Source 

Even the newest kid on the natural hair block has been told about how bad Mineral Oil is for our hair. I have been asked in the past why Manufacturers still put it in products. The simple answers are:

1. It is cheap.
2. It is non-greasy.
3. It is predictable.

I bet you understand the first 2 reasons so let me spend sometime explaining the last reason.

Mineral Oil all over the world can be made to a certain specification. However, natural oils aren’t. They simply cannot be. The quality of soil, geography, cultivation method means that the very same Oil (say Castor Oil) may vary in property from one country to another. In fact, it may vary from one area to another within the same country.

A good example is our local Udala fruit (Igbo). It is also known as Agbalumo (Yoruba). If you eat the one from nearby Republique Du Benin it is almost always sweet. However, the same fruit grown in Nigeria may either be slightly sweet or remarkably sour.

From a manufacturing point of view, this means that a product made with natural products may not always turn out exactly the same. To reduce some of that variability which consumers do not like, manufacturers will stick to something like Mineral Oil which gives exactly the same result every time.

References:

J. Serb. Chem. Soc. 75 (3) 343–348 (2010) 

Last Christmas, my sister gifted me with some oil that she had bought in Jos, Plateau state. It is called Atili oil and is regarded as the local Olive Oil. It is a greenish oil and as thick as castor oil.

Source

It is derived from this fruit here which looks and tastes similar to pear called Ube (the local pear).  

The major difference I think is that where the Ube’s seed is smooth, the Atili’s seed is fluted.  The fruit is boiled or otherwise softened with hot water and then the pulp is eaten.  It is from this pulp that Atili oil is derived.

Unfortunately the greenish color isn't properly captured here

There is limited research done on it (which is frustrating) but here is what I was able to garner.

It is used

•     in frying food and has been found to be more nutritious and flavorful than ordinary cooking Oil
•     as an ointment for healing wounds

It contains pigments, moisture, trace elements [metal], pro-vitamins, vitamins, naturally occurring antioxidants and enzymes which would make it a valuable addition to facial and skin creams. The antioxidants in the oil make it an ideal addition in anti-aging facial creams. It also makes a good protector from the elements and pollution because it is a free radical scavenger.

It would also make a good addition to oil based hair care products.

Atili Oil is a stable oil and thus has a long shelf life. 

References:

African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (20), pp. 2319-2323, 18 October 2007. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. Essential oil from Central African Republic. 

Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 7 (1): 27-30, 2008. Quality Characteristics of Crude and Refined Atili Oils. 

I watched this Sh*t Nigerian Parents Say video just yesterday and it struck me that a lot of it was about being hit by ones parents. I was beaten as a child as I imagine a lot of you were. It was my parents’ way of correcting bad behavior. I certainly didn’t like it but I won’t say that it broke me. It acted as a deterrent to bad behavior and really was just the way most Nigerian parents brought up their kids. The beating was usually controlled and even announced before hand if it was done by my dad, but my mother is a somewhat more emotional/spontaneous person so one had to watch out for her as she could send a slap one’s way with very little warning.

My approach to discipline is to talk things through. I make sure that the rules are communicated and understood. If I am feeling generous, I will throw in the repercussions of any wrong actions.

On a recent trip to the market, I saw these canes displayed between tomatoes and brooms. My dad kept a short one at home when I was growing up. These look more like the dreaded "koboko"

Am I an advocate of spankings? Yes, with the following qualifications – If it is a last resort, done with control and a good measure of love. This is certainly possible. Someone once told me about a man who was so angry with his daughter that he gathered wires that were lying around and used that as his whipping tool. That is beyond wrong in my view. If you must spank, you must never do so from a point of anger. You may ask if that is even possible. My experience has been that it is.

So what do you think? Do Africans have a handle on something useful or should we go with the thinking of the west that our method of punishment is tantamount to abuse?

I have managed to find a few more and will share them with you a little at a time.

On Youtube, for all those ladies that have children with natural hair, you really can’t do better than Nadine who owns Girls love your curls. Not only does she pass on some really good tips and information, she is also really funny and interrupts her videos with parodies that will have you in stitches.

A lot of you know her, but if you don’t already, here is Jc of the Natural Haven. She is a scientist and explains hair care objectively. I like the fact that she not only offers information that is backed by science but also takes the time to present it in a an easy-to-read fashion. She really inspires me!

I will end with this video I found some months ago – loved how she described her mother’s reaction to her decision to go natural. Not at all different from that of my mum. 

This lady was at NITC2. She gave us an insight as to some of the reasons the older generation moved away from Natural hair. I am sure a lot of us have photos of our mothers with massive Afros which gave way to relaxed hair. Ever wondered why?

What I found really interesting about her comment was the fact that she mentioned that back in the days when Afros started giving way to relaxed hair, they had European hairstylists who were better trained at relaxing hair than most of the stylists that we have today.

I remember getting my hair relaxed at a new salon. Little did I know that they had a problem with their water supply. The stylist proceeded to wash the relaxer off my hair with 2 sachets of pure water (approximately 1 liter of water). When I complained, he told me that he had been a stylist for 5 years and knew what he was doing. I then reminded him that I had had my hair for over 20 years and was more of an expert regarding its needs. He grumbled through it but did as I asked and washed it off with an appropriate amount of water. Makes me wonder how many others have lost their hair to his ’5-year experience’.

Please forgive the quality of the video – the room was dark because we were looking at presentation slides so all the lights were turned out. Also, I didn’t catch the first part of her comment on video because I was in another part of the room. Check out her daughter’s blog here: http://naijafitgirl.com/

By the by, this is my very first Youtube video! Yay! More to come…

The other day, I was out at a work barbecue with some colleagues and to free our hands for the spicy task at hand (forgive the pun), we decided to place our mobile phones on a table.  By time three mobile phones had landed on that table, I did some quick maths and was a bit shocked to note that the total cost of the phones was about N330,000 ( about $2080). I remarked on the amount of money on the table and then placed my own N3,500 ( approx $21) phone on the pile. That elicited some laughter. For the sake of full disclosure, I have two mobile phones and the one I placed on the table was the cheaper of the two – the other one cost N37,500 (approx. 227).

After the barbecue, I conducted a quick survey and found that approximately every 2 in 3 of my colleagues had that expensive N110, 000 phone. To be absolutely truthful, I would probably have bought it too as my phone had recently gone bad, but a cash squeeze meant that I had hastily settled for a cheaper phone.  

After hearing how much we spend on phones, one would be excused for thinking that we would then keep such a phone for at least 2-3years but the truth is that we tend to get rid of our toys pretty quickly in Nigeria. One of my colleagues has not one, but three android phones and replaces them routinely whenever a new model of any of his phones is released. This is regardless of whether the phone he is getting rid of is bad or not. Due to this schedule, he regularly replaces phones when he has used them for less than a year. How much would you like to bet that girls and boys in University who have never held a job have this habit? Consumerism?

This is by no means limited to phones only. I was in Victoria Island the other day when a brand new 2012 Infiniti SUV (pictured above) passed by me in traffic, quickly followed by several other equally new, equally or even more expensive cars. On another occasion, there were about 3 of these particular Infinitis tailing each other in Lagos traffic. The new Range Rover and whatever Mercedes Benz was introduced to the market in September 2011 is already on the Lagos roads. If you think that is impressive, then head over to Abuja the seat of corruption power and let your jaw drop several times over. Again, if these were driven over a long period of time then the cost to the owner over that period of time would make sense but for some folks those cars are replaced after 2 years maximum. 

Before anyone starts to ask what the big deal is, after all folks in America drive big cars and have iPhones, remember that we pay cash in Nigeria while those abroad usually pay their bills over a period of time. They also tend to respect their things more. Plus, they tend to keep their things a lot longer. (Strange to use America as an example given that it is thought to be a consumerist nation). 

Another thing I take issue with is the cost of housing. I am simply not convinced that one gets actual value for money when renting the exorbitantly priced properties available in most parts of Lagos. Apartments in Ikoyi and Victoria Island are so expensive that they no longer charge in Naira. It is expected and acceptable to be told the rent in dollars. I mean, if a Landlord is asking you to pay $70,000 to rent a luxury 3 bedroom apartment it sounds less scandalous than its Naira conversion of N11, 550,000. While that apartment is usually a lot better than the average apartment in Yaba or Egbeda, I doubt that its value is actually $70,000 especially if you live in a Neighborhood that floods periodically or has great amounts of traffic. However, how can I blame the Landlords when they are forced to buy the land at exorbitant cost? 

My theory is that it is our class aspirations and exaggerated class consciousness that have led us to down this path. An item that costs N5000 is sold for N10000 because if it is sold for cheaper a lot of us would think that it is “not authentic”. Also, if it is sold for N5,000 that means that every Thomson, Dickson and Harrison will be able to afford it and Lord forbid that we wear the same clothes as anyone else.

I am not going to go into the Brazilian/Indian hair fad…too easy. 

It would be refreshing to wake up to a world where people actually only buy what they need (and I do concede that needs differ) and took care of what they have. 

For my herbal infusion, I have chosen to use: Neem leaves and Premium Palm Kernel Oil. Why did I choose these two? Well, Neem has a lot of benefits (anti-fungal, antibacterial, disinfectant, good for maintaining scalp health and addressing scalp issues like itchiness and dandruff and even the symptoms of psoriasis, lice inhibitor, gives hair a nice sheen, can act as an insect repellent -bye bye mosquitoes e.t.c) that I would like to enjoy. Palm Kernel oil because it is cheap and on its own is great for hair and skin. To me, it is comparable to coconut oil. 

Prepare a clean glass jar. I used a canning jar.

Neem leaves

Palm Kernel Oil

Put the Neem leaves in the jar.

Fill up the jar with oil. The oil should cover the leaves completely

Close the jar.

 Shake like this. 

Store in cool, dark place. Keep it there for about 3 weeks, taking it out every 3 days or so to shake the jar as shown above.  At the end of 3 weeks, put your mix through a sieve.  The resulting oil would have extracted the properties of the neem leaves giving you a rich herbal oil infusion which can be used on your skin and hair. A few drops of essential oil will take it to the next level. 

I bought some Fenugreek leaves from the Indian shop. I think I should go make a herbal oil infusion with that too…

We have all this....(click to enlarge)

For more information and to see other products in our inventory, please go to the new page – aptly named Ahia Natural Nigerian. (That is Igbo for Natural Nigerian’s marketplace). 

...and this.

Here’s the price list just for the JBCO/Tropic Isle Living products…

Let’s get into it-

• Drink a lot of water – I can’t say this enough. When you drink water, your body distributes it to the various areas that need it to function properly.  If you drink an adequate amount of water, your body will be able to deliver an adequate amount to its different parts. If you don’t, your various body parts (skin inclusive) will not get the amount of water they need.

To break this down a little: Imagine earning N500, 000 a month and then taking a pay cut and having to earn N50, 000 a month.  There are definitely some luxuries and even basics that you will deny yourself.  Same thing with your body – give it less water and it “spends” it on the most important things first (your scalp/hair doesn’t fit into this category) and then only if can spare it, “spend” on the less important things (hair/scalp, nails e.t.c).

Remember: Your scalp moisturizes itself from the inside out and when its water store is not replenished, can lead to scalp dryness.

Coloured scanning electron micrograph of hairs protruding from the surface of the scalp

Source

• Clean your scalp periodically – There is constant cell turnover going on on the scalp. This process leaves dead cells behind.  Add the build up from waxy sebum and debris plus all the accumulation from products that were applied topically and you have a scalp that clearly needs periodic cleaning.

To break it down: Imagine not washing your face for an extended period of time. The scalp is skin. Treat it as such. I am not suggesting that you wash your hair every day, but you should have a regular schedule. You should wash your hair even when it is braided or you have a weave sewn in. I wash my hair even when I have my kinky twists in.

If the scalp is allowed to breathe, it will give the hair that is coming through from the follicles a good chance of breaking through and growing healthy. (If you had to eat and live in a dump, you won’t be as healthy as someone who lives in a more sanitary place). Plus if there is a lot of debris on the scalp, the hair may have a hard time pushing through from the follicles. After a while it will give up.

See here for tips on proper method for washing hair. 

The orange sticks are hair strands magnified several thousand times. The scalp is below. It is not as smooth as we think .

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• Stimulate your scalp and improve circulation – there are several nutrient-carrying blood vessels running through the scalp and when stimulated, perform optimally. Two ways of achieving these are through massage and exercise.

         Massage

-  Use a scalp “stimulating” tea rinse (For example: neem, nettle, hibiscus, burdock, horsetail,  peppermint leaves e.tc. with a dash of rosemary, lavender, basil, lemon, peppermint essential oils e.t.c). Good for everyone including those with oily scalps that don’t want to use oil to massage.

- Use a herbal infusion to massage your scalp. For example: Nettle, Hibiscus, soaked in castor, jojoba, palm kernel or some other oil over a period of time (more on infusions later) and a mixture of any one of the essential oils mentioned above. Good for everyone. If you have dry scalp and need to oil your scalp, this is definitely for you. 

         Exercise

- The supply of oxygen to from your work-out aids in healthy hair growth.  I can’t explain this in a way that is not “techie” so I’ll stop here.

As you can see, from the examples I gave, I like herbal remedies for increasing circulation and stimulating hair growth. They are cheap, natural and work really well.

*If you are on medication or have a pre-disposing illness, you may not be able to get the results I speak about in this post. Also, if your hair follicles have closed up and stopped producing hair (that area will be smooth and hairless), this post will not work for you.