DiscoveringNatural

If you have not liked my Facebook page "DiscoveringNatural"... you are missing out on something. Like my FaceBook Page by CLICKING HERE Just in case you missed it... here is a recap of this week in pictures. YouTube videos and Subbies Questions Up to date info and Twitter posting Funny kids pictures and so much more...

While watching YouTube video the other day, I noticed that most naturals/transitioners would straighten their hair in order to do a length check. As I draw near to one year transitioning (in December), I have been thinking of doing the same. However, the fear of Heat Damage, keeps this thought far far from my mind. Heat Damage  is caused by repeated use of a heated source; blow dryers, curling irons, flat irons. It happens when the hair is not properly protected prior to applying heat to it. The way you know that your hair is damaged from heat is if you notice that it has some straight ends that does not revert back to its curly/natural state. Reverting this process can be hard to do and might result in transitioning or cutting off the straight ends. Some naturals have been successful in using deep conditioners and hot oil treatment to help with the damage. If you choose to apply heat to your hair, make sure to use a good heat protectant such as grapeseed oil. It is best t...

I have been using the Amla and Brahmi Treatment once a month to nourish my hair and scalp and reduce breakage. At first, I was using this once a week, because I was washing my hair once a week. Now, I only wash my hair once every two weeks, so, I only do this treatment once a month, and I still achieve the following benefits provided by this treatment: Stimulates growth and prevents hair loss Add shine and reduces grey hair by darken hair Nourishes scalp Nourishes hair Helps with itchy and dandruff prone scalp Reduces hair loss and breakage Helps with premature greying In this video tutorial, I will be showing you how I make my Amla and Brahmi treatment. Enjoy!   Here is how I apply the product Let me know if you try or have tried this treatment.

I found a way to wash my tangle-prone daughter's hair by washing her hair while it was still twisted.  This really helped keep most of the tangles at bay. Here is the video I watch. Enjoy!

This video shows how I do my pin curl braid out. I do not like sleeping with perm rods on my hair, so in order to achieve the curly texture on my relaxed ends, I do the pin curl method.  In the video below, I will demonstrate how I do a pin curl and how I create my braid out style. Enjoy and Have a Wonderful Weekend! Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel ( DiscoveringNatural ) and also Like my Facebook page .

I'm on the hunt for storage ideas for my hair products. I currently have 2 places where I store my products: I do want one main area to store everything. I'm not really a product junkie ( LOL.. well, my friends do not agree with this ), however, I have a lot of products I need a centralized location for everything. In a perfect world, I would like the following: A wooden shelf Multi-level, so that I can seperate Oils, Stylers, Moisturiers, Miscellanous products Able to be closed,   away from little future naturalistas AKA Big Sis and Lil Sis. I have caught them on numerous occassions playing beauty shop with their dolls and my precious  oils and expensive moisturiziers! That's it! By the way, I found this video and I LOVE LOVE how  The Trendy Socialite  arranged her products. How do you store your hair products?

That is the question I get asked on a regular basis. When are you going to chop off the relaxed ends, now that you have about 5 inches of new growth? My respond is usually, "After I have transitioned for 2 years". Lately, I have been watching a lot of Big Chop videos on Youtube, and not only am I happy for the ladies that took that big leap to the Fully Natural World, I have also come to the realization that I am not ready to take that leap. Every transitioner goes through a period when they are frustrated with the war between their new growth and the relaxed ends. They experience times where the scissors could as well be their only salvation. At this point, each transitioner needs to look deep within themselves to see if they can continue the journey or bid adieu to the relaxed ends. No one can make that decision for you, but yourself.  The important thing to know before making that decision is to equipt yourself with the knowledge of how to maintain your hair af...

Product Name Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap Purification Masque Ingredients Deionized Water , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Mangfera Indica Seed Butter (Mango) , Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado) , African Black Soap Extract , Sea Salt , Cetyl Esters , Kaolin Clay , Grapeseed Oil , Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba) , Behentrimonium Chloride (Conditioner) , Salicylic Acid , Salix Alba (Willow Bark) Extract , Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil (Neem) , Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil , Sorbitol Esters , Aloe Vera Leaf Juice , Tocopherol (Vitamin E) , Rosemary Extract , Salvia Officinalis Extract (Sage) , Plantain Extract Purpose of Product Detoxify, condition and soothen hair and scalp Relieves dry, itchy scalp Removes product buildup Seals in natural moisture Heals dandruff, eczema and psoriasis Smell This product smells like banana. The smell lingers after you have applied it to your hair and washed...

Here is how I do my Bantu Knots on my 9 months transitioning hair. Wash Process: Pre-poo: Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Castor Oil and Tresemme Natural Conditioner Shampooed: Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo (sulfate free/organic) Deep Conditioned: Shea Moisture Anti-Breakage Masque Leave In: Kinky Curly Knot Today mixed with Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Aloe Vera Juice Styling Process: I created each knot with Taliah Waajid Curl Sealer. Love the way this feels on my hair. Makes it really soft! I air-dried my hair all day and overnight, without any covering, just slept on my satin pillowcase I undid the knots mid afternoon, and some parts of my hair (new growth section) was not dry (85% dry).  I guess I should have styled damp instead of dripping wet . I unraveled with Now Solution Coconut Oil and Now Solution Castor Oil Enjoy the video...

I decided to create a YouTube video because I have been getting several requests to create video tutorials.  I am still learning how to edit videos, please bare with me. I hope you all will subscribe. Enjoy my first video! Thanks!

If you wear a scarf to sleep, do not tie it too tightly. Tie it against your forehead not your hairline Avoid styles causes pulling of hair along the hairline. Massage Castor Oil to your hairline at least 3 times a week. Gently massage your hairline to stimulate bloodstream to bring nutrients to hair follicles. Change the direction of your parts.  Avoid applying heat on the hair at your edges. This can dry your hair. Keep your edges moisturized to prevent breakage.   Share your tips for growing back your edges.

Do you have hair products that you have bought and are not using any more? When I first started my transitioning journey, I was such a product junkie. Trying a lot of products just because I read a blog or watched a YouTube video about it. Lola's Green Hair is your free source to buying and selling products that you no longer use. Many people have asked me about where they can purchase some of the products I use that works well, and now, I can tell them where to find it. I also have on sale, some products that did not work too well for me, like Vatika hair oil, that could work for you. I created a shopping profile on Lola's Green Hair, where you can buy different products from conditioner, herbs like Amla, Brahmi, and even pretty headbands. Check it out, by clicking here . Happy Shopping!

A typical wash day can last between 2 hours to an overnight process. Regardless of how long it takes, a lot of transitioners and naturals follow these steps. Pre-poo Treatment The pre-poo treatment can be as simple as applying an oil, that penetrates the hair shaft, onto your entire hair. It can be as complicated as creating your own pre-poo treatment consisting of different Ayurvedic herbs and oils.  The purpose of this step is to protect the hair before shampooing with a sulfate shampoo. However, you can still do this treatment even if you are not shampooing your hair because it provides your hair with addition protection during the washing process. It helps your hair feel less striped after the washing process is completed. You can leave this treatment on your hair for at least 30 minutes. What I use : Ayurvedic mixture ( Amla and Brahmi Treatment ). This detangles my hair regardless of the coarse feeling. Shampoo or Conditioner Washing ( Co-wash) For this step...

There are different ways that you can set the styles for transitioning/natural hair. Two of these ways are while your wet/damp or dry.  For some styles, like Bantu Knots , I prefer how my hair looks when styled on dry hair. The last time I did Flat Twist Out , I did it on wet hair.  I loved how it turned out and I received so many compliments. So, I decided to try it on dry hair. Styling Process: I flat twisted my entire hair using Jojoba oil first and then layer it with Taliah Waajid Curl Sealer and then flat twist each row. I did about 10 flat twists.  My thoughts ... I do prefer how my hair looked like when it was styled on wet hair. It had more shine and better hold to it. The relaxed ends did not fall easily during the hustle and bustle of the day. The wet set had less to no frizz. The only issue I had when doing the wet set was that my relaxed ends tangled easily while I was braiding the flat twists. Wet set (night) and Dry set (day) Have y...

Wash Process: Pre-poo with Amla and Brahmi Treatment Co-wash with Tresemme Natural Conditioner (Aloe Vera and Avocado) Deep Conditioned hair overnight with Shea Moisture Deep Treatment and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tried out the new conditioning trick . I love this. I could instantly feel a difference in the way my hair felt afterwards. It had great shine and softness. Styling Process: Apply Generic Paul Mitchell Leave in Conditioner to my hair Put castor oil on my edges and my entire scalp. Massage gently. Starting in the front area, section hair for flat twisting. Apply Jojoba oil to hair and for great definition, apply dime size of Taliah Waajid Curl Sealer Flat Twist hair using this video. Add Bantu knots to the ends.  After my hair completely dried, I lightly coated my palms with coconut oil and ran them over my hair. I unraveled my twists without separating them.

 My girls have lots of barbie dolls that they play with everyday.  Most of their dolls have straight hair and not curly or kinky hair. I saw this blog post on Beads, Braids and Beyond that showed step by step instructions on how to make straight haired dolls into curly, coily, kinky hair.  Check out how I did this, by clicking here . BEFORE Emily and her pipe cleaners AFTER Emily loves her curly hair

I decided to do mini twists for Big Sis and knowing that it would be a multiple week style, I wanted make sure that her hair was properly prepped for the style. Sectioning her hair into 5 parts and applied Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap Purification Hair Masque  to those sections after spritzing her hair with some water. The Purification Hair Masque is wonderful for itchy scalp. While applying this to her hair and scalp, I gave her a much needed trim (half an inch off). I left the treatment on her hair for 30 mins. Rinse off and co-washed her hair with Tresemme Naturals Conditioner For Deep Conditioning, I decided to try a new trick I learnt from Hairscapades . To read more about this trick, click here . I applied Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Covered her hair with plastic cap and thick knitted cap for 20 mins. Then let her sit under the dryer with just the plastic cap for another 20 mins. Now... here is the t...

My girls and I love... LOVE hair accessories. Most of the accessories we have are store bought, however, I love making my own. When you make your own hair accessory, you can decorate it however you want and even make it custom fit an outfit. Below, I will show you how to make a simple headband from buttons. I bought large decorative plastic buttons and felt flower buttons. For this project, I will be using the felt buttons.  You can find these in your local craft stores. You will need: Decorative Felt buttons ( You can also use iron-on applique) Glue gun Felt fabric ( matching the color of the headband ) Fabric Headband Step 1-4: Arrange the felt flower buttons in the design you want Place the larger buttons at the bottoms and overlay smaller sized buttons on top Add acrylic jewels to add some bling  to it Step 5-8: Cut 2 strips from the felt fabric Glue one piece to the reverse side of the decorative arrangement of felt buttons ...

Today, I was styling my hair for a new style: Curly Fro with a Pompadour and noticed something.....       my Edges were Thinning! How did that happen?  Well... for the past couple of weeks, I have not been really kind to  my edges. I have gelled it... twisted it a little tighter than usual... and I think maybe not constantly keeping it moisturized as I used to might have been the culprit. When I was three months into my transitioning journey, I used Jamaican Black Castor Oil to grow my edges in one month. Since then, I have been using NOW Solutions Castor Oil mixed with other oils as my oil mix and leave in conditioner for the girls.  Several times I have been asked which is better, JBCO or NOW Solutions Castor Oil? I know how well JBCO worked for me ( click here  to see), but didn't know if NOW will do the same. So... for the next 4 weeks, I will be applying the NOW Solutions Castor Oil to my edges once a da...

What is Zayd's Natural Detangler Conditioner? Zayd's Natural Detangler Leave In Conditioner is a Vegan product that is produced by Zenobia Jackson , owner of  Zayd's Naturally Natural Hair Studio (Houston, Texas). This product is infused with mango   and provides detangling properties to the hair that promises to give a sliky smooth comb-out . Ingredients Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ricinus Communis (Castor Seed) Oil, Steralkonium Chloride, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Phenoxyerganol, Vegetable Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, DL-Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Limmanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Oil, Salixnigra (Black Willow Bark) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary Oleoresin), Azadirachta Indica (Neem ) Oil, Green Papain Extract. How I used this product I have been using this product for about 3 weeks now. I am very impressed by the effectiveness of the product. The product has a nice refreshing mango scent. I love mango so that was a plus...

In March, the girls and I planted our first cantaloupe plant.  We got the plant from our local garden center and were hoping to eat some yummy organic cantaloupe during the hot summer months. Well, yesterday, we harvested our first cantaloupe of the season! It was small in size but quite delicious. This cantaloupe was all organic, no chemical or fertilizers used.  What I liked about this plant is that it is low maintenance.  The only issue I had was that I did not realize the vine grew quite wildly. I made the mistake of planting it in the same garden bed as my peppers. Although my green peppers thrived ( we harvested three small peppers in July ), the cantaloupe vine kept on tangling around the pepper plants. Reminds me of how my relaxed ends tangled with my natural new growth LOL! This will definitely not be our last cantaloupe since there are more still growing from the vine. We saved the seeds for next planting season and hope to eat more cantaloupe f...

 It has been 2 months since I started doing the CG method on my Transitioning Hair . I love it! I have not experienced product build up and when my hair feel dry, which is less often these days, I just spritz it with some water and add some leave in conditioner (PM conditioner) and viola!  So, I recently subscribed to a new YouTube vlogger from Jerusalem called lanicert , and totally love her.  She did a new updo called Twisted Updo and I decided try it out because I plan to do a twist out this weekend. Here is the video: My Results.... 

Disclaimer: Sorry for the quality of this video, Big Sis was our camera-girl. This was her first time video taping. Products used: -KimmayTube Leave In (recipe can be found on our facebook ) - My hair oil mix (castor oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E) Hair was washed with Tresemme Natural Conditioner and deep conditioned with Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and  Grapeseed oil. Results