Washing My Hair = Task And A Half.

OMG! A Monday post!

Wow. So this is what productive people feel like.

So, I fell off my handstand, broke my vase, made a profit from my cat drawing and ended up taking the twists down.

I realised that the technique my sister used wasn't simply two strand twists, but sister twists.

Sister twists differ in that you roll/twist the hair strands before you twist them. This stretches them further, making them leaner, so they show more length and, apparently, last longer.

However, when they're done on my hair and you take them up, the strands are lank and long, so I can't get a proper twist-out, as I'll have messed some of them up whilst taking them down, and the ends get all clingy with each other.

Anyhoooo, my scalp had been making noise, so this was a perfect chance to try out the shampoo thing I'd done previously. I didn't post though, since I wanted to make sure the results weren't a fluke. This is the second time, and then I'll try it a third time in another two weeks, and we'll see if I keep getting consistent results.

The only thing different from the last time is that there isn't any Comb-Thru Softener in my hair, though I did do a half hour pre-shampoo protein treatment and a scalp scrub:

White sugar - It's far gentler, cheaper exfoliant than salt

Brown sugar - It's even gentler than white sugar.

Blackstrap Molasses - Adds softness and sheen to the hair; Adds strength to weak and/or thinning hair (check the back of the jar to see the nutrients!)

Honey - Humectant, that attracts water to it; Helps scrub mixture stick together

Bicarbonate of soda (Baking soda) - Used to clarify the scalp of build up.

African Black Soap - Put in out of habit, really. Useful if you're not going to use shampoo on your scalp.

Amla - Prevents hair loss; Has conditioning properties; Prevents premature greying

Shikakai - Cleanses the hair without stripping it of its natural oils

Hibiscus - Prevents hair loss; Encourages hair growth; Mucilage gives shine to hair

Coconut Milk - Mild protein treatment; Nourishes hair; Encourages hair growth

Olive Oil - Nourishment of the hair shaft.

Scalp Scrub

- 1 tablespoon of white sugar

- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar

- 1 tablespoon of molasses

- 1 tablespoon of honey

- A quarter of 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

- And then a small chunk of African soap dissolved in hot water

• Separate your hair into however many sections you regularly use to wash. Apply the scrub to the partings in between each section.
  
  
• Now concentrate on each section separately. Remember to get to the scalp in each section. I do this by further parting my hair and applying the scrub that way, then re-doing the section.

So, while was is in my hair, I also did the protein treatment:

Pre-Shampoo Protein Treatment

- Half a can (200ml) of coconut milk

- 2 tablespoons of Honey

- 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

• Mix together, and make sure the honey dissolves well. The oil will float on top, but that's not a problem.
  
  
• Pour this over (dry) hair. Make sure that your hair is saturated from the roots to the ends and then put a cap (or a plastic carrier bag if you've been caught short T_T).

Then wandered around half an hour and do stuff. Like, you know.

Stuffs.

• When your time with the treatment is up, rinse it out.

Next is the herbal powder paste shampoo, courtesy of MoptopMaven:

Herbal Powder Paste Shampoo

2 tablespoons of Amla

2 tablespoons of Shikakai

1 tablespoon of Hibiscus Flower Petals

• Make a tea of the hibiscus flower petals, and let it cool.
  
  
• Strain the tea into another container, and dissolved the Amla and Shikakai powders into the tea. Mix well, to form a thick paste.
  
  
  Mmmm....YUMM-AY!
  
  
  
• Apply to your hair, and if you're not using a scrub, made sure to gently massage some into your scalp with your fingertips.

The original instructions say to leave it on for 15 minutes, but it takes me a while to apply it thoroughly, so I usually wind up having it for up to 30 minutes on the first section. I love the colour of the hibiscus, which may be why it ended up everywhere. Also, the mixture stains slightly, so don't wear your best whites when you do it.

• Rinse thoroughly. This takes a while, so be prepared. If it helps, direct the spray from the shower directly at the root and then let the water run off dissolve the shampoo in your hair.
  
  
• Then condition as normal!

I modified the Herbal Powder Paste Shampoo a little, since the first time I did it, the Hibiscus Flower Petals were a NIGHTMARE to rinse out of my hair. A complete and utter NIGHTMARE. *Cries at the memory*

Even though I strained it, some still managed to get into my hair [/did an inefficient job].

If you do both the scrub AND the protein treatment, be prepared for drips. Like, A LOT. I can literally say I had it coming out of my ears.

But afterwards, my hair felt really clean and strong, but not with that stripped feeling. Plus, no breakage. And my hair separated like buttah. I didn't de-tangle because I didn't need to.

Which was a relief, because all in all, it took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to do everything.

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