Celebrate Your Natural Beauty

3 Ways to Prevent Shedding.

2013-03-30T04:19:00.000-04:00

1. Tea rinses. The caffeine in black and green tea prevents shedding by penetrating the follice and the result is healthier hair and length retention. Green tea can also help rid your hair of dandruff. Hey, a healthy scalp equals healthy hair. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had an issue with shedding this winter season. Most of it was my fault due to neglect. I just had the worst semester ever. You ain't about that grad school life, lol. So, my hair was really dry and I thought that a green tea rinse would help and it did.

I brewed 3 bags of Lipton's green tea for a couple of hours and then let it cool for a few minutes. I poured it into an applicator that I bought from Sally's for a couple of bucks. I applied itto dry hair that had been separated into 6 sections. After my hair was completely saturated with the green tea, I also applied Africa's Best Herbal Oil, Ultimate, Bonus Size, 12 oz. I heated up about 4 tablespoons for about a minute in the microwave and then applied the product from root to tip. I love the smell and it has several differents oils in it. For me, it's easier than buying several different oils separately and then mixing the oils myself.

Ingredients: Soy Bean Oil, Walnut Seed Oil, Kiwi Fruit Extract, Olive Fruit Oil, Castor Seed Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Safflower Oil and Calendula Extract and Yarrow Extract and Cucumber Extract and Carageenan Extract and Ginseng Extract and Sage Extract and Comfrey Extract and Aloe Extract, Fragrance.

I left the green tea and Africa's Best Herbal Oil, Ultimate, Bonus Size, 12 oz. on my hair for four hours. It was very relaxing. My scalp tingled the entire time. My hair felt refreshed after rinsing it out. I will definitely do this when I want to switch out conditioning treatments or just whenever I feel like my hair needs something different. If you like making your own conditioners, you can add green tea to your own mix. You should do a tea rinse at least once a week to prevent shedding.

2. Protein Treatments. If your hair feels weak or is breaking easily, then it may be time for a protein treatment. In between henna treatments, I use Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor 8oz mixed with Dabur Vatika Coconut Hair Oil 150ml, 2 Count as a pre-poo. I just apply it to and leave it on for a few minutes before I wash my hair. Coconut oil and Keratin coats each individual strand which strengthens hair and prevents breakage. I purchased Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor 8oz from Sally's and you can purchase Dabur Vatika Coconut Hair Oil 150ml, 2 Count from Amazon here. Again, if you want to make it yourself, you can add eggs and/or yogurt to your homemade mix. Both of those contain fair amounts of protein.

$8.89 $7.88

3. Henna Treatments. Like protein treatments, henna treatments coat the hair but you won't be able to wash it out. Henna treatments are permanent. Even though henna has great conditioning benefits, it also will color your hair. This is just something you should take note of if you have color treated hair or plan on dyeing your hair in the future. To learn more about henna, be sure to check out my post What You Should Know About Henna. It also prevents dandruff, thinning, and gray hair. I'm a fan of henna and it is great to use to prevent shedding. There is very little hair left in the shower after my hair has a henna treatment. I usually use Jamilia henna but I recently switched to Nupur Henna 100% Natural Powder 1.27oz and I love it! Review coming soon.

If your hair is shedding, then there could be several factors that should be taken into accout like the change in season, hormone fluctuations, medication, etc. Just remember that shedding is a normal process and don't fret unless your hair is coming out in clumps at a time. Then it is best to see a professional. Hope this post was helpful. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Review of Carol's Daughter"s Monoi Repairing Shampoo and Repairing Hair Mask

2013-03-19T18:44:00.001-04:00

I know it's been SEVERAL months since I posted anything but I promise that I'm not abandoning this blog. With a new job, starting grad school, and being a mom things have been quite hectic. In fact, my daughter is climbing my back as I type this. AND I currently have a 4.0 so, yay! Hopefully, I'll be able to maintain it. Anyway, I have continued to try new products and techniques for my hair which means that I have a great deal of material. The first one is a review of Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Sulfate-Free Shampoo, 8.5 Ounce and Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask - 200g/7oz . I decided to use these products because I started to experience some shedding once winter came along. After one use, you're supposed to have 96% less breakage.

$18 $29

Ingredients:

Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Sulfate-Free Shampoo, 8.5 Ounce:
Water (Aqua), Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Coconut Oil Glycereth-8 Esters, Shea Butter Glycereth-8 Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Helianthus Annuus(Sunflower) Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Hydrolyzed Silk, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-91, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum)

Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask - 200g/7oz :
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Dimethicone, Fragrance (Parfum), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oiol, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccaride, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Extrac, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethiconol, Octyldodecanol, Ceteareth-20, Quarternium-91, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone

Both of these products contain Monoi Oil which is a combination of Tiare Gardenia and Coprah Coconut Oils. These oils are meant to strengthen and repair damaged hair.

Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Sulfate-Free Shampoo, 8.5 Ounce smells great and texture is similar to any of the other shampoos from Carol's Daughter. It's creamy and very gentle on my hair. My hair and scalp feels clean after I use it. This is very important when it comes to sulfate-free shampoos. Not all of them clean well. It doesn't dry out my hair and since I co-wash and only wash my hair every two to four weeks, the bottle has lasted me several months. I guess that goes for any shampoo in the natural world, lol. If you like any of the other shampoos from Carols Daughter, then you will like this one. This product is decent and it gets a thumbs up from me.

Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask - 200g/7ozsmells great as well and makes my hair feel awesome. My natural hair is easy to detangle with this conditioner in my hair. My hair feels soft and manageable after use. When I use it, I leave it in for about 15 minutes while I'm in the shower (due to the lack of time). I have yet to try it sitting under a dryer or leaving it on for an extended period of time. I assume that the results would be better. Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask - 200g/7ozis designed to prevent shredding and breakage by strengthening and repairing your hair. Did I notice a difference in my natural hair after one use? Yes, I did. I noticed that the amount of hair that come outs in the shower was greatly reduced after the first use of this product. However, the results weren't maintained after continuous use. After using the product for a few weeks, my hair started shredding again. I still use the product and it does make my hair feel great every time that I use it. I think that my shedding issue is attributed to a great deal of other things like stress, climate, neglect, etc. But, hey, I have a so much material at my disposal now and look for future posts on how I solved the shredding problem. The only thing I didn't like about the Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask - 200g/7ozis that the container is really small. I have really thick hair and I run out of it within a month and a half. That is really quick considering that the product is rather expensive. To help save money, I normally switch it out with other conditioners that I use so that it will last longer. Overall, I like these products and plan to use these products in the future.

You can purchase these products from any Sephoras that sale Carol's Daughter products. JcPenney's, Macy's and other major retailers have Sephoras located inside of the store. You can also purchase the products directly from Carol's Daughter at www.carolsdaughter.com. Find these products for cheaper prices on Amazon here.

My Wash and Go Routine.

2012-09-23T23:33:00.001-04:00

As you know, lately, I've been using Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter. I've been using it mainly for my twist-outs but decided to try it for my wash and gos. I'm still practicing the Curly Girl Method so I started by co-washing my hair with Suave Naturals Juicy Green Apple Conditioner by Suave, 15 Ounce. I separated my hair into six sections and proceeded to spend approximately 30 minutes finger detangling my hair as I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair. Then, I applied Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter to one small section of soaking wet hair at a time. Once evenly saturated, then I applied Kinky Curly Curling Custard 16 oz to one small section of hair at a time, making sure that the product is even distributed. After application, like Willow, I whip my hair back and forth a few times and I'm finished. It's takes a few hours for my hair to air dry. But if you must go outside immediately and, of course, it's getting cooler these days, then you can just grab a blow dryer or a diffuser and spend about five to ten minutes drying your hair. It will dry it enough for you to go outside without any problems. Tell me what you think.

This is my hair fully dry. I like it and it works for me. My hair felt conditioned. Oh a side note, being a mom, working full time, and now deciding to go back to grad school, you may notice that I'm not posting as much. I just want you to know that I'm not giving on this blog but things are really hectic right now. I will post as much as I can. Please be patience with me. Thanks.

Review of Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter

2012-08-17T23:50:00.003-04:00

$17

As you guys know, I've been using SheaMoisture products for a little over two months now, and my hair started to feel really dry, especially after the last henna treatment. I guess the products weren't moisturizing enough for my hair even though they produced good results. So, I have returned to my staple which is the Carol's Daughter line. I'm still practicing the Curly Girl Method. I do use shampoo once or twice a month depending on my hair needs. This time, I tried the Healthy Hair Butter for the first time.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Glycine Soja ( Soybean) Oil, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis ( Jojoba) Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), ( Rosemary) Oil, Cymbopogon Flexosus ( Lemongrass) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis ( Orange) Oil,Lavandula Augustfolia(Lavender) Oil

Texture;
Healthy Hair Butter is thick and has a creamy consistency. It's not as thick as grease but it's heavier than Carol's Daughter, Hair Milk The Original Curl Definer, 10-Ounce. This is for you if you're looking for something that is a little more moisturizing than a cream but doesn't leave your hair feeling greasy. The smell is clean and somewhat earthy but I can see how some people may not like it. I like it.

First, I applied Motions At Home Foaming Wrap Lotion to freshly washed damp hair. Then I applied the Healthy Hair Butter before I two-strand twisted my hair. After four days, I took down my twists and my twist-out blossomed into a Happy Hair Day for several hair days! My curls were very defined and my hair felt so healthy and moisturized. As you can see, it's great for twist-outs.

This product gets two thumbs up! My advice is when you find a product that works, stick with it. My product junkism is over...for now, that is.

Review of Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk

2012-07-24T16:05:00.003-04:00

$9.99

Ingredients: Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Isopropyl Myristate, Sugar Starch, Silk Protein, EssenQal Oil Blend, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Caprylyl glycol, Sorbitol Esters, Algae Extract, Hyssopus Officinalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf and Equisetum Arvense Extract, Daucus Carota SaQva (Carrot) Seed Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Conditioning Milk - 8 oz. is certified organic and works on thick, curly hair. It can't be purchased at Walgreens or Target for $9.99. The texture is creamy and smooth. It's comparable to Carol's Daughter, Hair Milk The Original Curl Definer, 10-Ounce. The smell is very coconutty. I like it but I can see how others might not. It "detangles, conditions and controls curl, while restoring body and shine."

Instructions: Apply as a no-rinse protective and styling cream to damped towel-dried hair as needed.

I co-washed my hair last night with Suave Naturals Juicy Green Apple Conditioner by Suave, 15 Ounce. While my hair was soaking wet, I applied Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Conditioning Milk - 8 oz. generously from root to tip. I finger detangled my hair as I applied the product. It was OK as a detangler. Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative conditioner - 12 oz. detangles better. After application, I two-strand twisted my hair into about 10 strands. I untwisted my hair in the morning. My hair felt soft but not that moisturized. It's probably best to not use this product by itself. My hair looked good enough for me to walk out of the door but I don't think that it was moisturizing enough. It's very light and would probably work better on finer hair.

My hair looked fine. Side note: While, I was twisting my hair last night, I noticed that my ends felt lifeless and damaged. If my hair looks slightly shorter, then that's because I gave myself a trim. I cut off about an inch and my hair feels so much better now. As I was trimming, I discovered why my ends felt the way that they did. I HAD A BAZILLION SINGLE STRAND KNOTS on the ends of my hair. Were they the result of the Curly Girl Method because I've never noticed them before? Or maybe I just needed a trim because I haven't had one in almost a year. If anybody knows how to prevent these knots, please let me know. I may try to two-strand twist my hair for a while in order to protect my hair from these evils knots.

Anyway, Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Conditioning Milk - 8 oz. was okay. I wouldn't use it as my primary moisturizer but maybe as a daily moisturizer to refresh my hair. I definitely liked it better than the Carol's Daughter Hair Milk and it seems light enough to use in my daughter's hair. It helps that it's also cheaper than the Carol's Daughter, Hair Milk The Original Curl Definer, 10-Ounce. Basically, if you like the Carol's Daughter Hair Milk, then you will like this product.

Check Me Out My Big Chop on Hairscapades

2012-07-15T21:13:00.000-04:00

This has been posted a little while ago but I thought that I should link it here. Here's my Big Chop Hairstory. http://hairscapades.com/2012/05/29/the-big-chop-toyas-hairstory/.

Adding Hibiscus Petal Powder to Henna

2012-07-15T13:59:00.000-04:00

According to avurnaturalbeauty.com, "Hibiscus promotes hair growth, stops hairfall, gives hair a healthy luster with bounce, and delays premature graying." It's works great by itself as a hair rinse or when added to henna, hibiscus has been known to boost red tones and aid in faster dye release. I decided to try it for the benefits. Originally, I wanted to order a pack from avurnaturalbeauty.com for $5.00 but they were sold out at the time. Instead, I bought a 2oz pack from Ebay for less than $2. www.avurnaturalbeauty.com is more reputable and has been used by other bloggers like Elle from Quest for the Perfect Curl.

I did my usually henna routine. I boiled 4 packs of green tea for an hour (which is not necessarily needed because the hibiscus provides the same effect). I mixed in 2oz of hibiscus petal powder with Jamila Henna Powder 3.5oz (100g) and the boiled green tea. I bought several boxes of Jamila Henna from Amazon but note that the Jamila with the crop date on it is considered to be higher quality.

I let the henna sit for two hours and mixed in 2 tablespoons of honey right before application. The color of the mix was much darker than normal. After application, I left the henna and hibiscus in my hair for about 7 1/2 hours. I washed my hair with Suave Naturals Juicy Green Apple Conditioner by Suave, 15 Ounce twice. It was fairly easy to wash out. Then I left Carol's Daughter, Tui Hair Smoothie, 8-Ounce in my hair for an hour and washed it out. My hair felt the same wet. I applied Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative conditioner - 12 oz. from root to tip and two-strand twisted my hair.

After two days, I took the twists down.

My hair felt very dry afterwards. Dryer than usual. I applied the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil twice a day to counteract the dryness. That is some good stuff. I purchased mine from Amazon for around $6. The only positive difference is that my hair seemed to be more elongated. Overall, I don't think that I'll add hibiscus petal flower to my henna again. It has worked for plenty other naturals but I don't know if it's the type that I purchased or if I used too much (if that's even possible). Godrej Nupur Mehendi Powder 9 Herbs Blend, 150-gram, which already has the hibiscus and other conditioning herbs added, is something that I'm going to try and see if that works better for my hair. In fact, I've already ordered a pack so look out for that post...

Kinky Curly Curling Custard VS Eco Styler Gel

2012-07-12T10:08:00.000-04:00

$30

            VS

Sorry, I've been on hiatus for a little while because a few things have happened. Hey, that's life. The important thing is that I'm back now and I have a great deal of catching up to do. As you guys know, I've been practicing the Curly Girl Method for a little over a month now. At first, I was doing it without gel but I've noticed that my hair lasts longer if I do use gel. Both Kinky Curly Curling Custard 16 oz and the Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil work on my hair but produce slightly different results.

With the Kinky Curly Curling Custard 16 oz and the Eco Styler Gel, I did my normal Curly Girl Method routine. I co- washed with Suave Naturals Juicy Green Apple Conditioner by Suave, 15 Ounce. I like the Suave Naturals Conditioner better than the Tresemme 24 Hour Body Conditioner which I also use because I feel like it cleans my scalp better. Then, I applied Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative conditioner - 12 oz. and raked the product through my hair from root to tip. Once it was evenly distributed throughout my hair, I did the same thing with the gels. I raked the gels evenly through the hair. I did several small sections at a time. The smaller the section the better it looks. After application, I just let the hair air dry.

Kinky Curling Custard Pros:

A little goes a long way
Smells good
Elongates my curls
Makes my hair feel soft and conditioned

Kinky Curling Custard Cons:

Too expensive
Starts to flake after 4 or 5 days

Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil Pros:

Very affordable
A little goes a long way
Doesn't flake
Can re-apply to hair without flaking

Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil Cons:

Can be very drying
Horrible shrinkage

Below, I have pictures of the results from using each gel.

Eco Styler Gel

Kinky Curly Curling Custard

You can see the difference in the pictures. I prefer to use Kinky Curly Curling Custard 16 oz because it elongates my curls and makes my hair feel the best. Once I run out of this jar, I don't know if I will purchased another one due to the price. When that time comes, I want to try Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Soufflé! (gel)because it's only $10.The Kinky Curly Curling Custard 16 oz has won this round. I'm so glad that I've found a way to use that $30 jar. It doesn't work well with the Knot Today. I don't think that it's moisturizing enough for my hair. Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative conditioner - 12 oz. seems to be a suitable replacement. There you have it, folks!

Dabur Vatika Coconut Hair Oil Review!

2012-06-16T16:41:00.001-04:00

So after my African Shea Butter fiasco, I decided to protect my hair by twisting it up for a few days. After about 3 days, my hair started to feel dry so I took down my twists. I didn't want to co-wash my hair and I has just gotten Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil 300ml in the mail and decided to try it out. I ordered it for about $5 from Amazon. You can also get it from your local Indian store and probably get it cheaper. I used it to try to refresh my hair.

"8 Magical Ingredients"
Triphala, Brahmi, Henna, Neem,
Lemon, Rosemary Oil, Kapurkachri,
Soya Extracts

Instructions: Apply regularly on scalp & hair. For best results, massage & leave it on overnight.

This product, for me, was almost a bust. That is because, when I first applied the product, I felt no instant results. The oil is pretty light and it smells like furniture polish which I am definitely not a fan of. Luckily, though, the smell goes away after about an hour. All I did, was smoosh the product sparingly all over my hair. After I gave it some time for the oil to actually penetrate my hair, my hair felt soft and looked shiny. I do believe that we have a winner here. I will definitely be using it again in the future to re-moisturize my hair. I may even use it as a pre-poo or hot oil treatment.

3 hours after application

You can see the shine in my hair. This may be exactly what my hair needs! Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil 300ml gets two thumbs up.

Two-Strand Flat Twists on My Daughter's Hair

2012-06-16T11:57:00.001-04:00

I've been trying to learn how to corn row and it's not been going so well. My corn rows look loose, bunchy, and crooked. Hey, I'm a beginner. So, I thought that maybe it would be better for me to start with two strands rather than three and I tried it. I learned that I have to work with small pieces of hair in order for me to make it look half way decent. Here are the results after watching an hour of Bubble Guppies. What do you think?

Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?

Buy Black!

2012-06-15T16:19:00.001-04:00

One of the main reasons (besides that the products work for my hair) I use Carol's Daughter, Nubian Heritage, and SheaMoisture products is because they are made and designed by black folks. This is my way of supporting black businesses and counteracting the beauty supply industry which we all know has been taken over mostly by Asians. It's a known fact that there is a great deal of money to be made in the black hair care industry. Black women buy hair products 10 to 1. If you're like me, going natural did not stop you from buying hair products. I'm not saying that you shouldn't buy other products but if you would like to support black businesses as well, then I've compiled this list for you.

Carol's Daughter
Founder: Lisa Price
Description/Background: Lisa Price is literally Carol's daughter. The business started 18 years ago in her kitchen. The company does well when it comes to listening to their customers and catering to their wants and needs. Lisa Price makes hair, skin, and body products with natural ingredients. She has hair products for natural and relaxed hair. Lisa Price, herself, has transitioned three times and has recently started transitioningmovement.com which is an online resource jam packed with useful tutorials for those who are transitioning.

Carol's Daughter products that Ive used:
Carol's Daughter Khoret Amen Hair Oil - 2 Oz. $20
Carol's Daughter Khoret Amen Hair Smoothie 8 oz. $20
Carol's Daughter Hair Balm (4 oz) $12
Carol's Daughter Tui Moisturizing Sulfate-Free Shampoo 8 oz $13
Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Smoothie (8 oz) $20

Products can be purchased via carolsdaughter.com, Sephora, Amazon, or at select hair salons.

Earl Bernard, Nyema Tubman, and Richelieu Dennis

SheaMoisture/Nubian Heritage
Founder: Richelieu Dennis

Description/Background: Yes, the same people who make SheaMoisture products also make Nubian Heritage products. Richelieu Dennis started on the streets of Sierra Leone helping his grandmother Sofi Tucker make and sell butters and soaps. Fleeing from a civil war in Liberia, Richard Dennis and Nyema Tubman immigrated to the United States. Richard and Nyema decided to use what Richard had been taught by his grandmother to make a living for themselves. In 1992, they began selling Shea butter and soaps on the streets of Harlem. Now, SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage are a line of quality, organic hair and skin care products for all ethnicities.

SheaMoisture/Nubian products that I've used:

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioning Milk - 12 oz. $9.99
Goat's Milk and Chai Infused Shea Butter 4 Ounces $12

You an purchase SheaMoisture/Nubian Heritage products at Target, Walgreens, and vitaminshoppe.com

Kinky Curly
Founder: Shelley Davis
Description/Background: On a trip back to St. Vincent(which is where she is from), Shelley Davis lost all of her hair care products. This forced her to make her own products using herbs and aloe that she found in a friend's yard. When she arrived back to states, she received so many compliments on her hair that she decided to remake it and start selling it. What you probably didn't know is that a portion of Kinky Curly's sales goes to Charity Water. Charity Water builds wells in underdeveloped countries.
www.mycharitywater.org/kinkycurly

Kinky Curly Products that I've used:
Kinky Curly Come Clean Natural Moisturizing Shampoo Sulfate Free $11.99
Kinky Curly Knot Today Conditioner, 8 oz $11.99
Kinky Curly Curling Custard 16 oz $30

You can purchase Kinky Curly products at Target, Whole Foods, and on Amazon.

Taliah Waajid
Founder: Taliah Waajid
Description/Background: Taliah Waajid is a licensed cosmetologist, natural hair care specialist, and natural hair educator with over 25 years of hair care experience. Taliah Waajid opened her first hair salon in 1988. While advising clients with her hair care wisdom and products, her popularity spread through word of mouth. She has created products for the needs of adults' and children's chemically-free curly hair.

Taliah Waajid's products that I've used:
TALIAH WAAJID Kinky, Wavy, Natural Easy Herbal Comb Out, 8oz $5.89

You can purchase Taliah Waajid's products at Walgreens, your local beauty supply store, and through Amazon.

Design Essentials is another one with founder Cornell McBride, Sr but I have never purchased any of their products(but hope to soon!).

This blog post is only meant to educate and give a face to the products that we're using. As a people, we need to understand that we have economic power and pay attention to where our money is going. For example, a lot of the companies that we use on a daily basis funded the group that created the law that protected George Zimmerman when he shot Trayvon Martin(look it up). Yeah, it runs deep. So, if I've left anyone out, feel free to let me know and I will add them to the list.

Sources:
http://www.carolsdaughter.com/Portal.aspx?CN=E27DC18C28EF
http://www.naturalchica.com/2011/08/natural-chica-2-yr-celebration-giveaway-shea-moisture/
http://www.tnj.com/archives/2006/april2006/cover_story.php
http://www.afroniquelyyou.com/2010/06/shelley-davis-of-kinky-curly/
http://thirstyroots.com/taliah-waajid-black-earth-products.html
http://www.facebook.com/#!/AtlantaNaturalHairShow/info

Bad Reaction to African Shea Butter?

2012-06-13T15:56:00.000-04:00

A lot of the products that I've been using lately (SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage) have Shea Butter in them so it just made sense for me to buy it from the local African store. I mean you get a big tub of it for only $10. I wanted to do a dry twist-out which I've never done. Not sure why. Maybe because it just saved time to just go ahead and twist it while it's wet rather than wait for it dry or blow dry it and then twist it. I took about 2 tablespoons of Shea Butter and I melted it in the microwave. I don't like the way that it smells so I added a few drops of Carol's Daughter Khoret Amen Oil which has olive oil and other oils in it. It has a pretty strong fragrance and I thought that it would get rid of the playdough smell that African Shea Butter has. I applied it to my hair from root to tip before twisting. I may have used too much but I noticed that my hair began to tangle once I finished twisting. I started to get to knots at the end of my hair and I wasn't even doing anything to it. Hard knots, knots that I would have to cut out of my hair. My hair felt dry and when I touched the ends of my hair, hair was coming out. My hair felt like it was deteriorating. So I took down the twists and jumped into the shower. I washed my hair with shampoo 3 times to get it out and deep conditioned with Carol's Daughter Khoret Amen Hair Smoothie. Even as I type this, my hair has SheaMoisture in it and my hair feels so much better than when it had the African Shea Butter in it. I don't know what the problem was. I guess Shea Butter has to be mixed with something. My hair loves Nubian Heritage Shea Butter with Goat's Milk and Chai but not African Shea Butter by itself? All I know is that I'm not ever going to use the African Shea Butter on my hair ever again. That was a nightmare.

Co-Wash Update/Modified Curly Girl Method

2012-06-10T16:08:00.000-04:00

You guys already know that I'm trying to take shampoo and combing tools out of my hair care regimen. I was successful for about 3 weeks but after a run, my scalp felt so itching and dirty that I just had to. I immediately regretted it. My hair was doing awesome. It was retaining a great deal of moisture when I was co-washing with Tresemme 24 Hour Body conditioner. Don't be upset with me but I also decided to do a twist-out and I used my detangling brush before I did my twists. I regretted that as well. I had so much hair in the brush. So now I'm back on track. No more detangling brush. I'm only going to finger detangle in the shower while I'm rinsing out conditioner. As far as shampoo goes, I'm still going to have to find a balance. I'm probably going to try to only shampoo once a month before a henna treatment or something and co-wash every 3 to 5 days, if I can make it 5 days. This is abnormal for me. I'm doing mostly wash and gos which I haven't done since my TWA days. But it seems to be working for my hair. The less manipulation, the better.

I guess you can call what I'm doing a modified version of the curly girl method. I say this because I'm not using shampoo or I'm using it less. I'm washing with a cheap conditioner instead(co-washing). I'm not using any gel but I may in the future whenever I want more hold. The EcoStyler gel worked when I first tried the curly girl/tightly curly girl method. You can read about that here. With the curly girl method, you're supposed to use a rinse-out conditioner as a leave-in. According to the directions, the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioning Milk - 12 oz.can be used as either a rinse out or leave-in conditioner. I use Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioning Milk - 12 oz. as a leave-in. It works for my hair. I apply it on damp hair instead of dripping wet hair and I guess that how it's modified. This modification happened by accident. My daughter woke up while I was doing my hair and, of course, I had to tend to her first and then get back to my hair. But it works. One thing you do have to watch out for is white hair from the product I find that rubbing in it makes it go away. If you're worried about frizz, then you can use a T-shirt to dab it instead of your fingers. What I do is slightly different from the curly girl method because I don't normally use gel and I apply the leave-in on damp hair and not soaking wet hair. If you want to learn more about the curly girl method, I'd google it(that's what I did) or you can buy the Curly Girl: The Handbook by Lorraine Massey. I've never read the book but according to other bloggers, it has a lot of good information in it. It's only like $11 bucks or less.

Here are pictures of the results from the wash and go that I did this morning. I can dig it. Plus, my hair feels so moisturized. I can't keep my hands out of my hair. So, yeah, I'm going to keep going with this method and knock out combing and shampooing out of my regimen.

Happy Hair Day + The Soul Food Festival

2012-06-10T15:04:00.000-04:00

The family and I had an okay family day at the Soul Food Festival on June 2nd. I was all excited about being around a bunch if black folks with good food and entertainment. I was excited to see Tevin Campbell and Ginuwine perform. But when we arrived, there was only two food vendors. That is an absolute no no when you're dealing with thousands of black folks. Plus, the food had no seasoning and you only got a few pieces of meat for $15. $15 would have been alright if the food was good. They were selling carnival food. Funnel Cake is not soul food. I wanted some catfish, cornbread, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese,and some peach cobbler. The Soul Food Festival had no soul food. It was a crime. They really should call it something else. On top of that, this lady tried to sell me a 1oz bottle of natural hair products for $20. I don't even remember the name of it. I've pretty much blocked whatever it was out of my mind. Her group was hosting a workshop and I was excited until I saw that the workshop cost $750. I've said this before and I'll say it again. You don't have to be rich to go natural. I'll stick with what I know, thank you.

As far as the entertainment goes, Tevin Campbell still has it but I could barely see him or Ginuwine. I took pictures but you cannot make out what it is. At the end of the day, I enjoyed spending time with my family and my hair looked awesome. It was a Happy Hair Day.

Successful twist-out

So, I basically did my normal twist-out except this time I kept my twists pulled back in a ponytail until I was ready to take them down. The result was elongated curls!

What You Should Know About Henna.

2012-06-08T23:04:00.000-04:00

My henna treatments have gotten better with each use. With henna, you kind of just have to keep trying different things to see what works for you. Over the past few months, I've learned the things that you should and shouldn't do when applying henna. I decided to list a few tips for people who are thinking about trying henna. I just did a henna treatment yesterday and I describe my results at the end of this blog post.

Research
Do lots of research. You will discover that just because it says natural and is sold at a health food store; that doesn't mean that it's the real stuff. I learned that the hard way when I purchased Rainbow Henna from Whole Foods. That stuff left a bunch of twigs in my hair and on my pillowcase. You can read more about my experience here. Body Art Quality henna is the best henna and is packaged in foil to preserve its freshness. If it's packaged in plastic, then you will still receive some conditioning benefits but not the full benefits If it says, "henna for hair," be sure to look at the ingredients to make sure that nothing is added to it. It should only say lawsome inermis which is the scientific term for henna. Jamila is the only brand that I've used with positive results. I've purchased mine from Amazon (to save on shipping costs). Sites where you can purchase high quality henna are www.mehandi.com and www.ayurnaturalbeauty.com.

Do a pre-shampoo treatment
I always do a hot oil treatment with Carol's Daughter Khoret Amen Oil, which is basically olive oil mixed with a bunch of other oils, a couple of hours before I shampoo. Other people may do a pre-poo or a deep conditioning treatment beforehand.

Do not mix with acids
Some naturals use acids like apple cider vinegar and lemon juice to mix with the henna because it causes quicker dye release and they're okay with it. I wouldn't recommend it if you're worried about dry hair. The first time I hennaed, I used appled cider vinegar. Not only did it stink, but my hair was very dry and tangled afterwards. My treatments come out much better when I mix the henna with 3-4 packs of green tea and 2 tablespoons of honey. Using any kind of tea will also cause quicker dye release. You can also mix your henna with oils or conditioner to prevent dryness

Let it sit
Even if you're not concerned about the dyeing benefits of henna, letting it sit allows the henna to settle which will make it easier to wash out. It helps even if you only let it sit for a couple of hours.

Keep it in for at least four hours
My hair has felt the best when I've let the henna sit in my hair overnight but don't always have time or the patience so I've figured out that 4 hours is the minimum if I want the conditioning benefits.

Completely rinse it out
If you don't completely rinse it out, your hair will be very very dry. Rinse your hair until the water runs clear and then rinse some more. Then wash with a cheap conditioner like Suave Naturals twice and then rinse again. Believe me, your hair will thank you for it.

Do a deep conditioning treatment afterwards
You definitely need a deep conditioning treatment that is preferably protein-free. That is because henna does some of the same things a protein treatment and you can get a protein overload and cause extreme dryness, brittleness, and shedding. On the other hand, if you hair loves protein, then do what works for you. I use Carol's Daughter Tui Smoothie and leave it on for at least an hour.

Use a daily moisturizer
I moisturize my hair once, sometimes twice a day for three days after a henna treatment. I use oil. shea butter that I get from my local African store, the Nubian Heritage Shea Butter with goat's milk and chai, or SheaMoisture. By the third day, my hair starts to feel normal again.

It can loosen your curl pattern
I've never experienceed this myself but it can happen with repeated use of henna due to the residue that weights hair down. It usually isn't permanent and can be reversed with a clarifying shampoo. If you're concerned about the loosening of your curls, then you can just do retouch on your new growth instead of putting it all over your hair with each use. Or you can use alma which thickens your hair and can return/preserve your curl pattern. Sometimes, spacing out your henna treatments will prevent this from happening as well.

You won't be able to chemically dye your hair
People who have had henna treatments normally experience trouble dyeing their hair with chemical dyes because henna coats the hair. So if you have any intentions of using chemical dyes to dye your hair a different color, then you may want to rethink trying henna.

Wednesday and Thursday, I did what I believe is my fourth henna treatment. I did things slightly different but it produced positive results. I used 4 packs of green tea instead of 3. I mixed the green tea with the henna and let it sit for 5 hours by accident. I got caught up doing stuff. Usually, I only let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then I shampooed and mixed in 2 tablespoons of honey right before application. The henna was really smooth and not as lumpy as it normally is. I left it in overnight this time around and found that it was alot easier to rinse out. I able to cut at least 15 minutes off of my rinsing time. I rinsed until the water ran clear and then I washed with Suave Naturals conditioner, the apple kind. It worked great for rinsing out the henna and it's only about $1 at Walgreens, Krogers, Walmart, or probably every store out there. On top of that, I do believe that this is the first time that my hair hasn't felt dry immediately after a henna treatment. It actually feels normal! It's feels soft and healthy. I've successfully tweaked my henna treatment. That's how it is. It's trial and error when it comes to henna.

Thanks for reading and hopefully this information helps somebody.

Demonizing of the Natural Haired Has Begun

2012-06-04T15:53:00.000-04:00

I read an article on madamenoire.com entitled "Shyte Natural Girls Should Stop Saying and Doing..." To read it, you can go here. The article is basically saying that women with natural hair need to stop judging women with relaxed or weaved hair. I find that this article completely misses the mark. I've never said to anyone, "You need to stop putting that creamy crack in your hair." Hair advice has only been given when asked.

I also find this article to be disturbing because when I went natural everybody and their mama had something to say about my hair. People whom I barely talked to where telling me that I needed to get a perm and giving me the number to their hair dresser. Older men where telling me that I would never find a husband. I got called manly. One of my ex-coworkers flat out asked me, "Your man let you walk out of the house like that?" And her hair was thin and broken off. Just the other day, I went to a beauty supply store to look for hair accessories and they were two ladies shopping for wigs. They laughed at me as soon as I walked through the door. I get negative comments all the time from women who barely have any hair at all but I never comment back. And you never see me mention these things because I do not care. All the positivity, confidence, maturity, and identity that I've gained from going natural outweighs all of that. To me, it is a personal decision; it is not natural versus relaxed/weaved. Spike Lee brought up this messed up psychology in "School Daze." I'm not doing this "good" hair versus "bad" hair thing.

If there are a few natural women out there telling other women that they should stop getting relaxers and weaves, then let them kept doing it. They have every right to do so with all of the comments that I've gotten over the years. It's almost as if women with relaxed hair get a pass with their comments because they fit into the status quo. Then if a woman with natural hair makes a comment, then she is stepping out of bounds. All of sudden, she is aggressive and judgemental. It's okay for everybody else to say anything they want about natural hair but the girl with the natural hair has no authority to say anything about anything.

When it comes down to it, there was no need to write this article; just like there was no need for me to mention the negative comments that I've gotten. If I am able to ignore all the negative comments from other people without there being a problem and without me judging them back, then women with relaxed or weaved hair can do the same. If you're confident about yourself and how you style your hair, then you don't care what other people say anyway. Ultimately, it's about growth and positivity that can be gained and passed around from going natural and this is what should be written here. That article should be entitled, "Shyte That Don't Even Matter."

Whenever there's a movement in America, there is always a need to attack it.

Natural Beauty Trys the Pineapple Method Night Time Routine (Video)

2012-05-29T14:46:00.002-04:00

Check out my channel 85NaturalBeauty

Review of SheaMoisture's Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner.

2012-05-23T18:09:00.000-04:00

Below is my review of SheaMoisture's Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner as a leave-in:

Contains de-ionized water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea butter)*, Argan oil, coconut oil*, Behentrimonium chloride, essential oil blend, vegetable glycerin, emulsifying wax, sea kelp extract, Panthenol (vitamin B-5), avocado oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract, Tocopherol (vitamin E) and Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) seed oil. *Denotes certified organic ingredients.

I give this product two thumbs up.The scent is very light. It's comparable to Carol's Daughter Hair Milk but I think that it is 10 times better. I think that I should note that I didn't use any tools. I just smoothed the product on with my fingers and detangled with my fingers. One thing I noticed was that my hair was easier to detangle after I let the product sit on my hair after a couple of minutes. This will definitely be one of staple products when doing a wash and go. I got it on sale at Walgreens for $8. The normal price is $9.99 and you can also purchase the line at Target if you're thinking about trying it. Hope I've helped someone today and thanks for reading. Have a nice day!

Happy Hair Day +Review of Tresemme's 24 Hour Body Conditioner as a Co-Wash

2012-05-23T17:52:00.002-04:00

So, I've been trying to use shampoo less and decided to do my first co-wash since my TWA days to prevent dryness with my hair. With my workout regimen, I'm finding that I'm having to wash my hair more often and, doing so, I do not want to dry out my hair. That's why I'm making the move to co-washes. I actually wanted to use Tresemme Naturals but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. I don't know if they discontinued it or what so I got the Tresemme 24 Hour Body instead. My hair sucks this stuff up but if it works, then it works. Here's my review below:

I also had a Happy Hair Day with the family after I took out my twists after my co-wash. I actually had one of the best twist-outs that I've ever had. I think I'm going to keep doing it. Say bye bye to shampoo...except for when I'm about to do a henna treatment.

We have a winner here!

My hair story 2012(video)

2012-05-20T10:07:00.001-04:00

Hey, guys! This is my very first video blog post. Here, I'm just giving my reasons for deciding to go natural. My special guest is my daughter who shared her story as well, lol. Who's that loud kid? Oh, that's my daughter...Those who have kids will understand... I hope, anyway, but enjoy!

The Results Are In!

2012-05-17T13:23:00.000-04:00

This girl ran 3.1 miles in... *drum roll please"... 37:20! I was 1176th out 2153 people and 127th out of 234 in my age group. Ya! Hey, you're talking about a girl who came from barely being able to run half a mile so that is a big accomplishment for me. Its' official. Call me a runner. It's my new favorite hobby for 2012. If you knew me before, then you'd know I used to hate running; now I love it. It's funny how you evolve and change over the years. Whenever I'm stressed, instead of having that glass of wine, I go for a run. It's a lovely lifestyle change. There were people of all levels of fitness running the 5k with me. Shoot, I was being passed up by people with jogging strollers. My whole point of this is to say to never be afraid to do anything out of your comfort zone. I never thought that I would run a 5k but I've ran two and will run even more.

I had tried p90x, TurboFire, Insanity, and my weight kept fluctuating after I had my daughter. I got into running because I wanted to be in shape and decided to do the one thing that I despised and it worked! So if you hate crunches, squats, or whatever it may be, then that is most likely the one thing that will get you in shape. And that is because it challenges you the most. I can say for the first time after having my daughter that I am happy with my size. I definitely wouldn't mind being a little bit more toned but I am satisfied. Believe me, it's worth it. It is the best feeling running across that finish line and addictive. I can't wait until my next race. Anyway, that's just wants been on my mind. Happy living!

Henna Time Again!

2012-05-15T21:32:00.001-04:00

So, I just had to wash my hair after running a 5k marathon due to the sweat. I was also overdue for a much needed henna treatment. So I boiled 3 bags of green tea in a pot for about an hour. I mixed that with 2 tablespoons of honey and Jamila Henna Powder 3.5oz (100g) let it sit covered for 30 minutes (next time I think that I going to let it sit longer) while I shampooed with Carol's Daughter Tui Herbal Shampoo 8-oz. I also finger detangled as I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair. Then, I separated hair into six sections and separated each of those sections into twos as I applied the henna. I smoothed it generously from root to tip. Once finished, I wrapped my hair around my head; it stays put due to the thickness of the henna. I placed two shower caps on my head to contain my big hair. For the first, 15 minutes, I sat with a warm towel wrapped around my head. I left the henna in for a total of 6 hours. Henna treatments are so relaxing. It had this awesome cooling effect and it tingles on my scalp. I guess that's why it's best to probably henna overnight.

After rinsing, I usually apply Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Smoothie for an hour but I was so sleepy that I just threw on a shower cap, bonnet, put a towel on my pillow, and went to sleep. I did put my hair in four two-strand twists as well. By morning, my hair felt so conditioned. My hair felt awesome as I did a braid-out. I applied the usual Motions At Home Foaming Wrap Lotion with Nubian Heritage's Shea Butter with Goat's Milk and Chai. This is only the second time I've ever done a braid-out because I've concluded that twist-outs last longer than braid-outs. Braid-outs are good for elongating my hair so I decided to try it not that my hair is longer. I also gave myself a trim. My hair felt really conditioned. That is...until it dried. My scalp and hair was very dry. I had to oil my scalp with Carol's Daughter's Khoret Amen Hair oil which was the first time since I had my daughter almost 2 years ago. I had stopped due to acquiring a dandruff problem and having scalp build up issues during pregnancy. It's something that I may have to go back to considering that my scalp sucked up the oil after the henna treatment. I may have to try co-washing again which I haven't done since m TWA days. That's what I'm going to have to do now that's it warm and I'm going to be sweating from all the running I'm going to do. I m doing another marathon in three weeks.

Maybe it's time to just protect my hair by keeping it in twists for most of the summer and only letting it out for special occasions so that I can keep my hair moisturized and my scalp healthy. Luckily, henna has cured my dandruff problem.

Anyway, my hair is so dry right. I've oiled my hair and the ends with Khoret Amen hair oil and I'll probably do that everyday until the moisture returns. I'm going to try co-washing in the next couple of days and go back to twists. On the other hand, my hair does feel strong and there is less hair in my detangling brush. I love that my gray hairs have turned red but I just want to try to find a higher quality henna.

Thanks for reading. I hope this post has helped someone :).

Ran my second 5k today.

2012-05-12T20:37:00.000-04:00

Ran my second 5k marathon and I think I'm addicted... It felt awesome running across that finish line. I shredded four minutes off my time and ran up four out of five hills. Hey, that's an accomplishment for me. In fact, when I got home, my fiance asked why I was home so early. He couldn't believe that I completed it that quickly but I did! As for the hair, I just threw on a headband and let it fly. Today marks one step closer to a better me.

My Favorite Homemade Smoothie!

2012-05-08T14:31:00.000-04:00

When I went natural, I not only started to pay attention to what I was doing to my hair but I also started to pay attention to what I was putting into my body. After all, part of having healthy hair is having healthy eating habits. This is my favorite homemade smoothie that I like to make typically after a workout, in substitute for breakfast, or whenever I get a craving for something sweet. It's quick and easy. What you'll need:

8oz of skim milk
1 banana
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
I scoop of 100% whey protein
6 cubes of ice

Just throw all the ingredients into a blender for 60 seconds and you have a wonderfully tasty smoothie. This is perfect for satisfying my cravings for something sweet.

Nubian Heritage Product Review!

2012-05-05T17:14:00.003-04:00

Just tried a lovely new product from Nubian Heritage, Shea Butter infused with goat's milk and chai. I got it from an African store in downtown Atlanta for $10 but you purchase it at select Vitamin Shoppe and Whole Food stores as well as on vitaminshoppe.com This product was designed to be used on your skin but, one day, I left it in my car on a sunny day and it melted taking on the consistency of oil. I thought, "I should try putting this in my hair." and I did. I used it on my twists with the usual Motions At Home Foaming Wrap Lotion to re-wet my hair and then I applied the Shea butter from Nubian Heritage instead of the Carol's Daughter Hair Balm (4 oz) It made my hair soft and silky and even elongated my twists.

Twisted

Untwisted

I love the results. My fiance was even asking me what I did to my hair. I think I even like this better than the Carol's Daughter Hair Balm (4 oz). I want to try all of the other products that they have. Well, there you have it. Nubian Heritage Shea butter infused with goat's milk and chai is my new favorite product!