The Battle of the Reviews: Which One is True?

Recently, I watched two YouTube videos about NaturelleGrow . Now to someone unskilled in discerning product reviews, it might make your head hurt to determine which review was "correct". One young lady didn't have a lot of positive feedback for the product. Meanwhile, the other young lady was raving about the SAME product.

So, when you are watching YouTube, do you know EXACTLY how to understand a product review? Do you even know what makes a GOOD product review versus a BAD one? Is there anything such as BOTH reviews being correct? First of all, when watching any type of beauty product review, you MUST remember that not everyone's body chemistry, hair, skin, and nails are the same. What may be the holy grail for one person may be bane of someone else's existence. Keep in mind that some people have allergies and some products are exactly what that person's hair and skin craves. Now the last piece is very important in scrutinizing product reviews. Consider the person's hair and/or skin type, duration of time using the product, and HOW the person used the product. For example, if the person used the product in a different way other than the company suggests, can you REALLY disbelieve that the product works?

I enjoyed both product reviews by the ladies featured in each of the YouTube videos. Both were honest and provided insight into their use of the NaturelleGrow products. You all know me if you've been reading long enough. I know what my hair likes and doesn't like. So, I'm not really looking to try out any new products per se. However, I will continue to try products from within the same company. I look forward to using new products that Renee creates. Not only does my hair drink in her products and thrives with them, but also I respect her integrity and work ethic.

The next time you select a YouTube video, just keep an open mind and remember that what may or may not work for the other person, may or may not work for you. It doesn't mean that the person was dishonest or negative. It may just mean that your hair just likes different things! It's ALL good! Let's continue to support black businesses and provide positive critique. I like how articulate BOTH ladies were in their review. THESE are the kinds of videos we need to see more of. Our natural hair community won't grow with negativity. Just as a flower needs light and water to grow, we can only grow as a community from positive communication, helpful critique, and a spirit of collaboration!

Can Prayer Make Your Hair Grow?

Just recently I was sharing about how prayer is powerful. I can't tell you how many times I've prayed and my prayers were answered. Now I want to be careful here. I don't look at God as some type of genie. You can't rub your Bible and expect money to fall from the sky. However, prayer is a conversation between humans and God. So, you may be asking why is she talking about prayer on a hair forum? Think about it... If you pray about your problems then why not pray for hair?

Prayer helps with stress. There is nothing like meditating and just laying your burdens at the altar. Often times, I stress about things that I cannot change. It makes me feel all the better to pray about what is stressing me out. Stress is not good for the body, skin, or nails. Less stress equals more growth and length retention.

Prayer requires dedication and commitment. In order for prayer to work consistently, you have to keep at it and not give up when it seems that no one is listening. When I did not know which products to buy or what to do with it, I asked God for knowledge and guidance. He directed me to resources which helped me gain knowledge.

Praying helps you to remain focused. If you need direction and you're wondering where to begin, just begin with prayer. The prayer of the lost is very compelling.

Something as menial as hair can become something very important in the grand scheme of things. Hair, skin, and nails are our bodies' billboards. If something is not right on the inside, then it shows on the outside. The natural hair world can be quite confusing and intimidating. You may ask fifty different people and get fifty different answers.

I would not say to use prayer as a last ditch effort, but in fact, use it as a tool for guidance, comfort, and wisdom.

It's in the Twists: Tracking My Hair Growth

An old song that my dad loves to listen to says, "It's in his kiss, that's where it is."  It made me think about how did I realize my hair was actually thriving and surviving, besides length checks? I do measure and try to do it monthly, although some months I have fallen short. My goal has been to measure and track my hair growth (and retention) and document my practices, so I can know what works and what doesn't. At any rate, I keep a TON of hair pics in my cellphone and I was scrolling back to some of my earlier hair pics. For my tightly curly/coily hair, a year's growth can only be seen when you look at the volume, because it doesn't look longer unless you uncoil it or heat style it to show the length. Well, I've found another way to track my hair growth: twists.

Front view- October 2012

Side view- August 2013

Yep, twists tell me A LOT about my hair practices. I can see where my hair needs to be trimmed or where it is thinning or even the volume.  When I first started as a natural the length of my unstretched twists barely reached my ears. I had NO hang time and the twists looked like little small peapods all over my head.

Then, as time went on the peapods evolved and they began to reach the back of my neck. They weren't quite hanging down yet, but they were getting there.

Today my twists hang to my collarbone, but over time between pinning them up and adding moisture, they shrink.

Back view-October 2012

Back view-August 2013

Thanks to my twists I can see that I'll be needing to trim a little off the bottom, so that when the hair grows it can thicken up a little. Also, I'm getting more length even with using bigger sections of hair. Usually I get greater length using smaller pieces to twist, but with my hair growth I can still get some "hang time" with bigger sections. That is DEFINITELY an accomplishment!

August 2013-Stretched out twist

Even though it didn't seem as though my hair was growing nicely, it turns out that it was! Just because I didn't see my monthly growth, I didn't feel my hair growth was "normal". But, when I put it all in perspective, sometimes you have to reflect before you can appreciate how far you've come.  I will continue to take a TON of pics and document, so that by this time this year, I can compare more twist pics!!!

Dear Readers, how do you track your hair growth and stay motivated? 

It Ain't Easy Being Green: The Trials & Tribulations of Being a Henna Head

While arm deep in green goo the other day, I had an epiphany about how being a henna head isn't all flowers and balloons.  On more than one occasion I've missed my head and slapped henna onto my shirt or on my bathroom floor. I'm so glad that I wear the oldest clothes I can find, because nine times out of ten part of my henna will miss my head and go flying somewhere else. Did I mention that I hennaed my elbow the other day? I literally ended up with henna on my elbow and I didn't see it until I was wrapping my hair up. If I mislead you into thinking that henna didn't have a downside, then I'm sorry. It's like being in a relationship. You see all the goody, goodiness in the beginning and then, the real person steps out. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate henna at all. There are just some things about henna that I have found to be challenging or even annoying.

Eew! The smell, the smell. Is it grass? Is it an herb? What is that?! Only an essential oil will knock the funk away of the great green goo known as henna. All I can say is DON'T even  think of doing henna on a hungry stomach. It made me hungry but sick to my stomach at the same time. I had to pull out some lavender oil and put a couple drops in. That smell is like no other. Someone on a hair blog had the nerve to say that the smell is good and like herbs. Ah, no... Only people who sniff weird stuff would like the smell of henna.

What color will I get? Red, brown, something else? The unpredictable color can be unnerving. No two heads are alike, and so you can get red highlights and your friend can end up with auburn brown. The color that you want may come the first time, fourth time, or never without the right technique. It takes A LOT of work to try to get a particular color out of henna unless you add certain herbs or liquids. Hibiscus tea, paprika, rose water, and rosehips are known to add red highlights to hennaed hair. It can be added to henna to increase the red color. Not a fan of red? Amla powder can give a brown color. Want black or darkened hair? Try using indigo after you henna.

Freshly hennaed hair
Red Raj Henna
HennaSooq.com

By this time next year, I'll be able to wash the goo out. NEVER, ever ever henna hair when you have to do something later that day. I see my henna days as my spa treatment. I make sure to do henna on a day in which I don't plan on going anywhere. I mean, how will I explain my green goo on my hair? Can you imagine seeing a good looking guy and having plastic wrap goop on? Nope, that is NOT sexy!

The bottom line is... It ain't easy being green! Kermit the Frog had it right. Being green means you're different and some people just can't handle different. In the natural community some people hail henna as a natural cure for scalp conditions, provides great strength, and conditioning. Others see it as a hassle and still a few see it as an herbal relaxer. But for me, it has been a game changer. My hair is morphing into boundless curls of gorgeousness. And for that, being green just ain't so bad!!!

Dear Readers, what say you about henna? Share your thoughts!

Moroccan Henna-- How Good Is It REALLY?-Product Review

I'm still learning about the different types of henna and frankly, I'm figuring out which hennas work for me. So far, I've done more reading than hennaing, because I'm not as adventurous as some people. I prefer to do a lot of research before jumping from henna to henna. After lurking hair forums and reading different henna blogs, I decided to deviate from Red Raj and try Moroccan henna.

Here's my disclaimer: Please note that I acquired the Moroccan henna for free. Henna Sooq gave me complimentary Moroccan henna, because there were issues with my order. I am very thankful to Khadijah, the owner for being so professional and generous. Nevertheless, despite the generous gift I am going to share my honest experience and opinion about this henna.

What makes Moroccan henna different? It has a pretty short dye release time compared to others-- 2 1/2 hrs. It makes a very smooth and creamy paste. When I mixed the henna I was quite surprised that the henna paste was so silky. Finally, Moroccan henna does not hold up well when frozen. Unlike other hennas, freezing Moroccan henna interferes with its dyeing ability.

What did I use to mix my Moroccan henna? I dumped about 100 mg of Moroccan henna into a bowl. I took a spoon and crushed any small lumps I saw. Then, I dumped in about 50 mg of Aloe Vera powder. I mixed them dry and made sure that the powders blended. I heated 13 oz of coconut milk on the stove until medium hot. Then, I poured the coconut milk over a hair tea. I let the hair tea steep in the coconut milk for about 30 minutes. Next, I removed the musslin bag (which contained the hair tea) and poured the coconut milk/hair tea mixture into the henna mixture. I slowly did this and mixed the henna with the coconut milk slowly. I added milk into the henna mixture stopping mixing, pouring, and mixing until I got a smooth paste similar to pudding.

Complimentary Carrot Shampoo Bar & Moroccan Henna from
HennaSooq.com

How do I allow the dye to release in the henna? After mixing all the ingredients I covered the bowl with the top and left it to sit on the counter for about 2 1/2 hrs.

How did I apply the Moroccan henna? I donned my free plastic gloves from Henna Sooq. I parted my hair into 4 sections (2 sections in the front and 2 in the back). I applied the paste on each section covering the hair. When I was done I used Saran Wrap and wrapped my hair tightly. I added my Turbie towel over it to create heat using my body heat. I left the henna on for about 6 hrs.

Did I add oils to my henna mix? No, I chose not to add oils to my henna mix this time, because I lightly oiled my scalp with organic coconut oil. If I was going to add oils then I would do it AFTER dye release. Doing so prior to dye release would result in some interference with the color deposit.

How did I rinse my hair? I bent over the tub and rinsed my hair thoroughly turning my head from side to side. The henna ran dark at first in the water. As the henna rinsed off thoroughly, I noticed that the water was lighter. As soon as the water ran clear, I added my shampoo bar. I rubbed Chagrin Valley Shampoo bar in a circular motion on my crown creating a nice foam. I gently massaged my crown, then rinsed my hair thoroughly. Next, I added NaturelleGrow Coconut Cleansing Cream Conditioner into sections of my hair. I left it in my hair for about 3 minutes and then, I rinsed it out. Finally, I applied the Naturelle Grow Herbal Blends deep conditioner. I wrapped my hair up with plastic and left it in my hair for 20 minutes. After rinsing out the deep conditioner I was truly tired and just put leave-in conditioner in my hair, did some loose twists, and went to bed.

How does my hair feel? My hair is incredibly soft and conditioned. My curls feel very smooth and there is no issues with dryness. I knew that using coconut milk would give me the moisture to combat dryness issues that are normally associated with henna. I couldn't stop touching my hair. The curls are slightly looser, but it doesn't concern me. My hair is weird in the sense that it loosens and then tightly curls back up. My curls are springy and shiny. The back which has a tighter curl pattern feels a little like softened wool. I need to stop touching my hair.

My curls after using the Moroccan henna.

How do I feel about Moroccan henna? After my hair dried I was quite disappointed. The effect was very blah and the color did not pop the way it does with Red Raj. My gray hairs were like a dark orange, which I did not like. I did see some darkening in two days, but it was just bland. Red Raj is like my true love. I feel like I was cheating on it with Moroccan henna.

What is the bottom line? I'm glad that I did order a box of Red Raj henna, because I will be doing another henna next week with Red Raj. I need a pop of color and I need it now!!!  Also, the Moroccan henna did not color all of my gray. I have one gray hair in the very front that is still gray after using Moroccan henna. Unbelievable!!! I don't want to overdo it, but I want my hair to be in tip top shape. My color has to compliment my skin tones. Moroccan has orange hues and that definitely does not go well with my red undertones in my skin.

My opinion is that Moroccan henna is best suited for people who aren't looking for a strong red or those who want to use it as a base to use indigo for a brown color. It offers great conditioning and strengthening benefits. I loved how creamy the henna mixture was and it went on my hair smoothly. However, dear Moroccan henna is just not my cup of tea!!!

For more information on Moroccan heanna or to check out other henna powders visit Henna Sooq

To order Naturelle Grow conditioners visit NaturelleGrow

Dear Readers, are you a henna head? Which henna(s) do you love to use? What are your favorite liquids for mixing?