At ease solider

At one point or another, do you remember a time where you experienced dis-ease with your hair? Do you remember why? What have you done at this cross roads?

I had such an experience recently. Last weekend, I tried a different style (pics below) and I wasn’t really feelin’ it at first. I just wasn’t used to the look on me. After the time invested in styling, I wasn’t ready to take the style down so I let it be. My husband complimented my new do but I still felt some apprehension about wearing it out in public. I needed to run some errands so I just sucked up my insecurities and rolled out. From time to time, I would think about what my hair looked like with a bit of uneasiness but I began to feel myself getting over it. “This is silly” I kept saying to myself. In my travels, I didn’t notice anyone gawking or starting at my strangely – and do you know what? – I really didn’t care!

With each passing day, I rocked my do with more and more confidence and began to love the way it looked. Now, I’m looking forward to an awesome twistout I can wear for a few days after I take the twists down :-). I am grateful that I decided against taking my style down and getting an opportunity to be liberated.

I just wanted to share with my readers the struggles that I sometimes go through on my journey. For me, I was worried about what others thought. . . What makes us put so much stock in what other people think anyway? I hope this little tale helps you realize that you’re not alone and that the way we choose to wear our hair can be one more inhibition CONQUERED!

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

Friday's Formula: Detangler and Gel

I’ve come across these two simple recipes other places but recently scoped them out here. This site has tons of other appealing concoctions and great information so head on over and check them out.

Natural Gel Recipe for Hair

Ingredients:
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon flax seed

Directions:
Combine the water and flax seeds in a small pan, and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes. Will start to thicken slightly. Strain out as many seeds as you can. Store in Fridge.

Natural Detangler Recipe for Hair

Ingredients:
8 oz. distilled water
1 tsp. aloe vera gel
2 drops glycerin
15 drops Grapefruit seed Extract preservative

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bottle. Shake well before each use

To Use: Apply a small amount to damp hair and work thru with fingers.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

* Other recipes can be found in the "hair recipe" category to the right

Study Hall: Information overload

Since I did a post on Ayurvedic hair care on Sunday, I thought I would expand a bit on one of the practices I use in my hair regimen. Over the weekend, I hennaed my hair for the 4th time since going natural. The first 2 times, I used an acidic liquid. The last 2 times, I replaced the acidic liquid with amla powder.

Henna (lawsonia inermis) is a plant and the leaves are harvested, dried, and powdered. Lawsone is a molecule found in henna leaves that bonds with protein. Lawsone content produces a red-orange dye. Henna has been used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool. Natural, pure henna only comes in ONE color which stains a rich red-brown when mixed with a mildly acidic liquid.

Henna is said to be beneficial to hair in many ways. It boasts to condition hair, color gray hair, thicken hair and give it a glossy sheen. Others have used henna to cure dandruff. Some have experienced a loosening effect with their curl pattern after using henna.

As far as my personal results from henna. . . I can’t say that I have noticed much difference in the appearance of my hair. I could care less about the color deposit but I was hoping to achieve fuller, shinier hair. I expected to notice some difference by the 4th application but I still can’t tell any (of course, I haven’t been taking comparison pics either). I would like to continue monthly henna treatments through the spring (in hopes that it is providing conditioning to my hair) but if I still don’t notice much difference, then I may take it out of my regimen.

Before you make the decision to do henna (or any hair related) treatments, I advise you to thoroughly research it and make sure it’s for you. These sites provide more information for anyone considering henna.

Henna For Hair

CurlyNikki (various posts on henna)

The Natural Haven (detailed answers to many questions that perplex the natural hair community)

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

*You can click on the “study hall” label in the right-hand column to read any posts you have missed

15 minutes of fame :-)

Check me out on ChocolateOrchid!

Ayurvedic hair care

I have been wanting to do a post on Ayurvedic hair care for some time now. Trouble was, I couldn’t locate a source(s) that spelled out a straight forward approach to it. After much web surfing, here is my effort to offer the understanding I acquired on this matter.

Background
Ayurveda (which means “Science of Life”) is an intricate system of traditional medicine native to India. It is a complete approach to health care designed to promote a lifestyle rather than an occasional treatment. Ayurveda maintains the art of living in harmony with nature by restoring balance to the individual, resulting in self-healing, good health and longevity. Mind, body and spirit need to be addressed both individually and in unison to ensure overall health.

According to ayurveda, the five fundamental elements that make up the universe – space, air, fire, water and earth – also make up the human physiology. Your mind and body type is called your dosha. Each of the three doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha – are a combination of two elements. Vata dosha is made up of space and air. Pitta dosha is a combination of fire and water. Kapha dosha is made up of water and earth. We each have all three of the dosha in our physiology, just in different proportions, so your dosha is unique and personal; it is like your fingerprint.

Ayurvedic approach to hair care
In Ayurveda, hair is considered to be a by-product of bone formation. The tissue responsible for building bones is also responsible for the growth of hair. There are three Ayurvedic hair types – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata hair tends to be thin, dry, frizzy and prone to split ends. Pitta hair is fine and prone to premature thinning or graying. Kapha hair is usually very thick and oily.

For specific treatment of the hair, a variety of herbs are used in cleansing, conditioning and even hair coloring. Regular scalp massages done with infused oils are promoted, as well as overnight oil conditioning. Refrain from brushing hair when it is wet and it is preferred that you allow hair to air dry.

So in a nutshell, take the very best care of your hair by being gentle and nourishing it (and you) from the inside out. I could not find where the Ayurvedic approach is outlined in a neat little instruction guide for hair regimens. I hope this information will be helpful to someone.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

Friday's Formula: Beer rinses

Although some of us love to drink this beverage, beer is known to be a hair conditioner as well. Beer boosts to provide shiny, softer, thicker hair. There are claims that it can rebuild damaged hair and even lighten it.

I found the following recipe in a book entitled Recipes for Natural Beauty by Katie Spiers.

Rosemary and Beer Tonic
These two ingredients are reputed to stimulate the hair shaft and promote growth.

Ingredients:
2 drops rosemary essential oil
1 bottle strong ale or stout
1 drop tangerine essential oil (optional)

To make:
Mix the rosemary oil into the ale and leave for at least 24 hours. The beer itself contains alcohol, which is a natural preservative, so this recipe is very simple. If you wish to enhance the fragrance, add a drop of tangerine essential oil (not orange – this could color the hair).

To use:
Use before the final rinse after washing your hair. Beer is a traditional rinse for shiny hair.

There are also more beer rinse recipes found here that are definitely worth checking out. I think I’ll start my weekend off with a six pack. . . what about you???

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily