LOC JOURNEY-WEEK2-4 1st Wash & Retwist!!

FRIZZ! FRIZZ! FRIZZ!! Like YOOOOOOO!!!! Ok So let’s start with some specifics. I always thought I had 4C hair and I went to this website www.naturallycurly.com where you can take a quiz to determine your hair and it turns out I’m actually 4A. So I guess I wasn’t too far off. Anywho…I am into week 3 as I write this blog and the frizz and shrinkage is absolutely real!! My starter locs are already short so I didn’t think I would experience much shrinkage. But BAY BAY!!! Thank goodness I watched enough you tube videos in which 95% of them mention shrinkage AND frizz are normal. WHEW!!! Well now that that is cleared up, so far this is my typical routine. Every night I do wrap my hair in a protective bonnet, satin lined. Every other day I do spray my hair with a mixture of water, olive oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E & black castor oil. (My 1st oil concoction)

I have continued to watch videos because I want to continue to educate myself as much as possible to develop healthy locs since my starter locs are short. I want to encourage strong growth along with length, of course. While studying at You Tube University, many videos I watched really focused on what products NOT to use. Ok! that’s fairly simple. Minimizing the products we put on our skin to include our scalp and hair is definitely anticipated with this journey. In my humble beginnings post, you can see the products that I began with. Then I kept watching videos and well…You guessed it! Found more products that I “could” use in my hair. I almost got a bit discouraged because one of the sole purposes of locs is to minimize hair care products. Well, for me, that is definitely one of my main goals. But I begin to find videos that spoke about “natural” products. I know what you thinking. Ah, ah, aaahhh. I begin to notice mentioning of products such as rose water for moisturizing, regular water for hydration, various oils to ensure strong growth at the roots & essential oils for different purposes.

So here you see oils that I have created my own scalp treatment with. I will list the purpose for each oil and its intended use that I came across online:

All oils courtesy of Doterra®️ Essential Oils. I had these oils already on hand except for the Rosemary & Clary Sage.

I created my own mixture of the oils for a scalp treatment possibly 1-2 times a week.

Lavender- Hair growth, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties which can improve scalp health.
Peppermint- increases circulation to the area applied, promoting growth during the anagen phase, possibly increasing number of follicles, follicle depth and overall hair growth.
Rosemary-Improved thickness and growth due to its ability to improve cellular generation. Also assists in promoting hair growth similarly to minoxidil, a common hair growth treatment.
Clary Sage-has a synergistic effect on hair growth when combined with lavender. It also is used to improve hair strength.
Tea Tree- Powerful cleansing antibacterial & antimicrobial properties. When used topically, it can help unplug hair follicles and increase hair growth. **Be mindful of the concentration of various types of tea tree oil. Can also be used to minimize dandruff.
Jojoba Oil-The studies and industry experts agree that jojoba oil is almost identical to human sebum. It mimics the oil naturally produced by the sebaceous glands of your skin, making it a reparative ingredient for a compromised moisture barrier. It's fair to say that jojoba delivers hydration to strands without disrupting your scalp's natural pH balance. Similarly, jojoba oil will not cause your scalp to produce more or less of its own oil, so you can expect it to moisturize hair without leaving it overly greasy. All of the fatty acids and natural alcohols found in jojoba provide much-needed nutrition to your hair. The plant contains high concentrations of vitamins B and E, as well as minerals like zinc. These are said to stimulate hair growth while providing antioxidant protection. If you work on strengthening the hair you already have, you can ensure that you are supporting your natural growth cycle.
OIive Oil-Help to soften hair, minimize frizz and reduce breakage.
Argan Oil-Argan oil is full of fatty acids and powerful antioxidants, such as vitamin E, that have been shown to have benefits for your scalp and hair. Argan oil has anti-inflammatoryTrusted Source and antioxidantTrusted Source properties that are good for the skin. This can help prevent or improve skin conditions, including those that can affect the scalp that can cause hair loss, like:

• psoriasis

• seborrheic dermatitis

Rose water- mainly used for its moisturizing properties to prevent brittle locs. (mixture of 1 part rose water, 1 part water-spritzed every 2-3 days)
Dr Miracle’s Temple and Nape Balm-So for me I have traction alopecia around my edges on the sides to include behind my ears & at the nape. Having started locs, my main concern is surely my edges so it is my intent to really focus on taking care of these areas. So I apply this every other day.

Rosewater, Dr Miracle’s & my “Joyful Loc Blend”

So yeah! Until further notice or there is a significant change in my the health of my scalp or hair, this will be my regimen for now. I’m actually enjoying not doing anything to my head other than taking in all this frizz that’s going on. Oh! so What I have ensured I do to monitor any reactions to my head is apply 1 thing at a time first. Like I already know that the temple & nape balm gives me no adverse reactions. My original concoction of oils so far has not given me any reactions.(noted at beginning of post). So what I added next is the rosewater. No matter the rate of growth, my hair will need to be moisturized for maintaining healthy locs and growth. My essential oils I combined (I’ve dubbed it “Joyful Loc Blend” because it smells delightful and just incorporating my business name into personal creation), will be applied a week or so after a week of using my rosewater to further ensure no allergic reactions or irritations occur. There are 2 more additional things I consume on a regular and one of them not enough of and one of them is WATER!!! HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!! So what you put in your body will typically manifest itself on the outside. And hydration is one of those things. I don’t drink nearly as much water as I should but I am getting better….for multiple reasons. If you are thinking about or are already within your loc journey & you aren’t drinking enough water, get into the habit of it…NOW!!! The last thing I consume but it is NOT a must, but something I consume for dietary purposes is collagen protein. I typically consume whatever the serving is once a day. My nails & skin I definitely notice a difference & in the past as a loose natural, I noticed my hair at the roots grew more fuller than what I had noticed before I started taking it.

Last, but definitely is the fact that my son has agreed to join in on my loc journey by letting me put starter locs in his head! How cool is that? So it took much convincing and once I assured him I wouldn’t allow his hair to loc, he felt more comfortable about joining his momma on this. That boy know he be down for his momma! Below is a look inside wash day and retwist! I’m not as savvy as the other you tubers but I hope to get better. So yall bare with a sistah. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments sections of this blog!