Well my hair has been behaving itself lately. It could be due to the Marley twists that I have entwined into it so that I could tame its wildness.  Whatever it is I love it! I’ve been contemplating on bleaching my hair blonde and wearing my natural curls but I’m going to need more consultation on that before I take that big step. 

This Month’s Recommendations

·      Dry & Itchy Scalp Naturalistas Doo Gro Mega Long Extreme Reconstructor. Use this as a deep conditioner along with Kera Care Dry & Itchy Scalp Conditioner---It Works Miracles!!

·      For my Naturalistas who like to wear it curly Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding and Curly Butter Cream are great for hydration and moisture retention!

·      Transitional Naturalistas remember moisture retention is very important but I understand that you probably don’t want anything heavy. Coconut oil is a great and light oil to use on the hair.  Use Ojon Intensive Restorative Treatment Deep Conditioner. If you flat iron or blow dry your hair try using Ojon Leave-In Pre-heat Styler. Ojon is a little pricey so as an alternative you can try any of the Shea Moisture products (trial and error).

Hair Tip- Happy Scalp Equals Happy Hair

Go back to basics for your treatments mix Jojoba oil, coconut oil and diluted peppermint oil (put about a tsp of peppermint oil in 1 tbsp of water because the potency might be too strong for your scalp) altogether and apply this mixture onto your scalp. Wear a plastic shower cap to bed and when you awake wash your hair. This is a great method to help you wash the dead skin or dandruff off the scalp. I’ve tried this method and I saw a dramatic difference.

The holiday season is here. So t'is the season to be with family and friends, shop, and create a budget! Being a college student, I love everything at a great price. However, I am a victim of high fashion shoes.  My addiction to fashion items from BCBG, Jessica Simpson, and Vince Camuto, has led me to realize that my unhealthy shopping habits could affect me financially (in a negative way) in the future.  Financial preparation has been an issue that seems to constantly cross my mind whenever I think of student loans and other expenses. Why isn’t financial responsibility a mandatory class that we have to take before we are pushed into the real world?

STUDENT LOANS

Student loan debts are over $833 billion dollars which is higher than the credit card debt in America (ww.finaid.org). Saving for this heartache has to start while in college. I am now forcing myself to save a minimum amount of $20 from each check as if it is a monthly expense. Avoiding too many credit cards and paying off the entire bill instead of minimum payments helps to avoid paying higher interest. Paying bills on time is one of the most important things to remember when building credit. Another strategy that I plan to enforce as soon as I am earning a salary is to have my student loans paid off in no less than five years. I know some people may think that is an aggressive goal but the life I want to live do not include debt. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that I will occur good debt when I buy a house or purchase a car but those are investments. Student loans cannot be sold which mean they are only valuable to the person who had to receive them. Furthermore, I do not plan on purchasing a new or pre-owned car until I have saved for half of the car. The aforementioned financial philosophies might sound a little crazy but I believe that it works. Bottom line, I have learned that your expenses should not be more than your income.

HOW TO EMBRACE THE NATURAL YOU ON A BUDGET

There are many hair stores that allow you to buy essential hair oils at very low prices. For the holiday complete a DIY (do it yourself) project by researching which oils you can mix to create the look you are going for as oppose to buying a natural product that may be in the range of $10-35. However, if you would like to purchase a product without having to be an at home chemist, there are a few great products that don’t put holes in your pockets:

·      Shea Moisture $8-16

·      Avlon Kera Care Essential Oils- $13

·      All Kera Care products $9-30 (My favorite!)

·      Jane Carter products $7-30

Trial and error is really the only way in discovering your personal regime. It may seem a little expensive at first but once you find what works for you it will seem like a regular bi-monthly bill. Save at least $10 each month to purchase your hair products. Try avoiding products with sulfates or alcohols because that will dry out your hair. Using good products result in healthy hair.

RECAP

Last month I wrote about unconditional love for oneself as the only way to successfully complete the natural hair journey. I have met with many women who have completely related with the article because it is the truth! Beauty has to be redefined when a person decides to go natural. I will love more of you all’s feedback. Tweet me @NaturalMeColumn and use the hash tag #Naturimony or email me at renia@fasmarketplace.com

Happy Holidays, Peace & Love from the writer of

Natural Me

Sources:

http://www.finaid.org/loans/studentloandebtclock.phtml

About a week ago, I started this new health kick. And I must say it has been a challenge. However, it is  necessary in order to embrace the Natural Me.  I  realized that I had to start internally. Being healthy  does not only include what one eats but also how  one lives. Our diet can affect many things including:  hair growth, our emotional, mental, and physical  well‐being. For example, hair is composed of mostly  protein. This means one needs protein to help grow  hair.  Of course protein is not the only nutrient  needed, but it is a start. Other nutrients needed to  maintain healthy hair include: Iron, Vitamin A, and  D.         

Why am I doing this? 
 
After a week of suffering from massive heart burns (because of my love for spicy foods) the 
decision was made to make some life changes. Now some of you may be thinking, “Oh Renia 
you are so skinny. Why are you concerned about eating healthy?” Well hopefully the 
aforementioned details will make you second guess those thoughts. I am creating a 
healthier lifestyle because I only have one body in this lifetime and I would like it to 
function at a hundred percent for as long as possible. Furthermore, I believe that poor 
health can lead to low energy, low self‐esteem, and health issues such as diabetes. Now I 
am no expert on health awareness, but I do know when I am not feeling healthy.  
 So what are my methods?   
    Now, I am not saying that this is easy. That is why I am doing everything in moderation. 
Changing certain food intake one at a time has helped me with my transition tremendously. 
    I have slowed down my intake of bread (which is high in carbohydrates); I LOVE bread. 
So this was very difficult for me to do. When I do consume it, I try to substitute Italian style 
bread (my usual) with honey wheat bread. The honey makes it more desirable (for me) 
than the regular wheat bread. I have cut back on my daily intake of red meat to just once a 
week. Some red meats are high in fat, which can lead to an increase of blood cholesterol. 
High levels of LDL (low‐density lipoprotein) cholesterol can lead to heart disease (WebMD).  
    I snack on things like yogurt, natural almonds, apples and laughing cow cheese with mini 
club crackers. I do not eat anything heavy after 7 in the evening, because it is more difficult 
for the body to digest food (that is the time when we are least active). Not eating late also 
helps one maintain a higher metabolism. I use the My Fitness Pal app on the I‐phone to 
track my calorie intake. It is a free Weight Watchers method where you can decide whether 
you would like to lose weight, maintain weight, or gain weight. Last but not least, I exercise 
by taking Zumba classes. Whenever I miss my workout sessions I try to walk a mile to class 
instead of riding the trolley. 
     How can you start living healthy?                                                                   
First step is to find motivation. You have to have a reason or you will not stay committed. 
Second step is to create a diet plan. What would you like to cut from your diet and what you 
would like to add? Third you must have a time commitment. How many times a week are 
you willing to exercise? Fourth, go grocery shopping for healthy snacks, and foods. “ Shop  Well ” is another great app that helps you find healthy foods in your local grocery stores. 
Fifth, begin your new life by writing motivational words on a sticky notes and posting them 
to your mirror. Being healthy is a lifestyle, so we have to internalize positivity or it will 
become a struggle instead of a success. Getting healthy is definitely a journey, but you do 
not have to do it alone. Grab a friend or a love one to go along with you on your health kick! 
 
Sources: 
http://www.webmd.com/skin‐problems‐and‐treatments/hair‐loss/eating‐right‐keep‐hair‐
healthy 
 http://www.webmd.com/food‐recipes/features/the‐truth‐about‐red‐meat

     “Young ladies should not wear their nails polished.  Young ladies should not whistle. Young ladies must know how to cook.”  These were only a few of the requirements that were mandated to me as a child in a Liberian household. Growing up Liberian in America was really tough for me. The more my family wanted me to embrace my culture the more I tried to assimilate into American culture. Assimilating was a defense mechanism that was developed due to the negative comments that were said by the kids at school. Once they discovered my nationality, the jokes never seemed to stop.  
            “You’re an African booty scratcher!” “Do you look out your window and see lions?”  “Do you all walk around naked?” were some of the asinine questions and comments that were proposed to me.

To avoid the ignorant questions and comments I tried to hide my identity. I concealed the part of me that made me unique and culturally rich because I could not handle the teasing. When asked where I was from I would say that I was from another state. However, no matter how much I tried to run away from who I was, one could still hear and see the Liberian heritage throughout my family. This identity crisis occurred from K-12th grade. One expects that a seventeen year old would have it all figured out but high school was still tough for me, because the questions and comments never stopped. So there I was, almost eighteen and still trying to avoid the part of me that helped mold my identity.  
            Fortunately in Fall 2009 I entered college! I met so many people from different countries around the world. I quickly learned in college that being foreign could make one more intriguing. My world completely changed! All of a sudden I no longer wanted to hide who I was. Instead I wanted to scream it out loud. I AM LIBERIAN!!!! I finally understood why my family had so pride about their nationality.  
            I hope while reading this article your questions are not directed to why I wanted to hide my nationality but instead why are some Americans so ignorant of the African culture. If they only knew that Africa is a very interesting, culturally rich, innovative, resourceful, and growing continent; their perspective would be completely different!  However all is not lost. The first step needed to start that change, has to be education. People often belittle what they do not understand. As foreigners (to America), our duty should be to study our own cultures in great detail so that we can accurately defend it. Growing up Liberian (in America) was a struggle, but I am happy and blessed to have finally embraced my identity, and thankful that Liberian morals and rules have molded me into the Natural Me!
 

There are two words that are detrimental to one’s hair, SPLIT ENDS! I recently went to the beautician and she cut almost 2 inches off my hair due to split ends. All the hard work I had put into my hair during the summer disappeared with her shears. As I watched my hair hit the floor, I couldn’t help but feel aggravated at the fact that my hair might never leave my shoulders. What’s the point of being natural if my hair never grows in length was the question I always would ponder after each trimming or cut. Using what I know now I would respond to that by saying that natural hair grows healthy in width before it can grow in length.

How can you avoid split ends? I have a permanent color in my hair that I have not replenished since I’ve gotten it. A BIG NO NO! When one colors their hair, it is imperative to keep up with your color.
    When your dye is a lighter color than your natural hair color, it strips your hair of pigment which makes the hair follicle weaker if not replenished. My hair was dyed as an auburn burgundy and now it looks like an ashy orange. I know that does not sound beautiful but that is what happens when you don’t keep up with color. So due to my color maltreatment, split ends found me.  
     For those of you who do not have color in your hair and you are still dealing with split ends the problem could be from too much heat or the overuse of combs and brushes. However, I would put most of my money on too much heat. Styling irons can fry the hair and cause breakage to the hair follicles. It is very important to use heat protecting creams or sprays when blow drying or flat ironing your hair. If you are natural try finding more heat protective styles such as flat twists, bantu knots, rods, and many others.
       A hot oil treatment is a great way to heal split ends. Deep conditioning your hair for a minimum of an hour is another way to help your hair recover. Last but not least, keep up with your trimmings! A lot of time as Naturalistas we hate straightening our hair and we just let our curls go wild but you must straighten it in order to trim your hair. Keeping up with your monthly trims helps you to avoid the two inches or more cut later down the road.

 
by Renia Bates
     
        In the 1970s, the symbolism that followed the word
natural hair was in the shape of a hair fro. When that word is mentioned today, one can now see a variety of hair styles, products, and attitudes. I have been natural for a little over two years and saying that the journey was easy would be an understatement. Everyone has their reason of why they decide to take the natural hair journey. Some do it because their hair has become damaged due to over-processing, and others do it because everyone else seems to be doing it. Now I was
inspired by the comical yet realistic blockbuster “Good Hair” which was directed and narrated by Chris Rock. Chris explored the perception of “good hair” through the eyes of the consumers and the sellers. Once the movie was concluded, he made people, especially black women, realize that we need to appreciate our own hair. That straightening our hair was a mechanism developed in order to help us assimilate to society’s definition of beauty. 

    It is a huge misconception that one has to chop their hair off completely in order
to start their natural hair journey. I did the method of grow and cut. Every two weeks I
would get about ! inches of haircut and then a blow out and flat ironed. Now some
people may consider that as cheating, but everyone has to go through their individual
journey the best way they know how. It took a year for all of the relaxed hair to come
out but once it did my hair texture and curl pattern had completely changed. I have a
Type A kinky curl, which is more coils. Due to my selection of products which I will go
over soon, my hair is now tremendously soft and holds moisture very well.
            Finding the right products for your hair is a journey in itself! “Should I use only
organic products or a generic brand?” are usually some of the questions that arises
when one begins to deal with their natural hair. Organic products are better for your hair
because they have no alcohol or chemicals in them. However, products like Kera Care
are great enough in quality to still give you similar or better results. When I am at home,
I use Vatika’s Almond/Coconut seed oil to moisturize my scalp. I use the new Kera
Care’s Natural Textures Cleansing Cream for my shampoo and then I use the Kera
Care’s Dry and Itchy Scalp as my conditioner. I also use natural coconut oil to moisturize
my hair itself because it can decrease frizzing as well as leave your hair feeling moisturized but light. Kinky Curly’s Leave in Conditioner/Detangler, Castor Oil and Olive Oil’s Hair Milk are also really great products that also provide moisture and strengthening to the hair. Being natural is truly a journey and everyone is entitled to create his or her own path. However, being natural does not mean that your hair is healthy. Using good products, avoiding too much, and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize will lead you to better hair!