Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!

This morning I woke up and it was just one of those days.  My hair had a large part to do with that.  The longer it’s gotten, the more difficult it’s become for me to deal with.  It no longer stays detangled, hydrated or defined for days on end.  It loses it’s shape within hours, the moisture I spend so much time sealing in is depleted after one night’s sleep (and yes, I exclusively sleep on satin).  Don’t get me started on the frizz and shrinkage with zero definition that occurs after Day 1…I. Can’t. Deal.

Today was day 3 hair and with one look in the mirror, I immediately became discouraged.

 

Suddenly, a pair of scissors and a relaxer look like the answer to all my problems.

 

The tumbleweed that was looking back at me didn’t care.  It stood up defiantly, determined to have it’s way with me.

After a hot shower’s mist took affect, with some added Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, my hair has lived to see another day.

While I claim victory in this battle, I must remember the war is not yet won.

Hair Crush

Swedish model Sabina Karlsson's phenomenal red-hued mane!

I am indeed a victim of love at first sight.

I won’t be cutting my hair anytime soon.

Sabina on Sweden's Next Top Model, Cycle 3

After seeing the above photo I decided to do some research on Ms. Sabina.  It turns out she is biracial, of Swedish and Gambian nationalities, and standing at six feet tall, participated in Cycle 3 of Sweden’s Next Top Model.  A couple of years ago she transitioned to plus-sized modeling by signing a contract with Ford.

Sabina as a "plus" sized model. O_o.

Karen’s Body Beautiful!

Karen is absolutely STUNNING in person

Saturday afternoon I was running a few light errands with my older cousin Mia in the popular Clinton Hills area of Brooklyn, NY when she decided to make a quick trip into Karen’s Body Beautiful, a hair store that specializes in hair products that have natural ingredients.  I’ve heard of KBB through blog sites, but I’ve never bought into purchasing a lot of the “natual hair” products because I have failed to see how they’re so much better than more commercial options.  I should also mention that about a year ago I tried out Carol’s Daughter’s Hair Milk and hated it which also helped inspire my decision.

So Mia and I were in KBB because Mia believes in all natural, organic EVERYTHING.  Since she’s 9+ months pregnant right now (she’s due in two weeks) she needed some baby lotion for Solomon, her son.  After visiting the store and discovering that there were none in stock, Karen, the creator of KBB came out and whipped some up for Mia right then and there!

Yes you all, she MADE it RIGHT THERE!  Behind the counter were KitchenAid mixers and Karen created Mia’s shea butter cream, packaged it, then sold it.  I myself was fiddling around with a leave-in conditioner, Hair Nectar, that left my hair feeling light, soft and smooth.  I made the executive decision to purchase it right then and there.

As of today, two days later I am still incredibly pleased with my results.  My hair is incredibly soft, moisturized and has wonderful curl definition.  An added plus is the smell is nothing short of heavenly.  Karen featurs at least 6 different scents-while Mia favors the cranberry scent, I went with White Tea.  Furthermore, it is comforting and reassuring to know that my hard-earned money went towards supporting a Black woman’s company that is aimed at selling hair products to all.

How Do You Get Your Hair to Curl Like That?

My curls were popping that night!

                The above question is one that I get asked at LEAST once daily.  I generally respond with the simple, “It’s naturally like that-I don’t do anything.”  People (mainly women) give me the side-eye before inquiring about mousse, gels and other curl enhancers.  To all of this I again repeat, “no, nothing,” but in all actually there is a basic, easy regimen that I swear by that I will share with you all here.

                While my curls are natural, the biggest thing I do for my curls is not combing them or disrupting them after exiting the shower.  While in the shower I wash/condition/co-wash (whatever is scheduled for that day) and comb my hair out with conditioner in it.  Afterwards I rinse the conditioner out and allow the water to drench my hair-I literally stand underneath the shower and let the water run all in my hair.  If I want part of my hair to fall to the side, I will part my hair in the shower, then allow the water to run over my hair in the direction I have the part.  After getting out of the shower I gather my hair at the nape of my neck, wring out the excess water, then wrap my hair up in a towel.  Within 5 minutes of my hair being in the towel I take it off-I still want my hair pretty wet when it begins airdrying.

                The next thing that I will do is grab my Jojoba oil (it’s usually my oil of choice because it closely resembles sebum, the natural oil our bodies already produce) and lightly mist it throughout my hair.  This step is extremely important because it locks in the moisture from all the water that just hydrated my tresses.  To make sure it’s evenly distributed throughout, I will gently pick up sections of my hair and spray inside my mass of curls as well so that it’s moisturized, but I’m always very careful to disrupt my curls as little as possible. 

                My final step is taking an aerosole can of hairspray (right now I’m using John Frieda Frizz Ease) and while I count to 5, I rapidly spray my hair all over.  Side-to-side, upside down and everything in between will get sprayed within those 5 seconds.  This is easily the most unhealthy thing I do to my hair (besides rarely sleeping on a silk/satin pillowcase/bonnet) but it helps my curls last more than 1 day.  Yes, they would probably last longer if I invested in a satin pillowcase but I have yet to do that (so quit judging me lol). 

                One thing that is important to note is that during the summer time, I will co-wash and leave the conditioner in my hair.  When I do this, I am able to skip spraying Jojoba oil and hairspray because the conditioner that was left in does all of that for me.  I don’t practice that in the colder months because I don’t like walking around with wet hair in cold temperatures-leaving conditioner in my hair takes longer to dry. 

                So there you have it folks; I really do not use any sort of curl enhancers, mousse or gels.  By simplifying my routine and messing with my hair as little as possible, my curls are flourishing.