BROGUES:I fell In love with this the first time I saw them during Unilaga tradefair, sometime in 2013... I saw them them in patent pink, jeez,how in love I was but the seller won't greeaa price,i decided to Waka forward and see if she would call me back( yoruba bargaining style) but she dint and when I realised she meant business, it was too late...it was sold out! I still want them doe..
Hair care has become seemingly more complicated since the outburst of various Youtube channels, beauty blogs/vlogs and more. Readers are bombarded everyday with various hair care tips and tricks and at some point, it gets extremely difficult to keep up with it all.
And don’t even get me started on all those oils. Both ladies with relaxed hair and those with natural hair are constantly told to use this particular oil, or to stay away from that oil or to use one particular product over the other, which can all be extremely overwhelming.
So, with that being said, I am here to help sieve through all that information. Here are my top 10 oils (for both relaxed and natural hair) and their uses. This list will give you a fair idea of what each oil does, so you can then mix and match to fulfill your hair care needs.
Enjoy!
1. Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is also a favourite because of its light weight. Having gained a lot of popularity over the years, coconut oil is great because it is a carrier oil which basically means it can penetrate the hair follicles. If it is used with water, it is able to transfer the moisture into the hair follicles easily. You can also mix coconut oil in with your shampoo if you find that it is too drying, or you want to give your conditioner that extra boost.
3. Glycerin
You can also use glycerin to deep condition or add to your other oils in a spray bottle. It works best when applied to damp hair and is especially great for reducing shrinkage in natural hair. You’re welcome!
4. Castor Oil
5. Aloe Vera Juice
It is also great for soothing a dry and itchy scalp as it has soothing properties. It is great for the naturalistas who want to make their own hair ointment/spritz at home.
6. Grape seed Oil
7. Argan Oil
8. Jojoba Oil
9. Shea Oil (melted shea butter)
10. Avocado Oil
Of course there is no need to use all these oils in your hair as most of them have the same use. I personally use Castor Oil, Shea Butter/Shea Oil and Coconut oil in my hair. I can’t be bothered with the others! 
Which oils do you use in your hair?
Hair Typing 101
by Latoya of Busy Life, Fab Hair
Let’s face it. Hair typing gets a bad rep. A really bad rep.It’s viewed as the categorization of “good” and “bad” hair textures. Women can be found online asking others to categorize them. Stereotypes ensue and then hair typing gets a bad name.
But if you think beyond the Andre Walker Typing System ( 3C, 4A, etc.), you will find that understanding all aspects of hair typing will make your hair journey much easier.
Have you ever wondered why someone’s hair may look just like yours, but the products they use don’t work for you? Or why some people are more susceptible to breakage? In this two part series, I’ll first break down hair typing terminology. In the second part, I will explain how you can use it to better understand your hair.
| Type # | Hair Texture | Hair Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | Straight (Fine/Thin) | Very Soft, Shiny, Hard to hold a curl, hair tends to be oily, hard to damage. |
| 1b | Straight (Medium) | Has lots of body. (i.e. more volume, more full) |
| 1c | Straight (Coarse) | Hard to curl. (i.e. bone straight) Most Asian women fall into this category. |
| 2a | Wavy (Fine/Thin) | Can accomplish various styles. Definite “S” pattern. Hair sticks close to the head. |
| 2b | Wavy (Medium) | A bit resistant to styling. Hair tends to be frizzy. |
| 2c | Wavy (Coarse) | Hair has thicker waves. Also resistant to styling. Hair tends to be frizzy. |
| 3a | Curly (Loose Curls) | Thick & full with lots of body. Definite “S” pattern. Hair tends to be frizzy. Can have a combination texture. |
| 3b | Curly (Tight Curls) | Medium amount of curl. Can have a combination texture. |
| 3c | Curly (Tight Curls or Corkscrews) | Tight curls in corkscrews. The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed together. (3c not in book) |
| 4a | Kinky (Soft) | Tightly coiled. Very Fragile. Has a more defined curly pattern |
| 4b | Kinky (Wiry) | Tightly coiled. Very Fragile. Less defined curly pattern. Has more of a “Z” shaped pattern. |
| 4c | Kinky (Zingy) | Some say 4c looks identical to 4b except that the curls are so tightly kinked, there is seemingly no definition. (Also not in book) *From NaturallyCurly.com |
Black hair is very complex. No two heads of hair are alike. In fact, hairs on one head may not act alike. That is what makes us unique. But that also can be a challenge to fully understand. Our hair has various curl patterns (3C, 4A, etc.), textures, density, porosity and elasticity. It may seem very complicated, but here is the breakdown:
Curl Pattern
The is the most common system used to describe curl pattern. Essentially, most Black women have curly (3) or kinky (4) hair. The A, B and C refer to the diameter of the curl. (Although some women refer to their hair has “G” or “Z” hair. There is no such thing. They are just using that to emphasize how “kinky” their hair is.) The typing system is helpful with understanding how your hair may look if you copy a particular style. You can also infer that hair that is kinkier will be drier, because the tighter curl pattern makes it more difficult for natural hair sebum to reach the ends of the hair. You should not infer that kinkier hair is stronger. This is false. Hair texture determines hair strength, which I will discuss next.
The Quick and Easy Curl Pattern Guide:
1 = Straight Hair
2 = Wavy Hair
3 = Curly Hair
A = Curl diameter of sidewalk chalk
B = Curl diameter of a sharpie
C = Curl diameter of a pencil
4 = Kinky Hair
A = Curl diameter of a needle
B = Zigzag curl pattern
C = No curl pattern
Texture
Hair Texture refers to the thickness or diameter of the hair strand. Your hair can be fine, medium (normal) , or thick (coarse). Fine hair is delicate –with less protein structure — and doesn’t hold curls well. Fine hair is more prone to breakage, especially if it is also prone to dryness. Medium (normal) has more protein structure than fine hair, but it is more pliable than coarse hair. Coarse hair is a thicker hair strand, holds curls well, but it is less pliable than fine or medium hair.
Density
Density refers to the number of strands on your head. Those with low density hair are more likely to have issues with scalpy twists. High density means you have a lot of hair strands. When you refer to someone’s hair as “thick”, it is normally in reference to density.
Porosity
Porosity refers to how your hair strands retain moisture. If you are having issues moisturizing your hair, this is a very important concept to grasp. Low porosity hair is difficult to get moisture into the hair. Normal (Medium) porosity hair is fairly easy to get moisture into the hair shaft and retain that moisture. High porosity hair has a very difficult time retaining moisture because water enters and leaves the shaft easily. (NOTE: Overly porous hair is normally due to chemical and mechanical damage and is even more difficult to moisturize.) To test your hair porosity, place a shed hair in water and follow the guide below. It is also important to note that hair porosity can change over time due to use of chemicals, heat, and age of hair.
Quick and Easy Guide to Porosity
Low Porosity = Closed Cuticle = Hair floats in water during hair porosity test = Difficult to get moisture into hair
Normal Porosity = Cuticle layer opens enough to allow moisture = Hair take a long time to sink = Easy to moisturize and retain that moisture
High Porosity = Raised cuticle layer = Hair quickly sinks to the bottom = Absorbs water easily
Elasticity
Elasticity refers to the “stretchiness” of your hair, which is how much you hair will stretch and then return to its normal state. If your hair is healthy, when wet, it should stretch 50% or more and return to its normal state. Unhealthy hair may only stretch about 20% when wet. Hair that is not elastic is more prone to breakage. It is also harder to curl with rollers or heat styling tools. To test for elasticity, pull strands from at least four areas of your head. Determine how much it springs break, how quickly it springs break, and whether your hair breaks.
So there you have it! The simple breakdown of “hair typing”. As you can see, it is much more than 1, 2, 3 and A, B, C. [Sorry I couldn’t resist the rhyme.] It is also important to note, that you can have any combination of these characteristics.
Pros
Cons
.jpg)
