Treatments for your hair in between protective styles

DIY Banana Mask

Bananas can restore hair shine and strength with vitamins like potassium and Vitamin A. Grab one ripe banana, 2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt and one tablespoon of pure honey. Mix banana and extra virgin oil in a blender for ultimate smoothness. Add other ingredients and blend until there are no visible lumps. Pour mixture through a strainer before applying to wet hair, covering with a cap and leaving on for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and style.

Do A Hot Oil Treatment

Treat your hair with hot oil! Try mixing two tablespoons of peppermint, coconut and jojoba oil in the microwave, saturate your scalp and hair generously (add a cap) and sit under a hooded dryer for 15 minutes.

DIY Avocado Mask

Avocado is also rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids that are perfect for restoring brittle hair. Mix one avocado, two tablespoons of pure/organic honey and one tablespoon of avocado oil (or extra-virgin olive oil). Blend the mixture until completely smooth. Distribute evenly through wet hair, place a plastic cap on top and leave for an hour before rinsing. Follow up with leave in conditioner.

2017 Hair resolutions

1.Have friends who share your texture means you can forge a partnership that includes sharing tips, tricks and motivation to maintain a routine.

2.Remember to let your hair lay free every once in awhile. The constant pulling and tugging of certain styles can wreak havoc on your edges and ultimately, lead to breakage.

3.Beauty does truly start from within. Before you go crazy buying products and vitamins, remember that simply shifting to a healthier diet will do wonders for your hair and scalp.

4.There’s no such thing as the “perfect” or “right” kind of hair, so why continue comparing what you have to others? Spend more time learning to embrace the tresses you were born with; no matter the pattern, they’re fabulous and uniquely you!

5.Trust your gut when deciding how to rock your hair and worry less about fitting in. Whether you want to rock it straight, transition to locs or wear a voluminous fro, no look is out of bounds!

6.You never know who’s having trouble embracing their texture, so support your fellow curl friends whenever you can. Compliment them on their look and don’t be afraid to accept the same in return.

7.A big change doesn’t always have to be a big chop or color change. Sometimes, discovering fresh new styles via YouTube or Instagram can be just as impactful.

8.Bloggers and vloggers are a great resource for tips, tricks and product recommendations. Do some research and start following one that shares your curl pattern; you’ll be living your best hair life!

Hope this was helpful. Have a wonderful 2017!

2017 Revamped braided hair styles to rock

 

 

 

 

 

Things to consider before colouring your hair

Taking your hair to the next level with colour can be a really exciting experience. Colour can jazz up a boring puff, add dimension to locs and twist outs or really turn heads as a simple statement piece on TWAs. While going darker, adding lowlights or colouring within your natural colour range won’t cause you too many problems. The drastic colour leaps upward (more than 3 shades beyond your natural colour) can really take a toll on your hair.

Curl pattern changes: Yes, colouring textured hair can sometimes result in temporary, unpredictable changes in your hair’s curl pattern. Sometimes, the changes are permanent.

Increases in hair porosity: When porosity increases, dryness becomes a major complaint because moisture is next to impossible to hold securely within the fibre. Your hair becomes like a bucket with holes poked in the sides. Miss a regularly scheduled deep conditioning and you may find yourself parting with strands prematurely. A strict, moisture and protein focused regimen is absolutely essential if the hair is to thrive in this condition. If you never cared before, now is definitely the time to learn how to balance protein and moisture sources in your regimen!

 Loss of Elasticity:  Elasticity refers to the ability of our hair fibres to stretch gently and return back to their normal shape and character without damage. The elastic quality of our hair is what makes putting our hair in a ponytail or drawing a puff effortless. When hair lacks elasticity, it does not move, bend and recover when pressured like healthy hair does. it simply gives up under pressure and snaps in its fragile condition. Again, moisture and protein balancing become critical for establishing elasticity because it’s that careful mix of moisture and strength that gives our hair the ability to resist breakage from being stretched and handled day to day.

Horrific Colour Result: Colour is very, very unpredictable and all the swatches, box comparisons and focus groups in the world can’t prepare you for the end result you will be able to expect. Why? Because colour uptake is dependent on a number of factors namely your hair’s current colour, porosity and texture (strand size). At best, the hair colour on the box is just the product manufacturer’s best corporate guess at what your hair will look like (with a bit of Photoshop.) Sometimes, multiple steps will be needed to get your colour right.

Know that your colour treated hair will be very sensitive to things that you may have taken for granted before (i.e., water, the sun, heat etc.) and undergoing the colouring process sort of assumes that you’re ready to handle a little extra responsibility. Colour treating your hair is not a time to get lazy with your hair.

Rules to grow healthy hair

By Rosalyn

Read labels :It is very important to check the label before buying a product. Some products consist of ingredients that are harmful to your hair. So please be careful of what you buy.

Protect your hair when sleeping: What’s the point of co-washing, deep conditioning and styling your locks if they won’t stay protected? Between makeup from your face and dirty clothes on the bed, your pillows have already been exposed to plenty of germs. Wearing a bonnet or scarf to bed every night prevents further cross contamination.

Deep condition often : Frequency varies from person to person, but the typical recommendation is 1-2 times a week for 20-30 minutes. The base ingredients should always include a humectant (moisture retainer), water and emollient (softening agent).

Take your vitamins: Vitamins aren’t reserved for special cases; they replenish the body [hair included] of what it’s lost. Before you start taking any, identify what your locks need most and address that specifically.

Eat clean and drink H20: You are what you eat, so make it healthy. No matter your hair type, streamlining certain foods into your diet can directly affect hair health. This is especially important to take advantage of if you’re not a fan of taking supplements. Wild salmon, spinach, walnuts and eggs are just four of many super foods packed with benefits.

Keep your ends trimmed: If your hair is low on volume, but full of tangles and split ends, it’s time for a trim. The general rule is to do this every 6-8 weeks, but it should be adjusted according to your personal routine. Consult with a professional stylist if you’re not sure which direction to go in.

I hope this was helpful.

Onion as a Natural Remedy for Hair Loss

Onions are rich in sulphur which makes them great at combating numerous hair loss conditions.

Over the years, onion juice has been known to possess anti-bacterial properties which help with scalp infections that contribute to hair loss, re-growth bald patches, or receding hairlines. This juice can be applied to the hair over a period of time and since it is a natural remedy, it is expected that results will be noticeable over the course of time and not immediately.

To extract the juice from the onion. You can use a blender, grater, or a juicer to extract the juice of the onion but before that you will have to peel a sufficient amount of onions that will be enough for your hair length/volume.

Onion Juice
Massage the juice into your scalp or cover the bald patches. Leave on for at least 15-30 minutes and if you can do longer, why not? You can also put a plastic cap over your hair while you wait. Afterwards, rinse out the juice and follow with a mild shampoo to get the smell out of your hair.

Onion Juice Hair Rinse
Slice about 5 onions and add it to a litre of water and boil for about 15 minutes. Allow it to cool, strain it and use this mixture to rinse your hair after shampooing. You can wash your hair the following day to get rid of the lingering smell.
Onion Juice and Honey
Add a tablespoon of honey to a quarter cup or a sizable amount of onion juice depending on your hair length/volume. Massage the mixture into your scalp, cover your hair, and leave for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Rinse out with water and a mild shampoo. You can also opt to take the onion and honey mixture orally as this will also guarantee hair growth.
Onion Juice and Rum
Carefully chop one medium sized onion, put into a glass of rum and let sit overnight. Strain the mixture the following day to get rid of the chopped onion pieces. Massage the strained mixture into your scalp and wash out or you can use as a hair-rinse after you’ve shampooed. 

Another way is to incorporate onions into your meals for dietary support, this doesn’t work like the other methods but in a good amount of time you will find that your hair looks shinier and is healthier.

Do this as often as three times a week for a month or two, exercise some patience, and you should see significant results in no time.

Henna

 

 

 

 

What Henna does:
Henna thickens and adds weight to hair.
Henna makes hair strong and shiny.
Henna gives colour to hair.
Henna gives psoriasis relief.

What to mix with Henna:
To get the most out of your henna session, try playing around with the following ingredients, according to your hair’s needs.

*For softness, conditioning and moisture:
Carrier oils: Coconut oil, Olive oil.
Honey
Conditioner: Protein free conditioner.

*For Colour enhancement:
Coffee (for deeper brown)
Lemon Juice (for brightness)
Green Tea (for brightness)
Paprika (for more red)

*For scalp health:
Tea tree oil
Peppermint oil
Rosemary oil

*For shine, ph balancing and porosity:
Aloe Vera Gel or juice
Apple cider vinegar
Bentonite Clay

How to apply henna on the hair
1. You can use gloves on your hand or an applicator bottle to put henna on your hair. That depends on your preference.
2. Henna should be allowed to sit for about one hour after mixture to allow dye release.
3. Henna should be left for about 1 to 8 hours on hair. Henna can also be left overnight on your hair. The longer you leave it on, the more colour you will get out of it.
4. Henna application is messy so wear old things that you don’t mind getting stained.
5. When the henna mixture is on your hair wear a plastic cap and tie your hair with a scarf.
6. Henna treatment should be done 6-8 weeks interval.
7. Henna can be applied to wet or dry hair but don’t apply on dirty hair.
8. Deep condition your hair after hair treatment.

Please let us know what henna mixture you tried and how it worked for your hair.

Tea Rinse For Healthy Hair

By Rosalyn O

Tea isn’t JUST for drinking! Yes, drinking herbal will cleanse your body and aid new hair growth. However, having a tea rinse can give your hair an extra boost that you desire. Whether you are looking to reduce shedding, add shine, elasticity and bounce, there are a few rinses that you can use to help with your desired result. Check these rinses out, and add your own mixes to cater to your needs. Also, hair health starts from the inside, so remember to drink healthy herbal teas too.

How to do a Tea Rinse

1. Place the herb in a cup.
2. Pour boiling water over the herb and steep for 30 minutes or more.
3. Strain the mixture and allow the liquid to cool.
4. Pour over your head after your regular shampoo, condition, and detangling session.

How to apply Tea Rinse

1. Put in a Spray bottle to spray your hair. This acts as a hair refresher.
2. Use as a final rinse after washing your hair. You can rinse the tea out after massaging and letting it sit for 30 minutes or leave it in and continue with a deep conditioner

Teas and their uses

• Turn grey hairs darker – Rosemary and Sage
• Brightening the hair – Chamomile for blondes; Rooibos for redheads; or Black tea for dark hair
• Reduces shedding hair – Green tea, Black tea
• Stimulate hair growth – Green tea
• Strengthens and thickens the hair – Black tea, Sage
• Helps with dandruff and psoriasis – Green tea, Nettle, Thyme
• Promote hair growth – Hibiscus
• Stimulates the scalp- Peppermint

I hope this was helpful. Which tea rinse have you tried?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year To Our Beloved Customers & Friends. Thanks so much for your patronage and support in 2015. Looking forward to more exciting packages & products & services this 2016.
Wishing u a naturally fabulous 2016 filled with abundance.

How to take care of your hair during Harmattan

 

By Rosalyn O

Harmattan is here with its extreme temperatures accompanied by dusty dry winds. Whether you have natural hair, dreadlocks or relaxed hair, this is the season to take extra good care of your hair. We have come thus far with our hair this year. Some of us are reaching our hair goal length while some of us have actually stepped up pampering our hair this year making our hair healthier. Should we allow HARMATTAN spoil our groove? No, we shouldn’t. Here are some tips to prevent harmattan from breaking and damaging your hair:

To keep your hair moisturized use a moisturising shampoo and conditioner by all means. Stay away from clarifying shampoos, harsh shampoos and shampoos that contain sulphate.

1. Pre-shampoo treatments: A pre-shampoo treatment is applied to the hair then left for a period of time before shampooing out. You can pre-shampoo with honey, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, avocado oil, hot oil treatments, hair mask, and homemade blends. This will help retain moisture and add a brilliant healthy shine to your hair. More importantly, it reduces protein loss in hair. It will nourish, condition and strengthen your hair protecting it from the drying effect the harmattan weather has on hair and skin hence preventing drying of the hair shaft.
2. Protein Treatments: Protein is what gives your hair its strength and structure. Proteins bind to the hair cuticle and help temporarily rebuild any weakened areas. Protein based products reinforce the hair shaft, and help it remain strong enough to fight breakage. Easy homemade protein treatment you can try on your hair is a mixture of olive oil, mayonnaise, honey and egg.
3.  Aloe Vera Juice Spritz: This is the perfect time to get a spray bottle at home and make a moisturising hair spritz using aloe vera, water and some natural oils. Aloe vera softens and moisturizes the hair. It also has anti-bacterial properties. It is very effective as it can penetrate all three layers of skin. Your bottle can contain a mix of water, aloe vera juice, castor oil, coconut oil and olive oil or glycerine. You don’t have to spritz every morning. Observe what your hair likes so you know what oils to add or not add.
4.  A Season for Hats and Caps: Protect your hair and look stylish doing it. It is time to bring out your hats and caps or time to buy some hats for some of us who don’t have any. As we know, the harmattan season is very dry and dusty. This definitely strips the hair of moisture. Our hair is very fragile and when dry, it is prone to breakage. Don’t lose your hair to this season. Cover your hair with caps, hats and satin scarfs/caps at night. If you are not going to be covering your hair, know it’s going to get dirty faster and you would need to increase your wash days.
5. Protective styles are a great option: If you want to wear braided extensions or try on a hair weave or wig this is the time. Tuck your hair away and protect it from the harsh weather. Try a new style for this festive season. You will look beautiful and also be protecting your hair from breakage and dryness.
6. Water and Fruits: Remember that, how you treat your body inside reflects on the outside. Drink a lot of water or eat fruits with high water content to stay hydrated. Fruits will replenish nutrients and also boost your immunity from falling ill this season. And interestingly, intake of water and fruits promote fast and healthy hair growth.

 

I hope these tips are helpful. Kindly let me know more tips that have worked for you this harmattan season in the comments below.