Hair Porosity

YOUR HAIR POROSITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HAIR TYPE.

HAPPY PEOPLE,

How do you do?

Knowing your hair’s porosity will change your life! It’s one of the most simpleconcepts necessary for all naturals or to-be-naturals to know, yet it’s not as talked about as much as hair type is (you know, the 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C). Natural hair type doesn’t tell us nearly as much about what our hair needs as porosity does.

Hair type doesn’t tell you which moisturizing oils are best, which conditioners are best, which deep treatments are best etc. Two people can have the 4C hair type, but may need COMPLETELY different hair products for their hair. You can’t look at a YouTuber or Blogger and grab the products they’re using right away without knowing their porosity. So, as you can now figure, this is very important homies.

What exactly is hair porosity?

Porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture

So what’s the big deal? Well, in order to grow healthy (and long) hair that is less prone to dryness which leads to breakage, you need what…drum roll….PROPERLY MOISTURIZED HAIR. This is especially for natural black hair. In order to properly moisturize hair you need to make sure you not only ADD moisture to your hair but that it is actually RETAINED i.e. your hair keeps the moisture locked in.

There are 3 different hair porosity ‘levels’. Low, normal, and high.

Low Porosity

Hair cuticles on low porosity hair are closed and so moisture does not enter easily. A quick sign for low porosity hair is products that feel as though they are just sitting on your hair and not absorbed. See test below to figure out if this is you!

Key tips:

·        Use heat to open up the cuticles to let the moisture in. How, well, warmwater washes, and warm deep conditioning sessions. Simple! Use a deep conditioning cap or home hooded dryer to create warmth for your deep conditions and/or treatments.

·        Make sure to still close the cuticles after a warm wash by rinsing with coolwater.

·        Deep condition every wash day

·        Invest in a satin cap for sleeping

·        Best oils or products for low porosity hair: Light oils are best, such as coconut oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil.

·        Ease up on the products, your hair is prone to build up so don’t layer on product on top of product.

·        Low porosity hair is protein sensitive. Avoid using a lot of protein on your hair,  those protein treatments that look really good? Nah, not for you. Unless really necessary once or twice a year. Stick to moisture treatments.

Normal Porosity

This one is porosity goals really! You hair is not problematic. It absorbs and retains moisture well and you don’t really have a problem with dryness – unless you leave the hair for dead ofcourse  It’s obvious you still got to take care of it.

High Porosity

As you can see in the image above, high porosity hair has cuticles that are lifted and so absorbs moisture quickly but also looses it quickly. Some end up with high porosity after heat or chemical damage to their hair. Signs of high porosity hair are things like finding that your hair dries really quickly after washes or moisturizer, looks dull and feels especially dry.

Key tips:

·        Protein treatments are great – doing one once a month will do you some good!

·        Deep condition more often,  bi-weekly is advised.

·        Make sure to still close the cuticles after by rinsing your washes with coolwater.

·        Use leave-in conditioners and heavier products like butters to seal the moisture in.

·        Best oils/ or products for high porosity hair: Olive oil, Castor Oil, Shea Butter, hempseed oil, coconut oil.

·        Rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar to flatten the cuticle and seal the moisture in.

·        Aloe Vera Gel or Juice is also great – on it’s own or added to your leave-in conditioner.

·        Avoid using heat on your hair and excessive coloring.

So wait, how do you find out what your hair porosity is!!!? Simple really.

HAIR POROSITY TEST

1.      Grab a tall glass of water

2.      Extract a strand of hair from your head – must use clean hair. Hair with product is said to possibly alter results.

3.      Drop this strand inside the water and watch it for a minute or two.

Results:

Image source: frederickbenjamin.com

Ideally, hair should absorb moisture at a slow pace. The rate at which the hair sinks is basically indicative of the rate at which it absorbs moisture. The faster the hair absorbs moisture, the more porous it is. In other words, if it sinks to the bottom quickly, the cuticles are open and absorb lots of moisture immediately. If the hair floats, the cuticles are shut and are not letting the moisture in.

·        Low Porosity hair will float at the top of the glass

·        Medium porosity will slowly sink and be about halfway through the glass when you check in a minute.

·        High Porosity will have sunk to/near the bottom of the glass.

Once you know this, you may find that you have been moisturizing correctly by chance, or from intuition and knowing what works for your hair. Otherwise, if you’ve been having problems with your hair, then you’ll have to adjust your hair regimen accordingly to suit your hair’s porosity.

Rice water

My dear naturalists, we have another Holy Grail product for our hair…”Rice water”. Now I know some of you might be like, wait, what… another regimen to add to my hair regimen…I ain’t got time for this. But if you want your tresses to work, work, work, work, work then trust me, this additional regimen is for you and the prep time is not bad… it really isn’t.

Why is Rice Water so effective and what makes it a Holy Grail product???

It’s a Holy Grail product because it has been proven to work for centuries not just years, but CENTURIES. Asian women for centuries, have been using rice water for their face, body and hair (to promote length and strength). Specifically, the Yao ethic women from the Huangluo village in China are in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s longest hair village, it is believed that they have an average hair length of 6ft. Yeap it’s the rice water.

Now you are probably wondering, hmm Asian women’s hair texture is so different from black women’s hair texture. Sisters please, just because it works for them does not mean it will work for us black women and besides their diet, environment and weather also as an effect on their hair. You know what, you are right, their diet and environment contributes to their hair’s well-being. But, rice water works for ALL HAIR TYPES unless you are sensitive to protein…yeah that’s the catch. Rice water is very rich in protein. It is consider a protein treatment. Let’s get into it.

Why is Rice Water So Beneficial to all Hair Types??

·        It has Inositol, a carbohydrate that can repair damaged hair and protect it from damage.

·        It Increases hair elasticity, making the hair more flexible.

·        It helps define the hair’s curl pattern – can my 4C coily hair sisters give praise.

·        It decreases the hair’s surface friction, by helping to smooth out the surface of the hair. The hair strands will glide past each other without resistance and with less friction so less knots and tangles.

·        It contains amino acids which strengthen the hair roots, adds volume, sheen and makes the hair silky smooth.

·        It stays inside the hair and work, work, work, work, work, (Rihanna’s song plays in my mind), even after rinsing out the rice water. So you will see improvements after the first use.

·        Fermented rice water, rice water when fermented has additional benefits.  Fermented rice water is rice water left to ferment and has gone slightly sour (yeah does not taste right). It is rich in antioxidants, minerals, B vitamins, and vitamin E. Also, fermented rice water is good for the face and skin but I am just here for the hair benefits.

·        Fermentation of rice water lowers the pH of the rice water and this is similar to our hair’s pH, which is slightly acidic. The slightly acidic pH plus the added nutrients through the fermentation process helps restores the hair’s pH balance, nourishing hair follicles to promote healthy hair growth and improve overall hair condition. HOLY GRAIL!!!

·        Rice water  works as an excellent conditioner

·        It contains natural saponins, so it can also be used as a mild cleanser.

·        Rice water can build up on hair over time, especially used with hard water. Adding natural clarifiers, such as apple juice, green tea, lime juice, lime peel powder, amla powder or shikakai powder, to rice water, will help remove any build up and make your hair soft and shiny. Add about 1 tsp in one cup of rice water and use as suggested.

·        It is used in treating hair loss. Some people use rice water along with green tea as it helps add extra shine and strength to your hair. Plus, green tea is also useful in reducing hair loss.

How to Make Rice Water

There are three methods of making rice water, Washing, Fermenting and Boiling. They all have benefits but personally I think the fermenting is the way to go because of its enhanced benefits. Please note, you don’t need that much rice (1/2 a cup is fine with 2 to 3 cups of water). If you gonna cook rice for dinner or lunch use the regular amount you use and save the water.

The Wash Method- Rinse the rice with water to remove any dirt. Place the rice in a container then cover with water. Make sure the water covers the rice and then let it soak for 30 to 40 mins. Swirl it around a few times to release the mirco nutrients into the water and after 30 to 40 mins make sure the water is cloudy then strain the rice water into a separate bowl then use.

The Fermented Method (the best method to me) – To get the enhanced benefits you need to ferment the rice water. So you just use collected rice water from the wash method and place/ store it in a dark room temperature to warm area (microwave or cabinet) till it is slightly sour. The sour taste indicates the rice water has begun to ferment; it takes about a day or two. The warmer the room the faster it ferments. If you want to stop the fermenting process and store the rice water, boil the rice water. You can even dilute the rice water with water if the rice water is too potent for your liking because fermented rice water is very potent. #Tip: Use more for dry hair and less for oily hair.

How to use Rice Water Rinse 

#Tip: Use rice water on clean and product build-up free hair

·        Wash Hair

·        Coat hair and scalp with rice rinse (brush it in because if the rice water is not coated properly/evenly in to the hair it will cause flakes so use a kinky friendly brush)

·        Put a shower cap on and let it sit for a few minutes (3 to 5 mins)

·        Rinse it Out

·        Move on to conditioner (optional)

Rice water has a high amount of protein, 16% of Protein. It is considered a protein treatment so, if you are protein sensitive proceed with caution. Try it, it might work for you.

Information OverLoad

Hello my naturalistas,

For the past couple of months.........okay its been almost two years.

I found myself following and liking every natural hair FB page known.  I spent hours scrolling through through my time like liking and commenting almost every post.  But bells went off recently when i found myself wanting to try out almost every single hair line product that my fellow sisters were using.  Weekends were spent running around different clicks and dischem stores looking for these products and now..........

10 POWERFUL QUOTES ABOUT BEAUTY AND NATURAL HAIR FROM BLACK WOMAN

10 POWERFUL QUOTES ABOUT BEAUTY AND NATURAL HAIR FROM BLACK WOMAN

IM A RECOVERING PRODUCT JUNKIE

Hello all you naturalistas.

Im sure that we can all agree on this one.  in the beginning of my natural hair journey (or should i say, when i started caring for my hair.  i have been natural for about 5 years but still straightened my hair regulary which caused extensive heat damage) i spent countless hours on the net, in my search for the perfect hair products.  and believe you me i have tried ALOT.  Ive spent thousand of rands on products, products that to date are collecting dust and havent been touched in months.
My now staple hair products are my essential oils listed in my previous blog and water.  I have not shampooed my hair in two months now and just co-wash with Tresseme cleansing conditioner and my kinks couldnt be more happier.  In the evenings i shower without a shower cap and let the steam hydrate my hair and  i co-wash every morning.
So if you are newly embracing your natural kinks, take it from me........dont bother damaging your bank account with all those so called natural products on the market, just essential oils and water will do.  YOUR HAIR WILL THANK YOU FOR IT

Till next time.....LOVE THY KINKS

LOVE THY NATURAL LOCKS

GONE are the days when Afros were part of the "Soul Sister" subculture. Sales of chemical hair relaxers are showing a steep decline as more black women are embracing their natural manes.

Even international hair brand ambassador and award-winning style star Minnie Dlamini sports a thick natural head of hair when she is not wearing a weave.

A new report from global marketing research group Mintel shows that natural hair might be the new normal in ethnic haircare. According to the report, the US relaxer segment will reach $152-million (R1.52-billion) this year, down from $206-million in 2008.

Mintel's research also found that in the past year, 70% of black women say they currently wear or have worn their natural hair, meaning that they haven't used any chemical relaxers or had perms.

Read the full article here

*UNTIL NEXT TIME....LOVE THY KINKS*

ACHIEVING THE PERFECT WASH AND GO

Step 1

Start with freshly co-washed and detangled hair. Co-washing will ensure the optimal level of moisture has been infused into you strands. Rinse with cold water to seal the cuticle locking in moisture, shine and minimizing frizz.

Step 2

With your head upside down scrunch your favorite leave-in and oil into soaking wet hair. Scrunching distributes the product evenly without disturbing or stretching out the curls. Applying the oil and moisturizer together means you touch your hair less which results in less frizz and the extra moisture from leaving the hair wet creates shine.

Step 3

Using a silk scarf or microfiber wrap create a pineapple with all of your hair on top of your head. DO NOT TOUCH until hair is completely dry.

Step 4

When you are ready to leave take your hair down and shake your head. You can use your hands (no tools) to arrange your kinks but remember the more you touch the more you frizz.

SIX MONTHS NO HEAT CHALLENG DRAWS TO AN END

So 6 months back I decided that was going to go completely natural.  Even though I was already natural for about 5 years (no chemicals ) I still regulary straightened my hair with a ceramic iron.  Over time I noticed that my strands were heat damaged and I had no curl pattern at all.  And so my no heat challenge began. 

I have been having sleepless nights as I drew closer and closer to D day, BIG CHOP DAY.  The salon of my choice Candi & Coi and they specialize in natural hair. 

Stay tuned for the update on my experience…….

Till then:  LOVE THY KINKS

BIG CHOP

So 6 months back I decided that was going to gon completely natural.  Even though I was already natural for about 5 years (no chemicals ) I still regulary straightened my hair with a ceramics iron.  Over time I noticed that my strands were heat damaged and I had no curl pattern at all.  And so my no heat challenge began. 

I have been having sleepless nights as I drew closer and closer to D day, BIG CHOP DAY.  The salon of my choice is Candi & Co and they specialize in natural hair. 

Stay tuned for the update on my experience…….

Till then:  LOVE THY KINKS

CURL CARE; SOFT HOLD CREAM

I've been using this for wash n go styles and really like it. It doesn't take much of this product to give you good curl definition. I'm a fan of "Curl Care:  Aoft Hold Cream". I use moisturizer before applying.

This is a product fromDr. Miracles range and is sulfate and paraben free.  With Aloe to soften and improve ealasticity as it promises to keep your curls in place
Get the ultimate curl definition with this all natural creamy curl cream. High gloss shiny, free flowing hair without the dryness or crunchiness of conventional hair gels. This curl cream will bring out the curls and coils you thought you never had. 

BUILDING A HAIR REGIMEN

Healthy hair doesn't just happen -- it's usually the result of judicious care. But what if you don't know where to begin when it comes to a structured routine for your tresses? Don't worry; a hair regimen doesn't need to be complicated or expensive, but you should make time to perform a basic set of steps on a regular basis to keep your mane as healthy as possible.

A hair care routine should consist of the following:

·         Shampoo

·         Conditioner

·         Deep conditioner

·         Protein treatment

·         Daily styling aids

Shampoo

Look for a good-quality, moisturizing shampoo and use it at least once per week. Focus on cleansing the scalp first, rubbing in circular motions with the pads of your fingers (not the nails) and letting the motion of the water work the suds down the length of your hair. Avoid piling the hair on top of your head or diligently rubbing shampoo into your ends, which are the oldest and often the driest sections of your mane. Rinse thoroughly.

Conditioner

Follow up with a moisturizing conditioner. This is when you focus the product on the hair, not the scalp. Use a wide-tooth comb to work the conditioner through; you'll get better coverage this way. Look for conditioners designed for dry and/or damaged hair, as these usually contain the emollient ingredients that black hair needs. Instead of following a shampoo with a conditioner every time you need to clean your hair, you can co-wash instead, which is ideal for women who exercise frequently. You want rich, creamy formulas that completely coat your hair.

Deep Conditioner

How often should you deep condition your hair? The answer depends a great deal on how dry your hair is. If you take care to condition it regularly and always use a leave-in conditioner after shampooing, you probably won't need deep treatments more than once or twice a month. If you apply a lot of heat to your hair, you may need to deep condition at least once per week. Find a product or products that work for your tresses; there are a few good brands available that won't bust your budget. There are also some salon brands that work wonders if your hair is in need of moisture ASAP.

Protein Treatment

As with deep conditioners, how often you need a protein treatment depends a great deal on what you do to your hair. If your tresses are 100% natural -- that is, no chemicals at all, including color -- your hair can be perfectly healthy without any major protein treatments; an occasional mild reconstructor will keep your hair strong, but it's not required. On the other hand, if you color, relax, texturize and/or heat style your locks; you'll need more frequent and more intense treatments. These range from two-minute reconstructors you apply after a shampoo to spray versions that you add before styling; you may also need a serious treatment if you're experiencing extreme breakage. In those cases, it's usually best to have a stylist apply them, although you can visit your local beauty supply and find products for home use.

Daily Styling Aids

There are literally tons of styling products for our hair. Most offer differing results depending on the final style you want to achieve. Want perfect ringlets on your natural 'do? Then look for water-based gels or curl creams. Are you flat ironing your mane? Then you'll need a good heat protectant and oil-based moisturizer; a good smoothing serum may help as well. Relaxed hair will benefit from a daily moisturizer, especially when you focus on the ends, but you may also use mousse if you're creating a curly look via a straw set, Bantu knot set or braids.

Sticking to It

Now, all of this knowledge does you no good if you only deep condition haphazardly or you forget about applying protein to your relaxed and colored hair. Each of us needs to determine a schedule that fits into our lifestyles, whether you're a college student, corporate executive, busy mom or homemaker. Maybe you need to keep a hair journal until these steps become second nature for you -- plus, if you're very busy, it's all too easy to forget to deep condition or to put it off until you have more time. When it comes to hair, you often need to make time; taking proactive steps helps to prevent problems down the line.

Try scheduling hair tasks into a day planner, online/computer calendar, desk/wall calendar or whatever method best works for you. A sample regimen may look like this:

·         Sunday: Shampoo, condition, deep condition

·         Monday: Daily moisturizer

·         Tuesday: Daily moisturizer

·         Wednesday: Daily moisturizer

·         Thursday: Co-wash, moisturize

·         Friday: Moisturize

·         Saturday: Moisturize

·         Twice this month: Two-minute protein treatment

·         No regimen is complete without nightly protection in the form of a silk or satin hair cover or pillowcase!

Create your own hair regimen. Your goal may be longer hair, stronger hair or simply healthy hair. Follow a routine with products that work with your texture and good hair days will result.