BlackHair.me: Hair Washing and Shampooing

Hair Washing and Shampooing

Afro hair is best when not shampooed too often because it tends to be very dry.Whilst your hair is in plaits, twists, extensions or dreadlocks you can use Sea-breeze and cotton wool to cleanse the scalp.You can also use witch hazel with cotton wool or lemon juice,essential oil like Tea tree and hot mint tea with cotton wool to cleanse the scalp (in between the partings).(Be careful not to get the cotton wool stuck in the hair).After cleansing the scalp you may need to moisturise the scalp and hair.Gently moisturise in between the partings of your no-comb hairstyle.Afro hair needs moisturising as much as once daily and as little as three times a week,moisturising stops the hair from breakage and also turning to dreadlocks.The curlier the hair the more often you need to moisturise and condition the hair.The curlier the hair the more breakage is likely to occur.

When you do decide to wash or shampoo your hair,(I recommend not more than once a week,you can cleanse your scalp and or between the partings of your plaits or locs as often as you like,( or wash your hair with just water) but shampoo not more than once a week.)Use a gentle ph balanced shampoo, a organic vegan shampoo with minimum chemicals is best.(If you have dreadlocks then you must use a residue free shampoo and also make sure that the shampoo is not a detangling shampoo as it will loosen and detangle your locs. Add vegetable glycerine and rosemary essential oil to your shampoo and conditioner this helps to maintain moisture in the hair and scalp.Wash with shampoo,condition,rinse out.

If your hair is afro then comb it with a very large wide tooth comb (a large detangling comb) or an afro comb attachment one that is used for blow drying as this combs afro hair really well. Blow-dry using an afro comb attachment only if you desire.Blow drying is very drying of afro hair. Blow dry until it becomes dry or a more loose curl,then moisturise scalp and hair followed by a no-comb hairstyle (Plaits,Braids,or Twists) or brush your hair into a ponytail.

Never comb dry afro hair,always moisturise hair or wet it with a spritzer before you comb it.

Remember to wear a satin head scarf before you go to bed.
Never go to bed with damp hair as it causes mildew in your hair and scalp.

Some important points for shampooing afro hair.
1*Moisturise your hair before you shampoo your hair,shampoo strips off the little natural oils your hair and scalp makes.
2*Choose a very gentle shampoo add rosemary essential oils or any essential oils of your choice (essential oils kills germs) and glycerine (glycerine adds moisture to the hair) to the shampoo.Use residue free shampoo if you have locs and also avoid a detangling shampoo if you have locs. If you have an Afro you may want to use a detangling shampoo.Alternatively you can use a moisturising conditioner to wash Afro hair (not dreadlocks) instead of shampoo.
3*Use Apple cider vinegar diluted with water to rinse hair,this balances the ph level of the hair and scalp.
4*Use a vegetable glycerine and or a pomade.Oil and spritz hair with vegetable glycerine and or a natural oil of your choice.
5*If your hair is more than 3 inches long,hold the roots of your hair as you comb your hair.Start combing the ends of your hair gently.(This reduces breakage as you comb your hair,Afro hair is prone to breakage).Never comb Afro hair dry as it will increase breakage of the hair.
6*Now comb from the roots to the ends gently.
7*Using an Afro comb attachment for blow drying blow dry and or style as you desire.

Apple Cider vinegar (A.C.V.).

Apple cider vinegar removes oil and residue from the hair or dreadlocks. A.C.V. has an acidic ph balance.Apples contains malic acid.Shampoos are alkaline A.C.V. neutralises the alkali left by shampoos.Alot of people recommend using Apple cider vinegar after you have shampooed your hair to remove build up and balance the ph level of your hair and scalp.

PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND. Organic and vegan cosmetic ingredients recommended by Manashantii”.

janecartersolution.com Jane Carter Solution

Akamuti products are also good, Akamuti liquid black soap for hair and body is great.I don’t recommend beeswax in products, especially for hair as it causes build up. http://akamuti.co.uk

I also use Neals Yard Remedies Rosemary and cedarwood hair treatment on my scalp and in my hair as a styling product, although it can be used as a conditioner also.Coconut oil contains potassium,calcium,and iron. I also spritz my hair with vegetable glycerine combined with Neal’s Yard Remedies rose water and Neal’s Yard Remedies orange flower water, I blend it all in a bottle by shaking it and then spray it in my hair.You can make a even better spritzer by using Aloe vera glycerine and essential oils of your choice. Alternatively you can buy Oyin handmade Greg Juice.Neals Yard remedies Organic beauty oil is good for moisturising hair, skin and nails,and or you can take the oil internally as a nutritional supplement, or use it with olive oil and vinegar as a salad dressing.Olive oil has a high content of omega 9 essential fatty acid. Neals Yard Remedies Comfrey Macerated oil is good for hair and scalp,the allantoin in it helps skin and scalp.Not all Neals Yard products are vegan Neal’s Yard Remedies keep a list of their vegan products, please request for it by telephoning them or when you visit their store. I only recommend vegan products by Neal’s Yard Remedies.

Coconut oil- is rich in the minerals of potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, copper and selenium. It contains Lauric acid, Caprioc acid, Myristic acid and Caprylic acid. It is anti-fungal, anti viral, anti-microbial, prevents dandruff, soothes and conditions hair and scalp. It is a medium chain fatty acid, which is capric acid. Good for skin and hair, lauric acid turns into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria. Virgin coconut oil is high in Lauric acid, Lauric acid is anti-viral and anti-fungal and can help treat ailments such as thrush, irritable bowel as well as for cosmetic use.The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria.

coconut oil dot com http://coconutoil.com

Coconut connections dot com http://coconut-connections.com

Adornment365.com (hair salon) use shea butter combined with rose mosqueta oil (which is Rosehip seed oil)to do afro hair which really nourishes the hair and scalp.Their hair smoothie is also very good, you can buy their products from their salon in Brixton London U.K. See my “U.K. and U.S.A hair salons” on this website.

Before I used to use all the above mentioned products, I used to blend shea butter,coconut oil with a lot of glycerine (in my kitchen with a blender).I used this cream like pomade to moisturise my hair. I still use this at times but generally I use very little products since I started growing locs. I use pure shea butter when grooming and retightening my locs and then I use a spritzer in my hair about three times a week.

Akua Wood.co.uk or Cioccolatina.co.uk or Shea Butter Cottage.co.uk are all vegan and organic products.

Anita Grant’s Whipped butter is a good moisturiser for hair and body.I also recommend Anita Grant’s Organic Sapote seed oil, also you can try Anita Grant’s Organic Copaiba oil, and Anita Grant’s Organic Andiroba oil. Sapote seed oil stops your hair from falling out for a longer period of time. Copaiba has been used to treat skin cancer,bronchitis,stomache ulcers,Tuberculosis,metastic lung cancer,uterus cancer, tumours,gonorrhoea, and syphilis.Andiroba oil is antibacterial and the flower is anti-tumoural,it has been used orally for internal Cancer.Anita Grant’s Sapote and castor hair oil .You may also like Anita Grant’s Camellia Ylang and lavender hair and body oil.Disclaimer:This site is for informational purposes only.Always seek professional advice especially for medical conditions.This website takes no responsibility for the content of external links.

I highly recommend Dr.Bronner’s liquid pure castile soap (any fragrance) for shampooing hair,washing your body and as a handwash,the only problem with it is that it is very runny or watery.I put mine in a Neal’s Yard Remedies spritzer bottle and spritz it in my hair and scalp then I massage and shampoo my hair and scalp.

I also recommend Kinky-Curly for curly hair, mixed race hair,and afro hair.

I strongly recommend anything by Kinky-Curly. I like the “curling custard” and the “gloss pomade”.

I haven’t tried “Knot today” (by Kinky-Curly) so I can’t comment.

Assai(Acai)oil contains omega 6 and 9,phytosterols,it has antioxidants, decrease cell destruction.

Buriti oil has the highest natural occurence of vitamin A.

Apricot kernel oil contains vitamin B17,it also contains vitamin A.

A lot of people are using shea and aloe vera blended as a moisturiser for hair and body this is also good for afros and dreadlocks.If you google shealoe you will find many people/companies selling it.It is a simple and natural moisturiser. Here is a website that sells Shea aloe.Shea aloe dot com.

http://sheaaloe.com/

also there is

http://shealoe.com

Petroleum-based pomades or hair preparations are not good for (afro) hair,since they are very difficult to wash out.They do not break down in hot water.They coat the cuticle,preventing it from opening during any cleansing regimen.The weight of these products will clog the pores in the scalp ,inhibit natural flaking and cleansing,and cause the sebaceous glands to malfunction.All of these effects will lead to horrific dandruff and scalp problems.

Your skin has pores and absorbs whatever you put on it,your skin behaves like a sponge.All ingredients can be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream then it goes into all your organs,we absorb up to 77% of ingredients through our skin. The chemicals mentioned in the list below cause allergies,intefere with your hormones and endocrine system and some cause or irritate eczema. Petroleum and parabens can disrupt the body’s endocrine activity by mimicking oestrogen. The American Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) and The Cosmetic Ingredient review,an organisation that assesses the ingredient safety of cosmetics also claim it to be safe,because only a low amount of parabens are used in cosmetics.

Natural oils break down easily and they don’t cause build up in the scalp,hair or locs.

Do not under any circumstances use beeswax to start your (dread)loc(k)s,or at anytime whilst you have got dread(loc(k)s. Beeswax will hold your locs together but will be next to impossible wash out when it’s time to cleanse your hair.It will leave your locs looking very dull, in addition to attracting and holding dust and debris.Beeswax has a high melting point about 106 degrees.Putting beeswax in your hair is like putting candle wax in your hair.Beeswax is bee excrement (bee poo/faeces).Why would you want to put it in your hair or skin? Some stylist argue that beeswax is biodegradeable and good for dreadlocking European and Asian hair.
Also a lot of bees get killed in honey and beeswax get extracted from the bees colonies,their legs get cut off and they starve to death because they have no food as a result of us eating their food (honey is bee’s vomit). Using beeswax is also really bad for the environment.

Manashantii’s Aloe vera concoction for dreadlocks.

Make a concoction of natural Aloe vera,lemon essential oil and lavender essential oil and use it for re-twisting your locks.The essential oils kills bacteria in the product, it also acts as a preservative for the product and it kills fungus in your hair and scalp.Lavender essential oil is a cytophylactic (generate skin cell growth and protect cells).

Other cytophylactics are patchouli and geranium essential oils.There are lots more cytophylactics but the three mentioned are the best.

*LOCS TIPS. By Manashantii

*Style dreadlocks while wet otherwise you increase the chance of breakage.

*Don’t over twist locs.

*Don’t be a product junkie.Just use no more than three products,also by doing this it makes it easier to detect allergies that you may have.

*Although I recommend lots of things on this site,just choose one shampoo(or a ph balanced hair and body wash),and one moisturiser or oil for hair and body,one locking gel (My concoction gel for retwisting dreadlocks for example).

*Avoid beeswax or beeswax products,it is nearly impossible to wash out of hair and locs.

*Don’t go to bed with damp locks,this will cause mildew in your locs,also your locs may loose it’s cylindrical shape when you sleep on it whilst it it wet or damp, wash your hair in the morning and allow all day for it to dry.

*Cover up your locs at night.

*Sweat that has built up in your hair or locs causes bacteria to grow on your skin or scalp.Smell in your hair or locs is made up of bacteria that feed on sweat.In other words,smell comes from stale sweat that grow in the scalp,this causes itchyness.

*Using too much oils or moisturiser will cause build up and attract dirt and lint.

*Excessive twisting thins the hair.Twist hair every 6 weeks.Every 8 weeks is even better. If you have locs gently separate them to avoid locs from matting together, do this every two weeks.

* You can ease the stress of your hair being pulled by wearing your hair up or using a scarf upward or a hair wrap specially made for locs. You can ease tension of pulling hair or locs by not pulling hair too tight or by cutting your hair to a certain length.

* If you have locs avoid detangling shampoo as it detangles locs.Also choose a residue free shampoo to avoid build-up.

Do buy biodynamic,organic,fairtrade,vegan.

Avoid these chemicals:- mercury,aluminium,propylene glycol,petroleum,
petrolatum,mineral oil,lead in some lipsticks,
sulphates,(sodium lauryl sulphate,sodium laureth sulphate etc..)
parabens(methylparaben,propylparaben,butylparaben,ethylparaben)
liquid paraffin,phthalates,talc,methylisothiazolinone,BHT,
Ethanolamines=Monoethanolamines,(MEA) Diethanolamine,(DEA)
Triethanolamine (TEA)
Carbomer,ethanol,Benzaldehyde,Benzyl acetate,Benzophenones ,
EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid),DIA (Diethanolamine),
Imidazolidinyl Urea,Diazolidinyl urea.

Avoid these animal ingredients:pig glycerin(e)beeswax,collagen,gelatin(e),animal keratin,chitin,
elastin,carmine,lanolin,silicone,ambergris,civet,musk,honey,propolis,silk,
bone char sugar,whey…