WereWolfs Do Exist!

Yes Werewolves do exist. It's not a mythological fantasy-it's an actual genetic disorder charateristic of excessive hair growth concentrated on certain parts of the body like face and chest or covering the entire body. Scientifically, it is known a Hypertrichosis or Androgen hair whose growth is triggered by male hormones(testosterone). Certain parts of our bodies respond in varied degrees to this hormone i.e. armpits, pubic area. When this hormone is out of control you get what known as "Wolfies" or "WereWolf Syndrome". Aren't we all God's children:^))

Simple Hair Pomade Recipe

I am always playing the role of a mad scientist, Mixing oils , herbs and other ingredients together gets me excited. I came up with a very nice light pomade for my 7 month old. I also used it on her little bum bum and it works great for preventing diaper rash too. It's real simple and all you'll need;

1 quart size pot
3tsp calendula wax*
2 drops lavender essential oil
1 drop tea tree oil
1 1/2 oz castor oil
1 tsp shea butter

Put the wax, shea butter,and castor oil in the pot on low heat until the wax has melted. When the mixture has completely melted, allow it to cool down a bit-leave it for about 30 minutes. Then add in your essential oils and mix with a hand mixer until it gets thick. You can transfer the mixture into 2oz containers. This should make you 2# 2oz jars to use.
* Calendula is a plant base wax that is used as a emulsifier in product recipes. It is great for the skin!
It's a great hair softener for babies and don't forget to rub some on your baby's bum to prevent rashes.

Black Soap

I washed my Sisterlocks with some Black Soap this week and was pleasantly surprised by the results. I originally purchased it as a body soap because I wanted to try something new for my face. I have noticed lately that everything is drying up on my body (not pretty folks) ,so I am having to customize my beauty routine to include moisturizing products. Anyway, I found that the black soap is excellent for getting build-up out of hair and scalp without any irritation or dryness. My hair felt squeaky clean and soft too.

If you have oily skin like me, the black soap will work great for you too. My face looked bright felt sooo clean and smoothe. The real test was on my 7 month old. Her skin stayed soft and she had that "baby smell" after I used it on her. It's ironic that I've heard about black soap for years and was never motivated to buy it. I guess I based my opinion on the fact that I only saw street vendors selling it!

Made from Burnt Leaves
But scrutiny is warranted because not all black soaps are the same Black Soap recipes differ by regions where its produced. The soap is called by different names and "Ose Dudu" is the most popular of all- the name means Ose(soap) and Dudu(black). According to my research,the soap is good for: dark spots,rashes, oily skin, acne, dandruff and even wrinkles! So far I can honestly say that it works
The basic recipe is made from burnt plantain leaves that are filtered in water and a fat is added( shea butter, coconut oil or palm oil),and the mixture is stirred for a day by local women and left cure for 2 weeks. West African black soap is the best, so don't buy the "bootlegg" versions that are made here in the U.S.because you won't get the healing benefits that the authentic version gives.

Only Buy from workers under the FTF!
By the way, please make sure you buy from distributors that support the Fair Trade Federation. They ensure that the women who make the soaps, shea butter etc.. are given a fair wage and employment benefits for their labor.

In The Cold

Well I'm back in my hometown, the "Big Apple" and it's cold and rainy out here. I want to get back to Georgia so bad; I miss home. Silly me forgot how cold and impersonal this place can be. Right know it's 9 a.m. and I'm looking out my rain-soaked window at a high-rise building across the street. Parking is murder in the city, especially for someone who still can't parallel park. I pray my Chrysler doesn't get hit! Anywho, I'm here servicing my Sisterlocks clients, then back on the road again. My husband works out here at Sloan, the top cancer hospital in the country. He's in a "New York State of Mind", so I can't convince him to move south. This just isn't the place for my babies. My husband looks at me like I'm crazy because I act like a tourist, clutching my purse while staring at the crowds of people in amazement, when I come to town. I know I should be to it but I traded in "The Big Apple" for a "Georgia Peach" a long time ago.

No More Dandruff

O.K I know it has been a while but I've been very busy taking care of my Sisterlocks clients and researching ingredients on the internet. I wanted to find products that would help with dry scalp which seems to be more of a problem now that the weather is changing. Dry scalp is actually the bootleg version of Seborrheic Dermatitis. The characteristics of this condition are

inflamed red patches with greasy or dry scales( full blown)
cradle cap( mild form)
Dandruff (mild form)

Keep in mind that this can show up your forehead, face, ears and well as your scalp.

Some experts say that this condition is actually caused a an overgrowth of yeast with allows skin cells to grow faster than you can shed them off.

Yeast can grow out of control with high fat and high sugar diets!!!

If you suffer from dandruff, do not use all-in-one shampoos and conditioners. The reason is because the conditioning agents in these shampoos act as a sealants on your hair your scalp thereby trapping the residue from the shampoo-this in turn can cause scalp irritation and dandruff.

FYI- Make sure when conditioning after shampooing that your hair is not soaking wet. Towel drying is a must if you want to get the most benefit from the conditioner. Water stops the conditioner from absorbing into the hair shaft, so stop wasting product and follow directions.

I know most of us are big shea butter fans and I am too, but shea butter alone doesn't work for everyone, and it can be heavy and pore cogging to certain skin types. I started looking for other oils that can be used safely without the fear of build-up in my hair and I happened to find two bomb ingredients Perilla Oil and Evening Primrose. I love,love, love these oils. I have been using them on my Sisterlocks and my baby's hair and skin; they both leave my skin and hair so soft. No more "crunchy" locks And I don't even have to use them often. These oils are particularly good for mature skin, wrinkles and ecezma. Type them in the Google box below and look them up for yourself.

	Web www.mytruehair.com www.sisterlocks.com

I am not into hype and suggestive ads but these two oils have restored my faith "natural" products.
Sisterlocks for life!

Stop! Let me introduce myself!

My Water don't Mix with My Shampoo!

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Do you notice that your Sisterlocks are dull and your scalp is dry even after you've shampooed, conditioned and oiled it! Well ladies, your water could very well be the cause. Households, depending on what area you live in, will have whats called "hard water". This hard water affects how your shampoo works, how your hair feels and how long your color lasts. It even makes your scalp itchy and dry. What causes it? The chlorine, fluoride,calcium and mineral deposits in the water.
See, when you use water to clean anything, the surface tension of the water must be reduced in order for the water to spread and penetrate the hair. What causes the water to spread and penetrate is called a "surfactant". If this wasn't added, water would stay beaded up on the surface of the hair and would not be able to wash away the dirt and grease from our hair. SOAP is a natural surfactant. Detergents, which were made at the beginning of the 20 century, are synthetic surfactants that are found in most shampoos today. I hear your question"So why did we switch from natural soap to detergents?"The reason why the detergents are more preferable is because they react less to the mineral deposits in the hard water and are easily washed away; real soap forms a film when used with hard water.
Hard water makes the scales along the hairs' shaft stand up; therefore, it is quite difficult to wash the soap out of the hair. Moreover, the use of conditioners are now needed to smooth the scales and reduce the roughness of the hair. Look at your favorite shampoo right now! Go on! Does the ingredients list include: Sodium Lauryl sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate (ALS)? These are petrochemicals and although they do not react with hard water, they don't form the lather that we crave when we shampoo our hair either. Thus, a booster is added to give US THAT RICH LATHER THAT WE LOVE!

You can request a free test kit for your home by contacting Diamond Crystal water softening products. Consumers can call (800) 428-4244 for the free kit, which includes an easy-to-use test strip, a coupon for a free bag of water softening salt, and other helpful information.

In the mean time you could either collect rain water to wash your hair or make an acid rinse to restore the pH balance of your hair. To make the acid rinse, use about a tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar to 8 ounces of water or the juice from a whole lime to 8ounces of water; put the mix in a spray bottle and spray it on your hair until it is completely saturated. This will take off any film from product build up or the residue from the reaction of the soap and hard water. It will also close the cuticle layer so the shampoo and debri can rinse away from the hair easily. Your hair will be softer and shiner as a result!

Smell Good Sisterlocks !

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Book of Esther chpt-2 v-12
King James Bible
*Before a girl's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.

Now, I know we don't have twelve months to get ready for a date let alone husbands and such, but we could at least try to implement some extra special grooming time to our Sisterlocks(tm). I have researched different perfume oils that were used in Ancient Egypt and in biblical times. Putting the fragance oils in your hair instead of on your body will make the scent you use last longer. So if you do have great locks, that's good, but considering topping off that great style with an exotic fragrance that's all your own. Try mixing two different fragrances to personalize your scent. I mix about four different oils;two are essential oils and two are frangance oils for my particular scent. I get a kick out hearing my husband say he knows where I've been because of my special scent. Give your Sisterlocks(tm) a treat! Turn heads not just with a great Sisterlocks(tm) hairstyle, but stop him in his tracks with beautiful smelling hair.Not sure of what to use?
Scents to consider are

• florals like- jasmine, lotus, lavender, neroli( this fragrance is off the hook expensive but good.
• spicy like-ginger, clove, anise,
• sweet like-vanilla, amber, tahitian vanilla,orange essential oil, tangerine essential oil

Oils that work great together are :

neroli & orange

rose& vanilla

ginger& lotus

anise essential & orange essential

clove & vanilla

rosewood & lavendar

Also some pre-blended fragrances that smell really good are :

• Dutch chocolate,- very chocolatey sweet like real chocolate, sometimes I wear it alone or mix it with tahitian vanilla
• grapefruit & sage, - has a citrus herby smell. This mixes well with peppermint
• bayrum, -I very strong could be masuline for feminine scent. This is great with sandalwood and orange
• citrus linen- just smells like clean fresh laundry. I mix it with grapefruit and sage.
• sandlewood- very smooth woodsy scent. I blend with orange and even a little dutch chocolate too!

Just to name a few. These combination can be mixed in a ratio of 1:1 except when using strong scents like clove then you should use a ratio 2:1 or even 3:1. I always use a drop of vanilla in my combination because it helps to "blend" the oils that I'm mixing together.

As for where to get the oils, I buy most of my fragrance oils from "The Scent Shack". This company has some of the best smelling fragrances I have ever used. From this company you can purchase them in sizes of 1. oz to 16 ounces. There oils are never bitter smelling, and the oils are high quality. As for the essential oils I get them from the "NOW" company. The essential oils usually come size of.5 and up to2.oz sizes

Don't Hate!

Whew! Can I say I'm tired! I have been reading blogs and discussions pertaining to SL's and I didn't realize that there was so much "hate" goin on. I have even read where she testified in court saying that the technique originated in Africa thousands of years ago. That may or may not be true,but I don't think that has anything to do with the business she has created today. Other sistahs have clearly been "inspired" by the concept that Dr. C has brought to the forefront. Back in 93 when she hit the scene, nobody was "latchin" locks and makin tools as they are now. In my opinion, these same inventors are just trying to emulate the SL look. But don't through salt in the game. Give credit where it's due! If I were Dr. C I would be doing the same thing "mindin my business" and protecting my brand. I have been asked by other stylist to show them the SL technique or buy the tools for them and have said flat out no! Go take the course. I was almost fired from a salon job for not showing the owner the technique, and he told me, "I hired you because I thought you be an asset to my company but it seems as though your in this for your self!" Know what kind mess is this! I know it's about free enterprise, but how many of us are taking time out to down to the Library of Congress, obtain copies of course material to duplicate the companies concept? What you should be doing is investigating what these manufacturers are putting in our food that giving women ovarian and breast cancer. But we have time to investigate other ways short changing or under cutting someone's' business. Am I an advocate for SL! Yes!! To it's are all pros no "cons" to the method, and I thank Dr. C for having the wherewithal to bring this "ancient technique" to our attention. I guess you can tell that I am hot about this. I just feel that it's wrong for a company to copycat another and claim that they didn't get the idea from that company. Even the person that this particular company got to testify on there behalf was a SL wearer herself and its funny too cause when I asked her if she was wearing SL's she said no, these are BLAH,BLAh, BLAh! The joke is that when I took my training she was one of the models that came in to show the class how SL's looked. And another thing, stop complaining about the price. Why do we do this to each other? Being a woman, I know that when I want something and feel that have to have it, I will do what I have to do to get it. SL's are not expensive, it's just how much "you" feel should be spent on your hair. Japanese hair straightening cost on average $600 dollars, andI bet those people who are having that done are not spending there time looking for ingredients to whip up the formula themselves! Do you get what I'm sayin? They appreciate the service and the expertise of the person doing the hair and after 4 hours of work, the stylist gets $600 dollars . Now what do we get after 12, 14, 20 hours worth of work? Complaints about price! Unbelievable. I personally feel this is the casualty of making the course available to everyone, but that's for another post! Hey I love my people; don't get me wrong. But just because we stylist are doing "natural" hair doesn't mean our work shouldn't be respected for the outstanding work that we do!. And how do you show respect? Come on, you know how! By paying with a smile on your face and a thankful heart that's how!

Grease Me Up!

Grease Me Up!http://www.mytruehair.com

Ladies, Ladies, please stop suffocating your scalp with all that heavy grease. Why are we so programmed to believe our hair needs grease. Your scalp , if your healthy, produces all the "oils" your hair needs. If you really feel your hair is dry, try looking at the products your using. If your washing your hair with dish washing liquid( which is the equivalent to most shampoos on the market then yes, you will need to condition the hair. But lets set the record straight! All a shampoo can do is clean your hair; it's not going to make your hair grow or permanently change your texture. The only thing a conditioner does is smooth out the cuticle layer that you've just 'ruffed up" from washing your hair. It will not make your hair "healthy". The only thing that nourishes the hair is- Your Blood! Your blood is what carries nutrients to every body part you have, including your hair follicles. And besides, by the time your hair grows out of it's shaft, it's already dead anyway so put the grease down and stop making the "big manufacturers' rich. It's all a big head trip, and the companies with the big advertising budget are "banking" on it. If you want your hair to grow, the best things to do are:
eat right- fruits, veggies, grains , herbs( and limit your sugar intake)
drink water
exercise- this is the best scalp stimulator you can do. Get that blood movin and you hair will start growin!

Frizzies be Gone!!

So you've had your locks for some years now and you keep all your appointment for lock grooming but it seems that you can't get rid of that frizz no matter what you ! Well no fear the answer is quite simple. It's called a "Fire Trim". It can be done on cultivated locks as well as Sisterlocks as long as your locks are "Mature". By mature I mean at least 3 years old depending on the texture of your hair. "Fire Trimming" is simply running a lit candle along the length of each lock while the hair is damp. Do not do it on dry hairbecause you will burn your hair off!! As you run the candle along the lock all the stray hairs will be scorch off leaving a perfect neat stray hair free lock. Just lightly run the candle along the length of the hair do not stop or hold the candle in one spot to long. The time to do it is after your hair has been shampooed; that way your hair is free of any product build-up and it will retain moisture longer than if you just used a spray bottle to wet your hair. You will notice that your locks will "tighten up" and it will become stronger too. The Fire Trims act as a cleanser or your locks if you have any lint or trapped grease it be melted away with this technique. Don't try to do this yourself; you don't want candle wax to drip in your eyes-nnot pretty!

Sisterlocks Life and Style

Sisterlocks has been a blessing to me in more ways than I can count. It has allowed me to embrace my tightly textured hair completely. The times when I do go to the beauty supply store, they look at me and my hair and ask whereI got it from. Its so funny! I say, from me! It's my own hair!

Dr. Cornwell has given us Sisterlock wearers a new "religion". A new way to live of ,for, and by one another.

I've been cultivating my Sisterlocks for 4 years now. Unfortunately, I have not taken pics of my various stages, but I do have recent pics of my new layer cut which was prompted by my pregnancy. I was feling down and wanted a whole new look. I will probably let it continue growing now that I'm not ravaged by pregnancy hormones anymore!

Coloring my Locks

<# thoughts of the day>

I am thinking of coloring my hair again. Right now it's a beautiful cranberry color,but I've been thinking of highlighting the front part some more. I want a summer color. I learn the hard way that locks are very sensitive to lighter colors and even after you have washed the color out, the color can cause degeneration of the locks. I take great care when coloring; I try not to overlap on the color which can cause weak spots. I would suggest that anyone coloring their hair in light like light blonde should use color instead of bleach. Bleach can cause locks to "pop" or pull apart like straw.

If you use semi permanent colors I found that Avatar is very good,and it doesn't fade fast at all. Great for relaxed hair too!

Sisterlocks Life and Style

I love giving natural sistas an alternative way to style their hair. I too know what it's like to be a slave to tight uncomfortable weaves and braids. I also know what its like to lose my hair from these techniques. Sisterlocks in the greatest system ever made for natural hair. No more having to duck when it rains, or sit through painful weaving techniques. No more waiting to wash my hair for fear of messing up my style. Hollayula!!!