COD LIVER OIL...A growth enhancing deep conditioner for your hair

I don't know about you but I remember as a kid making the same face but hearing about all the benefits of Cod Liver Oil on the hair and body. Being that I have been going through the crazy TWA "GROW OUT" phase I have been researching ways to increase hair growth. Cod Liver oil when taken in Supplemental form is great to promote hair growth and has even been reviewed to assist with reversing signs of balding. Below I have included both internal and external use of Cod Liver oil, as it can be used directly on your hair (although the smell is strong will need to mix in either essential oils ex: Peppermint oil, to help weaken the smell). 

Besides I could never take the taste or the "after burp" of fish oil...anyway recipe for hair mask below...Will post before and after use of Cod Liver Oil Hair mask once I am done using it

COD LIVER OIL- Cod liver oil is widely taken to ease the pain and joint stiffness associated with arthritis.^[3] It may have a positive effect on heart,^[4][5]bone,^[6] as well as helping to repair wounded skin,^[7] hair, nails, and teeth.

Cod liver oil and fish oil are similar, but cod liver oil has higher levels of vitamins A and D. People consuming cod liver oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids should pay attention to how much vitamin A and vitamin D this adds to their diet.^[8][9]

Cod liver oil may be an effective complementary measure for long-term treatment of multiple sclerosis.^[10]

Use of cod liver oil during pregnancy is associated with lower risk of Type I diabetes in the offspring.^[11] (although see adverse effects below). This effect was found only in mothers taking cod liver oil, not in mothers taking multivitamin supplements. Cod liver oil taken by nursing mothers improves the breast milk by increasing the amount of fatty acids, which promotes brain development, and the amount of vitamin A, which helps prevent infections, but the level of vitamin D is unchanged.

A Norwegian study of more than 68,000 women reported that female cancer patients who took daily cod-liver oil supplements had significantly reduced mortality (25% for all cancers, 45% for lung cancer) compared to women who did not take such supplements.^[12][13]

Cod Liver Oil Hair mask Recipe

 Mix cod-liver oil with burdock oil, one vitellus and lecithin. Heat oils in boiling-water bath, mix with vitellus, take away and condense, add lecithin. Use for slipping hair.

You can create your own recipies, remember the keystones: use high quality products; heat oils; muffle up your hair during a procedure.  

Rainy Day Hair....Protective Styles for not so great weather

If anybody is in the NYC tri-state area yall know its been a rainy Saturday...
I love the rain but not when I have things to do and I have to be out and about in the rain.
On a day when its raining, I don't have time to do much to my hair, or its hair wash day,  I like to play up my funky side of style and wear a patterned head scarf or big summer hats..
 I have included some fun ways to wear head scarfs for days you too want to walk on the wild bold side of head scarfs or if you just want to try something new, as the TWA stage can be a bit slow and boring, finding ways to spice it up can change that....ENJOY!!

 

Source: CIAAFRIQUE

Model: Grace Bol

Source: Grammy Awards Website

Here is my Hair Tie of the Day:

I find that no matter how you tie your scarf the more patterned and/or bold a print on the scarf the more flair it adds to the various ways you can tie your scarf.



























Below is a few good tutorials showing the many ways to wrap a head scarf...These Videos come from Youtube Channel:  Women In The Jungle. Be Sure to check our her other videos and subscribe Here : WomanInTheJungle

Product Junkie...New Products I love and would like to try

With So many products and product lines for Natural hair it can often be expensive and difficult to navigate through all the pretty packages to know what will and will not work on your hair type (whatever it is...I found a 1B hair strand on my head the other day and almost yanked it out, but realized its a defect in my hair type from some of that Anglo-Saxon DNA along the family tree)

For those Newly Natural Big Chopped Girls who need MOISTURE, this spray is great! It can be used on all textures from 3a-4c. Below is Product description and price. The products also give a portion of its Proceeds to help women in Africa.

The link to Site is also included

Product Description

Get easy comb-outs, responsive curls & love-to-touch conditioned hair. Our Moisturizing Hair Milk is almost weightless yet eliminates frizz & leaves hair soft and smooth. Note: Smooths out hair cuticle, softens and detangles, minimizes product build-up, strengthens hair shaft and prevents breakage.

Ingredients

De-ionized Water, Aloe Vera Juice, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine Lactate, Polyquaternium-7, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Phenethyl Alcohol and Ethylhexylglycerin, C14-22 Alkylalcohol (Vegetable Based Emulsifier), C12-20 Alkylglucoside (Vegetable Based Emulsifier), Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate (Vegetable-based Conditioning Agents), Hydroxypropyl Starch (Vegetable-based Conditioning Agents), Vegetable Glycerin, Unrefined Shea Butter, Avocado Seed oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor Seed) oil, Hemp Seed oil, Chamomile, Nettle & Horsetail Extracts, Citric Acid.

Cost : $16.00 for 8oz bottle
Shea Radiance

 Champagne & Caviar Curl Elixir encourage growth, increase strength, sheen and elasticity?

• Caviar extract increases hair’s sheen, strength, and elasticity (key to preventing breakage and realizing hair growth) and promotes healthy keratin formation.
• Why is Keratin formation important? 90% of human hair is made up of this natural protein (Keratin) which is responsible for the hair’s strength, resistance to wear and tear, elasticity, flexibility and shine. Hair keratin is damaged by straighteners, colors, perms, blow-drying, the sun, pollution, pool chemicals and even everyday brushing.
• Champagne Grape extract contains a high concentration of Vitamins B1, B2, B6, and amino acids that help regenerate and stimulate the scalp to combat the effects of free radicals thus encouraging growth. Usage: Use alone or on top of your favorite product for extra sheen. Apply directly to scalp daily to encourage a healthy scalp and enhance growth. Use after any chemical service to restore elasticity and strength.

 

Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Champagne Extract (Vitis Vinifera Grape Champagne Extract), Caviar Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Shea Butter, Mango Seed Butter, Sweet Almond Oil Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Evening Primrose Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Candelilla Wax, Fragrance.

Cost: $9.00 for 2 oz

This stuff really helps with dry hair especially after big chopping, as your hair grows out and your curl pattern starts to get back to its natural state it is good to use as a moisturizer to help hair retain moisture. It also helps with growth for all you women out there interested in Length, Please note if your hair often soaks up oils and gets really oily then use this product sparingly. 

for THICK, KINKY textured tresses

Whipped Cream is the perfect product for natural styles (twists, locks, afros & more) for thick, kinky, curly 3c-4b hair! This thick, and ultra rich whipped cream has a warm vanilla cream fragrance that makes you want to eat it! It provides SUPERB curl definition, frizz protection all while providing moisture and sheen. Enriched with natural oils, exotic butters and nourishing extracts and botanicals.  Also works great as gel substitute to smooth edges, slick hair, and to hold twists and locks in place.

Organic Sunflower Oil - a light oil which is high in linoleic acid, Vitamins A, B complex, D, and E, as well as calcium, zinc, potassium, iron, and phosphorus.

 

Organic Aloe Leaf Juice - Vitamin rich moisturizer (B1, B2, B6, C, Choline, + 18 amino acids.

 

Shea Butter - Ultra rich emollient that provide intense conditioning from cortex to cuticle.

 

Tahitian Coconut Oil & Gardenia Essential Oil -Rehydrates hair, and restores shine and bounce. It is scientifically proven that Monoп de Tahiti has a repairing effect on dry and damaged hair. Results of the study carried out in the research and experiment laboratory EVIC-CEBA on 4th December 1998.

 

Avocado Oil - One of the most penetrating oils and is very moisturizing. Rich in vitamin A&D, as well as lecithin (for hair growth), potassium and chlorophyll. Natural sun screen.

 

Plumeria Alba Flower Extract - Strengthens hair.

 

Centillica Asiatica - Improves gloss and shine.

Cost: $17.00 for 8 oz

Curls Goddess Glaze - Curl Gel

Ideal for THICK curly hair

Infused with Plumeria Alba Flower Extract and Aloe leaf juice, this botanical gelle imparts sheen, fights frizz, and creates popping curls!  The perfect product for curlies in humid climates to provide all day curl definition and to protect against a curly girls worst nightmare, FRIZZ!  Great product to use before traveling...to set and keep your curls in place.

Ingredients: Water, Sorbitol, Polyacrylate-14, Certified Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polyquaternium-7, Polysorbate 20, Certified Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit,Certified Organic Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Certified Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil,  Panthenol, Certified Organic Plumeria Alba Flower Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1 Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol.

This is good for twists out, and wash & go

Cost: 14.00 8 oz.

Curls

PRODUCTS I WANT TO TRY:

PUMPKIN POMADE

Made with rich Babassu and Pumpkin Seed butter. Rich in vitamin A, C, E, and Omega fatty acids, this is "The Royal Treatment" your crown deserves! Our pomade locks in moisture without leaving a greasy feel. 

Use to palm roll, roller set, braid, twist outs and styling natural hair.

Inside the Tin: Babassu oil, Pumpkin Seed Butter, Uccuba Butter, JBCO, Candelilla Wax, Saw Palmetto, Bergamont, Rosemary, and botanical blend

Cost: $12.00 2-2.5 oz

Amazing Botanical

Celebrities Au Naturale....Natural Hair a faze or sign of the times that its hair to stay?

I have to ADMIT...I am an official InstaGram junkie, and I have noticed more and more celebrities challenging industries idea of genuine beauty. I have referenced a few of these  naturals below....What do you think is the media and the world trying to use the natural hair revolution as part of the New World? Or have enough everyday women who Big Chopped and have united across the globe given confidence to Celebrities to Bear it all?!

Any Thoughts?

 Chrisette Michelle (some say her and I are natural hair twins..lol)

 Lil' Mama * She also attributes her new found natural state as a sign from the Lord above; Apparently after getting a finger infection that resembled the shape of Africa Lil' Mama decided to give up her crazy colorful weaves and false nails for a New look...what do you think?

Celebs pictured above: Karyn Parson (Hillary on Fresh Prince of Bel Air);
Kelis; Kiesha Knight (Rudy from the Cosby's Show); Lauryn Hill; Michelle Obama; Willow Smith

If you ladies have not  heard but a great photographer known as Glenford Nunez started a project called the Coiffure Project. This Project has been photographing women who wear their hair in  its natural state. He was on Kick-starter attempting to raise funds to purchase supplies to print all of the photos for an upcoming exhibit on Sept 15, 2012 in Maryland. If you would like to check out the great photos and perhaps attempt to contact Glenford to still donate (kick-starter fundraiser ended 2 days ago as of today 7/24/12, with his goal UNMET).

It literally would be nice to see the Natural hair community  gather around such a wonderful project to show support and donate, most of all to embrace our Natural state of hair and let society know this isn't a faze, natural hair is Hair to STAY!!
Like my mama told me "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" be sure to check out the project video below:

The Coiffure Project

Oils that are good to our hair....

Essential Oils

(Non-oily and highly fragrant which are extracted from

plants and evaporate quickly) 

Note:  These oils can be used to make your own homemade hair butters, shampoos, and conditioners...I will post some good recipes for DIY hair care products soon...Now go love those tresses!

Rosemary: Enhances dark hair Circulation

Chamomile: Brightens, highlights, provides
sheen  **Good alternative to creating hair highlights without using harsh coloring hair products


Patchouli Oil - Adds moisture and sheen to
locs.

Myrrh: Dry hair, Treatment for dry scalp,          
dandruff, lice, and under active sebaceous
glands

Lavender – antibacterial, aromatherapy. Great
for dandruff and itching. Also a natural
preservative (extends shelf life of carrier oils).

Tea Tree – Treatment for dandruff and itching
and overactive sebaceous glands.

Rose Oil – soothes scalp

Eucalyptus – antiseptic used to control
dandruff

Jasmine – use this for smell in any of your oil
mixtures

Lemongrass – controls overactive sebaceous
gland (oily scalp)


Peppermint Oil – stimulates hair growth

Sage: Excellent for weak hair

Birch Oil - Great anti-dandruff scalp soother.
Also a natural preservative (extends shelf life of carrier oils).

Carrot Oil - rich in beta carotene, vitamins A
and E and pro-vitamin A. Carrot oil helps to heal
dry, chapped and cracked skin, balances the
moisture in skin, and it conditions hair well. It is
commonly used at 5 -10% within hair
conditioning formulations and at at 2-5% for
general moisturizing applications.

Ylang-ylang – soothing antiseptic, helps control
production of sebum and stimulates hair growth
Also a natural preservative (extends shelf life of carrier oils).


Cedarwood – antiseptic, astringent reduces
overproduction of sebum, normalizes both dry
and oily skin and hair, stimulates the scalp and
hair follicles; used in hair care to treat dandruff
and hair loss.

More Fashion Swag for Fashion Fun Monday....

Having Natural hair allows you to show your inner self by taking away the  facade of everyone looking exactly alike, Natural hair comes in every hair texture shape and color...
With natural hair you can have a unique individual style that lets your personality shine bright

These hats are all the way Swagged out, and are a must for those wash days, or days after a twist out/braid out style, however you wear your hair know that you are beautiful inside and out

Now SWAG OUT LADIES!!

Where to buy hats (Courtesy of Those Girls are wild)

Fashion Fun Monday...Hayden Williams (My new fashion designer crush)

HAYDEN WILLIAMS

Known for his lovely Fashion illustrations and his keen eye for the forward fashion trends British fashion designer Hayden Williams (FYI he just turned 21 7/22/12)  is someone to look out for in the up and coming fashion world. 

His pieces capture elegant couture style mixed with fresh prints and colors that are in style today. He has sketched looks worn by celebrities such as  Rihanna, The Kardashian sisters, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen,  and Jennifer Lopez.  It is rumored that the Bajan Princess Rihanna herself may be teaming up with Hayden Williams to work on her upcoming clothing line...Only time will tell

 I cannot wait for his upcoming Disney line....He even Made a dress for me.. Princess Naturella! 

Stay Tuned for more soon....

More Pics Below:

FALL/WINTER 2012  

*I am not quite sure if this is from Fall/Winter so please forgive me ;0)

SPRING/SUMMER 2012

FALL/WINTER 2012 Hayden Williams 

FINALLY A DRESS MADE FOR ME PRINCESS NATURELLA!! And its figure faltering so no need to diet before the wedding... Oh Yeaa!!!

You can follow Hayden Williams on Tumblr, Blogspot, Facebook and Twitter

Hayden Williams Tumblr

Hayden Williams Blog

Hayden William Face Book

Hayden Williams @ Twitter

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to these photos and they are only used for information purposes only. I do not gain nor reap any profit and/or endorsements from the artist or its subsidiaries. If further information is necessary please visit the Hayden Williams sites listed above**

Thinking about big chopping again?! Bordem w. the TWA...Hair-spiration below

I don't know about any of you but for me as a Newly Naturalista waiting for my hair to grow down and touch my shoulders is about as fun as watching PAINT DRY!!

 I say this with the blank stare Charlie Brown face (wah waah waaah waahah)

I have read on various sites about what is known as"scab hair", which is the hair after the big chop that is still somewhat chemically altered, hence the reason behind the frizzy looking hair that us TWA's know all too well. 

It is this Scab hair that is often extremely dry (click here for more info Scab hair post Big Chopping transition to natural hair) so I have been thinking about big chopping again...

On the other hand I then begin thinking about how long it took me to get here, and then I think about my hair-spirations :

In Photo: Model AYO- So this is where I would like my hair to be...I am still in the growing out stages and boy  is this a LONG STAGE....I feel like the TRILOGY will never end


Other Hair-spirations below:

In Photo: Model- Grace Bol -I remember being here in Feb 2012....I guess its safe to say I came a long way...However her small petite nose definitively gave her a bit of an advantage, but having the apple shaped head  my mother blessed me with had its benefits when I BC ;0) Nice lip stick color too!

In Photo: Model- Unknown- So I am close to being about this length..but been thinking about maybe cutting hair again..(GASP!) Yes I would reconsider big chopping again....

What about you gals, would you big chop again? Any ladies who have big chopped more than once? Twice? Every year? would love to hear what you gals think!

And My overall Hair-spiration  BETTY DAVIS!!!  Such Grace and style

New Launch from AROUND THE WAY CURLS!!

So you all know the growing out stage can be boring and requires a lot of PATIENCE!!  I am still in TWA (Tweeny Weeny Afro ) stage and often look for ways to change up my look. If you are like me you get bored quick here's some hair B.L.I.N.G that can add some "WOW" factor to your day or evening look

These ladies are well known bloggers/vloggers (Around The Way Curls), esteemed BFF's Antoinette (left) & Shanti (right) have launched their hair accessories website and are open for business. It seems these prints are all the rage for the summer and at $10 each you are not breaking the bank. I ordered No Woman No Cry and Vibrant Thang..I cannot wait for the items to arrive. 

What do you think about these hair accessories?  Which would you buy/wear? 

How would you wear them?

Be sure to check out their website

http://www.aroundthewaycurls.bigcartel.com./

Did you know....Hanging with the girls is good for your health?!

So I was doing my morning postings and reviews when I came across this interesting information :

A lecture given at Stanford discussed the mind/body connection and the relationship between stress and disease.

This was quite interesting sent via an email..It has been posted around the net and found it the best way I can justify my excessive hanging out with my gals:

In an evening class at Stanford the last lecture was on the mind-body connection - the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends. At first everyone laughed, but he was serious.

Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences.
Physically this quality “girlfriend time" helps is to create more serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well-being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very GOOD for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged - not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!

So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky. Sooooo let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for our health.

Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences.
Physically this quality “girlfriend time" helps is to create more serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well-being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very GOOD for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged - not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!

So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky. Sooooo let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for our health.

-Author Unknown

Hair Care Products on a Budget....

So things in the economy have gotten expensive, and if you are like me a mummy, have small debt and work to maintain a decent quality of life luxury items such as hair and beauty products often have to be sacrificed. However it seems companies have become savvy to this epic downturn in the economy. As a naturalista on a tight budget finding the right hair care products to condition, co-wash, and most importantly MOISTURIZE my hair is difficult, I cannot afford to buy products that promise magic in a jar only to leave my hair a magical ball of FRIZZ!

Two sites offer for a monthly subscription price of $20.00 bucks a month an opportunity to get between 5-9 hair care products to try. The only drawback is that you won't know what products you will receive. Most from notably known brands like Shea Moisture, Motions, and Pink Lotion, and some up and coming brands.

CURL BOX

Curl Box offers hair care products that cater to natural hair. Products range from full sized to sample items 5-7 items per box and are often packed with a Natural hair care magazine along with discounts and coupons for other products. **As to date (July 22, 2012) they do not have any openings to become a subscriber, however if you sign up for the mailing list,  like on facebook, and follow on twitter  they will notify you when subscriptions open up, you can sign up then.

http://www.curlbox.com

CURLKIT

CURLKIT offers hair care products that also range from full sized to sample size items, 6-9 items per box. They also offer hair care tips and discounts/coupons. The only nice thing about CURLKIT is that their site also offers  beauty products  for individual sale. There were even some discounts given in the past to purchase your first monthly subscription at a  reduced price ( $20 box for $16) 

http://www.curlkit.com

All items are shipped to your home and you are able to cancel at any time. Each box is billed on the 15th/ 20th of each month, and items usually take 3-7 business days to arrive.

Check it out and let me know what you think....

Are these items useful? Would you refer friends? Do you find it saves money?

leave feedback below Ciao! 

** Disclaimer: All images used were for solely informational purposes, I do not own the rights to these images, nor do I gain any profit from any of the aforementioned entities. Use of images is for information purposes only all information can be found at the respective sites listed above. I also do not own nor operate as an affiliate for the above companies**

In the beginning there was light.....

In the beginning there was light....and thus the beginning of my journey...I  intend to provide as best as possible my first hand experiences, tips, products, and styling/hair care regimens as a New Naturalista!! I stopped getting perms on July 16, 2011 and Big Chopped on February 24, 2012, and have yet to look back. I know I am not the first nor the last to say this...but Big Chopping is a big exciting, scary, and exhilarating feeling. It is definitely not for the "faint of heart". But once you take the scissors or razor (I was having a Britney Spears moment, Hey Britney!!) and begin to cut off the straight hair you realize OMG! what have I done?! But once the initial shock wears off and you have a mini fashion show in front of your mirror you realize that going natural requires Confidence and most importantly Love of Self....So here is to being Fierce and Confident even if I can feel the wind beneath my wings...ears...eyebrows...and the back of my newly shaved neck!