IS YOUR HAIR DRY? HERE ARE WAYS TO FIX DRY HAIR

My friend chatted me over the weekend and complained about how dry her hair is. Then I remembered how dry my hair used to be. Having a dry hair as a full blooded African is normal but despite how dry our hair is, there are ways we can fix it.

I am sharing with you some of the ways I employed in combating dryness

1.Deep conditioning- Rinse out conditioner is different from deep conditioner. Rinse out conditioner is known as a surface conditioner. They are designed to condition the cuticles and make it smooth. They have a light consistency but a deep conditioner has a thick consistency and are required to stay longer on the hair (10 -30 minutes). The ingredients in deep conditioner penetrates the hair and are long lasting. Hence, deep conditioning the hair can add moisture to the hair that can last up to a week.

2. Cleansing the hair and scalp - if you wear your hair often in buns or ponytail (protective styles), you definitely need to moisturise daily or at least 3 times a week. We use butters and oils to keep our hair moisturised and this in turn can build up on your hair and prevent moisture from penetrating into the hair and no matter how often you deep condition, your hair will still feel dry. To solve this problem, cleanse your scalp by clarifying with a sulphate shampoo to remove build ups. I use ORS aloe creamy shampoo or Africa's best stimulating therapy shampoo directly on my scalp. I do not use it on my hair. The runoff cleanses the hair. This allows moisture to penetrate effectively.

3. The L.O.C method.

    L - liquid (water) / leave-in conditioner

    O - oil

    C - cream/ butter

Section yoir hair into 6 to 8 sections, then Spray your hair with water or apply a leave-in conditioner. Apply any oil of your choice ( shea butter, olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil etc). Lastly, apply a butter/ cream. Which ever product you decide to use, (leave-in or water) always remember to seal in moisture with an oil or butter. This prevents moisture from escaping easily. Focus more on the ends of your hair. They are the oldest and needs special attention.

4. Co-Washing - Skip washing your hair with a shampoo next weekend and try washing with a conditioner. Section your hair and apply a rinse out conditioner to the length of your hair. You can mix the conditioner with oil for more slip and leave on for 10 mins. After  rinsing, deep condition.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

HAIR STYLES FOR NATURAL HAIR

One good thing about growing your natural hair is because you can create so much styles. Are you thinking of how to style your hair to work tomorrow? Then you should consider recreating these styles.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Sabbath school bible study guide/ Lesson 11- Paul: Background and call

Happy sabbath to you all.

This is my first time of sharing with you our lesson study and I have decided as much as I can to always share the lesson study for the week.

The lesson study for this quarter ( July to September) is captioned MISSIONARIES. We've studied previously about alot of missionaries: Abraham been the first missionary and lots more like Ester, Peter, Philip, and Jesus the master of all missions.

From the lessons studied previously, we have been able to understand how these missionaries worked for the progress of God's works and how we can emulate these missionaries in spreading God's words.

Today's lesson is captioned : 

Paul, Background and call

Memory Text: "But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of is real. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name" (Acts 9:15, 16, NIV).

INTRODUCTION

One of the most central figures in the New testament was Paul, originally Saul of Tarsus. Paul was to the early Christian church what Moses was to the children of Isreal. The difference is that while Moses brought God's people out from the Gentiles in order that Isreal would be able to do God's will, Paul brought God's word from Israel to the Gentiles in order that the Gentiles could do the same, that is, to do God's will. More is known about Paul than any other first-century Christian. He is especially remembered for significant contributions to the tremendous Christian outreach during the past two millenia. His missionary visits and activities to the nation's around the Mediterranean Sea set a powerful example for Christian missions in coming generations. Paul is credited with lifting biblical absolutes from their Jewish culture, where civil, ritual, and moral laws were so integrated into the fabric of Jewish life that there was hardly any distinction between the Jewish custom and what they thought was God's everlasting message to the nations.

Saul was born in Tarsus. Saul parents were Diaspora Jews ( Jews who were not living in the land of isreal) from the tribe of Benjamin. His birth name was Saul though, after he began his mission to the Gentiles (Acts 13:9), he took the name Paul( Latin Paulus, name of a prominent Roman family). 

Paul's pharisaic background was an important element in his successful missionary work for both Jews and Gentiles. It equipped him with detailed knowledge of the Old testament, the only scripture available for the early Christian.

Paul was clearly a man of great conviction and zeal. Before his born-again experience, he used his zeal to persecute the early church. He supported the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), took the initiative in imprisoning Christian women as well as men (Acts 8:3), made murderous threats against the disciples (Actsb9:1) and organised a raid on Christians in a foreign country (Acts 9:2, Gal. 1:13)

At the same time, too, we can see how his zeal and fervency were to be used for good, as he dedicated his life to the preaching of the gospel, despite incredible hardships and challenges. Only a man totally dedicated to what he believed would have done as he did. And though he lost all things for Christ, he counted them as "rubbish". Paul was also a humble man . No doubt, partly from the guilt of his former persecution of Christians, he viewed himself as unworthy of his high calling.

   " One ray of the glory of God, one realm of the purity of Christ, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct, and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human character".

One thing is certain about all of Paul's missionary endeavours: no matter where he went, the preaching of Christ and him crucified was central to his message. By making it so, he was been faithful to the call that christ has first given him, that he should preach about Jesus.

The message for missions today is obvious: whatever else we preach and teach, we must keep christ and Him crucified at the front and center of all our outreach and mission work.

Think about the last time you witnessed to someone, in whatever capacity. How central was Jesus to what you said? How can you make sure that you always keep him central?

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Benefits of using Honey and Olive oil on hair

Benefits of using Honey on your hair

1. Honey is an emollient which means it is a natural softener. This makes it a great hair conditioner that smoothens your hair.

2. It is a natural antioxidant, so it tends to make your scalp healthy and stimulate hair growth.

3. As honey is an emollient, it also improves the health of the hair follicles which are responsible for hair growth. Researchers say that proper use of honey of treatment of hair can waken up the sleeping hair follicles which boost the growth of hair.

4. We all know that honey is a humectant, it tends to prevent the loss of moisture from your scalp. But honey has also high sugar

content which helps to retain moisture. This as a result prevents hair fall and strengthens the hair follicles.

5. Honey also comprises of antibacterial and antiseptic qualities too. This prevents our scalp from infections or psoriasis and tends to keep our scalp clean and bacteria-free. This also keeps us away from dandruff and itchiness on your scalp.

6. If your hair is dry and as direct exposure to sun can make them lifeless, then use of honey can bring back that lost sheen and shine of your hair.

Source-stylecraze

Benefits of Using Olive Oil on your Hair

1. Dandruff treatments – Dandruff is usually caused when the scalp becomes dry and flaky, causing those unsightly white flakes. Olive oil is a natural moisturizer. When massaged into the scalp it will moisturize your scalp, reducing the appearance of your dandruff naturally, with no chemically laden shampoos. Use the treatment as often as needed until the problem fades and then just once or twice a week to keep it from reoccurring.

2. Frizzy hair tamer – Dry hair is brittle hair and even just brushing your hair can cause split ends that turn your hair into a frizzy mess. Using olive oil on just the ends of your hair moisturizes those brittle ends, and will help smooth down the split ends, taming the frizz and the flyaway hairs. Use it after styling on just the ends of your hair to tame your hair. This works great in the winter when hair tends to be dryer and this solution is perfect for those who routinely flat iron their hair. When used after straightening your hair, olive oil will hold give moisture and a bit of weight to the ends, keeping your hair looking smooth.

3. Adds Shine – Healthy hair has a natural shine. Damaged and dry hair looks dull and lifeless but you can bring your hair back to life with olive oil. When used as a conditioner olive oil infuses your hair with moisture, restoring it to a healthy and beautiful looking shine.

4. Easier to Manage – Unhealthy hair is not easy to style; it is either limp or frizzy. Using olive oil as a hot oil treatment will make your hair healthy and manageable once again.

5. Softens Hair – Some people have hair that is rough and course. Weekly olive oil treatments are a natural way to soften your hair because it will saturate your hair with moisture.

Source- Oliveoilexcellence

With all these benefits, you can only imagine what results you'll derive from combining both goodies.

How I use honey and olive oil on my hair 

1. I add 2 tablespoons of honey and olive oil to my conditioner for extra moisture and shine. Sometimes, I add just the olive oil but when I add honey, I stay for a maximum of 20 minutes before rinsing.

2. I mix four to five tablespoons of honey and olive oil together and apply to the length of my hair for 10 to 20 minutes, rinse and then condition afterwards.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.

Sulphate Shampoo VS Sulphate Free Shampoo

ORS hairepair

Hawaiian silky

Organics stimulating therapy shampoo

ORS creamy aloe shampoo

Before now, I would go to the salon without been mindful of the kind of shampoo used on my hair. All I wanted was a clean and itchless scalp. If my hair doesn't lather, then my scalp is not clean. Oh damn! Ignorance is a disease.

What are Sulphates?

Sulphates are detergents that cleanses by cutting through dirts. Imagine using detergents like Omo to wash an oily plate. The result will always be an oily free, clean plate. That's what sulphates does to our hair. It cleanses the scalp and hair. The common sulphates you'll find in ingredients are; Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate and Sodium Laureth Sulphate.

Then, what exactly is sulphate free shampoo? Sulphate free shampoos do not completely wash away the natural hair oil. The ingredients may sound similar to the sulphate shampoo like "sulfonate" but it is actually the milder form and do not work the same way as the sulphate brand.

Do your hair still need a sulphate shampoo? 

●Your hair will always need a sulphate shampoo after relaxing your hair because you really do need to wash out any trace of relaxer to avoid damage.

● On daily basis or every other day we apply moisturiser and seal with oil and We also massage our scalp with oil. All these can cause build up to our hair so most people decide to clean the hair and scalp every 4 to 6 weeks with a sulphate shampoo.

But while sulphate shampoo helps to remove buildup, they can also dry up your scalp and hair, causing lack of moisture, which eventually leads to breakage.

How can the sulphate free shampoo benefit our hair?

Because it is mild and doesn't dry up the oil in our hair and scalp, this can be used on weekly basis to gentle cleanse the scalp. Your hair still feels moisturised and clean.

Those with dry scalp will also benefit more form using a sulphate free shampoo.

For natural ladies, using a sulphate free shampoo is best for hair because you do not need those drying effect you get when using a sulphate shampoo and besides, there are no harsh chemicals that needs to be cleansed out of the hair. So Preferably, I would say a sulphate shampoo is not needed in your regimen.

There are lots of sulphate free shampoos but I've only tried the ORS hairepair invigorating shampoo and Hawaiian silky hydrating sleek shampoo with moroccan argan oil. Both Shampoos are nice I've made a review on the ORS hairepair invigorating shampoo and will also review on the hawaiian silky shampoo I just purchased.

The sulphate shampoos I have used are the African's best  stimulating therapy shampoo and ORS olive oil creamy aloe shampoo. They are both good product. I have always been using ORS aloe creamy shampoo since I started my hair journey but recently purchased the African's best when they ran out of the other. They both do their job perfectly. I use it after relaxer application.

Thanks for reading.

With love, Martyna

Product review/ Crème of nature intensive conditioning treatment

Price/ N1400

From the product: strengthens, imparts moisture and prevents hair breakage

Direction: After shampooing apply a generous amount to hair and comb generously for even distribution. Place a plastic cap over hair and sit under a warm hooded dryer for 10 -15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Ingredients

1. Water

2. Glycerin : it is a humectant, it pulls moisture into the hair and retains it.

3. Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetyl Alcohol are fatty alcohols. They are used as emulsifiers (mixes oil and water in hair product so the oil doesn't separate from other ingredients. They add moisture by drawing water to the hair.

4. Dicetyldimonium Chloride: Smooths hair

5. Polyquatenium -37 are polymers that provides conditioning benefits.

The first six ingredients are what you and I should be looking for in a conditioner. The product also contains;

Behentrimonium methosulfate: a detangler

Hydrolyzed wheat protein: richer in fattys acids and makes hair shiner and easier to manage. Most people seem to find a  little problem with this product because of the protein and since this is a moisture deep condtioner, it should work more in softening hair. If you want to mix protein with this product you might want to consider adding little expecially if you are protein sensitive.

There are other good ingredients like olive oil, honey, Propylene Glycol, kernel oil etc.

My review:

The ingredients stole my heart. And a lot of good reviews online so it was worth the try. On my first use, I noticed that it was sticked my hair together which I've not noticed in my other conditioners. I had a little problem with it at first but was patient enough to let it dry. I used a plastic cap to cover my hair for 30 minutes and rinsed out. I was very comfortable with the result.

Pros

● It's cheap

● Softens hair

● Adds shine

Cons

● It doesn't smell nice

● It's too thick and would be preferable in cup because it always hard to come out.

Will I repurchase? Sure

Love always, Martyna.

Benefits of deep conditioning with a plastic bag/shower cap

August is gone, September is here. The year is finally coming to an end. Happy new month to you all. Hope you have achieved your plans for the year and if you haven't, we still have 3 months before the year ends.

The hype about deep conditioning has been going on since naturals, relaxed and texlaxed ladies have been putting on extra effort to understand what their hair needs.

Before now, I would go to the salon and get my hair washed without even bothering if my hair was conditioned. Yes! That's the truth. I did not understand the difference it will make to my hair. I didn't even understand the difference between a protein conditioner, a rinse out conditioner or a moisture deep condtioner. But now, I clearly understand the importance and I cannot do without it, most importantly, a moisture based deep conditioner.

There are so many deep conditioner out there and I've used just two which is  the African's best deep conditioner and crème of nature intensive conditioning treatment and these two works well for me so far. I always add a little oil and honey to my deep conditioner. I have also tried DIY deep conditioner which didn't work quite well for me but I am always tempted to try again or maybe a different one all together.

A deep conditioner is meant to be left on the hair for 15 to 30 minutes and preferably, using a plastic bag or shower cap.

Conditioners are of three major types;

1. Protein deep conditioner

2. Rinse out conditioner

3. Moisture Deep conditioner.

Click here to read about protein conditioner and the rinse out conditioner can be used for co-washing. But today, I am focusing more on deep conditioner.

I can't go a week without deep conditioning my hair and the good thing about using a deep conditioner is that it gets the chance of been effective by leaving it in the hair longer and thereby allows heat to penetrate.

Benefits of deep conditioner

1. For those with dry hair, deep conditioning your hair weekly can add moisture to your hair and make your hair bounce back.

2. Your hair elasticity will improve because of the emollients and the moisturising ingredients in the conditioner. These ingredients softens hair damaged by chemical processes such as perming, hair colours, heat exposure (such as flat ironing, curling and of course, the damaging effect of sun).

There are other ingredients that can be added for a deeper deep conditioning such as honey, olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, shea butter and all these ingredients can benefit the hair in different ways.

Benefits of using a plastic bag/ shower cap

If you want your deep conditioning to work more for you, consider heating it up because heating it increases the effectiveness of the conditioner, making your hair super soft and smooth. 

Deep conditioning with heat enables the hair shaft to swell and allows the conditioner to go inside.

Note that Deep condtioner are thicker than rinse out conditioners. And if you still can't identify the difference between a deep conditioner and a rinse out conditioner, go through the instructions on the product of choice and if says rinse after 1 minute, then it is a rinse out conditioner but if it says leave on for 15 to 30 minutes, then it is a deep conditioner.

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.