Natural Hair Trend...Turbans

Trends aren't always great...jeggings, bellytops, or 80's neon (sorry, but 80's neon is never, ever cool in my book. Ever.) But this trend I happen to think is great. It's a protective style, it's classic, and it's a part of many cultures round the world. I've been experimenting over the past couple of days because I've been having lazy hair days, and I'm loving the turban look!

This is a great way to hide a bad hair day, especially if you need to look sophisticated in a hurry (i.e. those mornings when you wake up late for church). Protective styling can often be that toss up between looking good and keeping your ends healthy, but this is a really good way to do both...

My attempt

Iman

Solange

Others

How to tie a turban: If you want to know how to tie a turban, this is a really good youtube tutorial..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie_Xbad3OHc.

Some tips: 

• Make sure you don't tie your headscarf or turban too tight...this can damage the edges of your hair.
• If the material is cotton/ a harsher fabric, wear a silk or satin scarf underneath to protect your hair.
• Use it to deep condition your hair..yes, if you're brave rock that shower cap with deep conditioner under the turban. No one will know!
• EXPERIMENT!
• Wear it with confidence...I think most people can pull off headwraps or turbans if they're confident about it :-)

Peace, Love, and Hair Grease folks x

Natural Hair - The Essentials

A bunch of people have been asking me about products recently. I think the problem is with natural hair is  that because at the moment there are so many  products out there, it's easy to grab a bunch of stuff you don't need, and miss out on finding a few essentialsthat are necessary for day to day natural hair. Curl definition ain't everything!

So here are my essentials:

1) A good shampoo

This should be sulphate free if possible. Most people are used to having a squeaky clean, stripped feeling after they shampoo, but your hair shouldn't feel like this. Look for a shampoo that lathers easily (if you like lather), doesn't leave residue on your scalp and hair, but is gentle enough  to use regularly. Your hair shouldn't feel dry afer using it, or brittle, but should be shiny and clean. My favourite is Dr Bronner's Castille soap. I've also used Anita Grant's Babassu Shampoo Bar  (www.anitagrant.com), and suprisingly, a 85 p bar of natural soap called Olivia (from Holland and Barret).  I rate them Dr Bronners 5/5, Anita Grant's 4/5, and Olivia 3/5.

2) Regular / Co washing Conditioner

Natural hair needs moisture, moisture, moisture! I think it's good to have a regular conditioner that you can use on damp hair to help you detangle, or for when you want to do a quick co -wash (washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo). A good regular conditioner should be fairly light (in comparison to your deep conditioner), and have a lot of slip (slip is when it makes your hair feel..well..slippy, so you can detangle easily).
Good ones are VO5 Moisture Milks. (99p from the 99p store :-)), or maybe something like Herbal Essences Hello Hydration  (although I haven't tried it myself).

 

3) Deep Conditioner

To some, this might be added extra, but the biggest struggle (for me) with natural hair has been getting the moisture level right. Deep Conditoners should be thicker (generally) than your regular leave in, they also might be a bit more expensive. (A regular conditoner you'll want to use enough that you're not washing 5 quid out of your hair every few days, a deep conditioner is a once a week/ every couple weeks kinda thang...).

I also think Deep Conditioners should have mor enatural/ safer ingredients, just because you're leaving it on your headlonger. 

Mmy favourite is Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose. I've also used Superdrug Coconut  and Sweet Almond Deep Conditioner, and it was really good, as well as easy on the pocket!

                                                                                

4)  Moisturising leave in...

This is almost the most important. This is what everyone searches high and low to find  - the prefect leave in. Can't say I've found it yet, but i have found some good ones. 

Your leave in should lave your hair feeling moisturised, but not greasy. Your hair should feel soft, look shiny (or have a sheen), and not have lots of residue. A good leave in is great if it can be used under hair gel or other styling products, and not make your hair look waxy, or have flaky residue.

Good leave ins I've tried: Beemine Deja's Hair Milk, Anita Grant's Creamy Cafe Latte.

 

5) Sealant

This is some kind of oil/ butter that will 'seal in' the moisture.Water and water based leave in's moisturise, oils and heavy butters seal in  the moisture so that it doesn't escape the hair shaft.

Depending on your hair type or texture, you  might want a heavy or ligter sealant. I have thick , coarse strands, so I use Castor oil. Shea butter is also good.

Someone with finer, lighter strands will find Coconut Oil, almond oil, or grapeseed oil work well for them

.

After spritzing hair with water or using, a leave in, use an oil or butter to seal in the moisture. I never use oils on dry hair, it just ends up feeling oily but not moisturised.

Peace, Love, and Hair Grease folks!

Product Review: Always Instant Oil Moisturiser Leave in

Where do I begin?? With the primary school PVA glue reminiscent scent?? The unfulfilled promises of moisturised hair? The kinda greasy, slightly waxy, but still hard texture of my hair after usage?

 I entered into the Indian owned black hair shop, cringing once again at my own hypocrisy (I can wax lyrical about why we should support black business, pump our pounds into our own community bla bla economic self development bla bla...alas..), and gave a wan smile to the man sitting at the counter. The journey had begun. I was determined to find a regular, wonder, miracle working product that would cost me less than  £3. My overdraft had commanded me to do so.

 I scanned the aisles...Doo Gro, Re-Gro, Organicz, Gro-Gro....among the mass of poorly (and patronisingly)spelt Vaseline knock offs, I spotted Allways NAtural Instant Oil Moisturiser Leave In. Quick ingredient investigation *smile*. No petroleum, mineral oil or silicones.Woohoo! A natural, cheap, leave in. Could this be love?

NO.

This is a white creamyish liquid that's supposed to be a leave in. I really hope it works for someone else, because it was one of worst things I've tried.


Ingredients: Herbal Extract (Indian Hemp, Rosemary, Nettle, Sage, Birch, Burdock, Hops, Chaparral, Sunflower Petal), Isopropyl Myristrate, Glycerine,Stearyl Alcohol and Ceteareth 20, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Monostearate SE, Glycol Stearate, Acetamide MEA, Cocoa Butter, Myristyl Myristrate, Aloe Vera, Oil Blend (Jojoba Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Avocado Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Sesame Oil, Olive Oil), Disodium Edetate, propylene Glycol, Lecithin, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea

Pros

• All natural ingredients
• Cheap
• Not strong smelling
• Can be purchased locally. not over the internet.

Cons

• Smells like PVA glue
• Oily but not moisturising
• Leaves hair feeling horrible
• Failed expectations ( I really wanted a cheap all natural leave in!! Maan..*upset face*)

Some homemade recipes for you......

So in light of my previous post, here are a few homemade recipes for you to try...these are the easy ones, I'll post some more complicated ones for people who've got time and energy another time. Enjoy! x


Brown Sugar Scrub

This is sooo easy. Body scrubs sell in shops for like £5 for 300 ml or some nonsense. All you need is some brown sugar and either vegetable oil /sunflower oil/ olive oil.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup Brown Demerera Sugar
                  1/2 cupVegetable Oil of Choice
                  Essential Oil of your choice (optional)

This makes a really good scalp scrub if you mix a little in your palm with your conditioner. I use if if I haven't washed my hair for a while and my scalp feels a little grimey *yuck face*. Just take the scrub on your finger tips and massage into your scalp. It will leave  your scalp lovely and clean!

Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Hair Rinse:

• 1/2 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
•  2 Cups of water
•  2 teaspoons of honey
• 3 drops of essential oil of your choice

This is really good for when you have loads of product build up on your hair. The Apple Cider Vinegar counteracts the hard water you often get in cities, and the honey adds some shine to your hair. The essential oil kinda cancels out the vinegary small. The smell doesn't linger for long though. Use this after you wash your hair as a final rinse before drying and adding a leave in conditioner. I use this every time I wash my hair.

Avocado Mayo Deep Conditioner

Ingredients

• 1 small jar of mayonnaise
• 1/2 avocado

Peel avocado and get all the lovely green stuff out from around the seed.. Mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl with your hands until it's a smooth paste. Smooth into hair being careful to work it to the ends. Use shower cap or plastic wrap . Leave on hair for 1/2 hour. For deeper conditioning wrap a hot, damp towel around your head over the plastic. Wash out using warm/ tepid water. Hot water and mayo is a bit yucky.

Coconut Milk

This is so simple. Use some coconut milk (yup, the one from the can that you use to cook rice and peas), and mix it with your deep conditioner/ normal conditioner. Or use it my itself. Rinse out and it makes your hair nice and soft.

Peace, Love, and Hair Grease Folks xx

               

Natural Celeb Spotlight: Yaya DaCosta

Yaya Da Costa is known from her runner up position on ANTM. Now while I don't watch ANTM anymore (is it still running?) because I think it's superficial and a bit trite (I know everyone else loves it, don't shoot me), I did watch it ages ago when Yaya Da Costa was on. She was the afrocentric, well-read, tri-lingual one, who was intelligent, beautiful, and knew it.
Most importantly (in regards to this blog), she had great hair. Updos, Afros, slicked back ponytails and casual and evening styles, all on point. Here's some inspiration for you:

Ponytail

 

Afro

 

High ponytail 

 

Another Afro

Peace, Love and Hair Grease folks xxx

 

How to..make your own hair products..

It seems like at the moment there are a million and one new product lines popping up for natural hair. Many of them are great, some average, and a few are just glorified coconut oil or shea butter with fragrance. Although there are some great brands out there that I enjoy buying products from, a good way to save money, and to get to know your hair better is to make your own products.

Here are a few pointers to developing your own sprays, butters oil mixes etc.

1) Determine what kind of products your hair already likes.

For example, if your hair doesn't generally cope well with thick butters you've purchased from some product lines, it might not be the best idea to buy a truckload of shea butter yourself. That's not to say you shouldn't experiment, but try to keep a track of what your hair already likes. Do products with glycerine high on the ingredients list make your hair soft? Does your hair like oils or respond better to water based products? Does it like thick creams or more runny lotions?
This might seem cheeky, but look on the ingredient list of your favourite product, and see if you can replicate it yourself. If it's high in olive oil for example, you can get that from your local shop for really cheap. Local health shops can provide you with essential and fragrance oils.

2) Source a good website to buy  ingredients from. One good website I've tried is Shea Butter cottage :http://www.akuawood.co.uk/. She has a good range of ingredients from shea and mango butters, to castor oil    and herbs.Trawl the internet  for reviews of good websites that are affordable, reliable with shipping, and have good ingredient quality.

3) Get mixing!
Here's a recipe for a basic spray that I use for my protective styles:
1 part conditioner (I use Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose)
4 parts water (filtered is best)
1 part Vegetable Glycerine (I sometimes use Rosewater and Glycerine)
3 drops of an essential oil of my choice e.g Rosemary

Put it in a spray bottle and shake it up baby!

Use clean utensils. I personally like to keep separate utensils for mixing hair products and eating food :-) (sounds obvious - but some people might not have a problem with it).
Good things to have are a hand mixer for butters. If you don't have one or don't want to invest  in one, you can melt down butters in the microwave or warm the container in hot water, and mix them that way.

4) Make sure you keep your products fresh. Natural home made products go off very quickly, especially if they are water based, so add a preservative like Vitamin E oil to make sure your products have a longer shelf life, and where possible, keep them in the fridge.

Peace , Love and Hair grease folks!!
Comment, ask questions, share your own recipes!