Hydration vs. Clarifying Shampoo: Which One Are You In Need of?

I’ll never forget the first time I realized my hair needed different kinds of care depending on the day. On one wash day, I reached for a co-washing conditioner (I used to wash my hair/scalp with conditioner….never again), hoping it would revive my dry curls after a week of protective styling, only to find that no matter how much conditioner I used afterward, my hair still felt heavy and dull. A few days later, I switched to a clarifying shampoo, and suddenly my curls bounced back, soft, defined, and full of life! That’s when it clicked: my natural coily hair doesn’t just need moisture, it also needs balance. Learning when to reach for hydration versus when to hit reset with a clarifying formula completely transformed my routine, and Pattern Beauty’s Hydration Shampoo and Clarifying Shampoo have become my go-to duo for keeping my coils thriving! Both are essentials for a healthy wash routine, but knowing when to use which can make all the difference in how your coils thrive.

The Beauty of the Ritual

 

Coils, Curls & Care with Pattern Beauty

 

Formulating Hair Regime

Illustrations by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It's been quite some time since i've talked about my hair care routine! Many things have changed, from swapping out this product with that product or treating my hair differently. The one thing that has been constant is my hair's health and strength. Last time I talked about my hair care routine was when I introduced Belle Bar Organics products, in March! Still using a lot of their products but i've been experimenting with more ingredients lately. My hair seems to fare better with a little bit of silicones in it's life, I know all of the strictly "curly girl method-ers" are going to be at me for that! But that is something you learn along the way, not every head reacts to the same products/ ingredients.

Travelling While Natural

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

We should be so blessed to be able to get out there and explore other cultures and immerse ourselves in it. To travel and worry about your hair though, that's not enjoyable! Been there, done that. Whenever I've travelled in the past, I just kept my hair twists and updos and while that was cute back then, I yearn for something more "grown & sexy" (insert crying/ laughing emoji) for my new adventures! I'm trying to push myself away from protective styling as a habit and only concern myself with it on lazy days. I get too comfortable and leave my hair in a bun or twists for days! I'm planning some exciting trips ahead and I know I'm not bunning it! Here are a few tips for travelling while natural because hair should never get in the way of excitement!

To Straighten or Not To Straighten?

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Every once in a while, I want to show off a new look because let’s face it: the shrinkage is real and wash and go's get boring. However, straightening my natural hair has always been a touchy subject since putting any sort of heat on it is usually a major no-no. I've experienced heat damage before, where a few of my curls wouldn't curl like the rest. I eventually trimmed it off but it was a learning lesson in what my hair could and could not take. Preventing heat damage and growing healthy hair is a big reason many women transition their tresses to natural, myself included.

As someone who has worn her hair mostly straight throughout my childhood, it feels great to rock my kinky hair in all it's natural glory. I feel a new found confidence! There is always the longstanding debate about whether straight hair is inherently "better," especially in communities of color. You don't even want to know the reactions I get when I walk into a salon and request a blow out!

Politics aside, there's no shame in switching it up (at the end of the day, it’s your hair). Whatever look you choose, just make sure you're tracking the health of your hair and understanding what works best to avoid damage in the long run. Here are a few of my best tips to straightening your kinky crown....

Spring Cleaning

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Winter is finally looking like it's coming to an end, the days are longer, the layers are lighter and i'm sneezing a little bit more! With the dawn of the new spring season comes the daunting task to 'spring clean' and not just your wardrobe but also skin/ hair routine. As a naturally kinky/ coily haired woman, switching up my routine can be quite overwhelming because you don't quite know what to expect since naturally textured hair can have a mind of it's own! Honestly, having coily hair is a lot of work, not even going to lie! Additionally, the fact that people tend to take women of color less seriously when their hair isn’t "maintained" and there you have a nice cocktail of social, societal, and personal pressures to look "decent" at all times. Even today, in 2019, hair is still constantly politicized, which is ridiculous to say the least, but at the same time, we don’t really have a choice but to take good care of our hair because of how different it is. Hair routines are a big part of being a WOC since our hair is part of our identity. You have to take care of your waves, kinks, and curls. And adjusting your hair care routine for the season is just as equally important. This season I'm taking it a bit further by trying to stick to all natural products for my hair, for which i'm secretly telling myself, "Buckle up, cuz this venture is going to be a long ride!"

Hair Care Lately

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I may be biased in saying this, but I believe curly/ kinky/ coily hair is the best hair! As a member of this hair group community, I think highly textured hair is where the party is. However, as many curly and coily haired gals can attest, maintenance can be brutal. Using countless products that do nothing, going on an endless search for that holy grail product, battling frizz and buildup, and hairstyles that just don't work. Sometimes changing your routine can feel daunting but the benefit is that it can revamp those dull hair days and keep your wild mane looking glamorous and frizzless. Keep reading to find out my latest hair care routine!

Beauty Bit, Frizz Tips

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Every natural- haired chica knows the struggle of dealing with dry, crackly hair–especially during the frigid, winter months. As the air gets colder, it’s important to spend a little extra time keeping our hair both smooth and moisturized. Whether you’re rocking a protective style, or bravely sporting a "wash and go," here are my go to five essential tips and tricks to ensure your natural curls, kinks and coils stay soft and moisturized both in and out of this chilly season.

If You Must Heat, Protect!

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Heat protection at times can be the epitome of a messy and greasy situation. From tacky textured hair, defected spray nozzles, and excess pours, this necessary step can be maddening for even the most patient. However many hairstylists would agree that the most criminal offense is a protectant that sells you the dream of heat protection, free of charred, split ends and foul smells (the usual burnt hair with a whiff of a fragrant additive) only to leave you with crispy curls hanging limply amongst frizzy kinks (we’ve all been there, especially me). Holiday season for many natural haired chicas like myself means more opportunity for straight hairstyles, no humidity to worry about frizz!

So how does hair become damaged to the point of no return? We damage our hair regularly through bleaching, color treatments, heat tools, and excessive sun exposure. Okay, so you don’t necessarily want to sacrifice your personal style to save your hair, but how can you keep your hair looking healthy without giving these up? Bottom line, heat damage is irreversible and should be avoided at all absolute costs. The solution, trusted protectants that deliver tried and true results.

Summer Hair Hack

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Summer, summer, summmmmertime! We're in the "dog days of summer" where the the temperatures comfortably nestle at 90+ degrees, humidity is out of control, pools are populated, air conditioners are always running and wearing makeup almost seems impossible. But we cannot forget to treat our hair with extra care, all the UV rays, pool chemicals and air conditioners strip hair of it's essential moisture. Especially all the curly/ kinky haired girls like myself! Everyday I'm learning to embrace my hair's tendency to frizz because it naturally happens but I make sure to pay attention to the way it frizzes because that's how your hair tells you it needs more moisture. I've also colored my hair recently and have been using heat styling to my hair. MY hair needs all the love right now! Fortunately i've teamed up with Aussie for their summer Miracle Curls campaign to treat my hair with the love and care that it needs! Check out how I moisturize my strands to the fullest during the summer time to achieve beautiful hair.

The Hair Controversy

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Hair is such a finicky subject especially for women of color. From wondering if your hair is too "untamed" looking for work to being able to go to school with dreadlocks and not being stereotyped as "dirty." Literally when I think of hair, I think of India Arie's hit song I Am Not My Hair. Its a song which talks about not being identified or type casted because of the style of hair you choose to wear because no one person is a monolith for a group of people. As I have mentioned before on the blog, I use to use chemicals to alter my hair to keep it  straight.  I did that for years since I was an infant to my early 20's and in all that time I never actually knew what my hair texture looked like under all of those chemicals. So when  I gave up the "creamy crack"/ lye  it was almost like a morbid curiosity to see how my hair grew the way God intended. I feel for women and men that hide their hair's natural texture intentionally and unintentionally because I too understand the hardships that come from it.

Hairy Situation

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

As you may have noticed recently, I have colored my hair, technically lightened it! I was admittedly getting bored with my dark kinks and wanted something drastically different, i've never had blonde or at least "blonde-ish" hair and knew that was what I wanted to achieve. I took time out one weekend to try it and 5 hours of grueling intensity with lots and lots of foil. End result, an ombre crown! I totally love it, but I am also aware of the work it takes to maintain lightened hair. The stress of maintenance for naturally coily hair has doubled for me but with a tweak in my routine I can make it manageable!

Beauty Bit, Rinse Out

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It's no secret I love the summer time, it's the only time of the year in which going swimming is totally normal and acceptable. Swimming is one of my favorite exercises to do throughout this season, I'm no Michael Phelps but I can do a mean breaststroke. The best part about swimming is the fact that it doesn't cause soreness or major break breakdowns of muscles tendons. But alas, you must take the good with the bad and what I mean by that is the chlorine from pool water and the saltiness of the ocean in my hair! 

Hair Goals

Illustration by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

We've all seen those commercials, the ones with the models twirling their super gorgeous hair around and prancing about how great this or that product helped them achieve the desired look. I'll admit there was a time when I did what I could to get those products and try it out to get that "hair commercial" look. But alas, as a young and misguided person of color with not too much resources, I thought I could do that too, I thought I could look like that too, but boy was I wrong! I never, not once achieved that look, not until I realized that I was doing it all wrong. Women of color have different hair textures than the one's that are so often portrayed in the mainstream media, it wasn't until I fell in to this realization that I learned how to actually get the hair goals for myself and not the ones that were thrown at me. With that said, my naturally frizzy hair still needs a lot of love and attention! Fortunately there has been a boost in resources and conversations of haircare for women in the darker end of the spectrum, one of those brands in particular is Schwarzkopf. And I totally love the new Gliss product line and what it does for my hair. 

The Holy Grail

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

As women, we go through so many products for our bodies, and hair. More specifically our HAIR! We all want the hair of our dreams, whether that means teasing it to the highest extent or blowing it out the smoothest pin straight style, it's all up the products we use to get it there. I know a lot of people that will tell me that I shouldn't need anything to put in my hair besides conditioner and shampoo, but let's get real! My hair, left to it's own devices would be just enough to scare babies away! Any women reading this with natural hair will understand my woes. The humidity also doesn't help, but this summer I've found a combination to help beat the frizz. 

Hair Therapy

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

During the Winter season, our beauty regimen changes quite a lot to accommodate for the drying and taxing weather. From strong gusts of wind, snowy precipitation, to freezing temperatures it's no wonder why we tend to layer up! Our skin and hair even have to go through a different process, especially our hair. Have you ever had icicles form on your strands, only to find that it severely dried out your hair? Yes, that has happened to me! This winter, something else will have to be introduced to our hair's regimen to maintain it's luster and that is Giovanni's Dual Repairing Complex Hot Oil Treatment!

Beauty Bit, Dessange

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It's natural for us to use products in our hair, from pomades to styling creams and zillions of oils. Bad hair days seem to disappear as soon as we layer on the gunk! I'll admit that I've succumbed to that, with natural hair, frizz is inevitable but the use of styling creams and oils help out a lot but it can build up on my scalp and wreak havoc if i'm not careful. Fortunately, I've found something to combat that problem, Dessange Paris Purifying Clay Collection. 

Dress Up Your Hair

Illustrated by Jacqueline Moranti

I'll be the first to admit, that sometimes I'm bored with my hair. Sure, there's a lot of volume and shape to play with, but sometimes it just isn't enough to please me. I can remember back to my adolescent days when I used to continuously wear the "wet hair" look by scrunching in mousse and gel to achieve it. I looked like a "greaser," and worse is that I felt I needed to do this to look cool and fit in. Let's just say nothing good came from that and my hair hated me for it. Since then, I've been doing nothing with my hair besides bunning it or the occasional, lazy day wash and go styles. Sometimes you want a little bit more to your look, something that can dress your hair without cutting into your time. That's where Dauphines of New York comes in!

Beauty Bit, One Ingredient Wonders

Drafted by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Our beauty industry is loaded with tons of products that claim many and plenty results, but to really figure that out, you have to go through a lot of tests. Believe me, it's not as fun as it sounds.  I recently dabbled with some products that left my skin looking and feeling opposite of what the supposed outcome would be. I couldn't figure out why, until I read the ingredients list on the backs of the bottles. I found ingredients that I knew my skin would be allergic to and quite honestly, additives with ph levels to imbalance anyone with a good complexion. I have spent the past few months trying to switch about 75% of my skin care products to products with very little to list on the back of the packaging. The best thing about switching to natural products is that they're most likely hiding in your pantry.