Thursday, August 2, 2012

8 Week Curl Revitalizing Routine

This week I start an eight week cur revitalizing system. My hair is naturally really curly, but for the past odd number of years or so of blow drying, colouring, and straightening every single day, my curls have diminished to just a dull wave. My daughter, who turned one last month, is finally getting her locks of curls that I used to have. This just adds to me missing my curls that much more.

How the routine starts is simply cut out shampoo, hair brushes, and all styling products...including the love of my life (my pro straightening iron). Then of course is getting a hair cut to remove the damaged ends and strip it of any products that can't be removed without shampoo. The last shampoo for two months! Then-

-To replace my shampoo I start with a baking soda rinse mix. Here I just mix one tablespoon in a water bottle and fill the rest up with water. Shake shake shake. Then (in the shower of course) work some of the mixture starting on my scalp since that's where my hair is most oily, then just work my way to the ends and rinse. Same as shampoo.

here's where it gets different

-First starting with a not so heavy conditioner, you scrub it on your scalp, "waking up your curl roots" and work it to your ends. Rinse.

-Next apply a heavier conditioner. I start at my roots so there is less on the top of my head so my hair doesn't end up horribly oily. Once you apply the conditioner you're suppose to comb it through with a wide tooth comb and let it sit for a moment or two. I just finish up my normal shower business then rinse it out.

-Then once more rinse your hair with cold water to decrease frizziness and add shine.

-Half towel your hair, but it still needs to be damp.

-Squirt some hair gel into your hair and scrunch. Now my hair does not do well without combing it out of the shower without it sticking on ends, so I use that same wide tooth comb and comb through the gel then scrunch and shake my hair to return the curly-ness.

and that's pretty much the routine. This is going to be interesting. I'm mostly worried because it's suppose to take a couple weeks to a month for hair to not be as oily and frizzy from shampoo withdraws since hair is used to being stripped of all its oil from shampoo. Another thing is my bangs. I have very short bangs and always straighten them to the side. Now I have no clue what I'm going to do with them. After my first day I already noticed how well my hair did with the extra moisture from the conditioner and not a ton of product in my hair. On the other hand, my hair looked like I had nothing done to it...which of course was true.  We shall see how this goes.