A GUIDE TO NATURAL HAIR

My hair has gone natural in 2009 , alhamdulillah but looking back I see some of the mistakes or misconceptions I started out with, I see the reason why some might give up easily.All is not as scary or as smooth as it may seem and this article is here to shed some light on some of the hair and scalp related issues raised by many (ex-) commercial product using people.

If you're on your journey towards everything natural you might find yourself in the difficult spot when choosing the right natural hair care regimen.I must say, caring for your hair and scalp naturally is by far the most challenging step to take, only because of the adjustment period it requires during which one many lose faith and unfortunately give in. So, if you've worked on cleaning up your kitchen and bathroom from products containing harmful ingredients and the last item on your check list is hair care, please read these words of warning before taking the plunge.

1.THE NATURAL CYCLE

The first thing to understand and keep in mind is how the natural hair & scalp cycle works.Allah swt has created such a wonderful internal system that works for the benefit of your health(this includes your hair).In recent years, unfortunately, the body's natural oils have been made out to be the "bad guys" of hygiene, something to be getting rid of at any cost and as thoroughly as possible even if that means using detergent based, harsh chemicals(yes,I'm talking about your shampoo).You may not be aware of it but your shampoo contains lots of ingredients that are either harmful, deceiving or useless.But more about this later.

As I was saying, think back a few generations, before shampoos were in trend, what were people using to wash their hair? How come women still had lustrous, healthy, shiny hair without all this chemical help? The answer is simple, they worked with nature.And by this I mean internally and externally.

Internally,we need to understand the the sebum production of our scalp has a purpose in itself and that purpose is to nourish your hair and protect it from drying.Before a greasy,messy hairdo pops into your mind, do remind yourself that naturally(given that you don't suffer from a special condition) the scalp only produces as much sebum as we need.

Externally, people used natural products like soap root, sikakai, nettle, clays etc for cleaning purposes.These gentle cleansers were meant to give a refreshing scrub-a-dub to your scalp without messing with a well oiled internal "machinery".

2.ACCEPT AND LOVE THE HAIR YOU GOT.

Inevitably, people with thick, curly hair will wish they had thin and easy to control straight hair while those with straight hair will strive to get that body and volume only wavy hair gets naturally.It's just human nature and when you add to it the commercially dictated trends of beauty you end up with poisonous concoctions seeping through your skull only in the name of social acceptance.

Well, all I have to say is don't wait for others to accept you, rather learn to accept yourself...and, yes, that includes your hair.Look at your strands for what they're actually worth (a wonderful gift from your Creator), you're not bald after all and even if you were, you could work that to your advantage as well ;)

Once you've learnt to accept your hair, do your best to pamper it the way that it deserves to be pampered. Cater to its special needs(not yours) naturally.Keep thick, bushy hair naturally conditioned with oil based balms, use natural clay/baking soda to absorb and regulate sebum production, help your hair cuticles align with natural acidic media like cidre vinegar, coconut milk and oils, harness the power of essential oils and infusions to control dandruff etc.It's only a matter of perspective.

3.BE INFORMED

Understanding the way commercial hair care products are made and work will insha'Allah encourage you to take the leap more confidently.

Most shampoos are made from surfactant(detergent) based mixtures...think SLS. These detergents give shampoo the foamy lather we all got so accustomed to and love.They remove grease very effectively but ,unfortunately, too effectively when it comes to hair. Surfactants are also synthetically made and most of them pose a danger to the environment and wild/aquatic life once flushed down the drain not to mention that they are known to have toxic effect on internal organs as well as disrupt hormonal balance and may even combine with other common ingredients to form carcinogenic compounds.

Commercial shampoos also contain lots of useless ingredients that are sometimes harmful as well, with the only purpose of making the product look and feel more(quantity wise) and better(consistency and appearance wise).You don't need your shampoo to smell like fake roses when that perfume is slowly killing off your neurons but that fake rose scented shampoo will sell better so big brands will use it.Same goes for thickness, colour, absorbency etc.And shelf life!(I almost forgot).No mega-brand is interested in providing you fresh products, it's in their interest to preserve their product for as long as possible even if it means using formaldehyde and/or parabens.

And just in case you wondered, the "something" that makes your hair feel soft and shiny after washing don't actually make your hair soft and shiny (health wise) they just coat it and mask its true appearance...kind of like wearing make-up all the time.

I will stop right here on this point and encourage you to do your research and be informed.Don't even let me convince you of what I believe, go and gather the proof yourself.No one in this world has your best interest in mind except for you.

4. TRANSITION

OK, so you've done your homework, learnt to accept your hair, educated yourself about commercial products as well as the way things should naturally work and you really want to start using milder/healthier products , what's left now is to realistically expect a transition period your scalp will go through.

Different people experience this transition differently (due to hair and scalp types, diets, internal balance etc) but the most likely scenario is the following.Due to harsh stripping cleansers your scalp has been over producing sebum to compensate its constant removal, overthrowing the natural balance .This means that once you'll stop using these surfactant based shampoos your hair will keep its old habit of overproducing oils for a while.It may look and feel messy but with consistent use of mild cleansers the scalp will readjust and reduce its sebum production.Another probable issue you'll face is facing the true state of your hair health wise once the silicone buildup is completely removed and does not coat your hair, you will finally be able to tell whether your hair is actually healthy or not (most often not).

5.CHOICES

Once you've fought your way through the transition stage and emerged from your hair shame driven exile you are faced with a number of choices to commit to or alternate between.Here are some ideas of mild/natural cleansers and conditioners to get you started with:

-washing your scalp with baking soda-mix 1-2 tbsp of baking soda in a cup of water, pour on scalp little by little, emphasizing on all areas and then rinse *

-using clays to wash your hair -dilute in water, apply on wet hair and scalp, leave on for a few minutes to absorb the grease and detoxify and wash off

-sikakai and/or reetha contain natural saponins and have been used as hair and body clenasers for ages.

-olive oil/mild soap or any mild soap based shampoo bar/liquid

-herbal infusions such as nettle or chamomile used alternately or in combination with other cleansers

As far as conditioning goes, you need to remember that almost all of the above mentioned cleansers are mildly alkaline.In order to achieve a more suitable acidic medium for the hair you can use some of the following for a conditioning effect:

-vinegar rinse-mix 1/4-1/3 cup vinegar (ideally natural/cidre vinegar) in 1 cup water(cold is best), you can even add a few drops of essential oils for a pleasant scent and use it as your final rinse.Some people rinse their hair with plain water after this and some don't.I personally don't and, don't worry, your hair will not smell of vinegar, it is volatile and will evaporate by the time your hair dries

-coconut milk is a wonderful conditioner(and it smells heavenly!)-after shampooing/washing, apply on hair strands and rinse

-oil based conditioners can be used as regular conditioner, a pre-conditioner** or leave in conditioner, depending on the type of hair you have

-as far as conditioning goes, it's worth to mention that a (homemade) egg mayonnaise or gelatin hair pack is a must for your hair's good health and strength and deep conditioning and the occasional hair oiling is also a must for a healthy hair regimen(but do remember that a little goes a long way, don't apply excessive amounts that you'll only be able to wash of with harsh cleaning products)

*I wanted to make a note on this point, since this is the method I started out with but gave up soon after transitioning because I found it quite drying.Only later did I realise that the blame was only my own as I was applying the baking soda and rubbing it in my hair strands as well.The alkaline medium eventually took its toll on my already curly(and of course dry) hair.I'm sharing this in hope that you'll learn from my mistakes.

**This is the method I currently use and is most suitable for my hair type.To shortly describe it, I wet my hair and apply my homemade oil based CONDITIONER only on the hair strands and rub it gently in, after which I shampoo with my MILD SHAMPOO or my HEAD TO TOE BODY WASH .When I shampoo I only apply and emphasize on the scalp and let the shampoo gently wash the rest of my hair while I'm rinsing it off my scalp. This method keeps my hair conditioned and my curls tamed, alhamdulillah. I also use the occasional mayonnaise hair pack for a protein boost .

6.DYED HAIR

Coloured hair needs special care and attention.We often hear about colour protecting shampoos and wonder how can we get the natural version of those.The simple truth is that it's the detergents(sulphates & co) in shampoos that make the colour leech out of the hair strands. Heat/dehydration and excessive washing also contribute to it, as do products and ingredients that are known for their bleaching properties(i.e. baking soda and lemon etc.). If you keep all this in mind it's easy to take care of your coloured hair naturally.My shampoos are free of any detergents and so are safe to use for dyed hair but it's also essential to wash your hair less often , skip shampooing and go straight to conditioning from time to time...and use cooler water while washing your hair.

I really hope this article has helped you in any way you were expecting it to.I tried my best to cover the basics, insha'Allah.Hoping to hear about your natural hair care transition/ experience and wish you all the best.