Rating Natural Hair Blogs on a scale of 1 to 5

I will now be rating natural hair blogs/websites.

I will be concerned about:

1. content
2. pictures
3. A feel of community
4. the look of the website: atmosphere
5. and other miscellaneous things that catch my eye
   

Curly Girl

I'm reading Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey and while I enjoy the tips and insight into how to properly care for curly hair and the different types, the chapter on African American curly hair was only 5 pages long excluding the Curly Girl Confessions while other chapters were a bit longer.

The book is very simple and the first step to being a curly girl is to throw out your shampoo! Which most of already do with the no-poo hair washing method. I love the way Lorraine Massey writes because it's very conversational, like a friend-to-friend conversation that most of us appreciate.

I have been using the lavender mist spray that Lorraine talks about in the chapter titled Lorraine's Lotions and potions. It's very simple to do, just get pure/essential lavender oil, a spray bottle and water and remember don't put all of the lavender oil in there.

Diane Da Costa Recommends

Diane Da Costa's Recommended products:
Aveda
Carol's Daughter
Clinique-sold at Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue
Gentle Treatment-Sold at Target, walmart, and drug stores
Goldwell Color system-goldwell.com
Kiehl's - (212)-67-3171, sold at NYC
Kera Care Products-Avlon/Affirm. Avlon.com
Kerastase Shampoo and Conditioners-kerastase.com
L'oreal Majarel Professional Colors and Salons-loreal.com
Optimum Multimineral Relaxers-Lorealusa.com/softsheen-carson.com
Pantene Pro-V Shampoos and Conditioners-Sold at Rite Aid, CVS and other drug stores.
Neutrogena Shampoos & conditioners-sold at Rite Aid, CVS, and other drug stores.
Matrix: Biolage Earth Tones Color Refreshing Conditioners-matrix.com
mizani Relaxer System, shampoos, conditioners, and finishing products 1800-342-7661
Phytologie/Phytospecific-Sold at Barney's

Textured Tresses

Diane Da Costa's Textured Tresses













Textured Tresses, has very detailed information about styles, products to use to have beautiful hair and also how to shape hair and uses the insights of a stylist. The only drawback is that I felt she spent too much time talking about the stars she worked for, like Blair Underwood, Lenny Kravitz, lauryn Hill, Roy Hargrove, a jazz trumpeter and Dee Dee Bridgewater. To some people, they might like to know more about celebrities, but I don't really care about celebrities and what they do. I felt like Diane Da Costa was bragging about her meeting these stars and I motly didn't care for it.
In her book she shows how to style the hair after washing it with detailed pics. She also lists meditation, yoga or aerobics and healthy food as a way to develop a healthy lifestyle and beautiful hair.

I give this book a 4/5.

From Tulani Kinard's book:

Fruit Rinses
Mix one part fruit juice to three parts water. Let them sit in the hair 20 minutes and then rinse out thoroughly.
Banana rinse- Excellent emollient, highly natural lubricant and hair conditioner; beneficial to the hair and scalp because it binds with water to hold in moisture.
Coconut milk- Great conditioning proteins. Helps reduce the loss of moisture and to soften and smooth the hair.
Lemon rinse-Stimulates the scalp, dissolves sebum buildup
Apple Cider Vinegar-retards dandruff, provides sheen to hair.
Scalp Oils for Locked Hair
Rosemary oil- Stimulates growth, antiseptic, good for dandruff, good for dandruff; excellent for shine on dark-colored hair
Sage oil- Astringent, stimulates growth, kills bacteria; it is said to have the ability to darken graying hair.
Jojoba oil- Smooths and conditions curly hair, good for dry scalp
Sweet Almond oil- Contains vitamin E and F. Good for itchy scalp, mild and easily absorbed.
Avocado oil- Rich in potassium and sulfur, vitamins A, D, and E. Easily absorbed.
Evening Primrose oil- Moisturizes and conditions the hair.
Birch oil- Antidandruff, effective in treating in flamed scalps.
Calendula oil- Light and astringent. It soothes scalp and eczema problems.

Review of No Lye!: The African American Woman's Guide to Natural Hair Care by Tulani Kinard

I loved the pictures in the book.

Tulani really knows her stuff.

The contents of her book include:

Chapter 1: The Root of it all

Don't get stranded: Understand your Hair's composition

Shape Up: Determining your Hair's Shape

The Look and Feel of It: Determining your Hair's Texture

Texture Test

Chapter 2: The Breaking Point

You are What you Eat- And So is Your Hair!

Keeping Baldness at Bay

Cosmetic Solutions

Chapter 3: Coming Clean- Shampoo And Grooming 101

Just the pHacts, Ma'am

Shampoos

Why is our Hair Dry, Normal, or Oily?

Shampoo Ingredients

The Right Shampoo for You

How to Shampoo Natural Hair

Conditioners

Drying Your Hair

No pains, No strains for Natural Manes: How to Comb Out Natural Hair

Scalp Disorders

Diet for Healthy Hair

There are eight chapters in No Lye! The African-American Woman's Guide to Natural Hair Care.

This is a book for anyone and everyone who really wants to understand their hair and obviously their roots. However, the book left me wanting more. Soemtimes I would be reading one topic then turn the page and a new topic comes up.

But it was a good read overall.

What I learned from Lonnice Brittenum Bonner

• Detangle one's hair before washing
• Comb hair with a wide tooth comb after detangling
• Use satin and/or silk pillow cases (or scarves) to allow the oils from the hair to not be stripped away while one sleeps.
• Spray water bottle to help in detangling or re-styling hair
• wash hair in sections
• Read labels in every product used and if one does not know what it means, or is, then look it up.
• Use a heating cap to absorb deep conditioners and hot oil treatments
• Use a natural boar bristle brush

I haven't used all of these valuable tips to attain healthy natural hair, but those I have use so far, have left my hair with fewer breakage.

Review of Good Hair: For Colored Girls Who've considered weaves when the chemicals became too Ruff by Lonnice Brittenum Bonner

Just this weekend I went to the library and stumbled upon this book. Again. I had skimmed through it once before and probably got a lot from it but I resisted change and only began to use a spray bottle of water to spritz my hair with.

I feel that "Good Hair," relates to most Black women who want to try something, anything to keep their hair from falling off. Lonnice Brittenum Bonner speaks with ease that makes any reader feel like she's one of her girlfriends. In the introduction she talks about her hair problems which makes it so much harder for us African-American Women to shy away from our own hair problems/stories. An example of a hair problem from her book is:

When I wore braids for one and a half years and grew a shoulder-length head of hair I literally thanked God for, only to screw it right up with a chemical straightener... on top of a home curly perm. Go ahead and snicker, but you know women who've done this if you haven't already done it yourself...