Friday, October 31, 2008

Just Like Butter & Shrinky Dinks

Just like butter is the product description on the lable of Butter Drops, a lemond scented oil by HOP Spa Treatments. This oil can be used on your hair or your body. I have primarily been mixing this oil with lotions, and my pure shea butter with wonderful results. It helps to improve the lotions that don't work so well, and then it becomes a lotion that gives me great sheen( without being oily). You don't need to use too much to see the effects of this product.
I have used it on my scalp just once and it was similar to other oils that I have used so I prefer to maximize the benefits by using it on my body. When mixing the Butter Drops with pure shea butter ( I have whipped shea butter) it is almost like the butter melts and just blends in with the oil to form a nice moisturizing solution for my body.
For $11 I am not breaking the bank and I get to improve mediocre lotions by adding this product. I also get to use it with products that already work well in case I want to include the yummy lemon scent.

I would get this oil again, it is very pleasing to me.

HAIR- Info
I may take some of you way back and for the younger crowd you may have no idea what I am talking about but here it goes anyway.
As a kid I was always entertained by one of my favorite arts and crafts activities- SHRINKY DINKS. Shrinky Dinks were these little sheets with designs that one could cut out, color in and then place it in the over. Part of the fun was watching your little drawing shrink up in the oven and when it was all done you could hang it up as a little decoration. For some reason shrinky dinks were the first things that came to mind when I decided to talk to you about shrinkage. Shrinkage is what happens to those who do not have naturally straight hair. As our hair grows it it comes in curly and for many, the new growth is coiled like a little spring. Some relaxed ladies who stretch (extending the period of time between relaxers), experience extreme shrinkage, which means the volume is at the top of your head and your hair is coiled up. Natural ladies also experience shrinkage, and if you stretch the strands of hair it can help you to get a better idea of your length. If you have relaxed hair and you are experiencing shrinkage please don't bbe so quick to cut off your hair it it appears to be a little thinner at the ends because there could be a good reason. Shrinkage will bring a great deal of volume to the top of your head so your relaxed hair may appear to be a little thinner but onec you straighten your new growth your ends may not look so thin after all. Now of course this is not a cut and dry rule of thumb, just a suggestion bececause some people may really new to cut their hair whether they have shrinkage or not. I just don't want you to be so quick to cut off your hair expecially if you are stretching.
I included some shots of my new growth-our hair is naturally curly. You can see that the hair is going around like a little spring. SOme people have a tighter curl pattern, but this picture will help you to get the general idea of what your new growth may look like.
Sorry if I have typos, I will fix them later...
Thanks to everyone for your get well wishes. Have a great weekend.

18 comments:

Just_Wondering said...

Thanks for the info on shrinkage! I haven't permed my hair in 5months and the amount of new growth I have is insaneee! I was a lil worried that it wasn't looking strong and heathly. In the past I was always in a rush to cut it but my hair is holding up very well with no breakage or split ends! I can't wait to show you the results in december as I've been tracking my progress since last december!

Anonymous said...

i love your blog, great explanation. I do not stretch longer than 8 weeks, due to my hair wanting to jump out if I wait longer. but I do notice by the 4th week that the ends look thin and the whats closer to the head is full of volume. I went to the shop yesterday and the stylist wanted to cut the ends. But there are no split ends. I do notice with a fresh relaxer that the ends look full again. thanks for the info.
tarra

B said...

The worse thing (IMO) about being napptural is the shrinkage. Ugh! It drives me nuts. Stretching doesn't last long for me b/c my hair "boings" back into place. Craziness, I tell ya. I like the name Butter Drops. That makes me smile for some lame reason. Ha! Happy Friiiiday!

Anonymous said...

i'm being 'special' this morning and can't seem to find a website for this. does 'hop' stand for something?

MakeupByRenRen said...

hmmm learn something new every day!

Product Junkie Diva said...

Jwonderging I'm so happy that things are going well with your hair...YAY.
@Tarra thanks for stopping by the blog. Yes some stylists are quick to cut but it is not always necessary.
B your hair looks so beautiful.
@PinkyBlue sorry the site is hpospatreatments.com
Ren thanks for reading even though i am sure this in no way is realted to the way your hair grows..lol
PJD

Anonymous said...

Just came over to say hey. I love your hair.

Product Junkie Diva said...

Hey Lqady Girl thanks. I left a comment on your page.
Thanks for checking me out.
PJD

Anonymous said...

Are you feeling better? And you have a cute scalp!:)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Diva! I'm glad you brought this up b/c I too have alot of new growth near my roots (its very thick on top & thin at the bottom) so idk if thats a good sign my hair is healthy or not. I too am streching my relaxer until Dec. I have another month & my hair already looks like I have 6 months of new growth (i think my hair is growing fast b/c of the biotin i take & maybe all the good/natural products I'm using lol) I refuse to perm b4 dec I dont care how much new growth I have lol (you can tell I need a relaxer). Ironcially I actually like how my hair looks b/c it looks & feels much thicker than it actually is b/c I have fine hair. But ppl say if you wait too long 2 perm you can experience damamged/breakage to your hair... im scared, how do I avoid this from happening??? I'm only 26, my hair means alot to me lol (I know hair isn't EVERYTHING). How do I manage my new growth w/out breakage?? What do you do or suggest? Well I wash & cond. my hair every wk & take pretty good care of it (wrap it every nite, satin scarf, etc.) I guess that's all i can do. Four (im gonna try n push for 5 or 6) more weeks to go to relaxing, wish me luck! :)

Product Junkie Diva said...

@Frugalista thanks I am feeling better. I did post today but silly me, I didn't click the "publish" button...so the post came up later in the day. LOL @ the comment about my scalp.
@Lauren I would say don't so any snipping of the ends because it looks a little thin, that could just be the shrinkage issues. After you relax your hair then you can take a good look at your ends and determine what needs to go, if anything at all. You are reminding me that I really need to take my biotin pills, I always forget..lol Good for you for stayng on a good pill program. How many mcgs are you taking a day? When your hair is growing out and you get two textures, the new growth and the permed hair we have a "SITUATION". The point where the new growth and permed hair meets is the point of demarcation, that is where your hair strand is most delicate. To prevent damage you need to ensure that you are not pulling on that area or treating that area of your strand harshly. I think you are doing a good job with washing your hair but I am just wondering if you co wash. Personally I don't co wash until I get to the point where I have tons of new growth. Co washing just helps me to keep the new growth soft and manageable. I agree that hair isn't everything but since we are in our 20's ummmm yes it's pretty important..lol Seriously even if we didn't have hair I'm sure we would manage, but since we do we want to take really good care of it. DO you use heat on your hair? In my post for today I mentioned that I got a bad tangle and that made me decide to sit under a hooded dryer to dry my hair and that made my roots even softer. I think during my next wash I will air dry but the following wash I will sit under the hooded dryer. Right now I am thinking that is what I will do so keep my roots soft until the end of December. (let's see if I stick to that). I know you can keep your hair in great shape for the remaining 5-6 weeks so keep up the good work.
Do you air dry? Do you moisturize daily? Now I think I will post my headbands tomorrow because that helps me to keep down the new growth.
Do you use the scarf method to keep your new growth somewhat smooth? I may have to post on that too...lol
Dec. will be here before we know it so hold tight, and I will have to hold tight too.
PJD

Anonymous said...

Hey thanks for all your great tips as usual. I would NEVER snip off the ends of my hair myself b/c 4 1 I don't like to ever "cut" my hair lol & 2, I have a faithful salon I've been going to 4 yrs & they know me & my hair like the back of their hands. They always tell me when I need a trim & I almost always trim my ends after I get a perm. Regarding the biotin, yes girl, I started my vitamin intake earlier this yr so far so good. I take alot of vitamins lol but the biotin I take 5000 mcgs a day, right from Walmart baby lol. Only with the biotin I do find I have to shave certain parts of my body alot more than usual lol but if its gonna help my hair I won't complain about it lol. I also take Omegas 3, 6, 9 (fish, flaxseed & borage oil) 2x a day. Not sure if I need that but I figured it wouldn't hurt. I also take my 1-a-day 4 women along with 1000 vitamin c & e (I love taking the vitamin c b/c I used to get sick all the time & now i haven't been sick for about 2 yrs now lol) I was so focused on building up my immune system. Neway, back to our hair issues lol. Thank you for your explanation on the "SITUATION," now explain 2 me what exactly is co-washing b/c I'm still not sure what it is. I know its on days u don't wash ur hair right? Is it when you just condish or put/wash with only conditioner?? I heard ppl say they co-wash daily. I use things like shea butter in leave-in & MHC condish & reg condish (as a daily moisturizer) on my hair every morning & night so im not sure whether or not thats co-washing. (I'm still loving that burdock root cream btw :)) The only time I use heat on my hair is at the salon every Sat for the deep treatment & when roller setting my hair for it 2 dry (I get a wash, set & wrap). No curling irons or hand blow dryers, having used those in years, my hair is too fine & fragile for those things. So I only use the hooded dryer method once a wk. I know air-drying is the best & safest method but since I don't wash my own hair at home (im way too lazy & just rather let the professionals do it lol) I don't air-dry my hair. So yes, I do moistuize daily, mostly with natural products like from MHC & shea butter & AO products. I use protein pre-poo treatments as leave-ins at least 2x a wk. I've always had soft & thin hair so it doesn't take much for my hair to be soft. I use the satin scraf to retain the moisture in my hair & prevent from breakage, I NEVER go to sleep w/out it, no matter what time or how tired (or how late) I come home lol, its natural 4 me. 1 thing I do find is that I do itch & scratch my head alot more than usual (its not dandruff lol). So I tell myself I'm actually "feeling" the new growth spourting out literally (Yes I know im a weirdo ahaha). My hair only itches like this when I'm close to needing a relaxer, is this normal? Lol O and I still dunno which relaxer to use, I've been using Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil but i kinda wanna switch it up. I def want something mild & gentle, I was thinking maybe the soft n beautiful 1 idk. I know I have time b/c we're still in Nov but I like to plan ahead. I will get my nxt relaxer in mid-dec. Thank you again for all your advice & great tips! :)

Product Junkie Diva said...

Hey Lauren the Omega & flaxseed pills that you are taking are great for the body so I guess in turn it may have some positive impact on your hair. I haven't researched it but I don't recall reading about a direct correlation between the omega pills and our hair...but who knows. The Biotin is awesome and 50000 girl you are a superwoman..lol. I have heard of people having itchy scalps when they have lots of new growth but that hasn't been my experience so i'm not sure. My relaxer is always the mild Motions (i think my stylist uses the herbal version...but not always) i don't put relaxers in my own hair so I just let her use her stuff. I have heard bad reviews about the motion relaxers but I am fine with how it works on my hair. Yes co washing in washing your hair but with no shampoo just conditioners. Now I know some women do it becuase the shapoos can have harsh ingredients and they dont want to put shampoo on their hair each time they wash becuase it can be stripping. I on the other hand use shampoos that are not stripping and they have natural good ingredients, but they are also used to clean my hair but it doesnt always need to be cleansed so I will skip the poo and just use the conditioner to keep my new growth soft and supple.
hope this helps. When you make a decision on your relaxer please let me know. Oh have you ever through of the phytospecific mild relaxer? I know someone who used it and she said she likes that her scalp doesnt burn at all because of the natural ingredients and her hair looked lovely. I have heard good things about that one but I know it is more expensive.
PJD

Anonymous said...

Hey Diva. I have read on many blogs & hair foreums that Omega 3s are good for hair & can help keep it healthy b/c of the fish potency & intake. It also has vitamin E & safflower oil & that also helps with hair growth (or at least thats what I've heard) I've read Omega 3s are in fact excellect for hair & can help maintain healthy hair growth. On my bottle it says "maintains healthy joints, skin & hair" so thats why i brought it lol. If it also helps with my body thats a added bonous i guess lol. All im concerned with is my hair lol. Since we're still in our 20s I prob dont really need it for health or body reasons b/c luckily I'm pretty healthy thank God. Thanks for clarifying what cowashing is 4 me, I appreciate it. Yea I only wash my hair once a wk, I never use poo on my hair except for Saturdays when I wash. Now during the wk I do use condish but not for "washing" b/c I dont wet my hair during the wk, I do spritz it with a fab herbal leave-in i have from Oyin called juices n berries; i LOVE that stuff, it smells FAB & its great, has all natural ingredients & its very light. When I spray my hair w/ it, it doesnt feel wet at all & i love it. I use regular & leave-in creamy condish for daily moisturizing. I too only use gentle non stripping shampoos with natural ingredients (w/out SLS & parabeans) I use AO poos & I'm currently using that Mill Creek Bition poo and I love it lol. Yes & I agree using condish on hair helps keep the new growth soft & supple so thank you 4 that tip!
I too have heard the Motions relaxer isnt really good but if it works 4 your hair then thats great. What works 4 some might not work 4 others ya know. And yes! Omg I have heard & read great reviews & things on the phytospecific mild relaxer for fine hair (they have one 4 corase hair 2) & I was VERY interested in it & was really gonna buy it b/c I really wanted to try it. I was really actually considering using as my next relaxer b/c I too heard it was less harsh & had natural ingredients, I did a full research on it lol. BUT yes, I was little timid about purchasing it b/c of the price, I think its like $60 bucks so in my head I was saying wtf lol. Y is it so darn expensive? But when it comes to my hair I'll spend whatever it takes if it works & if its worth it. O wow so you know some1 who used & liked it? That's great. When I read about it on Amazon there were mixed reviews, some ppl liked it & said it worked & some didn't & said it was a waste of $. So i was alittle scared after that lol. I do really wanna try it though b/c I am curious about it, im just scared it wont straighten my hair like the reg perms we use do or i'll look like I need a touch-up after a few wks lol. Idk what I'm gonna use, I wanted to use/try the soft & beautiful one (for fine hair) but i dont c it in stores ):

P.S. R u still doing the pre-poo thing b4 u wash your hair even though your close to getting a relaxer? Is this ok to do so close to getting a relaxer? I do the pre-poo thing every time b4 i wash & I'm loving it still. Ever since I've learned about pre-pooing a few months ago i've been doing it ever since. Hope this method is still ok to do lol. Neway hope you had a great wkend & thank you as always for your indepth tips & advice.

Product Junkie Diva said...

Lauren Thanks for the omega info and yes the fact that is has "fish stuff" should be great for hair..lol I have the pills but like biotin I have not taken anything consistently. So the person that I know who used the phyto perm, she used the coarse one first and it was too much for her hair becuase her hair is fine so it made it almost too straight and she didnt like the results because it was so straight and flat to her scalp. For her next perm she used the mild version and her hair looked AMAZING. She said it made it straight but not so much so that it showed her scalp.
You are so right, some things work for some people and others for other people so the motions is ok for me but maybe one day I will venture out and try a new perm. I remember a long time ago I used hawaian silky and my hair reverted in about 3-4 weeks..lol not a good perm for me.
Yes I still prepoo and it hasn't hurt me yet so I will continue doing it.
My juice and berries should be here soon..lol I can't wait and now you have me even more excited about it.
Thanks for always reading and keeping up with this blog..yay.
PJD

Anonymous said...

Hey. So I think i'm gonna be brave & purchase the phyto perm for $60 bucks so pray 4 me lol. I really wanna try something new, my stytlist once told me I could use just about any perm b/c it doesn't take that much to make my hair straight since its already fine & soft, as long as the persm isn't the extra strength version. So i'll def keep you posted & let you know what I actually end up doing, I may chicken out & just use one of the store perms lol. Neway, congrates on getting the juices & berries, plz let me know how u like it. If anything else, I'm obsessed w/ the smell of it lol. Keep us posted :)

Product Junkie Diva said...

Hey Lauren I'm sorry for the delay, I thought I responded to this already. I am excited that you are thinking about going for the phyto perm. PLease let me know how it turns out. I love the juices and berries scent- just DELICIOUS. I see that it works best on my dry hair, not wet. At least not while my hair has all of this new growth. I will keep you posted.
bye
PJD

Anonymous said...

Hey Diva, thanks for responding! I know I've been MIA from your blog but I'm back! (wit questions ofcourse lol) How was your thanksgiving? Lol mines was good I ate alot as usual lol (but I can get away with it) LOL. O & I finally caught up with "HOA" on bravo & even watched the reunion & now I'm hooked after it goes off lol i kno im mad late. Those chicks r too much 4 me lol. Neway I am gonna comment on 1 of your recent posts about my hair woes lol. Ok bye