Natural hair-care: Three years into my minimalist approach.

Rocking twist-out on 3 years natural hair growth while soaking in the Cameroonian sun... In the shade mostly!

Twist-out on 3 years natural hair growth

Outfit

White asymmetric button front tank - H&M (old)
Green/ecru print shorts  -  Zara (similar)
Nude leather crystal encrusted ankle-strap flats  -  Next (gift)
Silver hoop earrings with braid motif -  Unknown (gift)
Silver bangles - Accessorize (old)

This month is my 3rd anniversary of starting the natural hair journey. I have not been very keen to document my hair-care because quite frankly, the way I go about it is rather basic and there never seems to be much to talk about.  I did an introduction and rundown of my minimalist attitude towards natural hair-care a year into it here. I've pretty much stayed faithful to a simple routine and 3 years into it, I haven't had a reason to change. I've managed to retain 15 inches at the longest point, though I went through a period of obsessive trimming. I've now decided to only trim once every six months.

My routine falls into these four sections of care: Protective styling, moisturising, detangling and washing while paying attention to hair and scalp needs. I've discovered this routine works really well for me, considering my lifestyle and personal preference.

Protective styling:

Medium two-strand twists

Now that my hair has gotten longer, I find that I can't easily manage wearing it out as much as I used to and I tend to live in two-strand twists, ranging from mini ones and medium ones, to Jumbo ones.  After a wash and condition, I usually put my hair in twists right away. The size depends on how much time I have to work with. When I don't have a lot of time, I usually go for jumbo twists and leave them in overnight. When I can find some time the next day or whenever, I gradually undo the twists and re-twist them into smaller sections (great for finger detangling and a chance to moisturise between washes). I really like two-strand twists because they never feel too tight on the scalp, they keep hair stretched thus reducing tangles, and they are very versatile... I found that while I have twists in, I can still do all sorts of pinned up-does for dress up, or high untidy buns.

Jumbo twists styled in an up-do

Medium twists pulled into a high bun. My everyday style.

The last time I got braids put in, I only had them in for about a week. I've always had a difficult time dealing with the discomfort of braids with extensions and I've noticed some hair loss along the hairline when I've had extensions. I no longer braid my hair with extensions as a protective style. I can't say I'll never do them again, but I might try putting them in myself if I decide to wear them again.

Jumbo box braids a la Poetic Justice

When I do wear my hair in twist-outs, I always pull all the hair up into a high puff before I go to bed at night. This keeps the hair stretched, prevents tangling and prolongs the twist-out for a few days.

Second day twist-out on 2 and a half years natural hair growth

Moisturising:

Coconut oil and Naked Style's Little Miracle leave-in conditioner

Aside from using a moisturising conditioner after shampooing, I always use a leave-in conditioner and a natural oil like coconut oil, olive oil, Jamaican black castor oil or palm kernel oil. I try to spritz water and seal with oil on particularly hot and dry days between washes. The rainy season is in full gear now so I've gotten even more lazy and hardly spritz at all. My morning jog or a walk to the corner store is usually enough to get a little drizzle into my twists.

Detangling:

Re-twisting damp natural hair after shampooing, conditioning and moisturising with oil and leave-in

I've found that in order to retain the hair that is always growing, I have to be gentle. I wash my hair in twists so detangling is even more simplified. I hardly ever comb my hair anymore and just use my fingers to detangle. When I use my fingers I can feel where a knot has begone to develop and I take extra care detangling it or cutting it out with scissors. I only detangle on wash days when my hair is moist and I try to pick days when I have time and don't need to rush over my hair. When I do run out of time, I just pull everything up into a puff of some sort (both twisted hair and loose hair together), till I have more time, then I spritz with water before I continue detangling. I detangle each twist and re-twist into bigger, smaller or the same size two strand twists.

Paying attention to hair and scalp:

Garnier Fructis' fortifying shampoo and TESemme's nourishing moisture conditioner for naturals

I soak my scalp in diluted apple cider vinegar for ten minutes before each wash

It is important to keep hair clean, paying attention to hair and scalp needs while avoiding styling practices that can damage hair. I wash, condition and moisturise about once a week. Sometimes when I get really busy, I push it into the second week when I can find the time. I try not to leave it for too long as I have a problem with itchy scalp and regular washing with an apple cider scalp treatment gives me enough relief for about a week.

Hair-care bad habits:

I read all those natural hair-care blogs and watch a lot of videos, but for the life of me, I can not believe how disciplined some women are with their routines. I happen to have two bad habits that I can think of. I mean some real don'ts, such as:

-I don't wrap my hair with a silk scarf or cover it with a bonnet before I go to bed. I can't seem to keep them on through the night and I'll be damned if I'm going to wake up in the middle of the night to turn on the lights and go looking for the scarf that has migrated from my head to who-knows-where! So I might be loosing valuable moisture and causing more tangles by not covering my hair when I go to bed.

-I don't deep condition regularly. When I have done it, it has been more for the benefit of relaxation after a long day, with soothing scented ingredients like coconut oil and honey. The thought of something like bananas, mayonnaise or avocado in my hair just makes me think of how much longer I have to spend in the bathroom trying to get it out.  

Hair goals:

My goals for the next year are as follows: To fix this problem with the scarf at night. I should be able to make a few satin pillowcases. Deep condition more often. I will be reading up about deep conditioning to find the best combination for my natural hair. I hope to grow at least 4 inches in the next year and I think some slight adjustments might help in that aim. I'm presently looking for a remedy for itchy scalp that will actually work. If anyone has tips, I'll be very grateful if you can leave a comment. 

That's the run down of my 3rd year of natural hair-care. What is your approach to natural hair-care? What are your product/styling preferences? What are your goals and how do you plan to achieve them? Sharing our individual tips for successful natural hair-care makes for continued fun and enjoyment on this journey of self-discovery. Information from all the talented women who share their different stories online, a lot of patience and a little bit of experience have helped me embrace my own natural hair more fully. My advise to anyone who is just starting out is to try and figure out what works for your own Afro-textured hair, keeping in mind that your hair does not have to look, feel or behave like anyone else's. It is very easy to feel discouraged by having expectations that are based on standards that are not realistic for one's own hair. Just because your hair does not do what A or B can do does not mean that it is not perfectly fabulous. I know it is very encouraging to find people with similar hair texture who are totally rocking their do. If you can't find anyone who's hair is similar to yours, then maybe you can fill in that gap and help others like yourself if you begin to share your own story. For some people, it takes time to get comfortable with wearing hair naturally, but once you find your own potential, all you have to do is... Enjoy...

Palm Kernel oil for natural hair

Clear unrefined palm kernel oil

Palm kernel oil is a white to yellowish edible fat that is obtained from palm kernels especially of the African oil palm, that resembles coconut oil more than palm oil, and that is used in making soap and margarine. Palm kernel oil, locally called Manyanga, has been used on skin and hair in Cameroon for ages and most people I know grew up with a grandmother or great aunt who swears by it as the ultimate moisturiser.

I first came across palm kernel oil as a child. I have always had very dry skin allover, except on my face, where my body decided it would be ideal to set up an oil production factory! My grandmother always had a bottle of nutty smelling locally made black palm kernel oil. She would add a fresh scent by putting a few drops on some leaves and rubbing between her palms before rubbing it all over my skin when she helped me get ready for school in the morning. I would stay shiny... literally, and squeaky-clean looking for the rest of the day. Many people in Cameroon recommend black palm kernel oil for children especially as it is believed to help sooth insect bites, prevent and/or treat infections such as ringworm and scabies, as well as promote smooth healthy skin that stays moist and supple through the harsh Hamatan and dry season. Some local health practitioners caution that unrefined palm kernel oil is not appropriate for babies.  

There are obviously two types of palm kernel oil available in Cameroon. Black palm kernel oil which is made from roasted kernels is more common, while clear palm kernel oil is made from dried kernels. Both are unrefined and both will set into a paste at room temperature. Palm kernel oil, like it's sister palm oil, is exceedingly common and easy to find in most parts of Cameroon where the African palm tree is grown. Since olive oil is rather expensive here (8000 fcfa = £10 for about a litre), and I've had a preference for coconut oil and Jamaican black castor oil since going natural (oils which are not the lease bit common here) I've been very reluctant to use oil when I deep condition in order to prolong my little stash until I can replenish it. 

I remember someone recommending black palm kernel oil but I didn't think I would like it... partly because it is soo very black, but also because I didn't remember it having a very good smell. A few weeks ago while returning from a trip to scenic Fontem, I spotted some hawkers selling black oil and clear oil in bottles. Being a natural who's always on the look-out for oil, I ask what the clear oil was (I could already tell the black oil would probably be Manyanga). I was surprised to find out that the clear oil was Manyanga as well. I asked to smell it and found it was still nutty, but not half as bad as I remembered it to be. I bought a half litre bottle of the stuff for only 500fcfa, approximately 75pence and let me say... I'm loving the stuff. I've been mixing it with some local wild honey when I deep condition and I'm loving the shiny luster it adds to my hair.

If you have access to some of this oil, I recommend that you try it. There is so much of it in Africa and it is super cheap, I'm surprised it isn't as common within natural hair circles as Shea butter is. Take it from a happy healthy natural, palm kernel oil is golden. Enjoy!

Positive projection, 2nd year natural hair anniversary and other musings

I'm back from a rather long break. My laptop has been acting up for some months now. Tried to diagnose the problem, bought a new battery and charger cable... even ordered parts that got lost in the post. Then last week, I swapped charger cables with my dad's PC (same brand but not really recommended) and behold, my laptop is working again. I'm too much of a realist so I'm not exactly celebrating yet. Just really glad I can get on the internet again.

Overall I am well. Still haven't adjusted to the high carb diet which is the norm here, but thanks to it I've managed to put on a bit of weight in what some people call the "right" places. An uncle actually said my bride-price now deserves a top-up! This brings me to the point of my post. How does one address external pressure on how one looks or chooses to project one's self? For example, I currently live in a tropical country. It is sweltering on most days. I like to wear shorts and can/will wear them everyday for the ease of it. Now, if I decide to leave home in them I have to brace myself for other people's refusal to shrug off their discomfort and carry on minding their own business. When have I ever bothered anyone wearing Kaba or Agbada in 30 degree heat?!

Looking at it from another angle, I have always admired glamourous red lips created with lipstick. I had previously thought I couldn't/shouldn't wear red lipstick because my lips are too full and/or I just looked too made up. Along with other negative impressions I used to have about myself, I missed out on having fun with this very colourful, fun-filled way to express my self image... until recently, I used to buy a bright lipstick, take it home, try it on, keep it in the make-up drawer for months and then give it away. When I used to date, I would wear next to no make-up. In my mind I thought I wanted whomever I was dating to get to know the real me. I later found that people get used to one thing and sulkily resist any changes thereafter!

 I have actually exhibited the same resistance towards a dear lovely friend who loves the glam look. This woman is stunning without makeup on most days. I was very disappointed, and as outspoken as I am, I told her how disappointed I was when she bought a set of makeup brushes and learned how to put on eye-shadow and blush! Lucky for her (and for me... and for our friendship), she's got thicker skin than most people I know. She just carried on having fun with her brushes and colours and her glam look has actually grown on me. Now, when I get some disapproval because I'm wearing shorts or a mini at my age, that I sometimes wear high heels, that I choose to wear my hair natural, or how odd bright red lipstick looks on my full lips and against my dark skin, I am learning to just laugh and say "but I like it" like my friend, without feeling like crying because I'm holding myself back from chewing and spitting the person out!

It is annoying when others attempt to project onto us. I for one am guilty in my own right, haven successfully impressed upon others in one way or another. Now I don't know if I ever had the right to attempt to influence anyone to change their self-image in the first place. It appears to be normal community behaviour and nothing to get too worked up over. Unless of course it rubs you the wrong way and you feel the need to stand up for yourself, then by all means do you!

Here's to me having fun in Ruby Woo lipstick from MAC. It has been almost two years since I decided to start wearing my mane naturally. For me it's not just a hairstyle that I love wearing now, it's a lifestyle that I enjoy. This is all of me... no frills, save a little red lipstick... :-)

Sewing practice with lovely African print.

It's been a really long time since I made any garments myself. I used to make most of my clothes in high school and I thoroughly enjoyed the process of picking out fabric, choosing a style and getting down to the process of figuring how best to cut the cloth and put it all together, correcting errors as I went along, and finally displaying the work. I started out with these two stunning prints below, a two meter length of cloth left-over from something my mom had made for herself. In anglophone Cameroon, African print cloth usually comes in six meters.  In the Kumba main market, cloth is measured in fadons which I've just been informed is Pidgin English for fathoms, the unit of measurement which denotes 1.8288 metres. Not quite 2 metres at all... now I feel cheated! Anyway, so 5.4864 meters of cloth is called three fadons of cloth. Most cloth merchants will refuse to cut and sell you two fadons because they'll be left with one which they seemingly have a difficult time selling. I figured a brilliant solution to the problem of having to buy more fabric than I need. When next I go shopping for cloth, I'll ask to first see all the one fadon cloth and make my initial selection from those.

In approximately two weeks, I was able to make 5 skirts and a pair of shorts. I was a bit worried about taking up this hobby again because I can not get a hold of ready-made patterns to cut from. Cutting cloth requires quite a lot of skill and I don't quite have that yet so every item I have made has required quite a bit of thinking... the kind that makes me feel like I'm doing math! I have been working mainly during the hours that my kids are in school, when the house is quiet, and I'm rather pleased with the results so far. Here are a few pictures of Soshina and I, modeling two skirts in a similar style but in different lengths.

Loving what my hair is doing these days :-)

 

This one is a few inches shorter, a bit more flared with a zipper on one side and a hidden pocket on the other side. The hemline has a wide double border which looks neat and helps the flare stay down in the wind.

 These shorts are from a very simple cut but there was a bit of a challenge in getting the waist band just right.

I tried my hand at recreating this hairstyle which I used to see on Fula women when I was a child. Soshina's hair is soft, shinny and easy to maneuver.  I totally enjoyed doing this.

Picture post: At home with the girls

Side-swept braids

I got jumbo braids put in yesterday. They are rather heavy and a little uncomfortable. I usually struggle to keep extensions in for even just a short period of time and I have a feeling these braids won't be in for very long. I'm enjoying the way they look though. Today is a Friday off school in support of Francophonie (I got a note from their school saying something about "bilinguation"! I don't know, I'm assuming it's got to do with the Francophonie culture in Cameroon). We stayed up late last night and woke up later this morning. A whole 3 days to get around to homework. No one got pulled out of bed at 6am to get ready for school, and I know which one of us was especially grateful!

Just got braids put in and wanted to take a few pics by myself, but that's not easy to do with these two around.

Grandpa makes every activity a little more fun...

Starting to warm up to Alex the puppy                 

I am still afraid of his teeth!

Natural haircare: A minimalist attitude.

I decided to go natural and stopped chemically straightening my hair a little bit over a year ago. I did not come to this decision in an effort to be healthier, though I had grown weary of the burns, scabs and ensuing itching that the chemical straighteners were causing to my scalp. I had simply tired of the perpetually straight and rather limp hair on my head that did not retain any of the curls that I occasionally attempted to put back into it. I then realized that I had no idea what my natural texture looked like. After a cousin of mine transitioned successfully from relaxed to natural texture, I researched further and stumbled upon a large archive of videos on youtube.com, dedicated to transitioning, caring for and styling natural African textured hair.This is the first time I have worn my natural texture of hair for more than one year since nursery school. I have six sisters and we all got our hair cut like boys, once at the beginning of the school year, and then again after the Christmas holidays. It was cut down to about 0.3 inches short or shorter! This hair cut was part of the uniform requirement for all school girls in our part of the country. This haircut was always administered by our dad. I don't know what it is about hair that gets some women emotionally attached to it, because it is interesting to note that I was the only one who shed tears over the loss of my head of curls at the age of seven (six and seven are the earliest ages when I can vividly remember childhood). Anyway, because of this haircut, and my subsequent attempts at emulating what was considered fashionable in the 90s, I had no idea and went ahead, straightening without giving it a second thought.

Sporadically, during long holidays as a teenager and through out adulthood, a span of about 22 years... yes I'm that old (almost 37); I had worn my hair chemically straightened by a process of applying a relaxer cream to the new hair growth every 8 weeks. When you do this for nearly 25 years, you tend to become an expert in the process and in hair-care products. Getting it done professionally costs a pretty penny, an average of $60 a pop! I did it myself for the most part. I also tried various hair-care products, constantly changing them to find the ones that worked best. What I learned over time is simply this; you can't change how you are naturally. You can, however, cause a lot of damage to your physical and emotional self while trying. Contrary to the general perception of people who know me, I do not have thick hair. Honest truth! I just have hair that is not as tightly curled as is expected. Because of this texture, my hair tends to look fuller, detangles easily, and is generally easier to manage. 

I became a young adult in the late 90s. The whole reason for chemically straightening was firstly, to have an easily manageable head of hair, and secondly, to easily achieve the popular styles I saw in magazines and on other women on the streets. Generally, beauty products are marketed in such a way as to create a hedonistic appeal, but more importantly they almost always exaggerate the results they promise. This I've learned after using most of the popular/salon/expensive/for-African-hair/add-shine/increase-volume/stop-breakage/stimulate-follicles branded products! They won't perform any miracles, but they will deplete your bank account unnecessarily, if you keep buying them. What I've ultimately learned is simply to keep my hair clean and moisturized, and that is easily done with the cheapest shampoos and conditioners on the shelf.  So, when I go to my local chemist/drug-store to buy products, I first browse the store brands which are usually the cheapest. I've watched a lot of natural hair care videos and I'm always struck by the amount of products women slatter on to their tresses. I'm still learning how to take care of my natural hair but I realise that this particular practice just boils down to personal preference.

I can say that I have a minimalist attitude towards purchasing hair-care products. The most expensive product I have bought so far, is the Tiana Extra Virgin Coconut oil, which was on sale for £11 at the time at Holland and Barrett. I've had it for more than a year now and I still have some left, despite the fact that I have used it to cook Jellof rice twice! I recently switched to Holland & Barrett's Perfectly Pure Coconut Oil(store brand), which was on sale for £7.99. This means I don't have to come out the pocket for a major hair-care purchase till next year! That makes me feel really good and I can feel less guilty about splurging somewhere else!

Products I like: Olive oil cream, Tiana extra virgin coconut oil.

Products I no longer use:
Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance leave-in conditioner.
Olive oil cream moisturiser. 

I did experience a little bit of the hair-care obsession with products recently. I got two tubes of leave-in conditioner. I had been thinking about replacing the olive oil cream, but I'm usually too keen about price and smell to buy any of the popular products. I've now stopped using the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-in conditioner because I don't like the lingering smell which appears to be more overpowering than my perfume! I came across the Naked Style range of products, formulated for naturally curly hair. They are keen to market their products as being "97% natural", and  "silicone free". The tube of Gorgeous Curls promises to be a "curl taming cream" with "botanical ingredients" which "help to define and add lustre to curls". My my! The tube of Little Miracle leave-In conditioner offers "Shea butter and Argan oil", to "repair and protect dry hair against heat styling and breakage". 

My recent splurge.

The words used to present these products make them irresistible to anyone browsing for products for natural hair. Though I know this, I was hooked. I stood there holding one tube in each hand and looking from one to the other for a good long while. I sniffed both of them and was pleasantly surprised with the mild smell of summer berries from one, and that of almond nuts from the other. I think I stood there a little too long, because I noticed the store security guy lurking around the aisle near me, acting like he'd lost something! Oh well, I went ahead and got them both. I tried the Gorgeous Curls leave-in a few days ago and I'm pleased with the added moisture in my hair now. My texture is pretty much the same and that's expected. The smell is only a very faint strawberry.

My new routine products.

My new hair-care regime is made up almost entirely on store brand products. The results are not much different and I'm satisfied that I'm getting what I want for very little money. Gorgeous Curls for £4.19, Coconut & Almond shampoo for £1.29, Coconut & Almond conditioner for £1.29, and pure coconut oil for £7.99. A total of £14.77, and here are the results, three days into a two strand twist-out. Just about the same quality plus more moisture, for a lot less money.

I can say that I am happy with my natural hair. There are those days when I wish it was as easy to manage as straightened hair, but what I would gain in ease would be lost in beauty. At least, that is how I like to think of it! I`m adjusting to some surprising reactions to it, mainly that of fascination with how it looks. Sometimes I quite like the attention and other times I wish it were a much more common sight and people wouldn't stare so much. My most enduring challenge seems to be how to wear it to job interviews and maintain focus on my personality, submerged as I seem sometimes under all that hair!