Category Archives: hair

well here we go again

time after time it black women are excluded from important conversations. from white companies, this is something that as a black woman I’ve just come to understand as reality. black hair care products are limited; I’ve found about a solid four brands- Shea Moisture, Camille Rose, Cantu and As I Am. finding organic products for my hair (which is 3B/3C) is difficult- but my hair is not as coarse as many other black women. so finding good products that work for 4C (the curliest type, which does not hold moisture well and is often viewed as “ugly” (I don’t believe this to be true)). so when Shea Moisture unleashed an ad that talked about hair hate, I had high expectations. They failed me. The video included three women, two of which are white and one was black- with the perfect mixed girl curls that society loves. they didn’t represent black hair accurately- though majority of their consumers are black women. it’s a black brand, based off of hair recipes of an African woman named Sofi Tucker in Sierra Leone (see how many times I’ve read that bottle?! I didn’t even have to look at it!). I’ve been using Shea Moisture for years and it’s been a faithful product in my house hold. The products are pricey, normally about 13 dollars for just conditioner; my family has spent hundreds of dollars on their products. not to mention all the people I’ve recommended these products to (in real life and on my blog). they’ve issued an apology but honestly we all know it’s just to get good press. the damage is done. as of now i’m boycotting. don’t know how long it will last, but i am. they’ve gotta do better. black women have to be included in the picture because we matter.

Attached here is the video!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=5WWFxEnJovA

regime

Having a steady hair care regime is essential. Especially during times of the year like this- I have a two weeks of classes left and lots to still get done. So I’ve been protective styling this past week so that life is a little bit easier. Ill take you all through my last week to explain what happened, how it happened and the great news I have to share! 

  • Friday

Friday night I decided to wash my hair. It had been about a week since I co-washed, which considering I was styling my hair daily that’s really long for me. Normally if I’m braiding and unbraiding and styling my hair, I try to co-wash at least once in between my weekend washes, so that I don’t have too much product build up. I just didn’t have time that week, so I waited until Friday. I used Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow and Restore shampoo (which removes build-up and balances hairs pH levels), OGX Biotin and Collagen Shampoo (it’s sulfate free and really makes my hair so moisturized) and Shea Moisture’s Coconut and Hibscicus Co-Wash. For the first time I used Shea Moisture’s Superfruit Complex 10 in 1 Renewal System as my deep conditioner (I did sit under the drier for like thirty minutes). I rinsed it out (with cold water), then did the LOC method (I’ll do an update LOC method post soon!), and braided my hair. 

  • Monday

Monday morning I unbraided my hair, after making sure I oiled and spritzed my hair every day. I also used Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Complex Moisture Retention Conditioner (which can work as a leave in too) and Ecostyler Gel (Argan Oil). I use water, then the conditioner then the gel to slick my hair down. But on Monday I wore my hair up in two buns, so I undid my braids and sprayed the hair and added leave in before I combed it out. 


this is how much hair came out. I was shocked and very happy.

  • Monday evening

One of my friends twisted my hair Monday night. So I co-washed, and used a deep conditioner as a regular conditioner (meaning I had the shower cap on while i was in the shower but I didn’t sit under my drier). 

This is how much hair came out after washing. I was also very happy. 

  • Everyday process from Tuesday until now

Every day I spray my twists down and use a little oil. Every couple days I do the LOC method, and make sure that I sleep with a bonnet and a satin pillow case (luckily with my hair like this, my bonnet actually stays on). Today I will be taking my twists down and probably getting it braided tonight. 

My advice to all of you: when you’re busy protective style. It makes life so much easier when you don’t have to really worry about your hairs health. Yes you will still need to water your hair and add some oil and stuff but that’s not time consuming. Take care of your hair- especially when you’re busy! 

hair care tips 

Hi loves!

With this crazy Michigan weather, it’s been really important for me to spend a little extra time on my hair. I just wanted to share some tips! 

  • Tips
    • Leave a shower cap on: I cannot stress this enough! I showered without one on last week and combing out my hair was a nightmare! I believe it’s because the roots got curly and tangled. It was horrible. Never again.
    • Make sure you put on leave in and wet your hair down before you comb it- I often braid my hair at night and I’ve realized that when I undo it in the morning it’s a lot easier to comb through to style after I wet it and add a little leave in. You don’t want your hair to be too drenched for two reasons: one, it’s wet and that’s not fun, two because of shrinkage- adding too much water will make it shrink. I braid my hair to stretch it out, because I have a lot of shrinkage, so if I really wet it, it would be counterproductive.     

     

     

    hair journey

    I got my hair done about two weeks ago, which the picture below is of right after. The second picture is from yesterday, which really is just to show the length. The most important thing to me is the health of my hair. I enjoy the length, but the health is my focus. I haven’t gotten a trim since January, so I will probably get another one in March when I get my hair done over spring break. I never have trimmed my hair on my own because I know that trimming is a delicate and intricate process that needs to be done by a professional. I believe that it’s always best to have someone who can see your hair trim it. Today, I’ll be washing my hair (which needs to be washed really bad), deep conditioning and protective styling (braids). I enjoy having my hair braided because of all the styles and that it helps my hair grow. I have been able to really grow my hair out. I plan on paying closer attention to my hair since the weather is changing (it seems like it’s trying to get warmer). Remember to treat your hair like a plant- water it, love it and care for it, to watch it flourish!

     

    hair care regimen

    Taking care of your hair is really important. It’s just like brushing your teeth, or washing your hands, it just takes a little longer but it’s still important. Today I wanted to talk about the importance of establishing a steady hair care regimen. Life gets busy. But having a schedule that you’re used to sticking with is what’s going to allow your hair to really flourish to its full potential. Below are some important things to consider while creating a regimen!

    • Washing

    Clean hair is really important. How often you wash is also important. I typically co-wash my hair (with Shea Moisture’s Coconut and Hibiscus Co-Washing Cleanser) about once a week. It really all depends on how my hair is feeling. I use a balancing shampoo (like Shea Moisture’s Jamaican and Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow and Restore Shampoo). Since this shampoo is drying, I only use it about every ten days. I also have a rule of thumb- my hair should never itch. Mostly because if it starts itching I should just wash it. I also always try to oil my hair before washing. I will use olive oil or Jamaican Black Castor Oil, to pre-poo my hair. Before washing, it let my hair rinse under warm water which helps to remove the dirt. 

    • Conditioning 

    Conditioning just makes your hair flourish. The weather just recently got drier, but conditioning helps. Also, if I happen to co-wash and not deep condition, I just warm up my conditioner. I typically add olive oil to my conditioner too. After I co-wash, I’ll add the conditioner, comb out my hair and leave a shower cap on while I finish showering. I’ve recently started conditioning my hair in sections. My hair has gotten really thick over the last couple months, making it harder to comb through. I find that the sections help me make sure everything is combed all the way through. I also rinse my conditioner out with cold water, because cold water helps seal in moisture. 

    • Deep Conditioning

    This is a weekly must do for me. I normally sit under my drier for 15-25 minutes under a medium temp and maybe 5 minutes under cool. Deep conditioning honestly helps your hair grow so much. It gives it the added moisture that you need, especially in the winter when there’s not much moisture in the air. Deep conditioning adds shine, prevents damage, moisturizes and promotes elasticity (which helps with reducing breakage). 

    • Protective styling

    Braids to me are a must. Even if it’s just four braids before I go to bed, I always go to bed with my hair braided. Braids retain moisture really well, with helps grow your hair out. Other great protective styles include twists (one of my friends twists her hair very often and it’s so cute on her). Also make sure you’re investing in a good satin bonnet and scarf. I use both every night to make sure that my hair retains its moisture.

    • Other important hair tips 

    Water is your hair’s best friend. I spray my hair down with a mix of water, olive oil and a couple drops of peppermint oil. It’s been leaving my hair incredibly soft and smelling great (the peppermint). The water and oil combination is great. If my hair is braided, I oil my hair everyday and use Curlaide by Camille Rose (which is my favorite product ever- it works on straight or curly hair). I then tie my hair down and go to sleep. Some of my favorite oils include Extra Penetrating Argan Oil by OGX, Silk by Design Essentials, and Raw Organic Shea Butter. 

    Creating a basic hair care regimen will simplify your life! Plus it will create the structure that so many people (including myself) need to make sure they’re really taking care of their hair well!