climbing deeper into this natural ish, pt 2

so, about a week ago i proclaimed i was switching to all natural hair ingredients. for some background: my regimen is centered on protective styling. i keep twists or box braids in for 3 weeks, then take them down and do a clarifying treatment and deep condition. the plan is to try different ingredients/products every 3 week cycle until i find what works perfectly for my hair. my next clarifier/conditioner is feb. 16...

ok, here is pt 1 of the sequel...
i began by going to a storefront health food store in chicago, where an old white dude was lecturing customers on colon cleansings, and how his brand of green tea was the best. anyway, i picked out my sodium bentonite clay powder and castor oil, and an annoying helpful sales lady kept asking if i was going to do a colon cleanse. i didn't have the heart to tell her i was using the stuff for my hair, not my bowels. so, i quickly paid for my things (about $20) and left.

the rest of my ingredients: honey, coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and plain yogurt, i got for under $15 at Aldi. holla!

i returned home and mixed 3 tbsps of bentonite clay, 2 tbsps of apple cider vinegar, a big tbsp of plain yogurt, a couple teaspoons of baking powder, and about 4 tbsps of water. i think it was too watery... but anyway, i stepped in the shower, and soon realized that i didn't quite know how to get the mixture from the bowl into my hair. so i ended up awkwardly bending over, and just-as-awkwardly scooping the mixture into my hair. *good times*

anyway, once i got it all in, i worked it into my hair, and... it. was. magic.

you have heard me sing the praises of apple cider vinegar in the past. well, i'm sorry, ... but bentonite clay kicked acv's ass! my hair felt clean, moist and soft all the same time... i didn't even know that was possible. and the coil definition was insane.

i did some research about b. clay and discovered that

"Bentonite clay is made up of a high number of tiny platelets, with negative electrical charges on their flat surfaces and positive charges on their edges. When bentonite clay absorbs water and swells up, it is stretched open like a highly porous sponge. Toxins are drawn into these spaces through electrical attraction and bound."

and it's a popular ingredient for colon cleanses (hence the sales lady's question...)

so, my coils are well defined when my hair is wet, but usually disappear and napp-up when it dries. i was shocked to find, though, that my coils stayed defined even after my hair dried. and my hair felt... bouncy. let it be noted that i've NEVER used the word "bouncy" to describe my hair.

after my bentonite rinse, i really didn't want to do a deep condition cuz my hair felt so good, and i didn't want to mess it up. maybe i should have listened to myself, because things went downhill from there...

i heated up my deep condition mixture: honey, castor oil, olive oil, a little bit of water, (i forgot the cocount milk... maybe next time.) i repeated my awkward experience of transferring the mixture from bowl to head, put on a shower cap and watched 2 episodes of sex and the city.

when i returned to the shower to rinse my hair i felt... um... sticky (thanks honey), and my hair was nowhere as soft, moist or defined as it was after the bentonite clay mixture.

so, apparently honey is full of humectants, "a hygroscopic substance that easily forms hydrogen bonds with molecules of water. Humectants are often in many cosmetic products where moisturization is desired, including treatments such as moisturizing hair conditioners."

i *guess*. i mean, i don't doubt honey's moisturizing properties. but maybe, for my texture, they're not strong enough.

there was one consolation prize, though. a day after my disappointing deep condition, i saw the castor oil looking lonely on my bathroom sink. "what the heck," i thought, and used it after my daily application of elasta qp mango butter (which i am phasing out, btw.) my gosh, my hair felt soft HOURS later. the castor oil sealed the moisture in a major way.

so in sum

Winners
Bentonite Clay
Castor Oil

Losers
Honey

Next Contenders
ok, so now i'm on a clay kick, and i heard that rhassoul clay is good for deep conditioning. so, it's next in line to try.

i have to give a shout out to Moni... because i basically copped her amazing clarifying recipe. thanks girl!

write any thoughts or ideas in the comment box, and stay tuned for the feb. 16 sequel...

janeezy, the final pt

...click here for pt 1, pt 2...




BGLH: ok, so you cut your hair, and it's just you and the napps. how did you learn all this hair care?!
J: www.nappturality.com was a HUGE help. Also, if you just google anything about natural hair care you will find tons of things! and that's exactly what I did.

BGLH: you were a super creative natural in your early days (in terms of styling.) where did it come from?
J: Looking in magazines, the internet, and a lil sprinkle of creativity. Take advantage of the search tools you have available. It can get time consuming and sometimes I found myself spending HOURS looking at different hairstyles online such as, but not limited to: www.fotki.com, nappturality.com, motowngirl.com, and www.youtube.com

profiling janeezy was great. she is a beautiful woman with loads of personality. DEFINITELY check out her fotki page here. thanks for the love janeezy!

***okay, maybe this is a little tacky... but here's a 'teaser': tomorrow i will post part 1 of my ongoing saga with finding the perfect products/ingredients for my hair (also known as "climbing deeper into this natural ish")... so stay tuned.***

i did a big-girl thing yesterday

yes, that's right. i trimmed my hair.

now, like most black women, i have an almost-physical aversion to scissors, and i also suffer from the "it doesn't matter that my hair is breaking/wilted/bleached-within-an-inch-of-its-life i'll still keep it' syndrome.

so, understandably, i went into denial when my ends started getting bad.

"there's nothing wrong with uneven ends," i told myself.

"yes there is!" replied my little hair conscience, "they look bogus as hell."

needless to say, i ignored my hair conscience. but a few days later when i noticed tiny lint pieces in my ends, i knew it was time.

ok, i'm not going to front, i felt cool/grown up when i trimmed. and it's true that your hair is fuller, feels bouncier (and somehow looks shinier...) after you trim. plus, i only needed to get rid of a teeny little ball of hair.

so, i was proud of myself and immediately informed my boyfriend — who, due to his curly headedness doesn't always understand my napp psychosis — of what i had done. and he was proud.

let this ditty be inspiration to all the scraggly-ended ladies out there. do what ya gots to do!

thoughts?

janeezy, pt 2

continued from part 1...

BGLH: when it comes to products and regimen, are you on the simpler or more complicated side. why?
J: I am super simple. I'm a typical woman, with real issues so I try to keep every aspect of my life as simple as possible including hair! lol.

BGLH: what products do you use for cleansing, moisturizing, coloring, conditioning, anything else. why do you like/use these products?
J: cleansing: Suave Humtectant Shampoo mixed with V05 Moisture Milks Conditioner
Conditioning: Olive oil deep conditiong packs. I use about 2 with every wash. I also like Aubrey Organics White Cameilla Conditioner which I use like a 'deep' conditioner mixing in honey and coconut oil.
Coloring: I never do this myself, but the last coloring job I had, she used the brand: GoldWell
Moisturizing: Oyin handmade whipped pudding and Shea butter. when I use shea butter I sometime like to mix it extra virgin olive oil
I love all these products. They work really well with my hair texture. They are all reasonable in price too.

BGLH: your hair looks thick and tightly coiled. what are your techniques for styling it, combing it and washing it?
J: I keep it really simple.
*use a lighter conditioner like Suave, add water, and massage it thru while combing
*wash - using my shampoo and conditioner mix and then deep condition with the aubrey organics or the olive oil packets
*wash out - use a leave in. with the leave in I'm still trying different ones. I havent found one that I love but I use the shea moisture leave in or the banana leave in by curl junkie
*wash out and then twist out damp hair. Big fat twist. About 8. Let that air dry. Once dry I began to style my hair and that's it.

BGLH: are there specific ingredients that you look for in products? how do they help your hair?
J: I actually look for things I dont want in a product, like petroleum and alcohol, which tends to dry my hair out. If it does contain ingredients I do not care for, they have to be at the bottom of the ingredient list.

BGLH: what are some mistakes you've made in learning your natural hair. how have you learned from them?
J: I think I've been pretty smart in my natural journey. But the biggest lesson I've learned is what works for one person, won't work for you. Also, it's ok to admire other textures of hair, but try not to get too caught up. Try to focus on people with texture like you and finding products and stuff of that nature will be a breeze.

More Janeezy pics


part 3 to come...

how do you stay encouraged?/ an urgent cry from a newbie

so, on a recent post, a young natural cried for help...

"i love your blog a lot. but i often struggle wantn natural hair and relaxed hair too. im still in high school. and peer pressure and society is mad hard in my lil town so if a girl wants to rock a poofy afro its all abnormal but i love my hair, relaxed and natural. but switching from one to the other breaks my hair of terribly. i need to make a decision asap. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE!."

i've been there britt. there have been a couple times when my hand was inches away from the scissors, or the keys (to drive to my ex-stylist), but somehow i've remained grounded.

first, i would say that you need to work on your regimen. there are ways to transition without hair breakage (look for the 'transitioning' link on the 'we discuss' tab on the right... we've covered this in the past and you'll get some good info there.)

but i also want to give you some ways i've stayed natural (in no particular order), and i'd encourage you to adopt some of these.

1. FOTKI. fotki is a photo sharing site, and i would encourage you to browse the fotki sites of women who have successfully grown their hair out, and to start your own. i've met a lot of amazing women on fotki (j was my favorite, also, shout out to lina!), who have kept me encouraged when i just wanted to end it all. we might not have real tangible people in our lives encouraging us to stay natural, but the virtual community is definitely there.

2. TAKE PICTURES! nappy hair DOES grow, but it won't seem like it if you don't document it. take pictures every month/6 weeks/2 months so that you can SEE the progress your hair is making. and if your hair didn't grow, you have a set time period to examine what went wrong.

3. BE PATIENT. even for white/asian/hispanic women —who know how to take care of their hair, and aren't fighting societal pressures— hair takes some months to grow. so imagine how it is for us, who are struggling to learn what is good for our hair, and battling haters at the same time. i started to grow my hair out in nov. 06, and initially i was REALLY impatient for it to grow. because i was so impatient, it made it even harder when i hit roadbumps, like in april when i lost several inches. give yourself time to learn, and your hair time to grow, and realize that you will probably make some mistakes. i would say, that if you go natural and want to grow your hair out, understand that it may take 2.5 to 3 years until you hit bra-strap length hair.

4. IGNORE OTHER NATURALS WHO HATE. okay, this is a subtle one... i don't think it's a secret that curly haired women might have an easier time growing their hair out than naturals. like my college roommate, who was french creole. her hair wasn't relaxed, so technically she was natural, with a headful of thick, loose black curls. the most hurtful thing she ever did was laugh at me after i'd washed my hair, and call me 'celie' (as in celie from the color purple.) basically she was saying that my napps were 'stuck' and couldn't grow. STAY AWAY from comments like that. it's COUNTER CULTURAL to believe that napps can grow long. don't make it harder by listening to people who doubt it.

on a side note, one of my best friends anne-marie, who is white, is utterly clueless to the complex hierarchical struggles that black women face WITHIN their race. she can't tell the growth difference between curls, coils, or napps (and she probably wouldn't care if she did). this, for me, is a plus because she's able to cheer me on wholeheartedly. it's sad to say, but i've leaned more heavily on her during my low hair times than my looser-curled black friends...

5. LEARN YOUR HAIR. growth is one thing and, health is another. nappy women, for many years now, have not known what the hell to put in their hair. so it's on you to learn that. evidence of health is softness, non-breakage, shine (to a certain extent), and ease of manageability (again to a certain extent.) learn what products bring these results in your hair. play around with natural ingredients. BE CRITICAL of manufactured products. don't be a zombie, and pick up whatever you see in the "ethnic" hair aisle at walmart. use the research that is out there to create your unique regimen.

6. LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL THE WAY YOU ARE. for me that's my mom, dad and boyfriend. every time my mom sees a liiitle bit of progress she'll say, "you go girl!" (she's still amazed that i wear box braids to my almost all-white office.) i actually have a group of friends (including anne-marie), who i send pictorial hair updates to every few months. the most important thing, though, is they affirm me as i am. when i looked like a runaway slave (don't front like you haven't had those days...), when my hair was a ball of napps. and they also remind me that it's not sooo serious. yes, i get on my soapbox on the daily on this blog, but there are more things to life than hair (*gasp, i know!) and beauty goes deeper than hair.

7. WEAR YOUR HAIR OUT ONCE IN A WHILE. for me, it's in between box braids. i do a massive braid-out, and go outside. the benefit of natural hair is that its high volume makes it look big, even when it's not necessarily long. enjoy that! rock your fro, rock your twist-out, get that attention from dudes in the street, lol. i mean, for many women this is why we go natural. our dream is to rock that massive angela davis, or fake-but-still-bomb erykah badu fro. so, even though yours may be more modest, rock it! it'll make you feel instantly fly.

8. REALIZE THAT YOU'RE BUILDING HABITS FOR LIFE. yeh, i'm 23. and right now natural hair is fun, and i blog about it, and i feel all liberal and social justice-y. but i also hope to have natural hair when i'm 30, and 35 and 40. you're undertaking something that *hopefully* will last a lifetime, so it's understandable if the start is rocky and highly experimental. keep in mind, too, that you're learning things to pass along to your own little nappy-headed cuties one day.

remember that you are wearing the hair that you were born with, and are joining the ranks of women around the world, from all different ethnicities, who do so. it feels good not to have a secret clause in my self-image manifesto that says, 'i am perfect the way i am... except for my hair.'

i kind of rushed to put this up, because i wanted to respond to the urgency of britt's plea. if i think of anything else during the day, i'll update this. but i want to know if you have any thoughts/encouragement for britt...

janeezy, pt 1

this is the first half of an interview with janeezy, who has some of the coolest styles i've ever seen. i'll post the second half of the interview soon.

BGLH: first off, where are you from? where are you reppin?
J: Austin Texas!

BGLH: why did you go natural and was it your first time?
J: Yes, this was my first time going natural. I decided to go natural because my relaxed hair + humid weather did not get along. It was always a major disaster. I never wanted to do anything that involved going outside. lol.

BGLH: why a 'big chop' instead of transitioning with weave or braids or gradually growing out your relaxer?
J: Well, I actually did transition. For 8 months. My original goal was to transistion for one year, but once I hit the 8 month mark I finally decided I was ready, and cut the rest of the permed ends off myself.

BGLH: your hair grew pretty fast in your early days. can you talk about the styles, products and hair care techniques that you recommend for naturals trying to grow out their hair?
J: I usually wore alot of wash n go's/shake n go's. Once my hair got a little longer I started getting it braided in the front and then doing a twistout in the back. I also wore my hair in alot of twist that I would pin up in different ways. If you leave your hair alone, and do low manipulation styles...I find that this is the best method to stimulate hair growth.

BGLH: you mentioned in your early albums that your mom helped to do your hair sometimes. was she supportive?
J: She wasn't too keen on the idea at the beginning, but at the end of the day she was always there for me.

BGLH: you also mentioned that your boyfriend didn't always like your natural hair? what was up with that?
J: It was his opinion. He didnt like it. He met me with long relaxed hair and he just didnt understand. I think we sometimes go wrong when we expect everyone to love and embrace our hair. But that's just not reality. Everyone will not like your hair. Everyone will not love your hair the way you/we do. And I think that's something alot of women who are natural or who are thinking about going natural should know. People get really discouraged and down when a family member or loved one doesnt appreciate their hair. I have been one of them. But I've come to terms with the fact that everyone won't like my hair. My boyfriend didnt (and I still have the same boyfriend. lol). But once he came with me to a few hair meetings, he began to understand. Now, he loves my hair. He loves to play in it and when he sees someone with natural hair he gets just as excited as I do. It's one thing to say I dont really like something but can still respect it, and it's another to say you don't like and constantly say negative things every chance you get.

BGLH: you said in your early albums that you had to kick some people out of your life as a result of you going natural. can you talk a lil about that?
J: I had to come to terms that some people wouldnt like my hair. And I'm okay with that, but if someone is constantly putting you down. Saying negative things to bring you down and hurt your spirit...all in the name of hair....then I dont need that person in my life. lol. If all you have to say is I look like slave with my itty bitty twists then dont let the door hit you too hard! lol. This was back when I first cut my hair, its amazing how many mouths I'm picking up off the floor when they see me today. And I'm loving it :)

Janeezy's photos (more to come in the second interview)



thoughts?

micro-rows with twistout

this is janeezy. i'll be profiling her in the coming days... here's a dope style for now.

the end of a love affair... aka why i don't use elasta qp mango butter anymore...

maybe you shook your head silently at the screen, maybe you smiled faintly and said to yourself, 'i'll let her have her moment.'

i don't know how you reacted to my multiple rants about the benefits of elasta qp mango butter, but my love affair with the stuff has come to a bitter end.

it started with the research for my foray into all-natural hair care. the plan was to do a clarifying rinse, a protein treatment and a deep conditioner. well, guess what? i don't NEED a protein treatment, because i dump protein into my hair every day when i apply elasta qp mango butter.

i don't know if it was genuine obliviousness or just denial, but i ignored the fact that my hair felt hard soon after i applied the stuff. virtuous jewel mentioned something about over-proteining (just made up that word) the hair. but i guess i overlooked it -- or felt it didn't apply to me.

so what makes elasta qp mango butter so proteiny? i looked up the ingredients and i *think* it's the hydrolyzed silk, which is derived from silk protein. too much protein in the hair causes it to become stiff and hard, and that rigidity causes it to break.

incidentally, i had recently discovered that every time i run my hands through my hair, teeny, fine bits of hair come out. i mean, my hair is still growing very well, and the shedding is nothing compared to my flat-ironing days, but i was still wondering why my supposedly uber-moisturized hair was still shedding.

so that's it. i'm on a search for a new daily moisturizer. i do plan on using up my last 2 containers of elasta qp before i move on. (you know, gotta reminisce on the good times...) i was also thinking perhaps i could use elasta qp mango butter as a protein treatment.

in any case, i'm headed to the natural food store this afternoon to buy the ingredients for my now amended all-natural haircare regimen: a clarifying wash and a deep conditioner (with NO protein treatment.)

thoughts...

some friday fun

so i was thinking the other day that i often derive joy from my napps... so i (very randomly) compiled a list of top-7 feelings of natural hair.

1. new growth at the base of a twist or braid
2. four words: my hairline -- it's back
3. when the bf plays in my hair, i don't have to worry about a track or extension falling out
4. no more burn marks from hot comb accidents
5. when i take my big hair out in public, ppl admire
6. when my hair is moisturized it reveals it's true texture -- tiny springing coils i never thought i had (they were there all along, through all the flat ironing, all the weaving, screaming "please! give me a chance!")
7. when i walk on the street, i don't look like everybody else


you might not agree with the ranking, and you might have your own 'best feelings' to add. so please...

climbing deeper into this natural ish

i'm going to take my tresses where they've never gone before: through an all-natural clarifying and conditioning process.

yes, ladies, you'll recall that one of my hair new year's resolutions was to wean myself off of traditional shampoo. well, that was pretty easy (and anti-climatic.) i did an apple cider vinegar rinse a couple weeks after new years and was like "oh... ok... mission accomplished i guess."

so i'm climbing even deeper into this natural ish.

over the next few days i will look up recipes for natural clarifying, protein strengthening and conditioning treatments. and i'm going to try it all on my hair. i plan on doing a post to share the research i found on which natural ingredients to use, and why.

now, it won't be perfect. yeh i've been natural for 2 years. but i consider myself a newbie because i was lazy as hell the first year. so i still have much to uncover.

that's the thing with natural hair... there's so much to learn. it never ends. you just get pulled deeper and deeper in, until you look around and find yourself burning incense, rocking a dashiki and listening to goapele.

JUST kidding!

in any case, i don't know if this will actually be done this upcoming weekend (i work on sundays... boo!!!) but it will definitely be within the next week. so, stay tuned. and wish me and my hair luck!

oh, oh... and if you have any recipe suggestions, feel free to post them below.

new to the natural movement: ariel!

ok, so i'm starting a new series called "questions from a newbie." basically i want newbies to get in on the interview action. they might not have loads of haircare experience, but their stories of transition are pretty cool.

each interview will end with a question. and it's on you to give the newbie the advice she or (in rare cases) he needs. so here goes. our first newbie is ariel.



BGLH: where are you from? where you reppin?
A: Im from Detroit, however I live in Chicago...so I'll rep both!

BGLH: when did you go natural and why?
A: I actually went natural in nov of 06 until about febuary of 07, and then I chopped it all off and permed it! I KNOW!!! But I went natural the first time at 16 because my sister was and even though I had only had a relaxer for 4 years I didn't really know my true texture. Not the right reasons i think, that's why I relaxed it again. This time I did it because I wanted to feel beautiful, and be myself.

BGLH: what products/ingredients do you use? why?
A: I swear by shea butter, and Organix Shea Butter conditioner. I'm not really using shampoo, but I do regular apple cider vinegar rinses to cleanse my scalp. I'm still experimenting with a lot of things. I'm gonna go buy the Oyin line and see how that works for me. I'm currently using Vitale leave in conditioner and its kind of watery. My hair thrives more with creamy, rich conditioners so I will be getting rid of that soon. I also put EVOO in my hair pre-co-wash. thats about it. Im open to suggestions!

BGLH: what products/ingredients do you stay away from? why?
A: Because it has been DRILLED in me from hair care forums everywhere, anything with any type alcohol (except Cetyl), mineral oils, all the stuff on your black list pretty much. Thanks for that by the way.

BGLH: what mistakes have you made in your natural journey that you've learned from?
A: Relaxing it again. the first time I went natural, I didn't know how to take care of it, so I got bored with the ONE style; a matted puff, with the occasional blow out. My mistake was not educating myself and not being patient because I had AMAZING growth, before I relapsed back to the "Creamy Crack" as most would call it. I have learned that patience and self love, leads to happy hair!

BGLH: what techniques do you use for combing and washing your hair?
A: For my co-washs i put the conditioner in and massage my scalp for about 5 minutes because my hair is only about 2 inches long, I can't do sections yet. its quite easy to saturate my hair with product so I do that in the shower. I use my wide tooth comb and try my best to comb from end to root with care. When I rinse, finger comb it. not much to it, but it does the trick. After that I seal the moisture with oil and Shea butter on my ends.

BGLH: how's the growth coming? is it growing?
A: I think its growing really well for it not being even a month after my BC! I'm very proud of it!

BGLH: what is your one burning question for natural veterans?
A: Whats a product that you use now you wish you had when you first BC'd?



alright ladies, drop the knowledge... and if you want to be next in the 'question from a newbie' series, email me at contro_versial@hotmail.com

the natural girl's reading list, part 2: chris rock's kids don't like their hair

they don't like their hair:



yes folks, chris rock's kids -- who can't be older than 8 -- already hate their hair (sound familiar?) so, like any good father would, c. rock did a documentary called "good hair" about black woman's struggles with hair. there's a lot i could say, but rock already did a good job breaking it down in this wall street journal interview... i also hear that the film kicked ass at the sundance film festival. it really touched me that his daughter's struggle with 'hair envy' sparked him to do the film. but it kind of broke my heart at the same time. they're so cute, and it's just sad. societal pressures are no respecter of wealth or fame.

i hope things are at least slightly different by the time my nappy-headed babies are born.

thoughts?

***update 1/26/2009***
i haven't been able to find any local screenings of this film :( i'll keep an eye out, tho.

the natural girl's reading list, part 1: michelle obama is natural?

okay, two articles were brought to my attention today. i'll post the first one here, the next in another post.

first off, michelle obama apparently doesn't use chemicals to straighten her hair. well, so says an article by the philadelphia inquirer. the article's author seems geeked about m. obama's 'natural status' but i'm a bit skeptical. i'm a fan of her style, but if she really was natural, we would have seen a napp by now. the only ones i've seen are by her hair line, probably because she needed a touch up. so i don't know if the article is saying m. obama doesn't use chemicals when she wants a straighter look, or she doesn't use chemicals at all. it's kind of vague.

the article references the man who did m. obama's hair for the aug. 2008 cover of ebony. i'm not going to front, it looked good.


especially after this feb. 2007 disaster (WHAT was ebony thinking?!?!?)


the story is kind of long... but i think it's a good read.
***

A silky mane draws raves and questions

By Elizabeth Wellington

From the moment Michelle Obama took the podium Monday night at the Pepsi Center in Denver, her tresses brushing her shoulders in a soft flip with silky edges, black women across the country wanted to know: Who did her hair?

Was she fresh from the chair? What kind of relaxer does she use? Did Oprah lend her Andre?

Sure, she moved us with her patriotic speech. And we teared when she recounted her first child's ride home from the hospital, with a nervous Barack driving.

But we couldn't help but notice the hair - in all its perfection.

So here you have it. The big news is that Michelle is a no-lye lady.

It may not seem like a big deal, but black women for centuries have been trying to get that hair nirvana - without chemicals.

***so straight hair is hair nirvana?***

After the much-talked-about purple Maria Pinto sheath Obama wore when Barack clinched and the White House/Black Market sundress that sold out in hours after her appearance on The View, we have more reason to pay attention to our potential first lady's style choices.

Her heavenly mane is blown out by Johnny Wright, a California-based stylist at Frédéric Fekkai on Melrose Place.

Wright, a consultant for Soft Sheen Carson, works his magic on Anita Baker, Vivica A. Fox and Vanessa Williams. He met Obama after he styled her hair for the cover of Ebony magazine.

The news first broke that Wright was Obama's stylist on BellaSugar.com in late July. New York magazine picked up the story as well, insinuating Obama was snooty for requesting her stylist travel with her to the convention. (Isn't that the right of a potential first lady?)

While Fekkai has been reluctant recently to talk about Obama's hair, citing privacy issues, company spokeswoman Denise Davila did say that her hair was blown out by Wright and that he did not use chemicals in her hair. And yesterday morning, the Today show did a segment touting Frédéric Fekkai products.

The bigger question is: How is this mane magic possible? Can black women have such a silky look without chemicals at all?

***so straight hair has gone from nirvana to magical?***

"It is totally possible to have hair that straight without having a relaxer," explained Brandy Davila (no relation to Denise), hairstylist and color specialist at Bubbles Salon on Walnut Street. Davila styles the 10! Show's Lori Wilson, an African American anchorwoman with a sleek style similar to Obama's.

"The key is in the products and the tools that are being used," Davila said.

Davila said that in the last five years, more black women who wear their hair straight are moving away from relaxers because they desire more movement. Women with color-treated hair also are moving away from chemical straighteners because of breakage issues.

To get the look, Davila said, she shampoos and conditions hair, then applies a dime-size amount of Phytodefrisant and Phytolisse cocktail. These two products, she said, protect the hair from the heat of the blow dryer and help with shine.

After that, Davila said, the hair is blown out under low heat with a paddle brush. To get the maximum body, straightness and curl, Davila uses a flat iron, which gets as hot as 400 degrees. Right now the most popular flat irons in the black haircare market are Chi and Fhi irons.

"These irons let you control the heat," Davila said.

Davila said the style could last from three to six days, depending on the humidity.

A blow-out at her salon ranges from $45 to $65.
***

natural hair remedy: herbal teas

inspired by bublnbrnsuga, i did some research on the benefits of herbal teas for natural hair. i know teas are most familiarly known for coloring, but here are some other uses.

CONDITIONING
Herb leaves used to condition dry hair include comfrey, marsh mallow, stinging nettles, parsley and sage; plus burdock root and elder flowers. Herbs for greasy hair are horsetail, lemon balm, mints, rosemary, southernwood, witchhazel and yarrow; plus calendula petals, lavender and lemon juice.

TO ADD BODY AND LUSTRE
These include goosegrass, horsetail, parsley, rosemary, sage, southernwood, stinging nettle and watercress; plus calendula petals, lime flowers and nasturtium.

FOR OILY HAIR
...There are a few essential oils that discourage oil production by the scalp. These are cedarwood, lemon, lemongrass or sage (conditioner). Diluted lemon juice as well. You can add one drop of patchouli essential oil to your daily dose of shampoo also. Vinegar hair rinses discourage dandruff and keep oily hair in check. If vinegar isn't up your alley, then try rinsing with sage tea - it helps reduce dandruff and excess oil as well.

HAIR COLORING
Prepare a strong tea of chamomile for a light hair rinse. Burdock leaf tea cleanses the system and helps give the hair additional shine from within or topically. Nettle juice cleanses the system and provides help for lackluster skin and hair. Rhubarb root tea rinse will lighten light brown or faded blonde hair.

STIMULATING HAIR GROWTH
A hot oil treatment may be something you will want to try. They can bring back shine to damaged hair but not always restore flexibility and bounce however. Simply add 2 oz jojoba oil (or witch hazel, aloe juice or neem oil) and 30 drops of lavender, rosemary or even sandalwood (applied to dry ends of hair is helpful but fragrance lasts for hours). Warm it up and then apply to hair. Put a cap on and then rinse off one to two hours later with shampoo.

this information is from www.holisticbeauty.net

thoughts?

bublnbrnsuga, the second half

here's the second half of the bublnbrnsuga interview (the first half sparked loads of discussion.) this part includes info on her haircare products & regimen. enjoy!

BGLH: how long were you natural before you relaxed?
B: 6 years.

BGLH: you have a great regimen, where did you LEARN all this stuff?
B: Bits and pieces from several websites, mainly lhcf, naturallycurl, happycurls and nappturality.

BGLH: describe your regimen.
B: When I was natural, I only combed my hair after washing and conditioning it and this ranged from 3 times to once weekly. I would deep cleanse with Apple Cider Vinegar and sometimes with bentonite clay. I really didn't have a time table when I was natural. I like bentonite because it makes me feel like a kitchentician!

BGLH: you said you like your natural frizz, why?
B: Frizz on natural hair adds character and for some of us, frizz is inevitable. Might as well embrace it when all you've done to rid yourself from it doesn't work!

BGLH: do you have a moisturizer you use regularly? what are its ingredients?
B: I use castor oil all over.

BGLH: you use teas on your hair. how and why?
B: When natural, I used teas to freshen bed head every morning. I use Sage, Chamomile, Rosemary, Blue Malva, Horsetail, those types of teas.

Bublnbrnsuga's photos




sounds like a simple but effective regimen. what are your thoughts?

from D.C. ... final part

okay, these were the crowds at 5:00 a.m. ... the inauguration ceremony started at noon.




people were using handwarmers, feetwarmers, blankets, or just huddling together to stay warm. it was in the low 30s, but with wind chill it felt like 10 to 15 degrees!!!


the FBI/Secret Service were NOT playing games... there were sharp shooters on the roofs of multiple buildings


the navy, marines and air force formed a pathway for b. obama's motorcade to go through


the motorcade... barbara bush looked salty, m. obama looked kind of nervous, joe and jill biden were smiling all goofy, and i didn't catch a glimpse of b. obama or dubya


waiting for obama to pass on the parade route



waiting for obama





sadly, i was too far away to glimpse the actual swearing in ceremony... and i didn't stay for the parade because, by that time, i had been standing with near-frozen toes for more than 8 hours. sorry ladies, but i HAD to go home. luckily i got a little taste of the parade when the dunbar high school band passed by my window yesterday morning.

but i did peep this. i saw a natural girl standing under an american flag. i told the bf "take a picture, take a picture!" she moved, so we couldn't get a great shot. but i still like the photo. i really hope that, over time, black women can
weave themselves more positively into the fabric of american culture. hopefully this obama victory signals the beginning of that process.

from D.C. ... part 2

i woke up this morning to the sound of drums. when i walked out the front door there was a marching band literally passing by the door step. apparently, they're a D.C. high school marching band that is performing in the inauguration parade tomorrow. the bf caught some photos...






okay, today was the day before the inauguration, and there were already *thousands* of people trying to scout a place to view the parade and ceremony tomorrow. peep this...



lil dude being patriotic


this was a dope poster. someone had put these up all over d.c. they have a picture of michelle obama with the words "the rock." i grabbed one... DEF going to frame this!


my goofy bf, the photographer.

long thick natural hair to... long thick relaxed hair?

so, it's interesting how this ties in with our recent discussion on relaxed hair. bublnbrnsuga has some of the thickest, longest and most beautiful natural hair i've ever seen. well, had. she chose to relax (motions lye relaxer) in october 2008.

her hair is gorgeous both ways. but i was surprised she relaxed, since i felt she had the best of both worlds — the health of natural hair with the option to straighten if she wanted a relaxed look. so, i asked her about it...

BGLH: was this your first relaxer? were you relaxed before?
B: My first relaxer was in 1998, my second year in college. I snuck behind my mother's back and got an Affirm relaxer. She was not happy!!

BGLH: why did you do it again after going natural?
B: I was at a standstill with my natural hair or so I thought. I was not at my official goal length afer 6 years of being natural. My hair at this time would just hang — no personality. To remedy this, I knew I would have to cut my hair but at the time, I didn't want cutting my hair to be a mainstay as a natural. So I sacrificed hair length over health and relaxed. I thought this time, from me being a part of haircare forums, I would know how to manage relaxed hair better than before.

BGLH: so now you're transitioning back to natural. i know you mentioned something about straight hair frizz... which interested me because you said that you liked your natural frizz. you also mentioned shedding. could you elaborate?
B: Yes, when I was natural I embraced the frizz because my main styles were wild and free. As a relaxed head, my styles are mainly straight with body, but along with this comes frizz. It defeats the purpose of relaxed hair when all it does is frizz. My hair has been shedding a lot, too. I can comb my hair daily with my K-Cutter and long strands will come out. Sometimes I can just rub my hair and I will get a few strands this way,too. Some say it's normal because the hair sheds daily, but I wasn't sure.

BGLH: what is your plan for transitioning back to natural?
B: This time I am going to transition for 10 months and chop. I have been going to the beauty shop weekly to get rollerwraps, to maintain my relaxed hair look.

Bublnbrnsuga's photos
NATURAL

RELAXED


the frizz (according to bublnbrnsuga)

interesting stuff. i also asked her about her haircare regimen when she was natural, but i'll post those responses in a few days. (here's the link to her fotki page to get your own sneak preview.) for now, i want to hear what you think. and again, all views are welcome.