Tuesday, December 30, 2014

As I am double butter cream (review)






Product Review 
4 DIAMONDS PRODUCT RATING


































































































































About 3 months ago I purchased the double butter cream by As I am products. I found this product on sale at Target. At the time, this is the first product used from this brand, and I love it!  It comes in a small and large size. I purchased the 8 ounce size for 13.99 which is the sale price. The regular price is 15.99 for 8 ounces. That is more than I would normally like to pay for a product. I like to keep my cost per ounce at $1 or less. But this one is a keeper and a little goes a long way. 
PROS:
Gives you great definition
Long lasting
No need to reapply daily
Strengthens the hair
Stretches your hair
Sets quickly
Moderate Moisture
No build up
do not use it with other gels outside of the As I am gel

When you need to set your twist out quickly this is the product for you.. It is a water based product but it does not take a long time to dry and set your twists. No waiting all night for your twist out to set. This sets in 1 to 3 hours.

CONS:
Not enough moisture for extra dry hair
The cost is $2 per ounce
Try to catch this product on sale
Invest in the larger size it  you only pay around a $1.62 per ounce.

TWIST OUT USING THE DOUBLE BUTTER CREAM


I purchased this because it was on sale and because I had heard so many good things about this line. This was money well spent. I will purchase this product again. 

Other products by As I am, I have tried recently:
As I am leave in conditioner
(this product is light great for thin, fine hair)
As I am co wash
(nice low PH cleanser that will not dry your hair out)



How to choose your hair care products?



Part one: 

Choosing your basic care products 


A successful hair journey is broken into 3 parts. One half mindset, 1/4 technique and 1/4 products. The hair care regimen is included in with technique. Hair, for most people is a huge part of their daily outfit. Hair is a big deal to most, so your mindset about your hair is very important. You need to have a good attitude about your hair, even when it is not exactly the way you desire it to be. Your positive mindset combined with a good regimen and the right products will help you grow the hair you desire. 

The first in creating your hair care regimen is having the right products for your hair. The products you use are based on the current condition of your hair and the style you plan to achieve. In the beginning of your regimen it is good to perfect one style first, this is your signature style. This is better than trying different style each day and becoming discouraged. 

How to choose a cleanser for your hair

You need a cleanser that is formulated to cleanse the hair. Co washing with conditioner is not cleansing your hair. Conditioner is not formulated to cleanse your hair.  Choose a non sulfate shampoo or a conditioning cleanser. 

Choose a shampoo that is sulfate free, alcohol free and silicone free. Keep your cleansers between a PH of 4.0 and 7. Your shampoo should clean without stripping your hair. Look for the words "moisturizing on the bottle, those are usually good choices.

Cleanser suggestions:
Shea Moisture coconut & Hisbicus shampoo
Shea Moisture Thickening shampoo
Shea Moisture retention shampoo
Cream of Nature moisturizing shampoo
Lisa Rachel conditioning cleanser 4.5PH
As I am coconut co wash cleansing conditioner 5.5 PH
As I am cleansing pudding 4.5 PH
Eden bodyworks co wash


The entire As I am line is PH between 4.5 and  6.5 the perfect PH for maintaining healthy hair


How to choose your deep conditioner
Honey & Sage Deep Conditioner

Each shampoo should be followed by a  regular conditioner or deep conditioner. A regular conditioner, is applied to the hair and rinsed off in 5 minutes or less, in most cases. Deep conditioner should contain ingredients which penetrate the hair cuticle. Heat from a hooded dryer or steamer is used with a deep conditioner. Sit under hair dryer for at least 20 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Using cold or cool water will help to lock in the moisture benefits from your deep conditioner. Again beware of harsh alcohols, sulfates and silicones.

Conditioner recommendations:
Shea Moisture black soap masque
Shea moisture restoraton masque
Alikay Naturals honey and shea
As I am hydration elation intensive conditioner  5.5PH









How to choose a leave in conditioner

Follow each shampoo/DC with a leave in conditioner. Afro hair requires continuous moisture. So choosing the best leave in conditioner is extremely important. All other products are rinsed off, but your leave in stays on your hair. If the ingredients are harsh it will dry your hair out. Choose the leave in with the least amount of harsh ingredients.

No parabens
No sulfates
No harsh alcohols

Recommended leave in conditioners:
SM Curl enhancing smoothie
As I am double butter cream 5.5
As I am leave in conditioner 5.5
Taliah Waajid curly curl cream
 Afro stretch by 4Naturals
Cantu shea butter leave in
Cantu curl activator

Your leave in conditioner should also function as your styler for twists out and braid out. All of those mentioned above work great as a styler and leave in conditioner.

For extra hold use gel on top of your leave in conditioner. Not all products are compatible. Test your products on the back of you hand to see how they mix together. Also try using a leave in conditioner with a gel from the same line to avoid product conflict. Product conflict will leave flakes or white balls in your hair and require immediate cleansing. 
Twist out
Twist/braid outs work great with curling creams and leave in conditioners.

 
Wash and go wet sets need a leave in and a gel to freeze the curls in place. The leave in helps the hair to not dry out under the gel. 

Once you get your products, then be sure you are cleansing your hair using the correct technique. Read here on how to shampoo your hair effectively.





Thursday, December 4, 2014

3 FREE ways to increase your hair growth now!



Hair grows on average 1/2 an inch per month. Some people receive less  while others receive more. If you fall into the average you should gain 6 inches of new hair per year. This increase depends on how much growth you retain and how often you trim your hair.


THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO HELPING YOU ACHIEVE THOSE 6 INCHES EACH YEAR

3 easy, FREE ways to increase your hair growth. 


1. Scalp massage 


One of the best ways to stimulate your hair roots and promote hair growth are scalp massages. Touch your scalp. Do you realize that your scalp is full of muscles?  The biggest scalp muscle is at the base of the neck above the nape area. Muscles become sore, stiff and tensed from stress and lack of stimulation.  A tight tense scalp does not produce good hair growth. Using a little natural oil and your fingers massage your scalp for ten minutes twice a day. Wake your scalp up with a stimulating scalp massage in the morning. In the evenings relax by giving your scalp a nice 10 minute massage to relieve all of the tension from a long day of work. 

STAY CONSISTENT WITH DAILY SCALP MASSAGES YOU WILL SEE A DIFFERENCE IN 5 WEEKS


2. Finger untangling and finger styling

Combs and brushes tear Afro hair and
weaken it. Put all your combs away and practice finger combing and styling. It may take some time getting accustomed to not using a comb but pretty soon you will not even miss it. When you see how thick your hair is looking and the extra length you are retaining, you will wonder why you did not try finger untangling sooner. When you finger untangle take your time and work on small sections at a time. The better your moisture regimen is the easier it is to finger untangle. The CoilyQueens Regimen is perfect regimen to balance your moisture and strength. . Start finger combing today and watch your hair transform in a few weeks. Longer hair growth, stronger thicker hair and less split ends.


3. Water in and water on!

Notice how Caucasian hair appears to grow
faster than Afro hair on the average?  Notice how often men must get their hair cut? Now notice how often Caucasians wash their hair and how often men wash their hair. Both of these groups wash their hair frequently. If you want to increase your hair growth wash your hair more. Water is essential for life. It is a myth that dirty hair grows the best. Stop with the every two weeks wash routine. If you want your hair to grow better increase your shampoo regimens. The CoilyQueens Regimen requires washing your hair every 4th day. Washing your hair more frequently will not harm your hair, shampooing with bad products will hurt your hair. Be sure your cleansers are PH balanced for hair.

Dink more water! When someone tells me
their hair will not grow, I ask them how much water they drink per day. Water helps our blood to circulate better and our organs to function properly. Water lubricates and stops inflammation from remaining in the body. Inflammation makes hair growth difficult. Hair cannot reach it full grow potential in an inflamed body. Drink 64 ounces or more of filtered water a day.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

INCREASE your hair growth with New Moon Trimming (December)

 
Yes, you can increase your hair growth rate by trimming during the right days of the month. Do your hair trims during the best high energy days as the moon grows and you will double or triple your re-growth rate. 

Kay Bee is trying to grow her natural hair to great lengths. She did her first New Moon Trim on November 3rd. She only did a small trim. She said her hair could barely touch her nose last month now it touches her top lip. Look at her increase and her growth elevation should continue. So why wait? You need to trim your hair anyways. Happy healthy hair journey to you Kay Bee!

Great growth from her first New Moon Trim!!!



 POSITIVE ENERGY IN
 NEGATIVE ENERGY OUT

This method is all about energy, using the high energy of the position of the moon to increase your hair growth. In order to allow new good energy in, you must release all negative energy. Continuing to house negative energy will only get in the way of any positive energy trying to enter. 

Now is the time to release all the negativity you have concerning your hair. Stop using negative terms to describe your hair. Stop stating what your hair hates or cannot do. Stop relating to your hair based on your past. Just because you never had long hair does not mean that you never will. Stop deceiving yourself, by saying you are okay with average results. 


How to do a New Moon trim
  • Release all negative energy
  • Pick your new moon date
  • Trim your hair according to your needs
  • Write down your hair length
  • Follow a healthy hair regimen
  • Measure hair growth, 40 days after trim
  • Enjoy your growth increase
  • Continue to measure  growth every 30 days.

YOU WILL RECEIVE GROWTH BENEFITS FROM ONLY ONE TRIM, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY MONTH.

 
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NEW MOON TRIMS CHECKOUT MY OTHER ARTICLES

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