Luxurious Deep Conditioning & Detangling Treat for Hair

Yesterday I did a deep conditioning treatment that also doubled up as a great way to detangle my strands. I often use oil during the process of detangling to add sleep to the hair and preventing breakage . This is a variation from using conditioner during the  detangling process. As my hair gets longer it seems to need more moisture at the ends. In order to help my hair to retain moisture I decided to use honey as the base for the deep conditioning treatment. I came up with the following concoction:

Ø  3 tbs of runny honey

Ø  2 tbs of coconut oil

Ø  1 tbs of olive oil

Ø  2 tbs of avocado oil

Ø  1 egg yoke

Info on  the conditioning cap

Mix all the ingredients together.  The honey and egg makes the consistency of the oils thicker allowing for the mix to be applied to the hair with my fingers. I used this mix for adding sleep to the hair during the finger detangling process.  Once this process was complete, I covered my hair with a shower cap and used my Aphrodite hair conditioning cap for 90 minutes.

The Aphrodite conditioning cap heats the hair allowing the oils to penetrate the hair shaft enhancing the conditioning process. I used the time to relax and watch a film fit for a Saturday afternoon in rainy England!

I then washed my hair as usual. The result was amazingly soft, moisturised and shiny hair. I will certainly use this recipe again. My Afro is now ready for Christmas. 

 Enjoy your festive season and keep nurturing your hair.

Marisa X 

Protective Style Update

source

This my forth week of the protective style learning curve. So far so good, I found some nice styles to try out and each week I look forward to wearing something different.

Week 2 - Vintage Roll, Tuck & Pin

I opted for the roll, tuck and pin style. This style is so easy that I did it on Monday morning. I usually do my hair for the week on Sunday eve just in case it takes me longer than expected. This prevents me from getting flustered before work should the intended style not work out...  My ability to roll & tuck is improving as it took about 3 minutes! I kept the style for 5 days. One of my friends described this style as vintage and told me she loves the way it looks on me, hence the title of the paragraph. Here is one I have done earlier.

Week 3 – Retro Updo

I returned to flat twisting and did a variation of the  Retro Updo.  Instead of two flat twists I did three. My pompadour was made with two strand twists. This allowed me to keep the style for 5 days. By Friday I missed seeing my hair out, so in the morning I decided to free the Afro and enjoy my curls by wearing a Puff.

Week 4 - Yet Another Flat Twist Updo
This style took me about one hour to achieve but it was worth it. I prefer it to my strait up flat twist updo as this looks much nicer. So I will definitely do it again. Interestingly I had come across this style a few months ago but was put off trying it because it looked difficult to achieve. Actually it turned out to be easy to make. I am pleased that my hair is long enough to do it too. Check out the tutorial here.

Marisa. X    

Weekend Hair

I went to two parties this weekend. I wanted to move out of my Twist Out comfort zone and do something different with my hair for both parties. On Friday night I opted for the Afro Puff as it is a quick and easy style. My Hair had great curl definition due to being in flat twists all week. 

On Saturday I was more adventurous. After looking at a few tutorials I decided to try out the Twisted Side Fro Hawk. Although my hair is shorter and has less volume than the one on the video, the style worked equally well for me. I liked it and will certainly do it again. Here is a tutorial on how to achieve it. 



Marisa X

Protective Style Learning Curve

Simphiwe Dona

Autumn is beautiful season. It is a time to enjoy long country walks and observe wonderful changes in nature. But it also means that winter is on its way. As the weather gets progressively cooler I feel as though my hair could do with a rest. I noticed that I am less enthusiastic about styling my hair in the morning, as it is dark, raining and cold outside. Therefore I decided to challenge myself to learn a variety of style that will protect may hair during autumn and winter. I will be aiming for protective styles that can last between 5 to 7 days.

Hopefully this protective style learning curve will help me expand my repertoire of hair styles. The challenge will be to find and or adapt styles to suit my hair characteristics (fine and lacking in volume).

So I started the challenge with a 6 flat twists updo. I did not manage to get a good enough picture for the blog L. Basically the six flat twists met at the grown of my head. I then used an elastic band to keep them together and folded the ends of the hair around the elastic band and held it together with cute hair pins. I decided on this style for the week because I will attend two parties over the weekend, Friday & Saturday, so the multiple flat twists will then make a nice twist out as a base for styling my hair for the parties. 

Marisa x

Avocado & Banana Deep Conditioning

I love to nurture my hair with natural ingredients. There is no better way of doing so than by using ingredients readily available in the kitchen. Today I made a deep conditioner for my hair with a banana and an avocado that needed using.

DIY Recipe

      One ripe avocado

      One ripe banana

      3 table spoons of coconut cream

      Two table spoons of honey 

      Two tea spoons of a avocado oil (or any other oil of your choice)

Blend the ingredients for 3 minutes or so until all ingredients are well mixed together. This mix has a thick consistency which means that it does not run down my face or neck.  Apply it to dry hair and leave it for 45 minutes. Then wash as usual.

I love this deep conditioning recipe. It leaves my hair soft and shiny for a few days. There was no need to detangle it further after the wash.  There you have it, a healthy 100% natural treatment that is easy to make and inexpensive. 

Keep loving your Afro.

Marisa. 

Bobby Pins

Hair pins are useful tools for the natural hair girl. I rarely used them prior to going natural.  However, since I discovered the roll and tuck hair styles, bobby pins became my best friends.  This increased use of hair pins has lead me to notice that my bobby pins do not last very long. I am disappointed by how quickly they become ineffective and need to be replaced. The top problems I encountered include:

1. How frequently and quickly the tips come off. This then leads to the metal ripping through the hair. 
2. They get stretched out of shape after a few uses.
3. Too much or not enough grip.

A couple of weeks ago I run out of bobby pins. I remembered this whilst shopping and bought some at Sainsbury's. They turned out to be too small and did not hold my hair in place. Yesterday, I bought Goody Colour Collection pack at Boots. Although I wanted that particular size they did not have a pack with black pins only. So I ended up with a combination of black and brown bobby pins. Goody's pins are advertised as having great grip. I used it today and indeed the pins have good grip. However, they already started to lose their shape. I wonder how long their tips will last...

Is it just me having this problem?

A quick search lead me to MetaGrip apparently a great brand of Bobby pins. Unfortunately it does not look like they are available in the UK...

Can anyone recommend a good brand of Bobby pins that will last and can be found in the UK?

Marisa. X

Hair TLC with Amla Powder

Recently I have neglected some of the good practices which keep my hair healthy. Over the last 3 weeks I noticed more tangles in my hair. Perhaps as a result of this I've also experienced more hair breakage than usual. So action needed to be taken to remedy these unwanted hair problems.

DIY Hair Trim 

I can not remember the last time I trimmed my hair. It has been at least six months. When my hair needs a trim its end tend to tangle a lot more. I decided therefore that a trim was the first step to take. Although I would have liked to go to a natural hair dresser to have my ends trimmed, I do not know one in my area :( . Therefore I did it myself. This time I trimmed my hair dry, having done some research on how best to trim natural Afro hair. Hopefully this will do the trick to minimise tangles.


Deep Conditioning with Amla Powder
I used Amla powder as a deep conditioner. Amla is a type of Indian gooseberry. It is known and used in Ayurveda tradition for its many benefits for health and beauty. The berries are dried and converted into a powder.The benefits of Amla include:

• Promots hair growth
• Controls hair loss
• Cures scalp infection 
• Controls greying of hair

Due to the above benefits I decided to give Amla a second try. I used it once before and was a little disappointed with it because it made my hair straighter (loosened the curl pattern quite a bit, I love my curls and did not want then altered). Also my hair felt quite dry following the treatment.  However,as my hair needed some TLC and I had half a packet of Amla Powder in my cupboard I put it to good use. 

In order to avoid the dryness I experienced the first time, I used my intuition and come up with a deep conditioning mix to infuse moisture to my hair. Here's may recipe: 

• 50gs of Amla powder
• 4 tbsp of runny honey
• 2 tsp of sweet almond oil
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• coconut milk (or water)

Place the powder in a bowl add a little coconut milk and start mixing it with the powder. Add a little bit more and continue mixing. Then add the honey and the oils. Mix some more until the powder is fully dissolved with the other ingredients. The consistency should be akin to chocolate mousse before it sets. You do not want it too runny to avoid it running off your hair into your face and neck. 

You should apply this paste to dry hair and leave it between 30 and 45 minutes. I used a plastic hair cup for the duration of the application to help retain heat on the hair. Then I washed my hair as usual. 

The result was much better than the first time. My hair feels shiny, soft and somewhat silky. The honey and oils worked well as I did not experience dryness post wash. Although Amla worked well to condition my hair, it did alter the curl pattern. I like my curls as they are naturally and for this reason I will avoid using it in the future. However, if you would like your curls to loosen a bit this is a great 100% natural product to achieve it.  

I found Amla powder at my local Indian shop for £1.09 for 100g. If you do not have access to a local shop you can get it on-line here.

Marisa X

An unintentional Experiment

Last week I ran out of Aloe Vera Juice. I only realised this on Sunday and the local health food shops were closed. As a result I decided to go without it for the week. That meant making my hair conditioner spray with water, vegetable glycerine and lavender essential oil only.  

Did the absence of Aloe Vera Juice made any difference to my hair?  Yes it did. I was surprised that my hair was much drier than usual. This is interesting as I kept all other aspects of my hair routine the same. So this unintentional experiment told me that Aloe Vera juice does make a difference in helping my hair retain moisture. 

As a result of this discovery I now value Aloe Vera Juice more. Yesterday I managed to pop to the shop during my lunch break, I bought the biggest bottle I found. Its was worth the £6.80 not to have dry hair. I've added it to the moisturising pray this morning and can already feel the difference in my hair. Welcome back moisture and softer hair!

Marisa. X

How to Detangle Natural Hair

Source

Mastering the art of detangling is an important breakthrough for a new natural because it breaks down the myth that Afro hair is unmanageable.  Yes, Afro hair is easy to manage when you know how to do it. Developing an effective detangling routine also contributes towards retaining length. The purpose of detangling is to ensure that hair strands do not clump together creating irreversible knots.

My hair is super dry and fine making it highly prone to breakage.  Therefore I decided to use the finger detangling method which works brilliantly for me. I rarely use combs to detangle or style my hair. My fingers turned out to be a very efficient comb!

 So what are the basics of natural hair detangling?

Ø  Always spray water onto your hair in order to add moisture and make it pliable.

Ø  Part hair into sections and detangle each section in turn.

Ø  Use your favourite oil and or conditioner to add slip to the hair. This makes separating the hair strands easier and helps to minimise breakage.

Ø  Then gently detangle your hair starting from the ends working up to the roots.  

Ø  Once all sections have been detangled wash your hair.

You can find a tutorial on finger detangling dry hair here. Here’s another one for variety.

I use coconut oil and Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner to detangle.

You can also find a tutorial on detangling wet hair here. 

Remember the above information should be used as a rough guide. You need to observe the characteristics of your hair and use your intuition to figure out what works best for you. For example my hair is short so I do not feel the need to wash it in sections. In fact I tried this and noticed that doing so actually made my hair tangle. I detangle prior to washing and this is enough. I do not repeat the process whilst washing it. Post wash my hair requires minimal detangling. My experience of detangling to date has been fairly easy and not too time consuming.

Useful steps for easy detangling

Ø  Be gentle with your hair.

Ø  Use wide tooth combs or opt for finger detangling if it works for you.

Ø  Do not detangle when in a hurry as doing so leads to frustration and hair breakage due to excessive pulling.

How to minimise tangles

Ø  Untangle hair after washing before it dries.

Ø  Keep hair moisturised as dry curls tangle easier.

Ø  Keep hair in protective styles as much as possible.

Ø  If you wear your hair out, twist it or braid it in big sections before going to bed.

Ø  Thoroughly untangle hair prior to creating a new lasting hair style such as twists, cornrows etc.

 Naturals are there detangling tips that you can share with me?

 I hope this post is helpful Nogai. Let me know how you get on.

Marisa x.  

Wash and Go

The wash and go style is a simple and easy way of managing hair when one is busy. Recently I have had very little time to dedicate to my hair. Although, I knew about this style for ages I rarely considered it.


On Saturday I decided to wear a Wash and Go style to a party. Well, I had little time to dedicate to my hair during the days leading up to the party and it desperately needed a wash. Usually if I have a party coming up I wash my hair the day or couple of days before. This means that the hair is stretched and therefore is more versatile for styling in different ways on party day. However, due to lack of time I reluctantly resorted to the this style. I was not disappointed.

As the name indicate the style simply involves washing your hair and going out! So I washed my hair and allowed to drip dry naturally. I then added a little bit of my Shea butter hair mix to help retain moisture. I rolled a small front section to ad definition and styled it with a flower. It looked better than I expected. I will keep this style in mind for the future. The party was great so thanks Gabi.


I promised to do a post on how to de-tangling natural hair this month but have not had the chance yet. I will do it soon.

In the mean time keep loving the Afro.
Marisa.

My Hair Care Routine

The above are the main products I use for my hair. Apart from shampoo and conditioner I make my own products at home. It is easy and it works well.

Daily Moisturising Spray

In order to keep my hair moisturised and looking fresh on a daily basis I use a spray bottle with a few natural ingredients. To make your own you will need:

• A spray bottle (200 ml)
• 180 ml of tap water
• 4 table spoons of 100% Aloe Vera Juice (aids hair growth, natural conditioner, helps reduce hair frizz).
• 1 tablespoon of Vegetable glycerine (attracts moisture from the air into the hair).
• 3 drops of Lavender essential oil (lovely smell, calming).

 Place the water in the spray bottle, add the ingredients and give it a shake to mix them together. I apply this spray to my hair in the morning before styling and at night in preparation for going to bed. I use the spray lightly, the aim is to add moisture to the hair rather than making it soaking wet.  

Shea butter Mix (with coconut, Jojoba and lavender oil) 

After applying the moisturising spray I use my Shea butter mix. This help seal the water into the hair keeping it moisturised. I use the Shea butter mix according to need. When my hair is very dry I used it daily. Otherwise I use it every other day.

Shampoo and Conditioner

I use the Rainforest Moisture range of shampoo and conditioner from The Body Shop. This range is Parabens and SLS free so has none of the nasty chemicals that cause severe dryness to the hair. It smells delicious and work well for my hair. I love it.

I mainly wash my hair with conditioner. This is because conditioners also contain the cleansing agents found it shampoos therefore they will cleanse without stripping the hair of its natural oil. Many naturals use this method and it is often referred to as co-washing.

So How Long Does it Take?

Usually my morning hair care routine takes between 2 and 15 minutes depending on the hairstyle. When I wear protective styles such as Bantu Knots, flat twists etc. I simple moisturise my hair using the spray and lock in the moisture by applying the Shea butter mix. This takes two minutes. When wearing my hair out it requires styling and usually takes me about 15 minutes.

My night time routine will mirror the morning routine as protective styles take virtually not time at all. When I wear my hair out, before I go to be I apply the moisturising spray and twist my hair in order to prevent tangles. This takes between five to 15 minutes (depending on what sort of style I plan for the next day).

So there you have it. Contrary to what people say caring for natural hair is simple once you know how. 

Marisa. x

Beautiful Hair Meets Gorgeous Dresses

I love finding accessories for my hair. Usually this means flowers or cute hair pins which can elevate a hair style. Well, on a recent trip to London my sister Sara and I found ourselves in Greenish where I spotted an interesting looking Boutique called Sika. I noticed it because of a striking 1950s design dress with  African print.  We went in and there were lots of lovely dresses. I knew this would be a great accessory to go with my very African hair! 

The dresses are designed by Phyllis Taylor a British Ghanaian woman who wanted to bring the beauty of traditional Ghanaian fabric into contemporary British fashion. The results are fabulous and I had to treat myself. An early birthday present...  

The dresses are 100% cotton, hand made in Ghana by professional seamstresses. The company operates a fair trade policy which supports the local Ghanaian community. 

If you ever in Greenish its worth checking the boutique out:  4 College Approach, London SE10 9HY.

Alternatively you can get one of the lovely dresses from the online store. 

   When was the last time you treated your hair? :)

How to Develop a Healthy Hair Care Routine

One of the golden rules for growing healthy natural hair is “Less is More”(see previous post on Ten Golden Rules to Grow Healthy Natural Hair).  Your hair growth does not depend on you buying lots of products. It its tempting when you read hair magazines or watch videos on U Tube to think that you need to get the variety of products being recommended otherwise your hair will not grow.  Given the consumerist focus of our societies nowadays it is perhaps natural for us to think this way. I suggest that you catch such thoughts early and resist falling prey to the product junkie phenomena. Healthy natural hair growth is not so much dependent on the quantity of products used but rather the quality of what you choose to use on your strands. Here are three important tips that I have learnt about growing healthy hair:

Get to know your hair’s natural characteristics and tailor your products to suit your hair needs.

It was only when I went natural that I allowed myself to get to know my hair characteristics without fighting against it in unhelpful ways (e.g. relaxing it or excessive use of extensions to “manage its unruliness”).  Remember Golden Rule nr 1- Accept Your Hair Texture. This rule enabled me to fully engage in a process of discovering my hair’s characteristics. So I encourage you to discover your Afro:

Ø  Is your hair strand fine, medium or thick (what some people call course)?

Ø  How much volume does your hair naturally have? 

Ø  What is your curl pattern like?

Ø  What is the level of shrinkage that your hair experience in the presence of water?

Ø  How dry is your hair?

Your hair’s levels of dryness is important as the dryer the hair the more fragile it is and the more prone it will ten be to breakage. Find our about your hair’s porosity levels (the hair’s natural ability to absorb and retain water). See an informative article on porosity here.  All of the above questions will inform your decision making about how to routinely care for your hair and what products will suit you best.

Natural ingredients provide the hair with a good foundation to grow healthy and strong. 

Remember that natural hair loves natural ingredients. On a previous post I described three of the natural ingredients that I use for my hair. There are a plethora of natural ingredients out there to suit any hair type. Other ingredients that are routinely used to care for our beautiful Afro hair include:

Almond/ Sweet Almond Oil         Aloe Vera

Avocado Oil                                Cocoa Butter

Castor Oil                                    Honey

Olive Oil                                      Vegetable Glycerine

The above list is not exhaustive, the choices are endless. Find natural ingredients that work for you and stick to them.

Avoid using harmful chemicals on your hair.  

Too many hair care products contain chemicals that are used to help preserve and extend the shelf life of its ingredients. These chemicals often have been associated with health risks and also work against your hair in a variety of ways. These include stripping the hair of much needed moisture, clogging your scalp etc. I think that it is good practice for us to become more interested in the content of the products that we buy and to spend more time reading the ingredient labels in order to avoid unintentional usage of chemical and ingredients that harm our coils. In her book Going Natural Mireille Liong-A-Kong goes through a comprehensive list of ingredients to avoid here are a few:  

Ø  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)- In hair care products these are used in shampoos as detergents and surfactant. They remove the hair’s natural creases, drying out the hair.

Ø  Parabens: Methylparaben, Propylparaben abd Butylparaben. Mainly used as preservatives to extend shelf life. These can cause allergic reactions if the concentration excides 5%. These have also been linked with a variety of health related problems.

Ø  Mineral Oil and Petrolatum- Mineral oil is a petrochemical by-product that coats the skin preventing it from breathing naturally. This leads to hair and skin to dry out. Petrolatum is a mineral oil jelly which has the same effect.

Ø  Alcohol- Ethanol, Denature alcohol Ethyl alcohol, Benzyl alcohol, Isopropyl alcohol should be avoided. As they can be drying and irritating to the scalp.  

I hope these tips help you establish a good hair care routine as much as they have helped me. Please feel  free to ask me questions, make comments and subscribe.should you find the blog useful. 

Roll, Tuck and Pin

I wore a roll and tuck hair style for the last two days. I am pleasantly surprised that this style  suits my hair without  the usual need for me to modify it due to my fine hair. Even though my hair has little volume I think the style looks good on me. The roll and tuck is a versatile hair style that can be worn for a formal work occasion or for a casual night out.

I particularly love the fact that this style does not take long to do (five minutes) and that it looks so elegant. I tried to take a picture for the blog but unfortunately the pics do not show up the style properly. I need a better camera really... Anyway here is a tutorial on how to achieve this look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwHwaT6RF-s&feature=related

The style worked for me even though my hair is shorter than the one on the video. I jazzed it up by adding a couple of flowers at the back as accessories.

Marisa.

Nurture Your Afro with Natural Ingredients

Our hair is an extension of our body and therefore should be treated with equal amount of care. I decided to make an effort to predominantly use products with natural ingredients that would nurture my hair and not be harmful to my body.  This simple decision lead me to realise that ready made hair products which I relied on for years contain too many chemicals or ingredients that hinder healthy hair growth. I was pleased to find out that I can easily make my own hair products with 100% natural ingredients and tailor them to suit my hair’s specific needs. At present my staple natural ingredients are:

Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii) 

African Shea butter has been used for centuries for its unsurpassed ability to protect and regenerate the skin. It comes from the nut of the Karite tree, which grows in specific areas of West Africa. The Karite three can grow up to 20 meters high, and its trunk can reach up to 1 meter in diameter. It produces its first fruit when it is about 25 years old, and reaches full production at the age of 40-50, and can live up to 300 years. The fruits of the Karite tree resemble large plums, approximately 3-6 cm. The Karite nut is edible and contains 1-3 seeds surrounded by a thin brittle hull. The creamy substance, known as Shea butter, is produced from these seeds.

Used in its natural form, 100% unrefined Shea butter softens, protects and makes the hair more pliable. Shea butter provides moisture to dry and damaged hair from the roots to the tips, leaving it healthy and shiny. Because it's rich in vitamins A and E, Shea butter soothes dryness, repairs breakage, and mends split ends.

In order to make the most out of Shea butter it is best to use 100% unrefined Shea butter as the refining process removes most of its healing properties. Unrefined Shea butter is either cream or yellow in colour (as opposed to the white refined product). 

Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis)
 Jojoba oil is a liquid wax derived from the seeds of small Jojoba tree. A shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California, and north-western Mexico. The oil makes up approximately 50% of the Jojoba seed by weight. This odourless liquid is virtually identical to sebum, the oil our scalp naturally produces, and can easily be absorbed by hair and scalp. Jojoba oil lubricates the hair shafts. It is an effective natural cleanser that helps rid the scalp of excessive sebum build-up.This oil provides healing benefits to the hair and scalp. 

These qualities makes Jojoba oil ideal for use with extensions or natural hair styles that are kept for longer periods of time. 

Jojoba oil acts as a hair sealant by forming a thin coating on the hair shaft. It smooths and seals the hair cuticle, even providing protection from any damaged caused by combing and brushing the hair. Jojoba oil helps lock moisture into the hair, thus protecting it from ultraviolet rays from the sun. As a result the hair is fortified, making it stronger and resulting in less breakage.

Coconut Oil 

Coconut oil is one of the best oils one can use on natural hair. It softens, detangles and it is a great hair conditioner. Another benefit of this oil is its ability to strengthen the structure of damaged, devitalised hair. It is often used as a pre wash conditioner. I use this oil a great deal and love its smell. It brings back memories of my grandmother who used it on my hair when I was a child.  

My Shea butter hair recipe:

I mix the three ingredients described above to use as an everyday hair cream.  This is the main product I use on my hair. I have been using it since I've gone natural and it works wonders on my super dry hair! It is a strait forward mix to make and once made it lasts me for about three months. So here’s the recipe:

v  80g of Shea butter (100% unrefined)

v   4tablespoons of Jojoba oil

v  4 tablespoons of Coconut oil

v  5 drops of essential Lavender oil

1. Melt the butter and Coconut oil in a mixing bowl using the Bain Marie method. 

2. Once melted add the Jojoba oil. Place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to chill. Wait  for the oils to start to partially solidify (do not allow it to become frozen solid otherwise it will not blend well).   

3. Then I use an electric hand mixer to whip the ingredients together until the butter turns into a soft and creamy consistency. This should take between five and eight minutes. 

4. When the Shea butter turns creamy (something akin to whipped cream consistency) add the Lavender essential oil and mix for another minute or so. 

 5. I then place my whipped Shea mix into a small clip-top Kilner jar. That's it, my Shea butter mix is ready to use.

Tip
If you do not have a mixer you can simply melt the butter using the Bain Marie method. Then add the oils of your choice. Pour the content into your chosen container. Allow it to cool and and solidify. The Shea butter mix will then be ready to use. Although it will not feel as luxurious as the whipped version it works equally well.

In relation to quantities the right mix should be about 75% solid butter to 25% liquid oil.

I get my Shea butter from Enaissance on line store - http://www.enaissance.co.UK. This company supplies a wide variety of natural ingredients at good prices. You may also be able to find a wide range of natural oils and ingredients including the above at your local health food stores such as Holland and Barrets or equivalent.  

Do you have a favourite hair butter recipe to share with me? 

Marisa. 

Frohawk Twist Out for London 2012

This weekend the UK and the world enjoyed a wonderful Olympic opening ceremony. I was fortunate enough to get a ticket for the technical rehearsal on Wednesday 25^th July! It was an exiting and unbelievably enjoyable experience. Well done to the UK and all the talented people which were involved in making it happen.  

Anyway, in preparation for this rare and special occasion I decided to wear a twist out Frohawk. This was my first and I liked the way it turned out. What do you think? 

The couple of days before Wednesday I wore my hair in a twist out style. This involves twisting the hair before going to bed. In the morning all you need to do is untwisting the two strands of hair. The curl definition it creates is a hair style in itself. Here is a tutorial on how to do it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmqWnX3I5N4. 

The Frohawk is easy to create and requires minimal preparation time. All I used to create this hair style was:

•     Home made water based moisturising spray
•     My home made Shea butter, coconut and Jojoba oil mix
•     Hair pins.

This is how to achieve the style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XBh_P5d7yw .

I will write a post on how I make my hair product concoctions during August. So stay tuned.

Love

Marisa.

Ten Golden Rules for Growing Healthy Natural Hair

 These ten simple rules have helped me improve my attitude towards caring for my African hair.

1.       Accept your hair texture.

Your hair texture is just what nature intended. It has unique qualities to suite you! Learn to understand it, love and enjoy it.  I found Nappturality video’s advice in relation to accepting my natural hair texture valuable when I went natural last year. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtZ3boSNQOE&feature=plcp .

2.        Natural hair needs tender care.

Be gentle when handling your hair.  African hair is the most fragile of all hair types. Therefore use a tender hand to care for your hair. Prevent your hair from tangling but also master the art of untangling.

3.       When it comes to products less is more.

There is no need to buy a thousand expensive products. Applying too many products will clog your pores and contribute to scalp build-up, which is not good for your hair. Look for a few basic products that work for your hair.  

4.       Tender hair needs gentle products and natural hair loves natural products.

Avoid using harsh shampoos or products with harmful chemicals. Start reading product labels and look for natural ingredients and products.

5.       Keep your hair and scalp clean.

Hair can only flourish on a scalp that is free from pollution and free from buildup. So wash your hair regularly.

6.        Moisture, moisture, moisture.

Water is your hair’s best friend so keep your curls moisturised all of the time.

7.       Leave your hair alone.

This is key (particularly if you have fine hair like me!). Do you know why dread locks grow long? It is because hair is allowed to grow without being disturbed. Try to keep a hair style for as long as possible but no longer than three months unless you want to lock your hair.

8.       Say no to heat.

Avoid using heat appliances such as blow driers and stop using straightening irons all together. They damage the coils and ruin the shape of your beautiful hair.

9.       Trim your hair

If you have split ends trim your hair. Split ends tear up your strands and fuel tangling.

10.    Enjoy your hair.

African hair is beautiful and incredibly versatile so have fun with it!

Rules 2 to 10 comes from the Mierille Liong-A-Kong’s book Going Natural: How to Fall in Love with your Nappy Hair. It is a great resource for people who are considering going natural. I use this book a lot for information on caring for my hair.   

Love

Marisa. 

My First Bantu Knots

I always liked the look of the Bantu Knot style. However, until recently my hair was not long enough to do it. In March 2012, I accidentally realised that my hair was long enough to pull it off. I was actually just braiding my hair in big chunks in preparation for going to bed, when I found myself Bantu knotting it! As this was an accidental discovery the end product was not as neat as it could have been. But I decided to wear it for the week anyway.

I kept the style for seven days. I was pleasantly surprised by the way in which the knots stayed in place so effortlessly. I love this style because:

• It’s very quick and easy to make (about 20 min)
• Requires minimum maintenance (only moisturising spray)
• I liked the way that it shapes my face, making it look quite round
• Great protective style for the gym as it keeps my hair completely out of the way  

I have since done it again in a more planned and neat way. The Bantu Knots style is now my top rated protective style.  

How to do Bantu knots

• Part your hair into sections and add your favourite moisturiser or oil ( I use my home made Shea butter, Jojoba and Coconut oil mix)
• Make a two strand  twist, braid or coil (Bantu knots can be started with any one of these)
• Hold your twist close to the scalp.
• Use your index finger to keep the twist at its base while wrapping the rest of it around its base.
• Normally Afro hair texture keeps the Bantu Knots in place. If this is not the case you can use a hairpin to secure the knot if does not hold. 

I found a couple of videos that demonstrates the above. The first one has short hair and starts her knots with two strand twists.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02D4RWUwx6A&feature=related 

The second has long hair and uses the coil method

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_2xiNke8Ck&feature=related