40+ Naturals: Meet Michel!

NL: When did you decide to go natural and what went into that decision?

I decided to stop relaxing my hair last year. I have been a curly head all of my life and have often gone long stretches without relaxing but last year, I just decided no more. My last relaxer was in October of 2010.

NL: Did you transition over time or do a big chop?

At At this point I am not going to do a big chop. My hair is almost top of armpit length. When straightened and I have about 5 inches of new growth. I plan to keep growing it out and trimming out the straightened parts gradually.

NL: What are some of your favorite products and styles?

I have a lot of favorite products. When doing research on the internet and youtube, I came across people who were using castor oil, rosemary shampoo and organic coconut oil for growth. I regularly shampoo my hair with Rosemary shampoo and condition with Matrix Biolage with rosemary and Suave Humectant conditioner. I also use Garnier Fructis leave in Conditioner along with Hawaiian Silky. Other favorites that I use are Sally’s Silk leave in, Ojon Restorative conditioner and Eco Styler with Argan oil.

NL: Describe your expectations and feelings before you made the leap to natural. How did you feel post-transition?

My expectations before going curly was that it would be more difficult to style and take care of hair. While it has not been the same and I have to put in more work into my hair, I feel it is much healthier. I can see a big difference between the diameter of my hair shaft before and after relaxing. The relaxed hair diameter is much smaller than the new growth. I feel my curly hair growing in is much stronger than the relaxed portion.

NL: What have been the reactions of family, friends, etc to the newly natural you?

The reactions that I have gotten have been pretty positive. The best one was last week when my 20 year old daughter touched my hair and said, “Mommy I love your curls.”

NL: Describe what it was like to return to work after going natural.

The reaction I have received have been fine. I substitute teach at different schools and wear my hair both curly and straight.

NL: Overall, what has been your greatest discovery about being natural?

My greatest discovery about going natural is that, I love my hair, and it’s versatility and it has the ability to grow long when taken care of properly.

NL: What advice would you give to another 40+ woman who is considering going natural?

My advice to women who are over 40 and want to go natural is to “Go For It”! It’s a great journey of discovery and love. You learn to love and accept yourself for who God created you to be-Unique and wonderful. Curly heads have the benefit of wearing their hair in so many styles and can switch up whenever they want too. It’s a great journey!

Thanks Michel!

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Natural Hair: Natural Recipes

Tips for Pampering your Natural Hair !

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Locs

Nyesha Samuel, Publisher/Master Loctician

http://healthylocsblog.com

These 3 products are the perfect combination to keep your hair healthy and moisturized this season.

There are few things that will pamper African American hair like butters that include Shea butter. Shea butter is smooth and luxurious for your hair, and it will help your hair maintain a smooth and hydrated look. These are non-guilty pleasures, such as you might experience when you get a massage, a pedicure or a manicure.

Shea Butter Body

When you think about creamy hair butters, one of the first types that comes to your mind will be Shea butter. Some creams will all rehydrate your hair to some degree, but Shea butter is one of the most lavish ways to keep your hair healthy.

Shea butter helps to rehydrate your hair, and it forms a protective coating that aids in preventing loss of moisture in the winter months or in dry climates. When you add Shea butter to other ingredients that nourish your hair, they will help keep it radiant and healthy.

Hair butters are luxuriously hydrating, due to the nut and seed oils that form the basis of the blends. The oils in Shea butter creams are made by pressing the kernels or seeds of the nuts from which they are derived, and cooking the mixture that remains until the oils and fat are released.

Clarifying Shampoo

You probably have days when it seems that your hair is heavy and in a mood to misbehave. African American hair may react to exposure to pool chemicals and other outside influences, and it will be harder to comb. That's how you will know it's time to use a good clarifying shampoo.

Your hair develops a build-up of many different kinds of hair care products. Gels, mousses and hair spray, as well as mineral and hard water deposits can cause a build-up on your hair over a period of time. Even some conditioners and shampoos can make your hair feel limp, greasy and dull. Using a clarifying shampoo can help get rid of those deposits, and will make your hair shinier, and give it a new start.

As a rule of thumb, you can use clarifying shampoo once or twice a week, to help your hair rebound from everything you put it through. If you swim often, the chemicals in pool water will cause your hair to become dull and lifeless. Even if you only use small amounts of product in your hair, it can still need clarifying once a month or once every other month.

Here’s an Herbal Shampoo recipe that you can try at home;

Organic Herbal Shampoo Recipe

Two cups of distilled water
1 1/2 tsp. Soapwort root
*30 drops of essential oil
Decorative bottle

Directions for Organic Herbal Shampoo

Bring water to a boil
Add soapwort root, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool for an hour.
Add oil and stir thoroughly
Bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

If you don't grow your own soapwort, you can find soapwort root (dried) online or at your neighborhood health food store.

*You can use a number of different essential oils, either alone or in combination to create a signature fragrance: lavender, rosemary, geranium, rose, and sandalwood are only a few.

Rosemary Hair Oil

You can create a lavish lavender and rosemary hair oil to treat your hair and bring back its lustrous look. Rosemary harbors antioxidants that will help to nourish and strengthen African American hair. Avoid buying products over the counter, because these may have synthetic ingredients rather than the natural ones that will help your hair recover from the rigors of work and play.

The best way to purchase rosemary hair oil is in a bottle with tinted coloring, because excess light can cause a breakdown in the ingredients that could result in the oil losing its effectiveness. Lavender is sometimes blended with the rosemary oil, to make an essential oil mixture that will treat your hair gently and naturally.

Below is a great Hair Oil recipe you can make at home;

*1/2 cup of dried rosemary leaves

*1/2 cup olive oil

Combine ingredients then heat up until warm. Strain. Coat the entire scalp and ends of hair with the oil mixture. Wrap hair in a plastic bag or shower cap. After that you can wrap a towel around your hair over the plastic or you can sit under a hood dryer with just the plastic wrap and no towel to aid the oil in penetrating your scalp and hair. Do either method for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash hair twice to remove the oil. Use the treatment twice a month or when your hair needs a deep conditioning.

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Natural Hair: Braided Mohawk Style

Check out this style from Dominique-Alexis of Natural-hair-care-info.com.

Braided Mohawk

Skill level: Advanced

Turning heads and receiving compliments from all, a braided Mohawk is a hairstyle only for the daring! The key to mastering this style is using the most unique braids imaginable leading up to the curly/wavy/straight hair.

For further instructions, click here!

There are two basic ways to do this hairstyle: with extensions and without. Keep in mind that the longer the hair, the more extreme the style seems.

For this style, you need:

• Rat Tail Comb
• Hair Moisturizer
• Wide tooth comb
• Rubber bands
• Hair Clips
• Extensions (optional)

You get bonus points if you use curly extensions or a color different than your own in the back! Or do flat twists instead of cornrows!

Natural Curly Braided Mohawk

For natural hair …part your hair in three sections, all parts going straight back. The thickness of the parts is up to you, but remember that the middle one is the one that makes up the actual Mohawk part of the hairstyle.

Click here for a curly frohawk and additional instructions!

Pin the middle section up. Start braiding your cornrows up towards the middle of your hair, secure with a rubber band when you run out of hair to add to the cornrow.

Wanna see more braid hairstyles? Click here!

Keep cornrowing and repeat on the other side for a look that is absolutely incredible! I made her hair curly by doing two-strand twists the night before, then taking them out the following morning, but this is opional.

And One with Extensions Added!

For hair with extensions added …since you’re adding so much hair, part hair straight down the middle. Select the most difficult style that you can handle and start cornrowing the extensions up towards your part.

When you run out of hair which will allow your cornrows to stick to the head, tie with a rubber band and fluff the ends up. Continue until finished and repeat on other side. Now, you’re ready to rock the streets and dominate the dance floor!

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