Fulani Hair - the update

This post is to give feedback on my experience using the "herbs" mix I bought from a Fulani woman.

See my previous post. 

So...... I didn't like it. I mixed the powered 'herbs" with castor oil and tea tree oil. It had a deep brown color with a thick-ish consistency. I didn't like it because of the residue I could feel on my scale. It was like sand in my hair every day. Not pleasant.

Did it work?

I don't know....... I say this because after I stopped using it, I continued with castor oil and tea tree oil mix and my hair is still growing and bald areas filling out. I did see results while I was using the Fulani herb mix, but who is to say that the hair growth wasn't as a result of the oil mixed in.

Maybe I didn't use it well. The Fulani Woman told me to use the powder with shea butter; I didn't. (I don't always follow the instructions for use on many products. LOL)

Will give it another try?

No! My main issue with the Fulani powder was the residue on my scalp. This doesn't mean I will stop other people from using it. If you don't mind the sandy feeling, go for it.

What about the hairline I'm trying to re-grow?

I am finding that consistent use of castor oil and tea tree oil is doing a good job. Also I am staying away from braids for now. I am also happy that the post-partum hair loss has reduced significantly.

 

Fulani hair

The two powders already mixed

A few days ago I bought the above powder from a Fulani woman (Fulani is a nomadic tribe from the northern parts of Nigeria).

It is actually a mix of two powders, one was light brown the other much darker. She said the powders should be mixed with oils and applied to the scalp to prevent and treat dandruff. Also to promote healthy growing hair.

Her English wasn't very good. I tried to ask her a few questions about the powder but she did not know the English words. So for all I know she could have sold me cow dung or  some funny roots. But lets be optimistic LOL. The mix is almost odorless but there is a slight hemp smell.

A few years ago I read an article or a blog post about how Fulani women mix some powder like stuff with cow fat and apply to their hair. The article described it as a mysterious powerful hair elixir. That was what was going through my mind when the Fulani woman said it was for hair.
Fulani women have beautiful long natural hair. Everything they apply to their hair is sourced from nature and I bet they know a lot about how to care for natural hair.

Loosing my identity in my child

Soon after I had my baby, a few people stopped calling me by my name and refered to me as "Mama Banke".

I am very happy and blessed to be a mother and especially greatful to be a mother to a happy healthy baby.

But will I stop being Ntete and lose my name and identity to my child. Or does this mean that my identity and who I am from that day on has changed?

Yes there has been phyical, mental and emotional changes, but that does not mean Ntete is dead and gone. If anything, she has been reborn, she has blossomed, she has come into her own.



illustration from the internet

30 is not the new 20- Meg Jay

Okay, this saddened me a little but hopefully it will help someone else. I wish I had some of this knowledge at 24; I would be on a much better life path now. It may never be too late to make changes to one life but one would have lived a better life if the right changes were made earlier.

11 Benefits of lemon or lime water

Why lemons?

Lemons are packed like a clown car with nutrients, including vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. (Fun fact: they contain more potassium than apples or grapes!)

Because of how hard lemon juice can be on the enamel of your teeth, it’s important to dilute it with water of any temperature (though lukewarm is recommended). Drink it first thing in the morning, and wait 15 to 30 minutes to have breakfast. This will help you fully receive the benefits of lemon water, which are listed below.

11 Benefits of Lemon Water

1. Gives your immune system a boost.

Vitamin C is like our immune system’s jumper cables, and lemon juice is full of it. The level of vitamin C in your system is one of the first things to plummet when you’re stressed, which is why experts recommended popping extra vitamin C during especially stressful days.

2. Excellent source of potassium.

As already mentioned, lemons are high in potassium, which is good for heart health, as well as brain and nerve function.

3. Aids digestion.

Lemon juice not only encourages healthy digestion by loosening toxins in your digestive tract, it helps to relieve symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, burping, and bloating.

4. Cleanses your system.

It helps flush out the toxins in your body by enhancing enzyme function, stimulating your liver.

5. Freshens your breath.

It also helps relieve toothaches and gingivitis (say wha?). Because the citric acid can erode tooth enamel, either hold off on brushing your teeth after drinking lemon water or brush your teeth before drinking it.

Natural in the city; a trend or here to stay?

If you live in Lagos, you should have noticed the rise in the number of ladies going au naturel. Now I am sure in other cities in Nigeria there is also  rise but I live in Lagos now and can only comment from my experience here.  

So natural hair is on the rise; more and more Nigerian women are doing the BC and starting out the journey of self-discovery and hair and all that jazz. You don’t have to be an overly observant person to have noticed all the kinky sisters walking around Lagos. Because believe me we are everywhere. I mean everywhere; from TWAs to big in your face afros to twists outs and two strand twists, we are everywhere.  So the "trend" has caught on, I don’t think it is a bad thing. But the thing with trends is that they pass and if ladies are doing because it’s a trend then once this trend moves on what happens then? 

I worry that if one does not go natural for pure love of one’s hair and self then one can easily be swept away with the tides. I hope that ladies are going natural for their own personal reasons and they have truly seen the light. As much as this may be a trend I believe it is a good trend. We have not won yet but we are getting there.

I remember seeing picture of my mom when she was younger with an afro. And it wasn’t just her, everyone in that era had afros and afro puffs. Then came the relaxers and weaves and human hair and now looks like we are right back to the beginning. You can also say that this will mean another cycle has begun, maybe, but I doubt it. We now know more about our hair and the benefits of keeping it in its natural state.  May be on the return of the relaxer only the true converts will stand tall, flying the natural flag (lol)

I really don’t like it when people say “oh your hair is natural, it’s in vogue now or it’s the trend”. NOPE! I went natural because my hair didn’t do so well relaxed and I didn’t help the situation by flat ironing and coloring it. I am happy I went natural; do I think of relaxing my hair again? Not in this life time.

Best tip for cooking brown rice

So this year I got on my fitness horse again, started eating better (still very much a challenge) and working out more. TBH working out is fun for me I love sweating and pushing my body, but giving up my haribos has been very hard. Which is such a shame because for proper weight loss clean eating is 80% of the work; alas I still struggle but I am making improvements and I am seeing changes in my body.

So as part of clean eating I cook a lot of my meals especially my lunches for work. Meaning I eat a lot of the same thing lol I mean, I eat a lot of brown rice. Now brown rice isn't the tastiest and it can be chewy. I also eat a lot of beans, boiled yams, sweet potatoes and un-ripe plantains. Any ways back to brown rice, it's chewy and not so tasty, so I thought of a way to cook brown rice so that I would really enjoy it. I enjoy spicy, savory foods so most of my meals are packed with flavor, chilli, garlic, ginger and different spices. So one Sunday while prepping my meals for the week; I had some stock left over from boiling my beef for stew;(Nigerian style stew is most tomato, chilli and onions based) Not wanting to throw away the spicy beef stock it came to me to boil my rice in the stock; that way the flavors from the stock will get into the rice. And it was an amazing idea I tell ya..... with even more more amazing result.Once the rice was/is cooked it can almost be eaten on its own.  I then chop cabbage and/or carrots into the rice when it has been cooked and the heat turned off then I let the heat from the rice cook them.

Brown rice and beef stew prepped for the week

Half eaten lunch at work, I assure you it tastes better than it looks lol

So clean eating does not have to be boring, there are many creative and fun things to do with healthy food. I am unsure by how much brown rice is healthier than regular rice but I really believe in portions. You can eat most types of carbs because our bodies need to fuel but you have to really consider your portions and obviously no frying and oily stuff.

Neem leaves or Dogonyaro as we call it

Neem tree or as we call it Dogonyaro is a very common tree across Nigeria and semi-tropical regions of the world. Almost all parts of this tree are used for medicinal and beauty purposes. It is popular for the oil in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Neem products are believed to be anthelmintic, anti-fungal, antibacterial, antiviral, contraceptive and sedative

If you live in Nigeria, you should know how common this tree is, it can be found from north to south of the country. It has numerous uses and most parts of the tree are used. The leaves and fruit are mostly used traditionally to cure malaria and sores but there are quite a number of ways and propose to use this powerful plant. 

Due to its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties Neem products are used to maintain healthy skin and cure problem skin such as acne, scabies and eczema. Its anti-inflammatory properties help with puffy eyes and swelling from blemishes. When the oil is used on the hair it helps reduce/cure dandruff, moisturizes the hair, control lice and adds shine. 

Extracts from this plant can be made into soaps, masks and oils. The leaves can be boiled or soaked in warm water to bathe with and wash/rinse out hair. 
I use dried Neem leave to rinse out my hair when my scalp feels a little dry and itchy. I bring about two liters of water to a boil then put the leaves in and let it cool down before I sieve out the leaves, The water than becomes a little brown, I use it to rinse my hair after a co-wash or deep conditioning.
The next face mask I make I plan on including fresh Neem leaves to help with my acne and spots. I will post the recipe for that once I try it out.

Nature is so wonderful; imagine the powerful plants and trees that grow in our backyards.

What cha been doing down in Lagos ??

So I moved to Lagos in October to take up new employment. I was initially nervous and excited to be moving to Lag; Lagos being the center of commercial  and social activity in Nigeria but also having very bad traffic jams/go slow and high crime rates.

So far Lagos has been good to me, I avoid certain areas during the week and peak traffic times, I stay away from certain places and people. My new job has been very interesting, being the end of the year there are a few social outings that I've been opportune to attend (thought work) and there are a few more in the works. There is a very bubbly night life in Lagos but I have not been interested in that recently. Below are a few pictures of things I've done and places been.

Golf outing ( I didn't play, was just there for the free food and drinks)

At a Private beach, was a guest of company's client

Handing out sweets to the local kids from the near by community

Halloween party, went as a Nubian queen (or sort of)

My nephews who insist on dressing alike to Church

Lagos is being good to me sort of. I have had my hair in weaves because there just isn't enough time to get it done daily and weekly. All I want to do on Saturday mornings is sleep, but as I get more settled in, my hair is going to my out more.


I just got information on a natural hair meet up in Lagos so excited to be attending my first one ever.