Again in April, I checked myself into product junkie rehab after a much-needed butt whoopin’ and candid dialog with Brandie Kekoa. If it wasn’t for Brandie and her straight up honesty, I’d in all probability nonetheless be spinning my wheels, questioning why I am making an attempt all these wonderful merchandise and my hair appears to be like like basura.🚮
Quick ahead three months, and I am nicely on my strategy to having my finest head of curls but. Sure, even higher than the 2014 and 2016 curls I have been chasing for thus lengthy. I can actually say that I’ve fallen in love with my hair yet again, and all it took was for me to resign my product junkie methods.
Because it seems, I really like wholesome, thriving hair greater than I really like chasing down new merchandise. 🤷🏽♀️ Who’da thunk it?
Reflecting on my expertise these previous three months, I’ve observed 4 key ways in which my hair has taken a flip for the higher. Since incorporating (and sticking to!) a devoted routine of fastened merchandise, I’ve loved:
Extra Seen Hair Progress
Y’all know the drama with pure hair. Half the time, we won’t inform whether or not it is rising or not as a result of shrinkage tends to be completely disrespectful. Even with my shrinkage in full on lets-make-you-feel-bald mode, I started to see seen indicators of development and size retention. My first massive clue-in was the impolite and unruly gray hair that is determined to sprout up smack dab in the course of my entrance part. The ends of them have been purple (hello, henna), however because the problem wore on, the brand new gray hair roots grew longer, and longer, and longer. As I sort, they’ve made their reappearance with at the very least an inch of latest development since my final henna session on the finish of Could.
One other main method I have been in a position to inform my hair has grown is by how I put on it. I generally tend to put on my hair pulled in entrance and over my shoulders to create a extra face-framing impact. However after my lower, the again layers have been too brief to remain put — they’d graze throughout the highest of my shoulders and transfer proper again to the place they have been. And that is even after stretching. 😭 Now, I do not even stretch my again layers they usually keep put.
I am unable to precisely put plenty of inches to 2 a lot my hair has grown, I simply know that it has. And I have not been taking any hair development nutritional vitamins, both.
My Hair Obtained More healthy
As I scrolled down my Instagram timeline pre-cut, I noticed two issues: one, I posted numerous throwback pics to more healthy hair days. Two, I posted numerous half-up, pushed again, facet angled, and different damage-camouflaging hair pics. See right here, right here, right here, and right here for reference. I am actually stunned no person caught on. 😂 In reality, I used to be simply protecting up how completely wrecked my curls have been. Particularly within the entrance/heart space.
Since getting a superb lower and sticking to a devoted routine, my curls have been on the highway to restoration in methods I may by no means think about. Naturally, I’ve extra shrinkage as a result of my curls space more healthy. My break up ends have decreased drastically, and I have not had a lot want to select up the scissors and trim. I do expertise a liiiiiitle little bit of tapering in areas the place my injury wasn’t fully lower away (to offer my curls some semblance of form and steadiness), but it surely pales compared to what I used to be coping with earlier than. The tgin Miracle RepaiRx Curl Protein Reconstructor has been instrumental in protecting my curls sturdy and sustaining elasticity, whereas fortifying (and even placing a lil’ bounce again into) my broken areas.
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| That is all my shedding after not washing for TWELVE days. TWELVE. |
My hair sheds much less (though I am going longer durations of time between washes), and I actually do imagine Be Kekoa’s Be Clear and Be Clair in addition to Soultanicals’ ‘Fro Despair have been instrumental to decreasing hair fall in my routine. Be Clear and Be Clair are glorious at cleansing the hair and scalp whereas minimizing friction between strands — leading to much less hair being ‘pulled out’ throughout cleaning and detangling. ‘Fro Despair, with its stellar record of nutrient-dense inexperienced substances, helps strengthen hair from the roots, contributing to decreased shedding.
I Obtained P R E D I C T A B L E + Lengthy-Lasting Outcomes
Just lately, a couple of memes have been circulating, lamenting concerning the unpredictability of pure hair. A couple of months in the past, I’d’ve been like, lady sure. However as of late, my vibe is extra, “eh, cannot relate.” Utilizing the identical merchandise in the identical combos tends to have that form of affect. No surprises. Much less frustration. Extra good hair days. This too helped with development and size retention. Predictable outcomes + realizing how lengthy my hair will final = much less wash days, much less manipulation and extra size retention.
For instance, I do know that:
With my predictable, efficient routine, I can simply get 7-10 days out of my wash and go. Two of these days might contain a bun or puff; however that is greater than I have been in a position to get out of my hair in a loooong time. Particularly due to my battles with scalp psoriasis. Talking of which…
My Scalp Psoriasis Improved
You guys know that I have been battling with psoriasis since highschool. All my running a blog life, I’ve needed to wash my hair twice every week out of necessity. This can be TMI, however psoriasis plaques are the results of pores and skin cell overproduction — and my scalp has appeared prefer it has dandruff on steroids for a looooong time. That’s, till this problem.
As a result of I am utilizing the identical merchandise on my hair and scalp, I’ve minimized the variety of merchandise that may contribute to scalp irritation. The opposite two keys, I am saving for an even bigger weblog publish on kicking psoriasis to the curb, however simply know this — it entails making use of Soultanicals ‘Fro Despair on to my scalp on wash day. Extra particulars to come back — however simply know that consistency and intentional therapy go a LONG method in battling in opposition to scalp drama!
So Now What?
Now that I’ve executed the problem and I do know all these fantastic issues happened on account of my consistency in utilizing the identical merchandise over time, what’s subsequent? Will I nonetheless do product critiques? Will I nonetheless be a product junkie? Are you gonna discuss Soultanicals, tgin, and Be Kekoa each month? Is that this the top of The Mane Goal as we all know it?
Sure. No. In all probability. Completely not. Let me clarify.
Sure, I am going to nonetheless be doing critiques — however how frequent, and the sort they’re will change. After all, I am going to all the time be recreation for merchandise from Soultanicals, tgin, and Be Kekoa. I belief the homeowners and the way they formulate their merchandise. Barring an excessive state of affairs, I do not see myself doing whole product “line” critiques. That entails too many merchandise, too many alternatives to interrupt what I’ve labored so onerous to attain, and most significantly, the vast majority of you guys aren’t going to expire to buy a complete line.
Past that, let’s preserve it a buck — a superb variety of new traces and collections that come out as of late share just about an identical formulations with their predecessors. The bottom formulation are typically the identical, they sprinkle in a couple of totally different oils and herbs, and provides ’em new label. There’s normally just one or two fully distinctive merchandise, and if I select, these would be the ones I concentrate on.
I am going to even be doing critiques quite a bit much less continuously. I have not settled on a precise cadence, however you will not see 3 totally different deep conditioner critiques from me in the identical month. Except after all, it is one thing that I have been utilizing in my routine and have not had the prospect to share but (like Be Lola and the Miracle RepaiRx Curl Protein Reconstructor). Now that I am seeing my hair’s true potential, I wish to do my very best to stop heading again within the fallacious course. Which means vetting merchandise (and types), tapping into one other stage of discernment, and solely saying sure to collaborations that make sense.
The Mane Goal will nonetheless reside on, however I am re-committing to producing and refreshing extra of the content material that may educate, encourage, and assist your hair thrive. An excessive amount of of what occurs on social media, YouTube, and blogs is about shoving sponsored merchandise down folks’s throats, and that is not what I would like my contribution to the pure hair group to relaxation on.
I am nonetheless gonna be the identical ol’ Christina Patrice, however with quite a bit much less #sponsored #advert #brandpartner motion. I do know the route I am pursuing is not common, horny, or one that may drive boatloads of followers my method, however I am okay with that. My #1 aim is to all the time be a useful resource, and chopping via the crap is likely one of the finest methods I understand how to do precisely that.
I am excited for this subsequent leg of the journey, y’all. Thanks for rocking with me, rolling with this collection, and supporting the content material I create! Keep tuned for the video the place I discuss every thing on this publish a bit extra!
