Natural Hair Chronicles - "Making It Work"

 

Living In Color and Loving My Hair!!!

 

At the beginning of my natural hair journey, like many, I turned to the Internet and YouTube for inspiration and support in making the transition.  The wealth of information was astounding.  I don't know why I didn't think to do this before my first attempt was a failure.  Thanks to YouTubers and natural hair enthusiasts like Naptural85, NaturalChica, and others, I finally have the knowledge, tools and confidence required to care for and grow health hair naturally.

Like I shared in Welcome to Our World, I tend to always put myself in a position where I'm juggling/multitasking to the limit.  Case in point, within the last year alone, I've had to juggle finishing my doctorate degree, buying a home (which is still in the renovation process), pregnancy, a pre-tween son, a toddler who's determined to test the limits of the "Terrible Twos," and a host of other everyday life issues. 

Needless to say, all these 'round the clock responsibilities greatly dictate my hair care routine.  Like most women, much of my time is spent taking care of the needs of others; leaving little time for myself.  This is especially the case for my hair.


So, for the past several months, I've been determined to find a hair care routine that fits into my hectic schedule without sacrificing the quality and effectiveness of the care and the health of my hair.


Now, I have my standard go-to ingredients for my homemade products....

Shea butter, coconut oil, castor oil, EVOO, argan oil, jojoba oil, and a host of other natural and essential oils have given my hair so much life.

For the essential everyday moisture my hair requires - WATER!!! and to seal in the moisture, a homemade coconut oil & shea butter mixture

When time permits, I add a few additional ingredients to my bottle.  But as long as I get my water in (at least twice a day), I'm good.



Teaching my daughters how to care for their own hair in its natural state is also a priority for me.  So whenever I'm moisturizing and sealing, I chase her down and do the same with her hair.  She's starting to get use to the routine. Sometimes we have to play a game of "Cat and Mouse."

Twisty Curly

A natural hair care must have - Satin scarf or bonnet

Doing it her way.

Embracing my natural hair in all its kinky curly glory has inspired a whole new layer to my overall style.  I'm in love with color and take every opportunity to build on variety in my hair accessories color palette.  From hair pins to scarves to headbands, accessorizing is so much fun for me, Mama, Ya, and my girls.

Shop 'til we drop

Still need more color

  

    

It's been fun learning new techniques and trying out new styles and accessories.  My everyday wear hair and my favorite style is the two-strand twistout. I love it because easy and flexible when it comes to styling.  Plus, I've perfected a "Just Gotta Get It Done" version of the style on the days when time is not on my side.

My hair twin.

Color Splash

But when time does permit, when the stars are aligned in my favor, I relish in pampering myself with a weekly hair steamer session.  It does so much for my hair.  It enhances deep conditioning and infuses my hair with moisture resulting in softer, more manageable hair. 

One of the best purchases and investments for my hair care.

Freshly steamed!!! Critical for my hair's recovery from post-partum hair loss around my edges.

And this is why a steaming session is a rarity in my weekly routine.  Gotta love 'em.

Just stay calm. Mama's almost done.

Now the juggling act.

Thank you for your patience.

In all our Kinky Curly Fabulous Glory!

Latifah