HEALTH AND WELLNESS | GOING NATURAL: HEALTHY HAIR TIPS SHARED BY NATURALISTA

Sisterhood Sharing Sessions | Women Sharing Knowledge Meetup Charlotte | Life Lessons Learning Series: Health And Wellness-Natural Healthy Hair

Healthy Hair

Naturalista Michelle D. shares her healthy hair tips for women going natural during ‘Sisterhood Sharing Sessions’ Life Lessons Learning series on ‘Health and Wellness-Healthy Hair’, held Saturday, March 30, 2019. Michelle focused on all natural remedies or the raw ingredients that are typically listed as one of the first five in most hair care products.

Naturalista Michelle D. | Healthy Hair
Naturalista Michelle D. | Healthy Hair

During this Sisterhood Session, Michelle shared her life lessons learned or proven solutions to combat dryness, thinning, and slow growth. She reminded the women that, “Hair is as individual as we are”. Suggesting, no one size fits all, and women should sample a variety of products and treatments to identify what works best for their hair type and lifestyle.

Naturalista Michelle D. also discusses the power of embracing your ‘Kinky Hair’, as described by Andre Walker’s Hair Types. Understanding if your hair type falls in the category of Kinky or Coily for example, is empowering for maintaining a healthy mane.

People Ask | What Is A Naturalista?

The basic term is simply any women choosing to wear her own ‘Natural Hair’, without the use of any chemicals designed to alter its ‘Natural‘ state such as Perms or Relaxers.

Video Presentation

~Michelle Dowdy, North Carolina-Sisterhood Share Club Contributor/Contributing Member.

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View Michelle’s complete written presentation that includes the recipe for  Bentonite/Rhassoul Clay Hair Mask directly below:

 

Let’s Talk About Healthy Hair:  How to Fight Dryness,
Thinning & Slow Growth

Dryness:

  • Water intake is important to reach hair strands
  • Hair needs washing more frequently
  • Hair typing & porosity are tools – to know which products will work for YOU. Important to know yours
  • Your scalp needs massaging to stimulate

Every organ in our bodies needs water.  If you don’t drink enough, it is likely not even reaching your hair.

No matter what type of hair you have, it needs to be washed regularly. Shampooing removes dirt, oils and styling products that can build up and block moisture from reaching your hair shaft. Cleansing your hair at least once a week provides a foundation for healthy hair and scalp.

Hair Types:

Andre Walker's Hair Typing System
The only reason hair typing was created (by Andre Walker, former stylist of Oprah Winfrey) was to know which products work, and which products do not.

Sealing the hair with oils after shampooing and moisture helps to retain moisture.

Argan, Grapeseed, Jojoba, Rosehip Seed, Sweet Almond, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut (fine hair), Castor or Jamaican Black Castor are some to try.  A good cocktail for your hair and scalp is water, oil of your choice and Tea Tree, Vitamin E and Rosemary. This is good for thinning hair and must be misted and massaged onto the scalp.

Thinning:

There is a need to be vigilant when hair is thinning.  Your emotional health plays directly into hair thinning.  One thing is keeping the scalp clean while at the same time manipulating it less by styling.  Tension from hair styling can further damage fragile hair.  Adding Rosemary essential oil to your regimen, along with scalp massage, and moisturizers and protein treatments and being consistent will help.  Don’t forget your nutrition, too.

Slow Growing Hair:

Your hair is growing, but retention is likely the problem.  Over-styling, manipulating when dry (this is a no-no – always mist dry hair before combing), keeping your hands in your head and even your hair brushing up against your clothes all work to pull it out.  Also, using products that our hair does not like but since we’ve paid no attention to ingredients we are not aware.  Coconut oil was touted as the “holy grail oil” for a while but many people have since found out their hair is not really fond of it.  It is good in recipes, though and alongside other oils.  However, there are products that your hair loves and being aware of ingredients will help you know what they are.

Final Thoughts:

Be consistent, whatever you do.  Develop a routine where you regularly do a thing so that you can evaluate how it is working for you.

Read labels on products and become familiar with what YOUR hair likes.  By doing this you will know what to avoid.

Make sure your hair is receiving the nourishment it needs from the inside out.  All other things are what we do to the hair once it grows out.  Let’s make sure our hair grows out in a healthy state, so it will better accept what we put on it.

Give yourself protein treatments and masks monthly.  When using Bentonite or Moroccan Rhassoul Clays, make sure to follow up with a good conditioner.

Rhassoul Clay[1]

Rhassoul clay or ghassoul clay is a natural mineral clay from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.  It’s been mined and used since the 8th century and has been used by Moroccan women for centuries to care for your skin and hair. The word rhassoul derives from the Arabic word for washing, “Rhassala.” It has an unmatched ability to draw out impurities from the skin and hair and is used for detoxifying, cleansing and reducing dryness. It has a reddish-brown color and has been used for soothing scalp ailments such as dandruff and psoriasis.

Benefits:  Rhassoul clay is the moisturizer and softener.  It reduces dryness in the hair while also removing toxins and product buildup. It improves hair’s elasticity and unblocks your scalp’s pores. It reduces flakiness and aids in detangling and although it cleans like bentonite clay but unlike the detoxifying clay, it leaves your hair soft and moisturized.

Bentonite Clay[2]

Bentonite clay is composed of aged volcanic ash. It’s an impure mud that is incredibly powerful with its ability to produce an electric charge when added to water. With its charge it can remove positively charged products from the hair and body and it absorbs and removes toxins, impurities, heavy metals, and chemicals. Considered a healing clay, bentonite clay has a high concentration of minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and silica and there are several type of bentonite clays, each named after its dominant element.

Benefits:  Bentonite clay is the detoxifier, the cleanser or the restorer of your hair’s balance.  It draws out the impurities and restores your hair’s pH balance and believe it or not it can be used externally or internally according to some.  It’s used in many detox and cleansing products and it makes sense that it’s used as a cleansing mask for the hair.  It draws out the dirt, impurities, and product buildup on the hair and scalp.

Here is a recipe to incorporate either of these clays into your regimen:

Bentonite/Rhassoul Clay Hair Mask

  • Clay (1/2 cup or 4 oz)
  • Coconut Oil (1 Tbsp)
  • Castor Oil (1 Tbsp)
  • Sweet Almond Oil (1 Tbsp)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar (6 Tbsp)
  • Water (3 Tbsp)

Add the clay first, then the oils, in your bowl.  Next, add your 6 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  Allow it to aerate and foam for 10-15 seconds before adding in the water.  The reaction between the clay and apple cider vinegar is essential to avoiding a lumpy mix.  After the mixture has foamed for a few seconds, add your 3 tablespoons of water.

Stir everything together vigorously, until you have a smooth, minimally lumpy mixture that is roughly the consistency of Greek Yogurt.

Apply the mask to clean, damp or wet hair from root to end.  To ensure even coverage, work in small sections.  After you’ve completely coated your hair with the mask, cover it with a plastic cap or bag for 20-30 minutes. Let the heat from your head do all the work and cover with a towel.

Once the clay is 80-90% rinsed out, follow up with a conditioner of choice.  It doesn’t have to be a deep conditioner.  Your favorite regular, cheapie conditioner will do.  Let the conditioner sit for about 5 minutes and rinse your hair well.  Dry and style as usual and try and keep your hands out of your head – feeling your soft, moisturized and conditioned tresses!

Information compiled and presented by Michelle Dowdy

[1] From NaturallyCurly.com

[2] NaturallyCurly.com article:  Rhassoul Clay vs. Bentonite Clay by Sabrina Perkins.

Disclaimer: Sisterhood Sharing Sessions has no affiliation with any programs,  products, or business entities referenced in the sharing session. Life lessons shared are informational and educational only, based on actual individual experiences.

One Reply to “HEALTH AND WELLNESS | GOING NATURAL: HEALTHY HAIR TIPS SHARED BY NATURALISTA”

  1. Thank you for presenting Michelle. This was a great lesson on ‘Healthy Hair’. I learned a couple of things that are helpful for obtaining healthy hair. One, stimulate your scalp. The exact lesson recently shared on ‘The View’ Talk Show by a guest introduced as a Ph.D. expert. I was very impressed to know you shared the same lesson weeks prior. This confirmed we are sharing information women are interested in hearing as ‘The View’ is consistently on the pulse of what’s trending across all social mediums, specifically as it relates to women’s interest.

    Also, my biggest ‘Aha’ moment, look for the top 3-5 active ingredients on your hair products. You then have the choice of creating and incorporating the ‘Pure or Natural’ ingredient in your own regimen. Good stuff!

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