Supermarket Finds For Your Curls!

Things You Can Buy

 at the Supermarket 

For your Curls!

One popular question is, “What items can I buy at the supermarket for my hair?”

Make  your next run to the grocery, A curly success! 

Here is a list of Oils, and products that you can buy at the supermarket, and use on your hair.  

Add/seal Moisture

Coconut Oil

Coconut Water

Banana

Avocado Oil

Grape seed Oil

Honey

Sunflower Oil

Sesame Oil

Crisco*

Olive Oil

EVOO

Vegetable glycerin

Flax Seeds

Aloe

Aloe Gel

Cleansing

Spring water

Lemon/ lemon juice

Black tea

Rose water

Bacon soda

Yogurt

Apple Cider Vinegar

Strengthen

Carrot Oil

Mayo

Eggs

Aloe Gel

Avocado

Almond oil

Anti-itch / styling

Peppermint Oil

Flax Seeds

Ginger

 What are Your MUST HAVES from the Supermarket?  

Protection From Your Protection?

Protective style Maintenance 

Curly  Micro Braids

Protective styles allow your strands go weeks without manipulation damage.  However naturals must make sure to care for the curls underneath the style.  My 1^st year natural I spent much of that time with my hair in protective styles. Here are my top tip for having a successful protective style.

Too often I hear of people complain that a protective style ruined their hair. Follow these tips to save your strands, grow that hair, and give yourself a break from daily styling.

Tip 1

Moisturize | Before  | During | After

For curly girls, moisture equals soft healthy hair. Be sure to moisturize your hair prior to styling. Before I twist or braid my hair I deep condition, and seal with heavy creams and butters.  I also make sure to keep my curls hydrated, spraying my ends, and/or oiling my scalp every 2-3 days while my hair is protected. Only thing protective styling gives you a break from; is styling. You should still continue a moisture routine with your protective style. Moisture is also the key to a successful low shedding take down. I use my water based homemade mist to moisturize my strand as I take down the style. I also use the mist to loosen and remove any lint tangled in my hair.  Since using water based moisturizer, while taking down my styles I notice less shedding, and easier detangling after wearing protective styles for weeks.

Tip 2

Check the Tension, Check the heat, or do your own dirty work.

Your hairstyle should not hurt. If it does, follow these tips when Hair Too Tight? Save yourself a headache, and speak up while the style is being installed. If you are uncomfortable while in the chair, you will be uncomfortable at home.  Many styles require the stylist to straighten or stretch your hair. Be sure the hairdresser is treating your hair with love. Use heat protectants, and cooler settings ALWAYS.  If detangling your hair requires special skills, I suggest you arrive at the salon with the dirty work already done. I confess, detangling my hair is a Job in itself; sometimes I rather pay someone to deal with it.  But I rather save my stands, and gently finger detangle my strands myself.  I don’t use combs or brushes. I have not tried to tell a hairdresser to finger detangle, I may try that as an experiment, and see their reaction…

Tip 3

Don’t overdo it

I know protective styles can be an addiction. There are just so many options! Braids, twists, weaves, wigs, buns, and so on. Be sure to know when it is time to let the style go. Micro braids, when worn too long, can pull the hairline, causing hair loss.  Weaves can block the scalp, preventing you from moisturizing it well, or itch. Some brands of extensions can strip the hair of moisture no matter how much you moisturize.  Be sure to switch up the type of protective style you get. 







You May Also Like:

Low Manipulation Hairstyles for Curly Hair

Top 7 Countdown | Hair Accessories

The Top 7 

Countdown

The only thing that makes perfect, ‘over the top’ curls better is, Gorgeous Accessories!

IndigenousCurls counts down the top 7 hair accessories for natural hair

Coming in at #7 is the Hat

Who doesn't love a fly hat?!          Enough Said.

 

Coming in at #6 is the Head band

From tapered cuts, to knee Length hair, Hair bands jazz up any hair style. They come in unlimited styles, materials, & colors so finding the prefect head band for the occasion is easy! 

Coming in next at #5 is the Simple Bow

These simple cuties, work great for children as well as the young & playful at heart.  There are nearly unlimited patterns and colors and sizes!

 

 

Coming in at number 4 is the Hair Ribbon

This little strip can hold up your pony, bun, and spice up almost any style, and can replace those disappearing scrunchies. 

 

 

 

#3 on the list is the Hair Flower

Pretty. Feminine. Simple. You can never go wrong with a flower! 

Coming in at # 2 is the Beenie 

Casual stylish elegance for just a few dollars. 

Instant swag: Priceless.

Number 1 on the list is the Hair Scarf

 

There are a million ways to tie it, and zillions of patterns, fabrics, and colors to choose from. The Ultimate bad hair day saver. Every curly girl should have at least 1.

 

SOUND OFF! What is your favorite hair accessory? How do you Jazz up your curls? How do you save a bad hair day? Share with Us! 

All photos credit Tumblr 

Top 8 Ways to Close Your Cuticles & Trap Moisture

Top 8 Ways to Close Your Cuticles

& 

Trap Moisture 

Is your hair difficult to manage. Does your strands tangle easily? Is your hair a nightmare to detangle?  Are you constantly fighting frizz? Does your hair have difficulties keeping wash day moisture? Your hair cuticles may be to blame.





Your Hair Cuticle 

The hair cuticle is the outermost part of the hair shaft made up of dead cells that protect the inner structure of the hair and give hair strength. It looks very much like overlapping layers of roof shingles.

When the cuticle is lying flat or closed it allows light to be reflected off the surface giving hair a natural sheen. Since curly hair grows in a curvaceous manner, the cuticle is less likely to lie flat, which makes it more difficult to reflect light and maintain shine. Think of curving a shingled roof – the shingles begin to separate and open up.

An open cuticle also causes moisture to escape from the inner structure of the hair, causing hair to become dryer and coarser in feeling. A closed cuticle is a happy cuticle.

Top 8 Ways to close your cuticles and increase shine! 

1. Cool water rinse after conditioning
2. Apple cider vinegar treatment
3. Smooth products into the hair in a downward motion from root to end
4. Acidic hair products
5. Cold Air (winter months)
6. Rinsing your hair with warm water followed by applying a refrigerated leave in conditioner (my preference)
7. Acidic fruits. Vitamin C is acidic and has the added bonus of being an antioxidant. Natural sources of vitamin C include amla (Indian gooseberry), Roselle, lemon, lime and many other citrus fruits. Some of the berries that are acidic include cranberry, strawberry, raspberry etc. generally, fruits and berries that are less ripe tend to be more astringent.
8. Black Tea Rinse

Big Chop Update: Tedica

 

Big Chop Update: Tedica

Puff VS Protective Style

IndigenousCurls Catches up with Tedica! 

It's been 3 months since first meeting Tedica, who shared her big chop story with US.Her hair has been in Protective styles since the BC. She shares with Us how she successfully removes her protective style and updates us on her journey.

Before Big Chop VS 3months Post BC

 IndigenousCurls : What have you been up to? How are you handling your new do? What are your current concerns?

Tedica : Its been months since going natural. Surprisingly, I like it! I was a little worried at first, now Im   surprised by how much I actually like my hair. I would say my only issue with it is;  Length,  but I can see myself really  loving it maybe after about a year.

 IndigenousCurls :  What steps do take to remove your protective style and  maintain your hair?

   

Tedica’s Tips for  a Protective Style Take Down

when taking down a weave..

Step one: I have a friend cut the weave free using a small scissors.

Step two: I then took the braids out using my fingers. I rocked my braidout,  but it was just to uneven looking.

Step three: using a large comb and a bit of carrot oil, it was easy to detangle in small sections. After I completely comb through, I then use a scarf pulling it all back and tying the scarf around.

 

IndigenousCurls: Scarves & head wraps are all the rage this season. You really cant go wrong with them! There are so many ways to tie them, I love it!

Tedica:   I tried to do different looks but only came up with one that I was happy with.

IndigenousCurls: How are your friends and family reacting to your new do?

Tedica:  I was very surprised at the reactions of friends and family. I got a lot of positive feedback on the natural look! Honestly, it made me consider completely going natural.

IndigenousCurls: Last time we spoke you were not completely 'sold' on the natural hair movement. I'm so happy to hear you are falling in Love!

 Tedica: I surprised myself!   I actually like it more than I thought I would! Maybe after about a year I would be a little bit more comfortable being able to do different styles.

IndigenousCurls: Thank you for Sharing with Us! Im excited to continue to follow your journey.

Anyone out there reaching for Knee Length?!

Hair Goals

I always wanted bouncing shoulder length hair. For years my relaxed hair would always seem to “stop” growing just barely grazing my shoulders. Stuck in-between neck and shoulder length.  No matter what I tried, my hair was always stuck in a ‘mid length’ rut.  I hadn’t realized that my hair’s potential solely relied on me, and how consistent I was with a healthy routine.  In order to reach my hair goals, I set small goals that help me to reach my larger goal. My 1^st goal was to find a regimen I could stick to. It had to be easy, fast, and right for my dry/thick hair.

Since going natural I have updated my routine countless times. I alter my regimen depending on the weather,  my current style, and my current short term goals. I distract myself with challenges like, the no length check, JBCO challenge, and protective styling challenge.  These challenges allow me to focus on one aspect of a Healthy Hair Journey and stop obsessing over the larger goal (Awe inducing, jaw dropping, bigger than big, view blocking hair).

Almost 3 years into my journey  and  my hair is longer and healthier than ever. 

• o   My 1^st year my hair was Neck Length, I did a lot of protective styling & Buns
• o   My 2^nd Year my hair was Shoulder Length, I did a lot of protective styling & Braidouts
• o   As I’m coming closer to my 3^rd anniversary, my hair is just shy of Arm Pit Length, I’ve worn my hair in ‘out’ styles more often, and find I have to seal and moisturize more often.  I find myself reaching for  Head wraps on bad hair days.
• 
  

I’m currently Distracting myself with a JBCO Challenge, then I will jump into a protective style challenge, and the inversion  method challenge (Details to come). Today I have new hair goals, healthy Mid Back Length.   Share with us your hair goals! Anyone out there reaching for Knee Length?!

Protective Style Nightmare: Braids Too Tight!

Protective styles give your hair a break from daily styling and manipulation damage. Braids, twists, and buns are all great protective styles when done correctly. If your head hurts, it's because your hair is braided/pulled too tightly, or you have too much extension hair added. In either situation, this doesn't bode well for the future of your hairline. Avoid the unnecessary pain and hair loss with theses easy tips.

 Some braiders may tell you to take an aspirin and the pain should be gone by morning, but any pain is an indicator that something is wrong. If you have to lay down after getting your hair styled, your hair is too tight, and your scalp is at risk! 

A braider may braid tightly so that the style lasts as long as possible, which is what most of us want.  But tight tension is not good for your hair, hairline and scalp. Medium tension is best for fashioning braids; they may not last as long as  super tight braids, but your hairline will survive the style! 

If you're a victim of headache-inducing braids, what can you do?

• Tip 1: Soothe Them! Use warm water to loosen them. Take a shower and let the water cascade over your hair. You may need to gently rub your scalp with the pads of your fingers, to loosen the braids a little. This is not the time to worry about how much money you just spent and how much time it took to style these braids, so don't think about that. Concern yourself with loosening up this tight style and saving your hairline. Wear the hair in a loose low pony as it drys. Follow the warm water with cold  Aloe Gel to further soothe your irritated scalp. If 2 days have passed and you are still in pain move on tip #2.
• Tip 2: Remove them. Yes, remove any braids that are causing little angry bumps to pop up on your scalp, especially around your hair line.  This is not normal and can lead to Permanent hair loss down the road, especially if you make a habit of wearing tight braid styles. Do yourself a favor and see how your head feels when you're still in the stylist's chair. Does it hurt while she's braiding? Is there pain, even after she has moved on to the next braid? This is the time to ask her to ease up on your hair. Be vocal, and communicate your needs. Speak up! Its your money, and your head. It's much easier for her to take a step back and possibly redo the first few braids during your appointment than it will be to call her up and ask her to redo them later. Plus, let's face it: not all braiders are going to take kindly to second day phone calls and they may refuse to do them over.
• Tip 3: Moisturize and nourish. Be sure to treat your angry scalp with nourishing ointments and oils. JBCO, vitamin E, and coconut oil can all help with soothing your head, and growing back any lost hairs. 
• Tip 4: Hit the Road! Do not return to tight braiders: Some braiders are notoriously hard on hair. Once should be enough to tell you that this is someone who doesn't care about the health of your scalp. Goodbye!

You can take pain relievers, spritz your braids with soothing hair products, sleep sitting up like the Elephant Man if you like, but tight braids are tight braids. Traction alopecia (Hair loss due to tight hairstyles) is a serious issue in the kinky hair community and what makes it so tragic is that in the vast majority of cases, it's preventable. Don't let a temporary hairstyle trump your hair's health.

Where to Turn for Your Curl Questions?

When you have a problem, it seems like everyone has a solution.  Going natural, you will run into questions, and issues along your journey. If you're on the receiving end of advice, ask the person about their success (or failure) with the suggestions they're giving.P

Now, you don't want to be rude ("How did it work for you?" is more polite than "Oh, yeah? Prove it!"), but asking about their situation allows you to separate hard-earned experience from idle guesses.  Asking the right questions allows you to learn more about their perspective and figure things out for yourself:P

This simple change uncovers the usually hidden backstory of your advisors’ opinions and also allows you, as the listener, to benefit from their experience by drawing your own conclusions rather than feeling bullied, misguided or overwhelmed by their recommendations.P

Ideally, you'll get the best advice from those who have similar hair type and porosity, & have already achieved what you want in your journey. Unfortunately, there are people out there who love to help, but are barely able. Either because their hair is completely different from your own, or because they just simply give bad advice, not enough details, or depth behind the tutorial. By diving deeper  into the stories behind some advice, you may be able to separate the wheat from the cliché analogies and platitudes, and poor curl advice. 

Save your self a headache and be sure to do the following when seeking curl advice.

1. Are your strands similar? Both Type/texture and Porosity. 

2. Is their hair healthy?

3. How can I apply this to me?

4. Is this advice best for my hair?

5.  Be sure to constantly analyze advice and discontinue anything your hair rejects. 

6. Listen to your hair, she is constantly speaking. Be sure to answer with nourishment and kindness. 

The Beautiful Thing about Beauty

The beauty about beauty is that it’s subjective. We all crave and admire life from different perspectives.  This simple thought is something that many of us take for granted, very often, when it comes to hair. Many of us spend hours trying to craft the perfect style each and, every time. Allowing room for imperfections seems ludicrous. Primping, and panicking to ensure perfect ringlets, waves, smooth edges, and immaculate wash n go's.  But from the outside in, Beauty is in the imperfections. Even that crazy bushy, gravity defying hair is perfect. For example, Bantu Knots when done meticulously, you can have carbon copy curls that evoke envy for days, but a perfectly imperfect knot out is perfect within its own right.

Next time your hair is giving you a hard time, try going the way of "beautiful imperfection", I  set my Bantu Knots  with a Shea oil mix and let my hair do what it do. I love the clumped curls, slight frizz & ease of it all. Sometimes, I try to gather my hair into perfectly equal sections for perfectly equally over-sized twists, and it  can be daunting. One of the great things about curly hair is that even when we don’t have hair that comes out as exact as we had intended no one else around ever seems to notice. Even if you are obsessing  someone over your shoulder is admiring. To them your hair is awesome, cool and fabulous. When you throw "perfection" to the wind, you end up with the hair that strangers stop to tell you they wish they could have themselves.

Now get out the mirror, and go flaunt that perfectly, imperfect beauty! Just a couple of simple ingredients and a positive attitude about your hair can get you far. Messy hair is sexy and  imperfect curls, updos, braids and frizz is the real beauty of it all. You are already everything you need to be. You are, in fact, Everything. Breathe it all in.....