It is my 11th month Nappyversary!

Well, it’s been 11 months that I’ve been natural again!  I am really enjoying my hair!  I must admit that for the last month, I got tired of my wash and go.  I’ve been throwing wigs on, wearing ponytails or putting on a hat to avoid combing it!  Today was the day that I needed to remind myself of how naturally beautiful God made me!  It’s been really interesting!  Why is it that white folks tell me that my hair is beautiful and some black people (women mainly) say that they don’t have the courage to wear their own hair natural.

For all of your who have reservations about your hair…well all I can say is Do You….but know that how you see yourself is also how the rest of the world sees you.

Also, a lot of you have asked me how I style my hair.  In this photo, I put some gel on it and some Miss Jessie’s Buttercreme.  It was some cheap gel that I bought because I didn’t have any MJ Curly Pudding.  I also added a little bit of Garnier Fructis Hair Serum.  I let my hair get almost dry and I used a blow dryer to finish.  I don’t comb or pick my hair out after I shampoo.  That’s how I keep the curl texture.  You can always twist your hair and let it dry if your curl pattern is not defined enough for your liking.

Protective Styles: Make mine a lacefront!

Well…every few months or so, I get tired of doing my hair!  Don’t get me wrong though, I love my naturally curly hair.  I have so much fun playing with it and having people ask me what I did to get it like it is.  Although I didn’t do anything that the Lord didn’t already fashion! 

I really don’t want braids, locs or twists! The truth of the matter is: I would miss playing with my hair!  So sometime in the next week or so, I’ll be shopping for wigs.  I’ve got one lacefront but the hair is straight.  In fact, I brought because it looked like my hair before I cut all of the relaxer out…..I want something with some texture, fluffy wide and curly…something that reminds me of what it will look like in about another half a year….I’ll keep you posted!

Herbs and Other Ingredients to add to Your Conditioner – What is Their Purpose?

Today, I am deep-conditioning my hair.  I try to do this monthly.  Now when I say deep, I sit under the dryer for about an hour and steam my hair too. I thought about making a video to show you all the ingredients that I’ve use but honestly, every person’s hair needs/issue are not the same.

Deep-Conditioning

What did I use today? I used mayo because I didn’t have any eggs, coconut oil, EVVO, Pure raw shea butter, honey, aloe vera gel, and Queen Helene’s Cholesteral Hair Conditioner.

I will shampoo with Cream of Nature Sunflower Shampoo and rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar.

My advice is to listen to your hair and meet its needs.  If it’s dry and brittle, you need to add ingredients to your conditioner that someone with oily hair doesn’t need.  So here’s a list of many items that I use and more importantly what they do for your hair:

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• Jojoba oil is similar to sebum, which is secreted by human sebaceous glands to lubricate and protect skin and hair. Jojoba oil conditions hair and prevents it from becoming brittle and dull.

• Avocado oil Softens skin, helps skin and hair retain moisture and fights the aging process

• Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shinny complexion. Coconut oil prevents dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged air and provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair.

• Honey is high in vitamins and minerals, and has wonderful benefits for the skin and hair. Honey is a good humectant and emollient, serving as a good moisturizer and conditioner

• Basil: Oily hair. Promotes hair growth, eczema, psoriasis

• Bay: relieves scalp conditions and to act as a hair tonic

• Cedarwood: Aids in Dandruff, relieves itching

• Chamomile: Fine to normal hair. Gives golden highlights

• Geranium: deters head lice

• Grapefruit oil: Promotes hair growth, astringent for balancing oily skin and hair

• Juniper Berry: an astringent for the skin and hair

• Lavender: Normal to oily hair. Scalp treatment for itchiness, dandruff, and even lice! Controls oil production, reduces itchy/flaky scalp

• Lemon: Oily hair. Gives golden highlights; treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and underactive sebaceous glands

• Myrrh: Dry hair. Treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and underactive sebaceous glands

• Neroli: balancing oil for the skin and hair, and can help control overproduction of sebum

• Orange Oil:  Oily Hair. regulates the production of sebum, the hair’s natural oil

• Palmarosa: helpful for balancing oily and dry skin.

• Patchouli: Oily hair. Dandruff treatment

• Peppermint: Dry hair. Promotes hair growth. reduces itching and irritation

• Clary sage: All types of hair. Dandruff treatment. Adds Shine. Good for weak hair, has antioxidants

• Cypress: Use in treating hair loss, alopecia. clears oil.

Natural Hair Diary: Lovette ‘Luvvie’ Ajayi, Blogger – Essence.com

Natural Hair Diary: Lovette ‘Luvvie’ Ajayi, Blogger – Essence.com.

Henna in Your Hair? – Here’s what not to do!

Hi Natural Divas,

Well, I hope that you all had a nice Valentine’s Day!  I did!  I love love…but onto to something that I attempted to do today!  I put Henna in my hair.  That went fine…you know: put blocks in blender, added hot water and whipped it up until it had a “muddy” consistency.  Since I had so many errands to run this morning, I decided to put a shower cap on my head and then put a winter hat on top of that. Perfect!  My henna will sit on my head for a couple of hours while I take care of some business.  Well, after about an hour, the dripping began.  It didn’t seem to let up after a few wipes.  So I had to return home, rinse my hair, change my clothes and proceed to wash my white jacket.  It just seemed like a good idea at the time!

Learn from my silly, anxious error today and stay at home with henna in your hair.  By the way, my jacket came out clean and my hair doesn’t look bad either.  Most of all, if you are trying to grow your natural hair alone…dyeing with chemicals is still putting chemicals in your hair…..go for the henna.

Follow me at vodpod.com/naturaldiva…I’m collecting videos just for you!

Hey Natural Divas,

Please follow me at http://www.vodpod.com/naturaldiva.  I am collecting videos to share with you….so you don’t have to surf.  Or, if you like, just keep following my blog because there is a “vod box” on my front page where you can check out the videos too.

Be good to yourself!

Cheryl

Coconut Oil – Great for Moisture

Coconut oil is said to have so many healthy attributes, including anti-fungal and antibacterial properties as well as vitamin and mineral richness, that it is being touted by many as the new “super food”. With so many benefits, is it any wonder that there arecoconut oil hair growth effects?

The oils and proteins in coconut oil work well to help keep hair from losing protein, which is one of the major contributors to hair breakage and hair loss. When used at least two times weekly, in addition to a stimulating scalp massage, it has been found that coconut oil can help to stimulate proper circulation and keep the scalp moisturized. It can also help to keep the head free of things like dandruff, as well as help to re-grow hair.

How do we harness coconut oil hair growth effects? Essentially, this can be done in two ways.

For people interested in growing their hair longer and thicker, it helps to keep the hair well moisturized and the hair shaft strong. This will prevent breakage of the hair and allow it to grow longer and thicker without looking damaged. It can also be used as a very effective hair conditioner daily, to help keep hair strong and damage-free.

For those interested in stopping hair loss and encouraging new hair growth, coconut oil hair growth benefits can be effectively harnessed when used warm with a scalp massage. The massage itself helps to stimulate the circulation of the scalp and hair follicles, which will make it easier for the hair follicles to absorb the valuable nutrients provided by thecoconut oil, nutrients which are necessary to re-grow hair.

For years, coconut has been thought to not be good for us because of all the saturated fat that was in it, but now people are finding that it’s the form the saturated fats take that makes a difference. As far as topical application is concerned, this oil is great for skin care and hair care.

The use of coconut oil on the scalp can also help to keep it free of lice, and will help to heal anything from a mosquito bite that might be on the scalp to the occasional pimple that people get on their heads. This will help to keep the scalp moisturized and healthy, which will in turn help to encouragehair growth. Since hair cannot grow well from an unhealthy scalp, coconut oil hair growth benefits cannot be underestimated.

The use of coconut oil on the scalp can also help to keep it free of lice, and will help to heal anything from a mosquito bite that might be on the scalp to the occasional pimple that people get on their heads. This will help to keep the scalp moisturized and healthy, which will in turn help to encouragehair growth. Since hair cannot grow well from an unhealthy scalp, coconut oil hair growth benefits cannot be underestimated.

source: http://www.all4naturalhealth.com