Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
Now, you may be thinking, “Hey! This is baby stuff… basic hair care 101. Who doesn’t know this already?!” Welp, you’d be surprised how many don’t! What’s Wrong With Cotton? Many of us probably own cotton bedding which, obviously, include cotton pillowcases. There are two important reasons why you do NOT want to (a) sleep on that cotton case without anything on your head OR (b) use a cotton scarf to keep your style intact, thinking you’re in the clear. (1) cotton absorbs moisture… which is why we wear so much of it in the summertime. With our kinky/coily/curly hair already prone to dryness, I’m sure you don’t want to lose whatever bit of moisture you’ve worked so hard to maintain. (2) due to the nature of cotton, your hair can sometimes snag on the material thus causing breakage. Add the absorption of moisture to the mix and that’s a…
Our resident natural hair care professional Simeko Watkins-Hartley answers… What do you recommend for dry and itchy scalp? Dry and itchy scalp is usually a sign of your body’s way of letting you know that something is off balance. It can be caused by a number of things; environment, poor diet, stress, internal issues, etc. So the first step in finding a solution is finding the cause. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself: ● Do I have any medical conditions or taking any medication that may cause dry, itchy scalp? ● Am I getting the proper nutrition (vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids) through my diet daily? Am I drinking enough water daily? ● Am I using the right products/ingredients for my skin type? Am I properly moisturizing and oiling my scalp? ● Can my external environment be causing my dry scalp? Here are some practical suggestions…
I’m telling you, if hair care manufacturers didn’t exist, we’d still have everything we need to take care of our hair naturally right here on God’s green earth. Honey is one of those things! Honey is a natural humectant which means that it has the ability to attract and retain the water/moisture in the air. When applied to the hair, it acts as a natural conditioner and moisturizer making it soft and manageable. This may especially be of interest to those of us with kinkier textures where our hair tends to be rather dry, dull-looking and sometimes hard if left on its own. A great way to use honey in your regimen is to do a honey hair rinse. Simply dilute just a bit into a good amount of water- about 1 tsp in 4 cups of warm agua (so it mixes well)- and then pour it right onto your…
Our resident natural hair care professional Simeko Watkins-Hartley answers… “My hair seems to be thinning, can you help?” Although hair loss is a normal process that we all will experience at some point in our lives, excessive hair loss, much like excessive hair shedding (see this post for more details) can be caused by a number of different factors and recommendations would depend on the underlying cause. However, keeping your scalp/hair clean and well-nourished with natural oils can be helpful start. Another very important factor is getting your daily intake of vitamins. To get a better idea of how vitamins can help with preventing hair loss, here’s a breakdown: Vitamin A– Aids in stimulating the follicle and making healthy sebum in the scalp Vitamin Bs– Aids in stimulating hair growth. Also may help to reduce stress which may cause hair loss Vitamin C– An anti-oxidant that helps to maintain healthy hair Vitamin D– Plays an important…
Water. I’ve covered this topic a bit like here and most recently here. But since “repetition is the mother of retention”… here we go again. This time, we’ll dig a little deeper into why you should drink water for healthy hair. How Does Water Intake Affect My Hair? The body is composed of about 60% to 70% water. Some of that water is lost throughout the day from things like urination, sweating and even just breathing. Therefore, we need to replace that lost fluid daily in order to stay hydrated and be healthy. If we don’t, we become dehydrated which will have an adverse affect on our hair {and yes, our bodies as well}. Our hair follicles receive their nutrients from our blood which is about 85% water. No water → no nutrients → no healthy hair. But, How Much is “Enough” Water? While many of us may have heard that we should drink…
