Let's Talk Shampoo

Hi Beauties,

You may be wondering shampoo? Hmm...that is fairly simple! Wet hair, squeeze shampoo into hands, lather, rinse, repeat, voila! NOT!

In reality, there are a few things to consider including the kind of shampoo, shampoo techniques, and frequency. Let's break this down shall we?

To Shampoo or not to Shampoo? 

This is an ongoing debate in the hair community. Some shampoo from once a week to once a month even twice a year while doing condition washes (co wash) in between.  Others have migrated to cleansing conditioners and have completely done away with shampoos altogether.  My answer, it depends.

Choosing how often you shampoo should depend on the product use. Do you use heavy silicones and slab on the moisturizer and oils several times a week? If yes, you may consider using shampoo at least once per week especially if you use use heavy silicones. These can weigh the hair down and cause a significant amount of product build up over time. If you are light on products  then you may be able to get away with shampoo washes every 2 weeks or once a month with regular co-washes.

Shampoo Types

All shampoos are not created equally and vary in their cleansing capabilities. For instance, there are sulfate free shampoos that do mild cleansing and are good for weekly use (my favorites). There are also clarifying shampoos that are good for bi weekly uses and even monthly uses for removing excessive product build up and chlorine after a day at the pool. These are usually stripping and be used with caution. For even deeper cleaning there are chelating shampoos that remove mineral deposits along with product build up. These are particularly helpful for those who cleanse with hard water and use kit relaxers. Finally, there are neutralizing shampoos that lowers the pH of the hair and bring it to a neutral ph7, essentially stopping the relaxer process in its tracks.

The burning question  is which one should I use? The answer, it all depends on the intended outcome. In general beware of sulfate shampoos, these are the most damaging to our hair types because of its stripping tendencies. These shampoos leaves the hair and scalp dry and should not be used too often.

Shampoo Techniques

The most common mistake we make is to  apply shampoo all over the hair, bundle the hair on top of heads and wash vigorously. Rinse, repeat until squeaky clean. Essentially, this is the hair's version of overkill. A quarter size amount of shampoo applied to the scalp and a gentle massage used only by the pads of our fingertips, done at least twice is enough. Do not be overly concerned with shampoo getting to the ends of your hair. The rinsing process will take care of this for you. The ends of the hair are inevitably the oldest part of the hair and the driest. Adding another potentially drying element increases the chance of breakage. The focus should be removing build up towards the base of the hair and not the ends.
Also try not to bundle the hair into a ball, keep the hair as straight as possible, flowing in one general direction. This reduces the likelihood of knots and will save you time when detangling.


The shampoo process is one I look forward to weekly. I do use a sulfate free shampoo quite often and a chelating shampoo once a month. Be sure to follow with a deep conditioner and your favorite oils to add moisture to the hair. What your thoughts? How often do you shampoo and what kind... feel free to share below.

Until next time! HHJ

Hair Care for the Holidays

Seasons Greetings Beauties!

I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas celebration/holiday. All the dinners, church services, parties, beach limes has kept us all very busy. However, that packed schedule during this season challenges our style, hair, and make up regime a little more than usual. When speaking about hair  specifically, we tend to  use more manipulation and quick/extravagant styling both of which (often) involves heat in high frequencies including blow drying, flat ironing, and every thing else in between.

Ladies, let's be honest. The usual hair care regimen tends to be neglected. I do want to enter 2015 with healthy tresses, so here are a few of my tips that I use to guide me through the season.

Protective Styling

Now is a good time to pull out your favourite wig, install your braids or those bundles and give your hair a rest.  Wigs, weaves, cornrows, and braids are all great options for protective styling and when used  correctly can reduce stress on your hair. Don't forget a good ol' fashion bun or braid out still doesn't hurt.

Heat Protection

If you must use your heat tools, please remember to use your heat protectant. The use of a good heat protectant reduces the damage caused by heat tools such as flat irons and curling irons. Still try to use a moderate heat setting on your tools and not otherwise fry your hair.

I currently use the CHI Iron Guard 44 as my go to heat protectant. I have been using this product as a staple heat protectant for the past 4 years with no problems.

Low Manipulation

Gentle combing and brushing goes a long way. Reduce styles that put stress on your hairline such as that extra tight ponytail. Always use boar bristle brush and a wide tooth comb when styling.

Moisturize

That holding spray or styling gel may seem like its worth it right now, but you may end up paying for it later when your hair dries out and more hair is left of your back and on the floor than on your head resulting on your first setback for 2015. Find a holding spray that does not have that extra strong hold as these tend to leave your hair less dry and crunchy and the hold is removed at the stroke of a brush. I also prefer a styling/finishing paste for my edges than styling gels. My edges lay smoother  never feel dry at the end of the day.

My go to edge paste is the Chi Twisted Fabric.

Love it! It is wax based and is filled with emollients that leaves my edges soft, a little goes a long way and it is an absolute staple!

The list above is by no means exhaustive. So, feel free to share a few of yours. Let's grow together!

Until next time...happy growing :)