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!!!!!!!!

So what hair moisturizer do I recommend? Well if you've followed me long enough, you know that water is the ONLY moisturizer. Everything else is a styler, a sealant, or some form of nourishment. Quench Moisturizer by none other than moi is by far the best moisturizer on the market (ok ok ok....I may not be the most objective but the 100s of reviews do give me some confidence.) Learn all about it and order on the order tab of this website. Click the picture below to be directly taken to the page. THANKS!

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The Truth of the Natural/Healthy Hair Journey

If I had a nickel for every time I see a picture with a natural using a ruler to measure their newly natural tresses or flat-ironing within the first few months of going natural to determine their 'progress', I would be rich. Sure, there's nothing wrong with wanting to know but why? Why so soon? 

Remember this is a healthy hair journey.....meaning it's a process. Over the course of your journey, you will evolve. And just as with any evolution, education is key.

If you want to measure your hair with a ruler that's fine. But here's a nugget of wisdom I've learned along my journey thus far. More important than the ruler, the growth you seek stems not from your scalp but from your soul. Spiritual growth will affirm that natural hair, no hair, or long-hair-don't-care.....YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. J Cole said it perfectly in his song Crooked Smile.  'Baby girl you're a star, don't let 'em tell you you're not....Cause what's real is something that the eyes can't see...that the hands can't touch.'

Whatever religion you adhere to is your choice but hopefully you know that the Creator broke the mold when he/she made you. As part of your divine rite, you were given an immeasurable amount of beauty. It cannot be measured by rulers, reflected in magazines, or captured in selfies.

I say all this to say don't get fixated on length. Focusing on length is like putting the cart before the horse. Instead of length, make your focus education. Educate yourself on all things healthy hair. 

Think you know enough already? Great!

Surely you can pass this simple little quiz.....

1. What is the difference between a carrier oil and an essential oil? Name 5 of each.
2. Name 3 natural humectants and explain what they do. 
3. Define and differentiate the difference between cowashing and nopooing?
4. Define what each of the following acronyms stands for: TWA, BC, and LOC
5. What do the suffixes -ate, -ol, and -one generally tell you?

Feeling a little less sure than you'd thought? No worries! There's tons of great information here as well as on countless other vlogs, blogs, websites, etc. Kimmaytube or luvnaturals is one of my faves when it comes to kicking knowledge. Learning styles is great but learning science is more important as it gives you a firm foundation upon which to build your journey. Check her out below....

Remember to keep this in mind at all times: while eventually freeing, the healthy hair journey is just that; a journey. There's no single point when you're 'done'. Rather, you keep moving. You keep learning and through learning, you keep growing. 

While originally it was just a 'hair thing', my natural/healthy hair journey has become so much more. It's a journey into myself. It's a journey leading me to question everything I've been taught. It's a journey that has led me to redefine everything I'd once used to define beauty. And while I'd always thought I was confident, it was not until I walked into a corporate office or hopping nightclub rocking a TWA that I realized that I too had internalized society's teachings on the standards of beauty for women. 

Well it's been nearly 5 years since I went natural and needless to say that old mindset is gone. I find the beauty exuding from internal qualities far more important than the fleeting beauty that exudes from physical features. 

So whether natural or relaxed; long and blonde or tight and coily my journey has shown me just how beautiful I am.....and call me boastful but this beauty cannot be measured with a ruler!! 

How about you? 

Share your comments in the comments section below.

Remember, sites like these only survive with support from you. As the page grows, we all grow as each of us is the support system for someone else. Please repost, re-tweet, like, subscribe to my YT channel and like my FB page. 
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