moisture for my roots…

13 Top Tips for Keeping Natural Black Hair Moisturised – No More Dry Hair!

Keeping black hair moisturised is our biggest challenge. If you follow most of the below tips you will help to keep your hair soft and hydrated. Hydrated hair breaks less.

1. Wash your hair at least weekly. 

Water is the supreme moisturiser. When you wet your hair the water moelcules actually penetrate the hair shaft and make the hair softer and more elastic.

Moisture = hydration, hydration = water, hydrated hair = less breakage.

2. Use a shampoo and conditioner within the same product line or test the pH of your chosen shampoo and conditioner to ensure they complement each other.

Conditioner is meant to be more acidic than shampoo. The lower pH of the final product used in the cleaning process (typically the conditioner) helps to seal off the hair; sealing the hair means hair cuticles are smoothed down and moisture is held in better. A shampoo and conditioner within the same product line will be developed with this requirement in mind.

For example, the shampoo of one brand may have a pH of 4.5 and the conditioner 3.5 meaning that your hair is properly sealed off. But if you then go and use a conditioner of another brand whose pH is 5.0, this sealing off process won’t happen properly.

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3. Deep condition every week.

Deep conditioners contain moisture-boosting elements and proteins that a) strengthen the hair cuticle and b) enhance the hair strand’s moisture.

I didn’t know this until recently but not all conditioners are made equal. There are five main types:

• Instant conditioners
• Cream-rinse conditioners
• Deep conditioners – you want this one
• Moisturising conditioners
• Protein conditioner

The weaker types (e.g. instant conditioners) are designed for daily use, some are designed for weekly use, e.g. deep conditioners and some shouldn’t be used more than once a month (e.g. those very high in protein).

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4. Finish every wash off with a cold rinse

Washing your hair with warm water helps to dislodge dirt and oil. It also increases the hair’s porosity i.e. the cuticles open up so that all the good stuff from your shampoo and conditioner is easily absorbed.

Rinsing your hair in cold water at the end of the washing process will help to flatten the cuticle and lock in moisture. I also do this when I wash my face. It helped to clear up my acne.

5. Apply a moisturiser to your hair before you apply any oil.

Oil is not a moisturiser. Oil and water do not mix hence oil, if at all used, needs to be applied last so that it stops moisture from escaping. Oil is fantastic at locking in moisture.

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Petroleum jelly is not ideal for hair

6. Buy a good moisturiser.

Moisturisers can be water-based or oil-based. In oil-based moisturisers water and oil are blended using “emuslifiers”; emulsifiers stop the water and oil from separating. A shea butter based moisturiser is the best option in my opinion.

A buttery one works best on wet hair and a creamy one is fantastic for dry hair.

7. Avoid petrolatum, petroleum and mineral oils.

Although they are great for sealing in moisture, they provide no additional benefit.

That said, if you have a moisturiser where one of these appears low down the list of ingredients, it means they don’t form a major part of the mosituriser. According to The Science of Black Hair, “as a rule of thumb, these sealants should never be listed in the top five ingredients of any moisturiser you use”.

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8. Seal-in the moisture with a good oil.

Great oils for sealing moisture within the hair cuticle (most to least preferred):

• Coconut oil
• Jojoba oil
• Avocado oil
• Argan oil
• Castor oil
• Sweet almond oil

All these oils are available in one money-saving pack.

9. Drink lots of water. 

A lot of hydration operates from the inside out.

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10. If you have a dry scalp massage a small amount of oil onto it regularly.

Keeping a dry scalp moisturised will ensure that the scalp’s environment is conducive for hair growth and is efficiently supplying hair with oil (sebum) to help in the hydration of hair.

The best oil you can apply to your scalp? Jojoba.

Jojoba is very similar in structure to sebum (the oil produced by the scalp) and as such is my oil of choice.

11. Spritz your hair with water twice a day.

This will help to keep it hydrated. Note that if your hair is damaged or if you have a build up of minerals on your hair (e.g. from hard water) or if you’re using a product high in petrolatum/petroleum/mineral oil, water will find it hard to penetrate to the cuticle.

12. Sleep with a satin bonnet at night and/or use a satin pillow case

Cotton absorbs the moisture from your hair a lot more than satin does. In addition, satin fibres are smoother than cotton ones so you’re less vulnerable to breakage with satin.

13. Wear protective hairstyles when the weather is harsh.

If it’s very hot or windy your hair will dry out VERY quickly.

Reference: The Science of Black Hair by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy

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my twa Feb 2013…

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This is where my hair is at the moment, sometimes it can be frustrating  as it seems most of the naturals on the internet are way past the the twa stage…

My twa roots…

How Long Will You Be In The TWA Stage?

my current length in Feb 2013

I don’t know how many times I’ve thought I was out of the TWA stage, only to be reminded when I tried to do one of those styles for long hair… I made mistake of thinking that because I had shoulder length dreadlocks, it was going to be easy to transition from the TWA stage. If someone broke down a TWA to me and how long it takes to get out of this stage before I picked out my dreadlocks… who knows… I might have transitioned a little longer, lol! I can’t wait for the day when I can really wash and go and have at least neck/shoulder length curls.

So approximately how long will you be in the TWA stage?

It all depends on your amount of shrinkage, curl pattern and hair style.  These estimations are primarily for wash & gos, or unstretched styles-

• If your hair is tightly curled/waved and shrinks up anywhere between 50% – 90% expect to be in the TWA stage anywhere from 2 – 4 years.
• If your hair has medium curls/waves and shrinks up anywhere between 40% – 80% you can expect to be in the TWA stage for about a year or two.
• If your hair has loose waves or curls and your shrinkage is about 20% – 60% you can expect to be in the TWA stage for about a year and a half.

These values are based on Curly Nikki’s calculations from comparing the shrinkage of many naturals with different textures and hair types and is also a calculation for girls who are starting off with 2″ – 3″ of hair, tops. If you have hair that doesn’t shrink as much in any texture, you will be able to see your length sooner than later. And of course the opposite is true for us girls with major shrinkage, it takes forever!!!

 

itchy scalp…

Causes and Solutions For An Itchy Scalp? itchy scalp My scalp gets itchy sometimes; There are few things so annoying as an itchy scalp. Scratching too much can lead to hair loss . What causes the scalp to itch? 1. Dirt including dandruff 2. Allergies, e.g. to products or even food 3. Parasites / creepy crawlies, e.g. lice 4. A scalp condition, e.g. seborrheic dermatitis 5. Infections, inflammation including from acne and autoimmune disorders But I thought African-Americans don’t get lice? Not true. Anyone can get lice, however, people who relax their hair are less likely to get lice because relaxer is a VERY STRONG chemical. Perhaps the incidence of lice has historically been lower for black women because of almost universal chemical relaxer usage. With all of us going natural lice rates are sure to go up! Children usually get lice from their friends at school and that’s how lice might enter your home. What are the solutions to an itchy scalp? 1. Wash and condition your hair thoroughly 2. Find out what you are allergic to and stop eating it. If you think it’s a given product, stop using the product you suspect and see if the itching goes away. Once you discover the product that your scalp ‘doesn’t like’, stop using it, 3. If all else fails, see a dermatologist.

trimming my roots…

What is the Point of Trimming Hair?

I am guilty of not doing this but i felt it might be helpful to others like me and thanks to Neno Naturals;

I’m not afraid to trim my hair but I know many girls are. Once my hair reached shoulder length I was actually guilty of excessive trimming – I did it almost weekly because my hair was getting tangled all the time.

Trimming is important because:

1. It helps you hair looking good and well looked after; It smartens you up. Unsightly hair ends are not attractive.

2. It gets rid of damaged hair. Damaged hair and split ends are more likely to get tangled with health hair; this extra friction encourages more hair damage and increased breakage.

3. It encourages growth. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t understand how this works but apparently taking care of hair ends helps hair grow. I think this is likely due to better length retention.

If the ends are damaged and are allowed break off at will the hair that’s left also has a damaged end which in turn is susceptible to further breakage.

With a pair of scissors you can cut the damage off clean leaving only healthy hair that doesn’t tangle and cause friction.

So there you have it; as for how often you should trim, that’s an individual choice but two to three times a year seems to be common in many naturals’ regimen.

In addition, remember that “dusting” may mean that you can get away with trimming your hair less often. “Dusting” involves trimming so little hair that it looks like dust. This technique helps to stop split ends from happening at all. You can dust every 6 to 8 weeks. Just snip off a tiny, inconsequential amount to keep the ends healthy.

You might also like:
How Often Should You Be Trimming Your Natural Hair?!

 

clarifying shampoo…

Clarifying Shampoos: What Are They For? How Often Should They Be Used?

I found this article on Neno Naturals:

 

Clarifying shampoos are specially designed to lift product buildup. If you have one, do not, I repeat, do not, use it regularly.

If you use a lot of heavy products, such as gels, greases and anything that coats your hair then you would benefit from a monthly wash with a clarifying shampoo, even once every 6 weeks would be ample.

Signs that your hair has too much product buildup:

1. Your shampoo doesn’t lather well (note that some natural shampoos don’t lather so if you’ve never used that shampoo before this could be the issue).

2. You shampoo doesn’t seem to clean your hair well. It still feels oily or greasy after you’ve supposedly washed it.

3. Your hair is lacking in bounce, body and pliability.

4. Your hair’s breaking and you don’t know why. This would happen because the hair is actually dry but because it’s coated, moisture (i.e. water) is failing to penetrate.

Why can’t a sulfate-free shampoo deal with this situation?

They are too gentle. They are designed not to strip hair so they cannot deal with build up.

What do you do if you don’t want to use a clarifying shampoo?

If like me you don’t want to use a clarifying shampoo because you think it’s a) too strong for your hair or b) you don’t usually use heavy products or even c) you don’t want to buy a product that will only be used monthly, then for a more intensive wash just use a regular sulfate-containing shampoo.

My husband has one of those so I can just use his. In fact, right now he’s using Mixed Chicks shampoo which I bought by accident and later learnt contains sulfate. That mistake cost me $18 – not good!

Anything else?

Just one thing: a clarifying shampoo will strip your hair so make sure you follow up with a deep condition, a good moisturiser and an oil to seal.

good hair…

Chris Rock documentary about what is good hair…

 

♥

shedding my roots…is it normal?

The assumption that natural hair does not shed is..WRONG..I can attest by personal experience because I shed  whenever I wash my hair..and that’s no lye

Understanding the difference between hair breakage and shedding is an important part of any healthy hair regimen. Many people use these terms interchangeably to refer to any hair that falls from the head; however, this misinformed language can be a recipe for hair disaster. You must be able to properly differentiate between these two very specific forms of hair “loss” in order to effectively address even the smallest of your hair needs. This post will educate us on the difference between hair shedding and hair breakage, and offer strategies to help you combat both hair problems.

Just What Is Shedding??

• In its truest sense, shed hair is hair that has reached the end of its growing cycle and naturally falls from the scalp along with its tiny, white “root” attached.
• This is not the actual hair root that is secured deeply within your scalp, but it is the bulb root or base of the hair strand found on the scalp-originating end.
• It appears white because the hair stops producing melanin (color) at the point in its growth cycle right before it gets ready to fall.
• If your actual hair root came out along with the hair, you would no longer be able to produce hair from that same place on the scalp ever again!
• If a hair does not possess this white root bulb, then it is not a naturally shed hair, rather, a broken one. Shed hair tends to be longer in length than broken hairs which are generally short pieces of varying lengths.
• In general, shedding should not be a major concern for you and should be seen as a sign of a healthy, normal, functioning scalp. There is no need to fear shedding unless it is tied to a medical issue. If you notice rapid hair loss from shedding or hair loss accompanied by a host of other problems, please consult a medical professional. Most shedding, however, is simply nature taking its course.

 

Shedding..Did You Know

• You must understand that because shedding is a natural, internal process, it may not respond to topical, external treatments. Some have praised garlic shampoos or “garlic scalp rubs” for reducing shedding, but there has been no clear consensus on the effectiveness of garlic as a remedy for shedding. Shedding is also not easily solved by protein or moisture treatments because it has nothing to do with the hair shaft itself, but is a response to hormonal influences on the hair follicle and is dependent on growth cycles. When a hair completes its life cycle, which generally last s 4-6 years, its final act is the shedding we experience. This cannot be prevented.
• Also, our hair naturally cycles in and out of seasonal shedding phases which may last days or weeks at a time in some individuals. Research suggests that peak shedding rates occur during the fall season. A healthy head of hair may shed as many as 50- 100 hairs per day, though I personally believe this amount to be a grand stretch. You should be concerned if your shedding suddenly increases to a rate that was uncommon to you before, or if the shedding seems to be prolonged over the course of several weeks or months.
• Do keep in mind that there are special periods in the human life cycle where shedding is naturally increased. For example, women who are undergoing a bout of postpartum shedding after having a baby may have to deal with increased shedding for several months until their normal hormone levels return. Other conditions which may increase your shedding rate are:
• *styling methods that place stress on the follicles
• *birth control/menstrual cycles/menopause
• *pregnancy
• *heredity (runs in the family)
• *crash dieting/ low protein diets, poor diet
• *illness with high fever as a prevailing symptom

Please consult with a medical professional to diagnose any prolonged, abnormal shedding or other unusual scalp conditions.

♥

knots in my roots…

Hi peeps

I took out my braids today and my hair had a lot of knots; these can be frustrating since i do all i can to make sure my hair is moisturised in this protective style. I came across O’Natural’s blog that shed some light on what she called fairy knots…

FAIRY KNOTS..What Are They?

• Tiny Knots that appear on single strand of hair close to the hairs tips(ends). They are a common and a natural occurrence in kinky-curly hair.
• They are caused by the hair having a tight curl pattern which results in the hair wrapping around itself resulting in a tiny single strand knot.

 

FAIRY KNOTS…What Causes Them?

• Well, this is going to sound like a slight contradiction, but frequent wear of protective styles such as braid outs, twist outs or fros.
• Not sealing the ends at night. Sealing your ends at night means to apply a butter or natural oil to the ends of your hair for extra moisture and protection at night before securing with a satin scarf or bonnet.

 

FAIRY KNOTS..How To Minimize Them

• Protect those ends at night before bed by applying a natural butter, such as shea butter, mango butter, avocado butter or other butters or oils such as extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, jojoba and other oils to the ends (tips) of your hair, then cover with a satin bonnet, scarf or sleep on a satin pillowcase.
• Protective Styles are helpful, such as twists, braids, plaits in minimizing fairy knots.
• Keep tresses moisturized by proper conditioning, especially deep conditioning, and use an all natural leave in.
• Do not comb naturally curly-kinky hair while dry. Always comb hair with a wide tooth comb or detangling brush while hair is soaking wet and slippery with conditioner. Always comb starting from ends to roots.
• If you have fairy knots, take some shears that have only been used on hair and cut them out immediately on sight. If the knots are left untreated, they will, more than likely, continue to knot up from the ends and cause breakage. (Fyi: breakage is when you do not see a white tip at the end of the fallen hair. When a white tip is seen, this is shedding which is a normal occurrence in the hair cycle).

♥

 

Train Your Natural Hair With These Edible Conditioners

 

 

Oh, the woes of dry, natural hair! If your hair is lacking moisture, hydration, then cooperation is not happening. Does your natural hair seem to soak up moisture in a few hours as if the other twenty doesn’t need to be accounted for? Dry, brittle, unmanageable, frizzy is in your frame of reference when describing your hair? It probably can benefit from a deep conditioner. To remedy dry hair, try working with ten natural foods, like ripe, yummy avocados and golden, sweet bananas, both full of natural oils straight from the pantry. Why? Not anti-product, but weed out the best products that actually work and not pay so much to achieve beautiful, manageable hair. While avocados are pricey, the benefit of getting 100% avocado chock full of nutrients, and not a hybrid of 30 other ingredients, is priceless!

Here are ten edible items that can be use as an natural deep conditioner and their benefits for hair: by  isunshineporter

1. Apple Cider Vinegar: Smooths hair shafts over time, preventing split ends.
2. Avocado: Helps hydrate hair, natural oils repairs split ends.
3. Banana: Rich in potassium, natural oils, vitamins that softens hair.
4. Coconut oil: Essential proteins to rebuild damage hair.
5. Eggs: Protein rich, makes hair more manageable.
6. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Controls frizzy hair, full of good fats.
7. Honey: Natural humectant, provides impeccable shine.
8. Mayonnaise: Another form of eggs, providing shiny, soft hair.
9. Molasses: Full of proteins, minerals helps to relieve hair of stress.
10. Plain Yogurt: Great protein supplier leaves hair shiny, soft.

Homemade Deep Conditioner Recipes:

Recipe #1

1 Whole Avocado
1 cup real Mayonaise
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Oil
3 tablespoons Coconut Oil

Recipe #2

1 Avocado
1/2 Can of Coconut Milk
2-3 tablespoon each of Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Honey

Recipe #3

1/2 cup of Plain Yogurt
1/4 Cup of Molasses
1/3 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 jars of Banana baby food (Some like the baby food better because of less messiness than a whole banana)

Recipe #4

1 jar of Banana baby food
1/4-1/2cup Coconut Cream or Milk
2 tablespoons of Honey
2 tablespoons of Coconut and Avocado (or the oil)

Recipe #5

1/2 cup of Plain Yogurt
2 Egg Yolks
1/3 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 cup of Mayonnaise
3 jars of Banana baby food

It’s best to blend all items in a blender to ensure a well-blended mix. Feel free to add drops of natural oils like lavender or rose for an invigorating scent and know you aren’t marry to the exact specifications of these formulas! Try them all—add or deduct what works best for your hair. After all, all hair is not created equal.

♥