Merry Christmas everyone!
I'm going to post my experiences and experiments here from now on so it can remain as a reference instead of getting lost in the group's timeline and be gone from sight.
Now on to my Fenugreek mask experience.
I was really looking forward to it you know! After reading about all the good things it has in it and what it can do to your hair, I was super excited!
I followed the instruction as per this site. I let it soak for 2 days instead of one because I didn't have the time. It soaked up more than 1/2 of the 2 cups of water I used. At the touch, it feels a bit slippery. I guess that's where it's emollient properties lie.
I was ready to blend. I thought it was soft enough so it wouldn't be a problem. WRONG!! I didn't add enough water. I started with just a tad, that didn't work. Also, I think because I did that in the chopper part of my new hand held blender. That thing ain't got no power! If you see a GE hand held blender at Wal-Mart for $29.99CAD, don't buy it! Piece of crap! It broke pureeing kidney beans IN boiled water! Anyway, let's go back to the Fenugreek mask. I switched to the blender, it just sits there. I added Aloe Vera Gel (the lady gave me the wrong bottle, going to stick to TAU where I can choose my own product!), water.. it was like a lump of dough. It just stick together. Switched over the hand mixer, added more AVG, 1 tbsp of my scalp infusion oil, 2 tbsp of my shea butter mix, 2 drops of my lavender essential oil to see if that will help. At the touch, it feels fine. I said to myself, tomorrow is the day!
When applying it, it feels so smooth. It just slides on your hair making it so easy to spread. I also applied the paste on my scalp because it is great for dandruff. I kept it for 30 mins and was ready to wash. My hair was so soft when I was undo the braids. I said let me use my black soap.
Mistake #1
When you have any type of oils on your hair, DO NOT USE black soap. I knew that but since I made the mask the night before, I totally forgot what was in it. Didn't clean my scalp and hair well at all.
Mistake #2
Which should have been mistake #1 since I hinted the problem way ahead, I got chunks of the seeds stuck in my hair. It was horrid! But once I shook them off most did fall. So I had to wash my hair again with a shampoo to clear up residue from my scalp which helped gets the chunks out. Since I had to do that, I thought I'd add some honey to my conditioner to soften my hair again. I left it on for 20 mins and rinsed it out.
When it came time style my hair, I had no choice to get the Tangle Teezer out. It did help get the rest out. As you know, no comb or tangle teezer has touched my hair in about 4 months now. I noticed though I had to rinse the tangle teezer out from time to time so what I took out did not settle back on my hair.
Will I do it again? Yes! I have some substantial amount left over that I will reblend to make it finer. I also promised some to my friend, my niece and sister. I love the feel of it on my hair! You can tell by the touch of it it has some emollient properties (it's the lecithin in it) even if you didn't read up on it. I guess you can say, I'm learning from all this. I will let you know how it goes next time. I might wash my hair again next week because I'm about to take my twists out tonight.
If you would like to know more about the benefits of this seed for your natural hair, you can read it up here.
