What country do you live in?
Jamaica
How would you best describe your hair type?
Naturally Curly, 3c
What has been the most empowering moment of your journey so far? Most challenging?
The most empowering moment of my curly hair journey has most definitely been my big chop on January 31st of this year. I have always had big, bouncy curls and was known for having “inches,” so cutting most of my hair off definitely ruffled a few feathers. There’s no doubt that the curly/natural hair community idolizes having huge hair and even I got caught up with that pressure – so cutting my hair off freed me from some of that pressure and allowed me to find the beauty in my natural hair again.
How do you prefer to protect your curls at night: bonnet, scarf or satin pillowcase?
At night, I sleep with either a satin bonnet or a satin scarf over my hair, it all depends on the style my hair is in.
Who is your curl crush?
Though my hair has always been natural, I’ve had instances in my life where I’ve had heat damage and my hair was just completely fried! In 2013, I decided to put the flat iron and blow dryer down and actually learned how to care for and; style my hair without heat. From my childhood years, my hair has always been blowdried for manageability (thick hair problems!”>, so as I got older around 14 or 15, I started to see more people embrace their natural textures and I decided, why not? I’ve always had a full head of hair and I’ve never seen my true texture, so I went for it! As I got older, I immersed myself into the curly hair community and I came across Jewellianna Palencia, who’s my ultimate curl crush, and I knew this was the right decision! She’s everything!
What’s your curly girl essential?
My curly girl essential has definitely got to be deep conditioning! Regardless of texture, curl pattern – all that. Deep conditioning is key. I believe deep conditioning is essential especially if you wear your curly hair out in its natural state. It’s exposed to so many drying agents (the environment, wandering hands, etc.”> and needs to be kept moisturized. There’s no leave-in conditioner or curl cream that can do what a great deep conditioner or hair mask can do; it really works wonders.
My personal favorites are: Deva Curl Melt Into Moisture, Strands of Faith Intense Deep Conditioning Treatment, Carol’s Daughter Rhassoul Softening Hair Mask and CURLS Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Mask.
Do you prefer to shampoo or co-wash?
I love both. It all just depends on the state of my hair. I love a good lathery shampoo, sulfate-free of course, for when my hair has seen better days and is in need of a deep cleanse and my scalp is crying out for a complete refresh. With regards to co-washing, I don’t do traditional co-washing anymore, I use conditioning cleansers. So, I “co-wash” on days where my hair is in need of moisture with a light cleanse, just to refresh my curls, especially after wash and go’s.
What is your current hair regimen? Any favorite products you’d like to share?
My current hair regimen consists of lots of conditioning.
I do the “condition-wash-condition” method.
1. I lightly condition my hair before cleansing, to remove shed hair and prep my hair for cleansing. For this step, I love to use my Deva Curl Wash Day Wonder.
2. Cleansing; like I said previously, I love both “co-washing” and shampooing. I do my hair every 3-4 days to prevent it from drying out. My favorite cleansers are: Deva Curl No-Poo Decadence, Camille Rose Naturals Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse and CURLS Cashmere + Caviar Hair Bath.
3. After I finger detangle and deep condition my hair with my Q-Redew Steamer, then I style my hair. Some of my favorite moisturizers and stylers are: CURLS Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-In Conditioner, Jane Carter Solution Curl Cocktail & Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker and my go-to style is a wash and go!
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