Search Results: Cozy Friedman
A few months ago my friend Louise sent me an article with good news about the appointment of Ursula Burns as chief executive officer of Xerox. The appointment makes her the first African American female to head a Fortune 500 company.
The article had a photo of Burns wearing a very short natural hairstyle with a sophisticated streak of gray.
“She has natural hair,” Louise wrote in a note accompanying the article that she sent. “Way to go!”
I sent a message back to Louise, who is a communications consultant and psychologist, asking her to explain why she was so excited over Ms. Burns’ hairstyle choice.
She had plenty to say.
“She’s changing the standard of what’s considered professional,” she replied. “I remember when natural hair was just something that artists, students, and activists wore.
“When I did presentations at historically black college and university journalism programs around the country wearing my braids and dreadlocks, many women would ask me whether having natural hair would hurt them in the job market.
Ursula Burns
I remember when the former founder and dean of FAMU’s (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University”> School of Business wouldn’t let students wear braids or dreadlocks.
“I believe that if you’re excellent at your job, your hairstyle is inconsequential. I assume that the sister CEO of the Fortune 500 company must be a supernova.
Supernova might be too strong a description for Burns, but she does have an impressive background and stellar professional career.
She was raised in the housing projects of Manhattan’s Lower East Side by a single mother who worked hard at several jobs to send her to Catholic school and college. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from New York University and her Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia. In the summer of 1980 she joined Xerox as an intern and was named president in 2007. Now as the CEO, Burns leads a corporation that has a reported market value of nearly $6 billion and revenues of $17 billion.
Burns may be wearing her hair naturally simply as a matter of personal preference. But whether she intends to or not her image is making a positive and powerful statement.
She is showing that if you have confidence you can claim your own standard of beauty, and if you have substance, a mere hairstyle cannot hold you back.
Q: I know it’s probably way too early to tell and her hair texture will probably change, but I can’t tell the difference between curls and cowlicks. I have 2 boys — one with thick, coarse, straight hair, and the other with fine hair that would probably be wavy if it were longer. My baby girl is 8 months old now with fine hair that is a lot thinner than either of the boys. She has a few areas in the front on the right side and on the back left that seem to stick up more than they did when they were shorter. How do I tell whether she’s going to have beautiful curls, or whether she’s going to be fighting cowlicks her whole life?
Cozy: A cowlick is hair that grows in a circular direction, so you can tell a cowlick by looking at the roots to see which direction the hair is growing. The most typical problem with cowlicks is that the hair sticks up. To prevent this, don’t cut the cowlick short, that’s what makes it stick up. Instead, when cutting hair, leave the cowlick longer than the rest of the hair. Also, don’t fight with the cowlick. Comb it in the direction it is growing.
Q: We have been waiting for my daughter to finally get some hair, but now that it is here, I am finding it to be crazy frizzy and hard to manage. The products I have tried are not really working anymore. I know this is just going to get harder to manage as her hair keeps growing unless I start with the product modification now. Her hair is very fine and very frizzy — possibly a 3A. I’d love some product recommendations.
Cozy: Finding the right products will be a trial and error process for your daughter, just like it is for you! I definitely recommend using products formulated specifically for children so that they will address your daughter’s needs. For fine hair, you don’t want to weigh it down with heavy products. So Cozy has 2 different products that should help prevent frizz and manage hair. Try Kooky Kiwi Styling Cream. You can use it on wet or dry hair. Just scrunch it into her hair anytime you need to remove frizz or help to redefine the curls. You can also try Groovy Grape Alcohol Free Styling Gel. Use a little or a lot, depending on the amount of hold she requires.
Q: I need help/advice for my daughter’s hair. She is a 3c/4a and 9 years old. Her hair is very long — at least mid-back. She is not able to do her own hair yet. At what age should daughters be able to wash/condition/comb/style their own hair? She has a few more years until she will be totally independent, but in the meantime she should be learning good grooming habits and taking part in her own grooming.
Cozy: I recommend practicing in the evenings or weekends when you have spare time. Never try to teach her when you are rushing to get her to school or in a hurry. Having time to experiment and make mistakes will take the stress out of the grooming process.
Q: My daughter has come home with lice. This is our first experience, so we are learning as we go. She also has relatively curly hair and it tangles easily. The over-the-counter products are basically all poison/chemicals. We did one round and have almost destroyed her scalp, and her hair is extremely dry. AND we have do another session in 10 days. Is there a safer alternative?
Cozy: If you go online and search for lice remedies, you will notice that there are many different schools of thought on how to deal with lice, and this really has to do with your own personal philosophy regarding treatments. I recommend you look at all the alternatives on line and then discuss with your pediatrician.
Q: I have recently came to realize how naturally curly hair is beautiful. and how I was taught for so many years that natural hair is bad. My sister in law is the same way, and always wants to straighten my niece’s hair. I am trying to convince her to love it and stop combing. What suggestions can I give her so she can work with her daughter’s hair rather than fighting it. I feel like my niece could learn to embrace her natural texture if her mom was more positive about it.
Cozy: I wish someone would have taught me this lesson when I was a child. It would have saved me thousands of hours with a blow dryer trying to tame my curly hair and frizz! Perhaps you can style your niece’s hair and show your sister how beautiful her natural curls are! Make sure you never brush curly hair, and only comb it out in the tub. After bathing, scrunch hair with Styling Cream or Gel to enhance curls and keep frizz free. Let hair dry naturally or blow dry with diffuser. When hair is dry, re-scrunch with head upside down to add body and volume. You can also do this with a little styling cream to smooth hair. Good luck!
For more information about buying So Cozy products, visit CurlMart.
This month, in honor of the site’s “Best of the Best” survey, I’ve decided to write about some of my personal curly hair bests. From hair products to hair ties, here some of my favorite curl-related things:
The Best Product: Bead Head Curls Rock
Somewhere between a gel and cream, this fruity-smelling product is the only one in my arsenal that I’m fiercely loyal to. Before discovering it, I used to use a combination of a cream (for shape”> and a gel (for hold”>. With this product I don’t have to use multiple finishing products in my hair; a couple pumps of Curls Rock and I’m good to go. Not to mention its name totally “gels” with what I think of curls!
The Best Kept Secret: Frizz Ease Secret Weapon
So I say that Curls Rock is the only product I’m fiercely loyal too, but I have to admit that Frizz Ease Secret Weapon finishing cream has gotten me through more bad hair days that I care to count. This is exactly the kind of product that curly girls love: it’s a heavy cream that combats frizz when smoothed over dry hair. It’s perfect for second or third day touch-ups and it contains sunscreen, which just adds to the awesome factor. This is the only defrizz product I use that doesn’t require wet hair or leave my dry hair damp, and a little goes a long way!
Best Hair Innovation: Ouchless Hair Ties
Unless I’m dressed for a formal occasion, I’m never seen without a brown Ouchless hair tie around my wrist. My affection for these hair ties is largely due to one extremely simply innovation. Instead of using little grommets to attach the two ends of the elastic to create a circle, they used strong adhesive to create one smooth, continuous band. The metal pieces seemed to magically invite tangles and contributed to a lot of breakage, but the improved design means I can indulge my fondness for wearing my hair up and without subjecting it to the wear and tear of the older types.
Best Low-tech Solution: Cool Water Rinse
This summer some of my friends and I are living in a big old house in the college town adjacent to our university. Not only does rinsing my hair in cool water at the end of a shower feel fantastic when the temperature climbs, but it also makes my hair shinier. Hot water makes the cuticle of your individual hairs expand, contributing to a rough, frizzy appearance. The cool water makes your hair contract, sealing the cuticle. While this isn’t my “go-to” solution during the winter (brrr”>, it’s a great low-tech trick for a extra boost of shine when the weather’s warm.
Best Hair Advice
I learned this from you, the NaturallyCurly.com readers. If you wrap your hair to absorb the excess water, don’t use a towel! The loopy terrycloth catches the individual hairs and promotes frizz. Instead, use an old t-shirt or pillowcase. I read on the site that the smoother fabric leads to smoother curls and it’s definitely true. Just be prepared for a few odd looks around the dorm or at the breakfast table when your friends or family realize you’re wearing your favorite Dave Matthews Band t-shirt around your head!
Now, this list is undeniably incomplete and totally subjective. Some categories I just don’t have bests for. I can’t seem to settle on a favorite shampoo or conditioner, and there is a whole host of products and tools just I don’t use. This is probably because I’m a total sucker for simple. All I need is a bottle of conditioner and a thing of product and I’m good to go. What are your favorite products? Can you abandon all else as long as you have your favorite leave-in? Is your diffuser or wide-tooth comb essential? Let me know!
Email your questions/comments to Julia.
Whenever Elvis Presley’s name is mentioned, I send my mind back to the image of him during the famous dance sequence in the 1957 film “Jailhouse Rock.” That was a time when he was at his best and looked it.
Back then Elvis was sexy and slim. He wielded power in his pelvis and the curl of his upper lip. The alleged King of Rock ‘n’ Roll sealed his appeal with shiny black hair styled in a modified pompadour with a spit curl in front.
The image of Elvis that I refuse to let my mind dwell on is how he looked just before he died. I don’t want to remember him struggling through his performances bloated, overweight and dressed in jumpsuits that were hideously ornate. I particularly don’t want to remember the sight of him with those awful mutton chop sideburns and sporting a towering pompadour that seemed to reach as high as the headwraps once worn by Erykah Badu.
Now that Michael Jackson has died, my mind will have to make similar detours to images more pleasant and befitting of another legendary performer who would be King.
Linda hopes to remember Michael Jackson the way he used to be.
To get to the more pleasant images of the Michael Jackson that I knew and adored, my mind will have to reach way back. It will have to reach back to the time when the so-called King of Pop was beautiful and brown, relatively happy and indisputably nappy.
The image of Michael that I choose to remember performed without props or pyrotechnics.
Back in 1969, as lead singer of The Jackson Five, it was Michael’s pure voice and the harmonious backup of his brothers that charmed millions of viewers during their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. His soul-stirring rendition of “Who’s Loving You” was magnificent.
I choose to remember the Michael whose young voice had an old soul, but was sweet and innocent enough to garner a Golden Globe Award for crooning a love song to a rat.
The image of Michael that I want to remember does not have skin that looked bleached by Nadinola, a nose that was neutralized, and a face that looked like it was repeatedly bounced “Off the Wall.”
The Michael that I choose to remember did not have activated hair. He did not have hair so laden with flammable products that it once caught fire during filming of a Pepsi TV commercial.
Elvis’ spit curl was natural, Michael’s “S curl” wasn’t.
My memories of Michael Jackson will be selective. Whenever I think of him I will direct my mind to see the image of a man-child who was bright-eyed and extremely talented. I will see a Michael who had a face that was untainted, unviolated and protectively framed by a natural halo called an Afro.
Michael, I want you back.
I want you before you became confused and consumed by demons. The Michael I want back is the Michael who was black.
That is the Michael that I see resting in peace.
A few weeks ago, the news feed at my service provider flashed a story about 5-minute makeup. As anyone who’s ever watched an episode of What Not to Wear knows, make up artist Carmindy (of the U.S. version of the show”> is a huge proponent of wearing as little make up as possible and applying it in only five minutes.
Since I am so completely NOT a five-minute-make-up type of woman, I went off to the library to get Carmindy’s book The Five Minute Face (Harper Collins, 2007″>. In about 200 pages, Carmindy not only outlines the steps for her daily routine, she also offers advice on looking good at any age, and simple steps to follow for special occasions like weddings and perfecting a classic smoky eye.
Carmindy’s book, The Five-Minute Face
My morning make up regimen goes something like this: sunscreen; take 10 minutes to put on 2, 3, 4 or more eye colours and lots of mascara; then put on foundation (with my fingers”> from the nose out; lightly dust on powder; and add lip colour. If I’m pressed for time, the eyes can go on in five minutes because I still do a shadow/liner/mascara combination no matter what. I always do foundation last because I don’t like to take a chance at having my eye shadow fall on a freshly-made-up face.
Carmindy’s routine starts with foundation or tinted moisturizer applied with a sponge all over the face, including across the eyelids, and she suggests a second layer stippled over the areas that need more coverage. Step Two involves applying under-eye concealer with a brush and blending it with your finger, while Step Three is applying concealer on all other spots you think need it.
A light dusting of powder over most of the face, again including eye lids, comprises Step Four. This step is followed by the judicious use of highlighters, preferably in powder form. Anyone who has seen Carmindy on television knows that pearlescent shimmer powder or liquid is part of her signature look. In addition to putting it on the brow bone, she also recommends sweeping it across the cheekbones, and, of course, at the inside corners of the eyes.
Step Six is blush application and is followed by light applications of eye liner and mascara for steps seven and eight. Carmindy suggests applying a thin line of chocolate brown pencil smudged into the lash line as much as possible and one coat of black mascara.
At the end is lip colour — for the sake of fitting into the last few seconds of your five minutes, Carmindy recommends tinted lip balm or your favourite gloss instead of applying lipstick with a brush.
I tried to follow Carmindy’s routine — not on a work-day — and found that it did take me longer than five minutes to follow all the steps. However, I do have skin that needs more coverage due to a lot of redness. And I really do prefer to have a little more colour on my eyelids.
But the book is great for makeup newbies and those who want a quick and easy routine to follow. It is also worth the purchase price for the instructions for all the special occasion looks and product recommendations.
Finally, Carmindy’s sense of fun comes through, and that’s part of what makeup is all about!
Contact Rou or read her bio.
Q: My daughter has come home with lice. This is our first experience, so we are learning as we go. She also has relatively curly hair and it tangles easily. The over-the-counter products are basically all poison/chemicals. We did one round and have almost destroyed her scalp and her hair is extremely dry. And we have do another session in 10 days. Are there any alternatives that are safe and effective?
Cozy: There are many different philosophies about how to deal with lice. Some people do not believe in using pesticides and some do. Some believe in smothering the lice, and some don’t. It really is a personal choice. Your best bet is to consult your pediatrician to see what the options are. When you do finally rid your child of lice, use a lot of heavy-duty moisturizing to rehydrate the dried-out hair. I would recommend not completely rinsing the conditioner out of your daughter hair when she bathes and use BOO! Leave-In Conditioner daily to prevent lice from coming back. It is all natural, paraben free and safe to use daily.
Q: I’ve got a question about morning frizz. My 10-year-old daughter has fine 3a hair. She wears her hair braided for bed, but the hairs around her face escape and she wakes with a halo of frizz. Currently, she dampens it down and brushes it into submission for her school plaits. I’ve read that brushing isn’t good, so what do you do with children’s morning frizz?
Cozy: You are right — brushing hair isn’t good for curly hair, and will only create frizz by ruffling the cuticle. Instead, spray in So Cozy Fruity Delight Detangler and “scrunch” hair to reactivate her natural curl and remove frizz.
Q: My 2-year-old old daughter has very curly hair. I used to mostly put it in pig tails but lately she has lost patience with that idea! I have just been combing it out with a wide-toothed comb while I have conditioner all over it and then again once I rinse it out. I pat it a little to dry (just so it isn’t dripping”> and then put product on it. Then I put on one of her head bands and usually a bow. This photo was taken recently (I must not have washed it that morning; it is less frizzy on wash days”>. I have been thinking lately that maybe I should get her hair cut so that it has more of a style. Any suggestions? She has never even had a trim. When her hair is wet it is just past her shoulders.
Cozy: I think her hair is adorable! If you do want to cut it, make sure you go to someone who really understands curly hair, regardless of whether you are going for a trim or a real change. If it’s cut properly, it will grow into a nice shape and style.
Q: I’m a curly teen who recently discovered how to take care of my hair and who just got my first curly haircut! It was a fantastic moment and I’m definitely happy for finding a salon that understands my hair type. The bad news is that my cut cost $60. I’ve never had a cut over $30, and since I’m only 15, my parents are obviously supporting me in my financial needs (haha, nice way of putting it, I think!”>. My dad doesn’t at all understand the importance of taking care of my hair. When he found out about this Web site he thought I was being narcissistic! How can I explain to him that taking care of my hair is something important, and not some self-indulgent thing? And when I need to get my haircuts, how can I convince him to let me go to a salon that understands curly hair, even if it’s a little more expensive?
Cozy: I wish that I would have understood my curly hair when I was a teenager! It would have saved me many hours chained to my blow dryer trying to straighten out my frizzy hair! It’s wonderful to hear that you have embraced your curls! I have a few ideas to help you solve your problems. First, perhaps you can offer to split the cost of the expensive with your parents, using babysitting or allowance money. Maybe your father will respect your choice once he sees how important it is to you that you are willing to spend your own money. Another option is to find another stylist in a less expensive salon. Plenty of stylists know how to cut curly hair. You may find a recommendation by asking a person with great curly hair where they get their haircut! Lastly, perhaps you can go to your curl stylist less often, and fill in at a less expensive salon in between visits.
Q: My daughter is almost 10, and I have noticed in the past year or so that her hair seems go be changing. I would say she has about 2c hair all over, but lately in the root area, it is more like a 3c. Her hair is very kinky, curly and frizzy at the roots and I’m not sure how to deal with it. I am happy with the way she’s looking, but the frizz in the roots is driving both of us crazy. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Cozy: It is quite common for a person’s hair texture to change over the years. You may be right that her is actually changing now. Frizzy hair is caused by the cuticle being unsettled. To prevent this from happening, use a styling aid that will settle the cuticle, such as So Cozy Kooky Kiwi Styling Cream. It’s perfect for this particular situation because it is light enough that it won’t weigh the hair down too much or make the roots look greasy. A small amount evenly distributed through her hair should do the trick!
Q: My 4.5 yr olds are really curly and have very different curl types. One is a 3a, the other a 3c like her mommy but with much more fragile hair. I can’t seem to find specific recommendations for kids curls by type. I can say that the 3a doesn’t do well with gel, and the 3c needs a little more hold but gel makes her hair a bit stiff. I don’t mind getting different products for them. Any suggestions?
Cozy: It will always be trial and error when dealing with styling products! You may even find that a styling gel from one company may work fine for your daughter’s hair, but from another it’s not right. You should look for a gel that is alcohol-free so it won’t dry out the hair, Try So Cozy Groovy Grape Styling Gel. It’s a light formulation so it won’t make hair look stiff or wet and you can use more or less to suit your style. For finer hair, So Cozy Kooky Kiwi Styling Cream is great because it won’t weigh down the hair but will help defrizz and control. You can use on wet or dry hair. You may also find that different products will work differently depending on the time of year and the weather.
Q: I have an 8-year-old daughter with beautiful (3b”> curly hair. I recently met a woman who told me about NaturallyCurly.com, and WOW!, I’m so excited. What I’d like to know, and can’t seems to find on the site, is a good regimen for her hair. I’m never really sure how often to shampoo her hair, and or if we should go the no-poo route. Do you think that you could give me advice for proper curly hair treatment?
Cozy: You have definitely come to the right place! You are very smart to start a proper regiment now while she is young. Different people have different philosophies about what type of formulation to use. I recommend using something as gentle as possible, with vitamins and minerals and I suggest staying away from parabens (synthetic preservatives that may be quite harmful”>, like So Cozy products. As for the curly hair regimen, if she has beautiful curly hair already, it sounds like whatever you are doing, you should keep doing! A few tips: never brush curly hair, it causes frizz by ruffling the cuticle, comb out tangles with wide tooth comb while bathing with conditioner in hair, lastly, spray in a leave in conditioner in the morning and “scrunch” hair to reactivate curls. We love So Cozy Fruity Delight.
For more information about buying So Cozy products, visit CurlMart.
I have a friend who has the looks, the locks and the lungs of the folk-rock singer Tracy Chapman. My friend so strongly resembles Tracy that she has a hard time convincing people that she isn’t. She decided to write a musical disclaimer and sang it at many of her gigs. She named the tune, “I’m Not Tracy.”
Since I am also often mistaken for someone I am not, I have also decided to issue a similar disclaimer. But since I can’t sing a lick, my statement will be delivered acapella.
It will say: “I’m not Whoopi.”
Whoopi Goldberg
I have worn my hair in locks for more than a decade and in that time I have attracted critical and complimentary reactions. Thanks to Whoopi Goldberg, the straight-talking co-host of The View, my locks have also attracted attention that usually reserved for celebrities.
I get the double takes and the stares. Fingers point in my direction and I overhear excited whispers from people who think they recognize who I am. I’ve grown accustomed to hearing Whoopi’s name shouted at me by passersby. Some do it in jest. Others really believe they have witnessed a celebrity sighting.
I feel like a snob when I ignore their friendly overtures and feel like an imposter when I respond. No one has approached me for an autograph yet but if these incidents of mistaken identity continue to occur, I fear that it won’t be long.
I suppose there are a few commonalities between Whoopi and me that might lend support to the resemblance argument. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with me having similar talent, money and fame.
My similarities to Whoopi has more to do with appearance and style.
We both have relatively round faces and deep mahogany skin. We both wear eyeglasses and have a habit of peering over the rims more than we peer through the lens. And when it comes to fashion preferences, our mutual style of dress could best be described as casual — bordering on casualty —chic.
But the hands-down reason people are quick to cast me as a Whoopi lookalike is the fact that like her, I wear my hair in locks.
Locks have been Whoopi’s signature hairstyle during her more than 30 years as an entertainer. She rocked them in her early days as a standup comedienne, and through her Oscar-winning acting career. She kept them intact during her stint as a regular on Hollywood Squares and is still representing while holding court on The View.
So make no mistake. Whoopi and her locks are the real celebrities.
But for the record, my locks and I stand ready and able to serve as stand-ins if we’re ever needed and if the price is right.
Inspired by the “Girl Girls — It’s not just hair, it’s a way of life” group on Facebook, I thought I would put together a “You know you’re a curly girl if … ” list. Although curly girls are a totally diverse group, perhaps you’ve had a few of these experiences along the way.
You know you’re a curly girl if…
You laugh when a friend asks you if you have a hairbrush
As curly girls, we can’t get our fingers through our hair, much less a brush packed with closely spaced bristles. Brushing wet hair does nothing but cause breakage, and brushing it dry is a recipe for disaster. The last time I brushed my hair on a regular basis (seventh grade”>, the result looked more like a Christmas tree or an equilateral triangle than anything that would be considered a “style”. So no, I’m sorry, I don’t have a hairbrush.
… but you always have a hair tie.
Whether the culprit is humidity, wind, or just that one friend who sits behind you in class and likes to play with your hair, you always have a hair tie around your wrist and are never without one “on hand.” When straight hair gets messy, a few swipes of a brush will solve everything, but when curls gets unruly you have two choices: douse it with water or stick it in a bun.
You avoid products that say “Won’t weight hair down!”
While ideal curls are bouncy and light, if you’re like me you avoid any product that claims it will “create volume!” like the plague. My hair has enough volume for me and two or three other people, thank you very much.
You have buy two bottles of conditioner for every bottle of shampoo.
Somehow I always end up standing in the shower, staring woefully at my half-full bottle of shampoo while trying to get at the last bit of conditioner. You’ve been there; banging the bottle against your hand, unscrewing the top and sticking your finger in the bottle, trying to get enough conditioner out for one … more … shower …
Elderly ladies are your biggest fans.
Whether you’re at the grocery store, at church or at the library, it never fails; elderly people love your hair. If someone who looks like she could be five times your age stops you in the produce section to ask you if your hair is natural and tell you how lucky you are, you’re probably a curly girl.
You don’t think its weird to ask someone about the products they use.
I don’t think I’ve ever asked a straight-haired friend what type of gel she uses or whether or not she shampoos. However, if you have a couple friends with awesome curly hair, comments like “Oh my goodness, what do you use in it?” are just bound to happen. Our products are often central to our style. Whether they’re fiercely loyal to your product and want everyone to know how awesome it is or they are continuously looking for the latest and greatest way to define your curls, curly girls love to talk about the products they use.
Email your questions/comments to Julia.
It’s time for my occasional “Whatever Nappened to . . .” column, where I provide updates on people who made headlines for daring to deal with nappiness and things related.
My last update was about Ruth Sherman McCloskey, the white school teacher in Brooklyn who got African-American parents all worked up back in 1998 when she read the children’s book Nappy Hair to her class of predominately African-American and Latino third graders. McCloskey’s intent was to teach her students about diversity, but the parents, most of who had never even read the book, accused her of racism. Their threats drove her away from the school. While McCloskey is still teaching, she is no longer teaching from that book.
To satisfy the curiosity of readers who want to know the whereabouts of the person who wrote that critically-acclaimed and highly controversial picture book, I am devoting this “Whatever Nappened to . . .” column to the author, Carolivia Herron.
Carolivia Herron
I am pleased to report that Herron is alive and well and living in D.C.
“I still love my nappy hair and I love my book,” she tells me in no uncertain terms.
Herron, an educator who specializes in African-American studies, comparative literature and epic storytelling, recently completed writing the libretto for the opera “Let Freedom Sing: The Story of Marian Anderson,” which opened in D.C. in March.
She is still teaching and writing and is also busy developing a neighborhood EpicCenter, which will have programs that will teach youth the art of epic storytelling and will also include nappy hair-themed cultural enrichment workshops.
Last year, Herron formed a “Nappy Advisory Board,” of educators, writers and other kinky kindred spirits who share the same “twisted” purpose of dispelling negative stereotypes in creative and sometimes unconventional ways.
Guess who was among those tapped to serve on her esteemed board? Yours truly, yes, indeed. My nappy-minded colleagues on the board are McCloskey (the Brooklyn schoolteacher”>; Neal Lester, professor of English at Arizona State University who has written and lectured extensively on black hair issues; Andrea Wilder, a literacy professional affiliated with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and D.C- area educators Georgia Herron, Louise Kelley and Jessica Weissman, who specialize in digital education.
Herron took her dream to another level in March when she purchased property where she plans to house EpicCenter. It will be located in the residential community of Kenilworth in northeast D.C.
“It’s going to happen eventually,” she says.
What many readers of Nappy Hair don’t know is that although Herron’s book was packaged for children, it was actually written when she was teaching at Harvard to show her graduate students how African-Americans use call and response to create narrative and poetic stories.
“This cultural form of art is not only an expression of great joy, but it’s also a way of giving back talk to misconceptions,” she told me by way of explaining what motivated her to write her book in call-and-response style.
When asked why she chose the subject of nappy hair, she said, “Nappy hair talks back. It won’t accept the status quo and it won’t press itself out in order to fit in.”
It’s good to hear that Herron is still keeping it kinky!
As hard as it is for me to believe this, today marks the fifth anniversary of my column. And when I started thinking about what to write for this auspicious event, the first thing that popped into my head was the iconic perfume Chanel No 5.
Perfume is a tough business. It is estimated that more than 600 new fragrances are introduced annually around the world; few make it into production past the second year. And fewer still last longer than a decade. A select handful are positively ancient: Farina Eau de Cologne from 1709, Creed’s Royal English Leather, which dates to 1780 and Caswell-Massey No. 6, introduced in 1752. These perfume houses are still in business, along with Roger & Gallet which was founded in 1806 and Guerlain, started in 1853. Compared to these, Parfums Chanel and No 5 are relative newcomers.
See Chanel’s new film.
No 5 was first introduced in 1921 and has been sold continuously since then. It is so popular today that it is estimated that a bottle is sold somewhere around the world every single minute. Half a million bottles of perfume a year might not sound like much in terms of the multi-billion dollar perfume industry, but that figure applies to the “parfum” itself; the highest concentration of fragrance. The product is also available in lower concentrations called “eau de parfum”, and “eau de toilette” (“eau de cologne” was discontinued in the 1980s”>.
Coco Chanel set out to make a perfume unlike others available on the market in the 1920s. At the time, floral scents dominated the industry; but Mademoiselle Chanel herself said “I want to give women an artificial perfume. “Yes, I really do mean artificial, like a dress, something that has been made. I don’t want any rose or lily of the valley, I want a perfume that is a composition.” No 5 was the first scent to use synthetic aldehydes as a top note.
Along with the aldehydes, the other top notes (scents that are noticeable as soon as you put it on”> are ylang-ylang and neroli. The middle notes are May rose and jasmine and the base notes (the ones that seem to last all day”> are sandalwood, vetiver and vanilla. And the House of Chanel goes out of their way to make sure that the perfume still smells exactly as it did in 1921; they contract exclusively with flower growers in the area of the south of France called Grasse — the part of France that was the source of the modern perfume business. Flower production has moved to cheaper centres around the world — mostly India — today. But just as soil is important in wine production, it also affects the quality and scent of the flowers.
Just as iconic as the fragrance is the Chanel bottle — the rectangular, clean lines stamped with the name of the perfume in a simple black script. It is used in some variation for all other Chanel perfumes. And, as with other cultural items that were immortalized in his art, Andy Warhol made a colourful silk screen of No 5 that the company later used in an advertising campaign.
While Marilyn Monroe was never an official spokesperson for the brand, she added to the mystique of the scent when she declared that she wore nothing but Chanel No 5 to bed. And advertising has been helpful in keeping the perfume in the public eye since Mademoiselle Chanel died in 1971; famous faces have included Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet and Nicole Kidman. Audrey Tatou, the star of Amélie and The Da Vinci Code, will become the new face of the scent later this year when Chanel launches an “eau première” — a new version of the scent in between the perfume and the eau de parfum.
In an interview last fall with “The Independent” (a newspaper in England”>, Jacques Polge — The Nose — of Parfums Chanel stated that the reason this one fragrance has lasted so long can be attributed to one thing — that “it smells good”.
I’ve never worn No 5, or any Chanel fragrances, myself. To my completely untrained nose, they just don’t “smell good”. But I thought I should give it another try for this column and dutifully went to the store to get a sample of the eau de parfum to try. At the store, I picked up the bottle and gave it a sniff — still didn’t seem appealing. So I sprayed it on.
But no … I just plain did not like it. Perhaps it’s the aldehydes, but I find it to be too “chemical-y”. I passed on getting a sample and couldn’t wait to get home to wash it off.
Luca Turin, the author of The Secret of Scent, describes Chanel No 5 as “a regally beautiful thing”. I can’t agree with him; perfume is one of the most intensely personal things we wear, and not all of us have body chemistry that appreciates aldehydes in all their glory.
Editor’s note: NaturallyCurly.com is thrilled and honored to have had a writer as skilled and knowledgeable as Angela gracing our pages for so many years. We look forward to many more years with her as a vital part of NaturallyCurly.com.
Contact Rou or read her bio.
Q: I want to let my daughter’s hair dry naturally. When it warms up it won’t be an issue and she can bathe in the morning. In the past, she takes an evening shower or bath in the winter months, and just goes to bed with wet hair. Sure it would be perfect if we could take care of it after school so she could have time for her hair to dry before bed time. But this just isn’t possible many nights. She also doesn’t like the blow dryer so I rarely use one. Is it okay to sleep on her wet hair if she has curls?
Cozy: Of course it would be ideal if everyone with curly hair always had time to let their hair dry naturally in order to allow the natural curl to form. However, we all know that isn’t the case! So, in the morning, you need to re-activate your daughter’s natural curls. When your daughter wakes up, try spraying So Cozy Fruity Delight Detangler & Leave-In Conditioner into her hair and then “scrunch” the hair. This should help reactivate the curls and get rid of the frizz that occurred from the movement in her sleep. Since it’s a leave-in conditioner, it will help keep hair hydrated too.
Q: I have a 2.5-year-old daughter with beautiful, but very fine and very curly hair. It’s very hard for me to keep her hair looking nice since she often twists her hair (making nasty knots”> and she has a large spot on the back of her head that gets rubbed from pillows/carseats/etc. and thus it stays frizzy. I work very hard on her and it looks nice for about two hours. I know things will be easy when she’s old enough to help me care for it, but I need some major advice. I am considering getting her hair cut so that at least I don’t have has much hair to work with when I’m trying to get the knots out.
Cozy: Many people do in fact keep hair short to keep hair more manageable for younger children. However, you don’t have to go this route. Of course it will be more maintenance with longer hair, but that’s up to you decide how much time and energy you want to put into her hair. If you decide not to cut it, I recommend experimenting with putting her hair up in different styles. This will help prevent knots as well as discourage her from twisting her hair. Additionally, it will help prevent hair from rubbing in her car seat, etc., so frizz won’t be as much of a problem. Ponytails and braids are great alternatives, and stay neater longer.
Q: I need help with how to deal with both the dryness and tangling of my daughter’s hair. She is 10, so you’d think I’d have figured this out. But since I see grown women still trying to master their curls, I am not feeling so bad that I haven’t gotten this completely down! Her hair is coarse, like most curly hair. But it is actually pretty thin in density. She has spiral coiled hair. Also, she has some layers in it. My problem is that I cannot seem to find leave-in hair products to stop the dryness. Her hair is horribly dry, and she gets the worst tangles and knots. I am assuming the dryness is a contributor to the knots. It takes us a good 15 minutes or longer to untangle her mess — particularly underneath in back. She wears so many ponytails because I just don’t have time before school to deal with it. She uses a satin pillowcase, and we try to put loose scrunchie ponytails in at night. We only wash once a week and intensely condition with heat once a month. I only ever detangle when her hair is wet LOADED with conditioner, and I use a wide-toothed comb. I get it detangled to a point where I can run a fine-toothed comb through it (while wet and conditioned”> with ease. So I am getting the knots out. I let it dry from near-soaking wet and do not towel dry or blow dry it. But by the next day, it is a wreck again. Help!
Cozy: You are doing a terrific job with your daughter’s tricky hair, and you are absolutely right that many adults don’t know how to deal with their curls, so you are many steps ahead! It sounds like you are doing the right treatments. Perhaps you just haven’t found the right hydrating product yet. You need to keep her hair as hydrated as possible. For ultra-dry hair, I have a secret tip. When you conditioner her hair, try leaving in a nickel-size amount of conditioner in it rather than rinsing it all out. This will help keep hair moisturized. I recommend So Cozy Sweet Strawberry Conditioner> It’s so thick and creamy, yet it won’t weigh hair down. Also keep in mind that there is no magical treatment that you can do once a week that will help you. It’s like making your bed. You need to do it everyday otherwise it’s a mess. Good luck!
Q: First of all, I want to point out that my 2-year-old daughter has extra-dry hair. I can’t tell if it’s a 3a or 3b, but it is rather dry. I’ve been getting it to look and feel more like it has some sheen with the help of oils and conditioners. But I don’t know if that’s a bad approach. I do use regular baby shampoo for her as well, and I don’t shampoo her hair every day. She has this extra stubborn dry spot located at the bottom, back of her hair. I do use a lot of conditioner in that spot and it usually helps for a while, but it can build up after a while. Since it’s not breaking off or anything (just growing rather slowly”>, I must be doing the right thing by keeping it conditioned as much as possible. Or am I? Is it common for toddlers to have a particular spot in their hair and scalp that seems considerably dryer that the rest of the hair?
Cozy: It’s not clear to me if it’s her hair or her scalp that is considerably drier in one particular spot. In either case, it’s not uncommon for a toddler to have multiple textures of hair or dry patches of scalp. If it’s the scalp, I recommend having your pediatrician take a look. If it’s her hair, continue to use a lot of conditioner, especially a leave-in conditioner. Try So Cozy Fruity Delight. You can use it as often as you like and will actually help hair look better while it’s conditioning, and to help prevent tangles at the same time.
Q: My little baby doll is quickly approaching one, and of course is refusing to let me feed her anymore. She has to do it herself. The only problem is that the food inevitably ends up in her hair! Corn, peas, black beans, sweet potatoes, Cheerio. It doesn’t matter. I’d like to find a gentle shampoo that can get the food out of her hair.
Cozy: Make sure you are taking lots of pictures. She’s at the most darling stage! In the meantime, use a gentle tear-free shampoo like So Cozy Very Berry Shampoo. It’s Paraben Free (no synthetic preservatives”> and formulated specifically for children so it won’t sting her eyes. Enjoy every cute moment!
For more information about buying So Cozy products, visit CurlMart.
It’s safe to say that beauty icons today come in all shapes, sizes, colors and even genders; witness RuPaul as the first face of MAC’s Viva Glam line and Dame Edna as the face of a collection this year.
One enduring beauty icon has just turned 50, and her appeal is so far proving to be as timeless as that of Marilyn Monroe. Barbie turned 50 on March 9th amid controversy caused by a West Virginia lawmaker who wants to ban sales of the doll in his state because he believes she represents a poor body image for girls. Whether or not you agree with him, it is difficult to argue with the fact that Barbie — the brand — has invaded the homes of millions of girls and women in hundreds of countries around the world.
The original Barbie
Barbie’s origins are well-known now; she was the brainchild of Ruth Handler, a founder of Mattel, who wanted to give her daughter, Barbara, a doll like her teenage self instead of the paper dolls she was playing with. Using a rather naughty German doll as her prototype, Handler created Barbara Millicent Roberts from Willows, Wisconsin. She debuted at the American International Toy Fair wearing a black and white zebra-striped swimsuit along with high heels and sported a physique that owed much to that other 50s blonde bombshell, Marilyn. Barbie had a sly, sideways glance and the kind of hair associated with California surfer girls.
Early on, it was easy to see that this was no ordinary doll. Barbie had careers and remained resolutely single, despite the introduction of her boyfriend Ken to the Mattel line in 1961. While some of these careers were strictly pink-collar (nurse, teacher, flight attendant”>, Barbie broke the glass ceiling to become a pilot and an astronaut in addition to being an Olympic medalist in several sports and running for President of the United States.
Over the years, Barbie’s look has changed too. From a flirtatious glance to the wide-eyed, open sunny smile of today, the doll is now available with different hair colors and 20 skin tones. She is even available with facial features that are decidedly eastern Asian, southern Asian and African. As a child, my mother bought me Midge, Barbie’s best friend, so that I’d have a doll with my hair color. Today I own a dozen Barbies with red hair.
Ten years ago, on Barbie’s 40th birthday, 23 writers as diverse as Erica Jong and Jane Smiley came together to contribute essays to a collection titled “The Barbie Chronicles.” Within the pages of the book, the writers took on the mystique, the culture and the controversies surrounding the 11½ inch plastic figure. Nothing was spared, from the over-sized breasts and the unbelievably tiny waist (enlarged in 2000″> to the chaste nature of her relationship with Ken.
A Barbie-themed collection from Stila.
Love her or hate her, Barbie has become a beauty icon in addition to being a fashionista. The doll is wildly popular in Japan where Barbie Retail was launched in 2003 — stores offering clothing and accessories for adult women. Two years ago, the Barbie Loves MAC makeup collection broke sales records for the Lauder Corporation and this year there are Barbie-themed makeup collections available from Stila and the Canadian company Cake Beauty. The products are heavily slanted to pastels (probably to match Barbie’s Dream House — pink, pink and more pink”> and sugary in scent.
For as long as there are little girls, there will most likely be Barbies. And as long as Barbie looks the way she does, there will most likely be controversy. But one thing is clear: the doll was born in the conservative 1950s, and yet, Barbie remains single, childless and independent. Perhaps a forward-thinking role model for generations to come.
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A few years ago, the library at Williams College in New England acquired several dozen pieces of sheet music that was from the mid-19th century to World War II.
Many of them showed images of African-Americans on the covers.
The special collections librarian whose task it was to organize the sheet music said the images were highly uncomplimentary and stereotypical. She grappled with how to describe them.
One sheet she sent me that was dated 1904 had a drawing of a matronly, dark-skinned woman dressed in Aunt Jemima garb. On the upper right side was a drawing of a little girl peeking over a fence with her hair sticking up all over her head.
Once I managed to get through the blatantly racist title on the cover I addressed the librarian’s request about the little girl’s hair.
She asked me to suggest an appropriate description for the child’s “hairstyle.”
I appreciate the librarian for being sensitive enough to ask. But her first mistake was to think that what that little girl on the sheet music cover was wearing on her head was a hairstyle. What that child was wearing on her head was a mess.
I told the librarian that the appropriate description of the child’s hair was “disheveled” or “unkempt.”
What I wanted the librarian to avoid was to resort to calling the child’s hair nappy. It would be an inaccurate and unfair description of the casualty that was on top of that child’s head.
When black girls and black women with natural hair have a bad hair day, nappy is often the word reached for by the unenlightened.
My readers have heard this from me many times, but it bears repeating.
Nappy describes a hair texture, not a bad appearance or a grooming deficiency. It should not be used in a negative context. There is nothing negative about having a strong, resilient and versatile texture of hair.
The sole intent of the artist who drew those caricatures on that piece of sheet music was to show unflattering images of black women and little black girls. Unfortunately, the artist was successful.
The librarian got my point and took my advice. She would not be using the nappy word in describing the little girl’s hair.
“ ‘Disheveled’ it is,” she responded appreciatively.
I hope that there will be more people like the librarian who will take the extra step to avoid making bad matters worse. I also hope that the music that comes from that sheet won’t sound as offensive as the images on the cover look.
Q: My daughter is 4, and I’m guessing her hair type is 2a (I’m new to all this”>. My hair is straight so I have no clue what to do with her hair. It’s very fine, tangles easily and is prone to frizz. I’ve tried mousses and leave-ins, but they weigh her hair down. She also doesn’t like much done to her hair. I need help!
Cozy: For fine hair, you need to be very careful to use a light product that won’t weigh down your daughter’s hair. But at the same time, it will help to control and prevent frizz. If you have some control, that will also help prevent tangles. Try So Cozy Kooky Kiwi Styling Cream. It’s lightweight, but still gets the job done! Some added benefits: it smells great and will make hair shiny!
Q: My 4-year-old is a 4b and she has soft hair, but it shrinks about 75 percent. I always wrap her hair in ponytails, but she seems to be hating this since she is now going to school. When I left her hair loose one day with a band, she said almost all the children in her class (99 percent white”> were touching her hair (she started a few weeks ago”>. I have since noticed that this has left my little girl a bit frustrated and she has constantly said she wants long hair. She told me one day when I was doing her hair that another child in nursery had called her a gorilla. What can I do to help my little daughter?
For more information about buying So Cozy products, visit CurlMart.
Cozy: Children can be so mean, especially when someone is different from themselves or from what they are used to. It’s important that you instill a sense of pride in your daughter that will help build her self-esteem. These are life-long lessons that she will be dealing with her whole life, and it’s never too early to start. Helping your daughter manage her hair is a great step in the right direction! Take your daughter to a professional who can give her a great, proper haircut. Help her to embrace her beautiful hair so that she will feel good about herself.
Q: My daughter is biracial and had the longest ringlets I had ever seen. But they got too long (down to her diaper at 2″>, so I took her to someone who said they cut mixed hair. I explained to her I didn’t want to loose her ringlets. To make a long story short, she cut her ringlets into a 80s shag. Basically she cut up the ringlets and made them waves (many tears inserted here”>. I thought I could get them back by letting them grow out and cutting the curls in the proper S, getting them blunt again. But they are more like long wiggles then ringlets. Recently my daughter took scissors to her own hair (more tears”>, but I noticed that where she cut it close to the scalp, it is coming back in with ringlets. Could it be that her hair is too heavy to start the ringlet again, and I need to cut it all short?
Cozy: It’s possible that this new cut is weighing her hair down in certain places, which is preventing the ringlets. Perhaps you should go to a different stylist for a consultation. The good news is that hair grows back, so you don’t have to worry. Perhaps with a few long layers added, she will get her ringlets back!
Q: I have a 4-month old daughter with a head full of 3b/3c hair. I wash her hair once a week with baby shampoo, and use light grease on it. However, her hair seems to swallow it (the grease”> whole. It leaves it very dry, hard to the touch and frizzy to the eye. I’ve been searching the Internet for some suggestions on what to use for her. And, because she is so young, I don’t want to use a lot of chemicals. Can you give any suggestions on what I can use to naturally inhance her curls and keep her hair growing healthy?
Cozy: You are smart to look for products that are formulated specifically for your young daughter. I recommend that you condition your daughter’s hair as often as possible. Try So Cozy Sweet Strawberry Conditioner. It’s gentle enough for your baby, yet light enough that it won’t weigh down her hair. For added hydration, use So Cozy Fruity Delight Leave-In Conditioner. You can spray in wet or dry hair anytime you want to defrizz or soften hair.
Q: My daughter is 18 months old and biracial. She has beautiful curly hair, but I have NO experience with hair like hers. I would like to find a kid-friendly product that will help keep it moisturized and relatively tangle free. She complains bitterly whenever I try to comb it, even when I am very careful about not tugging. I am struggling with my mindset about how to care for hair because I realize that her hair and my hair need different attention. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Cozy: Tangles are the No.1 problem we hear about in my salons, so much so that we actually created a product just to deal with them! Try using So Cozy Lucky Lime Pre-Detangler. Apply to tangles in the tub and use a wide-tooth comb to get through knots. Make sure that when you comb her hair, work in 1-inch sections, starting from the bottom working your way up one inch at a time.
It’s awards season everywhere you turn as critics’ associations and entertainment industry societies celebrate the best in movies, television and music of 2008. Today, the “pre-show” — where entertainers are snapped in all their finery as they enter the hall for the main event — have become displays of glamour avidly eaten up by those of us who don’t have to borrow two dozen gowns and jewels worth millions to get through our daily lives.
Every once in a while, we mere mortals find ourselves having to glamorize ourselves for an event — a wedding, New Year’s Eve, or even a night out on the town for Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t take a professional stylist or the artistry of Pat McGrath to make you look as good as any of the actresses/models/singers at the red carpet events. All you need are a few tricks of the trade.
Start with your skin; exfoliate your face and body with your favorite scrub, then moisturize well. For those of you who like the tan look, a light application of self-tanner is better than reaching for L’Oreal Sublime Bronze in deep dark. If you’re a pretty pale princess like me, try a lotion with soft shimmer to highlight cleavage and collarbones.
Primer will help your makeup stay for the duration of your event — I use Benefit Lemon Aid on my eyelids and sometimes a silicone primer like Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer on my face. There are lip primers, but filling in your lips with pencil before applying color can have the same effect.
Add a luminizer to your foundation to give your face a soft glow. Try Laura Geller Liquid Candlelight or Stila All-Over Shimmer. Just a drop will do — you don’t want to look shiny and sweaty in photographs.
Pink-toned blushes photograph well — consider Benefit Posy-Tint for lips and cheeks or Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush. If you prefer powders, NARS Orgasm is a peachy-pink that works well with many different skin tones or try Make Up For Ever Candy Pink 85.
However you like to wear your eye makeup — dark-winged eyeliner only like Angelina Jolie or full eyeshadow and liner like Debra Messing at this year’s Golden Globes — consider false eyelashes. As I’ve said before, learning to wear them is a practice-makes-perfect task, but one well worth the time. MAC has a great new collection, called Lash & Dash, of exaggerated spikes and fringes. An easier choice for beginners to try would be Sephora’s house brand of lashes that has a half-strip along with a full-strip in one package. Individual clumps are easily applied to the outside corners with long-lasting glue.
When you see celebrities on the red carpet, they either play up their eyes or their lips — rarely do they highlight both. If you go for simple eye makeup, choose a great lipstick in deep red, fuchsia or plum. Put a dot of clear or matching lip gloss just in the centre of your lips to play up a pout. And if you’re like me and make your eyes the focal point, wear a great neutral lippie like MAC Viva Glam 5 with a matching gloss.
No matter how you wear your hair for your bombshell look, shoulder-dusting earrings will draw even more attention to your gorgeous face.
It’s doesn’t take much to let your inner bombshell out — give yourself a chance to shine too!
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Julia Rizzo
“Controls Frizz”, “Fights Flyaways”, “Battles Breakage”.
Sometimes the descriptions on the back of hair products sound like they’re trying to prepare us for war. While many of these products help us keep our hair looking and feeling healthy, the words we use to describe them make it sound like we’re entering into some sort of epic battle. When thinking about managing our hair, it’s easy to get sucked into this attitude of “girl versus her appearance,” where we primp and prep and try to eradicate our flaws with the latest and greatest beauty products.
While I was home over break, a family friend told me how, in her 30s, she stopped processing her hair. Cutting it short, she let it grow out naturally. Her story reminded me why I love to rock my curls. One thing that brings us all to this site is that we think our curly hair is pretty awesome, and we want to give it the best care we can.
However, there is an ever-present pressure to fit the current mold of what is attractive. When I was in middle school in 2001 and 2002, the trend was to have absolutely straight hair. During seventh and eighth grade, just as I was beginning to develop my own sense of style, the girls around me who were “trendsetters” all had pin-straight hair.
This experience makes me appreciate the incredible diversity of style and appearance that’s present on my college campus. I live in Risley, the creative and performing arts dorm, and several of the people I live with have brightly colored hair. In contrast to the long fuchsia hair of my hallmate, my curls look sedate on even the craziest hair days. After several years of high school — where conformity was the norm — I’ve gained confidence from living in a place where acceptance has replaced conformity.
When we seek to conform to some artificial standard, it’s easy to view our appearance as laden with imperfections that must be fixed. Perfection is impossible, and its pursuit can be exhausting. I’m not advocating abandoning any hair products with conflict-laden copy on the back; many of them lead to stronger, healthier hair. And that is a far more fulfilling goal than perfection.
Stay Curly,
Julia
Email your questions/comments to Julia.
Q: My 3-year-old daughter’s hair has really started growing out and curling up more and more. I’m not sure what products are good on kids. It seems like we are stuck in ponytail mode. Her curls tend to get really dry toward the middle/end of the day. We both suffer from massive bed head in the morning even with the satin pillow case. It just sticks to our heads. Any ideas?
Cozy: I often recommend sleeping with a loose pony on top of the head. This helps solve two problems — bedhead and tangles. I would also recommend a good-leave in conditioner for the dried-out hair. You should try So Cozy Fruity Delight spray leave-in conditioner. You can use this in the morning to re-invigorate curls and to keep hair hydrated. This is also a great product to use on the go for touch-ups and for hair re-hydration during the day.
Q: My 9-year-old is really self conscious about her curly hair. She wears her hair the same way every single day because she’s afraid that trying something new will only end in disaster. Right now, she showers in the morning, brushes her hair and puts a headband in it. Then she applies a big helping of hair product. She says it stays really crunchy until about noon, but grows throughout the day until it’s huge and frizzy by the time she gets home from school. Any suggestions to help her feel some sense of control over her curls?
Cozy: All 9-year-old girls are so self-conscious about their hair. It’s so normal. The problem for your daughter is that she hasn’t yet learned the right way to control her hair. The worst thing you can do to curly hair is to brush it! It unsettles the cuticle and actually causes hair to look frizzy and fuzzy. Instead, encourage her to try this regimen. If she tries it on a weekend she’ll have more time to play around with different options and she’ll have no worries about going to school with her new look. Rather than brushing her hair when she comes out of the shower, she should comb out her hair in the shower with a wide-tooth comb with conditioner in it. After the shower, squeeze out excess water and scrunch in an alcohol-free styling Gel (try So Cozy Groovy Grape“>, distributing it evenly around the head. Let the hair dry naturally. Natural curls will settle and hair will not get frizzy. It may take some getting used to, but after a couple of weeks, her hair will settle into its own natural rhythm.
Q: My daughter has 3a, one-length hair. What do you think about bangs and curly hair? She’s ready for a change, and thinks bangs would be fun. But with all her curls and cowlicks, I’m not so sure it’s a good idea.
Cozy: Bangs can be very tricky for curly girls, especially if she has cowlicks too. The bangs shrink up and can be very unpredictable. Rather than jump into bangs, perhaps she should consider a graduated cut on the sides. That is a nice alternative because it frames the face and isn’t so severe.
Q: My 3b daughter wants long hair so badly. Right now, it’s about shoulder length when it’s dry. Is there anything she can do to help speed up the hair growth process? And do you have style suggestions she can wear as she’s waiting for it to grow longer?
Cozy: I never understood this myself, but trimming the hair consistently really does help it to grow faster! Just a slight trim regularly will keep the hair healthy and encourage it to grow faster. As for styles, wearing the sides up is a great in-between option.
< b class="pink">Q: My 3-year-old daughter can’t sleep without waking up looking like a wild animal. So basically, unless we’re willing to wash it the next day or pull it back in a ponytail, it looks like a total mess. Any tips to avoid bed head?
Cozy: I recommend wearing a loose pony to bed. It will keep hair from getting knotty and will help keep it under control, preventing bed head and other “wild” looks. If you still need a little touch-up even after the pony, try a little So Cozy Kooky Kiwi Styling Cream. That will help control and defrizz hair, yet keep it natural-looking, shiny and soft.
Q: I have one daughter with 2a hair, two daughters with 3b hair, and a son with 2c hair. I know not to brush their hair, and to detangle with a wide-toothed comb using conditioner on wet hair instead. I do that faithfully. However, I notice that even after washing and detangling my children have lint in their hair, especially at the ends, and this causes tangles and knots. Careful detangling with a wide-toothed comb and conditioner on wet hair and washing their scalp does not get rid of most of the lint that collects at the ends of their hair. I find myself wanting to use a baby brush (yes, the soft ones made for infants”> in order to get the lint out. Even though I take my time to detangle four heads, and I’m very gentle, I do not want to cause damage with extra manipulation with the baby brush if it’s harmful to do so on wet or dry hair. Can you please recommend a way for me to keep tangles and knots at a minimum if I’m not supposed to brush curly hair, and if detangling and washing don’t get rid of most of the lint?
Cozy: It sounds like you are a very busy lady! You obviously have done your research when it comes to curly hair care. I’m impressed! I don’t understand though what you mean by lint. I’m not sure why your kids have lint in their hair if you are combing out the knots in the bath with conditioner in their hair. Perhaps you should look at your towels and bed linens to see if this is causing the problem.
Q: Can you explain the difference between your various conditioning products? I’m not sure how to choose between a regular conditioner, a leave-in conditioner and a styling gel that conditions.
Cozy: Great question! With the glut of products on the market, it can be very confusing. Basically, So Cozy offers different products that may overlap in use at times. This is because of the different hair types and the different ways that people use the products. For instance, some people like to use a conditioner in the tub daily, whereas others prefer to use a spray leave-in conditioner. Some with very dry hair like to use both! Using a styling product that conditions the hair is another way to help keep the hair hydrated and healthy. There is no right or wrong way to use these products; it’s very subjective. The best way to figure out what’s right for you is by trial and error. One helpful rule of thumb is the drier the hair, the more conditioning you need for healthy hair.
Q: I need to figure out what to do with my son’s hair, and fast. He used to have beautiful curls. I mean people used to stop him to comment on his curls. Now it just looks nappy and feels really dry. I am not sure what to put into his hair. He is 2 years old, with 4a/4b hair. He is all boy so he rolls and flips and just beats up his hair. Help!
Cozy: It is very common for a child’s hair type to change as he gets older. It doesn’t mean that he can’t have beautiful curls again. It just means you may need to care for it differently. First, don’t brush his hair because that will make it look “nappy”. Instead comb through his hair with a wide-tooth comb when wet (in the tub is ideal”>. Next, try using So Cozy Kooky Kiwi Styling Cream on wet hair. Just “scrunch” into hair, evenly distributing all around. Let hair dry naturally (or use a blow-dryer with a diffuser attachment”> to keep natural curls in tact. You can scrunch in a little more Styling Cream when dry to prevent frizz and to add shine. Good luck!
Q: My 3-year-old daughter lets me put conditioner in her hair, but she screams if I try to comb it wet. I explain it wouldn’t hurt if she let me get the tangles out in the bath, but she still doesn’t get it. It always looks a mess, with flyaways, knots and general craziness. What can I do to make it look ok?
Cozy: This is surely a phase (like everything else”>, so don’t be too concerned. In the meantime, use a spray detangler, like So Cozy Fruity Delight, to comb through your daughter’s knots before the tub. Continue to condition as usual. However, be sure that you don’t brush her hair after that. Let her hair dry naturally to keep the curls intact and to prevent frizz. You can use the So Cozy Fruity Delight in between baths too, to keep replenish moisture & to help with flyaways & tangles.
Q: My boys are 4 and 6, and they are curlies. The 4-year-old has fine hair like me, and the 6-year-old has very thick coarse hair. I am looking for a good gel that won’t flake. Any suggestions?
Cozy: Try using an alcohol free gel such as So Cozy Groovy Grape Styling Gel. The light formulation never flakes and is good for all types of hair. You can use more product for the thick, coarser hair for more control. It smells great, too!
For more information about buying So Cozy products, visit CurlMart.
