The summer is officially here, and that means all hands off for my hair. There's always a constant battle with my hair and the humidity during the summer. I'm always hopeful that I can just let my hair down and rock a twist out, but get disappointed literally the second I step outside as my hair frizzes and poofs up.

Don't get me wrong- I love my hair and I love my texture. But the summertime is a love and war battle with my hair, and I'd honestly rather not deal with it. Sure, I can find some products that will block out humidity, but in my frustration and unwillingness to try at that point, I decided to install some Marley twists for a few weeks. 

Now, this isn't my first time installing my own Marley twists. However, this is my first time installing Marley twists using the invisible root method. Typically, I'd braid first for about an inch or so, and then start twisting, but I wanted something a bit more natural looking. 

I've tried the invisible root method in the past, but really just couldn't wrap my head, or my fingers, around which direction to twist the hair so that it is secure. However, I tried the invisible root method at the very last minute after already installing about half of my head, loved it, and re-did my entire head. Call me crazy, but I was too hype about finally figuring out how to do it, and I absolutely loved the look as opposed to braiding first and then twisting. 

I just love the convenience of Marley twists. Of course, there's lots of versatility when it comes to Marley Twists, but it can really be a no-fuss hairstyle if you really just want to get up and go.

I don't have to worry about re-twisting my hair at night, or my hair frizzing up on me when I step outside. The most I have to worry about is moisturizing the twists every so often so my hair underneath is moisturized and cleansing my scalp when needed.

 

What kind of styles are you rocking this summer?

 

 

When the summer time rolls around, I am completely over dealing with my hair because of the heat and humidity! Protective styling has become a must for me these days since I'm always super busy. It has especially become important for me because these curls have been fighting with the humidity!

 

Of course, with protective styling, there are some things you should keep in mind beforehand.

 

I'm super excited to share that I am a contributor for the Kinky Curly Yaki blog! Check out my most recent post here on avoiding damage while protective styling!

 

Kinky Curly Yaki offers high quality natural hair extensions for us naturalistas who want to rock protective styles with believability, whether its the relaxed, sleek look of their light yaki hair, or the "big hair don't care" look from their Afro Kinky Curly hair. On top of that, the hair is 100% quality human hair! You can't beat that!

 

So, if you're looking for some natural hair extensions that will have you fooling everyone, definitely check out Kinky Curly Yaki! 

The past couple of posts have been all about winterizing your natural hair regimen and combating dry natural hair. I even sneaked in a little flat twist out pictorial for you!

Since moisture seems to be the hallmark of these posts, I figured I’d give you all some more helpful tips on products, deep conditioning, and more to make sure you're retaining moisture  this winter.

To kick off the rest of this series, I figured I’d give you ladies some of my favorite moisturizers full of butters and oils that are sure to keep your strands protected and moisturized this winter. The weather here in NYC has been no joke, and these products  have been tried and true and helps combat the dry, brittle hair that comes along with the colder months.  

Moisture is a huge factor in keeping natural hair (or any type of hair) healthy. Dry hair leads to breakage, split ends, knots and tangles, which all result in a lack of length retention. It’s especially important to make sure your hair is moisturized during the colder months since the weather tends to make our hair feel dry and brittle.

Ever feel like your hair is not growing? It may be because your hair is breaking off as fast as it’s growing, so you’re not really seeing any of your hair growth.

No need to fret, though, because I got you covered! Here are some of my favorite products that are sure to provide the moisture that your hair needs this winter:

·         Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream :: I live and swear by this leave in conditioner. Not only is it a really good leave-in conditioner, but it’s an excellent moisturizer and styling aid for twist outs, bantu-knot outs, etc… It gives you the best of both worlds—moisture and definition. Don’t believe me? Check out my previous post on the ahhhmazing definition and moisture this product gives me. This is a great moisturizer for all hair textures.

·         Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream :: This product is just as good as the Leave in! Both of these are a match made in heaven.  The Coconut Curling Cream is jam-packed with Shea butter and natural oils, is thick in consistency, so you know for a fact that your ends will be protected, and provides great definition both by itself and in conjunction with the Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream.

·          Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie :: This product is great for moisture, especially since the first ingredient is Shea butter. I tend to use this product a lot in the winter because it’s a thicker, heavier product and it’s packed with so much moisture. A little bit of this product definitely goes a long way! I think I've had the same jar for about a year and a half now, and I still have product left!  I use this when protective styling—I apply this product to my hair, put my hair away in two flat twists, and I won’t have to moisturize my hair for another three-four days. Now that, my friend, is a great moisturizer!

·         Alikay Naturals Moisture Rich Hair Parfait :: Alikay Naturals has some a truly mazing products! The Moisture Rich Hair Parfait is known for its amazing moisturizing properties.  One of the main ingredients in this product is Shea butter, which is a really good moisturizer and sealant for the hair. If your hair likes thicker products or butters, then this is a great choice for a moisturizer this winter.  Not only is it a great moisturizer for natural hair, bit it’s also a great sealant. It contains moisturizing ingredients like Shea butter, argan oil, and coconut oil. Since its packed with Shea butter (Shea butter being the first ingredient, so that means there’s more of it in the product as a whole), this would be a great moisturizer for naturals with thicker hair.  You can also check out the Alikay Naturals Shea Yogurt Hair Moisturizer, which is just as good.

·         Get Craftsy and Make Your Own :: Of course, another alternative that you could try is making your own moisturizing spritz! You can create your own moisturizing cocktail using some water, conditioner, and a variety of oils (coconut oil, olive oil, Castor oil, sweet almond oil, etc…), and you have yourself a moisturizing spritz. On top of that, you can create your own whipped shea butter to seal in the moisture from your moisturizing spritz. I like Naptural85’s DIY Shea Butter mix. April Bee also has a really good recipe for whipped Shea Butter that’s worth trying as well.

So, that’s all the moisturizers that I’d recommend for the winter! If your current moisturizer just isn’t cutting it anymore, give one of these a try! What are some of your favorite moisturizers?

XO,

Danyelle

I've gotten a few questions on how I achieve my flat twist out. And believe it or not, it's quite simple. 

I've been wearing my hair in protective styles for the most part these past few months simply because I didn't have time to fool with my hair everyday. But, I was missing my fro, so I had to let her out! I put together a pictorial for you naturalistas to follow along with. Of course, use whatever products work for your hair! 

I started out on an old flat twist out that was dry. Originally, I used the L.O.C method on the old flat twist out, and my hair was just super dry by the end of the day. 

This time around, I used the L.C.O (Liquid, Cream, Oil) method for my hair. I find that my hair retains more moisture using this method as opposed to the L.O.C (Liquid, Oil, Cream) method. The L.C.O (or L.O.C...whichever works for your hair type and texture) method is especially good for these cold winter months and helps with combating dry, brittle hair. This is the perfect addition to add to your winter hair care regimen. Check out my previous post on Winterizing Your Natural Hair Care Regimen for more on how to prep your hair to battle the cold.  

I just part my hair in the direction I want my hair to fall, and then section off sections with my fingers to prepare my hair for the products and flat-twisting. I always do a side part with more hair going off to the left side of my face. 

Once I have my first part sectioned, it's time to apply the product! 

For my liquid, I just mixed in a spray bottle some water and Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner. 

Then I use my holy grail Leave-in Conditioner, the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream. This stuff never fails me! Moisture and definition for days!!! 

Last, but not least, I sealed it all in with some Coconut Oil. My hair loves this stuff! 

Once everything is applied, I detangle my hair with a wide tooth comb and begin flat twisting. It's important to make sure that your hair is thoroughly coated with the product and that you DETANGLE!

If you're doing this on freshly washed hair, coating the hair with product and detangling is key to a defined twist out / flat twist out. It just sets the stage for your hair for the rest of the week so you don't always have to detangle being that your hair will still have some definition in it. Because of this, you may find that you may not need to re-twist throughout the week (using the Pineapple Method will suffice). Or, you may get by through the week with a few chunky flat twists and that's it. As always, Do whatever works for you!

I don't always detangle my hair. It really just depends on what my hair is doing. Usually if I'm doing this on two or three day hair, I'll just lightly finger detangle only because I don't want to cause any extra tension or unnecessary breakage to my hair from combing it. 

You also may not need to add any more product (maybe just a spritz of water just to activate the product that is already on the hair, and an oil to seal, if needed). 

I continue this process throughout my whole head, and this is what I'm left with:

Put a silk/satin bonnet or head scarf over your head or sleep with a satin pillow case, unravel the twists in the morning, fluff, fluff, and fluff some more, and the end result is a BOMB, moisturized and defined flat twist out. 

And that's it! Pretty simple, right? Anybody can try this same routine using products that work for their hair. Personally, I prefer flat twist outs over regular twist outs. It gives me the definition and length I'm looking for, and there's not much separating you have to do, which means less frizz. 

Hope this helps some of you ladies! 

XO,

Danyelle