Wednesday 7 June 2017

Full Moon / Oshun Self Love Ritual



This Friday brings us a Full Moon in Sagittarius, called the Strawberry Moon.

Friday is also a day often associated with Oshun/Venus the goddess of Love.(Although Saturday is also considered her day).

For radical self care ritual
I suggest an Oshun Bath during the Full Moon .

Oshun Bath :

Ingredients:
Sunflower or Rose petals :
Honey / Organic Nut or Almond Milk
Blue Lotus, Rose, or Jasmine essential oil.

Put all ingredients in a warm bath and enjoy.

Oshun Body Oil:
Rose petals,
Almond oil or Organic Sunflower oil

The essential oil of your choice.



Put the oil in a (preferably dark) bottle and leave  out in the moonlight.
Use the oil next day whilst stating your affirmation of self love.


This wonderful ritual is brought to us by Marilyn  a Holistic Health Practitioner who runs workshops as well as 1-2-1 sessions in person and virtually. To find out more about her workshops check out the link below.


Workshops 

Lead Image @vandeaarde

from The Brown Girl Coven http://www.thebrowngirlcoven.com/2017/06/full-moon-oshun-self-love-ritual.html
via

Reclaiming Our Magic



Hello and welcome to The Brown Girl Coven, a safe space For women of colour to explore their magic.

Magic? Yes magic not just the #blackgirlmagic that is so popular but the real goddess given magic that resides in us all. As women we have a significant power, the power to create, the power to nurture and give life. We bleed for 5 days and we do not die. We are magical. BELIEVE IT.

This Coven needs no initiation, you my loves are members, simply by being you. Here we will reclaim our magic, return to nature and remember our ancestral rite. 

There is no hocus pocus [well not much] there are no titles, come and go as you please, take what you need and what feels relevant to you. Rejoice in the sisterhood without fear and howl at the moon [optional]

Stay Tuned In 


from The Brown Girl Coven http://www.thebrowngirlcoven.com/2017/06/reclaiming-our-magic.html
via

Friday 21 October 2016

The Afro: Combing Afro Hair With Comfort



If I was given a coin for each time I’ve been asked this question, well I may class myself a coin collector. Understandably the thicker your Afro (mine is regarded as 4C), the more care you put into keeping it neat, and combing it properly becomes somewhat of a ritual.

Well, you asked how I comb my thick Afro hair, and I am here to share it all.



1. WET or DAMP
I only comb my hair when it is wet or at least damp. I have never attempted to comb my hair when it is dry. Combing dry hair will in no doubt be painful, and may cause breakage. So when you are preparing to comb your hair, be sure to have your spray bottle (water) in hand.

2. SECTION HAIR
Separate your damp hair into small sections. The thicker/longer your hair is; the smaller the sections. Sectioning your hair makes it easy to comb.

3. PRODUCTS
Apply a generous amount of your chosen product to your sectioned hair (one small section). Some people will prefer leave-in-conditioner or moisturiser, but I use coconut oil, which I have been told does not work for everyone (magically it softens my hair!).

4. DETANGLE
While massaging the product into your hair from the roots to the ends, use your fingers to detangle your hair. This step requires time and patience and should not be rushed. If you come across a knot, take your time and finger-detangle it all.

5. COMB
Once your hair is finger-detangled, you will need a wide-tooth comb to gently comb through your hair. If you realise your hair is still tangled, please re-visit step 4. When combing your hair, start from the ends and slowly work your way up, each time going closer to your roots.



6. BRAID OR TWIST
Once a section of your hair is moisturised, finger-detangled and combed, you will either have to braid or twist that section before you proceed to the next sectioned hair. I always twist mine, as I find it easier.

7. REPEAT
Now it is time to repeat Step 1-6 on all sections until all head has been completed. If you are working on wet hair, leave to air-dry. Now your hair is combed, you can style as desired. I often unravel the twists and using my fingers, pick my Afro to a desired shape.



Thank you for reading and leave your comments/questions below.
By Comfort
Website: simplycomfort.net
Instagram: @simply.comfort and @simplycomfort.hair

from Natural Belle http://hairspiration.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-afro-combing-afro-hair-with-comfort.html
via

Monday 19 September 2016

The Seed Oil: Blackcurrant Seed Oil



You know how much I love natural oils for my hair and skin care, i'm currently obsessed with oils from the UK that can be commonly found yet are not widely used. I love Afro Hair and skin Co they use ingredients sourced from the British Isles. I love their Flow oil which contains Blackcurrant oil. Blackcurrant seed oil is a bit of a hidden treasure it helps to heal and regenerate the skin protecting the skin from free radicals [highly reactive eletrons ...yeah i still don't really get it but lets pretend....]
here are a few interesting benefits of Blackcurrant seed oil for the skin




  • Anti-inflammatory: GLA [Gamma-Linolenic Acid] contained in black currant seed oil has anti-inflammatory properties. That means, it can treat arthritis pain and swelling. Also, it can treat gastritis, which can be regarded as nothing but inflammation that occurs in the stomach region. The secret behind GLA’s power to treat gastritis, according to the American Association of Anti-Aging Medicine, lies in its ability to stimulate the anti-inflammatory hormone prostaglandin-1’s production.
  • Anti-aging: Black currant seed oil can provide anti-aging benefits, too, by suppressing the production of the compound prostaglandin E2. The mentioned compound is quite necessary for our body, as it helps in muscle contraction and various other activities. However, when its amount increases, the immune system suffers negatively. That can increase the chance of getting diseases that are age-related. According to the National Institute of Health, intake of black currant seed oil can significantly suppress the compound’s production, and boost immune system function as a result. Taking just 4.5gm of BCSO per day is sufficient to avail its anti-aging benefits. Many people call black currant seed oil ‘anti-aging superstar’. The reason is that the oil possesses the ability to repair, as well as protect, skin. It contains many antioxidants which ensure anti-aging effect. Other than that, it can act as a good detoxifying purifier, too.
  • Moisterising: Black currant seed oil can prove to be an excellent moisturizing agent, especially, when it comes to restoring skin dryness and flakiness. Its moisturizing properties can soothe conditions such as eczema, itchy skin, and sensitive skin.
  • Toning: Containing essential fatty acids, the oil can help your skin glow, become plump and firm. [source]
Stay tuned for more on Afro Hair & Skin Co ingredients sourced from the UK this week

from Natural Belle http://hairspiration.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-seed-oil-blackcurrant-seed-oil.html
via

Sunday 18 September 2016

The Interview: Ibi Founder of The Afro Hair & Skin Co



Tell us a little about yourself? 

Hello! My name is Ibi and I’m a former Londoner turned seaside dwelling mum of one, trying to live a more stripped back and rooted lifestyle. Beauty rituals are one indulgence that I wont be giving up anytime soon though. I’ve been obsessed with skincare since I was a child. For me these have always been my moments of escapism and meditation that I find are necessary to my wellbeing,  it helps me to connect to my inner creativity, find my balance and leave me feeling good. Life can be unnecessarily grinding so I really believe in the importance of treating yourself and others with kindness and love as a route to finding some bliss. You might call me a hippy haha.

What is the Afro Hair & Skin Company all about? 

In its essence, The Afro Hair & Skin Co. is green beauty for health-conscious brown beauties. Our vibe is natural, eco-friendly and holistic, as we don't believe that beauty should come at the expense of our health or the planet.
So, we make potent beautiful hair and skincare that is not only effective at taking care of our physical needs but also helps to support our emotional wellbeing. We create products that leave your hair and skin beautiful and healthy. But that also help on a sensory level to elevate our mood and either prepare us mentally for the day ahead or ground, centre and relax us after a long day.

I love The Afro Hair & Skin Co. tell us what prompted you to start the company? 

Thanks for the love! The idea for The Afro Hair & Skin Co. came to me back in 2011. I'd recently returned to the UK after 4 years working in Sweden. During that time I experienced a lifestyle shift and I was becoming more conscious of my health and overall state of wellbeing, and actively making choices to improve on it. I had little to no access to good quality beauty products, that where not packed with chemicals and met the specific needs of my hair texture and melanin rich skin. I faced the same issues on moving back to the UK. This led me to start looking into alternative ingredients that would be beneficial to my needs. Over time I really simplified everything and focused on high quality natural ingredients. I felt that it was crazy that there was so little access to high quality black products that were effective, eco-friendly and healthy to use, so I decided to create them.
I love that you are dedicated to black beauty, how has AH&SC been received by the community?
So far the response has been awesome! I'm so grateful and excited for all the support we've recieved since the launch. You really don’t know how people will take to your ideas until you start. So far I've had nothing but encouragement and positivity, I've also connected with many inspiring women within the community who have been reaching out to share words of encouragement, which is awesome.
As for my comittment to Black Beauty, I feel that its important for black women to have a space that encourages better health and wellbeing as we are often excluded from much of that narrative. One of my biggest motivations for The Afro Hair & Skin Co. is creating the space that supports black women in their healing,  a space where we can feel beautiful and free to express our multi-faceted identities, where we can exist without being made to feel that our beauty is not significant or welcome.


What's the importance of natural ingredients in your products?

Nature heals, and when you know this, it's then very difficult to include anything that might be counter-productive. When creating my products health comes first, both emotional and physical. People often assume that synthetic ingredients are mainly harmless, but actually many synthetic ingredients are biologically disruptive, take Phthalates for instance, this can be anything from components in artificial fragrance, perfumes and plastic based ingredients in cosmetics. These have been linked to fertility, early puberty, depression, obesity and cancers. Is it worth it?
When it comes to effectiveness natural ingredients are far superior to their synthetic counterparts, plus they go beyond the merely function to give lasting health benefits. How could I choose anything else?

You source a lot of products from the uk why is that?

It wasn't actually until I moved from London to the coast in 2014 that I realized there was so much agriculture in the UK. There are so many amazing things being grown here on British soil, but these are often overlooked for more exotic ingredients. As I began to explore them and look into the benefits it made absolute sense to me that these should form the main part of my product. Most importantly I found the most unexpected ingredients that work wonderfully for our hair and skin, ingredients like Poppy Flower Seed Oil, Camelina Seed and Crambe seed among others, all had really positive results when I trialed them. I also wanted my products to be as sustainable  as possible, because its important to me to minimize the impact on the environment, and not to drive up demand for ingredients that are contributing to harming the planet.

What beneficial beauty ingredients could we have growing in our back garden?

I'll be honest, i'm no gardener! However Mint, Sage, Rosemary and Lavender are all fairly easy herbs to grow and they can tolerate the climate quite well, you can also grow them indoors. I would start with these. Herbs are great for a natural tea rinses and for treating surface wounds, they can also be dried out and added to facemasks as a gentle exfoliants with an extra kick of goodness.

Tell us a bit about the range? 

There are 3 products that make up the range.
The first is Bloom - Omega Healthy Hair Oil. Its our signature product an extra special blend of Organic, locally sourced and natural ingredients. Bloom was created to with the perfect hair oil in mind. Its a lightweight non greasy oil that provides a comprehensive list of benefits to your hair and works to protect your hair and improve the health and quality of your hair growth.

Flourish has been the most popular product so far with some really wonderful feedback. It has all the sealing and conditioning benefits of a traditional hair butter, but is extremely light. Its creamy richness means you only need apply the smallest amount and it will seal in moisture and leave your hair feeling so soft, nourished and well conditioned. It smells divine too.



Flow- Perfectly Balanced Facial Oil  is my holy grail skincare product. Back in the days I was all about expensive serums that where  leaving me out of pocket and weren't necessarily designed to fully support for the needs of my melanin rich skin. So I started researching, testing (on willing humans) and experimenting with a recipe that would nourish and support the everyday needs of the brown skinned woman. After many incarnations, i'm really proud of Flow and have received amazing feedback. It was recently featured in Marie-Claire magazine too!



Tell us about your own natural hair journey? 

My natural hair journey is very closely tied to my health and wellness journey. I actually decided to remain natural in secondary school after one relaxer too many left my mum with no other option but to cut all my hair off. At the time I was in denial about the state my hair was in, trying to disguise the damage with headbands and hairclips. But it was in an awful state. Although I was fairly traumatized at the thought of having to go into school the next day with no hair, looking back it’s the best thing she could have done for me. From that point on I vowed never to get another relaxer as to me it just didn’t seem worth it and my hair was growing back thicker and healthier.
Although my hair was natural I wasn’t doing anything in particular to look after it. It was only after my time in Sweden, that I began to expand my beauty rituals to include taking better care of my hair as a way to make my self feel good and reconnect to my sense of self and identity. Natural ingredients where the missing link in this journey and from that point I haven’t looked back.
Please include images X



from Natural Belle http://hairspiration.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-interview-ibi-founder-of-afro-hair.html
via