Henna for the 2nd time....Different results

It's been a little over a week since the last time I did a Henna which was my second time. This time I did it a little different:
1. Instead of using a clarifiying shampoo, I used bentonite clay mixed with black tea
2. I mixed 100grams of Henna with black tea (enough to get a smooth consistency) and let it sit overnight
3. To rinse the henna out, I used my Inecto 100% Pure Coconut Oil condish (last little bit in the bottle) until the water ran clear.
4. Followed up the rinse with SheaMoisture Moisture Retention Shampoo
5. DC'ed with my new DC.....about 1oz of honey, 1oz of olive oil, and about 1tbsp of Tresemme Naturals Moisturizing Conditioner (warm up the mixture and apply to damp hair, then rinse with cool water)
6. Applied Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Leave-in
7.Sealed with my new sheabutter mixture (sheabutter, olive oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, and vegetable glycerin)
8. Styled only adding additional leave-in and sealant, No styling product.

Results this go round:

Please excuse the covered face, I am currently having sinus drainage which makes a yella' girl pale.

Very smooth, moisturized, frizz-free, soft, bouncy, easy to detangle, easy to style hair. So what was the big difference this time around. 6 months ago, every step of the henna process for me included protein (Giovanni 50/50 shampoo, Coconut milk in the henna, coconut milk and oil DC, Giovanni Direct Leave-in, Coconut Oil to seal, and eco styler gel to style). Now, this combo worked sell, for me before using henna. But after using henna for the first time, this combo proved to be too much. It actually explains why the SheaMoisture products seemed to make my hair feel dry. They have a nice amount of protein. I experienced lots of breaking and an extreme amount of single strand knots that I am still recovering from.

The breakage and SSK's have decreased greatly since it first began. I assume if I want to keep up the treatments my regimen wil lhave to continue to use limited amount of protein if I want it to remain healthy.

Hair Diary May 18 2011

Just a peek into the future for this blog. I plan to do weekly hair diaries to help track what combos give the best/worst results, what style last the longest/shortest, techniques and so forth.

Back in November 2010 I did my first Henna and mixed it with coconut milk.

Then I DC'ed with coconut milk, coconut oil and Inecto 100 % Pure Coconut Oil Conditioner

My results and first impression: Quoted from November 2010 "I didn't notice any extra clumping or loosening of the curls at all. My hair is pretty stong due to DCing with a light protein bi-monthly, So...I didn't notice my hair feel any stronger. After rinsing, my hair did feel very soft but a little stringy, probably due to clarifying before applying henna. After DCing my hair no longer felt string but was still very soft if not softer. As for the color, not really. I guess I can see a few brownish red highlights in the right lighting but that's about it. I didn't notice any extra shine or luster. Actually, someone told me about 3 days later that my hair looked dry. I didn't think it looked dry...Oh well. Will I try henna again....YES. Why???? It didn't take anything away from my hair. There was a slight difference in the look and feel of my hair overall. Plus...the effects are suppose to show overtime with multiple uses. I plan to henna every 3 months but for only about 4hrs. I will do this for a year then reassess the condition of my hair and see if it is worth it for me."

Shortly after doing this I decided to straighten my hair and to decrease damage I did an Aphogee 2 Step Protein Treatment after a week of being straightend. Can you say TOO MUCH PROTEIN!!!!!  My hair began to break off almost immediately. I believe it was a combination of the treatments and my light protein reggie.

Well, it's been 6months since then and after doing research I tried it again. This time I mixed it with black tea. After my "new" DC my hair was so soft, moisturize, fluffy and anything else desirable it was. I then applied Garnier Fructis Leave-in and sealed with my "new sheabutter mixture". So far I am on day 3 of a braid out and moisture has not been an issue. I will have to come back and add pics later.

Stay tuned for info on my "new" DC and my "new sheabutter mixture"
Until then,

Stay blessed!!!!