Tea Time

(source)

Lately every time I henna my hair, I am left rinsing and rinsing and rinsing only to have bits and pieces of herbs still left in my hair.  Super frustrating and it makes me not wanna deal with it.  But I love the effects of henna: it helps define my coils, reduce frizz, and there's a (slight) color payoff.

So what's a girl to do?  Google of course.

After doing a little bit of investigating I realized that I could do a henna rinse.  I had never really heard of anyone doing it but I figure what could it hurt?

It's really simple to do. I grabbed my henna, amla, and brahmi (about 1/4 cup of each) and a few cups of water (didn't measure it) and simmered it on the stove for 20 minutes or so.  Once it came to a rolling boil, I added a teabag.  It was this green tea that I bought to drink but since it was gross I figured why waste it and decided to use it for my hair.  I let it stay on the heat for another 5 mins then set the mix aside to cool.

In the meantime I shampooed my hair with my Bee Mine bar.  I strained the henna rinse into a bowl then placed a bowl in the kitchen sink so I could collect the rinse to use over and over.  I then proceeded to pour it for about 10 mins or so.  Please make sure it cools down before you do it because scalp burns are never cute.  After most of the rinse made it's way down the drain I deep conditioned with L'Oreal EverStrong made sure my hair was rinsed clean.  I found no left-over grit which was a plus.  As I write this my hair is braided up so we'll see how conditioning it was in the morning.

I'll follow up tomm

Sidenote: I'm ONE WEEK away from my 1 year anniversary of when I did the BC!  Time was flown by and I can't wait to see what year 2 brings.  Hopefully a lot more blogging.

Product Review: Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque

It's that time again... Time to wash my hair.  The weeks are flying by this summer and I don't like it.  Anyway this week I'm reviewing Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque*.  In case you haven't heard, I LOVE Shea Moisture products so I have very high expectations for this.  When I opened the jar, mmm smells like cake batter. It's really thick like a pudding or custard which I like because I don't have to worry about conditioner running down my face.

After sitting under the dryer for 45 minutes and rinsing it out, I have to say I wasn't "wowed."  It was ok.  I mean I think I can add oil and honey to any of my cheapie conditioners and turn it into a better DC than this.  Don't get me wrong.  My hair felt soft but I know it has felt better. I love the the fact that my hair smelled like cake batter for a day or 2 (I think the mosquitoes did too because they had a field day with me) but for $10 a jar I'm not quite sure if it's worth it.  Of course it's not fair for me to write it off like that so I will try it again, but right now I'm more impressed with the Miss Jessie's. Now I also hear it can be used as a leave-in so maybe I'll try it that way and see if that's a better way to use it.

My (tentative) verdict: 3/5

*There are some jars that say SMORSB Restorative Smoothie, I don't know if they're the same and that's just the old name for it.

Product Review: Miss Jessie's Super Sweetback Treatment

Time for another review.  Recently I was lucky enough to win a contest hosted by Danielle, the Style and Beauty Doctor.  The prize was a regular size jar of Miss Jessie's Super Sweetback Treatment.  I couldn't have been happier.  I've always wanted to try these products because I hear mostly bad things about them so I wanted to judge for myself.  Usually I tend to hear that their products contain mineral oil so they shouldn't be so pricey.  If you do not know, mineral oil is a byproduct of petroleum and many attribute it to clogging pores, therefore making it pretty unhealthy for hair.  It seems to me that mineral oil is a no-no in the natural hair community.  But there are some women who use it and have no problems with it clogging, weighing hair down or leading to build-up.
While I am "natural" I do not believe that all the products I use need to "natural" themselves although many of them are.  Whatever works best for my hair is what I use.  I'm open to trying different things, but that's a whole other post.
The biggest reason I had not tried any of Miss Jessie's products is the price.  I just can't bring myself to pay around $50 for a hair product.
Here's their claim: "Miss Jessie's Super Sweetback treatment is the essential treatment for growing out naturally curly, kinky, and wavy hair. Healthy growth and length is what most curlies covet. Miss Jessie's can assist you in this process. An elongated curl has more bounce, is more manageable, and is less prone to frizz. Be super sweet to your curls* Miss Jessie's Super Sweetback treatment is a decadent softening treatment which ensures that your curls reach long luxurious length. This rich treatment full of shea butter and centella extract is a growth stimulant that promotes long healthy curls. Your hair is going to love you for this!"


I applied to damp hair in sections and combed through with a wide tooth comb, which I normal don't do until I'm in the shower.  But hey, for the sake of experimentation, I did.  My comb slid thru my hair easily.  I then proceeded throw on my plastic cap and sit under a dryer for 45 mins, which is what I normally do if I chose not apply it overnight.  After time was up I removed the cap- NO SHRINKAGE!  When I DC I tend to remove the cap and see that my hair shrunk to about 1/3 of its stretched length.  Not this time around.  I have to admit.  I was impressed but the true test: How does it hold up after rinsing?  No shrinkage and manageable hair as promised. I can't really say much about the growth stimulant since it was my first time but if I notice any changes as I continue to use it, I'll let you know.
Another Miss Jessie's complaint is usually the scent.  SST smells like that bubble gum antibiotic I used to have to take as a kid.  Can't complain about that, I used to sneak in the fridge when I was young and drink it for fun. So if you're not into a smell like that you may be turned off because it lingers in your hair even after it's rinsed.
I have to say I was expecting the worst but I really like this product and can't wait to try another of their products. The label says it's a weekly deep treatment but I'm gonna do every other week because I'm being a cheapie, lol.  The jar says, "The best darn deep treatments, period" The best? Ehh too soon to say, but pretty darn good in my opinion.
My Verdict: 5/5