Welcome to ‘What I am Wondering Wednesdays‘ (WWW) where I will share with you weekly thoughts on things that come up in my natural hair journey.

Happy first day of spring! There is so much to enjoy about spring:

• Longer days (yasssss daylight).
• Warmer weather.
• Good-bye winter blues *peace out*
• Yummy fruits that are in season.
• One season away from summer!

I can go on and on but that’s another post for another day.  

What I want to share is one (1) shift that comes around every year and that is my spring hair regimen.  I usually wonder what I have to do for my hair that’s better than the previous year so I can get closer to achieving my desired length.  As my hair grows, I have to pivot with the products that I use.  

Last week I decided to try something new and I have been pleased with how good these products have loved up on my hair. This brand is…….

*drum roll please*

KOILS BY NATURE

I used their Guaranteed Hydration Kit- Tea Tree Mint and babyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!  My curls were all kinds of beautiful without having to use the entire bottle to achieve hydration lol. 

Side note: I go through one (1) bottle of deep conditioner per wash *clutches invisible pearls*. 

Below are my thoughts on each product:

Tea Tree Mint Hair & Scalp Cleanser: This product is like a clarifying shampoo. It comes in liquid form kind of like a diluted castile soap but with a pump. I like it because you don’t need a lot to lather your hair. I combed my hair into sections prior to adding the product and focused more on my scalp and letting the rest of the product work its way to my ends.  This is not a shampoo you should use often, it can be very drying. 

Ultra Moisturizing Cocoaloe Deep Conditioner: The consistency of this product is super thin BUT DON’T LET THAT FOOL YOU.  After letting my hair partially air dry with a micro fiber towel, I put a dime sized amount of conditioner on a section of my hair.  It felt like my hair was being revived!  It went on smooth, it didn’t weight my hair down and I didn’t need a lot of product. I was able to easily finger detangle my hair.

Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-In Conditioner: This here is the baby sister of the Cocoaloe deep conditioner.  It does the exact same thing, the only difference is that you can keep this product on your hair without having to rinse it out.

Herbal Curl Defining Gel: Gels typically don’t work well for me.  I have a lot of hair and my roots are super dense so I usually have to saturate my hair with gel and as a result my hair stays wet for most of the day.  What I loved about this gel is that it is not heavy or sticky.  It has a flaxseed texture and gives my hair definition with a nice finishing gloss.

Heavely Delight Hair & Body Butter: The consistency of this product is super thick. Think of Shea butter with a subtle fragrance. I like that you can use this product on your hair and body. I would use this more in the winter months instead of the spring to seal in moisture. For my wash and go, I rubbed a small amount of the body better into my hands and focused mainly on my ends.

By the end of it all, it was truly a GREAT hair day followed by a great hair week   I was able to wear the same style for the rest of week with minimal maintenance.

Get your products at Koils by Nature

I hope you enjoyed this review. Reply to this email on topics you would like to see in the future.

-Nydia

It’s been one year! Un año! ONE FULL YEAR since I birth the idea of Your Natural Hairapist (YNH).  Let me take you back (lol). YNH was created on 08.13.17 (right after the 1st Black Therapist Rock conference) as platform to support black women in gaining confidence to overcome barriers attached to obtaining outward beauty.

So what can you expect in 2019? 

In the past year YNH has highlighted the beauty of being natural as well host  spaces to address psychosocial stressors that women face in their natural hair journey through a holistic lens.  In 2019 expect more opportunities to explore diet/ nutrition, personal style (SLAYYYY) and step-by-step guides to practically implement self care via online challenges, workshops, webinars and live events.

I am EXCITED for all that is to come!

Share below what you want to see happen in 2019 in the comments below.

-Nydia

It happened! On 08.03.18 I facilitated a panel discussion at the Black Therapist Rock conference in Silver Spring, Maryland.

In today’s episode of The other side of natural hair: Natural Hair Talk (NHT) episode #9 features Ashely Gilmore, recent graduate who studied marriage/ family therapy.

In our candid conversation, we talk about the in-between phase when transitioning from a relaxer to natural hair. What do you do when hair is your identity?

Watch the FB live below and share your own experience/ thoughts in the comments.

-Nydia

I am going to be facilitating a panel at the Black Therapist Rock conference in Silver Spring, Maryland on August 3-5th.  As a parallel-prenuer I am LEARNING a lot as as what it means to be a speaker.  Peep my FB live and share your comments below.

-Nydia

In today’s episode of The other side of natural hair: Natural Hair Talk (NHT) episode #8 features Dr. Kizzy Pittrell (counseling psychologist) and Veronica Martin, MHC (Mental Health Counselor).

In our candid conversation, we talk about the coin! Money, Money and more MONEY! As it relates to the expense associate with the maintenance of natural hair.  Truthfully, everyone wants to look and feel good and unless you know how to style your own hair professionally, maintenance is going to cost you some coins:

Watch the FB live below and share your own experience/ thoughts in the comments. On average, how much do you spend monthly on your natural hair?

-Nydia

In today’s episode of The other side of natural hair: Natural Hair Talk (NHT) episode #7 features DeShelle Devereaux, LAPC (Licensed Associate Professional Counselor).

In our candid conversation, we talk about being natural and wearing protective styles.  The misconception is that wearing extensions, wigs or weaves means that you don’t have hair- WRONG!

Watch the FB live below and share your own experience/ thoughts in the comments.

-Nydia

Thank you Latrice for sharing your loc journey!

In today’s episode of The other side of natural hair:Natural Hair Talk (NHT) episode #6 features Shenikka Moore-Clark, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) *woot woot*! Shenikka is the founder of Golden Life Coaching and Counseling, LLC in Washington, DC.

In our candid conversation, we talk about transitioning back to natural hair before support to maintain natural hair became mainstream and easily accessible.

Watch the FB live below and share your own experience/ thoughts in the comments.

-Nydia

Thank you Maria for your contribution in the Autism community!

In today’s episode of The other side of natural hair:Natural Hair Talk (NHT) episode #5 features Latrice Sampson Richards, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) founder of Latrice Sampson Richards Life Enhancement Coaching.

I’ve been waiting to have this convo for some time!

My last relaxer was in November 2007; in my 10.5 years of being natural I have had locs three (3) times.  Each loc journey taught me something new about myself, one thing that I do remember was how isolating it was emotionally.

Locs are often left out of the natural hair community.  In our candid conversation, we talk about locs and Latrice’s unique hair journey in re-establishing her self esteem and SLAYING along the way!

Watch the FB live below and share your own experience with locs/ thoughts in the comments.

-Nydia

Thank you Shaketa for sharing your story with Alopecia.

In today’s episode of The other side of natural hair:Natural Hair Talk (NHT) episode #4 features Maria Davis-Pierre, LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) founder of Autism in Black.

In our candid conversation, we talk about Autism also referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences (AutismSpeaks.org).

Cultural sensitivity in large arenas are common, Maria’s expertise fills the gap in providing a culturally sensitive approach to children living with Autism and their unique experience with their natural hair journeys/ self esteem.

Watch the FB live below and share your thoughts in the comments.

-Nydia