Wednesday, May 30, 2012

How I store my Herbs

Store your herbs in a cool dark place away from direct heat and sunlight. Keep them tightly closed. I store my herbs in a box high in my closet. Each herb is either sealed in it's original package, or double bagged with a ziplock bag as the outer bag. My house is never too warm, and being that summer is approaching the central air will be on- since it comes out from the ceiling I have no doubt that my herbs will stay cool.


 

I don't feel the need to bag them any differently than I do, because I try to buy as much as I will be using in no more than 6 months. This way they remain fresh and I don't have to worry about what's about to expire because everything ( of that one particular herb) was purchased around the same time and has the same expiration date. I generally don't use henna or herbs more than a year old. But there are some exceptions, especially when it comes to nupur henna ( that I may or may not be using any longer) that has an expiration date on it.
 


The box I use is from a local Burlington Coat Factory store, that sells waaaayy more than coats nowadays. There were a few to choose from and this box is very sturdy at only $7.There are not just herbs in here, as I store my henna gloves and bowl, along with my extra cocoveda, camellia, and amla oil here too!

 


This box was a great find, serving as a wonderful way to keep my herbs accessible and aesthetically incorporated into my  room's decor. How do you store your herbs?

Monday, May 28, 2012

•ღƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღ• Henna Me Silk 5~28~2012 •ღƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღ•

Somehow, just somehow, I forgot that I had more Moroccan Henna left. This is what led me to purchasing the Jamila henna for hair. When I went to go henna today, I opened my storage box of herbs and was pleasantly surprised! I had MORE Moroccan Henna. It appears I only have used it once. So I decided to also use it today :-)

I soul mixed it again- sorry no recipe. I was really in a hurry and just wanted to be sure I got it done. I know for sure I used 5 T of the Moroccan henna and 2 T of marshmallow root. I mixed it up with aloe juice and a bit of apple cider vinegar ( not sure if I needed this but didn't want to find out the hard way). After letting it sit for 1.5 hours ( yes, this dye release is FAST, Which is another reason why I love it so much) I mixed it up with warmed coconut milk and some honey and cocoveda oil ( I think 2t or so of each). The consistency was not what I wanted it to be, so I added in some organic amla powder.
The amla powder was vacuum sealed and when I opened it it was a hard block. I had to chuck away at it a little to break off pieces, but it worked. I let that sit for a while after adding in more warm coconut milk, just to let it dissolve. I will definitely mix the amla powder on the side first and THEN add it to my mixture ( only when the mixture has been sitting already- otherwise you can put the amla into a bowl and mash it up with a spoon- this will help make it powdery again).

My coconut milk has little pieces in it this time. I have never seen these pieces before, but I suspect it is from the 'flesh' of the coconut.?.?.


 Above is a picture of the little brown specs in my coconut milk that look like freckles!

Any how, I am sitting  here with it in my hair. I'm anxious to know if the amla 'did' anything to the henna. I hope to check back in a bit!

...SO... I kept the hennamla ( henna amla mix, lol) in my hair for about 3 hours. I rinsed my hair under the kitchen sink as I always do. After rinsing it clean, I decided I was not going to dc. It's so late and I don't have the time. My hair was pretty moisturized anyway. so instead of rinsing my hair clean and then cowashing and proceeding with a dc, I rinsed my hair clean of the henna and then cowashed in the shower with the moisturizing simply you conditioner which really like. ( I will dc tomorrow morning).


There is something special about this aloe that almost relaxes your hair- not relax as in you chemically straightens your hair or anything, but think about coming home from a long day of work and then getting a full body massage by your favor masseuse for about an hour- well that's what I mean by relaxed. My hair does what I tell it to without a fuss! 

At the end of it all I absolutely LOVE  THE COLOR I got from mixing the amla in AFTER the henna dye release has taken place. I have that warn brown I have always been looking for! I wanted it chocolate brown, but this is lighter than the chocolate brown, but still very , very RICH! I hanna'd without gloves this time- how silly! My hands were really orangy brown with a  bit of red. I will add this to my henna every single time, or every other time. Measurements are a MUST next time! 

Hennasooq still  doesn't have the Moroccan henna in and they no longer have a date. I must say I will definitely purchase this is bulk the next time it's available.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Make Cocount Milk From Cocount Cream/Meat/Butter





 Have you ever wanted to make coconut milk and only had the meat/ flesh/butter/cream on hand? Below is a  simple pictorial on how to do just that!All these names can be used synonymously to the best of my knowledge. I have purchased all of these and they have turned out to be the same thing. One brand in particular is the Tropical Traditions coconut Cream Concentrate and the Artisana Coconut butter- this brand is  A lot smoother than the Tropical Traditions and can be found at Natural food stores. It also comes in two sizes.




Add as much coconut cream as you like to a heat safe bowl. I use a glass bowl to add more resistance when pressing the coconut against the sides.








Stir in a little filtered water and mash. Some recipes call for 2:1 ratio of the water to coconut product.  No need to heat anything, but but you can (very gently)  if you'd like.  





Keep adding in the filtered water and continue to mash and stir until you get a smooth consistency like this. Adding water bit by bit reduced/eliminates the clumps.






What I like about the cream is that you can FEEL the coconut oil in it as you rub it between your fingers. I do  not see or get this when I use plain coconut milk.



For the record, the is the Coconut Milk I use. There has not been a better brand that I've found that makes my hair so moisturized and strong.  I believe it has a higher fat content than most brands. I will check on this! Unfortunately the price has gone up. My henna friend has purchased this same brand from amazon in bulk for a better price.



Nupur Henna- does it REALLY coat my strands?


I've been hinting about 2 revelations I have had in the past two weeks. One of them is my Love affair with my Nupur Henna.
.
almost a year ago I was introduced to Nupur henna. It was way more moisturizing than my usual Jamila or Moroccan henna and it yielded a pretty good dye color. So I switched in a heartbeat, turning my back on all other hennas.

Ever since switching I cut off 5 inches of my half relaxed/half texlaxed ends to reveal more of my new growth. And with this new found love I felt I was sure to be onto something good.

At that point my hair was very strong and in pretty good condition, but I wanted more of my thicker newer growth to start off the new year with, which also marked the anniversary of my healthy hair journey.

Ever since switching I have noticed the that nupur was getting better and better, and I was become more seasoned at mixing and adding other beneficial/moisturizing herbs to my treatments. With all these great things, including the use of less heat, my hair should have been getting more shiny, silky, and strong...NOT!!!

I began to get more hair fall around September which is fairly usual for me, but it slows down by November. This time around I never quite recovered, and began to lose more strands as I observed my precious hairs scattered about the sink after moisturizing and sealing...what was going on? Am I not doing something right? My hair is FEELING awesome after all of the herbal treatments?

My hair used to shed A LOT, so the hair fall I got was extremely minimal to what I use to experience, but why settle for this kind of hair fall when it could be a lot less? My hair was also not as shiny ( not dull though) as it use to be and  I thought for sure things should have been getting a bit better by now.

 My hair is already fine and I didn't feel like my strands held that  'thickness' to them that they once had while using the previous hennas. I began to do some research and REALLY observed my strands. What I suspected was that the Nupur Henna was giving me great color but was not adhering to my strands- It was serving as a 'conditioner' but did not actually 'coat' MY hair. Now notice that word in italics, as some may beg to differ. But I have carefully documented my hair's progress and the truth is  in the pictures!  


   









If you take a look at this 3rd Picture, you can see that the end of my strand that has been hennaed much much long ago is far thicker than that of the first two  inches of my new growth that has been hennaed at least 20 times with the Nupur. After just 3-5 uses of the other hennas I realized a sudden difference in my hair... not SO with the Nupur. It has ALWAYS been a nice treatment, but never could I say that it transformed my hair. In fact, my hair has reverted back to the same texture ( not silky) as before I  started doing henna. This is not to say that the Nupur has  done nothing, as it is very moisturizing, and volumizing, almost swelling the hair shaft. I must attribute this to the other herbs in Nupur ( these herbs are what set it aside from the other hennas) but have they also hindered the hennas binding properties? IDK,  but what I DO know is that this henna has NOT been  'building' onto my  hair.

For now I have opted to use the older hennas I am more familiar with, and that are pure hennas. I have learned to add other ingredients that add  moisture to the mix, and I am now confident that I will no longer get that dried out feeling from these  other hennas, regardless of what henna I decide to use.

What do you think about this Nupur henna vs the other more pure hennas? Have you experienced the same thing?


Monday, May 21, 2012

Product Haul: Henna Sooq

Henna Sooq


I absolutely Love everything about hennasooq. From their products to their customer service, I always receive top quality. When using other hennas, things just don't work out the same. Their products truly exemplify the time and effort that goes into creating, marketing and packing, and informing their customers about each and every product. When I'm unsure about a type of henna or herb purchased from them, I can ether refer back to their site or blog for additional information, shoot them an email, chat live, or place a phone call. Every time I've needed to contact them I have never left with ill feelings. I can be confident enough in the knowledge received/gained about the product and then use it to modify or tweak an herbal treatment to match the needs of my hair. The guidelines and recipes they offer are also awesome. Their packaging always make me feel like I'm receiving a gift. And last but certainly not least, they are extremely pleasant! Hennasooq....what a breath of fresh air!

So what did I purchase? 







3- 4 oz bottles of Organic Amla Oil  supplies superior moisture- a little goes a long way, but you do NOT want to run out of this stuff!

1- 2 oz bottle Camellia oil  No other face oil quite like this! It's light, moisturizing, hypoallergenic, sensitive for my confused type of skin and is just the best facial moisturizer for any type of skin, hands down!

2- 100g bags of Sukesh  My moisturizing treatment, can add more moisture to other treatments.- no color imparted.

4- 100g bags of Amla powder- I've never tried this powder, but the oil is wonderful. I purchased this on sale, because it was the Summer crop of 2011. This gives me a chance to try it out. The scroll-over link is to the Fall crop of 2011.


1- 100 g bag of Brahmi Powder- I have yet to try  Brahmi powder on its own, but I have tried the hesh brand in my henna and it made it that much more conditioning. I can't wait to try this which I'm sure is superior to the hesh  brand.

1 -100 g bag of Shikakai Powder- I've been trying to do away with commercial shampoo altogether and with the exception of a natural shampoo bar here and there, I hope to replace it with this cleansing herb. Now's the time to try it out.

What I also like about the Sooq is that they offer many chances to receive/earn discounts  on their products. I purchased all of these with a 20% discount code for 'liking' their fan page on facebook, AND I received free shipping... Yes, folks, it's THAT easy!

Place your order at hennasooq today by calling 410-579-4543  from Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6pm EST, or visit Hennasooq.com . You can also find more information on their blog, hennablogspot.com.


*The logo at the top of the page belongs to hennasooq and was used for the sole purpose of freely (both literally and figuratively) marketing their products- which I love

Sunday, May 20, 2012

•ღƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღ• Henna Me Silk 5~20~2012 •ღƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღ•

I purchased the Jamila henna from hennasooq.com,and this was the first henna I have even used. Unfortunately I was chasing a sale and bought the wrong one! I was so eager to get it cheaper that I didn't realize I purchased the alternate Jamila HENNA FOR HAIR when I intended to get the BAQ, or Body Art Quality.

To make a long story Short, the Jamila henna for hair is from a different part of the henna leaf, yielding a lesser dye content, doesnt have a date on the package, it's not as finely sifted, and the packaging is clear/see through which doesn't preserve the henna  as well as the silver packaging as the BAQ.

Well... that's the one  I got, and  I didn't realize it until I went to open it. It's been a year at least since I used it, but I didn't forget that silver package I used to get.


Initially, I intended on buying the Moroccan henna which they were out of, and I needed to place the order in a hurry.  So I went with what I know- the Jamila. I wanted to purchase some Yemeni and well, but again, I was RUSHING!


Recipe:

5T Jamila henna for hair
2/3 cup Aloe vera juice
1T ACV- *will  change this to 1t

Let the mixture sit for 15 hours, really only needed 12 but I was busy when the 12th hour came around.

before applying I added the below ingredients

1t   marshmallow root- *will change to 1T next time
1T cocoveda oil
1t  honey
1t  aloe vera juice- I toggle between the juice and gel, which ever is organic and on sale, no difference


My thoughts:
This was a very creamy mixture and I felt that I was stretching it and needed to add more henna next time.  I will also add coconut milk after letting it sit to reconstitute it instead of the 1t of aloe vera, or maybe I will do half coconut milk, half aloe vera.  The dye content this mixture had to offer really blew me away (which brings me to my next post about the Nupur henna). One thing I did forget was how rich the color is; it slightly stained my skin around the hairline, and I could see the abrupt, but beautiful difference in color. 

I'd like to take note of the importance of waiting for the proper dye release, especially if you are using the henna for color: the More color you get, the greater the penetrable coat that will build on your hair ( from my experience).

More info about the difference between these two hennas can be found on hennasooq.com
This is the henna for Hair in the clear cellophane wrapping.



This is the BAQ henna in the SILVER package.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Upcoming reviews

Upcoming reviews: 


Revelation 1: Nupur Henna and Saturation
Revelation 2: God's Natural Earth
Revelation 3: Porosity- is it a big deal or not



Hard hair, Porosity, and Rhassoul

My hair has been feeling awfully porous...from what I know about porosity, I am having a hard time figuring out why or how my hair became like this. Well I need to fix it. so of course I tried a few treatments, mainly moisturizing, but I really need some protein. 

I've been oiling my hair with the coconut oil which has helped a little, but I need something drastic, so I decided to do a rhassoul treatment. I get lots of strength that mimics the protein, so hopefully this will help. 

I need to do a moisturizing treatments afterwards, along with an ACV rinse. I will check back in later to record how this experience went.

**Side Bar**  
I did a rhassoul treatment in my 3 year old's natural (3b-4b) and  almost waist-length hair----what a project! It was so HARD to rinse out-- It was like he had gone swimming in the ocean and then rolled around on the beach. He had sandy-like particles that just didn't want to come out- I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed, then conditioned and rinsed some more!  My hair is not COMPLETELY  natural so maybe this was it? Or was it because I wasn't washing my own head that it was harder to get out? Idk, but if you DO, please feel free to leave a comment! I'd love to hear what my readers,  if any smiley-tongue-out, have to say!


So it's later ( lol) and I did the rhassoul, according to my usual treatment. This definitely 'FIXED' my hair, by making it feel soft, strong, and manageable.  I was having my main issue in the top of my head and this part is now very soft. My new growth is also soft and I can  no longer feel  the coils that I do have  ( my hair waves more than curls in most places).

Once I get all of my treatments just the way I like them, I will post a page of just recipes for me ( and you) to refer to.

This brings me to again *Another* Realization of products that I will blog about soon. Boy, that man upstairs is really revealing things to me in a very special way!

My one of my next blogs I  will discuss porosity, which I was thought was not a necessary issue. And it really isn't a huge one, IF your MOISTURE AND PROTEIN are balanced, but obviously there are other factors that are important that could throw this off.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

•ღƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღ• Henna Me Silk 5~8~2012 •ღƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღ•

I had a revelation during this treatment, the same one I had before but failed to write about, and oddly enough I will not be including it in this post either. It has to do with my Nupur henna that's got my head spinning in circles, and I feel that this topic  is one that should stand on its own. 

So about this treatment:

I sOuL mixed my Moroccan  henna ( this means I did not measure it he he) with aloe vera gel cocveda oil, brahmi powder, coconut milk, and marshmallow root powder. ( I mixed up some coconut cream ito make it into the coconut milk).

My hair came out very nourished. I'm sorry to say that I almost got rid of this moroccan henna. I was so used to using the Nupur and how non stripped it left my hair, that I did not want to turn back... Well I am happy I did! I love the sift, smell, color, and ease of washing out this henna. It's my favorite  color by far!  It was just a matter of finding which ingredients helped make it more moisturizing.