A clarifying shampoo is a shampoo which is used to clean your hair thoroughly.


A clarifying shampoo has Sulphates but No Silicones. But you are not supposed to use Sulphates in CG method, isn't it? Well, there are some desperate times we need it.

Why would I need to clarify?

A scalp massage is designed to improve blood circulation and help relax the mind. There are various types and benefits of a massage. You can follow each on different occasions and according to your comfort.

Types of scalp massages

Oil Massage:- When you massage your hair with any oil of your choice, it is known as oil massage. Apply few drops of oil and massage onto your scalp with pads of your fingers, make sure to avoid massaging with nails. Some oils that you can use are, Coconut, Jojoba, Almond, Avocado, Olive.



Hot Oil Massage:- Just like earlier, take any oil of your choice and make it warm by placing it in a hot water bowl. Take a cotton ball and dab it on your scalp then massage. Make sure the oil is comfortable to touch and not extremely hot.



Pre-poo:- When you prepare your hair to shampoo you apply oils, hair masks(for scalps as well) and massage them onto your scalp for greater penetration.



During shampoo:- When you shampoo your hair, always make sure to massage it into your scalp to ensure your scalp is more clean. Shampoo is for your hair so only apply it to your scalp and not to your lengths. (It automatically goes through your lengths while washing).



Co-washing:- Those who Co-wash( Conditioner wash) their hair need to massage their scalp thoroughly. It helps clean your scalp properly.



Dry Massage:- Yes!! You don't always need to have something on your scalp to massage it. You can do it whenever you're free and need a quick massage. Do it for 5 minutes, 5 times a week. It really improves the blood circulation and help relax the mind.


Massage tools:- When you feel lazy and tired, instead of using your finger tips you can use a massaging tool or brush. It could be an electric one or just any manual brush, there are different types you can choose any.

Benefits Of Scalp Massages

1. It enhances the blood circulation.

2. It helps relax mind.

3. It helps having a good night's sleep.

4. Prevents flakes and dry, itchy scalp.

5. Strengthens the root and supports hair growth.

Hello beautiful people! Today I'm going to review Arata Hair Cream.

A hair cream provides moisture and shine to dry hair. It helps hair to stay shiny and bouncy longer.


Ingredients:-


Flax Seed Extract, Coco Glyceride (Coconut Oil Extract), Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate (Vegetable Extract), Glyceryl Stearate (Vegetable Extract), Stearyl Alcohol (Vegetable Extract), Propanediol (Vegetable Extract), Hydrogenated Olea Europaea Oil (Hydrogenated Olive Oil), Olea Europaea Oil (Olive Fruit Oil), Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables (Olive Oil Unsaponifiables), Sorbitan Olivate (Olive Oil Extract), Glyceryl Caprylate (Coconut Extract), Glyceryl Undecylenate (Coconut Extract), Dehydroxanthan Gum (Natural Sugar Extract), Lonicera Caprifolium (Italian Honeysuckle Extract), Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle Extract), Water, ECOCERT Natural Fragrance (Flower Extract), Sodium Gluconate (From Sugar Glucose).

Product details:-

MRP:- 599/-
Quantity:- 100g.
Texture:- Creamy


What the company claims:-

Our cream is easy to apply on all hair types, from poker straight to curly ringlets. The Arata Hair Cream gives you a sculpted, yet natural look that lasts for several hours. The Arata Hair Cream sculpts and yet is soft to the touch. It also gives your hair volume without making it greasy. Our cream nourishes and protects your hair with natural ingredients, making it safe for daily and long-term use. It is completely water soluble, non-flaking and easily washes out of hair.


Why do I need this?

This cream gives our hair the moisture and nourishment it needs. I have a dry and frizzy curly hair, this cream gives a smooth look to my hair. My hair become soft and shiny.

This cream can be used by both men and woman. Anyone facing problem of dry, frizzy hair can use this to make their hair more moisturized and fight the frizz.


My experience:-

At first, I was hesitant about getting this cream, actually I was not going to get it at all. I got this cream because of the buy one get one free offer by Arata.in on Black Friday offer. I thought of getting two gels instead, but because of this offer I thought of giving it a try.


I loved it in first try itself as this was my first cg friendly hair cream ever! It made my hair so soft and shiny. I finger coiled and my hair looked so good. It has a good slip, works good for finger coiling.


I use this Cream after shampoo and conditioning my hair. I take coin sized amount and apply it to one part of my hair. This cream is thick so I don't really need to apply much.


I usually follow the finger coiling method with this product as it works best for me that way. I love how this cream works when combined with  ARATA Zero Chemicals Flaxseed Hair Gel.


This combination lasts about 2-3 days on my hair and sometimes even more when I take proper care of them while sleeping and doing other stuff.


How to apply:-


1. Shampoo and condition your hair as usual.

2. Apply on wet hair.

 3. Part your hair into two sections, you can also apply it like you usually apply your leave in or any other stylers. (This cream is very thick so you need to experiment with the quantity and techniques according to your hair type.)

2. Spread it between both your palms.

3. Rake in or use prayingaying hands technique to apply the product.

4. Scrunch up your hair for more definition and shrinkage.

5. It is advisable to use a gel after this for better hold, you can use ARATA Zero Chemicals Flaxseed Hair gel after this.

6. Plop your hair for 15-30 mins.

7. Air dry or diffuse.



Pros:- Mild Fragrance
           CG friendly product
           Budget friendly
           Made in India
           Thick texture, so you don't need               to apply much. Little goes a                     long way.
           Cruelty free
            Vegan
            Safe for daily use


Cons:-.
I find the packaging a bit misleading, it appears to have more quantity than it actually has, but you don't need to use much of it so no issues. It is good for the price

 It is a tub so it is not very hygienic.



Final thoughts:- Yes I'd like to get another tub of it as the buy one get one offer is frequent on their website. So I get one product on half the price.




Update as on Feb 11th 2020:-



   This is the new packaging of the product.

These methods are going to be very useful for you in various ways. There are different ways to have more volume and more definition to curly hair. I myself follow most of these methods to define my curls.

Scrunch:- After stepping out of the shower on wet hair, flip your hair upside down. Hold your hair from the bottom and press them upwards against your head, do it for 2-3 times. This is called scrunching. It forms more curl and volume in your hair. You can do it with bare hands or with a microfiber towel/t-shirt.


Pulsing:- Instead of just clumping the wet hair against your head for a scrunch once or twice, "pulse" by squishing it many more times in the same position. The increased frequency really helps to hold in the curl/wave and improve definition, makes it much more spirally and uniform than before. Do it on the wet hair though after styling, you should hear that squishing sound.


Plop:- After your complete hair care routine. To plop your hair means wrapping your hair in a cotton T-shirt or a microfiber towel to give it more volume and help the product to set in. You can do it for 15-30 minutes. Then air dry or diffuse.


Fluffing:- After your hair is completely dry, place your fingers on your root section and gently shake your hair, it'll give you more volume.

Avoid doing it any lower than the root section as it may cause frizz. Also, do not fluff on wet or damp hair, it may cause frizz.


Praying hands method:- Praying hands method is a method where you take a product between your hands and smooth it between your hair in a praying manner, from root to tip. It helps evenly distribute the product.


Finger coiling method:- This method is my favorite. It basically means curling your hair up with your fingers and some products to give it good slip. What this does is it literally teaches your curl to curl up more properly.

How to do it:- First section your hair into 4 parts,  apply a curl activator cream and gel to avoid frizz and have more definition. Take smaller sections around about 1 inch ( how much you want) and start curling it with your fingers, away from your scalp. If you do it downwards, the crown section will fall flat. (Experienced- I looked like a saint)


Raking method:- Take a product and apply it with the help of your finger tips, on the length of your hair from root to tips. It helps in distribution of the product.


SOTC- Scrunch Out The Crunch.

Meaning:- It means to scrunch your hair upwards like you usually do, but after the gel cast is dried off and is feeling too crunchy. It helps in breaking the cast that hour hair gel has formed. You can do with light oil or serum. You can also do it without anything at all.


STC- Squish to Condish

Meaning:- Just like scrunching, when you've applied your conditioner and not remove it fully it is known as squish to condish. You've to take some water in your hands and scrunch it upwards for about 2-3 times each section.

What this does is, the water works in unison with conditioner and provides moisture to your hair, and the excess product is removed.


Plop:- Plop your hair at the end to squeeze out any extra product and help speed up the drying process.

Hello everyone! Today I'm going to talk about the most important topic, that is, What exactly is curly girl method? We, curly girl's life revolves around it.

 Also, the first and foremost thing to note is, it is not restricted to girls. There are many guys following the curly girl method! They've got amazing results too.


The Curly Girl Method is from Lorraine Massey’s book “Curly girl: The hand book, in which she has described how to take care of curly hair without the use of shampoo and only co-washing or conditioner wash instead. She discourages the use of shampoo which is harsh to rather already dry hair.

The Don'ts of a curly girl method:-

Avoid using Sulphate shampoo:- Instead switch to a mild shampoo which does not contain Sulphates. Using sulphates causes our hair to lose it's natural oils and hair only gets more dry and frizzy.  Sulphates are used in soaps and detergents to later up, which you definitely do not need in your hair care routine. These are mostly present in your regular shampoos. Stop using them immediately!


Avoid products which contain Silicones:-
Many straight haired people do use conditioners do use silicone based products, what's the deal for us?

Well, when we use Silicones which are present in most of the Conditioners, Leave in, serums, etc. It builds up on your hair overtime, like plastic, literally. It might give you some shine but it is not good in long term for your hair's health. After that build up, no matter how many products you try on they will stop working, because the silicones won't allow the product to go in.


Do not brush/comb your hair DRY:- 
Please don't! I know we were taught to comb/brush them. By brushing/ combing your hair when it's dry will only lead to frizz and your curls will loose their pattern (also cause so much pain). Finger detangle your hair after applying conditioner.

Brush/comb your hair when you're in shower after applying the Conditioner as it will be easier and cause less breakage compared to when it's dry, also helping the conditioner to distribute evenly. Use a denman brush or any wide toothed comb to brush out your hair.


Stop heat damaging your hair:- Say no to heat stylers and blow dryers, get a diffuser attachment for your blow dryer instead. By using heating stylers, your hair will eventually be so damaged that it will be difficult to return it to it's original state.


Say NO to toxic chemicals:-
We were taught to idealize straight hair but, Stay away from chemically straightened, smoothened, relaxed hair. These chemicals not only damage your hair but destroy it! You'll face hair fall problems.

Don't wash your hair too often:-
Once or twice a week is enough. Washing your hair too often can strip out the essential oils from our scalp and make it even more dry.

Do not colour your hair:-
Colouring your hair means chemicals, and ingredients that are on to avoid list, but I've seen many curly hair girls maintaining their curls even after colouring. Natural hair is best for anyone but at the end, it's up to you.

Do not use your regular towel:-
Regular towels absorb all the moisture you just locked in will all those products, it also causes friction which makes your hair dry, dull and frizzy.

Don't use drying alcohols:- There are many types of drying alcohols present in hair products, although all alcohols are not drying.

Dos of Curly Girl Method:-

Co-wash:-
Instead of shampooing your hair wash your hair and scalp with a conditioner with cleansing properties. This ensures that your hair and scalp is not drained out of moisture and natural oils.

Use a T-shirt or Microfiber towel instead of the regular one:-
Regular towels dry out your hair more than need, using a microfiber towel or a t-shirt ensures that all the product you just applied is not going in waste, as the regular towel soaks in all the moisture that you just put on.

Also, instead of rubbing your hair with it, Scrunch up your hair with the same t-shirt or microfiber towel to enhance your curls. Then plop your hair.

Preserve your curls:- Preserve your curls while sleeping at night with a silk/satin bonnet/scarf. Use a satin/silk pillowcase to sleep on. It protects your hair against the frizz until morning.

Simply do a pineapple bun and cover your hair with the satin bonnet, also use the satin pillow case for added protection.

How to follow Curly Girl Method?

Clarify (Final wash):-  First things first, To start your CGM you need to clarify your hair with a sulfate shampoo which doesn't contain silicones. What this will do is it will give you a clean slate to start over. It helps in removing all the buildup from your hair and gives you a fresh start.

You have to clarify once every month to clean up the build up even though you have CGM friendly products.


There's this one shampoo that almost every curly girl in India uses to Clarify their hair because it is budget friendly and it does the job:- Pantene Lively Clean.


Cleanse:-
Co-wash:- Conditioner wash your hair with a conditioner that has cleaning properties, specifically designed for co-washing or any cg approved conditioner.

                         OR


Shampoo:-  If you find that co-washing doesn't suit you and causes flakes you may switch to a mild shampoo which doesn't have sulphates; a low-poo or a no-poo.

Low-poo doesn't lathers a bit but doesn't have sulphates where as no poos don't lather at all.



Leave in:- Use a leave in conditioner to retain the moisture. It is light, compared with normal conditioner. You can get a special leave in conditioner or you can just use your usual conditioner with water.


Style:- A hair cream, gel, mousse can be used to style your hair. Apply any curl defining cream/mousse rake it in and Scrunch it up.

 Gel is the last step of your routine.


Plopping:- Plop your hair with the help of a micro fiber towel or a t-shirt. It helps the products to sit in better.


Drying: You can air dry or diffuse your hair instead of blow-drying. It is less damaging and it gives some more volume, less frizz and speeds up the drying process.

Bonus tips:-

Massage your hair on daily basis:- Massaging your scalp will help to remove any build up caused by products or oils and even help reduce the flakiness. It keeps your scalp healthy and also improve the blood circulation.

You may massage your hair with a oil or in the shower after applying the shampoo, with your fingertips or a scalp massage. You can even dry massage your scalp if you feel like at any time of the day.


Weekly deep conditioning/ hair mask:- This helps keep your hair more moisturized. You can do protein and moisture deep conditioning treatments as you like. It is like a hot oil treatment. You can make your DIY deep conditioners/hair masks too.

Who can follow CGM? 

To be honest, anyone can. Yes! Even straight haired people too. Because we're removing all the harmful chemicals out of our hair care routine. It is best for the curly hair and wavy hair people as it will only enhance your curls and waves. What bad can happen? You can always modify CGM as per your liking, remember?

Don't forget to be patient as this process takes time.

Well, this process takes a bit time, depending from individual to individual. Some people even see results in a few weeks itself but many people get the results after months or even years to get the hair to it's full potential. Be patient and give all the love your hair requires.

Learn new techniques and unlearn the harmful ones, it is so much fun when you finally see the results speaking for you.

This was all I follow! So it'll be better if you experiment with the products, techniques, etc. You will get better at it, trust me. All you need is patience.


Also, do comment if you like this blog.💕

Hello lovelies! Today I'm going to review Curl Defining Cream by Curl Up.

A Curl Defining Cream is a leave in cream that gives definition and volume to your hair. It is applied after shampoo, conditioning and applying leave in conditioner. This cream is perfect for anyone who wants more definition in hair.


Also it is an Indian Brand!!! What's more exciting? We finally have Indian brands coming up for curls.


This cream has a very sleek packaging. Also I love purple so I like it even more. ^_^


Ingredients:-

Aqua, Cetostearyl alcohol, Shea butter ethyl Ester, Polyquaternium-69, Quaternium-91 (and) Cetrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Aqua (and) Polyquaternium-10 (and) PG-Hydroxyethylcellulose Cocodimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium chloride, Shea butter, Ceteareth 25, Glycerin, Perfume, PPG-3 Caprylyl Ether, Jojoba oil, Argan Oil, Aqua (and) Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) Seed Extract (and) Salvia Hispanica( Chia) Seed Extract, Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, DS EDTA, Guar hydroxypropyl trimonium chloride, Butylated hydroxy toluene, DMDM hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate


Key Features:-

• Argan Oil : Transforms dry unruly hair into soft, shiny curls

• Flax Seed Extract : Defines and accentuates curls minimizes frizz
• Shea Butter : Deeply moisturises and conditions hair , promoting growth.

Details:-

MRP:- 690 rs
Quantity:- 150g

Texture:- 

It has a creamy and gel type texture which glides on smoothly on your hair. It is not runny and has a medium consistency.

My experience:-

When I first applied this product, I was going to a wedding. I didn't know how it'd work on my hair and just applied it and left.

Damn!! The volume I got was unexpected. I fell in love this curl defining cream instantly. I loved the definition and the volume I got with the first use itself. It gave shiny bouncy curls. 


Later on, I started using it on dripping wet hair which didn't work on my hair because I felt the product slipped away with the water so always remember to apply the product on very wet hair, but not dripping wet.


When I used it on my very wet hair the results were amazing! You can see the results down below.

                         Curl_obsessed

How to apply:-

1.First shampoo and condition your hair as usual.
2. Section your hair 2-4 sections depending on the thickness of your hair.
3 Now take a coin sized amount and apply it on your hair with praying hands method.  4.Apply on wet hair but not dripping wet, still it should be wet enough. (When I apply on dripping wet hair the product doesn't seem to work probably because it just drips away with the water.) 
5. Plop your hair. Air dry or diffuse. 

6.You can also use a gel after this if you want your curls to last long. But it is fine if you don't either as it is a ONE AND DONE PRODUCT.

If you don't prefer much products on your hair, this is definitely the one for you.

Pros:- No parabens
           No Silicones
           CG friendly
           Pleasant mild Fragrance
           Good slip.
           

Cons:- Might weigh down wavy hair types.


Final thoughts:- 

Yes, I'd buy it again as it is cg friendly, Indian Brand. It is also budget friendly compared to the foreign products. It is a one and done product, so if I don't want to apply anything else I'd just apply this and let it be.

Hello everyone! Today I'm gonna review Arata's Zero Chemicals Flaxseed Hair Gel.


We all know how much important role a gel plays in our hair care routine, specially for curly girls. If you are not sure about why you should include a gel in your routine, keep reading. :)


Arata Zero Chemicals Flaxseed Hair Gel is a perfect gel for curly hair, Why? You ask. It's because it doesn't have harmful chemicals in it's ingredient list. No drying alcohols, No Silicones, Parabens and Protein. There are very few cg friendly gels available in India without alcohols.


It doesn't dry out or cause any harmful effects. This gel is soft and glides onto hair properly covering most part of it. It provides good hold and gives shine to your hair but it doesn't have that hard hold compared to other gels out there as it has a light cast. It doesn't weigh down your hair either.


Ingredient list:-

Ingredients: Organic Flax Seed Extract, Propanediol (VegetableExtract), Dehydroxanthan Gum (Natural Sugar Extract), Lonicera Caprifolium (Italian Honeysuckle Extract), Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle Extract), Water, ECOCERT Natural Fragrance (Flower Extract), Sodium Gluconate (From Sugar Glucose).

About:-
MRP:- 599/-
Quantity:- 125ml
Cruelty free and Vegan.
No artificial Dyes
No alcohol
All Natural

Why use a gel at all?

Yes, this was my first question as well. I was happy with my limited products and was in doubt to get any gel in my routine at all. But I got to know how it helps in maintaining the frizz.


When you apply a hair gel, it forms a protective layer between humidity and your hair. The frizz is mostly caused due to humidity. Special in India where the climate is mostly humid, we definitely need to use a gel. The gel casts a spell on your hair and no frizz is allowed.


My experience:-

I got this product on a buy one get one free offer, on their website, which comes and goes frequently. And it is a great opportunity to grab one. I got this gel along with the Cream.


I use this gel after my curl defining cream or after Arata Hair Cream. This gel helps in protecting my curls from the humidity for around 2-3 days. I get best results with Arata Hair Cream as I can finger coil and apply the gel. I sleep with a Satin scarf and a satin pillow case which helps in protecting my curls during night.


I like how the gel is light weight and doesn't weigh down my hair. It doesn't have hard cast either so I save the time to Scrunch Out The Crunch (SOTC). I mostly have to go out after washing my hair. I mostly don't need to SOTC because I apply very little of it. Anyways we can always SOTC if we get too much of the product.


I like to leave my hair as it is and avoid touching it (even though it is difficult to resist). Also ,this gel doesn't have protein so it is good for my hair type. Also it doesn't build up and is not flakey.

How to use:-

For wet look:- Take generous amount of gel, section your hair in 2-4 parts depending on your hair. Apply to wet/damp hair after applying any cream. Then apply with  the help of raking/ praying hands method. It will give you a bit more of crunchy curls, but can always SOTC.

For more voluminous look:- Take little amount of gel, section hair in 2-4 parts and apply on wet/damp hair. As it will be light on your hair it'll give you more voluminous look.


Remember, the gel is always the last step in your curly hair routine. So use it after your leave in and curl defining cream.


Pros- No parapens, silicones, drying
           alcohols
          All natural
          Mild Fragrance
          Glides on smoothly
          Hair doesn't get stiff
          CG friendly
          Cruelty Free
          Not tested on animals
          Vegan
           No bulid up
           No flaking
         
Cons:- No strong hold
            You might have to apply more
            Product than usual.


Final thoughts:-

I'd definitely buy it once again as it can be used daily without buildup and without any harmful effect to my hair.It is a good gel with a good slip and medium hold.

Well it is a good alternative to homemade flaxseed gel when you don't have time and resources at the moment, and you're in a rush.


In future I'm going to post how to make your own diy flaxseed gel, stay tuned.
           

Update as on Feb 11th, 2020.


This is the new packaging.