What to Expect From Cassia Obovata: The Coily Hair Edition

One thing that I used to LOVE to do with my weekend was to spend time pampering my hair. If I wasn't doing a deep conditioning treatment, I was doing small sized two strand twists or steam treatments. These days, I'm extra lazy to do my hair. Today (Sunday), I decided to break open a 200g  bag of Cassia Obovata (colorless Henna), and deep condition treat my hair and both of the girls (T and Dimples). They're always ready for a spa day. We took time out to do clay mask (bentonite) face treatments, and honey masks as well.

We're looking forward to a week of soft, tangle free, well moisturized hair. We will probably do styles like twist-outs, braid outs, and or wash n go's (between the three of us).

CASSIA PREPARATION:
I mixed our Cassia Treatment with about 1/2 cup of Tresemme Naturals conditioner, 3 tablespoons of Hemp Seed Oil, 1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and 1/4 cup of Aloe Vera Gel. It made enough to finish up all three of our hair (I had to skimp on T's treatment a bit).

Before I applied the Cassia Treatments, I spritzed a mixture of apple cider Vinegar and water (2 tablespoons ACV, and 1 ounce water). We let that spray mixture sit on our hair for about 10 minutes before rinsing. That step was to clarify our hair strands. I wanted to make sure that any and all product build-up was removed, without causing dryness.

I expect that this level of deep conditioning could last all week (if drying products are not put on the hair...mineral oil, blow drying or flat iron, etc). I hope to only have to add water from time to time in order to re-activate the deep conditioner effects. 

3 HOURS LATER....
We took off the cotton t shirts that we used to secure some body heat with. Underneath that we had plastic shower caps. We used those 2 together in order to trap the heat from our body and help the conditioner work it's magic. I had placed our hair into sections and had mini buns throughout during the conditioning process. The ends were tucked under each mini bun. We began by pulling down each section and working with the hair 1/2 of the head at a time. Rinsing with warm/hot water, while using fingers to massage the scalp and work the Cassia through, we began the long journey to removing the "debris".  

The Cassia takes lots of time to remove from the roots and hair shaft. It's best to use warm water to start the rinse. Next, we put some conditioner (preferably all natural) on each section of the hair and continued to rinse. The conditioner (and oils) helps to make it easier to remove the Cassia. "T" finds that it's also easy to remove the Cassia by brushing it out while under running water with conditioner on the hair. We love to use paddle brushes with soft rubber tips (the Goody Finisher brush Listed in our Favorites to the right of this post). It took about 20 minutes (each person) to remove all of the Cassia from our hair.

Put on your sunglasses before checking out these pictures.

Lots of shine and define from the Cassia Conditioning Treatment.

THREE DAYS LATER....
For about days 1, 2 and 3 we had great shine, define, softness and pliability. By day four, though, we each found that the wonderful effects of the Cassia Deep Treatment wore off. I was surprised. I expected it to last well into 1 week. T tried a braid-out, but didn't braid up her roots--so her hair didn't "lay down" the way she likes. That's why she did her trust ponytail. But you can see that her hair is very shiny and full of lush curls. Dimple and I did our trusty braid-out. The definition and shine was pretty extreme.

One thing that seems to be long lasting with this treatment is the strengthening. It seems to have provided a bit of strength to the strands, which is great for anyone who is experiencing breakage, lots of shedding, or unusually fine hair.

All in all, it was a relaxing day with the girls, a few great mornings with lustrous, shiny hair that responded to our styling choices. It put our hair in the right direction for future coily styling options, thus minimizing frizzy days. Isn't that a major goal for every coily girl? Minimal frizz, lots of shine!

We want to hear from you if you've tried any wonderful and natural hair conditioning treatments. Sharing is Caring!  ---------------------------As Always, Stay Beautiful   .tia

Your Best Wash N Go: Prepping Coily Hair to POP!

8 THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE DEFINING YOUR CURLS

Hello Angel. In collaboration with the step-by-step video tutorial on our wash-n-go process, We hope to elaborate on the preparation we take in order to maximize coil definition, and minimize frizz, tangles, single strand knots, etc. To truly feel like I've "mastered" my wash-n-go, I like to know that the outcome will not be a "surprise" when my hair finally dries. Here are the top 8 things I feel is necessary to prepare my hair for maximum coil definition when doing a wash n go:

Fine, Coily Hair with Defined Wash N Go

1.  Make sure the hair is clarified. If the hair has butters, certain cones, or any other type of product build-up on it, then the coils will show up as "dull", "limp", and not properly defined when you put your curl definer on. 
2. Hair ends need to be free of splits, and obvious damage. The "cleaner" the ends, the more the hair strand will end off in a nice, clean coil. A wash-n-go with frizzy ends is usually not the outcome that most of us are trying to achieve. Trim as needed.
3. Reach the proper moisture level. What does that mean? Hair that is dry will not define well (no matter the curl definer used). Not only will it not define well, but it will tangle easily, and create lots of single strand knots. One way to get the proper moisture level is to deep condition weekly. A favorite way of mine is to reduce use of shampoos (once the hair has been clarified).
4. Remove as much shed hair as possible. It's difficult and sometimes frustrating to put gel/curl definer on hair that is coming out and sticking to your fingers/hands. Yes, it's going to happen a bit, but if the shed hair is removed before the curl definer is applied, then putting on the definer will be much more pleasant experience.
5. Detangling is necessary for proper coil definition. Sometimes the "raking method" or using your spread fingers to "comb" through the curl definer is a method that is used to thoroughly spread the product. If you're planning to do this process, then knots will cause frizz, and hinder the product from being spread properly. The end result will be frizz, not curl definition. Detangling is best done early in the process--preferably once conditioner has been put on the hair. Once the hair is being defined, any detangling tool used will effect the coil definition. Tools such as the Denman Brushes, the Tangle Teaser, and Paddle Brushes will activate coil shrinkage. Fingers are the best "tool" for coil definition once the curl definer is being applied.
6. Part Placement. Before applying the curl definer, it's a great idea to place your part where you want it (middle, off center, etc). Doing this will ensure that your curly hair will lay in the direction that you want.
7. Properly coat with conditioner. I have tried previously to apply curl definers without applying conditioner. Why would I do that? Because of the "white mess" that sometimes happens when combining conditioner and curl definer. I've learned the hard way that it's necessary to use a conditioner under a curl definer. Because of this, I never skip this step anymore. I've learned a few tricks to avoid the "white mess". Once you've coated a section of hair with conditioner, squeeze off excess conditioner, and place it in a Bantu Knot for stretch and proper coating. 
8. Section off the hair into working portions. I like to section my hair into a minimum of 4 portions. Then I will work within those portions with even smaller sections to apply my curl definer. I always use Bantu Knots to secure my sections. The bantu knots help keep my hair from drying out, they lay down my roots, and help saturate the conditioner into the section.

Doing these simple steps before starting your wash-n-go can be a great way to be in control of your curly mane! Prepping your hair ahead of time will allow you to do a quick and easy, drama free wash-n-go.

Be in Control of Your Coily Hair