Been a Minute, But I’m Back!!!

To my naturalistas, beauty queens of all shapes, sizes and skin types, and every kinky/curly/coily diva out there….

HEY Y’ALL!!!!

I know it’s been a very, VERY long time since I’ve last posted, or even paid attention to this blog, & I don’t want anyone to think that I have neglected it or you. Life has just been a journey, and it hasn’t always been easy, but I’m back!!

The idea to get back and continue this blog came to me actually last summer when I met two women at a restaurant in Downtown Dallas. They were in town for a conference for their company that sells all-natural beauty products for hair, skin and all-around health. They asked me a few questions about my daily regimens (some of which I will address in later posts), and it got me to thinking, “Hmm, this would be good for my blog”, but of course, I blew it off. Then, a few weeks ago, I was at a pool party and a woman asked me about my hair. Needless to say, our conversation turned into a mini seminar about natural hair as many of the women there began listening and adding in their products and personal experiences. That’s when it hit me completely like, “Yeah, I should really get this ball back rolling again”, so here I am!

I’m back with all the information & tips that I discover for myself, and also things I’ve learned from others that have worked for me, to share with all of you. From skin care to hair care to hacks and such, I hope to bring you ideas & things to help you become the naturally beautiful you.

Get ready, because it’s about to be A LOT of info coming your way!

DISCLAIMER: Not to Disappoint

When I write each post on this blog, I try to make sure that it is known that everything I have tried or will try has worked for my hair. This, however, does N O T mean that the E X A C T same remedy is going to work for everyone else’s, but it will give an idea of different things to try based on the current “situationship” between you and your hair. As stated on this site  not everything will work for anyone with any hair type.

One question that I personally had for a long time was “What type of hair to I have?” It was  thick  and  curly with a curl pattern that wasn’t very tight nor was it very loose. So, for those who may be confused, you can take a look at the different textures of hair- from 2A to 4C – here and determine for yourself the type of hair that you have. That way, when the time comes when you want to try out different things with your hair, you can know which techniques will work best for you.

 

Dying Dilemma!

So I have a situation and I do not know which element of the process to blame it on. Was it me? Was it the type of hair dye I used? Was it the fact that I had a rinse on my hair that was not fully gone and was trying to dye it? I have no idea, but let me tell my story anyway.

This is the story of how my hair went from Exhibit A to Exhibit B.

Exhibit A: Head Full of Hair

Exhibit B: Head NOT so Full of Hair

Okay, so over the summer, I decided to have some “color fun” with my hair. I began by dying the top half of my hair a sort of light brown/dark blonde kind of color and the bottom half a regular light brown.This look was cute straight or curly. Then one day, my god brother came home and suggested that I go V E R Y blonde and I said to myself, “Hmmmm, I dont know about straight blonde. I mean, it isn’t the first time someone suggested I go blonde, but maybe add another color to it. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do..something D R A S T I C!” Well my friend and I went to one of our local beauty supply stores and found blonde hair dye and [drum roll please] a raspberry colored rinse. This was cute, but I wanted all of my hair that color, so I re-rinsed it (after the appropriate amount of time passed).

The Raspberry Rinse

This is where the problem began. For school, I am in the university’s choir and your hair has to be a natural color- colors like browns and calm browns are considered natural according to the handbook- and by the time I decided to change the color, the majority of the rinse had been washed out. Well, I decided to go back to my natural dark color, and because I am a broke college student, I went to Family Dollar to get some dye. Now you may be like “Why would you go there for hair dye?!”, but they have the same dyes that are sold at Walmart and Sally’s Beauty Supply. As I’m looking for a decent dye, I see that Clairol is the cheapest on the shelves, so I pick it up and pay for it.

I get back to my dorm and begin the process of dying my hair. Here’s when it gets interesting. I get in the shower to rinse the dye out, and I notice that it seems that there is W A Y too much dye that is coming out, so I get out of the shower to look in the mirror to find the most upsetting scene- the dye did N O T H I N G to my hair but made it a dark purple. I was so confused that I thought I didn’t leave it in long enough, so I reapplied the dye and waited again. The E X A C T same results happened A G A I N!

After a week (and finally getting paid), I went and found my normal hair dye, Dark and Lovely, and this time it worked like normal. However, my hair was so damaged that I had to cut it, thus resulting in Exhibit B , a bob.

Sulfate Security

Okay, so there are a few small tips that I have for your hair that will have a positive impact on both the short and long term appearance. These little tidbits are very helpful and affordable so you won’t have to break your bank in order to look gorgeous.

When washing your hair, try to use sulfate free shampoos. This is because sulfate is an agent that has been know to irritate skin and damage hair follicles which causes the structure of your hair to become weak and tampers with its growth. Now, there is a precautionary action that you MUST take when it comes to the “sulfate-freeness” of your hair care products because it may not have the same outcome for you as it did for the next person. Before you run out and buy all the sulfate-free products man has to offer, check the container to see if there are any ingredients like oils and extracts that nourish & replenish the hair. The reason for this is because though sulfate-free products are known to be good for you, they also have alternative ingredients in the products that can take away from the all around health of your hair.

*side note: Sulfate in shampoos and other soapy products is a main component in the amount of “sudziness” that the product gives off. This helps with the cleaning of the hair (yeah, I know…double standards S U C K!). Thus, when using a sulfate-free shampoo, there won’t be NEARLY as  many suds as you are used to.

I, personally, am unable to use shampoos with sulfates in them for a different reason than other hair and beauty advocates. I am allergic to anything with sulfa, so if I do use these types of products on my hair, my scalp with dry out terribly leaving my hair dirtier than it was before. For this, I use products like Organix , which is around $5 at Walmart, and Mixed Chicks, which is a more expensive product (Mixed Chicks has products with A N D without sulfate).

For The Heat Damaged Hotties

Okay, like I stated before in the previous post, my hair and I have gone thru the M O S T! after my last mishap of not blow drying my hair before attempting to straighten it, my hair did not have he natural curl and bounce that it once had. I was upset one because I allowed myself to do that to my hair, and two because I did not know where to start looking for a solution to my dilemma until one day, when I posted an old photo on Instagram of what my hair used to look like and how much I wished it would go back to that state. One of my high school friends posted a comment talking about how protein treatments and beer renses would help me restore my hair back to the way it was. Of course, willing to try ALMOST anything that has multiple positive reviews, I looked into both processes. I ended up trying both and liking them, but the beer rense stuck with me the most because of how natural and healthy it was for my hair. Here is a helpful video on how to restore your curls and get soft, healthy locs!

My Journey

Since about the 2nd grade, my hair has gone through almost any and everything- ALMOST. From “the big chop”, sew-ins, and dyes to presses, rinses, and relaxers, my hair and I have had many ups and downs. The only things I haven’t done are shaved any portion of my head or gotten a texturizer. I even attempted at dreadlocks once, but the way my patience and hair texture are set up, I wouldn’t see the results I wanted as soon as I wanted them.

Unfortunately, I am currently between the stage of heat damage and cutting my hair because of the poor decision making I did over the summer. Nevertheless, I have tried different things to gain back my natural curl and have found that there are a few methods that have worked for me, so luckily you all will benefit from my mistakes and travel with me on my journey back to natural, healthy hair.

Bonjour Blog Beauties!

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to AFROdite’s Corner! This is the blog that is ALL about natural hair and beauty for the African American community. Here you will find affordable products for hair and skin (including makeup) that won’t damage or dry out. We will talk about which products to use based on the seasons as well as styles to help protect, maintain, and repair your hair for continuous growth and retention. There will also be demonstrations and tips on skin care and upkeep for both sensitive and normal skin PLUS little remedies I have found or created that have worked for me and some of my friends and family. Again, welcome and may the light of your outer beauty shine just as bright as that of your inner beauty!