Product of the month..September

I've decided to feature one product every month. I can't say that I've personally tried all of the products, but I will research and post reviews as well as what the product is advertised to do for your hair. I'm going to start the feature with one of my staples and all time favorites. Taliah Waajid's The Great Detangler


The Great Detangler

I have always heard such good things about Taliah Waajid and her line of hair care products, so when I came upon this product at my local beauty supply store, I said,' what the hey'. I was currently looking for a good leave-in conditioner for the infamous Kimmaytube leave-in conditioner concoction that was less expensive than the Knot Today conditioner she used. I must say, The Great Detangler is probably one of the best detangling products that I have personally used. It provides great "slippage" for my hair, so my comb glides right through. It also leaves my hair feeling soft and moisturized. Here is what the product advertises:

This product eliminates tangles on contact. Softens hair, defines curl pattern and stops breakage while combing. Rich with moisturizers, protein and conditioners, this product coats and protects hair while softening.

• For curly, coily and wavy hair textures
• Leave-in conditioner
• Light formula, no build-up
• No animal testing

Use on wet or dry hair. Separate a section of hair. Apply a liberal amount of The Great Detangler. Use fingers to work the product through the hair to loosen the tangles. Use a medium to large tooth comb. Start at the ends of the hair. Comb through up to the scalp and through tangles. Style as desired. For best results, use the complete line of Black Earth products..

The price is around $8

The ingredients: Deionized Water (Aqua) , Vitamin E , Olive Oil , Silk Protein , Cocoa Butter Oil Extract Cetrimonium Bromide , Ceteareth-20 , Vegetable Glycerin , Mineral Oil , Glycerol , D&C Yellow #5 , Fragrance , DMDM Hydantoin , Detanglers , Balsam , Aloe Vera

The whole mineral oil thing kind of turned me off at first, but it's so far down on the "food chain" of ingredients that I decided it can't be all that much.

Overall, I love it and will probably keep using it as it continues working for my hair.

Naturally Divona says

So, I hadn't used this product yet, but this morning my hair was super dry and matted from a week old twistout. I honestly did not feel like washing my hair, so I sprayed it with water, sectioned my hair into 4 sections and applied the product one section at a time and detangled with my Denman brush.

Let me say that this was the easiest detangling session I have ever had. The product offered a lot of slip, but not so much that the product showed in my hair. The brush literally slid through my hair and untangled so easily (much better than the Suave Conditioner I usually use).

Even right now as I run my fingers through my hair, it is still untangled and VERY moisturized.





Star Struck...Celebrities with natural hair



Jill Scott



The epitome of a natural woman



Today I thought I'd have a little fun and post several celebrities that have no problems rocking there natural tresses. Starting with my all time favorite!!!!



Girlfriend...Tracee Ellis Ross





It's a "Different World" with Cree Summer's natural

 

There's nothing false about Rachel True's natural curls



There's no accusing her of trying to look like her sister
Solange Knowles

  

 

India Arie knows that she is not her hair



India Arie

           





















Chrisette Michele had an Epiphany that natural hair was just better



Kim Coles may be Living Single, but
she isn't alone when it comes to natural hair



That's So Raven to want to join in on the natural world



Raven-Symone



Tempestt Bledsoe



Another Cosby Kid honing in on natural
Tempestt Bledsoe





Singer Goapele is closer to her dreams with her natural hair



Eryka Badu's natural styles go on and on





The sweetest thing we'll ever know is Lauryn Hill's
natural style



Winter Hair Care

We are in September now, the time of year when the weather begans to cool down. People began preparing their homes, cars and even their wardrobe for the winter months just lerking around the corner. This should also mean a change in your hair care regimen.
During the winter months the air becomes dry and if you don't take some necessary precautions, your hair may pay the price. The harsh cold can cause more dryness in our already moisture deprived natural hair. If you wear winter hats,which are normally made of wool or cotton, it is best to cover your hair with a satin or silk scarf under the hat so that the hat doesn't pull all of the moisture from your hair.
A lot of naturals opt to wear protective styles in the winter months to guard the ends of the hair from the harsh elements. Buns, braid extentions or weaves are good winter styles to consider. They are generally low maintenence, so little to no combing will be necessary, helping you to preserve your hair even more.
It is a good idea to avoid humectants during the winter months too. A humectant is a substance that promotes retention of moisture. Common humectants are honey, glycerin, panthenol, and propylene glycol. These are excellent summer staples, because they draw moisture from the humid air into our hair. During the winter months, however, they may have the opposite effect, potentially drawing out the moisture from your hair into the dry air that winter brings.
Doing weekly deep conditoners is a good way of replinishing lost moisture, also frequent hot oil treatments. Also, don't forget to seal in your water based moisturizers with either shea butter, castor oil or whatever natural oil you choose.
In conclusion, the best way to combat winter damage is to be proactive. If you start out with your hair strong and healthy BEFORE winter strikes, it will be a lot easier to maintain and preserve DURING the winter. Adopt a weekly routine of shampooing with a moisturizing shampoo, a good deep conditioner and good moisturizer that doesn't contain mineral oil or petroleum.  

DREADing the situation

Dread locks have been around for a very long time. People associate them closely with the Jamaican Rastafarian, but believe it or not Ancient Egyptians and Asian emperor's wore them. They have been worn all around the world and throughout time in all hair types.
Being one of the low maintenance styles, it is a popular way of wearing hair in the natural world. It's also a permanent style, once you are fully locked, reversing the do is a task outside of shaving your head. So, you have to get your mind right before making the decision to lock your hair.
Now that you've made the decision, it's time to choose a starter style. This choice will be based on your personal preference and lifestyle. I have blogged on previous posts the how to's on different natural styles that are great for starter locks. Finger coils, two strand twists, comb twists and single braids are probably the most styles used for starters. In some cases, people even free form their hair, where they just let leave the hair alone and let it lock up without any maintenance.With free form dreads, you are liable to have locks of all shapes and sizes.


Dreads created with two strand twist

 

Bob Marley with free form dreads













The process of achieving the the locks that you want is pretty tedious and requires quite a bit of patience. You should expect to go through 5 stages:
Starter
Starter locks is simply the style you choose to begin with. Be sure the sections created are not too small. As the locks grow, if they are too small it is possible for them to break off.

Budding
In this stage, you will notice that your roots are getting puffy and your starter style is getting frizzy. This will be the time to practice re-twisting your new growth. Invest in a good locking gel or even aloe vera gel. Beeswax is also a popular product for maintaining dreads, but it goes back to that whole no no to petroleum thing. As I've said before, read your labels to make sure the product is good for the hair. Also, make sure to keep track of the original section partings when re-twisting to maintain a consistent and uniform size. The length of time for this stage can range from 6 months to a year. Shampooing your hair will be null and void until you get a really good lock going on. Cleansing the scalp with an astringent will be your only hair maintenance at this time.

Teen
Just like a normal teenager, this may be the stage when you are wondering what is going on with your hair. If your hair is short, your teen locks may seem to sprout all over your head and go in any old direction. This is when patience comes into play. If you can persevere through this stage, then you will enjoy the outcome.

Mature
This stage is about 18 months into your locking journey. Your hair should be long enough to lie flat or hang down. You probably won't have to re-twist your new growth as often. By this time you should be enjoying your locks and have a regular shampooing and conditioning routine.

Rooted
This stage is where you have strived to be. Your locks are firmly in place. You can trim your locks to a manageable length if needed. Your hair care routine can be as simple or as complex as you choose, but rooted locks require little more than regular cleansing, conditioning and moisturizing.



Complex style





Simple style



 In general, the thicker and more tightly coiled the hair's natural texture, the quicker your hair will lock. While people with straight or wavy hair can achieve locks, they may need some product help and more time and patience, as the locking process is longer.

Here is a book that may be of interest to anyone contemplating dread locks.

http://www.amazon.com/Nice-Dreads-Inspiration-Colored-Considered/dp/140005169X