11 April 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

#HTL Hair Challenge Week 4 & 5 Update

As mentioned before, protective styling is going to be a big part of my #HTL hair challenge. And to this I thought of experimenting with Havana twists. And guess what, I have had to throw in a little disclaimer every time people comment about how much my hair has grown. I sometimes tell myself that next I will let them be but somehow it just bursts out of my mouth involuntarily. I just find myself saying “This is not all my hair. It’s synthetic.” Yes I finally managed to get some Havana twists installed and I love them. This is …. Continue reading →

9 April 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Moisturising Type 4 hair. The LOC Method

You keep moisturising your hair but somehow it just feels dry and there seems to be no end to dry hair days. You have all the products the bloggers, vloggers and frinds are raving about but for you, nothing seems to be getting to your thirsty strands. You have stopped using all the products that have been demonized by the Natural hair community but there seems to be no change on what you see on yours. You are frustrated and rightfully so, at your crown that just seems to have a mind of its own and is evidently rebelling against you the carer and wearer. Stop there! Are you using those products well? You see type 4 hair can be very porous and so retaining the much needed moisture will need more tactic and science. One of the tactics you can use to arm twist your strands to hold on to moisture (water) as long as possible is the LOC method. Continue reading →

7 April 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

#HTL Hair Challenge Week 3 Update

The twists only lived to see their second week and I was done. Removed them because they were looking so untidy I don’t believe in looking all untidy and ugly just because I wear my hair natural. No ma’am. So they had to go and I took them out.

Continue reading →

Chat 3 April 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Q&A: Hair Regimen

Got a number of questions from a reader of this blog via email. I get quite a lot of them and I found it useful to address the issues here in case someone has the exact same question/s as the ones she asked. We are going to call her Gloria for now because I did not get permission to use her name.

So the mail starts like this:

Gloria: Hope you are keeping well, I was just watching your videos on the garlic treatment and on the TLH challenge – and I have a question for you- so right now I’m trying to keep as natural as I can because I’ve lost some hair before (around December 2013) and I just want my hair back! so my regimen looks like this. Every week (I try) to wash it Saturdays, usually if I can I use a mix of oil and water (olive oil, castor oil and coconut oil + glycerine) as a pre-poo, and wear a shower cap over and a woollen hat then I sleep and wash it out the next morning. Continue reading →

31 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

#HTL Hair Challenge Week 2 Update

I know it is well over two weeks if not three and I should be writing week three and four updates already. This is what happens when you have a full time job besides blogging, you run a small business, you are a mother, wife and final year university student. Busy. Better late than never right so here it is. You will notice from the Week 1 Update, that my hair is in mini twists. It it a protective style of choice for me and the main reason why I like the mini twists is because they are easy to do and undo. I washed my twists twice this week because my scalp was itching so much and I just had to. You know when you just can’t scratch any more without bleeding? Yeah that is what it felt like. I am not really sure if my dandruff problem is really just dandruff or psoriasis. I know I have a problem with yeast overgrowth which I try to control by avoiding sugary stuff and processed starches. All along, I have always believed that is what causes my flaky itchy scalp. But somehow, the dandruff remedies I use only seem to work for a few weeks or months and I am back to square one. Or is it because my scalp is hyper sensitive and gets easily irritated? I made a slight change to my scalp treatment and my scalp was itching non stop. I could not help but scratch and then it became so sore making me turn to washing my hair to get some relief. I think it is time to get a proper diagnosis. Continue reading →

24 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Styling Dreadlocks? Beware

Hey Guys. I do not have locks, am not planning on having locks although I think it is a very good protective style if you can afford the maintenance. However, the reason for my post today is to warn you guys who wear your hair in dreadlocks. Don’t style them too tight. Pleeeeeeese. Continue reading →

Video 18 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Garlic And Coconut Oil Scalp Treatment

I know it seems garlic has taken over everything around here. All I seem to talk about is garlic and garlic and some more garlic. Well because it is a wonderful vegetable and it really does work. I have used it on every wash day which is every week for the past 3 months and I can sure see some thickness and massive hair growth already. So why would I keep such good news to myself? Me being me, I want to shout about it on the roof top so that anyone who bothers to listen may know the wonders of garlic on hair growth. That aside, for it is not the purpose of this post. I just wanted to share with you this video on how I prepare my garlic and coconut oil scalp treatment and I also show you how I apply it to my hair. Don’t forget to subscribe and share the video with your friends if you find it useful

Many blessings to you and yours.

18 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Garlic Treatment For Hair Loss

So, you may now know that garlic scalp treatment has become my new favourite and I now use it on every wash day in one form or another. Late in 2013, I noticed I had lost a lot of hair due to excessive shedding and I blamed it all on Post partum shedding and this was mainly along the nape and temple of my head. But, somehow I noticed that I was losing quite a lot of hair on my crown as well. Let me confess. I was always scratching on this spot and it is all because it felt itchy and when it is itchy you scratch right. Well that left me with a scalp that was highly inflamed and I started losing hair. Not sure if the itch was due to dandruff or just inflammation due to some other causes. So I read on numerous sites on natural remedies to treat the scalp so that I can arrest excessive hair shedding and grow healthier hair. Remember, I am on a Healthy, Thicker, Longer #HTL Hair Challenge. Garlic was the first I thought of trying out and I have been using it for about 3 months now and I can already see a lot of new growth. Garlic being the main thing I have changed in my scalp regimen, I can only attribute the new growth to it. Let me dwell more on how it works on the scalp to produce more hair. Continue reading →

18 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

6 Ways To Add Garlic To Your Hair Regimen

As discussed in a this post, garlic is very beneficial to our hair when applied topically as well. It smells quite a lot and it is up to you to decide whether you would want to add garlic to your hair care regimen. There goes the warning so don’t you say I didn’t warn you. For persons like myself, who enjoy garlic in food or even ingesting it raw, the heavy scent is not a problem so deciding to use garlic was not that hard. Felt bad for my family because they have to put up with me smelling garlic for some hours every week or even twice a week. Anyway, such is life. Continue reading →

13 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

#HTL Hair Challenge Week 1 Update

Hey Loves. This is an update of my first week of my #HTL hair challenge. Firstly I want to thank the people who have emailed me or commented on my past posts and videos especially those who have encouraged me, cheered me on and suggested remedies for my scalp issues. Thank you so much. My first week of the main #HTL challenge was great. My hair is not complaining at all because the air is quite humid and the moisture levels are fine. No dry hair issues. Continue reading →

11 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

T444Z Giveaway Winners!

Alright. So I got too busy on Saturday the 8th of March and could not announce the giveaway winners as promised. You see this Saturday was a bit hectic time wise. My family and I had to go for a photo shoot. (Nothing too serious. Just wanted some professionally taken photos for the whole family) I also had to go for Choir practice in the afternoon so that kept me busy most of the day. I know that is not an excuse. I am sorry. Will you forgive me? Will you? Thanks. So, now that we have that out of the way, let us get on to what you have been waiting for and the purpose of this post. Announcing the winners of the T444Z Giveaway. And the 5 lucky winners are…… drums rolling Continue reading →

6 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Humidity: A Love Hate Relationship

Hey folks. I am loving how my hair appears fuller in this all-week-raining going on in Johannesburg. At least today there is some sunshine but the air is quite humid and my tresses are loving it. Oh forgot to mention, I was in twists, kind of medium twists for about a week and a half. I took them out last night and am wearing my hair out today. What I loved about the twists I had this time is they took me about an hour to install and less than an hour to take down. Because I only had them in for a short period of time, it took less than 30 minutes to decently detangle using a leave-in conditioner. Yes I was really sad to take them down so soon. I will explain later. First, this is how I am wearing my hair today. Kind of love the body and how my hair feels in this humid weather. My hair feels soft, well moisturised, healthy and everything just feels so good. This is the love part of my relationship with humid weather Continue reading →

4 March 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Healthy, Thicker, Longer Hair Challenge

When you set off on a journey, you have a goal set as well which will guide you to keep on track and motivate you not to give up along the way. One of the benefits of documenting one’s journey is the availability of records which inform you on how much progress you are making in getting to your desired goal and if you are still on the right path. On my hair journey, upon visiting these records, I noticed that my hair needs some extra TLC thus the need of a Healthy, Thicker, Longer hair challenge #HTL. When I went natural, my goal was healthier hair, thicker hair to give me some big hair and longer hair. My hair was doing fine earlier in 2013 but towards the end, I noticed I did not have much of the thickness anymore, I did not retain much length and I was inundated with dry split ends. I have attributed the condition of my hair to post partum shedding, wearing my hair out a lot and not managing stress in the best of ways in 2013. I want 2014 to be different and although there is nothing I could have done about post partum shedding, there is a lot I could have done to minimise its effects by doing more protective styling, washing my hair often and keeping my scalp clean and healthy. This will therefore make up the core of my hair challenge. I am going to be a bit more committed to the health of my hair, listen to it more and keep true to good hair practices. I am to be on this hair challenge for 12 months starting in March 2014 all the way to February 2015. I will do periodic length checks and let you know what I am up to on this challenge. Continue reading →

Video 25 February 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Healthy Hair Indaba Review

We had a fabulous time you guys this last weekend of the 22nd of February 2014. Yes I know, guilty as charged. I did not share with you guys on this blog that I was going to go to the very first Healthy Hair Indaba which was held here in Johannesburg. I should have hey? I however shared on Facebook and on Twitter. Anyway, I went and I really did enjoy myself. The things we discussed were so valuable. We went through quite a lot of stuff although there was not much time to go really deep on each topic. I tell you, there is never enough time when it comes to talking about hair. There were questions asked and the 5 organisers who were, Wissal, Carise, Aisha, Tendayi and Kavuli tried to answer most of them , with some help from the floor ofcourse. One can never know everything. Continue reading →

20 February 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Product Review: T444Z And Give-away

Hey guys! So, I was asked to do a review on T444Z when I attended the AIHE in Johannesburg on the 31st of August 2013. I am not big on basing my scalp and the DIY thing has gotten into me so much. So when I was asked to do the review, I kind of thought twice about it and when I read the ingredients, with the likes of Shea butter and other natural products in it, I ended up taking the offer. Wasn’t I glad to do a review on this wonderful product. Continue reading →

17 February 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Q&A: Will Shea Butter Help My Thin Hair And Split Ends?

Hey loves. Hope you are well and loving your hair. Today it’s Q&A. I get a lot of emails from readers of this blog all the time. Some of the question I would have already dedicated a post to the topic in question but the other questions I have not. One of those questions is below and it is from Valery.

Valery said,

“Hi. I wanted to ask about Shea butter products. I have very soft baby hair and it has a lot of slit ends. Is the product going to help me with this problem?” Continue reading →

Video 10 February 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Tutorial: Updo Hairstyle On Mini Twists

Hey loves. I hope I find you well. I did this updo hairstyle on my mini-twists some time back and it is by the way my go-to style whether I am wearing my hair loose or it is in braids or twists. This is how I wear my hair 90% of the time. Even though my hair is in twists which a low manipulation style on its own, I usually also wear it up so that I can also protect my ends. Remember the ends are the oldest part of the hair and tend be dryer and prone to split ends and breakage, rendering any long hair effort fruitless if they are not babied and taken care of properly. SO in this video, I take you step by step on how I create this updo with mini twists. Don’t forget to subscribe and thumbs up the video to show support. If you find my videos helpful, go on, share them on your social networks and spread the knowledge.

Till then, blessings to you and yours!

oxo *hugs*

Video 30 January 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Quick N Easy Updo Hairstyle On My Natural Hair

This is what I have been upto with my flat-ironed hair (looked more like blown out hair though). I created this updo style just to get my hair off my shoulders. It worked and I thought let me record myself doing it so that I can share it with you. That way, I would not just show off my hairstyle but also show you haw I created it so that you too can achieve the same hairstyle, length and other factors allowing. I think it is a classic, elegant and cute hairstyle that you can wear to any formal event, wedding, church, work and even for an interview. Go ahead and watch the tutorial and tell me what you think, if it was helpful and if you are going to try it on your hair. Continue reading →

21 January 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Hair Regimen Update For 2014

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.” ~Henry Ford

“Learning is a lifetime process, but there comes a time when we must stop adding and start updating.” ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

These are wise words from renowned men on this amazing fact that as human beings, we will always continue to learn more, unless one is too old ofcourse. I have found that, although I have been taking care of my hair the best way I can especially these last three years, I have continued to research more on natural hair care and have learnt a lot about my hair from dealing with it. There have been challenges like post partum shedding and issues with chronic dandruff and I have had to research more and more in order to deal with these issues and more so that I can keep on track with my hair goals. I have tweaked my regimen quite a lot especially towards the end of 2013 to suit my hair needs and thus the need to update you on my current hair regimen on my natural hair. Continue reading →

Video 17 January 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

3 Years Update And My Flat Ironing Experience

So I have been on this journey round about 3 years now and let me say, as any journey has them, there were highs and lows, twists and bends but I do not regret ever going natural. I am now comfortable with my hair and even on days when it decides to be stubborn and just wants to pick a fight, I know how to go about calming it down now. Just like a couple that have lived together long enough and have come to know and accept each others personalities. Anyways, to celebrate my 3 year mark, I straightened my hair. Yes I used heat on my hair. This is something I have done once before at my 2 year mark and I thought of repeating it this year. No I don’t think I will get heat damage and as you will see in the video, I am a real chicken when it comes to using heat on my hair. I really played it safe. Too safe actually and my hair looked more like a blow out than a flat iron. Let’s get into how I went about it. Continue reading →

Video 8 January 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Transitioning Without The Big Chop: My Natural Hair Story

So, 3 years ago today, the 8th of January, I slapped that relaxer on my hair and I knew even then, it would be my last relaxer. I had read enough blogs on natural hair and I knew my mind was ready for it. I relaxed my hair again for this last time and even with straight hair, I told myself I was now on the road to natural hair. I could not even toy with the idea of cutting my hair for personal reasons so for me, a long transition was my only option. I was geared up for it. And now, three years later, I am so so glad I decided to grow my hair natural Continue reading →

3 January 2014 by Ruth Mafupa

Oil Rinse Wash N Go

Hey. Hope you had a restful holiday and you are ready for 2014. Mine was very restful and I kind of shut down all functions related to work, the blog and the online shop. So here I am, well rested and full of energy for the new year. I however did not neglect my hair during the holidays. I continued to give it the best care I can possibly give to it and I would remember this blog and the need to share the stuff I was doing to my hair so I still took some pics and recorded a few videos. One of the things I did was wear my hair in a wash n go. Yey, I finally did it. Continue reading →

17 December 2013 by Ruth Mafupa

Hair Meet-up Lunch Update

As you may know, Natural Sisters hosted a hair meet-up on the 7^th of December 2013 together with Fatsani and Serati. It was a blast and The Lord blessed our quest to meet each other and share the knowledge on our natural hair. It was an unexpected success with all the glitches and time changes and all. However, some wonderful ladies managed to come and we had lot’s of fun and we discussed everything hair. The food, though not over the moon, was okay. Maybe I was expecting too much with the way Boston BBQ gets so filled with people and it is so difficult to find a booking. Anyway, we had a wonderful time and a Big Thank you to all attendees. Continue reading →

3 December 2013 by Ruth Mafupa

Bentonite Clay Wash On Natural Hair

Hey folks. I hope I find you well. Who thought of using clay as a cleanser? Is it not supposed to make anything it gets in contact with dirty? This seems not to be the case with bentonite clay. I finally tried bentonite clay and I am really impressed. Why I waited this long to try it out, I am not sure. Maybe it’s because I had a regimen that seemed to be working so trying out new stuff was not really top priority. But now, I am glad I took time to try it. It is amazing. Continue reading →

26 November 2013 by Ruth Mafupa

Are Leave-in Conditioners Important For Kinky Hair?

My answer to this one will be YES, YES and YES. I also thought it was not that important to use a leave-in conditioner after washing my hair and little did I know that was the deal breaker to my quest for longer healthier hair. Need I say more? Continue reading →

22 November 2013 by Ruth Mafupa

Hair Meet-up: Lunch

I cannot believe we are almost at the end of 2013. This year passed so fast if you ask me or maybe that’s what happens as you get older. Throughout this year, one thing I wanted so much was to have an opportunity to meet other naturals for some hair talk and fun. And before we welcome 2014, I am glad the chance to meet you is here and we are having a hair meet up. Woohoo!!! Continue reading →

Video 19 November 2013 by Ruth Mafupa

A Natural Hair Journey: Interview With Mary Mkhonto

One thing I love about providing natural products for hair to you is the fact that it puts me in a space where I can meet some incredibly wonderful people who come to our small office time and again to collect their products. Although this is not always possible, on this Friday afternoon, can I call it being in the right place at the right time as I am not always available at the office for these opportunities. Mary came in on this day and may I say I was the least prepared for anything. I gave her what she was there for and we just started talking and talking. Just to mention, she has beautiful hair (am sure you can see that from the pictures already) and has a wealth of knowledge on natural hair. I mean could I resist? So I asked her if she could give me an interview and she agreed. But then we just went on and on talking about hair and the natural hair community in South Africa. I took her some pictures and since she had time on her hands, we sat in my lounge and the hair talk just went on. Immediately, a thought went through my head about recording our conversation because the information this girl has has is so valuable. She agreed and I took out my camera and from memory asked her a few questions that were articulately answered. What I loved most on Mary is her hair of course, her energy and passion for natural hair and the confidence she exhibits wearing it.Mary is a zoologist, teacher, a commercial model and part time presenter. Let me not go on and on about this. Watch the video and you too will agree with me. Continue reading →

12 November 2013 by Ruth Mafupa

Swimming With Natural Hair: What To Do

I went to the coast for a break this past weekend and I really enjoyed myself. However, before leaving Johannesburg, I knew I wanted to get wet in the ocean. I have not swam in a long time but this time, it was going to be an exception. I wanted to feel the ocean waves and just be in the water. “So what am I going to do with my hair?” was next on my mind and this almost blew my bubble. Being on holiday, a very short one as it may, I also needed to look good for dinner in the evenings while enjoying the ocean during the day. I did my research on my options and what I needed to do and this is what I found out and did as prescribed. Continue reading →

5 November 2013 by Ruth Mafupa

Creating A Hair Regimen

Consistency is the key to success whether you are studying, trying to lose weight by exercising or eating healthier. Doing the same thing regularly will get you to your goal much quicker than being all over the place and not knowing where you started, what you are doing and not clear on what you want achieve. The same applies to caring for our hair. One also needs to be consistent with methods that work to get good looking healthy hair that really grows.