THIS is the reason I dont introduce more than 1 variable to a hairstyle.

The Princess had a really, really good hair day today, and I wanted to blog about it. However, I am not really sure how to label this post. I am experimenting with different variables, so I'm not sure what made The Princess's hair so soft and shiny and manageable. And I did not orchestrate the three strand twist into bantu knot out very well; it was majorly scalpy.  But  I thought the condition of The Princess's hair was something worth blogging about. And I see that this style has definite potential to be AMAZING, so I thought I would share what I did, and what I will do differently next time. This blog is, after all, sort of hair diary for me. :)

The variables: (What I did differently, that is outside of our normal routine)

• I used an apple cider vinegar rinse for the first time on The Princess's hair. I will definitely be blogging about this more later, in greater detail. For those of you that are not familiar with the concept of apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinses, here is a brief article that sort of explains it. I used the rinse INSTEAD of shampoo, and after rinsing thoroughly the first time, I applied the mixture (3 cups water, 1/2 cup ACV) again, and rinsed about 50 percent of it out of her hair. Then I blasted her hair with cold water.
• I am reviewing new products from Blended Beauty. For this style, I used their Curly Cake Shake to moisturize/detangle and Happy Nappy Styles for hold. (links will take you directly to the Blended Beauty website, to the product descriptions.) Iwill be posting that review soon.
• The Princess just got a trim, about 2 inches worth of a trim. Her hair, therefore, is healthier than it was last time we did this style. That, of course, makes a big difference in how the style looks.

What I liked about the results:

• Her hair was soft, manageable, and ha lots of shine. ( I am almost certain the shine was mostly due to the ACV rinse, since her hair was incredibly shiny immediately after 'washing' it. )
• The three strand twist into bantu knot-out was gorgeous! It had body, but was not at all crunchy. The curls were the most defined I have ever gotten out of this style.

What the style left to be desired:

• The hold was not quite enough. While her hair was extremely soft, it got frizzy quite fast, and the curls fell faster than they normally do while in this style.
• There was definitely a 'scalpy' look. The parts were very noticeable, and I think  that is due to the bantu knots being too large...next time I do them, I will make them smaller. Also, I used straight parts, and I normally part on an angle. Note to self: Always part on an angle.

I have found that experimenting with hair is a lot like feeding a baby solid foods for the first few months; its best to change one thing at a time and note the reaction. If there is an allergy or sensitivity, you will be better able to quickly determine the cause if there is only one variable. The same thing can be said for a positive reaction; I have no idea what worked in my favor here because I did so many things differently. But for the most part, I love the results. Next time, I will experiment with using different amounts of the 'Happy Nappy Styles' product; maybe using more will provide more hold. And I will make the bantu knots smaller, and part on an angle. I hope this will help perfect this look. :)

 Have you ever used an apple cider vinegar rinse on either yours or your child's hair? What are your thoughts about it?