Natural Hair and Water

Water is the single most important nutrient for our bodies. It is involved in every one of our bodies functions.

Did you know........?
*Your body is about 70%water
*Your muscles are about 75% water
*Your brain cells are about 85% water
*Your blood is approximately 82% water
*Even your boness are approximately 25%water

When your body lacks the water it needs, it goes into a ration mode. Think of a sprinkler system whose pressure is too low to reach all the grass on your lawn. Some parts stay green and live, but other parts begin to turn brown, whither, and die. When you live in a drought condition your body smartly manages the water you give it, keeping the vital organs (Brain, Heart, Lungs, Kindeys, and Liver) well watered with nutrients. The body robs and takes away water from other areas of the body to keep the main organs healthy. This results in many health issues such as......
*Joint pains and Arthritis
*High Blood Pressure
*Digestive Problems
*Asthma and the list goes on

Guess what....? A lack of water also results in skin problems, and also dry and brittle hair. Water is the best moisturizer for natural hair. Staying hydrated can help your hair not to become dry, limp and brittle. For example when you are dehydrated the strands of your hair do not hold moisture well, making it easy for strands to snap and break off. So start combating dryness with water. Keep a spray bottle with water in it to give your hair a refresher throughout the day, and drink plenty of water.
If you don't know how much water your body needs, take your body weight and divide it by 2. (i.e 140/2=70) The answer is the number of water ounces you need in one day! Thats easy to do! Right? You can easily accomplish this by drinking 2cups of water when you wake up in the morning, and then drink a bottle of water every hour or so that you're awake during the day!

*Note: Hard water is very harmful to your hair! If you have hard water, please invest in a water softner. Your body and hair will thank you in the long run ;)

..... and so it begins

This deployment has finally begun. You know I thought I'd never get to this point. Let a lone be a newlywed and gearing up for deployment at the same time. Yes you guys I recently got married. I'll have to upload pictures at a later date but for now I'm just going to announce it. How do you make it through deployment?! Everyone says keep busy but there isn't much to do here.... I mean seriously. Anyway I can't think straight or get my thoughts together so I'm going to medicate and sleep right now because all I can do is cry cry cry!!

An All Natural Protein Treatment

According to experts, protein treatments strengthen your hair and treat weak, brittle hair. The treatments leave hair soft, smooth, full, and healthy. But why do you need protein treatments? Chemical processing, unfortunately, takes its toll. Dying your hair, a chemical treatment, depletes 15 to 20 percent of hair protein. Additional treatments cost you more protein each time. After awhile, your hair looks like straw. It's dry and lacks luster and vitality. A "hair protein treatment" restores over-processed hair. But you don't need to spend big bucks on a protein treatment. Here are some tips on doing a much cheaper but equally effective home protein treatment.

Instructions:

1. Wash you hair. Towel dry and leave damp.
2. Whip three eggs and stick them in the blender. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Whip the mixture for a few seconds.
3. Saturate your damp hair with the eggs/lemon juice mixture. Wait 15 to 20 minutes. (Oh my God! Can I stand to wait so long?)
4. Use cool water to rinse your hair

Tips & Warnings:

• Is your hair shining? Damaged ends fixed? It worked!
• Once you've done a protein conditioner, try another homemade conditioner for extra luster. Mix a small amount (say, a teaspoon) of a clear alcohol, like vodka, with a couple of beaten egg yolks. Wash your hair, towel dry, then work the vodka/egg concoction into your scalp. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then rinse. Hollywood, here I come.
• Still want to try a commercial treatment? Pick a hair protein treatment made for your hair style. Box labels tell you which are a good fit. Follow the directions on the box or bottle. Don't overuse.

How to make your own Moisturizing Protein Conditioner

Protein and moisture are important to healthy hair. While our diet affects the health of the hair and scalp, there are also items we eat that can be applied to the hair to improve its condition externally as well. Think of it as feeding your hair.

Instructions:

1. Place 3 tbsp. of creamy peanut butter into a blender. Peanut butter is a very protein-rich food that will do great things for your hair.
2. Add one egg to the peanut butter. Eggs also are full of protein, and they help moisturize as well. Don't worry about whites or yolks; add the whole egg (except for the shell) to your conditioner. Each part of the egg plays a part in the conditioning of your hair.
3. Place 2 tsp. of honey in the blender. Honey is a natural antioxidant that soaks up impurities while moisturizing and nourishing the hair.
4. Add 1/2 of an avocado (peeled and pitted) to the blender as well. Avocado is known for its nourishing and moisturizing properties.
5. Start the blender on low to mix all of the ingredients. If they are not mixing well, or are making a paste instead of a creamy concoction, add distilled water one capful at a time until the conditioner reaches the desired consistency.

Some Tips & Warnings:

• This conditioner can be used daily in the shower, just like any other conditioner, or weekly as a deep treatment (in which it is left on for 30 minutes). Rinse your hair well with warm water (not hot) until the water runs clear.
• While it may be tempting, do not wash your hair after using the conditioner; as long as you rinse it well, there will be no residue. Store this conditioner in the refrigerator for up to 4 days before you need to discard it and make a new batch.

How to Determine if your hair needs Moisture or Protein

Black hair is prone to breakage. Some amount of hair loss is natural, but most hair loss in black women stems from mistreatment or a disproportionate amount of moisture or protein. Many stylists who focus on healthy black hair will tell you that your hair demands a balance of moisture and protein. Nothing else that you do to obtain a head of healthy black hair will matter if you that balance is thrown off. Follow these steps to test your hair.

Instructions:

• Wet your hair. It is best to do this test after you have shampooed your hair. While it is still wet, grip about an inch of your hair between your fingers.
• Stretch the wet strands of hair, and run a comb through them. Make sure your hair is not tangled when you do this -- you don't want to harm your hair. And remember, it is always best to use a wide-tooth comb in black hair.
• Pay close attention to the way that the hair strands react after they have been combed. Healthy black hair strands will stretch, but they will not break unless they are under an extreme amount of stress. Again, what you are looking for in this step is to see how your hair reacts to the wet stretch.
• Based on how your hair reacted to stretching, determine whether your hair needs moisture or protein. You hair needs moisture if it doesn't stretch at all and then breaks, or if it feels extremely rough and brittle. You hair needs protein if it stretches a long way and then breaks (or doesn't break at all), or if it is limp and feels gummy. If your hair stretches just a little, then returns to its normal length without breaking, the amount of protein and moisture in your hair is well balanced.

Some Tips & Warnings:

• Black hair needs a great deal of moisture because it is very porous. If this test shows that your hair needs moisture, use a moisturizing conditioner or cream, then make sure to seal in the moisture with a light oil sheen.
• There are many protein treatments for black hair. You can also get a protein-based, leave-in conditioner as well.

5 Question Friday!

1. Where is your favorite vacation spot and why? St. Petersburg, FL..... I absolutely love Florida. I love everything about their weather and location. It's such a beautiful place to visit.

2. What is your biggest guilty pleasure? Good question LOL! I'm in love with chocolate hahahaaa. It's my mistress to no end! *insert evil grin*

3. What is your favorite fashion trend right now? Or, in the past? The big earrings is always and forever will be my favorite fashion trend.

4. What are your spring break plans? I don't have an spring break plans. I wish I did have plans. I don't really do anything special for spring break.

5. What baby names do you hate? Anything GHETTO. Why would you name your child something that they can't even pronounce themselves?! I mean really, why.

Thursday 5

Accomplished
Joy
Love
Peace
Pain

I feel Accomplished to have made it through another week

I feel the Joy in the air. I've had this unexplained Joy all week long.

Love me or hate me, I'm going to be me. I'm loving life.

Peace of mind all week is what I've had, what about you?

I've got this unbearable pain my neck from helping someone move and OMG never again LOL!