Back To Basics: Moisturizing And Sealing Your Hair

You have spent your time choosing the perfect moisturizer for your hair while avoiding any red light ingredients. Continuing on with the back to basics series, this article will clarify how to go about your night-time routine. In essence, how to moisturize your hair. With all the talk of moisture in the black hair community you may be surprised […]

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Let Me Introduce You to My Intense Hair Moisturization Technique

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Yesterday, I made a couple of stops to some local beauty supply stores in search of a product or conditioner to help me address my unusually dry hair.  My hair was in need of something special and intense.  A product with the ability to transform it with just one use.

Once I arrived at the second location, I realized that the answer to my ultra dry hair would not be found at any of the stores.  I didn't need another product, I need to refine my technique.  More specifically, a technique I developed a couple of years back when my hair was at its worse.

I'm here to share this intense moisturizing technique with you today.
The entire process consists of 4 steps.  But, it's so powerful that I was able to execute only two of the four steps yesterday and create amazing results.  The moisturizing technique is a play on the L.O.C (liquid, oil, cream) Method but with a few minor differences to make it more intense.

When I first implemented this technique, I wanted to do more than just moisturize my hair, I wanted to infuse it with moisture.  This meant that I had to get a little creative with a few tweaks here and there.

Ok, here's a break down of my intense moisture infusion routine.

STEP 1.  Hydrate
Before I moisturize with a creamy product I hydrate with a liquid.  This is somewhat typical of the L.O.C process.  But I like to make sure that the liquid both dampens the hair while actually moisturizing it.  Water alone isn't a great idea.  Instead, I create a moisturizing water that's comprised of ingredients my hair adores.  Examples include aloe water, a small amount of my favorite leave-in from Biolage, powdered MSM, and maybe a tiny bit of ACV to help bring down the pH.  Lastly, I make sure that I use a spray bottle with an ultra-fine mist because I don't want to wet the hair, I want the tiny water particles to be absorbed by the strands.  This makes a difference.

STEP 2:  Oil Mist
Here's where it gets interesting.  Instead of grabbing oil from a bottle on layering it on the hair, I reach for my nifty oil mister.  For those of you who aren't familiar, you can add your favorite hair oil to a salad oil mister and lightly oil your hair without weighing it down.  For my intense hydration method, this is ideal.  My goal is to that the products penetrate my strands so I use (fractioned) coconut oil to mist my hair for now.

Once my hair is lightly coated with a hydrating water and fine particles of oil, I tie my hair up in a satin scarf to allow everything to penetrate.  This step is key.

Thirty minutes to an hour later, I check in on my hair to see how it's going.  Sometimes, those two steps are enough.  But if my hair needs a little more TLC, I then move on to steps 3 and 4.  Basically, I then reach for my favorite daily moisturizer and sealing oil and apply as normal.  Steps 3 & 4 are meant to moisturize and seal the outer layers while steps 1& 2 moisturize the deeper layers.

The end result is a total transformation of my hair.  The difference between how my hair looked and felt yesterday versus this morning is like night and day.  Best of all, the moisture actually lasts.  Sometimes we work on strengthening our cuticle layer so much that products have difficulty penetrating. If you have low porosity hair, this method might work well for you.

I'm officially going back to this way of moisturizing until further notice.  This time, I may experiment a bit with various oils.  For instance, I'm really curious to see what it would be like to try squalane or baobab oil in the mister.  Oh, and if this technique doesn't work for your low porosity hair, give the moisturize, heat, seal method a try.

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Don’t Hate Me ‘Cause I’m Beautiful….

Well, hello there, Gorgeous. You are looking mighty fine today. The sight of you makes my knees go weak. I can’t keep my hands off of you…but I should. Wait, Wait! This isn’t the start of some steamy romance novel. It’s not even the things that I say to my own husband. These are the […]

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No Time for the Gym? Try Salma Hayek's Muscle Activation Method.

A few years ago Salma Hayek stated in an interview that she doesn't have much time to work out to maintain her lean figure.  Instead of sweating it out in the gym, she holds her body in a way that "activates her muscles" all day long.

When I first heard of this, my mind immediately wanted to dispell her "fitness secrets" as a big fat lie.  Shortly after giving the interview, a bunch of news outlets published articles to dispell the myth that holding your body a certain way to maintain a toned figure is possible.

Over the years, I've really reflected on what Salma said and now I realize that she may actually be on to something.
Part of the reason why I couldn't just dismiss her claims is because I'm fully aware that certain "exercises" don't require gym equipment to provide solid results.  All we have to do is engage them properly to enjoy the benefits.

I'll give you some examples.

Most women are encouraged to do kegel exercises for the sake of strengthening their pelvic floor.  Kegals are simply a series of contractions that can be done anywhere, anytime.  By pulling in your inner pelvic muscles you strengthen that area.  If any of you have consistently practiced your kegels, you know that they really do work! Some will notice a difference in strength within weeks.

The other movement I know that offers muscle toning without traditional exercise movements are transverse abdominal exercises.  Basically, these exercises target our inner corset (the transverse muscles).  Back when I was serious about creating a toned/fit waist, I invested a couple minutes a day contracting the deepest layers of my core.  The results were astonishing.  All I did was pull in my tummy as much as I could while holding the contraction.  That movement created enough tension to activate the muscles in a powerful way.

Salma Hayek wearing a corset to help snatch her waist while maintaining good posture.

Planks are another (more advanced) version.  Again, all you have to do is "hold your body a certain way"  (parallel to the floor) and you activate and strengthen your entire core muscle group.  There's no contraction involved (unlike sit-ups) but they still tone the core in a major way. There's something to be said about contracting a muscle to help it maintain it's strength. Obviously, exercises that involve a full range of motions is ideal.  But, we can discount the potential of simply activating our muscles.

I remember the old workout videos from the 80's.  At the end of each set of reps, the instructor would urge everyone to hold and squeeze the muscle to feel the burn.  And burn it did.  This was often the most difficult part of the workout.  All we were doing was holding and squeezing.

Again, simply contracting and hold the muscle doesn't create an ultra-toned physique. But, we can't completely reject Salma's technique of holding and activating her muscles all day as nonsense.  Because it kinda does make sense. At the very least, we know that by contracting and holding, we activate the flow of blood to that area.  This brings more oxygen to the muscle and that's a good thing. More blood to the muscle means we create more energy (ATP).

Sitting or standing in a natural, fully relaxed position, requires little to no effort.  But the simple act of focusing on our posture, or better yet, contracting and engaging our muscles requires a bit more effort.  This could this could result in burning few extra calories per day.  Heck, if you simply stood up while working on your computer versus sitting, you could burn up to 50 extra calories per hour.  No extra movement involved.  Imagine the possibilities if you coupled standing with kegels and transverse exercises while squeezing the glutes.

At the very least, I believe we should be conscious about engaging our bodies and maintaining good posture at all times.  Most everyone slouches but if you focus on being poised, it helps you stand out.  I'm sure Salma still works out, she probably incorporates this technique as a supplement for those times when she can't step for in a gym.  By keeping her muscles engaged, she probably retains more muscle tone than if she were to go weeks or months without working out.  This fully won't replace your gym visits for gaining muscle but it certainly can't hurt to try.

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Add A Splash Of Color To Your Hair Without The Damage

With spring here and with the warmer weather approaching, it’s the perfect time to add some color to your luxurious locks! Warm tones like auburns, reds and copper tones are common colors for hair this coming season. But how do you spark some new color to your hairstyle without the damage? Here Are Three Ways […]

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How to Take Your Self Care Routine to a Deeper Level.

Self-care is something that I've been very interested in over the past few years.  The idea of treating and nourishing your outer and inner self was just too attractive not to pass up.

I fell in love with the idea of enjoying facials, massages, and various other beauty rituals as a means of taking care of myself.  All of these things are really great. But they fall into the category of what I call "self-care 101." These are the easy activities that we enjoy doing but they only scratch the surface of the layers that make up one's self-care journey. 

Let's talk about some of the not-so-easy self-care activities that are just as important as getting a mani-pedi. 
But first, I'll tell you a quick story. 

Back when I worked in corporate America, one of my responsibilities was to address employee complaints.  Often times, employees would request a transfer from one location to another because of disputes with their supervisor.  They'd complain that their manager was too strict or had too many rules.  Sometimes they'd ask to go to a location where they knew that manager was much more lax about following every rule.  The person assumed that they'd be happier working in an environment with less accountability.

More often than not, once the transfer was granted, the employee would soon realize that they made a mistake. Because they already know the value of working in a well-run environment, the difference at their new location is like night and day. They assumed that having fewer rules would make them happier but they were mistaken.

The truth is, many of us thrive in an environment that consists of daily rituals, clear expectations, and various routines that support optimal outcomes.  A well-run organization is one where a solid foundational structure is in place.  In our personal lives, however, we often live unregimented lives.  Don't get me wrong, we do follow some routines.  But most of them are in place because if we don't do them, we will suffer a consequence (example, we go to work every day otherwise, we will lose our job).

On the flip side, there are rituals and routines we should incorporate and follow because they support our overall well being.  Those are the first ones to suffer whenever laziness creeps in.  Why? Because the consequences aren't immediate. Since the consequences seem far away (or non-existent) these self-care activities take a back seat.

Some examples of self-care rituals that tend to fall by the wayside are:

• Working out.
• Ensuring you eat the proper amount of micronutrients by eating adequate servings of fruits and veggies. 
• Journaling.
• Daily prayer and devotion.
• Meditation.
• A regular cleaning and decluttering ritual.
• Spending time with friends/family
• Investing in your mindset by reading self-help books or attending seminars.
• Making sure you pay yourself first.
• Saying no.
• Saving money to work on your passion project.
• Learning a new skill.
• Knocking out items that have been on your to-do list forever.
• Finishing something you once started.
• Staying single for a while so you can get deeply reconnected with yourself and what you wish to attract.
• Doing that thing that you're afraid of.
• Giving up the habit that's holding you back.

A portion of the items on the list are enjoyable, but many of them aren't.  It's kinda like working for a boss who's making you do things you don't feel like doing.  But, there's a reason why she has such high standards.  It's because she knows that a great running operation will generate greater rewards.  Many of the employees didn't realize it, but transferring to another location where the manager didn't run a tight operation meant that they'd probably receive a smaller performance bonus (because the other location was underperforming in sales results).  In the end, they were only hurting themselves.  

We have to get really serious about our self-care.  It's more than just splurging on skin products or treating yourself to your heart's desire.  What we truly desire is to feel fulfilled.  And most everything I listed above will contribute to your fulfillment.  

Do you have to do everything on that list at once? 

Nope. 

Just pick the one or two habits missing from your life that could really make a huge impact on your overall wellbeing.  Once you get rolling, you'll continue to build on your self-care routine as time goes on.  But, let's not forget that sometimes, the harder actions can contribute to you the most.  

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Summer Style – Bun Updo With Braid Detail

Standard buns are great to wear every day, if you are a grandmother or work in a  prison. But for the rest of society, a bun is a go to style when you don’t know what to do with your hair. True isn’t it? On the one hand we know that we should make more […]

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Tips For Breaking Out Of Style Boredom

Have you ever been so bored with your hair that it leads to pure frustration and unhappiness? There are some simple ways you can break the repetition and boredom without grabbing a pair of scissors and doing something you might regret later. Below are 7 tips that can help break any styling rut. 1. Get extended […]

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5 Things I Now Know About Healthy Relaxed Hair That I Couldn’t Live Without

Most of us on healthy hair journeys will come across tips and tricks on how to deal with our hair. Some tips are good, others are great and yet others are so fantastic that you absolutely cannot live without them. Today I saw fit to share with you my top 5 hair care lessons that […]

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Relaxed Girls VS Natural Girls Erasing Hair Care Lines

If we focused on just hair care alone, we can find many differences between how a ‘Natural girl’ takes care of her natural hair and how a ‘permed girl’ takes care of her hair. What if for once we looked at the similarities between the two with one goal, healthy relaxed or natural hair? Here […]

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The BEST Protein-Free Products for Growing Long Natural Hair!

Honey, I can't describe....

Before I deep dive into this review, there's one thing you must know:

I've been singing Honey by Mariah Carey nonstop. And rapping the Ma$e verse, because the only version of the song that matters is the Bad Boy remix.

Now that' we've got that out of the way, I'm going to share the 411 on the new Urban Hydration Naturals Honey Growth & Repair Collection - and why I've become utterly obsessed with it.

I didn't think Urban Hydration could outdo themselves, but boy oh boy they did. I had the pleasure of receiving the new Honey Growth & Repair line, which includes:

• Honey Growth & Repair Shampoo with Argan Oil & Sweet Vanilla Bean Extract
• Honey Growth & Repair Deep Conditioner with Argan Oil & Sweet Vanilla Bean Extract
• Honey Growth & Repair Daily Moisturizer with Argan Oil & Sweet Vanilla Bean Extract
• Honey Growth & Repair Style Cream with Argan Oil & Sweet Vanilla Bean Extract
• Honey Growth & Repair Hair Oil with Argan Oil & Sweet Vanilla Bean Extract

Unfortunately, the Honey Growth & Repair Curly Jelly was out of stock - hopefully it'll be back soon and I can get my hands on it. But if it's annnnnnything like the Coconut Oil Curl Defining Gel that I reviewed a few months ago, I'm gonna need a lifetime supply.

The entire Honey Growth & Repair line is available on the Urban Hydration website, and each product retails between $9.99 and $14.99, which is incredibly reasonable and affordable. Every product in the Honey Growth & Repair line is:

• Sulfate free
• Silicone free
• PROTEIN FREE!
• Curly girl friendly
• Cruelty free
• Free of artificial colorants
• Safe for natural, relaxed, transitioning, and color-treated hair
• Almost the entire line is coconut oil free, with the exception of the Hair Oil
• Almost the entire line is shea butter free, with the exception of the Style Cream
• Black owned!

If you've been searching for a low porosity friendly, protein-free haircare line that strengthens and restores elasticity while moisturizing, THIS IS IT. You're going to NEED the Honey Growth & Repair line ASAP. Every product penetrates deeply, moisturizes, and helps prevent breakage - leading to longer, stronger, healthier natural hair.

Wash day dynamic duo!

Honey Growth & Repair Shampoo

Cost
$13.99 for 16.9oz

Where to Buy
The Urban Hydration website

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine: Coconut oil-derived detergent, anti-static, and hair conditioning agent.
• Sodium Cocoamphoacetate: Incredibly gentle organic compound used as a surfactant, emollient, hair conditioning agent, and foam booster.
• Decyl Glucoside: Natural, non-ionic surfactant created using a combination of plant-based fatty alcohols and glucose. It's mild, gentle, and does not dry out the hair or skin.
• Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate: A natural amino acid derivative that acts as a cleanser and foam booster. Enhances effectiveness and feel of cosmetic products.
• Glycerin: Generally vegetable-based humectant that draws moisture from the air.

My Thoughts
I NEVER WANT TO RUN OUT OF THIS SHAMPOO. Like, ever. Literally, love at first pump. The Honey Growth & Repair Shampoo is soooooo silky smooth, it's insane. Definitely one of those shampoos with magical slip. And I don't know what kind of sorcery they've got going on at Urban Hydration HQ, but this shampoo made my curls POP!

I can be elusive with you honey, but it's blatant that I'm feeling you...

Upon rinsing, my curls felt soft, strong, and smooth from root to ends. My scalp was clean, and nor my scalp or hair felt stripped. Y'all, I'm trying to curtail my product junkie ways, but this shampoo is immediately up there with the Koils By Nature Cleanser. Like, instant 2018 hitta. My hair was not dried out, crispy, or weird feeling. This shampoo is like butta!

Honey Growth & Repair Deep Conditioner
Cost
$14.99 for 16.9oz

Where to Buy
The Urban Hydration website

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Glycerin: Generally vegetable-based humectant that draws moisture from the air.
• Beeswax: Thick wax produced from the honeycombs of bees used to seal moisture and provide a natural hold on hair.
• C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate: Ester and emollient that is used to enhance spreadability, reduce the greasiness of other oils, and create a silky soft feeling in mixtures.
• Ginger Extract: Extraction of the spicy, aromatic root that stimulates and encourages hair growth while fighting free-radical damage. Also conditions the hair, while helping to relieve dry, itchy scalp.  
• Phenoxyethanol: A glycol ether preservative alternative to parabens.

My Thoughts

Just when I thought my wash day had peaked, Urban Hydration had another trick up their sleeve. I've been waiting to experience a deep conditioner from them, and let me tell YOU! The Honey Growth & Repair Deep conditioner is literally LIFE. It's got crazy slip, tons of moisture, and feels super creamy going onto the hair. If you're looking for a deep conditioner to help strengthen and restore elasticity without containing protein, this is IT.

I love that the shampoo and deep conditioner are so generously sized. 16.9oz of deep conditioner for $15 is practically unheard of. And let me be the first to say - it's worth every single penny. My hair felt sooooooo soft, strong, and hydrated after rinsing y'all.... I had a Mariah moment and tried to hit some high key adlibs at the sink.

It was a mess, but my curls were poppin'.

Healthy. Strong. Growing.

Honey Growth & Repair Daily Moisturizer

Cost
$11.99 for 9.1oz

Where to Buy
The Urban Hydration website

• Water
• Glycerin: Generally vegetable-based humectant that draws moisture from the air.
• PVP: Form filming vinyl polymer used as a hair fixative and binding agent (aka provides hold). It's a common active ingredient in many gels and styling product formulas.
• Aloe Vera Juice: Acts as a natural conditioning agent that restores the hair's sheen, luster, and shine. It not only makes the hair soft, but it also enhances strength and suppleness.
• DMDM Hydantoin: Preservative and antimicrobial.

My Thoughts

So rich. So creamy. So much moisture. Honestly, I'm about 2 seconds from using the Honey Growth & Repair Daily Moisturizer on my skin as lotion. It's super smooth, and defrizzes while moisturizing. This multi-functional product works as a moisturizer or leave-in conditioner, and I've used it as both. A little bit goes a long way, and it plays nicely with other stylers! Even though it's thick and creamy, it easily penetrates the low porosity sections of my hair, which makes it an ideal prep product for wash and go styles.

Honey Growth & Repair Style Cream
Cost
$12.99 for 9.4oz

Where to Buy
The Urban Hydration website

Active Ingredients

• Water
• Glycerin: Generally vegetable-based humectant that draws moisture from the air.
• Beeswax: Thick wax produced from the honeycombs of bees used to seal moisture and provide a natural hold on hair.
• PVP: Form filming vinyl polymer used as a hair fixative and binding agent (aka provides hold). It's a common active ingredient in many gels and styling product formulas.
• Ginger Extract: Extraction of the spicy, aromatic root that stimulates and encourages hair growth while fighting free-radical damage. Also conditions the hair, while helping to relieve dry, itchy scalp. 
• Shea Butter: Emollient fat from the nut of the East or West African shea nut (karite) tree. Proven effective moisturizer, natural anti-oxidant, improves skin elasticity, and treats a variety of skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

My Thoughts

I've met the PERFECT styling cream to tame my curls!!!

My Left: product-free hair. My Right: Daily Moisturizer + StylingCream + Hair Oil + Gel

Listen, y'all.The styling cream is suuuuuper creamy and rich, without being greasy. It captures and defines my curls, and creates the perfect foundation for poppin' curls. My only regret is that I don't have the Honey Curly Jelly to pair it with. I had to use Eco Styler (red lid) gel, and it worked so well. Eco Styler is notoriously drying, and thanks to the Style Cream and Daily Moisturizer, my curls stayed hydrated and touchable for days on end.

The definition I achieved would NOT have been possible without the Styling Cream. Do y'all see this definition? This shine? This curl poppage? UNREAL.

Honey Growth & Repair Hair Oil
Cost
$9.99 for 4oz

Where to Buy
The Urban Hydration website

Active Ingredients

• Ethylhexyl Palmitate: A derivative of palm oil lipids, acts as a smoothing agent and emollient. Often used in place of silicones as a "dry slip" agent.
• C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate: Ester and emollient that is used to enhance spreadability, reduce the greasiness of other oils, and create a silky soft feeling in mixtures.
• Coconut Oil: Oil high in saturated fats (which is why when cold, it is solid). One of the few known oils to penetrate the hair shaft and truly moisturize hair. Coconut oil helps to moisturize, seal, and prevent breakage.
• Avocado Oil: Omega 3-rich nourishing oil extract that can enhances shine, moisture retention, softness, and elasticity in hair.
• Argan Oil: Oil rich in vitamin E and contains omega 3 and omega 9 fatty acids that provide nutrition for hair. It also contains linoleic and oleic acid that helps to hydrate and moisturize hair. Helps repair damaged follicles, imparts shine, and prevents frizz and rough ends.

My Thoughts

This hair and scalp friendly oil functions less like an oil and more like a lightweight serum. It doesn't make my hair feel greasy or shiny at all. Like the entire line, it carries a light and sweet vanilla aroma that's not at all heavy and it does not linger. Overall, the Hair Oil provides brilliant, natural shine while locking in moisture for days. I used it to seal in the Daily Moisturizing and styling cream, and a few days later to help boost shine. Both times, my hair responded beautifully with enhanced sheen and zero greasiness.

The results are IN! Oh HONEY!!!!!

The Bottom Line + What Products Are My Favorite?

Clearly, I'm beyond in love with the Honey Growth & Repair line. It made my curls feel hydrated and strong, with the perfect balance between moisture and elasticity. My hair had a very natural luster and sheen, without feeling greasy or weighed down. The products played beautifully together as a collection, but are stellar stand-outs on their own.

At this point in the review, I'd normally tell you what my essential/top 2-3 products are. I'm so sorry o disappoint y'all, but this is one of those "you need the whole thing" collections. I LOVE the shampoo and deep conditioner. I'm obsessed with the styling products. I cannot wait to get my grubby lil' hands on the Curly Jelly.

Try 'em one at a time if you must. But just make sure you try them all. Next, I gotta get my hands on that new JBCO collection!

Will you be giving Urban Hydration Honey Growth & Repair line a try? Let me know in the comments below!

This post is sponsored by Urban Hydration Naturals and contains affiliate links.

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The New Hair Product Offering From DAX And Why I Would Not Use It

I had this question from one of our visitors last week and I thought it was important to highlight it. There is a new product from Dax that states no petrolatum, no mineral oil. But the main ingredients is hydrogenated vegetable oils, is that good for the hair? Other ingredients are coconut oil, castor oil, […]

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