Apple Cider Vinegar what is all the hub bub?

Hello to all of my lovely naturals,

I hope that everyone is getting ready to enjoy their New Years celebration because I know I am! You will hear a lot of naturals talk about ACV (apple cider vinegar) When we choose to co-wash our hair there will eventually be build up and it is suggested that an ACV rinse will get rid of any build up. ACV is also know to help with frizzes and make your hair shiny. I don't know about you all but when I first started out natural I had like 3 things in my regimen and now I am up to about 7 UGH but hey when you know better you do better. Anyhoo I have used ACV before and I just didn't see the results that the others are talking about. I mean I did not hate it some people say that afterwards their hair feels stripped but I am pretty sure that they are not diluting it. When you co-wash your hair with non-organic conditioners then you are placing silicone's in your hair which leads to build up (unless you have a silicone free conditioner) Check out my post on silicone's for more info. Since I co-wash my hair I know exactly the feeling when you have too much product on your hair and when that time comes I wash my hair with my homemade shampoo (check that post out its delightful and easy/cheap to make) and that usually does the trick. Now if you notice product buildup then you really need to rinse/wash the product out of your hair. So after I co-washed my hair I used 1/2 cup in about 3 cups of warm water and poured that over my hair and let it dry. No your hair does not smell like vinegar once it dries you can not smell it. At the time I did not have product build up but like I stated before I really did not notice any difference. I suggest that if you have product build up skip the co-wash and just rinse it with water and then apply the rinse. Give it a try and tell me if you noticed any difference....Oh and Happy New Years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Always,

Verano

Henna Update

Hello to all of my lovely naturals,

Hi ladies well I have been applying henna to my hair for about three weeks now...yes I am doing it once a week. I am pretty sure that I am going to change to every two weeks not for any reason in particular but just because it is time consuming. So I really love the results not only is my hair shiner but it is smoother,softer and stronger. I have not had much color change but it looks as though it is turning a light brown, which I am thankful for because I did not want to go red. When I first blogged about my henna experience I was using the henna/cassia mix that is made by light mountain (whole foods) and my major concern was the loss of curl pattern that I have heard people complain about. Once I washed my hair I noticed that my curl pattern was the same but maybe just a little looser but the good thing about cassia is that it is not permanent, it lasts up to two weeks in your hair. After a couple of washes I was back to normal. Because I knew that I wanted to do a full henna application I was afraid that after repeat applications I would not like the results. So whats a natural girl to do?! Well I searched the henna blogs and forums and women were talking about mixing their henna with alma to retain your curl pattern. That is just what I did I mixed half henna with half alma and my hair is back to normal but it is a little wavier which I like. I think everyone should at the least do a cassia treatment once a month because it is like a deep conditioner for you hair and trust me you will love the results. Check out the pics below of my braid out and tell me what you think.


Always,

Verano

To Henna or Not To Henna That is The Question Part 2

Hello to all of my lovely naturals!!!!!!!!!!

And the results are in....drum roll please.......I like it! It has made my hair shiny, softer, more susceptible to moisture, and stronger. Today when I took my braids out I did not have one single hair shed! yall heard me not a one. So I would say that overall this was an awesome experience. Ummm but I am not sure about the curl lost that verdict is still out and I won't be able to clear that up until I wash my hair. I will say this after I co-washed my hair for the umpteenth time I did notice that my curls were looser but that could have been from all of the conditioning of my hair.So this weekend I am going to get some henna Jamila BAQ (Body Art Quality) you want to use BAQ because it is stronger than the stuff that is labeled specifically for hair and mix it with alma powder to retain the curl (for just in case purposes) All in all a cassia/henna mix is a great conditioner and I foresee henna and I having a great love affair. Now if you all love to henna your hair or have had a horrible experience please drop a comment. Oh and if there are any questions don't hesitate.

Always,

Verano


Cassia/Henna mix





The box that it came in

So fresh and so clean

Cassia/Henna in my hair

 

Cassia/Henna all washed out