Naturalness: A Journey Through the Lengths

Apple Cider Vinegar for Dandruff

Coco — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:39:34 +0000

I was watching Dr. Oz the other day and saw how you can use Apple Cider Vinegar for dandruff. No matter what I do my scalp dries out pretty quickly so I decided to give this a try. You just put half Apple Cider Vinegar and half water into a spray bottle and spray directly onto your scalp and leave it on for at least 15 minutes before washing. I tried this treatment this evening and it worked great. I usually still have traces of dandruff after I wash and with this treatment my scalp was totally dandruff free. Love it =).

FAQ’s About My Natural Hair

Coco — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 01:43:46 +0000

I frequently get stopped in stores, at work, at school, or wherever I may be by people asking about my hair. So, I decided to do a post about it for other people who may be wondering the same things. Below are the most commonly asked questions.

Q: What Kind of Shampoo Do You Use?

I like to experiment with different shampoos. I haven’t found a shampoo that I absolutely fell in love with yet. I do tend to gravitate shampoos and conditioners that have coconut oil or olive oil.

In the past, I used Suave Tropical Shampoo and Crème of Nature Sunflower & Coconut Shampoo. Anyone says Suave is not good for natural hair but my hair loves it.

Currently, I am using Palmer’s Oliver Oil Formula with Vitamin E.

Next, I plan on trying out Suave Coconut & Shea Butter Shampoo because my hair tends to flake no matter how I moisturize it.

Q: What Do You Use On Your Hair To Make It Grow So Fast?

I don’t know if there is a secret formula to making your grow. I believe it is what it is. Sometimes it’s just genetics. I’ve always had fast growing hair. I don’t do anything special to make it grow. I don’t care what I do to my hair; it’s going to grow fast. This is my second time going natural. The first time I around I didn’t do anything to my hair at all. I washed it, slapped on some gel, and wore a puff 90% of the time and it grew pretty fast. This time around I do a lot more to my hair. I do wear a lot of protective styles (i.e. yarn braids and two-strand twists) which may help but I think it’s growing at the same rate as it did the first time.

Q: What Do You Use On Your Hair To Moisturize It?

I don’t use any “traditional” hair moisturizers in my hair, meaning none of the products I use are found in the hair care aisle. The products I regularly use are: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and 100% Aloe Vera.

Olive Oil can be found at your local grocer in the cooking oil aisle.

Coconut Oil, I believe can also be found at your local grocer. I’ve only used Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil, so I’ve never seen it in stores.

100% Aloe Vera is most commonly found near the lotions.

Q: Who Does Your Hair? Do You Do Hair?

I do all my own hairstyles. I learned a lot of the styles I do from watching YouTube videos. I’ve tried doing other people’s hair but I’m not as talented at it as I am at doing my own hair. I am able to do the hair of people who have a texture similar to my own but I’m not good at other textures at all so I don’t do other people’s hair at all unless they are personal friends or family.

[Video] 4 Quick & Easy Yarn Twist Styles

Coco — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 23:55:28 +0000

I simply love yarn twists but I’m not that creative when it comes to yarn twist styles. Main reason for that is because I usually put in yarn twist when I’m tired to doing my hair and need a break. However, there are times when I’m at work or doing something and need to get them out of my face. There are also times I’m about to step out and want something simple but not so plain. Here are 4 quick and easy yarn twist styles I like to do on those occasions:

Style #1 - The Roll Under

Style #2 - The Roll Over

Style #3 - Three Part Harmony

Style #4 - The Updo

See video below for step-by-step instructions on how I created these styles:

[Video] Low Puff: 2 Puffs in 1 Method

Coco — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:53:58 +0000

Here is another method I use to create a low puff on my hair. My hair is so thick that I cannot just brush it back and put it in a low puff, I have to use alternative methods. This is just one of three methods. The first method was demonstrated in a previous video: Creating a Low Puff on Thick Hair.

Products Used:
- 100% Aloe Vera Gel (rubbed on hair after washing and conditioning)
- Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist (to help my fuzzy hair lay down)
- Wrap Scarf (to tie puffs together)
- Goodie Bands (to hold puffs)
- Second Wrap Scarf (to temporarily tie down front of hair)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

[Video] One-Sided Two Strand Twists

Coco — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:46:41 +0000

I wanted to try something new for the New Year. So, I two-strand flat twisted one side of my hair and did single two strand twists on the other side. Here are the results.

I washed and conditioned my hair with Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Shampoo & Conditioner. Then, I pat dry and add Bronner Bros Moisturizing Growth Lotion Hair Strengthener. Finally, I detangle and style my hair. I applied Softee Indian Hemp to my scalp and ORS Smooth-n-Hold Pudding on my ends.

See video below for step-by-step instructions on how I created this style:

Natural-ness in: California

LV — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:30:56 +0000

I’ll always be a Cali girl in my heart, so I’m pleased to present a former classmate and friend of mine that I’ve known since I was a tiny 3rd grader. I am so pleased to present Myesha, representing the Golden State. By the way, she’s also the first of hopefully many to be featured, showing off a set of gorgeous locks (or insta-dreads, as she calls them). Please give her a warm welcome:

Name:

Myesha

State:

California

How long have you been natural?

2007

What’s the natural scene like in your area?

The natural scene is alive and kickin in the Bay Area. Many people I know rock their natural hair and it’s common to see sister locks or dreads. People have even started throwing natural hair parties. They discuss products, styles, the transition process, etc. Some will have all natural products available for purchase.

Seeing friends who made the transition helped me decide to stick with it. It’s nice to be able to swap hair stories with girlfriends.

About my locks:

I am absolutely in love with my locks. Definitely the best hair decision at this point in my life. I didn’t want to go through the waiting process, so I got insta-dreads, as I call them. Since I work in a corporate environment, I like to keep them styled in an updo or wavy.

I was always hesitant to get locks since they are permanent, but once a friend with dread locks told me about the different styles she wore and the freedom it gave her I was totally hooked. I have gotten more compliments with my dreads than all other hairstyles combined.

Would you like to “Rep Your State”?

If so, please fill out the form here:Natural-ness in the States. Don’t forget to send pictures! I will be glad to accept more than one entry from the same state. Let’s see what state will be represented the most!

States featured so far include Florida (4), California (2), Tennessee (2), Mississippi (4), North Carolina (1), Delaware (1), South Carolina (1) , Georgia (1), Texas (3), New Mexico (1), Missouri (1), Oklahoma (1), Ohio (1), Louisiana (1), Minnesota (1) and Virginia (5).

Note: The number in parentheses next to each state represents the number of times that state has been featured.

Video: Braid-Out Mid Wear Re-Braid

LV — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:27:14 +0000

This video shows my technique for a braid-out mid-wear re-braid. I sometimes wear my braid-outs for up to four weeks. However, there are times when I want to give my braid-outs a “fresh” look. That is when I do a re-braid.

Also, I have a big surprise at the end of the video…our new Natural-ness Knit Satin lined hats.

Cornrow Braid-out (one week later)

LV — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:31:50 +0000

I wanted to post an update of the braid-out that I posted a few days ago (seen here). Here are pictures of the same braid-out, a week later. To maintain the style, I just spritzed my hair with a water and leave-in conditioner mist (when needed) and put on my satin cap. In the morning I re-fluffed and went about my business.

I don’t have much to say about the style. I do get asked how I manage to keep my braid-outs for so long. In my case, I often keep my hair braided up for a few days in order to get the most definition.

I have also noticed that my braid-outs look better when done on hair that has not been freshly shampooed. If I want a “banging” braid-out…I wear my hair in a braid-out for a few weeks, then I rebraid it without re-washing it (video on my Mid-Wear rebraid technique coming in my next post).

“Oh…but isn’t your hair…*gasp* dirty when you do that?” My answer…not really. I do not use a whole lot of product in my hair, so there’s no build-up on my hair or scalp. “Does your scalp itch after a few weeks?” My answer…not really. Not any more than it did when I was shampooing my hair every day or every week.

I have to say that I love the fullness that a braid-out takes on after being worn for a while. I get the most compliments on my two week braid-outs.

Last view of my cornrow braid-out. I ended up wearing this braid-out for at least another week before shampooing my hair and restyling.

Video: Cornrow Braid-out

LV — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:09:28 +0000

Below are pictures and an older video that I’m just now getting around to posting (forgive me ). It’s a simple braid-out created using cornrows, which gives the hair a nice texture all the way to the roots (scroll down for video).

Before removing my braids for a braid-out, I also make sure to rub coconut oil on my braids. This gives my braid-outs a nice shine.

I usually just do a regular braid when styling my hair for a braid-out. In this case, I decided to try cornrows instead.

Using cornrows for a braid-out, creates texture all the way to the roots. When I use regular braids, I notice that the roots of my hair is usually not textured.

In addition to the coconut oil, I also used products from Kinky Pride for this braid-out.

Below is a video of me removing the cornrows and styling my hair into this braid-out:

Braids and Braid-outs (4 year old)

LV — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:03:34 +0000

I’ve fallen behind on posting pics, so please bear with me while I attempt to play catch-up today. First off, here are pictures taken back in October and early November of my daughter’s last set of box braids and the resulting braid-outs.

This is my daughter’s box braids that she wore on Halloween. She has on a princess Tiana tiara.

This is how I created the crinkled look. At night, I braided the small box braids together after spritzing them with Cara B Naturally mist.

One last look at the crinkled box braids. I’ve discovered that the crinkled box braid look makes the braids look better for a little while longer. My daughter was able to wear these box braids for about four weeks.

I started taking the braids down, but we needed to leave the house, so I decided to cover the remaining braids with a hat. I liked the way it looked so I snapped a few pics.

Here’s the back of her “half” braid-out.

Finally I finished removing the braids. Here’s the final look.

The only product used here was coconut oil.