I've given up shampoo.

Folks, I've decided to give up shampoo. I really don't think they work well for me. Yes they clean and all that, but my hair becomes excessively dry so quickly. Anyway I was doing some research and rediscovered that shampoo contains many undesirables. Infact I already knew this and blogged about it on my website http://locsdiary.piczo.com/afrohair!?cr=2&linkvar=000044. Most shampoos contain sodium lauryl laureth sulphate or their close cousins. They are very drying to the hair and can even damage hair follicles. Castille soaps are an alternative, but they must be well diluted and they can leave a thin residue.When I got sls I had to use non moisturising/clarifying shampoos and they can do a number on your hair. I occasionally use black soap which is fairly good. But I'll be avoiding soap and shampoo for a season. So I will use baking soda and water or soap wort(herb) if I can lay my hands on it, followed by diluted acv. Soap wort is a natural herb which lathers and cleans. I want to see how my hair behaves without shampoo or soap. I'll return to black soap bc it works so well. I know I should update with some pics of my hair, so I'll make that a priority for my next post. Meanwhile, I'll keep you posted on my non shampoo/soap routine.

Faux sisterlocks and the 'sharks'

I've written a post or 2 about not being a fan of certain practices of sls. However, this one is about the sharks out there peddling faux sls as the genuine article. After reading one too many stories of people having to undo months of hard work in order to pay more to have it done right, I thought I'd blog about it. So if you're a shark(you know who you are) stop sowing that bad seed bc it will come back to haunt you. It is a well known fact that sls is a trademarked company and you can only offer sls if you've taken the approved training and undertake to follow their procedure. However, anyone can do microlocs and call it what they want and it's perfectly legal and above board. So why can't people deal honestly with the client and say 'I do microlocs,similar to sls to give you the same look but they are not sls'. Instead, they are willing to decieve clients, take their hard earned cash and cut corners by installing something else- phony, false,fake sisterlocks (in some cases they are not even microlocs). I know some people use the sls name like it's the generic name for microlocs. I had a client once ask me to install sls along her hairline. I explained to her that I didn't do sls.What she actually meant was she wanted tiny locs. I respect anyone who is upfront and tells you the truth. I'd trust such a person with my hair if I like the work they do. So the message is, make sure you do your research, b4 you hand your money over. I'm well aware that some good sls consultants/trainees are not listed on the official website and some loctitians who do beautiful microlocs are not even sls consultants. Just make sure you know what you're getting into.

Brushing sisterlocks

I brushed my sls the other day. I used a VERY soft brush. Actually I was focusing on my scalp and hairline, rather than my locs and I was very gentle. I decided to give my scalp a little stimulation. I massage sometimes too. I used to brush my braidlocks, and it was really good. I'm not saying you should brush your sls, I don't want anyone to damage their locs. I'm just sharing what I did with mine. I know a number of folks with traditional locs brush theirs, but does anyone with microlocs ever use a brush on their scalp, hairline or locs? If you do please share.

Ghana Elections.

Taken from the Economist -

'LAST year oil was found off the coast of Ghana. There was rejoicing, of course. But the mood was tempered by the knowledge of how oil has polluted the nearby Niger Delta and corrupted Nigeria. More than anything, Ghanaians were seized by a determination to avoid the “resource curse” of Nigeria.
Now, with a general election on December 7th, it is the curse of the ballot box that Ghanaians want to avoid. After electoral disasters in Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe in the past 18 months, everyone is hoping, and many are praying, that Ghana will avoid the bloodshed, chicanery and political warring of its African peers......

Ever since Ghana became the first sub-Saharan country to win independence (from Britain) in 1957, Ghanaians have been conscious of being in the vanguard of African history. Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development says it is still the case. “There is a popular desire to maintain a record of not behaving like others on the continent in these elections. It is a point of pride.”

That Ghanaians are peace loving people is without a doubt. This attitude has saved us time and again from needless violence and bloodshed witnessed in other african nations. I pray peace continues even when the stakes are high, with the discovery of oil in the region. Human nature is the same everywhere and when enough pressure is applied, it can crack. As we come to another landmark in this nation's history, may Ghana truly stand out as a beacon of hope and light. The 1st African Nation to gain independence from colonial rule, the 1st african nation to throw wide it's doors to African Americans and descendants of Africans everywhere, Ghana is setting a good example. I hope the country continues to enjoy peace and stability. Most of my family live in Ghana, and in the future, I intend to live, at least, part of the year there.

6th ReTi

I had my ReTi yesterday 9th dec 2008. I pinched the term ReTi from QueenLi ( I believe she coined the word and hope she doesn't mind me using it.) I am no longer braiding and banding. I told my consultant I was planning to take over ReTi and come to her every so often. She was very encouraging. She said my hair had settled in and thickened up nicely. She's aware I maintain my daughter's locs by interlocking - that I get the occasional loc client who wants ReTi via a tool. She's a generous lady and doesn't act like she's the only one with the secret. She's going to be way for a while so she said why don't I DIY the next one and she can check it over when she's back as I already know my rotations and how-to. Alternatively she suggested getting it done whilst in Ghana. What a breath of fresh air, after all the alarming consultant stories I heard where you daren't ask about DIY except to take the class and if you do.. DIY without the class....you've left the fold. When I asked her about no longer having sls if I used a nappylocs tool or something else, she said you have the partings, the pattern, your hair won't grow into something else. Well it's nice to know she has confidence in me to do it right. Yep. I'm planning another trip to Ghana to see the fam - end of Jan/feb. I booked this with my heavenly father months ago and asked him to throw in some spending money and pressies for everyone. He is so good to me so I know everything will be there just at the right time when I need it. Thank you Lord.

The show after the show

We ie some of us homeschooling mums decided to take our kids iceskating at somerset House at the Strand London. It was truly spectacular. This huge ice-rink is in the centre of a grand mansion- Somerset House. With the christmas lights and all, it was a lovely experience. My friends then invited us to this restaurant called SARASTRO or The show after the show. It's in Covent Garden, central London, located in this ancient Victorian gradeII listed building, behind the theatre royal. You walk in and you think you walked into a theatre. It has a Mediterranean 'feel' to it. The food is turkish/Mediterranean influenced. The food was lovely. I had lamb that just danced on your tongue. You can see I truly enjoyed the experience - that is - until I went to use the 'loo', where I did a double take. The wall were covered with these very lewd pictures/paintings. Quite frankly, it nothing short of porn renamed ART. The food turned to dust in my stomach - well, nearly. I had to pretend I had not seen what I had just seen in order to enjoy this very special restaurant. Needless to say we had to tell our kids to wait till we got to convent garden itself to 'spend a penny', which was the next on the agenda. Convent Garden is a myriad of shops and stalls selling unusual products,with buskers, mini- open air shows etc generally quite upmarket. I don't have any pictures to show you sorry, I was camera-less. I'll try and get some off my friends.