Natural Spotlight: LaChristin
1. Introduce yourself to us (are you: loc'ed, newly
natural, natural-n-pressed, etc.)
My name is LaChristin
and I've been natural for almost 3 years now.
2. How long have you been natural and why did you
decide to embark on this journey?
I've been natural since
July 31, 2009. Initially, I was tired of fighting with relaxers. I would
get a touch up and it would be curly within 3 weeks. At the time I went natural
I was living abroad and stylist were scarce so I decided to start doing
research on natural hair. I started out watching tons of YouTube natural hair videos.
I’ve always admired natural hair, but never thought about doing it myself
because relaxing had been a habit. My mother kept my hair in cute little
ponytails or pressed. It was when she passed away when I was 8, a family member
decided to give me a relaxer for convenience. I never disliked my natural hair;
my choice to keep it natural was taken from me.
3. How did people react to the changes you made to
your hair? Were they supportive or against it?
My husband was my
biggest supporter! My family was very supportive from the beginning, especially
my mother and sister who are both natural. Most of my friends loved it too! I
had this one particular friend ask me if I was going through something because
she couldn't understand why I would cut off all my hair.
4. What's your
hair regimen?
My regimen now is
quite simple. I workout 5 days a week and it's important for me to keep my
scalp clean. Sunday is typically my wash day. I wash my hair with Terressentials Shampoo
and apply my leave in mixture of Kinky
Curly Knot Today and oils. Then, I braid or twist my hair in about 8 to 10
plaits. I'll then tie it down and depending on what I have going on that
morning, will determine what style I wear. I workout in the mornings mainly so
I'll wrap it with my gym wrap (which keeps my edges from sweating out) and then
style it when I get home.
5. Everyone has a
favorite hair product or tool that they swear by. What are some of your
favorite products and tools? Why?
The products I
absolutely love are:
- Shampoo - Terressentials Shampoo - defines my curls and doesn't strip my hair during
the washing process. Leaves my scalp feeling fresh and clean!
- Leave in -
Kinky Curly Knot Today -
When mixed with my oils it provides the perfect leave in concoction
leaving my hair moisturized for days. Works well by itself too!
- Oils –
Jojoba oil, castor oil, sweet almond oil - Besides mixing them with my
Kinky Curly Knot, these oils have many other benefits as well. They can also
be used on your skin.
- Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Juice - I use this in my leave in mixture. It can also
be used as a dietary supplement.
- Twisting butter –
Shea
Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie
- Tools -
wide tooth comb, curl detangler brush and
denman brush
That’s it! I’ve been a
product junkie, but have reformed. LOL! I may try a new product here and
there, but for now the above products are my staples. Took me a while to
narrow it down, but I realized these products give me the best results. One can
sometimes get caught up in the hype of finding a “magical product” because I
know I have.
6. What
tip or trick have you learned works when it comes to defining your curls and
maintaining moisture?
Sealing my ends is key
in locking in moisture and combating frizz. I like to add a little castor oil
on each individual braid or twist to lock in moisture. I may use a little dab
of gel on my edges for specific styles, but not to define my curls. I like to
create definition with braid outs and twist outs.
7. Any
advice you have for newly naturals or transitioners?
Do your research!
There is so much information on natural hair care, styling, and products.
Surround yourself with people who will support you, because not everyone will.
Let go of the how you used to look and try to understand that it will take time
to fall in love with the new you. I think once you let go the confidence kicks
in. Remember God doesn’t make mistakes! He makes us special and unique in His
likeness, so embrace it!
8. Is there a blog or website we can follow
you at?
You can follow me on
my blog DigitalCurls, where I talk about diet and
fitness, natural hair, and beauty to name a few. I can also be found on
Twitter @DigitalCurls
1 comments:
Write commentsThank you for the Spotlight! :)
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