Daily Inspiration: Solange, and It's Not a wig!

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NHCD: 6 Things I've Learned from the Natural Hair Community

The natural hair community online is incredibly helpful and supportive. March 26th made one year natural for me, and I have learned so much valuable information from hair sites, blogs, forums, and Youtube videos:

• Do your own research. I always research any questions that I have about hair care; however, the way I "research" is slowly changing now. Online, it is so easy for one to read the same information on an abundance of blogs and not question whether or not the information is factual. SincereBeaute, a fellow natural hair blogger, created a challenge called "State Your References," and I love this idea. From now on, I will try my best to state my sources for all my informational posts. I want to know the real reasons (scientific reasons) behind things. For example, why certain ingredients are "harmful," why mineral oil isn't "beneficial," etc. I'm sure if we all did more proper research (rather than "taking people's word for it"), it would be more beneficial for the natural hair community.

•  Your hair journey is just that. Yours. Don't yearn for someone else's growth, texture, or overall progress. It's OK to view people as inspirations-- that's one of the things that keeps people motivated. However, always wishing that your hair was like someone else's only prevents you from seeing the beauty and potential in your own hair. Also, just because something works for someone, doesn't mean it's going to work for you...and that's OK. Don't feel overwhelmed because someone else's lengthy regimen doesn't fit your lifestyle.When it comes to hair care, one size does not fit all, so make your regimen work for YOU! If people are raving about a product and it failed miserably for you, take that as a lesson learned, find products that do work for you, and keep it moving. Everything is not for everyone.

•  Document your progress. It's very encouraging to see your hair's progress, especially for those like myself who have tightly-coiled hair and a lot of shrinkage. Whenever I wash my hair, it looks as short as it was when I BCed, when in reality, I have retained a decent amount of length since then. When shrinkage fools you, pictures tell the truth. This doesn't mean take pictures all day, everyday (because that can be discouraging, too). Once a week, every couple of weeks, even once a month works. 

•  Youtube taught me. Styling natural hair can seem impossible sometimes, especially if you have thick hair, but watching Youtube videos helps a lot. You may not nail a hairstyle the first time you try it, or even the second or third time, but you will learn how to improve your technique each time (I can't do comb coils to save my life, but I'll get it one day!). There are a lot of people who didn't know how to do anything but a wrap before they were natural, but if you look at their versatile hairstyles now, you'd think a professional did it. That's called practice! Now, you might simply be a wash 'n go or afro puff kind of girl, and that's completely fine, but for those who do like wearing different twisted/braided styles, there is a lot of help out there, so you don't really have any excuse not to at least try. Blame Youtube.

•  Complaining doesn't get you anywhere. Neck-length hair doesn't become armpit-length overnight, and you're not going to figure out what works for you overnight either. Wanting to speed up your progress doesn't do anything but make it more frustrating for you to accomplish your hair goals. When you finally reach a point where you're happy with your hair's growth and health, you'll be proud and glad that you were patient throughout the up's and down's. It is worth it.

• Be positive and do what's best for you. Your opinion about your hair is the only one that matters. People can make negative comments all day if they want, but it doesn't mean that you should allow their opinions to replace your own perception of yourself. Do YOU love your hair? Good. That's all that matters.Your confidence in yourself will eventually rub off on most people. On the other hand, don't feel like you're disappointing naturals worldwide because you're thinking about relaxing your hair. As much as we all love seeing the increase in women going natural, many decide to relax their hair again, and that's fine. I do think that it's more than "just hair," but there is no reason at all for someone to be miserable because she is afraid of what others might think about her decisions. It's your life, be happy with whatever you decide is best for you.

A Natural Hair Community Days post.

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Video: Just 'cuz I'm natural, doesn't mean I'm a tree hugger!

*Warning* Some explicit language.

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And the Aubrey Organics Winner Is...

My hair: My new favorite accessory. Loving the natural me, totally.

Congratulations Shanita! 

You'll receive the honeysuckle rose conditioner and shampoo along with a shower comb. Enjoy!

Thank you to all the gorgeous ladies who took the time to enter. I enjoyed viewing your entries (in no particular order):

With my natural hair, I inspire myself to be me and embrace all that encompasses.  I'm starting to love my 3 different textures and love that I'm no longer hiding my face behind my hair: INSPIRED!!

All natural, no lye.

I am not my hair, but when my hair is curly I am more me.

Every Lady carries a special asset called Confidence. Flaunt it, wear it, be it, because Natural is what Natural does! =)

Hey! Yeah you..I want you to know that you're one fierce mamacita. So why you still stuck on those relaxers, embrace yourself for what you are and become a part of #TeamNaturalHair.

 

 

Embracing what is meant to be. Naturally Free. Naturally Me.

Featured Onyx Rose: Mellow Dee

OR: Where are you from?

Mellow Dee: Texas

OR: Random fun fact about yourself? 

The cut before my last days of relaxer.

Mellow Dee: If you look up random in Webster's, you'll find a picture of me. My favorite hobby is watching TV and I love hot pink!!! I'm a teacher by day, mom, pet owner, music lover, blogger, tweeter, and facebook junkie by evening.

OR: What inspired you to go natural? 

Mellow Dee: I originally went natural to get thickness back into my hair from years of relaxing and improper self care of my hair. When I went to college, it was mostly a campus of sisters from melanin challenged NE areas, and I being a true Texan was always a little lost in the sauce-- thinking the way things were here were how they were everywhere. I was trying to find my way and figure out who I was in this foreign land, and there were all these beautiful black women on campus who wore their hair either in locs or in natural styles. Through trials and some hilarious tales of my hair, I finally dedicated to stay faithful to my natural-ness in 2009.

OR: How long did you transition?/Describe your transitioning experience.

Mellow Dee: Never really getting into the details of the natural lifestyle, I am still trying to figure out what transitioning means. For me, I probably transitioned since 2000 when I went natural my first time. At first, I just stopped relaxing my hair, but never cutting the perm. Some girls told me to cut it, but I didn't... for whatever reason. Then, I found this thing called a texturizer and my hair story took a whole new turn! I ended up cutting it and looking like Anita Baker at the tender age of 19. It was cute, curly, and so close to my scalp after a wretched texturizing experience, you could see the huge burns! From that point, I began cutting and cultivating my own hair. BAD idea. I still texturized every 2 or 3 months thinking that was going to define my curls. Doing the texturizing nonsense for almost a year, my senior year in college, I interned at a major financial and political institution. My supervisor, a well off older Black woman, who had made her way through a political era, HATED my hair, and hindsight let me understand why. I eventually asked my mother to send me a wig to cover my curls. They were unkempt--I was so unaware as to what to do with my hair in that state. But, close to the end of the year, and the program, I permed my hair again. It didn't take! I permed my hair AGAIN the next month--STILL, didn't take! By my graduation, my hair was straighter than it had been, but never the same. A couple years later, I found I was with child, and went chemical free-- no perm, no texturizer, for the duration of my pregnancy. And the story goes back and forth between relaxed and natural and nonsense from a couple months after my son was born until 2009 when I said no more. It was the best thing I could have done for my hair because I was seriously killing it. When I first went natural, I never did a big chop because I had already cut my hair into a cute low cut and hadn't relaxed my hair in a few months, but was wearing sew ins. I continued wearing sew-ins until the spring of last year, when I came out full fledged in all my natural hair goodness.

Just washed my hair; it looks like rays of sunshine. Ready to go natural...AGAIN.

OR: How do you feel about the word "nappy?" 

Mellow Dee: I'm not quite sure. Some say it's derogatory, and I can see how they feel that way because some days I get the feeling of looking like Kizzy looking for Kunta holding a foot. If I don't comb or do anything to my hair, it can get nappy. But in a sense, so can anyone elses... I'm on the fence.

OR: What's one natural hair myth you wish would die? 

Mellow Dee: I went for YEARS, almost a decade never knowing that you can wear your hair in styles, and don't always have to rock a fro! I was told that you shouldn't comb your curls, and the only products available for my hair were found at beauty supply stores, or general stores and marketed with chemicals and wretched things for my curls. Also, where do people get off thinking that naturalistas are die hard angry black women willing to go toe to toe against a permed person? I am a hippy to my heart and believe in love over anything. You won't find me typically being an angry anything. So, I wish the foolishness that is associated with naturals and being mean, or violent, or aggressive towards anyone (especially those who choose to do their hair in a way we don't prescribe to) would go away and bury itself in the cave in that new James Camron movie. If you wanna burn your hair with a lighter, I think it's dumb, but it's your hair. I'll let you know it'll damage your hair, but at the end of the day, it's your decision to do what you want to your hair. The same goes for relaxing it, or even deciding to go chemical free.

OR: In your opinion, is having natural hair a trend? Is it a movement? 

Mellow Dee: I never did anything to my hair as a trend or a movement... I am typically an outside the box, unbeaten-path person. I went natural prior to several girlfriends doing so not as a trend or a hot thing to do, but because I was tired of the relaxer thinning my hair. Now I have girlfriends, co-workers, family, and other people I pass occasionally, all decide to do a big chop and go natural. I dont think I had any part in their decision, I just find it ironic how they all have come to my side-- outside of the box.

OR: Spill the beans...tell us your top 3 natural hair tips. 

Mellow Dee: 

1. Moisturize! And not with soft and beautiful botanicals, or soft sheen, or pink lotion, or LIV, or any of that stuff. I found it dries my hair out. Get something directly from the earth if at all possible to nourish your hair.

2. Protect your hair from yourself if you don't know what you're doing by finding an affordable, knowledgeable, and caring stylist. My hair fights me, and it usually wins, so I know when to roll on to a stylist and give up the ghost on winning my hair battles.

3. READ THE LABELS ON YOUR PRODUCTS AND KNOW WHAT THOSE INGREDIENTS DO FOR AND DO AGAINST YOUR HAIR!

OR: What advice do you have for those thinking about transitioning? 

Mellow Dee: If you don't know what you're doing, Youtube, Google, or ASK someone! Don't be afraid to try something new. And never make a decision about your hair for someone else! At the end of the day, JUST CUT IT!

Check out Mellow Dee on her blog and Twitter!

"I Get More Hair Compliments from Non-black People."

A lot of naturals say this, but why? You might automatically assume it's because relaxers are the norm amongst black people, and some have been conditioned to dislike natural hair. But do you think it might also be because although many black people don't care for natural hair, essentially, it's nothing new to us (most of us--men and women-- know that black people's hair is naturally kinky/curly, but many just don't like it), which is the reason for the lack of "awe" or compliments? I don't know.

What do you think?

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Product Review: Tangle Teezer

Price: $9.99 at Sally Beauty Supply

Description: A Tangle Teezer hair brush will break the cycle of broken hair and give tangled hair the brush off. A revolution in detangling hair, it has the ability to flex and not pull upon contact with tangles, gently and effortlessly delivering smooth and shiny hair in an instant.

My Experience: When I started to detangle, I was kind of scared that the teeth would be too much for my hair too handle because they look sharp; however, the teeth went through my hair pretty easily as I detangled from tip to root, and I didn't have issues with the Tangle Teezer (TT) slipping out of my hands (since it doesn't have a handle). Because the TT has so many small teeth, I thought it would do a better job of getting rid of my shed hair, but I noticed the same amount of shedding and it didn't lessen my detangling time, but I still thought it was OK. Basically, it did everything that my normal wide-tooth comb does.

Fast forward two weeks. I'm sitting in my dorm procrastinating and randomly checking my shed hair for split ends. Well, I found more than just split ends. There were splits all along hair strands. I could not believe it and I still can't. The strands looked like this (more like the holes, not the actual split at the end):

From what I've read, that's called an "incomplete split end." Now, you might be wondering, "Well, how do you KNOW the TT did that to your hair?" I have never seen my hair like that before, and I check my ends and shed hair occasionally. The only major thing that has changed in my regimen in the past three weeks is the use of the TT. It's crazy to know that those plastic little teeth ripped through my strands like that, but it makes sense. The week after I tried the TT I returned it to Sally's because I wasn't impressed enough to be OK with the $10.00 purchase; at this point I wasn't even aware of the damage it had done to my hair. If it wasn't for checking my shed hair a week after I returned it, I still wouldn't know of the splits I had. I freaked out and thought that I would have to BC again... it was that bad. I don't know how much of my hair is still like that because it's hard to tell, but I'm praying that it's not much. So far my hair seems OK, but only time will tell.

Rating: 1/5

Creme of Nature Adds Five New Products to Argan Line

From left to right:

Argan Oil Treatment:

• $8.99
• Alcohol free
• Provides strength, shine, and intense conditioning
• Reduces breakage and frizz

Intensive Conditioning Treatment:

• $5.99
• Before it was sold in small packets, now you can buy it in a bottle
• Deep-moisturizing treatment

Moisture and Shine Shampoo:

• $5.29
• Similar to their former sulfate-free shampoo with a touch of Argan oil for extra shine, strength, and hydration

Strength and Shine Leave-In Conditioner:

•  $5.29
• Protects against damage
• Provides strength, shine, and moisture

Oil Moisturizer:

• $5.29
• Provides strength, softness, shine, and moisture
• Protects against heat damage

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Heads Up: Shea Moisture Buy 1, Get 1 Sale at Walgreens

If you love this line or if you've been wanting to try these products, this is a great time to stock up! Shea Moisture is now sold at Walgreens and  from March 27th-April 2nd, when you buy one Shea Moisture product, you get one free! How great of a deal is that?

Link of the Day: 15-Year-Old Boy Suspended for Locs

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From timeslive.co.za:

Fifteen-year-old Odwa Sityata finds himself in a precarious situation - he has essentially been asked to choose between his religion or an education.

The Grade 8 pupil from Joe Slovo Engineering School in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, has been suspended for failing to cut his dreadlocks. Today he will return to the school but without cutting an inch of hair, as the school has requested. Instead he, his family and community organisation, Equal Education, is prepared to go to battle to fight for his rights as a Rasta.

"These dreadlocks are not a fashion. Having dreadlocks, not cutting your hair is a spiritual connection with him and Jah [God]," said his godmother, Woizaro Sontsonge.
Last year, Sityata was told to cut his hair. He refused, and when Sityata, his family and members of their congregation asked to see the principal, they claim they were chased away.
"The principal thinks we are a bad influence on Odwa," said his sister, Trinity Myabaza. 

Read more here. 

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Featured Onyx Rose: Eryn

OR: Where are you from?

Eryn: I live in Texas. My forum alias is "Your Cheeziness."

OR: Random fun fact about yourself?

Eryn: I'm incredibly indecisive, a true Gemini.

OR: What inspired you to go natural?

Eryn: I like big hair and have always been in awe of natural hair. I just didn't have the support or knowledge around me when I wanted to do it back in 2005. The final kick in the pants was when my stylist burned me really badly with a relaxer. He didn't base me, took a phone call with relaxer on my hair, and THEN didn't fully rinse it after I insisted my scalp was still burning. I self relaxed one more time after that, and then I was done with relaxers. I'd never really had issues with relaxers, I was just ready to try something new for me.

OR: How long did you transition?/Describe your transitioning experience.

Eryn: I transitioned for 23 weeks, 5 full calendar months. My transition was fairly easy, but anticipation got the best of me and I BC'd way ahead of schedule. I'd planned on transitioning at least a year. See previous statement about indecisiveness ;-) I chopped before I was comfortable with my shrinkage and length, so I spent my first 5 months of naturalness in and out of kinky twists. It took me about 5-6 months into being natural for me to say wholeheartedly that I LOVE MY HURR! As of January 2011, I'm 11 months relaxer free, 6 months natural.

OR: How do you feel about the word "nappy?"

Eryn: I won't burn someone at the stake for saying it, but it's more about the context of how it's used. You can tell when someone means in negatively. But, in general, it's not meant to be a compliment. Those that use it positively will find it's as hard as turning a hooker into a housewife. The negative stigma will always be attached to it because it was originally an insult.

OR: What's one natural hair myth you wish would die?

Eryn: I hate when someone says "I can't go natural because my hair is too nappy." I used to say it, but now that I know better I know I was just ignorant about what it took to care for natural hair. It's techniques are different than relaxed hair, but the principles are the same: cleanse, condition, moisturize, and protect. BAM!

OR: In your opinion, is having natural hair a trend? Is it a movement?

Eryn: I wouldn't say that. I just think that many women are seeing that there are lots more resources available for women to learn how to care for it properly. But, I honestly couldn't care less about how someone chooses to wear their hair. All I would hope is that they reach for healthy hair and let go of ignorant misconceptions.

OR: Spill the beans...tell us your top 3 natural hair tips.

Eryn:

1. Moisturize and seal. I mist my hair with water daily and use a light cream to seal.

2. An extensive and expensive regimen is not necessary. Cleanse, condition, moisturize.

3. Natural hair is more fragile than we would like to think. Invest patience and care and you'll be rewarded with your healthiest hair.

OR: What advice do you have for those thinking about transitioning?

Eryn: Transition as long as you need to. Don't let anyone rush you into chopping before you're ready. People will have their say, but it's your hair in the end. Also, the most important (and difficult) part of transitioning is the mental transition. It won't happen overnight, so don't feel bad if you're not quite there yet. Your hair and its qualities are unique, learn and love them.

Check out Eryn on her blog, Fotki, Youtube, and Twitter!

NHCD Product Review: Oyin Handmade

Price: $17.50 for 4-piece hair sampler set. Each item is 2 ounces.


Ingredients: Shine and Define: purified water, organic flax seeds, organic aloe vera gel, sea vegetable complex, coconut oil, castor oil, unrefined shea butter, raw honey, vegetable glycerine, palm stearic acid, vegetable emulsifying waxes, fruit pectin, xanthan gum, dextrose, optiphen (preservative), citrus essential oils; fragrance. Greg Juice: purified water infused with horsetail, lavender, nettle, roses, and chamomile; organic flaxseeds; aloe vera juice; vegetable glycerine; essences of lavender, sweet orange, ylang ylang; grapefruit seed extract; citric acid. Honey-Hemp Conditioner: purified water, organic aloe vera gel, behentremonium methosulfate (emulsifier derived from colza oil), honey, virgin hemp oil, , coconut oil, vegetable glycerine, hydrolized silk, citrus essences, fragrance, optiphen (preservative). Whipped Pudding: purified water, shea butter, organic aloe vera gel, cocoa butter, castor oil, coconut oil, sweet almond & olive oils, vegetable emulsifier, beeswax, palm stearic acid, vegetable glycerine, honey, optiphen (preservative), fragrance. 

Description: Many of our products utilize the power and sweetness of honey, and all are made from scratch, by hand, in small batches to ensure freshness. We never use petroleum, silicones, parabens, or non-nourishing fillers – every ingredient in our mixtures has work to do! In our goodies you can find unrefined shea butter, nutritive sea vegetables, pure aloe vera juice, nourishing vitamins, and herbal infusions carefully chosen for their beneficial and healing properties.

My Opinion: Oyin Handmade. Just typing that makes me feel good, lol. They're one of the only companies that offers an affordable sample pack, so I was too excited to purchase this. The smell of all of these products is just...I can't explain how great they smell. Although they are 2 oz, I still have 3 out of the 4 products left (I've had them since January), so it's definitely worth the money. The first time I used the Whipped Pudding (texture is like whipped shea butter) I used it as a moisturizer, but for me it works best as a sealant...I love it. It seems to work better than my coconut oil + castor oil mix at keeping my hair soft and moisturized. I used the Greg Juice to moisturize my two-strand twists and it worked well. I wasn't too fond of the smell (smells like cologne to me), but I would repurchase because I have yet to find a natural, moisturizing spray that works for my hair.When I used the Shine and Define, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical of how much hold it would have because it's a cream and the texture is somewhat similar to the whipped pudding. However, I used this for my two-strand twists as well and once they dried, my twists had a nice hold...not crunchy at all, but noticeable. It didn't define my hair, but it's a great natural alternative to gel. Lastly, I used the Honey Hemp Conditioner to detangle; it had good slip, but didn't really leave my hair feeling moisturized. I'm sure it's because my hair is protein sensitive and this product contains hydrolyzed silk. Overall, I'm very pleased with these products, and I would definitely purchase from Oyin Handmade again!

Rating: 4.5/5

A Natural Hair Community Days post.

Featured Onyx Rose: Dovie

OR: Where are you from? 

Dovie: Dallas, Tx

OR: Random fun fact about yourself?

Dovie: I have a special fondness for Hello Kitty!

OR: What inspired you to go natural?

Dovie: My edges were thinning so badly from weaves and relaxers. If I didn't stop using relaxers, I thought I would end up bald at 24!

OR: How long did you transition/describe your transtioning experience?

Dovie: I transitioned for 11 months and did my BC 8/12/10. My experience was a little shaky at first when it came to my (older) family members. A lot of them were very vocal about my decision to go natural; it actually surprised me that they were so opposed to the idea! But I had a lot of support from my husband and friends and it was something I was doing for myself. Even though I had plenty of bad hair days, I was loving every minute of it, and the deeper I fell in love with my hair, the more fun I began to have playing with different styles to hide the two textures. It may have gotten off to a rocky start, but my journey was full of smiles! :)

OR: Finish This sentence : I love my natural hair because...

Dovie: It helps me realize I'm perfect just the way God made me :)

OR: What's one natural hair myth you wished would die?

Dovie: That it's unprofessional to have natural hair! Im currently going to school so I can be pretty free with my styling choices. But it annoys me to no end for people to tell me that in order for me to get a job in my field of study, I would have to press/flat iron my hair! There are plenty of ways that my type 4 hair can be styled that are acceptable in any setting. I just wish people could understand that, before they make this crazy assumption.

OR: In your opinion is having natural hair a trend/movement?

Dovie: Yes, but I don't think that it's going to be something that's short lived. I think a lot of people are leaning towards a more healthy lifestyle, and once they see how beautiful they are without all the additives, and extreme chemicals, they're learning how to care for their natural mane. I do find it sort of odd though, that people consider how my hair grows out of my scalp a fad; I've had that argument plenty of times before! LOL!

OR: Spill the beans...what are your top 3 natural hair tips?

Dovie:  

1. Leave-In conditioner is absolutely necessary! I know for a fact I can't live without it!

2. Deep condition weekly

3. Sealing is believing! Using a butter to seal in moisture is the best thing you could possibly do, especially in winter months.

OR: What advice would you give to those transitioning?

Dovie: Don't expect the same results you see other naturals with. Everyones hair is different, and even if you have the exact same curl pattern as someone else, your hair needs can be polar opposites! Take the time to figure out what your hair likes and dislikes, before growing impatient with the process. Being natural is all about trial and error! :)

Check out Dovie on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Natural Sunshine!

Natural Star: Annie Ilonzeh

Where you've seen her:

General Hospital (Present)

Charlie's Angels TV Series (2011: Coming Soon)

The Game (2011)

Entourage (2010)

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)