What's your grade?

As I sit in my bed testing out an iPad touch, which happens to be amazing.I have the desire to make an entry. In the very beginning of my natural hair journey,I did as much research as I could on the subject of caring for natural hair. Albeit the info concerning natural hair was like trying to find a needle in a haystack early on,I was still able to come across a few nuggets of info from time to time. One nugget in particular was the hair grading system.

If I remember the origins of the hair grading system correctly,it was developed by Oprah Winfrey's hair stylist Andre Walker. The system goes a little something like this.


Type 1A-1C is generally straight not much curl definition,or too many layers. The oils from the scalp easily travel down the hair shaft.providing the this type lubrication,which helps maintain length,and in most cases gives high shine.


Type 2A-2C has slightly more body and is thicker than types 1. The oils from the scalp travel down the hair shaft much in the same way as types one as well.


Type 3A-3C This is where the world of kinks begin.Although the texture for most 3's remain straight and the shine is still ever present the curls and spirals abound. As the letter
grade for the 3's progress they may have an issue with keeping their kinks moist so for them may need a little extra help from moisturizers.


Last but not least type 4A-4C. My type. Cottony in texture, and low sheen. In my case my hair doesn't spiral on it's own, unless I do a wash and go. Otherwise I do double strand twist-outs to get the desired affect. The oils from my scalp have a tough time traveling down my hair  shaft, so to help remedy that I moisturize every other day. My hair responds well to shampoos made to moisturize, and conditioners that are also made for moisture.


 There is some controversy over this grading system. Many can't get with the hierarchal vibe this system gives. At first I felt the same, but the truth of the matter is without this system, I might not have ever found out how to care for my hair. Thank you Mr.Walker for bringing this info to my and others like me attention.

Herb Of The Day

Dried Peppermint herb & Peppermint EO

 Peppermint : A hybrid mint first grown in England in the 17th century, Peppermint is known around the world for it's cool and flavorful taste. It has mild antibacterial properties, and is refreshing and invigorating.

Topical uses

• sooths itchy skin
• good for oily skin
• helps control the spread of bacteria on the skins surface

How I use my Peppermint

Implementing Peppermint oil in my hair care regimen was a no brainer. I infuse it, along with other dried herbs in an oil which is conducive to maintaining the health of your skin. I also put a few drops of peppermint essential oil in for good measure. When ever my scalp feels a little itchy, I place a few drops of  herbal infused oil on the itchy area and massage it in. Works like a charm! I also use it as a facial moisturizer. Just a dab'll do ya for a refreshing glow.


Scalp Oil infused with Peppermint
To learn more about the Scalp Massage oil. Go to Amadinaturals.webs.com
This item is no longer being massed produced. If interested in purchasing follow the link above and place a special order.

  Peppermint herb can be (fresh or dried)  found at your local supermarket, and the Peppermint essential oil could be found in any health food store.

Sharing My Journey

My Journey into the natural world has been an eye-opening one, to say the least.  Thanks to the internet and people willing to share their journies, I was able to learn how my 4A/4B hair would respond to certain things. I learned how herbs and oils could make a world of difference in my everyday hair care routine. I was able to make a hair care moisturizer (all natural) from scratch, that my hair loves, and I learned how to make coconut oil from scracth.

Now it's my turn to share. This blog will help thoes of us just starting out on their natural hair journey. Relatively soon I'll be posting an instructional tutorial on how to make coconut oil on my youtube channel MixingMadeEasy. I'll also have a spot called herb of the day where you'll learn what a particlar herb can do for you and also the potential risk of using certain natural items. I am so excited about sharing with you all that I've learned! .

Angelic

Creator of Amadi Naturals   

Celebrating The Truest Me!

The holidays are soon upon us, and for me they bring a whole host of good memories. However my hair would beg to differ because for it, it meant torture. As a young girl my mother would whip out the trusty ole ironing comb, fire it up and press every lucious nap into submission. Afterwards she would gleefully tell me how pretty my hair looked and then warn me not to run  around sweating out her hard work. I hated sitting in that chair. Having my hair pressed, hearing the sizzling, smelling the heated hair mixed with pomade, and I especially hated the occasional accidental slip of the ironing comb. Which always seemed to land on a small part of the top of my ear.


Those days are far behind me, but I can't help but reminisce about how pretty I felt after the deed was done to my treasured kinks. I suppose much of what I felt was due to the affirmations coming from my mother. It's difficult for me to remember a time my mother told me how pretty my hair was in it's natural state. I guess all she was trying to do was encourage me to sit still long enough for the press to last until the family reunion was over, but in my little mind I took it as straight hair being prettier than my naturally textured hair.
      That feeling stayed with me well into my adulthood, but by then I graduated from the the pressing comb to a relaxer. (SMH) I would relax my hair at the first sign of new growth. The ritual of relaxing my hair every four weeks was not only a costly one it also was damaging. All throughout my late teens and tweenties my hair seemed to be unaffected by the harsh chemical treatments. By my thirties the signs of over processing was begining to reveal itself. By the age of thirty-two my hair wouldn't grow past my ears. By the age of thrity-five I was in the begining stages of hair loss at the crown of my head.


That was the wake up call I needed . No more relaxers for me. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. Nonetheless it was a crucial one. It was either continue to relax and hope for the best, or stop the madness. Needless to say I stopped cold turkey. And so began my journey into the world of natural. As I begin to enter into another holiday season, I gleefully enter into it with a head full of kinky, coily, spirals totally free and celebrating the truest me! Happy Holidays!


Angelic

Creator of AmadiNaturals™. Where being natural is not only accepted, it's celebrated.

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