What are your must have products if you were stranded on a deserted Island?

As you go through your natural hair journey always remember that what works for her, may not work for you. Challenge yourself, understand your hair. Remember the day you walked out of the house and your hair was perfect! It felt perfect it looked perfect, and did exactly what it was supposed to do! What did you use on your hair? Is protein good for your hair or does it make it dry and brittle? Does your hair love castor oil or does it make your hair turn into a grease ball. I have to say I am on so many sites exploring  what everyone uses, and I finally have a cocktail that works for everyday use. Your challenge for this week is to find out what your hair loves, what keeps it moisturized? Once you know this you’re on the road to having long beautiful healthy nature hair.

For me, my leave in is Fructis Sleek and Shine. I don’t get a lot of build up and it smoothes down my hair.

I always spray the ends with Chi leave in Keratin mist (We will talk about the benefits of Keratin in another blog).

 

 I use Shea butter to smooth down my edges and seal my ends, and finally , I love aloe Vera gel, it gives me a great hold, and it is so good for the hair!

If I was on a deserted Island, these are the must have products  for my hair. I love olive oil, castor oil as well as coconut oil, but they are very heavy on my hair so I usually use them before a wash.

This week figure out what make your hair tick, and tell me what products are stranded with you on a deserted Island.

Frizz Free Defining Curl Treatment or Chery Lola Treatment

This is a protein Treatment that greatly reduces frizz and defines curls. Because of the Alkaline base of the mix, it cause the cuticles to open and accept the moisture into the hair shaft. Let’s talk about each component. This treatment is made up of Backing soda, Organic yogurt and Braggs Liquid Aminos. What exactly does this do for the hair? This treatment is meant to give you frizz free shiny coils, and open the cuticle to accept moisture in the shaft. But why does it work? Let’s start with the Baking Soda, Baking soda is an incredible cleanser, and this happens because backing soda has a high pH balance. Products with high pH levels are alkaline. The pH levels in alkaline products are usually more alkaline to allow the hair shaft to open up for a thorough cleaning, as well as getting moisture in. You can use alkaline-based products to soften your hair. Alkaline-based products open the cuticle to soften the shaft and better retain moisture.

Yogurt has natural anti-bacterial properties that will gently wash away the dirt and grime that inhibits hair growth. The lactic acid in yogurt will smooth and hydrate your strands.

Now for the Braggs liquid amino, Hair is composed of protein. It grows from the hair follicles that lie within the skin's dermis layer. Hair grows up and through the epidermis and beyond, to varying lengths, as both a mark of beauty and for body warmth.
Protein, including hair protein, is composed of linear amino acid chains. Amino acids help build new cells. Amino acids penetrate the hair strand and strengthen and repair it. When amino acids dry on the hair they form a crystalline protective barrier that protects the hair from damage.

Now this is what I do to make the treatment. Take organic whole milk yogurt (32 oz), add 3 tablespoon of backing soda, and 3 table spoons of brags and mix. The yogurt will begin to rise from the baking soda.

Once the mix is ready, I apply it like applying a perm/relaxer in small sections. Do not manipulate the hair. Once you’ve added it all over the hair you will begin to see your curls becoming defined. Cover your hair with a plastic cap. It’s recommended to keep it on for 4 hours, but I have worn it for over 8 and my hair becomes more defined.  

Now when you rinse try not to ruin your natural curl pattern, I rinse with warm water and then co-wash (wash with a conditioner) two to three times and then rinse with cold water to close the cuticle. Make sure you rinse well or you will see dry white patches from the baking soda.

For more references check out these sites:

Read more: Amino Acids for Fast Hair Growth | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_4812042_amino-acids-fast-hair-growth.html#ixzz1YjUut4Jj

Read more:PH Levels in Shampoos | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6136792_ph-levels-shampoos.html#ixzz1YjKKMQ9D

My hair regimen.

There are so many products out, that I honestly have monthly changes in what I uses every month. But here is what I do. I co-wash my hair every 5 days. My must have product is shea butter and natural aloe vera gel and of course water! At night I put my hair in two Indian braids and coat each with shea butter. When I awake I moisten my hair with water, smooth it down with shea butter and use Aloe vera gel to add the hold that I need.

Although we all love seeing our hair flowing in the wind, the truth is that as the weather elements whisk through our hair, it causes damage as well as our hair rubbing against our clothes. So for me I wear protective hair styles typically 6 days a week. I try to do hairstyles that have very little tension on my hair as well as making sure the ends are moisturized.

I perform a clarify shampoo once a month; you can accomplish this naturally with a good conditioner, baking soda and vinegar. I will get into some of the products that work for me. And last but not least, I am a henna head. We will explore henna and the benefits, because I feel as though it makes my hair grow!

Here is a protective style that my children laugh at but I feel is very comfortable

USA Today reports that More Black women are embracing Natural Hair.

So exciting to see so many of us, loving our hair. USA today did a story on black women embracing their natural hair.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/rss/article/219330/10/More-Black-Women-Embracing-Beauty-of-Natural-hair

Introducing this blog

This is my first blog and I would like to start out with a little about me. I have been chemical free for 10 years, and I have to say that it has been a unique journey. I can remember I was pregnant with my middle child and I had been wearing braids for over a year and I had several inches of chemical free hair. Before I cut it, I measured it, and it was at least 6”.  So I said, “I’m cutting my hair today.”  10 years ago, going natural was not unheard of, but it wasn’t the thing to do. Typically natural women were deep, incense carrying, very knowledgeable sisters that always seem to have something deep to say. I on the other hand was intrigued by my beautiful hair pattern… not so deep. My new growth was a silky wavy texture that I would ignorantly say in my head “Girl you got good hair”, mind you, I did have enough common sense not to say the “Good Hair” term aloud! So I was mystified by the thought of waking up to silky curly hair, and this wet and go title that every girl dreams of. So I sat in the chair and I said ”Please cut all of the permed hair off”, although my hair was past my shoulder blades it was damaged and thin at the ends. The hair dresser said “Are you crazy, I can cut off 2” and your hair will be beautiful, let me give you a perm, girl I have people who would die for your hair!”  She looked at me as though I had cussed her out. I said in an even toned voice “I’m tired of chemicals, I want you to cut all of the perm out, I have at least 6”, it won’t be that bad”, she then asked, “Have you ever worn your natural hair!”, I looked at her as though I was her mother and said in a condescending voice “Of course I have sweetie, from the time I was born until about 9 or 10 years old, I have silky curly hair, I saw it in my baby pictures, please cut my hair”. In my head I thought, what’s her problem, can’t she see my texture, I got “Good hair”, shoot! Cut my hair lady, I know what I’m doing. She began to cut, shoooop, shooooop, the shears began to cut, hair dropping all around me. I just could not wait. I envision my hair looking like Eddie Murphy’s wife, or Cree Summer's hair, just a shorter version; I just knew that my hair would be the “BOMB”!  With two more snips, she stated “I’m all done, that will be $30.00.” Without looking I gave her the money and slowly looked up at my beautiful hair. As I looked into the mirror, this little boy with a 1” afro starred back at me.  I screamed “You cut all of my hair off, I didn’t tell you to cut that much” She began to chuckle and said “I guess you didn’t realize that curly hair shrinks.  “Stretch out your hair”, she said, I pulled my hair and there was the 6’’, I let it go and it popped back. There began my realization of the nature of curly hair.  Where are the silky bouncy curls, what happen to that awesome wave pattern I saw?  Where is my Good hair? The good hair saying rang in my head.  Growing up we all deemed silky curly, wavy hair as good hair. But my Journey lead me to understand the true meaning of good hair, is healthy strong natural hair, and that is what this blog is about. Growing healthy hair. Understanding the ups and downs that come with natural hair. I am a product Junkie, but I am very much in to homemade products, that I will share with you, good and bad results.  So with this I consider myself a Natural Chula…..Natural cutie!