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I have had quite a crazy journey with my hair over the years. I hated my hair for a large portion of my life. If you have read my ED story, I mention how my hair was a big source of bullying and insecurity for me in middle and high school. For my younger years, up until I entered middle school, my hair was mostly straight, with a slight wave to it. Then, in middle school, it suddenly got very curly.
I had no clue how to take care of curly hair, or even that my hair was curly to begin with. So I did what I had always done up until then…I brushed it out, and did not use any styling products. If you or anyone you know has curly hair, you know that you never brush it (at least not while it’s dry). I ended up with a huge, frizzy mess on the top of my head, and I got picked on a lot. I had girls literally tell me I should shave my head, and I had gum and staples thrown in my hair often. I would try to tame it with water in between classes, but that made it much worse, since my hair reacts poorly to moisture. I hated my hair and how it made me feel.
Once I got to high school, I learned about hair gel, and that I needed to scrunch my hair. That made the frizz go away at least, but I still didn’t know what I was doing. I’d pile the hair gel on and ended up with hair that was flat on the top and looked very crunchy and sticky. I could never embrace my curls. I hated them. I wanted straight hair so bad. I tried to straighten it with a straightening iron, but my hair was just so dense and big that it wouldn’t stay straight, and would look worse. I even tried laying my hair on an ironing board and using a regular iron to straighten it. I tried to love my curls, but they always looked dry and sticky and frizzy and crunchy. I figured I was just cursed with bad hair.
Once I graduated high school, I started straightening it more. I found a straightening iron that you would use on wet hair to straighten it. I didn’t care that my hair would literally sizzle and smoke when I used it, I just cared that it seemed to work. I used it every day. This was also when I became obsessed with my eating disorder. I also started dyeing it with box color.
I spent years enveloped in my eating disorder, while straightening my hair and using box dye. The lack of nutrients from not eating properly caused my hair to thin and fall out a lot. I pulled out clumps of hair every day. At the time, I saw it as a blessing, since I hated my big, curly hair to begin with. Now it was thinner and much easier to straighten. In fact, I barely had to use a straightening iron anymore.
Once I had recovered, my hair was still very thin and fine, and I never got my density back. I actually missed my curls. But stress, hormones, and lack of nutrients had changed the structure of my hair. I tried to hard to curl my hair, but had to use a TON of product to get my curls to hold. I tried the curlygirl method for a while, but it was too hard for me to find products that worked. It was actually a lot of hard work to wear my hair curly. I had to apply products a certain way, and I had to use handfuls of hair gel in order to get my curls to hold at all, or else they would end up flat and stringy in a few hours. It still looked dry and frizzy anyway. It was a lot of hard work and it was easier to just wear my hair straight, since it dried almost fully straight anyway. I decided to give up on the curlygirl method because it was too stressful, and I felt like I was wasting a ton of money because I had to use a lot of product and would blow through products very quickly. I began to accept the fact that my hair just wasn’t that naturally curly anymore.
Enter MONAT. I had heard about Monat through my cousin, and I really didn’t want to try it. Especially since I was one of the biggest skeptics and thought it was too expensive. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. Not even kidding. I would talk to my mom about it and I thought we both pretty much had the same stance when it came to Monat.
Until she signed up as a Market Partner.
That threw me off! You mean to tell me that you were so against it, and now you’re selling it?!
Well, for starters, if you’re a Market Partner, you’re under no obligation to sell. She signed up for the 30% discount. She tried some samples, then bought a bottle, then saw herself using more of it in the future so signed up so she could get the most discounted price. And she loved what it was doing for her hair! My mom has always hated her hair, so this got my attention.
What is MONAT?
Monat stands for Modern Nature, and they are hair care products that are naturally based, cruelty-free, and do not contain any silicones, parabens, sulphates, or other bad ingredients. They also contain capixyl, which is an extract of red clover, which can help with hair growth and block DHT that causes hair loss. This article describes how capixyl may help with hair loss.
So my mom sent me some samples..
And then I bought a system..
And then I signed up as a Market Partner, because I knew I’d be using more in the future, and I wanted the discount.
So what happened?
With my first wash, my hair already seemed improved. I used the Volume system, and I swear my hair had swelled when I got out of the shower. I felt like it finally had life to it. I loved how it looked and how it felt!
Transition Period – Unfortunately, my hair had a small transition period, or detox. If you have been using store-bought products that contain silicones, then your hair is probably going to have a lot of build-up, because they basically coat your hair with a wax and do not do anything to nourish it. Monat does not contain sulphates or silicones or parabens, and during a detox the hair is shedding itself of all the plastics, silicones, toxic chemicals, dirt and oils from your glands that have built up over time.
Another thing I love about these products is the fact that they are highly concentrated, and will last a long time. You do not need to use much product at all. You only need a tiny amount. I use about a dime-sized amount of shampoo, a nickel-sized amount of conditioner, and probably like a pea-sized amount of any styling product. I have yet to use a whole bottle of shampoo, and I have had them for about three months now.
I started with the Intense Repair System, because I felt like I really needed some help with growth and density. I was tired of the little balding spots along my hairline. And in a month of using it, I was already seeing some new growth along my hairline where I hadn’t had hair before.
I have naturally blonde hair, which I color darker. So when my roots start to grow out, from far away it can look like I have bald spots. But a few months ago my hairline was very sparse and I didn’t have as much hair along my scalp as I used to. In the photos below, the left photo was taken in November 2018, right when I started using Monat. The right photo was taken January 2019. Notice where the arrow is pointing that there are little blonde hairs sprouting from the scalp where my hair was sparse before (it’s kind of hard to see since they are blonde, but they are those litttle white-looking lines). Also, look how long my roots grew in just a couple of months! It used to take me much longer to see my blonde roots in between color sessions. I am growing more hair all over my scalp, and although it might take some time, my hair will be much denser when it fully grows out!
Here is a better closeup of the right photo zoomed in so you can see the little blonde hairs a little better. Sorry for the quality, I took these with my phone:
I also had some samples of the Rejuvabeads and Rejuveniqe oil, and instantly fell in love with both. These are now staples on my shelf that I CANNOT be without, along with the Restore Leave in.
The Rejuvabeads are patented and will literally mend split ends. I tested it out on one of my split ends so I could see the magic for myself and was astonished that it actually worked. I use these every wash day out of the shower, only two pumps on my ends. This bottle has lasted me 3 months and I don’t think I am halfway through yet.
The Restore Leave-in is also something that I use almost daily, and I even carry some in my purse. This is the only leave-in that I have been able to use that does not weigh my hair down or make it look stringy or oily or greasy. You can use it on wet or dry hair. I use 1-2 pumps out of the shower as a detangler, and on days when it is humid outside or I need a quick frizz fix I will use 1-2 pumps on my dry hair to tame the frizzies. I also use it as a finisher on the days I wear my hair curly.
Now the Rejuveniqe Oil is something I have to have stocked at all times. If I had to pick one product, this would be my favorite. It has so many uses! I use it as an overnight oil treatment on my hair, and it’s the only oil I have been able to use on my hair that does not make it look greasy or oily when I wash it out. The day after an oil treatment my hair feels so soft and shiny. But I also use it as a facial moisturizer, and my skin loves it! It’s like liquid vitamins for your hair and scalp and skin. It mimics the natural oils of your scalp to help balance the pH levels and nourish your hair and scalp. What makes it different than other oils is the molecules are small enough to penetrate the entire hair shaft, whereas other oils sit on top of your hair. My hair just soaks it in. I have also heard of others using the oil on psoriasis, eczema, and other skin conditions. This PDF will give you 101 uses that you can use the Rejuveniqe oil for. I absolutely L O V E this oil! And now there’s also a Rejuveniqe Light oil, which is a lighter version.
What I currently use
The Rejuvabeads, Restore Leave-in and Rejuveniqe Oil are the staples that I use constantly. As for the other systems I use, I currently alternate between the Volume system and the Advanced Hydrating system. I love the volume system because I really helps give my hair more life and look denser. And the Advanced Hydration system will give my hair the extra hydration it needs without weighing it down or sacrificing volume. It’s exactly what my curls need!
Current products Used:
Revive Shampoo – the shampoo in the volume system
Revitalize Conditioner – conditioner in the volume system. I love how my hair “swells” when I use it!
Reshape Root Lifter – because my roots need all the help they can get with volume
Advanced Hydrating Shampoo – I love the advanced hydrating line. Hydrates without weighing hair down or sacrificing volume
Advanced Hydrating Conditioner – conditioner in the Advanced Hydrating system
Black 2n1 – this is marketed as the men’s shampoo but I love using this as a first wash because it helps remove buildup and is great for growth!
Blowout Cream – I use this every time I blowdry my hair. Great for heat protection and a little style. Use only a tiny amount!
Thermal Protect Styling Shield – it’s so important to use heat protectant! Your hair burns at the same temperature as paper! I use this on days I want to use heat, like my curling iron.
Curl Cream – I use a small amount on wet hair when I wear my hair curly followed by the sculpting taffy
Sculpting Taffy – on curly days I use a very small amount scrunched in after Using the curl cream
The Champ Dry Shampoo – THE BEST dry shampoo I have ever used, and I use on day 3-4 hair to keep it looking fresh!
And here are some comparison photos of my hair air dried, curled and straight before and after Monat:
If you’re interested to know more, or to try some samples, feel free to join my Facebook group where I talk more about the different products and my hair journey, and occasionally do a live video to spotlight various products and how I use them. Also, you can request samples!
