I’ve covered my skin care regimen here on JB2M before, but in the time since that post was written I’ve switched up my facial products a bit and become woefully slack in my routine.  Fortunately I have been blessed to not show my age (a family blessing I am very proud of) however because I smoke and am closing in on my 40’s my skin is changing, not adhering to my normal routine has taken it’s toll.  Changes I am finding most evident in my skin are larger pores and dry patches on my cheeks close to my nose, where my skin used to be relatively well balanced:

This change could also be attributed to the fact that unlike Detroit, here in Columbus the water ranges from moderate to very hard (depending on where you are) and dries the skin horribly, something I don’t like one bit.  Well just the other day Veronica of the My Natural Me Beauty Blog threw down a skin care challenge on Twitter and I decided to take it up, and restart my skin care regimen.

My routine doesn’t vary too much from May 2008 with the except of less product and less actual facialing.  Whereas I used to use two different sets of cleansers and masks, now I only use one:

Cleanse & Scrub – Dollar General’s Oil Free Apricot Scrub: Apricots contain curative properties that aid with curing certain skin diseases and reversing the effects of sun damage.

Tone & Condition – Pegasus Soap’s By the Sea Mud Mask: Kelp is a dynamic detoxifier, rich in amino acids, carbohydrates and vitamin A.

Tone & Deep Clean – Family Dollar’s Deep Cleansing Astringent (comparable to Sea Breeze): Constricts the pores and removes the last traces of the scrub and mask.

Hydrate & Moisturize – Dollar General’s Sensitive Skin Beauty Lotion (another obvious Oil of Olay knock-off): Counteracts the drying effects of the astringent.

Because I only use the apricot scrub for cleansing I’ve taken my routine down to ever other day as to not overdo it on the exfoliation tip. I also only use the mask one a week (usually on Sunday), but considering I’m relying on commercial products I may kick that up to twice a week.  These will be my staple products, although throughout the challenge I will be looking for more natural alternatives, such as the ones I’ve tried during early In the Mix Friday posts. Another change in my routine will involve trying to drink a whole lot more water than what is “normal” for me, since just like hair, skin benefits greatly from inner hydration,

So there you have it.  I’m locked in and committed.  I’ll be posting updates of my progress every Sunday, and wish everyone who’s taking the challenge along with V and I great results.

Healthy Hair (and skin) Wishes,

The cornerstone of cultivating beautiful, healthy natural hair is maintaining it with products that nourish and facilitate growth. The more organic the better. But if you live in an area that does not cater to natural hair care, getting your hands on supplies that fit the bill may prove to be a task of epic monetary proportions. Although products likeCarol’s Daughter, Miss Jessies and Oyin are readily available for Columbus naturals via Macys, the Internet and very soon Target, there’s much to be said about products that are made and available here on home soil.

Like many local natural hair wearers,Camille McCleskey started her journey using the standard commercial products we’ve all come to know and love. But for her there was something missing.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

In the search for the perfect product to help cultivate healthy hair, many natural hair wearers are unaware that simple, inexpensive ingredients lay right within their own spice racks.

For centuries the spices and herbs that we use to cook our every day meals have been used to prevent hair loss, combat dandruff and help keep hair fresh and clean. Big name cosmetic companies have ushered in the trend of infusing their products with herbal essences for the past two decades or more because they recognize the benefit to hair health. But you don’t need the likes of Clairol or Garnier to gain the advantages or herbs in your hair care regimen.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

(click image to visit the Website)

Living in Columbus makes it somewhat difficult to do the “natural thang” in a wholly natural way.  Although there is a moderate amount of nappturals on the Capital City scene there aren’t very many salons or product companies that cater to natural hair care here, and so for many, home care and commercial products are the only alternative.  Well Camille McClesky is working to change all that with Yonnea’s Natural Beauty Products.

Combining all natural ingredients and years of natural hair care research, Yonnea’s Natural Beauty offers a variety of products that help to prevent breakage, nourish the hair and promotes growth.  As noted from Camille’s on photos on the Website’s header, Yonnea’s Natural Beauty has granted her full, long locks with just nine months use!  McClesky’s dedication to providing quality product to help naturals achieve health hair is not just a business, it is a life ambition that she takes very personally.

I am very passionate when it comes to hair and beauty, therefore my journey with Yonnea’s Natural Beauty Products will continue for life.  I hope you’ll enjoy my beauty products, jewelry and hair accessories.

So whether you’re a napptural here in Cbus or nationwide and are looking for certified organic products to help maintain your tresses, Yonnea’s Natural Beauty just may be the answer to your hair care prayers.  So drop by the Website at www.yonnea.com, or Email Camille with your questions at info@yonnea.com.

Healthy Hair Wishes!

Many natural hair wearers look to spice up their styles by adding a splash of color, or even undergoing an entire shade change. Whether using a permanent option or a semi-permanent rinse, color is yet another way to express the versatile beauty of natural hair. Because the makeup of curly and coiled hair is not as easy to color as its straight counterpart, oftentimes harsh chemical are needed to achieve “desired” results. While there are cosmetologists who specialize in “safe” color styling, many find themselves unable to afford their services and rely on home color kits to tint their strands.

With the growing concerns over the effects of chemicals used in hair care products on the hair and on the body, natural hair wearers in Columbus and nationwide are seeking healthier and economic color treatment choices. But is it possible to alter hair’s natural pigment using non chemical elements? Here are four possible agents that can help you reach your color accenting goal.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

For most the term natural hair immediately brings to mind Angela’s flowing fro, Stevie‘s beaded braids or Whoopi’s lengthy locks. Because most African-American hair types range from loosely curled to tightly coiled, many think of natural hair as less versatile than its straight counterpart when it comes to styling. While this may have been the case in previous decades, present day styling options for natural hair are as varied as the strands that comprise them. Whether salon coiffed or maintained at home, styling natural hair can light your creative spark and play a part in your individual sense of expression.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

It has been almost seven complete months since I daringly took a pair of shears to my eight inch tresses and, out of frustration, snipped close to six inches.  This wasn’t done out of frustration with my hair, but with how things were going in my life up to that point.  What’s the correlation?  Well I’m a big believer in the idea that hair is infused with the energy of your life experiences, and for the past three years a lot of my experiences had been negatively charged.  After an extremely stress-filled visit to Detroit I arrived home and without thinking chopped off my hair at its two ample puffs.  It was such a rash decision it took me about two weeks to be able to look in a mirror.

Well last month I decided to lightly my hair, not anticipating any real results growth-wise, and this is what I came away with:

That’s looking at approximately three inches on top of approximately one inch to start.  How did I do it?  With a very basic hair care premise called keeping my hands out of it, coupled with weekly conditioning, bi-weekly shampoo’ing and daily moisturizing with a blend of coconut, sweet almond, and grapeseed oils.  Nope, nothing fancy or intricate beyond one or two deep conditioning treatments with my Avocado-Coconut Milk-Honey-Sage conditioner.

Now if this seems miraculous to you consider this: Under normal, healthy condition ALL hair grows an average one half of an inch each month.  So by keeping manipulation and heat usage low, never combing through my hair when it was dry and allowing it to do what it does best, I was able to retain every half inch of growth these seven months yielded.  This is even accounting for natural shedding, which has increased thanks to Columbus’ hard water issues.

To date I have only ventured two styles with my short cut.  A weirdly funky two strand twist that a wrapped too early so the twists flattened:

And this weird, funky twists result turned into this absolutely GORGEOUS twist out fro:

Both styles were attempted this month.  I plan to do another two-strand attempt this week in preparation for my NEW JOB ASSIGNMENT  (*wild applause*) so that I can rock that curly twist out again.  Oh yeah… I hit a new milestone.  While I was in Detroit I actually went outside in the world with my hair uncovered!  Yes.  If you read my post about long vs. short hair then you know my trepidations about wearing my hair in public.  Well that’s a thing of the past now that I’ve found my “signature” short style.

So, there’s my hair update, which I know are painfully far and few between. *lol* I’m still flirting with the idea of locs but I think I want to gain a few more inches before I take the plunge.  Maybe come winter I’ll be ready.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

With the current economic crisis seizing wallets and paychecks across the country, many natural hair wearers are finding it necessary to cut back on product purchases. Additionally, with concerns rising about possibly toxic ingredients in commercial products, many are seeking alternative that are gentle on their hair and the environment. Well the solution for both dilemmas could be as close as your local grocery store or kitchen, in the form of household items used every day.

Most know the story of how Lisa Price started Carol’s Daughter started making her own products by mixing shea butters and essential oils in her very own kitchen. Her multi-million dollar idea did not start out as a way to make Price money. It was born of a need for products that worked well with her hair type before the natural hair product industry was developed. Like Lisa, natural hair wearers can also forgo the store bought brands to work homemade wonders using basic, inexpensive items.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

Over the past decade it seems America has seen a positive rise in attitudes concerning their overall well-being. Nationwide citizens are changing their diets to include healthier foods that keep their systems functioning optimally, and working to incorporate regular exercise routines to ensure fit physiques. In addition to these adjustments, citizens are taking strides to make sure the products used to clean their homes are free of toxins that could compromise their health, and harm the surrounding environment. With all the focus on greener living it’s only natural that equal attention is given to the cosmetic products that go on the body since substances used on the skin and hair are absorbed into the system over time.

Within the natural hair community there is an ongoing campaign that encourages product label reading to identify possible toxic ingredients and make healthier hair care choices. Because large numbers of commercial products are known to contain potentially harmful components, many naturals find themselves having to give up their favourite shampoos, conditioners and styling aids in favor of more organic brands. But is the concern justified or just hype and propaganda?

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

I was a Napturally Me! Lurker-In-Resident for a very long time, just to get a feel for the dynamics of the group.  In my experience over the years I’ve had the misfortune of meeting up with pretentious naturals (read: Nappy Nazis) and those encounters made me apprehensive when it came to forming alliances.  But because I know the way to benefit from any experience, especially from a networking standpoint, you have to be active within it, I took the plunge on the 20th and attended my first NM Meetup event — a potluck viewing of “Good Hair“.

Although I arrived “fashionably late” and halfway into the screening (my apologies to anyone I bumped while making my way to the back of the pitch black room *lol*) I was overjoyed to have made it and amazed by the turn out.  Partaking in the festivities was an impressive number of 30 nappturals, which doesn’t even fully represent the 81 member roll!  No disrespect to my culture and heritage but… Ya’ll know unless it’s a club function, church service or give-away, turn out for social functions can be painfully low.  Having founded a couple of writing groups in my time I know this to be painfully true.  So to see so many fellow naturals in one room just for the fun of connecting with other naturals was exhilarating, to say the least.  While I know I’m not alone in my journey thanks to my wonderfilled connections with nappy heads via Facebook and Twitter, it’s always to know that I have access to support in my life outside the Net.

In addition to the pleasant surprise I received from the number of attendees, I was also amazed at just how good “Good Hair” was.  Well… the half of it I saw. *lol*  Going in my expectations were that the movie was going to be a celebrity spearhead fluff piece comparable to Textured Tresses.  Because the Black hair debate has raged on for centuries with very few dips below the surface of texture, type and style issues, I was not anticipating a noteworthy expose from the likes of Chris Rock.  In that, I was not disappointed.  For the record, “Good Hair” will not answer the age old question of just why hair is such a big issue within the Black community.  It is not a dissertation on why natural hair is best, why the “straight standard” has prevailed for as long as it has, or why Black hair is so politically charged.  What it is is documentary of one man’s search to find the answers to those queries in order to know what to tell his daughter about her hair.  It was Chris Rock’s quest to understand for himself (and for his wallet) how to help his daughter take pride in her hair.  It was not meant to decry the use of perms, as many expected, so based on the merit of Chris’s intention, it was a good film.  In the end, hair is what it is based on each individuals perception of what it means to them.  There’s no way to blanketly label it, which is the movie’s conclusion.  To paraphrase Ice T at the film’s end, no matter the enhancements, as long as a woman feels good about her appearance her it’s all good.  I have to make it a point to cop a bootleg *ahem* rent a copy so I can catch the part I missed.  Oh, and for the record… Jason Griggers really should have won the hair show. *snap snap*

Following the screening was an engaging discussion between NM members, about the movie and other hair related topics.  The atmosphere was one of compassionate sharing and educating, showing the roots of everyone’s journey.  Again, it was refreshing to be in the presence of so many like minded individuals without the pretensions of natural “rules” and dogma.  Much to my surprise, Kendra, the groups Organizer, enlightened me to the fact that you don’t even have to be natural to be a member of the group.  As long as you have a love for natural hair and an interest in learning more about it (how to style it, how to keep it healthy) you are more than welcome.  Suffice it to say, I have found my local nappy home and plan to attend many more Nappturally Me! functions in the near future.

Shouts out to our gracious hostess Amber for organizing such a great event, to Akon, Sarai and Chele for the wonderful conversations, and to DaiRita for that kick ass “Black Ass Cake.” *lol*  To all the ladies who provided the delicious and bountiful dishes, thank you oh so much.  I look forward to kicking it natural with all of you again soon.

Healthy Hair Wishes,