Posts Tagged black hair care
Posted on June 21, 2009 with 5 Comments
Thinking of relaxing?
Choosing the best relaxer is very important for the health of your hair. Fear not! With the right relaxer and proper maintenance your hair can be healthy and strong. An experienced hairstylist is most qualified to identify which chemical treatment is right for your hair.
Of course, the texture and curl of your hair are key considerations in selection of product and processing time. But more importantly, your history of hair processing will determine which chemical relaxer can be used on your hair.
Some relaxers, when combined with others, even when months have passed since your last relaxing process, will break protein bonds in such a way that disastrous hair breakage results. So it’s important to see a licensed stylist for this chemical service.
Relaxers typically need to be touched up every 6 to 8 weeks depending on the rate of your hair growth. This is a process where the relaxer is only applied the “new growth”.
The three main active ingredients found in chemical relaxers are sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide and amonium thioglycholate.
Sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, and has been blamed for causing damage, while guanidine hydroxide and amonium thioglycholate are promoted as “gentle” or “no-lye” formulas.
The truth, however, is that all three of these chemicals will cause severe follicle and scalp damage if they are misused; and all three can produce good results when used correctly.
When it comes to lye relaxers my favorites are Mizani and Mizani Butter blend. I’m also a fan of Affirm. When it comes to No-Lye hands down I would choose Phytospecific Phytorelaxer Index 1; it’s pricey but the end result is fabulous!
Self Relaxing
My suggestion is that if you don’t have experience in self relaxing…DON’T! Self relaxing is very tricky and over processing is very common for the inexperienced. It’s especially important when applying to new growth. One of my favorite products for self-straightening is the Organic Root Stimulato kit that, when applied correctly offers salon results.
Black Hair Maintenance
It’s important to wrap hair each night and cover hair with a silk scarf before going to bed. Apply light moisture daily or apply a light silicone spray. Wash and Condition weekly with moisture enriched products such as HHP Emu Oil Shampoo and conditioner. Apply a heat protectant, such as HHP Spray Straight to smooth and straighten and Blow dry. Deep condition monthly and apply protein based products as needed or as recommended by stylist.
Posted on June 16, 2009 with 2 Comments
Well it’s that time of year again. Sticky, Hot, and Humid weather attacking your curly locs and causing them to swell to epic proportion. Fear not! I think struck gold with a carefree black hair regimen that will revive those curls and make them pop!
My regimen is pretty simple and works well with my naturally curly summer style.
Step#1
I wash my hair with HHP Emu Oil Shampoo. This product is absolutely amazing and gives my kinky curly locs the most beautiful shine.
Step #2
I condition with HHP Emu Oil Conditioner. I typically leave on for 15 minutes and lightly rinse out. That’s right I said lightly! This product also works well as a leave in and works great with Step#3. For those of you who own a hair steamer, HHP Emu conditioner is a wonderful accompaniment. I promise you your hair will be moisturized soft and shiny.
Step #3
I towel blot my hair and I apply Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding. My all time favorite curl crème to date! But what’s most impressive is that when used with Step#2 your curls are elongated with less 
bulk and frizz. Best of all your hair will be moisturized from root to tip. Apply Miss Jessie’s liberally and finger style as every curl falls in place and voila! You are done! Optional Product: IC Sparkle Lights gel is a good alternative to Miss Jessie’s.
Optional Step #4
Apply a small amount of Shesentit Seyani Hair Butter for added moisture for those with courser hair. It helps soften and refresh curls - making dense locks more manageable and feeling a lot better.
Suzanne P.
Suzanne is a contributing editor for Skin Care News Blog. She is an expert and featured writer in black hair care and black hair styles - having been a stylist and distributor for years. Her knowledge of products that work is phenomenal and her sense of style amazing. Stay tuned for more insight from her.
Posted on May 26, 2009 with 1 Comment
Two years ago my wife and I were fortunate (blessed) to adopt a 5-year-old boy from Guatemala. He always has a smile on his face, is inquisitive, humble, smart and has the thickest, densest hair of anyone I’ve ever met.
No kidding - his hair is jet black, stands straight-up and as thick as a carpet. Whenever he is in the sun, his head absorbs heat like asphalt on an August day and the sweat starts falling, even when the temperature is rather mild. It is coarse and stiff, and we have experimented with all sorts of shampoos to keep his scalp moisturized and follicles somewhat soft and manageable - what we needed was a shampoo for dense, coarse and thick hair.
Needless to say, we have several hispanic friends - mainly from Central and South America - and many of the “hispanics” we know have similar challenges, whether they’re from Mexico, Guatemala or Venezuela. And the issue we hear repeatedly is how to maintain and manage hair that is so coarse and thick.
Here is what we have found. First, maintaining moisture is paramount and the two best products we found for that are those with emu oil or LusterPlex. LusterPlex, interestingly, was developed by Croda (a personal products research and ingredient company) to increase flexibility, shine and smoothness of coarse or thick hair. It has become a top active ingredient for use in African American hair products for its’ properties for increasing sheen and reducing breaking.
Shampoos and conditioners with this ingredient work great for hispanic hair (latino, latina) too - I can attest. Though density hasn’t changed (and I hope it doesn’t for a long time), his hair is much softer and smoother - and doesn’t have that “velcro” feel. It still gets hot - as a recent trip to the pool proved, but the feel of brittleness is gone and it doesn’t seem to get as dirty as it once did.
The other ingredient I mentioned was emu oil. Emu oil is great for moisturizing the scalp and works very well in shampoos and conditioners. It is a very popular ingredient for African American shampoos and for anyone who deals with breakage or coarseness. It is a great moisturizer - reducing dryness and poor hydration - and works well for those whose locks are thin…it adds body, softness and life.
Tags: african american hair products, afro-american, black, black hair care, brittle, Coarse, conditioners, dense, healthy hair, Ingredients, shampoos, thick hair
Category: African American & Black, Dense, Thick & Coarse, Ingredients, Latin American & Hispanic, Shampoo
Posted on May 6, 2009 with 3 Comments
As a follow-up on our previous post regarding increasing salon revenue, last night (coincidentally) I saw a report on the local Atlanta news about salon owner giving away free haircuts to those who recently lost jobs.
11 Alive News a local NBC affiliate reported how a salon owner was reaching out to those who recently becam unemployed. I reported on this in previous blog as a technique to not only improve traffic but to help your community. Apparently from the report, all the stylists were excited to take part and response from customers was overwhelming - and heart-felt with gratification.
Needless to say, the two minute piece on the 7pm news has helped build traffic, loyalty and exposure - free exposure. While every owner who chooses to offer a plan like this will get similar FREE coverage, it might be picked on the radio, local or community paper, or by word of mouth.
The key to promoting, is, well, promoting. Let nearby unemployment agencies and churches know of your program. Drop-off leaflets at temporary agencies. They usually have large rolls of folks looking for work, and displaying or posting a professionally prepared flyer may often work well. Especially if you reciprocate. Offer to put some of their cards or a flyer in your shop. If folks are getting their haircut and are looking for a job, considering registering with a temporary employment service may help them find a job…everyone wins!
The cond part of the report focused on free styling for moms for Mother’s Day. An Atlanta-area salon hosted a Mom Pampering Day. The recruited several makeup artist, nail specialists, and spa staff to give free massages, nail treatments, and makeovers - along with a wash, cut and styling. Again, they got great, free press and exposure and judging from the video, the place was PACKED. Most salons provide some spa services. If you don’t, go visit a few to see if you can pull together a partnership for a day to promote everyone’s business. If they are slow, then they might jump at the chance to perform the services + they have their own prospect for promotion.
Posted on April 17, 2009 with No Comments
Bronner Brothers has announced several show for the 2009 season. In May, their first show is in Baltimore on May 17th-19th; later in August, they have scheduled their home-base show in Atlanta on August 15th-18th. In October they have planned Seminars by The Sea at the Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas.
A complete Bronner online brochure reviews the schedule, classes and educational programs. They expect to have over 200 hair care products exhibitors, some “celebrity” stylists, and even screening sessions for the movie “Good Hair”!! Time to brush-up on your acting skills!
Atlanta-based Bronner is renowned for their shows, conferences and educational programs. The Brothers have become a leader in the Black, Ethnic and African American hair market. It is a showcase for black and African American hair products and styling. Their shows are always a lot of fun.
