Although I knew the natural hair phenomenon had spread like
a forest fire, I didn’t think the age range of women strutting their natural
crown of glory would be so broad until I recently attended a natural hair forum
in Birmingham, Al. This event was hosted
by Dr. Dianne Coleman, a cosmetic chemist and instructor, who has developed her
own line of natural hair products. The
event was held one Saturday afternoon from 2-5 pm at the Crestwood Festival
Center. When I arrived there were other
vendors show-casing their businesses, which offered the event attendees an
opportunity to mingle while waiting for the main symposium to start. There was a mid-size crowd of approximately
40-50 eagerly awaiting the opportunity to ask natural hair care tips at this symposium.
One key take away was Dr. Coleman’s
advice on the importance of moisturizing and sealing in the moisture for healthy
hair growth and length retention.
Unlike a classroom room full of unenthused students, these
women asked question after question, took notes, and shared their personal hair
experiences. By the end of this event,
Dr. Coleman had given several door prizes and I was the recipient of a full
size bottle of her Curl Popper (the original formula). Of course after winning, I thought it would
be a good idea to test out her product and share my results.
The application process of the Curl Popper potion was simple. After shampooing &
conditioning (with Alba Botanica products), I applied castor oil to my hair
while wet. Next, I sectioned my hair into four sections and applied a liberal
amount of the Curl Popper potion to each section of hair. I locked in the moisture by using my shea
butter mixture (see mixture ingredients below) then braiding my hair. Due to the thickness of my hair, I sat under
my hooded dryer for 2 hours using a low heat setting until my hair about 80% dry.
You will notice in my video that I did over saturate my hair
with my shea butter mixture, so I decided to use a bandana to cover my hair at
night so that it would absorb some of the oils.
This really worked wonders because when I styled my hair, I had a smooth
finish without an oily or weighed down feeling/appearance. Also, I didn’t have to add more oil for the
entire week. I noticed that the lanolin I added really enhanced the shine and
reduced frizz. After high aerobic
exercising throughout the week, the roots of my hair remained smooth with
minimal frizz. In addition to the use of
lanolin, the reduction of frizz is also attributed to the fact that about 2-3
nights out of the week to help maintain the braid out, I just re-braided at
night and tied on my bandanna.
My shea butter mixture consists of the following ingredients. I used a hand mixer to blend the ingredients
until it reached a fluffy texture very similar to whipped cream or butter cream
frosting. Note: I have been using this
mixture as my hair and body moisturizer for about 6 weeks; enjoying it thus far.
- Raw Shea Butter
- Vegetable Glycerin
- Vitamin E oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Lanolin
Check out my video demonstration:
Also, coming soon is the hair care product line, which will
be available at: www.snapback2yourroots.com
