Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Co washing Daily, again?

The last time I was co washing my hair daily, it was an unpleasant experience. I was seeing so much shed. It was frightening. The my hair was getting a mad case of the crispies. Eventually, I figured out that this was caused by my lack of clarifying my hair. So I did clarify and it cleared things up right away. Now that I'm no longer afraid, I may pick up the daily co washes with a weekend wash with a moisturizing shampoo. I feel like my hair can stand as much moisture as possible. I know that washing it like this will only promote hair growth. It can't help to grow since I'll be massaging my scalp in the shower. It's quite invigorating. I will get all that good shine and bounce that hair has after a fresh wash.

I did a pre poo today followed by a co wash. Seemed okay. For some reason though, it seems like I may not have gotten all the product out. But that's fine. It's only on my roots. And they could use the extra moisture anyhow. I'll be co washing as soon as I get up anyway. That should clean everything up. But next time, as a pre poo, I'll just use coconut oil. Then I'll deep condition. I wonder if I can can use my Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner for this... At any rate, I will not skip on the Pantene anyday. I usually do a pre conditioning before I deep condition. Moisture never hurts. There are a lot of things I'm going to pick up over the weekend by it being a new month. For me, this is the best time to buy things and try them so that I can remember exactly when I got them and know how it takes for them to work or not. Anyway...I must get the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave in Conditioner. All the ladies in the forums rave about this stuff. And at about 7 dollars, that's a sweet deal. Besides, the other brands I use are a bit more expensive, so this will save me between 3 and 5 dollars. I'm guessing this could double as my moisturizer when I run out or get low.

I'm looking to go ahead and buy a relaxing kit as well. I'm thinking about a regular formula (not coarse). And I'm looking at the children's section for this. Maybe Just for me or Silken Child. I'm not sure yet. But I won't be using the big girl relaxers anymore. The children's formulas are milder. It'll be my first time putting on my own relaxer so I have to make sure whatever I'm using won't harm me too much. I must get my head right for this or else I will find an excuse to stretch all the way into the end of November. Doesn't sound like such a bad idea right now...

With my relaxer, I plan on using the porosity control. My main purpose is to close the cuticle so that my hair will be protected. This stuff will make the results of my relaxer look better. There will be more shine and even distribution of the chemical process. That makes me happy. In the future when I have a bigger budget, I'll buy the large bottle but only if the small one works like I've heard it does.

I've written about this before- the brush. And I've decided on which one to buy. The baby brush is impractical because my hair is just too course. The boar bristle brush is more in my league. I need my hair to be smoothed out. And I hear that using a brush to distribute sebum gently can be good for your hair. But I'll start small and use it for smoothing only. And I'm looking into purchasing some aloe vera gel to aid in any styling that I may use a brush for. It won't look as bad this way.

I went by CVS today and got enough VO5 to last me until Decmber, I hope. If not, it's only a dollar. I got Honeydew Smoothie and Passion Fruit Smoothie. They smell really good. I don't know what the difference is between these two and the silk experiences, but I like them all. I will have to get more of the Champagne Kiss. It's my favorite. That reminds me, I'm getting low on my Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner. I need that stuff for every other co wash I do. That'll be another 6 or 7 bucks, but I'm ok with that.

This weekend is gonna be a good one for hair. I get to sleep with my hair damp in a bun. I'll have on a satin night cap too. It'll be so smooth in the morning.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Growing, Growing, Growing!!!

My excitement can hardly be contained. Why is this? I just found out that my hair has actually grown longer than I thought. That's right...In the last month my hair has grown exactly 1 and 3/4 inch! That's amazing to me. I guess I should explain how I measure my hair.
I tape a measuring tape like the one a tailor uses or the kind used to measure the waist. I clip it to the front part of my head. In other words, I measure from the root in the front all the way to the ends in the back. I do this straight down the middle of my hair. I look at the back of my hair by sitting in front of the mirror and using another mirror to see the reflection behind me. Quite effective. :) And the numbers are large enough for me to see with out having to do any crazy acrobatics to see where the hair stops.

So let's talk numbers... On August 21st, my hair measured 18 inches exactly. But today when I measured, I was in for quite a shock. I am now at 19 3/4 inches! That's all most 2 inches of growth. So that means I must have been a little off when I was figuring out how much growth I got from the serum. I'm hoping things will continue this way over the next 6 months. My growth will be off the charts! I'm already expecting my hair to be 20 1/2 long after I relax. It'll be so exciting.

I'm not going to be measuring for a few months after the relaxer. I'm thinking along the lines of three or four months when it's time for another relaxer. I like the whole element of surprise. Besides, I'm going to be wearing my hair in buns a majority of the time. This is going to prevent me from seeing it all the time. I'm hoping that by late January/early February I can get to 22 inches. That would make my year. If I really wanna push things, I would say 24. But I think that everything has it's limits.

Nonetheless, this good news is making my hair journey just that more exciting. Who knows how much more it will grow. :)

Vitamin Time

Next week I'm going to try something a little different. I've been wanting to incorporate it into my regimen for awhile. But with a new month starting, I thought it would be easier to chart my results. People, I'm ready to get on the vitamin train. I have so many reasons. Main thing is I'm looking for stronger hair that looks good even when I'm not feeling my best. Also, it's good for my overall health.

I'm going to start out with something simple and inexpensive. At Wal-Mart, there is a vitamin made by Nature's Bounty. It says hair, skin, and nail vitamin. I'm so excited about trying it. It's about 8 dollars. I did a little review check on it. It was okay. Some women that took it said that it irritated their stomachs (which is common in some vitamin supplements). Some experienced overall growth, shine, and better condition overall. Not to mention, this goes for the skin and nails as well. There is biotin and all kinds of other good things in it. So I'm excited to try it.Here's a list too of what all is in this. I'm gonna do more research before I try this. Jumping the gun would suck. Just click on the link. Nutrition Facts





Sunday, September 28, 2008

Making things

Moisturizing Spritz

I've heard that a lot of ladies mix their own moisturizing spritz for their hair. They use these combination of oils and conditioners that are supposed to add that extra boost of moisture to dry hair. Apparently, they seem to work really well when in between relaxers (stretching). So that got me to thinking whether or not I should make one. So I did. Here's what I used:

  • VO5 Silky Experiences Champagne Kiss with silk protein (about 1/8 cup)
  • 6 oz. of warm water (to make diluting and mixing easier)
  • 7 drops of Hollywood Beauty Tea Tree Oil
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
Here's how I used it- I part my hair in fours like I normally do to moisturize my ends. Then I sprayed my roots thoroughly just enough to make them damp. Next, I sprayed the length of the hair paying attention to the ends. I added my moisturizer as usual to the length of the hair, again paying close attention to the ends. I sealed my ends with coconut oil and completed the braid out style as usual.

I like the spray that I made. It made my hair easy to comb through. And as the moisture is drying, my hair feels softer. My new growth is tame as well. The shine is there too. So I would call this a winner.

Homemade Ponytail Holders

These were pretty easy to make. All I did was cut the legs off of a pair of old pantyhose. (Clean ones of course. LOL) Then I cut out the toe area. Then cut 3/4 to inch to 1 inch thick rings. Then give them a little stretch to get a rolled fabric appearance. And there you are! Ponytail holders. These are much safer for the hair because they will not snag like elastic. Sure, the ouchless kind work as well, but when the fabric gives way, the elastic will come through and potentially ruin the hair. The ponytail holders made from the pantyhose on the other hand will not pull or tug the hair or put stress on the root. And it has just enough stretch so that the desired looseness or tightness can be achieved. I'll post a pic of the ones that I made.
The pink ribbon just holds them in place. As you can see the lengths vary as you cut further up the leg.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

A No Poo Day

This is Saturday which means this is the day that I normally shampoo and deep condition. But because I used the clarifying shampoo Tuesday, I decided to change it up a little. So I did all the things I would normally do to my hair aside from shampooing. I did my pre poo with the coconut oil overnight. Then I rinsed and washed it with my VO5. Then I put on my Pantene and let is set while I showered and rinsed it out. After this, I put on my KeraCare Humecto Creme Conditioner. I sat under my dryer with it for about 15 minutes after I let it just sit on my hair for about 15 minutes.

My results are fantastic. My hair is soft and shiny. And most of all, I can comb through it so easily. I'm having better luck since this whole clarifying thing. I'm in love with it. It has saved my hair from so much damage. I know that I keep raving about it, but it's just that much better since I did it. I'm impressed beyond words.

I'm letting my hair air dry right now. I wanted to do a braid out, but I just didn't feel like it. So it's free right now collecting all the air around it. I'm not wanting to manipulate it any further. Besides, I'm not really feeling a wavy patterns at the moment. I want as smooth and sleek as possible. It'll be easier for me to put on my serum and massage my scalp this way. And, I wanna switch up styles too. Can't really comb the hair and style it too much with a braid out. i'll post a pick of the style that I choose tomorrow.

Friday, September 26, 2008

No Trimming Inspiration

I was inspired by the women on my fave site to not cut my hair for a whole year. But that's not my only source of inspiration. Recently, I ran across a girl on YouTube named gossgirl2. She has this awesome hair. And she does all these elaborate hairstyles step by step. It's amazing. But I wondered how she was able to get her hair so long. What was the secret. This led me into the world of the Apostolic church and the hair of the women that attend this branch of church.

Apparently, Apostolic women never cut their hair. I'm not sure if that means no trims or dusting, but cutting is a big no no. The hair is seen as the crowning glory for these women. And believe me...it is. These are a group of women who once inducted into their religion no longer let scissors come near their head. And I'm sure they endure splits from time to time. Yet and still, they are able to grow this amazingly long hair. It's shiny and just beautiful. And because of this, I'm not as afraid of what not cutting will do to my hair. All it can do is grow.

This whole no cutting thing still worries me. After the year is over, I wonder how long my hair will be. Plus, I will have had a couple of relaxers by then. I could get damage from them. Then what? It should be ok if I put petroleum jelly on my ends and rest off hair that isn't being relaxed. I just have to wash it out thoroughly so that it won't clog my pores. And I will be incorporating porosity control into my relaxer regimen to give that extra protection. I'm really going to have to baby my hair now.

Either way, if this method doesn't work out, I'll back out. It'll be sad, but I'll back out. Somehow though, I think this is going to be great.

Ultimate Hair Growth

Ok...On another site that I just love, I joined this group. The deal is that I am not allowed to trim my hair for a year. I can dust my ends, but no trimming is allowed. So why did I do this? Truth is, I'm trying to retain as much length as possible. I can't do that if I'm holding a pair of scissors to it often. This is my best option. I'll explain dusting in place of trimming.

Dusting

There are two definitions to this word. The first definition says that dusting is when you trim the entire length of the hair about 1/8 inch leaving a small dusting of hair on the floor. This is usually done every few months (about 3 or 4). The second definition is using a pair a of shears to trim split ends right above the start of the splitting. This can be done in the same frame of time or daily.

I've decided that utilizing both methods could be good for my hair. While I'm trying to gain length, I will use the second method to only get rid of any splits that could get in the way of me achieving my desired length. Once I get to that length though, I want it to look nice and neat. That's when I'll use the first method. I'll get everything nice and even. It'll be so pretty. I can see it now.

My decision to use this method was something I'd been thinking about for awhile. I needed a way to keep as much hair on my head as possible. And I'm indignant to myself when it comes to cutting because I don't know what to do. I try to go for even, but hair isn't naturally even. Then I end up trimmng more than I want to. I lose length and a little bit of my mind. Now I have these tools in my hand to help me out. Yay! I anticipate much length and growth.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

No Heat Challenge

This is a list of all the heated styling products that I used in the past. The pics are just a visual thing. I no longer use them. I explain why and include a message at the bottom about my new heatless hair life. :)

The Blow Dryer

I know that it's ok to use a blow dryer in moderation-especially if you need your hair to be dry in a hurry. But I have too many horror stories about this machine. Maybe for somebody else head, but not mine. I had to go cold turkey on this one (just how I did the cigarettes). I would use this in conjunction with the comb attachment. Can you say raw scalp and dry patches? That's what it did for me.

The Curling Iron

This used to be my best friend. I loved curls. I would make curls all over my head. That's right...Every single strand. This would go on for long periods of time. Then I started getting that crispy hair syndrome. Being young and dumb, I would slap some grease on the crispy area and curl anyway. I could hear the sizzle and my hair would fry further. That's when I switched to rollers. These things are bad news for anybody's ends. Not to mention, my hair was extremely coarse so using low heat was not an option.

The Flat Iron

I actually had a pretty good relationship with this one too. That was until I wanted bone straight hair all the time. It used to be that I would only use this after a relaxer. Before each usage I would blow dry my hair dry. And to top it all off, I would use grease from scalp to tip to style instead of a styling products made specifically for heat protection. It didn't take long to see the effects. My hair thinned at the ends something terrible. And the smoothness lasted for a shorter and shorter amount of time. That meant more usage which caused more thinning and breakage.

My Decision

I've decided that I will no longer use heat on my hair. The only exception to this would be for deep conditioning. I got a bonnet dryer from JCPenney for about 30 dollars. It's made by Conair so I trust that I'll have this one for a long time. I can't describe what it looks like so I'll post a pic of it. But yeah...I'm against direct heat on the hair for me. And I know this decision will keep my hair nice and healthy. :)

Detangling Sensation

Let me further emphasize the benefits of clarifying...

Today was a co wash day. And usually when I do co wash, I have a lot of shedding and tangles. This is because I'm about 8-9 weeks post relaxer. I expect some of this to happen. But lately it had been getting out of control. So I used the Suave clarifying shampoo and deep conditioned and rollerset. It went smoothly. The results were marvelous.

When it came time for me to co wash today, I was excited to see if the smoothness and tangle free state would last. It did... I wash my hair with my VO5 conditioner. Then I proceeded to add my Pantene. I combed it through and realized something; I was not struggling to comb the product through my hair. For the first time, I was actually not having to wrestle with the tangles. And with no tangles in my hair, there was barely a shed. I rinsed under the water and did a few more passes with the comb. Still, no tangles. When I got out the shower I was able to part my hair down the middle and pin it up on either side with no issues. I was amazed.

I am only attributing this to clarifying because it removed the products from my hair that made it hard and tangled in the first place. My hair is still drying right now. But I have to say that it's much softer and shinier. And even though it's still damp, I can run my fingers through it. Oh joy! I'm so happy.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Back in the Swing of Things

I'm anticipating tomorrow. I have clarified, deep conditioned, rollerset, applied my serum and moisturized thoroughly. So now it's time to co wash. I'm not sure which conditioner to use. The Pantene is the one I like the most. I love my VO5 too. (I use this mainly for my baggies.) It's a hard decision. I like the way Pantene smells and the slip that it has. And it's sole purpose is to strengthen the hair so that it will grow long. Light bulb just went off! I can do the actual wash with the VO5. Then I'll let the Pantene sit on my hair while I shower. :) Problem solved.

My moisturizer is running out. I had been using so much of it because my hair had the crispies. Now I'm down to half a bottle. :( That's another thing to put on my list for next month. The good thing is that this stuff all on it's own is the bomb. And since clarifying, I'm more than sure of that. I can't get over the smell. It's so yummy. I'm glad I didn't start using it until not too long ago or the bees would've been chasing me. This is my favorite so far. I wish it came in a bigger bottle. I just hope they have some. The last time I went to Sally's I got the last bottle they had. It must be quite popular. I know why.

Right now, Jilbere is the bomb to me. The combs are so pretty and sturdy. I'm thinking replacing all my combs that aren't Jilbere. I'm on the hunt for a brush too. I'm needing to smooth my hair a lot more as a I stretch. I know that they are supposed to be the devil, but I hear boar bristle is ok when not use excessively. And I don't need but to swipe it over my hair more than two or three times a week. If I don't get a boar brush, I definitely want a baby brush to smooth the hair.

The 2 Week Results

I'm super excited. I just got through looking at the before and after shots of my hair. And I've had some good growth. This is such great news to me. After all the drama I've been through with my hair, a break has come.

This new length looks weird in the picture because I forgot that rolling the hair leaves a curl. So I had to work with my hair to get it straight enough for a photo. In the second photo, my hair looks thin at the ends. This is not the case though. I have post relaxer shrinkage. And of course the ends are where this happens first. But I'm not discouraged by this because my hair is much smoother and more manageable. When I get my relaxer, the ends will actually be thicker and healthier.

Enough talk. Here are the pics!This is the before...
This is the after!!!

I think it's safe to say that the growth serum was a great investment. And things can only get better from here.

Ooo.....Product Review Time!

Like I said I was going to do, I clarified my hair with Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo. And I have to say that it saved my hair. It was so full of crap! It stripped away all the nasties. As a result, my deep conditioner took well. And because of that, I was able to rollerset my hair without any issues. It was so annoying to have to take a shower four times today, but it was worth it for my hair. Just in case though, I did two rinses with my Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner. (I just love my Neutrogena!)

I wonder what my hair is going to look like tomorrow. My late night run to Wal Greens forced me to do a rollerset that I will have to sleep on. It'll likely take until the afternoon before it is cmpletely dry. But that's ok. My satin cap is holding all that good moisture in. And my hair is going to be soo smooth and manageable.

Length check is tomorrow. So now I've decided that I'm excited. I know that my hair will be a lot shinier this time. And the texture will be smoother because the set is fresh. Oh goodie! I guess I will hold off on washing my hair this weekend also. I'll just co wash two or three times a week with a good deep condition thrown in there twice. This is only because I clarified though. I will get back to my normal routine next week. Now that my hair will hold the moisture instead of expelling it de to build up, I'm good!

Only people like me that are obsessed with taking care of their hair would understand. We put so much time, energy, and money into our hair that we are often the subject of many jokes. At the same time, those who are making the jokes probably do so because they wish they could be as committed as we are. They look at our hair and the things we go through. And as much as they'd like to get on the train, they just miss the station everytime. So let them laugh. I'll keep flipping my hair in the wind as it continues to grow down my back and touch my waist. I'll keep encouraging them though to join the journey in healthy hair. But essentially, the choice is their's alone.

Monday, September 22, 2008

A Time to Clarify

I'm going to sum up some of the issues that I've been having with my hair lately. It's all because I need to clarify! I noticed that my hair seems resistant to all the treatments like daily moisturizing and deep conditioning. So I'm going to give my poor strands one more try. I'm gonna run to the closest Wal Greens and fetch a bottle of this stuff:
This is Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo. So why did I choose it? First, it's cheap. And I have a great history with Suave. All I wanna do is remove the gunk from my hair. And I don't need another expensive hair product to do that. This one bottle is what I'm going to rely on from now on to do the trick. The last time I tried to clarify, I ended up not doing it right. I mixed the baking soda and water like I was supposed to, but I'm sure the stuff didn't work. Otherwise I wouldn't be where I am a short amount of time later needing to clarify. So I will rely on a product that is specially designed for this. (Just wanted to add that the reviews for this are pretty high.)

Thank goodness this problem can be solved because I was seriously thinking about cutting all my hair off from frustration. Tomorrow is an official co wash day. But instead, I'm going to be doing a full wash and set. That's with the clarifying shampoo, deep condition, and all. The rollerset too. I'm expecting great results because the ingredients will be able to penetrate the hair and to what it's supposed to do. Along with this is yet another length check.

I should be happier about my length check, but I'm not. It's not that I'm unhappy with my products or serum. The issue is just that checking length constantly makes me feel discouraged because I want it to grow now. But I'm rational and I know that it will take time. So I'm cutting back on the checks as soon as I get this first month with the serum out the way. The picture I take after the relaxer will be the last one that I do as far as length is concerned for a long time.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Another Regimen Change

I feel kinda bad, but I had no other choice. I didn't co wash my hair today. I woke up this morning in a bad way from this cold I've been battling. It wasn't good. And I knew I would be leaving the house today, so I decided it was best I laid off it. And I won't be washing it tomorrow either. :( I'm gonna have to wait until Saturday before I do anymore washing. If I don't, I'll never get over this nasty cold. Matter of fact, I'm gonna get up super early Saturday to get my hair out that way and make sure it's totally dry in case I have to run some errands.

I didn't do a rollerset last weekend. I was trying to take some stress off of my hair. I'm co washing frequently and having to detangle all the time. And it just needed a break. That day had brought enough manipulation. I'm trying to decided if I should do the same thing this weekend. Either way, I'm going to have damp hair a majority of the day. But the braidout would be quicker and hold i't s shape despite being damp. That way I can style it at least three hours. Then I will put it in a loose bun that will dry quickly. The forecast calls for warm sunny weather which should make it ok.

I'm dying to do a length check. I just don't wanna be disappointed. If I do one on Monday morning, that would be exactly two weeks since I've been using this growth serum. It's an MTG. It's made with sulfur. It's organic ans all natural also. I know that it's working because I have an abundance of new growth. And I should by this time since I'm about 8 or nine weeks post relaxer. I feel the sensation on my scalp. I was combing my hair today and noticed that it was a little longer than it was when I started. So maybe I may have some growth. I will be so excited if I do.
My growth serum by Bee Mine Products- Click Here

Okay, so I just came up with solution to my weekend issue with the braidout, rollerset, and growth check. I can just rollerset my hair after my co wash on Tuesday. I don't have anything to do that day. I'll get started early and possibly sleep on it to make sure it's dry all the way. Then I'll take a two week update pic on Wednesday. Works perfectly with my schedule.

I'm excited about October. I will be putting on my own relaxer for the first time. I'll also going to do an end of one month photo on my hair growth serum. With this will be a series of pics (starting point, 2 week, end of one month pre relaxer, and post relaxer). I'm gonna get a chance to indulge in my pjism too. I just love Sally's. They're right around the corner. And they have the best quality stuff. I may hit up the Dollar Tree as well and see what they have that could help me. I almost forgot! I'm gonna switch to coconut oil. I'll be a true hair diva once I make that step. It's gonna have my hair growing like weeds. I just know it.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I Love My New Moisturizer

Recently, I switched moisturizers. This is the one that I was using: Hollywood Beauty Carrot Creme. It was great. But I had been using it for a long time. It worked great. It wasn't too overwhelming as far as smell was concerned. And it is relatively inexpensive at less than four dollars. I went through a jar a month.
I think that sometimes the hair can get comfortable with a product and adjust to it. I was seeing signs of this. For instance, I used to be able to apply this at night and seal. Then I wouldn't have to repeat the process again until the next night. But a few weeks ago I noticed that I was getting a little dry during the daytime. So I applied more. But I got a little build up from this because it's on the heavy side. So I have to say farewell for now. But I will be back to it when I can get the moisture thing under control.

My dilemma left me in an awkward position: What moisturizer was I going to use? I didn't even know where to begin. I knew that I wanted something creamy but light. I'd prefer that it smelled good and didn't mind having to use it more than once a day as long as it didn't create build up. I was also looking for something that was in a good price range. Sometimes you will find a moisturizer you really like, but then it's more than you wanna pay.While on my favorite site for keeping up with the latest info on keeping my hair up, I saw this moisturizer. The creator of this space who has BSL hair was using it. So I thought that if it was good enough for her, it had to be good for me. Her hair is down her back for crying out lous. And I have to say that I'm loving this stuff. It's lightweight, smells like candy, inexpensive, etc. I almost forgot the name. It's Silken Elements Silken Child Silk Moisturizing Creme. I got it as Sally Beauty Supply. I recommend this to people who are trying to get that moisture balance in check. It'll give shine and moisture. The only con I can think of is that I still have to apply it twice a day. But it's all good because it doesn't leave that film behind like some moisturizers can. Long live this stuff right here. :)

My official blog

So I'm finally heret. It's been a long time coming, but I'm so ready now. I've got the time and patience. Most of all I'm building up this nice little collection of hair products. And I have to have a place to dedicate all this info to. So let's begin! :)

Assessing My Hair

This is a photo that I took on September 6, 2008


I did it mainly so that I could assess the state of my hair. So let's see what I've got here...It's thick. I'm about 6 weeks post relaxer in this pic if I remember correctly. I had trimmed my hair just a few days prior. So I would say that I'm a comfortable shoulder length. It's relatively healthy I guess. The shine factor could be better. And I feel like it looks a little dry. But that's ok.

I got my growth serum just over a week ago. And I've been using it on a daily basis. I put it on at night and co wash it out in the morning. I guess it's going well. I'm thicker, but that could just be the new lack of relaxer. I'm gonna have to give this product a full month before I can see the real results. That will be followed by a relaxer and a trim. The good thing about the product i'm using is that it doesn't smell, and it's easy to apply. It doesn't take much either. My bottle should last a good few months.

My regimen is a bit crazy right now. Here it goes

Co wash daily
Growth serum every night
Moisturize and seal 2x daily (may have to up it to three)
Deep condition 2x weekly(and w/heat on wash day)
Baggie method 2-3x weekly overnight
Daily scalp massage
Wash 1x a week(w/shampoo)
Rollerset once a week (or braid out)
No direct heat at all
Protective bun or tuck style daily