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| My un-natural Aussie Moist curls. |
I just don't get it! Water is technically a compound (made from two elements) and chemicals are created by mixing different compounds together. I'm not going to stop using water that's just silly, so what's wrong with conditioner? The term chemical is a generic term that is used to describe a mixture of compounds or anything that is chemically active. A basic example of a chemically active compound is when vinegar and baking soda are mixed. The reaction is that the substance becomes carbonic acid and the carbon dioxide escaping the solution that is left looks like bubbles. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so, it flows almost like water when it overflows the container. This happens when you mix a base and acid. Different chemical reactions happen when you use different conditioners. Understanding ph and balancing out your bases and acids will give you a reaction that our hair will experience as many things from great slip to causing your hair to dry out or feel soft, silky and shiny ect... All these things are basically chemical reactions.
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| Close up of my defined curls. |
Sorry, I totally geek out on everyone there! My point is that no one can be completely natural. Even the people who say they are completely chemical free, that would mean they would forsake everything including water. You can't be completely chemical free! What you can say is that you are choosing to use more plant based (natural) products and or are choosing to use products that the chemicals don't permanently change the cell structure of your hair. I'm the latter, I don't use 100% plant based natural products, but I'm not using anything that will permanently change my curl pattern including a force called heat (I had to get geeky one more time). It's just easier to say I'm natural and most people in the natural world understand that natural means no relaxer. I'm not saying that in the future I won't switch to 100% natural products. Just not now! I have a young family and I have to watch the bottom line very carefully. So, for me I will continue to use my Aussie Moist at least until I finally break down and buy more Mop Top products. Until next time...
Blessings!
Umm I LOVE this Post!!!
ReplyDeleteOne intelligent woman lol
You are so right.
It is understood in the Natural Hair community that "natural" simply means that our hair is free of relaxers or texture changing chemicals..
and our hair would not survive w/out Water nor Conditioner! lol
Thank you! I was helping some of my students with a chemistry project so I kinda cheated, my point is that everyone uses some type of conditioner and using conditioner doesn't make me unnatural.
DeleteIt doesn't surprise me. Sometimes, people make comments and don't have a clue what they are talking about especially when they haven't bothered to learn about the topic first!
ReplyDeleteWhat surprised me was that this was so judgmental! I didn't go into how one of them said that since I was biracial my hair wasn't kinky. I had to restrain myself. Thanks for posting.
DeleteI think your husband's co-workers may also have been referring to the looseness of your curl. I have a hard time believing that one might actually believe that another is not natural because of the use of a non-texture altering product. "She's not natural." My daughter will often hear murmurings of that (nonsense) because there are women out there who have re-set the definition of what it means to be natural to best suit them. I've said it in other places but I'll repeat it here: "Natural", at least to me, is being free of texture altering chemicals to permanently straighten one's curly hair. You are natural, my daughter is natural. No offense to anyone but those women did not know what they were talking about. The use of conditioner makes you not natural? . . . LOL!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the definition of Natural. I just can't believe someone would hold against me my curl pattern? I can't control how my hair grows out of my head.
DeleteI agree with Jazzwife Natural, means for me also, NO CHEMICAL RELAXER TO STRAIGHTEN YOUR HAIR. But if you use a shampoo,a conditioner, a gel etc... any product to moisterise or style your hair; YOU ARE STILL NATURAL. I think the ladies knew exactly what your husband was saying, they were just upset or in a defensive attitude in my opinion; I noticed that even when people have very damaging hair, the idea to keep their hair " Nappy" repulsed them even if deep down they know that it is one of the best solution sometime, especially today where we have all this blogs and websites to show us ALL WE CAN DO WITH NATURAL HAIR.
ReplyDeleteI envy your defined curl soooo much; I try to achieve a similar effect with my fro;GOD BLESS.
Yes, I agree with you. I think that these ladies look at my healthy hair and see their broken thinning hair and are a little jealous or maybe just ignorant. I remember when I was relaxed I never put down naturals. I saw it as a personal choice and that it was their hair. Their hair wasn't my business so why hate.
DeleteI think a lot of people still don't understand what going natural means, my mom once asked me why I was using extensions to get my hair braided since I was "Natural". I didn't give her a response because I didn't have the patience to answer such ignorant question. No one can be chemical free, not even people who eat "organic" stuff and use "all natural" products.
ReplyDeletecuriouskinks.blogspot.com