My Natural Hair Journey

The Journey in Pictures 
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Remember Blue Magic?

Like me, if you're black and born before 1980, you've probably used your share of Blue Magic. Labeled as an "anti-breakage/conditioner/hair dress", we old heads (no pun intended) call it by its street name, "grease."

Like milk and bread, Blue Magic was a staple in our house growing up. When it was time to part, plait, press, tame, or just grease hair, Blue Magic was ever handy. (Don't act brand new! You know the difference between the grease and to grease.) Yep, me and Ole Blue, we got history. So with history like ours, what could ever make me turn my back on it?

Call it nappy knowledge.While I have some fond memories of Ole Blue; sentiment and sense are two different beasts. And since going natural, I've definitely upped my hair sense. It's that new found hair sense that prompted me to check out the ingredients in Blue Magic.

And knock me off my feet, what did I find?; Petrolatum, lanolin, lecithin, mineral oil, fragrance, green no. 6, and violet no. 2. Yep. that's it folks. So let's get started on those ingredients (or lack thereof)...

No Water: I was shocked but no, Blue Magic does not include water! You'll be hard-pressed (huh, another pun) to find any hair product that doesn't have water as it's primary ingredient. Despite the many hair myths we've been taught, our hair craves water. Beware any "conditioner" product that does not include water as a primary ingredient!

Petrolatum and Mineral Oil:  Theres are synthetic humectants. Humectants seal the hair and lock in moisture. Unlike natural humectants (i.e. shea butter, glycerin, honey) mineral oil and petrolatum provide no added hair health benefits such as nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants or sunscreens. That said, none of these things MOISTURIZE the hair. If your hair does not already have sufficient moisture, these products do not add anything additional. Further, petrolatum and mineral oil are difficult to remove from the hair without harsh detergents, such as sulfates. Learn more about mineral oil and its cousins here

Lanolin: Lanolin is a greasy material produced by the sebaceous glands of sheep. It's a mixture of fatty acids, wax esters, and a other organic compounds. Like Petrolatum and mineral oil, lanolin traps moisture already on the hair but by itself, it does not moisturize. 

Lecithin: A lipid, or fat, the majority of commercial lecithin come from soybean, sunflower and grapeseed. Lecithin is comprised mostly of B vitamins, such as choline and insitol. You can find lecithin in foods such as egg yolks, or take it as a supplement.

Fragrance, Green No 6 and Violet No 2: These ingredients are additives to incorporate scent and color to the hairdress.

Something Positive: I hate to do completely negative product reviews so what can I say positive about Blue Magic? Heck, something must have drawn us to it for all these years. I can say this. If marketed as a hair gel or pomade, I could let "Ole Blue slide. Yes, I can understand my mother using it to add shine, to hold styles, tame frizzies and keep parts straight. But honestly now, Blue Magic is not a conditioner of any kind. Especially not in this day and age when shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, castor oil, etc are so readily available.

So why do you care? Yes, I know that very few people still 'moisturize' with 'grease' (so I hope). 

But whether Blue Magic or the newest, most expensive product du jour, knowing the key ingredients to look for and those to look out for is key to going natural or simply attaining healthy hair. You'd be surprised how common the "bad" ingredients are. And while you cannot always avoid them, you can look for them in lower concentrations (the lower down the list of ingredients, the lower the concentration). So if your'e serious about going natural, take some time out to learn about the key ingredients to hair products. You can get a TON of information in my videos ands blogs but the key is to be willing to learn. The more you know, the more it will grow!

'Til next time fellow Journeyers!!!!!!!!