color treated hair

hey ladies.
today i want to talk about color treated hair and how to keep it on your head.
actually these are tips that are great to use even if you are not color treated.

tip #1: pre poo. i pre poo'd before i was color treated and i will do so while i am rocking my new honey streaks lol. you can pre poo with oil (as in hot oil treatment) but i prefer conditioner. if i use a protein conditioner (aubrey organics gpb, shescentit's fortifying mask or aubrey organics blue green algae mask) i only leave it on for 30 minutes. but if i choose to use a moisturizing conditioner i always mix with honey, coconut and or extra virgin olive oil. and i will slather it on in sections from root to tip and will leave on anywhere from 1 hour to overnight.
but my fave pre poo treatment is as follows: a half of can of coconut milk. 2 ounces of EVOO and a table spoon (or two) or honey. this treatment is to die for.

tip # 2: if you shampoo (i know we have some strict no shampoo ladies here) make sure its a moisturizing shampoo. or a sulfate free shampoo. we dont want to strip the hair just to condition it to death to get it feeling half way decent. we want the whole wash day exsperience to feel like we're on cloud nine right? so the moist (i mean most) moisturizing shampoo i've ever used is Redken All Soft Shampoo. i love this whole line but the truth is this shampoo actually made me glow. ok not really but you get my point. i really really really love this shampoo and will continue to repurchase. a 10oz of this shampoo will run you just a bit under $10 but its so worth it.

tip #3: protein baby. i love protein but i know we cant all handle it. there are different levels of protein and of course i would start with a light protein to see how your hair responds to it. the purpose of protein is to stregnthen the hair and to prevent it from breaking. there are actually proteins that moisturize as well. while the hair is color treated (esp. if its relaxed as well) we want to make sure that it stays strong. we all know that once you put a chemical on your hair you weaken it. well protein is to the rescue. my fave protein treatment is joico k pak deep penetraiting reconstructor but before i started using that i was in love with aphogee two minute reconstructor. you can find this 2 minute dream at almost all bss(beauty supply stores) but i usually purchase mine at Sally's. dont you just love to hate that store -but thats a whole nother post lol. reconstructors that say 60 second reconstructor or 2 minute reconstructor or any treatment that you dont have to sit under heat with is considered a light protein(for the most part). so dont fear it. and if you do fear it just a little, follow up with my next tip.

tip # 4: moisture moisture moisture. moisture can mean a lot of different things to different people. you may feel like your hair is moisturized because its wet all day. or because its cool to the touch, or maybe because its silky. whatever the case, moisture can be done everyday to keep the hair in tip top condition. the bast way to keep moisturized hair is to deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner at least once a week or with every shampoo. also you could co wash a couple times a week with a cheapie conditioner like suave or vo5 moisture milks. me likey vo5 over suave but you have to find what works for your hair.
but the thing that keeps my hair on my head when it comes to moisture is moisturizing daily with a water based moisturizer and then sealing with a light oil. the oil is what keeps the moisture in the hair without blocking moisture out(get it? got it? good). my water based moisturizer of choice is carols daughter healthy hair butter. i have been using this hairgazmic hair butter for about 2-3 years on and off and i keep coming back sooooo........it must be good right?
my oil of choice is coconut oil or vatika frosting which is actually coconut oil based. coconut oil is an oil that...............well that deserves a post of its own.

this was a long post but i hope it was helpful.