An Accidental bit of Moisturizing Mojo....

[Shimmie]

I dont see the pics Shimmie.

Hi Tee

I fixed the link. Only one picture came out clear with the upload. I'm sorry. I'll take more pictures and post with my next Kiya Fizzie .

 

[Southernbella.]

So...I tried this yesterday. I had straightened my hair last week. Instead of washing, I mixed up some V05 Strawberry con and a tsp salt/tsp baking soda. No fizz, just grit.

I put it on my dry hair, and by the time I worked it all the way through, my hair was dripping wet. That scared me a little. The first thing I noticed was that my hair felt HEAVY. I hadn't felt that since before my BC. It felt nice.

I let it sit for about 30 minutes, then rinsed it out. It felt soft and silky, but not anymore than I've felt from a deep conditioner. I was thinking...I guess it doesn't work for me.

Then I went and looked in the mirror. OMG. I have NEVER see my coils so defined, and the sheen was amazing. It also felt extremely CLEAN. I had used a ton of heat protectant when I flat ironed, which means cones galore, but the mix had clearly removed all of that. Also, my hair had completely reverted. Last time I flat ironed, it took two washes with shampoo before my hair shrunk all the way back up. Not only that, but my hair was so black...I've never seen my hair that black. It's amazing.

Bottom line...this is a keeper. I was so in love I didn't do twists like I had planned...I just made a puff so that I could enjoy my kinks and coils. I have some pics...I'll add those when my camera batteries get done charging.

Thank you JustKiya!

 

[Southernbella.]

Here are my pics:

With mixture on my hair:

After rinsing out:

I also wanted to add that it was waaaaay less frizzy than it usually is. It was more wiry, which I like.

 

[Shimmie]

Here are my pics:

With mixture on my hair:

After rinsing out:

I also wanted to add that it was waaaaay less frizzy than it usually is. It was more wiry, which I like.

Beautiful pictures, Lauren Your hair looks pretty and so soft.

 

[Shalilac]

I tried it also and it's definitely a keeper for me. I got so many compliments. From my mom of all people. She only compliments my hair when I straighten it LOL. Thanks JustKiya for this find. My hair has never been this shiny and soft! Oh... no pics. Didn't think it was gonna be so drastic. I definitely will the next time I do it.

 

[lilsparkle825]

gotta try it on my mom's hair. i flatironed her hair today and her ends are looking kind of rough, and if i dont tell her first she will never know the difference.

 

[Southernbella.]

Beautiful pictures, Lauren Your hair looks pretty and so soft.

Thank you, Shimmie!

 

[discodumpling]

Excellent reults y'all. This is what my hair looked like 3 days after a a basic KF mix of 1/2 tblsp kosher salt and Trader Joe's Nourish Spa con.

I have NEVER had such a defined twist out...EVER. Especially on the front of my hair which essentially grows str8.

The bang got frizzy (of course) after a night of drinking and dancing BUT I had to share my BLING, definition and smooth strands!

I think SALT is the find of the year!!

 

[JustKiya]

Although I have yet to see any foaming action, the addition of salt to my hair has smoothed out my hair cuticles completely....from root to tip. My ends feel perfect just like the rest of my hair!
While it appeared that my kinks had loosened immediately after the treatment, when my hair dried I was surprised to see that my shrinkage kicked in like never before... I LIKE THAT!! I even saw a couple of bonafide CURLS LOL! My hair holds the set of my twists or braids for a well defined "out" like I have never experienced in my short time as a nappy.
Finally. My hair has actual SHINE not sheen but shine. I was so ready to accept that nappy hair has sheen but never shine...and yet when dry my hair looks like I just sprayed it with some oil sheen.

I also put the salt + conditioner mix in my mans and dem hair LOL! MY sons and my DH all have different textured hair and I got different results for each of them. DH's ringlets were shiny well defined and full of body, DS#1's napps were shiny and soft (he keeps a low caesar) and DS#2's curls were POPPIN...even before I washed treatment out.

I've only begun to experiment with salt....

Maybe I used too much salt? I used a 1/4 tsp of salt with 2oz of conditioner. My hair felt tangled, and I used a conditioner that usually gives great slip.

I did use too much salt for that small amount of conditioner.

I used the same amount of salt with more conditioner (about 6oz), like you said, and NOW I understand what you guys are talking about. .

My hair feels juicy then a muthaf**ka! It feels like it's loaded with moisture, without the weighing down. I've never experienced this before! Salt is def a keeper!

my morning after results just get better - not sure if i said it on this thread - but i used this yesterday afternoon with 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 1/2 cup of conditioner - ORS with EVOO mixed in(should have measured how much ORS and EVOO - will do next time)
I left it on for no more than 20 minutes and under a plastic cap but i did not use heat.
I am willing to bet there is a limit to how much salt, how long it should be left in for(i remember someone saying they slept with it overnight and hair was tangled and not soft)
and i am willing to bet that there are conditioners that this does not work well with - maybe cuz they already have salt? or some other ingredient that does not react well with the salt. i am no chemist, but i am willing to bet that this all makes a great difference in the results. would love to hear some chemist sisters chime in more on this, even if it is against - cuz after reading the arguments i still tried it, but.... i limited the salt, and the time in my hair - i also did not put heat - i supposed i took the safest route even though i was taking a chance with trying something new. if no one said any thing against i probably would have approached this allot differntly and i double checked that my conditioner did not already contain salt.
my hair looks better than it did in a long time - if it wasnt for the fact that it was thin, more in some spots than others, i could forget it was damaged - its very shiny, soft and it does feel clean and light(i guess thats the clarified feeling?)
i am actually wearing it out today for the first time in months cuz it looks good enough. this is worth further investigation, i have a feeling that once the kinks are ironed out - this will become a staple for many of us. thank kiya!

ok just an update, i went to get my hair colored on WEd at the Aveda institute & did the salt & conditioner on Sunday. My hair soaked that color up so quickly, they were rushing to finish the roots! It looks great & now i can laugh but be a little mindful if ur going to color soon. ur hair will soak up the color quick! I still love this stuff

another quick question. how do u think it will do on colored hair? will it strip it?

i did a trial run too with some bakin soda, lemon juice, and my stupid, so-glad-i-ran-out dove shine therapy conditioner. boy if it makes dumb products soften me up, imagine what a quality conditioner will do! i went out and got some sea salt, waitin on my qhemet to come in the mail! when my SO found out the sea salt was for my hair he was like "your hair eats better that you do!" lol!

Ok, y'all sucked me in

For my Kiya Fizzle (girl, u betta trademark that) I used bout 1tsp salt, 1tsp baking soda and 1 capful vinegar to 8oz of conditioner (Elucence mixed with some discontinued Body Shoppe con.) I mixed it, it fizzed then i applied to dry hair and left it on about an hour while I did some housework. I rinsed well and applied my leave-in. My hair felt fabulous and it was easy to detangle. My definition was about the same and my shrinkage was pretty much the same, maybe a teeny bit less but I did notice that the thickest, most unruly part of my hair (crown) was a lot easier to manage and it felt like some of the volume was removed without actually removing my coils.....so that works for me.

y'all are so friggin resourceful that's why I will never stop paying the fee. Great idea JustKiya, thanks for sharing this with us.

I tried it in a cowash (left in for a few minutes) with a teaspoon of table salt plus some cheapie conditioner a few days ago. My hair definitely felt very moisturised, and still feels moisturised a few days later, although I haven't added anything to it.

I feel it *really* made my new growth more hydrated. However I'm not so sure about the long term effect on the relaxed ends - brittleness? dryness? I think this is a keeper for natural hair.

I'm going to try a mix with vinegar and baking soda to get an acid salt that's not table salt.

Baking soda + acetic acid --> sodium acetate (water + carbon dioxide)
NaHCO3 + CH3COOH → CH3COONa + H2O + CO2 (gas)

According to wikipedia 84 grams of sodium bicarbonate react with 750 ml of 8% vinegar to make 82 g sodium acetate in water.

By my online weight conversion, that's 2.7 tsp of soda to 21.1 tsp vinegar, i.e. a 1 to 8 ratio - way more vinegar than baking soda. But I guess that would give a neutral solution, while people who have been doing equal amounts of vinegar and baking soda would be getting a more alkaline solution. I wonder which gives a better result??

Hello ladies, so I've been reading this thread, and thinking about trying this for my hair. So I took the plunge and tried it! Wow, I have great shinny hair! I shampooed and rinsed as usual. I added 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to my trader joe's spa conditioner, with irish moss, evoo, and coconut oil mixture. I let is sit for about 2 hours, then I sat under the dryer for 10mins. and washed it out my hair was very easy to detangle, and I had very little shedding (this is unsual for me! But it my be due to a protein tx done last week with aphogee!). I applied a tiny bit of Lacio Lacio, and couple of spritz of Sunslik shine heat protect. I then blow dryed my hair and flat ironed with my Maxiglide MP. And my results are shinny pretty hair. I still have a lot of split ends from a previous bad dye job, but you can not tell! I will use this for when I wanna be straight!
Here are some pics!

So...I tried this yesterday. I had straightened my hair last week. Instead of washing, I mixed up some V05 Strawberry con and a tsp salt/tsp baking soda. No fizz, just grit.

I put it on my dry hair, and by the time I worked it all the way through, my hair was dripping wet. That scared me a little. The first thing I noticed was that my hair felt HEAVY. I hadn't felt that since before my BC. It felt nice.

I let it sit for about 30 minutes, then rinsed it out. It felt soft and silky, but not anymore than I've felt from a deep conditioner. I was thinking...I guess it doesn't work for me.

Then I went and looked in the mirror. OMG. I have NEVER see my coils so defined, and the sheen was amazing. It also felt extremely CLEAN. I had used a ton of heat protectant when I flat ironed, which means cones galore, but the mix had clearly removed all of that. Also, my hair had completely reverted. Last time I flat ironed, it took two washes with shampoo before my hair shrunk all the way back up. Not only that, but my hair was so black...I've never seen my hair that black. It's amazing.

Bottom line...this is a keeper. I was so in love I didn't do twists like I had planned...I just made a puff so that I could enjoy my kinks and coils. I have some pics...I'll add those when my camera batteries get done charging.

Thank you JustKiya!

I tried it also and it's definitely a keeper for me. I got so many compliments. From my mom of all people. She only compliments my hair when I straighten it LOL. Thanks JustKiya for this find. My hair has never been this shiny and soft! Oh... no pics. Didn't think it was gonna be so drastic. I definitely will the next time I do it.

Just, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad that this is working for ya'll so well!

I haven't used the treatment since last week, since I've been around 'real' saltwater (how I love the ocean!!), but my hair is still - thick and heavy and light and soft all at the same time. I can't wait to get home and clarify/chelate my hair, and then redoing it.

 

[envybeauty]

don't know if someone mentioned it .......but Epsome salt is good to use too. Tons of articles on the internet about mixing equal parts of epsome with conditioner.

 

[Shimmie]

don't know if someone mentioned it .......but Epsome salt is good to use too. Tons of articles on the internet about mixing equal parts of epsome with conditioner.

I love Epsom Salts. I use it in my bath water because of the gym.

For years, I've dunked my head under my bath water (before bathing) which has Epsom Salts in it, to rinse my hair and it falls down my back so soft and silky.

In this thread, there are several posts by me, our member adw425, and another member who uses Epsom Salts as well. Although Espom Salts and 'Salt' are not the same, they both have the same 'silkening' effect on our hair.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

[girlcherokee]

envy,
equal parts of epsom? thats not too much? would you mind directing us to some of the articles that you read? btw, i was in trader joes the other day and picked up a bottle oftheir shampoo - it has sea salt in it. thought that was interesting.

 

[GODBLESS]

B
UM
BUMP
BUMPING DUMPLING

HEY KIYA....

I'M EXPERIENCING THE BEST TWISTOUT I EVER HAD. i'm soooooooooo excited.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Wow everyone's results are simply amazing!! :superbanana:

 

[BrooklynSouth]

Scared{thinking about my copperware!} but I had to do something with these knots and tangles--I was ready to relax the mess. I am amazed at the results..1/2 tsp. watered kosher salt with 1/4 bottle of VO5 freesia conditioner. My natural roots are soft,wavy and easy to comb through. I used Nunaat 'instant' conditioner afterward...this salt thing works-now i can continue my transistion!

 

[Serenity_Peace]

I love Epsom Salts. I use it in my bath water because of the gym.

For years, I've dunked my head under my bath water (before bathing) which has Epsom Salts in it, to rinse my hair and it falls down my back so soft and silky.

In this thread, there are several posts by me, our member adw425, and another member who uses Epsom Salts as well. Although Espom Salts and 'Salt' are not the same, they both have the same 'silkening' effect on our hair.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

I've been using Epsom Salts all my life and even more so when I train for marathons. These salts have saved my life many times. Now they have salts that include Lavendar and Eucalyptis.

 

[natieya]

subscribing...

 

[Bubblingbrownshuga]

I just mixed-
A sprinkle of sea salt
A dash of regular salt
A pinch of baking soda
And about 4 squirts of Aubrey's GPB condish


We shall see...

 

[Shimmie]

I've been using Epsom Salts all my life and even more so when I train for marathons. These salts have saved my life many times. Now they have salts that include Lavendar and Eucalyptis.

Hi Serenity

Thanks for saving me with this post. Now I don't feel so 'ole'...

I will carry bags of Epsom salts home on the train, just to keep from running out.

I love the Lavendar scents; try adding Vanilla Extract or a long Vanilla Bean to the plastic bag it comes in and give it a few shakes and re-seal the bag for about a week... Yum ....

 

[Shimmie]

I just mixed-
A sprinkle of sea salt
A dash of regular salt
A pinch of baking soda
And about 4 squirts of Aubrey's GPB condish


We shall see...

Hi Darlin'

Bubbin...you are going to love your hair; silky soft .

 

[JustKiya]

Looking forward to your results, Bubblingbrownshuga!

 

[AngelDoll]

Subscribing......

 

[*Luscious*Locked*Doc]

subscribing
​

 

[Platinum]

I'm going to try it this weekend. My hair looks and feels rough. All of the moisturizing, baggying, and co-washing isn't helping. I clarified but it's still a mess. I'm trying to fight the urge to go to a salon and get it cut.*gasp*

 

[MissLawyerLady]

Thanks Kiya,

I tried this a few weeks ago with a 1/4tsp. of iodized salt mixed into my Silicon Mix DC- it was absolutely incredible, no tangles at all- seriously- none! This is a definite keeper!

I tried the same amount of salt with Kenra MC and while it detangled well, it wasn't as silky as when I used the Silicon Mix.erplexed

Has anyone else had better results using one particular conditioner as opposed to another?

 

[JustKiya]

I need to keep better track of my results. I know that using Replenish con from TJ's doesn't work as well as the Elasta QP does.

I'm still using it, about every other week, or so.

 

[Dposh167]

yea i think im gonna try this 2nite as well with sea salt and aussie moist. Im currently at 12weeks post and i want to stretch it to 16...so im hoping this will help moisturize my ng more than the products

 

[melodies815]

Kiya,

I was reading through this thread and honestly had no intention of posting, but I recalled while reading that my hairdresser told me over the phone last year that my hair was breaking because the "salt bonds" had been broken while relaxing or in too much manipulation and product usage. He told me that possibly whatever is in the water was also breaking down my "salt bonds" and all I needed to do was put a tablespoon of salt in my shampoo, leave it in for 1 minute and then rinse and proceed as usual. He told me to do it three times in a month and my hair should stop shedding.

I was so angry with his relaxer that I got off the phone and immediately FORGOT EVERYTHING he said to me.

My hair proceeded to fall out, break, shed, etc...and I lost more than 5 inches last year. Now, I wish I had listened. When reading this thread, for whatever reason, I vaguely remembered what he said and Googled "salt bond" AND "hair". This is what I found. Kiya, you accidentally discovered the very reason for naturally strong hair, but salt is one of a few bonds. Sugar is also one. Others are mentioned too. It's less about moisture and more about recovery of the natural strength of the bonds of our hair. When your hair is in it's best state, it WILL detangle well. Tangles are unnatural. Interesting huh?

I will be salt-washing and conditioning from now on!!!

Love you, girl!!! Here is the info:

From: http://www.salonweb.com/pro/damage.htm

Bonding in Keratin Protein When the hair is in its normal unstretched state. It is referred to as A of alpha keratin. The original configuration of the hair is held in place by the bonding found in the cortex layers of the hair. As we stated earlier, keratin protein begins with an alpha helix building into protofibrils, microfibrils, macrofibrils, then cortex layers. The bonds in the hair are located within each and every alpha helix. The Hydrogen Bond
The first bond we will discuss is the hydrogen bond. This bond is located between the coils of the alpha helix and is responsible for the ability of the hair to be stretched elasticity) and return back to its original shape. The hydrogen bonds allow us to change the shape of the hair temporarily with the aid of water. These bonds are electrolytically controlled and are the most readily broken down and the most readily reformed. These bonds are responsible for approximately 35% of the strength of the hair and 50% of the hair's elasticity (some would argue up to 99.9% of the hair’s elasticity).
The Salt Bond The salt bond is also an ionic (electrolytically controlled) bond formed by the electron transfer from the side chain of a basic amino group (an amino acid with an 00C- group) to the side chain of an acidic amino acid, i.e. NH3+. (This is two positive and negative charges attracting one another.) This occurs in a position paralleled to the axis line of the rotation of the helix of the hair. The salt bond is responsible for approximately 35% of the strength of the hair and 50% of the hair's elasticity.
The Cystine Bond The cystine bond also known as the disulfide bond, sulfur bond, or just S bond is formed by cross-links between cystine residues (amino acids) of the main polypeptide chains. This bond is perpendicular to the axis of the hair and between the polypeptide chains. Because of its position in the hair, it is responsible for the hair's toughness or abrasion resistance. (It actually holds the hair fibers together.) These cross-links are frequent in the hair fiber, with maximum of frequency of one cystine bond every four turns of the alpha helix. This is what enables us to permanent wave the hair.
The Sugar Bond The sugar bond is formed between the side chain of an amino acid having an OH group and an acidic amino group. This bond is also formed perpendicular to the axis of the hair. Because of its position, it gives the hair toughness but little strength (5%). Some moisture is contributed to the hair as a by-product of this bonding. Preventing Damage Damage to the hair is usually caused by heat (irons, blow drying, curlers, heat lamps, etc.), U.V. rays (Sun, lights, tanning beds), mechanical devices (combs, brushes, curling irons, etc.), chemicals (color, perms, relaxers, pool chemicals, the air, etc), or poor diet (specifically -lack of proteins and essential fatty acids). Here are some ways to prevent or "help" prevent damage to your hair:
1) Use a thermal protector when using heat. See "thermal protectors" under conditioners 2) Do not blow dry the hair completely dry. Leave a little moisture in. 3) Use a conditioner with U.V. protectors built in. 4) Use a low or no ammonia hair color. 5) Air oxidize perms instead of using the neutralizer. 6) Never brush wet or damp hair. Use a wide toothed comb. See "tools" 7) On dry hair use a boars hair brush and start at the ends and work up. 8) Clarify your hair after you swim. 9) Blow dry on the "cool" setting. 10) Eat protein rich foods (chicken, fish, nuts) - Eat foods rich in essential fatty acids (not from animal sources [they contain cholesterol]-only from botanical sources) - The best we've seen for damaged hair click here
Quick Fixes These are only temporary fixes. They do not provide real solutions to damaged hair. They provide a way to get the hair look good fast. Again, I hesitate to even write this column because I do not want to give you the impression these ideas should be used on a regular basis. True "fixes" are above and below this column. 1) "Scrunch" or mist a glosser into dry hair. Many companies claim glossers "repair the hair", they don't. They do coat the hair with a layer of silicone oil (dimethicone, cyclomethicone) see glossers under conditioners 2) Use a flexible styling gel. Apply to damp hair and blow dry or air dry. 3) Take 1-3 drops of mineral oil in your hand. Rub your hands together and "scrunch into dry hair. The best we've seen for damaged hair click here
Real Solutions for Damaged Hair The following is written on the understanding you have already damaged your hair and need help to repair the damage. Here are some real solutions that may take a little time. Please note also that damaged hair IS NOT necessarily dry hair. Dry hair (see) is a completely different topic. The tips below will only strengthen the hair. 1) Use Nexxus Emergencee once a day for a week, then drop off to once a week. Follow each Emergencee treatment with a good moisturizer. 2) Go to a salon that offers the L'anza Ultimate Treatment. 3) Start taking a good hair supplement (this will take time, as hair grows on average 1/2" per month) 4) Mix a "cocktail" of 1oz. Nexxus Humectress, 1oz. Nexxus Epitome, 1oz. Nexxus KerapHix, 1 teaspoon vegatable oil. Shake well, apply (the size of a quarter ) to clean towel dried hair, leave on for 10 minutes, rinse. 5) Another good "cocktail" is 1oz. Paul Mitchell Super Charged Conditioner, 1oz. Paul Mitchell Hair Repair, 1oz. L'anza Reconstructor. Mix well, apply the size of quarter to clean damp hair, leave on 10 minutes, rinse.

Forgive me if someone already shared this. The thread is long... If someone knows the natural foods or veggies or chemicals/powders or WHATEVER that can help us restore all the bonds, that would be great!!! Salt is a wonderful step in a very right direction. Kiya, you are the BEST!!!!

Love and growth to us all!

Christi J.

 

[melodies815]

Thank you for posting and answering my question, JustKiya. My hair feel very soft, like WOW!

Here are my measurements:
4 oz. Conditioner (Tressemme's Moisture Rich)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
I also used a plastic cap and allowed the mixture to stay on 35 minutes.

With the mixture


Wet


Completely Dry and No product

I think you are my hair twin...and because of how beautiful your hair is, I am now officially TRANSITIONING.

Thank you!
Thank you, Kiya for this whole thread!!!

Love,
Christi J.

 

[foxieroxienyc]

ooooh damn, now I'm itching to experiment with something else, lol.

First the dang wet flat iron thing and now this.... I'm REALLY trying hard not to wash my hair again today.