5 questions to ask yourself before you go natural / 5 preguntas que debes hacerte antes de dejar del alisado.

I received many e-mails and facebook messages from women that are transitioning or were transitioning from relaxed to natural hair asking for help and orientations, because either they are about to quit or they just did. I wrote a post a while ago about transition and staying natural with no drama, but now I will show 5 simple questions you have to ask yourself - please be honest, nobody is watching- before you even attend to stop that unhealthy, damaging creamy crack you are putting on your hair. 

1.-Why do you want to go natural? ummm, this is an easy one right? Well, not quite. It is really important to sit down and think of a good reason to go natural: think healthy hair; to inspire your daughter or tired of following stereotypes; these are some of my reasons to go natural that didn't make it easier, but it kept me strong and focused on my goal. If you want to go natural to follow a  trend or because you think it will be easier and careless, well bella, rethink your options again.

2.-Do you care what other people think about you? If you do, you will have a very hard time transitioning from relaxed to natural hair, because people will talk, and people will comment, and give you their opinions. In every reunion I went while transitioning or after the big chop, I was the main focus of conversation, some "friends" even sent me messages questioning the way I looked (in a very bad way); did I care? Hell nooooo... "Don't you ever let no one in the world tell you that you can't be exactly who you are.”

3.-Do you think you are too "ugly" to have natural hair? I know what you are thinking right now: how can Daily call a Woman ugly? no bellas it is not me, in fact I believe all women are beautiful and confident ones are even more beautiful. Several times women approach me saying: " you look so pretty with your natural hair, but I am too ugly, or my head is too big", first let me tell you, that no, you are not ugly, your head is not too big, you are a healthy beautiful woman. That is the hair God gave you and God doesn't make mistakes.

 "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”-- Marilyn Monroe--

4.- Are you afraid of big changes? Some people say that it is just hair, I call it life changing, you basically have to reset your hard drive, and be willing to experiment all kinds of sentiments and feelings, for this reason you need to get the right answers for the last 3 questions. But don't worry, it is ok to be afraid, that means you are alive and you are a human being, I think there are only two kinds of people in this world: those that are afraid and do it anyway, and those that let fear stop them from doing great scary things... 

5.- Are you ready to BE-U-TIFUL, shameless and fearless? That right chicas, because you are unique and beautiful just the way you are, your hair doesn't define you, you define your hair. Natural hair will get all that sassiness in you. And the versatility of your wavy, kinky, curly, coily hair will blow your mind away and that chicas, that is a promise :) 

What is or was your reason to go natural?

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Natural beauty After 50/ Belleza natural despues de los 50

It is fascinating to see so many young women of all races rocking their natural hair, embracing their true self, but even more amazing, is to see adult women breaking all beliefs and traditions and dare to be natural. 

As we age, our skin and hair gets a fare share too, hair aging can involve microscopic, biochemical or hormonal changes that affect the follicle, or environmental factors that cause wear and tear on the hair. Some of the common hair aging is grey hair, that happen when melanin or pigments disappears. Lucky for us women of color, graying typically begins in Caucasians in the early 30s, but for us it can take up to 10 years or more to happen (I must have been caucasian in my other life, because I have had them for years ). Other symptoms of hair aging are:

• Female baldness, resulting in thin hair and visible scalp. It may be due to genetics, shifting levels in male hormones (androgens), vitamin deficiencies or certain health conditions.
• Hirsutism is hair on a woman's body in areas usually associated with males: on the face, neck, chest or thighs. It can be due to genetics, aging, or medications.

The beautiful Elle had the courage to become natural after 50- she looks so amazing, right?-

she admits that becoming natural is one of her best decisions, something that she never thought in doing  before, because back in the days natural hair was not as accepted as it is today;

"Natural hair is becoming normalized. I see girls and women rocking their natural texture everyday, I also see this in print and tv advertising. I've noticed more and more celebrities rocking natural hair as well. Manufacturers have taken note of the trend  towards natural hair and have responded with a plethora of products that can be found in stores throughout the country or online. Social media has provided a platform to educate and encourage Naturalistas and created a real community, which is awesome!"

Due to hormone changes, your hair will be affected too, so going natural is a great choice, follow these easy tips to maintain your beauty from the inside out:

• Eat and drink healthy. 
• Try anti-aging products. If you are over 50, creams and lotions can help enhance your natural beauty by rejuvenating your skin. Creams like the new Artistry Youth Xtend is perfect because it contains Micro-X6 peptide consisting of six amino acids that helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 
  
• Adding hightlights to your hair can subtly hide gray hairs, especially if your natural hair color is fairly light. Henna is great to blend gray hair with your natural color too.
• Avoid solid hair color.
• Wear your hair any way you want. Don't follow old rules, "Go Natural" 
• If your hair is fine, a shorter cut will give you  more volume. 
• Include humectants to moisture the cuticle, for a smoother appearance, use hair conditioner or natural oil to seal the cuticle, products with UV protection, and antioxidants. 
• Avoid hot tools. 
• Follow Elle's tips to have perfect hair after 50: I minimize the use of combs and brushes. I pre-poo with coconut oil and water. I co-wash with a silicon free conditioner at least once per week. I use a sulfate free shampoo at least once per month on preparation for my henna/indigo color sessions. I recently added an olive oil rinse after I co-washed which has really upped the shine factor. I tend to wear my hair in wash and go's or flexi-rod sets. I try to minimize the chemicals I put on or in my body, if there is an organic, chemical free solution or way of doing something, that's what I try to choose. I feel that going the natural route is better for my health and well being, my looks, my wallet, as well as the planet and society in general

If you have tips for us, please share it on the comment box, we love recommendations and opinions :)

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WEN sweet Almond Mint Review / Reseña de los productos Wen

Hola bellas, yes finally a review, but not any review, I will be reviewing Wen sweet Almond Mint that I wanted to try for so long and I received a lot of questions about it. I tried the sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, Sweet almond Anti-Frizz Styling Creme and the  sweet almond Re moist Intensive hair Treatment. For a reason that you will find out soon, I sent the products to my lovely curly hair prima Lidia in Boston so I can have a second opinion, just because my hair is crazy sometimes and doesn't like the really good products that it's supposed to like, lol

I went ahead and saw a few videos on youtube on how to use the products, first the cleansing conditioner, then the cleansing itself as leave-in conditioner. The first time I used it without the Hair mask or hair treatment, the second time with it. 

My thoughts:

• I really like the cleansing conditioner, I like the scent and the "cleansing " feeling, my problem with it, is that this is basically a simple a co-wash method, nothing else, so do I really need to buy an expensive conditioner to wash my big hair? if you take into consideration that I have a lot of hair, that  I do 2-3 co-washes a week, I will be broke in a few months. Don't get me wrong if you have the money, go for it, if you have fine hair, you will have no problem and this will definitely work for you.
• As a leave-in? like the comercial? NOOOO  At least not for my hair type, my hair was lack of moisture, dull, frizzy and all those bad stuff that happens to curly girls. Maybe it is a great alternative for fine straight hair, maybe.
• The Anti frizz was ok. but again not for my hair type, too light. it will be perfect to add shine to hair after the use of a flat iron or a blower.
• They all have great ingredients.
• The Hair treatment worked really good on my hair, so good that I didn't send it to my prima, lol 
• Why didn't I take pictures? because I was so mad at my hair for not liking WEN and looking like bird nest :( 

Ok, so maybe my hair is crazy, untamed, and a bird nest; Let me send the products all the way to Boston for a serious review. For this purpose, I just told my cousin that I had extra products and I will send them to her,, I didn't want her to think that I didn't like the products and influence her opinion. What do you think about the products Lidia?

I went ahead and tried The Wen Sweet Almond Mint cleansing conditioner and styling creme, I found that these work okay with my curly hair, but don’t provide the moisture and anti frizz that I ultimately need. I will recommend the Sweet Almond Mint to someone with fine hair. The products smell heavenly and leave a clean sensation after using them. I refused to believe that the Wen products were not going to work for me because I've heard so many good things about them, so I decided to give the Fig Cleansing Conditioner (another WEN formula) a try. The Fig Cleansing Conditioner made it for me. Anyone interested in using any Wen products needs to make sure that all the instructions are being followed and watch as many video tutorials as possible. I think that the products work, but you definitely need to educate yourself before using them so that you can get the most out of it. On these photos, I used the Fig cleansing conditioner, I applied the Fig styling cream to my dripping wet hair and styled it with Kinky Curly Curl Custard. Lidia F.

Here you have our reviews, please notice that these are our opinions on our hair, these results can vary from curly hair to curly hair; Please share your experience on the comment box, so every one that reads this post can have more than two opinions

This is not a sponsor post, but I did receive products for my editorial consideration. I did a review because I thought this will be a perfect fit for my readers, all opinions and pictures are mine, well and Lidia's. 

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How keep your locks moisture and healthy / Como mantener tus locks/rasta

Naima

Whatever method you choose to start your locks, they will be dry and can lead to breakage if you don’t moisturize them. (Guys, this goes for you too. Moisturizing is not just a “girly” thing—you’ll have a straw-like mess on your head if you don’t moisturize!) If your locks are color treated, or you plan to swim a lot this summer, moisture (and a chlorine removal product) is essential. 

Shea Butter, this is nature’s best moisturizer. With so many companies realizing this, your options are as wide as ever. You can twist your roots with it, apply it to your scalp if it gets dry, and smooth it through your locks if you feel any dryness. If the pure form seems a little heavy for you or is hard to come by, try products with it as its first or second ingredient. 

Argan Oil. Argan Oil is the next big thing in hair products today. This native of Morocco’s argan tree has the right amount of essential fatty acids to leave hair and skin beautifully soft. In its purest form, you can use the oil as a hot oil treatment after shampooing. Apply to hair and leave on with a plastic cap. (The amount of time depends on you, around 15-30 minutes.) Rinse out, and your hair will be softer. 

Oils. Essential Oils are a good ways to keep your locks moisturized between shampoos or after shampooing as a hot oil treatment. Locks shine and thrive with the right amount of oil applied. Try our natural oil  mix 

Conditioning Mists. These are also powerful moisturizers between shampoos. They work by spraying directly in the air over your head and allowing the mist to fall and penetrate each lock. Allow your locks to fully air dry. 

Water. Don’t forget, our bodies need water to stay running and to stay moisturized. The correct amount: eight, 8-ounce glasses a day. To help with this, you can drink three “large gulp” cups a day, or carry around a water bottle to remind you. Get a fun one to inspire you even more. 

Moisture is the key to locks health, growth and overall well being. No matter how often you wash  it with moisture and patience, you will be the Rapunzel on your block (or the dude with the cool locks walking by). You won’t regret the time you take to do this!

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