Behold: The Power of Protein

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! I know I haven't been updating as much like I wanted to - things have been unbelievably busy this month. This is the first week I've been able to sit and take a breath!

For the past few months, I've been experimenting with protein treatments. I started making my own after reading the thread by IAgirl on NC during the summer. I love that you can customize it easily. Mine is very basic, but works unbelievably well. I never thought that protein would be a big deal for my hair (what with a sensitivity and all) but now I can't live without it.

There's a point every two or three weeks where it becomes very apparent that my hair needs a stronger shot of protein. This week happened to coincide with a much needed low-poo (while I've dropped the sensitivity to protein, I haven't been as lucky with oils, which are prevalent in SS FHG and Darcy's coiling jelly). So I washed with a low-poo (Organix), toweled off with a few flour sack towels, and applied my treatment.

Here's my recipe:
1 packet of gelatin mixed with about half a cup of boiling water. While it's cooling, I add about a teaspoon of ACV and three or four drops of neutral protein filler from Sally's.

After I apply, I blow-dry it on high with medium heat until it's pretty crunchy. Then I continue the washing routine as normal, except I usually use a heavier rinse-out. This time I used GVP Conditioning Balm (didn't want to use anything with oil in it).

My hair usually doesn't look much different on the day of a PT, even if I use all of my regular styling products. I think I used CJ Pattern Pusha and my old Aussie Instant Freeze. I had some ok curls, but not a lot of volume.

Then I washed again yesterday. I don't have any recent pictures on my phone, but my hair is about four inches below my shoulders when dry and six inches when wet (closer to BSL). I haven't gotten a haircut since early October. I was definitely not expecting this:





This is styled with Spiral Solutions Firm Hold Gel (love love love this!), BRHG, and CJ Curls in a Bottle! I also used V05 Silk Champagne and GVP CB. I know these aren't the best pictures and I should have waited longer, but I was very excited (these are just after SOTC).

I love this! It feels like I got a haircut. I'm definitely going to do protein treatments more regularly! Do you make your own PT?

Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle!

Price: $18 for 12 oz. I believe I purchased this last spring at aveyou, so I got some sort of a deal with good shipping.

Claim: A lightweight liquid styling gel/serum with a light hold. Adds shine and helps to tame frizz. Also enhances and defines curls.

How I use it: I've tried this a few different ways. In the beginning, I was thrown off by the reference to being a gel. I tried to use it like I do all light-hold gels - as a curl enhancer. This doesn't really enhance. Next I tried this as a 2nd day refresher. It didn't help much; it actually hurt. It made my hair hard and more straight. I've tried using it after diffusing a while to help set gel; all I did was end up SOTC, which made my hold disappear and hair look horrible. Lately I've been using it as a serum after I plop with BRHG and right before diffusing.

Pros:
* Helps cut down on frizz
* Adds a little shine, at least in the beginning of the day
* Smells nice
* A lot goes a long way; like most CJ products, this will last a while
* It's working well in the winter (the season I figured out how to use it!)

Cons:
* No enhancement
* No hold
* I've only found one way to use this, and I'm not sure it's something I need to use

Final Thoughts:
This is good for someone who has problems frizz or dull-looking hair. I wouldn't use this if you're a wavy-curly looking for enhancement, because you won't find any here. The bottom line is: Do you really need a serum? And should you spend $18 on one? I'm not really a serum person - I never was one before I went CG. I think cold water works really well for me to reduce frizz and add shine. I probably didn't need to buy this product as it's just ok for me.

(Blogger is being weird, so hopefully this uploads and looks ok! If so I'll be adding some more posts in the coming days!)