3 Things To Consider When A Natural Hair Tutorial Does Not Work For You

How many times have you searched YouTube for a new “quick and easy” hair-do to try, and when you see the results it’s totally different from what you expected? I have had this happen quite a few times, ultimately blaming it on the fact that I missed a step or hadn’t done one of the […]

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[Red Light Special] How LED lights have the power to transform your skin

For over a year, I've had an LED Mask in my shopping cart but never took the plunge to actually purchase.  Today, I think I'm ready to make it happen.  You're probably wondering what on earth is an LED Mask and why would I want to spend good money to buy a futuristic version of Jason's serial killer costume?

I first learned of LED technology years ago.  While walking through a department store, a woman standing next to a display of facial tools tried to convince me to buy a blue LED wand.  "The blue light, she explained, can help eliminate acne.  If you purchase the red wand, you'll experience anti-aging benefits."  I tried my best to keep a straight face but I'm sure she could read the disbelief in my eyes.

How on earth can some colored lights treat any of my skincare concerns?  That concept seemed utterly ridiculous. I didn't understand the power of the LED. But now I do, and I'm ready to reap the beautiful benefits.
Actually, I'm glad that I didn't buy the LED wand because the full face mask is far superior.  Instead of purchasing multiple tools to experience the various light benefits. Your LED mask can treat all of your facial concerns at once.

  Before I didn't quite understand how these "multi-colored lights" work but I'm much wiser now.  Essentially, they utilize UV-Free wavelengths that penetrate the skin. They work at the cellular level to stimulate fibroblasts that promote the formation of collagen.   The technology was actually first utilized by NASA scientists.  According to NASA research, cells exposed to LED light regenerate up to 200% faster.  If the woman at the counter would have told me this, she would have had a sale on the spot.

Once the news was out, the beauty industry jumped all over it and the celebrities came swarming.  Jessica Alba was one of the first to share her LED Mask selfie and since then others like Kourtney Kardashian and Nicole Richey have followed suit.  If you check your local luxury skin care spa, it's very likely that they offer LED therapy as a pricey add-on service.  I found a place nearby that offers a full LED bed where I can expose my entire body to cellular rejuvenation.

Instead of paying for one-off treatments, I'd much rather invest in my own at home LED mask.  I'd love to use it during morning meditation.  I've read countless accounts of people who've noticed visible benefits from as little as one treatment.  These wonder masks start at just over $100.00. There are a few name brand versions like the Deesse Mask which is around $1,000.00.  The Desse Mask is a favorite of celebrity estheticians.  But the newest must have LED Mask is the Opera which offers more facial coverage along with a galvanic current option.  Galvanic technology has the power stimulate circulation in the facial muscles and enhance the flow of oxygen to the skin cells.

Pouring your hard earned money into beauty products is all good but perhaps leveraging a bit of technology might be a smarter option. Aging really happens at the cellular lever, and if there's a way to directly affect that, I'm all in.

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Congratulations! Your Transition is Finally Over–Here Are A Few Things You Should Do Now That You’re Natural

Transitioning is one of those things that may give us a ton of unnecessary issues, but we put up with it anyway for the sake of a goal we need to reach. With that being said, it is one of the greatest things to experience during a healthy hair journey because it teaches you a […]

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6 Foods for Growing Long, Healthy, Natural Hair

IG @chamstyle

by Vineetha Reddy

Caring for your hair involves more than just protecting it from dust and pollution, and using external applicants to nourish it. The biggest factor that determines the quality of your hair is what you consume. For your hair to be nourished from the inside, you need to eat foods rich in certain vitamins and minerals that are essential for hair health. Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that provide your curls with the nutrients they need to be healthy and gorgeous.

1. Spinach
Iron is one of the essential minerals that your hair requires. It is responsible for carrying oxygen to your hair and also involved in various processes that take place in the hair follicle. There have been many links drawn in between the deficiency of iron and hair loss. Spinach is a vegetable known for its high iron content. It also contains folate, which is a B vitamin that helps in the creation of red blood cells. The red blood cells, with the aid of iron, can carry oxygen more efficiently.
The health benefits of consuming spinach are many and not limited to your hair. Spinach juice is a good way to absorb all the beneficial nutrients that are present in this vegetable.

2. Lemon
Because of its high vitamin C content, lemon is considered to be an important fruit to consume to maintain your curls. It not only makes you feel better when you are sick but also keeps your scalp healthy. If you have oily hair, you can also use lemon as a hair rinse after you shower. For this, add two teaspoons of lemon in a cup of water and use it to wash your hair after you shampoo.

3. Carrot
We know the pain of having hair that tends to be dry and brittle. Carrots help with curly hair's tendency to be dry as the beta carotene in them turn into vitamin A when ingested by the body. This vitamin A, in turn, promotes the production of sebum in your scalp. Sebum is the oily substance that forms a protective layer around your hair shafts to keep them moisturized. For this reason, carrots, when combined with bananas, make an effective deep conditioning hair mask.

4. Avocado
Avocados contain omega-3 fatty acids and other proteins that are essential for hair growth. You could also mash up some avocados and apply the resulting paste to your scalp for an effective hair mask that will condition your hair and scalp. This can also be used for your skin. Avocado has many properties that make it an ideal fruit for hair and skin care.

5. Sweet potato
Sweet potato is another vegetable, like carrot, that promotes hair growth because of its high beta-carotene content. Vitamin A encourages cell development. Sweet potatoes are also packed with iron, protein, and vitamin C. Sweet potato combats not only dry hair but also hair loss. The best way to cook sweet potato without losing out on its nutrients is to bake it. One sweet potato provides you with double the recommended daily intake amount of vitamin A.

6. Apple
Apples can be very beneficial for curly hair because of their high vitamin content. They contain vitamins A, B, and E, all of which are extremely useful for hair. Raw apples are good for new hair growth as they contain Procyanidin B-2. It can also prevent graying because of its ability to retain melanin, the pigment that gives your hair and skin their color.

Treat your gorgeous curls to these delicious fruits and vegetables that will boost their health and improve their appearance.

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3 Ways to Tell That it’s Time to Take Down Your Protective Style

Protective styling is every natural’s favorite escape when she’s tired of her curls, and wants to take a much-needed break. I myself love protective styling because I’m at the point where my hair is almost at my goal length, and if I keep seeing my hair every single day, I will continue to obsess over […]

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Combing Creams are here and detangling will never be the same again.

You probably have everything you need for your daily hair care regimen. You've got your moisturizer, your favorite oil, and maybe even a liquid leave-in that you break out every once in a while.  But is combing cream on that list?

Yes, combing cream.  You may have never heard of it, but prepare for combing cream to be your hair's new best friend.
So what the heck is combing cream anyway?

It's essentially a detangler/moisturizer/styling cream in one.  If you're like me, you probably have a few products that you use to detangle on wash day.  One of my favorites is It's a 10 Leave In.  But for everyday styling I don't have anything in my possession that easily detangles my dry hair.

Styling can be really dangerous because your hair is  exposed to mechanical manipulation. That's when cuticle scales lift and strands break.  I'm 99% certain that styling related breakage is the source of my length retention troubles.

Enter combing cream to save the day!  They instantly detangle and moisturize, allowing you to style your hair easily without fear of excessive breakage and knots.  Combing creams are a staple for women in Brazil.  In fact, Kanechom even has 'em.  Now several U.S. hair care companies have gotten on the band wagon and released their versions of combing cream for all of us to enjoy!

Carol's Daughter may have been the first to launch such a product.  Founder Lisa Price was filled with inspiration after a trip to Brazil and immediately worked with her team to help formulate their 4-in-1 combing creams.  Amla Legends decided to join the fun and launch their own version.  L'Anza's healing oil combing cream is another alternative for the ladies who don't have thick, curly hair.  It's a lighter weight formula the contains several different oils, keratin amino acids and ceramides.  One thing I appreciate about combing creams is most of them contain ceremides to protect our precious cuticule layer. Combing cream isn't just for curly girls, Barrominas Brazil formulated a combing cream specifically for chemically treated hair. And it even has SPF!

Fun fact, after seeing an image of Kanechom's combing cream on Amazon, I realized that I already have one sitting in my stash (#productjunkyforever).  Because my bottle was entirely in Spanish, I never knew what it actually was.  After digging in my product closet, I found the unopened bottle and rubbed a little cream on my dry ends.  Currently, my hair is in two large twisted cornrows and my ends were dry as all get out.  No lie, this stuff instantly softened, conditioned, and tamed my ends.  No comb needed.  My hair simply obeyed like a rebellious child the moment their mom walks in and flashes that look.

The consistency of the cream was a bit like a conditioner (when it came out of the bottle) but it immediately melted when I rubbed it in my hands.  It became more of a creamy moisturizer, and once I applied it, my hair was like "thank you....thank you so very much."

 If my hair liked the avocado combing cream, it'll probably love the Karite Butter (shea butter) since that is my favorite of all the Kanechom conditioners.

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2 Natural Hair Gels That Every Curly Girl On A Budget Needs

During the Summer, gels are typically in heavy rotation and if you are working on a tight budget and want some healthy gel choices here are some all-natural gels to consider for your hair. Through my own personal research and speaking with other curlistas/naturalistas, I discovered that the aloe vera plant and flax seeds have […]

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Why My First Time Going Natural Was The Ultimate Fail

I don’t really tell many people this, but when I count my natural-anniversary, I’m counting it from the day I big chopped the second time. Yes,the second time. I tried going natural once before, and it ended up being the ultimate fail. The first time I went natural was about 5 years or so ago. […]

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I’m Pretty Sure My Coworker Called My Hair Bushy

Hair is a topic that comes up pretty frequently in the workplace. The joys of working with other naturals who I can learn from and exchange tips with is rewarding and makes the day go by faster. One day a friend had dropped off her unused CurlBox items at my desk and some were specifically […]

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Do the DEW! Glossier helps highlight your skin in the most natural way ever

The Workshop: The Wig Witch X Simply Gorgeous Salon

This Summer I'm partnering with family owned afro hair salon SIMPLYGorgeous to offer an exclusive series of workshops  as part of my new venture, The Wig Witch.



The workshops, created by two black owned businesses aim to change the narrative and experience of afro hair by  connecting like minded women, with the opportunity to learn a new skill and heighten the discourse on afro hair and beauty.

Taking the conversation offline, these intimate  workshops are centered on education and passing on knowledge of an integral tool to the afro hair community – protective styling.

The sessions  will provide each guest with the skills on how to create their own custom made wig, tips on hair care  and much more.

Sessions will be held at 10am, 1.30pm, and 5.30pm. Please get in touch specifying which time you'd like you'd like when booking your ticket.

To make the most of the workshop we ask participants to bring their own hair. Our friends at Pretty Kinks  have kindly offered a 15% discount to attendees who'd like to purchase hair for the sessions and can be used up to one month after. Details on redeeming discount code provided with ticket.
Those unable to bring their own hair are still encouraged to attend and observe the workshop.
In addition to learning a skill we've also linked with a selection of the UK’s top independent beauty brands, created by women of colour for women of colour to offer you a take home bag of quality products worth over £20.

We hope you can join us!

WHEN

Sunday, 31 July 2016 from 10:00 to 21:00 (BST) - Add to Calendar
WHERE

SIMPLYGorgeous - Kingsgate Road, London, NW6 4JY - View Map

Buy Tickets 

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5 Tips For Doing A Flawless Twisted Protective Style Yourself

In the midst of my mid-natural life crisis, I’ve been protective styling like crazy. First, I got box braids installed at an African Hair Braiding salon and after leaving them in for a little over a month I knew it was time to take them out but I wasn’t ready to go back to wearing […]

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Multitasking is a farce! And you should stop doing it.

One of my worst habits of all time is jumping from task to task without fully completing one first.  It's something I've been engaged in for years.  I recall the time when I was being trained after getting my first dream job.  The girl training me noticed my behavior and calmly suggested that I should finish what I was working on before taking on the next task.  Her words never left me.

But, at the same time, I rarely applied her advice.  I continued to work frantically in an unproductive manner that fueled my disorganization and short attention span.  I self-diagnosed myself as having Attention Deficit Disorder and assumed there was nothing I could do about it.
As time passed, I seemed to get more scattered and disorganized.  In my position, people would often call or visit the office with random assignments and questions.  With each interruption, I dropped what I was doing and added another task to the list.  My workdays eventually became one long game of whack a mole.

I don't even want to talk about the stress levels involved with operating like this long term.  You feel like you never actually get anything done.  All of those open action items on your list perpetually haunts you.  I once believed that my ability to quickly switch tasks was taking my productivity to the next level.  Little did I know that I was doing more harm than good.

When I multitasked, the lie I was telling myself was that I could get more done in less time.  But at the end of the work day, my to-do list didn't reflect this new reality.  I thought it was just me.  I've since learned that multitasking ruins everything.  Your IQ drops, your stress levels rise, and your brain isn't able to function properly.  You DO NOT get more done by multitasking, you are only making things worse.

"The person who chases two rabbits catches neither." -Confucious

As a part of my personal development journey, I read and listened to books that would hopefully give me a slight edge on life.  On the top of my list were books on productivity, time management, and execution.  Then I ventured into the world of mental focus through the practice of meditation and everything changed!

Instead of trying to juggle as many balls as humanly possible, I did the exact opposite.  The first rule I implemented was to remove everything from my desk except what I was working on at the moment. Secondly, I worked on 1 action at a time until completion (or until I couldn't do anything further with it). No jumping to another task until I was done.  When interruptions happened, I would focus on the conversation, question or task, then immediately returned to what I was doing pre-interruption.

To increase my likelihood of maintaining focus, I employed a few tricks.  Keeping the desk clear was one of them.  Sometimes, I'd turn off email notifications.  When I have to stay focused for a long period of time, I play meditation music in the background.  This worked exceptionally well. It gives my brain something to focus on so I don't get distracted easily.  Kinda like putting on a movie to entertain your child for a couple of hours.

Random thoughts still pop up, (especially thoughts of what else I should could be doing) but instead of chasing the thought, I chose to ignore it.  If I find it difficult to ignore the thoughts, then I know it's time to reinstitute morning meditation.  As I've stated before, meditation teaches you how to ignore the random thoughts.  Instead, you focus on the breath.  By paying attention to your breathing, you create a level of stillness and concentration that transforms your life.

I'll never forget the time I practiced the principles of meditation throughout the day. As I worked, I tried to "stay with the breath." This gave me incredible results.  Productivity was through the roof!  My natural tendency towards multitasking still exists, so unless I'm intentional with maintaining focus, things will fall apart again.

 If you've believed the lie that being a multitasker is something of value, I invite you to practice single-minded focus as a new discipline.  You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish if you do one thing at a time.



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#30DaysofDope Update: Here's What Happened Week 1!

I'm not gonna lie y'all, it's been exactly one week and I don't feel as dope as I thought I would. I thought I'd be riding some kind of high from this experience, but really it feels more like I'm trying to root myself so this excellence thing can really take hold.

If I had to give myself a grade for last week, it would be a C+ bordering on a B-. I know, neither of those are the A+ I wanted, but a C+ with effort is better than getting an F for not even showing up. Besides, if I had to say I learned one thing last week, it's that excellence is relative. Because we can never truly calculate what each day holds for us, it's important to evaluate excellence in the proper context.

For example, excellence on a Tuesday might be waking up at 5:45am, hitting 30 minutes of cardio, spending 30 minutes in prayer and reading the Bible, slaying at work for 8 hours, cooking a dope dinner, and hitting the gym. Excellence on that same Thursday might mean waking up at 7am, spending 20 minutes in prayer, and taking a brisk walk for 20 minutes at the end of the day. In either scenario, all that matters is that you showed up, gave it your best, and pushed yourself beyond what your baser instincts want you to do.

But enough about that - let's chat about how last week went.

Spiritually Dope Update
Spiritually, last week was a good week. By day 2, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and just feeling deeply appreciative for everything. I was literally taken aback by how much God has done for me, and I've made it a point to thank Him for the things I so easily take for granted. Right now I'm using The Power of Being Thankful devotional by Joyce Meyer (on the YouVersion app) to guide my studies and prayer time, but it's only 15 days. Still open to reading recommendations!

Physically Dope Update
Last week got off to a pretty dope start. I killed it in the gym Monday thru Wednesday - and had a dope moment Wednesday where I pushed past that "I don't feel like it" mindset and went hard in the paint. It felt good. It felt right. I want that feeling to kick off tomorrow, too. A few mornings I even got up and did some extra cardio on the elliptical in my home office. Unfortunately, Thursday is where things took a downward turn. I literally worked 11 hours straight (5am to 4pm), and by the time I was done, I was mentally and physically exhausted. So I skipped the gym, knowing that sometimes it's better to rest. I wanted to hit the gym Friday, but after another full work day, I still wasn't back in balance. (Sidebar: tt's crazy how a tough day at work can have a ripple effect all the way around!) So I rested again - and went to the gym Saturday with Samuel after breakfast with my mom and sister.

4 out of 7 days I was in the gym making it happen. Not exactly my goal, but better than what it could have been.

Dope Eating Update
I've definitely been putting my food scale, measuring cups, and spoons to use. It's a pain, but something I'm actively working to train myself to do until I can accurately eyeball measurements and macros. Did I do it every day? Nope - so shame on me. But I'm building out the habit. Excellence is definitely in progress. I did it for like 70% of my meals and snacks last week, which is better than the once or twice a week I was doing before. One cool thing I did find out - remember I mentioned using my Neocell Collagen Sport protein powder to meet my protein goals? THAT is working! I almost threw a party for myself on Monday when, for the first time like ever, I hit my protein goal. So yep, I'm all over that! And taking my vitamins and supplements, too!

There's an open bottle of wine in my fridge, from before I started #30DaysofDope. I thought it would taunt me every evening at dinnertime - but nope! I haven't missed it. If I want flavor with my meal, I drink Arrowhead Sparkling Spring Water (black cherry and raspberry lime are lit!) and maybe twice I had some Trader Joe's Sparkling Lemonade. Other than that, it's water. And my skin is thanking me for it.

So, about this sugar thing. It's going and I'm being excellent...if by excellent we mean I didn't run to Susiecakes for a slice of Vanilla Celebration Cake. The sweet tooth is real, but I'm managing. When I want something sweet, I lean on Enlightened Ice Cream Bars (80-90 calories, low in sugar, high in protein and fiber), and YouFreshNaturals Cookie Dough Muscle Frosting. Baby steps.

Mentally Dope
Last week, I found myself talking to myself more than I have in a while. But not in a "I talk to myself 'cause there is no one to talk to" kinda way (#shoutout to Christoper Williams aka Kareem from the bank in New Jack City) - more like positively reinforcing myself. Like, "Christina, you got this. Keep going. You good, girl. You good. Be !%#$*?& DOPE!" And to be honest, it works. When you believe in yourself, hype yourself up, and talk to yourself like you love yourself, amazing things happen.

And that's just the first step.

Thank you guys for coming along on this journey to personal excellence. If you're just now catching up and you want in - no wories! You can join me now! Visit www.30daysofdope.com and drop your e-mail address. Don't forget to follow my dedicated Instagram @30daysofdope and use the hashtag #30daysofdope!

Til Next Week,
-Christina

Oh and by the way, if you're looking for an ah-MAY-zing at home detox shot that actually doesn't taste like rubbish, check out my Ginger Wheatgrass Lemon & Cayenne Detox Shot recipe.

And if you wanna be down with #30DaysofDope, click here to read my tips for diving headfirst into the challenge.

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