Glycerin is a colorless, thick liquid which absorbs water from the air and comes from a animal or vegetable fats. Because it attracts moisture to the hair and skin it is found in most hair and skin care products. Why is glycerin so important? It helps feed our curls the moisture it so deserves. Glycerin helps reduce frizz and provides flexibility to the curls.
Use glycerin in shampoos to add moisture to them, you can also use it in a spray bottle with water as the other component.
I recently bought Africare 100% Glycerin. I used it before I washed my hair, in conjunction with lavender water in a spray bottle, my hair was really soft, it still is. You don't need to throw away the products that didn't work for you (as long as they don't have petroleum/mineral oil in them) you can add a bit of glycerin and see if it works for you then. Try it!
Some products with glycerin:
Conditioners:
Qhemet Biologics Amla & Olive Heavy Cream
Qhemet Biologics Olive Cream Conditioning Instant Detangler
MyHoneyChild Coconut Hair Milk $18.00
Oyin Honey-Hemp Conditioner $9.00
Styling:
Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding $7.00
Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue $7.00
Curl Junkie CoffeeCoco Curl Creme $12.00
Curl Junkie Curl Fuel $8.00
Curl Junkie Curly Boost $8.00
20.7.07
1.7.07
Uninformed people
Today, some friends and I were talking about one of their baby daughter's (hair) beautiful curls. She has good hair they said and I really took offense to that and the mother said her daughter doesn't have nappy hair and how she has somewhat nappy hair.
This really pissed me off. I don't understand people and their misconceptions or why they don't delve deep into what's real. As long as hair is healthy it will be beautiful, you don't need to label hair as good or bad. Just like you can't call someone evil, you can only call their actions or words hurtful or evil not her/him. I guess we are conditioned to give things and people one word feelings/emotions but that helps no one better themselves. And it's hard to go from saying "oh, you're clumsy" to saying "you're acting clumsy", because we are for the most part not taught to speak like that.
I think when we better the way we talk to ourselves and to others then we can change who we are and what we are. Learning to let go of the every day words we say to ourselves and to others can help us realize that we don't have to stay the same, that change is possible even though at times it's scary. I'm scared of change sometimes, but it's a normal process, every day the weather is different and so should we be.
This really pissed me off. I don't understand people and their misconceptions or why they don't delve deep into what's real. As long as hair is healthy it will be beautiful, you don't need to label hair as good or bad. Just like you can't call someone evil, you can only call their actions or words hurtful or evil not her/him. I guess we are conditioned to give things and people one word feelings/emotions but that helps no one better themselves. And it's hard to go from saying "oh, you're clumsy" to saying "you're acting clumsy", because we are for the most part not taught to speak like that.
I think when we better the way we talk to ourselves and to others then we can change who we are and what we are. Learning to let go of the every day words we say to ourselves and to others can help us realize that we don't have to stay the same, that change is possible even though at times it's scary. I'm scared of change sometimes, but it's a normal process, every day the weather is different and so should we be.
19.6.07
Apple Cider Vinegar a s a natural hair care product
I use Apple Cider Vinegar (found at health food store) to cleanse my body, I put 2 tablespoons in a glass of water and drink this almost every day (all throughout the day). I have lost some weight which I contribute to drinking apple cider vinegar and I feel better and look better.
However, apple cider vinegar can also be used to clean the hair, and remove buildup in the scalp.
To find some vinegar hair recipes check out this site that is all about the uses of Apple Cider Vinegar.
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/natural-hair-care-product.html
An example of what this site has to offer:
Apple Cider Vinegar and Dandruff
The acids and enzymes in ACV kill the "bottle bacillus", a bacteria that is one of the causes for many scalp and hair conditions such as dandruff, itchy scalp, hair loss and often baldness.The bacteria clogs hair follicles allowing dry crusts to form that itch and flake.
For a simple home treatment for dandruff and itchy scalp, apply full strength ACV to the scalp, rub in, and leave on for a half hour to an hour before washing your hair.
For an extra strength natural hair care product, apple cider vinegar can be infused with herbs such as stinging nettle, southernwood, goosegrass, plantain and burdock root all of which help prevent dandruff on their own. Tea tree oil is another excellent natural anti-dandruff ingredient, which can be added.
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/natural-hair-care-product.html
However, apple cider vinegar can also be used to clean the hair, and remove buildup in the scalp.
To find some vinegar hair recipes check out this site that is all about the uses of Apple Cider Vinegar.
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/natural-hair-care-product.html
An example of what this site has to offer:
Apple Cider Vinegar and Dandruff
The acids and enzymes in ACV kill the "bottle bacillus", a bacteria that is one of the causes for many scalp and hair conditions such as dandruff, itchy scalp, hair loss and often baldness.The bacteria clogs hair follicles allowing dry crusts to form that itch and flake.
For a simple home treatment for dandruff and itchy scalp, apply full strength ACV to the scalp, rub in, and leave on for a half hour to an hour before washing your hair.
For an extra strength natural hair care product, apple cider vinegar can be infused with herbs such as stinging nettle, southernwood, goosegrass, plantain and burdock root all of which help prevent dandruff on their own. Tea tree oil is another excellent natural anti-dandruff ingredient, which can be added.
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/natural-hair-care-product.html
14.6.07
State of the Black Hair Care Industry
Article from treasuredlocks.com
Black women outspend other women by a factor of two to six times (depending on which source you believe) when it comes to hair care. While we represent less than 10% of the population, we spend most of the money spent on hair care in this country. A black woman will take care of her hair- no matter what the cost. Hair care is deeply embedded in our culture as India.Arie so eloquently described in “I Am Not My Hair”. This is tremendous spending power that is being spent largely outside of our community. The vast majority of the money spent by black women on their hair is going to large white-owned corporations, and to Asians who have effectively cornered the market on distribution and retail of black hair care products. As a black owned company servicing the black community, this is something we are obviously interested in and concerned about. How did things get this way? Is there anything we can do about it? Should we do something about it? Why should you even care? In this article, we will address all of these questions.
The first question we will address is "Why should you care?" If you're getting the products you need at a good price, should you be concerned with who you are buying them from? This needs to be considered from two perspectives. First, there is the cost/benefit to you of doing something different than what you are doing today. Secondly, there is your responsibility, if any, to the community.
We established Treasured Locks in April of 2002 because we simply could not find high quality products for African Americans in our neighborhood or city. Living in a largely white area, when we went to the local drug stores and grocery stores to find products, we found a huge variety of products for Caucasians, ranging from poor quality to pretty good and some even very good. But, when it came to African-American beauty products, we found an extremely limited selection and the products that were on the shelves were mostly full of cheap fillers. Even the local beauty supply store sent us to the "Asian beauty supply stores" located in the Black neighborhoods. When we ventured over to the Asian beauty supply stores, we found not much better quality (if any better) products and a lack of service. The people behind the counter knew nothing about our hair care needs and concerns. Wanting the best products for our hair and skin, we chose not to settle for the inferior products we were being offered and turned to an alternative source (the Internet) to get a greater selection. Today, after having had our business for a few years, we receive emails from women on a daily basis thanking us for providing them good information on their hair and skin care needs and for providing them with choices of products that are actually good for them. We also find that even with brands such as Black Opal that are distributed nationally, that many local stores don't carry the entire line or have dropped Black Opal entirely. Women write to us thanking us for making these products available to them again. Our customers have found that they can have choices not being offered in their local stores by shopping with us. They have also found that they can find experts to talk with who share their experiences and can give them advice.
If you can find the products you need (quality and selection) at your local Asian Beauty Supply store, should you go out of your way to buy them somewhere else? How far should you go? How much more should you pay? Only you can answer those questions. A running poll on BOBSA shows that most of the women who answer the poll say they will make at least some effort to buy from black owned companies. But, polls are often skewed simply by who the people are being polled. The women answering the poll on BOBSA's site are a.) on the Internet and b.) on a website all about trying to improve the situation of Black Suppliers in the beauty industry. We think that skews the results. Our intuition tells us the broader population buys from the source that is the least expensive and most convenient. And, more than ninety percent of the time that is going to be the Asian Beauty Supply store on the corner or the White-owned grocery or drug store.
To finish reading the rest of the article go to:
http://www.treasuredlocks.com/black-hair-care-industry.html
Black women outspend other women by a factor of two to six times (depending on which source you believe) when it comes to hair care. While we represent less than 10% of the population, we spend most of the money spent on hair care in this country. A black woman will take care of her hair- no matter what the cost. Hair care is deeply embedded in our culture as India.Arie so eloquently described in “I Am Not My Hair”. This is tremendous spending power that is being spent largely outside of our community. The vast majority of the money spent by black women on their hair is going to large white-owned corporations, and to Asians who have effectively cornered the market on distribution and retail of black hair care products. As a black owned company servicing the black community, this is something we are obviously interested in and concerned about. How did things get this way? Is there anything we can do about it? Should we do something about it? Why should you even care? In this article, we will address all of these questions.
The first question we will address is "Why should you care?" If you're getting the products you need at a good price, should you be concerned with who you are buying them from? This needs to be considered from two perspectives. First, there is the cost/benefit to you of doing something different than what you are doing today. Secondly, there is your responsibility, if any, to the community.
We established Treasured Locks in April of 2002 because we simply could not find high quality products for African Americans in our neighborhood or city. Living in a largely white area, when we went to the local drug stores and grocery stores to find products, we found a huge variety of products for Caucasians, ranging from poor quality to pretty good and some even very good. But, when it came to African-American beauty products, we found an extremely limited selection and the products that were on the shelves were mostly full of cheap fillers. Even the local beauty supply store sent us to the "Asian beauty supply stores" located in the Black neighborhoods. When we ventured over to the Asian beauty supply stores, we found not much better quality (if any better) products and a lack of service. The people behind the counter knew nothing about our hair care needs and concerns. Wanting the best products for our hair and skin, we chose not to settle for the inferior products we were being offered and turned to an alternative source (the Internet) to get a greater selection. Today, after having had our business for a few years, we receive emails from women on a daily basis thanking us for providing them good information on their hair and skin care needs and for providing them with choices of products that are actually good for them. We also find that even with brands such as Black Opal that are distributed nationally, that many local stores don't carry the entire line or have dropped Black Opal entirely. Women write to us thanking us for making these products available to them again. Our customers have found that they can have choices not being offered in their local stores by shopping with us. They have also found that they can find experts to talk with who share their experiences and can give them advice.
If you can find the products you need (quality and selection) at your local Asian Beauty Supply store, should you go out of your way to buy them somewhere else? How far should you go? How much more should you pay? Only you can answer those questions. A running poll on BOBSA shows that most of the women who answer the poll say they will make at least some effort to buy from black owned companies. But, polls are often skewed simply by who the people are being polled. The women answering the poll on BOBSA's site are a.) on the Internet and b.) on a website all about trying to improve the situation of Black Suppliers in the beauty industry. We think that skews the results. Our intuition tells us the broader population buys from the source that is the least expensive and most convenient. And, more than ninety percent of the time that is going to be the Asian Beauty Supply store on the corner or the White-owned grocery or drug store.
To finish reading the rest of the article go to:
http://www.treasuredlocks.com/black-hair-care-industry.html
6.6.07
What's your hair type?
Andre Walker, author of "Andre Talks Hair," came up with a hair classification system that is the most popular one used when referencing hair. He references four hair types as follows: Type 1: Straight hair that won't hold a curl. Type 1A is fine and thin, type 1B is medium textured, type 1C is coarse. Type 2: Wavy hair. Type 2A is fine and thin, type 2B is medium textured, type 2C is coarse. Type 3: Curly hair with soft smooth curls. Type 3A has loose curls, type 3B has a medium amount of curl. Type 4: Kinky or very tightly curled hair. This hair is very fragile. Type 4A is tightly coiled in a S pattern (like ringlets). Type 4B is in a Z pattern, and the hair bends at angles. To determine your hair type look at 1 inch or more of untreated hair (hair that has not been chemically processed or straightened) and see where it falls.
http://myblackhairjourney.bravejournal.com/entry/19677/
My hair is weird, I believe it is 4A/B but thin.
19.5.07
Why can't my hair grow?
On many groups and fotki albums we hear about women who after one year of being napptural (natural) have had great hair growth, but some of us wait and wait for that to happen to us but it hasn't happened yet. What do we do?
I have been natural for, I really don't know. I never counted, it wasn't really a big decision until after I started trying to style my natural hair. It's probably been about 3 years. I still don't even have shoulder length hair and I'm ok with that now because I realize where my problem lies.
1. I pull on my knots and rip them sometimes and I tug on my hair when I'm nervous (usually during class or a test).
2. I don't eat vegetables that much. I don't even eat the recommended servings for a day in a week.
3. I used to wash my hair with harsh products and/or use many different products week to week.
4. Washed my hair too infrequently.
5. Daily life was very stressful.
6. Don't ever get enough sleep.
7. Ate high in fat foods
8. Didn't moisturize hair as much in the week.
9. Trimmed it a lot in the beginning.
Wow, that's a lot. I take responsibility for my hair not growing enough and so should all of you out there who look up to those women who have beautiful, growing, natural hair because they take responsibility and do something about it.
I have been natural for, I really don't know. I never counted, it wasn't really a big decision until after I started trying to style my natural hair. It's probably been about 3 years. I still don't even have shoulder length hair and I'm ok with that now because I realize where my problem lies.
1. I pull on my knots and rip them sometimes and I tug on my hair when I'm nervous (usually during class or a test).
2. I don't eat vegetables that much. I don't even eat the recommended servings for a day in a week.
3. I used to wash my hair with harsh products and/or use many different products week to week.
4. Washed my hair too infrequently.
5. Daily life was very stressful.
6. Don't ever get enough sleep.
7. Ate high in fat foods
8. Didn't moisturize hair as much in the week.
9. Trimmed it a lot in the beginning.
Wow, that's a lot. I take responsibility for my hair not growing enough and so should all of you out there who look up to those women who have beautiful, growing, natural hair because they take responsibility and do something about it.
Natural Hair Help. * BLOG DESIGN BY Labinastudio.