Preparation :

1. I sectioned my hair into 4 sections and shampoo'ed and detangled my hair with Oyin Handmade's Honey Wash (good stuff btw)

2. Then I divided each of the 4 sections into 2 which makes 8.  Sectioning the hair makes it easier to apply the Cassia to the hair, especially if you have thick hair like me.  I braided each section to keep it from getting tangled.

3.  Let the hair air dry while I head to the kitchen to mix my cassia.

4.  Directions for mixing Cassia :

Cassia is really simple to make all you really need is the Cassia powder and water to get the benefits.  Adding anything else (conditioner, oils, etc) is completely up to you.  I poured a pack and a half of Cassia powder (the packs were 100g each) and mixed with boiled water that I let cool off for about 10 minutes.  DO NOTjust dump the water in all at once, pour it little by little until you get the consistency that you desire.  Mine was thinner than brownie batter but thicker than yogurt ...If that makes sense.  I then added in some Vatika oil and I let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.  I find that letting it sit helps any clumps that you may have loosen and make the Cassia smoother.  I'm now ready to apply.

5.  If you've ever applied perm to you hair ( like most of us have ) applying Cassia should be a breeze.  I started at the very back and worked my way up.  Making sure that every strand was cover and that it was evenly distributed throughout.

 6.  Next I covered my hair with a plastic cap and left the mixture in for almost 2 hours.  FYI: You can leave it in for 30 minutes to a hour and still get the same benefits but I started doing things around the house and completely lost track of time....lol.  P.S.  I  had a nice amount of Cassia leftover so I just placed in a plastic container and into the freezer for next time.

7.  Two hours later it was time for this mess to come out.  I filled my tub up with lukewarm water and began to dunk my head in the water to loosen up the Cassia. ( I got that tip from Curly Nikki...And she was right)  I dunk my head in and out of the water several times then I hopped in the shower to rinse and then rinse some more.

7.  Rinsing this stuff out is a process so if you don't have the time don't attempt to do try henna or cassia.  Because not rinsing this stuff out completely can result in dull, stiff hair and that's just silly....right?!?  It also helps to have some cheap conditioner on hand to help get the mixture off of your scalp.

Here's a few shots of my hair with the Cassia all rinsed out....

8.  After rinsing my hair felt very smooth and strong.  And even though my hair felt fine just the way it was I decided to follow up with a deep conditioning treatment.  I mix Organic Roots Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner with Nubian Heritage Coconut & Papaya Conditioner and more Vatika oil.  I covered my hair with a plastic cap and left that in for an hour or so.

After rinsing out the deep conditioner mixture my hair felt great.  Smooth, shiny and strong.   Some say the effects of Cassia lasts up to a month some say it only lasts 1-2 weeks, I'll wait until the end of the month to make that statement.  I have some leftover that I'll store in the frezzer and I still have some that I haven't mixed yet, which is enough for 2 more treatments.  So I'll keep you guys posted when I do it again, I might even record it.

In the end I set my hair in twists and rolled the ends for a Twist & Curl.  I'm still working on perfecting my TnC but its getting better...lol. 

And even though it rained like cats and dogs my hair held up up quite nicely.  It was bouncey and full and the shine was outta control...I loved it :-)