Prevent and Treat Dry Hair

1. Be aware of your surroundings.
If you work in A/C or spend lots of time in it or the sun, your environment will dry your hair out. Use a moisturizer or leave-in with sunscreen and moisturize at least twice a day. I tend to over-moisturize before going to work in harsh conditions and seal with oil because my hair gets thirsty really quickly.

2. Moisturize daily.
Stating that dry hair needs moisture is really overdoing it but some persons try all sorts of things and forget that anything dry needs WATER to moisturize it! I keep a spray bottle of water(and sometimes a mix with glycerin) handy for whenever I style my hair. I mist each section with water then I use my moisturizer.

3. Avoid shampoo.
Please note I didn't say never to shampoo as hair needs a clean scalp to grow. However, shampoos tend to strip the hair of the natural oils created to keep the hair...moisturized. Try cowashing during the week and a mild shampoo on your scalp to cleanse it. If you exercise daily, this can work for you too, as you'll wash away the sweat and then on weekends/wash day you get a nice clean scalp without stripping your hair.

4. Seal!

Enough said I believe. After you use your leave-in. moisturizer, water mist, anything!, seal in the moisture with an oil of choice. Read the full experiment here.

5. Deep Condition.

Try to D/C at least once every 2 weeks. An intensive D/C helps yours hair to recover from its bad state, whatever the cause.

6. Avoid heat.

Heat makes water evaporate. It really needs no further explanation. Low heat settings on your products if you have to use heat is better. Of course, no heat is best of all. :-)

*******************************

So of course I had to do further research before bringing this post to you because as the old adage goes "Cat luck ain' dog luck." I.e- what works for my hair, might not work for yours and vice versa.

These sites had the best information.
http://top7business.com/?Top-7-Tips-To-Treat-And-Prevent-Dry-Hair&id=4473 Ignore number seven on this list. Do NOT wash your hair with shampoo every other day. Avoid using shampoo and cowash when possible during the week.

http://www.myhealthguide.carlyucaangay.com/how-to-prevent-to-dry-hair.html  This list was pretty good all around.

Thanks so much for the love and support. Following the blog is quite easy to do and the FB page even easier.
God Bless!! And as always,

As A Natural Never Forget This!! Part 2

Ello Lovelies!!

Here are two more great reasons why you should keep your hair well moisturized At.All.Times.

Single Strand/Fairy Knots
There is nothing cute about these buggers!!! They make the ends of your hair very rough and can cause breakage as well. I actually witnessed this assault on my strands when I was trying to capture one. The only way to get rid of single strand knots is to cut them off. And once again, if you have length goals and are trying to get from that "dreaded" tween stage...nuff said.

Split Ends and Split Strands
I don't know how many persons are affected by this second one. Have you ever examined a shed hair and found that it seems to split from the center? I have a picture of it somewhere because it happens to me a lot. It is so high up the hair shaft that you could probably take a couple inches off in order to get rid of it. This definitely affects the look, feel and health of your hair.

Now, you've read what dry hair can do and cause so let's look at how to prevent it. Next Post!

Ombre Nails

Hey Lovelies!!!

Quick, short post on how CUTE my nails are! :-D

I did these yesterday and now I don't even want to style my hair myself! You like?

Scarves: A Solution To A Bad Hair Day

Hey Guys! I posted a new video! Check it out.

Here are some photos from the video and some saved hair days!

 Thank for reading and watching!

As A Natural Never Forget This!!

Recently I had the privilege of participating in a photoshoot for a natural hair magazine with some other Barbadian naturalistas. I had soo much fun and the photos looked great from what I could see. The editor, Ms. August, wanted to know what was the best advice I had for a natural and my go to product. The product I had to think a while about but that advice came to my mind straight off the bat.

NEVER let your hair get dry!!
I'm not telling you to keep your hair damp or to spray it with water every hour. I'm talking about keeping your hair well moisturized at ALL times and not letting it get bone dry. You know, that hair that's so dry you hear it rustling and see tumble-weed going across the road.
There are great reasons why every natural should avoid this and not follow my repeated, repeated mistakes and we'll look at all off them and how to avoid them in this and coming posts.

It's Harder To Remoisturize
When your hair gets that dry, it's more difficult for the hair to absorb any water it then gets. Take a sponge, for example. When a sponge it completely dry and you put water on it, it doesn't soak it up right away. In fact, some of the water rolls off! You have to soak it completely for a little bit to get the sponge to absorb water and that's exactly what you need to do with your hair.

A Tangled, Breaking Mess
Dry hair will tangle faster than moisturized hair and when you try to detangle, you'll probably stop when the sounds *snap, crackle and pop* grate your nerves to a super-sensitive state! You'll get a first hand look at what dandruff would look like if it was black as your shirt will be littered with short little hairs that have broken off of your mane. A depressing sight, if I do say so myself. If you have length goals, even more depressing as you cannot retain length with dry hair, as it will break. Don't try to detangle your hair while dry and there will be no need to shed tears.

In the next post we'll look at two more reasons to avoid dry hair like the plague and then I'll tell you how to avoid it altogether.

Check me out on Facebook!! Yes, I finally did it and the page does have the same name as my Youtube channel.  Please Like, Subscribe, Comment and all that good stuff. A video on this very topic is coming soon.

Thanks for reading and God bless!

Devotional- Your Last Thread By Romelle Greenidge

"And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Matthew 14:29-31

There are many interesting things about this passage of scripture, so many lessons to be learnt.

But I want to focus on the point of how God responds when we as his people believe we are on our "last thread". Let's go back to the text, Peter, because of who he is, asked Jesus to allow him to come hence allowing him to walk on water as well. As the scripture goes on to say when Peter saw the boisterous wind, he was afraid and began to sink. The next part is quite significant, Peter cried "Lord Save me" and IMMEDIATELY, Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him. 

Now picture it, Peter is beginning to sink, but the waters have not consumed him as yet, he hasn't drowned but he's at a place where he is desperate, where all his natural resources have been spent and he needs something pass the natural, so he cried out to God and is immediately saved. I believe this is a situation many of us are going through today, where we are on our last thread, our resources are gone, in ourselves we do not know where to turn but I STRONGLY believe when we reach this point and we cry out to our Saviour, He is compelled to move to reach out that arm and grab hold of His people. 

I want to encourage you today that the fight is not over, as long as the waters have not consumed you, there's still life and with life there's hope and with that hope I tell you to make that cry to God with the understanding that nothing you can do in yourself can take you any further and also understanding that the compassionate God we serve will not allow that "last thread" to run out, He will turn up and allow you to have a testimony of victory over that test you passed through. Be encouraged today, the battle is not over.  

Spread this as it could be an encouragement to someone else. I believe God is speaking.

Written by Romelle Greenidge

Share this wonderful devotion with someone you care for.

Superfly!!! That is all! lol

What do you think? Back to the future?

How would you feel if you're husband/boyfriend/son came home with this look?

I just.don't.know. Forget that! Yes, I do! lol

Have a great week ya'll!

How Times Have Changed...

Today I went to collect my nephew from preschool and while standing there waiting on the van and taking sand out of his hair, -_-, three guys pass by, checking me out. One guys says "Shorty(some things stay the same, smh), that's your only one?" I don't like to be blatantly rude so I turn to say no, he's not mine. He heard no, and was like "That's nice man..." and continues checking me out. O_o. Once upon a time the sight of any woman walking with a child was enough to send men running to the hills. As for if you're pregnant, watch out!! smh. All of this made me start thinking about how things have changed.

There are only 6 days till Independence Day here in Barbados, November 30th. On the radio, the T.V, in the newspapers and on FB, everyone is feeling it this year and I just LOVE IT!!

Normally, every year I'm the only one who gets super excited when Independence rolls around. When people play Christmas music during November it irks me to no end but this year, however, I'm more mellow. I'm still really excited, but everyone is talking about the things of days gone by...

The things we used to wear...new patent leather shoes to church and the sun so hot your toes boiling inside them...

The things we used to eat..."Dead Man Flesh"(not what you think! lol) and monkey tamarind...

The things we used to play...running 'bout outside for the entire day and playing Chinese Skip...

And as this is mostly a hair blog, the hairstyles we used to rock...

I am just.too.fly. Fuh real...(lol) I don't need you guys to tell me, I know! More on this in another post though.

What do you remember from your childhood days? You don't have to be Barbadian to reminisce. Drop a comment below to share your memories. I know you guys are the strong, silent types but you can tune in too, :-).

"It's Good For You"

"It's good for you." You always hear this when persons talk about certain foods but why is "it" good for you?

A few years ago I was interested in making aromatherapy kits for a class entrepreneurship project. I would actually make little ceramic oil burners and sell them with choice essential oils. I went online, did my research and came across a site called AromaAria.com (inactive since 05/11/12 I found out) that listed soo many different foods and their benefits!! I wrote it all down and now, after finding it 2 years later, I'm sharing this great stuff with you. 

Aloe - Skin healing, softening, cooling and soothing gel.
Almond - Oil is an effective moisturizer, meal is a wonderful exfoliator.
Avocado - Source of Vitamin A and C.

Basil - Skin purifier, blemish fighter(use small doses).

Carrot - Skin softener, source of Vitamin A.
Chamomile - Relieves dryness, itchiness and eczema, source of Vitamin B, calms, anti-inflammatory.
Cinnamon - Reduces tension, warming.
Clove - Spicy and warming.
Coconut - Emollient, source of Vitamin D.
Cucumber - Cooling, soothing, evens skin tone.

Dandelion - Source of Vitamin A and C, tonic.

Lavender - Calms troubled sleep, antidepressant, refreshes and tones skin, relaxes tight muscles, breaks up congestion. Calms in small amounts and stimulates in large amounts.
Lemon - Natural cleanser, antioxidant, astringent, pore-lightening.
Lemongrass - Stimulating toner, clears blemishes, uplifts mood.

Mango - Source of Vitamin C, cooling.
Mint - Soothes nerves, restores good humour and overpowers tobacco smell.

Oatmeal - Skin softener.
Orange - Cheering, refreshing, source of Vitamin A, B and C, blemish fighter.

Pineapple - Exfoliates skin cells, blemish fighter.

Rose - Rosewater is a skin tonic, cools, clarifies and soothes.

Sunflower Seeds - Source of Vitamin E, skin soother.

Thyme - Boosts circulation and eases headache.

Wheatgerm - Source of Vitamin E, emollient, easily absorbed.
Watercress - Tonic herb, skin ailments.

Peppermint - Restores good humour, overcomes tobacco smell, relieves fatigue, stimulates nervous system, anti-heumatic

Now, for all of you mixologists out there and anyone who finds this information helpful and useful, as information changes over the years and such, do further research and share with us what you find out. We'll become better informed together.

True Story...

Just thought I'd share every natural's true story...

If this has not happened to you, it's only a matter of time! This happened Last Wednesday! But check her face tho, lol.

Have a great weekend!

Heads Up!! Warning!

Guys!!

I just saw something ridiculously unbelievable!! An everyday product, with no flammable warnings, can make you and your hair a walking matchstick! This was scary guys!

Do you use this serum or know someone who does? Were you planning on purchasing it? Let me know below.
Check out the video and news article here and be safe out there!

NotQuiteMini Twists :-)

Hey all.

I'm returning to the basics when it comes to my hair and my choice of hairstyles is no different. I'm using better products and I've resurrected my Shea Butter after wasting time with other stuff (more on that later). I've also returned to one style that is positively, a natural's go to staple, Twists!

I made them smaller this time, not for any particular reason but I really like them this way. My hair feels bouncy and light and it's full of movement.

I think I'll keep them in for a couple of weeks, depending on how they hold up and if I remember that natural hair can look a little fuzzy and be fine sometimes. 

Oh!! Wait a sec!! Combermere Week starts next week or so!! Ack! Had I remembered that I would've probably waited. Oh well, I will just have to get creative :-D. I can hear the snide comments now but all of you who know what I'm talking about just relax. I'm not neurotic about Combermere, I just love my Alma Mater and you should love yours.

On that note, I'll leave you with a throwback picture of my relaxed days.

Heh heh heh.

Upcoming Videos!

Hey everyone.

Just wanted to let your know what's upcoming shortly (hopefully).

I want to do 5 minute videos on different topics. Starting from shampooing, straight through to a simple style, I really want to continue to help persons by giving them the necessary information to better care for their hair. Based on my experiences and questions I've been asked, some of the topics are:

• Combing natural hair
• Shampooing and conditioning
• Cowashing
• Twists
• Using gel and more...

I know all of you have asked me to record more videos and I truly want to but time and space constraints are the real prohibiting factors. If there are specific video requests you have for this series or outside of it, please comment below so I can start working out when and how in advance. Don't forget to subscribe to the blog (top, right hand column) and to my YT channel, To The Naturally Inclined.

Thanks for reading!!! As always,

I'm On Vacation!!!

Hello my lovelies!

Yes, as the title says I am on 2 weeks break from anything productive as it seems. I really don't know what's going to happen to me next week when I return to the cave work :-}.

I didn't travel like I wanted to, I haven't sewn a stitch and I have not styled my hair up to now! Things looking grim ya'll. I was my full intention to do something cute since last week but I wanted to go to the beach for the first time in months before I washed my hair. Now that I've been, bare afros in de place!!! I actually put 3 twist in my hair last night when I started to style and now...my hair is in one. lol. At least it's in one!!! hahahaha :-D

I'm going to blame all this on the allergy attack I've been suffering through and will try to do something tonight!!! Yes!! A style...tonight...*sigh* pray for me...

Wow...typing sure takes alot of energy...this must be that Histal...I took...earlier...

Bye guys. zzZZZ

My Hair: Twisted Up-do

Hey lovelies.

I wanted to share my new style with you.

Disclaimer: This is a "OhCrapIt'sSundayNightAndIHaveWorkInTheMorningWhatAmIGoingToDoWithThisHairAtElevenOClock?!?" style.

Still, I think it turned out really nice. :-)
The pictures are at the end of a really long day so please excuse the greasy face and the rolls, lol.

The products I used to achieve this look I'm going to do a review on, especially the LOCALLY MADE CURLY PUDDING. That's right, capitalized and all. Soo, tell me if you like it in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading.

My New Pillow Case!

Hey peoples!

We all know, or we should know, that we are supposed to sleep with our hair tied down with a satin scarf or something of the like to prevent our hair from rubbing on the rough material. This goes for anyone with hair, whether natural or chemically treated. This is the same reason why hair that's allowed to rub on your shirt typically breaks off, because the rough fibers of our clothing snags the hair and when we move our heads, *snap!* Materials such as cotton, while sometimes soft to the touch, can do serious damage to the delicate strands of out manes.

Now sometimes when you get home in the evening, if you're anything like me, all you want to do is sleep, forget looking for the scarf/cap/bonnet! And if you do manage to tie it down before you go to sleep, when you wake up sometimes you can't even find it! :-@ That twist out you were trying to maintain is dry and you're wondering where the scarf/cap/bonnet went. Correction: I'M wondering where it went. I sometimes have to tie it tightly just so it would stay on, but that results in serious tension headaches.

I have fixed the problem!! I made myself a nice, lovely, gorgeous satiny pillowcase!!!

MuahahAHaHAhAhahAHahAhaHaHAhAHaha!!! That's right, I made it, myself! I was sooo tired of getting up from a blissful rest to remember that my hair would look jacked up if I didn't cover it. Sometimes I woke with it jacked up cuz I couldn't make myself move. *sigh* :-D

I made three of these today for myself and my sisters because I KNOW those two don't do what they should. Now, I can make it in a snap! They fit nicely and have an inside piece that prevents it from coming off the pillow. *double sigh* Do you see how pretty it is? tee hee hee

Want one? I'm thinking to make them for sale for about $3.50 to $5. What do you think?

New Style

Hey!!

Some rapid fire posting going on, I know. I'm just so psyched! Just wanted to share with you the last real style I had. It was for this year's 100 Voice project.

If it wasn't obvious, that's me in the front. :-D

Btw, some wonderful perks to this new community we've got going on.

1. More persons to try out products that are found in Barbados. That's one of the reasons I started this blog.
2. More natural hair stylists. YaY! Hopefully not at eye gouging prices. As you can see from above, I style pretty well, if I do say so myself. :-)
3. More recession busters!! When you see a deal when you're shopping around, send in the good news!

I'm sure I'll think of more later. Have a wonderful night!!

Natural Hair Scene in Barbados

Hey all.

I'm seeing something strange, albeit lovely going on in Barbados. Scratch that! Something downright wonderful!!! We, apparently, have spread the word strong enough, rocked our curls and kinks fierce enough and shouted Black Is Beautiful LOUD enough!!! We have a natural hair community in this place!!!
*The crowd goes wild and natural hair streakers are being detained*

This is big, BIG news for all of us who have being pushing this thing and trying to get persons to realize that we don't need to follow the trend and conform! My curls REFUSE to walk to straight and narrow path! NO! tee hee hee.

When I went all off in early 2008, I knew nothing about my hair. I was just tired of the burns. And I wanted everyone to experience my freedom! Since then, I have become a natural hair advocate sneaking up on the unsuspecting in beauty supply shops, on my friends and family. I have cut the hair of my sister, my mother, my aunt and my next-door neighbour and encouraged my friends to be my Guinea People, lol.

I love natural hair, and there's no going back for me. Apparently others feel the same way. This has reawakened my desire to blog and vlog and all that stuff and I'm truly excited!! I have a few updates I'll share later, one of them being how I've decided to let my hair grow out.

Check out the natural hair scene:
https://www.facebook.com/NappyKinks246
https://www.facebook.com/TridentNturls

Also, check out my YouTube, like and subscribe!
http://www.youtube.com/user/MsNaturallyInclined

Stay tuned for more my beautiful people. As always,

I've Been Bad...

...very bad, I know.

I totally jumped off the wagon with this blog and for those of you who read it, I'm sorry. How many of you are there, btw??

A lot has been going on with me and life has just been sooo busy recently. So what's up?? I want to know how long your hair has grown, if you like your new cut, if going back to straight hair worked out for you, if going natural makes you happy, if you found that miracle product, WHATEVER! Let me know.

A few things are up with me. First thing straight off, my cell took a swim. Yes. It did. So that transcript that I was working on...yeh, you get it. I couldn't find the usb for my phone so I could take nothing off then when I finally found it, my phone felt the irrational need to cool off, so there.

Secondly, I have not taken a photo of my hair in several months. So no visual record of hair growth to compare to. I do, however, look at my hair now compared to how it was before I got the dye job of nightmares and it's about the same.

Third thing, my ends are not in good shape. The knots and split ends from hell are driving me nuts but I had decided a little while ago to stop being so trigger happy with a pair of scissors in my hand, therefore, I don't want to cut it now that I'm seeing some length. *sigh*

There's a lot more but I didn't want to make this so long-winded. Stay tuned for more of what's going on and follow the blog if you want to know more about the business that I'm starting, what I'm using to repair my hair and to just be an encouragement.

Thanks for reading,

Ecostyler Olive Oil and Argan Oil!!! YaY!!!!!

 I hope you like the video! Rate and comment, please. Which gel do you use, what is your musthaveifIdon'tgetitIwillcry gel? lol Lehme know.

Love,
Lee.