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.