Thank God I'm Natural

Seriously, a healthy scalp is all the rave. If your scalp isn’t healthy, chances are your hair isn’t either.

Well, how do I get a healthy scalp?

No worries, love. We got you. Just take out your pen and paper. Class is in session!

No Need For Excess

The first thing you should know is, your scalp produces its own natural oil called sebum, which works perfectly for your specific hair. So anything else that you might place on your hair can be an added bonus, if the product you’re using is a good one. Now, in the African-American community, we are known for placing heavy oils and moisturizers in our hair to combat what we believe is a dry scalp. That’s a no-no. Your hair will do that for you. Once the heavy oils are added, your own natural oil will stop working, which will cause for more dry scalp. A light moisturizer, like Sweet Almond Oil on your scalp after you’ve washed your hair is all you really need, ladies. Trust me. I can now wear my black turtleneck and turn right without having to wipe off the flakes on my left!

Avoid Extreme Heat…(sorry Chi Flatiron)

This rule is as old as time. Whether you’re natural or not, excessive use of your favorite bedazzled flatiron, curling iron, or blow dryer only does damage.  When you do use your hair tools, be sure to keep away from the scalp and focus it on the hair shaft. The heat on the scalp itself can cause it to dry out, and who wants to hang out with the girl who has the dry scalp? I know I don’t.

Balance Your Diet

Adopting a healthy diet does more than just help your scalp, it helps improve your overall wellness. However, in terms of your scalp, eating greasy, oily foods will have a negative impact on your hair. Just like eating potato chips, Oreos, drinking tons of soda and dinning at the McDonald’s Dollar Menu will have your face looking like the before picture in a ProActive commercial, the same can be said for your scalp. Cool? Cool.

Gentle! Gentle!

When you ‘re washing your hair, read the fine lines. Using products with harsh sulfates such as ammonium and sodium lauryl sulfate strip the hair and the scalp of your natural oils. However, products from Carol’s Daughter or Karen’s Body Beautiful are made without sulfates that are kinder and more gentle to your hair. While washing it, you may not notice your hair begin to sud up quickly, don’t worry. The sulfates gave you that false sense of relief. These products are actually better and doing the work by not stripping you of your natural oil, all the while still cleaning your hair.

So ladies, did this help?

For more information about natural hair care, please pick up a copy of the book Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair now available at www.tginstore.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble.  This 300+ page hair guide is the perfect resource for transitioners, the natural newbie, or long time curly girl and the book Essence Magazine calls “Your Natural Hair Bible”