Luscious Healthy Ends Challenge 2023

[Chicoro]

Bad Hair Days are stopped in their tracks with Luscious, Lovely Ends.​

 

[Napp]

I took the 'horse and buggy' from my smaller village into town today. I got two jars of Shea butter. This brand is new to me. It is from Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is the ONLY country in West Africa that is completely covered by Shea trees. Most other West African nations have parts of the country in the Shea Belt. The Shea Belt completely swaths Burkina Faso.

The Shea butter jars state it is Alimentaire (edible) and cosmetic. It is so thick and rich. When you touch it, it melts on your fingertips. The company website is listed as:
www.karilor.bf-Burkina Faso

It is a gorgeous, gorgeous butter! I also got two things of Vaseline. They don't have large size Vaseline name brand products. These work exactly like Vaseline. Each purple topped jar lasts me 2 months. I bought this Eco styler gel because I like gel. I got my Scurl, too.

That Shea butter is magnificent. Look how rich and thick it looks through the jar. I've been rubbing it on the top of my hand all night. I also bought some powdered keratin but that is not pictured.



View attachment 485851

That shea butter looks like peanut butter. It sounds divine

 

[Chicoro]

Some of y'all are delusional or in denial, up in the mirror with your hot tools looking like this:




Me , too!​

 

[Chicoro]

That shea butter looks like peanut butter. It sounds divine

It IS!!!!!

 

[Chicoro]

Come on in here and revamp your routines before you get to this point.

'Cause, we got you!'

​

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Back in for 2023!

Will be doing light dusting's and trims throughout 2023 as needed as well as keeping my ends saturated and protected with Pomades/Grease etc...especially during the Winter Months.

 

[Chicoro]

Gear

Back in for 2023!

Will be doing light dusting's and trims throughout 2023 as needed as well as keeping my ends saturated and protected with Pomades/Grease etc...especially during the Winter Months.

Great! Grease is the word!

 

[Chicoro]

Night, night from across the pond!

 

[GettingKinky]

You have gorgeous curls! @Chicoro
Do you ever wear your hair curly? (With gel to clump your hair form a cast and prevent it from tangling)

 

[GettingKinky]

I washed my hair today. Already my ends don’t feel as great as the week I got my hair cut. I don’t know if it’s because

-I skipped my olaplex step (today isn’t my normal wash day and I forgot about it until I had already started washing)

- I didn’t use as much shampoo as normal on the bottom half of my hair

- my ends are already aging

next week I will for sure use my olaplex.

 

[caribeandiva]

I did my hair Friday. I started at 8:00 pm and finished around 11:00 pm. I took my time because I was feeling my way through this new revamped regimen with no shampoo. I also was mixing up the recipes (not the oil, but the aloe vera and the clay wash) as I went and writing notes and observing.

1. I oiled my dirty hair immediately after take down.
   • I learned that if I wait to oil my hair after take down, my hair starts to dry and I snap hair. It's moist after immediate take down and flexible so I oil with very little breakage at that time.​
   • I put neutral henna in my oil to better fortify my hair.​
   • I left the oil for about 15 minutes, including the time I work it through which was when I also removed the shedded hair and separated out the tangles.​
2. I then massaged my scalp with whole leaf aloe vera juice, mixed with glycerine and medicinal essential oils (Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Sage, Rosemary) and worked the mixture from root to tip.
   • This moistened and softened the hair.​
   • It cleaned the scalp and hair and removed any stink stink I had on my hair and scalp and imparted a clean, herbal smell.​
3. I washed with the @snoop Clay Mix recipe she provided to me.
   • (4 table of kaolin, 2 tablespoons of goat milk powder, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of activated charcoal powder, water based on desired consistency. I put in about 1.5 cups) I used French clay which consisted of green, yellow and red clay, instead of kaolin clay. I replaced the French clay with the kaolin in snoop's original recipe.​
   • I squeezed it through my hair and watched it slick all the oil out of my hair. It stripped the oil like detergent!​
   • I made sure to rinse well until there was no darkness or murkiness in the rinse water.​
4. Conditioned hair with inexpensive conditioner.
   • Here is where I noticed the hair felt super soft, like silk and butter.​
   • The conditioner imparted more of a delicious smell on my hair.​

Test: I put in a creamy, white leave in, as part of my normal after-wash process, and squeezed it through my hair. Not ONE single tinge or speck of darkness in that cream. My hair was completely and deeply cleaned by the clay wash. Amazing.

Photo of loosened hair: Freshly washed and cleaned by the clay mix. Photo with bun is photo of how I styled my hair. White stuff is from leave-in.

• No velcro, brillo pad ends.
• No new tangles after washing.
• No sticky hair that intertwined tangled and broke off.
• No tearing apart or breaking apart of ends.

My hair looks like it has been cleaned by shampoo, but without the aforementioned problems with velcro ends and without breakage as mentioned above. My hair looks good, feels good and smells good.

The hair ball was tiny again.

My ends draw up to my ears and jaw, no matter the length of my hair.

I'll continue to take it one wash week at a time.

I'm starting to see that I have a chance to get past this breakpoint at tailbone length.

View attachment 485847View attachment 485849

Gorgeous hair!

 

[snoop]

I did my hair Friday. I started at 8:00 pm and finished around 11:00 pm. I took my time because I was feeling my way through this new revamped regimen with no shampoo. I also was mixing up the recipes (not the oil, but the aloe vera and the clay wash) as I went and writing notes and observing.

1. I oiled my dirty hair immediately after take down.
   • I learned that if I wait to oil my hair after take down, my hair starts to dry and I snap hair. It's moist after immediate take down and flexible so I oil with very little breakage at that time.​
   • I put neutral henna in my oil to better fortify my hair.​
   • I left the oil for about 15 minutes, including the time I work it through which was when I also removed the shedded hair and separated out the tangles.​
2. I then massaged my scalp with whole leaf aloe vera juice, mixed with glycerine and medicinal essential oils (Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Sage, Rosemary) and worked the mixture from root to tip.
   • This moistened and softened the hair.​
   • It cleaned the scalp and hair and removed any stink stink I had on my hair and scalp and imparted a clean, herbal smell.​
3. I washed with the @snoop Clay Mix recipe she provided to me.
   • (4 table of kaolin, 2 tablespoons of goat milk powder, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of activated charcoal powder, water based on desired consistency. I put in about 1.5 cups) I used French clay which consisted of green, yellow and red clay, instead of kaolin clay. I replaced the French clay with the kaolin in snoop's original recipe.​
   • I squeezed it through my hair and watched it slick all the oil out of my hair. It stripped the oil like detergent!​
   • I made sure to rinse well until there was no darkness or murkiness in the rinse water.​
4. Conditioned hair with inexpensive conditioner.
   • Here is where I noticed the hair felt super soft, like silk and butter.​
   • The conditioner imparted more of a delicious smell on my hair.​

Test: I put in a creamy, white leave in, as part of my normal after-wash process, and squeezed it through my hair. Not ONE single tinge or speck of darkness in that cream. My hair was completely and deeply cleaned by the clay wash. Amazing.

Photo of loosened hair: Freshly washed and cleaned by the clay mix. Photo with bun is photo of how I styled my hair. White stuff is from leave-in.

• No velcro, brillo pad ends.
• No new tangles after washing.
• No sticky hair that intertwined tangled and broke off.
• No tearing apart or breaking apart of ends.

My hair looks like it has been cleaned by shampoo, but without the aforementioned problems with velcro ends and without breakage as mentioned above. My hair looks good, feels good and smells good.

The hair ball was tiny again.

My ends draw up to my ears and jaw, no matter the length of my hair.

I'll continue to take it one wash week at a time.

I'm starting to see that I have a chance to get past this breakpoint at tailbone length.

View attachment 485847View attachment 485849

THE COILSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

I'm so happy that your wash day went well! Over time, if you stick with this routine, I'd be curious to know if you also notice changes with your scalp (hopefully for the better). I don't want to say more than that because I'd rather know if/what you experience and wouldn't want to influence your observations in any way... but maybe we can revisit this question after the first check-in.

One day, if you're really feeling experimental, try mixing the ingredients from steps 1 and 2 together and see if you get the same result. I'm all about reducing the amount of steps in my wash day. I find that if you are using the juice from fresh aloe, you can use that to replace the water in the clay mix. However, stick with what you're doing for now. You're off to a great start!

 

[caribeandiva]

Some of y'all are delusional or in denial, up in the mirror with your hot tools looking like this:




Me , too!​

Why you gotta put me on blast like that?

 

[Chicoro]

You have gorgeous curls! @Chicoro
Do you ever wear your hair curly? (With gel to clump your hair form a cast and prevent it from tangling)

Thank you for the compliment! Actually, I don’t like my hair curly. I love braids/ponytails and when my hair is heat straightened. I’ve done braid outs and they looked beautiful but I don’t care for my hair styled loose and natural.

 

[Chicoro]

Gorgeous hair!

Thank you!

 

[Chicoro]

THE COILSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

I'm so happy that your wash day went well! Over time, if you stick with this routine, I'd be curious to know if you also notice changes with your scalp (hopefully for the better). I don't want to say more than that because I'd rather know if/what you experience and wouldn't want to influence your observations in any way... but maybe we can revisit this question after the first check-in.

One day, if you're really feeling experimental, try mixing the ingredients from steps 1 and 2 together and see if you get the same result. I'm all about reducing the amount of steps in my wash day. I find that if you are using the juice from fresh aloe, you can use that to replace the water in the clay mix. However, stick with what you're doing for now. You're off to a great start!

Thank you! I am just so happy I am not destroying my ends every wash day. I will continue like this for a bit. I’m verbose and communicative so I’m sure I’ll be commenting further on this.

So @snoop
I don’t call you our resident genius for nothing. I would never have been able put together that clay mix on my own. You have cut so much time off my learning curve and process. I am very thankful to you and appreciate you.

 

[Chicoro]

Why you gotta put me on blast like that?

Baby, you out-ted yourself! You still cute, though.

 

[Chicoro]

I washed my hair today. Already my ends don’t feel as great as the week I got my hair cut. I don’t know if it’s because

-I skipped my olaplex step (today isn’t my normal wash day and I forgot about it until I had already started washing)

- I didn’t use as much shampoo as normal on the bottom half of my hair

- my ends are already aging

next week I will for sure use my olaplex.

These details are very specific. @GettingKinky are you documenting this valuable information in a notebook somewhere? These small details can really make or break a hair journey. I think if you put write on paper, you can have the raw data for analysis and pinpoint exactly what might be going on with your ends.

 

[Chicoro]

Attention: This is not a mixture or blend! This Shea butter is pure and comes likes this, as is, in the jar!

How this jar of Shea butter be looking, in my mind's eye, on my countertop:
​

I purchased this Shea butter for coating my ends and the entire hair shaft, from root to tip, after washing and conditioning my hair.


This post is inspired by @Napp and for the connoisseurs of Shea butter in this thread or viewing this thread!


Burkina Faso is renowned for having the best Shea butter. L'Occitane cosmetic company in France got a huge part of Burkina Faso's production on lock down (they control a lot of the production), as in they got first dibs on tons and tons of their Shea nuts and butter.

This butter is so rich, greasy and so soft. I have not mixed it with anything. Behold, I now present it to you for your viewing pleasure and to allow you to live vicariously through the experience through these photos:









Absolutely, hands down (pun intended), one of THE best Shea butters I have ever encountered and used!!

KARILOR FRANCE

karilor.fr

 

[Chicoro]

​

If you think focusing on the ends of your hair is boring, then don't be surprised come December 2023, that your version of Luscious, Healthy Ends looks about the same as this.


Don't let the Grinch's version of a high top pony stunt on yours, get your Hair Ends plan and processes in place!

 

[Chicoro]

Be careful out there on them hair breakage and rough on the hair ends streets.
Stay vigilant and keep those hair ends safe and protected.

Have a great Sunday and a great week, ladies!​

 

[alove15]

I’d love to join. I’m relaxed, currently 2 months into a 4 month stretch. I want thicker ends and no breakage. My plan:
-Trimming/Relaxing 3x yearly
-M+S 1-2x daily (LCO method)
-Wigging daily
-Shampoo+ DC weekly (focusing shampoo on scalp not ends)
-Gently detangling before washing
-Airdrying 90% if blowdrying

 

[Meritamen]

My suggestion is that you have an idea about how much you would like cut and what that reason is. Then, when you get to the stylist, you have a FIRM point of negotiation. If your stylist tells you why more needs to be cut, then make the decision at that time. The point is to make the decision with a clear mind and to not feel coerced or bullied. Because, whatever you let the stylist do is your decision. You are in control and the power rests with you. If you only want so much cut off, no matter the energy, attitude or the tone of the stylist has, say so. That's because when you get home, and you felt that too much was cut, you may feel bad. We want to stay feeling good in 2023! Good luck to you and please keep us posted!

Thank you, I feel like too much was cut off during my last trim so I am going to advocate for myself during my next appointment. Trying out a different salon that I have seen great reviews for. When stylist trim too much it can be a potential mini-setback for me since my hair grows so slowly.

 

[GettingKinky]

Thank you for the compliment! Actually, I don’t like my hair curly. I love braids/ponytails and when my hair is heat straightened. I’ve done braid outs and they looked beautiful but I don’t care for my hair styled loose and natural.

I’m a huge advocate of black women wearing their natural curls, and If I had curls like yours, I would never put them away. Your coils are magnificent, but I understand that’s not how you prefer your hair. I will just hold hope in my heart that one day this look will grow on you.

 

[GettingKinky]

These details are very specific. @GettingKinky are you documenting this valuable information in a notebook somewhere? These small details can really make or break a hair journey. I think if you put write on paper, you can have the raw data for analysis and pinpoint exactly what might be going on with your ends.

You have inspired me to start a notebook on my ends. Let me get to it right now.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Grease is the word!

@Chicoro

Sis!

It's the Truth for End-Care

 

[Chicoro]

I’m a huge advocate of black women wearing their natural curls, and If I had curls like yours, I would never put them away. Your coils are magnificent, but I understand that’s not how you prefer your hair. I will just hold hope in my heart that one day this look will grow on you.

Thank you for the lovely compliment!

I think it's the wash-n-go's with which I struggle because they draw up. I think I did a braid out once and that was okay.
This is not a wash n go.

Pictured below: I took my braids out and pulled my hair back. It shrinks up and onto my neck and tangles. This is an old photo. That's waist
length hair all sucked up to the back of my head. I'm tender headed and my hair tangles and breaks easily, so I avoid this style. The ends of the hair are in all directions which increases the complexity of the tangles. It's pretty but not practical. If I could do this and avoid tangles and breakage, I'd wear it!

 

[Chicoro]

You have inspired me to start a notebook on my ends. Let me get to it right now.

I think that is so wonderful! You will be able to analysis and deeply understand what is happening with you hair and patterns will start to jump out at you. Keep us posted on what you discover and re-discover about your lovely hair!

 

[Chicoro]

@Chicoro

Sis!

It's the Truth for End-Care

Not only effective, but cheap, too!

What kind of grease are you going to be employing this time around?

 

[caribeandiva]

Thank you for the lovely compliment!

I think it's the wash-n-go's with which I struggle because they draw up. I think I did a braid out once and that was okay.
This is not a wash n go.

Pictured below: I took my braids out and pulled my hair back. It shrinks up and onto my neck and tangles. This is an old photo. That's waist
length hair all sucked up to the back of my head. I'm tender headed and my hair tangles and breaks easily, so I avoid this style. The ends of the hair are in all directions which increases the complexity of the tangles. It's pretty but not practical. If I could do this and avoid tangles and breakage, I'd wear it!




View attachment 485885

@GettingKinky I know you’re talking to Chicoro with this question but I have the same exact issue with my hair even though it’s a slightly kinkier texture. I looooovvve my natural hair texture. Heck when I first when natural 12 years ago, I only wore wash and gos for the first 3 years or so. I loved my hair that way and got tons of compliments. It caused lots of knots and tangles though. All of which kept at the same length for years. Eventually I moved on to twist outs which are better. But I get the most retention with my hair in buns or straight. It prefers stretched styles.
Here’s a picture of my hair in a fresh wash and go back in 2014: