Why Michelle's Hair Matters

There is an interesting hair article in Time Magazine this week. Michelle Obama's hair is a starting point for a larger look at the issues of beauty, acceptance and professionalism. Read Why Michelle's Hair Matters by Jenee Desmond-Harris here.

Nadia's Sleep Caps

A short time ago, I placed an order for a set of Nadia's Sleep Caps and they have Arrived. Yes, Arrived with a capital A. They are Awesome (again with a capital A). I know that many people have found this blog while searching Google for Nadia's Sleep Caps, so I am very pleased to be able to review them and provide information on how you can get some of your very own.

Nadia's caps are made of bathing suit material, come in four sizes (infant to school-age), are inexpensive, durable, stretchy, and stay on all night long. There is no choice on the colors or pattern you receive but they are generally brightly colored and/or floral. I paid $12 for a set of two, including postage from Canada. How's that for fabulous?

If you'd like a set, email Nadia at nadiassleepcaps@yahoo.ca

Nadia started selling these to help fund the adoption of her sister from Haiti, and now sells them to help her family. She told me she is surprised by how popular they have become and is so appreciative of her customers. She suggests using the caps not only for sleeping but at the beach to keep sand out of the hair or in the house to keep lint or pet hair out of the hair. She recommends washing the caps with shampoo and letting them drip dry, but the occasional machine-washing is okay.

Little B and Little R were so excited to get these. They kind of look like swim caps, so they immediately put them on and went "swimming" on the floor. They run to get these each night and don't want to wear any other sleep cap. Little R says, "It feels nice. It's so comfy. They feel much better than the other ones" Little B says they "feel good when I sleep. They're very comfy." I'm amazed at how well these are constructed and how they stay on all night long. Even my former best sleep caps would sometimes come off, but not these. I know the cap helped keep Little B's cornrows from getting fuzzy last week. I did make the mistake of forgetting to tell Nadia what size I needed so I think she sent me the toddler size. When I first opened the envelope, I thought they were too small, but they stretch beautifully. I know I'm gushing, but they are just that good.

Joyful Mom rates Nadia's Sleep Caps

Update January 2010: There have been reports of caps losing elasticity quite quickly. One of mine did lose much of it's elasticity overnight, after a couple of months of use. However, I believe it was due to the heavier than normal use of coconut oil right before using the cap. Others have similar experiences but know that it isn't an issue of oil degarding latex elastic. Please read this post and the comments for more information.

Veil Style and Cornrow Headband

It's such a nice weekend that we thought our time would be well spent going for a hike this morning. But it is hair day, so last night I tried to take a shortcut and wash the girls' hair while they were in the tub. I used a shampoo bar and Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Conditioner and detangled a bit while they played in the tub.

After I got them in PJs, I added hair milk and some moisturizing styling cream to their loose hair. I put Little B's hair in eight big twists and Little R's hair in two braids. I used mesh sleep caps although they protested (find out why in tomorrow's post) so their hair would continue to dry.

And dry it did. It dried out, that is. I think my washing shortcut was to blame. I should know better. I do know better. Since their hair felt a little dry this week I should have used a pre-treatment and taken my time with washing and conditioning. And I should have added a heavy moisturizing product or oil. I should have lavished their hair with the attention it needed.

Veil Style
Little B wanted two puffs this week, but I thought we'd add a little interest to it with a veil style in front. It was a popular style at last week's hair party and I'd never tried it before. It's not too difficult, but has big impact. To start this style, I just took out the twists she had in the back and used a pin tail comb to make the part down the middle neater. I spritzed the sections with water, added moisturizer and used a natural bristle brush to gather the two sections. I banded them approximately where I wanted the puffs to go.

With the back done, I moved on to the veil style. I removed the remaining twists, which left me with two ear-to-ear rows of sectioned hair. I took the front row and divided it into three boxes, clipping each. I divided the second row into four boxes in a brick pattern, again clipping each. For this style to look right, the boxes should always be in a brick pattern, regardless of the number of rows. I stopped at two rows today, but three would also look great. I banded the hair at the base of each box in the front row, creating a little puff. I chose to use one color for each row to add emphasis. A bead at the base of each would look fantastic.

One at a time, I took each little puff, added a little pomade and combed it out. I then divided it in two and twisted each section. The divided puffs can also be braided or just pulled back without a twist or braid. I temporarily banded the end of each twist. I did this in all three boxes.

With the front row twisted, I was able to pull each twist over to the box behind and to the side of it, creating Vs. I gathered the end of each twists, along with the loose hair in each second row box and banded the bases. I then removed the temporary band from the end of the twist and undid the twist just to where it was held by the band at the base of the box. That way, all the hair in the second row box was loose and able to be formed into new twists.

Once the twists from the first row were integrated into the boxes in the second row, I repeated the process. Some of the twists from the second row went straight back into the puff, two crossed over the center of her head to reach the opposite puff, making an X. I banded the big puffs again to capture the twists from the second row and removed any temporary bands. I used a pick to fluff the puffs and we were done!

Queen Hair!
We often do a "hair headband" style on Little B that looks so regal, we call it Queen Hair. Little R wanted Queen Hair this week with a bow. A RED bow. I make the "headband" with a cornrow or flat twist and Little R's very fine hair is a challenge to cornrow, but there was no talking her out of it. She did consent to a pink bow when I pointed out that she doesn't have any red in her wardrobe.

Using a pin tail comb, I made one ear-to-ear row along her hairline and banded it to keep it together. I gathered the rest of her hair into one puff at the back of her head to keep that out of the way. I took a small section from one side of the row to start the cornrow. I braided it just a bit and added a bead to the base.

I moisturized and added a little pomade to the rest of the row and then began to cornrow. When I reached the opposite side, I secured the braid with a rubber band. I took a plastic bow barrette and put the back of the barrette through the rubber band. I wrapped some of the loose hair around the back of the barrette and closed it.

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I didn't love the look on Little R because her hair is so fine and somewhat sparse at the hairline, so I added a second row, alternating the starting side. When I finished, I spritzed it with water, moisturized and picked it out, but her hair felt brittle and dry with layer of product over it. It just felt wrong.

I knew that if we left it like that, it would be a mess in a day or two. I decided to do a quick cowash on the loose hair with my conditioner, Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner for dry/brittle hair. I thought it appropriate since Little R's hair was feeling both dry and brittle. After the cowash, I worked a generous amount of coconut oil in. I picked it out and her hair could see immediately how much better her hair was looking. After it dried, it still felt soft and moisturized. Whew! Honeysuckle Rose and coconut oil came to the rescue. Long live Little R's Queen Hair!

I'm not sure why the girls' hair was drier this week. It might be that they are on a break from swim lessons and it hasn't been very hot lately so their hair is not getting all of the fresh water rinses and soaks it usually gets. I could be that I haven't been adding enough moisturizer during the week or our current product just isn't heavy enough. Or, they might just need a good deep conditioning treatment. I'll have to try a few things and keep my eye on that hair.

Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics

There was a New York Times article titled Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics published yesterday. It's a basic look at the politics and social ramifications of both straightened and natural hair. Read it here.

Saturday 8/29 Update: Yesterday I pointed out that the NYT article is a basic look at the politics of hair. I wish I had spent more time thinking about it rather than just posting the link because the article really didn't really sit right with me. It seemed oversimplified and even misleading.

I was so glad to see see a well-reasoned and thoughtful response on another blog today. Read Tami's excellent response to the article here at What Tami Said.

Does anyone have any thoughts they want to share about either the original article or Tami's response?

What is Hair Milk?

Mindy asks:

...what is "hair milk?" I see that you use it often for touch ups, but I'm still not sure what it is.

Just this morning I was wondering whether someone would ask soon. It's a great question Mindy, and I'm glad you asked.

Hair Milk is descriptive name that some companies use for a lotion-type leave-in. A hair milk comes in a bottle and can be poured, as opposed to a heavier moisturizing product that is scooped out of a jar. Sometimes they help with curl definition and help tame frizz, but others are just for providing moisture. Some can be used to aid in detangling too. A hair milk or lotion leave-in can be used before a styling product or on its own. They are usually light enough to layer with other products.

Carol's Daughter calls their liquid leave-in hair milk. Darcy's Botanicals calls one of their a milk. Karen's Body Beautiful makes one and Curls calls theirs Milkshake. Many other companies make similar product but call them lotion, shake, or cream. For more information on product naming conventions, see my Rough Guide to Hair Product Naming Conventions.

The Basics: Cleansing the Scalp and Hair

I read a lot of hair care forums dedicated to natural curly hair where products, tools, and styles are discussed in great detail. But every few days, someone will post a very basic question on washing, tangles, matting, or itchy scalps -and it will be met with near silence. This basic information is the foundation on which we can build great styles and I think it deserves some attention. So today, let's talk about the basics of cleansing.

What and when should we be washing?
The scalp secretes oil, called sebum, which lubricates the scalp and hair. It takes a long time for sebum to coat the twists and turns of curly hair, which is why curly hair is often dry. Sebum does a lot of good for the scalp and hair but eventually the oil, and the sweat that is also secreted by the scalp, will attract dirt and bacteria.

Dirt, bacteria, dead skin cells on the scalp, and shed hair need to be removed periodically. But we know that frequent washing, especially with harsh detergents like sulfates, will also remove the sebum that dry hair needs. Because of this, how often to wash and with what can become a big question for those of us caring for curly hair.

A lot of people with curly hair give their scalp and hair a wash once a week. That seems to work very well for so many people, including us. Others find that the scalp needs a non-shampoo scrub every few days or even every day. There is a lot of choice when it comes to what product to use to cleanse but the one thing everyone benefits from is the use of the fingertips (not nails!) to scrub the scalp and free that dirt, bacteria and those dead skin cells.

Cleansing Options:
Shampoo (liquid or bar): Sulfate-free shampoos have gentler cleansers that won't strip all sebum from the hair. Some people chose to coat the ends of the hair in conditioner before using shampoo on the scalp in order to protect the hair from the drying effects of shampoo.

Conditioner: Some people wash with conditioner only. This is called a no poo or co-wash. Some leave the conditioner in and some rinse it out. I prefer to rinse to make sure everything I loosened from scrubbing the scalp is rinsed away. There is an informative post about rinsing out conditioner at The Natural Haven. A lot of people co-wash once a week or every few days. Because this doesn't remove the sebum from hair, it's a great option for more frequent cleansing.

Water: Some find that all they need for a clean scalp is a scrubbing with the fingertips and water pressure. This is a great everyday method.

Baking Soda: This is a good clarifying cleanser. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one cup of warm water and pour into the hair and scalp. Scrub the scalp with the fingertips and rinse.

Mix and Match: There is no reason you have to pick one of these and stick to it. We usually wash with a shampoo once a week, but we might throw in a mid-week co-wash or skip shampoo entirely on a wash day. Sometimes a baking soda wash seems appropriate to us. As long as the dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells are being removed regularly, there is every reason to experiment as see what works best.

Happy Cleansing!

Mid-week Style Update

This week, Little B has some cornrows ending in an afro and Little R has Bantu knots that we did at the hair party we went to last Saturday. Read about the hair party here.

Little B's cornrows are still pretty good, they really aren't fuzzy at all yet, but her loose hair is a bit of an issue. We have a lovely area rug in our living room. It's soft and colorful and six months old and SHEDDING LIKE CRAZY! I vacuum it often but the little fibers from this thing are constantly in Little B's hair, especially when it's loose. It seems like I have to pick the fibers out of her hair every morning. Today it was very bad, so I had to use a natural bristle brush and ever so gently brush just the surface of her afro. I know that sounds odd, but those fibers won't come out any other way short of washing. I try to find the line between actual brushing and just using the bristles to move her hair enough to let the fibers fall out. I feel like we are fighting an uphill battle against that rug. After getting those fibers out, I noticed that Little B's hair was just a bit dry. I have some Blended Cuties Jelly Cream and think it's a perfect choice for Little B's loose hair. I wet her hair a bit and then worked the Jelly Cream in. It not only provides needed moisture, but really helps define the curls.

Little R's Bantu knots needed to redone every day this week. They were a compete mess this morning even though she slept with a snug sleep cap. I think we were both ready to move on from this style.

When Little R is done with her hair being fussed with, she always asks for "one big puff." I was happy to oblige today. I took out the knots, wet her hair and added some hair milk. I was anxious to try the new Kakakiki KombBrush (warning: annoying product jingle on the site) our friend J gave us (thanks J!). I used it to comb through Little R's hair and it removed a lot of shed hair. I wasn't quite sure what to make of though. I put it aside to gather her hair using a natural bristle brushand held the hair with a cloth elastic. Her ends were dry today, so I added another bit of hair milk and just for kicks, ran the Kakakiki Komb through the puff. Again, I wasn't sure about the results, it seemed to drag her curls down. A few minutes later I saw amazing curl definition in the puff. I mean really amazing. The photo below doesn't even do the curl definition justice. I can't wait to give it a proper try on hair day. I'll review it and rate it then.

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Bantu Knots

As promised, here is the video on Bantu Knots. These are also called Zulu Knots and Nubian Knots. I love this style; it's easy to do and so cute.

Have a Hair Party!

Yesterday, the girls and I went to a hair party. Our lovely hostess K invited a group of moms over for a morning of hair styling, hair talk, play for the kids, and delicious treats. All of the moms got to talk about, sniff and touch all sorts of products. We tried out some different hair styles and talked about our hair care routines.

Because I had two heads of longish hair to style, I prepped Little B and Little R in advance. On Friday afternoon I washed, conditioned and detangled both Little B and Little R. I planned to style Little B with some short cornrows in front and an afro in back so I added some coconut oil to her hair after washing. Studies have shown that coconut oil penetrates the hair, helping to make it stronger and more flexible. Little B has been wearing her hair loose a lot lately so it seems like a good idea to give her a hair the benefit of coconut oil. When choosing a coconut oil, it's important to look for an extra virgin oil like this Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil and not a coconut oil that is mixed with something else. After adding the coconut oil I detangled and made the parts for the cornrows. I had much more success using the Goodly Oucless Brush for detangling this time but I'm not sure what the difference was. After detangling, I parted her hair from ear to ear, spererating the afro section from the section where her cornrows were going. I then made eleven rows in the front. I then put twists in the cornrow sections to stretch the hair as it dried and to keep it from tangling. It looked a little funny but what can you do?

I planned Bantu knots for Little R so after washing, detangling and conditioning I added jojoba oil to her hair. Jojoba oil does not penetrate the hair, but it is good for helping to seal in the moisture. We use Desert Essence Jojoba Oil which is pure jojoba oil with no additives. After adding oil I parted Little R's hair from ear to ear and down the middle so her head was divided into quarters. I split each quarter into three sections. I made a triangular section at the inner corner and then divided the remaining hair into two rectangles. I put a small soft cloth band around each section. Again, a bit strange-looking but that's okay.

Once we started doing hair at the hair party, it was easy to accomplish the styles since all the prep work of detangling and parting was done. I just had to add a moistuizing/styling product and style. I cornrowed Little B's sections just for an inch or two and used a mini claw clip to hold them in place. When it was Little R's turn, I just twisted each section into a Bantu knot and banded it at the bottom. It's a quick, simple and dramatic style. I hope to post a video on making Bantu knots sooon.

A couple of the girls at the party got a veil style. The hair is divided into boxes in a brick pattern and banded at the base. The hair in each box is then divided in two. The two sections can be left loose, twisted, or braided and then each is pulled across and back to the boxes behind it. There it is banded at the base and the process is repeated. It's such a cute style and it looks so fancy.

I think all of the moms enjoyed the hair party. I know I did. It was great to be able to share ideas and start building a sense of community around hair. The kids had a good time playing with each other and all of the fabulous toys at K's house. We moms came away with a little more to add to our knowledge base and the girls came away with beautiful hair styles. I hope we have more hair parties as the girls grow. Just look at all of these products and tools. There is so much we can learn from each other.

Organizing Hair Accessories

If you are anything like me, your collection of kid's headbands, hair ornaments, tools and products started out modest. And grew. And Grew. AND GREW. A little while ago, I started looking for an organization system for all of the hair goodies we've collected over the last couple of years. The solution I came up with is okay, but I wish I had found these options at Amazon before making a decision.

Creative Options Grab & Go System This features a fold down door to access four compartment trays. It's just like a tackle box, but prettier. Edit 2/16/10: the version pictured is no longer available, but the link will take you to an updated version.

Two Tray Tackle BoxThis might be a nice option for a small collection.

Art Bin Super Satchel 2 - Sided Box This would be great for beginning collection or for travel.

Easy View Tote I wonder if brushes & tools can hang off the sides. I think this one would have worked out very well for me. Edit 2/16/10: I know someone who ordered this, it's fantastic.

I was in a hurry when organizing Little B and Little R's hair stuff. I just couldn't stand the bulging baggies and random containers of stuff I had shoved into a drawer one day longer. At the time I couldn't think of the right search terms to use find the options I listed above. I considered buying a tackle box at a local store, but they were so masculine. Instead, I found a big plastic bin with a handle and added three sectioned crafter's boxes to hold the girls' beads, barrettes, ballies, snaps, clips, and soft holders. I then chose a snap-shut pencil case to hold my scissors, sectioning clips, and coil comb. I used a couple of other tiny, plastic snap-shut cases to hold rubber bands and elastics. Headbands are tied together and combs and product are tucked into the remaining space. I think all of the boxes cost me a total of $20.

I've been pretty satisfied with this arrangement. The downside is that when I remove one of the sectioned boxes, the headbands and combs can slide into the space it occupied. So there is some shuffling involved every time I need to open one of the boxes.

Organizing the hair equipment in one box has made our morning touch-ups and hair day styling so much easier. And less stress and hassle is always a very good thing.