...with my hair!
Showing posts with label Natural Hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natural Hair. Show all posts
I Am Officially IN LOVE....
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Labels:
Hair Shots,
Natural Hair
Hair and Moisture - How Much Do We Really Understand?
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Labels:
Baggying,
Deep Conditioning,
Dry Hair,
Glycerin,
Hair Debates,
Healthy Hair,
Humectants,
Moisturizers,
Natural Hair,
Over-Moisturizing,
Sealants
I can't stress enough the importance of reading your hair. And this goes, not just for Naturals but for those with all types of hair. Many of us, (and I too have been guilty of this) become so in love with or lazy about our routines we just mechanically keep doing the same things and then wonder weeks later why our hair are still dry or limp, or why our scalps are still flaky.
Moisture OverDose
The other thing, and one of the reasons we should pay attention to our hair, is that it is possible to over-moisturize our hair. I have read so many crazy suggestions around moisturizing. One person recommended applying a deep moisturizing conditioner mixed with some other water-based ingredients, and baggying the hair overnight. Every night!
Now if you happen to have hair that is not receptive to water, as in does not seem to absorb water well, this may be ok advice, I don't know. But if you notice your hair feels limp and super-soft, but maybe too-soft, is brittle and is not holding a curl, then maybe you have been leaving too much water in your hair for too long.
Like I said, we all have different hair with different needs. Hair's absorption rate for water varies individually but, on average, hair does not need to be doused in copious amounts water 24-7, I mean we are not mermaids. (Think of this: Hair and nails share similar properties and needs. What happens to our nails when we have our hands in water for a long period of time ie. that delicious but super-long bath? )
Sealing in the water moisture when we do apply water is the key. There are numerous amounts of good sealants provided by oils or butters. Some people say their hair does not like oil. I am going to dispute this. I have found that to some degree, the hair has to be used to oil. My hair seemed to hate oil when I first started this journey. It would just sit on top of my hair. But I didn't give up. I just learned what kinds of oils my hair responded favorably to and what kinds of oils it didn't. For me, I found that thicker oils like castor oil worked well on my kinky curls. I got creative and started mixing butters (just oils that are solid at room temperature) with thin oils to get that thick-oil consistency my hair loves. And I stopped applying oils to dry hair - made sure to dampen hair first. But dousing the hair in water spritz's throughout the day, never giving it a chance to dry? Well if nothing else, creates a breeding ground for bacteria and a recipe for over-moisturized hair.
Does Your Deep Conditioner Match You?
We love our deep conditioners. We rave about how much our hair adores them - me included. But do you know what your deep conditioner does for your hair? Do you know that there are different kinds of deep conditioners? There are reconstructors/protein conditioners that attempt to restore protein to the hair shaft and there are moisturizing conditioners meant to seal moisture in the hair shaft. These all, of course, provide only temporary protection for the hair. Did you also know at different times your hair may need different types of conditioners?
Here is a key:
If your hair feels over-moisturized - very limp, fragile, and super-soft, won't hold a curl or breaks when you touch or gently pull on it, then you probably need a strengthening/reconstructing conditioner, generally a protein treatment.
If your hair feels dry, hard, and brittle, then a moisturizing conditioner is the answer. Our individual hair types (I'm not referring to the 1a-4b typing system) kind of lets us know which type of conditioner we may need as the staple but changes in the hair's behavior (usually responses to stress, diet or your regimen) will also indicate that you may need to switch it up.
For example, protein treatments should pretty much be a must and a staple for relaxed heads because the hair cuticle's integrity is compromised and protein links have been broken and so are impaired. You will notice after a relaxer, hair is super-soft and may be limp. To prevent breakage, a protein treatment temporarily restores the protein lost during relaxing - temporarily (which is why you have to keep it up).
Natural heads, unless you have colored or apply heat regularly or genetically have super-fine hair that's prone to breakage, you are generally in more need of moisturizing treatments because natural hair tends toward dryness. But this does not mean from time to time, especially if you have a regimen based on almost constant water moisturizing, that your hair will not need a protein treatment to restore its strength. Just remember, all treatments are temporary. It should also be a sign you need to adjust your regimen and probably reduce how often you wet your hair.
Glycerin is Two-Faced
I have noticed that some Curlies swear by glycerin and its become a staple of mine too. But some use glycerin undiluted, applying directly to hair. Especially if you live in a hot, or cold, dry environment, this is a recipe for constant hair dryness. Why? Glycerin is a self-serving water-absorber. It works great for our hair because diluted, it actually will pull water out of the air, thereby acting as a humectant for hair. But glycerin does not distinguish where it pulls moisture from. So undiluted glycerin on hair plus dry air means glycerin will likely make your hair even drier by pulling moisture away from your hair. A bit of glycerin added to water goes a long way and adding a few drops of oil helps to prevent glycerin from drying out your hair in dry climates.
I hope this post shed some light on some of our most common misconceptions about the products we use. The takeaway: listen to your hair, always. She is telling you what she needs.
Moisture OverDose
The other thing, and one of the reasons we should pay attention to our hair, is that it is possible to over-moisturize our hair. I have read so many crazy suggestions around moisturizing. One person recommended applying a deep moisturizing conditioner mixed with some other water-based ingredients, and baggying the hair overnight. Every night!
Now if you happen to have hair that is not receptive to water, as in does not seem to absorb water well, this may be ok advice, I don't know. But if you notice your hair feels limp and super-soft, but maybe too-soft, is brittle and is not holding a curl, then maybe you have been leaving too much water in your hair for too long.
Like I said, we all have different hair with different needs. Hair's absorption rate for water varies individually but, on average, hair does not need to be doused in copious amounts water 24-7, I mean we are not mermaids. (Think of this: Hair and nails share similar properties and needs. What happens to our nails when we have our hands in water for a long period of time ie. that delicious but super-long bath? )
Sealing in the water moisture when we do apply water is the key. There are numerous amounts of good sealants provided by oils or butters. Some people say their hair does not like oil. I am going to dispute this. I have found that to some degree, the hair has to be used to oil. My hair seemed to hate oil when I first started this journey. It would just sit on top of my hair. But I didn't give up. I just learned what kinds of oils my hair responded favorably to and what kinds of oils it didn't. For me, I found that thicker oils like castor oil worked well on my kinky curls. I got creative and started mixing butters (just oils that are solid at room temperature) with thin oils to get that thick-oil consistency my hair loves. And I stopped applying oils to dry hair - made sure to dampen hair first. But dousing the hair in water spritz's throughout the day, never giving it a chance to dry? Well if nothing else, creates a breeding ground for bacteria and a recipe for over-moisturized hair.
Does Your Deep Conditioner Match You?
We love our deep conditioners. We rave about how much our hair adores them - me included. But do you know what your deep conditioner does for your hair? Do you know that there are different kinds of deep conditioners? There are reconstructors/protein conditioners that attempt to restore protein to the hair shaft and there are moisturizing conditioners meant to seal moisture in the hair shaft. These all, of course, provide only temporary protection for the hair. Did you also know at different times your hair may need different types of conditioners?
Here is a key:
If your hair feels over-moisturized - very limp, fragile, and super-soft, won't hold a curl or breaks when you touch or gently pull on it, then you probably need a strengthening/reconstructing conditioner, generally a protein treatment.
If your hair feels dry, hard, and brittle, then a moisturizing conditioner is the answer. Our individual hair types (I'm not referring to the 1a-4b typing system) kind of lets us know which type of conditioner we may need as the staple but changes in the hair's behavior (usually responses to stress, diet or your regimen) will also indicate that you may need to switch it up.
For example, protein treatments should pretty much be a must and a staple for relaxed heads because the hair cuticle's integrity is compromised and protein links have been broken and so are impaired. You will notice after a relaxer, hair is super-soft and may be limp. To prevent breakage, a protein treatment temporarily restores the protein lost during relaxing - temporarily (which is why you have to keep it up).
Natural heads, unless you have colored or apply heat regularly or genetically have super-fine hair that's prone to breakage, you are generally in more need of moisturizing treatments because natural hair tends toward dryness. But this does not mean from time to time, especially if you have a regimen based on almost constant water moisturizing, that your hair will not need a protein treatment to restore its strength. Just remember, all treatments are temporary. It should also be a sign you need to adjust your regimen and probably reduce how often you wet your hair.
Glycerin is Two-Faced
I have noticed that some Curlies swear by glycerin and its become a staple of mine too. But some use glycerin undiluted, applying directly to hair. Especially if you live in a hot, or cold, dry environment, this is a recipe for constant hair dryness. Why? Glycerin is a self-serving water-absorber. It works great for our hair because diluted, it actually will pull water out of the air, thereby acting as a humectant for hair. But glycerin does not distinguish where it pulls moisture from. So undiluted glycerin on hair plus dry air means glycerin will likely make your hair even drier by pulling moisture away from your hair. A bit of glycerin added to water goes a long way and adding a few drops of oil helps to prevent glycerin from drying out your hair in dry climates.
I hope this post shed some light on some of our most common misconceptions about the products we use. The takeaway: listen to your hair, always. She is telling you what she needs.
The Push to Be Natural - Is It Fair?
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Labels:
Hair Debates,
Natural Hair,
Relaxers,
Weaves
So I wanted to do this post for some time now but just did not have the time.
[Before I begin, my computer is driving me nuts. The space bar is not working well so please forgive if you see words typed up together, it is late and I'm tired].
I felt the urge to address this topic after reading an interesting post on another natural hair blog site elaborating on the blogger's opinion about why non-naturals (weave and relaxed heads) have not embraced natural hair or why they continue to echo ignorant stigmas around natural hair.
The blogger (who I won't name as not to offend anyone) had a good point when she said that there is fear behind the hesitation to go or be natural - I can see that. I had it in myself when I contemplated going natural.
But I noted a tone in the blog that I have picked up here and there on different blog sites mostly by veteran naturals. The tone is one of either disdain, intolerance or self-righteousness depending on how the opinions about those who have not embraced natural hair, are expressed. Some approach it in subtle ways, some express frustrations that are highly relatable when in response to negative comments made to them by non-naturals about their natural hair. Some make their opinions known in more direct, almost impatient - and arguably militant ways.
I say to each his own.
We are all entitled to our opinions and alot of what these naturals say are undeniably true. The most recent post, however, raised, for me an interesting question - that is: Is it fair for us naturals, to judge non-naturals' reasons for not joining the natural bandwagon?
Is it fair for us to, not just assume, but to propagate, as an educated perspective on some kind of soap-box, the belief that non-naturals have a secret self-hatred about who they are and what grows out of their bodies?
Is it fair, as this blogger did, to go so far as to conclude that the self-hatred extends beyond what grows naturally from them into a hatred of their own blackness? A desire to cover it up with weaves? To subdue and smooth it away with relaxers?
Hair, we all know, represents different things to different people but is it going too far to insinuate that our hair is an expression of our race and thus, by hiding it, we are showing shame about our race?
I personally don't think it is fair. I think it's a militant way to be. I think its a dogmatic way to look at ourselves as a race, as a people.
I understand how powerful our hair can be. It obviously evokes strong emotions in us. It evokes a sense of power and courage when we cut years of relaxed growth off and leave only a few inches of natural hair on our heads. It evokes a sense of accomplishment when we see the resulting length and strength of hair we have taken care of for months or years. It evokes a sense of pride and strength to know we withstood the crazy stares, the negative comments, even the ridicule.
I get that.
But I feel like at the end of the day, we should not forget that its just hair. Its not a movement. Our hair that is so malleable and elastic and free-spirited should never become a catalyst or reason for militance or dogma or intolerance. And oh the arrogance that we should look down from our new place of fluffy- and coily-haired glory to the very place we came from and show intolerance to those who may not yet have arrived at the enlightenment that is natural hair.
Isn't the decision to go back natural just another stage in the series of epiphanic self-discoveries we find ourselves faced with time and again in life?
If we liken going natural to seeing the light and anything-but to darkness, then should we be so harsh in our criticism of non-naturals? Think about it - if you are in the dark, you can be accused of no more than ignorance and maybe fear (and maybe not even fear if you do not hesitate to leap as soon as you know better).
I just think we do not do the beauty of natural hair any justice by turning it into some kind of platform from which to preach to the rest of the world. We show grace and tolerance and let shine the natural example of our very individual beautiful naturals. I think left on its own our natural hair are as the flowers in the field: So bright, so damn gorgeous, its beauty draws in even from far and everyone wants to comes closer just to be apart. I mean that's partly what drew me to natural hair!
I do believe relaxed and weaved heads with disdain for natural hair are in the dark, and those with disdain for their own natural hair are even sadder to me. But let's remember that for most of us, relaxing began not as an activity of self-hate or to smuff out/tone down our blackness but as children sitting at our mothers' knees inhaling the heady camphor of the noxious cream and believing with childish naivete, the flowy-haired promise we saw on tv.
We were 5 or10 or, in my case, 11. Our immature brains did not have the forethought to assess the damaging implications, much less to entertain the statement it would make to those who remained or returned to natural.
And most of us stayed relaxed not out of self-hatred but out of ignorance of how to change all we knew and care for a new kind of hair with its own demands and trials.
Let us, natural sisters, be patient and tolerant and have faith that our hair has its own way of speaking its beauty that don't need a microphone or a platform; that don't need to convince anyone - especially those who aren't ready to hear it.
Whew! Now that that's out of the way - I'm going to bed.
G'nite Curlies! ....Yes and, of course, your two cents on this topic are welcome. :)
[Before I begin, my computer is driving me nuts. The space bar is not working well so please forgive if you see words typed up together, it is late and I'm tired].
I felt the urge to address this topic after reading an interesting post on another natural hair blog site elaborating on the blogger's opinion about why non-naturals (weave and relaxed heads) have not embraced natural hair or why they continue to echo ignorant stigmas around natural hair.
The blogger (who I won't name as not to offend anyone) had a good point when she said that there is fear behind the hesitation to go or be natural - I can see that. I had it in myself when I contemplated going natural.
But I noted a tone in the blog that I have picked up here and there on different blog sites mostly by veteran naturals. The tone is one of either disdain, intolerance or self-righteousness depending on how the opinions about those who have not embraced natural hair, are expressed. Some approach it in subtle ways, some express frustrations that are highly relatable when in response to negative comments made to them by non-naturals about their natural hair. Some make their opinions known in more direct, almost impatient - and arguably militant ways.
I say to each his own.
We are all entitled to our opinions and alot of what these naturals say are undeniably true. The most recent post, however, raised, for me an interesting question - that is: Is it fair for us naturals, to judge non-naturals' reasons for not joining the natural bandwagon?
Is it fair for us to, not just assume, but to propagate, as an educated perspective on some kind of soap-box, the belief that non-naturals have a secret self-hatred about who they are and what grows out of their bodies?
Is it fair, as this blogger did, to go so far as to conclude that the self-hatred extends beyond what grows naturally from them into a hatred of their own blackness? A desire to cover it up with weaves? To subdue and smooth it away with relaxers?
Hair, we all know, represents different things to different people but is it going too far to insinuate that our hair is an expression of our race and thus, by hiding it, we are showing shame about our race?
I personally don't think it is fair. I think it's a militant way to be. I think its a dogmatic way to look at ourselves as a race, as a people.
I understand how powerful our hair can be. It obviously evokes strong emotions in us. It evokes a sense of power and courage when we cut years of relaxed growth off and leave only a few inches of natural hair on our heads. It evokes a sense of accomplishment when we see the resulting length and strength of hair we have taken care of for months or years. It evokes a sense of pride and strength to know we withstood the crazy stares, the negative comments, even the ridicule.
I get that.
But I feel like at the end of the day, we should not forget that its just hair. Its not a movement. Our hair that is so malleable and elastic and free-spirited should never become a catalyst or reason for militance or dogma or intolerance. And oh the arrogance that we should look down from our new place of fluffy- and coily-haired glory to the very place we came from and show intolerance to those who may not yet have arrived at the enlightenment that is natural hair.
Isn't the decision to go back natural just another stage in the series of epiphanic self-discoveries we find ourselves faced with time and again in life?
If we liken going natural to seeing the light and anything-but to darkness, then should we be so harsh in our criticism of non-naturals? Think about it - if you are in the dark, you can be accused of no more than ignorance and maybe fear (and maybe not even fear if you do not hesitate to leap as soon as you know better).
I just think we do not do the beauty of natural hair any justice by turning it into some kind of platform from which to preach to the rest of the world. We show grace and tolerance and let shine the natural example of our very individual beautiful naturals. I think left on its own our natural hair are as the flowers in the field: So bright, so damn gorgeous, its beauty draws in even from far and everyone wants to comes closer just to be apart. I mean that's partly what drew me to natural hair!
I do believe relaxed and weaved heads with disdain for natural hair are in the dark, and those with disdain for their own natural hair are even sadder to me. But let's remember that for most of us, relaxing began not as an activity of self-hate or to smuff out/tone down our blackness but as children sitting at our mothers' knees inhaling the heady camphor of the noxious cream and believing with childish naivete, the flowy-haired promise we saw on tv.
We were 5 or10 or, in my case, 11. Our immature brains did not have the forethought to assess the damaging implications, much less to entertain the statement it would make to those who remained or returned to natural.
And most of us stayed relaxed not out of self-hatred but out of ignorance of how to change all we knew and care for a new kind of hair with its own demands and trials.
Let us, natural sisters, be patient and tolerant and have faith that our hair has its own way of speaking its beauty that don't need a microphone or a platform; that don't need to convince anyone - especially those who aren't ready to hear it.
Whew! Now that that's out of the way - I'm going to bed.
G'nite Curlies! ....Yes and, of course, your two cents on this topic are welcome. :)
Soaps, 'Gentle Cleansers' and the Claim that 'Natural is Always Better'
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Labels:
Alternative Hair Cleansers,
Hair Debates,
Healthy Hair,
Natural Hair
I have been busy procrastinating on writing a 12-page paper on the most boring subject ever invented - software testing. I know. I know. I will bore you no further. I have decided (because I am dedicated to educating you guys as I learn myself) to take very important time out of my procrastinating to share some new insights with you....in addition to other ramblings of course, I mean God forbid this should be a short post. I can't have that. :) But, seriously, I will try to keep it short this time - besides I have to return to gazing at the blank Microsoft Word page on the computer screen in the hopes that the words to fill 12-pages will magically appear before me).
Question: Is natural always better?
This is by the way a rhetorical question because the point of my post is that I've found out the answer already but please share your thoughts as well.
When I first started this journey of growing out my natural hair.....or I should back up even further because my proclivity for all things naturally-derived and organic goes back as far as junior year of college when I began pursuing a Pre-Med degree by way of a Nutrition and Health Science major.
Alot of my classes were - obviously about nutrition, the makeup of food, the makeup of us as biological beings and the effect of foods on our bodies. I became more conscious about what I was putting in my body in terms of meat for example when I took a class where we learned the USDA grading system for meat, what it means and the type of worm that lives in pork and the degree of heat needed to ensure it is killed during cooking.
Also, I have always suffered from acne-prone skin and had begun to look for new, more natural ways to improve it as the harsh medications were taking a toll on my already highly sensitive skin.
I collected and used all-natural skin treatment recipes (it did not occur to me then this should extend to my hair) BUT....as I grew to appreciate the goodness of extra virgin olive oil it became my staple pre-shampoo hair treatment.
I also knew (and still know very well) what foods will improve certain aspects of the body based on their chemical makeup. I can tell you for example that if you have high cholesterol, you need lots of unsaturated (preferably monounsaturated) fats to replace all other fats in your diet and that this will help your cholesterol levels over time (I am not a doctor....I chose another route) but the knowledge stayed with me as I incorporated it in my own life.
Anyway, despite all this knowledge about food and how it affects the body, I was tempted to believe natural is better when it came to my natural hair. Blame it on an igonorance about the make-up of hair and how hair responds to products applied to it externally.
My biggest wonder was about shampoos.
I read that traditional shampoos were very harsh on curly hair and that because curly hair needs to be moist at all times, gentler alternatives were needed. What gentler alternatives? My initial scouring of youtube for example, found new and veteran Naturals raving about the wonders of Dr. Bronner's Castille soap for cleansing hair and also about African Black soap.
Typical me, I went into research mode to find out, what is Black Soap and why is it better than other soaps for hair? It's not! It is gentler than detergents like all soaps are but the claim about the benefits of saponified oils versus gentler cleansers like those found in shampoos like Organix and DevaCurl No Poo and Low Poo are questionable at best, if not completely unfounded.
The tricky thing is it sounds so great. I mean I only want the best for my hair and yesterday I was this close *thumb and index finger almost touching* to buying the Dr. Bronner's Castille soap that some naturals have been swearing by for their hair. I mean it said beautiful things on the first line of the ingredients list: 'Saponified coconut oil' - Whaaaat?! My hair loves it some coconut oil - but wait, does the fact that it's 'saponified' change the awesomeness of the coconut oil in it? Answer: Hell yes!
Saponification is the process of applying a highly basic substance usually sodium hydroxide (think lye) or potassium hydroxide to the oil.
-I know you are thinking of relaxers but don't be confused, the sodium hydroxide performs its reaction on the oils to produce soap, no further reaction is performed on your hair like relaxers-
Anyway, the result of this reaction (saponification process) is a molecular structure that has a hydrophillic (water-attracting) end, binding to water and a fatty end, bindable to oils. This is what makes soap. Now the only virtue of Dr. Bronner's soap over another soap (and I am not including detergents which are harsher over all than soaps and other cleansers) may be the type of fat or oil used in this saponification process and since different oils and fats have different molecular structures, mainly length and type of bonds of the fatty acid tails, it very well may be that some soaps are better than others.
What does this mean for our hair?
Soaps in general have a higher pH than the pH of our hair. And great differences in pH contribute to the breakdown of the hair's own molecular structure to varying degrees. On the other hand, gentler cleansers specifically formulated for curly hair and free of harsh chemicals like SLS and ALS are likely to have a pH closer to the hair's own (I encourage you to investigate the pH for yourself), meaning less harmful to the structure of the hair. If you don't know much about the structure of hair, look it up. Trust me its worth reading and you may see why I came to the conclusion that natural is not always the best for all that beautiful curly, kinky, prone to dryness and delicate mass on top of our heads.
Keep loving your hair and I'll keep using my Organix Coconut Milk shampoo until I can get my hands on that Deva Curl No or Low Poo cleanser to give it a try. Of course a review of it will follow so look out for that.
Question: Is natural always better?
This is by the way a rhetorical question because the point of my post is that I've found out the answer already but please share your thoughts as well.
When I first started this journey of growing out my natural hair.....or I should back up even further because my proclivity for all things naturally-derived and organic goes back as far as junior year of college when I began pursuing a Pre-Med degree by way of a Nutrition and Health Science major.
Alot of my classes were - obviously about nutrition, the makeup of food, the makeup of us as biological beings and the effect of foods on our bodies. I became more conscious about what I was putting in my body in terms of meat for example when I took a class where we learned the USDA grading system for meat, what it means and the type of worm that lives in pork and the degree of heat needed to ensure it is killed during cooking.
Also, I have always suffered from acne-prone skin and had begun to look for new, more natural ways to improve it as the harsh medications were taking a toll on my already highly sensitive skin.
I collected and used all-natural skin treatment recipes (it did not occur to me then this should extend to my hair) BUT....as I grew to appreciate the goodness of extra virgin olive oil it became my staple pre-shampoo hair treatment.
I also knew (and still know very well) what foods will improve certain aspects of the body based on their chemical makeup. I can tell you for example that if you have high cholesterol, you need lots of unsaturated (preferably monounsaturated) fats to replace all other fats in your diet and that this will help your cholesterol levels over time (I am not a doctor....I chose another route) but the knowledge stayed with me as I incorporated it in my own life.
Anyway, despite all this knowledge about food and how it affects the body, I was tempted to believe natural is better when it came to my natural hair. Blame it on an igonorance about the make-up of hair and how hair responds to products applied to it externally.
My biggest wonder was about shampoos.
I read that traditional shampoos were very harsh on curly hair and that because curly hair needs to be moist at all times, gentler alternatives were needed. What gentler alternatives? My initial scouring of youtube for example, found new and veteran Naturals raving about the wonders of Dr. Bronner's Castille soap for cleansing hair and also about African Black soap.
Typical me, I went into research mode to find out, what is Black Soap and why is it better than other soaps for hair? It's not! It is gentler than detergents like all soaps are but the claim about the benefits of saponified oils versus gentler cleansers like those found in shampoos like Organix and DevaCurl No Poo and Low Poo are questionable at best, if not completely unfounded.
The tricky thing is it sounds so great. I mean I only want the best for my hair and yesterday I was this close *thumb and index finger almost touching* to buying the Dr. Bronner's Castille soap that some naturals have been swearing by for their hair. I mean it said beautiful things on the first line of the ingredients list: 'Saponified coconut oil' - Whaaaat?! My hair loves it some coconut oil - but wait, does the fact that it's 'saponified' change the awesomeness of the coconut oil in it? Answer: Hell yes!
Saponification is the process of applying a highly basic substance usually sodium hydroxide (think lye) or potassium hydroxide to the oil.
-I know you are thinking of relaxers but don't be confused, the sodium hydroxide performs its reaction on the oils to produce soap, no further reaction is performed on your hair like relaxers-
Anyway, the result of this reaction (saponification process) is a molecular structure that has a hydrophillic (water-attracting) end, binding to water and a fatty end, bindable to oils. This is what makes soap. Now the only virtue of Dr. Bronner's soap over another soap (and I am not including detergents which are harsher over all than soaps and other cleansers) may be the type of fat or oil used in this saponification process and since different oils and fats have different molecular structures, mainly length and type of bonds of the fatty acid tails, it very well may be that some soaps are better than others.
What does this mean for our hair?
Soaps in general have a higher pH than the pH of our hair. And great differences in pH contribute to the breakdown of the hair's own molecular structure to varying degrees. On the other hand, gentler cleansers specifically formulated for curly hair and free of harsh chemicals like SLS and ALS are likely to have a pH closer to the hair's own (I encourage you to investigate the pH for yourself), meaning less harmful to the structure of the hair. If you don't know much about the structure of hair, look it up. Trust me its worth reading and you may see why I came to the conclusion that natural is not always the best for all that beautiful curly, kinky, prone to dryness and delicate mass on top of our heads.
Keep loving your hair and I'll keep using my Organix Coconut Milk shampoo until I can get my hands on that Deva Curl No or Low Poo cleanser to give it a try. Of course a review of it will follow so look out for that.
My Latest Hair Mystery
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Labels:
Curl Definition,
Hair Texture,
Natural Hair
So I know I had promised to explain more about the reason behind my curiosity about scab hair in my last post but there was so much to write, it was already too long by the time I remembered this. So here it is:
I guess I should start first by explaining my hair texture...or at least what I have discovered about it.
My hair is very tightly coiled at the temples and nape and more loosely coiled at the crown, top and center and close to the crown at the back and sides. Thats all I can tell.
I don't really subscribe to hair typing, I am not sure about what the types mean and really, I just find the typing prone to being inaccurate and limiting. There is no definitive line between a 3c versus a 4a for instance, its perception and somewhat relative. So I just note the curls. Not any coils as far as I can see (s-shapes) but I can't be sure.
Why?
The middle of my head, the crown, puzzles me. It's somewhat wavy, definitely no curls and I have not noted coils or s-shapes. When I was a little girl, the little I remember about my hair was the the middle grew the fastest, and retained length the most, but now back to my natural state, it is the most unresponsive and puzzling part of my head.
I recently read a post on a random blog about scab hair and how it doesn't respond to products and suspected this of the hair in this part of my head. But I wouldn't say it doesn't respond to products, it just waves slightly in response, no definitively tight curl like my nape or looser but still definitive curl like the top of my head, it just seems like it doesn't know which way it wants to curl or what, if anything, it should do.
I felt the roots thinking I should feel more definitive curl pattern there if, say, during my transition phase (where I did blowdry and flat iron frequently) I damaged the new growth that would now be the ends on my current head of hair but the root feels the same. So I want to know: What is scab hair?
I am puzzled.....
I guess I should start first by explaining my hair texture...or at least what I have discovered about it.
My hair is very tightly coiled at the temples and nape and more loosely coiled at the crown, top and center and close to the crown at the back and sides. Thats all I can tell.
I don't really subscribe to hair typing, I am not sure about what the types mean and really, I just find the typing prone to being inaccurate and limiting. There is no definitive line between a 3c versus a 4a for instance, its perception and somewhat relative. So I just note the curls. Not any coils as far as I can see (s-shapes) but I can't be sure.
Why?
The middle of my head, the crown, puzzles me. It's somewhat wavy, definitely no curls and I have not noted coils or s-shapes. When I was a little girl, the little I remember about my hair was the the middle grew the fastest, and retained length the most, but now back to my natural state, it is the most unresponsive and puzzling part of my head.
I recently read a post on a random blog about scab hair and how it doesn't respond to products and suspected this of the hair in this part of my head. But I wouldn't say it doesn't respond to products, it just waves slightly in response, no definitively tight curl like my nape or looser but still definitive curl like the top of my head, it just seems like it doesn't know which way it wants to curl or what, if anything, it should do.
I felt the roots thinking I should feel more definitive curl pattern there if, say, during my transition phase (where I did blowdry and flat iron frequently) I damaged the new growth that would now be the ends on my current head of hair but the root feels the same. So I want to know: What is scab hair?
I am puzzled.....
Scalp Purifiers and Stimulants and My Improved Protein Treatment
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Labels:
Avocado,
Braggs Liquid Aminos,
Essential Oils,
Hair Recipes,
Healthy Hair,
Honey,
Hot Oil Treatment,
Itchy Scalp,
Natural Hair,
Protein Treatments,
Scalp,
Sealants,
Tea Tree Oil
Hello World,
So I mean for this to be a quick post but I've said that before and....well you know how it ends up. :)
Anyway, a couple new things with my hair:
-I did a protein treatment this weekend with avocado that amazingly worked really well and to my excitement left my hair gunk-free (last time I tried it, I ended up with bits of white gunk in my hair)
- I found a use for the Mixed Chicks leave-in that I am oh so happy with I might just order it again once I run out!
-I have found a low-cost way to get my curls to last several days.
Ok so here is the protein treatment, its very similar to the one I posted before but I kept it simple:
Braggs Liquid Aminos (about 1/4 cup)
Small avocado (about half)
Honey (1 tbsp)
Olive oil (2 tspn)
Tea tree oil (few drops)
I added tea tree oil because earlier in the week my scalp was itching the heck out of me. I thought maybe it was dirty and I didn't want to shampoo so mid-week I did my usual co-wash and then rinsed with a vinegar and water rinse and massaged my scalp. Then I applied this leave-in:
So I mean for this to be a quick post but I've said that before and....well you know how it ends up. :)
Anyway, a couple new things with my hair:
-I did a protein treatment this weekend with avocado that amazingly worked really well and to my excitement left my hair gunk-free (last time I tried it, I ended up with bits of white gunk in my hair)
- I found a use for the Mixed Chicks leave-in that I am oh so happy with I might just order it again once I run out!
-I have found a low-cost way to get my curls to last several days.
Ok so here is the protein treatment, its very similar to the one I posted before but I kept it simple:
Braggs Liquid Aminos (about 1/4 cup)
Small avocado (about half)
Honey (1 tbsp)
Olive oil (2 tspn)
Tea tree oil (few drops)
I added tea tree oil because earlier in the week my scalp was itching the heck out of me. I thought maybe it was dirty and I didn't want to shampoo so mid-week I did my usual co-wash and then rinsed with a vinegar and water rinse and massaged my scalp. Then I applied this leave-in:
It's called Fluide Purifiant from Kerastase and its purpose is to 'purify' the scalp including treating dry, itchy scalp. It works for the dryness and flakes. I had dry, flaky scalp for years when I had a relaxer (I think it was my scalp reacting to the harshnes of the relaxer) and nothing worked until I found this. In this case, my scalp wasn't flaky, just itchy. This didn't totally eliminate the itching but it lessened it. I recommend it though it, like all the Kerastase products, is kind of pricey.
Generally, before I do my weekend homemade treatments, I shampoo to remove buildup with Organix and before I shampoo, I do an oil treatment. But not your usual oil treatment - an essential oils treatment. What's the difference you ask? Essential oils take all the best properties of a plant and provide it in a concentrated form. For example regular oil from the rosemary plant may be harmless because of the dilution but the rosemary essential oil - well if you've never used it and you do, you will know, it doesn't play - you can feel how strong it is, and it smells that way too! In the case of my treatment, the purpose is to stimulate circulation to the scalp and lift any dirt and bacteria from my scalp before I shampoo. I highly recommend it. I have been doing this for years, even when I had a relaxer.
So let me tell you how its done:
Most people do a regular hot oil treatment with some random oil such as OO. Instead try this: add to your hot oil treatment at least 3-4 drops each of the following clarifying and stimulating essential oils:
-Peppermint essential oil
-Eucaluptus essential oil
-Rosemary essential oil
-Basil essential oil
-Cypress essential oil
You can add tea tree oil if you have scalp issues such as dry scalp, dandruff but use only 1-2 drops of this, too much will burn.
Of course you need a base for these oils so OO works, or a lighter base such as Jojoba oil or Sweet Almond Oil (what I use).
I have to warn you, the combo is pungent (the smell) so be prepared. You can help your nose out by putting on a cap and a towel over it. The best is to apply this treatment the day before you plan to shampoo and sleep on it, with a cap on of course and make sure to protect your pillows because the smell lingers.
I leave it on overnight or a couple of hours if its same day then I take the cap off and let the scalp get air a few hours before I shampoo. These oils increase blood flow to the scalp (you will feel it) and the antibiotic properties of tea tree clarifies as well. If you are too lazy to invest in purchasing each of these oils and mixing them, you can just buy this:
The product is called Phytopolleine and it is basically a mixture of essential oils meant to stimulate the scalp. Its also pricey so you might be better off mixing your own. But the good thing is it includes scalp-stimulating essential oils proven to work but are hard to find individually. Either way the goal is to massage, clarify and stimulate your scalp for optimal hair growth and health. It smells pungent too but luckily either way you do it, shampoo will wash away the smell.
My Mixed Chicks leave-in revelation will have to wait until another post. I have already broken my promise to you to keep this short. My bad. Anyway I hope all this stuff is helpful to you all and as always I welcome ideas as well. Can anyone explain how to tell if I have scab hair? My next post will explain why I ask. Bye for now....
Homemade Protein Hair Treatment
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Labels:
Avocado,
Braggs Liquid Aminos,
Curl Definition,
Honey,
Natural Hair,
Protein Treatments
I did a homemade conditioning treatment on Saturday and I think my hair loved it....
I went to whole foods and got the following:
Braggs Liquid Aminos
Unrefined honey
Avocado
Once I got home, I whipped these up with some aloe vera gel (straight from the leaf but I don't think it matters), a few drops of olive oil and two teaspoons coconut milk. I won't give you the quantities because I think you will need different amounts of the above based on what your hair needs are. For me, I need lots of moisture because my hair tends to be dry so I had to include several drops of olive oil. Just as a starting point, I used only a half of a small avocado.
Warning: This stuff does not smell friendly thanks to the Liquid Aminos, but I read it makes a good protein treatment and is not too harsh on your hair which stronger protein treatments like Infusium is on mine (Infusium makes my hair feel sticky and brittle and staticky). Anyway, I whipped these in a blender and applied to hair after I had shampood with Organix coconut milk shampoo which I was so pleased to find at Wal-mart. I let it sit for about 30 minutes and when I washed it out my hair curls were very defined, I'll post pics later. I then conditioned with a random daily conditioner I bought at whole foods that I plan to use to co-wash (I'd been using the kerastase oleo-curl but I think this is meant to be a deep conditioner and its too expensive for me to be using everyday).
After I got out of the shower, my hair felt and looked so happy like it was curling up in happiness.
I went to whole foods and got the following:
Braggs Liquid Aminos
Unrefined honey
Avocado
Once I got home, I whipped these up with some aloe vera gel (straight from the leaf but I don't think it matters), a few drops of olive oil and two teaspoons coconut milk. I won't give you the quantities because I think you will need different amounts of the above based on what your hair needs are. For me, I need lots of moisture because my hair tends to be dry so I had to include several drops of olive oil. Just as a starting point, I used only a half of a small avocado.
Warning: This stuff does not smell friendly thanks to the Liquid Aminos, but I read it makes a good protein treatment and is not too harsh on your hair which stronger protein treatments like Infusium is on mine (Infusium makes my hair feel sticky and brittle and staticky). Anyway, I whipped these in a blender and applied to hair after I had shampood with Organix coconut milk shampoo which I was so pleased to find at Wal-mart. I let it sit for about 30 minutes and when I washed it out my hair curls were very defined, I'll post pics later. I then conditioned with a random daily conditioner I bought at whole foods that I plan to use to co-wash (I'd been using the kerastase oleo-curl but I think this is meant to be a deep conditioner and its too expensive for me to be using everyday).
After I got out of the shower, my hair felt and looked so happy like it was curling up in happiness.
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