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NoScrunchie

Written By Bold Apps - March 13 2014

Do you think the scrunchie will officially make its way back onto the high street? Or are you of the same mind as this brand who state clearly their thoughts on the subject! NoScrunchie is the brainchild of Leillah Sekalala. Leillah was fed up with searching for good Afro salons after moving from Uganda to the UK. She had too many bad experiences in the salons she visited and was underwhelmed with the lack of good stylists equipped to deal with the afro hair market. She spoke about her experiences with friends, family and posted on her social networks and as a result, found so many people going through the same thing. She thought it was time to do something about it. That something was NoScrunchie. The UKs first salon ratings website for Afro hair. Leillah and her co-founder, Alex, worked hard on designing a website that would appeal to her target market and enlisted Online PR UK to help her reach out to them even more. Onthe website, there is a lively forum that covers just about everything and theblog is all about afro hair, tips, tricks, hairstyles, fashion, beauty, health,you name it! They are all over Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter too so make sure you follow them and get involved! They have celebrity endorsements from Shingai Shoniwa, no less AND they have theirvery own empowering meet up where girls get together from either a professional or personal point of view and chat about everything from the natural vs. relaxed debate to being a women in business and their very own personal hair horror stories! Since launching the site in January 2013 NoScrunchie has over 200 reviews and nearl y2000 social media connections. In just 2 months! So there really is a call forthis service in the UK and their lists are growing each day. Why don’t you head over to their website and rate your salon, follow their blog and join them on their social media pages, they have some brilliant competitions and giveaways that you should really not miss! Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Blog | Website Online PR UK – Online PR and Marketing

About Me

Written By Bold Apps - March 06 2014

Dalilah Baruti

The Founder of Hug My Hair

Me in New York October 2012

I was born in Tanzania and grew up in London. I did not know I was ‘different’ untilI came to the UK aged 5. I was in awe of and completely LOVED European hair, dreamt of it even, the idea of having golden flowing locks sweeping against my back as I ran around the playground really had me on cloud 9. But I'd alwayswake up from this dream and my hair was still shorter than the other girls, it was still blacker than the other girls and it totally defied gravity. I was so excited when I got my first relaxer, I couldn't wait to look like the girl on the box. I was beaming. After about 9 years of attempting to look like the girl on the box, I saw my hair for what it was - damaged, thinning and my hairline was a lot further back than I'd have liked it to be. I decided to cut all my hair off. Mind you, I was 17 and this look was NOT cool. So I exchanged my braids for a headscarf and that's been me ever since.

After 8 years of being natural & wearing my hair in a scarf-bun with big earrings I realised that I had grown to accept that black hair - coily afrohair doesn't grow. My hair appeared to stay the same length for years after reaching my shoulders. In a moment of protest I took to the Internet and started researching hair and its properties and how to get it to grow. I learnt three things 1. Black hair grows just like everybody else’s, but because it's naturally dryand very fragile it breaks off a lot more 2. Our skin is the largest organism on our bodies and it absorbs up to 60% ofwhat we put on it 3. Applying 'Grease' to the hair is not what black hair needs, petroleum basedproducts can block the scalp from breathing and your scalp is like soil, if youdo not cultivate it, nothing is going to want to grow there! So in July 2012 I was on a mission to grow and retain the length of my natural hair -naturally. If my skin was going to swallow what I put on it, I wanted to make sure It would be something I would be happy to eat. I couldn't wait to learn how to retain moisture, rid my shelves of products that contained chemicals and cultivate my scalp so my hair would want to grow. The result was Hug My Hair and I've never looked back. I no longer dream of European hair, I still appreciate its beauty but the difference is that I can see the beauty in mynatural hair too; all I had to do was understand it.

Photo credit: Janine/What Renee Made

I have since created 6 hair butters and Vintage (pictured below) was the first. It contains Lavender and Rosemary Essential oils, Virgin Coconut, VirginAvocado, and Virgin Olive oils - all of which are superior ingredients for thepromotion of hair growth, application of moisture and reduction of dandruff. All my products use unrefined certified organic and fair-trade shea-butter as a main ingredient. The butter seals the moisture in and acts as a natural SPF and barrier, protecting the hair from further damage allowing you to retain length and minimize breakage. I want anyone who has experienced hair-envy to see the beauty in their naturalselves and hug their hair! "Her life improved dramatically when she decided to break the rules, and find beauty where she'd been told [telling herself] there was none."

Hair Crush of The Month - March 2013

Written By Bold Apps - February 27 2014

Aida [Hug My Hair] - #Hair Crush of The Month - March 2013

H: What's your name and where are you from?

A: My name is Aida and I was born and raised in London. No I'm not half Jamaican and half Irish lol, my mum is Tanzanian and my dad is half Kenyan and half South African.

H: What's your hairstory? (have you always been natural? did you do the big chop?) A: I was natural up until Year 11 (aged 16), I then relaxed and cut my year into a short Rihanna-like style. After experimenting for a few years I shaved both sides of my hair and went to the barbers for some crazy patterns. I rocked my mohawk through the summer holidays and the begining of university. My last relaxer was in October 2011, and without realising it I transitioned until the sides of my hair were long enough to cut the rest to that length. So I chopped off my relaxed ends in June 2012, I've been natural ever since! H: Tell us one 'Do' and one 'Don't' for your texture A: DO - Spray with water before combing or styling. It just makes it that much easier to handle, and it feels pretty good. DON'T - Wear your hair out too often. I love to rock my 'fro but find that I get endless amounts of single strand knots

H: How do you like to use Hug My Hair hair? A: I LOVE IT! I started using Shea Butter once I found out about it, and I also use olive oil in my hair. I'm one of those people who like to use natural products as much as possible as I just think that nature knows best. So Hug My Hair has definitely combined my love for Shea Butter and naturalness. I first used Hug My Hair's 'Vintage' as a sealant after I had washed my hair, so it was still damp. I applied it onto my scalp and then canerowed my hair. I rarely moisturise my scalp so I can say that it was jumping for joy, it loves the mixture and I have been applying it ever since, even when my hair is dry. I have also recently discovered that it can be used to slick down the sides of my 3c/4a hair, which is good for me because I've always hated those pesky white flakes that gel produces. H: How often do you wash your hair and what does 'wash day' look like? A: Erm, I don't really have a hair washing schedule. I wet my hair daily, and wash it probably once a week. I must admit that when it comes to washing my hair I don't know too much about rinse out/ leave in conditioners, co-washing and all that jazz. I am still experimenting with conditioners. But as for shampoos I usually use one that I won from Keracare (yay me) - Natural Textures Cleansing Cream, I use this weekly and once a month I use a clarifying shampoo (Motions Neutralizing Shampoo) to just get all the junk from my hair. I didn't choose this one in particular, it's only because my mum has always used it on my hair and since learning about shampoo ingredients I decided to use it only when necessary. H: How do you love to wear your hair? A: I love many different styles, but they all have to do with my hair being out. I either rock my combed out afro, do a braidout or canerow my hair for the week and take it out, or even a flat twist out with bantu knots. They all give different outcomes which I love.

H: What do you find challenging about your hair? A: I love doing braidouts or flat twistouts but my issue is that once I step outside or have a shower at night (even with a showercap) the curls start to lose definition and my hair basically becomes a fluff ball. Sometimes this can be an advantage if I want the style to change during the few days I wear it but if I want to go out with my curls for the day then it can be a bummer. H: If you could go back in time to AVOID a hair choice what would that be? A:

Well I don't regret cutting and relaxing my hair as I feel that it is growing back much better, but I would have probably actually done a big chop rather than just cutting off my relaxed ends seeing as I notice a lot of heat damage in the front from where I used to straighten it. The front of my hair is completely different to the rest to the point where I often feel as though I still have some relaxed parts even though I know I don't. H: Is there a website or blog where we can find you? Nope, I don't have anything dedicated to my hair. My youtube channel is too embarrassing to give out lol but you can have my instagram; StarryEyed_Ahh

If you're interested in being a Hug My Hair Hair Crush of The Month Click Here

A Brief Hair-story (By Audrey Annoh-Antwi)

Written By Bold Apps - February 20 2014

Chris Rock tries on a lace front weave for his documentary Good Hair (2009)

My eyes are often surprised by what they encounter on daily commutes. As I become conscious of my surroundings my eyes start to probe my temporary companionsgetting on and off the train. I admire the well groomed, the immaculate and the stylish in equal measure. However when my gaze rests upon women of a similar skin tone to my own I am drawn to something odd atop most of their heads. This common place oddity is the shiny, straight, flowing hair that is not indigenous to people of African/ Afro Caribbean descent. Weave, lace front wigs,extensions and chemically straightened hair have remained the most popular waysfor black women to style their hair. As a black woman who has worn a natural afro for more than a year I am bewildered by the prevalence and preference for artifice. Hair is a biological fact, the texture of which is pre destined by ethnic heritage. However hair is often loaded with a greater significance for women due to the emphasis on a desirable external appearance. My mother has often uttered thewords “a woman’s hair is her beauty”. One thing that has been apparent to me from a young age is that some hair is sold as being more beautiful than others. This so called beautiful hair for most part looks nothing at all like whatgrows out of my scalp. American documentaries like Chris Rock’s Sundance hit, Good Hair and the lesser well known My Nappy Roots: A journey Through BlackHair-itage by Regina Kimbell have made black woman’s complex relationship with their hair a focal point. The conflicts are highlighted as mainly being rooted in America’s history of slavery. Good hair has European characteristics and bad hair is ‘nappy, picky’ and a whole host of other negative adjectives. Listening to the various stories of black British women and their relationship with their hair there was more positive and less political connotations of natural hair and that good hair means ‘healthy and presentable looking’ regardless of texture . But I did find the overall consensus was that straight hair ‘looks nicer and is more manageable’. The so called manageability can come at quite anexpense to the pocket and hair health. The manageability of chemically straightened hair is to some extents a myth. Chemically straightened hairs’ favourite sustenance is money and time. One friend said that “it needs a conditioning treatment every six weeks costing £50 as well as retouching of coarse natural roots every two months at £60.” For alot of young women who favour chemically straightened hair, the expense is not manageable and the consequences associated with poor upkeep can be dire, “once chemicals touch the hair it is a done deal, I will have to cut off the damaged hair and start again”. Braided hair extensions and sewn on weaves do not fare much better having been linked to hair loss and receding hair lines. Unfortunately many women are willing to live with the consequences of following the fashion of long, straight textured hair. The lack of visibility of natural hair textures is an issue. I was asked ‘How many successful black women in the public eye have hair that contains no artificial additions or chemical manipulation?’ Much to my horror the singer/actress Grace Jones and a snippet of a young Diane Abbott (Labour politician) from the 90’s before she was heavily featured on television came to mind and now even she wears her hair straight. I had honestly never thought about the lack of hair like mine in popular media and what this disparity could mean. Slowly but surely change is unfolding before my eyes. As I walk through the streets of London I see black women sporting beautiful dreadlocks, shaved heads and interesting afro styles. I even saw a short news report by the BBC title‘Natural hair revival for black women’ where going natural was touted as being the new fashion. All this fuss about something that happens to grow on yourhead. I would just be pleased if the day comes when hair is just a fact. What are your thoughts?

Control that cuticle layer!

Written By Bold Apps - February 13 2014

Gaining control of your cuticle layer is akin to mastering the condition of your hair!

The two ways in which to manipulate your cuticle layers and get them to react are as follows:

Mild heat – Good for closing hair cuticle scales - head-dryers (15-20 minutes), wrapping hair with drying towel after shampooing (45 minutes). Mild heat is NOT obtainable from sunlight, curling irons, plastic caps or sweat.
PH of hair products – The PH measures how acid or alkaline a substance is and the scale ranges from 0 to 14 (0= a very strong acid & 14 = a very strong alkali). Highly acidic substances force cuticle scales shut and strong alkalines force them open

Cuticle scales can be lifted/become excessively porous from friction, poor diet, genetics, over-processing and environmental stress. When your hair is too porous, your hair ends up losing moisture just as quickly as it takes it in. Unless we learn how to keep our cuticles closed, excessive lifting will result in very dry, brittle and damaged hair. Oils and waxes are not moisturisers. Moisture is a property of water and water increases elasticity in hair. In order to effectively moisturise your hair water is necessary. But because water is absorbed so quickly by hair and evaporates just as fast, it isdifficult for hair to remain moisturised for long periods of time. This is where sealants & conditionersbecome essential. We all know that deep conditioning treatments are great for hair but few people know how or why. The reason we deep condition after washing is because we want to get moisture in our hair first to increase elasticity and minimize breakage but we also want to seal it in with emolients. The process itself is called ‘deep conditioning’ because it allows the beneficial ingredients to literally penetrate your hair shaft deposit lost lipids, nourish and seal in moisture. For the best deep conditioning results apply mild heat on washed hair that has had conditioner in it for at least 20 minutes (the longer the better).

Good conditioners contain proteins vitamins and oils that work on multiple levels to add strength and shine. Hug My Hair uses ingredients such as extra virgin avocado oil, coconut oil, wheat germ oil and beeswax. All these provide an abundance of nutirents and a coating to retard water evaporation. The coat makes the hair look shiny and smooth because it fills the gaps that lifted cuticle scales reveal and gives the appearance of a flattened cuticl and therefore healthy looking hair. This is why hair needs a routine. A regular hair care regime allows you to balance styling with maintenance ensuring your hair cuticle stays protected and enabling you to retain length. If you do use moisturisers then the PH of them is important. You can measure the PH level of anything that is water soluble. The best PH level for products that you place on your hair should be within an acidic PH level of 4.5 – 5.5 which is similar to the body’s natural moisturiser sebum. If your hair products are the wrong PH then they cannot effectively close the cuticle scales meaning any deposited ‘good stuff’ isn’t locked in and can therefore be easily lost. A sign of this is experiencing dry hair shortly after applying a moisturiser. PH strips are cheap if you can bebothered to test your products. I bought mine from Ebay here Have you mastered your cuticle layer? Tell us your thoughts.

hugmyhair

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NoScrunchie

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About Me

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Hair Crush of The Month - March 2013

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A Brief Hair-story (By Audrey Annoh-Antwi)

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Control that cuticle layer!

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