1 YEAR HAIR-VERSARY !!!!

I reached 1 year on my hair journey in June and I am so excited to see that I have not only met my first long term hair length goal of BSL ( bra strap length ) but I have much healthier hair over all. My hair is longer than it has ever been my entire life and healthier than I could have ever imagined! My hair holds heat well now, does not frizz with humidity or even when I spritz water on my flat ironed hair...it's silky easy to manage and has great movement too.  I took a heat pass for my Bday celebration and to conduct a thorough length check.  I have used heat about 3 times since my journey has stared. I have been diligent with my regimen and bunning. This no heat diet along with daily moisturizing and frequent washing is what I can attribute my success to through out this process.  I have learned so much and hopefully I have helped others learn through sharing my personal experiences.  I am amazed at how much length I was able to  retain over he course of one year. It may be a little hard to see the number lines on my LC shirt, but I started a little above the #1 mark line and I am currently grazing the #8 line!

I guess I should set new goals at this point...so full MBL (mid back length) *which for me is officially dream hair length* is what I hope to reach by May 2012.  I am amazed at how much length I was able to  retain over he course of one year. It may be a little hard to see the number lines on my LC shirt, but I started a little above the #1 mark line and I am currently grazing the #8 line!

June 2010                         December 2011                   June 2011

New Carol's Daughter Monoi Challenge!

I don't know about you all, but I am over excited about the new CD line "Monoi", which features three new products that promise longer, stronger hair. Now I don't get to heavy into the promises product make but I do get amped when it comes to a great product ingredient list and the offering of something different. What is Monoi oil you ask? Well it is actually an oil that Tahitian's have used for many centuries to moisturize and maintain the beauty and health of their hair and skin. Monoi oil is a natural beauty product based on two unique ingredients, Tiare Tahiti (Gardenia Tahitensis) and refined Polynesian Coconut oil (Cocos Nucifera). Monoi is stabilized with Vitamin E.

You guys know I LOVE coconut oil and can't live without it. The results and benefits my hair has garnered with its use are pretty evident if you read my blog on a regular basis. I was wondering WHEN Lisa Price would finally include a line that would feature Coconut oil as its main ingredient....and now she goes and gives us something that I think will be GREAT. This line not only includes Monoi oil but also bamboo water which is the strongest plant on our planet. This will help to reinforce the hair's structure and give it longer life. Not to mention it features the use of shea butter, silk protiens and pro vitamin B-5. I love what this line will bring to Carol's daughter brand. I have decided to start my first challenge. So to help get me to BSL by my June 30th B-day, I will use the CD Monoi Repairing mask as my weekly deep treatment, the Monoi shampoo & conditioner as my hair care staples for the next 2 months. Hopefully CD delivers on the promise of stronger longer hair! I will keep you all updated and deliver full reviews once I have finished using a full container of the products.

Ingredients List


Monoi Repairing Shampoo: Water (Aqua), Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Coconut Oil Glycereth-8 Esters, Shea Butter Glycereth-8 Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Helianthus Annuus(Sunflower) Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Hydrolyzed Silk, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-91, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum)

Monoi Repairing Hair Mask: Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Dimethicone, Fragrance (Parfum), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oiol, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccaride, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Extrac, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethiconol, Octyldodecanol, Ceteareth-20, Quarternium-91, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone

Monoi Repairing Conditioner:Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Isododecane, Fragrance (Parfum), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Isohexadecane, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Hydrolyzed Silk, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Octyldodecanol, Ceteareth-20, Quaternium-91, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone

My Decision to Texlax

So much has happened since my last post in September!  I made the decision to transition from relaxed to texlaxed.  I had been pondering for a while if I would make the transition...but this all came to be by mistake.  My first attempt at self relaxing (in a few years) was in Spetmeber and because I am soooo paranoid about over processing my hair I rinsed my Phyto relaxer too soon. What I got was still wavy ( but much looser pattern) roots that were very soft and manageable.  I decided then no more bone straight hair!

For those of you that do not know what texlaxing is...it is still relaxing, but the chemicals are left on for a shorter period of time to purposely under-process the hair.  This way more peptide bonds are left in tact and the curl pattern is loosened up a bit, not completely taken out.  I made this decision because it will leave me with stronger hair, allow me more versatility with styling (wear curly or straight), and it will allow me to have much thicker hair.  I will not have to worry so much about over-processing in an attempt to get it bone straight...all in all I think is the best decision I have made for my hair besides the decision to start this healthy hair journey.

A great side to this is discovering that my natural texture is so beautiful.  I love the wave pattern!  I still want to texlax rather than go all natural because I want to enjoy the length with looser elongated curls and allow for easier manageability.  The picture below is the top view of my hair after a co-wash and I am about 9 week post. There is also about 3 months of previously texlaxed hair in there too : ) I am still using my PhytoSpecific relaxer to texlax. Will texlax again around Christmas....6 month progress pics will be posted then, how exciting!