So You Want To Be Natural Pt. 6 – The Regimen

Now that you have all these products and tools to grow your healthy natural hair you must decide when and how often you will apply them, this is called your regimen. Most curlie naturals (there are naturals who wear their hair straight…yes it’s natural because there is no chemical being added… we’ll save my thoughts on this for a separate post) use a regimen to make sure their hair is on a schedule of health. How you put together your regimen will depend on the needs of your hair. The needs of your hair will be determined by trial and error and things you already know about your hair.  For example if you already know your hair is dry and brittle, you may need a protein treatment to be done monthly. If you know you have type 4c hair, you know your hair is tightly coiled and if you want it longer you may want to add a stretching technique to your regimen on wash day.

A simple regimen: cleanse weekly if cowashing and shampoo monthly, deep condition weekly, protein treatment monthly, moisturize and seal daily. Again this is very basic for a more detailed realistic regimen click here.

Previous: Pt. 5

 

Disclaimer: Everything listed here is basic and is meant to be a starting point. The links I’ve including will take you to some of the products I use for the various steps of maintaining my natural hair. I am no expert on hair care, I do not have my cosmetology license, nor am I a chemist, biologist, or scientist. I am a natural women who’s been researching natural hair care since 2012. I am however an expert in my own hair story and that’s what being natural is all about…developing a relationship with the hairs on your own head. I share what has worked for me in hopes that it may work for you as well. 

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So You Want To Be Natural Pt.5 – Products & Tools

Now that you have decided on where you will get your products from, either the kitchen or the store let’s talk about some of the products that you will need to make your natural hair journey  a healthy journey.

The first and most important step in having healthy hair is moisturizing it. So you have to have a product that is a moisturizer. To be an effective moisturizer it’s first ingredient MUST be aqua, water, H20. Water is by far thee BEST moisturizer for our hair and skin. In fact it’s such a great moisturizer that it alone can be your moisturizer (I speak from experience as water is my primary moisturizer), when your hair is in its naturally curly state of course (if you straighten your hair and moisturize with water it will revert your hair back to its curly state).

Another product necessary is a leave in conditioner to continue to moisturize your hair as the days go on. I’ve seen some naturals go without this step. I was one in my pre loc journey, now that I am experimenting with the LOC and LCO techniques I’ve incorporated it into my regimen.  My hair seems to be a lot softer and stays moisturized longer.

You will also want to invest in a cream or butter moisturizer to assist the leave in with providing more moisture to your hair and other benefits such as shine.  This is the second step in the LCO method and the third step in the LOC method.

All of this moisturizing will be done for nothing if you do not invest in a sealant. There are a multitude of oils you can use to seal the moisture in your hair. Without this vital steps the moisture will leave your hair causing it to be dry and breakage will occur.

Where we would be without a good cleanser to help us clean our scalp and rid it and our hair of all the other products we put in it.  Selecting a cleanser will require some consideration on your part. Biggest choice being to shampoo, cowash, or,both. Some naturals swear by cowashing alone, others stick with tradition shampooing.  If your a neo in the natural world cowashing is the act of using a conditioner to cleanse your scalp. Many naturals use both in their regimens, like yours truly 🙂

Another essential product is a moisturizing deep conditioner. This beneficial treatment aids in providing deep penetrating moisture to your hair and scalp. There are many natural, non natural and home made products that fall under this category.

In Order to provide strength to your tresses you should use a protein treatment. Just like the moisturizing deep conditioner the protein treatment will aid in the overall health of your hair and it to can be purchased or made in the kitchen.

This is not low on the list because it is least necessary! A Hot oil treatment is one of the best things we can do for our hair.  It is the spa treatment for hair.  It helps condition, strengthen, moisturize and heal your hair.  It can be purchased or made.  It is one of the easiest of the home products to concoct.  A journey without this is missing an important part of healthy hair.

Last but certainly not least is a rinse out conditioner, this is also used by some naturals after washing the hair but before the leave in is applied. It is another method of conditioning for those who feel it is necessary to help their hair be more manageable and moisturized. I do not incorporate this in my regimen.

Styling tools will also be necessary, items such as wide tooth combs or tangle teasers for detangling, Denman brush used for smoothing and clumping curls, butterfly clips and elastic bands for
separating hair. A spray bottle or two is also a necessary tool.

Previous: Pt. 4

Next: Pt. 6

Disclaimer: Everything listed here is basic and is meant to be a starting point. The links I’ve including will take you to some of the products I use for the various steps of maintaining my natural hair. I am no expert on hair care, I do not have my costmatology license, nor am I a chemist, biologist, or scientist. I am a natural women who’s been researching natural hair care since 2012. I am however an expert in my own hair story and that’s what being natural is all about…developing a relationship with the hairs on your own head. I share what has worked for me in hopes that it may work for you as well. 

The Straight Hair Natural

I’ve run across a couple of youtube videos, IG feeds, and blogs where curlie naturals and relaxed people (as if they can comment at all **side eye**) are against those naturals who straighten their hair by means of blow dry or flat iron.  When I say “against” I dont mean they want to burn them at the stake but they do not believe this to be in fact natural.   I am not one of these people, I feel that your hair is natural as long as no chemicals are added to change its “natural state”, ie., perms, relaxers, texturizers.   When I was younger my mom used to always tell me, “If you dont believe something or someone look it up, get a dictionary or encyclopedia and find out for yourself”.  I too told this to my children except I  directed them to the world wide web…my how times have changed! So following that advice, I looked up the definition of “natural” and according to Webster natural is:

: existing in nature and not made or caused by people : coming from nature

: not having any extra substances or chemicals added : not containing anything artificial

Unless the hair God’s (those who think they are supreme in the natural hair community and no all/see all) changed this definition to be specific for black women who go natural, I think its pretty safe to say that you are natural as God gave you the tresses you rock and by straightening your hair with a hot comb, flat iron, or blow dryer you are not adding chemicals in your hair.  While the process can alter your hair strands temporarily and if heat damage occurs permanently, it is still in its natural state.

I would love to know what you all think for further research and just plain curiosity so please fill out the survey below and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

So You Want To Be Natural Pt. 4 – Product & Hair Typing

Your tresses will be protected at night now, so let’s get to the products right?. Before that you have to decide if you will purchase products, make your products, or a combination of the two. After doing a lot of researching and learning what products really where i decided to make most of my products like my DC and my moisturizing spritz. It is also at this stage that some nature’s determine their hair type. For some it determines what type of products they will use. Several manufacturers separate products by hair textures and types while other say their products are for any natural. I know my hair type, I only use two products that were directed towards my hair type: my Elasta QP and my Naturalista shampoos are for dry hair. The rest of my products are not specific or I make them myself.

Previous: Pt 3

Next: Pt 5

Disclaimer: Everything listed here is basic and is meant to be a starting point. The links I’ve including will take you to some of the products I use for the various steps of maintaining my natural hair. I am no expert on hair care, I do not have my cosmetology license, nor am I a chemist, biologist, or scientist. I am a natural women who’s been researching natural hair care since 2012. I am however an expert in my own hair story and that’s what being natural is all about…developing a relationship with the hairs on your own head. I share what has worked for me in hopes that it may work for you as well. 

Beat Face Newbie

Okay so I’m not a makeup guro AT ALL. I spent most of my life only wearing it on special occasions, graduations, my wedding and…yup that’s about it.  When I say makeup I’m referring to foundation, concealer, blush, etc. I wear eyeliner and lipstick more often and more since going natural.  My thoughts were that I was already beautiful and I don’t need makeup to hide behind. Well more recently (past two years) I’m starting to understand that it accentuates  your natural beauty.  And my love affair with it has thus began.

So now I really want to learn how to do my makeup. It would have to be something simple, no color on my eyes and very soft lipstick but I really wanna get into it.  I have my own makeup artist already, my daughter is into fashion and makeup and she’s something like a budding genius in the area *proud mommie moment *.

I allowed my beauty to do my face on a snow day the other week, some pics are below. I LOVE the finished product. I was runway ready! 😆

Go check my daughter out on IG  @fiercemf

Here I am terribly scared at first..lol. it was cold and I thought I was going to not like the feel of it on my face. To my suprise I felt nothing after it was applied .

After she did the concealer and foundation. I love this look right here. It just makes my skin seem flawless and youthful.

I wont bore you with all the other steps so here is the finished product. Please excuse my hair and my onesie  I told you it was a snow day and the day before my hair wash day. But anyway isnt that gorgeous.  Not a look I would wear to work but more so on a holiday, out with hubby, or other night-time event.

Dont forget to stop by my daughter IG page and support her by liking and commenting with constructive feedback. No Negative Nancy’s please. Oh there are a few more pics below.

My lovely daughter, and personal makeup artist, Sasha