Apl 2016 Challenge

[Guinan]

I did a lot with my hair today.

Clarified with Suave (can't remember the last time I clarified but will start doing this monthly)
Protein treatment
DC'd for an hour and a half
Moisturized and twisted/braided my hair into 8 sections
Sealed with my shea mix
and trimmed the ends off each braid.

I made my own shea butter mix about a week ago to keep the moisture locked in my hair. I was so focused on my scalp that I sorta neglected my ends a little, so they started getting bushy on me. Then again, I was due for a trim today so there was that too lol. But I also use it when Im taking down my braids it melts any tangles I come across.

Praying I'll get a few more inches by summertime so I'll be comfortable enough to wear my hair like this instead of hiding it under wigs

Your shea butter mixture looks amazing. What did you use to mix with the shea butter? Is your shea butter unrefined? How much shea butter did you use for your mixture?

 

[londonfog]

I'm still rocking twist outs! 2 weeks ago, I did a blow out & flat ironed my hair for an interview & realized that my ends were horrid!! So I clipped about 1/2 to a whole inch. I didn't even feel bad either because it was ugly! Anyhoo, after the interview, I rocked a halo braid (redone each day) out of pure laziness for the next week until I had the 2nd interview. Then I washed it, thinking that I was going to pin it up into an up-do all at the last minute! Epic fail since my hair was still damp!

I had to throw on the trusty bun donut deal that I keep in the bathroom drawer completely forgetting that I trimmed off some of my length (half an inch makes a difference when wrapping it around a donut!!) & wound up with a big ball of bobby pins on my head from trying to mold my hair to cover the donut! I got so frustrated, I just prayed over my lil bobbpinbundonutthingamabob & just went on about my business to my interview!! I put on my makeup & hopped out the truck like that was the best hairstyle I ever had in my life! Not once did she look at my homie on top of my head & I received the call with my offer 2 days later!! Prayer works!

 

[mostamaziing]

Your shea butter mixture looks amazing. What did you use to mix with the shea butter? Is your shea butter unrefined? How much shea butter did you use for your mixture?

Thanks love!

I used a 16oz jar and here's everything I used:

I used a total of 3 butters. 8oz of Shea butter, 3oz of avacado butter, and 3tsp of mango butter.

5Tbs of coconut oil, 1oz JBCO, 1oz Aragon oil, and 1.9tsp of essential oils. My essential oils were Rosemary, sage, tea tree oil and added this fragrance oil in as well.

In total I used 69% butter and 31% oil and I bought my Shea butter off eBay:

(I buy everything off eBay tbh)
It's raw urefined west African Shea butter.

I can't use this mixture daily because of my low porosity strands but Shea butter works wonders when I use it to make whipped body butters lol

 

[Aggie]

I need to work on my butter mixture myself and will be mixing olive, soy, and aloe butters together with some hemp seed and safflower oil. I have eucalyptus, peppermint, ylang ylang, lavender, and rosemary essential oils. I'll see which of them will work best together.

 

[Aggie]

Day 7 of my inversions is completed for this month.

 

[faithVA]

I'm still rocking twist outs! 2 weeks ago, I did a blow out & flat ironed my hair for an interview & realized that my ends were horrid!! So I clipped about 1/2 to a whole inch. I didn't even feel bad either because it was ugly! Anyhoo, after the interview, I rocked a halo braid (redone each day) out of pure laziness for the next week until I had the 2nd interview. Then I washed it, thinking that I was going to pin it up into an up-do all at the last minute! Epic fail since my hair was still damp!

I had to throw on the trusty bun donut deal that I keep in the bathroom drawer completely forgetting that I trimmed off some of my length (half an inch makes a difference when wrapping it around a donut!!) & wound up with a big ball of bobby pins on my head from trying to mold my hair to cover the donut! I got so frustrated, I just prayed over my lil bobbpinbundonutthingamabob & just went on about my business to my interview!! I put on my makeup & hopped out the truck like that was the best hairstyle I ever had in my life! Not once did she look at my homie on top of my head & I received the call with my offer 2 days later!! Prayer works!

Congratulations on the job and on saving a style gone wrong.

 

[faithVA]

Thanks love!

I used a 16oz jar and here's everything I used:

I used a total of 3 butters. 8oz of Shea butter, 3oz of avacado butter, and 3tsp of mango butter.

5Tbs of coconut oil, 1oz JBCO, 1oz Aragon oil, and 1.9tsp of essential oils. My essential oils were Rosemary, sage, tea tree oil and added this fragrance oil in as well.

In total I used 69% butter and 31% oil and I bought my Shea butter off eBay:

(I buy everything off eBay tbh)
It's raw urefined west African Shea butter.

I can't use this mixture daily because of my low porosity strands but Shea butter works wonders when I use it to make whipped body butters lol

I'm surprised you put coconut oil in it being low porosity. I may follow your recipe and sub out the coconut oil with another light oil. Your ship looked really good.

 

[mostamaziing]

I'm surprised you put coconut oil in it being low porosity. I may follow your recipe and sub out the coconut oil with another light oil. Your ship looked really good.

Girl it's only in there because I'm trying to get rid of it because my greedy ass bought this huge container that was on sale!

*I bet if you take out the coconut oil your mixture will not melt as fast as the weather warms up so it'll stay in its whipped state longer

 

[Aggie]

Today I massaged some NJoy hair oil on my scalp for 5 minutes.

 

[faithVA]

You are right. You are right. I will take pictures next wash day.

I forgot it's length check month. So no pics this weekend. I will post official pics April 1st or 2nd. I will probably blow dry my hair.

 

[jennifer30]

I forgot it's length check month. So no pics this weekend. I will post official pics April 1st or 2nd. I will probably blow dry my hair.

i won't be posting LC photos until next challenge which will be at the end of Aug. So I understand, post them when you want to.

 

[Wenbev]

month 3 of inversion. today is day one

 

[Aggie]

I don't do too many length checks in a year anymore either. Once....maybe twice a year is more than enough for me. I can't take the 'watched pot never boils' syndrome consuming me.

 

[Janet']

Hi!!! I would like to join please!
I just joined the APL/MBL challenge but I need all the support that I can get!!

What length are you now? Full Shoulder Length

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning? Natural

What's your regimen? Roller setting, deep conditioning weekly (because I have color), trimming only when absolutely necessary

What's do you need to do/change to reach APL? Baby my hair the way that I used to

What's your goal month if any? August for APL

Post your starting pic:

 

[faithVA]

Hi!!! I would like to join please!
I just joined the APL/MBL challenge but I need all the support that I can get!!

What length are you now? Full Shoulder Length

Natural/Relaxed/Transitioning? Natural

What's your regimen? Roller setting, deep conditioning weekly (because I have color), trimming only when absolutely necessary

What's do you need to do/change to reach APL? Baby my hair the way that I used to

What's your goal month if any? August for APL

Post your starting pic:View attachment 353825

Welcome. I can't wait to see your progress.

 

[Janet']

Welcome. I can't wait to see your progress.

I can't either...trying not to obsess about it though...

 

[GGsKin]

For the past two weeks my routine has me washing my hair once a week, and wetting my head (not water rinsing) once a week. Really, I'd like to up my washes/rinses but the way winter has me (it's still very much here), this will do for now.

Baggied ends last night and I will wash my hair after work today.

 

[Janet']

Happy Friday All! I joined the rollersetting challenge earlier this week, so I am on a 2nd day rollerset. I will re-roll tomorrow night.

 

[GGsKin]

I've nixed wash night in favour of movie night. Yay! Taken my pony and braids down and fluffed a bit (well poked and stretched the coils that were stuck to my scalp). It doesn't look too bad- aside from some quished front strands from one of my braids. I haven't checked it out from all angles yet, but this might just do.

 

[Janet']

Happy Sunday Ladies!!! I'm trying to figure out which day will be my official DC day... I'm sticking to my rollerset-- so far, so good. Enjoy your day!

 

[Aggie]

I only lightly water rinsed this morning since I didn't have a whole lot of time on my hands.

 

[xu93texas]

Yesterday, I retouched my color using Shea Moisture Jet Black. I wash/DC and wearing a Bantu knot out today. I will get my hair flat ironed within the next two weeks and post pics.

 

[faithVA]

Our check in is at the end of the month which is just a little over 15 days. Please consider updating us on where you are even if you aren't close to APL. Would love to see some pictures.

Even if you aren't close, quarterly pictures can be great to see progress or to even see a problem before it goes on too long.

 

[Aggie]

I think I'm getting my hair trimmed tomorrow if I don't chicken out.

 

[Janet']

I'm currently sitting under the steamer. I DC'ed with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque and added Grapeseed oil. I cannot say that I'm sold on this masque, but I will use it up before I buy a different one. I plan on blow drying using my comb attachment (that I thought I had lost) and then rollersetting. It's going to be a long night...

 

[Wenbev]

did a well needed henna over the weekend. I have been spritzing my hair nightly with a nettle/lavender/horsetail/rosemary tea mixed with a couple squirts of aloevera gel. I also seal it in with some DBs cocoa bean whip.

 

[GGsKin]

@Wenbev what is your henna mix? I am thinking of using a bit henna again on the top half of my hair (finer strands) but I think I may go back and stalk a henna thread for confidence/ inspiration. Only used it once.

 

[yaya24]

I'm going to the salon next Tuesday for color (black) and a trim.

Right now I'm trying to decide if I want demi vs. permanent color.

This will be my first salon visit in over 3 years.

Please keep me in prayer.

 

[Janet']

The rollerset turned out better than I foresaw. I am very happy with the results. Hopefully, I can get this set to last the entire week.

 

[Wenbev]

@Wenbev what is your henna mix? I am thinking of using a bit henna again on the top half of my hair (finer strands) but I think I may go back and stalk a henna thread for confidence/ inspiration. Only used it once.

@AbsyBlvd I keep it very simple. I brew a strong brew of marshmallow and nettle teas. Whilst tea is still warm, I mix about 1 1/2 cups of the tea and 100-150g of jamila henna. I like it really thick so it makes less mess. Right before I put in on, I add roughly 1/4c honey and essential oils like rosemary or pachouli.
I either let the henna sit overnight and leave in my hair for about 2- 3 hours or slap it on my hair immediately after mixing and let it sit for the day whilst doing housework or a movie marathon. both ways cover my grey hairs.
Henna has definitely helped to thicken up my super fine strands, but it has taken multiple applications to see a difference. I've hennaed regularly for five years.