I got inspired write a blog due to my passion about my Natural Hair. It took me a while to find my way with my Hair...but I wouldn't change a thing now! I basically got to know my Hair through the help I found online (YouTube, Forums, Blogs etc) and want to "give back" by sharing what I have learnt over the years. My blog mainly consists of information about Natural Hair Care, Do It Yourself recipes and and tips I've learnt from all of you. I also share Skin Care and Health (Exercise) tips.
Yes, It is another one of those days where I have two posts in one day but I couldn’t help myself! I am happy to introduce my latest beautiful naturalista feature… Ms. Kesia!
Kesia is another “Old Timer” natural who was kind enough to share her lovely story and photos with me. Kesia also runs her own blog IslandKynks (which you need to check out) full of DIY’s, hair style inspiration and tips. Her story starts off like so many of us naturals the “culprit”? Relaxers, the end? A head full of beautiful natural hair, but of course not without trial and error and learning phases.
Once again I want to highlight the fact that IslandKynks is full of really great reads, easy to do recipes, great photos and inspiration so please go check it out! You can read Kesia’s full hair journey hereon my Feature Page.
I came across two videos on YouTube and maybe some of you have already seen this as it was out in 2013. Nevertheless, I loved the conversations that were brought up, opinions, points of view etc.
It basically boils down to whether you are fine with people touching your hair or not. Personally, I do not really have an issue with someone wanting to touch my hair but I do have some “conditions”. By conditions I mean it depends on how the person approaches wanting to touch my hair.
If you are asking because you are genuinely curious as apposed to treating me like I am a dog who’s hair you want to pat, and more importantly,
If you ask!
I have no issues with people wanting to see what it feels like, asking me how I maintain my hair etc but if you randomly touch my hair just because you happen to be standing next to me and feel like you have a “right” to touch my hair… without asking…then I get mad!
Granted I think I have only had two random people reach out and bounce their hand on my hair (without asking) saying “oooh it is soft and bouncy” while looking at their friends. Yeah, that didn’t go down well! Usually people will say something nice and ask “how do you get it like that?” LOL…I’m like ummmm like what? Curly? Ask my mama :). My sister gets a lot more people who want to touch her hair because she has a lovely big, full, fluffy Afro so that sort of catches peoples attention. She is less inclined to let people touch her hair especially if she feels like you are just asking so you can turn around and have a giggle with your friends and say “No it isn’t really hard…it just feels weird”. If you randomly touch her hair….watch out LOL!
In the video one lady was saying how someone really dug into her hair …actually reaching her roots! Now that is just crazy!
I had a discussion with a few of the lovely ladies on NapturallyCurly.com (you need to check out the forum if you haven’t already). I love talking with the ladies on there because we cover everything from: “how to” styling videos/images/advice, how we take care of our hair, suggestions for newbies as well as general conversations (not hair related.)
We all shared our own views as to whether we are OK with people touching our hair, why or why not, under what conditions etc.
I really would love to hear how you feel about people wanting to touch your hair. Are you alright with it?
I personally use Hibiscus for my hair, skin and internally.
For my hair: I add it to my Henna
For my skin: I have used it as a toner* (although my Rosewater toner is hands down my favorite)
Internally: I use it as a tea
*Hibiscus does give off a purple/red tint so you might want to splash off the toner after applying it to a cotton swab and rubbing it over your face.
If you feel like doing a little extra DIY then you can use Hibiscus petals from your garden and either sun-dry them or use your oven to dry them*.
Fresh Hibiscus Petals from my garden
*It is “faster” to oven-dry the petals however a lot more difficult to do without burning them (trust me I’ve tried)! Sun-drying requires a little more time but you do not run the risk of burning the hibiscus.
Apart from collecting the petals yourself, an easier way is to use prepackaged hibiscus petals or powder. I personally get mine from a local Indian store but there are several sources where you can find them in case you do not have a local Indian store near you. Just to mention a few Amazon, Butters-n-Bars and SheaButter Cottage are three places where you can find either the petals or powder (just some suggestions).
Packaged Dried Hibiscus
Please note: I was not requested, paid, or compensated to mention the sources above. I paid (with my own money) for the hibiscus petals I use and just wanted to share where you can find the product in case you are interested.
I get whole petals from the store but I like to use both whole petals as well as the powdered form. I make my own powder by simply blending the dried petals, sieving them (a couple of times) and that is it! See below:
Hibiscus Petals Before Sieving
Blended Hibiscus Powder before being sieved
Sieving blended Hibiscus Powder
Sieved Hibiscus Powder
I like to use the whole petals for my tea and whenever I make my hibiscus toner for my skin. I use the powder when I mix my henna as it gives my hair an extra punch of red! 🙂
My video goes into detail about how exactly I make each of the three DIY products so please take a look at that.
I would love to hear if you use Hibiscus powder or petals and how!
No matter where you happen to be in the world or who you might support, football (or soccer) is in the air! I am a BIG fan of football and not just when it is World Cup time so you better believe I shall be watching the matches! I could not get all of the jerseys to share the love (I proudly support two teams one of which does not have a jersey on Polyvore :(). Anyways if you happen to be in Brazil (I envy you) are watching at home, in a bar or public viewing, my message is support your team and do not spread hate!
As you well know, I am a DIY freak! I love the whole research and mixing process (some trails are a fail but that is part of the fun right?!) Anyways, I came across a post in Natura Magazine by TyLisa which covers the topic of DIY Deep Conditioners.
It is important to have a balance of moisture and protein so that your hair is neither dry nor “mushy” or “stretchy” when it is over moisturized. Having a balanced routine means that your hair is receiving the right amount of nourishment to be healthy, thrive and grow.
There are three really simple yet effective DIY Deep Conditioners in the article “The World of Homemade Deep Conditioners“. If you are not the biggest fan of mixing a bunch of ingredients together these recipes are so simple and you probably already have the ingredients at home that you have to give it a try. Trust me once you get the DIY bug in you, you won’t want to stop!
I was given some gift cards for my birthday and decided I wanted to use them up before they expire and during the current sales in town I did some SHOPPINNNG! Let me tell you I looooove shopping. I can spend hours and hours trying on different clothes and shoes!
Clothes, Makeup, Accessories and Essential Oils
I have mentioned this before, but I am not a “fashionista” and I do not really follow fashion trends. I wear what I like, feel comfortable in and makes me feel good. I tend to keep it simple when it comes to colors (black, white, grey, purple and red are my colors) although deep inside I wish I were a little “bolder” (too many colors scares me a little). The same goes for my makeup. I do not go overboard first and foremost because I have sensitive skin so layering on tons of makeup is just asking for me to breakout in spots. I am not a makeup artist by any stretch of the imagination…contouring…what now?? I like a natural look with neutral colors. The “boldest” colors I use are purple eye shadows and also some purple or green eyeliner woohoo!
Anyways, I just felt like sharing what I got because I had a really good day shopping and got a ton of stuff I like!
Below is some closeups of the cloths, makeup and Essential oils I got 🙂
Lets get down to business shall we…and that business is my Twisted Bantu Knot-out.
Twisted Bantu Knot-Out
Let me start off by saying I love the curl results I get from this style. I think they are really “girly” and fun… in my opinion. I did not manage to record how I actually put in the Bantu Knots because I decided to do them late at night but I did demonstrate on one piece before taking down my hair (see video below). I can do a proper demonstration of how I install my twisted Bantu Knots in a separate video & write up (if someone needs to see it) although my method is no different to the other lovely ladies on YouTube.
These particular Bantu Knots were not two strand twist, instead I just twisted single sections of my hair around like you would a rope and then put them into Bantu Knots. Because they were not put into two strand twists I separated each curl a little more than I would when they are in twists. With the two strand Bantu Knots, I already have 2 separate sections and then separate each half of the twist one or two times.
I have a few photos of what my Two Strand Bantu Knot-Outs look like here for you to compare to the images below.
I did not neatly part my hair nor did I use rat-tail comb I just sectioned 5 parts; 2 on the left, 2 on the right and one in the middle of my head and then randomly took small/medium sections of hair and twirl my hair into a Bantu Knot.
Twisted Bantu Knots
Tutorial
I have explained how I achieve this style along with images and text below.
How I install the Bantu Knots
I worked on dry hair that was slightly stretched and finger detangled. I first lightly mist my hair with water, apply my leave-in conditioner and set/seal with my whipped butter.
I twist my hair all the way down to the ends
I use my finger to hold down my hair
I start to wrap my hair around to create a Bantu knot
I continue and tuck the ends under the base of the Bantu Knot
The Take Down & Styling:
I apply a little Mixed Sealing Oil on my fingertips before I take down the Bantu Knots
I unwind them in the opposit direction of how I install the Bantu Knots
This is what it looks like when it is taken down
Once all the Bantu Knots are down they look like this
To separate the curls I use my finger to unwind my hair in the opposite direction
I use my thumb to slowly run down my hair and help separate the curls
Continue slowly separating all the way down
In case I have frizzy bits I finger coil the section to help bring the curl together
This is what it looks like once I have separated my hair
Lifting my roots
This is what the curls looks like after I have separated and fluffed my roots
Twisted Bantu Knot-Out styled and accessorized
What do you think, don’t the curls look light, bouncy and girly? 😀
I’ve got that summer feeling from my toes to my hair! Something for the pool, something for sunny afternoons and finally a little something for when it’s extremely warm while keeping it cute!
I hope that where ever you might be the sun is shining and you are prepared for summer! 🙂
I yet again came across a post from Natura Magazine that I found Interesting.
“Sneaky Ingredients: A List of “Other Names” for Dangerous Hair Product Ingredients“. As the name indicates the article touches on some common ingredients found in a lot of hair products that we might not be aware of. For example, you might recognize the name mineral oil or petrolatum however, there are different variations of the ingredient and it can come in all sorts of forms.
I know that I can be a little bit of an ingredient freak however, in my defense…I just do not like putting nasty stuff on my scalp, hair, skin or in my body. I also like knowing what I apply on and in my body.
Now not everyone will be anti certain ingredients and one of those examples are silicons. Some ladies actually prefer to use products that include cones because the tend to give some slip and makes the hair feel smooth. There is nothing “wrong” with having that preference…to each her/his own. (If you do use cones you will want to clarify your hair…I had to throw that in there LOL). I only advocate that you actually understand and know what you are applying to/in your body and make a decision based on that knowledge.
If you come across an ingredient you have never heard of or can not pronounce look it up! Try to fight the urge to purchase the product until you know what it includes. Do a quick search on your phone while you are in the shop if you can not wait till you get home.
Knowledge is power and nothing is more powerful that having full control of what you do with/to your body (this includes your hair)!
Like I said, it is not for me to preach about which ingredients you should avoid however, I do preach that you should at least be aware of what you are buying before you go ahead and spend your hard earned money on a product that includes ingredients you might not actually want to use.
I finally recorded how I make one of my all time favorite DIY products… my Whipped Cocoa, Shea and Mango Butter!
DIY Whipped Butter
Isn’t it so pretty and yummy looking! It smells and feels amazing but NO you CAN NOT eat it!
I wrote all about where I got my butters (Sheabutter Cottage) in my previous post “Butters…Butters…Butters” I only recently started to incorporate whipped butter into my routine (for both my hair and skin) and I must say I was missing out before because my hair LOVES butter and so does my skin!
Now, I do have to say that I have fine hair and therefore I have to watch how much I use and the ratio of the ingredients I use otherwise I end up with weighed down greasy limp curls (not a good look). Those with thicker or coarser hair strands can be a little more heavy handed without worrying that their curls will look lifeless and flat.
I recorded how I make my Whipped Cocoa, Shea and Mango Butter and have it on my YouTube Channel. The video demonstrates exactly how I mix everything along with the exact amounts of each ingredient. I have listed the ingredients I use below for your reference.
Recipe (this makes 9.4 oz):
2.5 oz Unrefined Cocoa Butter
4.5 oz Unrefined Shea Butter
1.0 oz Unrefined Mango Butter
5 tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil
3 tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
3 tablespoons Almond Oil
1 teaspoon Glycerin
3 capsules Vitamin E Oil
10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
How I use my Whipped Butter
Personally I use a little to seal* in moisture or to help give my hair a little hold. I can not use the whipped butter as a moisturizer because as I mentioned, I end up with limp greasy curls. *When I use my whipped butter I do not use my DIY Mixed Sealing Oil because again it would just end up weighing down my hair.
A lot of people use whipped butters in different ways and I know that some use it as a “moisturizer”. Now for me, a moisturizer needs to include water at the very least and since I do not add water (you would need a preservative to keep the mix from going rancid) using it as a moisturizer would not work (for me). P.S. water, honey, Aloe Vera Juice and so on can also be added to whipped butters but all of the above would require a preservative in order to stop the mix from growing bacteria and expiring really quickly.
Process of Application:
I use my DIY Leave-In Conditioner either the Creamy Leave-In or Spray (if I am using my Flaxseed Gel I would apply that next) and then seal everything with my Whipped Butter.
How it makes my hair feel?
AMAZING! Really, my hair just loves this mix! I get super soft, shiny hair that retains moisture throughout the week. I do not need to reapply the whipped butter after the initial application but because I love it so much I sometimes add a dab during the week just because!
I have a few other recipes so if you would like to hear about those please do let me know. I would also love to know your favorite mix and how you apply it!
Maicurls 