The below video is in French so I don’t understand most of it, but the story is about flight attendant Aboubakar Traoré, a Frenchman of Ivorian descent.  He has been working for the company Air France since 1999.  He has had his locs for a while now, but the company recently asked him to start covering his locs with a terrible wig so that he can look “more presentable” and “neater” in front of of their customers.

They are using the company employee manual as an excuse for this ridiculous demand.  It’s bad enough that women have been bullied into frying their hair or wearing wigs to cover up their natural crowning glory just to make corporations  feel more comfortable, but now they’re doing it to men too.  I mean the photo alone is just insulting, but watch the video to get the real feel of the disrespect they are dishing out to this man.  In the video you will see that his locs were already twisted within an inch of their life and pinned back in a bun which should have been more than enough to fill their “neat” presentation rule.  If you don’t understand french you will still be able to fully understand the injustice happening just from the flow of it.  Leave a comment and let me know what you think natural family

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Locs

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

Click below to watch the video;

Discrimination _ Air France s’acharne by AncFrance

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Locs

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

I recently began experimenting with oils for beauty treatments. In doing so, I discovered that inexpensive natural oils did as much for my skin as very expensive beauty treatments. In discovering and trying out new oils for my skin, I ran into an oil that did wonders for my skin, but it also caused a bit of a problem.

The castor oil I was using as part of my face oil wash program was causing hair to grow where I did not want it. I noticed my eyebrows getting thicker when I hadn’t had to pluck in a couple of years. I also noticed that the hairs on my chin were getting a bit out of control. With these discoveries in mind, I began to avoid areas on my face that were prone to unwanted hair growth, and continued using the castor oil mixture. Then I had a positive discovery. I realized that my hairline was filling in where it had become thin and uneven. My hair on my right temple was especially thin previously. Now it matches the other side in thickness. It is gray, but it has filled in.

Previously, I had shared that coconut oil helps to grow African American hair because it absorbs into the shaft of the hair and makes it stronger. This is still the case, but while coconut oil helps to prevent breakage, it does not make the hair grow any faster than the typical ½ inch per month. This is where castor oil comes in handy. I have learned that if you massage castor oil into your scalp a couple times a week that your hair will thicken (as mine did) and it will even accelerate hair growth.

Click below to read the full article;

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-discovered-castor-oil-growing-african-11325862.html

I went years afraid of using henna because of that experience until i went to a spa party 2 yrs ago where they had a henna artist doing tattoos.  She explained to me the natural henna is not going to be black.  It will be more of a brown, yellow or red tone.  So I took her work for it and ventured out on my second henna tattoo. I’m excited to say that her tattoo work did not give me an allergic reaction ! Her natural henna lasted on my hand for about a week and I got compliments the whole time I had it

So there’s no need to be afraid of natural henna, but stay away from the black henna which can cause break outs.  Read the article below and let me know what you think.

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

Most black henna contains more than five times the permitted levels of chemicals, experts warn.  A maximum 6 per cent concentration of p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is permitted in products in the UAE.

But Khalifa Al Romaithi, the director of public health at Abu Dhabi Municipality, said the concentration of PPD in most black henna was “more than 30 per cent”.

PPD has not been approved for use on the skin by the EU or the US Food and Drug Administration. A study by the US Department of Health and Human Services in April last year found that PPD has “potent skin-sensitising properties”.

Click below to read the full article;

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/health/the-tattoo-was-swollen-it-was-unbearably-painful

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

In 1920, African-Americans operated more than 900,000 farms across the nation. Today, there are only about 18,000 Black farmers. One person who hopes to change that number is Will Allen (pictured below), who is the co-author of the newly released book, “The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities”.

A farmer himself, Allen says tilling the land to grow healthy foods is one way to combat the obesity problem among African Americans, and he hopes to inspire more people to trade in their designer garb and corner offices for overalls and a plot of land to grow fresh produce in urban areas. He made the move nearly two decades ago.

In 1993, he cashed out a small retirement package from his sales position at Procter & Gamble and purchased a plot of land filled with dilapidated greenhouses not too far from Milwaukee’s largest public housing project. Since then, he has developed one of the nation’s preeminent urban farms on a little less than two acres of lands.

Click below to read the full article;

http://newsone.com/2014952/urban-oasis-farming-to-fight-black-obesity/

Click below to watch the video;

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Locs

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Locs

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

Darlene Evans vividly remembers the day she noticed her first gray hair. She was in her 20s, juggling life as a single mom while trying to hold down a job, when she looked in the mirror and there it was: a shiny white hair.

Initially she decided to mask this new coming of age with regular visits to the salon. Then one day, six years ago, she ditched the dye and embraced her authentic salt-and-pepper locks.

“Women have been misled to believe that to be youthful looking they need to have a solid hair color, which doesn’t include gray,” says the 58-year-old, who lives in Houston. “Since I’ve gone gray I get many compliments from guys who love my hair.”

Click below to read the full article;

http://www.thegrio.com/specials/life-and-style/black-gray-and-proud-women-of-color-embrace-their-silver-hair.php

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Locs

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

Are you a PJ who BC’d and loves a good WNG?  There’s a lot of jargon thrown around on natural hair blogs and forums, and if you’re new to the conversation, it can be quite puzzling.  Well, you can (TMN) thank me now because I’m about to help you decipher the word play, so you can get clear on what it all means for you.

A is for APL (Arm Pit Length) which refers to length.  BSL (Bra Strap Length), CL (Collar Length), MBL (Mid Back Length) and WL (Waist Length) are all common descriptors.

B is for BC (Big Chop). This is the courageous act of chopping off your relaxed hair. Some opt to do the Big Chop with only an inch or so of new growth remaining on their heads leaving them with a TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro).  Another option is the (LTT )Long Term Transition where you cut the relaxed hair out gradually.  Either way, the first day you step out with your freedom hair (relaxer free) is a milestone moment.  Relish it.

Click below to read the full article;

http://www.transitioningmovement.com/Default.aspx?CN=4E11AA0E5382

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

VANCOUVER, April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Holistic nutritionist Joy McCarthy, in partnership with the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), today released her top five healthy living trends and tips for spring 2012.  Her findings are based on observations in her own practice and interviews with natural health and organic leaders at the recent CHFA West event, the largest natural health industry gathering of its kind in Western Canada.

“This year’s CHFA event was enlightening, with a stimulating exchange of ideas and a wide variety of new products that are responding to the wants and needs of Canadian consumers,” said Joy McCarthy, registered holistic nutritionist. “Many people are now including natural health and organic products as part of their overall solution to a range of health issues. Based on what I saw at the show, Canadians’ appetite for them is skyrocketing.”

With a recent IPSOS Reid survey showing that 73 per cent of Canadians are regular consumers of natural health products, these products are fast becoming part of their regular health and wellness toolkit.

This spring’s top trends and Joy’s tips include:

1) Working from the inside out to attain natural beauty
Canadians are embracing the concept of beauty from the inside out. They are turning to the health food and the grocery stores to create gorgeous skin, healthy hair and strong nails.
Joy’s tips: Try natural products such as Omega-3′s to improve skin elasticity and improve hair health; probiotics to improve your digestion which promotes healthy skin and vitamin C to help produce collagen.

Click below to read the full article;

http://www.foodanddrinkdigital.com/press_releases/holistic-nutritionist-reveals-top-five-spring-trends-and-tips-in-healthy-living

Sometimes no matter what  natural hairstyle you wear by the end of the day your hair is frizzy and dry. Dry hair is not only caused by an in consistent hair regimen, but also by the wrong shampoo for your natural hair. The right shampoo can cut down on your blow-drying time, and on the amount of hair serums used while blow drying
You need to get the right shampoo for your natural hair type. Some of us choose shampoos based on what others say about it, or how popular it is in the ”natural hair world”
The ingredients in some of the shampoos I have seen on the market and that have proven to be quite popular do not contain the right ingredients to give your natural hair the help it needs to turn out a beautiful hair style or braid out
Using the wrong hair care products for your hair will only result in hair damage and sometimes years of a setback when it comes to hair growth and length tension.

Washes and Oily hair

If you have oily natural hair, you can use a lighter shampoo, to minimize the amount of product you will use on your hair after you wash
If you have very oily hair, you can actually skip, your normal co-washing step and just go straight into a leave in and moisturizer, this will leave your hair smoother and easier to blow dry. Giving you an smoother bouncier blow dry.

Click below to read the full article;

http://curlybronzed.com/natural-hair-using-the-right-shampoo-for-your-black-hair-type/

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Locs

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Locs

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician for healthylocsblog.com

“Natural” has become a trendy word associated with beauty products. We all want to take care of our beauty with wholesome and natural ingredients. When it comes to our hair, natural hair care can be surprisingly easy. You can opt to clean and maintain their tresses with homemade hair care products.

For many, the idea of not washing you hair with shampoo might be a little weird and slightly disgusting as well. The homemade shampoo and conditioner movement, coincidentally, has a bit of a nasty-sounding name–the “No Poo” movement, short for “No Shampoo.” It’s gaining popularity as an underground beauty trend among many people fed up with the sulfates used in shampoos that strip our hair of beneficial oils. With constant washing, our scalp tries to compensate for the lost oil by producing more of it, and this leads to a cycle of constantly having to wash your hair with sulfate-heavy shampoos. No Poo-ing also has an eco-friendly aspect to it. With less hair washing, you’ll save water and plastic shampoo bottles from ending up in the landfills.

So, how do you wash your hair without shampoo and conditioner? Here are some of the best tips on how to start your own no poo regimen.

Click below to read the full article;

http://www.dailyglow.com/homemade-shampoo-and-conditioner-tips-for-natural-hair-care.html