Oooh weee!! I just got @courtneynaturalhair new @themanechoice Green Tea & Carrot Deep Conditioning Mask to review. I love seeing folks from the D doing their thing. Thanks lady!!

So back in the day … meaning last summer. I was caught out on the streets of Harlem by Gabbi of Gabbi Fresh for my street style for Essence Magazine.  Oh how I miss my hair that way. I love my new hair color but I really miss my curls. The color has lengthened and straightened my hair quite a bit.  I’m hoping I can nurse it back to this look. Don’t get me wrong, I love the length too but I hate that I don’t have bangs anymore.  I will keep you posted about my hair health. I will say aside from the curl change my hair is actually quite healthy. I have been making sure I deep condition or steam it on the regular.

Any who, if you want to check out my street style video. You can watch it here —->Essence Street Style. I’m at the 2:02 mark.

It’s not a teen-weeny afro, but it is a teeny afro. I’m not into stretching my hair like many naturals, so I just let my hair do what it wants to do. Since I only wash it once every week, this is how it ends up looking the closer I get to wash day. It shrinks up more and more everyday after washing.  My hair would shrink up back into its cuticle if it could.

I love my hair in all its stages.  When it has hang time, when it’s in a puff, when it’s rocking a fro-hawk, wet & go and of course a teeny fro.

Outfit: Route 69 Top | Lauren Conrad Denim Shorts | Swatch Watch | Forever21 Sunglasses | Vintage Bracelet & Earrings

I just wanted to check in and let you know how my hair growth challenge was going.  Sorry about the fuzzy iPhone pictures.  I’m not an expert in bathroom photography, but I tried.  I think you can see some growth in the comparison pictures.  Both pictures were taken right after a washing, conditioning and detangling.

I’m still doing the Courtney Hair method as outlined here. I have nothing but good things to say about her method.  I would have never thought to incorporate vitamins and essential oils into my conditioners. Nor creating my own scalp massage oils.  I’m really learning that the more natural the product the better it is for your body (inside and out).

The above pictures are of my hair in a “wet & go” and a puff. I definitely see growth in these pictures. There is more fullness too.  I’m going to continue to do the Courtney Hair Method.  It is working for me and why ruin a good thing.

Have you ever doctored up your store bought conditioner with additional ingredients?

Naptural85 has a great post filled with tutorials on how to combat frizzy natural hair in humidity.

Check out her tips here.

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Courtney Natural Hair posted this week’s regimen to strengthen the hair and add shine while decreasing shedding.  Sometimes her updates are very confusing, so bare with me. I’m going to break this down as best as I can.

Things you will need this week:

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Black Strap Molasses Treatment

Start the week off with a black strap molasses treatment. Do this in the day time on dry hair. If your hair is really short you shouldn’t have to dilute the molasses, but if your hair is longer you may have to add water. It’s very messy. Cover with a plastic cap. Put on an old shirt because it’s so messy.  Leave molasses in hair for 1-2 hours, and co-wash it really really really well. Style as usual. Co-wash 2 more times this week.

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Scalp Treatment

Take dropper bottle and fill it up half way with jojoba oil, add 5 drops of peppermint essential oil, 5 drops of basil essential oil, and 1/2 dropper of liquid vitamin A, D and E. Fill the rest of the container with castor oil. Shake very well. Using your dropper, squeeze a few drops throughout your scalp and massage it in for at least 1-2 minutes. Do this 3 times this week.

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Glycerin Mix

Vegetable glycerin & water spray bottle mix: add about 10 drops of basil and add about 1 table spoon kinky curly knot today mix well. This can be used for your baggy method. After spraying apply your favorite oil. Do the baggy method at least twice this week.

Unfortunately I have already washed my hair for the week. I’m going to try the above during my next wash day. I will update you here on my results.

If you still haven’t ordered your supplies, you can order them from Vitacost.

Did you guys try Courtney’s Protein Deep Conditioner I posted last week? How were your results?

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Over the weekend I started the Natural Hair Growth Challenge by Courtney Natural Hair. (See her above.) Courtney grew her hair down to her waist in about four years using her own homemade hair products.  How amazing! You can check her out on Instagram or like her Facebook for the details.

I have decided to document it on The Limerick Lane so that you guys can also join in on the challenge. I’m finding that the new layout of Facebook and Instagram feed can be a little difficult to pull information from, so I will try to keep you guys up to date with the specifics of Courtney’s challenge here as well.

Although I think I finally have found my staple products for my hair that are actually working, I decided to also do Courtney’s challenge.  But I plan to modify it a little bit by using the conditioner that I already own.  I love the conditioner that I have and I don’t want to spend any more money than necessary.

The ingredients you will need for the challenge are as follows:

• Castor Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Honey
• Peppermint Essential Oil
• Basil Essential Oil
• Rosemary Essential Oil
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Aubrey GPB Balancing Conditioner
• Olive Oil Eco Gel,
• Kinky Curly Knot Today,
• Giovanni 50/50 or MASTEY Traité Cream Shampoo ,
• Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Shampoo/Conditioner or Giovanni 50/50 Conditioner.
• Denman Brush and Wide Tooth Comb
• Blackstrap Molasses
• Liquid Vitamin A
• Liquid Vitamin D
• Liquid Vitamin E
• Plastic Shower Caps

I purchased all of these items from Vitacost.

Now you don’t have to buy everything at once.  Fortunately for me, I had the majority of the ingredients already. To start, you will need the Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Honey, Essential Oils, Liquid Vitamins and Aubrey GPB Balancing Conditioner.  These are the ingredients for the protein conditioner recipe which will start you off in the challenge.

The hair challenge begins with you clarifying your hair. But the night before you clarify, spray your hair down (avoid spraying scalp) with 1/2 water 1/2 vegetable glycerin using a spray bottle. Use olive oil on the ends of your hair. Cover with a plastic cap (aka baggy method) but avoid covering your scalp. (I didn’t understand how to cover my hair with a plastic cap without covering my scalp so I just covered my entire head. If you know what Courtney is talking about, please fill me in.) Secure plastic cap with bonnet or scarf and leave on overnight.

The next day shampoo hair with a clarifying shampoo or a regular store bought shampoo. I know you are probably thinking shampoos are bad. But I justified using a clarifying shampoo because I haven’t clarified in a year.  I figured it wouldn’t hurt.  I used Nexxus Aloe Rid to clarify my hair. (I think it may have been discontinued).

After you clarify, you will need to use the deep conditioning recipe (see below). If you have a steamer, use it with the deep conditioner. (I have a steamer, but I covered my hair with a plastic cap and left it on over night instead.) Then style as usual.

Protein Conditioner Recipe

• 1 Cup Aubrey GPB Conditioner
• 4 Tbsp Honey
• 4 Tbsp Castor Oil
• 4 Tblsp Vegetable Glycerin
• 4 Tbsp Jojoba Oil (Or Olive Oil)
• 8 drops Basil Essential Oil
• 8 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
• 8 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
• 4 Drops Liquid Vitamin A (using dropper)
• 4 Drops Liquid Vitamin D (using dropper)
• 4 Drops Liquid Vitamin E (using dropper)
• Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix it well.

I ended up cutting the recipe in half and still had enough for 2 applications.  So I put the rest in a container to use later.

Check out Courtney’s video where she demonstrates how to make and apply her conditioner recipe.

I purchased the conditioner, essential oils, oils and liquid vitamins from Vitacost.  The shipping was free and fast.  I found them to be really economical. If you sign up for Vitacost, you will be emailed a coupon for $10 off! Great deal.

Courtney says to co-wash at least twice that week. Do the baggy method the night before you co-wash. Massage your scalp at least 3 times that week, just rub a little jojoba oil in your hands while massaging scalp. Be sure to “like” her on Facebook or follow her on Instagram. She is very helpful and will answer any question that you may have.  She has already answered several of mine.

Will you be joining me in the challenge?

Update 4.23.12: I rinsed the homemade conditioner out this morning.  I wasn’t sure what to do next.  So I co-washed and detangled with conditioner.  I will say that I didn’t have a lot of shed hair or breakage on my comb.  I usually have palm full of hair when I’m done. Courtney recommends using a wide tooth comb first to detangle and then go back over with the Denman brush to remove shed hairs.  I haven’t used my Denman in forever because folks said that it breaks your hair off and I believed the hype.  I was happy to see that I didn’t have a lot of breakage using the brush.  I haven’t done a protein treatment in ages and I think my hair really needed this.