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My Top 5 Natural Hair Moisturizers

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Water!

And that’s just it folks. Sometimes all that those frizzy or crunchy bits need is a little spritz of the sustenance of life. Though it doesn’t necessarily provide a long lasting frizz control solution it works wonders with already pre-moisturized or oiled hair. The water re-vamps the oils already applied and voila you’ve got day-after-a-shower curls without having to re-apply any oils or products. I don’t suggest re-applying oils to crunchy or dry hair anyways because oils primarily should be used after applying water or other moisturizers. Then you get the stringy look going on and it’s no good for anyone involved.

Coconut Oil

If you don’t mind the very thick smell of coconut this is probably the most lasting oil I use in my hair. From my experience coconut oil keeps my hair well oiled for as long as two or three days after initial application. That being said it also depends on what state your hair is in when applying the oil.

My favourite way to apply it is right after a shower with my hair still quite drenched. I usually work it through my hair and then towel dry it until it’s damp enough to let it air dry. I usually will apply a slightly better smelling serum or Argan oil blend to mask the coconut smell. Because coconut oil is a bit of thicker consistency I would suggest working it into your hair with water or when the hair is damp just to dilute the viscous nature of it. Putting the thick oil into dry hair will not give you the hold or desired curls that you want in most cases.

Oil is a great sealant for your scalp but it is much harder to work in when the hair is a few days away from a wash. Now, if you are a few days from a wash and your hair is feeling like dreadlocks and all you have is some coconut oil, just use a spray bottle of water and wet your hair as much as possible without it dripping. Work the water through your hair first and then apply the coconut for hold. From my experience this has been a great fix for when I’m going out and don’t have the time to shower.

Olive Oil

Now if you don’t mind the smell of olive oil around you all the time, I’m going to suggest you get them nostrils checked ASAP. Smell aside, this is another one of my favourite oils to drench my head with for desired smoothness. The only way I have been able to apply olive oil is before a shower. I will usually lightly apply some on my hands and then finger detangle the day’s knots out of my hair, once the hair is finger combed I will literally douse my head in the stuff. Having it drip down your forehead/neck is uncomfortable at first but then you just pick up some toast and use the excess …. oh god, kidding.

If the dripping annoys you I’d suggest covering your head with a plastic cap while you let the oil set. The idea being that you let the olive oil moisturize your hair for about a half hour before a shower. The smoothness afterward is worth the discomfort. TRUST.

Avocado/Avocado Oil

The great thing about avocado oil is that it has a very very faint smell and it’s just as light as olive oil. Applying it to dry hair is always great but I would suggest keeping a small bottle on your person when you go out because the lightness and fluidity of it does not have a terribly long lasting life depending on the dryness of your hair.

I like using avocado oil as a reinforcement oil, just to keep frizz under control when out and about for a day. The downside to avocado oil is that it isn’t easy to get your hands on it in places like Edmonton. The only place to date that I have found some has surprisingly been Costco (so if any of y’all know where else I can get some, comment below).

Avocados themselves work as amazing pre-shower hair masks! If you’re not tempted to eat the mushy green concoction I would suggest adding things like honey to the mixture and leaving it to sit in your hair for at least a half hour prior to a shower. The smoothness afterwards rivals the olive oil treatment.

Serums

Now, as much as this is the Top 5 Hair Moisturizers for Natural Hair sometimes I do use a not-so natural hair serum and it works wonders. I will either use a oil blend serum you can pick up in the hair section of any ol’ pharamacy or drug store or one of the magical hair serums from the Face Shop.

The Face Shop is a Korean beauty store that sells mostly face and skin products but it has a very small collection of hair care products and both serums they sell work wonders on my right-after-a-shower-air-dry-curls.

One of the serums is by a brand called Essence and States it is for more damaged hair, the other is by the Face Shop brand and both “smooth’s and coats” the hair. Personally both serums have worked out remarkably similar for me so I couldn’t suggest one or the other. The consistency of these serums is slightly more viscous than a runny oil don’t let this fool you!

This stuff does get dry pretty quick but I would not suggest applying more once this happens, just spritz or run some water on your hands and through your hair to re-activate the serum. This stuff can go from moisturizing to string-inducing very quickly!

The Accidental yet Unapologetic Politicized Crown

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“What I have learned for myself is that I don’t have to be anybody else; and that myself is good enough; and that when I am being true to that self, then I can avail myself to extraordinary things” – Lupita Nyong’o

Back in 2009, with my three high school friends, I started an organization that led to an annual exhibit called AfroChic celebrating black beauty manifested through fashion, art, hair, music, and businesses in a safe community space. AfroChic has since gone on to become what could be considered a staple in Toronto culture. Our mandate has been to provide a positive representation of the black community and culture. Our goals have helped us to foster relationships with a myriad of local based organizations and even global corporations with a similar mission.

Our emphasis on highlighting “natural hair” throughout the exhibit during the fashion show, artwork and overall promotional aesthetic has led many to deem AfroChic as a “natural hair art show”, a categorization we have not only embraced but have also used in our communications marketing strategy. We have created a brand that has thrived off of providing an outlet for women of color to see images of women of color in their natural hair state in a chic and glamorous light. We have worked with women in beauty industries and put them at the forefront of our campaigns to show that their beauty, their gifts, their light are valuable and deserve recognition in a world that may or may not provide similar opportunities.

Over the years, we have experienced some who are in support of the AfroChic mandate as well as those who believe we are divisive and dismissive towards black women by our choice to highlight natural hairstyles (locks, twists, kinks, curls and coils). Outside of these variables, we experience criticism against our personal appearances as a result of this production and its layered relationship with image and community representation. Many have questioned my appearance. People often tell me in varying ways; “If you put on a show about natural hair and all of your marketing, branding and efforts goes towards highlighting the natural hair community – why do you yourself color your hair, wear hair extensions, rock straight weaves, and flat iron your real hair?” “Aren’t you contributing to the self-hate and standardization of the Eurocentric beauty value system that you fight against?”

These are very layered and powerful, important questions that I have never truly felt the need or had the ability to address until now.

When I first “went natural” back in November 2009, and earlier before that back in summer 2004 – I made the decision to stop relaxing my hair simply for financial, health and fashion reasons. Plain and simple. I wanted to try out new hairstyles that would give me the ability to do creative things without having to put costly chemicals in my hair.

There was no real political, social or emotional agenda tied to this decision. I had a great boyfriend at the time who would listen to me talk about how burnt off my edges were and would see me sacrifice some basic necessities for my bi-monthly committed hair perm or treatment. I decided one day I was over the expensive part of permanently straightened hair, and that I would just be chopping it all off and starting fresh. I also thought to myself “damn I don’t even remember what my hair looks like without perm in it.” So I was up for the challenge.

The first day, it was all good and dandy I loved my short crop and was digging my kinky coily texture. Days, weeks and months went by and I started to feel absolutely bored and bland. I tried the Teeny Weeny Afro (TWA) twist out look, I tried putting a flower behind my ear, tried putting on a headband and rocking out but I was truly bored and feeling uncomfortable.  My good friends and boyfriend at the time would say very uplifting things to me like; “Don’t worry about it Amoye, it will grow soon, you’ll love it.” But it took forever to grow for me.

After hours and hours of constant YouTube do-it-yourself videos, articles upon articles of “This is my hair journey, it only took 3 years from my TWA to grow my hair to my waist” I started to lose patience and belief in the life-changing ability of natural hair and the internet! I thought to myself; “How long is this thing going to take?”  “Don’t I have a graduation coming up?”  “I have events to attend and life to live I can’t be so consumed with this natural hair stuff, spending money on all these products – way more money spent than when I was relaxing” “I’m taking back control of my life…” so I bought a few wigs and kept it moving.

My friends and I then formed AfroChic and as I struggled through my TWA phase, the powerful message we tried to connect to our audience started to resonate with me. Our fashion show featured beautiful women who were proud of their natural tresses at all lengths and styles. They mesmerized and wowed the crowd with their confident strides and powerful visual proclamation of self-acceptance.  After the first and second show, we had incredible feedback. There were people emailing us left, right and center, telling us that they had just done the “Big Chop” after coming to our show, or that they feel inspired and proud of what we were doing and we should also be proud of ourselves. I was proud of what we created and excited for the future, but I never really tied my personal hair journey into what we were trying to do as much as everyone had wanted. I thought to myself, “just a few more inches and then I’ll do more twist outs” or “in a year or so I’ll start locks” etc. I was never firmly committed to embodying the image I glorified through my show because I began to feel that AfroChic was a movement beyond our personal journeys. Although I was one of the founding members, I was still trying to find that “inner AfroChic” in me – I just was not “there” or “her” yet.

Time has since passed and as we have grown as an exhibit, attracting close to a thousand attendees and supporters over the years combined, I have grown and began to accept me for me. I have begun to trust my ability to express myself and fashion through my hair and styles whether I’m rocking a twist out with the hair growing out of my scalp or marley twists with hair I bought in the store, or straightened hair I bought from an online based black business woman.  I have not been as consumed with “natural hair identity” and aligning myself with the AfroChic brand because I have never stated I was here to be a brand. I was here to create an event that showed women, including myself, including my little sister, including my mother that natural hair styles and natural beauty is attainable and it exists.  Natural hair, is not some foreign look that is only sported by girls with “good hair” or those who do not have “professional jobs” or women who cannot afford to go to the salon. We highlight 4C hair, we highlight 3A hair because at times, we do not see our own selves in the systems and structures that rely on our subscriptions and our dollars for support.

The beauty and entertainment industry have recently gone crazy over Lupita Nyongo, and for understandable reasons – the woman is drop dead gorgeous.  I am absolutely certain that through her existence alone, thousands, probably even millions of little girls can confidently look into the mirror and feel they are beautiful, they are accepted and desired just as they are. And even the Melissa’s, Fatima’s, Hyancinth,’s Latoya’s of our community who do not have the perfectly smooth chocolate skin, high cheek bones, perfectly chiseled TWA’s and world-class Harvard education – I think they too feel a sense of pride when they see Lupita gracing TV screens across the globe.

And now that “society” has given her a platform and recognizes her beauty as the new standard, this creates space for more dialogue and will hopefully usher in more support for women the sexy and voluptuous size of Jill Scott or those without the commanding hips and curves of Nicki Minaj or Beyonce. Lupita has re-ignited this dialogue for an incredibly large audience and unintentionally created a new standard of beauty through her brand and identity.

As a black woman communicating in a space with other black women and sisters of color, I personally feel the need to continue dialogue around the topic of self-representation and further re-examine the ways in which our obsession with hair texture and naturally hair styling can sometime lead to oppression. When did being “natural” make you more “conscious” and more “down to earth?” When did having straight hair, or wearing a weave make you “insecure” or “weak” in the context of black beauty and identity?

Amoye Henry is a Project Manager based out of Toronto Canada. She is the co-founder of AfroChic, a cultural arts exhibit that thrived in Toronto from 2009-2014. She currently works in health care and tries to travel as much as she can. She loves hard and triumphs often.

Stopped relaxing my hair simply for financial, health and fashion reasons #bhs #naturalhair Click To Tweet

As a black woman communicating in a space with other black women and sisters of color, I personally feel the need to continue dialogue around the topic of self-representation and further re-examine the ways in which our obsession with hair texture and naturally hair styling can sometime lead to oppression.

 

5 Things I Didn’t Know Before Going Natural

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Going natural is no easy task–it wasn’t easy for me, and it probably won’t be easy for you. Being healthy in all respects is so necessary, and that includes having a healthy head of hair. Ridding your hair of harmful chemicals, heat and unnecessary manipulation is important and good for you in the grand scheme of things, but it doesn’t mean it is a smooth ride.

Going natural is like having a baby–every woman’s journey is different, and no matter how much literature you read, it’s never the way you expect it to be. I would say I have a combination of 3B, 3C and 4A hair, and before I went natural I chemically straightened my hair and straightened my hair daily for the span of 5 years.

I finally decided to go natural around 5 months ago when I became more active and couldn’t keep up with the time commitment needed to maintain my straight tresses. Admittedly, my broken flat iron helped catapult the decision. I used to straighten my hair daily, with no natural hair days in between. Then one day, I went cold turkey and just stopped.

Here are some of the things that I discovered:

  1. My curl pattern changed

    2. As a child, my hair was more wavy/ curly, falling into the 3A category. Consistent artificial manipulation changed my curl pattern in ways I had no idea was possible. My hair changed from being 3A to an erratic combination of 3B, 3C and 4A, leaving behind no signs of my previous spirals. This was a hard blow- especially since my hair was already difficult to take care of with one texture. Having to learn to care of three new hair types made me want to pull every single rebellious strand out in frustration.

  2. Finding the right routine

    3. I constantly heard about how difficult it is to find the right routine with natural hair, and like ghost stories, I chose to ignore them. But the stories are true. There are so many factors that go into taming a natural mane–humidity, a cloudless sky or a light drizzle, products used, the amount of water in your hair, air drying vs. blow drying… The right routine is a fine art, and finding it can take months, even years. Your body is constantly changing, and the needs of your hair change with it too. The key to keeping your sanity is taking each day as it comes, embracing your good days and shrugging off the bad ones.

  3. Shrinkage

    4. Shrinkage is probably one of the biggest factors that deter women from going natural – the time commitment that goes into growing out your hair can be ludicrous. When straight, my hair would touch my lower back. It took me over 3 years to get my shoulder length hair to that length. The intensity of shrinkage depends on the day; some days my hair is down to my lower back, and other days my hair is up to my shoulders. The inconsistency can be frustrating, especially on days when it seems like I’ve lost half my hair.

  4. Terminology

    5. The amount of products, hairstyles and routines out there is overwhelming. Trying to figure out where to start made me feel like I was drowning. Should I do a twist-out or a braid-out? Should I sleep on silk sheets or cotton? Is silicone serum good or bad? Should I use coconut oil or shea butter? All the options and terms were so overwhelming that I didn’t know where to start. What I learnt was taking it one step at a time and experimentation is the only thing that works for me.

  5. Learning about myself

I had no idea how much I would learn about myself when I went natural. I learnt life is full of full of ups and downs, and that embracing the good days and letting go of the bad days was key to maintaining my sanity.

I had no idea how much I would learn about myself when I went natural. #bhs #naturalhair Click To Tweet

My hair became an extension of my self-expression, and a huge part of my identity. I learnt that I wasn’t going to look perfect all the time, but that imperfection is perfection.

 

Naturalista to Hairlista: 6 Amazing Tips for Healthy Relaxed Hair

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I was natural for 24 years and then decided that I wanted a change and on a whim I relaxed my hair. It was such a freeing experience, not because my hair was now relaxed, but because I realized that I was not bound anymore by anyone’s expectations for me.

I was not afraid to do anything to my hair. I became very adventurous.

So while all my friends were transitioning to natural hairstyles, I had relaxed my hair. Over the years I have faced much criticism by people who thought that because my hair was relaxed I did not love myself or had succumbed to the pressures set by other cultures. However, after years of trying different things with my hair and trying different techniques and products I have come to the conclusion that hair is hair.

I now use the following hair techniques that I learned while I was natural on my relaxed hair to amazing results.

Find the right oil for your hair!

You learn quickly with natural hair just because someone loves a product doesn’t mean it will work for you. After a product graveyard had accumulated underneath my sink, I realized I had to figure out my hair pattern first and find products that would work.

I avoid products where the first ingredient is petroleum jelly. You wouldn’t put Vaseline in your hair so why would you put a product whose main ingredient is Vaseline?

Products that use natural oils are the best for your hair and will help your hair to grow. I have a thinner hair shaft but still have a great deal of hair. As a result, I found that Argan oil works well in my relaxed hair because it does not weigh down my hair and still moisturizes my scalp.

Pin curl your hair at night

I learned to pin curl my hair using bobby pins with my natural hair. This helped me to reduce my use of heat in my hair on a daily basis. I also found that the curls would last longer and look better longer.

One day I was frustrated with my relaxed hair and wanted to try something new.

So I experimented and realized that pin curls work just as well with my relaxed hair as my natural hair. You just need to take a small section of your hair, twist it around your finger then place it flat on your head and secure it with a pin. It’s easy and effective hairstyle that can be used to form many other intricate hairstyles.

Use protective hairstyles to prevent split ends

When my hair was natural I would twist my hair and pin it up especially in the winter so my hair wouldn’t dry out. I knew that if I wanted my hair to grow I couldn’t leave the ends exposed all day every day. However, when I first relaxed my hair I thought I could leave my hair down every day. I would love to swing my hair. After my hair split worse than Kim Kardashian’s first marriage, I decided that I had to protect my ends.

I would wrap my hair at night and in the day I would wear my hair in pin curls, buns and even twist outs. I would also trim my ends when as needed to prevent my hair from splitting up to my roots. Soon my hair was growing and I was able to maintain my new length.

Do not be afraid to try new hairstyles

It is very easy to just get into a hairstyle rut. When I had natural hair I had to learn to braid, twist and curl my hair. As a result, I saved a lot of money by not going to the hairdressers every week and I became more adventurous.

Cut your hair, change your hair colour, put your hair up or put it down! Your hair should be reflection of your personality and no one wants to be known as boring and neither should hair.

Avoid over-manipulation

Naomi Campbell should be the warning to all black women! If a woman of her financial standing can have hairline recede like that, then so can we!

I do not over manipulate my hair.

I do cool hairstyles on the weekend and then adjust that style to suit my work during the week usually using hairpins and combing out my curls. This way my hair grows quickly and my hairline isn’t constantly being brushed and manipulated.

No crunchy, stiff hair

Please avoid crunchy, stiff, dry hair! When my hair was natural I used to go to salons and they would flat iron my hair. When they were done with my hair, it had little movement because it was over-pressed or they used crème that would weigh down my hair.

I learned my lesson now that I have relaxed hair and avoid certain products and do not relax my hair bone straight. Having healthy and touchable hair is important to the overall look of my hair as well as to my husband who doesn’t want to be afraid of my hair.

I was at an event a couple weeks ago with my one of my close girlfriends who is natural. As we were siting chatting away a lady came up to her and said, “You have beautiful natural hair!”. I was extremely perturbed because I couldn’t understand why she needed to emphasize “natural hair”.

I realize now that it is important that we as black women start emphasizing the importance of healthy hair. I believe that one of the greatest things about being a black woman is the amazing things we can do with our hair when it is healthy.

I have had natural, texturized and relaxed hair and I have loved my hair in each state.

I was able to love my hair because I followed these techniques and my hair grew healthy and strong. How do you keep your hair healthy and strong?

5 Tips & Tricks for a Great Looking Weave!

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Last month, as I was sitting down for my monthly weave in with my sister, who happens to be a weave expert. We started chatting about weaves, and how difficult it can be for woman of color to maintain great looking hair. Especially weaves.

Personally I love the method of weaving in extensions, I’ve tried all types of protective hair styles from braids to lace wigs and at this point in time, I’m truly enjoying rocking the weave-in style. Along with the joys of rocking a weave comes the stresses of maintaining it. So here are my 5 tips and tricks for keeping your hair looking as good as new. I’m no hair expert but I hope this helps you as much as its helped me!

1. Covering hair with silk wraps/caps at night

This is one of my favorite and easy ways to wake up looking flawless. Okay, I’m done with the Beyoncé references, promise. On a more serious note there are many benefits to wrapping your weave every night before hitting the sheets. Silk wraps or silk pillowcases help keep in moisture in. For dry hair, this is especially important. If it’s wrapped around your scalp the satin helps avoid bushy edges. So you can thank your silk wrap/cap/pillowcase when you wake up with edges that are laid out to the gods!

Not many people know that cotton pillowcases cause friction against your hair and can lead to hair loss, which you definitely want to avoid if you want to keep your weave looking brand new. The best part about this is silk wraps/caps are dirt-cheap! I purchase mine at a local beauty shop in Edmonton AB called Images and Shades. I bought mine for around $8.00. Prices range from $5-20 dollars depending on the brand. But what a steal for something that gives us so many benefits, am I right? Silk pillowcases are a great alternative and chances are you have one right in your household.

2. Heat Protectant. ALWAYS!

I cannot stress enough how important it is to use heat protector spray or serum when applying heat to your weave. I am guilty of getting lazy or forgetting to do this before straightening or curling my weave. I doubt I’m the only one. But seriously ladies, weaves can only take so much stress before they start to look worn down; even the good hair. I currently use Tresseme heat protector spray, works great and smells great too. This keeps the hair from looking dried out and keeps your extension ends looking luscious.

Fun fact! If you practice the previous tip of using a silk wrap, you can avoid applying heat to your hair completely! Silk wraps keep hair looking as flat as you left, so straightening isn’t needed on a daily basis. Thus avoiding heat all together!

 

 

 

 

3. A wide-toothed comb is your new best friend.

Wide-toothed combs are the best if you’re not a fan of losing hair from brushing it too often. Combing out your hair using a wide-toothed comb instead of a regular paddle brush helps prevent damage and breakage to your weave. Especially on wet hair, when it is most fragile. I’ve found through experience that I have little to no hair loss when I comb out my weave with a wide-toothed comb compared to others. Lesser hair loss = happier me! And a happier you, if you try a wider-toothed comb.

 

 

4. Condition! Condition! Condition!

Deep conditioning your weave will leave it looking and feeling lustrous. It’s crucial that you deep condition your weave periodically while it is installed. I was so lazy with this tactic at first, ‘cause let’s be honest, deep conditioning for black women is a whole days work. The way my mom had me mask my natural hair and tie it up for the entire day on wash day (as thankful as I am for that mom) it was exhausting. I thought I had escaped this once I got a weave. I hadn’t.

At least with weaves, deep conditioning only requires 10 minutes tops and you already see a remarkable difference. You want to do whatever you can to avoid hair drying out, especially in the summer. Try to deep condition every couple of weeks. Since weaves don’t need to be washed very often, when you do wash it, spare 10 minutes for deep conditioning. With regards to the type of conditioner to use, I believe women should dry different conditioners until they find what works best for them. I like to use whatever my mom uses. After all mom knows best! Currently I am using a coconut milk conditioner by organix. Very affordable as well.

 

5. Invest in your hair

As a college student on a budget, I definitely don’t mean break the bank when purchasing hair. But I am a firm believer in quality over quantity when it comes to extensions. This topic requires a whole article of its own, but I will do my best to summarize it. The type of hair you buy is the most important thing, and it is the most crucial step in maintaining a great looking weave. How can you maintain a weave that was never great in the first place?

When I say invest in your hair, I mean purchase hair you can re-use time and time again. This means good quality human hair. It might seem like a lot at purchase, but I have done the math and compared between a one time payment of high quality hair that will last me 6 – 8 months of reusing depending on how I treat it–to rebuying hair every time I get my weave done (which is often for me). I found it’s much smarter for gals on a budget to invest in our hair purchases.

Go Natural Or Go Home

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The trend to go natural has gone viral. Women rocking natural hair feel successful; women wanting to rock natural hair feel motivated and ambitious. In hopes to find and embrace a wholesome and complete image of a black woman that does not apologize for her hair, and its defiance of gravity, we’ve made the “natural” synonymous to healthy, to success.

 

We’ve created a hierarchy based on how “natural” a woman’s hair seems. How many of us have seen another black woman and asked ourselves, “is that her natural hair?” If it isn’t, is that synthetic hair? Human hair? How much did she spend though? Some of us are past the roots, as in whose roots, and are comparing how natural the products we use are. The beat of tongue clicking and lip pursing that drops when the word “relaxed” comes up in a circle of curly and kinky headed black women is so responsive I’ve started to bring it up in hopes to record a dubstep remix of the sass.

I think we can all agree the “enlightened” bunch that have taken a liking to the struggles and challenges of a natural hair journey can be bitter black women; and not the scripted Tyler Perry kinda bitter, just nasty bitter. The bitterness does not help the movement it compromises it, the exclusivity and attitude is a two-ingredient recipe for disaster. As soon as we start to resent the women who aren’t going through the same struggles we are to look half as decent (said with a grain of salt) we compromise the celebration and joy that should come from that struggle.

Reversely, you’ve also got us not-so-much-bitter-as-clueless types, that practice natural hair as a default. Women who do relax, chemically straighten, are throwing the stank eye right back in the direction of our fros- and power to them, I would. In a piece I read recently by natural hair enthusiast and blogger Dara Mathis she brings up the golden argument; does rocking the fro make us more black/African? Is this what we’re thinking? Although, she does an incredible job deconstructing the stupid here, it makes me want to ask; does leaving the kink in the curl make me just a tad bit darker toned? My nose a bit wider? My lips just a bit larger? Are you feeling stereotyped yet?

 

My problem with this natural hair = curly fro thinking is that having black skin does not dictates the texture of my hair. When it comes to Caucasians I’ve seen it all, pin straight, kinky, wavy, and curly and yet no one bats an eye at the variety. No one is claiming to be more white- or claiming others are less white depending on how they’ve decided to wear their hair.

In a BHS focus group I asked the gals what “natural hair” meant to them. My favorite response?

“What natural means to me? If you’re wearing your hair out it is natural- it doesn’t matter if its straight, curly, heat straightened, chemically straightened it all means the same thing if I can see your real roots that is natural.”

The hand gestures she made as she pointed at different members in the room with various hair states and types were both enthusiastic and convincing. Might not be as much of a shock to you as much as it was to me but until just then I had of thought of “natural” as the state hair is after it’s been doused in a good amount of water and shampoo. I believed in her definition. I could not have agreed more.

 

If the sprint towards a healthier vision of black hair is competitive, aggressive, and dismissive we are only creating a trend, and trend’s pass. As someone that has unconsciously practiced natural hair “techniques” for as long as she has had hair to bicker with, I don’t desire for this trend to pass.

I was the only black and bushy haired point-guard on a team of weaves and wigs straighter than the Asian forward. I was the girl left grasping for an appropriate answer when the Asian forward asked, “Why doesn’t your hair go flat with sweat the way everyone else’s does in practice?”

My suggestion? Let’s celebrate. Not the “natural,” “unnatural,” or any labels of what hair is and isn’t. Let’s celebrate hair. If that means we run a marathon instead of a sprint then let’s, just like, do that? Marathon’s might be long but they are experiences of inclusion and community, everyone is in it – together, for the long run. (The line was asking for the cheesy pun, not sorry.) As much as I am a fan of the “if I can’t put it on my toast then I ain’t putting it in my hair” philosophy I want to share it in compassion and love, the way things of any value should be.

Go Natural Or Go Home - What does natural hair means to me? #bhs #naturalhair Click To Tweet

If anything let’s just not be colonialist about this, let’s not be “if you ain’t with us you’re against us” about the natural hair movement. What do you think?

Lily Lynch

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Lily connects with her roots – through her roots.

A quick glance at Lily’s shining blue-green eyes, fair skin and light freckles does not tip you off about the shades of her history. But if you let your eyes wander to the delicate dirty blonde coils of her hair, you just might guess right.

Lily Lynch is a twenty-year-old student from Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is blessed with a heritage of Mi’kmaq First Nation, African, and European. “My hair was the element that connected me and made me more aware of my African ancestry.”

Our past informs our future. In her search for discovering her heritage Lily uncovered her passion for black history. “I want to be a junior high history teacher. As I grew up, the only story I heard of black people coming to Canada was through the Underground Railroad. But that’s not the whole story.” In the summer of 2013 Lily worked at the Black Loyalist Heritage Museum and learned about the black female role in history. She studied and shared HerStory.
*****

Lily’s hair journey started off like many black women’s: Lily, her mom, a comb, and a whole lot of imagination. “My mom used to put hats on me. Lots of hats.” Lily’s mother was an adventurer. African style hats, corduroy hats, big hats, pointy hats, braids, poofs – she tried it all. “Sometimes she would gather all my hair on top and tie it together with a ribbon. I liked that. It made me feel kind of pretty.”

 

At fourteen, Lily grabbed a pair of jagged arts and craft scissors and cut off her hair. “I just felt like it was time.” Lily was the only girl with short hair in high school, and she liked that. She liked being different. All the other girls had long straight hair. “People knew who I was because of my hair. I looked distinct from other people. There were other girls with mixed hair or curly hair, but other girls did the disguise.” Lily describes the disguise as when women are uncomfortable in their beauty and decide to cover it with weaves or extensions. “I feel like the disguise is making yourself into something that you might not naturally be.”

 

Lily admits that for a long time, she didn’t know how to take care of her hair. “I just did what other people told me to do. I learned by observation.” Lily grew up across the street from two half African half European girls her whole life and would often visit their house and experiment with their hair products. “They usually used Blue magic on my hair to try and make it look like theirs. One time they had this clear gel with sparkles and I was so excited to use it. It didn’t work at all.”

Now she does a lot of co-washing and moisturizes using oils. Lily’s top 5 products are: morrocan oil, mixed chicks leave-in conditioner, coconut oil, conditioners (any kind). And the olive oil brand . Lily’s favourite hair tool is a wide-toothed comb.

Lily admits that for a long time, she didn’t know how to take care of her hair.

Do you know how to take care of your hair?

Breaking News: I Know Nothing About My Hair

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In my first year of university I went natural and became obsessed with black women’s hair. I watched all the youtube videos I possibly could and read all the articles I could find all online. I thought I knew something about black women’s hair. I knew I at least understood my hair. Then I spent a few hours in inHAIRitance Salon and realized… I know nothing about my hair.

Problem #1: My Shampoo

My inHAIRitance stylist, Michal pointed out the first glaring problem: I wasn’t using the proper shampoo

When I first went natural I was often irritated by the demographics of women who were publishing how-tos and videos about their hair because none of them had my hair type. And then I discovered Naptural85 on youtube . Her hair looked like mine, she’s Jamaican like me, and her hair looked super healthy. Plus it was growing like a weed. So I made the mistake that many new naturals make: I copied every single thing she did to her hair. Ever.

The reason this is not a smart thing to do is because everyone’s hair is different, therefore everyone’s hair reacts differently to different products. Naptural85 loved using the Terresentials Organic Mud Wash as a shampoo to cleanse her hair and so I have been doing the same. Michal took one look at my scalp and told me Terresentials was drying out my scalp and making it impossible for my hair to retain moisture. The problem with Terressentials is that for me, it was meant to be a clay mask that I use twice a year to cleanse my hair. Unfortunately, I have been using it regularly as a shampoo for almost two years.

Problem #2: Lack of Moisture

Another problem with my regime is that I wasn’t properly moisturizing my hair. I have been using Naptural85’s Shea Butter mix as a moisturizer when it should be used as a sealant. Oops. Not only was I stripping my hair of nutrients with my mud wash, I was also neglecting to infuse moisture into my hair when I styled my hair. That’s why I would always stare enviously at natural youtubers with their shiny twist-outs and wonder why my hair never did that.

Problem #3: I NEVER Trim

Okay, this one I was sort of expecting. I don’t remember which ridiculous youtuber I was watching but I remember hearing the phrase, “some people never really have to trim their hair, I haven’t trimmed mine for over a year.” And of course she had long hair down her back so I thought everything that came out of her mouth was gold. Don’t be fooled ladies. I’m sure some women can get away with not trimming their hair, but most of us mortals cannot.

So when Michal showed me the inch of hair [at least two months of growth] that she had to trim from my head using the pinch method , I was upset but not surprised. It’s been over a year since I last had my hair trimmed. Don’t make the same mistake I made and put it off. If you trim every 3 to 4 months, you will only have to remove millimeters instead of inches of dead ends.

Problem #4: Styling

Before this appointment I was familiar with many different styles available to my natural hair. I smugly thought I knew just about all of them. I love doing twist-outs, braid-outs, bantu knot-outs, high puffs – I even bought into the curlformers craze. Used them once.

Then Abisara exposed me to a protective style I for some reason had never heard of: shingling Much of the natural world defines shingling as the process of applying moisturizing cream to natural hair in small sections and allowing the natural curls to form. The ladies at inHAIRitance define shingling as not just applying moisturizing cream to natural hair but then taking small sections and twisting them around your index finger until the hair twists around itself. My hair shingled looked a bit like dreads, which I thought it was cool. Another style to add to your natural hair repertoire.

Problem #5: Hair Type

Since I was first exposed to the hair typing model I was convinced my entire head was 4c, with smatterings of 4b in the front.

At my consultation with Abisara she sat me down in her chair and beamed her sunshine into me. “You have such beautiful hair!” she exclaimed encouragingly. She glanced at her table overflowing with natural products, squirted out a glob of one, and started to work it into a small section of my hair. I was a little bit uncomfortable. The only people that I had allowed to touch my hair since I went natural were my mother and my little sister. I squirmed a bit in my seat. Abisara lifted the strand of my hair she had applied the product to. “Yep, that’s what I thought,” she said, “You’re a 4a with sections of 4b.” I squinted a little. That’s not my hair I thought. I put on my glasses and stared.

“I’ve never seen my hair do that,” I stuttered in disbelief. Abisara grinned and nodded knowingly at Michal.
“How many times have we heard that phrase Michal?” she asked.
“Every time,” Michal replied.

Solutions

Because my hair was drying out from using my mud wash as a shampoo, Michael recommended a moisture-infusing shampoo for me: Karen’s Body Beautiful Chamomile Sage For more moisture while styling, Abisara recommended: Blended Beauty Curl Styling Butter I’m obviously still learning. Please, please keep in mind that every person’s hair is different. The products that work for my hair might not work for you. But it’s worth a try! Abisara trains each of her stylists in the science of natural hair before she releases them to the jungle that is curly hair. If you are struggling to take care of your natural or transitioning hair, it’s worth the investment to visit a natural hair salon near you. What do you think? What are the biggest concerns you have about your hair?

The key to living with my hair natural is taking every day as it comes, and learning to let go.… Click To Tweet

I love my hair through the good and bad, but especially on the days when the stars align and it does what I want it to.

Tell us about your hair journey!

My Natural Hair Journey

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With big hair comes big responsibility. The weight of the curls brushing against me was too heavy a burden for my shoulders to bear. My natural hair journey is one filled with ups and downs–disappointments that shook my self-esteem to the core then bounced me back up. My entire being moved to the bounce of the spiral texture that is my hair.

The power of the curl is something only a person with curly hair can understand. I am coming to terms with it, and take each day as it comes, but boy has it been hard.

It is getting better though.

I grew up feeling like some freak of nature. My East Indian roots didn’t seem to sync with my curly fro of a mane. My sister has thick wavy “East Indian” hair. My brother’s hair has always been really thick but too short to make comparisons. How did I end up looking the way that I did? Am I adopted? Do I have African blood in my lineage? Did my mother have an affair and I’m the offspring of a milkman?!

It was hard when I was younger. I remember looking at my cousins with deep envy as they detangled their silky straight hair with a brush. A NORMAL HAIR BRUSH! My hair breaks brushes. They would stand by the mirror and brush their glossy straight hair and look at me with feigned pity and say with a flick of their silky strands, “Aren’t you hot? I feel hot just looking at you”.

I just wanted to fit in and look like the other kids. I would often be the odd one in dance performances – my hair was always in a ponytail because the other hairstyles my dance group would rock wouldn’t hold. The latest hair trends always seemed to favour straight hair. At swimming practice, my hair wouldn’t stay in my swim cap, leaving my hair drenched and green after every swim practice. I didn’t know where to start when it came to styling it. I always wore it up in a ponytail pulled so tight I would get headaches, all in the hopes that my new growth would somehow be straight.

Growing up, my mum took care of my hair–she brushed and tied it every morning. Being the strong-headed child I was, at the age of 10 I proclaimed that I was old enough to take on the responsibility of styling my own hair. My mum protested, I protested even harder until she eventually gave in. I was in over my head by the first day. My baby chicken arms would hurt trying to brush my knots out. What did I know about sectioning? So I fell into the routine of brushing just the tops of my hair, tying it into my too tight ponytail, then rushing out of the house before my mother could get the chance to see me.
This routine continued for 2 weeks, before I was eventually caught. I remember sitting in the special chair my mum kept to sit on when she did my hair, my knees shaking and my lips quivering knowing the neck yanking that was to follow. My knots were so bad and my hair so matted that the only solution was to tie my hair in a ponytail and chop it right off. I was sent to school with eyes puffy and red and visions of my mangled ponytail on my bedroom floor.

Haircuts are a nightmare. I dread having to walk in to the hairdresser and have all the stylists gather around and stare at my hair, while sneaking pity looks at the stylist that has to deal with my mane. I guess you could say that I am a stylist’s nightmare, and my doubled bill represents it. The first time I ever did anything with my hair was in high school when I relaxed it. The results were disastrous. Apart from the burns behind my ears, only the top half of my hair straightened. To my disappointment, my bushy ponytail remained despite numerous attempts to tame it chemically.

I then began straightening my hair with a flat iron after I finished high school. Yes, it took 3 hours every week and I would have to wake up an hour earlier every morning to touch it up–but in my mind, it was worth it. I could do what I wanted with my hair. I didn’t stand out. I looked like every other girl walking down the street. That was what I needed at that time in my life. Looking back, I guess you could say that my straight hair was my safety net. I looked the way I was expected to and didn’t draw too much attention towards myself.

My turning point came about 5 months ago. My lifestyle had changed. I started living a healthier, more conscious lifestyle. Yoga consistently became part of my daily routine, and I became more aware of every ion in my body and every strand of my hair. With sweating daily came the realization of how impractical it was to spend all that time manipulating my hair. So one day, I let go of all the preconceived notions I had about my appearance, and went natural.

The key to living with my hair natural is taking every day as it comes, and learning to let go. In that way, my hair has been a guiding metaphor in my life. My hair has taught me so much about myself. I have learnt to let go and acknowledge that I can’t control everything, and that’s ok. I appreciate every stranger that comes up to me on the street, and entertain the men at that bar that respectfully ask to touch my hair. Embracing my hair has taken me a step closer to the individuality we all seek to have. I love my hair through the good and bad, but especially on the days when the stars align and it does what I want it to. It’s been 5 months and there’s no going back.

My Heat Damage Diary

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As much as I love my natural hair, sometimes I just feel like telling shrinkage to eat it and go back to straightening my hair. The problem is that for most curly haired women, regularly applying heat can be very damaging to our hair.

When I was in my teens, every three months or so my mother and I would have a similar conversation: “Ma, can you please relax my hair? Please.” “No. I made a vow that I would never relax my children’s hair. When you’re an adult and no longer live under my roof, you can do whatever you want to your hair.”

I, like many other black girls my age, disliked my hair in its naturally coily form. I didn’t feel I looked beautiful. No matter how long I begged, my mother refused to relax my hair, so I did the next best thing. I straightened the life out of it.

All throughout high school and for most of junior high I straightened my hair every single day. The process went like this:

  Day 1: My mother would wash and blow-dry my hair. But it wouldn’t be straight yet, so…
  Day 2: My mother would hot comb my hair. Still not straight.
  Day 3: I would use my Chi straightener and straighten my hair on 300 degrees Celsius before school. Finally, bone-straight locks.

I was addicted. I loved the shiny smoothness of my straightened hair. When my hair was curly I didn’t feel like myself. I looked different than all of my friends and felt different. And different was bad.

Then it started to break.

Black hair is 91% protein made up of long chains of amino acids. Heat damage did two things to my hair: it reduced the amino acids and caused breaks and cracks in my hair. The first change was a chemical change. When I regularly applied heat to my hair an amino acid called tryptophan was slowly eliminated and the protein make-up of my hair was reduced.

Because too much heat was applied to my hair fibres, the cuticles began to break and chip. The heat drew moisture out of my hair and left it dry and brittle. My hair is very coily and naturally dry . The constant heat was too much for my hair to withstand.

I lost most of my hair before I decided to go heat-free. My hair went from just past shoulder length to a self-made pixie cut in a matter of a year.

When I realized that my hair could not withstand heat in even small doses, I was pissed. “It isn’t fair,” I thought “how come my sister can straighten her hair without damage but when I do it I loose handfuls of hair?”

At some point I had to get over the jealousy, accept my hair, and love myself through the learning process. There was no point drooling over my sister’s hair while mine still needed styling.

Every person who uses heat to style their hair needs to be cognizant of heat damage. Some people are affected in different ways. My hair falls out when I apply heat to it, while my little sister’s hair does fine with heat styling once or twice every few months. Listen to your hair. Because I know that my hair does not withstand heat well, I almost never apply heat to my hair. It has been over a year since I even blow-dried these kinky locks.

If you do decide to use heat to style your hair, be sure to use a heat protectant that is right for you. Heat protectants prevent the full transfer of heat from your device to your cuticle. This lessens the amount of proteins lost during the styling process. Heat protectants also coat your hair before styling to guard against breakage during heat styling.

Black hair is 91% protein made up of long chains of amino acids #bhs #blackhair Click To Tweet

What are your favourite heat protectants? How often do you style your hair using heat? Comment below!