Do you flat iron or press your hair daily? How many times have you used your curling iron this week? Do you blow dry your hair when you wash it?

Daily flat ironing should be avoided, along with pressing the hair and/or curling it daily. Once or twice a week is fine and it should be limited to one use per washing and conditioning treatment. You should also apply a moisturizer such as the Organic Root Stimulator Carrot oil, Shea Butter, or the Curls Milkshake to the hair 5 minutes prior to applying a heated appliance. Using a heated appliance more than this will cause drying and breakage of the hair.

Blow Dryers on the other hand should always be avoided. They are extremely damaging because the dry the hair by focusing an extreme amount of heat on the hair. I will NEVER recommend using a blow dryer. Instead try air drying your hair or sitting under a dome hair dryer with the setting set to medium.

Marcel Ovens are also a particular no no because there is no way of knowing what the temperature is of the heated appliance you’ve placed in the oven. You will end up burning out your hair! Instead always use electric appliances, this way the temperature is controlled and you are aware of how hot the appliance really is.

Using heated appliances is one of the reasons why our hair is short and damaged. They give us a luxurious look and feel, but at what cost? Our hair falling out our heads and breaking! It is okay to use heated appliances, but limit them to once or twice a week and be sure to only use electric appliances.

Credits: Photo from cachebeauty.com

Share/Save

A daily routine of your day in the winter:

Your hair is exposed to hot dry air while you are indoors. As you leave outside to your car the hair and scalp is exposed to the cold dry air. You get inside your warm car(hot dry air). You make your way to work and get out the car to go inside your job(cold dry air). You go inside to start you day at work(hot dry air). You then leave for your lunch break(cold dry air)….and so on.

As you can see the hair and scalp is constantly being exposed to an extreme temperature change. Think of your scalp for a second. Your scalp is skin just like the rest of your body and like the skin on your hands that become dry and cracked from the  constant temperature changings so will your scalp. You naturally apply a moisturizer to your hands to help keep them soft so the winter time is the ONLY time it is okay to apply light oil to the scalp to keep it from being dry. Have you noticed that your scalp tends to be more itchier and dry in the winter months? You should wash your hair everytime it becomes itchy. After shampooing, deep condition the hair with Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise for 20-30 minutes under a warm hooded dryer. If your hair is extermly dry opt for a hot oil treatment instead. Perfect Results Strawberry or Cherry oil is a good option. Rinse the hair completely and apply a moisturizer throughout the hair from root to tip while the hair is still damp. Next apply a few drops of oil to seal in the moisture. Massage the scalp as well to distribute some of the oil to the scalp.

Treat your hair and scalp like you treat your skin in the winter. Moisturize often to prevent dryness which causes breakage.

Share/Save

Answer this question for me if you would:

Would you put melted candle wax in your hair?

Heck no, would be your answer right? Wax wouldn’t absorb into the hair, neither will it moisturize the hair or be beneficial in anyway. Instead it would do nothing but cause buildup, breakage and seal the hair preventing any absorption of moisture. Beeswax is just as bad as using products with mineral oil and/or petroleum.

Ladies please stir clear of any product containing this ingredient. If you are a natural sister there are other alternatives to holding your twists and locks. Beeswax will be harmful in the long run if you decide to use it. If you are currently using this product or products containing this ingredient, stop now and find a good clarifying shampoo to try to remove the beeswax from your hair which is also going to be struggle. This stuff is very difficult to remove from the hair when it’s applied. It’s almost like glue!

Beeswax A.K.A Paraffin is bad and it’s an absolute no no for black hair! Do not use products containing this ingredient.

Credits: photo from www.timeinc.net

Share/Save

If you’ve experienced these common irritants, you’re not alone. These tiny knots are known as “fairy knots”, because of how small they are. Fairy knots are knots that appear on single strands close to the ends of natural hair. They can be caused by frequent wear of free styles, such as braid outs, twist outs, and fros. They are also caused by other factors such as failing to seal your ends at night, using a comb in dry natural hair, etc. Some even say that these little knots are “split ends.” I beg to differ. Fairy knots are a natural occurrence in naturally curly-kinky hair. They are caused by the hair having a tight curl pattern which results in the hair wrapping around itself resulting in a tiny single strand knot. The following can help alleviate these pesky knots from appearing:

• Seal your ends every night with shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil
• Do not comb dry natural hair. Only comb your hair when it is soaking wet and saturated with conditioner
• Wear protective styles often
• Always tie your hair down at night with a satin scarf to prevent matting and tangles
• Condition often – Every time you wash, meaning at least twice a week

The above tips will lessen fairy knots, but when your hair is natural you will probably still get them from time to time because of your hair being naturally curly. If you see these knots appear in your hair, just take a pair of shears and cut them out. It’s best to do it once you notice them at the ends because if left untreated the hair will continue to knot up from the ends up causing extreme breakage.

Share/Save

I decided to use baking soda instead of shampoo to cleanse my hair which I will write an article on later this month, but my scalp was still a bit itchy. I examined my scalp and to my surprise, my scalp where my hair in the front was cornrowed had some buildup. I did a brief scalp check by gently scraping my scalp with my finger nail to find gunk underneath. I did not want to use shampoo so I reached for the next best thing: Brown Sugar!

I mixed about 2 tablespoons of conditioner with 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. I then applied it to my entire scalp as if I was greasing my scalp. After I applied all the Brown Sugar Scalp Scrub to my scalp, I massaged my scalp gently for a few minutes. I rinsed my hair completely and my scalp was completely clean. No more buildup!

If your scalp has that “gunking” buildup due to sweat, products, etc., this mixture will remove it without stripping your hair. This will become a staple in my regimen whenever I discover buildup on my scalp.

Brown Sugar Scalp Scrub Recipe

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp silicone free conditioner

Directions: Mix together and apply to scalp. Massage to remove buildup and impurities. Rinse thoroughly.

Credits: Photo from iemommy.com

Share/Save