Do You Want Long Natural Hair? 4 Essential Oils For Natural Hair Growth

By: Emily-Ann

Growing long natural hair can be daunting especially if you’ve been relaxed for a long time. Sometimes you don’t know where to begin. You can also become obsessed with playing with it and wanting to keep touching it. Our hair is very delicate, and the kinkier it is, the more delicate the hair is. Reality hits and you start to question yourself. Why can’t I grow long natural hair? How can i make my hair grow faster? You see the women and even men on social media with big natural hair. Take inventory of your natural hair care products and what you are using on daily. There are some essential oils for hair growth that you may want to implement to get your natural hair and curls to the next level! Remember this equation if nothing else I mention here.

Essential oils + massage = healthy, happy scalp, and growth

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care Products For Black Hair: What’s in Your Spray Bottle?

Let’s talk about Vitamin E! It reduces inflammation, repairs damage to the follicles and encourages growth. Typical application in oil form can prevent dry hair issues. Let’s be real this summer has been a heat wave and with high scoring temperatures, and our hair and curls are bound to suffer from the sudden high-temperature environment. Not to mention daily manipulation and styling effects.

Another essential oil that you may or may not be familiar with is Jojoba oil. This oil helps the scalp to maintain a natural balance of oils, and at the same time moisturizes the scalp and follicles without leaving any residue. Vitamin E helps to repair damaged hair follicles that may be at the root of your hair growth problems.

>> SEE ALSO: Top 10 Things You Should Know About Natural Hairstyles For Black Women

You can also add foods to your diet that contain high sources of Vitamin E, like sweet potato, olive oil, butternut squash, avocado, and spinach just to name a few.      

Peppermint Oil is another great oil to include in your natural hair care products collection and hair growth oil regimen. Remember to use a carrier oil because this oil is pretty strong alone. It helps to increase blood circulation to the scalp which will also help stimulate hair growth. 

Rosemary oil is good for those who are experiencing a handful of hair loss. It can promote strong, thick, and luscious hair. Rosemary oil acts like an antibacterial agent for your scalp. Healthy hair growth takes time, and patience. Some naturals can easily find what natural hair care products and methods work best for them. Keep in mind that you are unique, and so is your hair. Therefore, your journey will not be the same.

>> SEE ALSO: Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

You may want to speak with your doctor and discuss multivitamins being added to your diet. There are many chewable vitamins on the market right now. It's an alternative option for those of you who are not the pill taking type. Although multivitamins can aid in boosting your overall health it should not be taken as a replacement for good natural hair practices. Ultimately, you are responsible for the consistent practices and patience if your goal is grow long natural hair!

Stick to protective style methods and make a few dietary changes. Don’t forget to trim when needed and dust the ends with sharp hair scissors. Use the right tools is key to great results. Practice good hair hygiene by cleaning not only your hair but your hair tools.

Comment below with your thoughts on this post or let us know what you would like to see discussed here.

Disclosure: I am not an expert nor do I claim to be one, these tips and tricks are what I have found to work for me. Please, consult your doctor or healthcare professional before taking any multivitamins if you have health condition or taking any other medication..

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Natural Hair Care: Eco Styler Gel Is Cancelled

By: Emily-Ann

It looks like the natural hair care community has made a decision! Eco styler gel has been voted off the island. Recently, videos all over youtube have surfaced and many are expressing their thoughts on the subject. Our naturals are sharing their concerns, and cariogenic effects and their harmful properties. I knew this was going to happen eventually.  I am not going say I haven’t circulated a few coins in this product. Personally, I was not impressed with the product and what it did in my hair. We may love the end results of having your edges laid and your baby hair’s acting right but at what expense?

>> SEE ALSO: Transitioning to Natural Hair: Are You Ready?

Being educated and working in the healthcare field this is very concerning. I read the ingredients and wasn’t impressed or surprised what was listed.  We should be just as health-conscious of our bodies concerning what we consume and place on it. I remember getting some solid advice, which stated “ If you won't put it on your skin don’t put in on your hair. Arm yourself with the information so you can make the best hair care products decisions for your natural hair.

Now I have done a little bit of research, and the FDA approves these ingredients. They claim no more than 5% should be in one product. If you are applying this product over a long period of time, imagine what you are doing to your hair, skin, and body with chronic exposure. Although, Eco Styler gel states that only use 1% of these ingredients in their hair care products. One percent is too much for me. I rather use alternatives that are much healthier and better for me. Side effects along with the chemical names are listed below!

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care Products For Black Hair: What’s in Your Spray Bottle?

Triethanolamine (buffing agent and fragrance)

Skin,eye, and hair irritation

Inflammation

Itchy watery eyes

Dry and brittle hair (something that I experienced more often with my first use of this product)

Bladder/ liver cancer

Changes in testicles

Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate (perseverative)

Skin, eye irritant

Respiratory irritant

Cancer causing

Release of Formaldehyde

Polysorbate 20 (alcohol, yet again mix with another chemical it’s toxic ethylene oxide)

Skin allergies

Damaging animal organs

Tetrasodium EDTA (preservatives)

Causes cancer

Brakes down skin

Cause skin condition like eczema

Potent eye irritant

I have provided a few links below that goes into detail about the side effects of each chemical. Type in the chemical name and the description will pop up. I hope this has helped you make up your mind when it comes to ditching that eco styler gel. Opt for more natural way of laying those edges. Share with us any new alternatives that can get the same result without the high health risk. I am very interested in what you guys recommend!

>> SEE ALSO: Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

Share and comment with us your views on this topic and more. Until next time naturals, information is power!

ECO Styler Gel is CANCELED!!! | Bri Hall

https://www.truthinaging.com/ingredients/triethanolamine - Resouces for all the ingdieants listed and their side effects.

https://ecocoinc.com/about-our-ingredients/ - Link to Eco Styler Gel website and ingredients

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Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

By: Emily-Ann

I know you are all familiar with saying, “The rules are meant to be broken”. I think it’s no different when it comes to hairstyles for african american women. Now, I am not telling you to completely break all of the rules, but there are a few you can tweak or just throw it all way. I’ve listed a few that I feel you can do without.

The first one would be the Denman Brush. This is a staple in the natural hair community and the brush is said to be a must-have when you are dealing with natural hairstyles for black women. The rule here is to remove every other row; I did not do that, needless to say I found the brush to do more harm than good. I’ve used this brush, and all it did was cause grief. It literally pulled out more hair than anything else and not only did I break this rule but I threw it in back of my closet never to be seen again. Okay, well that is not entirely true. I can’t stand not being organized, even if it’s something as small as that. I did purchase a plastic bin to place all my hair tools.  

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care: Eco Styler Gel Is Cancelled

There is another debate that seems to be going on in the natural hair community. The question that seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. Do you co-wash vs. use shampoo? Now for those of you who are new, let me break down real quick to you. The term co-wash, simply means to use conditioner in place of shampoo to perform your washes. There is a lot of back and forth about this particular method. I have done this method for awhile and I can honestly tell you that I have mix feelings. I say break this rule, it’s okay to do co-wash once in awhile, but honestly I did not see any real benefits.

>> SEE ALSO: Top 10 Things You Should Know About Natural Hairstyles For Black Women

There are so many chemical free shampoos now on the market, and wide selection to choose from. We no longer have that small section in the drug store. Growing up my mother had to take me to a small neighborhood beauty supply store just to get my natural hair care products. I can now walk-in a walmart or another store, and find black hair care products on shelves. It’s okay to put back the shampoo in your routine, just make sure to read the label. I can give you example; I am currently using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter line. My main focus is on moisture retention, so I purchase products that will promote just that. I have type 4 natural hair, with low porosity so my hair goals may be different from your own. I find that it is in great benefit to know your natural hair types and porosity level for this very reason. Trust me, you’ll thank me later for encouraging you to know your natural hair types.

>> SEE ALSO: Transitioning to Natural Hair: Are You Ready?

When it comes to oils, this would be the top of the list for best natural hair products in the natural hair community. If you guessed Coconut oil, you are correct! I am not one of these naturals that has success with this oil, so don't feel bad because I feel your pain. I say break this rule too! Whoever said that coconut oil works for all natural hair types is lying lol! I often discuss this in my own personal blog post at Blushgirlcurl, and I am very honest when it comes to expressing my feelings about natural black hair products. Go ahead, put it down and break this rule, if it doesn't work for your or your hair that’s okay! Pass it on to another natural who may have some success with coconut oil. It’s okay hunny, I won’t tell!

Last but definitely not least; the liquid oil cream method or LOC method, which is the grandfather of all rules when it comes to learning how to take care of natural hair. This is like the holy grail of natural hair care rules and until recently, I thought breaking this rule would doom your chances of success! I thought you had to follow this method when trying to figure out how to make my hair grow faster. I happen to come across an article that suggested trying a  different order for you hair type. This concept surprised me and I did try this out to see if it would work for me. I broke this rule and the order, I am now using LCO for my method of choice. If you are lost and have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, allow me to elaborate further. The LOC method, stands for Leave-in, Oil, and Cream, which is the chosen standard for sealing in moisture in the hair for extended periods of time. I broke this rule, well kinda and switched the order to see if the results would change. I switched it up and found that my natural hair responded much better to the LCO, rather than the LOC. 

Don't be afraid to try different methods to see which one works for you! Let me know in the comments below, what rules have you broken and have gained success?

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: black natural hairstyles, black natural hair, black natural hair products, black natural curly hair, natural hairstyles

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12 Questions You Should Ask About Transitioning to Natural Hair: Are You Ready?

By: Emily-Ann

Congratulations, you made the choice of transitioning to natural hair! Now what? Many of us including myself, transition without understanding the journey. My knowledge, comes from trial and error, like many natural hair beauties. I was under the impression that it would be easy. I mean, it is my hair, right? How hard could this really be? It has come to my attention that there are certain questions, you need to ask yourself. Especially, if you are the type to be indecisive or frequently change your mind. It may be very good idea to plan out your transition period, and set your schedule to do your big chop. Here are examples of questions you can ask yourself.

>> SEE ALSO: Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

1. Are you ready?

2. Why are you going natural? (this will become clear as you move along in your journey)

3. How do you plan to do your transitioning from relaxed to natural hair?

4. Do you know your hair type 1,2,3, and 4?

5. Do you know if you have low, normal, or high porosity hair ?

6. What kind of protective styling are you going to use?

7. What kind support will work for you i.e videos, blogs, or natural hair friend(buddy system)

8. How comfortable are you with rocking natural hairstyles for short hair?

9. How would you rate your patience level, one being low and three being very high?

10. What day of the week will be your wash day?

11. What are your natural hair goals? Length retention, healthy natural hair, moisturizer control, thick hair, or all of the above?

12. What natural hair care products will you use? Shampoo, conditioners, leave-ins, and moisturizers etc..

Tip: Knowing your natural hair types may aid in the selection process when purchasing hair products for natural hair. Reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed by wide range of lines currently in the market.

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care: Eco Styler Gel Is Cancelled

Questions like the ones mentioned above may save you time, and make product selection process much easier. I want nothing more than to see you embrace your natural hair journey, and with a little patience you will achieve desired results. It may be in your best interest to go through these questions to evaluate your current mindset. Keep in mind this journey will test your level of patience and consistency. May your natural hair journey be dripping with finesse and all its glory.

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: natural hairstyles for black women, natural black hair, natural hairstyles, natural black hairstyles, natural hairstyles for black women

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