Like so many women with highly textured hair, I always thought that my hair was so much more manageable if I wore it straight or with a relaxer.  With much convincing from my younger sister I took a big leap and decided to wear my hair natural, with no chemicals.  This was the first time that I decided to really learn about my hair and what it took to maintain it.  I researched and researched.  With so much out there it was enough to make your head spin!  The Science of Black Hair condenses so much of the information and puts in one place.  For those of us who like concrete information, the fact that it approached hair care from a scientific view was so appealing.

From Amazon:

The Science of Black Hair is the ultimate consumer textbook on black hair care. Technically oriented and detailed throughout, this book was written with the serious hair care consumer in mind. Hair science, research and testimony combine in this carefully written text designed to examine black hair on a deeper level. With its light academic style it is truly the last hair book you ll ever need. The special, salon professional edition of The Science of Black Hair features full-color photographs and color-tab organization to enhance the reading experience. All versions of the book feature special multimedia capabilities that bring the book to life including additional live tips and updated voice messages from the author for the life of the book!

Readers will learn how to: 
* Maintain chemically-treated or natural hair in optimal health. 
* Stop hair breakage with a novel, protein/moisture balancing method. 
* Regulate product pH balance for shinier, more manageable hair. 
* Grow their hair longer, stronger and healthier for life!

Additional Features 
* Regimen Builder with extensive product listings 
* Ingredients glossary 
* Interviews 
* Real photos of hair at the microscopic level

This book is great if you are just starting your hair care journey if you have been on the road a long time.  Ms. Davis-Sivasothy has done a WONDERFUL job!  The book starts off with this.  Gotta love it!

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.  Habakkuk 2:2 (KJV)

Read it, and Run!

We are so excited to announce that Sisters of the Faith is doing The Science of Black Hair sweepstakes!  Two lucky winners will receive an autographed, standard edition book ($24.95 value).  All you have to do is enter here!  The sweepstakes will run from Feb.1st-Feb.12th.

For more information:

http://scienceofblackhair.com/index.html

To purchase:

http://scienceofblackhair.com/buy_book.html

Bear Fruit Hair was introduced to us all earlier this year and they definitely deserve a Sister Approved stamp! Since then, the website has been redesigned and more products added to the mix-including products for the man in your life.  Take a look and see what they are all about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IVGssK8QD8

While shopping this Christmas season, be sure to stop by and see what they have to offer.  Some of our favorites are :

To make it even more appealing to you, Bear Fruit Hair is generously giving Sisters of the Faith readers a 25% discount until December 31, 2011!  Promo code: SOTFXMAS

CALIFORNIA:

“On August 18, 1999, federal court Judge Rudi Brewster (9th Circuit) ruled in favor of AHNHA plaintiff Dr. JoAnne Cornwell [80 Fed. Sup. 2nd 1101; Cornwell v. Hamilton Southern District of California], that braiders cannot be forced to go to cosmetology school where braiding is not taught, forced to learn from texts that do not teach braiding, forced to take a test on subject matter that does not pertain to braiding, forced to take additional courses in order to teach braiding, or forced to work or learn in a toxic chemical environment associated with a school or salon where chemicals are used, that have been proven to cause miscarriages, birth defects, infertility, cancer, and upper respiratory problems. On June 15, 2000, Governor Gray Davis signed SB-235 into law (effective 01/01/01), exempting hair braiders from the cosmetology laws in the state.” Source: www.cornrowsandco.com

Since 1993, legislation has been passed and enacted to prohibit restrictions on individuals who practice hair braiding and natural styling as a profession to attain a board-certified license.  In many states, some pre-requisites included over 450 hours of cumulative training to be certified as a professional natural stylist. In addition to California, several other states have since determined that there is no way to adequately assess and regulate the practice of natural hair care and braiding.  Cosmetology boards across states do not express any enthusiasm in making an addendum to their course syllabi or offering instruction specific to natural hair care and styling.

What is this and why does it matter?

Let’s say you let “Kiki from down the street” braid your hair (knowing she does not have the credentials to professionally style your hair) because she’s fast and can hook you up.  For whatever reason this time, your hair begins to break off in a way it never has—you see scalp bumps and irritation from the stress of the hair being tightly pulled at the root. What do you do?  You have no protection, and no real leg to stand on in a court of law, considering that you put yourself at risk by entrusting your hair to the hands of an unlicensed stylist.

Better yet, Let’s say you go to a professional salon that boasts natural hair care products and services, yet they also serve a greater population of those who receive chemical treatments as well.  The board-certified salon owner and master stylist attempts to tame your wet and curly, kinky, or coiled tresses.  She either becomes very quiet and concentrated on how to detangle and get through this ‘unfamiliar terrain’ or becomes boisterous, to the point of embarrassment because you don’t have ‘good hair’.  Clearly her 20 years of experience at the best cosmetology school in the land couldn’t prepare her for this.  She does not have the skill set to carefully address the needs of natural hair.

Natural hair care, and the art of braiding is a tradition that has been passed down throughout generations of time, and its roots can be traced back to the skilled hands of African mothers who truly honed and crafted braiding as an art form.  Some things though, have become lost in translation, if you will. Maintaining the integrity and professionalism of natural hair care is necessary for those who depend upon visiting professional salons.  Safeguarding the creativity and innate skills of non-professionals who desire to share their gift can also be limiting.

A way to redress this disparaging ‘movement’ is to take our power back!  At Bear Fruit Hair, we believe that “The power of your hair’s health is in your hands!”  YOU have the power to undo the damage that has been done in attempts to regulate hair care for the natural community.  Invest in yourself, and learn the necessary skills to understand your hair’s health, and true worth.  Do not be afraid to experiment with your own hands, and use items in your ‘local refrigerator’ to achieve beautiful hair.  Within the gift of natural hair lies experience waiting to happen—an experience of growing with your hair, and adapting to it.  Bear Fruit Hair provides the information, education and means to become your own chemist.  Our unique blends of earthy herbs, fresh fruit and essential oils are blended to provide the moisture and protection your hair needs.

Look for this article and more thought leadership from Mimi King, Creative Director of Bear Fruit Hair, on the upcoming Bear Fruit Hair blog site. Contact her at MsMimi@bearfruithair.com to let her know what you’d like to see, and make sure to sign up for promotions notifications on www.bearfruithair.com to be informed about the blog site’s launch.

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Cleansing Conditioner
Does not strip the hair of moisture
Conditions the hair while cleansing the scalp

Deep Conditioner
Great detangling qualities
Extremely moisturizing

Visit the website for a list of the ingredients and their beneficial properties!!! And remember, use SOTF20 for a 20% discount.

‘Bear Fruit Hair’s hope is to give you a passion for pure and natural hair products that naturally create beautiful hair.’

I have had the wonderful privilege of meeting Marissa Swan (via email), founder of Bear Fruit Hair.  She introduced Sisters of the Faith to this  natural hair care line and we are so excited to present this to you!  Marissa is passionate about what she does, but most importantly her passion is centered around her love for the Lord and His purpose for her life.

Phoenix, AZ –A new natural hair care product company based in Phoenix, Arizona has a mission to cure dry hair all over the world. An online-based company which ships products nationally and internationally, Bear Fruit Hair’s product line was specifically developed for people living in dry weather environments who have associated dry hair concerns. “Most of the hair care products on the market that claim to moisturize have valid moisturizing ingredients, yet those same ingredients achieve the opposite effect in an environment like Arizona, where there’s very low to no humidity. Instead of attracting moisture to the hair, due to the science of how many moisturizing ingredients work, those products will actually deplete moisture. Women find themselves with even drier hair when using them,” says Marissa Swan, founder of Bear Fruit Hair, inc.  In her research, she discovered a huge issue – hair and skin product companies were putting glycerin in most every product. But why was that such a big deal, when most people feel they want glycerin, honey, or other humectants in their hair and skincare products?

Humectants work by attracting moisture from a humid environment. But if you live in a dry environment, humectants will remove any moisture you have in your hair and evaporate it into the environment. Humectants work by attracting moisture, but Bear Fruit Hair’s products seek to put moisture into hair, and with its range of ingredients, to seal moisture in with natural ingredients that allow moisture to keep coming into hair, unlike many products which will actually lock moisture out. “Companies add tons of great ingredients to attract the consumer, yet many of those ingredients are actually working against each other. While one ingredient is supposed to attract moisture from the air onto your hair, another ingredient is coating the hair, preventing the moisture from coming into it.”

As an international company, Bear Fruit Hair’s philosophy is to promote customer knowledge about how their environment interacts with their particular hair types, and to allow their customers to create products that work specifically for them. “Adding humectants to a product makes great sense if you live near water, but if you’re in Arizona,for example, we want to allow customers to create a product without humectants.” An innovative customization concept, Bear Fruit Hair developed the idea of allowing customers to create their own hair care products, choosing from the ingredients in their store.  Customers can create both hair and skin care products from their range of natural herbs, fruits and oils.

http://www.bearfruithair.com/home/index.htm

Dermatologist Nhlanhla Khumalo, who works at the university and at Groote Schuur Hospital, found that chemical relaxers cause irreversible damage to the scalp.

NEW KNOWLEDGE: Research has found that chemical relaxers cause irreversible damage to the scalp.

Khumalo published her research in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology last month.

She wrote that “the link between relaxers and hair loss was becoming clearer”. The highest risk of hair loss happens when hairstyles and braids are done on relaxed hair.

Based on a study of school girls and young women in Langa, Cape Town, Khumalo’s research found that up to 70percent of schoolgirls and adults were using hair relaxers to straighten their hair.

“For black African women, the most worrying cause of hair loss is traction alopecia (TA) – the loss of hair which is most common in the hairline as a result of pulling hair into a tight pony tail, braids and weaves,” she said.

The highest risk occurs when the hairstyles are done on relaxed hair which is already soft, she said.

Hair relaxers change the level of cystine – a protein responsible for strengthening the hair.

“The end result is that the hair is fragile and brittle compared to the original unrelaxed hair,” Khumalo said.

She said adding hairstyles like braids and extensions onto the hair puts pressure on the relaxed hair, which results in hair breaking or falling out.

Lucy Mibey, hairdresser and owner of Braids Sensation Hair and Beauty Salon in Mowbray, Cape Town, said “the problem is that the majority of African black people have no proper knowledge and education about hair grooming”.

Mibey said many people who had lost their hair had passed through the doors of her salon and that even dermatologists had not been able to help some of them, she said.

“The hair products industry is a booming one, and unfortunately quality hair products and relaxers are expensive and many people cannot afford them.”

In her opinion, many hairdressers have “no knowledge at all” about the dangers of chemical hair products.

Khumalo said: “If you do use hair relaxers, stay away from braids and extensions which will add more weight to the hair – or else go natural.”

In 1999 the American Journal of Epidemiology released a publication that began with, “Several studies suggest that toxic chemicals in hair products may be absorbed through the scalp in sufficient amounts to increase the risks of adverse health effects in women or their infants.” Some of the effects are low birth rate and premature delivery. The studies were on black women and the effects their hair relaxers might have on their unborn babies. Sodium hydroxide, ammonium, and formaldehyde are just a few named chemical ingredients that can penetrate the scalp skin and enter the body of the mother and unborn baby. Outside of straightening hair, these same chemicals are used as drain cleaners, household cleansers, and embalming fluid.

Additionally, according to the EWG (Environmental Working Group) many of the chemicals contained in hair relaxers result in those specific relaxers being banned in those countries.  For example, Luster’s PCJ No-Lye have been banned in Canada because they contain phenolphthalein.  Phenolphthalein has been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, developmental/reproductive toxicity and much more.  Hair relaxers are not the only culprits.  You check check out the Banned in Other Countries List on EWG’s SkinDeep.com.

Reportedly, most of the black women with straight hair that lays sickly thin against their scalps are the same women who chose at-home box kit relaxers. These relaxers can be up to $70 cheaper than a chemical process at a salon. The truth is lye relaxers or professional strength relaxers contain the best quality products for the hair. As a result, they are sold exclusively to professional salon professional. The comforting news is that a licensed cosmetologist has been trained to apply relaxers in the proper manner. They can usually assure the scalp is not burned by the chemical and the hair is not over processed.  Our advice, if you choose to use hair relaxers, go to a trained professional.

http://www.qhemetbiologics.com/  8oz./ $16.50

Product Description

Our nourishingly rich blend of old world oils, organic herbs and natural humectants leaves coarse, dry and brittle hair extra soft, healthy and supple!

Key Ingredients: Our ultra thick cream contains Amla, Brahmi and African Aloe, premium Afro-Indian botanicals used for thousands of years to nourish the scalp and strengthen and condition hair. MSM sulfur nurtures follicles and encourages healthy hair growth, Mediterranean Olive Oil delivers emollience and lubricity while Vegetable Glycerin and pure African Castor Oil lends sheen, softness and intense moisture.

 A perfect all-in-one for moisturizing and softening afro’s, coils, curls, pony puffs, two strand twists, braids, cornrows, fades, chemical and color processes, softening new growth and restoring softness and elasticity to dry brittle ends. Also helps weigh down kinks and coils.

Use as a: 

My Experience:  I absolutely LOVE this product!  I have thick, 4b hair (see Andre Walker’s hair classification system) and this product has been a staple for me.  I use this product on my hair, (along with a styling product) while it is wet and do two strand twists.  Also, I may divide it in sections and just use it as a leave-in.  There are so many uses for this product!  My hair dries very, very soft and well hydrated.  The moisture lasts for days!  It doesn’t give the hair a lot of shine, but I remedy that by applying coconut oil to seal the moisture or mixing it with Olive & Honey Hydrating Balm.

With it being handmade product, the ship time is a little longer.  Especially for those of you who are used to getting things in 3-5 days.  When I have called to get information about my order, they have been very timely in responding.  That made waiting a little easier.  They offer promotions a couple of times a year so I try to get mulitples of what I use and maybe try something new. 

All in all, it is an excellent item to try.  If you don’t want to purchase a full-size jar, they also sell sample sizes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JGXpzAMv2c

SupaNaturalProducts.com
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