What are the benefits of greasing your hair?

For the longest time it has been commonly declared that ‘grease’ and any similarly oily, lardy imitation product is the key in moisturizing and increasing growth rates amongst those of African descent (Affs, Carribs, A.Americans, everyone). Now I’m not sure exactly when this memo went out but it has seemed to reach every corner of the globe and has STUCK.
Whether it be greasing the scalp prior to braiding or at the sight of snowflakey pieces of dandruff; as a heat protectant whilst blowdrying or as an aid in adding that sought after bling to the hair ,most of us, somewhere in our arsenal of hair products have a few tubs of the stuff.

Before we dissect the pros and cons let’s have a quick look at the main assailants that are the forefront of the ‘Grease Please’ propaganda…

Mr Blue Magic and friends...


Dax



So why the hate parade you may ask.

I am here to confirm that there are limited benefits to using such pomades on your hair. Have a look at the ingredients list. In the top row you will usually see nestled some the following:

• Petroleum – Note what Vaseline is made out of. Yep, we have essentially been slathering Vaseline on our scalps for double the price and expecting miracles

• Lanolin - Used in the beauty industry for its water repellent properties

• Paraffinum liquidum - Acts as barrier between the skin or scalp and the air. Preventing moisture from leaving or entering.

If our hair is not in healthy condition and not adequately moisturized prior to using grease then what happens is that the hair shaft become blocked by the large molecules in the grease preventing the smaller water/moisturizing molecules from entering.

This explains why many of us are constantly battling with dry hair.

To seal in the moisture imparted into our hair from conditioning or a daily water based moisturizer ,I definitely recommend substituting pomades with a natural oil that has tonnes of benefits. Here are the best ones!

Avocado oil- Great for Fortifying hair
• Aids in strengthening hair
• It contains essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins A, D, E and B6, magnesium, copper, iron, amino acids and folic acid.
• Its consistency is light and runny but is solid in colder temperatures • Perfect for daily oiling as it will not clog the pores on your scalp
• Perfect for fine strands as it will not weigh down the hair

Coconut oil- Excellent for shine and moisture
• Gives amazing shine good substitute to oil sheen
• Contains nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and vitamin E.
• Leaves hair softer and retains a high level of moisture
• Its consistency is light and runny but is solid in colder temperatures
• Perfect for daily oiling as it will not clog the pores on your scalp
• Perfect for fine strands as it will not weigh down the hair

West Indian/ Jamaican Castor Oil- Perfect for increasing growth and taming thick hair
• Perfect for sealing in moisturizing prior to installing braids and weaves instead of Blue Magic
• Helps to thicken strands and regrow areas of breakage or early traction alopecia around the edges
• Its consistency is thick and gooey

Diluted Tea-tree oil- Amazing for dandruff
• Helps combat an itchy scalp can also be added to shampoo
• Highly fragranced
• Its consistency is runny and light


Jojoba Oil- The all rounder. FULL STOP.

Let it burn; Anthropologie Style

There’s nothing like getting a sniff of something with a pleasant whiff and I must say Lush and The Body Shop have some serious competition.

Upon taking a stroll along the bumper car tracks that are the pavements of Regent Street, I came across a slightly blah shop front - Anthropologie. For some reason I entered and instantly realized that the clothing was less ‘me’ and more yummy mummies with pushchairs residing in the leafy suburbs of Dulwich (like her >>).



However, it soon became apparent that I had ventured into what was possibly the most interesting retail store in London.

With a glass staircase and a large wall made up of plants and grass as a centre piece, the store had me touching every ornament and opening cupboards looking for girly things to find.



For me the candles steal the show for Anthro. They are absolutely divine, in particular Pineapple. Although it might seem slightly expensive for a tub of fragranced beeswax, these candles are most definitely the best I’ve ever smelt and are worth every penny.

Kill That Ghostface

Have you ever gotten dressed to the nines, perfected the shape of your eyeliner and glossed those lips only to review the pictures of your big night and realize that you look like krusty the clown?
Example…



Here are a few tips to prevent this happening to you.
• Stick to matte colours if you plan to be photographed heavily. Limiting the amount of shiny/glittery products in your blush, eyeshadow and powder will minimize the amount of reflection from the flash

• Try a powder with a more yellowish undertone over a translucent powder, which are usually made up of a high amount of talc.

• Most importantly- Stay Away from foundations with Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide or Zinc Oxide aka SPF. This is ONE of the many reasons why the ever worshipped Mac Fix Fluid and I ended our love affair o so many moons ago. The high SPF content had me looking like Casper in a flour fight. Look for foundations specifically made for Television and photography. These have a minimal amount of SPF if any at all and will have your skin looking flawless.

My personal favourite is Makeup Forever’s HD Foundation. Not only does it come in a wide selection of colours for darker skin tones, Makeup Forever’s HD was specially formulated for use in front of High Definition camera's where imperfections are wayyy more noticeable. Now I haven't tested it out in front of a Warner Brothers's $1,000,000 camera but in front of my basic Sony Digital Camera I can say it does deliver.