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4b/c hair

Benefits of Herbal Tea Rinse for Hair Growth

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 4 August 2023

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

Are you experiencing any scalp issues including dandruff and hair loss? Are you looking for ways to revitalize your hair and scalp? Check out tea rinses. These tried and tested remedies which can also be consumed in salads, stews or a simple cup of tea, have been used for centuries for different ailments on the skin and hair.

I use fresh rosemary, sage, oregano and lavender and that is what I will talk about today. Dried herbs are also okay to use. I just happen to have these herbs in my garden.

Herbal tea for hair growth — Herbal tea rinse for hair growth

Rosemary Tea Rinse Benefits.

It has anti-inflammation and anti-bacterial properties. This means it helps to soothe the scalp and reduce any irritation. It also helps to control the increase of bacteria on the scalp that may cause itching, sores and other scalp disorders.

Rosemary also helps to increase blood flow to the scalp. More blood flow means more nutrients for the hair follicles and this stimulates hair growth. Rosemary tea rinses are believed to be able to block DHT, the hormone responsible for male pattern balding and female pattern balding. This means, early balding can be put at bay by using rosemary tea as a hair rinse.

Sage Tea Rinse Benefits.

Sage also increases blood circulation to the scalp which in turn delivers the needed nutrients for healthier, thicker and stronger hair. It is a natural astringent which regulates sebum production on the scalp. This makes it a natural fighter for dandruff that is caused by excessive sebum and an excellent remedy for oily hair.

Besides the beautiful fragrance that it leaves on your hair, sage tea rinse also has anti-inflammation properties to soothe an irritated scalp and reduce itching. It also makes the hair very soft and manageable.

Lavender Tea Rinse Benefits.

Lavender is renowned for its calming and relaxing properties. However, lavender tea rinses have more to offer than just aroma. Lavender is a natural hair conditioner that helps to moisturize the hair and scalp, promoting softness and manageability on your hair. Lavender also has anti-septic properties which help to maintain a clean and healthy scalp.

Lavender is also known to stimulate blood circulation which helps to increase hair growth and reduce hair loss. It also reduces dandruff as it has anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties.

Oregano Tea Rinse Benefits.

Oregano is rich in Vitamin A, C and E as well as mineral such as, calcium, zinc and magnesium. This makes it a powerhouse for a healthier scalp which grows healthier hair. It helps to nourish and strengthen hair follicles, promoting healthier hair and reducing hair fall. Oregano is also antimicrobial which helps to reduce scalp infections and other scalp irregularities.

How to make a Herbal Tea Rinse

Use one, or two or all of these herbs, fresh or dried. Brew a tea and let it boil for about 15 minutes before cooling it to room temperature or slightly warmer. Strain well and make sure only the liquid is left. Believe me, you need to do this well if you don’t want herbs dropping out of your hair at the most embarrassing times or places. Yes, small particles of herbs may be difficult to get out of the hair so avoid getting them there in the first place.

How to use a Herbal Tea Rinse for Hair Growth

I use this herbal tea rinse as a spray before shampooing my hair as a pre-poo treatment while I detangle my hair to prep it for a wash. It helps to loosen any dandruff and dirt on the scalp while giving me the benefits of a tea rinse.

When I finish detangling my hair, I twist my hair and then shampoo. The usual way to use a tea rinse is to shampoo the hair first. I like to do a deep treatment with it though. After shampooing, I apply the tea rinse on the hair and scalp, before conditioning so that the tea has no barrier to penetrate my hair and scalp. I simply pour the tea onto my head and let it trickle down the hair shaft. I then apply a conditioner on top of the tea rinse and let it sit for about 5 minutes while I finish the bathing process. I then rinse it out.

I use this tea rinse, once a week but you can do it up to twice a week with no issues. Just like with anything though, consistency is the real game changer. Doing it once will give you softer hair that once but you will not see the full benefits on your hair. So, do it for at least a month or two and see the results.

Even if something is natural and no side effects have been reported yet, listen to your body. If you use the tea rinse or anything for that matter and irritation occurs, stop using it at once. Irritation is your body’s way of communicating to you that something is wrong.

That being said, tea rinses are a great way to get your hair back to health and vitality. So, try them and reap the benefits. One cup at a time.

4 August 2023 0 comment

Hairstyles

Learn how to flat twist with inverted bun

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 16 April 2021

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

Learning a new skill is always good. What’s even better is when that skill can actually put food on your table or just earn you that extra cash so that you can get that project finally started. For me, doing hair has been my source of income for so many years. Okay, I didn’t exactly get paid when I did hair when I was still in primary school. But all the same, I have been doing hair for a long time. When I was in college, I was in residence at the college, I would spend most of my weekends doing hair. That kept me away from mischief and I never ran out of cash as much as my clients were mostly cash strapped college girls. Those were the good old days.

flat twists on natural hair

In this post, I am showing you how to do a flat twist on natural hair. Flat twists with your own hair are the best protective style there is no matter how you look at it. when it comes to the health of the hair and scalp at least. They can also look cute and if you have the length and volume, you are really spoilt for choice when it comes to styles. There is no pulling of the hair, there is no tension on the hairline or scalp, so no inflammation of the scalp, the hair is tucked away and yet it is kept stretched to make sure single strand knots are kept at bay. Which other protective style ticks all the boxes like that?

Flat Twists with extensions

Actually, when recovering from a receding hairline due to traction alopecia, this is the best hairstyle to wear. So make sure to ask your stylist to do flat twists if you are trying to grow your hairline.

This is a very easy hairstyle actually especially if you are not adding any hair extensions. I always work on wet hair. Guys! there is no need to blow dry the hair just to do a hairstyle like this. For the sake of the health of the hair, work on damp hair.

If you can do 2 strand twists, then learning to do flat twists will be easier for you. Because, the flat twist version is actually just picking up hair along the section as you twist. How you are going to be hold the hair as well will be just a bit different. Check the video below on how I hold the hair. This allows for an effortless picking of the hair as you go along.

And yes, it becomes better the more you practice. You know you can get a practice head for under R100 in Jo’burg? Okay, it will not have a lot of hair on it and the hair will also be very straight and synthetic. But for the purpose of learning different hairstyles, you can start there before you can afford to get one that has a curlier texture and easier to learn African hairstyles on. Of course it comes at a heftier price.

For real beginners, concentrate only on doing a 2 strand twist while picking up hair as you go along a section. Do not worry about how tight or loose it is. Even how neat it is. Once you master how your fingers are going to be moving and working together to do the flat twist, then you can work on making it tighter and neater. I promise, you will get the grip of it with time. I did too.

flat twists on natural hair

Tips on how to flat twist well.

Find the direction that you are comfortable to twist in and stick to it. Rather work on perfecting that.
Make sure you are working on well detangled hair so that you don’t run into any snags or knots along a section.
keep the sections small until you master the technique
Keep your parts neat and clean. Use a gel or edge tamer if you need to
Practice, practice, practice. That’s the best way to better your craft.

Is there a hairstyle that you would like to learn? I may know how to do it. So, let me know in the comments below and I will see if I can do that for you. If I can’t, I may point you in the direction where you can get help.

I am also running Natural Hair Care workshops and Braiding classes at my salon. If you would be interested in learning, make sure to follow me on Instagram, @evemafupa where I will be posting the dates and more details.

Till next time, stay blessed.

16 April 2021 0 comment

Hairstyles Videos

Needle & Thread Cornrows

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 6 March 2020

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

I have added a bit of spice to the usual needle and thread cornrows so it looks chic and really cute. You know, when you have just finished a job, in this case, a hairstyle, and you tell yourself, “Yeah, this is beautiful.” That’s what I felt when I finished this hairstyle. To tell you that when I started doing the hair, I had only a slight idea on how I was going to do the hair, otherwise the final look, even I was in shock. When I do hair, it is kind of an empty canvas and although I will be having an idea on what to create, the style changes as I go along. And this is what happened here as well.

I did a combination of techniques here to create this protective hairstyle but what I wanted to showcase is the needle & thread technique. I also used good old cornrows and crocheting of synthetic hair onto cornrows and African threading. Wow! that’s quite a combination. Didn’t realise it until I wrote it down. When I posted the video on YouTube, it got quite a good response and some of the comments are requests for me to post more beginner friendly videos of the needle and thread technique. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Here is the whole process in case you are unable to watch the video.

Are you subscribed yet to my channel? If not, please do. You know what, I will keep asking you to and most importantly, watching my content because that is how I get paid and manage to sustain this blog. So far, it is about R1000 over 3 to 4 months. And that is good because I can pay for hosting the blog among other things. If that could come every month, it would really be great. So, please share my videos, comment and give me a thumbs up if you think I put out content that is beneficial to you. If not, what kind of content do you think will give you more value? Please share in the comments below.

Same time, same place, next week. God bless you big time.

6 March 2020 0 comment

DIY Hairstyles Protective styles Tutorials Videos

A protective Style on a Budget

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 18 December 2019

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

Hey! Hey! It’s the festive season and our hair, well my hair and a lot of people who have been visiting my Salon in the past days, also goes festive. The colour, the style and everything needs to reflect the season we are in. Right? I know, your budget may not allow for a lot of play when it comes to funky hairstyles and you may be feeling down and out. Well, don’t be. Come out to play. There is a lot that can be done with a limited budget. With just R80 or less, you can create this hairstyle too. If you have the crochet hook and thread of course. If you don’t have a crochet hook, a bobby pin will do as well. I’m not kidding. I did a video tutorial using a bobby pin to do crochet braids some moons back and you may want to watch it. Otherwise, get yourself a crochet hook. It’s not too costly. Get it here.

One million braid

In the video, I used just under 2 packs of Darling hair in colour T30 and that will cost you way less than R80 if you get it yourself from the shops and not from a hair salon. If at a hair salon, prices may vary. That’s also part of where they get their profit from. Sourcing hair for clients. You are going to need a bit of time as well to prepare the hair and do the installation. In total, about 4 hours. But, you’re probably on holiday anyway and that should not be a problem.

So, here is the process. I braided the straight one million Darling braid and then put it in hot water so that it could curl according to the braid. I then dried it and unravelled the braid to release some amazing curls and crocheted the curly hair to my natural hair. Viola. Watch the video. It is very visual and more step by step than I can ever be able to explain.

If I don’t get to writing/blogging again before Christmas, well, Merry Christmas and a blessed 2020 to you. Oh my God, it is already 2020. I remember back in the days in college, when we used to think 2020 is so far ahead and made goals that should be realised by year 2020. Well, it’s here. And I hope you will have a great one. Love you and may God bless you richly. Watch the video. Subscribe if you haven’t already and also leave me a comment. I will greatly appreciate that. Until next time, hugs.

18 December 2019 0 comment

Hair Hairstyles

A real wash n go on type 4 hair

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 19 October 2017

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

wash n go on natural hair

Hey!! I hope you are well. Recently I did a wash and go on my type 4 hair and posted some pictures on Intagram and Facebook. The post got some good engagement and some people were asking how I achieved the wash n go. So I decided to share with you the how part, the products I used and all. Which is not much but still worth sharing.

I started off with a Bentonite treatment on wet hair. Wore a plastic cap and sat under a hooded dryer for some extra heat for about 10 minutes. Not sure if it was necessary to sit under the dryer but that’s what I did because I had no time and I thought, “Let me speed this treatment up a bit” Otherwise, when I do a Bentonite treatment, I normally leave it in for at least 30 minutes. I then rinsed out the treatment and conditioned my hair. I always condition my hair after a Bentonite treatment. I know some say it is not necessary but I just feel my hair needs the conditioner so I give it that.

Just before rinsing out the bentonite clay treatment

After conditioning, my hair was wrapped in those T-shirt towels that NMHair Studio uses to bloat out excess water from the hair. Kind of, in place of a towel. I then applied a leave-in conditioner on my hair whilst wet, liberally. Not even doing section by section. Remember, I didn’t have much time on my hands. I needed to take my brother to Johannesburg Parkstation and I could not afford to be late. And that’s all I did. Nothing more. You see? It was a real wash and go. Not the one that involves a hundred and ten steps to achieve. In this case I was literally going to the Parkstation.

The whole washing scene happened at NMHair Studio, a natural hair salon at Natural Moisture. Here is a list of the products used.

Bentonite clay, Nashe Organics Moisturising conditioner, Nashe Organics leave-in conditioner.

day 4 with my wash n go. Those who know me personally will know that my complexion is not that light though. Blame it on my selfie camera

When I left NMHair Studio, I thought I was going to come back from Jo’burg and do my hair properly. But, when I got back, my hair looked great and the curls were popping popping. So I left it alone. That evening, I lightly spritzed it with my home made spritzer, wore my satin bonnet and went to bed. In the morning, I lightly spritzed again, picked my hair using my fingers and voila, I was ready for the day. This style went all the way up to day 4 and I was actually surprised. If it were not for me wanting things too much and could not wait for another hairstyle, I could have pulled it off a week and some.

My spritzer has water, leave-in conditioner, glycerine and black castor oil. This mix works well especially if shrinkage is the style because it has glycerine. With the humidity that was going on around that time, it was the very best for my hair. Lots of moisture being channeled to my kinks.

Do you also do real wash n go’s or the ones which involve a lot of work? What’s in your spritzer? I would love to know. Maybe I can upgrade mine a bit.

Thanks for reading this far God bless you and yours. Remember to keep smiling, laughing and loving.

day 4 with my wash n go

19 October 2017 5 comments

Hair

Flexi-rod Set On Flat Ironed Hair

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 28 February 2017

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

After about 1 week of wearing my hair straight, I wanted that curly look back. How we get so set in our ways mara. So I set my hair using flexi rods in the front and kept the hair at the back in bantu knots to keep it stretched for the pinned half updo the next day. If you haven’t read the post or seen the video of my flat iron and hair update, please click HERE.

I have not been able to record myself doing stuff at night which is when I flat ironed my hair and also put in the flexi rods because I don’t have sufficient artificial lighting (hides*). I hope that will change really soon so that I can be able to give you tutorials as well on how I do these things. Otherwise, I hope you are going to enjoy my styling tutorial and don’t forget to like, subscribe and comment on my video.

This was also a result of flat ironed hair that was kept in flat twists under a wig for a week. Seems like I hardly wore my hair straight after flat ironing it.

Much love and peace. Smile when you read this. Or laugh even. Laugh at nothing in particular even. Loving someone even if you think they don’t deserve it will do YOU a lot of good. Keep loving. God bless.

28 February 2017 0 comment

Hair Videos

2017 Hair Update + Length Check

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 10 February 2017

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

Hey hey! I hope you are well. As per tradition, I normally do a hair update every beginning of the year, normally in Jan but this year started off way too busy than I could handle and so here is my hair update.

It’s somewhat disappointing, I did not retain any length whatsoever. Remember when I did the finger detangling challenge, African Black castor oil review, I said I had not retained any length at all and it looks like throughout 2016. my hair did not do very well.

The main problem I think is the massive battle that I have been fighting against dandruff. Although it looks like I’m kind of winning right now, the battle is not won yet. You guys, the struggle is real. Those who suffer from severe dandruff know what I mean. As if the hair loss caused by dandruff is not enough, one of the medications prescribed to me by my GP has one of the side effects as hair loss. Can you imagine? So my hair shed a lot in 2016, like post partum shedding all over again when I was thinking that’s gone. N’ways, that’s life hey?

I was studying again last year and had exams in May and November. With studying comes sleepless nights. So I think lack of adequate sleep contributed as well to my hair loss until my ends are not as thick as they used to be early 2016. I’m not sure I will study this year. At least I managed to finish all the CIPS level 4 modules. So I can take some rest this year and do something else with this life. Maybe I will start studying level 5 but I don’t think I will write exams this year. No.

I straightened my hair using a blow dryer then flat ironed it for the length check. And also just to wear my hair straight for a week. I had not flat ironed my hair in just over 3 years and not flat ironing my hair didn’t seem to help my hair at all so I was like, why the fuss. I’m going to use heat anyhow. I prepared my hair for the heat though. Since the beginning of the year, I knew I was going to use heat so I preped my hair for some time so that it’s at its strongest.

On the day, I co-washed my hair using Nashe Organics, Shea-Argan Moisturising conditioner, then applied the Shea-Argan leave in conditioner before putting my hair into loose twists. I then blow dried my hair in sections, on high speed low heat until totally dry. I used Tresseme heat defense which goes up to 280 degrees Celsius before blow drying my hair. When I was done blow drying all my hair, I went ahead and flat ironed my hair in smaller sections. My flat iron was on 200 degrees Celsius and on most sections, I only passed the flat iron once on my hair. There were times though when I did more that 1 pass and I realised that in those sections, I had taken too much hair. After my hair was done, I applied the Shea-Argan hair serum and you can see in the video that my hair felt so light, flowing and was silky to the touch. I loved my flat ironed hair. I liked how it came out. I even contemplated on wearing my hair straight more often. Well, I’ll see. I don’t think I have time to be flat ironing my hair often though.

Maintaining my straight hair has been simple. Like you will see in the video, at night, I put my hair into 2 or 3 bantu knots, wear a scarf and go to bed. In the morning, I just unravel the bantu knots into big waves which straighten as the day goes, apply a bit of my Shea-Argan hair serum and wear my hair up or down. That simple.

Thank you for coming by and reading this far. Hoping you watched the video as well and showed some love. Words of encouragement… Otherwise, you know me. I’ll keep smiling and keep laughing and loving because that’s what I do best.

Cheers, God bless

10 February 2017 2 comments

Hair Hair care

Detangling Natural Hair After A Protective Style! Coconut Oil Therapy

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 19 September 2016

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

Those who follow me on Instagram will know I am in braids now. But before that, I had Havana twists in. Or maybe you know them as Marley Twists. I don’t really know the difference between the two. I had them in for just over two weeks and I had to remove them because they were not looking so good anymore. I had the natural roots ones and on my hair, they age way too quickly. When I took them out, my hair was quite tangled plus I had 2 weeks worth of shed hair to remove. But with my coconut oil concoction, the tangles just melted away. I found out that, although coconut oil makes my hair hard and feel like straw when used on any part of my regimen, when it comes to detangling my hair, it is the best product ever. I just make sure I wash it out completely for softer hair.

About the clearest pic I have of my twists.

So this is what I did!

I sectioned my hair into as much sections as I needed. I think I had six sections. Then I drenched those sections with my coconut oil concoction which is basically coconut oil and conditioner in equal parts. Starting with the sections close to my neck, I detangled my hair, using my fingers as much as possible before using a a wide toothed comb then going on to using a detangling brush. I know, it seems such an overkill especially coming from someone who had a no combs challenge some months back. But, when I have just removed a protective style, I prefer my hair detangled fully. I enjoy it more that way.

My wide toothed comb and brush favs from the lot I have managed to collect over the years

This below is all my shed hair and probably some breakage as well but that’s okay. Starting with finger detangling minimizes the breakage big time so less worries. I really like detangling outside the shower or before washing my hair if I can help it because it saves me from cleaning hair in the shower and I am sure our drains are just as happy.

My shed hair and some breakage as well

After I had finished detangling my hair, I went ahead and shampooed it using my much loved shampoo brush and some amazing products that I have been trying but sadly cannot talk about them right now. Since the coconut concoction is more like a pre-poo treatment, I did not need to deep condition my hair. The hair washing thing had already gone too long and I needed to end it. SO I just conditioned my hair rinsed and did some chunky braids to stretch my hair and a braid out the following day.

After washing my hair, some chunky braids in and I am ready for bed!

The detangling took me some 30 minutes, shampooing and conditioning, that’s another 30 minutes. And the styling was 20 minutes. So in an hour and 20 minutes I had finished the whole wash day stuff all thanks to coconut oil which I believe saved the day for me.

I waited for about 2 weeks before I went and got another protective style, braids this time and also from a salon. You guys have already seen them on my Instagram. But I will post soon on the whole experience here another time.

That’s all from me today. Till then, keep smiling, keep laughing, keep loving because that’s so important. God knows we need more of that in this world.

19 September 2016 2 comments

Hair Videos

2016 length check

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 4 February 2016

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

length check on natural hair

Hey guys. So this is my 2016 Hair length check. I have not done a length check in a long time and since I was about to start a finger detangling challenge, I thought it best to start with a length check as part of my annual hair update which I was filming on the same day. I know, if you have watched both videos, you’ll notice that I’m wearing the same clothes in both videos. As if that’s not enough, I recorded a third video that same day while I was styling my hair. I hope to edit it soon and get it out to you guys. Thumbs crossed. This video was recorded in January 2016 by the way so bear with me.

So here is the vid. Don’t forget to thumbs up and please do subscribe.

Cheers and blessings

4 February 2016 9 comments

Hair Videos

2016 Hair Update + Post Partum Shedding Recovery Tips

by Evenes Ruth Mafupa 29 January 2016

written by Evenes Ruth Mafupa

Natural hair

Hey loves! I’ve now gone a full 5 years after my last relaxer. Yay!!! This is my January 2016 hair update video and I also share with you a few tips on what helped my hair to recover from post partum shedding. One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that I was also dusting my ends from time to time to take care of split ends.
Blessings

29 January 2016 16 comments

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