On the Couch with Anita Grant

On December 5th, 2005 – AnitaGrant.com was created, by the all round self-proclaimed-cosmetic-label-reader-ingredient junkie-mixtress, Anita. Her product line is nothing short of AMAZING! I recently caught up with Anita in order to ask her four of my most burning questions.

CN: What is your natural hair story?
Anita: It all began in 2005, after my hands were blistered by a “safe synthetics” hair lotion containing propylene glycol, a popular chemical used in most Afro hair care beauty products. Having that traumatic experience with a store-bought product made me realize the position that the big corporate beauty companies essentially hold their customers in — a position of ignorance when it comes to ingredients listed on a label.

So I began to loiter the Oils sections at my grocers, purchasing all that I could afford. I moved onto the dried herbs section, then the baking section in search of humectants like honey and exfoliants like bicarbonate of soda, brown sugar, sea salts, and softeners like organic cocoa powder. I used all of these ingredients in my hair and on my skin with great success.

Then I came across Nappturality.com’s Homemade forum where there were others who also shared the same concerns as I did regarding off the shelf products.
It was a blessing to share recipes, advice and tips about natural hair care.

CN: What is your current hair regimen?
Anita: I like to keep it simple:

Trim once a month
Shampoo once a week with either my Babassu Peppermint or Amla shampoo bars
Rhassoul Deep Condish once a week.
Cassia Obovata once a month follow up with a final rinse of Blue Malva

In the summer:
I spritz my hair with Organic Rose Water and lock in the moisture with Creamy Café Latte

In the winter:
I spritz my hair with homemade Organic Burdock Root and Organic Blue Malva water. To lock in moisture I use Whipped Butter Monoi de Tahiti every day.

I plait or twist my hair every night and use a little Organic Sapote & Castor Hair Oil on the ends then I tuck in the whole plait or twist to make it look as if I have little Bantu knots. The scarves, pillow cases and caps just didn’t work for me. Plaiting or a protective style at night that is easy to undo in the morning works best for me.

CN: What your 3 favorite ingredients, and why?
Anita: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil because it is the only oil that is known to be able to penetrate the hair shaft. All of my Organic Vanilla Oils because of the softness it adds to my skin and the natural aroma of Vanilla is simply intoxicating. Organic Rose and Jasmine Hair and Body Oil again I love the sultry Organic Rose and Jasmine Absolute blend. It’s an ideal rejuvenating massage treatment for me. Jasmine absolute, in itself, is a voluptuous; intensely rich, deep, floral aroma that when mixed with Organic Rose just provides the most sumptuous oil blend I have to offer.

CN: What is the secret to properly moisturized hair?
Anita: In my opinion:
1. Spritzing with a fresh, home made blend of mucilage rich organic herbs or organic floral water.
2. Locking in the moisture with a natural oil or butter.
3. Plaiting or twisting your hair before bed.
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The lovely Anita Grant is sponsoring a Giveaway!

The 20th person to send me a list of 5 topics you’d like to see discussed/reviewed on CurlyNikki.com, will receive the gift basket below! Submit your suggestions to nikki@curlynikki.com, with ‘Anita Grant’ as the subject line. Check back later, because I’ll be announcing the winner on the site !

“The Shampoo, Rinse & Deep Condish Goodie Box”
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2 x Rhassoul Deep Condish Hearts
1 x 110 gram of Babassu Unscented Shampoo bar
1 x 25 gram box of mucilage rich Irish Moss for a final herbal rinse

Good luck!