Moisturizing and Maintaining My Low Porosity 4C Natural Hair: Dry Climates VS Humid Climates

By J.Naomi Johnson

Traveling between Colorado and Atlanta absolutely has a harsh effect on my Low Porosity 4C hair. Being in Atlanta’s humid climate my hair is low maintenance and does not require much planning as far as how I maintain my kinks. On the opposite spectrum, Colorado’s very dry and my hair requires meticulous planning and strategic styling on my part.

In this blog post I will be discussing what I do to combat environmental changes on my hair when traveling between dry climates and humid climates and why. One thing to consider though before we dive into it is that Colorado is low oxygen and dry with over 300 days of sun shine a year…even when it snows. Georgia is closer to the equator and the Gulf. It has humidity. Although I didn’t find it to be as humid as San Antonio, TX when I visited for two months (on another note I kept my hair in braids the whole time, never washed and used oil and it grew like crazy!) . However, being from Colorado I could feel the humid air all over me especially after it rained those early Georgia mornings.

So with that being said this is what I do with my hair when changing from dry to humid climates.

Things I do when I am up North (Denver, Colorado):

1. Stay away from Aloe Vera and other humectants or products that have it in them! Not just in the winter but all the time. Humectants pull moisture in. In an environment where there is no moisture humectants have an adverse effect on my hair pulling moisture from my hair. I notice when I put Aloe Vera in my hair it moisturized for a second but then dries. I just recently swapped out the Aloe Vera gel I used to style my hair for homemade flaxseed gel.

2. I nightly water wash twice a week and follow with a jojoba oil and butter/cream seal (preferably unrefined raw shea butter, whipped). I know your like no way...multiple washing will dry my hair out! Well, yes… if you’ re using shampoo or any other product in your hair. General water washing is great for my low porosity hair immediately followed by an oil and shea butter seal. I will do this every two days and in between I will substitute the water wash with a water based leave-in conditioner, then the jojoba oil and shea butter seal. Sometimes I switch out my oils for different needs.



3. Once a week I will steam with my favorite conditioner, olive oil and Argan oil (p.s. I always use Argan oil anytime I use heat) to lift the cuticle and deposit moisture and nutrients into the hair shaft. Then I rinse with ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) and very cold water. Then I follow with an oil and shea butter to seal.

4. Drink a lot of water!


Things I do when I am down South (Atlanta, GA):

1. Use Humectants! The humidity for my hair is like an ongoing conditioner. Instead of pulling moisture from my hair it pulls it from the environment. I use Aloe Vera so much that I have to buy a half a gallon from the health food store. Other products such as glycerin, and castor oil work great in humid environments. I will put humectants in my daily moisturizing mist and styling products.

2. Use a sulfate free clarifying shampoo to wash my hair. Due to the humidity I sometimes feel like my scalp needs to be cleaned off and an ACV rinse just will not do. So I will wash it every two weeks and follow with a deep conditioning treatment. I really try to only use the shampoo on the scalp so I split my hair into sections and spray the water diluted shampoo on my roots and lightly massage my scalp and then rinse. Then follow with my leave-in conditioner and style.

In both environments I do a protein treatment every three months. I have noticed that in the South I can use coconut oil and get really great results and my hair does not feel like straw after due to protein overload. I know coconut oil is not a protein but it does mimic protein behavior on the hair shaft and because of that causes my hair to feel like straw if I use it in the north. In Atlanta my hair feels amazing and has a great shine with it. In the north I use neem oil for the same results. Go fig?

Another thing I do in both environments is low manipulation. I try to keep a style for as long as I can. Check out the video below for one of the many DIY protective styles I wear.



So that is what I do when I travel from dry to humid climates! Let me know what you think. Did I leave anything out? Did you experience anything different? Let me know in the comments below!

Natural Hair | DIY Twisted Pompadour Tutorial, Step By Step, Highly Requ...

Natural Hair Oils | My "go-to" carrier and base oils, Hair Oil Trends

By J.Naomi

There are so many oils out on the market that many naturals are overwhelmed about which oils they need to accompany them in their journey.   After many years of product testing oils on my natural 4C hair I have a few favorites that I go to for different reasons.  In this post I will be discussing my top go-to oils for natural hair.  I will only be discussing my favorite carrier/base oils.  Although essential oils are great to use for a lot of different reasons, I want to focus on the base oils.

 

Base oils are what you can use to dilute essential oils and are typically pressed from the seeds of plants.  Many oils do different things and have various effects on the hair.  Most commonly, oils are used for moisture retention (for example the L.O.C. method) and used to heal and nourish the scalp for healthy development of hair.  Some naturals use one type and others, like myself, use many different types at different times or various ones for treatments.  Hopefully my list helps you decipher which oil is best for you.

My Go-To Oils:

1.       Argan Oil – This oil is pretty pricey.  Although it is sensitive to light and must be stored in darker bottling it holds an impressive punch.  This fact also lets you know if it is authentic Argan oil.  Packed with Omegas and a great source of vitamin F and E I use this oil whenever I deal with heat to avoid or decrease the possibilities of damage.   This oil deep penetrates the hair shaft and provides a great barrier when I flat iron my hair or deep condition under a dryer. 

2.       Olive Oil – I add two tablespoons of olive oil to my conditioner to produce soft and shiny hair.  I use it as a part of my hot oil treatments and pre-poo’s.  More importantly I eat it.  All three ways promote healthy hair growth.  I use extra virgin olive oil to avoid chemicals that many company’s use to stretch the oil.   Olive oil rules and is a favorite by many naturals.

3.       Shea Butter – Almost all the products you buy as a natural you will see this in them.  This “oil” is solid but can be melted down to oil form.  Just like olive oil it is a natural conditioner.  However it is also a moisture sealant that can be used to heal the scalp and follicle and used as a butter to style hair.  As a unrefined oil you gain the most nourishment from Shea Butter.  Also, because many hair care company’s offer this product it’s easy to find.  Another plus about Shea Butter is that it can be used all over your body and can improve your overall complexion.

4.       Castor Oil – I didn’t think about this oil until I used it for five weeks and found a great difference in the thickness of my hair.  I had been having issues with my edges due to excessive styling and wearing head scarfs, headbands and brushing my hair into high puffs.  So I used castor oil five times a week for five weeks and voilà!  My hair was nice and thick and seemed stronger.  Currently, I use castor oil on my edges and ends to reduce breakage.  Although they say that Jamaican Black castor oil is wonderful and is leading the trend in castor oil amongst naturals, I actually fell in love with the regular CVS Castor Oil Laxative.  Go fig?  Caution: It stimulates your hair follicles so it will itch when you first use it.

5.       Coconut Oil – This oil is not the best oil to me because not everyone can use it.  Although it can be used for hair, body and eaten for those who prefer a healthier lifestyle, this oil cannot be used for naturals that are protein sensitive.  However, if you’re not a natural who deals with protein sensitivity (click here to see my short video on Protein Sensitivity and alternatives) Coconut Oil is the holy grail!  Firstly it smells great.  Not only does it strengthens the hair and adds a glorious shine it can even be used as an alternative method for pre-poo and deep conditioning wash!  Cool thing about coconut is that it lays on the hair shaft like a protein treatment would so you will see many people use coconut oil with protein treatment.

Honorable Mentions:

1.       Alma Oil – Cleansing, preventing grays, deep conditioning, promotes shine

2.       Grapeseed Oil – Sensitive skin, great for mixing with essential oils

3.       Jojoba oil – Pricey. Great for mixing and conditioning hair and skin, closest oil to the natural on our scalp!

4.       Sweet Almond Oil – Hair and skin oil

What oils do you use? Are the oils listed above good or did I leave some out? I want to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below!

Natural Hair Girls Be Like...

Really funny!  Had to share! Subscribe to his page!!!!!!

AYD2015 Series: #9 Don't Fall in to A Social Media Vortex. Gulp!

By J.Naomi Johnson

Sorry. I am late posting this very essential part of the AYD2015 series (click here to start from the beginning) because…well…I did not want to. I love my Facebook. I love my Instagram. I love my Twitter. So why on earth would I ever forbid the use of these wonderful social media tools? Well, I'm not. However, I know that the negative effects of social media when one is trying to rebuild or accomplish goals needs to be addressed but I really just don’t want to. So instead I will talk about the destruction of vortexes (and when it is time we will substitute vortex with social media, smile).

First let us discover what the heck a vortex is.

A vortex is a whirling mass of fluid or air. Typically, it's called a whirlpool or a whirlwind. We see vortexes all the time. A cyclone has a vortex. A black hole in space has a vortex. Often a vortex pulls you in, gets you all caught up in a spiraling mass of chaos and then spits you out completely at the opposite end of your beginning. In the case of a black hole you are stretched to the size of spaghetti and then ripped apart never making it to the other side.

Okay…I’m ready to talk about social media…I guess…

Social media is wonderful. It’s always active and it connects us to each other. We all have spent tireless hours perfecting our phone keyboarding abilities. For people with business it has allowed you to grow and develop your business in ways that would not have happen if you did not use it. However, we are not talking about social media for business. I am discussing, in this particular blog, social media’s impact on you, as an individual, Achieving Your Dreams in 2015.

Oh that world wide web! That super information distributor that is only but one click away at all times. That precious distraction that has frequently gotten in the way of my work and the work of others. Internet you are consistent. You are relevant. Most importantly, you can be a vortex. As we discussed before, not all vortexes are as detrimental as a black hole in space. Some serve their environmental purpose. Others impact the environment in a very negative way. For instance, the Polar vortex causes below freezing temperatures negatively changing and effecting seasons leading to the damage of crops and endangerment of animals. And then there are dirt devils…cough.

Let’s take the prior example and apply it to social media. Facebook provides us all with the chance to stay connected and inform the people we care about of major events in our lives. Weddings, child birth a new tattoo, etc. For some this availability of announcement can be problematic. Instead of looking at Facebook as a positive source for staying up to date with the milestones of close friends and family. It has become a soapbox catalyst. Something that I and many others have fallen victim to. Don’t worry. It happens. Twitter wars. Selfie contests. Facebook arguments. So on and so forth. It is the accidental trip and fall into a social media whirlwind.






In the chaos of it people are chiming in. Words are getting misconstrued. People are not speaking to others and it just gets worst. This is the chaos of the vortex. Hurling and whirling around and around. Sometimes you end up on the other side okay. People talk it out and voila! All is mended after the storm. On the other hand you lose out. Severing the relationships you once valued and shifting your focus from one thing to something that should have never had your attention in the first place.

Enter you and these big dreams you have. The totally wonderful, accomplishable plans that you have been working your butt off to reach. The last thing that you should do now with your newly gained momentum is get off track with your goals or use that momentum to fuel a twitter war. Yes, you may need social media for your business or to reach your dreams but don’t allow for it to destroy your planning. Don’t get sucked into its vortex of non-prosperity. By all means do not allow for it to stretch you so thin that you turn into spaghetti and get ripped apart. Seriously.

The most important things that we have, in regards to a social life, are the relationships we have with each other. I think that we have begun to believe that the people who are connected to our social media accounts are the same as the people that we talk to and have interpersonal relationships with. Or in other words, we have believed that distant or estranged people on our social media accounts matter. I have made this mistake too. This is a cost effecting mistake. Costly because some of the people you have on your social media that you believe are in your corner are not and given the chance can and will betray or hurt you. And although they watch you and/or like your post they are often envious and miserable in their own lives and cannot stand the happiness in yours. They cringe at your joys while never taking their eyes off you. They discuss you frequently while you live your life unaware to their alternative motives miles and miles away. Lesson: Don’t get caught up in the social media vortex.

Yeesh…sensitive subject alert!

Social media relationships are not the same as the relationships we have invested emotionally and physically with which requires more than occasional inbox messaging. What I mean by this is that if you do not have a memory with someone than what is the value of that someone if the only connection is social media? There is not one. This too is part of the chaos of the vortex. Believing that a person in your social media has any power or influence in your life when you are only connected through social media. The idea of six degrees of separation or two degrees depending on your city and town only extends as far as knowing “of” a person. Not of “knowing” a person. You dig?






While you begin to chase your dreams and start to knock off those accomplishments don’t fall into a negative social media vortex. Although they are easy to get into you may not make it out. You have something amazing going on now. You’re destined for greatness regardless of the past. Most importantly now is the time to take hold of your future and rewrite history. Something I want you to know is as much as I would like to say that your biggest enemy is you that may not necessarily be true. So keep a look out for activities and people that suck you in and want to stretch you thin. You have much to do and no time for black hole spaghetti. Yeesh!

My advice comes from bonafide expirence. Have you ever been sucked into a social media vortex? Let’s hear about it in the comments below!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Curl Shaming: Are You Helping or Hurting the Natural Hair Movement?

By J.Naomi Johnson

You’re going to have to dig deep for this one. I will give you a scenario…

You’ve been natural for years. You have a hold on kinks and curls and have managed to make your hair “werk”. Your walking down the street and see a newbie or neo-natural . With your expertise you can identify that they are still trying to get a hold on this whole natural thing. Do You…

A.)Stop and demand that him or her allow you to apply a moisturizer that you so conveniently have in your emergency curl kit. The curl Yoda
you are.
B.)Keep walking. It’s not your problem and nobody helped you when you started off! Plus nobody has better curls than you. Nobody.
C.)Cross the street. You do not do well with confrontation. Especially curl on curl.
D.)Stop him or her and invite them to the next natural meet up. You don’t want to come off as a know it all and besides the journey is part
of the fun of being a natural anyway. You know from experience that everybody has their own thing.

Well, I know that you know what the right answer is but this is often not practiced. With all the shaming that someone transitioning/returning natural could receive from their own family and society (work, church, etc.) experienced natural Black Women are shaming each other as well. I am not talking about texture discrimination (which in its self has a negative impact on the natural movement). I am referring to Curl Shaming: The verbal oppression and put down of another natural’s hair care ability causing the natural being shamed to feel negatively about their overall appearance and journey.






Note: Curl Prejudice is the belief that a curl pattern is better than another naturals curl pattern because of looseness of curl or length of hair (i.e., 3b is better hair than 4b.). Whereas, Texture Discrimination is denying a natural from claiming to have a tighter curl pattern because of the color of their skin or depth of “Blackness” or vice versa (i.e., Her hair is not 4c because she is light-skinned. He is to dark skinned to have 3a hair). Often Curl Shaming is a tactic of Curl Prejudice. Both practices are false and negative. Rule of thumb is healthy hair is good hair and you don’t have to be Black to have an Afro.



So anyway… I can feel the eye roll. In your head your thinking, “Whatever, Black people are strong…we tell it straight to each other all the time…” Remember what I said about strength in Black Women and Our Limitations of Strength post? Well if you don’t, now would be a good time to review it. Remember, although strong, not everyone has the same amount of strength. Curl Shaming can directly effect a naturals progress and even end their journey.

I saw a Youtube video a month ago where a natural was providing a tutorial (on another note, I love Youtube. It’s like a natural’s utopia. Click here to see what I am talking about) and she kept referring to other naturals as “hot messes”. Although she provided wonderful insight, I pondered what in her opinion classifies someone as a “hot mess”. Last week I received personal email from a subscriber who had a similar experience. That’s when I realized that this issue needed to be addressed.






One look a curl pattern achieves may not look the same with another. Often times looks have to be achieved using different tools and styling products (an example of this is wash-and-go’s for 3b verses 4c. See Maximum Hydration Method versus traditional 3b wash and go) underneath the video in the comments other naturals criticized her. I am sure she didn’t want to offend anyone... but she did.

This movement, this thing we are accomplishing by breaking the barriers of what society believes is beautiful and developing a love for women regardless of how they wear their hair is important. Like our curls, it is fragile and must handled with care. It can be so easily ruined. I know I always say this but we must be unified in our approach. We must support and love each other.

How do you feel about curl shaming? Have you experienced it? Did you do it without knowing? Tell me about it in the comments below!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

DIY CROCHET BRAIDING (VIXEN) WITH MARLEY HAIR

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

By J.Naomi Johnson

I wanted length and CROCHET BRAIDING was the way to do it.  Unlike other braiding techniques this style looked identical to my own hair!  I was so impressed.  I have included for you a link to the video (click the image above) so that you can see how to do this ultra easy hair style!  If you want a change in length but want to maintain your hair texture this is for you!

Have you tried crochet braids?  Let me know in the comments below!