Happy rinser here! (long & pic heavy)

So it's been awhile. But I didn't forget you (hence the ton of pics)....I've been storing it all up :) Anyhow, I've been very curious about the various rinses and have managed to try 2 this past week. I would recommend both.

Black Tea Rinse

The black tea rinse is supposed to help stop shedding, add shine, and in some cases add color (temporary) to the hair. It can be drying but conditioning will help to prevent your hair from becoming dried out after use. To be honest I wanted to incorporate something new to my regimen. I wanted my hair to get an infusion of something new and refreshing. I loooove looove tea so I already had some in my cupboard. I used Stash Chai Black Tea this time but plan to buy a cheaper brand for regular hair usage. I boiled an entire saucepot and put 2 teabags in to steep last Thurs night. I poured it in a jug Fri morning and left it for later. Fri I cowashed with my Mane n Tail (seems like I forgot abt HE LTR but I haven't) then rinsed it out in the shower and did the black tea rinse. I left it on my hair while I scrubbed the tub and showered. Then I rinsed it out, and put my alter ego garlic cond in my hair, covered w a plastic bag and hat and headed out to choir. Approx 3 hours later I rinsed and roller set (w HE LTR leave in and JC Sol spray). I allowed my hair to air dry over night, then sat under the dryer for 20 minutes in the (Sat) morning. My hair felt dry right after the black tea rinse but after the DC was back to feeling soft.

What was different? My curls didn't hold one bit. I don't know if it was that my hair needed shampooing (product heavy - I hadn't shampooed in about a month or more at that point) but they curls died in minutes. Like 5 minutes. That has never happened before...

I wrapped my hair Sat night for a funeral I had to attend on Sunday. Loved the shine!

What didn't change: I still had the same amount of shedding I usually do.

I don't plan to stop doing this just yet. This was my first experience and it wasn't bad. I'll keep trying and see how things work out. Apparently I can incorp it into every rinse without ill effect. I'm gonna try in once or twice a month.

Since I've stuck with washing my hair on Fridays, during the week (esp when I keep up with the gym) my hair can get limp and almost greasy. Tues I sat at work highly unhappy with my hair. It was DEAD. My bun looked sick, my braid was greasy. Worst part is I hadn't been to the gym yet so there was no reason for all this yucky-ness. So I decided that after the gym that Tues I'd cowash. However, I remembered how my hair came out Sat morning & how I was thinking it needed a poo. I just didn't want to shampoo my hair though...I really want to get away from it. So, I decided to take the plunge and do an Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinse.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

ACV rinses are acidic and because hair is acidic also (unlike most hair products which are alkaline), it is supposed to be good for our hair. Apparently, it is especially good for curly hair. Why? Because it rids the hair of product residue naturally without all the stripping of the shampoo, and because it helps close the cuticles of the hair (helps hair to retain moisture, and be protected from damage). I'm writing all this info (also for black tea rinse) from memory of what I read so feel free to add more info or google for more details.

I mixed 1/4 cup of ACV with 3 cups of tap water. I co-washed with Mane n Tail then did my Aphogee 2 min keratin reconstructor rinsed in the shower then did the ACV rinse. Now, some people leave it on their hair and other rinse it out. I'd like to think I did the in between. I rinsed it in the shower for like 5 seconds. I just wanted to get some out. I air dried using the scarf method from Sunshyne (w HE LTR leave in). My hair felt so soft! It dried soft too!

What was different? The hugest thing for me was little to no hair in my comb after detangling WOW. I have never seen this little hair at almost 7 weeks (7 weeks tomorrow)...I was impressed! It's been awhile since I took a pic of the hair coming out (I don't want to start obsessing again) but I was amazed. Oh, people complain about the smell but for me it was gone once my hair dried.

I love this! Some people do ACV rinses weekly. For now I think I may do it monthly.

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Thank you. You really are a great bunch. This blog is really a hair journal. I didn't know if my hair journey would be good or bad or if I would have any advice (since my hair is growing as I blog instead of me already growing my hair and then teaching y'all) so it may have been repetitive (since I'm journaling) and may not always have great info (but always photos lol) since I'm learning and undecided a lot but you still come and read & comment...I truly appreciate your support :)