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Little Known Butters pt.1: Cupuacu Butter and Kokum Butter for Hair

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Cupuacu Butter So there are the hair oils and butters we all know or have learned about by now: Shea butter, Avocado, Jojoba, Argan Oil etc. but how about the butters and oils we don't know? One natural butter that has gained some attention, but not nearly enough as it should, is Cupuacu butter, a cold pressed product of the tropical fruit of the Northern Amazon. An excellent moisturizer for soft, supple skin and hair, here are some more of its nourishing features: Packed with Anti-oxidants and phytosterols that helps dry, damaged skin heal itself through promotion of collagen (in other words, a  natural collagen treatment!) Smooths and softens your hair; a good aid to combat frizziness Potent in Vitamins B1, B2, and Niacin (B3), Vitamins A and C, and amino and fatty acids Very moisturizing; can potentially give depleted hair over 200% more moisture  Can help combat free radicals of your skin and scalp to help prevent age spots and thinning hair Has high levels of oleic
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What is Your Hair Type? and Why It's Important

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Hair types come in a variety of shapes, spirals, curls, and textures. Finding your hair type is key to your success in this epic hair journey you've embarked on. Most of the hair charts on the internet can be confusing and sometimes downright frustrating. Not to worry; Here's a simple, more to the point rundown of the most common curl patterns and hair textures, and how to care for them. Feel free to toggle these key points and generalizations to your liking for your own personal hair type. 2A, 2B, and 2C These are the wavy hair categories, and they are most common in those whose hair is primarily of European descent. They tend to be light and wavy, both in texture and feel of the hair, and curl shape. They commonly do not take on oils and heavy creams very well, and "overnight oil treatments" and thick curl enhancing creams can weigh the hair down and even promote dirt and oil build up. Products should be used that are very light weight serums or hairspray, and s
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Why Not To Panic Over Sulfates

Sulfates are detergents. They are known to strip the skin and make both your skin and hair dry, and are even potentially damaging. Yet there is one little detail that most people forget when searching for hair care products and in being so "sulfate-free" esque. There are sulfates in everything. Literally. Well, almost everything. Pretty much everything that cleans or gets something sudsy is guaranteed to have a sulfate in it, and is most likely to casually touch your skin, unless otherwise stated. That means your clothes detergent, your body wash, your face wash, dish washing liquid, toothpaste...they all have sulfates. That's right, you could be ingesting sulfates through your toothpaste. While it may be better to go sulfate free for your hair as absolutely needed for yourself, it is not mandatory. Commonly speaking, the body seems to have become well adapted to sulfates over time, so the horrifying results of using sulfate hair care products, is simply, barely exist
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I actually used a Sulfate shampoo!! (Need to know Information)

Okay so I'm back with a personal hair care update and I gotta admit, it's a doozy. I've recently broken character and used *gasp* an everyday sulfate loaded shampoo!! *Dun Dun Duuuunn* And guess what... The sky didn't fall. My hair didn't magically start drying up and falling out. The Earth didn't implode and no volcanoes erupted like a new age Mt. Vesuvius. My strands were still intact, my hair felt nourished and fluffy, and my scalp was clean and appeared healthy even. I guess what I'm saying is that there is commonly no drastic conditions in which sulfates will hurt your hair. There appears to be so much of a stigma against sulfate-based shampoos and everybody, natural or not, seems to be on the bandwagon for sulfate-free shampoos, even though they might not know exactly what that is or why it can be beneficial. Yet, in reality, all we used to use back in the day were shampoos loaded with sulfates, and we did just fine. Now, I'm not saying we have
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Do You Need a Denman Brush??

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Well the answer is very simple: What kind of curls do you have? Normally this question seems superfluous, as everybody, regardless of their curl pattern, seems to have a Denman brush or want one. Although it is a beautiful detangler brush, it can put a damper on your curly style. The curl pattern of your hair and the look you are going for is a big determinant on whether or not you should invest in certain types of hair tools, and the Denman brush is certainly one of them. There are many types of naturalistas; There are Afro-kinky naturalistas, Kinky-curly naturalistas, those that are spiral curled, those that are 'spring' curled (such as myself), and those with more loose and gentle curl patterns etc. Depending on the hair texture, your Denman brush can be detrimental to the style of your curls and the ways you want to show them off. And then there's another question: What kind of hair do you have? There are African-American naturalistas, Hispanic naturalistas,
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Rosemary Oil for Hair Benefits

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Rosemary oil has been long renowned way back to the ancient days of beauty for its ability to grow and darken the hair. Today, Rosemary oil is little or sporadically known of in regards to its benefits for hair. Seemingly a 'magic' natural hair tonic, it is perfect for dry and thin roots. Yet, there's a multitude more of Rosemary Oil's benefits for your hair. They are: It helps to lower DHT (dihydroxytestoserone) in the body, which in turn promotes that lovely hair growth that so many that know the oil speak of Increases nerve growth factor to aid in healing damaged nerve tissue  Does indeed slow graying hair with repeated, long term use Can help decrease hair shed after washing  The natural scent of rosemary oil used in aromatherapy (or even massaging it into your scalp for five minutes) can help lower cortisol, a stress associated hormone. This in turn, can make you feel calmer and more relaxed when used regularly, as stress can also lead to hair fall out and s
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Lavender Oil Benefits for Hair

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There are great benefits in Lavender Oil for the hair. I have had my hand at both the watered-down, common version (i.e. heavily laden with soybean oil, vegetable and other filler oils, and even silicone) and the luck of getting my hands on the pure, unfiltered, essential oil at my local drugstore (of all places 😄). I read about lavender oil being good for hair growth, and my first journey with it was around the time I was 13-- when my hair fell out after that salon visit for my 8th grade prom hairstyle 😴. Needless to say, the watered down version didn't do so great, and with that being the only lavender oil I could get to, I trashed the whole experience. I found my new lavender oil, which I still occasionally purchase to this day, two years ago at my local drugstore. I'm happy to say that diluted with my olive and peppermint oil mixture, it's a favorite hands-down, and lasts me a long time. Here's why I keep coming back: It has antiseptic and anti-fungal propert
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