Me + Vital Hair Mayo = No Longer Friends!

Yup, that's right. Sad but true.

Ever since I made the change to use a light protein conditioner weekly (2009), Vital Hair Mayo and I became best friends but as of late, we are just not getting along! SMH

I used this light protein conditioner weekly as a prepoo back in 2009. It made my hair fuller, stronger and hydrated. It never failed to give me that extra boost I needed. At the time, this conditioner really helped to keep my moisture/protein balance in check.

However, since the end of '09 'till now, this conditioner did a complete 360 on me :(. Whenever I use it, my hair feels coated with film, it appears to be very limp and mushy whether I clarify, use it alone or prior to a moisturizing DC. I find myself praying for the next wash day to come quick so I can wash my hair out. SMH. I still don't understand this. Am I the only one? :( This situation just goes to show how somethings in your regimen will never be stable. Be prepared to change and adapt quickly. Don't get too attached.

I've come to the conclusion that Vital Hair Mayo doesn't fortify my hair like it used to, if anything it feels like a moisturizing deep conditioner on my hair. I can't afford to have another moisturizing deep conditioner in my regimen (right now I have 4 staples). I'm terrified to go into moisture overload since that was one of the main reasons why my 2008 set back took place.

I gave it to my cousins, they can now benefit from it. We were good friends. It gave me what I needed at the time but we no longer have an understanding, so my hair needs have to be met elsewhere. There is another product in the picture that fulfills my needs on a weekly basis. It contains keratin in it and we all know that Keratin is the elite of proteins. With that being said, I will introduce my new lover in a future blog post. Stay tuned :)

FYI - Joico KPAK is still in my regimen.

I'm curious...Have you ever used a product for a period of time and then all of a sudden it just stopped working for you? Please let me know :)

♥ Sunshyne

How I Went From SL to APL in 7 months - My Old Regimen!

Hair Question:

"What was your regimen that made you get from shoulder length to arm pit length?"

Answer:

I get this question frequently so it's better that I answer it in a blog post. It took me 7 months (October 2007 - May 2008) to get from shoulder length to arm pit length. My regimen was pretty simple, however I used way more products back then.

Here's what I use to do:

I shampooed and deep conditioned with heat & oils every 3-4 days (Mondays and Thursdays). My deep conditioners were always moisture based mixed with oils & honey since my hair was moisture deprived at the time. I did my protein treatments 1x/month. I air dried 99% of the time, moisturized & sealed twice a day, put my hair in a bun daily, and co-washed maybe once a week. Overall, I did more moisture over protein, which helped me retain a lot of length and prevent breakage.

Here are the products I used to use:

Shampoo:

Creme of Nature Detangling Shampoo (green label)
Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo

Moisturizing Deep Conditioners:

Elasta QP DPR-11
AtOne Botanical Reconstructor with Moisture Recovery
Creme of Nature Nourishing Conditioner
Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner

Protein Conditioner:

Mane N Tail Original Conditioner
Aussie Moist mixed with 1-2eggs and EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Leave-in Conditioner:

Elasta QP HTWO Leave-in
Elasta QP Oil Recovery
Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-in Creme

Moisturizer:

Wave Nouveau Moisturizing Finishing Lotion sealed with Safflower Oil or Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil

Co-wash Conditioners:

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner
Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner
Herbal Essences None Of Your Frizzness
Suave Tropical Coconut
Pantene Fortifying Conditioner
Aussie Moist

Some Techniques That Helped Me:

1. Baggying overnight
2. Damp Bunning daily
3. Doing the scarf method to lay down my new growth in the front while stretching.

Tip: As you carry on in your journey, your hair needs will begin to change. What worked back then wasn't going to get me to BSL because the extra moisture was thinning out my ends - so changes had to be made. Going from APL to BSL, my hair required more protein, less shampoo and less products. Be open to making changes in your hair regimen so that your hair will continue to progress allowing you to reach your hair goals quicker.

♥ Sunshyne