Naturals….meet Zekera!

Zekera has been natural for almost 4 years! Much like Rita, at first Z wasn’t comfortable wearing her natural hair so she used protective styles like weaves and braids. She felt like her natural hair negatively affected her outward appearance. But after realizing the beauty in rocking her own hair she decided showing the world her natural hair isn’t so bad!
“There are a lot of days when I DON’T CARE what my hair looks like to the next person because ITS MINE & there are very few who can make that statement TRUTHFULLY!!”

~Stay Curly My Friends!💖

Naturals….Meet Rita!

Rita has been natural for about a year now. Until recently, she has been wearing protective styles. She is now comfortable to rock her natural! I thinks she made the right choice! Isn’t she lovely!?
“It’s definitely taking some getting use to!”

 

~Stay Curly My Friends!💜

Naturals….Meet Brittany!

Brittany began her natural journey in January 2012. She became very knowledgeable of natural hair care through countless hours of study, research and trial and error. She has recently started a YouTube Channel that I’m sure will be very informative to us naturals. Check out her first two videos below!
“I have NEVER regretted my decision to become natural. I was knowledgeable about this process, and was ready to make the change and OWN it.”

~Stay Curly My Friends!💞

The Importance of Moisturizing Natural Hair…Try the LOC Method!

If you are wear your natural hair, then you know first hand how dry our hair can get. Some naturals (including me) use the LOC method as a tandem moisturizing technique to combat that dryness. It stands for (L) liquid or leave-in conditioner (O) oil and (C) cream. You apply the products in that order. The goal is to add and seal in moisture.

I like to tell people to think of their hair as a plant. What happens to a plant if you don’t give it water? The leaves wither then break off and die! Well that is EXACTLY what can happen to our hair. Without moisture, natural hair can become dry and produce split ends. It then will begin to break off.

As I stated, I use the LOC method and I am glad that I found it. I usually do it after my wash and deep condition session but before I begin to style. I keeps my hair soft and moisturized for at least 3-4 days.

The products I use are:

(L) Liquid – I like to use water and a leave in conditioner. First, I simply spray a few pumps of water throughout the section. Then add my favorite leave in I have two and they include the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner or the Eden Body Works Coconut Shea All Natural Leave-In Conditioner.

(O) Oil – the oil is used to seal in the moisture from the water and/or leave-in. I love to use a jojoba and coconut oil mixture. I love the two because both are light and non-greasy oils that helps to add shine, elasticity and softness to the hair.

(C) Cream – the cream seals further seals in moisture.
The purpose is for each layer to seal the layer before it, i.e. the oil seals in the liquid and the cream seals in the oil. My favorite cream is usually a hair milk like the Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula Replenishing Hair Milk or Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk.

I have included a video from one of my favorite YouTube bloggers, IKnowLee. She’s explains her experience using the LOC method.
Hope you enjoy!

Do you use the LOC method in your hair regimen? If so, what products do you use?
I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below!

~Stay Curly My Friends!~ 😘

Natural Hair Mantras

I found this picture on Napturally Curly. 
I wanted to share because it is very inspirational to me!
We must learn to be proud of our hair because it is so beautiful and unique.

I would love to hear from you! 
Which one is your favorite? Why?
Tell me in the comment section below.

~Stay Curly My Friends!☆

All Shea Moisture Products on Sale at Target! ~ Ends August 16th

How to Make Natural Hair Styling Products More Moisturizing

I came across this very interesting article on Blackgirllonghair.com. This a great idea for those who have a favorite styling product that sometimes may dry your hair out. I will definitely use this technique in the future!

The link is:
http://blackgirllonghair.com/2014/06/how-to-make-natural-hair-styling-products-more-moisturizing/

But for your convenience the article is below:

How To Make Natural Hair Styling Products More Moisturizing
 
~*14MOISTURIZING NATURAL HAIR CARE NATURAL HAIR PRODUCTS OILS + BUTTERS~*

Editorial – June 29, 2014

by Portia of huneybflyy.com

We all love a good hair styling product that keeps our twist outs or wash n go’s in place. However, some of the products designed to hold your kinks and curls, can also dry them out at the same time. What do you do when you love the definition that a product gives, but you don’t love how dull and dry your hair looks? It’s simple, just add moisture!

Did you think you had to give up and throw away that $15 jar of styling gel? Well, you don’t.  There are several moisturizing oils and butters that you can mix in with your favorite styler or you can apply them to your hair before you apply the styler. It’s important to keep your hair moisturized in general, but it’s even more important to do so when you are dealing with a product that seems to dry it out. Take a look at the list below and see which oils and butters can keep your hair full of moisture and save you money!

The Butters

Avocado Butter

This butter is one of the natural hair community’s best kept secrets. Not only is it a great alternative to its sister, shea butter, but it also packs on the moisture.  It’s a heavy butter that will add shine and softness to your hair. This is great for sealing in moisture after your hair has been washed. Avocado butter mixes great with just about any hair styler. This butter is especially recommended for those with dry hair.

Mango Butter 

Mango butter is almost like cocoa butter in consistency. It is extremely moisturizing and has more fatty acids than shea butter (linoleic acid to be exact). This means it penetrates your hair better, smooths the hair and softens. Because mango butter has an incredible amount of linoleic acid, it’s a super moisturizer!

Murumuru Butter 

The name may be hard to pronounce, but that shouldn’t detract you from the benefits of this butter. Murumuru butter is a Brazilian tree butter. Like mango butter, it’s an emollient and provides moisture retention. It prevents moisture loss when applied directly to the hair after washing and conditioning. It helps make the hair soft and pliable.

Cupuacu Butter 

Cupuacu butter is considered to be a hydrophilic butter. It loves water, so if you put it on your hair after your wash and condition…MOISTURE GALORE! It also prevents moisture from leaving your head.

 

The Oils

Olive Oil 

Tried and true, olive oil will forever be a staple in the natural hair community. It saturates each strand of hair with moisture and softens along the way. Because olive oil is an emollient, it penetrates the hair better than most oils.

Red Palm Oil 

Red palm oil is always overlooked, primarily because people just don’t know much about it. This oil is perfect for moisturizing hair. It’s filled with saturated fats and lipids, which are essential for keeping hair moisturized.

Grape Seed Oil 

This oil helps keep your hair’s natural moisture locked into your strands.  It also gives hair a nice sheen as well as aides in sealing the hair. Sealing is essential for retaining moisture.

Jojoba Oil 

Not only does jojoba oil strengthen your hair, but it’s similar to sebum, which is the oil that we naturally produce on our scalp. Once applied, it produces a thin layer over the hair shaft that prevents moisture from escaping.  Jojoba oil is an excellent sealer.

Apricot Oil 

Apricot oil isn’t talked about very much. Most people use it for their skin since it seeps effortlessly into it and keeps it moisturized. However, apricot oil is a great moisturizer for your hair as well. It doesn’t leave your hair feeling greasy and is rich in essential fatty acids.

As with any oil, it’s best to use a brand that offers the oil in its purest form. You’ll receive the most benefits from the oil if it’s pure. Remember, the key to success when using these butters and oils is proper application. Use the oils to seal in moisture (water or leave in conditioner) after washing your hair. If you feel that your hair isn’t moisturized enough, feel free to add a butter to your hair. You can also seal your hair with a sealing oil and mix a butter with your favorite styler or vice versa. It all depends on what your hair likes.

Do you find this article helpful? What are some of your favorite moisturizers? Oils? Styling Products?

Let me know! Leave a comment below.
~Stay Curly My Friends! 💜~

How to ….Achieve the PERFECT TWIST OUT!

Read below as I give you some tips on how to achieve the perfect twistout!

The hairstyle called the twist out is popular in the natural hair world. It is actually one of my go-to hairstyles.  It is very easy to achieve, but there are a few techniques that you should learn first. As soon as you understand those, twisting will become second nature!

First you need the foundation, then you can always add to it. For example, I started with simple twists, now I like to add perm rods to the ends for a more curly result.

6 Tips to Achieve Your Desired Look. So let’s begin:

1. Always start to style on freshly washed and conditioned hair.
The curl definition on natural hair is more defined when your hair is washed and conditioned. Use your favorite shampoo and conditioner. Rinse. Then dry your hair with a t-shirt instead of a towel. The microfibers in the towel tend to be a little harsh for our strands.

2. Don’t twist on soaking wet hair.
Allow your hair to dry a little first. The hair only needs to be damp when you begin.
Twisting on wet hair causes breakage and can take FOREVER to dry. Make sure you give yourself enough time to let the twist set.  I like to set my twists a day before and let them dry overnight.  Obviously, the longer you let them set the more defined your curl pattern.

3. Twist in smaller sections.
The bigger twists causes less curl definition and a lot of frizz. Also, when unraveling twists, don’t over separate them. It also causes frizz and the style won’t last as long as you would like.

4. Twist with the right product for you hair.
Make sure the product of choice is moisturizing. Moisturized natural hair is more manageable. Use a product that doesn’t contain parabens and sulfates. Those products tend to leave build up on your hair.  The right product leaves your hair soft, shiny and your twists outs will be flawless. *Don’t worry if the product leaves a white residue it will dry!*

5. Twist your hair In the direction you want your hair to lay.
If you want a style with a part on either side or in the middle, make sure to create the part first and then twist. Same goes with bangs. Section hair in the front and twist forward to create the bangs.
Remember to twist the two strands around each other as tightly as possible.  Loose twists doesn’t create a nice defined curl pattern. When you reach the ends, coil them around your finger.

6. Retwist at night.
To maintain the perfect twist out for 4-5 days, retwist your hair each night before bed. Make sure to protect those twists while you sleep by covering your hair with a silk or satin scarf. I like to add a satin bonnet for maximum protection.

 

I have included a video tutorial of two YouTube vloggers, so that you may visually see a perfect twist out!

 

Do you have any tips you would like to share on how you achieve that perfect twistout?

Leave a comment in the section below.

~Stay Curly My Friends!

 

Naturals…Meet Tiffany!

Tiffany is newly natural. She is very excited to start this journey!
“I have no regrets…… I don’t even regret getting a perm. If I had not gotten a perm I would not know how good it feels to actually have naturally beautiful hair!”

To read more about Tiffany’s thoughts on becoming natural go to the HerStories page at the top!

~Stay Curly My Friends!♡

A QUICK tip for those considering using relaxers again!

One of my FAVORITE YouTube bloggers, Jenell Stewart AKA BlakIzBeautyful addressed those considering going back to using relaxers. I totally agree with what she said In the video and now I would like you opinion!

Oh, and don’t forget to check out her YouTube page. She has the BEST hair tutorials and life advice.

After viewing the video, what do you think about natural vs relaxed hair?

*~Don’t forget to leave your comments in the section below!~*

As always, Stay Curly My Friends!💖