Cultural Love

I'm very proud of my culture, and being a language lover it always inspires me when i hear people who were not born or raised in a specific country, speak that countries language. This girl really gives anyone with Nigerian (Yoruba speaking) parents, who cannot speak yoruba, a run for their money!

'Happy Sunday'

x edF

Perfect People

I've wanted to put on weight since forever. I've always been on the thinner side. I had what i believe was a 'bigger' stage in my life... but that was rather pathetic because it was bigger in a sense that i could almost fit into a size 10 pair of jeans!

Almost 5 years down the line and there is no sign of weight gain! Fact is we females will never be 100% satisfied. What a joke! I'm here craving to be bigger and the next person is fighting to get rid of their cake cravings!

Let me break down how i eat on a daily basis (and yes this is up to date and very much so current!)

Breakfast @8am- 1 whole mango, half a pot of yoghurt and muesli 

10am @ work- 1 Hazelnut filled croissant and a choc mocha

11am group break- Yoghurt and water

Lunch 12pm - canteen food (very good and wholesome most of the time!)

Followed by dessert in the bistro

2pm group break- Chocolate bar and water 

3:30 pm ish- Coffee/tea with Zusana

7:00pm @ home- left overs from the night before (and yes there is always food left over, i cook in abundance!) - today i had spag bog!

8pm @ home- main meal

9pm Dessert: 2 pancakes smothered with nutella and 2 scoops of ice cream

So why i am still thin peeps? Hmm... anyway just thought i'd share. Off to to demolish some jerk chicken and rice :)

'You are fearfully and wonderfully made' 

 No matter what size you are (as corny as it made seem)... thin, chubby, curvy, tall, short...we are all perfect :)

x edF

Airdrying For Professionals

Evening folks,

as some of you already know I had the best airdrying experience to date yesterday. I honestly felt like i was in the L'oreal "yes yes yes" advert!
(Note to self: you are not a pro! But your allowed to be excited!)

So here is how i achieved the best airdrying experience.

Step 1

Deep condition on dry hair

1. Part your hair in 4 sections holding each section with a hair clip except the section you are working with.

2. Apply a generous amount of virgin* coconut oil all over the selected hair section. Starting from the roots right down to the ends. Make sure your hair is covered. It should be very shiny!

3. Do step 2 on each section of hair. Also part and oil within each section so that hair is smothered in oil.

4. Wear a shower cap and sit under a hair dryer on mid heat for exactly 30 minutes. 

Step 2

Co wash

1. Before co washing, twist each of the 4 sections of hair 

2. Beginning with one of the back sections, rinse hair with water and detangle with a wide tooth comb, then  re-twist this section and move to the next back section of hair. 

3. After having rinsed and detangled all 4 sections begin with one of the back sections again and this time apply your conditioner all over the section. Focus on your scalp.

4. Rub scalp in circular motion as you would when using shampoo. Then re-twist the section and move to the next back section

5. After having co washed each section, finally undo each twist and rinse entire head, use a wide tooth comb to do a final detangle

6. Finish off with a cold rinse. Its a system shocker but will close your hair shafts.

Step 3

Airdry

1. Dry hair and part into 4 sections again.

2. Begin with one section of hair and apply your leave in conditioner. (It would be great to add some castor oil to your leave in and aloe vera juice if you have any. 1 tsp of each is enough)

3. After applying your leave in to each section very gentle detangle your hair from tip to root. (Your hair should be soft enough to detangle because of the coconut deep condition)

4. Now seal your hair sections with an oil of your choice 

5. Finally use your hands to merge all sections into one and then use a soft bristle brush to brush your hair back, wear your headscarf like a headband and leave the ends of your hair out or in a ponytail.

So thats it really...it may be a long post but it literally took me 45 minutes in total, and the main part of that was the 30 minutes under the dryer. I can't believe i hadn't tried this earlier, it really has made me feel so positive about stretching. My roots were remarkably soft, my hair is shiny and feels so lustrous. The comb literally ran so easily through my hair. I'm still in shock!

The key has definitely got to be the coconut deep condition on dry hair with heat, then the easy co wash method in sections and the easy leave-in process followed by a secure headscarf and a good airdry.

I would lllooovvveee to hear from you guys if your thinking of trying this. Honestly you should! The ingredients are so minimal and its literally a miracle potion for anyone, especially for anyone that is babying some new growth.

x edF

P.s the * following virgin denotes the fact that the type of oil makes a difference. This is coconut oil in its purest form. You can even eat it! If you can get some virgin coconut oil, its the best.

UK: Holland and Barretts, Waitrose

or

www.akuawood.co.uk

USA- Nutiva is a popular brand of virgin coconut oil

Clarifying Shampoo

********************************************************

"A portion of clean scalps please"

Definition: Clarifying shampoo is any of a variety of shampoo products that are formulated to deep clean the hair by removing product buildup from the hair shafts. Styling products, such as hair mousse, hair gel, hair spray, conditioners, and even daily shampoos can cause buildup on the hair over time. This buildup can add weight to the hair, making it flat and lifeless, as well as prevent the reflection of light, which makes the hair appear dull and dingy. Periodic use of a clarifying shampoo will help remove the buildup and provide the hair with a clean start.
(source: wisegeek)

Personally i don't clarify. Before i started my hair journey i suffered from a very dry scalp, so much so that i used a medicated dandruff shampoo! (Well i stole my dads from time to time). Ever since starting my hair journey a dry scalp has never been an issue. I find just about any shampoo i use clarifying enough. 


However as said in the definition. Clarifiers are great for deep cleansing and getting rid of product build up.

Most people clarify once a month because more than this can have serious drying effects. However considering how many products we often put in our hair, clarifying is great for removing these products as well as dead skin cells. 


***
Anyone opting for a more natural clarifying alternative, try some african black soap. 


www.akuawood.co.uk 
has a great selection and also ships internationally.


x edF

Moisture/ Protein Overload

Just a discussion on the facebook group page...

"One of the things i found most difficult when starting my hair journey was understanding this protein/moisture balance theory!
In fact i didn't even know you could have too much of one, but you can! It does take really understanding your hair to know but i promise you, at some point you will.

So...
How do you know if your hair is over moisturised or is overloaded with protein?

The wet strand hair test!

Yes guys you'll have to pull out a strand or 2 of hair for this one (gasps!)

Take 1 or 2 strands from the root, wet them lightly and check for the following. Pull each strand lightly from both ends.

1) if your hair continues to stretch like a rubber band and then eventually breaks...you need protein, your hair is over moisturised.
2) the same applies if you contunue to stretch your hair and it doesn't break- over moisturised.
3) If your strand/s do not stretch and break at soon as you pull it/them, then you need moisture. Your hair is dry and brittle hence why it breaks so readily
4) the same applies if your hair is hard,rough and dry. You need moisture.

I can now very easily tell how my hair feels. Most often my hair is under moisturised hence why i only do protein dc's once a month.

You may be even more baffled afer reading this but both issues produce 2 completely different hair textures. Overly moisturised hair is usually quite soft, stretchy and mushy whereas hair that has undergone too many protein treatments is usually rough, dry looking and very coarse and hard."

How does your hair feel?

The Hair Growth...Bible

Came across this link again. I checked out 'The Hair Growth Bible' sometime last year. It was a great  read and definitely has some great hair tips. I wouldn't mind stealing Dwayne for the weekend. It would be like a weekend in a hair spa!

http://www.askdwayne.com/Downloads/Hair_G_B.pdf

x edF

Blog Lovin'

Morning lovelies,

we're continuing to take steps forward in sharing haircare love anyway and where we know how.

We are now on Blog lovin :)

Follow my blog with bloglovin

x LYT team

Natural Lifestyle

Natural- The lost definition ?

source

One of the main reader questions i've been getting of late, have all been related to natural hair products and especially the true definition of a natural hair product. In fact as simple as it may seem to state what a natural hair product is, the answer is actually quite confusing.


On one hand we have Monsieur CommonSense who states that a natural hair product is simply natural, a.k.a does not include parabens, sulphates, petrolatum, mineral oils, fragrance....the list goes on. However folks there's much more to it!


The biggest issue with natural hair products occurs when you come across a natural hair site or product that states that it is 'natural', and then you find out it isn't 100% natural. Truth is 'natural' is defined in many ways. For some sites the term 'natural' may mean:

-the products were naturally made ( no chemical processes involved)

- most of the product ingredients are made of natural products

or

- it was hand made 

So... are you being misled by these 'natural' products? No

One example of such a site is Carols Daughter. I have come across many critiques of the site which suggest that you are being misled into believing that all products are 'natural'. However the definition of natural in this day and age, is so diffused that products can be called 'natural' even if they are not 100% natural. The term 'natural' isn't bound by anything, unlike the term certified organic which needs official approval.


So the main thing to bear in mind is that you should not feel misled... you just need to do a tad bit of research into the product, and also check out the sites faq page, it usually discusses its definition of 'natural'.


For me a product is 'natural' if it states that it is 100% natural of course. This term is way too direct to be misleading. In fact if a product states its 100% natural and it isn't... i'll be really unimpressed. I am not the wife that gets cheated on and doesn't find out about it!


Also i read into product ingredients. If i think the product is extremely natural then to me it's considered as being highly natural.


So thats my view on the topic folks!


I'm slowly but surely going to be using more 'natural', i mean 100% natural products.

Can products like shampoo be 100% natural you ask?

Well.. Aubrey organics are renown for making only 100% natural hair products. The main component used in creating the shampoo like lather ( though very weak) is coco glucoside. This is a surfactant derived from coconut oil. So i guess it can be done. For now i think i'll be sticking to homemade recipes. I don't want to get sucked into another product junkie phase, plus i'll be rocking a weave up until November so that should stop me from splurging!


What do you think? Are you good with your everyday shelf hair products or do you hold the strictly natural poster?

x edF


P.s Sheabutter Cottage is a great website to find both 100% natural and natural products.


check it out Sheabutter Cottage