For the Moms ;)

Written by Emily (aka Bobi) of Bobi Curls

This post is for all the Caucasian mom's who have no idea what to do with their mixed daughters hair. First of all, let's tackle the hair!

Here's a simple step by step hair routine you can follow:

Step 1. Drench hair

Step 2. Gently apply conditioner into the hair and scalp. Massage the scalp to cleanse, rinse and then reapply the conditioner and detangle with a comb or your fingers. Separate the hair in sections and start from the ends to the root when detangling.

Step 3. Rinse hair with cool water and apply a little of that same conditioner again. When you scrunch the hair you should be about to hear that squishy sound the wet hair and product makes.

Step 4. (This step is optional) Apply your styling product and scrunch the hair a little again.

Step 5. Drying: you can let the hair air dry or if you are in a hurry grab a t-shirt that you don't use anymore and scrunch the hair (starting from the ends up).

Tip: Don't do your daughter's hair everyday because it will always be damp and damp hair is not healthy. Try doing it 3-4 times a week.

Secondly, and I believe this is most important, encourage your daughter A LOT about her hair. Don't just put her hair in pigtails or ponytails! Do fun styles with it so she can really see how beautiful her hair is. If she doesn't have any friends with hair like hers show her some blogs like this so, she can see all the different kinds of curly hair and the people that are confident with their hair so she can become more confident too :)

Mini Twists - Tips

Random picture off Google Images

Hey,

So, the other day, my mum came home from work and was like, "can you help me twist up my hair?" Being the lovely little teen I am, I said, "sure!" I climbed up on the back of the couch and mini twisted her hair.
My mum's an interior decorator/CSD/HRM. I'm letting you know that so you know that this style does work in a professional setting.


Things I used:

• Water (in a spray bottle)
• Coconut oil
• Eco Styler Gel (Olive Oil)

Okay, so, firstly, I hate seeing scalp-y twists so I decided to avoid that and section out her hair diagonally (north-eastwards \ ). What that did was that it let the twist above it cover up the scalp area exposed from sectioning/parting the hair.

My mum's still transitioning so, one thing those transitioning should know is that your relaxed hair might (most likely will) unravel. Therefore, the smaller the twists, the better and a gel would be good as it will hold the twists in place once dry.

So, I parted my mum's hair across (-) starting from the back and held off the rest of her hair with metal-free ponytail holders then I got a section of hair from the part I got out using my diagonal method and held off the rest of the hair with an ouchless band. I sprayed her hair with some water then got some gel onto her hair (by just touching the surface of the gel with my index-finger tip) then I sealed with coconut oil. Don't do that. From the first twist, I noticed that that process made her hair way too slippery so it was hard to get a hold on her hair to twist it up. Here's what to do (what I did with the rest of the twists), part the hair diagonally, spray it with water then seal it with the coconut oil and work the gel in over it smoothing the hair out downwards then begin to to twist the hair and repeat this with the rest of the hair you sectioned out when you parted the hair diagonally. One you're done with the first row, part the hair across again (above the row you just finished making twists in) and repeat the above process, but please note that when parting the hair diagonally, the end off the part (the bottom of this stroke \) should be at the top-centre of the twist in the row done below. Repeat these processes with the rest of the hair.

Now, I don't really fancy mini twists at the front of the hair unless there are extensions in the hair. Why? I don't really know, I just do. Anyways, due to the shape of my mum's head, I also didn't fancy this, I guess because her edges are still rather thin and quite short (that's the only area her hair is short. It's like BSL and then a quarter of a toothpick length hair at the edges). Anyways, so, I flat twisted the front of het hair about the size of each section for a single twist.

After twisting up her hair, I redid the relaxed bits that came loose without adding product then I sprayed her entire head of hair lightly with water and raked my hands through her twists and ran my hands down her hair lightly with coconut oil. I did this because I remembered that my hair and her hair got rather dry the first time we used the Eco Styler Gel.

Anyways, so, by the next day (I got her hair done in the evening), her twists were nice and super soft and everyone liked it (well, apart from my brother, but he only said he didn't 'cause he knew that I was the one who did it.....siblings! never will understand them! haha :) ). Her hair was dry and the twists (well, apart from about 3 or 4) held pretty well even at the relaxed ends.

Hope this helps someone! :)

p.s What are your tips, tricks and methods for mini twisting fully natural/transitioning hair?

Amla Powder Review

Hey everyone,

So....I'm finally writing another review.....

ANYWAYS.....

Today, it's all about amla. I am on my second week of trying out amla now and I absolutely love it. Okay! So, my review's going to be a little more organised now. I know that not everyone knows what amla is and many people might what to know how I used it and how I guess it should be used. So, here we go:

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What is amla powder?

"Amla powder is made from the Indian gooseberry or amla fruit, which is native to India. Amla fruit is a natural source of vitamin C, amino acids and tannins. Traditionally used in Ayurveda treatments, when processed into powder form it's commonly used in massage oils, skin care and hair care products. When used topically, the benefits of amla powder on hair are numerous." ~Tia

*(Sidenote: It has a brown-ish colour and and a distinctive smell that I can tolerate, but some people complain about. By the way, I know its smell just by like moving it close to my nose to know what it smells like. On my hair, I couldn't smell jack. )*

How do you use the amla powder?

The first time I tried amla (I had quite a lot of buildup), I used about 3-4 tablespoons of the powder with about 2-2.5 tablespoons of water and made a paste with it (the paste looks pretty much like some dark brown stuff).

Prior to getting the amla on my hair, I detangled my hair (dry detangling) and sectioned my hair off in twists as I detangled (no specific number of twists). Next, I moisturised my hair with my newfound baby (a mixture of BeeMine Daily Conditioner, BeeMine BeeLovely Hair&Scalp Moisturiser and Water) and retwisted.

I got the amla paste (by the way, the consistency of this is just a little thicker than a milkshake) on my fingers and took down a twist then I got the amla onto my scalp and scrubbed a bit with my fingers (no scratching/no nail action). I retwisted after getting the amla on my scalp and then did the same for every twisted section.

I donned on a plastic bag and left my hair like that for 30 minutes. I took down a twist and rinsed then retwisted and did the same for every other twist then I did exactly this again, but adding conditioner instead of rinsing then I went over again rinsing out the conditioner.

*(Sidenote: You might consider using gloves for this 'cause the paste gets under nails and gives your palms a pretty much downright nasty colour splattered all over it.)*


Today, I had my hair in two high umm....not exactly buns. Which I had deep conditioned (by the way, deep conditioning with  a satin scarf on and then a plastic bag over that and another scarf holding it down can give shiny hair). I took down each bun, one at a time detangled with a little coconut oil and got the amla on my scalp and scrubbed around with my fingers, got my hair back in the two buns then I donned on a plastic bag and left my hair alone for about an hour or an hour and a few minutes. I took down each bun and rinsed it out and co washed with a mixture of conditioner (BeeMine and Tresemme Naturals) and coconut oil (excellent slip and super soft hair after rinsing out thoroughly) then I put them back up in the buns (to prevent shrinkage (if your ends are held, the shrinkage is less)). i left my hair like this till it was 98% dry before trying out a new style (basically a semi-elegant tuck, roll and pin). My hair still feels amazing right now!


What were your results?

With the first, my curls finally clumped and some were loosened up a bit. My hair was like SUPER clean, but not stripped. Definitely not stripped and my hair looked beautiful.
With the second, little to no clumps and clean hair that looks and feels great.


What don't you like about the thought of amla?

Amla is said to stop/prevent premature greying. Premature greying is something that runs in my family. I started getting strands of grey hair when I was really little (shortly before my first relaxer, I believe). The stylist then yanked them out without asking (OuCh!) which got my mum and I really upset. I have very few grey strands right now. My uncle (mum's bro)  went grey really early, my mum's hair has about 4 different shades of brown that seems to have a purplish tint when there's direct light on it  (her natural hair colour) and strands of grey (silver-ish (runs in the fam)) scattered around. My dad has strands of grey hair scattered everywhere, my aunt (mum's sis) has strands of grey hair scattered around everywhere, my dad's youngest brother is practically all grey, my grandmothers went grey pretty early (mum's mum with silver hair and dad's mum had naturally had silver, white and gold (honestly) hair till she started dyeing it), my bro has some grey strands. All went grey early. We actually kind of love it. I know I love my grey strands and I want a lil more quickly. I don't want to lose that and that's what puts me off amla a little. I haven't noticed that it does that, but it is said to and I don't like that).


What are things you must do before using amla?

You must moisturise or deep condition before using amla to prevent a drying effect. You also have to detangle if you don't you most likely will end up with a mass amount of nasty tangles.
That's basically it!

*(Sidenote: After using the amla, remember to use a conditioner on your hair. Make the amla your shampoo and remember, you shampoo and then....CONDITION!)*



Things you should consider?

As i usually say, what works for one person might not work for another try this on a small patch of hair and see if it works before you use the amla everywhere.
If you've heard that amla can be used on the face, test out the amla on a small part of your skin before using it everywhere.
Amla works great in my hair, but when I tried it on my face.....WOOOOWY!......LORD HAVE MERCY! I BROKE OUT LIKE CRAAAAZY! GAAAH! I had to switch back to my honey washes which clear out my acne magically (within a week or two).




OKAY! WE'RE DONE HERE!
Hope this helped somebody!
Lemme know if you've tried amla and what your results were and if you have any tips on using it and if you used it in a different way.

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I have to digress a little, it's in my nature (*Cheshire cat grin*).

I think I've found my graduation hairstyle! Yay! A cinnabun something-something. Yay! :)

Natural Hair... What Do I Do?

By Natalie Phillip of Three Naturals

I can’t begin to count the amount of times I get stopped at the mall, grocery store, doctor’s office, etc. and asked questions about hair. This is mainly due to the way I style my girls’ hair. Their hairstyles may look complicated at times (not sure) but honestly it’s so simple to attain. I look forward to those conversations because I know what it’s like being on the other end still trying to find what works. It can be frustrating and overwhelming but don’t give up. If you knew my personal hair story, you’d understand that it’s been quite the journey and I’m finally HAPPY with my hair and my girls reap the benefits. Keep in mind I’m still learning and I’m by no means ‘an expert’. I get excited whenever I learn something new and I always have to find someone to share it with. Like many things in life, you can never have enough hair knowledge.

 

Here are a few tips if you’re beginning the natural hair journey or you are struggling with your daughter’s haircare.
1. YOUTUBE has been a tremendous resource for me. There are so many tutorials and informative videos from everyday people who have tried different products, regimens and styles and choose to share their experiences and results. I’ve tried so many different processes from watching YouTube. Some successful, some not so much, but you won’t know what works for you until you try.
2. BLOGS like this one have also been a huge aid on the journey. Read! Read! Read! It only expands your knowledge and will introduce you to topics you’ve never even considered.
3. PRODUCTS can get expensive if you are shopping while overwhelmed, especially if you’re now starting out. Pricey doesn’t always mean better. Read the labels. Get familiar with the ingredients. Do your research before hitting the stores. Instead of buying a huge bottle of something that may not work for you, ask if they have samples you can try first. Contact the manufacturers and let them know you’re interested in their product but would like to try a sample first. You won’t get it until you ask.
4. ASK QUESTIONS!! Don’t be afraid to inquire with someone who demonstrates great results or a look you think you’d be comfortable with. It may not be as difficult as you think. In the same way, share what you learn and help someone else.
5. Create a GALLERY with all your favorite hairstyles that you can always refer to. Play around and try to recreate them. I would not suggest waiting until you’re ready to go out to try something new. Practice first because your hair will not always cooperate when you need it to.

Take a deep breath and embrace the beauty and journey that IS natural hair!!!
What are your tips? This is a GREAT spot to share them!!

Twists with extensions tips, care and stuff

Hey,

So, I don't know if I told you guys this, but I had a bad experience with those twists with extensions,so, I'm never using extensions again. However, I learnt a couple of things from them.

What was my bad experience?
I lost over an inch of hear in front 'cause of the twists. They suddenly fell out, I took out the extensions that fell out, undid them and voila! my hair was in them. I hand-stretched the hair in front that had been below my lips and they were like nose-length. Not funny. I also lost quite a lot of my nape hair which I had managed to grow out till it had started going down my back I had like just stubble or what left when I hand-stretched it to see its new length.

What type of extensions did you use?
Synthetic ones

Aaaah, must be why. You should've used human hair extensions.
I would never use those

Why?
'Cause the hair....like....where did it come from? Either:
1. The heads of dead people, or
2. Temples (used for sacrifices)

I can't use hair from any of those on mine and like none of us really know where those human hair extensions came from by just looking at the pack-thingies they come in. All we'll see is something like,"Malaysia" or "Thailand," "India,"or something. We won't know that someone died, their hair got scraped off and sold or some person went to a temple for tonsure or something, their hair got shaved off, some person went over to the temple, took the sacrificed hair and sold it.

Oh.... that makes a lot of sense, but quick question: didn't the extensions dry out your hair?
No, they didn't. I was extra careful with taking care of my hair while I still had the extensions in to prevent them from drying out my hair.

So, you knew there was a possibility of them drying out your hair?
Yes, I did. I actually just found out about it a few days before I got the extensions 'cause I was chatting with Chris-Tia Donaldson (founder of ThankGodI'mNatural) and she mentioned it.

Okay! So, please, please, dish on the care, tips, and need to knows. I need to know them.
Here we go, then!

1. Installation: When getting your twists done, make sure your hair and scalp are clean and moisturised and work some combing conditioner into your hair prior to installation. Make sure the twists aren't done too tight especially around the name area and edges. Don't use a lot of extensions on a tiny portion of your hair. If you do, it'll weigh down your hair giving it a reason to fall off. *Ensure you start the twists from your roots and you don't start them by braiding at your roots first. Also, hot water isn't needed and you don't need to trim the hair down the length of the twists after installation. Hot water's not good for your hair and the trim's just going to unevenly cut your hair off.

2. Washing: You don't need to wash your hair or scalp every single week. I washed mine only once and I had my twists in for 2 months. I guess because your scalp isn't as exposed to the air and all the pollution in it, it doesn't get as dirty as fast. Anyways, to wash your hair, all you need is a bottle, some water, some shampoo, some conditioner and some extra virgin olive oil (or whichever oil you prefer). Pour about a teaspoon of shampoo into the bottle, followed by about a tablespoon of conditioner. Add a teaspoon of the oil to it, shake the bottle up a bit then fill up about 3/4 of the bottle with water. Shake it really well till the shamconoil (don't ask why I suddenly made up that word) has totally dissolved. get your hair into about 6 sections and braid each of them securing them at their ends with either hair bands or rubber bands. Wash your scalp well getting some of the washamconoil on your hands and working it into your scalp. Leave the washamconoil in for about 2-5 minutes then thoroughly rinse it out using warm water. In a scrunching motion, squeeze out the water from the braids you made then leave your hair in those braids till it dries or is 70-90% dry before you let it out. Some people might just let it out after washing, but that's just going to get everything, including you, wet.

3. Night Routine: All I'll say is, Satin bonnet or scarf. Remember your hair's still there, it didn't magically disappear when you installed those twists. So, ensure you always sleep with a silk or satin bonnet or scarf on. Also, ensure your hair's held up in at least a loose ponytail before doing so..

4. Care: Every few days or once a week, work some extra virgin olive oil into your scalp and hair (about a 50p coin size in total). Never pull at your hair. Don't fiddle with it much. If it hurts anyways, you take it down. After about 3-4 weeks, take down the hair at the edges and at the napes. Detangle and twist your own hair (alone) and style it whichever way you want with the other twists. If your hair is shorter than the other twists, you hold you hair up then tuck your own hair sorta behind the other twists in a way that it still blends in if you know what I mean. You don't want the hair around those places falling out.

5. Take Down: Below where the ends of your actual hair, turn the twist in the opposite direction of how they were installed or get your finger through it. When you have an opening, gently pull the extensions apart then gently finish up the take down.

6. After Take Down: Get your hands wet work them around sections of your hair at the roots to make sure any possible lint has been dissolved (I didn't have lint, by the way). Detangle your hair starting from the ends with a wide toothed comb (your hair should be sorta damp during this). If you can, run a tangle teezer through it then wash it out how your normally would on a wash day and leave it to air dry whichever way suits you best. For at least a week, do not braid or twist your hair, even if just alone as a hair style. Let your hair and scalp rest, okay?

That's all I have for now.

Wow! That's a long list!
No, not really

I guess. It looks long, but it's pretty simple.
Exactly

So, with this, you are guaranteed healthy, soft hair?
Well, like I always say, what works for one person just might or might not work for another. This worked for me and I hope it works for a lot of other people.

It was nice to talk to you about this.
You too.

I hope all you've said helps someone out, Sammy.
I hope so too, Sammy.

Bye, for now.
You too.

ZBogem
ZBogem.