What I Learned

Tags

African hair, black beauty, hair, natural hair

Greetings, phenomenal sisthren and brethren. I’m here to give you the 5 lessons I have learned from my hair journey this year. The more time you spend being comfortable with your hair, the more it reveals to you (or hair bloggers reveal..ha ha!). I’m not a new naturalista but we all can keep learning from our beautiful, coily hair and each other!

1. Focus TCL on the back of your head.
This portion is the part you cannot really see most of the time but if you pay more attention to it than your front, it will get longer and make your ponytails and other hairdos look longer too. Don’t forget the back of your head!!!

2. Take time to create tight, moisturized twists at night.

If you don’t just hurriedly put some doo-foo twists in the night before , you’ll find styling your shiny, soft hair so much easier in the morning!

3. Keep protective styles in for 2-3 days and wear a headscarf.
This really helps hair growth. The key to this working is to still keep the twists/braids/buns well moisturized!!!

4. You don’t need a million new hairstyles. Honestly, just clipping your hair up for a classy look or rocking a twist out will always be effortless and look timeless. Don’t worry about having the same hairdo for a few days or a week.

5. Switch up hair products with the seasons.

This is my most important lesson. Grapeseed oil and a water- based hair dressing is terrific for summer, as well as aloe and honey. But come dry winter, bring out the big guns. You know what I’m talking about: castor oil, Shea butter, EVOO, coconut oil and those necessary hot oil treatments!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know what your tresses taught you this year!

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Headwrap or Natural Hair?

Tags

African, African American hair, beauty, black beauty, black consciousness, black lives matter, gele, Ghana, hair, headwrap, lifestyle, natural hair, Nigeria. West Africa., women

In this post, I will ask my readers, what is more defiant of the dominant culture? Please let me know what you think. I will give my argument below and let you know which style I feel is the most powerful at resisting Euro-centric beauty ideals, and the best at celebrating Afro-centric beauty.

Natural Hair
Without a doubt, women of African descent wearing our beautifully billowy, voluminous natural hair is a direct hit at resisting European oppression and domination. It was even outlawed in the 1700s starting with the South Carolina’s Negro Act for women of colour to wear their hair naturally in public!  (Why you so jealous, SC?). Black hair is beautiful hair, and we have come a long way to accept it, learn to care for it and develop self-love by embracing it. By refusing to wear our hair straightened like European women, it is a revolutionary act and one that has helped to unify thousands, if not millions of African sisthren.

Headwrap
   Headwrapping originating in Sub-Saharan Africa prior to the slave trade was a style that was modest and also telling of one’s social status. However, American slavery has tarnished the splendour of headwrapping by turning it into a badge of shame.

This is why I believe that by continuing to wrap our heads as we have since time immemorial is a powerful tool to dismantle racist beliefs about the devaluation of Afrikan females. Wearing a headwrap is likened to a Queen wearing a crown, and it draws attention upwards and complements the face. Furthermore, with the majestically coloured wraps and quality fabrics we are wrapping our hair with today, in elaborate styles nonetheless, it is a far cry from the piece of common white cloth used in the days of slavery. It moreso connects us with our heritage, history and culture and supplies us with the infinite power that is knowledge of self.

So which is it? Natural hair or headwrap?

Verdict
While our natural hair is incredible and diverse, and should be worn out freely and proudly, in my honest opinion, donning a regal headwrap evokes images of my ancestors in Africa. I feel more Afrikan in a beautifully printed headwrap worn gloriously and unapologetically on my head than I do with my best groomed Afro-puff. It may be the other way for some women and equally for others. So there you have it!

Photo credit: @mudimbilenka :IG:
                          @yomilewa

2 Week Loc Update

Tags

black beauty, black children, black family, children, dreadlocks, fair trade, hair, hair are, hairstyles, locs, natural, natural hair, pan African

  My son’s hair, which I decided to loc as an affirmation of Afrikan identity and self-love, has been transitioning wonderfully. Freeform or “natural” form locs are amazingly unique and his character and personality seems to be magnified by his big, bold hair.

   The products I am using is Alaffia African Black Soap to wash (although I have not washed his hair yet). It is a non-residual soap approved for loc washing, and it’s fairtrade and benefits women and children in Togo, Africa. I also use an apple cider vinegar and water spray to cleanse the scalp and I vigorously rub a few drops of tea tree oil in the scalp to stop itching and for it’s antifungal and antibacterial properties. Then, I leave it alone and let it transform!

Protective Twists

Tags

African American hair, Afro hair, black beauty, black hair, hairstyles, natural hair, protective styling, self love, twists and styles

   I’m a busy, on-the-go mom and I don’t have all the time in the world to elaborately style my hair every day. And in an effort to rehabilitate my dry hair and promote hair growth, I’m going to keep my natural hair in twists for the week, untwisting it the day before  Wash Day to wear a twist-out, then start all over. It is a great way to help hair grow fast, without much effort!

  1. First, I washed my hair to start off fresh with III Sisters of Nature shampoo and Allafia Black Soap to cleanse my hair gently, particularly the scalp.

  2. After washing my hair, I made a DIY deep conditioner. I did not have honey on hand but I had organic blue agave nectar which is also an amazing humectant. The polysaccharides in the agave nectar make it perfect for drawing moisture in during warmer months.
   I added it with coconut milk, coconut oil, a teaspoon of Castor oil and III Sisters of Nature conditioner. Because it is so runny, I have to sit still, mopping my face and neck with a towel for 30 minutes but it’s wor

th

the

ef

for

t

!

   3. My hair is super soft and moisturized and ready for detangling before I wash all this deep conditioner out of my hair. I brush Shea butter into my hair and use a touch of gel to form rope twists in my hair. I can feel the revitalization and health restored in my hair immediately. I attribute it mostly to coconut milk. Perhaps my hair just needs that protein! No deep conditioner should be complete witho

ut coconu

t milk!

4. After I twist it, I put flexirods to elongate the hair, and add a silk bonnet while home to hold in moisture. Now, I’m ready for my rejuvenating hair vacation, giving my hair a much needed break from daily stress and boosting growth and suppleness. It is also a great time to reflect on and appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of African hair, in all

its forms.