Hi everybody! I hope you’re having a splendorous day thus far. Wanted to talk to you about one of the most popular topics around today-black natural hair.
I remember back in the day when Angela Davis and Pam Grier sported their afros. I use to think in my little mind “them some bad chics”; even their hair has power! Even though they sported their fros to reflect the political sentiments of their time, the natural hair movement of today is focused on encouraging women with African ancestry to celebrate, embrace and enjoy the natural characteristics of their kinky, curly, or coily hair texture.
I recently embarked on the natural hair journey after toying around with the idea for many years. Some of my excuses for not going natural was “ what happens if I have to go into a meeting, and my hair is not straightened? Or what happens when I work out and I get frizz, and it won’t behave? How will I tame it? Will it look to “natural” for a work environment, or the best one, there are limited styles when you have natural hair.” The real reasons why it took me so long to cross over and ditch the creamy crack (hair relaxer) is because for one, I didn’t want to take time to manage my hair, and two, I’m tender-headed as all get out! Yup I am. Unbeknownst to me, my natural state is much easier to manage than natural hair roots with relaxed ends.
So because I’ve learned a few things in the last 19 months about this natural mane of mine, I thought I would share my top 10 things every naturalista needs!
1. Sulfate and paraben free shampoos and Hydrating Conditioner – Sulfates and parabens cause frizz beyond belief! Don’t use em. They act as fillers in the bottle, don’t need em to fill my hair with frizz. Hydrating conditioners will give you intense moisture, and manageability. Kicks the dryness to the curb.
2. Professional hair cutting shears – Now don’t go broke on these. I found a really inexpensive pair at my local beauty supply. These you’ll need to keep your hair trimmed to promote healthy hair growth.
3. Denman Brush – The best brush around when delicately handling or forming your curls, coils and twists.
4. Bobby pins – You gotta get up close and personal with your mane, and learn how to do an up-twist or a bun, and these little suckers here are a must. Conair secure hold has the best ones!
5. Satin bonnets and pillows - How will you protect that style at night-time? Cotton wraps drain your hair of moisture, and they break your hair, especially those edges. Satin helps to keep the frizz away and your hair full of volume while you sleep.
6. Alcohol free gel – No alcohol means no drying out the hair. Avoid it. I find that Eco Styler Gel works well for me. There are hundreds of great gels out there, so don’t stress just relax and find one that suits you.
7. Hair oil- This is used to lubricate the hair shaft, helps to give your hair a nice natural shine, and can relieve dryness.
8. Leave in conditioner-Nourish and moisturize the hair, prevent split ends and breakage-(make sure the first ingredient is water!
9. Curl cream- These will help activate and define your curls. Like the hair gel, there are so many great curl creams out there. Take your time and find one that suits you.
10. Hair ties – You want those cute pull back pony tails, so you have to use hair ties that don’t crease, are not too tight, and that won’t damage the hair. Snapee hair ties are the best. These snap on the ends to deter hair tangles and breakage.
Hopefully a newbie can take this list and feel somewhat armed for their new natural hair adventure! If you have tips you can offer, please share.
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