What I learned about Blonde & Natural Hair

I’ve always been fascinated with hair color ever  since childhood. My mom rocked honey blonde hair for as long as I could remember. As most little girls I wanted to emulate her beauty! My dad was very firm on his stance against blonde during my teenage years. From a distance for years, even as an adult, I still held on to that admiration for blonde tresses. I watched from afar. I was told many times by stylists that blonde was too strong with my relaxed hair. Around 2010 I began to experiment with colors that were close to blonde but not all the way there. By 2012 I was blonde… well the front of my hair was blonde and for me that was enough.

I was in love with my blonde just as I had been in love with my mom’s. I loved the way it brighten my face and lightened the appearance of my dark brown eyes. Honey, you couldn’t tell me anything!

My stylist at the time took me over a gradual lightening process absent bleaching my hair – she wanted to maintain the integrity of my natural hair. So over several months from February 2012 to about July 2012 – she gradually colored my hair to my most coveted hair color. It was admired by Caucasian and Black girls alike!!

I know, I know, you’re thinking – well what happened? Life happened I suppose… I moved to a different state and I let someone else color my hair and unfortunately they did not follow the same philosophy as my last colorist. The change in stylist and the lack of care I took for my colored tresses proved to be detrimental to my hair.

What I learned about blonde and natural hair is that it needs more TLC than your uncolored, unprocessed natural hair. I learned that all stylists are not created equal. Most importantly, I learned that blonde does not equal unhealthy hair – unattended hair = unhealthy hair. I miss blonde but until I can reclaim the healthy state of my hair, I dare not touch blonde until then.

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How to Read Cosmetic Ingredient Labels XXVI

Nature's Pulchritude

Conditioner is a focal point in just about every hair regimen.  Your aim is to find an all natural conditioner, that meets all of your hair needs.  Is this product right for you?  Remember, I am teaching you Label Poise–how to walk the walk, talk the talk, and buy products that meet YOUR standards, whether natural, organic, or safe enough.  For instructions on Label Poise visit our Label Poise page.

The Label

LabelPoise26

The Ingredients

Deionized Water:Safe!  Deionized water has had the ions of minerals found in soil or pipes removed.

Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*:Safe! Coconut oil is used for is skin conditioning and moisturizing properties. It is high in vitamins E and K.

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*:  Safe!  This ingredient is derived from the nut of the Shea Tree and is used for its moisturizing properties.

Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*

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DIY Avocado Conditioner

Hola Kurlfriends!

I tried this Avocado Conditioner and it left my hair very soft and moisturized. I have attached the video below along with the recipe. Enjoy! Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and subtract or add anything you like or that works for you.

Ingredients:

1 small ripe Avocado

1/2 tablespoon of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1/2 tablespoon of Unrefined Shea Butter (solid)

1/2 tablespoon of Honey

Tools:

applicator brush

small bowl

shower cap

towel

Process:

Part your damp clean hair in four sections, for even coverage. In the bowl, mash the ripe avocado up as much as possible into a paste and discard the seed. Then add the other ingredients: shea butter, honey, and EVOO. Mix all together until they are blended well. Then microwave for 30 seconds, stir it up and allow to cool for 10 seconds before application. Apply the mixture to the ends of your hair first while working your way up to the roots. Your bowl should be empty when you complete all four sections. Note: If your hair is longer than 14 inches you may want to double the ingredients.

Next, place the shower cap over your saturated hair and sit under the dryer for 15 to 20 minutes (30 for a deep condition). Then rinse with warm water all of the mixure out of your hair. The water will run from green to clear. If you have pieces of avocado in your hair use a soft bristle brush to remove the pieces, then rinse again. Once you have removed all particles you can style as usual.

I hope this helped. This is excellent right after a color process or treatment!

 

Perms by New Names to Trick Naturals

Hmm.. naturals beware!

ARND THIRTY

A perm by any other name is still a perm

Source: Facebook.com

So, companies have gotten whiff, more like a nose full, of the conscious natural hair movement. They are peering out at this growing community and trying to figure out how to market their same ol’ products, like perms and crappy shampoos and such, with new names. Perms are now being called texturizers, shampoos and conditioners have the words all natural  plastered all over the front larger than the actual product name, and other products have eye-catching words like olive oil, shea butter, and mango extract in the descriptions.

I don’t even know why I would want mango extract, to be honest.

But here is a little secret that I will pass along; it is all the same. Those texturizers are perms. Those natural products are the same crap they were pre-natural movement. And that shampoo, it is not special…

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