Random Hair Thoughts/Thinking out loud

@CocoGlow I want to know about your regimen. Are you still doing WO? How is it going?

@Sharpened

Hey Sis!

Yes I am still doing the Water Only Hair Washing Regimen. It has been about a year now I believe, and I couldn't be more happy! I'm actually shocked that after trying just about every hair regimen out there for a decade +, something so simple and out-the-box is just what my hair needed.

I have leveled out to "washing" about 1x a week. In the beginning you may want to do it more often to help with sebum production as your hair will be very dry & unprotected at that stage. As you coax your sebum further down your hair you will notice the unique softness that only your natural sebum can provide and you will not need to rinse as often -although you most certainly could rinse everyday until the end of time if you want to :giggle:

To rinse, I section my hair into 4 large sections. I "scritch" my scalp with the pads of my fingers and use my vibrating scalp massager to loosen up any dead skin, debris etc. Then I take one section at a time and rinse with warm water using the water pressure from my showerhead & my fingers to remove shed hair while also using my hands in a downward direction to "preen" my sebum from my scalp to ends. Detangling is super easy because of the sebum lubricating my strands. I do not try to disturb the clumps that formed naturally once I started this regimen - all I am focused on is removing the shed hair from them - no need for combs/brushes, etc.

After all sections are rinsed I use a microfiber turban to soak up excess water. Then I usually put my damp hair into about 10 braids to stretch my hair until it dries, adding a butter blend only to the very ends of my hair to keep them extra lubricated. My braid outs look super defined due to the definition from the braids + the natural clumps that are "sealed" in place with my sebum.

I will occasionally "clarify" using diluted apple cider vinegar focusing on my scalp & hair. I will usually apply the diluted vinegar to each section and then sit with a plastic cap to let it marinate for a bit before I proceed with my regular rinsing routine. Throughout the week if my hair needs some moisture, all I have to do is mist on some good ole H2O or aloe vera juice - I may add a teeny bit of the butter blend to my hair for fragrance purposes or to unravel my braids with more ease. Honestly my hair does not require anything else and it is neither greasy nor dry - which were the extremes that I had to deal with constantly on other hair regimens. And my scalp is happy now too!

So that's my regimen in a nutshell - so simple! :yahoo:

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have ... I hope this helps!
 
Just getting back on this website, I don't even know how long it's been. But I'm looking for a new challenge to enter and I have no clue which one to join...I've been living overseas in Korea for the past year and the humidity here has my hair on the fast track. I'm pretty sure I'm a solid MBL now (I'm pretty short) but its so hard to take care of my hair here so I've just been doing box braids. Just took down some I had for 2 months, and got some new ones I plan to wear for another 2 months. But I'm moving back to the US then and I need a new challenge to keep my hair growing at the same rate I have been getting here. Maaaaaybe I can shoot for WL...?
 
@Sharpened

Hey Sis!

Yes I am still doing the Water Only Hair Washing Regimen. It has been about a year now I believe, and I couldn't be more happy! I'm actually shocked that after trying just about every hair regimen out there for a decade +, something so simple and out-the-box is just what my hair needed.

I have leveled out to "washing" about 1x a week. In the beginning you may want to do it more often to help with sebum production as your hair will be very dry & unprotected at that stage. As you coax your sebum further down your hair you will notice the unique softness that only your natural sebum can provide and you will not need to rinse as often -although you most certainly could rinse everyday until the end of time if you want to :giggle:

To rinse, I section my hair into 4 large sections. I "scritch" my scalp with the pads of my fingers and use my vibrating scalp massager to loosen up any dead skin, debris etc. Then I take one section at a time and rinse with warm water using the water pressure from my showerhead & my fingers to remove shed hair while also using my hands in a downward direction to "preen" my sebum from my scalp to ends. Detangling is super easy because of the sebum lubricating my strands. I do not try to disturb the clumps that formed naturally once I started this regimen - all I am focused on is removing the shed hair from them - no need for combs/brushes, etc.

After all sections are rinsed I use a microfiber turban to soak up excess water. Then I usually put my damp hair into about 10 braids to stretch my hair until it dries, adding a butter blend only to the very ends of my hair to keep them extra lubricated. My braid outs look super defined due to the definition from the braids + the natural clumps that are "sealed" in place with my sebum.

I will occasionally "clarify" using diluted apple cider vinegar focusing on my scalp & hair. I will usually apply the diluted vinegar to each section and then sit with a plastic cap to let it marinate for a bit before I proceed with my regular rinsing routine. Throughout the week if my hair needs some moisture, all I have to do is mist on some good ole H2O or aloe vera juice - I may add a teeny bit of the butter blend to my hair for fragrance purposes or to unravel my braids with more ease. Honestly my hair does not require anything else and it is neither greasy nor dry - which were the extremes that I had to deal with constantly on other hair regimens. And my scalp is happy now too!

So that's my regimen in a nutshell - so simple! :yahoo:

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have ... I hope this helps!
Pics please. I'd love to see your hair.
 
@Sharpened

Hey Sis!

Yes I am still doing the Water Only Hair Washing Regimen. It has been about a year now I believe, and I couldn't be more happy! I'm actually shocked that after trying just about every hair regimen out there for a decade +, something so simple and out-the-box is just what my hair needed.

I have leveled out to "washing" about 1x a week. In the beginning you may want to do it more often to help with sebum production as your hair will be very dry & unprotected at that stage. As you coax your sebum further down your hair you will notice the unique softness that only your natural sebum can provide and you will not need to rinse as often -although you most certainly could rinse everyday until the end of time if you want to :giggle:

To rinse, I section my hair into 4 large sections. I "scritch" my scalp with the pads of my fingers and use my vibrating scalp massager to loosen up any dead skin, debris etc. Then I take one section at a time and rinse with warm water using the water pressure from my showerhead & my fingers to remove shed hair while also using my hands in a downward direction to "preen" my sebum from my scalp to ends. Detangling is super easy because of the sebum lubricating my strands. I do not try to disturb the clumps that formed naturally once I started this regimen - all I am focused on is removing the shed hair from them - no need for combs/brushes, etc.

After all sections are rinsed I use a microfiber turban to soak up excess water. Then I usually put my damp hair into about 10 braids to stretch my hair until it dries, adding a butter blend only to the very ends of my hair to keep them extra lubricated. My braid outs look super defined due to the definition from the braids + the natural clumps that are "sealed" in place with my sebum.

I will occasionally "clarify" using diluted apple cider vinegar focusing on my scalp & hair. I will usually apply the diluted vinegar to each section and then sit with a plastic cap to let it marinate for a bit before I proceed with my regular rinsing routine. Throughout the week if my hair needs some moisture, all I have to do is mist on some good ole H2O or aloe vera juice - I may add a teeny bit of the butter blend to my hair for fragrance purposes or to unravel my braids with more ease. Honestly my hair does not require anything else and it is neither greasy nor dry - which were the extremes that I had to deal with constantly on other hair regimens. And my scalp is happy now too!

So that's my regimen in a nutshell - so simple! :yahoo:

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have ... I hope this helps!
Taking notes...:bookworm:

I want to try this, even though using mainly oils is working for me. The problem is I do not think I produce enough sebum now due to peri-menopausal crap. Castor oil works great with the little I do get.
 
FYI to anyone interested - babassu oil actually more penetrating than coconut oil due to being 80% monounsaturated fat (coconut oil is 82% saturated fat and olive oil is 73% monounsaturated fat).

Fractionated coconut oil = medium chain triglycerides (MCT) = lauric acid removed. Caprylic/capric triglycerides are medium chain triglycerides of a further fractionation of coconut oil.
 
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FYI to anyone interested - babassu oil actually more penetrating than coconut oil due to being 80% monounsaturated fat (coconut oil is 82% saturated fat and olive oil is 73% monounsaturated fat).

Fractionated coconut oil = medium chain triglycerides (MCT) = lauric acid removed. Caprylic/capric triglycerides are short chain triglycerides of a further fractionation of coconut oil.
Have you used this oil? How does it feel? Does it make the hair soft, or crunchy?
 
FYI to anyone interested - babassu oil actually more penetrating than coconut oil due to being 80% monounsaturated fat (coconut oil is 82% saturated fat and olive oil is 73% monounsaturated fat).

Fractionated coconut oil = medium chain triglycerides (MCT) = lauric acid removed. Caprylic/capric triglycerides are short chain triglycerides of a further fractionation of coconut oil.

:bookworm::brainy:

Girl, come through with the scientific facts!
Does babassu oil have the same 'protein-like' effects as coconut oil?
 
Have you used this oil? How does it feel? Does it make the hair soft, or crunchy?

I got a bottle to test, but I have not yet. It is used in my vitamin D drops. I hope I can use it because that will be another coconut-derived ingredient I can handle.
:bookworm::brainy:

Girl, come through with the scientific facts!
Does babassu oil have the same 'protein-like' effects as coconut oil?

So far, no. It is very softening, not for sealing. I put it on dry hair and my hair melted under warm water. It reminded me of conditioner at that moment. Smells like old popcorn, though.
 
I got a bottle to test, but I have not yet. It is used in my vitamin D drops. I hope I can use it because that will be another coconut-derived ingredient I can handle.


So far, no. It is very softening, not for sealing. I put it on dry hair and my hair melted under warm water. It reminded me of conditioner at that moment. Smells like old popcorn, though.
I used a shampoo bar that had that and it worked well for the most part.
 
FYI to anyone interested - babassu oil actually more penetrating than coconut oil due to being 80% monounsaturated fat (coconut oil is 82% saturated fat and olive oil is 73% monounsaturated fat).

Fractionated coconut oil = medium chain triglycerides (MCT) = lauric acid removed. Caprylic/capric triglycerides are medium chain triglycerides of a further fractionation of coconut oil.

This was very on time because I was doing "research" with CCT. I need to understand the benefits of lauric acid to understand how removal affects it.

:bookworm::brainy:

Girl, come through with the scientific facts!
Does babassu oil have the same 'protein-like' effects as coconut oil?

Babassu is the good twin ;)
 
This was very on time because I was doing "research" with CCT. I need to understand the benefits of lauric acid to understand how removal affects it.

I just posted this today. Hope it helps!

When lauric fatty acid (long chain triglyceride, the more "solid" part) is removed from coconut oil, capric/caprylic acid (medium chain triglyceride, the more "liquid" part) makes up the majority of the remaining oil. These are more penetrating because of the smaller molecules. Now, the fractionated oil can be further refined to remove the capric/caprylic acid. Those remaining fatty acids - palmitic, decanoic, myristic, oleic (which is the only monounsaturated part) - are short chain triglycerides, which are even more penetrating.

This is why I was pissed when my babassu oil came as a solid mass even though we were having temps approaching 90. The part that goes liquid first is the more penetrating part.

I would assume mixed with other items, it would make a great sealant.
 
Oh my word! Yeah it's time now... lol I thought you relaxed when I relaxed in April! So are you gonna do it this weekend? Lol
I was going to, but I forgot the reason why I didn't. And I work on the weekends, plus it's been really hot and I don't have a/c I'm gonna straighten it, and when I get another cool day I'm definitely gonna do it.
 
Speaking of ghetto, I finished doing my hair yesterday was going to roller set but was just too tired and hot. So I just sat there for ages procrastinating about how I was going to dry my hair.

My fan was on and after a few hours my hair had dried (and really nicely too) so just put my hair in some satin rollers.

I have a Dyson bladeless fan so it wasn't as if there was any nasty dust flying around. So I may consider drying my hair like that again. :look: This is someone who has had zero success in air drying so was quite pleased!
 
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