Natural Hair: a sport?

From the guy who bought us, "Yo Boyfriend don't like you're natural hair?", comes a new video that I think you'll enjoy (for more ways than one...at least for me ;D) Check out SJSafety18's video and channel.

*Happy Hair Days*

 =D

The Low Down on those Pesky Single Strand Knots

So LET me tell you. Everyone has pet peeves with their hair. For me it's single strand knots. I HATE them but I get them so very frequently ALL THE TIME. It's borderline ridiculous. It doesn't matter if I trimmed my hair 2 days ago. Today I'll have them. They are always there. Taunting and haunting me constantly. And it's NEVER just a few of them. It seems as if they are on every strand. I just can't take the pressure!

Unfortunately single strand knots come with the territory of natural hair; specifically when you have tighter, coily-er and kinky-er hair textures. As the hair coils and curls upon it's self the hair, upon movement, tends to make commonly known as "fairy knots" or single strand knots. Why are they so poisonous to us naturals? The knotting creates a point of breakage. If the knot , while beginning to form, traps other strands within it, Not only can the strand with the knot break but the additional "caught up strands" will break as well. split-ends, breakage and lack of length retention are all likely to happen if you don't control those knots!

Although getting them may seem (and maybe are) inevitable, there are ways to help reduce the amount that you have.

1. Stretched styles/ Protective styles
You probably never heard of Single strand knots while you were relaxed. That's because they only frequent highly textured and curly hair. Wearing your hair in stretched and protective styles such as braids, braid outs, twists, and twist outs, and not wash-and-gos will help prevent the hair from curling upon it's self.


2. Shampoo hair in sections
If you decide to shampoo your hair make sure you separate your hair into sections using clips or twists/braids. Shampooing your hair in smaller sections oppose from your entire head allows your head to be less prone to tangles and matting which leads to fairy knots.


3. Oil Rinsing
Adding oil to your regimen will help prevent tangles and knots to your hair. The oil acts as a lubricant allowing your hair to be detangled much easier. The oil also works as an additional moisture agent to condition and add softness to your hair. There are different ways to oil rinse.

• You can do a Pre-poo treatment: where you wet your hair with water then add an ample amount of your favorite oil (I either use coconut or olive oil) leave it on for at least 20 mins and then add shampoo and rinse. Condition and style as you please.  
• Use the oil as a deep conditioner: After you shampoo or co-wash, saturate your hair with your favorite oil, cover your hair with a shower cap and wait for at least 45 min- 1hr and then rinse.

4. Keep hair well moisturized
Moisturized hair is less likely to knot. Use a leave-in or just good old quality H2O to make sure your hair is moisturized daily. Make sure to seal in the moisture in your hair (especially those ends!) with a oil or natural butter.


5. Defeat "Hand-in-Hair" Syndrome
This maybe my biggest problem. I always have my hands in my hair and that's a NO-NO! Although most times it's unconsciously, too much manipulation to your hair will cause the hair to curl upon it's self leading to knots. That's another reason protective styles are great. They help protect your hair from not only the elements but your own hands.


6. Careful Detangle
Make sure you are detangling your hair carefully. Perhaps you should start by finger detangling. It helps prevent harsh handling from tools by getting out large tangles and shed hairs before using a wide-tooth comb or denman brush. While finger detangling make sure you take special care to each strand. If there is a knot make sure you separate each strand out of the knot genitally. Then follow with a comb/brush.


7. Don't towel dry your hair
Stay away from towels especially cotton ones. Cotton towels with long fibers snag the hair. Try wringing out the water after washing your hair with your hands and then using a t-shirt or microfiber cloth to continue drying your hair.


8. Protect your hair while sleeping
Wear a silk scarf or bonnet to bed so your hair will have a smooth /friction-less surface to lay on. Using silk pillowcases will help as well. Wearing a cotton scarf or laying on cotton pillowcases will not only snag the hair but dry out the hair as well. Also remember to wear your hair in protective styles to bed, so your ends will be protected while you sleep.

2012 Healthy Hair Challenge

(Isn't she a CUTIE! Source: Tumblr)

Hola Everyone! I hope you all have had a wonderful start to the New Year. Around this time everyone is focused on beginning the year on the right foot. Making sure that we take care of ourselves inside and out. The start of the year is a great calendar marker to

For 2012 i'm focusing on me. Making sure that I take extra care of my body inside and out. And with that, that means extra care of my hair. On the 9th I'll be 1 year and 6 months completely natural. I've loved EVERY moment of this journey and I'm anxious to see how far I can take this. In one of the last post I talked about the healthy hair challenge I will be embarking on from now until my 2 year nappiversary.


2012 Healthy Hair Challenge:

*Develop and mantain a regimen: I plan on incorporating all natural and Ayurvedic ingredients and products in my weekly regimen for the first 6 months of 2012. No sulfates, mineral oil, petroleum, parabens, synthetic ingredients or other chemicals.

• Pre-Poo/Detangle (All natural Conditioners, Coconut milk, Coconut or Olive oil, Amla Oil )

• Cleansing ( Shikaki, castile soap, apple cidar vinegar rinses)

• Conditioning/ Deep Conditioning (Hibiscus petal powder, Mehndi powder, Brahmi Powder, Aloe Vera Juice, Neem, Marshmallow Root Powder)

• Moisturizer/Styler (Shea Butter, Flax seed gel, water, aloe vera gel)

• Sealing Moisture (Vatika oil, Coconut oil, Olive Oil)

*Protect ends:  Protective styles will definitely be a focus of this challenge I'm allowing a total of 2 weeks out of the 6 months for myself to be able to wear my hair "out" (probably a twist or braid out). One of my favorite styles that seems to be doing more damage to my edges than good is the classic "Puff". I won't be wearing one throughout the entire challenge. Also sleeping on a satin pillow/ with a satin scarf to prevent snagging the ends of the hair as well as retaining moisture in the hair.

*Working inside-out: Our moisture balance in our hair comes from how we hydrate our bodies on the inside. Drinking plenty of water we insure that the hair is moisturized well. Vitamins also gives you a great dosage of the nutrients you need to keep not only your hair healthy but your entire body as well.

*Make (realistic) goals: My overall goal is healthy hair. But along with that I'm aiming for length retention. Knowing that hair grows approx. 1/2 an inch every month I'm aiming for Arm pit length  (while stretching) by the end of this challenge.

*Happy Hair Days*

The hair life of...

So let us know who are you? 

My name is Porsche and I am 19 years old. I have one semester left in college. My major is law. Im always taking one day at a time, seeing the good in everything. I like to try new things and I love doing everything. Literally. I started a blog because I wanted to basically. Something different and to keep me occupied. my blog is "Oh Gee" (mzporsche-ohgee.blogspot.com). I love food and I love to eat food. Very active, love sports, meeting new people.

How long have you been natural and did you BC (big chop) or transition?
Well, after I wore kinky twists for almost a year, I went natural for about four months. It was a small natural because my hair was short. Afterwards, I went back to the kinkys and wore those for about two months, which made my hair grow really fast. I switched back to my most recent natural and wore it for another four or five months. It was really nice and big, which I loved. It was the perfect size.

 

Why did you decide to go natural or stay natural?I decided to go natural because I was tired of the same kinky twists and I wanted my hair to "breathe" basically. I wanted a new look and a natural was the quick and easy way to go.

 

What are your staple products and hairstyles? Ok. staple products and hairstyles. I didn't really use any products on my natural except a grease made by Blue Magic to keep my scalp moist and a shampoo made by Avon.

What is your regimen?

I had a simple and short regimen. I washed my hair, greased it a little, braided it to the scalp, and wrapped it up.

What are your natural hair goals?

I really want to get my natural as big as possible. My hair grows really fast and it has came a long way. I can't wait to see my hair reach its potential.

How do you keep your hair intact overnight?

I braid it to the scalp and wrap it up. When I pick it out in the morning, it makes it easy to comb and blows it out pretty good.


How do you maintain length?I guess the braiding keeps my length up.

Have you received any negative comments about your hair?
I haven't received any negative comments. Everyone thinks i should wear my natural and keep it forever. My family and friends says it suits my face and style.

 

Name 1 reason you went natural and why you love being natural.

I went natural because it was easy, quick, and convenient. I don't think you can get any better than that.

 

How and where can we find you online?

Since I no longer have a facebook, you can find me and my life online at mzporsche-ohgee.blogspot.com, or you can email from porsche_2010@yahoo.com. I am always connected anywhere I go.

[If you’re interested in being apart just leave a comment with your email (or best way to get in contact with you) and I'll make sure to send you everything you need, so you can be featured on the blog!]

The Ayurvedic way

Over the past year I've been impressed with the growth of my hair. But honestly I think there is still a lot I can do to take my overall hair health to the next level. Now that I've done a lot of experimenting with products, trying to discover what works well with my hair and what doesn't, I realize that my hair tends to thrive when I incorporate natural ingredients.

With that said starting at the beginning of January I plan on doing a strict 6 month challenge of using just (mostly) natural ingredients to care for my hair. One of the easiest (yet most complex) ways of doing this is by adopting an Ayurvedic Hair Care Regimen.

Ayurvedic practices are a system unique to India where natural ingredients found in that region are used as an alternative means for medicine, treatments and hygiene. Many of the ingredients that are used in ayurvedic regimens can be found at most Indian markets and stores in the states. Also some ingredients used commonly in western culture (many you find in teas and herbal infusions)  can be found at your local health food store or Co-op.

Using ayurveda methods is beneficial not only because it's easy to mix ingredients specific to your hair needs but also the ingredients are NOT expensive. (They are considerably cheaper than the "all natural" products that you find in drug/beauty supply stores and online.)

Here are a list of ingredients that are commonly used in ayurvedic regimens. I'll definitely be seeing if I can get my hands on a good variety of the following:

Amla Powder | Stimulates hair growth, has wonderful conditioning properties, strengthens hair at the roots


Hibiscus Petal Powder| Conditions hair, Rejuvenates hair making it shiny


Mehndi Powder (Henna)| Mixture of multiple ingredients,   Not only used for hair coloring, works  as an excellent hair conditioner, imparts silkiness and shine


Kalpi Tone | Promotes hair growth, prevents pre mature balding, light conditioning properties, imparts shine 

Brahmi Powder | Strengthens hair at the roots, helps relieve dandruff, also purported to thicken hair  


Aloe Vera Juice | Balance PH level, heal scalp, imparts sheen, light conditioning properties, nourishes and moisturizes hair 


Neem | Helps fight scalp infections, works against dry and flaky scalp which causes dandruff

Shikakai | Acts as a natural cleanser, and mild conditioner, whilst promoting hair growth

Marshmallow Root Powder | Nourishes hair follicles and scalp, conditioning properties, imparts shine 


Vatika Oil | Mixture of Ayuerveda herbs into a coconut oil base, seals moisture, conditioning properties, imparts shine

As we get closer to the new year I'll share more ingredients,  recipes and techniques I'll be incorporating in my new hair challenge.

Face it!!

(source: Tumblr)

A great alternative to buying high end products that are showering the beauty market, is to use simple ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store and even your kitchen cabinets.

Of course this philosophy is not just restricted to your hair. Using more natural ingredients in your over all health/beauty routine will be kind to your body as well as your pockets.

Recently my face has been less than lack luster. I've had a bunch of acne flare ups, some color distortion from acne scaring and incredibly dry and flaky skin. I can blame this on two things.

1. My sampling of commercial face products for a fall/winter regimen.

2. The beating my face has taken from the recent cold weather.

I wanted to share with you some simple recipes that can replace those expensive face products and also give your face a healthier and more radiant glow.

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Cleansing:

Oil cleansing is a gentle and affordable way to remove dirt, bacteria, make-up and dead skin cells from your face daily. Because most of us already have oils in our arsenal it's much more convenient than buying a separate facial cleanser. By using oil to cleanse your face you are also eliminating the abrasive properties of sulfates and other ingredients within certain cleansers.

The great thing about oil cleansing is you can literally use which ever type of oil is more convenient to you. It's all about mixing and experimenting.

In my personal oil cleansing mix I use:

A small bottle of any type

50% Castor oil (helps draw out toxins and dead skin cells from skin)

25% Grapeseed oil (acts as a natural moisturizer and helps prevent acne)

25: Extra Virgin Olive oil ( also acts as a natural moisturizer)

6 drops of Lemon essential oil (helps with brightness in complexion)

3 drops of Tee Tree essential oil (helps combat dry skin and works as an anti-fungal ingredient)

1. Gently message a quarter size amount of the mixture all over face.

2. Place a hot, damp towel over your face until it cools. (allows the oils to penetrate your skin and steam out all toxins and dirt.)

3. remove hand towel and wipe away any excess oil off.

4. rinse your face with cold water to close the pores.

Toneing:

Toners are used to keep your skin tone even and bright. It is also used as a defense against acne and dry skin.

My Toner recipe:

A new/clean spray bottle

60% Chamomile Tea (used against flare ups, redness and therapeutic/calming properties)

20% Apple Cider Vinegar ( cleansing properties and ph balance)

20%:Aloe Vera Juice (acts as a moisturizer and ph balance)

6 drops of Lemon essential oil/ or juice (helps with consistent brightness in complexion )

1. With your spray bottle a tleast 8 inches from your face spray in a "X" and then "T" formation over your face.

2. Allow the mist to dry on your face before moving on to moisturizing.

(A lot of people also use witch hazel instead of Apple Cider Vinegar in their recipes. Feel free to use your own variation on the recipe.)

Moisturizing:

The price of moisturizers on the market these days can be out of control (especially for the amount you receive).Using a dime size amount of either hazelnut, jojoba or grapeseed oil will be more than sufficient when it comes to a daily moisturize. Even for those with oily skin the lightness of each of these oils allows for the skin to absorb it easy and fast without the oily/ greasy feeling it can leave on your face.

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Hopefully with a little tweaking to fit your personal needs, you'll be able to fit these cost-effective and healthier alternatives into your skin-care regimen.

Mixology 101: Honey

(source)

Now that summer is officially over and the cold breeze of the autumn is here its important now more than ever to make sure your hair is moisturized, to keep from being dry. Things like deep conditioners, moisturizing spritz and leave-ins are all ways of keeping your strands moist.

One agent that can be used to help with added moisture is something that you can find in your own pantry. Honey is considered one of nature’s well kept secrets. Honey serves as a natural humectant. In other words, when honey is exposed to air it naturally absorbs water molecules from the air. This makes it an ideal ingredient in your hair care regimen. It traps and seals in the moisture leaving your hair shiny, moisturized and healthy.

Like oils, the brands of honey that you will find the most beneficial are the brands that have not altered the honey's properties. So like Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Cold Pressedcastor oil, try to find Raw honey so you will get all the nutrients and properties that could be lost from over processing and heating.

Of course adding honey directly to your hair can be an extremely sticky situation but it isn’t as hard to deal with as you may think. Here are some ideas that can help you incorporate honey into your routine.

Hot Oil/Honey Treatment: (video)

Honey Infused Deep Conditioner: (recipe)

What you will need:

• Conditioner of choice (I used Aussie Moist)
• 2 Tbp Favorite oil (consider using olive, coconut, castor, jojoba, or sweet almond)
• 2 Tbps Raw honey
• Bowl and spoon for mixing

Mix all the ingredients into the bowl with your spoon. Apply mixture to wet hair. Cover your hair with a plastic cap. Leave hair covered for at least an hour (sometimes I do it over night and my hair feels FANTASTIC the next day). Feel free to sit under a hooded dryer or a steamer. Rinse the mixture out of your hair and continue with your usual styling.

*Happy Hair Days*

The hair life of...

So let us know who are you?
My name is Lauren Odom. I'm a sophomore biology major and Spanish minor at Howard University. I'm from Statesboro, Georgia. I absolutely love natural hair and I am honored to be a part of this.

How long have you been natural and did you BC (big chop) or transition?
I went natural September 2009 (wow, how time flies!) so it's been a year and seven months. I

transitioned because I wasn't bold enough for the BC, but i cut my hair short and wore it curly in the beginning. My hair grew pretty fast so I was constantly cutting away the permed hair.

Why did you decide to go natural or stay natural?
I decided to go natural because when I was younger I had long hair and though my hair has always been thick, the perm had done some MAJOR damage over the years. I couldn't get my hair to grow past shoulder length because it would break and I was always shedding like a dog which at that point isn't shedding, it's hair loss. Also my mom who's in her early 40s was experiencing thinning in the crown of her head and I was already thinning in one particular spot on my edges where I always wrapped my hair so I decided that sooner or later i was going to be having the same problems as my mom and I didn't want that.

What are your staple products and hairstyles? My staple products would be pure aloe vera juice and pure castor oil from the health food store and conditioner. These are the products I used initially and my hair took off! I also use a line of products from Taliah Wajiid. You can find them in your local hair store and they smell GREAT! AND my number one would have to be WATER. I let my hair get wet all the time and my hair loves it. I guess my staple style would just be wearing my hair out; wild and free.

What is your regimen? I now have locs so when I had an afro my regimen consisted of braiding my hair at night, wetting it when i took a shower and saturating with aloe vera and castor oil or olive oil. I'd take out the braids in the morning and have a beautiful wavy fro that I just wore. Now i usually braid my hair before bed. I don't wet my hair as much because it takes longer to dry and I don’t want to leave room for mildew. I wash my hair at least once a week. I condition first and put on a shower cap so that it can sit for a while until I wash my hair since I usually wash my hair while I'm taking a shower.

What are your natural hair goals?
My natural hair goal is mainly just to have beautiful, long, thick and healthy hair even as I age. Also I want to be able to proudly showcase the beauty that God gave us all by accepting who I am and not rejecting my hair, my skin or my features.

How do you keep your hair intact overnight?
Overnight i usually just braid my hair and take them down in the morning. I did this with the afro as well as the locs.

How do you maintain length?
As far as length goes I haven't gotten to the length that I desire yet, but just being careful and not bothering your hair too much will do the trick. By that I mean it takes patience and sometimes you just have to let your hair do what it's going to do. For example, some of my locs look a little rough right now b/c they need to be tightened but since I'm the type of person who likes my locs to be tight all the time , it's good to just let them go sometimes and then reinforce them so that I don't damage the follicle with constant pulling.

Have you received any negative comments about your hair?
yes, I have received negative comments about my hair. I don't allow it to bother me or make me second guess my decision because it's ignorance-the same ignorance that I had before I went natural. Since I used to think like many people, I actually enjoy informing them of the truth because I wish someone would've told me, i would've gone natural sooner. A lot of it came from family but I had support because my mother (who's my best friend and biggest cheerleader) and I went natural at the same time and we installed our locs at the same time. On top of that, my grandmother has always been natural and my aunt and younger cousin were natural so I had people to aspire to in spite of the negativity. I knew what I wanted and that was stronger, healthier and longer hair and even though "other people" believed that I "needed" a perm I knew that they didn't realize that that's exactly what I would NOT get from a perm.

Name 1 reason you went natural and why you love being natural.

The number one reason why the I went natural was because of health. The overall health of my hair. i love being natural because I feel strong and confident. Being natural I don't have to worry about a whole lot in regards to my hair like ooo I need a perm, I need to go to the hair dresser, I need money to the hair dresser, I need all these products, etc. I can walk in the rain which I usually do with no umbrella just because I love the freedom. I can swim and workout and turn and wash my hair whenever I want. Plus, it's not just about hair, it's a complete path to self discovery that I didn't even know had to with hair. I feel beautiful and I feel like I look the way that I was created to look. I'm taking the hand I was dealt and I'm not altering it to look like someone else's. I'm embracing it as my own and I absolutely love it.

Regimen/Routine Building

When I’m with some of my fellow newly naturals and especially those transitioning to natural, I’m always asked what regimen/products/styles do I like to use. So I thought it was good idea to share my personal regimen with those who are going through some of the same trials I did. These tips can be used for those with relaxed or natural hair. And I have click-able links to where you can buy the majority of the products listed below. I hope you find it useful, and if you have your own regimen or advice make sure to comment! It’s not a competition it’s about us all being on the come-up! We should help and support each other as much as we can!

The things that’s important to remember when building a healthy regimen is that its purpose is to help reach your personal hair goals. For most of us our goals include healthy hair and retaining length. To meet these goals it’s important to develop a routine featuring these steps:

A Pre-Poo treatment: Because the ingredients in shampoos can be harsh and strip your hair of the natural oils that your hair needs to stay healthy.

Cleanse: Washing out the build-up from the products you use daily.

Conditioning: helps to restore nutrients that may have been stripped from your hair during the cleansing step. Also helps with detangling.

Detangling: So you can prevent knotting and excess pulling on your stands.

Deep Conditioning (DC): Penetrates the strands deeply. DCs Adds nutrients for strength, shine and softness.

Moisturize/Seal: Because African American hair tends to be dryer than other ethnicities it’s important to add as much moisture as possible so your hair maintains softness and less breakage. It is also important to use natural/essential oils to help lock in that moisture.

Style (protective): Use your favorite styling products to create your favorite hair styles. Also try to add protective styles to your regimen. They help protect the ends of your hair which will help you retain length!

My Current Routine:

Every other Saturday or Sunday…

• I first thoroughly saturate hair with water and then divide my hair into 4-8 sections.

• I use a mixture of olive, castor and coconut oil as my pre-poo (also known as a "oil rinse"). I apply the mixture to each section and then cover my hair with a shower cap and keep it on for 30 min. to an hour.

• I then rinse the oils out of my hair (while they are still in sections) and then apply my shampoo (Dr. Bronner’s Magic Pure Castile soap, Carol’s Daughter Tui Herbal Shampoo), and work it through each section.
• I rinse the shampoo out of my hair (while they are still in sections).
• I apply conditioner (Yes To Tomatoes Nourishing Conditioner, Aussie Moist) to each section and using my tangle teezer or a wide tooth comb I carefully detangle my hair starting at the ends and working my way up to the roots.
• While my hair is still in sections I rinse out the conditioner and then add my favorite deep conditioner (Curl Harmony Intensive Deep Conditioner, Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner). I place a shower cap on my head. Depending on how late it is and what I have in mind for styling, I let the DC stay on my hair from 1hr to overnight.
• I then wash it out and add my leave-in conditioner and moisturizer (Yes to Cucumbers Color Care Leave-in Conditioner, Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream, Carol’s Daughter Tui Herbal Leave in Conditioner, water/conditioner mix) evenly throughout my hair.
• I seal in the moisture using either coconut oil or vatika oil. I seal my ends by adding my own shea butter mixture (which I’ll share with you all in a later post!)
• I then style my hair as follows:

-Bantu Knot-out: (Miss Jessie’s Curly Meringue)

-Two-strand Twist-out: (Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie)

-Wash and gos: (Kinky Curly Curling Custard, Eco-Styler Olive Oil Styling Gel, Homemade Flax Seed Styling gel, Smooth ‘N Shine Polishing Super Shine Conditioning Gel)

I hope this gives a little insight on regimen building. Don’t feel as if you have to use the same products or exact same steps as I do. Find what works for you! You can only do that by experimenting and playing around with different things. Once you do, let me know your routine/regimen. I’m always looking for tips and better techniques!