Amare's Hair

Even though my son is 20 months old, i still have to care for his hair as well.  To avoid tangles and knots, i try to keep his hair moisturized and typically leave it in braids (when he somewhat sits still for them).

I used, Kinky-Curly Come Clean, Oyin Honey Wash, Tiny Twirls Conditioner and Kinky-Curly Curling Custard in his hair.  The Come Clean really detangles as it cleans because i didn't have to do much to get the knots out of his after it was washed.  The Honey Wash really made his hair feel soft to the touch.  I almost didn't need any conditioner but put it in anyway.  I used a paddle brush and wide tooth comb to detangle and was done in 5 minutes.  Typically it takes me about 20 minutes to get all the knots and tangles out of his hair.  The best thing about it was he didn't even notice what i was doing.

After removing the tangles from his hair, i sprayed it with a mix of Oyin Handmade, Frank Juice, conditioner, filtered water and essential oils and applied the Curling Custard.  I wanted his hair to retain the softness, moisture and curls.  The end result was a tiny curly afro.

It's been 2 days and his hair is still soft, moisturized and holding it's tiny curls.  I'll see how it goes after a week.

Hair Goodies

I received some new hair care goodies in the mail a few days ago and couldn't wait to try them.  We have allot of hair in this household so i'm always looking for the best product and always trying new ones. I ordered a bunch of stuff from Naturally Curly's website for myself, my 5 children and the hubby.

I washed my hair first because my locs and scalp needed some love.  I used an over the counter shampoo, ShiKai Natural Tea Tree.  I bought this one awhile ago because i wanted something to help combat the psoriasis in my scalp.  It leaves my scalp feeling nice and tingly but i needed more help.

Next i used, Kinky-Curly Come Clean Shampoo.  This was my first time using it and i love it.  It really made my hair feel clean without making it feel dry.

The last shampoo i used for my hair is one of my favorites, Oyin Handmade Honey Wash.  I love all in one products that have more than one purpose.  You can use it on your hair, on your body and it's gentle enough to use on your children as well.  This one gave my hair extra added softness, which it needed and made it smell GREAT.  Plus it's super sudsy.

I finished my hair with some conditioner from Blended Beauty and left it to air dry.  Of course i had to re-twist my roots first AND braid my locs so they could have that crinkly-curly look i've grown to love.  I would post pics but i didn't take any and i'm feeling SUPER lazy about taking some now.  But stay tuned, i'm bound to have some up soon.

Hair Styles

I try to keep the hairstyles for the girls simple and long lasting. Why? Because i have 4 heads of hair to do and it's impossible to re-style their hair everyday.

For the most part i style their hair in single braids, two-strand twists, bantu-knots or small ponytails. It takes about 2.5 hours per head of hair. Their styles typically last from 4-6 weeks. I'll start taking them down around week 4 and 5 and start the entire washing, conditioning, detangle, styling process all over again.

Here are their current hair styles. I decided to braid their up in individual braid and decorate the ends with barrettes.


Amira, age 9




Aaliyah age 7


Ayana age 5




Asaria age 4

Hair Length Check for The Daughters of Destiny

I am dedicated to all 4 of my daughters hair and ensuring that it is healthy. So since it's "hair week" (yes hair week because that's how long it takes from beginning to end for all their hair) i thought i'd do a hair post.

I didn't realize that their hair was so long until i decided to do a "length check" and take pictures of the results. I actually amazed myself with how much their hair has grown over the years.

Typically i only wash and re-style their hair about every 4-6 weeks. I choose styles that will last and that i won't have to take down at the end of 5 days and re-style again. Some examples, are very small two-strand twists, corn rows, small mini ponytails, Bantu knots (which last about 2 weeks), and braided up do styles.

I do not use chemical processes on their hair and never have. The products i use are mostly natural and have very few harsh ingredients (if any at all). I don't wash their hair with shampoo every month (only every other washing because some shampoos tend to be very drying and harsh on their hair, even the gently ones). I co-wash their hair most of the times (washing hair using a really creamy and hydrating conditioner). I also take my time to untangle their hair and only do it when it's soaking wet and full of conditioner.

My goal when styling their hair is NOT to make it look straight. My goal is to embrace their natural curls and work WITH them and not against them. Therefore i do allot of finger combing (combing the hair to untangle with my fingers and pull apart tangles gently). I also use a very wide tooth comb and a paddle brush. That's probably why it takes me so long to style each head of hair.

Also i make sure to keep the hair moisturized with a spray i use. I use equal parts aloe vera juice (pure aloe vera juice), filtered water (yes i use bottled water or water that's been run through a filter), and a few TBSP of extra virgin olive oil. I don't use gels in their hair because gels have allot of alcohol and will dry out the hair and break it off. For xtra hold, i use 100% shea butter or some products i purchase from the internet like Blended Beauty and Oyin Handmade.

Below are some pictures of their hair and some staple products i use in their hair.

Amira, age 9 - she has the thickest and longest hair of all her sisters. Because she is the oldest it took me a few years to figure out what products to use that were healthy for her hair. I didn't start seeing her hair really grow until she was about 3 years old.



Aaliyah, age 7 - has the curliest hair of her sisters. Her hair is very soft and spongy and really holds any curls and styles.



Ayana, age 5 - has a looser curl patter. Her hair is a bit more on the thin side so it doesn't take me very long to get through her hair.



Asaria, age 4 - has a mix of different curl patterns. Her hair is very curly in the back and gets looser towards the front. It takes me some time for her hair because she does NOT like me anywhere near her hair.


These are the staple product i ALWAYS have on hand when it's time to wash, condition, and style the girls hair.

From Oyin Handmade, Burnt Sugar Pomade, Honey Hemp Conditioner and Juices n Berries. The burnt sugar is good for SUPER hold and the scalp. I use the conditioner as a leave-in and a co-wash and moisturizer. And the spray can be mixed to use as a daily leave-in.




From Blended Beauty, i use the cream styling butters because it helps to keep the girls hair moisturized.






I use this conditioner as a co-wash.


There are times when i'll see something interesting and pick it up or try new products. However i always find myself going back to the ones that seem to work the best. I also buy the Kinky-Curly curling custard from time to time but i only use that when i'm leaving the girls hair to air dry while out and un-styled. I'll also use the Kinky-Curly knot today leave in, which is a pretty good detangler.

So that's pretty much it for the staples and the basic of what i do for the girls hair.

Daughters of Destiny Hair

So i realize i haven't done a hair update for the girls in a few years *chuckle* so here goes.

I typically restyle the girls hair about every 4 weeks since i have tons of hair to do and i like to take my time co-washing, conditioning and styling.


Ayana with her hair out of braids

I found out about this "coconut milk, coconut butter and yogurt" treatment that is suppose to help soften the hair and help with tangles. I tried it on my girls hair, switching out the yogurt and coconut butter since i didn't have any on hand. I made a mixture of 2 cans of organic coconut milk, about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and that's it.

The coconut milk and olive oil mixture


I think applied it to their hair as if one would apply a chemical relaxer, starting at the roots and all the way down to the ends of their hair. Next i put their hair in a plastic bag and let it sit for about 1 hour or more. When i was ready to co-wash their hair, i noticed it had stretched and pulled their curls somewhat. After co-washing, their hair was SUPER soft and i didn't have to struggle to get the tangles out, like i usually do.

Amira with the back of her hair "treated"


Hair fully covered


Aaliyah with plastic baggy on


Ayana's hair AFTER the coconut milk was rinsed out

I haven't tried the treatment again, since it takes quit a bit of time to do. I do plan on doing it again when i wash their hair in the future.

Here are some pictures of what i did. I also loosened the curls slightly in their hair with a ceramic flat iron on a super low setting.








I did that by letting their hair air dry in bantu knots






and then flat ironing. I only did three girls and left the littlest one where her hair as usual.

Daughters of Destiny Hair Routine

Because I have 4 girls who have enough hair for about 400 girls, it typically takes me about a good week to take down, wash, and comb ALL that hair. So I thought I'd give a little info on how I go about styling the girls hair.

The first thing I have to do is take down the braids, twists, bantu knots, or mini ponytails that may have been in their hair. Since we're all at home during the daytime because I home school, there isn't a huge rush for me to HAVE to get their hair done by a certain time of the day or specific day of the week. Thus, after their hair is all out and free, I can let it be loose for a few days so it's not all tied down and pinned up. There hair usually ends up looking something like this (2007 Amira)

Next, I like to put a pre-wash mixture on their hair. This helps loosen any knots that may be in their hair and definitely helps with detangling. The Daughters of Destiny have long hair that tangles and knots. So I want to help eliminate that BEFORE I wash it. The mixture usually consists of my tried and true OyinHandmade Honey Hemp Conditioner and a hair moisturizer. I typically will use whatever leftovers I have on hand after I've applied the conditioner. Now since this is a pre-wash conditioner, I may leave it in their hair for a few hours. The hair is pulled back into a loose ponytail and when I'm ready to wash it, I simply take it out. (I couldn't find my pics so you'll have to use your imagination *chuckle*)

For washing, most times I use conditioner. I only use shampoo to wash their hair about every 2 months. The reason is, washing with conditioner keeps their hair from feeling dry and brittle. It also works as a great detangler. Plus it leaves their hair feeling soft and it's easier to brush the tangles with co-washing or conditioning washing. I use a paddle brush to untangle their hair and ONLY use it when their hair is DRIPPING WET and FULL of conditioner. It helps to buy good conditioners that are not super expensive as you may tend to use alot during this process. I typically buy 3 to 4 different kinds for each of my daughters hair types. And I'll use about 5 palm fulls of conditioner with each co-wash.

After the co-wash is done. I pat their hair just to get rid of excess water. I NEVER rub their hair as I don't want to tangle it again. At this stage. I'll apply any leave-in conditioners I have (Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp works here as well). I also us Kinky-Curly Knot Today leave-in conditioner as I noticed it REALLY helps in further untangling the hair. Unfortuantely since my girls have SO much hair, one bottle doesn't last me long. I'll use about half the bottle in one setting when I wash all their hair. At this point I MAY put a plastic bag over their hair and then wash the next head of hair - just to let all those yummy ingredients marinate on their hair. It just all depends on my mood and that of The Daughters of Destiny *chucke*.

Once the leave in conditioner has set for a while. The last step is to add a spray on to keep the moisture in their hair. Because once their hair begins to try, it's extremely difficult to try and manipulate it into any style. The spray on I use is from Oyin Handmade, Juices n Berries, and it smells just like a yummy bowl of fruit. Of course if I'm out I make up my own using aloe vera juice, a bit of distilled water, some olive oil and whatever essential oils I have on hand. Also, I section off their hair to apply Kinky-Curly's Curling Custard which help's define the natural curl and helps with shrinkage. Once I'm done with that process I let their hair air dry. That typically takes a good 24 hours - if I leave their hair out and about 48 hours if I let it dry while in bantu knots. (Aaliyah 2007)

Of course letting the hair air dry gives us all a chance to rest. Hair days are not a favorite of the Richardson household. LOL. The last part of the process is to then actually style the hair. The products I use are the Oyin Handmade Juices n Berries spray in to wet each section of hair. I also use Blended Beauty Down and Out Styles as a moisturizer. If I have any handy I'll use Burnt Sugar Pomade from Oyin Handmade as well as Blended Beauty Happy Nappy Styles. And the finally result of all that co-washing, untangling, moisturizing, styling is (Ayana 2009)

(Aaliyah 2009)

and after all that, we look forward to starting the process all over again in 30 days. These hair styles typically last 4 to 6 weeks. I usually take their hair down after about 5 weeks because if I go to long it will be a tangled mess and take that much longer to wash and style.