A Black Naps’ Reader Asks,
“I’ve only been naptural since August 2012. I dust,clip,and cut.My dilemma today is I only use glycerin mixed with JBC. My hair is brittle,how can this be so when using natural products?I condition as well. My hair is kept moist and covered(hijab)what am I doing wrong plz help.”
Okay one problem I see right from the start is that I don’t hear that you are using anything with water. Jamaican Black Castor is a sealant not a moisturizer (it helps to seal in moisture). Glycerin is a water-soluble conditioning alcohol and is an extremely effective moisturizer and humectant. While it works as a great moisturizer ultimately glycerin is not composed of water and you should be using water or products that contain water as it’s first ingredient.
Another concern is that being that Glycerin is a humectant you should be aware of the environment, according to Tonya Mckay of NaturallyCurly.com:
Care should be taken to use it in environments of moderate humidity. If the climate is very hot and humid, glycerin will absorb a lot of moisture from the air and cause the hair to swell, raising the cuticle and disrupting curl pattern, creating coarse, frizzy hair. In weather that is extremely dry, glycerin will seek out moisture from your hair and actually dehydrate it, which can cause damage and breakage.
As a big fan of glycerin I have personally never had this happen to me during the summer, but it is something to consider as it is a possibility. At this time if you are not in a warm climate this shouldn’t be of concern.
Now back to my main point.
Being that glycerin is water soluble you should be mixing it with water. I know to the new natural water sounds like the enemy, but it’s not! We are so conditioned from our relaxed days to think that water is bad, but your hair needs it.
If you have a kinky 4b or 4c hair type, saturating your hair with water is most likely not the answer but dampening or misting with water should do just fine. Then you can apply your glycerin and Jamaican Black Castor Oil ( this is using the LOC method).
I also noticed that you say “How can this be so using natural products?”. Well homemade natural products are not automatically better than store bought products. You have to make the mixture effective in order for it just as good as or better than store bought products and your mixture is missing a key component which is water.
Also consider your styles that you are wearing. Hair that is worn out as opposed to let’s say a bun or braided style will dry up faster. Protectively styled hair holds in moisture better so if you are not wearing protective styles you should try implementing it more into your routine.
I recently discovered the pro naturals shampoo and conditioner. They are sulfate-free and made from 100% original argan oil. They are worth every cent
I mix an egg with my conditioner. I also keep a spray bottle of 50/50 aloe vera gel and water in the fridge to mist my hair before doing ANYTHING to it; and I mist to refresh throughout the day if necessary.,
Try Jamacain Black Castor oil on its own. I cannot use homemade glycerin products; does not moisturize my hair. JBCO works wonders for my 4c hair. Did a Henna recently; experienced some breakage b/c my hair was so dry. Only JBCO was able to moisten my hair. I even did deep condish and only helped some. JBCO is a natural’s first defense, or should be.
She may want to consider what material she is using for her hijab. Cotton, polyester and other similar materials can contribute to drying the hair out and breakage. Consider satin or silk scarfs or under-scarfs. They definitely help with shedding and retaining moisture.