The Movement Continues

I want to continue speaking on the same topic I spoke about in my last entry. The natural hair movement is making a big impact in the black hair community. It has also brought up a little controversy about what hair is good hair to grow it out in its natural state. Honestly, it doesn't matter what texture a woman's hair is as long as it is healthy. That's all people of any race wants is healthy hair. For some women, their hair is best relaxed but others might do better with natural hair. All that matters is healthy hair is the best hair.

Anyway, this movement is not just nation wide but world wide. Black women from the U.S. to Europe to Africa are making the decision to go natural and are loving it. Besides my blog, their are multiple blogs websites, and plenty of videos about the movement. Although I do not know what brought on this change in the hair community, I do know that this movement is to better black women in terms of empowerment, encouragement, and confidence as well as getting back to our natural roots. 

The New Movement

The natural hair is an official movement for black woman all around the world that are tired of having all those chemicals and processes in their hair. Some women would say that what influenced them to make the change was a Chris Rock documentary known as Good Hair encourage them to make the change. For those of you that haven't watched the movie, it is about hair in the black community and the products and other things black woman do to their hair. Some of it may seem extreme and even absurd but what he captures in this documentary is true (unfortunately). A quote from the movie said by the black comedian Paul Mooney, "If your hair is relaxed the white are relaxed, but if your hair is nappy their not happy." That statement alone indicates that as a community, black people have been brainwashed in thinking that we have to blend i with society being that the majority of society is white, we have to look as close to them as we can. Even my Mom is guilty of this. Here is a preview of the documentary:

I recommend anyone from any background watch this documentary. It is very enlightening.  

Does natural mean ALL natural?

 By looking at the title of this entry, your probably thinking that I am speaking of natural hair again. This time it's not about natural hair but about natural products. I am pretty sure you have all seen those commercials saying that their shampoo has no sulfates and/or phosphates. For those of you who do not know, sulfates and phosphates are agents companies put in their shampoo that makes it lather; however, these agents dry out the hair by stripping it of its natural oil. In other words, it's bad for your hair. These are just some of the products that you might be familiar with that are advertised as being sulfate free.

I have experienced the frustration this weekend of trying to choose the right sulfate free product for my hair. For about six months now, I thought the product I was using was great, but as I continued to use to product, I noticed that my hair was constantly getting dry. It didn't matter how much leave in conditioner or moisturizer I put in it, my hair would be right back dry within two hours of me putting the moisturizer in it. So what am I suppose to do? I have tried putting oil in it, but the oil just sinks down in my scrap and that is not where I need the moisture. The ends of my hair tend to be dry, brittle and break off causing me to have split ends. This occurred before I made the decision to go natural. Then, it was manageable but now it is apparent to me that my hair is dry which is causing breakage. So once again I ask the question of what am I suppose to do?


Well, while shopping in Walgreens with my boyfriend for a few things, I stumbled over this unfamiliar hair brand simply named Shea Moisture. Immediately it caught my eye, mainly because the name of the brand had the word moisture in it. My interest was peeked. I wanted to try this product but I had already brought the entire product line of the product I was currently using. So, I decided to consult my friend who is currently in beauty school for advice. 

I told her the problem I was having with my hair and she told me that she was having the same problem with her hair. She said the best thing to do is to change the brand of the product or switch to a product line that is all natural (organic). With that advice, I then decided it was time to change from that product to Shea Moisture. As far as how good the product is, I will let you know in a month or two how it goes. 

The Bad Hair Days

Going through my natural hair journey, I have quickly learned that bad hair days come with the territory. There are multiple days when I don't have a clue what to do with my hair. It is definitely a huge transition from having relaxed hair to having very curly thick hair. I have gotten so accustomed to being able tie my hair up in a ponytail when it was relaxed that it is a little frustrating not being able to do that with my hair now, mainly because it is shorter than what I am used to.

When I first started growing my hair out, I had so many bad hair days I tired anything possible to make my hair look at least halfway presentable. Having two different textures was a hassle to work with. I tried straightening it, but it was a loss cause when I stepped outside in the summer. All the moisture from the air and the fact that my scrap would sweat was a horrible combination. Within five minutes my hair went from sleek and straight to puffy and curly (at least at the roots). I tried putting hair gel, oil, edge control, even water but nothing helped. It was no use, my hair wouldn't cooperate. The summer, which was once my favorite time of the year, became my worse enemy. Those were rough times. Definitely.

In September, when I finally got all that relaxed hair cut, I was so happy to finally be able to wear my naturally curly hair; however, the happiness I once felt turned to frustration and sadness quite quickly. I had no clue how to style this new hair. The women I knew that were natural only wore their hair in an afro, but I didn't want to wear my hair like that all the time. I wanted to do different styles. So I quickly turned to my best friend, Youtube, for some guidance. Youtube helped me so much with my hair. That is my go-to guidance for natural hair styles. So, Youtube saved my hair, so to speak.