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​When I was first introduced to shea butter by a friend, it was presented to me as the "and all be all" hair care product right up there with coconut oil. I've been using it on my hair lately and it has inspired me to  write about it. A few questions came to mind: What is shea butter? Where does it come from? How can it be used?

After some extensive research, I found that shea butter is defined as a fatty substance obtained from the nuts of the shea tree, used chiefly in cosmetic skin preparations. Shea trees are found in East and West tropical Africa. The shea butter comes from two oily kernels within the shea tree seed. After the kernel is removed from the seed, it is ground into a powder and boiled in water. The butter then rises to the top of the water and becomes solid.

According to WebMD, shea butter can be used for just about anything skin related from eczema to acne. So, how did shea butter become a go to hair care product? Our scalp is skin that needs to be nourished too. A healthy scalp can produce beautiful kinky, coily, and curly hair.

Before I began using shea butter, I looked for content on how I could best use it for my own hair. To remedy my dry hair woes, I use shea butter as my cream in my L.O.C. (liquid, oil, cream) method. I personally like to cut out extra steps when doing my hair, so I mix my oils with the butter. The butter act as a carrier for the oils. Shea butter helps to lock the oils deeper into my hair and roots. I've really been loving the results; my hair stays moisturized longer, feels soft and looks healthy.

Have you used shea butter in your hair care regimen? What were/are your results? ​
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​​Ria's Beauty Collection is a local brand of whipped shea butter here in my hometown! Check them out on Amazon Handmade for their handcrafted products. 

Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

In 2014, the Accented Glory Naturals Facebook group hosted a healthy scalp challenge. Healthy scalp is the foundation of healthy hair. Like a vegetable garden needs good soil to produce good crops; a healthy scalp yields healthy hair.
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Properly caring for your scalp can also be beneficial for your overall health. Scalp care is relaxing and relieves tension. Check out 4 questions at Dear Curl Friend that we answered for our Facebook group members from the challenge!

Our visionary continues to provide advice to fellow naturals. She shares 4 tips for maintaining your summertime protective styles. Click AOV to submit a question to her and she'll answer your question in a blog post on Accessory Diva!

Summertime is upon us! During this time of year, many naturals choose low maintenance hairstyle options known as protective styles. Protective styles give naturals the luxury of not having to style their hair daily. This frees up time when preparing to go out and gives natural hair a break from the pulling and tugging that comes from regularly styling your hair.

Two of the most popular protective styles are braids and twists. Thanks to innovation, many naturals can now opt for crochet braids or twists that are time savers when creating these protective styles. Below are some tips on how to keep your braids and twists looking fresh while keeping your hair healthy.

1. Cover your hair before going to bed. Using a satin bonnet or wrap is a staple step in natural hair nighttime routine. A loc cap (pocket bonnet) works best for braids and twists so you can have full coverage of hair.

Click above photo or caption to view a pocket bonnet on Amazon! Read here for affiliates disclosure.

2. Moisturize your scalp and hair with water and oil 2 to 3 times a week. Want to save time? You can use a spray bottle to apply water and your favorite oil at the same time by simply mixing the two together in the bottle. Just remember to shake the bottle well before applying to your hair to ensure oil/water mixture blends thoroughly.

3. You can also wash your hair while it's braided and twisted. It's important to remember to dilute your products (shampoo, conditioner, etc.) with water to ensure products rinse out easily. To dry your twist and braids, you should squeeze water from strands with a towel. Doing this helps you to avoid frizz.

4. If your edges begin to get frizzy before you're ready to fully let go of your protective style, you can redo or request to have rows closest to edges redone by a stylist with single braids or twists. Another option is to simply use a headband to cover your frizzy edges especially if you have a crochet protective style. Accented Glory's headbands are perfect for the job!

Executing these quick tips will greatly assist in maintaining your summertime protective style, so you can spend less time styling your natural tresses and more time enjoying fun in the sun.

Tonya - Accented Glory Visionary
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What other tips would you add to maintaining your summertime protective style?

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Click here to purchase our styling with hair accessory guide!

Our visionary has answered another question from "Ask Our Visionary"! Check out her recommends to a fellow natural that's experiencing a thinning hairline. Click AOV to submit a question to her and she'll answer your question in a blog post on Accessory Diva!

​I'm getting some great questions from AOV! A fellow natural asked how can she avoid and resolve thinning edges. Assuming that a medical condition or medication is not her culprit; below is my advice to her.

Too Tight - Too tight hairstyles can wreak havoc on your edges. Braid/twist protective styles can put stress on your hairline. Thanks to innovation, braid/twist crochet styles are replacing traditional styling techniques and cause less stress to hairline. Too tight hair accessories can be bad news for your hairline as well. Many naturals use tight fitting hair accessories to lay down their hair. I recommend using hair gel to achieve this look instead of too tight accessories.

Uncover - Regularly wearing hats, wigs, or headwraps can also wear out your edges. I recommend taking breaks to avoid placing on going stress around your hairline. In addition, your scalp also needs to breathe. A sweaty scalp can be breeding ground for fungi. Uncovering avoids this and a healthy scalp is the foundation for healthy hair.

Black Castor Oil - I have had much success with black castor oil for thinning hair and highly recommend it. This oil is known to stimulate hair growth and repair damaged hair. You simply massage the oil into your scalp with your finger tips. Massaging your scalp also stimulates hair growth.

Click above photo or caption to view my favorite black castor oil on Amazon! Read here for affiliates disclosure.

I'm team "Save The Edges"! I welcome opportunities to encourage fellow naturals to take the necessary steps to minimize damage to their tresses. So remember, avoid too tight hairstyles/accessories, take breaks from covering hair, and restore thinning hair with black castor oil!

Tonya - Accented Glory Visionary

Feel free to comment below with any additional advice you would like to add!
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​Since being natural I have been able to love and appreciate myself more! I have learned to love my hair for what it is - kinky, coily and a little frizzy! ​It has been an awesome journey learning my hair and making the right choices to bring my hair to its healthiest. Though I have had some difficult moments with my hair, overall being natural is the best thing I could have done for my hair - it is healthier, thicker, longer and stronger and the last time I recall my hair like this, I was a young child. Then, I did not really appreciate my hair type but now I have embraced its uniqueness. I know to some, maybe many, it's "just hair" but being able to truly love and accept my hair has boosted my confidence and creativity and I'm excited to be able to encourage others to experience this journey as well!

Morgan (Instagram: The4cProject)
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