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?

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??

What Being a Natural Really Says about You

I have been studying naturals for a while now…almost 3 years to be exact. And I’ve discovered amazing things along the way. There are many things I can say about naturals:

*they are sexy
*they are exotic
*they eat healthy
*they are earthy
*they are desired
…

But there is one thing I’ve noticed that is a bit deeper than these things. Something I see , that every natural, especially female naturals, have. Young or older, Mixed or black, foreign or local, I realized that every natural has….

ACCEPTED HERSELF

That’s right! In a society, where for sooooo long, the straight haired, no fuss, no problem, long or short hair was lusted after, the natural woman or man has accepted his or her self. In the past few years, it has become more popular, yet still wildly exotic to be a natural, but this is only veeeery recent. Us curly, wavy, kinky, zigzaggy girls have had to endure being the outcast for decades! We had to endure the stares, the mockery, the disbelief, the ‘why can you look like (fillintheblank)’ statements. Or was that just my experience?

You’ve really got to be internally strong in order to not allow your environment to influence adverse thoughts about yourself. It took a lot of spiritual work for me to be strengthened in who God made me.

Yet then and now, every natural whom has decided to leave the relaxer, the conk, the texturizer, the chemicals, and the hotcomb alone, is making so many statements to herself (or himself) and to the world:

I Accept Me, I Love Me, I Am Me, freely

I Don’t Have to Look Like What Everyone Else Praises

I Can Also be Creative With My Styles and Still Amaze You

Newsflash for all those taking notice and that care: this is not a trend. This natural haircare and hairdo has changed, no exploded, the direction of the hair product industry. New businesses and old ones have sprouted up natural hair care lines and are ferociously marketing them with, guess who? Us naturals. Photographers and designers are frantically searching for natural models. Some of the most popular YouTubers are natural chics. We are writing a new history. It’s a movement toward multi-cultures accepting themselves intensely in the face of the passing ‘straight’ standard.

And…we naturals are only going to get bigger.

Bigger in hair size.

Bigger in numbers.

And bigger in ideas of where to take are natural hair next.

It’s our turn to be desired for just being…..naturally us.