CASTOR OIL CHALLEGE

In my recent drugstore haul (check out YouTube to see it) I purchased some CASTOR oil because after watching TheIciing videos on YouTube and hours of Google searching I was convinced that it actually did aid in hair growth, health and thickness. I have committed myself to doing a CASTOR OIL CHALLENGE to expedite the growing process for my hair, I would seriously LOVE for others to join in with me and keep me on my game!!!! I actually will be using regular castor oil that can be purchased at any drug store, it will appear to be a laxative but it IS SAFE for hair application, I also purchased some Jamaican Black Castor Oil fro  my local Beauty Supply store, the brand I purchased is from "Jamaican Mango& Lime". Before writing this post I actually just received my confirmation from Amazon letting me know my "Tropical Island Living: Jamaican Black castor Oil has shipped i have seen MANY reviews on this castor oil and I think it will be more beneficial than a widely commercialized product because the Jamaican Mango and lime oil isn't 100% pure castor oil it is definitely thinned out with other oils and to really see the growth I want I decided it would be best to purchase 100% JBCO plus I want the thickness to help me seal in moisture and help retain moisturized hair so I personally do not want mine mixed with any other oils UNLESS I do it myself in a separate application bottle.
In addition to the castor oil I will be doing the Green House Effect  this ALSO encourages healthy hair growth!
The Castor Oil Challenge will go like this,... well this is how I am incorporating this into MY REGIMEN

• Apply Castor Oil to scalp daily or every other day
• Seal ends with JBCO daily
• Massage scalp nightly
• Do the GHE 5 nights a week

1. Apply Oil/ Moisturize and seal hair(JBCO/EVOO)
2. Apply plastic bag
3. Put on scarf and a bonnet(This concludes the GHE method)

The Green House Effect is to help grow you hair, this originated from "The Real Queens Regimen" you could definitely go check out the website, it is a successful regimen and I recommend doing it, you can find the regimen here: Real Queens Regimen !!!

I am SO sorry

Hey you guys,
I hope y'all havent completely abandoned me lol, I promise I WILL find a great balance between working out and blogging, and eating healthy, and maintaining healthy friendships and relationships.... it is getting real and I truly wish I had found a balance earlier.
I actually have my hair in two strand twists because I work out everyday...six days a week y'all... (watch me hit my dougie) I TOLD y'all I was going to commit to getting in shape.
Um I am working out with Insanity,...Walking in the park, and I go to the gym...I have a trainer, an amazing woman her name is Indiana and she is pushing me to my limit each and every day, I have grown to love and respect her!
I am taking Herbalife shakes for breakfast and  dinner, I eat lunch and two snacks daily, I do not know if I have lost any weight because I try to focus more on working out, more than anything. Herbalife is AMAZING gives me energy and the shakes are tasty, I am not trying to "get skinny quick" this is truly a lifestyle change I am clean eating, my snacks are usually whole grain crackers and fruit, the shakes have ALL the nutrients I need and I will ALWAYS take them, once I lose a significant amount of weight, I will continue to take the shakes because it is NOT a diet you are instructed to eat when you are hungry, just eat smart when you are hungry instead of unhealthy.Because my body is getting all the nutrients I need I am having crazy nail growth which i assume will happen to my hair as well, because with a poor diet my hair grew but with a healthy and balanced diet I know my hair will benefit from it.! I currently have been keeping my hair in two strand twists because it is easy for me, I don't know another way to wear my hair with working out,.. I need to deep condition as I type this post actually, My hair are in medium sized twists, I did not have the time or patience for mini twists because I needed to do something to my hair ASAP. I usually Moisturize and seal my ends before bed and my hair seems to be doing JUST fine which is why I chose to keep my hair twisted because with working out I am more tired and my days start earlier and end earlier, do those long hours waiting for my wash n go to dry just do not seem appeasing to me right now lol. I just want to wake up and moisturize and go& with the twists I can!
I will come back with a weight loss update in maybe a week, so next Saturday I will pop in again with an update about my weight meanwhile give me time to update about my hair lol.

Twists

So Thursday I was sitting here,cutting single strand knots out of my hair, irritated because my tangles were OC even though I had JUST did a damn good deep condition, So I realized maybe my hair was tryna yell at me...no more damn wash n go's for a little minute, nooow Yall know I LOVE my Fro, I also LOVE my wash n go, however when my hair is not thriving well, and i see more shedding than usual on my weekly co-wash, detangle and wash n go day, the eyebrows are raised LOL. I have invested TOO MUCH into my hair, to let it break because of tangles, SO I am going to wear some two-strand twists for a while, to minimize the tangles, and in turn maximize my length retention, DON'T get me wrong, MY hair IS GROWING regardless of my wash n go knots and tangles, but I want to make sure it remains healthy, I don't want straggly ends, or thinning strand from knots and tangles!! & I have began working out so, It is easier anyway, aaaaaand many people like them :) so I don't feel self conscience about not having big hair which is my thing!! I actually Washed my hair with Aunt Jackie's Sulfate free Shampoo only because my hair needed clarifying because just Wednesday I did my wash n go which means I had a hell of a lot of Eco-Styler in my hair and I did not want to just co-wash it out because I really did not want any residue ya feel me, and after i shampooed, I co-washed to get my moisture back in with a little V05 moisture milks, then I blow dried my hair(on a medium setting) I blew my hair out after being inspired by Elle(Denimpixie on YT, Quest for the perfect curl) her twists were done on blown out hair and they were so cute to me, So I blew out my hair in 4 sections, and proceeded to twist, I did not use any special method, I just twisted and applied a moisturizer JUST to my ends, mine of choice was the curl enhancing smoothie, I applies a very small amount to my ends, and twirled the twist around my finger to curl the ends, this took me about 3 hours, I am convinced it would have taken less time but I joked around with my parents, and cousins for at least 40 minutes, I never honestly worked at a steady pace LOL. but 3 hours was nothing especially since I was twisting and watching the VMA's! I did good y'all. My plan is to seal and moisturize my twists mainly the ends every two days with light water and coconut oil, or a little curl enhancing smoothie and coconut oil, when they get frizzy I will use a little gel along the length of the twist to smooth it back out.!I honestly plan to wear these for at least 2 weeks before needing to retwist, and then after 4 weeks have passed I will wash and retwist them, this will be my protective style for fall/winter. Below are many ...many pictures of my twists all from yesterday.

Coily Curl Feature: LaCoCoBella

Dry Bantu Knot-Out

1.     Where are you from? What is your name? Age?(If you want lol)

What’s up?! I’m Lauren and I am originally from California…the Valley, yes I’m like totally a valley girl lol but I currently reside in Maryland. I’m 27 years young :o)

2.     How long have you been natural?did you big chop or transition?

I’ve been natural for 7 years, since ’05. I transitioned for about 4 months by wearing a weave, braids and straitening my hair. I couldn’t take dealing with all that for too long so I said forget and chopped all my hair off! I had about an inch of fresh curls.

3.     Why did you go natural?

I was so tired of my hair breaking and being damaged, let alone having to pay to get a relaxer every 3 months or so. I had some friends who wore their hair straight but it was so thick and healthy because they pressed their hair out, no relaxer. Although I seldom wear my hair straight, I liked that I still had the option to….when the weather is so daggone humid out here on the east coast!

 Bantu Knot Out-Twist out

4.     What obstacles socially did you face from friends, family, co-workers, classmates about your new decision? & How you got past them

When I first cut my hair off, I think it shocked almost everyone because it was so unexpected. I was in college and was the “token Cali girl with long strait hair” lol so it was a huge change. I even had people think that I was having a life crisis or something and cutting my hair was a means of rebellion, I don’t know! My mom didn’t really like it much at first, I think it’s because she had seen me with a relaxer my entire life.

When I first BC’d, I was a bit insecure with how I looked, I didn’t want to look like a boy! I always wore cute earrings and a little more eye shadow lol One thing I thought was very interesting, not that this is important or matters because men don’t determine what is beautiful or desirable, but I got less attention from guys! Haha when I would go out or wherever, I noticed I became more overlooked. I was like dang, whatever lol. But overall, the majority of friends/peers really liked it. I think it made me stand out and allowed me to exude a confidence I didn’t know I had. After I cut mine, I noticed a lot more short-haired curl girls popping up around campus ;o) I know it is cliché but confidence really can make anyone beautiful.

5.     What is your current Regimen?

My regimen consists of a) pre-pooing with a heavy oil for a few hours or overnight b) washing OR and ayurvedic treatment c) deep condition d) style. I do this every week and just maintain the style throughout the week. As far as detangling, I finger detangle almost every time I do something with my hair meaning I “detangle-as-I-go”. So if I am doing twists, I will gently detangle as I am separating my hair and applying product. This works and is quick because I am keeping my hair as detangled as possible as much as possible. Maybe once a month on wash days, I will use my modified Denman brush (I took out every other row of teeth).

Twist out

Wash n Go

6.     What are your staple products?

Water :: The only thing the moisturizes hair!

Shampoo :: I really love shampoo bars. Henna Sooq and Bobeam are my fav brands. They have pure, all-natural ingredients and don’t strip my hair plus they are fun to use lol

Ayurvedic Powders :: Amla, neem and brahmi have worked miracles for my hair and scalp. I use Hesh brand from my local Indian market (always check the expiration dates on these!)

Conditioners :: Oyin Handmade Honey Dew, Shea Radiance Maximum Moisture, Shea Moisture Purification Masque and Aubrey Organics White Camellia are all AMAZING. They all have nice slip and really replenish any lost moisture back in my hair. I can use any of these as a deep conditioner as well. I just leave them on under a cap for about 30 mins.

Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding…I LOVE this stuff for twist-outs. It seals moisture and gives hold for days.

Oyin Handmade Humectant Pomade…use it to seal my ends EVERY time I do a twist-out.

7.     What is your staple style?

I am not very creative with styling lol so I opt for a twist-out most of the time with a few wash-n-go’s scattered here and there. I love wearing my hair out, the bigger the better!

Wash n Go

Twist out

8.     Words of the Wise(tell a natural something you wish you would have known before you went natural)

If you are newly natural, stay encouraged! Don’t give up, I know the road to growing out your relaxer can be rough and unpleasant at times but keep learning, keep experimenting and learning to love the true you! Have fun with it but don’t become obsessed with how you look or trying to keep up with the next natural curly. Find what works for you and go with what you know :o)

9.     Any Last thoughts

You can find all my other thoughts on the places listed below :o)

10.  Where can we find you? (Tumblr, Instagram,Twitter, blog etc.)

I love this lol,this is her logo.

Blog :: www.lacocobella.com

Twitter :: www.twitter.com/lacocobellablog

Facebook :: www.facebook.com/lacocobellablog

Instagram :: @lacocobella

(I LOVE her site, and she was so generous to share her hair story with the blog, go over to her site and show her some LOVE, remember to be featured all you have to do is CONTACT me.)

-BHay

Weight Loss& Hair Growth Challenge!

DIDN'T WANNA BE TOO GRAPHIC BUT YOU CAN SEE  WHERE I AM NOW.

Recently I have not been blogging that much, this is because after my birthday which was a few weeks ago I felt I needed to make some life changes. I just turned 20 and I am not happy with my body, I find this an issue because I am so young and I should be worrying about other things like relationships, friendships, dating, having fun and enjoying my youth, but instead I am not and I have insecurities because of my weight and this is very sad and personal for me especially when my social life is effected by this, I chose to blog about it because I try to be as open as I can with my readers so that you guys can relate to me.! I chose to blog to document my life and my journey weight loss has been added to my journey.!! I have been preparing myself physically and mentally for this lifestyle change because it will not be easy and I KNOW I have to stay motivated and focused to reach my goals!It is very hard for me because socially I began to close out a lot of people not because they were mean to me but because I let my own self consciousness and insecurities push me away from my friends, In the past few weeks I have realized all of this and on TODAY AUGUST 16, 2012 I BEGAN THE JOURNEY TO MY WEIGHT LOSS!!!
The things that I have changed and will be doing to ensure my weight loss are:

1. NO MORE SODA/JUICE/KOOL-AID/ PUNCH(only LIGHTLY SWEETENED NATURAL LEMONADE)
2. NO MORE JUNK FOODS
3. NO MORE EATING AFTER 7, AT ALL!!!!
4. DRINK 64 oz. of WATER DAILY, NO EXCEPTIONS
5. TAKE MULTIVITAMIN AND B-COMPLEX DAILY
6. SNACK OFTEN WITH HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES
7. MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES
8. HALF PORTIONED MEALS ( Meaning instead of eating a whole sandwich eat half)
9. BREAKFAST EVERYDAY
10. EXERCISE DAILY
11. AB EXERCISES EVERY NIGHT
12. NO LESS than 1 Cup of Lemon Water DAILY(helps cleanse and detoxify, ingredients: fresh squeezed lemon juice, cayenne pepper, honey...drink while warm)

In addition to my weight loss challenge I will be doing a " GROW OUT" Challenge for my hair.

1. LOW MANIPULATION OR PROTECTIVE STYLING
2. MOISTURIZE&SEALING MOISTURE MORE EVERY 3 DAYS
3. DRINK WATER 
4. FINGER DETANGLING
5. NO HEAT APPLIANCES
6. SCALP MASSAGE DAILY WITH COCONUT OR TEA TREE OIL

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

WITH LOVE,

BHAY :)

Confession!!

First I should apologize for not posting in the past few days, I have been busy, busy, busy, but NO excuses lol.

I used the DENMAN today.... yes, yes, I KNOW I am curly girl and I finger detangle, BUT I truly felt my hair needed to be seriously detangled and cared for after my flat iron affair my moisture balance was off to me and my hair was becoming a matted, tangled, dry mess, I deep conditioned without detangling lol yeah I was trippin' I know, and the DC did not take smh so it was tangled and dry the next day, I had so many tangles and knots going on & I  was seriously overwhelmed, My results were GREAT with the brush, My use of a lot of conditioner made the experience not so scary, I mean it was foaming conditioner lol I used half a bottle but I really needed to handle my hair, it was soft BUT dry, I have also bee trying out Shea Moisture: Curl Enhancing Smoothie and I have not got the best results with it yet with my wash and go so tonight after my serious detangling session I prepped my hair for a braid out, and used the curl enhancing smoothie on each section to be braided, I hope it comes out nicely, I think that my hair needed proper detangling before trying it on my wash n go, and honestly I might REVISIT the Denman from time to time because I had barely ANY shed hair& super detangled hair, my hair was so soft and smooth, I could literally run my fingers through root to ends lol, I seriously was impressed with the results, I will post my pictures of the braid-out results using the CURL ENHANCING SMOOTHIE.

With Love,

-BHay:)

Length Check with my flat ironed hair.

ALL I will say is....THE NATURAL GURU'S are RIGHT, HEALTHY HAIR GROWS!!! & I AM BEYOND PROUD OF MY RETENTION FOR 3 MONTHS. THE LONGEST PART OF MY HAIR (BACK) IS GRAZING BSL.

Length comparison Pics... END of APRIL... END of JULY.

Excuse my ratchet lines I drew lol!!!!!

JULY 2012...my hair

Side View

APRIL 2012.

My Blowout!

I blew out my hair the morning of my birthday which was Friday the 27th of July.

This is a funny picture lol another birthday pic.

Me and my nephew on our birthday

On the morning of my birthday

Big hair don't care

Flat Ironed hair.!

 

So here are a few pictures of my flat ironed hair in the month of July, I have stated plenty times that I am remaining heat free for a FULL year, I will not be straightening my hair again until my 21st birthday, I usually straighten my hair for "Big" events in my life.... and I felt like entering my 20's was BIG.... like I am not a teenager anymore, that is crazy...I feel old lol. 

I might even pass on straightening it for my 21st. This year I WILL continue to retain length, I am doing an AMAZING JOB already so now I just will continue to do what I can. My hair grew A LOT from April... crazy. like at least 2 inches&that is amazing the longest part of my hair is armpit length, I will be happy when all of it reaches armpit length the front of my hair is about a inch past my chin, which is amazing growth. I am very happy with my growth, sealing my ends payed off, OH I also trimmed a inch off my hair because it was tangling easy and i just assumed I had rough ends, its no big deal, I did not remove a lot of length but MY hair feels much better and smoother I love it now, lol. BUT sadly I am OVER this straight hair, I am super paranoid& I cant deal with it, it is just not that appealing to me and my face is breaking out from hair being in my face& I will not be having that!!But overall I love my growth and here are my photos.

My poor feathers grew out alot.

Looking all young lol