Full steps - how to soften Afro hair without relaxers

One of the main challenges about going natural and no longer relaxing hair is the course, hard and 'unmanageable' texture of the hair. It can become a daunting and frustrating situation when you are new to the journey of natural hair, mainly due to having had an easier way to deal with the hair - let's be honest, relaxed hair is sleek and easy, therefore doesn't require much thought in maintaining it.

If you are a new natural who is frustrated by the kinky texture of the hair, or you are a natural who finds combing and styling your hair a painful (literally) process, then this is the perfect read you need.  The big question is, can you attain soft hair? Yes, yes and yes. And this is how:

Soft afro natural hair - without relaxing the hair

This is what worked for me, and hopefully it works for you too:

• Build a hair regimen and stick to it, even if it is 90% of the time. I am not perfect and get days when I am lazy to wash my hair, or days when a small thing such as spritzing my hair with my water & oil mix seems too laborious. A regimen is a method/grooming pattern that you follow, for example, every morning you shower and brush your teeth; that is a body care regimen which you follow as part of your hygiene and self love. Your hair also needs a hair care regimen. 
•  A regimen doesn't have to be complicated, and should cover basics of hair care that are: washing the hair and keeping it balanced in terms of its water to protein ratio.
• How often you wash your hair depends on your weather conditions (e.g. hot weather weather that makes your scalp sweaty and oily requires more washes). Another factor is how active your lifestyle is (e.g. if you work out or have a physically demanding job you would require more washes to cleanse the hair and scalp). Lastly, consider your natural hair behaviour (e.g, do you naturally have oily hair that requires more frequent washes? Do you have dry flaky hair, dandruff etc, that may require less washes or more etc.
• When washing your hair, include pre-poos as these prevent your hair from being stripped of moisture. If you are lazy to prepoo then co-wash (conditioner wash instead of shampoo). However be careful not to be lazy allllll the time as shampooing hair helps remove product build up. 
• The balance between moisture and protein is important because protein is the building block of hair, and moisture is the 'life support' to the hair strands. Without enough protein the hair strands get damaged, leading to hair breakage. Moisture on the other hand is important as it keeps the hair strands 'alive' by giving them a glow and suppleness. Dry hair is essentially hair that lacks moisture, and also leads to breakage. 
• To attain soft hair you should ensure your hair is moisturised at all levels/layers.  What this means is moisture should reach the inside of your hair strands, i.e. cortex, but should also be on the outside of your hair, i.e. cuticle. The cortex is chemically designed by nature (your genes) to determine strength, texture and colour of your hair. So if you moisturise internally, you get moisture right to the core structure that is meant to determine your texture. In this case, if you have 4c hair like me, you can soften it by deep conditioning.
• Deep conditioning your hair should be part of your regimen as it moisturised hair from the inside. And deep conditioning has to be regular, e.g. once a week if you live in hot climates or once every 10 days if you live in less drying climates.
• Spritzing your hair (daily or every 2 days) with a water & oil mix should be part of your regimen as it moisturises hair from the outside layer, and therefore revives your hair's moisture.
• But before spritzing your hair to revive moisture, always ensure you've locked in the moisture from your deep conditioning by sealing with both a butter and oil, e.g. Shea butter and olive oil.
• If you consistently moisturise your hair, it will eventually get soft and manageable. The key is consistency. You can even find your curl pattern changing once your hair is fully hydrated, I find my hair looks a bit like 4b hair when it is hydrated. But when it is dry my 4c texture tightens even more and I end up with very crooked wirey hair. 
• Initially when I started my healthy hair journey, my 4c hair was not soft at all, it was super dry and hard to deal with. It took me 6 months of consistent deep conditioning and daily moisturising to attain soft hair.
• Great moisturising deep conditioners are the ones whose ingredients list aqua as the first ingredient, as that means they are water based. Essential/useful in the ingredient list are things like glycerine, aloe vera, jojoba oil, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, argan oil etc.
• Never comb your hair while it is dry as this won't only be painful but will also result in breakage and split ends. Use a wide tooth comb when combing the hair.
• Detangle your hair regularly as knotted and matted hair results in a tough texture that is difficult to manage.
• Don't give up, you'll soon discover short cuts that are still efficient. So put in the work until you understand your hair

Love - AfroMoriri

Instagram 1000 followers give away! Don't miss out....

We have reached 1000 followers on Instagram and would like to thank all our readers and followers for the support. Thanks as well, to you readers who diligently follow this blog and find the content useful.

In case you would like to stand a chance to win hair products worth R1000, in honor of the 1000 followers on Instagram, here are the rules, why not try your luck:
1. You must follow AfroMoriri on Instagram
2. Repost the give away photo on Instagram
3. Tag friends in the repost
4. Follow AfroMoriri on Facebook

The product hamper contains products that cater for all stages of your wash day, i.e. a sulfate free shampoo, a moisturising deep conditioner, a protein deep conditioner and a leave-in conditioner:
1.SheaMoisture shampoo
2. SheaMoisture deep treatment masque
3. Aphogee keratin treatment
4. African Pride Leave-in conditioner

Love - AfroMoriri

Who am I?

I just realised that my blog doesn't have much information on who I am. In case you would like to get to know me 'better', below is a synopsis of the lady behind the brand AfroMoriri. A cyber girlfriend (hopefully she becomes a real life friend) of mine who owns a blog called oliviazjournal.com interviewed me, so I found it worthwhile to share some of the answers I gave her with you; for the full interview feel free to visit her blog.

Introduce yourself.

I have a very unusual name – Daffodils, and usually get very interesting reactions to it whenever I introduce myself. Many times have I had people even say “no, your real name please, the one in your birth certificate”. I find it humorous and entertaining to have people doubt who you are due to their lack of knowledge or familiarity with certain words/names. My other name is Matlhogonolo and means blessings. The family I come from originates from Botswana and are of the Seele descent, so I am Tswana. My own family is in South Africa and resides in the city of Gold – Johannesburg.

When and Why did you return natural?

I first went ‘natural’ late 2009, but would do what we call a blow out (partially-relaxing) every 2 months.  That went on until 2011. In August on 2011 my hair literally fell off my head while I was removing braids. So I was compelled to shave off all my hair and start afresh. September 2011 marked the beginning of pure natural hair, however this was not a healthy hair journey I embarked on. All I did was braid my hair month after month, and the reason for that was I believed natural hair was hard to manage and the best way to deal with it was tucking it away. I didn’t want relaxers anymore because even when I had relaxed hair I spent 99% of the time in braids. The only time I took them off was when it was time to relax the hair, then a week later I would have new plaits done.  So I told myself I would go natural as I wasn’t wearing my hair out anyway. My healthy hair journey as a natural only started in May 2014 after I did extensive research on YouTube and Google.

 b) Do you find yourself making a “U-turn” sometimes later? (Back to relaxed hair 
etc) 

I doubt I will ever relax my hair bone straight but I do not rule out a healthier way of getting relaxed hair, i.e. texlaxing. To be honest I sometimes get tempted to relax my hair, usually this is in moments where I feel down about my hair, when I think it’s not progressing enough or when I feel lazy to put in the work for managing it. My ‘pick-me-up’ from these low moments is usually browsing through my photos. It always amazes me how much progress my hair has made by assessing photos, I get to appreciate progress in my hair line, hair thickness, volume, length, styling and overall health.

What does your “CROWN” (fro) mean to you? What story does your hair tell?

My crown reminds me that a woman’s hair is her glory. It reminds me to be confident and proud of the hair naturally given to me. It also reminds me that hair is not a measure ofwho I am and who I should be, but a reminder that it is part of my accessories of beauty. So I should enjoy its versatility and the freedom of expression it allows me. In a weird way, since going on a healthy natural path, my crown is like a little baby that I enjoy nourishing and nurturing. Yes I get odd moments of weakness like the one in the above comment but for majority of the time, I love and enjoy taking care of the jewel of my head.

What’s your hair routine & which products do you use?

My full regimen is available on my blog but a summary of what this entails is: a weekly wash, then a hydrating deep condition session followed by moisturizing & sealing in the moisture. Every fortnight I deep condition for protein replenishment. On a daily basis I spritz the hair with a mix of distilled water and extra virgin olive oil, castor oil and pure glycerine.  I don’t have staple products but generally use ORS, Shea Moisture and African Pride products.

What’s your biggest hair challenge and how do you deal with it?

Patience for finger detangling, in particular the detailed finger detangle I do once very 4 weeks or whenever my hair needs it. It generally takes me 4-5 hours and can be really laborious and boring. I try to watch tv series while doing it but please find me a miracle solution/product to never having tangled 4cHair. LOL!

#GoogleMustKnow: IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?- (PART 3)

To conclude this series we hear from our South African and Tanzanian sisters, however if you'd like to first catch up on previous posts, here is PART1 and PART2.

1. WHO AM I?

My name is Nangamso Phakathi, and I am proudly South African. I am the co-founder and blogger of FroChic natural hair blog. My blog is all about celebrating the beauty of black natural hair. I am also passionate about the uplifting and empowerment of women. I am a mother of 2 boys and I also love reading books.

NOTE TO GOOGLE

It is surprising that in 2016 natural hair is still considered unprofessional. This is how my hair grows from my scalp and I should be able to embrace it and allow it to do its thing, naturally.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Google calls my hair unprofessional because it doesn’t fit the mould of what is considered beautiful according to Western standards. My hair is very coily and it defies gravity.

http://www.frochic.co.za

2. WHO AM I?

My name is Addiah Omary founder of Natural Hair Tanzania, I’ve been naturals for almost 2yrs now, my instagram page @Naturalhair_Tanzania

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

#GoogleMustKnow African/black hair as natural  is beautiful whether long or short ,wavy or curly,kinky ,soft,texture,difficult, easy and fun it’s reflection of our soul.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

To me natural hair would never come across as an unprofessional , I went natural only to protect my hair‘s health and much fragile to with stand the aggressive chemicals of a perm

, our natural hair is just that ,what we were born with so we shouldn’t call it unprofessional.  

                                               Instagram: @Naturalhair_Tanzania

3. WHO AM I?

My name is Hulisani Khorombi. Almost 26, future human rights lawyer and an intersection feminist.

I am very pro women and pro black, so much so that I run a few pages dedicated to each.

My primary page is an Instagram account called @afrohealthsa where I  showcase the beauty that is African hair while giving tips and creating a community of ladies who support each others journeys.

My secondary page is one that I run with regards to body image. Here I share stories of ladies with different body types who have struggled with aspects of their body image and how they overcome certain challenges. The new site is under construction but I’ll be sure to share it soon with a bunch of new stories.

I’m a busy body and when I’m not working I’m blogging or reading.

My personal account is @hulisanik

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

Dear Google.

Yet again, I as a black person have to specifically mention that when I am searching for something that I want the black version.

Like when I type in beautiful women you automatically choose to show me Caucasian women. I have to be objected to narrowing my search to beautiful black women. Let’s not even get started on the amount of things I have to type just to get natural haired women in my search results.

My question is why?

You are able to suggest stories to me based on my recent searches and you can locate myevery move yet somehow realizing that I am a black female is beyond your capabilities.

Please change your algorithms and do better Google. It is completely unacceptable that a black child doesn’t have access to the same search results as a white child and that is greatly upsetting.

Do better.

Sincerely,

Hulisani.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Coming off  my letter to you we can see that there is already a problem with the search results of Google. What shocks me even more is the fact that a black female who has natural hair is considered unprofessional.

Wow. The first time I saw that I was shocked to my core. How unfortunate is that? The hair that grows out of my hair without any chemicals is unprofessional.

But the moment that a white person rocks their natural hair nobody bats an eyelid. In fact a white lady can have dreadlocks and still be considered a professional.

Can we please instert the biggest side eye here.

In a world where white people benefit off of the lives and culture of black people but won’t even change their status to #BlackLivesMatter we cannot have the biggest search engine spewing out hateful things like black hair being unprofessional. It isn’t. Sure sometimes it can be unkempt but so can white hair and Indian hair and mixed hair.There are beautiful styles where women wear their hair naturally and we need to embrace that.

So no. Natural hair is not unprofessional. Google is unprofessional.

#GoogleMustKnow: IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?- (PART 2)

In case you missed part 1 of this series, you may access it here before proceeding to read the input from our Kenyan and Zimbabwean sisters.

1. WHO AM I?

Firstly, I am beaming with excitement, what an awesome series! My name is Tendai Angela Jambga, I study Law and Technology (Information Systems) and fascinated by traditional African wellness/ beauty rituals and how they can be replicated and made accessible in today’s global, modern society.

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

In the early fifteenth century, hair served as a carrier of messages in most African societies, within these communities hair often communicated age, marital status, ethnic identity, religion, wealth, and rank in the community. Hairstyles could also be used to identify a geographic region. Hair even had spiritual significance! Many Africans believed hair as a way to communicate with the Divine Being. So as you can see already, I view African natural hair in high regard with much respect towards it because it is not ‘just hair’ as Google portrays it.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Natural hair is viewed as unprofessional because it is not understood, many women in my generation were not taught how to care for their natural hair and not taught how to embrace and appreciate it; Therefore makes it difficult to value it.

What is professional and what is not in this society? In this technological age I could be the best pilot, programmer, financial adviser, business developer, medical coding specialist… would you still care that I have natural hair?

Instagram: @tendai_angela

2. WHO AM I?

My name is Wendy Osodo. I am Kenyan, a natural hair enthusiast, a lover a beauty, fashion and travel.

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

Google has over the years been very biased about natural hair. It mostly only shows curly textures of natural hair and portrays that as beautiful hair but fails to portray kinky textured hair in the same light. Google is a very powerful tool and perception on the beauty of all natural hair textures would change in that light if positive attention is given equally to kinky hair.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Western culture has had major influence on this. In the very far past, office/formal jobs were done by the white race, whose hair was naturally straight and looked a certain way. There was a whole shift when decolonization happened and the black race became capable of joining the formal sector. When that happened, black women were made to believe that professional hair is straightened hair. And to do that, they had to chemically alter their natural hair to fit in.  It was somehow a brainwashing kind of ideology that made black people think natural hair is unprofessional. However, this is slowly changing as black women have began to embrace their natural hair in the office and it’s really encouraging to see that happen. Whether black or white, all women should know that hair that grows out of their scalps is beautiful and should be acceptable everywhere.

Instagram: @wendy_osodo

So, do you agree with these beautiful Naturalistas from Kenya & Zimbabwe?

What’s your note to Google about how they portray natural hair as unprofessional.

Source: http://www.oliviazjournal.com/2016/07/22/googlemustknow-is-natural-hair-unprofessional-part-2/

GoogleMustKNow : IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?-(Part 1)

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

The following ladies represent Botswana

1. WHO AM I?

My name is Lady Bawss, I am from the beautiful land of Botswana. I started my natural hair journey last year when I realized how damaging relaxers were for my hair. Part of my decision was also influenced by seeing how gorgeous natural hair looked on other girls. I would get serious ‘hair envy’, Lol! So I was curious to see how mine would grow out and how I’d look too. I have a hair and beauty channel on YouTube  as well as a lifestyle blog 

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

Dear Google

I came across disturbing news that you think my natural hair is unprofessional. I didn’t really believe it until I checked it for myself. “Wow!” I thought. Not only was I disappointed but I was hurt. Why should my Afro hair be straight to look ‘professional’?

In case you did not know, that ‘unprofessional’ hair is the way my hair grows out naturally and unaltered. The only way I can look ‘professional’ is if I destroy my natural curl pattern through the use of a relaxer every 5 or so weeks. Mind you this could result in burning the scalp if Ieft on for too long, it could also cause hair loss and breakage. If you don’t believe me google it, ‘Relaxers gone wrong’.

Most of us ‘unprofessional’ have had a bad relaxer experience at some point in our lives. It’s not uncommon to be burnt by a relaxer. When I was younger the relaxer had burnt my scalp so badly, I had large and excruciatingly painful sores all over my scalp. Not only was it embarrassing, it was so bad that when I put my head on a pillow to sleep or hit a sore by mistake I would be in tears most of the night from the agony. So now I have to go through all this in order to look ‘professional’? Haha! You clearly have a sense of humour Google.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

I think my natural hair looks pretty damn good and pretty damn professional. Its full of body, it’s luscious and it’s mine. My hairs versatility continually surprises me. When Jessie Williams said we are magic, it is definitely no lie. Having hair that defies gravity, hair that can shrink up to 65% of its length sure sounds like magic to me. So Google, stop hating on hair you do not understand. Just because it is different should not make it unprofessional. As I end my little rant, l look forward to seeing natural hair images on your ‘professional’ list .

2. From AfroMoriri

WHO AM I?

My name is Daffodils McKay and I’m a passionate natural hair blogger residing in Johannesburg, South Africa. However, originally, my family is from Botswana and that’s where I spent most of my school years and upbringing. I found love, passion and excitement for natural hair by accidentally damaging my hair through the extended use of heat. Due to the damage, my hair ended up literally falling off as I touched and combed it, so I was compelled to cut the hair to brush cut level and start afresh. Since that day, which was in Sep 2011 I haven’t chemically treated my hair; and I’ve consequently learnt to care for my natural hair; although the right (healthy) regimen for my hair only started in May 2014. I only actively pursued the journey of researching how to maintain healthy natural hair late 2013. So in May 2014 I was well equipped about this topic from YouTube and other bloggers, so made a decision to start caring for my hair properly. My social media accounts providing healthy hair habits/tips for African kinky hair are my blog: afromoriri.blogspot.com. Instagram: @afromoriri, Facebook: AfroMoriri and Twitter: @afromoriri .

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

Google doesn’t have enough knowledge or portrayal of natural African hair. When one searches for such hair, most of the search results show women with hair extensions, ancient/exotic tribes or the classic afro style. While it’s ok to show hair styles of braided hair, I think Google should understand that in Africa, natural hair exists before it is braided, weave’d, or wig’d. Additionally, natural African hair is broader than just exotic tribal hairstyles or the classic Afro.Therefore I’d recommend more photos showing actual hair in its variations (dreadlocks, plaits, afros, etc) as well as for different settings (formal, casual, arty, professional etc) and origins (tribal, traditional, historic, fashion etc) . Understandably, there never used to be enough bloggers, You Tubers etc who helped showcase natural African hair in its various states of styling and existence. But we now live in an era where Google should be up to date with the latest trends and therefore update their search results accordingly. Furthermore, natural African hair is celebrated in both genders, so it would be worthwhile to show results for both men & women. To illustrate, taking a look at African men, they wear their hair in dreadlocks, afros, brush cuts etc. Having results that portray that truth will help more eyes understand what
African natural hair at grass root level really looks like. Men also celebrate and style their natural African hair. Based on this, Google should show the norm of real communities, real life and real ways of living that masses can identify with.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Once Google realizes its role to society as an information provider, bearing in mind my suggestions in point 2 above; then Google can go another mile in helping correct the delusion that natural hair in women of color is unprofessional for the workplace. How can the very strands that  grow out of my head, in the shape and form genetically awarded to me by nature be unprofessional? Is this not discrimination just as bad as one based on color of the skin? Why should I be forced by corporate rules and platforms like Google to chemically straighten my hair so as to be regarded as professional looking? #GoogleMustKnow that it’s search engine discriminates and gives a false version of the truth about black natural hair, and therefore must update its algorithms. It’s unacceptable to still have such search results in the day and age we are in!!

Source: http://www.oliviazjournal.com/2016/07/18/googlemustknow-is-natural-hair-unprofessional-part-1/ 

Bounce Essential hair clip-ins review - increasing volume of Afro hair

I recently got myself some hair clip-ins from Bounce Essential, a hair extensions seller in South Africa. The specific extensions I got were the ones called 'B.E Afro  clip-in'. The following was my experience, and this isn't a sponsored review, just my opinion on hair I bought myself.

How the hair looks upon arrival
I loved the packaging that it arrived in, a satin bag that I now use to store the hair when it's not in use. As you may know, satin is good for hair and prevents matting and tangling. It also helps retain moisture, so the extensions won't end up super dry - in my opinion that's a great plus. Here's a photo of the packaging:

What I did to prep the clip-ins and my hair
When I used the clip-ins, I was still in the process of unraveling the mini twists I had on my hair. My head was half done when an unexpected opportunity for a business meeting came about, so these clip-ins were perfectly timed. Fortunately it was the front portion of my head that was done, and the clip-ins would fit in well. So all I did to my hair, the part I had unravelled, was twist them into chunky twists so as to get close to matching the curl pattern of the clip-ins. The clip-ins themselves were curlier than I preferred, so I combed them out. And I was pleasantly surprised by how little they shed.

My hair with the clip-ins
Here is the before and after picture. I tied up my hair into a bun and rushed to the meeting I had, looking beautifully groomed. On the left, a photo to show my half unravelled hair, with the clip-ins resting on my shoulder (so you can compare their curl pattern after I brushed it out with the hair to my front).  And on the right a photo showing the blended look with the clip-ins.

What I liked about the clip-ins

• Easily blends with my hair and gives a natural look. Many people kept complementing my hair's length and volume.
• One packet comes with 7 clip-in pieces but I only used 3. So there's a lot of hair, definitely worth the price I paid.
• If I want a fuller and bigger look, I could use all 7 pieces.
• Delivery was very quick, within 5 days.
• The company gives you updates at each point of your order, e.g, order received, order processed, order dispatched. Helps you plan properly and know exactly when you hair will arrive.
• The hair design is of high quality, the price you pay is worth what you receive, e.g. the density, quality of hair, wefting etc, attention to small detail is on point. I once ordered supposedly natural hair extensions from O'Natural wigs and received a pathetic, poor quality and rip-off quality& standard of hair. Which I returned and went through another hustle with the O'Natural owner where not all my money was refunded. Lesson learnt, buy cheap buy twice and get headaches in the process. So go Bounce Essential instead! This country needs more hair businesses like yours. 
• The service providers at Bounce Essential are professional and understand customer service, there was a minor complaint I had which was resolved speedily and with deserved urgency. There was also an extra touch of customer care they gave me, so I'd be happy to buy their hair again and recommend it too. 

What I disliked about the clip-ins

• I wish it was possible to use heat on the hair.

My recommendations to the seller

• Introduce sample sizes of the hair. Had I had the option to get samples I would have long bought this hair. I was initially a bit hesitant to pay what I deem as a lot of money for the whole set without knowing if I would like the hair and if it would blend well with my own hair.
• Work on minimal shedding of the hair when it's brushed. Not that I got too much shedding but if possible I'd prefer even lesser shedding. 

GO GET YOUR OWN BOUNCE ESSENTIAL HAIR AND ENJOY IT, LOVE, AFROMORIRI!!!