The transition to natural hair began for me in August 2009. The decision was made because I was tired of relaxers not getting my hair as straight as I'd like, hair thinning, and just the overall look of my hair was awful. After hearing success stories of some of my co-workers, I decided to give it a try. After all, if it didn't work or was worse, I could go back to the creamy crack.
Now 2 years later, I am a lot happier with my hair. One of the methods to the happiness was to stop using shampoos with sulfates and conditioners with "cones". In addition, there have been two products that I've added to my arsenal this year that have helped to keep my hair soft, nicely colored, and hair frizz free.
Henna
After going natural, I had my mind set on using more natural products. This meant that I needed to re-think how I dyed my hair. My past experience with over-the-counter dyes was not a good one. Either the color did not cover my gray or it did not last long. In researching alternatives, I came across henna. I had heard of it before, but in regards to tattoos. One site in particular, http://www.hennaforhair.com/ , provided a wealth of information and products on henna and how it could be used to color hair naturally and safely.
I purchased the dark brunette kit, and JACKPOT!!! The first application was done to my entire head about 4 months ago. The pros are that it colored the grays and left my hair feeling soft. Since then, I've been using the kit to touch-up new growth. The hair that was already henna'd has not faded, changed, or altered, and I have about half of the ingredients left which should last until the end of the year. The only con that I have found is in the smell. It's not really bad, but is reminiscent of the way grass smells when it is first cut. To diminish this, I add some of my conditioner to the henna mix. This works twofold in that it reduces the smell and serves as a deep conditioning treatment.
Aveda Anti-Humectant Pomade
When I was a child, my mom used to press my hair with grease and a straightening comb whenever we had a big event at church or school . After the popping, sizzling, and ear burning, my hair was shiny, manageable, and looked great. All that came to an end after playing outside or going to bed with the headwrap falling off. Long story short, my hair would either revert to a tight afro state or have frizzes. Even as a teenager and into adulthood, I had problems with keeping my hair straight (relaxer or not). I just could not get the frizzes to disappear. That was until I found Aveda Anti-Humectant Pomade.
This product is applied to my hair after I've washed, conditioned, and used a leave-in conditioner. Then I use a hand-held dryer to make sure the hair is dried. Next I flat-iron the hair to straighten. The immediate results are great. My hair was straighter than any relaxer and it lasted until my next wash (which was a week later).
Products mentioned in this post were purchased by the blogger. The experiences detailed are the expressed opinion of the blogger and are not influenced by the product makers or manufacturers.
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