Primadonna Style: Mission Transition: Wash Day & Finding Products That Work for My Hair...

As I shared a couple of weeks ago, I am in the process of transitioning. I had my first relaxer at age 13, and never looked back until now. My last relaxer was around three months ago. Since I'm a bit of a product junkie, I'll periodically share my experiences as I find products that work for this stage of my journey and put together my regimen.

Here is the routine I followed this week, a few thoughts on some of the products I used as well as new products I tried during this weeks wash day.

*My current goal is to increase and retain moisture & stop breakage.

I wash my hair once a week and use a wig as a protective style.

1. Clarified scalp using a mixture of the following:
1 oz Lily Of The Desert Organic Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Juice , 1 oz Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar , and 2 oz of water in a Soft 'N Style Applicator Bottle with Angle Tip. I was using only apple cider vinegar and water prior to this but I liked the addition of the aloe vera juice this time; it appears to be a bit more moisturizing. I'm going to try it again next week.

2. Pre-poo/Finger Detangle: with As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner
This is my third time using this product to pre-poo/detangle. I have about one more treatment left in the jar and then I will be purchasing it again. It's awesome at making my hair feel slick and smooth and getting most tangles out pretty easily.

3. Shampoo once with Design Essentials Honey Creme Moisture Retention Super Detangling Conditioning Shampoo
This is my first time trying this shampoo. The creamy consistency of this lathering shampoo made me think this would be a winner but my hair still felt slightly hard and somewhat tangled after rinsing it out. This has been a pretty common problem as far back as I remember and even the new sulfate free shampoos I've been using do the same thing! I don't think my hair likes shampoo very much. Next week I'll begin a cowashing routine; only shampooing to clarify every 4-5 weeks.

4. Detangled in shower with Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Balance Moisturizing Conditioner .
I still love this stuff. I've already purchased another bottle, and it will definitely be a mainstay in my regimen. Check out why I fell in love with this product HERE.)

5. Deep condition under steamer with Sofn'free GroHealthy Milk Protein & Olive Oil Really Deep Conditioning Treatment.
I was really excited about trying this but it felt dry and really hard to spread during application. Perhaps it was the milk protein... I mixed it with a bit of olive, coconut, and avocado oil to loosen it up. It felt like a dandruff treatment shampoo because it made my scalp tingle a lot (but in a good way). I sat under my LCL Beauty Hair Steamer for 35 minutes with this product on and when I finished my hair felt stronger and less brittle, but more dry if that makes sense. I won't be using or purchasing it again. I don't like the way it makes my hair feel, and I had to spend a considerable amount of time detangling once again after rinsing including adding a bit of Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Balance Moisturizing Conditioner to fix the mess it caused. :(

6. After rinsing and carefully drying my hair, I did the LOC Method using the following products:
L- Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-In Conditioner. This product did not impress me. I didn't see any significant difference and I think Giovanni Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner makes my hair easier to comb though than this product. I do like the smell though. ...Think I will use the rest on my wigs and add Giovanni to my mainstays.

O- I applied a mixture of the following oils: