I did the unforgivable today... I used, Petroleum! *cue natural hair police*. I was just doing some experimenting. I saw that jar of blue magic sitting under the bathroom sink and thought, why not? Naturally, my hair feels a bit greasy now, but I think with some adjustments I can incorporate it into my winter hair care semi nonexistent regimen.

I only used it to seal my hair before doing my twists. I washed my hair this morning after hiding the scissors from myself. I just did my yogurt banana mask (which I added 10capsules of fenugreek, and I'll tell you why) then washed with Dove Daily Moisture conditioner and my L'Oreal reconstructive conditioner.

Lost my train of thought. Got Dora in the background and trying to get my son to eat dinner... anyway, um I did my usual routine of twisting and rolling, but I'm bored with that and I'm starting to think the rollers are aiding in the breakage. They're the foam type; I noticed my hair gets tangled into the foam pieces. I hardly, if ever, see hair in the shower or on my shoulders. I could count the hairs in my comb if I wanted... now, before I started using fenugreek, I tried a mayo/egg conditioning mask which left my hair crunchy, dry and from there I noticed the extra hair in my comb and sink. Anyway, it could be a number of things. It is getting much cooler out too which could be causing the slight breakage, or perhaps my hair is trying to force me into a big chop. It has always strived in shorter cuts lol.

I think, in any case, this is a sign I need to start trying new styles. I'm bored with two-strand twists with the rollers. Time to upgrade. Tonite I'm gonna try flat twisting. I know it isn't a huge jump, but bantu knots just don't quite work to blend my hair. They're ok for when I'm going to pin my hair down for something important. Otherwise, I like my hair BIG and curly. That's part of the reason I'm going natural (I'll talk more about that later).. so, tonite its time to change it up.

Now, I used that much fenugreek because my mask just wasn't thickening the way i like and I absolutely hate stuff dripping down my face and neck. Its comparable to Chinese water torture, if you ask me. To compensate for using so much, I only left the mask on my hair for 30minutes or so. My ends feel more wiry, which is good in my opinion. Makes me feel like my hair is stronger than when its pillowy soft. I dunno that it is or isn't; just a mental comfort thing really.

Alright, so I'm gonna go do this thing while my son is distracted with Wall-E.. I've been checking some Youtube videos, so I think I'm ready now.

Here I go!

yogurt? yep.

Since I'm on the topic of hair, I want to mention yogurt..

Like I said in my last post, I don't buy hair products.. Well, let me back up - I don't buy expensive hair products. I'm definitely not against lab created hair stuff. I still don't really understand what silicones are, but apparently they make my hair really soft. Why take that away? lol. Anyway, yogurt has become a staple in my semi non existent regimen. I use it as a prepoo-protein-deep-conditioning treatment (gotta love the all-in-one).

I don't really remember why or how I came across the idea of using yogurt, but somehow I was led to this website: Lipstick Masala.. Yogurt apparently has some type of antifungal and antibacterial properties.. its also good for probiotics, which i will assume does some good for my hair too lol. Well, the yogurt, in all its wonderfulness (except its taste, cause that's just gross) has some cleansing powers as well. A clear, healthy scalp means healthy hair growth, right? Welp, at 3 bucks for a gigantic tub, I was sold. I don't even have to eat this stuff to reap some benefits. YES!

Yogurt also offers protein which is great for hair too.. I don't really know all the ins and outs, and scientifics behind using yogurt, I just know it works for my hair..

Now, to the cut: For my hair mask I mix a few good scoops of full-fat yogurt (and yes, it needs to be full fat), 1 egg, 1 banana, and some olive oil.. blend it up really well (to avoid banana chunks) and smooth onto dry hair starting at the scalp.. I like my masks to be good and thick, so I add just a capsule or two of fenugreek, which coincidentally also conditions my hair and adds a lot of slip to the mixture. I'm terrible about detangling, but this is a good time to go ahead and do that part.. Anyway, wrap your hair up in some type of plastic (I use a Kroger bag), then a towel to create more heat and leave on your hair for 30 minutes up to an hour (2 in you skipped the fenugreek).. then rinse, shampoo and condition as usual.. with the fenugreek though, you may find that you don't need any additional conditioner. TIP: let the yogurt reach room temp, or your head might get really really cold lol.. TIP 2: if you use the fenugreek, don't let it dry on your hair, or you'll have powder chunks in it.. they come out easy though, so I've read.

the fenugreek really softens the hair so I do NOT recommend leaving it on for very long or using it more than once a week, or even bi-weekly (I'm still working out the kinks).. the first time I used it, I added way too much and left it on for nearly 3 hours.. well, now I'm experiencing some breakage. before you FREAK out, I'm not going bald and thankfully I noticed early enough to make some changes. I emptied like 10+ capsules into my mix along with Dove conditioner and some other things.. chances are I just over moisturized my hair. Don't be afraid to experiment. Just know your hair, your ingredients, and your time.

Anyway, I will probably be using this again tonite. Since its getting to be winter time though, I'm on the hunt for a not so cooling hair mask. Any suggestions or tips? I'd love to hear them.