How to care for colored hair

If you are constantly thinking of ways to make your hair over, then you have sought every type of change for your hair on the market, like I did. Hair straightener cremes, hair curling irons, semi permanent hair color cellophane, you name it, I’ve probably tried it.

The best treatment &care for color treated hair, whether temporary, semi-permanent or permanent, & whether henna or ammonia based, is to moisturize, Moisturize, & MOISTURIZE.

After getting my hair professionally dyed (not my usual cellophane, yet neither the harsh ammonia) for the first time, I noticed it was full as usual, but very dry. I wanted to bring life & moisture bring back into it. So immediately, I discovered I just need to add more moisture than normal to it. The way I approached that was to use a moisturizing leave-in conditioner, followed by coconut oil or a blend of oils.

I found doing this often, like a few times a week, helped keep my hair healthy, strong, & vibrant.

But I doubt I would ever color it that way again. I don’t even use henna.! I used to use Sebastian Cellophanes, but stopped for a while. Once I tried Joico on my own, but I didn’t have a great experience with that product. So now I try au natural; meaning lemon juice, chamomile tea, eggs, honey, etc. Just about anything you can eat!

What has your hair coloring experiences been like and how do you up keep your colored hair?

Current Hair Routine

Many people are recently asking me what do I use on my hair, how do I maintain it, is it hard to upkeep? These have been to most popular hair questions I’ve received as of late. Before I decided to wear my hair natural 100% of the time, the number one question I was ALWAYS asked almost every day of my life, as I wore it straight was: ‘Is it REAL?’

I wont go into the psychological issues that occurs for both parties during those interrogative experiences, but I’m glad that’s over. Yet at time I wonder…how does wearing my hair natural now, proclaim its REALNESS, more that before? Ah, that may seen like a social cultural concern, that I’m not sure I’m ready to approach, but let’s get back to my routine.

First the products I use:
I change products depending on what I’m targeting to that moment~ more moisture, retaining length, or keeping my scalp oiled. I have tried, used, and found favs with a range of products. Below, I listed the best suited for my hair, with is very coarse, very thick, very black, and very 3C/3B:

*Shea Moisture
*Creme of Nature
*AS I AM
*Curls
& Blends of every oil on the market, especially those oil mixtures that come with a 1000 oils inside 🙂

As for my routine:

*I wash with chemical free shampoo every month or so ( this works for my hair, I know most naturals have a more vigorous wash schedule )
* I follow up with a hair conditioner that is for extra moisture or for deep conditioning
*Then I rinse and pick-comb or finger-comb out with a leave in conditioner
* Finally I alternate days of applying more leave-in conditioner & oils, as I experiment with various protective styles

Level of difficulty for upkeep:

This question has always been hard to answer. Because when people ask it, they are asking form the perspective of their individual unique hair type and how mine compares to theirs. Because I never really had straight or loose wavy hair as a natural hair type, I don’t know if caring for mine is ‘easier than theirs’. Yet this I can say: it does take me considerable amount of time to prepare it to look, act, & be at the level of beauty that I desire it. In that sense, it may be harder to maintain than theirs, as most of those who ask me, have naturally straight hair.

What about your hair?
What do you do differently from me?
What techniques can you share to shorten my time in doing my hair?

What’s up with all the Different Product Names?

Ever notice & got confused on these natural hair care labels on the market, curly puddings, creamy gels, or milky smoothies? Well I looked into this and found some overlap in purpose, while others are completely different…

Let’s demystify the difference between the 9 types of natural hair products:
Creme ~ the consistency of this product will be thick & is designed to give a stronger moisturizing hold, yet not stiff
Gel ~ it will look like opaque jelly & is used to retain a hair style or shape throughout the day
Mist Spray  ~ this product is used to refresh your hair style during the day as well as bring more moisture back into your hair
Mousse  ~ is a foamy substance to help with hair volume, but once applied and styled, it will set in the style
Souffle ~ a whipped substance that is good for managing hair, bringing shine, & defining your hair pattern
Smoothie ~ this rich & thick moisture of various hair loving nutrients will tame & smooth out wild hair
Milk ~ this product is thinner in consistency , yet will bring hydrating, replenishing, & softening to your hair
Conditioner ~ surprisingly, this can come in five forms depending on your hair’s specific need. It can also be used as a wash out or leave in hair product. Although its term, CONDITIONer, is alkaline in nature, as it’s supposed to condition your hair back to softness after using ‘acidic shampoos, it can also focus on these ways to correct your hair:
~moisturizer
~detanglers
~reconstructors
~protectors
~acidifiers ( good kinds)
Pudding/Custard ~ a creamy product that will smooth, nourish, condition, smooth, moisten, & elongate your hair.

Right now, as I go through hair product stages 🙂 , My favorites are the hair pudding, because it brings me moisture, length, & semi-permanent hold of a style.

What’s your favorite natural hair care type and why?

And You Thought Custard was a Dessert..

If you have type “3b” hair like me, you’re probably a bit frustrated at trying, mixing, swapping, & adding to every natural hair care product on the market. Initially, my hair was super dry, then the Lord blessed me & it became super moist. So moist, that it seemed limp & the shrinkage was very real and present 😦 but it was soft…so soft, in fact, it seemed fragile.

Well, my sister came in one day and handed me a a new hair product. I looked at the label. It was a custard. I never used a custard before. I mean on my hair. I thought custard was a dessert.

So I try it the next day.

And the next one.

And the next….

And, OH-MY-GOSH…no one could tell me that heaven did not send me the most perfect product for my hair!! It worked a miracle!!! My edges & side hair (which had a slightly coarser texture than the rest of my head) were laid down, with ONE application. All my  hair also seems to show more of its true length. And my curls! They were more defined in areas where more work is usually needed to bring them forth. I felt I truly landed in hair-do haven.

So I’ve been using this custard for over a week now and I haven’t had to braid my hair once. It works perfectly to keep from tangling & shrinkage, plus I haven’t seen more than one knot since. Bless my hair God, Jehovah Se’arot Arukho!

If you have a similar hair texture to mine and are struggling to find a product that does it all, try a custard, like me, & let me know how it works for you 🙂

…Oh, here is the custard she bought me..
…No I’m not endorsed by them ( yet! )
…But I am a believer…of this product.

Long Hair….Fast

Every female I know of wants longer hair, now.

And you don’t know these girls, just look at the most popular hair videos and hair YouTubers: there are thousands of hits on their videos which show you ‘how to GROW your hair’ Faster, Better, Longer, and Fuller.

But is it possible?

The average hair grows at a rate of 1 cm to about 1 full inch a month.

But who says we have to be average?

I believe we can speed it up or at least get the full potential of 1 inch every month.

Yes, I know your hair is different than the next girl’s. It’s kinkier, curlier, stranger, bouncier, lighter, denser, thicker, wavier, tighter, and wilder than hers. Well, I still think I can assist you to finding something that can promote it’s grow quicker.

Think of the man with the spinning plates. Remember him? He used his hands or other tools to keep many plates spinning at one time. This is what you need to do with your hair. No, not spin it, but have several things working for you at once. Fortunately, you only need three. That spinning man probably had 5-7 plates!

Here are the three main ways that need to be working for & with you, to expedite your hair growth:

ROOTS ~

The part where your hair sprouts from your scalp is the top of your roots to deep underneath the skin is where it seems to disappear and actually end. It’s very important to keep this part of your hair healthy, since new growth stems from here. To cultivate growth in this area, massage it at least every other day or night. For the best results, you should do it daily. Gently rubbing this scalp area  stimulates the skin around the hair follicles and encourages growth. It also feels good and subsides any stress you have. Relax & enjoy!

BODY ~

What’s inside your body is more critical than what you put on it. I’m sure you’ve heard about keeping a healthy diet & exercises many times before, so I wont re-iterate that here. Yet, a lessor known, but equally important factor of keeping a balanced, healthy body is this: what is right, good, or best for you, might not, be right, good, and best for me. They say this and they say that, but it’s better to LISTEN to your body and discover what it needs. Everyone’s body is different and needs an individual plan for health. Your body was well made and knows how to communicate with you what is optimum for your health. You may need to rest more this week and only do two days of cardio workout. Or, you body may crave a certain food. It will craves certain things at various times, because there is an element in that food, which your body is missing to function properly. Eat that particular food item and watch your health bloom. In addition, stay very hydrated with water each day and have 2 to 1 ratio with every other type of drink you choose, should you decide to drink non-water drinks.

Ends~

The ends of your hair need to be fiercely protected. This is the area of your hair that gives you the length you crave. You want to retain as much of it in its best state as possible. This means you must keep them moisturized with conditioners, oil, and/or water, as well as tuck them into you hair in protective styles so the weather and environment elements will not hamper its thriving.  If possible, wear protective styles 50% – 75% of the day .

These are the only true elements you need for hair growth.

The type of products you use, your hair routine, etc., etc., really doesn’t matter in light of these. The only thing that is crucial in using hair products is that you do not saturate it with synthetic harmful ingredients. Everything else that touts hair growth is FLUFF.

Why Beards are so HOT now

Beards. They’re everywhere now! Everywhere I look, on the street, at the beach, in the music store, inside a car, I see….a beard. And not just any beard. Its usually a full thick but maintained beard on any number of ethnic and not so ethnic men in their 20s & 30s. Even a few in their 4os and 50s are getting in on the trend. Bearded-men have seem to overpopulated themselves over night and I’m rubbing my edges trying to figure out when did this occur?

And more importantly, why?

According to various sources online, men growing and sporting beards have been steadily rising in popularity since 2010. And its’ not just because of the benefits of not having to buy razor and other shaving products nor the natural UV protection they provide the facial skin, but they represent something more powerful. Having a beard means you’re a strong, masculine, sexual, virile, mature, intelligent, and high class man.

Some even believe that the fullness of a beard subconsciously represents premiere selections for a sexual partner for procreation, as women subconsciously respond to those bearded-men with the desire to be chosen to make a family with that man.

Hmmm…

Studies have been done on proving how easier it is for some nationalities to grow beards, than others, like Asian, South Americans, and Native Americans ~ although I have seen plenty of Native Americans with beards!  Beards, overs the years have also had a negative connotation, think dudes with evil roles in movies and barbarians, which ironically means ‘the bearded ones’. Yet religious groups such as Israelites, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, and Amish are mandated to keep and not trim their beards. So the beard has symbolized a spectrum of people and concepts.

But when did every man I know, online & off, get the memo? It appears as if overnight, we went from the popular goatees, sideburns, mid patches and jaw-line definition to full, and full trimmed, beards. And why are so many women attracted to them now? I see so many couples, young couples, older couples, interracial couples, all with bearded men! Even I have started to become weak in the presence of a bearded man and now have put that down as a must have for my future mate. What caused this turn on inside of me for beards? I don’t know for sure, but I like it and hope the beards keep coming.

         

If you have your own ideas as to why beards are so hot right now, please share them with me !

Sources:
Site pueblopulp.com ~ what’s with the Beard phenomenon
All Photos ~ various tumblr accounts on beards

Best Styling Products on the Market for Curling up natural hair ( for men & women )

These are in order of personal preference:

Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie

~Smells good & does what it advertises

As I Am Curling Jelly

~Smells really delicious & good product

Curls Creme Brulee

~Smells delectable and good hold on length

Miss Jessies’ Quick Curls

~Maybe expensive but very popular

Kinky-Curly Original Curling Custard

~Another popular choice with no flaking

Aunt Jackies Curls & Coils Don’t Shrink

~Growing in top options & touted to elongate curls & defeat shrinkage

Eden All Natural Curl Defining Creme

~Good light product with water and coconut oil base

Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme

~Good for 3c/4a hair types

Boing! Oyin Handmade Kitchen

~Yummy product with water & shea butter based moisturizer & define curls

 

*all photos taken from pinterest

How to get the knots out… Or prevent them from appearing

How many times have we naturals received compliments on our hair and then led the discussion to the knots we fear growing in our glory?

Well I experimented on this knot business and discovered 5 ways to deal with them.  Doing them will banish knots for good!  At least I believe so..

1. Always, when using any type of hair tool ( comb, brush,  or your fingers ), work from the ends of your hair to the very roots where your scalp is.  There were times I stopped 1/2 or 3/4 ths of the way when I thought it was detangled. This does not help prevent tangling or knots because you have to go all the way up,  even if the tangling is cleared beforehand.
2. Absolutely ‘no borrowing’! I used to borrow often, you know,  when you are braiding a 3 strand braid and one of the stands turns out shorter than the other two?  So you borrow hair from the thickest or longest looking piece of the two, and continue your 3 strand braid.  I started realizing that this new strand later created a knot where you borrowed from. Just say no to borrowing. Try to separate three equal hair strand pieces before you start or if you are left with only two, just twist the rest.
3. As you are treating your hair, please do so wet. Styling, prepping, and protecting it in a dry state will not benefit you later on. It is the fertile ground for knot forming!
4. Also, your regular routine should include moisturizing your curly, wavy, or zigzagy do often. Use either water or conditioner. Keeping your hair from living in a dry place helps keep not land from forming on your soil.
5. Additionally, I have invented  my own little technique to deal with knots once I find them. Some people pull them to the ends, others cut them off, but both of these ways take out other hair strands with them. My technique either just removes the knot itself or releases all the strands so EVERY HAIR IS SAVED.

My technique:

~I isolate the strands that the knot surrounds from the rest of my hair. ~I gently pull up words, as if I’m drating the knot closer to my scalp. ~Then I slowly pull all the strands back down but apart. ~Next I try to remove one strand at a time from the knot.  ~I repeat this three step process until every strand is out of the knot. ~Many times I find this releases the knot and saves the hair.

If you want me to make a video on this technique, please comment below and I will show you exactly how I do it.

 

Hair History: The Scarf

Why I am NOT a Product Junkie

Oh how I LOVE natural hair style products! From AS I AM to SHEA MOISTURE to CURLS, to name my favorites, I long to try and use every brand on the market. I have made lists of natural hair care products and also natural ingredients hair care products ( beware – there is a difference!!!) that could fill this site. I have switched brands a quadrillion of times just to smell something new on my head. I was a product junkie…

But I have been redeemed.

I no longer am a product junkie and have come to my senses that it’s just not right to be one. It does many things to you unknowingly when you are deep in it. Since I came out of that bondage, I now see the light. There are many deliverances I received once I gave up the plethora of product scouting and buying.

I became richer.

You see being a product junkie causes you to shell out dollars upon dollars for conditioners, creams, gels, and milks of the same brand because – it just doesn’t work right without the accompanying match. I had to try, not only a new product, but at least two of those within the brand, so the ‘one’ product could work better. The labels always suggest ‘following up’ with another one of their products for best results.

My hair became accustomed to a routine.

Right now, my hair is thanking me, because I use to change products after every bottle was finished. Since I found the best product within one label that works, my hair is now working with that product for optimum results. It can rest assured it will get more of the same to grow. After all, do we change the type of sunlight, soil, food, and water a plant receives to grow?

My sanity was calmer & clearer.

I no longer have to worry about what to try next, how it might react to my hair, and where to get it. Different stores have varying promotions on different products: One week you can find this here for less and another week somewhere else, and it just got confusing. With each new bottle, container, or tube, I did buy, I’d pray that it would work well with my hair so I wouldn’t have to start the process again when exchanging it. Plus it was so hard not to lust after other brands. There were just too many good ideas to try and new brands popping up every month!

I became free from the influence of marketers.

No more wooing me with the naturals lexicon of ‘free from this’ , ‘made 100% with that’ , and ‘mixed with this hair promoting ingredient’. I have become strong. I am not moved by the ads, slogans, photos, and packaging. Well, sort of. I still like the packaging. Ok, I love the packaging and photos too! But now that I found my product love, I am not totally moved.

I hope I will continue to walk in this state of redemption, as more and more luscious looking, yummy smelling, moisture conditioning products continue to surface on the market. But what about you? Are you a product junkie or not? Why??