NORTH FLORIDA NATURAL HAIRCARE EXPO...SIMPLY NATURAL MAY 20, 2012 @ JACKSONVILLE MARRIOT

EVENT FLYER

Kinky Pride & Simply Natural Organicals

Sponsor of the North Florida Natural Hair Care Expo

http://kinkypride.com/products/products.html

Registration table w/our beautiful greeters

Alicia (Palm Coast) & Peggy

Alicia hosted her first natural hair meetup in Palm Coast, Fl. just prior to the expo.The meetup group Naturals of Palm Coast has sense grown and they recently hosted another event Kinks and Konversation: A Day in the Life of Natural Hair.

Bamboo Hair Studio

http://millenniumsol.com/

Shawn Lamar & Model Mary Tucker

Shawn styled every model hair that performed in the fashion show portion of the expo.

Shawn is a hair artist @ AMG Uptown Salon located in Jacksonville. I had the honor to be his assistant for a short time, he's truly talented.

http://amguptown.com/

Mary recently launched her own natural hair product line, Decoyology and was apart of a great team of women that organized a expo in Valdosta, GA. this past weekend.

Phyllis Allen & Fan/Customer

Mrs. Allen is the co-owner of Kinky Pride & Simply Naturals Organicals.

The young lady in the picture had watched a video of Mrs. Allen the night before and was hoping she'd get a chance to meet her and she broke into tears when she realized it was her!

(Sorry my camera phone doesnt take good pics )

Product demo by Mrs. Phyllis Allen.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil 30 day Challenge

JBCO is great for all hair types and performs best when it’s massaged into your scalp because it works on the hair root/follicle and not just the hair itself. It will moisturize, thicken, strengthen and rapidly increase hair growth.  JBCO increases blood flow to the scalp, supplies valuable nutrients to hair follicles, it will also prevent hair breakage, dandruff, eczema, alopecia, thinning hair, bald spots and dry itchy scalp; including in the eyebrows and eyelashes.

JBCO vs. Other Castor Oils: According to www.naturallycurly.com, over the past ten years it has been established scientifically that Jamaican Black Castor oil has nothing in it that will harm your hair and it is more effective than the clear pharmacy castor oil because of the ash content due to roasting of the castor bean…NOT A MYTH A PROVEN FACT! The scientific name for the castor bean is Ricinus Communis; it’s organic and sulfate-free!  Authentic JBCO is dark brown in color and accompanied with the traditional burnt smell. Castor oil has been used medically for over 4,000 years for many different aliments. It’s native to East Africa but made its way to Jamaica via the slave trade and is now manufactured the oil fashioned way there.

Although, I initially stated that you may have to mix JBCO with something else, it’s not necessary to do so. I’ve used it both ways, mixed with other oils; water or Shea Butter and I’ve applied it directly to my scalp without mixing. You can make this determination once you know how your hair reacts to this oil.

Now, to get us started…

Let’s start the challenge this week. I am choosing this week because hopefully by the next event we’ll be able to report our results. Currently the event date for April has been finalized but I’m pushing for April 18^th.  Would you all like to meet up to discuss the challenge or will the message board will be a better form of communication for the challenge? Also, I was thinking of having some shirts made once we’ve completed it the challenge, tell me what u think?

These are questions that everyone participating in the challenge should answer.

What is your participation time frame: 30 days and indefinitely, castor oil is a staple on my hair!

What brand you will be using: Tropic Isle

Mix or No Mix: TBD

When and how will you apply it: I will apply it to our scalp twice a week, use it as a sealant for our hair and to style our hair

What is your overall goal for this challenge: To reap all the benefits listed above!

NATURAL HAIR STYLING PARTY: EVENT PHOTOS

These photos were taken by NaSheka Harper of Braids by Sheka a hair salon located in Lakeland, Florida. NaSheka also provides the course needed to become registered in the state of Florida for natural hair specialist and braiders. http://braidsbysheka.com/

Thank you to all the beauties that attended the event. Look forward to seeing you at our next event in April...A Product Junkie Party!

LOVINMINATURALLY PRESENTS WINEDOWN WEDNESDAY'S NATURAL HAIR STYLING PARTY

Natural Hair Care: Fall/Winter Regimen

It’s that time of year again and here in Florida the weather is so unpredictable but usually around this time of year it gets outrageous! At 630a it’s 45 degrees and then by the end of the day it’s a cool 71. The dry air can cause your coils to become dry and brittle, therefore it is essential to protect and prevent damage to your hair during these seasons with heavier products. Butters like Shea, Mango, Cocoa or Shealoe are great. Oils can range from light such as coconut to heavy such as castor oil, so consider switching them up or try some combinations during the cooler weather.

Cold weather can cause dry, itchy skin and scalp from a lack of moisture which can lead to dry, limp hair. So stay hydrated (inside and out), stash your summer products, and be sure to deep condition and to do protein treatments as needed. Cover your curls with hats or scarfs and wear them in protective styles as much as possible, also try to find shampoo that’s specific to your hair type and rich in ceramides but try to avoid washing your curls too often this can also lead to dry brittle hair.

While doing my research for this post I found that the heating systems used indoors during the cold months are also damaging to our curls. The systems can cause our curls to lose moisture and make them dull; some have found that using a humidifier can work well in overcoming this issue because it introduces moisture into the atmosphere. You can also try leaving a pot of steaming water on the stove for the same effect. Split ends become more noticeable during the fall and winter months, and the best way to treat them is limiting how much you handle your hair, use of heating devices and harsh chemicals. Heat can damage the structure of your hair and causes the loss of ceramides which is essential to bounding hair cells, reducing split ends and repairing hair fibers. Try to avoid excessive heat even in the shower and when washing your curls use warm/cool water.

Here is a sample of my Fall/Winter Regimen--

·         Wash as needed with shampoo (once or twice a month)

·         Stretch

·         No combs or brushes—FINGERS ONLY!

·         Twists 95%

·         Oil every day

·         Moisturize every 3 days

·         Protective styling

·         Satin bonnet, scarf, pillowcase EVERY NIGHT no exceptions!!

Detailed regimen- -

1.       Apply oil to my hair (finger detangle during this process), then  Lustrasilk or Queen Helene’s conditioner without a plastic cap for 1 to 2 hours

2.       Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water, allow water to fully saturate hair

3.       Divide hair into sections (2 to 4)

4.       Shampoo hair one section at a time, rinsing thoroughly

5.       Apply a conditioner that has great “slip”, which is Hello Hydration usually for me, to both sides

6.       Allow the water to run over my entire head to help with the distribution of the conditioner. Rinse thoroughly AGAIN!

7.       Wrap hair in a cotton t-shirt, apply coconut oil and twist

LovinMiNaturally Presents Winedown Wednesday's

On January 18, 2012 my business partner and I will host a natural hair styling party. This idea came from my membership with a local natural hair group that I found on http://meetup.com. A former member started a discussion to have a meet up during the week for those that aren’t able to attend the meet ups on weekends, she suggested a theme of Winedown Wednesday. After joining the group I took the initiative to do it myself but I soon learned that doing this on my own wouldn’t be easy and I pitched the idea to a fellow natural and now things are finally falling into place.

We wanted to have a meet up that appealed to naturals in all stages of their journey from those not yet natural but considering the transition to beauties that have been doing this natural thing for years. I also wanted attendants to walk away with useful information about their new lifestyle, whether it’s a learning to part your hair correctly or knowing what foods can help promote healthy hair. Currently, we have 3 vendors/stylist ready to participate but I am still looking for someone to speak about sisterlocks and because we’ll more than likely have the first party in one of our homes we’re going to limit the number of guests therefore allowing everyone to be comfortable.

So, here’s what we have planned so far…4 basic hair style tutorials for loc’d and natural hair will be done by the stylist on preselected models. We are also asking that the guest bring in a product that they would like to share with group for a product swap, an information packet will be provided to everyone in attendance which will include information on transitioning without the “Big Chop”, starting dreadlocks’ and sisterlocks, creating and starting your own regimen, a lists of essential oils, hair typing info, etc.  And also in keeping with the theme of Winedown Wednesday, we’ll be offering FREE food and drinks, provided by my company Purple Lemonade Catering & Event Planning.

I can’t wait to post an update on the outcome!

Natural Hair Care: “Going Natural”

Transitioning without the Big Chop

Deciding to wear YOUR natural hair is among one of the biggest decisions in your life. It’s likely that anyone you inform of your decision will have an opinion be it positive or negative.  Therefore it is VERY important to remember to stay strong, understand that there is A LOT of information out here about natural hair but it’s most important to do your own research. Natural hair blogs such as this are strictly informational, no two heads are alike (even if you share the same hair type) so do your own research on products, MOISTURIZE and PROTECT!

Transitioning without the big chop is a process that allows you to retain some length. Most naturals would say that the most difficult part of the process is styling and maintaining the two textures of hair. For many this is the reason for the big chop, avoiding the transitioning process completely. I’ll share with you some of the tips I learned during my transition, some may work for you and some wont but having the basic information helps. These few tips will become a staple in caring for your curls.

1. Limit the use of shampoo. Co-washing is the process of cleansing the hair without the use of shampoo which is loaded with harsh chemicals that aren’t ideal for natural hair. If you must use a shampoo choose a sulfate free brand.
2. Deep condition regularly, at least 2x a week. This can be done with heat for 15-30 mins or without for an hour or longer. This process allows for added moisture which is VERY important in the maintenance of natural hair.
3. Detangling with conditioner, starting with ends of the hair. Never attempt this process on dry hair rather you are transitioning or fully natural. Using a good conditioner with slip is ideal to help ease the detangling process for those like me (tender headed). Some naturals like me have graduated to finger detangling, eliminating the use of combs and the amount of hair shed.
4. Protective Styling. This is perhaps one of the most important tips to maintaining healthy natural hair, after moisturizing. Some common styles are comb coils, flat twist, two strand twist, twist outs, braids/braid outs, crinkle/ straw sets and the list goes on….
5. Minimize how much you have to handle your hair and trim your ends.  Your hair is more fragile than usual during this process. Personally, I have what I like to call “restless hand syndrome” where I’m constantly twirling my hair on my fingers or pulling out those single knots, which lead to breakage.  Also, invest in a satin bonnet or pillowcase and in some cases you’ll need both.
6. Last but definitely not least. Avoid flat ironing or pressing the new growth or your fully natural hair. This can completely and permanently alter your curl pattern. Possibly delaying the process of transitioning my now making it three textures of hair, your relaxed hair, new growth and the straightened hair. This can also make your curls prone to breakage and severe damage.

Good luck and Happy Transitioning!!!