Great African Products for Natural hair:Oils and butters

Hello everyone!So I have been conspicuously absent,but please forgive me.Its been a crazy couple of weeks.I have been planning to post this forever,so here it is!This is the second instalment in the series on products that are great for hair available in markets and shops all over Africa.If you missed the first post,please click here to read it.
Natural oils and butters are the best products for sealing in moisture and making sure your hair stays soft and grows healthily.Natural oils when applied to your hair,do not just help moisturise,but depending on the properties of the oil you use,you would be protecting your hair from infection,stimulating your follicles to grow and also making sure your scalp stays healthy.In some cases,the Oils helps to prevent irritation and help with itchy scalps and dandruff.But,are these oils available in Africa?Yes they are!
Off the top of my head,here are the oils that I have seen in the market and in shops.

1.Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This is usually imported,but I know almost everyone has seen olive oil,especially if you're Christian,since its used very often in church.Just ask the salespeople for 'anointing oil'.

2.Coconut oil
For whatever wierd reason,most people prefer to look for bottled or imported coconut oil when there's coconut oil in the market.Almost every market you walk into will have coconut oil,locally made and most likely organic.If you prefer foreign brands or already bottled oil,just check your local neighborhood shop.You're likely to get it in there.Personally,I like the yummy scent of African coconut oil.Its very different from the foreign brands,but they both work the same.I use coconut oil in everything:prepoo,hot oil treatments,deep conditioning and sealing in moisture.Its awesome!

3.Palm kernel oil
Yep.Its true.The locally made palm kernel oil(adwenno as its called in Twi in Ghana) that is in the market is great for hair,relaxed or natural.It works pretty much the same or slightly better than coconut oil,and if you can get over the unique aroma it has,then your hair will thank you for it.A whole commercial well known hair care line is based off of palm kernel oil,and these products are patronised not just by black women,but also by women of other cultures.The next time you need an oil for a quick pre-poo,try that

oil sitting in your kitchen!

4.Vegetable oils
Various vegetable oils are available on the market.You can use pretty much any of those on your hair.I have used regular vegetable oil in my hair as a prepoo when I was out of coconut oil,and it worked wonders!So next time you need an emergency fix,check your kitchen.Just make sure there's no mineral oils in there(I doubt there will be since its for cooking,but just as a precaution).

5.Shea,cocoa,mango butters
These are so common in the market that I don't think I need to say it.However,in case you haven't got some yet,please run out and get yourself some local shea or cocoa butter.Shea butter is very popular in hair care lines,and for good reason.It is a great butter for your hair,nourishes and strengthens it while keeping it moist.I use shea butter for most of my styling,and I usually get great hair styles.You can mix it up with some oils and some gel,and it is great as a holding or curl defining cream.Mango butter is less common,but it also works great as well.If you can have just one of these butters in your hair care regimen,your hair will appreciate you.

Most other oils you will read about are available in shops such as Indian shops,Chinese shops,with the sales people in the market selling herbal products and in the pharmacy.For example,castor oil is sold in the pharmacy but its great for hair.You don't need a name brand,just regular castor oil.Almost all the essential oils are in either pharmacies,Indian or Asian shops or in just regular shops

around.Just look around more!

Biotin and other supplements to grow hair

This post is controversial and I know that a lot of people will disagree with me.However,I believe that this information is vital to everyone who is interested in growing their hair.I do not write this post as a final verdict on hair growth supplements and products but just to give information on them.However someone chooses to use this information is their personal responsibility,even though I do believe personally that these things are not required.

We've probably all searched at one point or the other for medications or miracle solutions to help us grow our hair faster.Doubtless some of us are currently using some of these supplements and maybe experiencing results,but do we really need to take these supplements?Let's look at some of the most popular ones.
1.Biotin
Almost everyone has seen biotin somewhere in reference to growing hair.A lot of people take this supplement and will testify that it has been helping their hair grow faster.Just as little science background,biotin is a vitamin in the B vitamin

family.It is also called Vitamin H or coenzyme R.It basically functions as an essential part of cell growth,fatty acid synthesis and breakdown of fats and amino acids.Normally,bacteria in our intestines produce biotin,and they usually produce more than enough for us.The excess is then removed from our bodies.The question then becomes if we already have this produced in excess why do some people take extra?It is rare to come across people with a biotin defieciency,so the vast majority of us taking this vitamin really do not need it.Added to this is the fact that there is little to no scientific evidence supporting biotin as a hair growth supplement.On top of that reported side effects of taking this supplement include breakouts such as acne on the skin and increased shedding of hair.Add to this the fact that you can get a lot of biotin from eating healthy foods such as peanuts and leafy vegetables and I begin to wonder if extra is necessary.Here's the summary:most of us taking biotin do not need it.However,if we still want to take it because it helps our hair,then that's a personal choice.

2.Prenatal vitamins
Another popular supplement of choice for growing hair,these vitamins are consumed by a lot of people.It is originally meant for pregnant women because when we're pregnant we need higher amounts of these vitamins and minerals for our baby as well.Most of these we usually obtain these from food and we get enough for just ourselves.If we are eating healthy, exercising and drinking water

we should be ok in this department.Some of us may get deficiencies in vitamins or minerals,at which point specific supplements are prescribed for us.So if there is no deficiency why do we still take extra?And let's not forget that the concentration of vitamins and minerals in prenatal vitamins are higher than in regular ones not meant for pregnancy.Once again,this is a personal choice whether to take them or not.

3.Others
Here there are all kinds of names and supplements that I can't list.Take for example  the drug used to treat yeast infections,Monistat 7.Apparently that's a new thing for growing hair as well.
All of these things go back to a simple question:do we really like our hair as it is or are we still trying to get someone else's hair?Have we realised that we are more than hair?I really believe that our hair does not define who we are and we should learn to love it just the way it is.If for a medical reason your hair isn't growing and you go take these supplements then that's a medical reason.But does a perfectly
healthy woman need to take these supplements just because they want longer hair faster?That's for you to decide.

Protecting your hair while swimming and exercising

This is one of the things that I personally struggled to find a solution to because when I became natural I was worried I couldn't go swimming again.I love swimming and the thought of not swimming was not appealing so I looked for a solution.Here's how I protect my hair when I'm going swimming, and these tips should help both natural and relaxed hair.

1.Part the hair into four sections.If your hair is in a protective style such as braids or twists please do the same.If its corn rows or flat twists then you can skip this step.
2.Get your bottle of conditioner and apply to each section thoroughly.You can use a cheap conditioner(I use V05),and please make sure that each hair strand is completely covered with conditioner.
3.Apply any oil of your choice on top of your conditioner to your sections of hair.Extra virgin olive oil is what I usually use.
4.You can twist each section of hair up if you can.If you can't then you can cover with a swim cap and you're good to go.I have also swam without a swim cap several times,and I do apply conditioner and oil to my hair before I swim so my hair is usually fine.However a swim cap is recommended.
5.After swimming,wash your hair thoroughly with clean water and use a good shampoo to wash your hair.After that you can apply conditioner or deep condition and you are good to go!

When I'm exercising a lot(like right now I exercise everyday) I wash my hair at least twice a week,once a week with conditioner and the next time with a clarifying mudwash. This helps to prevent sweat and salt buildup on my scalp.After washing I usually deep condition and then style my hair.
So that's it!Depending on how active you are,I hope this post is helpful to you!

Feature Wednesday:African Hair Blog

Today is Wednesday and I'm going to try and share a good blog with you every Wednesday.All the blogs will be owned by Africans and will either relate directly to hair and beauty or to health since that influences our hair as well.

Today's blog is dedicated to providing information to African women who want healthy relaxed hair as well.Some of the posts are helpful for natural haired ladies too.Apart from this it also includes some useful information on caring for your hair while its in protective styling such as braids.Please head on over to African Hair blog for more articles and reviews especially if you have relaxed or

Tendayi of African Hair Blog

chemically treated hair.Owned by Tendayi who lives in South Africa,this blog has been around for about 2 to 3 years and serves all African women.She also reviews a number of products which are suitable for natural hair and did a recent post on products purely for natural hair so definitely check her blog since there will be lots of useful info.
I haven't shared any updates on my hair in a while and that's because I have been so busy that my protective style is now in its fourth week and needs freshening up. I've washed it  and moisturise it regularly but I need to refresh some twists so it looks good.I will share more on how I wash the Marley twists and refresh the style as well.I am also going to make the twists into faux dread extensions and hopefully they will look good.Till next time,stay blessed and fabulous!

Good Hair Practices for healthy long hair

Despite the fact that I have completely natural unrelaxed hair I will be sharing a lot of information that I believe is beneficial to both natural and relaxed hair sisters.This is because a lot of the things that work for natural hair also work for relaxed hair.So long as you're here to learn to grow your hair and take care of it so that its as healthy as possible you will benefit from this blog.I will therefore be featuring not just natural hair profiles in the Featured hair section,but also ladies with relaxed hair to encourage everyone seeking healthy hair.

Today I wanted to share a little bit about things that we can do on a regular basis to grow healthy hair.A lot of these involve the scalp because that's where the hair is growing out of,but some of it is also focused on our bodies.

1.Massage your scalp
Scalp massages stimulate your hair follicles and increase blood flow to your scalp,helping to boost how much oxygen and nutrients your hair follicles are getting.This results in healthy hair growth.Try massaging your scalp with a light oil on your finger tips at least once a day.Apart from hair growth,its very relaxing!

2.Keep your scalp clean
If in doubt,refer to the first post in the hair basics series.Clean scalp=good hair growth.Dirt will clog all the pores in your scalp and slow down the gas exchange process which is critical to hair growth.To stop this from happening,try and wash your hair and clean your scalp as much as is possible.

3.Moisture,moisture,moisture
Once again,if in doubt read the first post.Visualise your hair like a young plant.The roots will always need water to grow,just like your hair.I will do a post on the science of hair,but keeping your hair moisturised is one of the single most important determinants of how healthy your hair will be.If you're relaxed this is usually easier but its harder with natural hair.If you remember to do this,you're halfway there.

4.Drink water
Staying hydrated will help you remove waste and toxins from your body and this also affects your hair.One of the first signs of a diseased body is unhealthy looking dull hair that is breaking.Drinking a lot of water will usually help ensure that you are healthy and your hair will be too!

5.Eat healthy
Your hair is built from protein.Your body needs protein not for your hair(lol) but for other essential processes without which you would die(no kidding).So if you were your brain,sending protein that is in limited supply to the hair follicles is a misplaced priority when your immune system needs it,for example.This is why you have to eat a balanced diet.If you get enough protein then your brain can turn its attention to your hair.Vitamins and minerals work the same way.Without them your hair will be brittle and breaking off.Eat well and you'll have enough to keep your hair healthy.And when I say eat well I am assuming you know what that means because you've probably heard it too many times now!..Same applies to exercise..lol!

6.Stop fighting your hair
A lot of us do that with our combs,headbands,ties and even our fingers.Stop fighting with your hair.If you're trying to run a comb through it and its not working don't force it through.Stop trying to style your hair when its dry and resistant to any parting.You will just weaken your hair strands.One of the most important clues that you are not fighting your hair and that your hair is growing healthily is not to have pain when you're combing or styling it.If your scalp hurts,you aren't doing it right.Always remember this one thing as it will be a good way to keep track of yourself.

7.Keep it simple
This isn't just for the health of your hair,its for the health of your pocket and all those around you.Try to keep it simple with your hair.There's no need to spend tons of money on products when you can make some of them on your own.You don't have to do a different style everyday because it will actually damage your hair.Your regimen doesn't have to be complicated.You can actually just relax and enjoy yourself.Try not to obsess over your hair.You don't need to buy every new supplement that says it will grow your hair.Stick to healthy food,exercise and water and you'll be surprised at your own hair.I'm not saying don't take vitamin and mineral supplements,though that is the subject of another post.

Finally,watch this video because laughter is great for your health,and your hair!She was talking about getting thick hair but the tips work either way...Stay blessed and fabulous!