Category Archives: Curly Care

Original post by Black Naps.

As curly-kinky women, we are constantly searching for products that give natural hair moisture. Many of us have little knowledge on how pH balance plays a role in how much moisture our hair will receive. When our hair becomes too dry, it becomes prone to excessive breakage and damage. Using the right product with the proper pH balance can prevent this from happening.

What is pH balance?

pH (Potential Hydrogen} balance measures the acidity in a hair care product. Products with a high pH or a high acidity level are more likely to give you dry hair. The pH values are measured on a scale of 1 to 14. Lower pH values would be less acidic while higher values contain more acid (which is what you don’t want). The normal pH value balance of our hair ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 and using a product between the ranges of 3.0 to 3.5 restores our balance. To measure the pH balance of a product you would have to purchase pH testing strips. Should you test every product you buy to examine its pH level? Well, that would be entirely up to you, however having the knowledge of which products will restore your pH balance might be even better than testing every single product you buy.

Some all natural product suggestions with a low pH…

Aloe is a great moisturizer, which really brings out curl definition, and happens to have a low pH level that averages around 3.4.
Apple Cider Vinegar when diluted with water has a pH of 2.8 to 3.0. This product is great for conditioning hair, removing buildup, and can be use as toner for skin.
Olive Oil, Flax Seed Oil, and Argan Oil are all great moisturizers for your hair, which happen to be great for restoring your hair’s pH balance.

Did you know the average hair relaxer has a pH value that ranges from about 9 for the low strength and even up to 14 for maximum strength relaxers?

Relaxers have a high pH value, because this is what is needed to straighten our hair permanently. The chemicals literally break the bond in our hair altering its curl pattern forever. No wonder our hair is eventually left limp and breaking from the acidity this product contains! Having straight hair is not that serious.

Original post by Hairscapades

While surfing the  GOC blogs, I would often find naturals who were concerned that they were experiencing breakage because they were finding short hairs. Their posts were filled with consternation because they were practicing healthy hair habits and couldn’t understand why they were experiencing breakage. So, this made me want to write a post for those who suspect breakage when they are doing everything “right.” Guess what? Those short hairs may be new growth!!

A few things one should think about when trying to diagnose breakage are:

• Are the ends of the short hairs tapered or blunt? Tapered hairs tend to be new growth whereas blunt and split hairs or hairs with white ends are indicative of breakage.
• Does the majority of the hair on your sink or in your comb/brush, have “roots” (white bulbs) attached or are many/most strands rootless? Strands with white bulbs are shed hair and not breakage.
• Do you hear *snap, crackle, pop* when combing or manipulating your hair? If you do, it’s probably breakage and the best thing to do is handle your hair more gently and ensure that it is well lubricated/saturated (with a pre-poo or conditioner – some prefer wet hair and others on dry) before attempting to detangle slowly from ends to roots. I prefer to finger detangle first as I’m able to feel the bad knots and tangles in order to gently ease them out, rather than ripping through them with a comb/brush.
• Do you have a lot of split ends and/or SSKs? Both of these can cause breakage as the splits and knots can/will snag on adjacent hairs and cause additional damage. I’m a fan of the S&D method to keep knots and splits to a minimum.
• Do you use heat often and/or forgo heat protection? Do you re-apply heat to “dirty” hair? Try reducing or eliminating direct heat. Opt for roller sets and silk wraps rather than a flat iron if you want straight hair and always use a heat protectant. Keep the passes over your hair to a minimum (1 0r 2) if you must use a flat iron or curling iron. Only “press” freshly clean and 100% dry hair.
• Do you use hair tools with metal parts or materials that can snag or tear? Do you protect your hair at night? Opt for barrettes, clips and hair elastics without metal parts, such as Goody Comfort Flex Barrettes, Ouchless ponytail holders, banana clips and satin scrunchies. Sleep on a satin pillowcase and/or wear a satin scarf or bonnet.
• Is your hair well moisturized or is it often dry and brittle to the touch? If so, are you moisturizing with a water based styler or leave-in and sealing with an oil or butter? Have you tried weekly deep conditioning treatments with a moisturizing DC? (There is an ongoing debate on the hair boards about the effectiveness of DCs and DCs with heat, but I am a believer. I believe the only way for you to know if they will make a difference for you is to give them a try.)  Are you overdoing protein DCs and/or not using a moisturizing DC as a “protein chaser?”
• How do you style your hair? Too much tension on the hair, especially fine and fragile curly hair, can cause damage. I personally opt for low manipulation and protective styles that I can wear for 2-5 days. I’ve also grown MBL hair with WnGs, so it is possible. However, everyone’s hair responds differently and to different things. The key is finding what works the best for you.

Read the entire article here.

You’re using a pH balanced shampoo, you do your weekly deep conditioning treatments and you’ve purchased every product under the fluorescent lighting of the drugstores that promise frizz free hair, and yet your hair still isn’t getting smooth and shiny. The problem might not be your regiment… it’s probably the water.

Using pure clean water would be a luxury for most of us curlies, however when we’re in the shower and in a rush, how realistic is it to have a gallon of purified water to rinse your shampoo out and then your conditioner? Not very.

Before I tell you about this nifty gadget I found, I’d like to first explore hard water a little bit and how it effects our hair. Hard water, simply put is water that is hard to deal with. My simple trick to know that I have hard water is by looking at my shower head. If it gets clogged up then most likely it’s the minerals in the water that is causing this. According to the website how-to-purify-water.com; A geological survey of the US shows that more than 85% of our water is considered hard water with levels varying according to your area. Well water is the worst since it hasn’t been filtered and contains all of the sediments and minerals from below ground. (No this isn’t like a mineral spa.) The result of hard water ends up being dull looking hair, shampoo that is hard to lather and dry skin. I am a solutions kind of girl, and rather than taking this information lightly, I decided I needed to do some digging and find out what I can do at home for a nominal cost. I have found…the Sprite Shower Filter. These filters come in various forms of the filter itself, from those that you mount your own shower head to, to a shower head filter in one. I have the the filter which I use with my own shower head. If you check out their website, you will find a myriad of the benefits. As a user, I can attest to how great this filter is. I’ve even used it at my parent’s house in Florida where they have well water (the nastiest of all hard water) and it even helped to remove the sulfur smell and kept my skin clean. Anyone who has used well water knows that you have this slimey feeling after a shower.

According to their website; www.spritewater.com; Chlorgon & KDF – The only non-carbon filtering media to remove: -Free Chlorine (Cl-)
-Combined Chlorine (Sodium Hypochlorite)
-Hydrogen Sulfide (rotten egg smell)
-Iron oxide (rust water)
-Dirt, sediment
-Odors
-Plus, its pH balanced Easy to install, and it can be found in any hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes. At only around $25, it is well worth the investment.

When curlies ask me what products they should get for their hair, I always tell them (right after Wonder Curl products of course) that a staple in every curly’s arsenal should be virgin coconut oil. Coconut oil a light oil that will not only moisturize your hair but penetrate it to make it stronger; you need only to go to your vitamin shop or health food store and ask for organic virgin coconut oil. Science has proven what islanders have known for centuries, using coconut oil will make your hair stronger, preventing breakage and split ends.

According to research “coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product. Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft.”

Extra virgin coconut oil is in solid form at temperatures below 76 degrees and will melt at higher temperatures. Once in your hands it will melt into an oil, just rub into your hair. You will feel immediately the difference. Coconut oil can be used as a hot oil treatment or a leave in. A curly’s best friend, the oil maintains the shine, helps curls to find each other without being heavy. Some may complain about the smell as it is sweet and can leave you smelling like a pastry. Mixing with olive oil or your favorite essential oil will help neutralize the smell.

You can find Organic Coconut oil along with Organic Castor Oil in our Get Slick Hair Smoothie.

Naturally shiny hair has a cuticle that’s smooth and flat; it’s plumped up with water (about 10 to 15% by weight); and it’s rich in natural oils that keep the whole thing “glued” together.

Unfortunately, you’re stealing shine from your hair everyday and you probably don’t even realize it. If you want good gloss, you should avoid these 12 things that can rob hair of shine. Or as we like to call them, the Dulling Dozen:

1. Flood Damage
Even “harmless” water can be a shine stealer. That’s because too much moisture swells the hair shaft and causes the cuticle to buckle. The more frequently you wet your hair, the less shine you’re likely to have.

2. Shampoo Scrubbing
Scrubbing bubbles seem cute but all that rub a dub dub lifts the cuticle even more. Using a conditioning shampoo can help because the hair shafts won’t snag against each other when you’re lathering up.

3. Careless Under-conditioning
Ok, not everyone needs to condition EVERY time they wash their hair. BUT, if your hair is dry to begin with it’s much more likely to be damaged during and after styling if you skip conditioner. You’re just giving shine away!

4. Death by Towel Drying
So, now your hair is wet. What do you do? Blot, don’t rub! A rough towel can cause an amazing amount of damage on wet hair.

5. The Brush Off
Don’t fall for that old myth that you should brush you hair 100 strokes every night. While brushing does temporarily help by distributing natural oils, in the long run it strips off layers of cuticle and weakens hair.

6. Hot Styling Appliances
Heat is the natural enemy of shine. That’s because high temperatures damage the natural lipids (fancy word for oils) that help keep hair flexible and shiny. If you do decide to heat style, use protection!

7. Protective Product Residue
Yes, you do need to use heat protection but be careful what you wish for. Some leave in creams and gels leave behind a dulling residue.

8. Color My World
Chemical coloring is very damaging because it breaks down the inner structure of hair protein. Even if you use the special conditioner that comes with the coloring kit, your hair never fully recovers.

9. Wave Bye Bye
Permanent waving is another chemical process that’s highly damaging.

10. Twist and Shout
Twisting and playing with your hair is a dangerous habit as far as shine is concerned. That’s because the torsional forces (fancy word for twisting and bending) loosens the cuticles.

11. I Dig A Pony
Wearing your hair in a pony tail may seem like a hassle free style, but if you pull it back too tightly you may be creating micro-fractures in the hair that will reflect light unevenly and cause loss of shine.

12. Here Comes The Sun
And with the sun comes damaging UV radiation that can wreak havoc on natural hair lipids like 18-methyleicosinoic acid. Without these lipids hair dulls quickly. If you can’t stay out of the sun make sure you’re protecting your hair with a good conditioner.

This article was originally published by The Beauty Brains.