Naturally Obsessed: May 2011

The Twists Are Gone...

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Obsessive Links: How To Keep Your Curls Looking Fresh!

(Article via TGIN.blogspot.com) Your natural hair is a gift. A beautiful gift that should be nurtured, cared for and tended to. That doesn’t mean the nurturing, tending to and caring for will be free from trial and error. Many a nights during my transitional stages I stared in my mirror, frustrated at the lack of progress I was making. I loved my hair, but it got on my nerves to no end.

But after close to nine years, in the natural hair game, I’ve learned a thing or two about hair care. One of the most important things you can do for your hair’s growth and strength is to develop a sure-fire hair regime. The challenging part is actually figuring out what works. (Go fig!) Take a gander at this list we’ve developed and see if some of our suggestions help make a difference.

Cleanse

Shampooing your hair is uber important. What shampoo does is it lifts the environmental dust, dirt, and the natural oil our hair produces on its own. The shampoo then breaks it up, allowing it to travel down the actual hair follicle. Now, when your hair is relaxed, it’s a lot easier for the shampoo to work. But when your hair is naturally curly, thick or has texture, it takes longer for the dirt to escape. So the next time you cleanse your hair, focus on the scalp. Scrub the shampoo into the scalp and the shampoo will begin to lather. The lather will be the taxi for the dirt to make its way to the hair follicle and potentially down your shower drain. Be mindful to not use shampoos that are harsh and contain sodium lauryl sulfates that dry out the hair. Again, you should be shampooing your hair at least 7-10 days a week, and we highly recommend using all natural shampoos or baby shampoos that don’t contain the harsh and dangerous ingredients found in most commercial shampoos available at your local beauty supply.

Condition

Conditioner is the peanut butter to shampoo’s jelly. They go hand in hand. After you’ve shampooed your scalp, apply your conditioner. What this does is close up the actual follicle and makes your hair easier to manage. It coats the hair strand. Remember conditioners can also be used to cleanse your hair from minimal dirt build up as well. If you workout everyday, you can use your conditioner as your cleanser if you’re feeling a little lazy or if you’re in a hurry.

Go Deep

Whether its summer, fall, winter or spring, you should be deep conditioning your hair on a regular basis. Period! If you can, try and deep condition your hair weekly. Your goal should be to add moisture to your tresses as often as possible. For added positive affects, apply a deep conditioner to damp hair and cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap just before bedtime. The deep conditioner will soak in over night and make your mane that more soft.

Read the full article >>HERE!

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A Chill Kind Of Day....

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Obsessed Mail

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This message was sent to me via Tumblr...

Hi. I'm currently transitioning and I'm having the hardest time detangling my hair. Like when I detangle, the relaxed part gets tangled again. I also moisturized my hair after washing, but it's still very very dry. Do you have any suggestions on how to maintain moisture and properly wash and detangle my hair? Also, whats your weekly regimen like? I washed my hair today and I have no idea what to do to it tomorrow. Do I moisturize it? Co-wash it? I'm clueless lol thanks :)

Hello :) When transitioning, detangling through the two textures (relaxed and natural) is one of the most difficult things to master. But here's a few things that should make this part of your hair journey much easier...

• Always detangle your hair wet and saturated with conditioner that gives you lots of slip. If money is tight you can always use cheap conditioners like Sauve or VO5, which retail for about $1-$2 and add your favorite oils to give them more slip when co-washing and detangling.
•Detangling after deep conditioning has greatly helped me to keep my hair on my head and not on the floor lol! DC'in first allows the conditioner to soak in and soften the hair.
• Section your hair when detangling. Sectioning may seem like an extra step that will take up more time, but in my experience it has made the process go by quicker. You'll be able to get through smaller sections much quicker, rather than trying to get your comb/brush though a bigger one.
•After you detangle one section...before moving on, braid that section so it doesn't get tangled again.
•Use a wide tooth comb and always take your time. Never try to rush through it.

When it comes down to maintaining moisture, a lot of it has to do with the products you use and of course your regimen. Make sure your using products that are water based and try to stay away from sulfates, because that can strip your hair leaving it with a dry feel. Don't just grab the product that says its moisturizing, turn it around and read the ingredients list for yourself. And always apply a sealant to your hair keep the moisture locked in. You can find my hair regimen >> HERE!

If you guys have any other advice that I may have left out please leave it in the comments below :)

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Obsessive Quote Of The Week

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How I Maintain My Twists...In A Nutshell

My_Hair

I've mentioned my twists maintenance a couple times before but I still get lots of comments and messages asking how I do it. So I figured I'd explain with pictures this time lol! Note...These steps are usually done at night, so the pics are of my hair the next morning after all these steps were taken the night before.

Step #1: I begin my night prep by oiling my scalp using Bee Mine's Hair Growth Serum. I've never seen a significant amount of growth when using this product, but my scalp loves the ingredients and it really soaks in, making my roots soft and shiny...not oily. I do this step every other day and when I'm not being too lazy, I give it a little massage.

Step #2: Next I divide my hair in two sections and spray the ends, until damp, with water or Bee Mine Moisturizing Spritz. I then gather the twists in to a low ponytail and cover the loose wet ends with a plastic sandwich bag and secure it with another ponytail holder. Doing this will keep your ends moist throughout the night....like a mini deep conditioning for your ends. You can even do this step in the day time when your at school or work, just cover your hair with a pretty and no one will ever know lol! Then I smooth a little Avocado Shea Butter to the edges and crown to smooth down fuzzies and cover with a satin scarf.

Step #3: Well there really isn't a "step 3", just remove the scarf, ponytail holders plastic bag and go! In the morning I hardly ever need to add anything else, the twists are soft, moisturized and have a great sheen. The low pony does leave behind a slight bump, but it doesn't bother me too much because I usually where them up and off the shoulders.

In the end, your ends should feel smooth and well moisturized. And the length of your hair should be soft with a nice sheen, without build up on your scalp. Simple and easy! If I ever need to retwist, I use SM's Shea Butter Masque, the same thing I use to twist with. If there's anything that your still unsure about regarding these twists please let me know in the comments below!

A few more pics below...