Weekend Hair Plans

So, this weekend I know that I want to try something new with my hair. I have had the kinda French braids for 2 weeks now--first with the pompadour and then without. It usually takes about 2 weeks for me to get so tired of a hairstyle. The only style I can wear over a longer period of time is the twist-outs.

Here are a couple of things I plan on doing with my hair:
1. Co-wash with Suave Coconut Naturals
2. Deep condition
3. I want to do a twist updo but, this time I want to leave some of the twists out for a side bang.
4. Or I want to try a braid updo. I saw a gorgeous one on Naturally Obsessed that really inspired me.
5. Or I want to try cornrowing most of my hair around most of the perimeter of my head and doing a twist-out side bang. (I saw this hairstyle on a girl and I thought it was cute.)
6. I also plan on detangling my hair after deep conditioning it. This time instead of clipping the detangle hair out of the way I am going to twist the detangled sections temporarily.
7. Also, I have been contemplating changing my hair day to Saturday instead of Sunday. This way, my hair will be fresh for church and I get to see how it turned out before the work week starts.

I am really excited about trying some new things with my hair. I hope that they turn out pleasing. I'll update you on how it goes:-)

The HIstory of Our Hair: Black Woman late 1800s

So, while browsing the Web I came across this picture of a Black woman from the late 1800s. It is interesting to see how the women from the past wore their natural tresses.

I noticed that this unknown woman wore her hair in some sort of popadour updo and accesorized the look with a fancy hat. She looks simply elegant. I am not sure about the history of this photo or the woman in the photo. However, she does look affluent.

Naturals In Advertisement: Mizani

Mizani is a company that offer a wide range of hair products for African-American women. In my relaxed days, I used to go to the salon to get my relaxer every 6 weeks and I would get a Mizani relaxer. However, I must admit that I no longer use any of their hair products.

Yet, I was curious about their hair ads. I wanted to see if they had any type of naturals in their advertisements or if the models mainly rocked straight styles. I found this advertisement of this beautiful lady wearing a natural look. I don't know of this is all her natural hair but, I can appreciate the implementation of natural hair. It shows that they have an appreciation for its beauty.

Shampooing

It is known in the natural community that most commercials shampoos can be damaging to our natural tresses. For this reason, the phenonomenon of co-washing became the norm for natural hair--and even for some relaxed hair. I am a big fan of co-washing. When I first heard about it while transitioning I immediately began this practice. I even co-washed the entire time that I transitioned. However, can we shampoo natural hair??

Absolutely. In my opinion shampooing should be a part of your hair regimen. I shampoo once a month to ensure that I do not have any build-up or a nasty scalp. Teri LaFlesh said it best, shampooing should be for the scalp and co-washing should be for the hair. However, if you used products that created buid-up in the hair, it is best to use the shampoo on the hair also. Trust me, it's fine.

Yet, it is important that we choose the best shampoo for our hair. By now, many naturals know that shampoos that contain sulfates are NOT good for our hair. Sulfates will dry out the hair and lead to breakage. There are a number of great shampoos on the market that do not contain sulfates and that are great for natural hair. Of course, they will cost more than your typical commercial shampoos, however; you can not forsake quality when it comes to your hair.

My favorite shampoo--and only shampoo--is the Giovanni Deep Moisture Shampoo. I buy this shampoo from my local Target. Other shampoos I have heard great things about in the natural community are Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Shampoo, Giovanni 50/50 shampoo, Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat, and Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle. I hope to one day buy the listed Giovanni shampoos and the Aubrey Organics shampoo.

I judge a great shampoo by how much lather it has also. When I used to use those typical shampoos the lather would be out of this world! However, with my sulfate free shampoo there is not any major lather. You mainly see a few suds but, not any completly white frothy foam.

So, make sure you have a GREAT shampoo and add it to your hair regimen. Are there any other great shampoos that you know of out there for natural hair? If so, where can it be found?

Straight or Natural: Jill Scott

Ok. So, Jill Scott has been an inspiration for many naturals with the various and beautiful styles she wore with her natural hair. About a month ago, it was revealed on BlackGirlLongHair that Jill Scott was rocking a short straight style. I am not sure if the hair is relaxed on straightened. I just know that she never rocked a straight style before.

Therefore, I figured that Jill Scott would be great for the "Straight or Natural" segment. Of course, I liked her with the natural hair. It brought out the beauty of her face and gorgeous smile.

Weigh in.

Hairstyle: All Braided Up

So, this past Saturday I re-braided my hair. I did not wash it but, I did detangle it by spraying my hair generously with my spray bottle. Instead of having the pompadour this time, I just decided to braid it all up. This is a really easy style. I really like that all I have to do is tie my hair down for the night and take the scarf off in the morning and I'm done.

Here's what I did:
1. Divided hair into four sections.
2. Sprayed each section generously with water from the spray bottle.
3. Detangled wet hair.
4. Applied Cantu Leave-In Conditioner to each section (leave-in conditioners work great for braided styles)
5. Cornrowed the front two sections.
5. Cornrowed the last two section and pulled the tail ends from the front sections into the back cornrowed sections.
6. Bobby pinned the tail ends from the back sections by criss-crossing them over each other.

A Staple Product: Giovanni Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner

So, I have had the Giovanni Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner since I first became natural. I really didn't know how I felt about the leave-in, which is why I have been hesitant to review it. However, this past weekend I used it again and I realize that I do like this product. My initial hesitant feelings was mainly due to the frothy white residue that is on the hair after you apply the leave-in. I guess I was used to leave-ins that don't leave any type of residue. Yet, what's amazing about this residue is that is soaks into the hair and eventually disappears. So, here's my thoughts on this leave-in conditioner...

Pros:
1. This product has great ingredients.
2. This product promotes moisture in the hair, which is always good.
3. There is not an overpowering scent to this product.
4. This product soaks into each strand of the hair once applied.
5. This product does not leave a build-up.
6. This product gives control to the hair but, it keeps the hair soft.

Cons:
1. There is a white frothy residue on the hair but, it eventually leaves.
2. The price may be considered too high--considering that you can get these same results with some cheapie conditioners.

Ingredients:
Aqua (Purifed) Water, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Oil, Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Oil, Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) Oil, Birch (Butela Alba) Leaf Oil, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis Flower) Oil, Clary (Salvia Sclarea), Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia), Coltsfoot Leaf (Tussilago Fargara), Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) Oil, Mallow (Malya Sylvestris), Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) Oil, Soybean Protein (Glycine Soja), Cetyl Alcohol (Plant Derived), Tocopherol (*Vitamin E), Trace Minerals, Citric Acid (Corn), Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Grapefruit Seed (Citrus Derived)

Overall, I am pleased with this product. Will I be buying it again? Most likely. I am loyal to the Giovanni line of products. They have some great products. So, I know that when I go to my local Target to restock on my Giovanni I will be repurchasing this product. Also, I think its good to spoil yourself sometimes.

There will be more reviews of the Giovanni line coming in the future...