Some TLC for my Natural hair

Every first weekend of the month my friends and I go for a hike, and this weekend wasn’t exceptional. By 7.30am we embarked on our hiking escapade to Magadi’s Shanamo hills. This was the third time hiking in this area having gone to Olergesailie and Olesekut. We had been warned of the hot weather and were advised to carry wide brim hats to protect ourselves from the sun, I opted to go for a Casa Bacardi Fedora hat. Who said Natural hair shouldn’t be taken care of? Any type of hair; be it relaxed or natural taking extra care of it contributes to healthy growth hence easy maintenance.

Thank God it rained the previous night, making the weather  friendly it was not  neither too hot nor too cold it was perfect for the hike and no dust at all. Did I mention that place is far!!! I almost thought we were going to my shags (Western). Anyway that is a story for another day.

By the end of the day my hair felted neglected as result of the heat and the rain. It needed some TLC for sure. On our way back I checked online for home made solution that I can do to bring life back to my hair. Since I had tried a homemade Avocado Mask;  https://nakhulokhaimiadotcom.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/my-natural-hair-regimen/ , I opted for Banana mask.

Based on the research, bananas are good for rejuvenating hair. Bananas are never out of season at the same time they are affordable for one goes for Kshs. 5 a bigger one goes for Kshs. 10 I only used 4 bananas. Bananas are rich in potassium, vitamins, anti-oxidants and also has natural oils and moisture. Bananas prevent breakage, split ends and maintaining natural hair elasticity.

Bananas go hand in hand with other products such as honey, olive oil, milk. You can choose either of the ingredients. I opted to do my own recipe; Ripe Bananas and Organics Carrot Oil Cream.  I  mashed the bananas then mixed with the cream; then applied on the hair after splitting it in sections. I wore a shower cap and went about my household chores until after one hour. Since bananas also work wonders for the skin and given that mine is sensitive, I used it together with honey and lemon to form a face mask.

I shampooed my hair with Alberto Balsam  and added a bit of Alberto Balsam conditioner to bring out the soft texture that I required.  Rinsing off the bananas was bit of work, the mistake I made was not blending bananas into some liquidish form instead it had particles that could not get off my hair.  I used a lot of shampoo and more time was needed to ensure that it all came out. Eventually I got that perfect feel I wanted for my hair, rejuvenated.

Looking forward to another week of hard work with my signature style natural hair.

Have a blessed week ahead.

My Natural Hair Regimen…

My Natural Hair Journey Continues

Happy New Year, I hope you started off the year on a high note and would like to wish you a prosperous 2014.

Don’t I just love the way I attract attention thanks to my natural hair!!! Some of the questions I have been asked are; – how do you manage your hair? Is it hard to maintain it? What do you do? The secret is keeping it simple and knowing your products.

As the year starts we always come up with New Year resolutions and wish list.  It is already day 20th of the year, have you highlighted what you want to achieve this year?

Top on my list this year is living a healthy lifestyle and embracing the Natural me which includes hair.

For the better part of 2013 I have been researching on the best way to maintain my natural hair journey which I started in 2009 http://nakhulokhaimia.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/keeping-up-with-natural-hair/  and

https://nakhulokhaimiadotcom.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/accesorising-natural-hair-challenge/ . There so many blogs and pages on Facebook that advocate for natural hair and looks like slowly but surely ladies have started embracing the natural look.  Including our very own Lupita Nyong’o who is spotting Natural hair TWA, that lady knows how to rock it.

(Picture Courtesy http://www.google.com/natural-hair-crowning-glory)

There are so many products in the market that can be used to maintain natural hair without spending a lot of money once you discover the product that works for you. They are mainly found in cosmetic shops such as Beauty Options, Healthy U and supermarkets but one has to be careful when checking out the ingredients since there some products that have chemicals that are not good for natural hair the most notorious being Sulfate. (See a link of ingredients not good for natural hair http://www.naturalbeautyauthority.com/everything-you-need-to-know-to-be-a-true-eco-beauty/top-10-ingredients-to-avoid-in-hair-care-products/)

Ever since I started the natural hair journey, I have been very cautious when trying out various hair products. I maintain a product at a time and always scared of taking risks in the name of trial and error, yes I am not a product junkie I buy one product and use it for the longest time possible. I have so far used two brands (Organics and Alberto Balsam)

Review of the products I have used for the past one year:-
Current products:-

• Alberto Balsam (Shampoo and Conditioner) – They contain honey and almonds and smells nice on my hair, I have been using them for the past four weeks and have not had any side effect. These products are cheaper than what I have been using (Organics)
• Organics Carrot Oil- The first time I applied I thought I had bought the wrong product, it leaves whitish stuff on the hair thus not good to use and leave the house unless you plan to stay indoors. I usually use it overnight together with other oils.
•  Extra Virgin Olive Oil – So far so good I have mixed it in the Carrot Oil Cream

Previous Products:-

All Organics

• Moisturizing Growth Lotion- I really loved it and couldn’t find it in the stores it makes the hair soft and curly if you want to spot a rugged look. The moisturizer is also good when styling. It used to be part of my spritz bottle ingredient.
• Shea Butter Lotion – Shea Butter Lotion softens the hair for easy combing and leaves it naturally shiny.
• Castor Oil- It is very sticky I can’t stand it unless I mix  with other Oils
• Shampoo and Conditioner– These two worked for me however decided to explore other options hence settled on Alberto Balsam which is cheaper, however I wouldn’t mind using them. I just need to confirm whether they are sulfate free.
• There many terminologies used in the various natural hair forums but thought I would simplify my regimen on how I maintain my hair on a day to day basis.
• There many terminologies used in the various natural hair forums but thought I would simplify my regimen on how I maintain my hair on a day to day basis.
• Daily:-
• • Every Evening I divide my hair into sections and do Bantu knots (matutas) to ease combing in the morning.
  • 
  • I use my spritz bottle which has a mixture of (Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Glycerin, Coconut Oil and water) to soften my hair thus easy to comb.
  • I have various ways of styling my hair which includes rugged (finger combing after undoing Bantu notes), Afro (I comb then pat it in order to level the hair, sometimes it can be hectic), I also have scarves and accessories that I do once in a while.
  • Weekend
    • Ever since I discovered avocado and what it does to my hair I have stuck with for the past one month.
    • 
    • Over the weekend, I pound avocado with Extra Virgin Olive Oil to form a paste, split my hair into sections then apply avocado from the roots into the hair upwards,
    • 
    • 
    • Wear a shower cap then go about my duties in the house for two to three hours.
    • 
    • Once the ingredient has settled in I shampoo then apply oil mixture in the spritz bottle, do Bantu knots, put on a showercap/paper bag then if I have errands to do or places to go I either wear a scarf or hat.  This is usually done to ensure that the oil settles in my hair thus no need for daily moisturizing.
    • 

  My look after the above:-

• 
• Last but not least be patient with your hair and give it some little TLC and see what happens, minimize on blow-drying instead just wash and go within months you will notice the difference.

  Check out this blog for additional tips on styling natural hair http://www.myfroandi.com/2013/12/where-am-i.html

   

Accesorising Natural Hair challenge

About two weeks ago there was a challenge on Facebook courtesy of Kurlly Diaries. Each person was required to accessorize their hair using whatever available accessories in a creative way. I realized that there is so much you can do with your hair without having the same hairstyle over and over.  Before I started trying out new hairstyle I used to have one hairstyle, push back using hairbands since Iam very conservative and I don’t like trying out new things, I have to be convinced.

My common hairstyle

My common hairstyle

This challenge got me out of my comfort zone and came up with interesting hairstyles for the entire period. However I had to adjust my waking up time so that I can have enough time to make my hair and of-course take pictures for sharing on the page.  Unfortunately I was not the winner but yeah the winner deserved it she was very creative, however the challenge was very competitive, every day there was something new to look forward to from different people. I would like to thank   Kurlly Diaries family for encouraging me to keep going and for being an eye opener and also my sister who had to take photos of me every morning.

OVER TO YOU WHICH STYLE  STANDS OUT AND WHY…. your thoughts will be appreciated

Day One – Used red beaded necklace to accessorize

Day One – Used red beaded necklace to accessorize

Day One – Used red beaded necklace to accessorize

Day One – Used red beaded necklace to accessorize

Day two – Cream and Grey scarf on rugged hair

Day two – Cream and Grey scarf on rugged hair

Day two – Cream and Grey scarf on rugged hair

Day Four – Animal Print Scarf

Day Four – Animal Print Scarf

Day Four – Animal Print Scarf

Day Five – Flower on Rugged Hair

Day Five – Flower on Rugged Hair

Day Five – Flower on Rugged Hair

Day six – Red Polka dot bow and a marvin

Day six – Red Polka dot bow and a marvin

Day six – Red Polka dot bow and a marvin