Current Beauty Cultivation techniques

 Cultivating beauty is an ongoing self care process.

A few things have really helped my hair. Outside of sticking to a single color (that is Ion TrueTones for dark hair, done as needed, as well as a color pigment boost done about every other week that is also done with a heat cap) is the heat cap linked below. I use regular conditioner , shea butter w/an oil like grapeseed with the heat cap for a half hour once a week. The oil will vary depending on the heaviness of oil suitable for your hair type. My hair is type 2a which means its a bit wavy. I have a heatless curler I try to sleep in every other day. Also, I use a large Tangle Teezer detangler instead of a standard brush I use with conditioner in the shower only. This last bit is really only for people with wavy to curly hair types.

I've decided that a lot of what I do for my hair, like using rice water when I need to spray it and the shea butter should be added for my skin as well. So, in the mornings and evenings now I spray my face with rice water*, then I layer moisturize with regular moisturizer* applied with an egg sponge, and then seal it with a shea butter and grapeseed oil. There are a lot of oils out there, but I like grapeseed because it is a lighter oil packed with antioxidants, and is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial as well as having things like omega acids and vitamin E. Plus grapeseed oil is easy to find and inexpensive.

*Rice water tends to interact with melanin somehow and makes your skin fairer. Rice water can be made by soaking rice in water for at least a half hour to over night and then remove the rice and refrigerate and use for about a week with a spray bottle.

* Jergens Ultra Healing moisturizer is the one I currently use.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NQGT8CP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

My current hair care routine

Know your hair type, to customize your routine this is my routine for my type 2A hair that is dyed.

I shower every other day in the following cycles. The night before a shower day I add shea butter and oils in my hair (right now I'm using 5 oils, but typically I just use grapeseed oil). The only time I brush my hair is when I use large Tangle Teezer detangler brush with conditioner in the shower.

1. Color safe shampoo & lots of conditioner
2. Color deposit shampoo, color masque (if needed) and color sealing conditioner
3. Moisturizing day, long conditioner if I have a masque like Shea Mountains Deep Moisturizing Masque or other homemade hair masque or hot oil treatment

After shower while hair is wet (but after scrunching out some water with a t-shirt):
Spray with rice water*
a small amount of leave in conditioner.
Mousse
the Scruncher styling spray
Blow dry 

I spray rice water in my hair about 3-4 times a day. In the morning, and evening after I wash my face (I also spray rice water on my face). 

Notes: Sleep with a silk cap. 
 Leave conditioner in as long as possible.
 Scrunch/squish conditioner into curls
 Squish dry with a t-shirt

* Take rice and add 2 parts water 1 part rice into a container. Wait at least half an hour and shake before transferring the rice water into a spray bottle. It should be milky white. I will leave the mix to soak for up to a day.  After a day toss the rise and put the water into the fridge. Use within a week. If you want to cook the rice only allow the rice to soak for an hour before cooking it.

Home made treatments: 
oils(argan, jojoba, grapeseed, almond)
Shea Butter
Full fat mayo (protein/oils/moisturizing)
Avocado smashed with honey
Rice Water

Subreddit:
HaircareScience