Natural Hairstyles for Black women
For a long while I lived in fear of styling my own hair. I saw styling as “challenging.” You see I have 4B/4C natural hair.
4B/C curls are tiny, dry, dense, and fragile! Consequently, they are touchy to rough handling, and thus thrive in both low manipulation and protective hair styling.
I learnt the hard way…
- Published in African Hair Care, Curly Hair Styles, Hair Growth, Hairstyles, Natural Black Hairstyles, Natural Hair Care
Natural beauty product reviews
- Published in Conditioners, Hair Products Reviews, Product Reviews, Skin Product Reviews
Highlights of 2012
As the year draws to an end I would like to take a moment to pause, reflect and give thanks to God and everyone who has supported this site…
- Published in Awards, Celebrities, Events, Natural Beauty Tips, Natural Hair Care, Shakara News
Curly Hair Styles: Bantu Knot
Bantu knots are a convenient style that can be worn by any curl type, and at most stages of your natural hair journey. They are a perfect solution to a hair styling dilemma.
- Published in African Hair Care, Curly Hair Styles, Hairstyles, Natural Black Hairstyles
Shampoo. Absolutely not!
Now your reaction might be: “you don’t shampoo! Now that’s just gross!”
I’ve always believed that if we knew half the truth about a lot of cosmetics we buy, it would undoubtedly change our outlook.
Recently Johnson & Johnson were in the news for having “chemicals of concern” [human carcinogens] in their iconic baby shampoo. While all the focus is on their baby shampoo nothing is being said about their Aveeno and Neutrogena brands, which still contain harmful toxins.
- Published in Shakara Natural Products, Sulfate Free Shampoo
Natural Hair Care Tips
You’d never dream of washing good wool or cashmere sweater with just any old detergent, but most people don’t think twice about applying shampoo to the priceless fibre that’s sitting on their head. 2
The problem is that shampoos have a dirty little secret…they contain harsh detergents such as sodium lauryl sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulphate, which are foaming agents found in dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent. 2
Sure they are great for pots and pan…because they cut out grease! Your hair on the other hand, needs to preserve its natural oils to protect it, and your scalp. Stripping them away deprives hair of necessary moisture, amino acids, and antibodies, and thus makes it look dry, dull, and lifeless. It also does the same thing to your skin!
- Published in African Hair Care, Shakara Natural Products
Best Hair Detangler
The first ingredient in detangling hair is patience.
Our fingers are next and probably the most ignored tools!
When we use our fingers to detangle [unlike a comb or brush] we can feel the knots and tangles easily. So always begin with your fingers and then follow with a comb or a brush. Like any other styling tools, hands must be kept in good condition. Your fingernails should be smooth and snag free, and your hands should be soft, moisturized and callous-free to prevent hair damage.
- Published in Detangler
Henna Dye for Hair
It is estimated that 65 percent of women who dye die their hair do so at home. (1) Many at home colouring kits have a high concentration of chemicals, which can put your curls at risk.
Using Henna means choosing a risk free alternative to chemical dyes because Henna…is a plant. Unlike most synthetic dye’s dies; 100% Body Art Quality [BAQ] Henna does not damage hair, it can be safely incorporated into any hair care regimen, plus it can be done as often as you desire!
- Published in Conditioners, Herbs, Homemade Recipes, Shakara Natural Products
Itchy Scalp…Bald Patches?
I’ve blogged about a hair spritz I use regularly here, but of late I’ve also been using another recipe, at least for the past 3-4 weeks. It has become a tried-and-tested favourite!
I stumbled upon this recipe after watching a video from Trulynaturallycoiled, so you can say she’s the inspiration behind this! The very next day I was at the Big Carrot {health food store} shopping for Calendula! For as long as I can remember my scalp has always itched, of late not so much… after watching the video, I did some research and this is what I made: Hibiscus & Calendula Tonic! Enjoy 🙂
- Published in Hair Loss, Homemade Recipes, Shakara Natural Products
What is BLACK SOAP?
We’ve all been there before…you walk into a department store and head for the health and beauty section. You examine a wide variety of cleansing bars and you choose one that seems to match your needs. It usually takes a few tries before you find that one soap that really works for you. Do you ever stop to look at the ingredients of this soap?
You are likely to find triclosan, which can disrupt the thyroid hormone and increased exposure can contribute to the development of breast cancer. You will find fragrance, which is usually a safe word for phthalates, a chemical that can cause birth defects and liver damage. There are so many chemicals that are used in nearly all “cleansing bars” sold in stores today.