Chronicles of a Dry Itchy Scalp

Some times we have to journal about our issues, good and bad, in order to improve our current situations or to maintain a good state. You can look back on your journal to see what reaction your hair had. You can use it as a guide as to what not to do ever again. The list goes on of the phenomenal ways a journal can help us. And please understand this is not just for hair but for our daily lives as well. Below is a journal of when my scalp becomes dry so I can make it better by seeing what works best for me and when.

1/25 Sunday – wash day; shampoo, protein treatment and moisture DC
1/26 Monday – scalp fine
1/27 Tuesday  – scalp fine
1/28 Wednesday – itching in back
1/29 Thursday – itching all over and a little dry looking but no patches or flakes; oiled scalp
1/30 friday – scalp fine
1/31 Saturday – itching all over

2/1 Sunday –  wash day; cowash, no DC only L.C.O.
2/2 Monday – scalp is okay
2/3 Tuesday – slight itching and dry scalp visible, sprayed with moisturizing mix and sealed with jojoba oil
2/4 Wednesday – scalp fine
2/5 Thursday – scalp fine
2/6 Friday – scalp has some dry patches scattered and little itching
2/7 Saturday little itching
2/8 Sunday wash day; clay wash and L.C.O
2/9 Monday – scalp fine
2/10 Tuesday – scalp fine
2/11 Wednesday – scalp fine
2/12 Thursday – itching
2/13 friday – lots of itching but no sign of dryness (when my hair is dry my scalp looks white) retwisting tonight on old hair without washing for the first time for valentine’s day. Sprayed with water lightly and applied a small amount of Miss Jessie’s Buttercreme.
2/14 Saturday – scalp very itchy and notice dry patches scattered throughout.
2/15 Sunday – wash day; cowash with conditioner, no DC only LCO
2/16 Monday – scalp is fine
2/17 Tuesday – scalp not itching but there are flakes scarcely in my head; no visible dryness
2/18 Wednesday – scalp is fine outside of flakes that are there
2/19 Thursday – scalp is fine, no visible signs of dryness and not a lot of itching
2/20 friday little itching
2/21 Saturday same as Friday
2/22 Sunday same, wash day with protein treatment
2/23 Monday – scalp flaking no itching
2/24 Tuesday – no itching but several dry patches throughout my scalp
2/25 Wednesday – slight itching and scalp very very dry still
2/26 Thursday scalp severely dry
2/27 Friday – still dry
2/28 Saturday still dry more itching
3/1 Co wash day

I’ve learned some things from this month long journal: the shampoo and protein treatment tend to dry my scalp up quiet a bit. On days when I cowash my scalp does not get dry as quickly. What I don’t know is if it’s the shampoo or the protein treatment, or both of them combined. I feel that I have to do both so I’m not going to take them from my regimen. What I will do is oil my scalp the very next day after wash day and every other day there after.

Do you have a problem with your hair? Try journaling and let me know how it’s helped you. 😉

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Product Review: Naturalioius Moroccan Rhassoul 5 in 1 Clay Treatment

As part of my post loc regimen I am trying Naturalioius Moroccan Rhassoul  5-in-1 Clay Treatment.  I’ve always wanted to try a clay cleanser because of its great ties to nature…the earth and totally natural ingredients. This particular clay is a treatment because it does more than just cleanse youe hair. It also conditions, deep conditions, detangler, and works as a leave in conditioner.

When I washed my hair the first round  (I’m a 2 to 3 time washer) I said to myself that I wasn’t going to get it anymore because I’m used to a certain feel, that of shampoos and conditioner. This unconventional texture was weird to me, so I was a little worries that it wouldn’t work. And I also didn’t feel my hair softening immediately like it does with shampoo and especially conditioner.  But by the time I applied the treatment to all four of my hair sections and returned to detangler the first section my hair felt very soft and it Detangled very easily. A love connection has been made! 

While I feel that this product is good for my hair on the flip side I find it to be a little pricey, 19.99 for 12 Oz bottle.   I have to use a lot to cover my hair and get my scalp and the directions do say to use a generous amount. I suspect the bottle will only last me one more use. On my current regimen I’ll be clarifying with this once a month so the 19 bucks will last me two months. It’s cheaper than when I was relaxed..$60 every two weeks in the winter and every week in the summer. So I guess I won’t complain:). Overall I won’t complain the produce has a nice smell it did what it said it would and I love the results.

My Buttercup’s Regimen

After much thought and analysis I have decided on a refreshing regimen for my 4 year old. It’s very simple but I feel it will be the most effective thus far.  As I tried something similar in the past and I did see growth when I used this method for her. The Burts Bees, Nature’s Baby, and Goin Natural Rare Moisture Butter are all new products.

Week 1
Apply 4 sections using butterfly clips
Shampoo twice  using Burts Bees Baby Shampoo

Deep  condition using  my DC mix minus all the essential oils and vitamins

Rinse

Apply leave in conditioner, kinky curly not today

Apply Goin Natural Rare Moisture Butter ( started using this for her because of its all natural ingredients on Sunday January 11, 2015); prior to that I was using my homemade moisturizer.
Seal with coconut oil
Style

Weeks 2,3 and 4
Cowash using nature’s baby organics

Deep condition with coconut oil

Apply leave in conditioner, Kinky Curly Knot Today
Apply moisturizer
Seal with coconut oil
Style

I plan to give this routin some time to see if it works if it does not I am going to try what I did with my oldest daughter: not wash her hair as much. I washed my oldest daughters hair maybe once every 2-3 months and it was very healthy and long. I’m not sure if this is because “dirty hair grows” or because you are not removing the naturals oils that is produced on our scalp. I’m even struggling with the idea of greasing her scalp with some good old fashion hair greese… either Blue Magic or Burgamont.  Time will tell. I will give it two months to see if I notice any progress.

The Great Winter Debate: Glycerine or Naw

While researching when I first became natural in 2012 one of the things I purchase was vegetable glycerine. The controversy with this product begins with its origin, while it is a natural products it can be man-made. I take precautions in who I purchase mine from and make sure it’s 100% pure. Vegetable glycerine  is a great moisturizer that softens hair and more importantly it’s a humectant  (which is why it moisturizer and softens :). I started using this in my deep conditioners then in my daily moisturizing spray, and I love it in both.  Problem came when I discovered that in the drier winter months this product may take moisture out of the hair. THAT WAS A PROBLEM! So I immediately discarded it in mid October – it’s pretty cool/cold here in Maryland at that time. The next winter to come around i had loc’ed my hair. Now that I am back to my free tresses I’ve begun researching again because I have a big ole bottle of this stuff . New discovery: as with any product, what works for you may not work for others and vice versa. Pretty much gotta try it and see how your hair responds. The other factor that plays a part  is the amount of glycerine used. It should not be more than the amount of water used.
I’m sticking with my moisturizing spray mixture but I decided to make one for my daughter using her conditioner.
The mixture I made for my daughter is below ( stay tuned to why I’m going this route instead of using one already on the market):

Water – 3 part
Glycerin -1 part
Nature’s Baby Organics Vanilla Tangerine Conditioner 3 cap fulls
Aloe Vera gel – 2 cap fulls

Water Temperature Matters

When we wash and condition our hair the tempeature of the water makes a difference in our end result. Without doing research most of us will wash with warm water because its more soothing and doesn’t come with a shock factor like washing with cold water. Research may reveal that cold water is best for you. It is for me because of my hairs porosity level. But before we get into that lets talk about the differences between the two temperatures. Our soothing and relaxing friend warm water swells the hair causing it to open thus allowing moisture in as well as causing frizz. Our chill friend, cold water, makes the hair shaft lay flat closing the cuticle which causes a smoother turnout…no frizz. Of course none of us want frizz, it just doesn’t look appealing.

This is where porosity comes into play. Low porosity hair can make good use of warm water to aid in opening the cuticle to allow the moisture in. High porosity hair will benefit best from cold water to help lay there cuticles down after moisturizing to seal it in. Early on in my natural journey and after I found out about porosity, as part of my regimen I would first wash with warm water to open my cuticles then I would DC and wash that out with Cold water. And I would do my daily co-washes with warm water also. Now I do everything in warm water because after I DC I moisturize my hair, so I want that to get in also. So I have decided to work around the frizz that my warm water regimen produces…Its honestly not that bad once I style it.