Want to be a Natural Girl too? Well, you have definitely reached the right spot. I will give you tips on being natural, from transitioning, rocking the curly look, and wearing a straight look without a chemical relaxer. Ready? Set? Let's get natural!
So it has been approximately three years
and 3 months since I went natural. My transition left me feeling so exhilarated
and enlightened. I was ready to conquer the world; natural world that is. If
only during that transition I had read the book, "The Knotty Truth." I know I would have been
better equipped with what worked and what did not work. I am aware that we all do
not have the same hair texture and that we all have to try different products;
however, “The Knotty Truth,” provided great products for natural hair with
important information regarding what that particular product did for the hair. The examples below
provide hair information that I found important and very helpful:
CSDSRCD- This stands for conditioning, sectioning, detangling, shampooing,
rinsing, condition, and detangle. This is the hair washing process that the
book suggest that natural individuals use for “Happy hair.”
Lemongrass- Clean fresh smell, slows down
oil production
Rosemary Oil- aids in hair growth (not for
pregnant women)
Tea Tree Oil- Treats oily hair, dry scalp;
natural antiseptic
Ylang Ylang- antiseptic, stimulates growth;
controls sebum production
Lemon- Cleanser, hair lightener
Lavender- Soothes senses, treats dandruff
Sage- Natural cleansing and reviving
properties of dead hair follicles
Check
back soon and I will review info on moisturizers and conditioners suggested by the book.
If you are planning on going natural or
have already done so, I highly recommend obtaining your very own copy of, “The
Knotty Truth.” This DIY book allows you to learn ways to manage your own
naturalness, while keep your looks stylish and fresh.
The beauty of natural hair is evolving rapidly. People are embracing their natural beauty and taking the phrase "Getting to know my hair" to a whole new level. You can witness the evergrowing numbers of natural beauties from Viola Davis, Elle Varner, and even Kim Wayans. Below, you will find information about going naturals, such as an article from the NY Times and products suggested by natural beauties.
Natural Girl in an Almost Natural World refers to life in society where: Some people have natural hair and some people don't. Some people use natural products and some people won't. That's just the way life is and there is nothing you can do about it. Or is there?
The first way to change or bring light to a situation is by education. It is a fact that we do not possess the same knowledge as each other. If we did, a lot of people would have natural hair like Solange Knowles, Janelle Monae, and Keisha Knight Pulliam. Did you know that Keisha is natural? Well, she is and she dishes on her favorite styles to wear on NaturallyCurly.com.
In being natural, do like Janelle does and "Don't give up without a fight. Reach for the stars."
Not giving up without a fight is exactly what you will have to do. I have seen many people start the journey to having natural hair and go as far as doing the big chop, but in the end they relaxed their hair because they could not manage their natural hair. The current misconception about natural hair is that it is easier to do. This could not be a more negative statement. Natural hair takes a lot of work to maintain. If you are in the process of transitioning to natural hair, you should think about the following things before transitioning: How will I wear my hair? Who is going to do my hair? What products will I use? And am I prepared for the mixed emotions from people about my hair? These are all things you should be mindful of before going natural. Naturally, the decision is always yours. Make the decision that is right for you.
If you have decided to go natural, then welcome to the natural club. You have embarked on a tough, yet exciting journey!
Have you ever thought about rocking the natural look? Do you even know where to start? I was in this same perdicament about three years ago. I did not know where to start and where my journey would lead. I started my journey, the same way my mother had taught me to find information I wanted to know; I looked it up.
I started my first lesson by looking up the word: Natural hair. The search led me to many helpful websites such as Curly Nikki, Mahagony Curls, and other natural hair care websites. I learned about the BC, Two Strand Twists, and Twist Outs. You could say that I was in natural girl heaven because I was excited about all the new things I was learning about my hair and wanted to try out every example.
Next, I started asking people that were already natural about their transition. These individuals were friends, friends of friends, and those who I met at a particular coffee shop I often visited. At the coffee shop, pretty much everyone was natural or transitioning to be natural. I thought to myself, this must be my sign; My journey to being natural had to start soon. And it did.
My transition started out kind of slow. I told myself that I would stop getting a relaxer and let the perm grow out. Now what do I do? That technique only worked for so long because managing two different hair textures was difficult: I had my natural hair that curled up and would not work well with my old hair products. Then I had my previously relaxed hair that wanted to stay straight. So my next plan was to clip my ends once a month. This method helped me transition into my next phase: The Big Chop.
The Big Chop came about five months after I decided to stop getting a perm. I felt freedom from having relaxed hair, but at the some time nervous. I was free because I was no longer constrainted to the conditions of getting a relaxer every six weeks; I was nervous because my journey to having natural hair was only just beginning.
I found myself watching a lot of Youtube videos. Remember how I said earlier that I researched various things about natural hair? Well in my research, I paid special attention to YouTube videos by Curly Nikki and Mahagony Curls. Their videos helped me in the beginning stages of my Big Chop. Another important fact to my success in managing my natural hair was that I had always been a great hair stylist when it came to doing others hair, as well as my own. I had never attended beauty school and had learned how to braid and twist hair as a child. The videos that I watched were easy to understand and imitate.
So how am I rocking my hair nowadays? I am very glad you asked that question! Well, it has been over three years since I went natural. You may see my hair go back and forth from the straight look to the wet and go look. As my hair continues to grow, I have to find other ways to do my hair because what worked for me in the beginning, does not always work for me now.
~I encourage everyone to get to know their true hair by knowing what and what does not work for their hair type. You never know, you may like what you see
