Search Results: Ashley Glenn
How did you discover your passion for hair?
My passion for hair started in 9th grade once I tried doing my own braids after falling in love with Brandy’s braids. At that time, my parents were not able to afford to get my hair done. With me being the creative, sweet daughter, I decided to save them some money, not knowing I would make a living later on in life. I did not realize I had talent until friends asked about getting their hair braided as well.
What made you decide to create your product line?
My line is designed for people with locs. After hearing from my loc’d clients for well over eight years that they wanted a product that would not leave a buildup in their locs, I knew I had to fix this problem. I would send clients to try this product and that product. I would pick a product up by a popular line promising that it would not leave a buildup and it would fail. Buildup was created. It was as if these lines were not educated about the loc’d or deadlock community. Also, I remember that I went through the same issues for eight years, well before the natural hair boom, to find a product for locs.
What made you decide on the name “Dr. Locs” for your product line?
My background is in creative advertising, so I knew it had to be clever. I often get the nickname “Hair Doctor” and I wanted the name to be clear as far as what it is for.
What makes your products unique to locs?
The Dr. Locs line is unique in that customers will never have to worry about product buildup developing in their locs. Although there are other lines out there promising the same, I am an actual loctician and Dr. Locs has been tested on my clients for years before introducing it to the world.
understand that scientifically products do not lock your hair
Do you have any tips that you would like to share with the loc community?
Yes, I have so much to share. One major tip is to relax and understand you must have patience when starting the locking journey. Although I have a product line, understand that scientifically products do not lock your hair. Products can give you nourishment to feed your scalp and keep locs soft. But you have to be patient. Your hair will lock. When you add a wax or cream while grooming locs, you are just psychologically telling yourself this substance will make my hair lock. A year later, clients tend to have to wash that stuff out of their hair once the buildup is noticeable. Also by then, the person’s hair has locked. I am accustom to hearing this story and it was my story when I started my locs years ago.
The Dr. Locs product line includes Yasin Shampoo, Yaya Oil, and also Imani Locking Spray. You can purchase her products, Dr. Locs, here.
Want to keep up with Chimere? You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
We find ourselves looking for the next ingredient that can aid in hair growth, flawless skin, and bouncy curls. We research these ingredients and hope to find them in our favorite products. If our products don’t contain the ingredient, we run out the house to buy a quick beauty standby from our favorite store, or pull out our mixers and bowls to create a DIY recipe. Understanding ingredients and their benefits help us make decisions about what we choose to use in our regimens. This understanding also allows us to become more aware of what we put inside of our bodies.
What is Urea?
According to Cosmetic Info: “Urea, sometimes referred to as carbamide, is produced in mammalian systems when proteins are broken down. It is excreted in the urine of mammals. The urea found in cosmetics and personal care products is synthetic and not animal derived. In addition to its use in cosmetics and personal care products, Urea has a number of food uses, including its use as a fermentation aid in bakery products and wine.” Its other known uses are for treating dry skin and as a moisturizer.
You can find Urea in a variety of products, including:
- Acne treatments
- Facial cleansers
- Facial moisturizers
- Makeup
- Shampoos
- Conditioners
- Hair styling products
What are Hydroxyethyl, Diazolidiny, and Imidazolidinyl Ureas?
There are three forms of urea, all of which act as formaldehyde releasers: hydroxyethyl, diazolidiny, and imidazolidinyl. All three forms of urea release formaldehyde, which is a carcinogenic impurity, according to EWG’s Skin Deep. These ureas are also found in skin care, hair care, and other beauty products. Not too sure if your products include urea? Take a look at their ingredient lists to find forms of urea that are mentioned above.
If you prefer to not use ureas, there are other ways to include moisture in your hair and skin. You can use carrier and essential oils that help moisturize your hair and skin. In addition, ingredients such as honey and shea butter are great additions to your regimen for hydrated skin. You can find these ingredients in your hair products as well, or add them to your DIY mixtures.
As always, make sure you eat a healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables, and drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated.
Do you use products that contain urea?
Share your experiences using natural hair care or other beauty products that contain urea in the comments box below this blog post.
Growing healthy hair is a common goal for many curlies. We take the time to research products that work best for our hair types. We practice different methods of styling until we can do it with our eyes closed. But sometimes, those practices are not enough. It starts with what we put inside of our bodies. We have to give our bodies healthy nutrients on the inside so it can reflect on the outside. Fatty acids can help promote healthy hair and improve our body’s health.
Read more: You Need These Fatty Acids for Healthy Hair
According to Oregon State University’s Micronutrient Information Center’s Glossary, a fatty acid is “an organic acid molecule consisting of a chain of carbon molecules and a carboxylic acid (-COOH”> group. Fatty acids are found in fats, oils, and as components of a number of essential lipids, such as phospholipids and triglycerides. Fatty acids can be burned by the body for energy.” The three types of fatty acids are saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Commonly known fatty acids include Omega-3s, which are polyunsaturated. Consuming fatty acids can help promote hair growth, add shine, and relieve a dry scalp.
1. Know what they’re called
Fatty acids are used as emulsifying agents and emulsion stabilizers that can be found in many hair care products. What is an emulsifier? It is an ingredient that helps blend two or more ingredients that usually do not mix together. You may not always find them labeled as “fatty acids” on your ingredients, so there is a chance you have been benefiting from them without realizing it. Here is a list of common fatty acids as they may appear on your ingredient lists.
- Arichidonic acid
- Capric acid
- Coconut fatty acid
- Lauric acid
- Linoleic acid
- Linolenic acid
- Myristic acid
- Palmitic acid
- Pantothenic acid
- Stearic acid
- Caproic acid
- Capryleth-(4,6,9″> carboxylic acid
- Isostearic acid
2. Know where to find them
Interested in adding fatty acids to your regimen? There are a few ways that you can add fatty acids to your everyday life. Below are products that contain fatty acids:
- Darcy’s Botanicals Organic Coconut & Cupuacu Natural Hair Butter Pomade
- Aunt Jackie’s Curls & Coils Flaxseed Recipes Purify Me Moisturizing Co-Wash Cleanser
- Ouidad Curl Recovery Melt-Down Extreme Repair Mask
- ORS Shealicious Moisture Mist Leave-In Conditioning Spray
- Carol’s Daughter Tui Hair Smoothie
- Alikay Naturals Caribbean Coconut Milk Conditioner
3. Know how to DIY with them
Not interested in products? You can also include fatty acids in your hair regimen by using coconut oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil. You can use these oils to create a pre-poo, a conditioner, a hot oil treatment and more.
4. Know how to eat them
In addition, you can always include fatty acids in your diet. You can use these oils while cooking some of your favorite meals. Fish is another source of fatty acids and can be consumed. If you are a vegetarian or prefer not to consume fatty acids from meats, flaxseeds are another great option. You can add flaxseeds to a smoothie or even oatmeal. Need more alternatives? You can also take a fish oil supplement. Before consuming a supplement, please consult with your doctor. You can also combine the use of products with fatty acids and consuming fatty acids through your diet.
[prodmod]Follow Freddie Harrel (pictured above”> on Instagram.
How do you consume fatty acids in your everyday routine? Please share with the curly community.
SheaMoisture
SheaMoisture recently released the Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil line as part of their SheaMoisture Community Commerce. Ten percent of the sales from the Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil line are donated to support women led businesses, the Sofi Tucker Foundation, and communities that supply ingredients for their brand. SheaMoisture says, “We help fund training and infrastructure to help them manufacture their own high quality goods in their countries, and get fair prices for their goods and labor. This helps them to earn a better living and support their families, making a better life possible within their communities. It’s not a donation. It’s an investment in a fairer world.”
Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s soaps are definitely not a stranger to the market, especially for the natural hair community. The soaps contain certified trade ingredients, which is great for curlies who are conscious about ingredients. According to the Dr. Bonner’s website, “We have created or partnered with various fair trade organic projects all over the world: in Sri Lanka for coconut oil, in Ghana for palm oil, in Palestine and Israel for olive oil, in India for mint oil, in Kenya for avocado, tea tree and coconut oils, in Ecuador for sugar cane alcohol, and in Zambia for beeswax. In fact, an estimated 10,000 people around the world benefit directly from Dr. Bronner’s various fair trade projects, and we are supporting the development of domestic fair trade programs here in North America as well.”
Butters–n–Bars
Butters– n–Bars offer a variety of oils and butters that can be used on our hair and skin.The Women’s Cooperative of the Tamale and Wa tribes in Ghana produces their shea butter. The brands shares that purchasing fair trade helps others have a standard of living, which makes them, feel good. Butters – n – Bars also says, “We’re committed to family, just like you real people helping real people.”
Beautiful Curls
Beautiful Curls use fair trade shea butter in their products. Olowo-n’djo Tchala, founder of Alaffia and Beautiful Curls, has a goal of informing consumers are fair trade and how it can effect others in the world. Beautiful Curls shares, “Beautiful Curls shea butter is handcrafted by the Alaffia Shea Butter Cooperative in Sokodé, Togo West Africa. The Alaffia Cooperative is made up of over 300 women from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. They all have been handcrafting shea butter their entire lives, a skill they learned as young children from their mothers and grandmothers.”
Alaffia Authentic
With empowerment projects being its mission in action, Alaffia was founded in 2004 to advance gender equality and alleviate poverty through fair trade. Their products are influenced by the science of ethnobotany. Alaffia is certified fair for Life: Social & Fair Trade by IMO (Institute for Marketecolgy”>, which has strict and social fair trade standards. Their line Alaffia Authentic is only one of six brands they have with the foundation of fair trade as a means to empower the community and the world surrounding it.
LUSH
Founded in 1996, LUSH is 100% against animal testing, 100% vegetarian, 83% vegan, and 60% unpreserved. They have several products using some fair trade ingredients like their fair trade honey, which is formulated in 50% of the shampoos. The Hair Custard Hair Dressing has fair trade organic cocoa butter and fair trade vanilla pod.
Green People
Originally from the UK and now being sold in the US, Charlotte Vøhtz created this organic skin care brand in 1997 in response to finding products for her daughter, who has allergies. Green people has a huge range of natural and organic personal care products that are vegan, vegetarian, and do not have animal testing. Several of their ingredients are fair trade like the lemongrass oil, clove bud oil, and ginger root oil in the Green People Quinoa & Artichoke Shampoo. Their Quinoa & Artichoke Conditioner has fair trade lemon peel oil, sweet orange peel oil, clove bud oil, and ginger root oil too.
Faith In Nature
Faith in Nature progressively seeks to use fair traded ingredient like as shea butter from Ghanaian women to support projects that protect the biodiversity rich areas. There are fairly traded ingredients in their Faith In Nature Shampoo – Coconut and their Faith In Nature Conditioner – Seaweed and Citrus.
When companies make the conscious decision to use fairly traded ingredients, we as a world benefit along with the developing country that grows economically and socially from these purchases.
What are your favorite brands that use fair trade ingredients? Did they make the list? Please share!
This article was originally published February 2015 and has been updated to include additional brands.
Spring is finally here! This means we can pack away our sweaters, bring out our spring clothes, and finish some spring-cleaning, which includes our hair products. We can pack away some of our heavier creams and winter butters for our lighter spring/summertime products. We should also look at the ingredients in our products to see if they contain humectants.
What is a humectant?
Humectants attract water to the hair to keep the moisture content high. Humectants can be included in the ingredients of some hair products that we use. While using humectants, weather conditions definitely play a role on how it affects our curls.
If the humidity is low…
If you experience low humidity in your residence, this means that the air is colder and drier. Since the air is dry, there isn’t much water for the humectants in your hair products to absorb. Due to the lack of water, you will experience a minimum amount of frizz. However, can also remove water from your hair shaft. This can result in dryness and breakage. Tamara of Natural Hair Rules recommends using a sealant like shea butter when using humectants such as vegetable glycerin to help lock in your moisture and prevent dryness.
Products with humectants
- Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade
- Mop Top Leave-It-In Conditioner
- Original Moxie Oasis Moisture Gel
- Curlisto Structura Lotion
If the humidity is high…
If you reside in an environment with high humidity, humectants can absorb too much moisture, which can cause frizz and lack of definition. According to Tonya McKay, a polymer scientist and cosmetic chemist, “when the dew point for your area is at 60°F or above, it might be a good idea to apply some product with anti-humectant properties.”
Products with anti-humectants
- Karen’s Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia Leave-In Conditioner
- Oyin Handmade Hair Dew
- As I Am Curling Jelly Coil And Curl Definer
- MopTop Light Hold Anti-Frizz Gel
The best solution to this issue is to understand the way dew point affects the way products work on your curls.
What is a dew point?
McKay shares “One way of thinking about dew point is that it is the temperature at which the number of gaseous water molecules being formed is equal to the number of liquid water molecules being formed (Evaporation rate = condensation rate”>. When the temperature reaches the dew point, the relative humidity is 100 percent. If the temperature decreases below the dew point, water must condense out of the air, and fog, dew, or clouds are formed.”
If you want to find out the humidity and dew points in your area day to day, NaturallyCurly has a tool called the Frizz Forecast, which can give you instant weather reports to help prevent frizz.
Are humectants in my products?
Not sure if humectants are in your hair products? Tonya McKay shares a list of humectants; check to see if any of these are listed in the ingredients:
Diols and triols
- Propylene glycol
- 1,2,6 hexanetriol
- Butylene glycol
- Dipropylene glycol
- Hexylene glycol
- Glycerin
- Triethylene glycol
- Erythritol
- Capryl glycol
- Phytantriol
- Hexanediol or -triol beeswax
Humectants of biological origin
- Panthenol
- Sodium PCA
- Hyaluronic acid
- Inositol
- Glycogen
Sugars and modified sugars
- Sorbitol
- Polyglyceryl sorbitol
- Glucose
- Fructose
- Xylitol
Hydrolyzed proteins
- Elastin
- Collagen
- Silk Keratin
Ethers
- Isoceteth-x
- Isolaureth-x
- Laneth-x
- Laureth-x
- teareth-x
- PEG-x (polyethylene glycol”>
- Silicone copolyols
At times, we can get so excited about hair care products that we do not notice how it affects the rest of our bodies. Whether it is a product or a particular way that we style our hair, it can play a role in our everyday routines. When that happens, we need to take a step back, listen to our bodies, and see how we can fix it. SophiaRuth from Curly Q&A asks the following:
Question
“I started using Deva Curl products in December and since then I have gotten bad acne on my jawline and forehead, which I never struggled, with before. Could that be the cause? And if I stop using the products how long before I can tell that that was the problem?”
Answer
The products could be the cause of the acne you are experiencing. Sometimes we do not realize how the products and ingredients that we use in our hair can also affect our skin. The best thing to do right now is to completely stop using the product or use minimal amount of the product and document the progress of your skin. If you decide to keep using the product, I would not use it any longer than a week and see what happens. While you are making observations, it will be best if you change the following.
Change your pillowcases
It is best if you change or wash your pillowcases regularly. Our hair contains products and oils that can transfer on to our pillowcases and sheets while we sleep at night. Since we lay our heads on our pillowcases, this is how those products get on our skin. Change your pillowcase 2-4 times during the week and try to wear a satin cap/scarf to minimize the amount of product that will transfer on there.
Wash your face and body after washing/conditioning
If you like to wash and style your hair in the shower, it will be best to wash your face and body after your rinse your curls. Additional product can drip onto your skin and cause acne on your face and body. Put your curls in a plastic cap or t-shirt and wash your body to thoroughly remove all product residue.
Wash your face after styling
I know, I know! After you spent hours of washing and styling your hair, all you want to do is get off of your feet and rest. Think about the amount of oil, leave-in conditioner, and other products that are on your skin from your styling sessions. Try to make a habit of cleansing your skin to remove excess product.
Keep your hair away from your face
Do you wear your hair in front of your face a lot? Are side parts your favorite? Since you are experiencing some acne on your forehead, try keeping your hair away from your face for a while. That does not mean you have to resort to ponytails. If you have bangs, twist them up. Bobby pins and hair clips can be used to make your outfit stylish and to keep your hair away from your face.
If you are still experiencing acne or have not seen improvements after changing these practices, it may be best to simply remove the products from your regimen. It is best to listen to your body and how it reacts, but no worries! I am sure you can find something that can work for you and the curly community is here to help!
Whenever I experience some changes in my hair, I always monitor how I am currently taking care of my hair. I write down if I have changed any products, styling practices, or even hair tools. I keep a hair journal so I can go back to see if these patterns have been repeated and if so, what I need to do for them to stop. After some evaluation, I came to the conclusion of the following.
My hair needed protein
Sometimes you can experience too much of a good thing. I took so much pride and time to make sure that my hair was moisturized that I forgot my hair needed protein too. Even though my hair was moisturized, it still seemed limped and weak. Protein is needed to help keep your hair strong and healthy. With a healthy balance of both moisture and protein, you can maintain and grow healthy hair. I used a protein conditioner bi-weekly to help make my curls stronger.
Read more: The Must-See Guide to the Best Protein Treatment for Your Hair
Changed my hairstyles
At the time, I was wearing a lot of buns. The top knot was my go-to hairstyle, especially since I finally perfected it. Constantly wearing the hair buns was causing breakage in the back of my hair because it was constantly pulled. Sometimes I even slept with my top knots, which did not allow my hair to rest from the tension. I told myself that I would limit wearing buns by rocking my hair in loose styles (e.g. twist outs and braid outs”> more often, and if I had to wear a bun, I chose to wear a low bun.
Updated my hair regimen
I added two new items in my hair regimen: tea and aloe vera juice. I would perform a tea rinse on my hair in the alternate week from my protein treatment. After I rinsed my moisturizing deep treatment out, I would pour cooled black tea on my curls as a final rinse, dry my hair with an old-t shirt, spray cold aloe vera juice throughout my curls, and apply my leave-in conditioner, oil, and butter.
Conclusion
After I made these changes, I noticed a difference within two weeks, and within two months I noticed the overall health of my hair improved. This experience taught me that healthy hair is not about the latest products that promise rapid growth or healthy hair. It all comes down to the basics of healthy hair care practices. If you are not taking care of your curls, they will tell you. You just have to be open enough to listen.
With so many different options for protective styling, it makes it so hard for us to just try one style. One month you may see us in twists, the next month we may wear our hair in braids. That is what makes natural hair so versatile and fun! However, while wearing these styles, we have to make sure we take care of our natural hair while it is installed. We have to make sure our scalps are clean and moisturized, our hair is hydrated, and our ends are sealed with moisture. Looking for brands that have products that are ideal for protective styling? Check these products out.
Carol’s Daughter
Carol’s Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey collection is great for protective styles such has braids, weaves, and etc. This collection keeps the hair nourished and provides shine. Carol’s Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey Clarifying Scalp Treatment allows you to refresh your scalp with its treatment with the ease of the applicator tip. Carol’s Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey Calming Tension Mist helps relieve any tension from your favorite protective styles while it is installed.
Alikay Naturals
Alikay Naturals Essential 17 Hair Growth Oil is a great choice to have while oiling your scalp in its protective style. The blend of oils can help keep your scalp healthy and the easy applicator top will allow easy access to your scalp. Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave In Conditioner is a great selection, especially if you are wearing box braid of twists. You can moisturize your hair with a spray leave-in conditioner instead of rubbing a liquid one on your hair, which can cause frizz.
Camille Rose Naturals
Camille Rose Naturals Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum has herbs and vitamins that can help reduce breakage, thinning, and hair loss. While installing your protective styles, Camille Rose Naturals Curlaide Moisture Butter would be a good moisturizing butter to use for sealing the ends of your curls. Sealing the ends is great to help reduce damage and retain hair length.
Darcy’s Botanicals
Darcy’s Botanicals Peppermint Scalp Elixir is a spray that includes a blend of oils that will keep your scalp moisturized. The peppermint oil can help with itchiness, which can occur while you are wearing your protective style. Darcy’s Botanicals Herbal Leave-In Conditioning Spritz is a leave-in conditioner that will refresh your hair and keep it moisturized. Moisture is key while keeping your protective style.
Uncle Funky’s Daughter
Uncle Funky’s Daughter Glossy Finishing Hair Polish can be used if your hair is looking dull and needs a boost of shine. It includes safflower oil, jojoba oil, and coconut oil for nourishment, strength, and to protect the hair. Are you working out and wearing twists or braids? The Uncle Funky’s Defunk Hair Refresher Tonic is a scalp cleanser that neutralizes odor while soothing your scalp. This is a product to throw in your gym bag!
Organic Root Stimulator (ORS”>
ORS HAIRepair Vital Oils For Hair & Scalp is a lightweight blend of oils, including grapeseed oil and sweet almond oil that will soothe your scalp and add shine to your hair. ORS Shealicious Moisture Mist Leave-In Conditioning Spray is a refreshing spray that includes shea butter and honey that will leave your hair moisturized. Since it is a spray it allows easy access for the places that are “hard to see” in the mirrors. Curlies, I know you feel me!
SheaMoisture
SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Hair Serum has a point tip applicator to help with easy application. This oil is great for strengthening your hair, especially while you have the style installed. If you have a dry scalp, the SheaMoisture African Black Soap Dandruff & Dry Scalp Elixir is a good choice for you. Willow bark is included to help exfoliate the scalp.
Read more: Ask Dr. Kari: Effective Protective Styles
What products do you use when your hair is in a protective style?
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Since the weather is cooler, we usually change our regimens to add moisture to our hair. The weather causes our hair to become dry, even though curly hair is naturally drier than other hair types. We tend to use heavier leave-in conditioners, butters, and creams to keep our curls hydrated and popping. However, our curls can also lack volume and look flatter due to moisturizing our hair too much. Our curl friend, Jupeadeedupes from Curly Q&A, asks the following:
Question
Recently my hair has just been looking flatter and feels oily. I don’t know how to help it. I’ve been co washing for a few months now.
Answer
The best practice to start with is to monitor your regimen. Are you adding a lot of moisturizing products? What ingredients are in the products that you are using often? How frequent are you using these products? There is a possibility that you are experiencing some product buildup that is causing your hair to feel oily and weighed down, especially if you are co-washing frequently. Keep a journal and write down the products you use and your hair’s reaction to the products. This will help to identify what is causing your hair to lack volume and causes it to feel oily. If it is product buildup, use a clarifying shampoo during wash day to remove the buildup.
Are your products oil-based?
Look at your ingredients in the products you use. Are your products oil based? If they are, try to switch out with water-based products. These leave-in conditioners are water based and can be great additions to your Holy Grail. They are lightweight, which can prevent your curls from weighing down.
- Karen’s Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia Leave-In Conditioner
- Curl Junkie Curls In A Bottle
- Camille Rose Naturals Fresh Curl
- Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave In Conditioner
- Oyin Handmade Hair Dew
Try limiting your use of oil. With the colder months, it is natural to use oil more frequent than other times in the year. But it may cause your hair to weigh down more.
Use this between co-washes
You mentioned that you have been co-washing for a few months now, is this a new practice in your regimen? If it is, try to not co-wash as much because it is a possibility that you are co-washing too frequently. Are you co-washing to cleanse your scalp but do not want to dry out your hair at the same time? Dry shampoo can be a solution for you. You can use this in between washing and co-washing. Check out these dry shampoos:
- Devacurl No-Poo Quick Cleanser
- Batiste Original Dry Shampoo
- Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo
- Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (PhD”> Dry Shampoo
- Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk
As always, a healthy diet plays a role in the health of your hair. Make sure you drink plenty of water and eat fruits and vegetables. If you are still experiencing issues with oily hair, you may want to schedule an appointment with your dermatologist. If your scalp is producing flakes that are oily or greasy, it can possibly be seborrheic dermatitis and it will be best to seek further treatment.
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Protective styling is a term we constantly hear in the natural hair community. It is used to protect the ends of our hair, which can help with length retention. Protective styling can be really affordable and easy to install. With the many different options that are available and step-by-step tutorials, you can find the protective style that is right for you. If you love to wear your hair in twists, this is the ultimate guide to find the best protective twist extension style for your curls.
Havana and Marley Twists
Havana and Marley twists are great protective styles to consider. They are trendy, easy to install, and is a great heat-free option of styling. Now, these two styles are popular and they can look similar. What is the difference between Havana and Marley twists? The hair is what makes them different. Havana twists require Havana hair, which can be purchased at Fingercomber.com. Marley twists require Marley hair, which can be less expensive than Havana Hair. It also gives it more of a textured look. If you are struggling between these two hairstyles and want to know more differences between the two, check our this article.
Senegalese Twists
Senegalese twists, also known as rope twists, are very similar to Havana and Marley twists. However, they are usually smaller and use Kanekalon hair. This hair gives the twists a more shiny and smooth look. Of course, you can use whatever hair you would like, this is just the main difference. You can also use the similar technique (invisible root method”> to install the Havana and Marley twists. Senegalese twists are a good option if you want a smooth look and prefer not to have as much texture. If you also prefer to have smaller twists, this is also a good option for you. My Natural Sistas share a tutorial on installing Senegalese twists where the hair is braided at the root.
Jumbo Twists
Jumbo twists are larger versions of Havana and Marley twists. Havana or Marley hair would probably be the best hair to use. However, you may need 4-6 pieces of hair for the twist, depending on how big you want them. This can be a bit more expensive since you are using more hair. It also may not last as long (usually these styles can last 4-8 weeks depending on how you maintain it”> since the twists are bigger. Ambrosia Malbrough shares how she installs her jumbo Havana twists.
Flat Twists
Guess what? Your favorite flat twists can also be considered a protective style with extensions. Simply add your preferred hair using the invisible root method. This gives you an option to style your hair exactly the way you want. If you do not want to have your hair out, try doing a flat twist updo style. If you need to style your hair with something simple, easy, and stylish, Juicesandberries shares how to achieve a flat twist crown style with Marley hair.
Crochet Twists
Crochet braids have been super trendy and are a great protective style for your hair. You can also install crochet twists. This is a great option for those who enjoy crochet braids and do not want to actually twist the hair. You have to purchase hair that is already twisted. This can possibly save a few hours of installation compared to the traditional installment of twists. iMadameJay shares her tutorial on how to install Crochet Havana Mambo Twists.
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What is your favorite protective twist style? Are protective styles an essential to your regimen? Please share with the curly community.
Whipped shea butter
Naptural85 shares a fluffy shea butter recipe that is super moisturizing and easy to make:
- Unrefined shea butter at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. castor oil
- 1 Tbsp. jojoba oil
- 1/2 tsp. vitamin E
Deep conditioning treatment
Hey Fran Hey shares a raw hair smoothie recipe that you can use to deep condition your hair. These ingredients can be found in your kitchen and mixed these with your food processor or blender. She explains in her video to play around with the recipe so it can suit your hair’s needs. This recipe is easy, healthy, and has a loose consistency to easily distribute throughout your hair.
- ½ cup of EVOO
- 2 Tbsp. of organic raw honey
- ½ cup of organic coconut milk
- ½ avocado
- ½ banana
My favorite oil blend
Essential and carrier oils play a huge role in my hair care and skin care regimens. Due to my dry scalp, I enjoy using an oil blend to help control flakes and give myself a scalp massage. Scalp massages help with circulating the blood flow in your scalp, which can help promote hair growth. I use oils that work best with my hair to keep it moisturized. I also include tea tree oil to help my dry and itchy scalp. Lastly, I added lavender oil for fragrance. Below are the oil selections and the amount that I use:
- 2 oz. olive oil
- 2 oz. sweet almond oil
- 1 oz. jojoba oil
- 1 oz. avocado oil
- 8 drops of tea tree oil
- 5 drops lavender oil
I add these oils in a color application bottle and mix them together. When the oils are in the bottle, I lightly shake the bottle to mix them up and use the applicator tip to section and apply the oil on my scalp.
What are your favorite DIY recipes? What ingredients are must haves on your list?
Benefits of pracaxi seed oil
Pracaxi seed oil, also known as Pentaclethra macroloba seed oil, comes from a pracaxi tree found in Brazil. According to Organics-Nature, this oil helps treatment of skin spots, depigmentation, severe acne, acne scars, while also hydrating the skin and promoting cellular renewal. Pracaxi oil has moisturizing properties that can be used in the hair to keep your hair moisturized and healthy.
How to use it
As always with oil, a little goes a long way. You can include this oil in your favorite oil blend or add it to your deep conditioner. While applying the oil in your hair, pay attention to the ends of your hair, since they are the oldest and need gentle care. Be gentle when massaging your scalp with the pads of your fingertips; do not use your nails, as this can be damaging. Creating a DIY hair cocktail is popular in the curly community, so you can also consider adding the oil to your favorite conditioner. Are you interested in this oil, but you rather use a product that already has it? Check out these hair products that contain pracaxi seed oil:
Products with pracaxi seed oil
- The Body Shop Rainforest Shine Shampoo
- The Body Shop Moisture Hair Butter
- Soultanicals Marula – Muru Moisture Guru
- Redken Frizz Dismiss Mask
Urban Health Goddess shares a pre-poo smoothie recipe that she uses after she takes her braids out. The recipe includes pracaxi oil and is a great recipe to help condition your hair after you remove your protective style.
Post-braid hair repair pre-poo smoothie
- 1 large Avocado
- 1 Tbsp. Pracaxi oil
- 1 Tbsp. Tamanu oil
- 2 Tbsp. Coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp. Raw honey
- 2 Tsp. Silk amino acids
- 1/4 C. Apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 C. Water
- 9 drops Basil essential oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Use a rice strainer to remove the avocado lumps.
- On freshly rinsed hair (from the braid removal strengthening conditioner in part 1“>, part hair with fingers and generously apply the mixture from root to tip. Really focus on those ends!
- Once all of the mixture is applied, cover your hair with a plastic cap.
- Let set for 15-20 min.
- Rinse hair and air-dry or use a blow-dryer on a cool setting.
- Wait at least 24 hrs. until you manipulate your hair again.
Do you use pracaxi seed oil? Do you use it in your favorite product or have you made a super moisturizing oil blend? Share with the curly community.
The curly community is no stranger to mixing and finding ingredients that will help the overall health of the hair. If you are looking for a new ingredients, you should consider coltsfoot, also known as tussilago. Coltsfoot is a plant that is usually used to help relieve coughs. Now that winter is quickly approaching, catching a cold is the last thing that you want to deal with. If you start to have a sore throat and are experiencing a cough that just will not go away, coltsfoot is an herb that you want to use. It can also help whooping cough, asthma, and bronchitis. How can you incorporate this herb into your regimen or diet? You can purchase coltsfoot as a tea, syrup, capsule, or herb.
Benefits of coltsfoot for hair
So you are probably wondering, how does coltsfoot benefit our hair? The MopTop Maven says, “Coltsfoot contains an abundance of mucilage, minerals, silica, sulfur and plant proteins which all work together to help add sheen, body, repair the hair shaft, improve elasticity, and promote hair growth.” If you are experiencing any breakage, damage, or hair loss then, coltsfoot may be the ingredient for you. You can find coltsfoot in shampoos, conditioners, supplements, or you can take the DIY approach by creating tea rinses or leave-in conditioners. If you want to monitor to see if this ingredient is working for you, journal your results weekly along with the actions you are taking. Take a photo of the amount of shed hair each time you wash or style your hair. It will help track your progress every week and see if the amount of hair loss you are experiencing.
If you are not interested in using tea or the herb itself, you can purchase products that have coltsfoot. Check out these products that contain coltsfoot or coltsfoot extracts:
- Aubrey Organics GPB Balancing Protein Conditioner – Rosemary Peppermint
- Aubrey Organics Green Tea Conditioner
- Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo
- Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo
Zhara’s hair growth tea rinse
If you are a tea drinker or enjoying using tea rinses during washday, Zhara shares an herbal tea recipe on CurlyNikki that can help with hair growth. If you are not familiar with tea rinses, they are used as the last rinse during wash days. This can help breakage, shedding, and hair growth. Remember to allow the tea to cool before using it as a rinse for your hair. Check out the following recipe:
- 2 Tbsp. lemon balm (melissa”>
- 2 Tbsp. lavender flowers
- 1 Tbsp. peppermint leaves
- 1 Tbsp. chamomile flower
- 1 Tbsp. rose petal
- 1 Tbsp. nettle
- 1 Tbsp. horsetail
- 1 Tbsp. coltsfoot
- 1 Tbsp. burdock root
- 1 Tbsp. oatstraw
- 1 Tbsp. alfalfa
- 1 Tbsp. rose hip
- 2 Tbsp. dandelion leaves
- 2 Tbsp. raspberry leaves
- 1/2 Tsp. ginger root
You can use a reusable silk or linen tea pouch, a stainless steel tea infuser or get some of the disposable unbleached tea bags at your local grocer. Steep the tea leaves for a least 10 min. and enjoy by itself or with a tiny bit of any natural/organic sweetener like agave, brown rice syrup, raw honey, maple syrup, or stevia.
Read more: 5 Tea Rinses to Stop that SheddingHerbs for rinses
CurlyNikki added…
After receiving Zhara’s Hair Growth Tea recipe, I thought it’d be cool to compile a list of herbs for the purposes of your final rinse on wash day (prior to styling”>.
- Catnip: Promotes healthy hair growth–many women on longhaircommunity swear by this stuff for long, strong hair.
- Chamomile: Softens hair, soothes the scalp, lighten and conditions (people use it with honey to bring out natural highlights”>. Chamomile is also known to stimulate growth.
- Horsetail: Helps brittle hair due to its high silica content.
- Lavender: Stimulates hair growth
- Nettle: conditions, improves texture, helps with dandruff, irritated scalp, and dry scalp
- Parsley: enriches hair color and gives a nice luster
- Plantain: great for dry, irritated scalp, dandruff, and seborrhea
- Peppermint: stimulates the scalp
- Rosemary: Acts as a tonic and conditioner, one of the best herbs to use, gives luster and body, stimulates growth, helps with dandruff, and brings out dark highlights in the hair.
- Sage: Very effective in restoring color to graying hair, excellent for weak brittle hair
- Saw Palmetto: good for thinning hair and hair loss
- Thyme: good for oily hair and dandruff
- Witch Hazel: cleanses hair
Directions
After you’ve decided which herb(s”> will get the job done, follow the steps below:
- Place the herb(s”> in a pitcher (glass is ideal”>.
- Pour boiling water over the herb(s”>, cover, and steep for 10-20 minutes.
- Strain the mixture and allow the liquid to cool.
- Pour over your head after your regular shampoo, condition, and detangling session. Do not rinse.
Add these herbs to your next wash day or to your next batch of henna.
How do you include coltsfoot into your regimen?
Question
What do you do for the winter itchies? My scalp is so dry, flaky, and itchy! I’m going crazy! I’ve been using Yes to Carrots Shampoo, which is supposed to help your scalp, and also use Yes to Coconuts conditioner. I added tea tree oil to my shampoo and my scalp is still flaky and super itchy! Help! I’m 2c/3a combo.
Answer
The colder months can definitely be a reason for an itchy scalp, but it can also be other reasons. Did this start recently when the seasons changed? Are you using multiple products in a short period of time? Check out this article about four surprising reasons why your scalp is itchy. It can help determine reasons why your scalp is so itchy.
First, evaluate your regimen.
- Are you co-washing too often?
- Are you using shampoo enough?
- Are you thoroughly rinsing your hair after deep conditioning?
- Do your product contain mineral oil?
Cocktail with scalp soothers
Kudos for adding tea tree oil in your shampoo, as it does help alleviate a dry and itchy scalp. Other ingredients such as honey, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and aloe vera can help soothe an itchy scalp. Try incorporating those ingredients into your regimen. See if an apple cider vinegar rinse works, or if you add honey to your conditioner for itch relief. If you want to stick with tea tree oil, try massaging your scalp with tea tree oil and a carrier oil, like coconut oil, which has anti-fungal properties. Since you are not rinsing your scalp after the massage, it is possible for the tea tree oil to work more effective. You can also combine both the shampoo and the scalp massages into your regimen.
Read more: Ask Dr. Kari: Should You Grease and Oil Your Scalp?
Cover up
Before you walk out the house, try to make habit of wearing a hat. The cold weather can dry your hair out. If possible, sew a satin cap inside of your hat to help reduce breakage from your hair rubbing against the material of your hat and to retain as much moisture as possible. If hats are not your thing, try wearing head wraps.
Read more: Where to Find the Hottest Head Scarves
Hydrate (not just your hair”>
Remember that it is not always about the hair products that you are using for your curls. You have to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Keep your body hydrated with water by drinking at least eight glasses a day. I always notice when I am not drinking a lot of water my scalp becomes dry and my face starts to break out. Consume fruits and vegetables in your diet and eat well-balanced meals.
If you are still experiencing issues with your dry scalp, you should schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. It can be possible that you have a scalp condition that may need medication or special treatment.
Is your scalp experiencing the winter blues? How are you treating your dry and itchy scalp? Please share your tips with the curly community.
To use heat or to not use heat?
This is a question that many transitioning curlies face during their hair journey. The fear of long-term heat damage is now a thing of the past. Using this blow-drying method and extra TLC can help overcome your fears.
The Tension method is a blow drying technique that allows you to minimize the amount of heat and manipulation that you put on your hair.
The Tension Method
Part your hair in sections so it would be easy for you to manage. Hold your hair as if you are stretching it. Instead of using a blow dryer attachment or a brush, you move the blow dryer in a vertical motion along your hair. This allows you to dry and stretch your hair without over manipulating it and using an excessive amount of heat.
While blow-drying the hair, make sure the blow dryer is not on the highest temperature setting, as this can cause dry and brittle hair. In addition, it can permanently alter your beautiful curl pattern (AKA heat damage”>. With using this technique, these 3 tips can help prevent heat damage and improve your overall experience with applying heat to your hair.
1. Allow Hair to Air Dry
Before using the tension method, allow freshly washed hair to air dry. If you blow-dry your hair while soaking wet, you use an excessive amount of heat. Let’s also state the obvious, blow-drying your hair can be exhausting.
Relaxing a little longer and letting your hair air-dry can help the health of your hair. Read your favorite book or surf your favorite blog on the web to allow the time to past. If needed, use a microfiber towel or t-shirt to dry hair. Not only does it speed up the drying process, it also prevents frizz.
See what the community thinks of these hair towels:
2. Moisturize and Protect
Apply a leave in conditioner to add moisture to your hair. Applying heat can cause dryness because moisture is taken out of your hair. Keep hair moisturized after the use of heat to replenish any moisture that was lost during the blow-drying session.
Next, apply a heat protectant serum. The serum can help protect your curls from heat damage that can come from heat tools. Heat protectant serum can also make your hair shiny and prevent frizz. It can also allow straight hairstyles to last longer.
3. Maintenance
After your blow-drying session, try not to use any more heat on your hair until the next time you plan to use the tension method. Use a satin scarf, bonnet, or pillowcase at night to maintain your hairstyle and you won’t feel the need to grab a heat tool the next morning to fix your hair. You should also rock a head wrap or hat the next day to let your hair rest from styling.
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Watch how to do it
pictured: Journey to Waist Length
Protein treatments are often a staple product in a curly girl’s Holy Grail, because it keeps our hair strong and prevents breakage. However, some curlies have preferences with the ingredients they choose to use with their hair. Some curlies choose not to use silicones in their hair regimen. If you are looking for a new protein treatment without silicones or are interested in cutting that ingredient out of your regimen, check out these options.
Aubrey Organics GPB Balancing Protein Conditioner
This conditioner includes glycoprotein and milk protein to strengthen the hair and make it soft with some sheen. Although this conditioner is for strengthening your hair, organic aloe and olive oil give the hair moisture.
Aunt Jackie’s Curls & Coils Quench! Moisture Intensive Leave-In Conditioner
This silicone-free conditioner is hydrating. Hydrolyzed wheat protein gives the hair strength. Marshmallow root is included to give the product slip. This allows for easy detangling for us curly girls!
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
If your hair is feeling weak, this is a deep conditioner for you. Keratin protein is included to make your hair strong. Ingredients such avocado, sweet almond oil, and argan oil are include to hydrate your hair. Vitamins such as D, A, E, B5, and are included to help promote healthy hair and growth.
Curly Hair Solutions Pure Silk Protein Deep Moisturizing Treatment
If you have color-treated hair, this is a great option for you. This product is a protein treatment that also helps with color fading. It is also moisturizing to help keep your curls hydrated. This can definitely be a part of a Holy Grail for color-treated hair.
Mop Top Deep Conditioner
With colder weather our hair tends to be dry, and the Mop Top Deep Conditioner is a great remedy for that problem. Proteins such as hair keratin amino acids, hydrolyzed soy protein, and hydrolyzed wheat protein are used to make your hair stronger. This conditioner is moisturizing and also penetrates the hair, which helps with moisture retention.
Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp Conditioner
The Honey Hemp Conditioner is moisturizing and has a lot of slip, which is great for detangling, styling, and manageability. It includes ingredients such as honey, hemp oil, and hydrolyzed silk protein. If you prefer a lightweight, yet moisturizing option for a conditioner, you should check this product out.
SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment Masque
This deep treatment masks includes ingredients such as shea butter, Jamaican castor oil, hydrolyzed keratin, and peppermint oil to help strengthen, moisturize, and stimulate the hair and scalp. This conditioner has a loose consistency, which helps with a thorough application while applying the product.
Nubian Heritage EVOO & Moringa Repair & Extend Conditioner
This is also another great option for color-treated hair. Henna, quinoa, and fennel are used to protect color. Olive oil is also included for moisturizing your hair and imparting sheen. The vegetable protein helps to strengthen the hair.
[prodmod]What are your favorite protein treatments without silicones?
While you are shopping for hair products, many things come to mind such as packaging, ounces, and price. It is time to now add something else to your list: ingredients. If you are a novice natural and new to the world of ingredient lists, it is important to get acquainted because the ingredient list allows you to see if products include any ingredients such as silicones or sulfates, which may not meet your personal needs.
Not all curly girls avoid silicones and sulfates. Some find that these ingredients give their hair the look and feel that they are going for, the only hard and fast rule is to find what works for you. If you have found that your hair feels healthy when using silicones, it is important to know not all silicones are equal, for example there are water-soluble silicones and non water-soluble silicones. Let’s take a look at one group, known as PEG silicones.
What are PEG silicones?
Polyethylene Glycols are used to dissolve oil. This ingredient is commonly found in some household products. PEG silicones are water soluble, which means it can be rinsed away with water. Since this ingredient is a silicone, which helps aid in frizz control and provides moisture and shine to the hair. There has been a lot of controversy on whether or not these ingredients should be used in beauty products because PEG’s are potentially carcinogenic. Cleansers are no longer necessary to remove water-soluble silicones, which help aid in reducing frizz and enhancing shine to the hair. It has been speculated that PEG silicones are potentially carcinogenic, but Chemist Corner says these claims are not based on conclusive research.
Read more: Should You Worry About Propylene Glycol?
How to find products with PEG silicones
While shopping for products, always flip your product bottle over and read the labels before purchasing. Reading the labels before you purchase can help you find or avoid products with PEG silicones. Think Dirty Shop Clean is a mobile app that allows you to scan a beauty product and it will show easy to understand descriptions about the product.
What PEG silicones should I look for?
Here is a list of PEG’s Tonya McKay that will work best with the no shampoo or mild shampoo hair routines:
- PEG-8 (or higher”> Dimethicone
- Bis-PEG-8 (or higher”> Dimethicone
- Bis-PEG-8/PEG-8 Dimethicone
- Bis-PEG-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane
- PEG-8-PG-coco glucoside dimethicone
- Dimethicone PEG-X phosphate
Products with PEG ingredients
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It has happened to all of us before. We spent hours on shampooing, conditioning, and styling our hair, just for it to only last one day. We slept with scarves, satin pillowcases, and used every trick in the book, but the style just does not seem to last long. Our curl friend, queent_nae, asks us the following in Curly Q&A.
Question
How do I revamp an old twist out after I’ve slept on it? If I sleep on a twist out with just a satin scarf on, I find my hairstyle to look old and matted. It is too much of a hassle for me to re-twist or re-braid my 4a hair every single night. So what would you recommend me doing to keep my curls looking fresh on the second day? Btw, pineappling does not work for my hair because my hair is not long enough for it.
Answer
Something that you should keep in mind while you are styling is to make sure you apply enough product and you use the right technique while styling your hair. Always remember that the way you set your hair will be reflected in your results. This is a key factor for long lasting hairstyles. For your twist outs, try making smaller sections, which will cause smaller twists. Also, try rodding the ends of your twists. These tips will allow your hair to have more definition and the curls will be tighter, helping it to last longer.
Option 1: Retwist
There are a few ways that you can preserve your hairstyle after your long styling session. Re-twisting is an option, however, you do not have to re-twist every night. You can overmanipulate your hair by doing that every night. Try re-twisting every 1-2 days. While re-twisting, spray your hair lightly with water and apply a small amount of product to the hair while re-twisting. This will allow the twist out to have more definition, which can cause it to last longer.
Option 2: Satin pillowcase
Another option can be switching your satin scarf for a satin pillowcase. You mentioned that your hair will look old and matted. Are you sweating at night? Sweat can definitely play a role in your hairstyle not lasting. It can definitely cause the matting issue. It happens to all of us, including myself. Maybe the satin cap is causing you to sweat. The satin pillowcase can allow your hair to breathe and minimize sweating at night and also protecting your hair.
Option 3: Modify your pineapple
Lastly, I know you mentioned that pineapples do not work for your hair. But, have you looked at the modified ways to pineapple your hair? I thought the same exact thing and pineapple ponytails did not work for me. I realized that a singlepineapple ponytail did not preserve my curls. However, two ponytails (one in the front and the back”> work better and allow me to keep definition and stretch the roots of my hair. Check out this article on how to pineapple your hair, regardless of your length. Try using satin scrunchies to pineapple your hair to protect and preserve your curls.
NaturallyCury world weigh in, how do you revamp your twist out?
