On hair: Talking hair with a Natural: Africa's hair Journey Part 1!

Hello!
Here we go, the story I promised you, Africa Brown's hair journey!
The reason why I picked Africa to be the first person I featured is because of her beautiful personality! She has been very supportive of the blog and my endeavors when we first met and it was important to me to honor her kindness. So I decided to pick her as my first Natural on my blog!
What I like  most about Africa is that she is very enthusiastic, she get things done, and like I said she has a beautiful personality!  She also has very beautiful and healthy hair as we will see!
I truly think that it takes more than pretty hair to make a woman a truly beautiful person! So even though I am sharing her hair story, I must tell you that it's the person that she is that caused me to be so curious about her hair journey and it's her personality that makes her story worth sharing and worth reading.

I warn you that this will be lengthy because I will not even edit what she shared with me! It's with her full consent and collaboration that I am sharing with you everything she shared with me !
So make yourself comfortable, join in our Girls'Talk about hair and stick around to leave your comments and if you are not a Follower yet please join us and become one today!

First of all let's see who is Africa Brown, in her own words:

"Hi, my name is Africa and I am here to share my  journey with you. I am in my early 30's and enjoy working out (kickboxing, aerobics), going abroad to far away places and spending time with my family (8 nieces and nephews). I am a big natural hair lover, who embraced her kinks just under 4 years ago. I work full time as a manager, in an independent living unit for adults who have learning disabilities,  I really enjoy what I do. I love to relax by going to the local spa and sauna and by going for walks in the park"

This is my girl, in her favorite outfit! Pretty girl doesn't play! Look at that diva stare!!! She said she does kickboxing so watch out now! This is a fierce girl right there! ( I am just messing with her)

Now that I made this little introduction, here are all the questions I drilled her with! Again I am not even going to edit anything, I will give it to you raw ( & N'natural ha ha ha), so here's my real, N'natural, conversation with Africa...Oh before I get into it, since I asked her a lot of questions I classified them as general questions, hair maintenance questions and social & personal questions! I actually asked them in the order they are presented below, what you will see in purple are her answers!

How long have you been natural?

 I have been natural for 4 years

What made you decide to become natural?

 My regular hairdresser moved away, I was getting burns and my temples were thinning out.

What was your biggest motivation to be and stay natural?

 The first time I wore my hair out I felt beautiful. I got a very positive response from my family, all of who are relaxed. (apart from an aunt and my sister) I want to show black people that natural hair is beautiful and can grow. I feel blessed that I am able to be a part of this.
(Ok, let me throw my 2 cents in here while we are on the subject, I share below, way below. a picture of the first time she wore her hair out and ooh I must tell you, the picture is hot! I mean something about the picture...no wonder she felt beautiful that day, you can tell she FELT beautiful, you got to feel good in your skin to be truly attractive to others don't you think?! Alright let's go on, sorry for the little interruption but I just had to say that, you know...)

How did you go about being natural? Did you transition for a while or did you cut your hair short  as soon as you made up your mind to be natural? How was your journey?

The last relaxer I got was a disaster so I put my hair in to braids for a while. I went to get a steam treatment and just decided there and then to big chop. I felt a weight lift off my shoulders!

What was the biggest challenge for you in being natural?

 My biggest challenge was finding the right products for my hair and being able to find the right styles to suit my face

Some say that it takes much patience because it’s sometimes frustrating to transition. Is that true?
 My transition wasn't intentional so you could say it was easy as I didn't even know I was doing it. I do agree that transitioning can be frustrating but I believe this is sometimes due to impatience and lack of  knowledge. It took me 3 years to discover exactly what my hair needed. There was a lot of cost and trial and ever involved.

I was very curious about the way she maintains her hair and her beauty tips so since she was willing I kept going...

What’s your typical hair care regimen? Daily, weekly or bi-weekly, monthly… I maintain my hair on a weekly basis. I henna my hair monthly.

I moisturize my hair then seal with an oil. This is very important. I only cut my hair if I need to. (usually 3 times a year or less)

I wash and condition my hair once a week. I like to deep condition my hair each time I wash it but if I am busy I will just co-wash. (conditioner only wash)

I apply coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil for 30 mins (pre-poo) !  ( I love coconut oil and use it daily in my diet as well as in my beauty regimen, you will actually find 2 posts under the label coconut oil that show ways I use it! One of the post has a cool video of a face mask you might like to try on your face and guys you can try this too http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/01/face-mask-for-him.html)

 I wash with Aubrey Organics shampoo

I apply my fresh deep conditioning mixture, which consists of 3 very ripe avocado's, coconut oil, evoo ( Extra Virgin Olive Oil) , almond oil ( I have a few on almond oil, it's a very good oil so check the blog to learn more interesting things about almond oil) , Shea butter and Castor oil.

I sit under the steamer for 20mins then rinse out. I do a final rinse with Tresemme Natural's conditioner

I apply my Cecelia's Rosemary Creamy Hair butter; hairwegrownatural.moisture spritz and healthy hair butter; almond oil and Shea butter

I started asking her some additional questions but slowed my rolls here because this seems like a lot of work doesn't it?! So I asked her...

How long does it take to do your hair?

When I henna, it takes me a full day, which is about 15 hours as I leave the henna for 8 hours then do a deep treatment for another 7 hours. When styling, say twisting my hair, this takes me about 2 to 3 hours.  When I just have my hair back with a hair band it takes me 10/15 minutes from start to finish to moisture/seal my hair then pin it up. I plait in to large braids before I go to bed (5mins)

Hum I don't know how someone like me will care for a 15 hours treatment done by myself! I don't even like to shampoo my own hair, being treated at the salon is so much better to me but let's keep going here...

Do you braid your hair often?What’s the biggest advantage you see to braiding your hair?

I braid my hair after I have washed and conditioned it. I no longer blow dry, unless it is for a special occasion. Since I have stopped blow drying so often,  I have seen the condition of hair improve greatly and I have length retention. I braid in to 4 cornrows and wear braid outs!

Ok, can you show exactly what you use on your hair?

It's avocado in the blender!!!

Come on now....no need squinting your eyes to check the label, here we go:

Now moving on to my next question to Africa.

What’s your favorite way to style your hair? 

What products worked best for you? What products have you tried that did not work for you?!

Cream based products have been perfect for my hair, as well as vegetable glycerine and aloe vera juice.

My hair has responded negatively to protein and water based gels. I spend on average 5pounds a month on my hair. I buy my Shea butter, hairwegrownatural products and Cecelia's Rosemary Hair Butter  in bulk (approx every 4 months). I buy my oils when they run out and fresh avocado's weekly so I 'd say my average monthly spend would be around 5pounds.

I buy all my products from black owned businesses. I have my own steamer and hood dryer so I save money by not having to go to the salon.

I show below  some of her favorite styles and that's how she styles her hair for work!

I personally like this one a lot, it's creative isn't it?!

Well, giving my 2 cents in here my favorite style of her hair is this one below...

 and I like.... yeah I am still adding my 2 cents in here....I like the picture  below too!  Remember when I mentioned earlier that I had a picture of the first time she wore her hair out and how she said she Felt so beautiful ...well... We were talking about the picture below! It was taken the first time she wore her hair out!...There's something about this picture, maybe it's the red in the background and her look that make the picture so...so...feminine!  But one thing is clear, you can sense from the picture that she feels confident and beautiful! What do you think?   

          

Now, besides caring for your healthy hair what are ways you care naturally for your body? (I asked because I believe that healthy eating affects the health of our hair and nails).
 I have stopped eating fast food and have started eating more water based foods, such as watermelon and cucumber. I have also upped my fruit and veg intake.

Any beauty tips and techniques you would like to share? Listen to your hair. If it doesn't like something, stop using it and vice versa!

I noticed that some naturals like to accessorize their hair with flowers and that eye make-up is very  important to some! What are some of your favorite accessories and best beauty techniques?
 I love to accessorize with flowers and hair bands.

(N.B: 4/7/11 link to my new post with my  floral designed hair accessories http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/04/natural-hair-accessories.html)

I do not wear a lot of make up apart from a little eye shadow and mascara.

Now, natural does not mean blah right! It's natural to accessorize, so I asked her to send me pictures of her favorite accessories ....

What advice would you give to anyone following in your footsteps as far as keeping their hair healthy?
Finding the right products and low manipulation. Protective styling is also important. This is where you put your hair in to style for a minimum of a week, so that you don't have to comb it etc. The hair is then left alone and any length is retained.

 I have been transitioning for some months now and I was told that deep conditioning every two weeks was very important! Is there anything else besides deep conditioning that we should be doing?

Wash your hair weekly if not bi-weekly. Our hair needs moisture to grow and be healthy. Moisturising and sealing is the most important thing of all. Do not trim/cut your hair unless you have split ends. 
Watch Youtube videos and find those that have the same hair type/texture as yourself so you will have a better understanding of what your hair can do!

Well all those questions about hair maintenance are fine and all but that's not always what other people worry about! Some people's concern is not maintaining their hair but how it might affect other people's idea of them. So I had some social and personal questions for her,  but let's take a break and have you come back for part 2! What do you say?
 Make sure to come back for part 2 because she has some interesting things to share and some of her friends are sharing their natural looks as well! For now, please leave some comments, become a Follower if it's your first time here and LIKE Goodhealthdiva page on facebook!

Sooooo....What do you think? We talked about her hair regimen, what about yours? If you are a natural how long have you been natural and what products have worked best for you? What's the one thing you used on your hair that you will never use again? Why? Have you been caring for your hair as well as she has? Please share your tips!  Any guy around here? If you are a man reading this do you have a preference for natural girls? If your woman wanted to be natural would you support her?  

N'na

Shrimp soup for the soul and a good night sleep

Hmmm

I slept soooo good last night!Woke up to another cold and rainy day though but I had a good night sleep and I am in a good mood! I love Saturdays so much!Don't you?! Be honest, yesterday you were probably going TGIF!!! I tend to put myself on a Sabbath come Friday evening. Last night I decided to unplug. No Internet, no TV. It has been a cold and rainy day and the week had been a  busy one but a very good one. All I wanted was as quiet night.
I got it by enjoying a warm bowl  of Shrimp bisque soup , talking on the phone to a new friend in Atlanta to get a recipe from her and spending an hour on a prayer conference line with over 3, 700 people on the line. After that I took 20 mns to write in my gratitude journal things I am grateful for.  I had so much to be grateful for, lot of good news, good things going on in my friends' lives, it always cheer me up!



Peaceful dinner with no TV and no Internet and soothing classical music.

   I then got ready for bed by starting my beauty sleep regimen after drinking my last cup of tea for the day.

I poured some almond oil in a small ramekin and started my beauty treatment by dipping my fingers in almond oil and rubbing it on my face in circular motion . I applied  some almond oil on my  hair before wearing my silk cap. I massaged my feet with almond oil before fitting them in my spa socks , and then massaged my hands with almond oil before heading for bed. I sprayed my sheets and pillows with some lavender linen spray and within minutes I was out for the count. 

My room was offering the right atmosphere since 8 pm. I had already dimmed all the lights, been playing some peaceful classical music in the living room to aid my children to fall at sleep and quiet my mind.  The air in my room was filled with the scent of chamomile and soothing my mind! Yeah to aromatherapy! (smiles)
 If you don't know it lavender and chamomile have relaxing  properties. Lavender and Chamomile teas are some of the best tea selection for times when you just need to relax regardless of the time of the day
Soooo.... if you need  a good night sleep, create a peaceful ritual and try aromatherapy, teas etc instead of relying on prescription drugs you see in TV commercials that have their ugly set of side effects. Try creating a sleep and relaxation inducing environment in your room, remove the clutter, have some nice light blocking curtains and blinds and treat yourself to simple things like soft music, a cup of soothing tea, the scent of a candle or room midst and a few moments to reflect quietly on your day and cast your cares. This is a cheaper and healthier alternative to running to prescription drugs as the only tool for improving your sleep. It's worth  trying!!!  Don't you think?!
Psalm 4:4 says  In peace I will lie down and sleep for You alone oh Lord will keep me safe.
I feel like connecting to God once again before bedtime gives me so much peace as I cast on Him my cares of the day and reset my mind for the day ahead.

My small bedtime basket. Keeping my goodies close by to remind me to pamper myself every night.

Well, this little ritual is my way of living, or sleeping I should say.  When I add all those ingredients like I did last night I am always guaranteed a peaceful night, sleeping tight like a baby (smiles).  I think we all deserve to spoil ourselves after a long day. That's my precious way of doing it. Work is important, so is a good night sleep, it's a reward and a necessity for a day well lived!
Well what about you? Do you have any problem sleeping at night? Do you have something that aid you relax and sleep more peacefully? What do you do to get your beauty sleep?

Natural skin care: The benefits of almond oil for skin care and beyond skin care

I was reading some posts on a new blog I follow and I thought it was super funny. In one of her post, Nisha was talking about how she spent money on cosmetics and mentioned that her aunt believes in the virtue of natural products.
I had planned to write today about the benefits of almond oil and in introducing this post I think it's worth mentionning one thing. I believe in " old-wives tales" as Nisha put it in her blog entry " Face value" . (smiles)


  I believe that God in His divine wisdom had initially created the garden of Eden with more beauty, power and mysteries that we could ever fathom. The more I learn about the benefits of a fruit, a vegetable, an oil, the more I am mesmerized by the amazing gifts the universe have freely doted us with. I don't have a bananas tree, a coconut tree or a avocado tree in my backyard like I did as a child and today more than ever I wish I did.

I took so much for granted as a child but we still take much for granted as adults. Sharing the benefits of natural products is my way to embrace the best of nature and of God's gifts to us. It's also  my way of living a better life with as few chemicals as possible.
Today I wanted to talk about Almond oil. Some know it as a carrier oil for massages, some are aware that it's added to many cosmetic products on the shelves in our beauty stores but very few people know it's many benefits...I hope that learning more about it will encourage you to add it in your beauty regimen and your daily life because it's benefits exceed skin care...

Almonds are some of the healthiest nuts to eat but they are not just healthy in their solid form. Almonds are greatly beneficial even as oil.
Almond oil is one of the many vegetables oil that is often used as a carrier oil in aromatherapy. It's a great base oil for essential oils used for massages because it's not as oily as other oils, it a great emollient and moisturizer and it's very absorbent. 
Rich in vitamin E it also contains magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D.
Did you know that almond oil is similar in composition to the oil  babies excrete to keep their skin and hair healthy?! I think it's a better substitute to Baby oil that contains toxic minerals. Sweet almond oil is pure and healthier.
So in addition to being a great massage oil,  almond oil is great  for your hair, for your health and for your skin. It's great for all skin types and a great treatment for dry skins.

Benefits of Almond oil for your hairPour a few drops of almond oil in your palm. Dip your fingertips and apply gently on your scalp. Massage slowly in small circular motions and feel the comfort.Almond oil adds luster to the hair. I personnaly love to use it on my hair to add shine to them and because it doesn't weight them down, plus it seals them so well.

•  Add shine to the hair
• Nourishes hair and smooths hair cuticles
• Promotes hair growth
• Protects hair from breakage

Benefits of almond oil for your health
Consuming almond oil is beneficial for the digestive system. When used in aromatherapy it has calming and cleansing effects. Almond oil also relieves pain. It is used as an effective painkiller .

• Regular consumption of almond oil helps reduce cholesterol
• Nourishes the brain and nervous system
• Enhances the intellect and endurance
• Application of almond oil provides relief to strained muscles ( massage benefits)

Benefits of almond oil for your skin

•  Nourishes the skin, making it smooth and soft because it's an emollient
• Moisturises deeper and better
• Delays aging process
• Improves complexion and helps your skin retain or restore its glow 
• Soothes skin irritation and inflammation
• Relieves dry and ichty skin
• Lighten dark circles under the eyes
• Heals chapped lips and body rashes
• Relieves irritations, soreness and burns

Remember that almond oil is rich in Vitamin E , the vitamin that's marvellous for anti-aging and skin protection from sunburn. So there you have a natural oil that's great for your skin and much cheaper than many of the cosmetics brand you rely on for anti-aging and skin protection.  But please keep in mind that uses of almond oil is not safe for people allergic to nuts and that only pure and sweet almond oil is the kind of almond oil you want to use.

Now... with this being shared, when you consider that a bottle of almond oil will cost you less than $10.00  but very few products on the cosmetic aisles are that inexpensive and that rich in natural benefits wouldn't you say that the "old-wives tales" have a lot of truth to them?! ( I am smiling and thinking about Nisha).  If you want the very best for your skin and things in their most effective form  you will have to admit that few commercial products can brag to do so much for us. 

Well, I have personally fallen in love with natural products and believe in them more than ever. But what about you?! Are you one who always have to purchase the best cosmetic advertised on TV  or in the magazines?! Or do you believe in beauty practices that are easy on the wallet but strong on their rewards?!  Do you often use almond oil?! How do you use it?!

Coming soon: the benefits of Almond oil

Due to the fact that I am bilingual and have many friends who are not fluent in English I will have once in a while some posts in French to extend my welcome to them on this blog. Thanks for being understanding and enjoy the other posts available in English. Remember to take some time to become a Follower and share your thoughts by leaving some comments. Thanks!

les bienfaits de l'huile d'amande

  L'huile d'amande est une des huiles les plus populaires et peut etre utiliser pour ses proprietes nutritives, medicales ou simplement pour ses benefices cosmetiques.
Plus souvent utilisees comme huile de base pour des melanges avec des huiles essentielles aromatiques elle a bien de vertus pour la peau et pour les cheveux.
Utilisee sur les cheveux :elle favorise la croissance des cheveux et leur apporte de la finesse et de la brillance.
Utilisee sur la  peau : elle protege contre le vieillessement de la peau, attenue les rides, combat les infections et irritations de la peau.
Quant a ses proprietes nutritives: elle améliore les fonctions digestives de l’organisme,  réduit le cholestérol sanguin,  réduit les contractions musculaires et elle influence d’une manière positive le cerveau, le système nerveux et l’intelligence.
Utilisees vous de l'huile d'amande quotidiennement?! Si oui partagee je vous prie votre experience et les bien faits de l'huile d'amande dans votre vie.
Je vous prie de devenir un Follower et revenir tres souvent.

Natural hair: Deep conditioning recipe for stronger and healthy hair

I have a simple treatment  that I love to do on my daughter's natural hair and wanted to share with you. The previous post is actually a French version that I wrote to encourage my readers who are not fluent in English to feel welcomed on this blog.
The treatment simply calls  for 1 tbsp of honey and 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil that you would mix with your conditioner. Reserve some apple cider vinegar for your rinse. Here are the simple steps.

• Shampoo your hair as usual
• Apply the mixture of honey, olive oil and conditioner ( you can do that with just honey and olive oil)  to your hair until your hair are fully saturated with your mixture. Sit under a hot dryer or simply leave it on.
• Leave it on for 30-45 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly with water and a little of apple cider vinegar 
• Apply some of your conditioner mixture as a leave in- conditioner and
• Complete your treatment by applying any of the following oils: coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil or any carrier oil of your choosing. I personally stick to the first three simply because they are easier to find.

On my daughter's hair below I applied some almond oil after rinsing her hair and applying a little bit of the conditioning mixture.
Please share with me some of your own homemade hair treats.

Three oils I love using for hair care

Ingredients for this homemade deep conditioning

In the small white bowl honey and olive oil (to mix with or w/o the conditioner) after shampooing




With the shower cap on waiting 30-45 minutes with the deep conditioner on

 



Soft and shiny hair after deep conditioning and Almond oil to seal her hair.


What kitchen ingredients do you generally use for your homemade deep conditionner? Which of the oila listed above do you use most often on your hair?

N'na