First of all, I’d like to shout out my WhatsApp hair group, infamously known as ‘The Movement is Real’! My hair journey wouldn’t have continued without the updates and encouragement I get from those? Wonderful women
Isolation has changed the way we think about all aspects of our life as a family, we lead such busy lives and sticking to convenient routines used to just make so much sense!
Going natural wasn’t an easy decision, in fact, I was invited to be part of hair groups long before I went natural and when I joined the group It was purely because I wanted to expand my networks. I was very sceptical, I mean why on earth would I want to go back to my natural hair. I’d not seen my natural hair since the age of 13, 1993 may have been an excellent year for RnB, but my edges weren’t laid, and my short 4C hair wasn’t gonna bring the boys to my yard!
Cue Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rd4ULj00Ty21bZcqSUNfG?si=pyzz8HN_Q7SYdbfv3UBnFQ
It took me 26 years to pluck up the courage to break up the relationship with the creamy cr*ck and waved goodbye to my hairdresser, who, I’m not sure I even really said a proper goodbye to either.
My WhatsApp hair group suggested someone who could give me this new style that was low maintenance and would allow my hair to transition under wraps. When I say I’m clueless about hair, it’s not an exaggeration I’m still hoping someone will take me in hand and teach me the basics of wig shopping and how to detangle my hair without pulling half of my hair out.
I’m keeping it real in this isolation blog, so here is another admission… I have 4 kids, and I can’t plait hair!! I’m closing my eyes and ears at this point, waiting for the judgement. I can’t do the Candy dance either, so when we come out of this isolation, and it’s safe to rave I’ll be the one moving left when you go right.
The ISO Diaries podcast was blessed to have two special guests join us for our isolation hair discussions.
Angela is the founder of Body You Lovely a company that specialises in natural homemade hair and beauty products. You can find out more via
Website: https://www.bodyyoulovely.co.uk/
Etsy Link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/bodyyoulovely/
Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/bodyyoulovely/
Serena is a broadcast professional who has just embarked on an at-home hair course by Tola Okogwu https://tolaokogwu.com/product/hair-care-at-home/ Tola is also the author of Daddy do my hair https://daddydomyhair.com/
Take a listen to our conversation about haircare and Lockdown not so guilty pleasures.
ISO Hair tips
Now to some practical tips, we reached out to a friend of the family and the only person Olivia will allow to touch her hair Rhonda from Hair by Rhonda. https://www.hairbyrhonda.co.uk/services
What are some of your main tips for keeping your hair healthy during quarantine?
*Keep your hair clean, moisturised and protected!*
– Shampoo and deep condition your hair at least every 1-2 weeks. A clean scalp promotes healthy hair growth and gets rid of product build-up.
– Deep conditioning infuses moisture; resulting in softer, more manageable hair. Adding heat will allow the product to penetrate even deeper into your hair strands, so trap the heat in with a plastic cap, or sit under a steamer or hooded dryer if you have one, for 30 mins. (Adding heat is a bonus for people with low porosity hair)
•• If you struggle with detangling, a pre-poo or hot oil treatment, prior to shampooing may help.
– Protein treatments are also recommended approximately every 4-6 weeks, these add structure and strength to the hair shaft, creating a protective barrier.
– Dry your hair with a t-shirt or microfibre towel as they don’t strip your hair of their natural oils and moisture. Regular towels can be too harsh, creating friction whilst drying, resulting in possible breakage and damage to the hair follicles.
– Moisturise and seal. This goes without saying. Keep your hair moist, dry hair is more prone to breakage!
– Cover your hair with a satin scarf or bonnet at night to reduce friction and help to maintain the moisture from the natural oils in your hair. Sleep on satin pillowcases for extra protection!
– Avoid heat where possible, blow-drying/straighteners etc. If you do, heat protector is a must! If you’re working/studying from home now is the perfect time to give air-drying a try!
Is there any simple and easy at home styles you could recommend for people during this period?
– Low manipulation protective styles – keep the handling and styling of your hair to a minimum, examples include: braid/twist outs, wash & go’s, braids, twists, Bantu knots, roller sets.
What inspired you to get into haircare?
I’d probably say my mum had a big influence on this. She was the go to hair braider in my family, plaiting my cousins and friends hair’ on a regular basis. Also, when I was 8 years old, I used to have a little doll that I would take everywhere. I used to watch my mum effortlessly braiding its hair into two rope plaits (as she would call them) or cornrows for those who are unfamiliar with the term lol. I would always try to mimic the hairstyle, but I could never get them as neat as she did. I kept practising, and one day I cracked it! From then on I took my mum’s place! Haha! I learnt a lot of my early intricate braiding skills from Jennifer Fell and general healthy hair care maintenance techniques from Margaret Stoute (HairLife Hair Design). Not forgetting my own hairdresser (yes I have one lol, Kelly Hinchclife at Hairstation, she’s always giving me hints and tips and keeps my hair at its best.
As well as this we are asking what is your not so guilty lockdown pleasure and if coronavirus hadn’t locked you down what would you have been doing?
Is it boring to say I don’t really have one? Lol. I watch Netflix here and there, but I don’t binge. I often binge-watch braiders on Instagram and skincare videos on YouTube!
The only thing I’d be doing if we weren’t in LockDown is socialising with my friends and family more. I’m quite a homebody, so it hasn’t made that much difference to me really. I’m gutted that I didn’t see Craig David in concert though lol and I didn’t have any holidays booked until later in the year so hopefully I’ll still be able to travel, but who knows!
Hair by Rhonda
Subscription boxes
I love subscription boxes, once a month getting a self-care surprise I’d probably never buy is a treat in itself. Hair shops can be overwhelming unless you have a hair group like mine who can suggest and review products. You could end up spending hundreds on products that gather dust in your bathroom cupboards.
While in Lockdown I’ve restarted a subscription box with a company called TreasureTress, a firm favourite with myself and the kids. (Please note this isn’t a paid-for advertisement its just the only subscription box I’ve tried so far.) If you want to give it a go use code: THEISODIARIES for 10% off.
https://www.treasuretress.co.uk/
For balance here are a few more I discovered while researching this blog:
https://curleebox.co.uk/ discount code CURLEE20
https://www.hairpopp.com/shop/ not a subscription service but a great website with some products from https://www.nubiandecor.co.uk/ another favourite of mine
Local haircare delivery service:
During the podcast, I mentioned not knowing any haircare shops open in Leeds. I’ve been alerted to Teisha’s Hair and Beauty shop, you can contact Teisha via Instagram for more information. https://www.instagram.com/teishashairandbeauty/
How are you coping with your hair and self-care while in isolation? If you want to leave us a message about the podcast, visit our anchor page:
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Love
Team Boujie Media