops of Lime EO and four spritzes of jojoba oil (which I use as my moisturizer normally) as my rinse.



Yesterday I washed with the Argan Oil bar - my curls are lush and happy. I think it helps that I add the jojoba oil into my ACV rinse with very hot water so I'm getting argan oil and jojoba oil infused hair right out of the shower. Detangling is a breeze and generally, it takes a little longer to dry (than with SoapNuts) but my curls are pretty, defined and happy.

The picture above is NOT what it looks like plopped and dried - it's AFTER the curls are brushed out - I do not even leave the bathroom like this - yuck!!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Hair Update



July 7 - last shampoo wash
July 14 - first BSV (baking soda and vinegar) wash
... WO washes almost daily, dry hair and scalp.
July 21 - second BSV wash
July 23 - 50/50 vinegar water rinse - happy hair!
July 26 - egg rinse (shiny, smooth, happy hair)
July 28 - Water wash and 20% vinegar and 5 drops Lime EO rinse
Aug 3 - soapnuts wash, 50% ACV, half tbsp coconut oil, 5 drops lime EO with equal parts water for the rinse. CO added liberally.
Aug 4 - SoapNuts wash, 50%ACV, 50% water rinse. CO mid and ends.
Aug 8 - 1 part ACV, 5drops lime EO with 9 parts water rinse only. (CO added to ends only once since last wash. None added today.)
Aug 13 - Egg wash. 3 eggs to equal parts water with a lukewarm shower and a good long rinse. I also did a coconut milk rinse and an ACV rinse with 10 drops tangerine EO. Felt oily and heavy and yuck!
Aug 16 I did a SoapNuts wash with 20% ACV to water with 7 drops of tangerine EO rinse. I rinsed a very very long time. It was easy to detangle, but ever so slightly waxy/squeeky while wet, but I let it dry all out, no braids or elastics. It looked great and felt light and soft. It dried quicker than I'm used to with "product" in it though. 
Aug 28 - SoapNuts wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.  Added Jojoba on day 2 and then day 5, on the ends after WO washes as well.
Sept 7 - Washed with an Argan oil castille soap wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.
Sept 12 - Rinsed with 50% ACV and used the argan oil soap on lower half and ends only.  Great for oil distribution. 
Sept 15 - SoapNuts wash and 50% ACV with 5 drops lime EO and a capful of jojoba oil with very warm water as a rinse.
Sept 22 - Washed with an Argan oil castille soap bar with 50% ACV to very warm water with 7 drops of Lime EO and four spritzes of jojoba oil (which I use as my moisturizer normally) as my rinse.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

DIY Hairspray

I want to remember this one for some upcoming weddings!!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Hair Update


July 7 - last shampoo wash
July 14 - first BSV (baking soda and vinegar) wash
... WO washes almost daily, dry hair and scalp.
July 21 - second BSV wash
July 23 - 50/50 vinegar water rinse - happy hair!
July 26 - egg rinse (shiny, smooth, happy hair)
July 28 - Water wash and 20% vinegar and 5 drops Lime EO rinse
Aug 3 - soapnuts wash, 50% ACV, half tbsp coconut oil, 5 drops lime EO with equal parts water for the rinse. CO added liberally.
Aug 4 - SoapNuts wash, 50%ACV, 50% water rinse. CO mid and ends.
Aug 8 - 1 part ACV, 5drops lime EO with 9 parts water rinse only. (CO added to ends only once since last wash. None added today.)
Aug 13 - Egg wash. 3 eggs to equal parts water with a lukewarm shower and a good long rinse. I also did a coconut milk rinse and an ACV rinse with 10 drops tangerine EO. Felt oily and heavy and yuck!
Aug 16 I did a SoapNuts wash with 20% ACV to water with 7 drops of tangerine EO rinse. I rinsed a very very long time. It was easy to detangle, but ever so slightly waxy/squeeky while wet, but I let it dry all out, no braids or elastics. It looked great and felt light and soft. It dried quicker than I'm used to with "product" in it though. 
Aug 28 - SoapNuts wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.  Added Jojoba on day 2 and then day 5, on the ends after WO washes as well.
Sept 7 - Washed with an Argan oil castille soap wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.
Sept 12 - Rinsed with 50% ACV and used the argan oil soap on lower half and ends only.  Great for oil distribution. 
Sept 15 - SoapNuts wash and 50% ACV with 5 drops lime EO and a capful of jojoba oil with very warm water as a rinse.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Argan Oil Happy Place

Today, Sept 14th is my two month anniversary of being no poo...

This is my hair after taking it out of a bun today. No brushing, just pulled out the elastic. I think my hair looks healthy and although I have some layers and split ends I should be trimming off, I am very happy with how my hair looks and feels - yay Argan Oil soap bar for great hair and less overall maintenance!!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Argan Oil update

I did something crazy. I did my usual WO wash to restyle my hair.... And I used the argan oil soap bar on my ends, the part I really should just cut off since the layers and old highlights look terrible... (About 4-5 inches) And it looks great! All over, light and even moisturizing! I'm onto something!

The aloe butter used as a hairline pomade washes right outta there during my WO wash. It's the only thing I need to reapply!

I just wish my handmade soap lady could make me a jojoba oil and argan oil bar - now were talking!!! I love how the soap just evenly deposits the oil so I just have to BBB!!!!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

18 HOMEMADE SHAMPOOS


How cool is that.. 18 homemade shampoos!!!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Argan Oil - Reflections



I bought the sulphate free Oil of Morocco Argan oil shampoo and conditioner as my super luxurious hair treatment before I started no poo.  I'm still using it on my daughter for that very reason.  It just struck me that it contains argan oil ... and grapeseed oil (among another unpronouncables).  So about my argan oil castille soap wash...

After realizing this "argan oil" content and how great it makes our hair feel and look, I set out to do my day two oil application  of jojoba oil and was paying particular attention to how my hair feels after washing with the argan oil castille soap bar.

It feels light, and looks shiny.  It feels clean but not so light that it is frizzy or fly away.  My ends, the layers and split ends are glaringly obvious after the wash.  So I separated my hair eventually into twelve sections and put a teensy bit of my chosen oil - jojoba oil - and BBB brushed it through until evenly and lightly coated.  My hair feels soft, looks shiny and lovely.  The ends are trashy but slighly more settled.

Here's what I think.  I think I got a good cleanse with the argan oil castille soap.  I think I spent more time at the scalp and less on the ends and perhaps since it is an argan oil soap, I need to get a very very rich lather at the ends MORE than at the scalp, so it can truly coat my ends as nicely as my hair near my scalp looks and feels.  Because I use handmade soaps, and no linger need a skin moisturizer, I know that the soap IS depositing the oils into my hair so I need to give it a chance to penetrate.

I believe that the last time I reported, the sebum had travelled to the ponytail holder area of my hair from my BBB at nights.  I believe it has travelled two more inches so it is my ponytail and almost a fist of length.  It's not anywhere near those trashy layered ends yet, and maybe in all fairness, that's why I am seeing them more.

I have a lot of hair, fine hair that is curly so appears voluminous once the curls are dry.  Today, my fine hair is shiny, and laying flat on my head.  It's certainly different, and definitely feels healthy.  I'm going to wear my hair in a bun for a few days (and not out like I do after a wash) and just keep BBB every night to see how it does, how these oils travel and help my sebum move.  I'll hold off on the WO wash just to see what happens and how it feels, then I can report on how the WO wash helps the oils move as well!

I did notice that it took longer for the jojoba oil to penetrate into the hair, likely because my curly porous hair is saturated with argan oil, so it's oil on oil trying to settle in and nourish.  Once applied and BBB for quite some time, it looks like even the jojoba is absorbing nicely.  I'll sleep on it and wear my hair in a bun tomorrow and let you know how this new adventure goes.

Note: I am using the aloe butter (aloe & coconut oil) as a hairline pomade to get my smooth ponytail, and love it!  Here's another link.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

How to: Perfect Low Bun

Argan Oil Soap - dried hair

So I'm impressed that My hair doesn't feel dry or brittle. I'm impressed that I could put my hair in a ponytail and into a bun and it looks shiny, healthy and pretty ... But my ends, with the layers look horrific! It's like my split ends doubled and went witchy frizzy on me.... Yuck!

Is washing with argan oil a step back in my no poo journey? ...no! Is it a step in the right direction... Not necessarily. I think I'll save this bar for getting out henna, chlorine, for anytime I want to make sure I'm doing a good scrub, but certainly not for every wash!

I'm back to adding jojoba oil today, paying extra attention to my ends as i have been on my day two. I'll be back to my SoapNuts next wash. I wonder what a jojoba oil bar would do for me.... Ah hah! Something to think about.

Ill watch and see how my progress goes this week and report back next wash.

In the meantime, I brush with a Boar Bristle Brush every night and do a Water Only scalp massage whenever I want to change my hairstyle. I'm not really wearing my hair curly since brushing it takes out the curls. I'm wearing buns and braids and ponytails most days.

Have fun!

Update: my hair is still frizzy but very soft and shiny. I'm going to skip adding jojoba oil until later tonight when I'm using the BBB. Sorry the selfie is sideways lol

Argan Oil Soap - the wash

Soap-nuts is going well, it's become wonderfully predictable, which I love.  My hair feels clean and I get to control the moisturizing once the ACV has done it's job.  Jojoba is my oil of choice.  It feels great and lasts, and absorbs; I don't have to reapply daily like I did with coconut oil.  My bathtub also looks cleaner overall, and is easily cleaned with Dawn & vinegar and warm water!  (YES! No elbow grease on the grease!)  I'm applying jojoba oil infused with Lime EO on day 2 and day 5 from the ponytail area to the ends and what little sheen is left on my hands I rub into my scalp in areas and then on my hair top and hairline.  I feel that the jojoba nourishes the end parts of my hair where the sebum hasn't reached, which is now 2 inches below my ponytail holder on my bra length long hair.  Then I add jojoba on the ends whenever I do a WO wash to restyle my hair.

My hair has always looked better the dirtier it gets, that's a true curlygirl statement ;)  The same holds true as a no poo curly girl.  I have great light and voluminous curls on day 1 after plopping, and if I do a WO and add jojoba on day two I can repeat the all out curly girl style, then I move on to curly ponytail for a day or two, then another WO and jojoba application #2 on day 5 and onto french braids, ponytails, and buns, first messy then sleek for up to 12 days!!  I think 9 days is my ideal length of time between washes though, even from before no poo.

So I found what works... almost.  I started adding aloe butter as a pomade to get my hairline frizzes to lie down when in a ponytail and my hair looked lovely and healthy.  I loved it!  I've started using it on my lips and on my daughter's hairline frizzies as a pomade as well.

So today is day 11, time for a wash.  I went to visit my dear fiend the SoapBoss who makes handmade soaps at The Canadian Soap Company.  She has lovely soaps that have cured my eczema on my hands completely, I no longer use a moisturizer on my body, now that I'm washing exclusively with her soaps and only got two pedicures for this entire calendar year when I used to get pedicures monthly!  (One on my birthday, a treat not a necessity!) My skin looks great!  I'm also using her all natural goats milk soap as a facial bar right now, with little need for a moisturizer and no breakouts on my combination skin!!

I digress... I also came across an argan oil castille soap in her shop today, and my brain got thinking... I read a lot about argan oil in my search for the coconut oil replacement (that ended up for me being jojoba oil) and remembered it resonated with me because those great store bought moroccan oil products all have argan oil!!  It leaves hair soft and shiny.  As a curly girl, I need oil!  I also need soft and shiny soo.... I bought a bar!

I did an argan oil castille soap wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.

The argan oil soap bar wash was awkward.  How much do I use.  Do I lather on my hands and work it into my scalp area?  When things are dirty you don't get a lather with soap, but using soap nuts and prior to that the BS, I wasn't really thinking about the lather... until it started in one spot and not the others.  So flashes of regression and going back to stage one of this no poo journey flashed through my mind as I continued rubbing and scrubbing the actual argan oil BAR at this point in my hair and scalp getting an even lather.  I rinsed.  You know that squeaky clean feeling that makes me think "DRY" and cringe?  I got that feeling and felt the tears prick my eyelids - what have I done??????   So I continued so i was at least evenly washed on the whole length of my hair and scalp.  Feeling squeaky/waxy and not impressed!!  Then onto my 50% ACV with EO rinse and my hair just went smooth and silky like it melted into my hands!  It was begging for the ACV.... the detangle that followed was relatively easy and ended with a finger detangle while I continued rinsing.  I must say, those itchy spots were a burnin hot hot hot with the ACV!  But soothed once I rinsed with water.

What I learned.... 50% ACV is actually what detangles my hair!!

Then I did a quick BBB and french braided my hair for sleep.  I'll update you on the dried hair & no poo status in the morning, stay tuned.



Hair Update

July 7 - last shampoo wash
July 14 - first BSV (baking soda and vinegar) wash
... WO washes almost daily, dry hair and scalp.
July 21 - second BSV wash
July 23 - 50/50 vinegar water rinse - happy hair!
July 26 - egg rinse (shiny, smooth, happy hair)
July 28 - Water wash and 20% vinegar and 5 drops Lime EO rinse
Aug 3 - soapnuts wash, 50% ACV, half tbsp coconut oil, 5 drops lime EO with equal parts water for the rinse. CO added liberally.
Aug 4 - SoapNuts wash, 50%ACV, 50% water rinse. CO mid and ends.
Aug 8 - 1 part ACV, 5drops lime EO with 9 parts water rinse only. (CO added to ends only once since last wash. None added today.)

Aug 13 - Egg wash. 3 eggs to equal parts water with a lukewarm shower and a good long rinse. I also did a coconut milk rinse and an ACV rinse with 10 drops tangerine EO. Felt oily and heavy and yuck!
Aug 16 I did a SoapNuts wash with 20% ACV to water with 7 drops of tangerine EO rinse. I rinsed a very very long time. It was easy to detangle, but ever so slightly waxy/squeeky while wet, but I let it dry all out, no braids or elastics. It looked great and felt light and soft. It dried quicker than I'm used to with "product" in it though. 

Aug 28 - SoapNuts wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.  Added Jojoba on day 2 and then day 5, on the ends after WO washes as well.
Sept 7 - Washed with an Argan oil castille soap wash with 50% ACV to water with 7 drops of Lime EO rinse.



Sunday, September 1, 2013

Messy Bun Tutorials

How pretty!! I'm going to try this one :)

Click here for the source.

And... I'm not sure I like this messy bun personally, but I thought I'd throw it in :)

Click here for the source.

Here's another cute one.

Click here for the source.

And this cute double braided ponytail ...

Click here for the source.



A little bow...

Click here for the source.



Ohh, this is lovely!

Click here for the source.

This one is a classic too!

Click here for the source.

Leave in Conditioner, gasp!!!

I'm so excited, I can't wary to try this one part glycerine, 4 parts water leave in conditioner!!!