Yesterday I washed my hair with a simple herbal mix of aritha and yucca root. I’m out of marshmallow root or I would have added that too. I opted for two cleansing herbs because my hair seriously needed it. You can see how to create your own DIY Herbal Hair Cleanser here.
I used grapeseed oil as my leave-in/heat protectant as it is much lighter than shea butter, used a seamless comb to detangle, blow dried my hair, and followed up with a really good trim. I didn’t trim off more than a half inch, possibly less in some areas, but it always makes a big difference overall. I then set my curls using 7/8″ flexi rods with a very light spritz of water and a tiny bit of castor oil mainly on the ends of my hair. I used 18 flexi rods total.
The last time I used a blow dryer was last spring in April for this simple hair trimming method. I hardly ever use heat on my hair because my strands are fine and can be damaged easily. Regardless it’s nice to have a change and I’m looking forward to seeing how these soft fluffy curls hold up over the next few days.
I’m also going to try a wet set with these same flexi rods in a week or two so hopefully I’ll have another way of setting my curls to prevent single strand knots. If any of you have been following Minimalist Beauty for awhile you know how much I love wearing my natural curl pattern. I’ve known for years that setting my curls in braids or twists helps prevent single strand knots and tangles, yet I really like just letting my hair do its thing. The problem is I end up having to do micro trims more often and spend much more time detangling.
Also check these meadow picked flowers from the hubby! He didn’t actually pick them from a meadow but I love that they look that way.
Happy Valentine’s Day Beauties!
(Images by Dawn Michelle)
Lily says
February 14, 2014 at 8:37 pmSooooooo pretty Dawn! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Dawn Michelle says
February 16, 2014 at 7:16 pmHi Lily,
You’re so sweet! Thank you and hope you are having a great weekend!
Tracy says
February 15, 2014 at 6:05 amSo Lovely
Dawn Michelle says
February 16, 2014 at 7:24 pmThank you so much Tracey <3 Have a beautiful day!
Jean says
February 15, 2014 at 11:28 amLove everything about this picture from hair to necklace to t-shirt. Can I ask what brand the t-shirt is?
Dawn Michelle says
February 16, 2014 at 7:27 pmThanks Jean!
I lucked up on that t-shirt at a thrift store and it is by Rich Honey. I wish I could have picked up a few because it has become one of my favorites, yet that doesn’t happen when shopping consignment. I’m hoping to find more online but haven’t take the time to yet. Let me know if you find it though cause I’d still love to get another.
BrownCurls says
February 15, 2014 at 2:08 pmVery pretty Dawn. Question: do you still wash your hair with Rhassoul clay? If so how often? I got some this week and I am dying to try it out. I am thinking of shooting for once a week?
Dawn Michelle says
February 16, 2014 at 7:58 pmHi BrownCurls,
I have a lot of herbs, clays, and oils which I share here that I’m trying to use up currently so I don’t have one specific herbal or clay wash that I use every week. I mix up a new hair wash weekly with the types of herbs and other ingredients that I share in this article. This past week I used aritha and yucca root for a deep cleansing because I needed it. I mentioned it briefly above.
I usually wash my hair no less than once a week. In my fall/winter hair care regimen that I shared I was doing bi-weekly hair washes, yet I am pretty much washing my hair most often once a week. It just varies based on my hair needs.
Rhassoul clay is amazing for hair and skin so I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do. Keep me posted on how it works for you. Best wishes!
keisha says
February 15, 2014 at 5:52 pmsuper cute!
Dawn Michelle says
February 16, 2014 at 8:03 pmHi Keisha,
Thanks so much! I’m looking forward to trying more styling options with these flexi rods in the next week or so. On Saturday those curls went into a bun for my ballet class and have been styled that way ever since. These curls have held up pretty well though. Hope you’ve had a great weekend so far!
hinata says
February 15, 2014 at 11:58 pmYour hair is so pretty. In the second picture, I noticed that the sunlight makes your hair looks plum colored. How do you make plum colors with henna?
Dawn Michelle says
February 16, 2014 at 8:09 pmHi Hinata,
I’ve been using henna consistently since March 2010 so I have tons of henna applications layered up on my strands. One way to intensify the burgundy tones in henna is to add beet root powder or hibiscus powder to your henna mix. Adding 2-4 tablespoons to this mix usually does the trick. Let me know if you try this and how it works for you.
Thank you for your sweet compliment too!
Ashley says
February 16, 2014 at 5:06 pmHI Dawn! Your hair looks beautiful as always. I was actually interested in doing a wet flexi rod set on my hair for the first time this week. I was wondering what setting product/styler would you recommend (or do you plan to use) for a wet set? I too love using an oil or butter to set my hair but I’m wondering if that will get it to last more than 1 to 2 days.
Dawn Michelle says
February 16, 2014 at 8:28 pmThanks so much Ashley <3
I use shea butter to set all my styles that are done on wet/damp hair. That is my preference because I like my hair to feel soft and moisturized. I used grapeseed oil for this style only because I blow dried my hair. I plan to try using shea butter for my next flexi rod set on wet hair. If all goes well it may become apart of my spring/summer hair regimen but I'll have to try it first to know for sure. I hope you have been enjoying the weekend! I can't believe it's Sunday evening already!!!
BrownCurls says
February 17, 2014 at 11:34 amThanks for the feedback Dawn! yes I’ve read about your herbal rinses and saw here that you washed with the yucca/soapnut mix for this style, that’s why I was wondering if you still use the clay. I am gonna do my clay wash tomorrow and see how it goes! Definitely wanna try the soapnut powder next! I’ve been using sulfate -free shampoos for many months now, so hopefully it won’t be too much of a transition.
Also putting flexirods on my list. I have read/seen so much about the curlformers, but I feel like the flexirods may be more gentle on the hair strand, since they involve less pulling. So thank you for reporting on your experience with them.
So many hair dreams, so little time LOL 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
February 18, 2014 at 11:51 amHi BrownCurls,
Curlformers have become so popular in the natural hair and curly hair scene but they are pricey. One thing that I like about flexi rods is that no matter how long your hair gets you can still use them. I still don’t personally know the difference with flexi rods and Curlformers but I’m going to stick to what I have for now. Hope that your clay wash and styling turns out gorgeous!
BrownCurls says
February 19, 2014 at 1:38 pmThanks Dawn! update: the clay wash was a hit 🙂
I had read about it being detoxing etc, so I expected it to be a harsher cleanser, but it actually left my hair very soft. I followed with a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse (2 tbsp in 2 cups of water) and then I just did my wash and go finger styling with leave in conditioner + my shea+aloe mix and the curls were happy, soft and not frizzy!
Next up will be to try the soapnut mix, maybe next month. 🙂
Take care and have a great rest of your week!
Dawn Michelle says
February 20, 2014 at 1:00 pmHi BrownCurls,
This is great to hear! I hope you have a great rest of your week too! <3
Kisha says
February 22, 2014 at 11:41 amNice!!
Dawn Michelle says
February 24, 2014 at 11:50 pmThank you Kisha! <3