Ghanaian Emprezz

Yes, in Ghana, we have natural hair salons. If you have two left hands like me ☺☺ when it comes to braids and weaves, then, you probably visit the salon for those services. However, this creates another unpleasant situation for us naturals. Have you ever been charged a higher price because you are natural? I have! For regular salons, I wouldn't expect much from them nor be offended with exorbitant prices. When it comes to natural salons though, it's a different playing ground. One would expect them to handle our hair better and also be cost effective yet reports indicate otherwise. Personally, I haven't done my hair at an all natural salon yet; I plan to do that when the hair is longer. I want some flat twists and these salons offer that. Back to the issue of cost, most naturals I've met complain that aside not getting a stylist who can tend to their hair needs, the natural salons are too expensive for them.  Now, let me clarify that we Ghanaian ladies have our own de

Here's another question that comes up in the search terms : Can You Texturize And Still Be Natural? Texturizers are the first thing naturals who want to loosen their curls temporarily reach for. The misconceptions about texturizers make it difficult for some naturals to accept their texture. One Sunday morning, a lady sent me an urgent message asking for which and where to get a texturizer to loosen her natural hair a bit, just a bit. Instead of giving her an outright answer, I referred her to this simple analogy. Consider texturizers as the younger siblings of relaxers . Texturizers, texture softeners all PERMANENTLY ALTER your natural hair. The difference is how long you keep it on to get the texture you want. Sometimes, you may feel that your hair still looks natural but when the new growth comes in, you'll be dealing with two or more textures like a fully texlaxed hair. The end result of texture softners and texturizes therefore means you can't be really natural. She

After sharing ways to use henna on your hair , here are 3 tips to help you choose your henna. Since you've decided to dabble in henna , why not check which type is most suitable for your hair. I learnt a lot from my henna mishap (see here ) Based on these, I'm offering you 3 tips to help you choose your henna *** Avoid market henna. Let's be honest here. The market henna is obviously cheap so that's the first place you might be tempted to purchase your henna. What you should know is that there are different sources of the henna. Some are grown in the North, some are imported. It's very difficult to determine the source of your henna as you don't have the expert's eyes. In addition to this, market henna is quite grainy and leaves a bunch of left over grains stuck in your strands. It's also difficult to determine if your henna is body art quality. (Sheabutter cottage and urbanmakes.com have awesome henna). *** Be sure you are buying pure henna . Some Henna

Hi my empresses, hope you are doing well. Today, I'm sharing with you 5 cheap and easy ways to document your hair journey when you are not a blogger. In the era of selfies, why not grab your camera and snap away? This is the most common way to document your journey but there are other ways too. How about someone without imstagram, Facebook or Twitter? Pen and Paper Tracking. Writing down what products you bought, when you bought them, how much, why you bought them, the ingredients will allow you to discontinue or continue using a product even years down the line. I keep my books in a pretty good place and I have some of the entries I made in 2011! Hair Journal apps. There are two apps on apple store I've tried and found to be very helpful. The hair diary and hair journal apps are designed to keep track of your products, styles, length and many more.. Online Planners/Calendars/Diaries. You can make entries in or on your planner or calendar. That is whether on your phone or your

The bucket wash method is a term I coined out of using a bucket instead of a shower head to rinse out products. If you've been using henna, dye or clay treatments, then, you know the challenge of keeping your bathroom from getting stained. It's very easy when you use the bucket method wash for relaxed & natural hair. All you need is a bucket like the one pictured above and a source of water. [YouTube=https://youtu.be/76DVWF0A3XQ]

What is Kaolin clay? Omg! yes, Ayilo/shile for your hair! You should have seen my face when I made this discovery a few days ago about Ayilo or Shile which is actually kaolin clay!  Some call it white clay. This clay is the most gentle among clays. It helps clean scalp without drying. It calms inflammation and helps moisturize dry, brittle hair. It improves circulation in the scalp and removes dirt and impurities from the hair follicles which helps strengthens the roots. (source: https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com)  It's the type of clay pregnant women  love to eat and we on the healthy hair journey have been missing out on this. When I was wondering how to get bentonite or rhassoul Clay, I decided to see if we had other clays in Ghana that could be used so I save cash.  It turned out that the kaolin clay is indigenous to us in Ghana. How To Use: * Mix a wash by adding warm water to one to three tablespoons of kaolin, depending upon your hair length. The mixture should make

What do you do before you get a weave on? I'm answering more questions that pop up every now and then as someone who dabbles in extensions a lot. Here are my tips for you. **Chelate or Clarify your hair before you weave up. Getting rid of build up on the scalp and hair will ensure that you don't have itchy scalp within days of installation. When you allow your dirty hair to be braided, you are only creating a breeding ground for bacteria too. ***Do a protein treatment whether mild, medium or hard. This strengthens your hair for the tension from the cornrow beneath the weave. Also, you give the hair the nourishment you can't provide when it's weaved up. Even if you wash your weave and the hair under the weave, the products won't penetrate as much as when your hair is lose. ***Get a braid spray or make your own. This is to keep your hair moisturized under the weave. It's better to have it on hand prior to getting the weave so you can start the moisturizing process

Wearing two strand twists does make life easy and reduced the manipulation of the hair. In order to avoid redoing your twist every single day in order to maintain moisture, I'm sharing some tips on how to moisturize your two strand  twists without unravelling them; The Products Put my moisture spritz in a spray bottle- leave in, moisturizer, light oil. Technique Make sure to position the spray bottle a bit far from the twist. Spray the mix onto the twists Use fingers to gently pat the mix into the strands. You can apply butter on the twists if you wish. Whether loose or pinned, that's my simple technique for keeping my twists moisturized without unravelling them.

I may not be considered a new natural as I've had two previous experiences with my natural hair. However, it doesn't change the fact that people still give me the same attitude each time. Here's how to cope as a new natural in this our society that has some negative perspectives about being natural.(see my post here and here) . Let your reason for going natural keep you moving on. Listen, it's very tough rocking a TWA out here if you don't dress the part, talk the part and walk the part. When elderly women rock TWA, it's OK yet when a young person like me wears it, then, people raise their eye brows. I've been through it all and this time, I cared less about it. I did get some even from men but that lasted only a day. You've got to be very confident that your hair will grow back, healthy and strong These are the easy ways to care for your hair as a new natural.

Today's post is all about the shampoos for Ghanaia natural hair though I wonder if there's anything like that LOL. When ladies as me why I hardly talk about some of the top notch products being raved about day in and day out, I tell them my hair journey shouldn't be complicated. Shampoos are the first products you need when it's wash day and with knowledge about sulfates, most ladies are looking for shampoos that would give them the best results. Be it moisturizing, clarifying or sulfate free, choosing a shampoo can be a bane of naturals in Ghana. The few shampoos I have used haven't disappointed me namely; creme of nature shampoo, ors aloe shampoo and now we naturals hemp shampoo. African black soap aka alata samina is also awesome for natural hair. My advice to you is not look at the expensive nature of a shampoo and qualify it as being effective. Cheap can be equally effective.

The rains are getting intense , our hair is getting more moisture Lol. When you think you have a fly twist out going on and puff, the humidity gets the green card to play with your twist, the next best thing is to finger out how to prevent knots and tangles.  Here are 5 tools to help you handle your hair during this raining season. 1. Fingers: your fingers are your best detangling tools this season. With so much moisture getting into the hair, there's the tendency of your hair getting tangled and knotted or matted if you get soaked on the rain. Wet natural hair is very fragile thus it's prudent to have a finger detangling technique for such incidents 2 . Protein treatment : I can't emphasize the use of protein this rainy season will prevent moisture overload which can also be equally harmful as protein overload. A mild protein product can keep that balance. 3. Shower Cap/Scarf: keep this in your bag as you may get caught up in the rains. One of the things naturals claim i

Who doesn't like free stuff? Certainly, all of us love freebies. When you set your eyes on a product and you start budgeting for it, the waiting time can kill 😂😂😂. So, how can you get free hair products? Give Aways Bloggers Your favorite bloggers have give away contests that affords you the chance to win products. Just follow give away rules( like mine) and you are on the way to winning products! Manufacturers The good old ways of getting freebies just got better even for our Ghanaian hair products. Our sisters are creating a variety of hair and skin care lines that will certainly get you daydreaming about them. All you need to do is follow them and support them. Vendors Also, sellers do give aways so don't miss them too. You get to do a few things like share a post but hey, it's worth it! Some of the products you win are simply too expensive to miss. Swap You don't need to tweak and make sure every single product works for you by hook or crook. Why not swap or excha

As part of our group challenge, we'll be doing hot oil treatments during this month. What is hot oil treatment? You simply heat up your oil a bit, apply to your strands, cover up with caps and either rinse the oil out or leave it in. The difference between this and prepoo is that the prepoo is meant to be done before shampoo and is not necessarily with oil. There will be about 4 hot oil treatments for July which will be part of either my wash day routine or co wash routine. I only have one day in the week to wear my hair out too so that will be when I can do the hot oil treatment. I have an already prepared hot oil treatment you'll get to know very soon! For now, let's call it "X factor" Lol. Don't forget to enter my Instagram give away-www.Instagram.com/emprezzabena Or youtube give away www.youtube.com/EmprezzAbena How do you do your hot oil treatment?

Hi empresses, I'm sharing with you how how to care for  natural hair under  wigs which  helps with growth and retention. Even though I love weaves, I find wigs to be easier to maintain as well as giving me the chance to still care for my hair underneath it. Wigs and weaves  are a great form of protective style. When you choose to use wigs, there's the temptation to just forget about your hair and allow it to be. Most people have come to use lace wigs, lace fronts and other forms of wigs as a means of protecting their natural hair or relaxed hair, especially during cold months. Well, in as much as you want leave your hair alone, remember that the wig can't moisturize and seal your hair nor wash it for you. Just as you will wash the wig, oil and comb it, you need to pay attention to your own hair so it can thrive beneath the wigs. In doing that, you'll ensure that you derive maximum benefits from the wig as well as allow your hair to retain whatever growth you get. P

How do you do that? Well, that's one of the search words that have popped on several occasions is how to turn relaxed hair into natural hair instantly. I want to address this in case you have other people thinking the same way. First of all, the relaxer process involves the PERMANENT break down of the hair(simplest explanation). The chemical changes are irreversible; that's how the relaxer is supposed to work else you will have a temporal straightness like that of a flat ironed hair. Whereas a flat iron changes the bonds for a short time, the relaxer brings down the protein bonds, straightening and rearranging them in the process. What can you use to turn relaxed hair to natural at once? The simple answer is NOTHING! Vinegar cannot make your relaxed hair turn into natural one. Neither will key soap, duck bar soap, OMO, Ariel, or even Akpeshie. Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe to ghanaianemprezz so you don't miss a post!

How to: take down braids and weaves? When you are through with the beautiful weaves or braids, you are left with the nightmare of taking it down. That shouldn't be the case. See my posts on how I washed my weave . As one who uses extensions a lot, I've developed some techniques which I'm sharing with you today. Essentially, what you need are: bobby pin or roller pin to remove the braids Scissors to cut knots in the extensions Hair clips to keep the undone hair from tangling up Detangling mix which could be a detangling conditioner, detangling shampoo, or oils. Mirror to view the hair to guide you through each braid A towel or t-shirt for your neck so you don't get the bits of short extensions that come off all over your body Braids and Twists What I do is to cut off the tip of the extensions since those parts are the most tangled.  I section it so I can work on it one at a time. I bobby pin or roller pin to undo the braids one knot at a time. I d

I totally understand your enthusiasm when you start to care for your hair and friends don't seem to be bothered. At the beginning of this year, I'm sure some friends will tell you their setbacks with all the X'mas hairstyles they did. Ah well, don't fret. Share these reasons why you should care for your hair with your friends; that will get them involved. You will be able to have the hair you always crave for. You can treat the dry brittle hair you are battling with You don't have to rely on your hairdresser for basic stuff like washing and drying You decided which products to use on your hair You get to know what works and doesn't work for your hair You will have better knowledge of various hair styles and how to prevent them damaging your hair You will see your hair reach lengths you always dreamt of. You will be able to care for your kid's hair You will save time and money on salon visits You will learn to help others.

''How to keep your bonnet on during sleep'' is a question that I get so often. In the video, I show you a simple trick that I use and has been working for me. I show how to keep your satin bonnet, deep conditioning cap and scarf on whilst you sleep. You will love it!   [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DusCDLRRoA&list=UUM6BrVvG2vy0gBWUwDn74rQ]

It's always a good feeling when you spot  new deep conditioners and are eager to lay your hands on it. I usually find myself in that situation and so, today, I'm sharing some tips that have helped me when shopping for new deep conditioners. 1. Read first 10 ingredients to be sure you are getting what you want. 2. Smell it 3. Buy small bottles so you don't waste money if your hair doesn't like that. 4. Have a backup plan so that if the product fails, you can grab your trusted one. 5. Read instructions 6. Read reviews 7. Know the brand 8. Check for availability 9. Check packaging 10. Cheap isn't always costly. Expensive isn't always effective

I've been using apple cider vinegar in my regimen since I started this hair care journey. I also get questions about how to incorporate apple cider vinegar into a regimen.   Based on my personal experience, there are 5 ways you can use  apple cider vinegar on relaxed hair.  After neutralizing shampoo : When you use apple cider vinegar after using a neutralizing shampoo, you are basically using it to lower the pH of the hair. The pH is a measure used to determine the acidity and alkalinity of a substance. The scale is represented by numbers ranging from 0 to 14 where 7 is neutral. Greater than 7 on the pH scale is more alkaline and less than 7 is more acidic. The pH of hair ranges between 4.5 – 5.5. Lye relaxers range from 12 – 14 and no-lye relaxers range from 9 – 11. (source: Design essentials ) That means you need to use a neutralizing shampoo to bring down the alkaline levels toward a more neutral level. Apple cider vinegar is acidic and therefore, helps to bring up the acidic l