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.