I can't believe we've already reached the end of October...and the end of my Rapunzel the Future of Hair Growth Challenge.
This challenge taught me so many things about the right way to do a hair growth challenge and maximize hair growth and length retention WITHOUT compromising the health of my hair. That last part was so important to me because the last time I attempted a growth challenge, I became a woman obsessed. Literally, to the point that I was holding on to the raggedy-est (grammatically incorrect on purpose for emphasis on how raggedy they were lol) ends for the sake of being able to claim growth. I obsessively pulled and tugged at my hair on almost a weekly basis to gauge whether my hair was growing or not.
The Healthy Hair Growth Trifecta
This time around, Ive learned a few critical lessons that spurned my Rapunzel Growth Challenge to success - but you'll have to get on my e-mail list to learn what they are. I'll be sharing those major keys with my email fam in our usual weekend chat, so if you're on desktop drop your info in the box to the right of this post. If you're mobile or on an iPad or tablet, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Now let's get down to business. The official final measurements and results:
Starting Measurements August 1st, 2016: Over Left Ear: 8 and 3/4 inches Back Left: 11 inches Front and Center: 9 inches Measurements from August 31st, 2016: Over Left Ear: 9 and 3/4 inches Back Left: 10 and 1/2 inches** Front and Center: 10 inches Measurements from September 30th, 2016: Over Left Ear: 10 and 3/4 inches Back Left: 11 and 3/4 inches Front and Center: 11 inches
Results!
Final Measurements from October 30th, 2016: Over Left Ear: 11 and 3/4 inches Back Left: 12 and 3/4 inches Front and Center: 12 inches I'm literally having one of those "started from the bottom, now I'm here" moments. Over the course of 3 months, I gained a solid 3 inches of growth all the way around. The results speak for themselves - and the photos paint a full picture. **If you're wondering why my hair was shorter at the end of August as opposed to longer, click here to read about how I had to cut some of my hair before month 1 was over.
Over the past 3 months, I've done a deep dive into the vitamins - answering frequently asked questions and thoroughly discussing the pros and cons of taking them. Click the pink highlighted links to get into the thick of Rapunzel the Future of Hair Therapy Vitamins. But the bottom line for me? The vitamins WORK. If you have any questions that weren't answered by the month 1 and month 2 updates, definitely drop them in the comments below. Now on to the official review - my thoughts on the Rapunzel Hair Lotion, and Protein Deep Conditioner.
Hair Lotion is Bae.
If you've been following my journey this entire time, then you know I've been making regular use of the Hair Lotion and Protein Deep Conditioner. Check out this video for a full review on the Rapunzel Hair Lotion, Protein Deep Conditioner, and HairTherapy Vitamins! Oh and before I forget - Rapunzel was dope enough to slide me that coupon code for my readers and YouTube subscribers!Use the code 'hairgrowth' (no quotations) to receive 10% off your purchase with Rapunzel the Future of Hair! Code expires 11/24/2016! Where to Buy http://ift.tt/15hby98 Product Costs Hair Lotion: $27 for 16oz (8oz and 32oz options available!) Protein Deep Conditioner: $28 for 16oz (8oz and 32oz options available!) HairTherapy Vitamins: $24 for 30 day supply Got questions about the HairTherapy vitamins? Check out this FAQ. Want an in-depth list of pros and cons of HairTherapy vitamins? Read here! To learn how I got started with the Rapunzel Growth Challenge, read here!
Do you have any hair growth or length retention goals you want to reach before 2017 kicks off? Let me know in the comments below!!! Note: I am not a licensed medical professional, and this blog post does not contain information to be used as medical advice. Again, this post is not a substitute for the advice and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. As with any supplement, check with your doctor first. Per the FTC, I have to let y'all know that this post is sponsored by Rapunzel the Future of Hair. But that doesn't mean anything - I'm still keeping it 100 and giving you guys the real.
Deep conditioning my hair can sometimes feel like the bane of my existence. Truth is, I hate the process. It takes forever, which lengthens the amount of time I have to dedicate to doing my hair or getting my hair done. It’s an all-around bore. I don’t like it, but I completely respect the fact […]
My mind is constantly thinking about my goals. There probably isn't a day that goes by where I'm not thinking about the experiences I want. But lately, I've realized that some of what I constantly think about has remained at the same status.
I reflected for a while and was reminded of a lesson I learned several years ago. The topic of the lesson was regarding how we are creating a future that will look very much like it does today. Our current actions create our future results. If we continue to live our lives the exact way as before, we will experience the same outcomes.
Unless something drastic happens, we can pretty much assume that the new experiences we desire, won't happen. I know someone who's constantly proclaiming big goals. Years go by and none of it happens. Why? Because this person is missing one major element. That person isn't CAUSING his intentions to happen.
In the seminar I attended years ago, the facilitator reminded us that we needed to be the CAUSE of powerful things happening in our life. Sitting around and expecting for outcomes to manifest just because we talk about it is a fallacy.
Yeah, thoughts become things, but we still have to be the cause of our thoughts manifesting into reality.
We have to remember that words have a specific purpose and that is to fuel us into action. But without a vehicle, your fuel isn't of any value.
Talking about what you want is easy but causing your intentions to happen requires a different level of involvement.
One thing I constantly have to ask myself is whether I've been taking an inactive role in creating my future. Am I the fan sitting in the stands talking about the game, or am I on the field playing the game?
What am I doing to cause my dreams to become real?
This is the true process of reality creation. If I want certain aspects of my life to be different 1, 3, or 5, years from now, I've have to put in the work now. The level of work required to alter the course of my immediate and long-term future.
You can apply this concept of causation to any situation both big and small. For instance, I wish to redo my office. I have old furniture and a ton of paperwork that I need to declutter. The whole room needs a makeover. I've been talking about it forever. And I'll continue to talk about wanting to redo the room until something causes the situation to change. Something as simple as ordering the furniture will cause me to move into action. Before the delivery arrives, I'll be forced to declutter in preparation.
You can take massive action or you can take the Slight Edge/Compound Effect approach. Both work and will allow you to cause new intentions to manifest.
It's as simple as creating a catalyst that moves things in the right direction. Let's become people who can powerfully create the things we say simply by taking full ownership of the outcome. Let's not assume that just because we say a few words that it'll magically happen. Something has to create a spark for that new outcome to exist. That something is you.
Epilogue This weekend I had the pleasure of speaking with a reader who shared her story of how she transformed her life and launched her business after being inspired by Monday Motivation posts. I'll share her story this week as Fearless Friday feature.
If you are natural or texlaxed, straightening your hair may be a part of your hair routine. If it is, then you know the dread that comes with having your hair revert before you’re ready. There is nothing like doing all that work only to have your hair curl up an hour later. This usually […]
The ultimate goal in my skin care journey is to have perfectly flawless skin. Unfortunately for me, past acne breakouts left behind a lot of deep scarring and discoloration. I looked high and low for treatments that could create the skin I desired. Some of the treatments helped, but they were no match for the deeper, move severe scars.
Then one day, I learned about a cosmetic treatment that promised to make my skin new again. When I first heard of microneedling, I immediately wanted to have it done. My research lead me to the at home rollers that could be bought online. I bought a couple, but I was slightly afraid to use them. I didn't want to ruin my skin or cause an infection.
Time passed and I experimented with a few more alternatives. Everything improved my skin but still the issue with the texture still remained.
One day I watched a video of a girl removing her makeup. When she took her makeup off, her skin was flawless underneath, that's when I made the decision once in for all, to set my microneedling appointment.
What first attracted me to the microneedling process is how it works. Basically, you make thousands of insertion points as the tiny needles penetrate the skin. The needles have the ability to break up scar tissue laying beneath the surface. As the scar tissue is dissolved, so is the discoloration. Soon after the treatment, the healing process begins. And with that comes amazing benefits. New collagen is formed which is what helps plump up any recessed areas as a result of the scarring.
The rollers found online are cool but you can experience more powerful results from having it done professionally. Plus, estheticians don't use a roller needle because the rolling motion can actually cause damage to the skin. Nowadays, they rely on a skin pen-type device that "stamps" the skin for a more precise result.
Before my first treatment, my esthetician and I discussed my skin concerns. Besides the scarring and texture issues, I wanted to enjoy some anti-aging benefits. I've heard that this process could be used to address lines and wrinkles so I asked if she could also concentrate on my smile lines.
The treatment itself was quite comfortable. Your face is numbed so you barely feel anything. Plus, I'm used to using various massage tools on my skin so this just felt like I was using giving myself a vigorous facial massage. Although they say there's no down time, I immediately went home afterwards because there was still some numbing and slight bleeding. Within 1-2 hours, both stopped. Later that evening, I did notice some swelling around my smile lines due to all the extra attention they received with needles.
I immediately wanted to begin the healing process so I broke out my LED Mask. NASA first used LED therapy for wound healing so it made sense. Before bed, I washed with the gentlest cleanser I own and proceeded to sit under the mask for 30 minutes. Day 2, the swelling was gone. But as the days past, I started noticing the tiny, barely visible scratches on my skin. By day 3-4 my skin looked pretty normal to the naked eye, but felt rough when I touched it. The roughness was from the scabbing as part of the healing process. The only visible scabbing on my smile lines. I'll be honest with you, it looked pretty bad at times. Sorta like I had surgery incisions on the sides of my mouth which were now starting to heal. Starting at around day 3, I started applying coconut oil to the drier areas. This wasn't a part of my post care instructions but I felt like coconut oil could be an asset because of it's anti-bacterial properties. Also, I tend to use coconut oil on my dry flaky scalp and thought that maybe it could help my healing skin. The next day after applying coconut oil, my skin began to peel. It was a mild peeling that happened mainly around my cheeks. I continued to apply coconut oil and use my LED mask every single day.
Today is day 5 and all the skin on my cheeks have peeled completely leaving behind brighter, healthier skin. The scaring on my cheeks have faded quite a bit and are barely visible. I've seen tons of improvement in the texture of my skin. It's much smoother overall and the recessed areas have started to fill in. My smile lines are still healing but, from the looks of it, the line on the right side of my mouth is almost completely gone. The deeper line (on the left side) still has some scabbing but I already see a tremendous improvement. All of this is from just one treatment. I still have 2 more to go! I'm pretty confident that I'll have darn near perfect skin by the start of 2017. If you're dealing with skin damage that goes beyond the scope of using over the counter fade cream, I urge you to save your money and treat yourself to this treatment. It's about $300 a pop and your appointments are spaced out about a month apart. Honestly, I'm happy with the results from just 1 session but I'm not gonna stop until I have the results I want. Microneedling is very brown skin friendly. Meaning, it won't stimulate melanin production and cause any further pigmentation. The same can't be said for some of the laser scar removal treatments out there on the market. Beyond getting rid of acne scars, this treatment also reduces pore size and can also be used to fade stretch marks. Some even have used this treatment on this lips as an alternative to fillers. I love treatments that have multi-level benefits and this, by far is the best decision I've made in a while. My skin is smoother, firmer, brighter, more even-toned and my lines have diminished. So many benefits in one treatment. I'm wondering why I waited so long to try this.
When I first started my natural hair journey I thought that I just had to try every natural hair care product I could get my hands on. I mean, it got so bad that I literally could not go into Target without coming out with a hair product, even if my sole purpose to go […]
Fall is here and in full effect! And you know what that means ladies, cold and dry weather is changing the way we dress, do our makeup, and most noticeably–how we take care of our hair. Women with all types of hair types and textures experience a change, but for those of us with high […]
In “let’s make fun of Afro’s” news reality star Mandy Rose got herself in a little hot water yesterday after snapping about how annoying a black woman’s afro was to her while traveling. According to the above photo the “Afro Annoyance” happened to her three times and I am trying to figure out a few […]
As natural women, we are always looking for the best products, routines, and regimens when it comes to caring for our hair and keeping it healthy. A lot of us find our groove without much fuss, and others—well, let’s say we need a little more help to get it right. No matter what ends up […]
The Gray hair trend has been popping up on the scene for a couple of years now. It made a strong impact on the beauty world as men and woman alike took to the bottle to achieve the look that so many have resisted for years. As I watched countless videos on the process of […]
I used to be crazy about hair color. I found dying my hair was a fun way to express myself while being a little fashion forward. My hair has been every color you could imagine from platinum blonde to sea green. Hair coloring, although expressive and attractive, tends to take a toll on the hair. […]
Just yesterday I was telling my mom that I had no gray hair not even one strand to boast about. I have to admit if I found one, I would not be too sad about it, but I find that I am more aware of the possibility of having gray hair more so now than […]
I'm taking about Bekura (formerly B.A.S.K.) Beauty.
More specifically, I'm talking about Y.A.M. Nectar and Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak. If you're already getting "I want to drench my tresses in such finery" vibes from this post, then we're seeing eye-to-eye right now. Because every time I gaze lovingly upon the jars of Y.A.M. Nectar and Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak on my shelf, I'm instantly transported to a world where my curls are popping in all their natural splendor, carbs don't make you gain weight, Anonymous wiped out Navient's databases, and Donald Trump isn't running for president.
If you want to learn more about these two amazing handcrafted deep conditioners that balance moisture and protein while making you forget about your student loan debt (at least for a moment), then keep reading!
For those that just want a quick scoop about how each product looks and works, jump to the end and check out my demo video featuring Bekura Beauty Y.A.M. Nectar and Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak! I also drop a little 411 about moisture/protein balancing natural hair! Oh and by the way - don't forget to hop on my e-mail list. Tomorrow, I'm talking all things moisture/protein balance with my e-mail fam! If you're on a computer, check the signup box to the right of this post. On a mobile device? Scroll to the end of this post :)
Look at all that gooey goodness!
Y.A.M. Nectar Hydrating Hair Nourisher Cost
$24 for 8oz
Organic Clover Honey: Honey works to condition and soften the hair, while serving as a powerful humectant that prevents dryness by drawing moisture into the hair. Honey also has powerful antioxidant and antibacterial properties as well.
Vegetable Glycerin: Vegetable-based humectant that draws in moisture to the hair.
Olive Oil: Olive Oil is rich in high levels of mono-unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which is good for hair growth. Both mono-unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E are good for moisturizing, protecting and nourishing hair. Olive oil makes hair grow stronger and its emollient properties prevent hair loss.
Avocado Oil: Omega 3-rich nourishing oil extract that can enhances shine, moisture retention, softness, and elasticity in hair.
Meadowfoam Seed Oil: Oil from the pressed seed of the meadowfoam flower that adheres to the shaft of the hair imparting shine, softness, and frizz-fighting properties without weighing the hair down or causing greasiness. Meadowfoam seed oil is rich in antioxidants to help fight the signs of aging and damage in hair, while resisting oxidation to help maintain vibrancy in color treated hair.
Manuka Honey: Honey variety native to Australia and New Zealand touted for it's low pH (4.5) making it an excellent conditioning and pH-balancing treatment for hair. Manuka Honey is also used to relieve dry scalp, promote hair growth in thinning areas, soften the hair, fight frizz, and add shine.
Protein Free?
Yes!
Curly Girl Friendly?
Yes!
That shine tho.
The Good
Listen...lean in good. Because when I say what I'm about to say, I want you to make NO mistakes about what you heard - or rather, read. You ready for this? There is NOTHING on the natural hair market like Y.A.M. Nectar. NOTHING. Scroll back up a hot second. You see that wooden spoon in the pic? That gooey stuff sitting in the spoon is NOT honey used as a prop. That's literally a scoop of Y.A.M. Nectar out the jar. On mamas. Its thick, creamy, smooth, and smells like something out of a candy shop. No lie, I considered actually tasting Y.A.M. Nectar on like four separate occasions. But I kept my dignity in tact and used it on my hair only.
I bet you'd expect something that ooey gooey to be sticky, right? It ain't. I don't know what kind of holy hookup recipes Rashida got from God's mouth to her ear, but I promise you, the second Y.A.M. Nectar touches your hair, it feels like creamy, smooth buttah.
Y.A.M. Nectar imparts crazy shine, and a surreal level of softness. I couldn't believe how softened my strands felt after a 20 minute deep conditioning session. Oh and get this - Y.A.M. Nectar got the nerve to have slip on top of that!
The Bad
I know that some of you guys are side-eyeing the price point. It's definitely not your $8.99 Cantu Deep Conditioner from Lisa Beauty Supply on the corner (no shade to Cantu or Lisa). But guess what? It's worth it. The ingredients are top-notch. It's truly a unique product that WORKS. And, its crafted by hand. The Bottom Line
If you live in a dry climate, or somewhere with terribly hard water like LA, you need a treatment that's going to soften your hair back up. The same goes for naturals with perpetually dry/dehydrated, and color treated hair. Y.A.M. is that jam. I'm telling you.
Or shoot, if you just wanna splurge and #treatyoself then Y.A.M. Nectar is also the way to go. Would I Buy it Again?
Listen. I've already started my Black Friday/Small Biz Saturday/Cyber Monday personal must-buy guide. And Y.A.M. Nectar is on it. That's all I'ma say about that.
The only whiskey I need in my life.
Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak Cost
$25 for 8oz
Pumpkin Seed Oil: Pressed oil of the seeds of pumpkin that naturally contains DHT-blocking elements, suppressing hair loss and supporting hair growth. Studies show that after 24 weeks of use of pumpkin seed oil, patients had a 40% improvement in hair count.
Hemp Seed Oil: Ceramide-rich oil essential to the cohesion of the cuticle and maintenance of its protective effect for the hair shaft. Hemp oil and other ceramides are known to protect and/or repair the hair fibers. In particular, they have a barrier effect which limits the loss of proteins. Also reinforces cuticle cohesion, which gives the hair more strength and liveliness.
Babassu Seed Oil: Oil pressed from the kernel of the Brazilian Orbigynya Palm Tree, with a similar chemical composition to coconut oil. It is able to penetrate the hair (to a degree), improving moisture, strength, elasticity, softness, and shine of hair. It is a wonderful alternative for those who want the benefits of coconut oil, but don't care for it in the hair.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearly Alcohol: Natural conditioning emulsifier made with BTMS (derived from non-GMO rapeseed/canola) and fatty alcohols. Both are responsible for giving conditioner a velvety feel without greasiness and imparting slip.
Behenyl Alcohol: Natural, vegetable-derived long chain fatty alcohol used as a thickener and stabilizer (keeping oils and water mixed). Not to be confused with drying alcohols.
Hydrolyzed Quinoa Protein: Herbaceous seed (quinoa isn't a grain!) that contains all of the essential 8 amino acids. Hydrolyzed quinoa has an enhanced ability to assist in the repair, protection, and conditioning of hair. Hair treated with hydrolyzed quinoa looks and feels smoother after one use, retains moisture better, is stronger, shows less signs of damage, and has better protected cuticles. Hydrolyzed quinoa is also able to penetrate the hair, strengthening it from the cortex and along the surface. Studies utilizing hydrolyzed quinoa showed marked improvement in hair heath and strength after one use, but increase substantially after 5 uses.
The Good
I don't drink whiskey, but I'll gladly put it in my hair. I just had to get that out the way.
First of all, I looooooooooooooove me some protein. My hair has always responded well to proteins, but especially since coloring twice and managing the aftermath of both processes. I don't even know if I can respond to this section without telling y'all to scroll down and check out the video first. Because listen. After treating my curls with Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak, they were suuuuuuuper poppin' with definition, had tons of shine, felt soft, and super strengthened. And that curl poppage carried over into styling time. I wrote a long time ago about how a great hair day starts on wash day (#shoutout to Hairscapades for putting me on that train of thought), and in 2016 the same holds true. If your wash day products hold you down, your style results will pop. And pop my curls did, on the day of and the days following deep conditioning with Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak...
Those healthy curls tho...
I absolutely LOVE how thick and creamy Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak is. It oozes decadence, soaks into my hair with ease, and has great slip in spite of its thickness. Beyond that, I'm over the MOON with the ingredients. I'm on a serious pumpkin kick right now (since I can't get down with the Starbucks PSL), and after discovering how truly beneficial pumpkin seed oil is to hair and skin, I can't get enough. Combine that with the powerhouse quinoa protein, and the protein and B-vitamin dense whiskey malt, and my hair is officially a lush.
The Bad
Again y'all, with the price point. I don't know about you, but I'm in a space where I'm more invested in doing right by my body - via 30daysofdope and otherwise. I'm stepping up my facial and body care game, looking to be more conscious and eliminate toxins wherever possible. Same thing with my hair care products. The reality of becoming health-centric is that it costs more - but I'll gladly shell out a lil' more coin for quality products that deliver and don't harm my body.
The Bottom Line
Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak is here to stay - you can believe that. If you're a protein lover, want to get more hair growth promoting pumpkin into your life, or just wanna experience the most grown and sexy deep conditioner on the market, then Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak is a MUST. And if your hair is damaged, brittle, breaking, or weak - it's a no-brainer.
Would I Buy it Again?
That's already a yes. Like I told SimplyDes35 on Instagram, we goin' broke together behind Bekura Beauty. And it's happening Black Friday. But what I'm really tryna figure out is who's gonna get the Christina's Choice 2016 pick here? Is it gonna be Y.A.M. Nectar or Vanilla Whiskey? That's the only question I have, yo!
Video Demo: Protein/Moisture Balancing Natural Hair
To see Y.A.M. Nectar Hydrating Hair Nourisher and Vanilla Whiskey Restoring Hair Soak in action, check out the video below! Oh and by the way - don't forget to hop on my e-mail list. Tomorrow, I'm talking all things moisture/protein balance with my e-mail fam! If you're on a computer, check the signup box to the right of this post. On a mobile device? Scroll to the end of this post :)
Will you be picking up some Bekura Beauty goodies? Let me know in the comments below!
Note: Per the FTC, I have to let y'all know that this post is sponsored by Bekura Beauty. But that doesn't mean anything - I'm still keeping it 100 and giving you guys the real.
