Okay, so lately, you may have seen videos and read articles on why many naturalistas no longer use coconut oil as part of their hair regimen.  Shocking, isn’t it, since coconut oil seems to be the holy grail for most naturalistas.  In fact, coconut oil is raved about my many people for its many beneficial uses. But what many women found with coconut oil and their hair strands was that they just did not mesh well together.  Some reported that it left their strands feeling dry, or it made their scalp feel like it was on fire, or that it made their scalp extremely dry.  Ironically, women that I knew personally, reported to me that coconut oil was making their hair dry.

I admit, I jumped on the coconut band wagon soon after I became natural.  As a result, it is my currently facial and body moisturizer and I don’t have any complaints in that aspect. Coconut oil was the one product that women swore by and used it generously with their wash and go’s, twist-outs, as a pre-poo, or as a sealant as it is said to penetrate the hair shaft more than any other oil.  As far as my hair was concerned, I had only used it occasionally, usually as one of the ingredients in one of my DIY hair concoctions.  I had never used it solely on my strands, and so the question of whether it was not beneficial for my hair was not something I had ever thought about.  Until recently.

Using Coconut Oil As A Pre-poo

After a You-Tube hair tutorial watching binge, I decided to pre-poo my hair the night before my wash day using coconut oil as the main ingredient on dry hair.  I whipped it up to give it a nice smooth consistency and added small amounts of a few other oils: jojoba, castor, and avocado.  I really appreciated the fact that it was whipped; it made for easy application. And speaking of application, I found myself using a whole lot of it when applying to my medium sized sections.  It almost felt like my hair wasn’t absorbing it, so I found myself using tons of it.  I wondered what would have happened had my hair been wet or damp, but from what I understood, pre-poos are best on dry hair.  I covered my hair with a plastic bag, a satin scarf, and my bonnet and slept with it overnight.  I should mention that by the time I was done with the application, I had coconut oil dripping down my face and neck.  The next day was wash day and can I say that when I took down my detangled jumbo twisted sections, my hair felt amazingly soft.  I washed and styled my hair as per usual and from that day on, I decided to add my whipped coconut oil pre-poo into my wash regimen.

Using Coconut Oil As A Sealant

I was so excited about the pre-poo that I decided to use coconut oil to seal my hair about a week after my wash.  I began by using my trusty spritz bottle which consisted of water and conditioner and applied it to my hair, just enough to dampen it and went in with coconut oil. I made sure to focus on my ends.  Overall, my strands appeared to look moisturized and my twists were nice and plump when I was all done.  I couldn’t wait to see the results the next day.  Needless to say, I wasn’t as excited as I had been with the pre-poo results.  My hair, especially my ends, looked dry.  Not only did they look dry, but they felt dry as well.  I was baffled.  I couldn’t understand what had gone wrong.  The only major thing that was different from the pre-poo was the addition of water.  Had I used too much coconut oil? Too little?  I had no answers and decided not to use coconut oil to seal my hair.

This made me sad because, honestly, I wanted to love the versatility of coconut oil.  It’s my face and body moisturizer.  I’ve even used it to remove makeup.  I so wanted it to be as versatile for my hair as well.  Will I continue to add coconut oil to my DIY’s? Not sure, but I will continue to support its tremendous other benefits and hope to give some of them a try in the future.  But right now, it serves only one purpose for my hair which is a pre-poo.  And right now, that’s good enough for me.

Happy Health Hair Journey! 

The post Why I Don’t Use Coconut Oil To Seal My Hair appeared first on Everything Natural Hair.

Though Sade has kept a low profile for most of her career, if you are a fan of hers, you know that her songs, her lyrics are in some ways, stories of her life, in essence, you capture glimpses and pieces of Sade through her music as opposed to the often tainted media.  Her image, for the most part has remained in tact because of her low profile life.  When you think of Sade, you’re brought to the sound of her voice when she sings “Is it a Crime”, or “Cherish the Day”, “Smooth Operator”, “Sweetest Taboo”, just to name a few. Her sultry voice is amazing, her classic style is clearly unique yet subtle, her beauty is flawless, wearing very little make-up most of the time, exposing her awesome freckles, choosing her signature red lipstick and black eyeliner.  And her hair: GORGEOUS.  Her signature ponytail is the hairstyle most memorable of her, though she does rock other hair styles at times.  I have known Sade to have the same jet black hair color since the beginning of her career.  She does very little to it which in many ways, is what makes it beautiful. Her beauty is authentic and so is her music.  So today, we’re wishing her a very Happy Birthday with many more to come.  And if you have not had the opportunity to experience her music, please do, you will not be disappointed!

images from Pinterest

The post Happy Birthday Sade!! appeared first on Everything Natural Hair.

**SORAYA BONOSTRO**

My overall style is as the day goes,

I dabble into everything.

I am a blank canvas & the painter is me.

I don’t fall into trends.

I enjoy wearing certain items

that hold a sweet memory.

I suppose you can say my

style is authentically me.

-Ms. Bonostro

The post Hair Stories-SORAYA BONOSTRO appeared first on Everything Natural Hair.

When did I go natural and why?

Going natural was a scary thought for me. It meant that I would have to cut off all of my hair and start over. I would look like a boy!!! I couldn’t remember what the texture of my hair was like and that was frightening as well. The idea plagued my mind for about two years,beginning around the time I got pregnant with my son. I couldn’t get a relaxer while I was pregnant and my hair became more and more of a nuisance. Something had to give!!! Right after giving birth to my son in November 2010, my hair started to fall out. I tried to manage it but it was just too much. So in April 2012, I did the BIG CHOP. It was the best decision I ever made.

What are my go-to products?

I am still figuring out the products that best work for my hair, but I have tried Shea moisture, Cantu and Miss Jessie’s. I also use Coconut oil, tea tree oil, castor oil, jojoba oil and olive oil all mixed together or separate. They all leave my hair soft and shiny.

What are my favorite hairstyles?

My favorite style is by far the twist out. I love big, full and curly hair, and that is exactly what I get with my twist out. The process begins by twisting (two-strand) my freshly washed and conditioned hair. My twist last for about 2-3 weeks and I wet and oil my hair every other day to keep a moist and lustrious look. 2-3 weeks may sound like a long time, but I am sure to
have defined curls in the end. Plus, it is very low maintenance this way.

What is my wash routine?

When I have my hair in the two-strand twist, I co-wash every 1-2 weeks; otherwise, I simply wet it, oil and condition it daily. However, I never wet my hair when I am rocking the twist out style!! I simply tied it down at night, and then pull and stretch it for styling, applying a little bit of hair milk and oil for moisture.

How do I maintain my hairstyles?

It is very important when maintaining the twist out that you use a satin scarf to protect the hair at night. I do one of two things, twist large sections of my hair then tie my hair down with my scarf or pull my hair back into a ponytail and protect with a scarf. Pull and stretch hair for styling.

How do I combat shrinkage?

With my hair type, there is no combating
shrinkage, but I have discovered Shea Moisture Curl & Style hair milk, which I use when twisting out my hair. I can usually rock the twist
out for at least 4 days with this product before having to twist all over again.

What do I love about being natural?

I love the versatility of my natural hair. Within a week, my hair can go from being kinky curly, to voluminous and wavy, to straight and sleek. I can wear updos or rock a fro and I can do it all with my natural hair. No weaves or extensions needed!!! Plus, I love all of the compliments I receive as well!!

-Shelah Vie 

The post Shelah Vie appeared first on Everything Natural Hair.

I like keeping my hair in big flat twists from time to time because it’s easier to manage, but there is nothing like leaving my hair out and letting it breathe in a kinky afro. I feel like it gives me more personality and I like playing with my curls. I did the big chop in 2010 and started letting my hair grow out in 2013. Since the big chop, I’ve started to feel more confident and more connected with myself.

-Whitney Graham

The post Hair Stories- Whitney Graham appeared first on Everything Natural Hair.

When did you decide to go natural?
I went natural two years ago. I did the big chop.

Why did you decide to go natural?
I decided to go natural because i needed a change. I had been thinking about it for quite some time.

What are your go-to products?
I use shea moisture products and carol’s daughter hair butter when i need to slick down my edges. Works wonders!!!

What are your favorite natural hairstyles?
I wash my hair every two weeks or so. I give myself a hot oil treatment everytime i wash it and then i twist it up and wear it twisted at least a week.

How do you maintain your hairstlyes?
It’s not too difficult to maintain hairstyles, but in fairness, i’m the type to walk out the door and not think twice about my hair once i’ve styled it in the morning. People often touch my hair or run their fingers thout it (uninvited), so i don’t spend too much time thinking about how it looks.

Name three things you enjoy about being natural.
Three things i enjoy about being natural is that i never have to worry about the rain, i can finally enjoy my hair texture, and i can wear my hair funky messy styles that don’t take much effort.

Do you have advice for women who are considering going natural?
The advice i have for women who want to go natural is to have fun with it and understand that the beauty is in the journey.

The post Hair Stories – J. Mikel appeared first on Everything Natural Hair.