-How long have you been natural?
I’ve been natural 13 months now. My last relaxer was almost 2 years ago and I haven’t looked back since!
-What is your regimen?
I co-wash every day with Suave conditioner. Once a week I deep condition with Diez en Uno, my favorite Dominican product. I then brush with my Denman and seal with castor oil. If I pre-poo I use olive oil, coconut oil and honey. I’m not as much of a PJ as I used to be and I find that things in the kitchen work better for my hair than expensive products. Since discovering how awesome castor oil is I hardly wear gel anymore. I find that less is more when it comes to my hair. I use heat about every 6 weeks just to add some variety and I make sure to protect my hair with coconut oil and/or a serum.
-What is the one thing you’d tell a newbie to help her on her journey? Patience is key,but finding support whether its a forum online or with a friend is so important. And if you give up, you can always try again. I failed for years before I got it right and I know that finding online support was 99% of why I was successful. Time will feel like its going very slow and your hair isn’t growing, but little things like creating a Fotki account and taking pictures to document your progress can help you see the big picture. Love your hair the way it is, don’t worry if it doesn’t look like a certain person’s hair. My last advice is to stay true to yourself. People criticized me for not relaxing my hair anymore, but I kept reminding myself that this was between me and God, nobody else.
-How do you maintain length?
I maintain length a few ways. I do my own hair. I dust every few months, no trimming. I maintain length by doing protective styles and adding castor oil or coconut oil to my ends. I detangle every day and at night I make sure to braid my hair. I use very little heat. The only color I use to cover my greys is Henna, no more hair dyes for me.
-What’s the best thing about being naturally glamorous?!
I don’t fear walking in the rain anymore! Its so awesome! It takes me 10 minutes to do my hair in the morning. I love the versatility of my curls and the fact that I can make it straight or curly whenever I want. I have many more good hair days now. Best of all I feel like I’m naturally me.
Ahh beautiful hair!
I just came across your blog and love it! I frequent afrobella, urbancurlz, and honeybrownsugar..I’m very happy to add your blog to my daily dose of natural speldor 🙂