November 2023 - Body Care - Hair Care - Summary

Body Care - Hair Care - Summary 

EN (english)

November 2023 - Body Care - Hair Care - Summary 

The Hydrogen Potential (ph) of the skin or hair is between 4.5 to 5.5 (acidic). A product should have its ph within this interval to be non irritating. 

Ph of water : 7 (neutral) . 

Soaps and clarifying shampoos generally have a ph above 7 (alcalin). Hence, a good hydration is required after their usage. 

Body Care

Daily washing 

For the daily washing, you can use shower gel or soap superfatted preferably. The shower gel is more gentle for the skin and less drying. 

Among the superfatted (Surgras) shower gels in the market, we have: 

- LaRoche Posay Lipikar Gel/Creme-Douche Surgras

- Avene Gel Douche Surgras 

- CicaBiafine Gel Douche Surgras 

- Roger Cavailles Gel Douche et Bain Surgras 

- Cadum Gel Douche Surgras Beurre de Karite 

Tips for Soaps - You can transform soaps into pseudo gels by diluting or dissolving a little soap chunk grated in tepid water, then you can put the solution in a small container with a suitable cap, finally you can add a couple of preservatives drops. 

Liquid soap mixture: 

Solution-1 : 25g/50g of grated soap + 250ml (1 cup) tepid (lukewarm) water. 

Filter Solution-1 after dissolution. 

Mixture-1 : 3g (1.5%) (1/2 tsp) of glycerin + 1g (0.5%) (1/4 tsp) xanthan gum (thickener). 

187g (93.5%) of Solution-1. 
8g (4%) (1 càc) of aloe vera.  

4g (2%) of Mixture-1. 

Let it sit for 30 minutes to thicken. 
1g (0.5%) (1ml) (25 drops) of preservatives (cosgard, benzoate&sorbate). 

Among the superfatted soaps in the market, we have: 

- LaRoche Posay Lipikar Pain Surgras 

- Avene Pain Surgras 

- CicaBiafine Savon Surgras 

- Roger Cavailles Savon Surgras 

- Soap (Black African Soap, Castille Soap, Alep Soap, etc.) 

Deep washing 

Frequence : every 2 weeks for the face, during vacations for the hair and body. 

Clay Mask for hair, body and face. 

For hair and body, you can buy dry powder of clay and make the mixture yourself with water. 

Clay Mask Mixture: 
200ml of tepid (lukewarm) water. 
3 to 6 tbsp of clay (bentonite, rhassoul, kaolin). 

However, for the face, which is a more sensible area, clay can be pretty drying. So in case of dryness, it is suitable to buy ready to use mixture from the market or drugstore, like: clay mask green/pink Cattier. 

Honey Mask can also be used for facial skin care to improve hydration. 

Scrub can also be used as a deep cleansing process for face and body. 

Scrub Mixture: 

8 tbsp of fine salt. 

2 tbsp of oil (castor oil or grapeseed oil). 

5 drops vitamin E. 

Hydration/Moisturizing 

For hydrating your skin, you should favor non-comedogenic cream or oils or butters that do not clog your pores and by so prevent or reduce the appearance of pimples. 

At the drugstore, you can find non-comedogenic moisturizing cream for your body and face, like: 

- LaRoche Posay Lait/Baume 

- Avene Lait/Baume 

- CicaBiafine Lait/Baume 

Organic natural oil or butter should be used preferably on the body and less on the face especially if we are prone to pimples. Face skin is generally more sensible and prone to pimples, hence we will prefer for the face a  non-comedogenic cream sold at the drugstore. However, oils and butters can be used safely for face care such as removing makeup or scrubbing since the product does not stay for a long time on the face and also because right after the application the face is cleaned and the oil is then removed. 

Among non-comedogenic oils or butters, we have: 

- castor oil that has a thick consistency and therefore is more suitable for winter, for lips, elbows, knees, hands and feet when they are very dry. 

- grapeseed oil that has a thin consistency. 

-  batana oil extracted from seeds of the palm tree fruits . 

- shea butter that is suitable for winter, for lips, elbows, knees, hands and feet when they are very dry.

Mixture of Shea butter and oil (whipped=shantilly) : 
8 tbsp of shea butter. 
4 tbsp of castor oil. 
4 tbsp of grapeseed oil. 
Melt it using bain-marie (double pot boiling water). 
Let it sit until lukewarm. 
5 drops of vitamin E. 

Example of  hydration rotation every other day. Day 1 : hydrate or moisturize the  face and body with a drugstore bought non-comedogenic cream. Day 2 : hydrate only the face and the neck  with a drugstore bought non-comedogenic cream, then  hydrate the rest of the body with a non-comedogenic oil or butter focussing (massage) on elbows, knees and feet soles, but also on the belly, the breasts and the buttocks in case of pregnancy to prevent stretch marks. 

In case of Acne : Apply a very good skin care routine/hygiene with suitable products (cleansing, hydration, clay mask, scrub). Use pimples patches. See a dermatologist. In case of light to medium acne, you will have in general a gel (for example, Differine, for application directly on pimples as opposed to a whole area) and a lotion (for example, Eryfluid, for application on an area). In case of severe acne, you will rather have pills. 

 

Tools for Nails: nail clippers, nail files, transparent nail polish, colored nail polish, nail polish remover, nail stickers. 

Avoid using cutting tools (razor, blade) : it cuts,  causes infections, pimples, cysts, ingrown hair. For boys, use a hair or beard trimmer. For girls, use wax (punctually, you can use depilatory cream). Scrub your skin before. See a dermatologist and consider laser if necessary. 

 

Tools for Hair Removal: hair removal tweezers (pincer), thread (hair removal with thread), home DIY wax without strips, market wax without strips (Nair), laser hair removal compatible with your skin type if needed. 

 

== 

Recipe for home DIY wax without strips  

In a pan, with low heat, mix 2 cups of white powdered sugar (around 50g), 1/2 cup of water, 2 tbsp of honey and filtered juice of half of a lemon (to removed the pulp).

With a wooden spatula, stir slowly (around 10 minutes) until getting a homogenous brown mixture called caramel. 

If you have a kitchen thermometer, check that the temperature do not exceed 120 degrees celcius, otherwise your caramel will be brittle and unusable. 

let it cool down for a couple of minutes, to avoid burning yourself (keep the hot dough away from children reach). Check the texture when the dough is tepid with your fingers by trying to mold it. If the wax is thick and pliable, it is ready!

This wax can be re-used by heating it up in the micro-waves or with the "bain-marie" technique (keep the hot dough away from children reach). 

==

Frequency Beautician : during vacation 

==== 

 

Hair Care 

Tools: wide tooth comb, medium tooth comb, fine tooth comb with a tail, Tangle Teezer brush or Denmann brush, clips, elastics/scrunchies, spray bottle, small bottle containers with suitable cap, satin/silk bonnet, satin/silk pillowcase, microfiber towel, hair ornaments, plastic caps, heating cap or bonnet, hair dryer. 

Frequency : every 2 weeks, every months. 

Steps : unstyling ; pre-poo ; detangling ; shampoo ; conditioner ; mask ; detangling ; leave-in ; styling cream ; sealing hydration (oil, butter, gel) ; styling. 

Pre-poo and Leave-in for Plaits Hydration (79.5% gel, 20% oil, 0.5% vit E) : 
16 tbsp (= 1 cup) (79.5%) of gel of aloe vera or of flaxseed. 
2 tbsp (10%) of olive oil. 
2 tbsp (10%) of avocado oil. 
5 drops (0.5%) of vitamin E. 

Unstyling and Pre-poo 

Drench hair with water and slightly towel dry the hair. 

Apply olive oil. 

Apply the Pre-poo mixture above made of aloe vera gel and oil. 

Make/Visualize 4 to 10 sections/portions  according to hair length and density. 

Unravel the hair, add more pre-poo to the  section if needed, detangle the hair with fingers and then with a wide tooth comb or tangle teezer. 

Twist the portion. 

Shampoo

Clay Mask. 

Mixture of clay mask: 

200ml of tepid (lukewarm) water. 

3 to 6 tbsp of clay mask (bentonite, rhassoul, kaolin). 

Shampoo Liquid Soap : Liquid black african soap. 

Mixture liquid soap: 

Solution-1 : 25g/50g of grated soap + 250ml (1 cup) tepid (lukewarm) water. 

Filter Solution-1 after dissolution. 

Mixture-1 : 3g (1.5%) (1/2 tsp) of glycerin + 1g (0.5%) (1/4 tsp) xanthan gum (thickener). 

187g (93.5%) of Solution-1. 
8g (4%) (1 càc) of aloe vera.  

4g (2%) of Mixture-1. 

Let it sit for 30 minutes to thicken. 
1g (0.5%) (1ml) (25 drops) of preservatives (cosgard, benzoate&sorbate). 

Commercial Shampoo without sulfate (Tresseme 2 in 1, As I am Clarity shampoo, Curls Blueberry Bliss, Camille Rose, Creme of Nature Argan Oil). 

Commercial Anti-dandruff Shampoo (Selsun, Granier Fructis, Head and Shoulders). 

Mask

Commercial Mask hydrating (As I am Hydration Elation, Camille Rose Algae Renew, Curls cashmere & caviar hair masque). 

Commercial Mask lightly protein-based (Cantu Deep Treatment Mask, Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Mask). 

Mask DIYs with or without a couple of drops of hydrolysed protein (rice, silk, soy, almond) 

4 tbsp of oil and/or butter (olive, avocado, castor, grapeseed, shea butter, mango butter) 
1 tbsp of honey or glycerin 
4 tbsp of aloe vera gel (or of yoghurt or of grinded/blended and strainered/filtered avocado/banana) 

2 tbsp of conditioner or 1 egg 

5 drops of essential oil peppermint/tea tree 
5 drops of vitamin E. 

Hydration or Moisturizing

LCO method : Liquid - Leave-in - Cream - Oil or Butter method. 

Liquid (Spray): 
100ml of water. 
1 tsp of glycerine or aloe vera. 

Leave-in from the market (Cantu Leave-in, As I am Leave-in, Camille Rose Curl Love, Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-in). 

Pre-poo and Leave-in for Plaits Hydration (79.5% gel, 20% oil, 0.5% vit E) : 
16 tbsp (= 1 cup) (79.5%) of gel of aloe vera or of flaxseed. 
2 tbsp (10%) of olive oil. 
2 tbsp (10%) of avocado oil. 
5 drops (0.5%) of vitamin E. 

Styling Cream from the market (Cantu Coconut Curling Cream, Camille Rose Twisting Butter, As I am double butter cream in combo with the leave-in Cantu). 

Sealing Oil (for sealing hydration) : 

50% Castor oil. 

50% Grapeseed oil. 

Sealing Butter or Pommade (for sealing hydration) : butter and oil mixture. 

Sealing butter - Shea butter (49.75%) and oil (49.75%) and vit E (0.5%) (whipped = shantilly) : 

8 tbsp of shea butter. 

4 tbsp of castor oil. 

4 tbsp of grapeseed oil. 

Melt it using bain-marie (double pots boiling water). 

Let it sit until lukewarm. 

5 drops of vitamin E. 

Sealing Pommade - Shea butter (45%) and oil (45%) and wax (9.5%) and vit E (0.5%) : 

8 tbsp of shea butter. 

4 tbsp of castor oil. 

4 tbsp of grapeseed oil. 

2 tbsp of beeswax. 

Melt it using bain-marie (double pots boiling water). 

Let it sit until lukewarm. 

5 drops of vitamin E. 

Aloe Vera Gel (200g) (100%) : 

Substance extracted from the aloe vera leaf cleaned and cut at the bottom, vertically soaked in water for 8h or the whole night to allow the irritating yellow liquid sap to come out, then rince and peel and cut the pulp, finaly mix and filter. 

Measure the desired quantity (195g) (97.5%). 

Mix glycerin (3g) (1.5%) and gum (xanthan or guar) (1g) (0.5%). 

Add this mixture. 

Let it sit for 30 minutes to thicken. 

Add preservatives (cosgard, benzoate&sorbate) (1g) (0.5%). 

Flaxseed Gel (200g) (100%) : 

Substance obtained by boiling at medium heat flaxseed (lin seed) with water during about 10 minutes after it starts boiling (1/2 cup of flaxseed 20%, 2 cups of water 80%), then filter the thin liquid gel  with a strainer (if the gel is thick, let it sit until lukewarm, then use a filtering cloth, or add 1 cup of water and liquify the gel on low heat). 

Let it cool down, the gel will thicken more by itself. 

Measure the desired quantity (199g) (99.5%). 

Add preservatives (cosgard, benzoate&sorbate) (1g) (0.5%). 

== 

General Structure of a cosmetic product (leave-in, styling cream) : 

Water-based phase (eau, hydrolat-infusion-milk, gel, humectant) ; 

Oil-based phase (oil, butter) ; 

Emulsifier/Thickener (emulsifying wax ; oil-based acide or alcohol ; gum ; cellulose) ; 

Additional Agents 2% (essential oil or fragrance ; pro vitamin B5 = panthenol ; vitamine E ; preservatives cosgard or benzoate&sorbate). 

== 

Jelly/Custard/CurlMaker (medium hold) (curl definition) : 1. Curls Blueberry Bliss Control Jelly, 2. Camille Rose Curl Maker, 3. Les Secrets de Loly. 

Edge control (medium hold) : 1. Red One, 2. Curls Blueberry Bliss edge control paste, 3. Shine n Jam. 

Mousse : As I am Mousse, Curls Blueberry Bliss Mousse, Creme of Nature Mousse, Cantu Mousse, Lotta Body Mousse. 

Gel (strong hold) : 1. Eco Styler Gel (Olive oil, etc.). 

== 

Styling advices 

Rotate hair styles (plaits/tresses or hair out) eventually according to seasons. 

Rotate the hair sections schema and hair styles (back, side, pony tail). 

Alternate simple plaits/tresses (2 brins/twists, 3 brins/single braids) and flat plaits/tresses (flat twists, cornrows). 

Alternate plaits/tresses without extensions and plaits/tresses with extensions. 

Avoid doing very small sections of hair frequently. Choose in general medium size sections. 

Have removable hairstyle materials (hairpiece/postiche, beret, bonnet, hat, scarf, wig). 

== 

Types of hairstyles 

Plaits/Tresses 

Twists 

Braids or Box Braids 

Flat Twists 

Cornrows 

Bantu knots 

African threading 

Fake locs or Faux locs 

These basic plaits/tresses can be styled in ponytails and in more elaborate hairstyles. 

Hait out 

Twist out 

Braid out 

Bantu knot out 

African threading out 

Afro puff 

Afro 

Ponytails and more elaborate hairstyles 

Wash n go 

Note to wear your hair out. In general, to wear your hair out, start with basic plaits  (twists, braids, bantu knots, african threading), from medium to big size. Then, dry the tresses with a  hair-dryer or wait 2 to 3 days for an air drying. Take down the tresses. It creates curls that you can style (twist out, braid out, bantu knot out, african threading out). The curls are going to loose their definition as days go by. Switch then for an Afro puff or for an Afro or for a ponytail where the ends are tucked away (by making twists or by using  hairpiece/extensions/bun). 

== 

Hairstyles cycle 

Here is a sample of hairstyles cycle rotation :

1. braids/twists without extensions (full, 3/4, 1/2) + cornrows, flat twists, bantu knots (0, 1/4, 1/2) - 2 weeks

2. cornrows or flat twists without extensions (full, 3/4, 1/2 - back straight, fulani pattern, side lemonade, ponytail bun) + braids, twists (0, 1/4, 1/2) - 2 weeks 

3.  braids/twists without extensions (full, 3/4, 1/2) + cornrows, flat twists, bantu knots (0, 1/4, 1/2) - 2 weeks

4.  hair out or hair plated with gel/wax (twist out, braid out, bantu knots out, curls, wash n go, afro - full, 3/4, 1/2) + flat twists, cornrows, bantu knots (0, 1/4, 1/2), puff, ponytails, buns, bantu knots, freestyles or mixed styles (out+plaits/tresses) - 2 weeks

 

5. braids/twists with extensions (full, 3/4, 1/2) + cornrows, flat twists, bantu knots (0, 1/4, 1/2) - 4 weeks 

== 

Frequency Hairstyler : during vacation 

==