Hi Ladies,
I know that many of you read this blog and have emailed me asking for updates. I've been quite busy and haven't had much of a chance to update.
I will be transitioning this blog into a website which will be launched in January. The new website will feature more detailed tutorials, tips and videos. And it's all free!
I will leave this open for now, while the new website is being worked on but I won't be updating any more for this year.

FYI. My hair is doing great. Just got another 10 inches cut. That's about 20 inches of hair cut this year alone. Not to worry, it's still long. I'm mid-back now. Anyway, there are tips here for keeping your hair healthy during the winter so feel free to browse . See ya in January!

Oh and don't forget to visit us at www.shescentit.com for all your hair needs. New products will be out between this month and January. We have giveaways and lots of deals and steals. Be Beautiful!

20 % off your entire order with coupon code "luvdad". Offer expires Sunday May 21st, 09 at 11:59 pm. www.shescentit.com

Next post....Bentonite clay.

Revisiting Okra

After numerous questions about okra ( see previous post) here I decided to give this a try.

Here's what I did.

I boiled 10 baby okras for about 30 minutes.
boiled okra


Let it cool for a few minutes then put it in the blender ( It was still hot at this point. Key for helping it to disintegrate.) I pureed it for 2 minutes then put it on liquefy for 3 minutes. It literally obliterated into a smooth green slime. Kinda like vomit lol or resembling the consistency of shampoo. There was absolutely no chunks of okra, just smooth slime.



Pureed okra


Great isn't it. Makes it easy to rinse out of the hair. Or so I thought.


Now for the test

I started by clarifying my hair. This is an important step anytime you're going to test a new product. You want to start with the cleanest hair possible.

I applied the okra gel ( as I'd like to call it) to my hair section by section.
Left that on for 15 minutes. My hair had a blinding shine to it while the okra was in it. I had a tighter more defined curl pattern too. I combed a small section in front with a wide tooth comb and it detangled easily.
By now I'm all excited...I'm on to something here.
Okra in my hair


Rinsed...and rinsed and rinsed. My hair had decent slip. Not nearly as much as when it was in my hair. It also felt a little coated.

But it felt really strong. A weird softness but strong.

The experimenting continues.

I then decided to create a conditioner using the okra. I made what would normally be a moisturizing conditioner but with the addition of the okra. It instantly turned it into a protein conditioner. My hair felt strong as heck.

I followed it up with Super Soft Honey Rinse for 10 minutes. My hair didn't feel as soft as it normally would.

I sprayed it with Moisture Mist Leave-In Conditioner and allowed to air dry. My hair dried extremely soft...strong but soft.

The Verdict.

Okra - Protein or Moisturizer?

Definitely protein.
It's almost has the effect of silicone or collagen. It coats the hair like a silicone and smoothed the surface. And it added elasticity to my strands like collagen would.

Would I try this again?

Definitely! As a matter of fact I'll try it every week for a month to see if my hair changes in any way.

I would recommend this weekly to someone who has severely damaged hair and needs heavy protein. For hair like mine that can go months without a protein treatment I would say use this every two weeks to once a month.


The results. Air dried 80%...blow dried on medium then mildly flat ironed. I will wrap it after this and it will be silky in the morning. P.S. Between Christmas to now I've cut about 14 inches off. I constantly cut it month by month, getting rid of the over processed hair. 6 inches here, 2 inches there ...that's how I did it. My hair actually behaves like it's natural even though it's relaxed. Makes me want to transition cause it makes no sense to perm anymore.

On Hiatus

I've taken a break from the blog. I will be back with new tips and tricks but in the meanwhile enjoy the post that are already here.
If you have any questions it's best to email me at customerservice@shescentit.com.

Spotlight on COLLAGEN

Collagen is a complex structural protein that nourishes your skin, hair and nails for a healthy appearance. It is the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant protein in mammals making up about 25% to 35 of the whole body protein content.

When taken orally it can cause hair and skin to become more elastic, lessening the chance of breakage. When used in your hair it can add softness and luster. As we age, our body produces less collagen so using a supplement is a good idea.

I like Puritan's Pride Brand.

Their claim...
• Promotes radiant skin, gleaming hair and strong nails**
• Helps maintain body collagen**
• Supplies high concentrations of the amino acids Glycine, Hydroxyproline and Proline

So what are you waiting for, pick up a bottle of collagen today!

Conditioning your hair

I just wanted to talk a little on the correct way (IMO) to condition the hair.

In my opinion, using more than 2 ounces of conditioner at one time is a waste. I know, I know your hair is super thick right? Still, its unnecessary to use more than that. If you apply conditioner the right way, the conditioner will stretch and do its job without you using the whole bottle. Believe it or not, I use less than 2 ounces of conditioner.

Grab a measuring cup. Pour or scoop two ounces of conditioner in.
Part your hair in 4 sections.
Apply a little to each section of damp hair starting at the ends. Work your way up to the roots.
Don't be heavy handed. If your hair is damp it will aide the conditioner in spreading.

Put a plastic cap on. This will generate heat, thinning out the conditioner and help it spread. If you're planning on using heat, no more than 15 minutes on a medium setting is necessary.

When you take the cap off you will notice that all your hair is pretty much covered with conditioner. I will also advise you to part your hair differently each time you condition. This will make sure that all of your hair gets conditioned on a regular basis.

I don't apply conditioner to my scalp. While conditioning the conditioner will seep down to your scalp. Some people apply it like they are applying a perm. Again not necessary but if you're transitioning this may help to get the conditioner on the roots.

Also it's important to remember that slip does not equal moisture. Most conditioners that give amazing slip are usually loaded with cones. Originally your hair will feel soft but all those cones that coated the hair will block out moisture which will eventually result in dry hair.

Last but not least, Protein, moisture, leave in weekly and reconstruct every 2-4 weeks.

ETA : Check your water. Hard water can really counteract a good conditioning treatment. Also, low water pressure can result in build up. You really need a good flow of water to rinse your hair and scalp completely.

What's in your handbag?

I decided to answer some of the questions asked by readers. Here's one. What's in your handbag?

So I just grabbed the bag I wore today and took a picture. My bag used to be full of all kinds of stuff but I've learned to downgrade. I'm still working on toting around less.


Here Goes...

Compaq Presario Laptop

Logitech wireless mini mouse

Deodorant (Degree but I usually use Secret)

Prescriptives silver make up bag

Prescriptives virtual skin foundation in Yellow Orange Real Tawny 29

Mac Studio Fix in C6

Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Makeup Level 4

Prescriptives Foundation brush

Prescriptives PX Super Line Preventor serum

M.A.C Fafi lip glass in Totally It. (don't really wear it even though it looks great on me)

Prescriptives softening eye liner pencil in Jet

Prescriptives Colorscope Lip Gloss in Sporty

Prescriptives False Eyelashes Mascara in Plush Black

Prescriptives Colorscope Lipcolor in Posh Ginger

M.A.C Lip Pencil in guess what?...Chestnut of course

Anti Glare Glasses

Halls Breezers

Huge Duck Bill Clip for pinning my hair up when I'm in the fitting room

Palm Treo

Jawbone Headset. (Pricey but worth it.)

Tweezers

Excedrin Migraine pills

Body Splash. ( I make my own)

Oscar De La Renta sunglasses

Dooney & Bourke wallet

Gloves

My big detangling comb

The Camera I took this pic with - Canon Powershot.

And the bag is from Armani Exchange. It's huge! You can your life around in this one.


So that's what's in my handbag...today.

Just a little update

For all the ladies that requested an update picture here it is. This is 4 months after my cut. (See the before pic here) My hair has pretty much grown back. I haven't been doing anything to it other than braid outs and twist outs. I haven't really been deep conditioning but I will begin to do so again seeing that it's colder now and my hair will definitely benefit from deep conditioning.

On Thanksgiving day, Thursday 27th of November, we will be having a huge sale. After you've finished stuffing yourself with Turkey, log on to www.Shescentit.com and take advantage of this sale.
It will be a good time to purchase your Christmas presents and stock up on our hair care products. Gift sets of Body and bath as well as hair care products will be available. So mark your calendars ladies.

CHANGE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING

I Cannot stress more how proud I am to wake up this morning and realize that yes, we can! What the new President Elect Barack Obama has achieved will undoubtedly inspire thousands, if not millions of people all around the world that they too, can step out on faith and hope and shatter barriers.
It is a great time to be alive!

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TODAY!

30 days of Chictober

For the month of October Nadia and Shescentit.com have teamed up with OhSoChicBoutique for their 30 days of Chictober Celebration. We will be giving away 2 free conditioners and 1 lucky lady will receive a gift set of Conditioner, shampoo and Seyani hair butter. The winners will be randomly selected and will be notified by email. No purchase is necessary, just sign up for our Newletter and your name will be in to lucky dip pot.

On the 15th of October we will be launching a new line of body products. There will be more free giveaways so look out for that. Check out Shescentit.com's blog nadiaproducts.blogspot.com for updates on products and what's going on with us.

Check out OhSoChicBoutique.com for their chic, fashionable clothing and accessories and visit their blog http://ohsochicboutique.blogspot.com/ for more freebies and discounts.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, it's estimated that About 178,480 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2007. About 40,460 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are slightly over 2 million women living in the United States who have been treated for breast cancer.

If you're worried about developing breast cancer, or if you know someone who has been diagnosed with the disease, one way to deal with your concerns is to get as much information as possible. In this section you'll find important background information about what breast cancer is and how it develops.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in one or both of the breasts. Breast cancer usually develops in the ducts or lobules, also known as the milk-producing areas of the breast.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women (after lung cancer). Although African-American women have a slightly lower incidence of breast cancer after age 40 than Caucasian women, they have a slightly higher incidence rate of breast cancer before age 40. However, African-American women are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age. Breast cancer is much less common in males; by comparison, the disease is about 100 times more common among women. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008 some 2,030 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men in the United States.
Above information taken from National Breast cancer month org. To learn more visit them at http://nbcam.org/index.cfm

Join the Total Beauty Total Cure fight against breast cancer. Please visit them at http://www.totalbeauty.com/blogger_BCA_campaign_page for more information and to make a donation.


Come on ladies, join the fight, find a cure!

I was just thinking

that I really want to keep my hair mid back length and no longer. My hair has grown back a lot and I'm not feeling it lol. I've never liked my hair longer than waist and that's pushing it for me. I'm heading back to mid butt already. I let my hair grow back because of what other people say but think I'm ready to maintain shorter hair. Just thinking, just thinking.

EGGS

I'm sure that by now, most of us know that eggs are great for your hair. I'm talking topically. As a child, my mom used to put this in my hair, but she didn't know that she was giving it a protein treatment. All she knew was that Eggs work.

Me? I hate the stuff. I don't like eggs, orally. But I love this stuff in my hair! I crack one egg, beat it until it's foamy and add it to my hair over my protein conditioner. I don't leave it on long though. My hair isn't crazy about too much protein and only needs it in moderation, so I leave in on for about 20 minutes before washing it out.

Now here's the bad part. This stuff DOES NOT smell great after you've rinsed it out. Get your favorite smelling moisturizing conditioner and deep condition with it. On my hair, I need to apply a moisturizing conditioner for at least 30 minutes before I'm comfortable that it's moisturized enough. Eggs make my hair super super strong so it's not something I do often.

If your hair is severely damaged, add 1-2 eggs depending on hair length and thickness and 1 teaspoon of olive oil to your protein conditioner to restore it's beauty and health.
And don't forget to moisturize afterwards!


TIP: You can add the yolk to your face to firm you skin. Another little trick I learned from my mom growing up. She's a health nut!

I was really debating on what to write about. I have so many things I want to discuss but so little time. My question is, can our hair be trained?

The reason why I'm bringing this up, is because of how my hair has been behaving lately. I wear it curly most of the time but whenever I chose to wear it straight, it reverts to it's curl pattern within 2 hrs of straightening it. I know it's humid here and that contributes that the reversion but my hair just doesn't seem to want to be straight anymore.

Even in the picture below of my hair after the cut, it had already reverted. I had major shrinkage at the roots also.
Now I find that if I'm wearing my hair straight, I can easily wear it that way for a while. No problem. When I do curly or wash and goes, it takes weeks for it to retain it's straightness. Even with wrapping my hair will curl by the time I wake up the next morning.

So can our hair be trained to stay straight? I'm getting to the point where I don't want to fight my curls anymore. I know I had a failed transition but I'm not sure my hair would like being 100% anyway. It's already too thick and a bother to deal with. What will I do as a natural?

Castor Oil

Castor Oil is a vegetable oil that is extracted from the castor bean, though it is not classified as a bean.

Probably the most popular of castor oil uses is as a laxative. When I was a child my mom would give me a small shot glass of this really foul tasting oil to "clean me out". I'm still resentful of that lol.

But for me the best way to use the product is topically. I love castor oil on my hair. I've been sleeping on this oil for a long time. My mom had to remind me that my hair loved castor oil as a child. It gives fine, thin hair body by thickening strands. What I find happens when I use castor oil, is that my hair completely soaks it up causing the strands to 'swell'.

And did I mention that it will leave your hair super soft?

Castor oil contains healing properties. I even use it on my scalp after getting burned during relaxing. It healed the burn by the next day! The germicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal properties of Ricin and Ricinoleic acid present in the oil protect the scalp and hair from microbial and fungal infections, the two prime causes for hair loss. In addition, the fatty acids in it nourish hair and prevent the scalp from drying by retaining moisture.


Try using it on dry cracked heels! Yes, I love Castor Oil.

A cut

As I reported, I cut off 8-9 inches of my hair. In the picture above It's been three weeks since the cut and my hair has already grown quite a bit . It has also grown out the blunt look (My hair grows really unevenly)Even though I cut this much hair every year, this is the first time that I actually regretted it. :(

I think it's because I wear my hair curly most of the time, I get a lot of shrinkage and my hair really felt a lot shorter.

Also I noticed that my hair texture is so much coarser since using castor oil. It feels a lot stronger too so I definitely recommend it for people with fine hair.

This pretty much how I wear my hair everyday. Easy simple styling. Doesn't take up much time and it lasts for about 3 days until I wash again.

Ramblings

Before I begin...in the picture furthest right, you can see how much shorter my nape is than the rest of my hair. (click on pic for larger image) FYI it's grown a lot. The women on my father's side of the family all have that problem. And before you blame the creamy crack, no it's always been like that, even as a child, fully natural and having great hair care.

I've pretty much been neglecting my hair. When I mean neglecting I mean, not deep conditioning and lots of manipulation. For the past 3 weeks, I've been washing my hair daily. Not on purpose. I get into the shower and the water just calls me. So I either do a quick twist out, wash n' go or a blow out.

This weekend my poor hair was calling for a deep conditioning. So I conditioned with Nadia fortifying masque for 45 mins, then the avocado conditioner for about 2 minutes. I used just a little green grape leave in and fantasia ic heat protectant serum (I prefer it over chi SI which tends to make my hair dry) and blew my hair out, flat ironed and that's that. It feels like I revived it. It's thick and bouncy.

I've also been experiencing some shedding. This is my shedding season so I expected it. I don't really plan to do anything about it because I don't notice a marked difference in thickness. This is just how my hair is and I've embraced it.

Oh did I mention that clarifying with baking soda is great! I do this once every two weeks.

WOW! I thought I'd have more interesting things to report about my hair but I guess not. lol

All in all, I've been washing everyday and my hair has grown. My family doesn't see me with my hair straight much so when I do straighten it, they're shocked at the length.
I plan to cut about 8 inches soon. Just can't decide if to do layers or go blunt. I love the look of blunt hair when it's straight but I mostly wear my hair curly so layers might be best.

Oh and I'm allowing my hair color to fade back to it's natural color.(I'm a natural blond) . I've noticed that when I dye my hair black, dark brown or whatever, my skin tone changes. Meaning that the dye was bleeding all over my skin. I did a facial scrub using sugar, oatmeal, baking soda and glycerin. That's when I first noticed how different my skin looked. No more rinses for me!

About a month ago

Updated pictures coming soon. I have to tell you guys what's been happening with my hair lately.

Spotlight On Water

Vitamins and supplements

It's shedding season for me. So I've started taking my vitamins again. Here's what I'm taking.
Biotin
Iron
Fish, flax and Borage oil. ( My mom swears by this. She's nearly 60 years old and her hair grows faster than mine)
Here's a little Info on these Vitamins


Iron
Overview:
Iron has been used for therapeutic uses for thousands of years. It was used by the Egyptians to cure baldness and by the Greeks it was used in wine to restore male potency. It is the most plentiful element on earth and it is an essential trace mineral for humans. Two-thirds of the iron present in the body—about 3.5 g to
4.5 g—are in the blood and the rest is stored in the liver, spleen, bone marrow and muscles.
Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, myoglobin and a cofactor of several essential enzymes. Of the total iron in the body, 60 to 70 percent is stored in hemoglobin (the red part of red blood cells—a component of myoglobin, an iron-protein complex in muscles. When the muscles work harder this complex helps in getting them extra energy.

How This Mineral Works in Your Body:
Transports oxygen and contributes to the storage of oxygen in the cells
Prevents and treats iron-deficiency anemia due to dietary iron deficiency or other causes
Stimulates bone-marrow production of hemoglobin, the red-blood-cell pigment that carries oxygen to body cells
Forms part of several enzymes and proteins in the body
Essential for protein metabolism
Assist in the production of thyroid hormones, connective tissue and several brain neurotransmitters
Maintains a healthy immune system
May help alleviate menstrual pain
May stimulate immunity in iron-deficient people
May promote learning in children with iron deficiency
Many women, of child-bearing age, with heavy menstrual flow and women with long or short menstrual periods (common in teenage girls)
Anyone with inadequate caloric or dietary intake or increased nutritional requirements
People over the age of 55
Pregnant or breastfeeding women
Those who abuse alcohol or other drugs
People with a chronic wasting illness
Those under excess stress for long periods
Anyone who has recently undergone surgery
Athletes and workers who participate in vigorous physical activities
Anyone who has lost blood recently such as from heavy menstrual periods, an accident or long-term, undetected gastrointestinal bleeding
Vegetarians with inadequate dietary intake
Infants from 2 to 24 months

Where This Mineral is Found:
Bread, enriched, Mussels, Egg yolk, Oysters, Fish, Red meats, Garbanzo beans (chickpeas), Seaweed, Greens, Whole-grain, Lentils, Liver,Molasses ( blackstrap), Dried fruits,Poultry,Enriched cereals, Soybean flour, Flour

**People with normal iron levels in their body absorb about 10 percent of the food iron consumed from food; however, an iron-deficient person can absorb about 20 to 30 percent.

Biotin

Functions Biotin

Biotin is present in the skin, hair, nerves and bone marrow. Its enzymes play a vital role in carbohydrate, fat, amino acid and protein synthesis for energy provision. Biotin enzymes also bind to histones that are an important part of DNA synthesis. This means that biotin probably plays a role in DNA replication and transcription. Biotin deficiency causes skin, nail and hair loss. It may also result in weakness, depression, hallucination, numbness, fatigue, irritation, rashes, loss of appetite, and even depression.

Biotin in food

Biotin is found in various food stuffs in generally lower amounts than other water-soluble vitamins. Biotin containing food products include bread, brown rice, bran cereals, egg yolk, yeast, nuts, beans, peas, cauliflower, liver, kidney and fish.

Flax Seed

This is one of my Mom's favorite supplements. She puts a little in her cereal, oatmeal or shakes in the morning. Her hair grows exceptionally fast, a fact that is astonishing due to her age. Personally, I just prefer to take a pill so I just recently started taking Nature's Bounty Fish,flax and Borage oil. 12oo mg. I like the fact that I can take 1 table 3 x a day and I'm good to go. However, I rarely take the required amount. I' usually end up taking only 1 pill a day. It's too soon for me to notice if I'm getting extra growth with it but I'm confident that I'm getting some benefit from taking it.

Some of the benefits listed for flax seeds are as followed.

The benefits of flax seeds are numerous and include constipation relief, clearing up acne, smooth skin, they assist in building muscle and burning fat, they're good for heart health and they might even help with depression and arthritis
Flax seeds are high in Omega 3 oils. Omega 3 is not something the body produces on its own. Drink plenty of water when using ground up seeds or chewing the seeds. Be sure to keep the flax seeds refrigerated. And never heat flax seeds as that may cause a chemical breakdown in the seeds and could be even carcinogenic as a by-product.