It Is Just Hair!

One things I learned early on is that hair is just hair. That's all it is.... Hair! It does not defined you as a person.

I remember when was dealing with damaged hair when I was relaxed, I had to continuously have my hair cut due to excessive breakage. People would always ask me "Why do u keep cutting your hair?" I remember always saying "It's just hair"... And to an extent I still feel that way. However as I think about it...yeah it is hair but this hair is apart of me. It's apart of me because it is growing from my scalp, and although it does not make me the person that I am, I have it and I plan to take care of it. So as long as hair continues to grow from my scalp I'm going to make sure it's health.

My Current Haircare Regimen/Routine

Recently I have been recieving questions about what products I use on my hair. I never really gave it much thought about the products I use and it contributing to my hair results. So I decide to make a list of the products that I am currently using and my haircare regimen.

• Pre-Poo Treatment(bi-monthly)

I try to pre-poo my hair about once monthly with an olive oil mixture, jojoba oil,and T-tree oil. However I am not too consistant with my pre-poo treatment. I tend to do my pre-poo treatments when I feel that my hair is lacking moisture and shine.

• Shampoo and Conditioner(once or twice a week)

I shampoo and condition my hair with DermOrganic conditioning shampoo and intensive hair repair conditioner. I love this shampoo and conditioner product because it is an all natural product and it has and amazing smell that is not overpowering. After I use this product it leaves my hair very soft and easy to detangle.

• Protein Treatment ( Once a Month)

When I do protein treatment on my hair, I use a homemade protein mixture that I mix up myself.
First I use a fair amount of regular conditioner( I like to use Gariner Fructis, fortifing cream conditioner)
Then I add 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil,1 teaspoon of Honey,1 medium size Egg

• Leave-in Conditioner

I am currently using Kinky Curly Knot Today as a leave-in conditioner after I shampoo my hair. I just started using this product so there will be a review on it in the near future.

• Daily Moisturizer 

I am currently using Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque as a daily moisturizer. Although this product is marketed as a Deep Treatment Masque it works better for me as a daily moisturizer. The smell is not the best but it makes my hair soft and shiny and the moisture last for a few days after applying.

As with any Haircare Regimen you must tailor it to your own hair needs. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below and I will answer your question. Remember learning about your hair takes time and patience. Stay strong and inspired. Natural girls rock

Going Natural and the Emergence of Confidence

When I decided to go natural, it was June of 2010. I made the decision because I had become extremely tired with my hair. I consistently dealt with my hair growing and breaking. I felt that I needed to stop lying to myself about the cause of my hair loss and stop blaming it on stress.

It was a hard decision but it was one that had to be made. I started on the road of transitioning by doing protective styles with half wigs. I enjoyed not worrying about when I was going to get my next touch up. However I began to realize,how can I properly care for my hair if all I do is cover it up with wigs. I am not allowing it to breathe nor am I able to give it the moisture it truly deserves.

At that point, I decided to take that flipping wig off my head and embrace the mess that was on top of my head. And a mess it was, I had curly roots and matted stripped permed ends sitting on my head, it was terrible. I could not decide what to do with it, all i knew was I could not take my hair looking the way it looked anymore. It was literally crying for help, crying to be healthy and strong again. In that very moment as I looked myself in the mirror, I decided to do the big chop. From then on, I never looked back. This was the beginning, the beginning of a new me, a new more confident, strong, and sexy me that I didn't know existed because it was hidden underneath conformity.

Natural Hair survival kit

Being a newly natural, can be difficult because there is so much information out there. It at times can become overwhelming for a person thats just deciding to go natural. So I came up with a few essential items that can be very useful to anyone that is transitioning or newly natural.

1) Spray bottle filled with water
Since natural hair love moisture, it's best to provide it with plenty of it. I like to use my spray bottle filled with distilled water. It not only moisturize the hair but it also makes hair easier to work through.

2) A good hair oil
There are many on the market to choose from but it all boils down to your particular preference. I am currently using Jojoba oil and it seems to work well for me.

3) A Satin scarf /pillowcase
African American women know the importance of tying their hair up at night before bed. It is very important to natural curly girls especially if you don't want your tresses to look like a matted mess the next morning. Satin scarfs are important because they lock oils and moisture into hair as well as prevent breakage while sleeping.

4) Cream moisturizer
A good water-based cream moisturizer is ideal because it provides the hair with moisture. However cream-based moistures are not necessarily bad.When I use cream-based moisturizers, I spritz my hair with water first then apply. This method leaves my hair very soft and moisturized.

5) Good Shampoo and Conditioner
Don't get hung up on rushing out to buy all new products because the current products have sulfates in them. Its ok... As long as the product cleans your scalp then its fine continue to use them until you are completely done with them. Trust me its economical.

6) Hair Journal (optional)
I added this item to the list because it has been very beneficial to me. It allows me to keep track of the progress of my hair. It also allows me to document how certain products and methods work for my hair. I love it and swear by it.

Just remember when it comes to natural hair it takes time and patience. So learn at your own pace!

Shea Moisture (Deep Treatment Masque) Review

So I bought this product about Three months ago and I have been using it ever since. I became interested in the product when I saw it displayed at my local Target store. After reading the label I was convinced that I should give it a try.This product has just about everything that a girl with natural curls could want in a product.It's a dual purpose product which can be used as a deep treatment masque as well as a leave-in styling moisturizer. I must say, I did not particularly care for the product as a Deep Treatment masque because it left my hair very dry and brittle which I was not particularly happy with these results. After that experience I wanted to return the product back to the store. However I decided to give it another shot and try using it as a leave-in moisturize. I must say that I absolutely loved the results, it left my hair very soft, shiny and minimized my frizz. After that I was hooked. I have used this product numerous times to achieve a moisturized twist out and it has worked wonders. Since I've used this product the over all appearance of my hair has gotten a lot better and I have noticed that my hair has been maintaining moisture and shine a lot longer then before. I also have noticed that the strength in my hair has improved as well. Although I love the mixture as a leave-in moisture, I do however add some of my own ingredients which I believe helps to tone down the over powering smell of this product. I like to add a little bit of extra virgin Olive oil and pure honey.These ingredients helps add more shine as well as seal in moisture. Overall I would give this product a 7 out of 10 because it is a great leave-in however it is not a good deep treatment masque and that's the mean marketing of the product.