Hair Do: Twists

So this is how I wore my hair a while back.

I love Twists. They are so easy to do. Easy to Maintain. Easy to Style.

Twists are my go to protective style.

Still thinking about cutting my hair though :/

Product Review: Alison’s Coconut Oil

If you are from Kenya then you need no introduction to this oil. It’s the one oil love it or hate it am sure you have come in contact with, whether in school or saloons. It’s the one product you cannot miss on the supermarket shelves. The one hair oil which we can remember, and has survived since our birth…lol

To be honest, when I was young and yet to be enlightened I HATED! This oil. I couldn’t stand its smell, I hated its melting ways and couldn’t for the life of me understand why my mother kept asking me to use it.

I was so glad when I could finally bid it good riddance and “advance” on to better “cooler” hair oils that the trendy kids were using in boarding school. Even if I carried it to school I would rarely touch it, not unless I really, really, really had to use it.

I remember we even had a name for it, “mafuta ya walalo” in English, something like oil for the Muslim girls with curly hair. This is because this “Muslim girls” normally used it most if not all the time since birth. Its funny we used to detest it and make fun of the girls who used it, but when looking back, do you remember how actually the Muslim girls had some of the bestest hair when they removed their hijabs!!! But oh well as they say, Ignorance is bliss. Because most of us attributed their beautiful hair to their heritage, and not actually to how they took care of it.

But anyway, I can honestly say that coconut oil is my favourite hair oil. I always have a bottle of my Alisons coconut oil. It’s pure organic/virgin coconut oil, thus more plus for it. It is the one oil that I cannot live without. It is wholesome and healthy. It does so much for hair, I think much more than any other hair oil.

In Kenya we are abundantly blessed with coconuts, so if you want to make your own oil also its highly achievable!

Here are some ways of how coconut oil can be useful to you:

Coconut oil nourishes dry & damaged hair; apply some oil into the damaged ends a half hour before showering.

Coconut oil makes hair glossy/shiny and reduces frizz; rub a small amount of oil into the palms of your hands the lightly apply it to the hair.

Coconut oil treats dry scalp; each night rub coconut oil lightly onto your scalp lightly, massage head for a few minute, then detangle the hair using a wide toothed comb then put on a shower cap, sleep overnight with it, then wash your hair as usual in the morning. Repeat daily till you are satisfied with results. This could take up to 5weeks. You can mix the coconut oil with fresh lemon juice for better results.

Coconut oil is a sealant; after your daily hair spritz rub a small amount of oil on your hands and distribute it on your hair, this will help the hair retain its natural moisture content and reinforce the hair fiber to make it stronger, avoiding friction between the hair fibers.

Coconut oil can be used as Hair Conditioner; apply coconut oil to your hair after shampooing, concentrating on the tips. Avoid putting the oil on the roots of your hair or scalp. Wrap your head in shower cap and wrap the cap with a towel dipped in warm water. Leave it in for half an hour then rinse you hair thoroughly with water.

Coconut Oil promotes hair growth; apply coconut oil onto your scalp, try to do it daily, this will strengthen and revitalize hair follicles thus stimulate growth and reduce breakage. You can also warm the oil using a warm water bath, gently pour it over your scalp and massage and give it a rinse. Do this regularly.

Coconut Oil ensures your hair does not harbor lice or lice eggs; just carry out the above processes. It will also ensure treatment of occasional pimple or mosquito bite we might get on the head.

It’s good to note that just like skin, hair is what we eat, so make sure you eat healthy, buy coconut oil for cooking as it is easily absorbed and is another easy way to get its benefits.. Coconut oil will help in proper blood circulation, thus help the follicle cells receive sufficient oxygen for growth and reduce protein loss for natural hair

Live, Love,Laugh,

Its only Natural

Natural Toto

KEY: HAIR GROWTH SURVIVAL GUIDE

FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD

So I came across this book the other day and after reading and thinking how awesome it was I decided to share.

The book generally gives tips on how to care and groom for our Hair. The book is essentially meant for those with curly hair (am more of a coily) but I feel all the tips given can be used by generally any and everyone with natural hair.

The book is from Curly Hair Salon and its very insightful. I also love the fact that its not bulky. Only 12 pages!!! But you end up feeling like you have learned a whole lot! I recommend it to everyone. You can read it and choose which tips to take and which to ignore.

I would love to know what you will be taking from the book. What routines you will be taking up. And definitely I would love to see the outcome of such routines. I will also do mine and post them on the facebook page.

As always you can follow us either on facebook or twitter by following the links on your right. I would love to hear your opinions and hair journeys.

Finally,click the link here to download the book: HAIR GROWTH SURVIVAL GUIDE

Live, Love,Laugh,

Its only Natural

Natural Toto

DEEP CONDITIONING!

Hello everyone,

Yes I do remember that the last time, before I went on my short break I was to tell you how I condition my hair.

Deep conditioning as I previously mentioned is very important for natural hair and it should be preferably done at least every month. Deep conditioning helps strengthen & moisturise the hair.

I do my deep conditioning every 2weeks to a month and usually my ingredients include:

1. Honey (Kenya has some of the best honey in the world, so better utilize it good J)
2. Coconut Oil (you can substitute with coconut milk)
3. Shea leave in conditioner
4. Fragrance free conditioner
5. Sometimes I add in some aloe Vera mix.

I mix all the ingredients in a bowl and part my hair methodically while applying the mix, after applying it every inch of my hair, I cover my head with a shower cap, and a scarf/leso on top then let it sit for 2hrs to 3hrs, after which I wash it all off, and finish with a cold water rinse. My hair pops and shines like something else J
Example

Two other things people have sworn about before in their list of ingredients are avocado and bananas. Avocados help repairing damaged hair and making it shine, and also make the texture softer while bananas soften hair.

I have tried using avocado before (as is in the case of the photos below where I added avocado in the mix above) and just a word of caution is, if you want to use either of the fruits, please ensure that you blend them nicely using a blender, and ensure that you choose good fruits especially the avocadoes because some of them can be stringy and leave avocado strands in your hair.

In my experience when I used the avocado, I didn’t have a blender and decided to just mash manually, and also the avocado was the stringy type, o the horror! I spent close to an hour removing the pieces of avocado from my hair after the final rinse. I swore to never do that again, well at least till I get a blender. (That is the reason I don't have photos of me during this session)

Please let me know how do you do your deep conditioning? What are the ingredients you use?

Live, Love,Laugh,

Its only Natural

Natural Toto

Music Break! BEAUTY WITHIN by DEAD PREZ

Hey, so today is when I minimize on the talking and let your be serenaded with some power song.

If you have checked out our facebook page (www.faceboook.com/NaturalToto) you will notice that our cover photo is of beautiful natural ladies, seemingly having a conversation.

The photo is pulled from one of my all time favourite jams called the beauty within by dead prez.

Check out the video and let me know if you are feeling it J

Live, Love,Laugh,

Its only Natural

Natural Toto

Hairspiration: Lotus Kyamba

Every Tuesday will be what I call “Hairspiration Tuesday”. Every week I will try to bring one natural beauty from close home, whom we can all find inspiration from in our natural hair journey. If you have a hairspiration you would like us to feature, please don’t forget to email us at naturaltoto@gmail.com or drop us a line at either our Facebook page or Twitter handle.

Well, to start us of, she goes by the name of Lotus Kiyamba from Tanzania, you may have seen her on the popular TV station EATV.  She hosts the show Nirvana, which is all about fashion and lifestyle. She is also a professional dancer.

Lotus describes herself as: "I am natural and I am just myself, very energetic, funky and love to have fun. Creativity is within me, when it comes to action, my favourite is dancing".

Lotus is my all time favourite Natural Hair Sistah! Why?

First of all in a demanding job, with an image perception expected by most people, she sets her rules and she is the first Natural hair TV host I know of in the whole of East Africa. And she has been so consistently for the past 2yrs I have known her on TV. Presenting a show which deals with beauty in Africa where 99% of people you will come to contact with are wearing weaves and what not must take a strong heart to not also be pulled into that world.

Second reason I love Lotus, is that she always keeps it fresh, experiments with different styles, cuts and colour. There is always something about her hair and her personality which is always popping. From afros, mohawk, cornrows, braids, Lotus has done it all and keep inventing and reinventing her style.

And third reason, is because as a public figure in a TV station that is widely watched,  she has the role of being a role model and influencer on many young girls. And by her staying natural then she will teach young girls and boys that it is okay to be you. It’s okay to rock natural hair and being black, having kinky hair does not make you any less beautiful!

From following nirvana in and out, she has shown how she gets some of her hairstyles done, and has even pointed to the salon she goes to, one called Abyssinia run by a beautiful Ethiopian sista, and some sexy dude and this guys are at the top of their game when it comes to styling natural hair. I personally, don’t know of any salon in Kenya that deals with or is READY! to deal with natural hair expect for shingling and locking. If you do, kindly let me know.

But for now, way to go Lotus! Uko Juu tu Sana!

NATURAL HAIR IS CHEAP!

Hey guys, am sorry I have been out of touch for a while, life eih! ... But anyway am back!  While I didn’t blog for a while I always tried to update the facebook page, so if you haven’t checked it out make sure to do so at www.facebook.com/NaturalToto

Anyway for my come back I decided to share with you one story that I came across recently. It’s a discussion of hair in the Kenyan setting, why most women prefer weaves, and in particular it follows a young lady in her quest of hair beauty. The story didn’t actually shock me, as this is something I have come to know and understand about not only Kenyans, but lots of girls & women in Africa. Most of us HATE! Our natural hair.

It’s a mindset we have been conditioned and accustomed to from a young age, a mindset which has been influenced by the western world and its depiction of beauty and therein in part, lack of our own depiction of beauty. This mind set where straight hair, permed hair, weaves and wigs are chosen as the ideal standard of beauty, while our own God given hair is seen as ugly, nasty, unmanageable, uncontainable and some kind of a sin put upon our head which we must hide and alter at any given time to seem presentable! This is a mindset I blame mostly to our own Ignorance.

In the story the lady whose life is followed can be heard as saying she hates her hair because its kinky, funny enough her hair is full of chemical still, and it has just a bit of “growth” on it. But just by the mere sight of her natural hair she is angry, sad, and feels unworthy or ugly because of it, and has to run back to the salon to get it “retouched.” 

Still in the story, is one of Kenya’s most prominent her salonists, she confidently and without shame says that Natural hair is cheap!!! And seems so proud to say of how she goes to far off countries such as China and India to collect hair, which for some reason only she would know, is made pure by the fact that it is cut in temples!!! Again I can only blame such utterances as Ignorance.

It is such a shame to bring children in the world and give them a mindset that being as they are is not beautiful and they have to plaster or add other things to their physique to make them beautiful. It’s such a shame for one to feel so intelligent in saying your natural hair is cheap (as compared to assumedly dead people hair from far off lands) and that it’s something done only by people from the rural areas.

I just hope can learn from this video, see how low we have stooped and go back to our roots! It’s only natural.

What are your sentiments about natural hair, do you also think its cheap?