Black Tea Rinse

Bonjour tout le monde!

Now thanks to my fabulous friend Malika who has started on her own hair journey, I've recently learnt about the Black Tea Rinse. 'What is a Black Tea Rinse?' I hear you ask. This is applying tea to your hair after having washed it. I know it sounds utterly ridiculous and potentially ludacris but this is a brilliant method! Using the Black Tea Rinse on your hair reduces the shedding of your hair, adds shine to your hair as well as softens it and darkens your hair or brings out any natural highlights you have. According to the American Hair Loss Association, the main culprit behind the hair loss process is a hormone by the name of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT shrinks hair follicles, making it impossible for healthy hair to survive. Black Tea however contains caffeine, more than a cup of coffee. This caffeine blocks DHT which reduces hair loss. There are many different types of tea rinses and on a whole, tea rinses act to penetrate the hair strads and promote hair growth by increasing blood flow. They are also full of antioxidants and amino acids which asre brilliant at softening and restoring luster and shine back into your hair. They can also act to cleanse your hair and repair split ends as well as exfoliate the scalp.

Want to try it for yourself? It's super easy! Start by brewing two cups of strong tea in a bowl or pitcher. Then, after shampooing, slowly rinse your hair with the tea (you can even use a spray bottle, if you prefer). Follow with a deep conditioner as tea can often have drying properties.



There are MANY types of tea that can be used as a tea rinse:

• Green tea – reduces shedding, stimulates hair growth and exfoliates dry flakes and dandruff
• Black tea – strengthens and thickens hair, adds luster and naturally darkens hair
• Nettle – helps with dandruff and strengthens hair strands
• Rosemary – stimulates hair follicles for hair growth

 I'm looking to give my own personal review on this in the near future but if you've tried it for yourself I'd love to hear from you! Email me: inquiries.divinusater@yahoo.co.uk

Au revoir x

Protective Hairstyles - Short Cut

Bonsoir tout le monde!

Now I know I'm a bit late with this post but life has been so hectic at the moment however, I'm still here! I thought I'd keep you guys updated with my latest hairstyle. So a few of you may know that it was my birthday on the 4th Feb (I'm now 18 woohoo!) and so decided to go for a shorter look to compliment my transition into adulthood. I was very hesitant at first to get a short style as this is something very new to me. I've always had long hairstyles whether it be my natural hair, braids or weave so I was afraid that this change would be so drastic and different that it wouldn't look good. However I decided to take that plunge and give it a go. In one of my previous posts I did say that this year is the year of protective hairstyling for me after having cut my hair due to heat damage. I've already seen some growth in the last month alone after having taken my hair out of braids but it doesn't stop there! My aim is to at least maintain protective hairstyles and allow my hair a chance to grow until summer if not the end of the year. That way I'll be able to regain the length I lost from chopping my hair and be well on my way to growing new, luscious locks! 

This is a short weave I instead went for where one side is curly and longer than the other. I've absolutely fallen in love with this hairstyle and don't think I can imagine myself with anything but! This has given me a new lease of life not to mention making me look older! I'd definitely recommend that if you've ever wanted to rock short hair but weren't sure if you could pull it off, give it a go! If I hadn't taken that plunge I wouldn't have known how great this hairstyle looks on me! After taking out my braids and before putting in this weave, I was using the inversion method (I'll explain this in a future blog post) alongside biotin. The key to growing long hair whilst in protective hairstyles is to ensure its moisturized. You can either buy special hair serums made to moisturize your hair in weave or make your own and apply it to your hair in a special applicator bottle. Either way, providing your hair isn't right and isn't tugging on your hairline, this is a great way to grow your natural hair whilst still looking glamorous!

If there's any blog posts or YouTube videos you'd like to see from me, ask:

www.ask.fm/DivinusAter

Alternatively, I'm always looking for fellow naturalistas to feature on my blog so if you're interested in sharing your natural hair journey on Divinus Ater, email:

inquiries.divinusater@yahoo.co.uk

Au revoir X 

Do Lace Front Wigs Damage Hair?

Bonjour tout le monde!

Now if you're like me then you like alternating between wearing your natural hair out and protective hairstyles such as weave and braids. I pride myself in knowing quite a bit about protective hairstyles and the best way to do them that doesn't do any damage to my natural hair. However I must say, one protective hairstyle I know the least about is lace front wigs. We always see our favourite celebrities such as Beyoncé and Rihanna sporting these beautiful lace front wigs but in reality, how good is it for your hair?

Many women like wearing lace front wigs as it gives the illusion of long, straight hair growing from their scalp whilst ensuring that none of their own hair is left out. The traditional method of securing lace front wigs is by merely applying glue or tape to the circumference of the head. About 6 years ago, Countess Vaughn who played Moesha's bestfriend in the 90's sitcom, spoke out about the adverse reactions she had with regards to lace front wigs. She was introduced to them by her hair stylist and fell in love with them instantly. Lace fronts enabled her to change up her hair as often as she wanted whilst, as she believed, causing no damage to her hair. She gradually however began to experience oozing from the nape of her hair, wherever she had applied the adhesive. She then noticed that her hairline was receeding as she wasn't take care when removing her wigs as each time she took them off, it removed a layer of skin each time. She now experiences discolouration under her eyes and around the nape of her hair which makes her more self conscious. 

This all sounds really scary doesn't it! Now I know there's many of you probably thinking 'why would I ever wear a lace front wig!' There are other ways to ensure that you are able to sport this hairstyle whilst minimising the damage caused to your natural hair:

• USE ADHESIVE IN MODERATION - if you have to use adhesive such as glue or tape to secure your lace front wig then please use it in moderation. Apply glue once a week and take care to look after your wig so it doesn't lift or come off which would force you to have to reapply the adhesive. 

• DO NOT WEAR FOR LONG DURATIONS - lace fronts are fine to be worn for 1 - 2 months but do not wear for long blocks of time such as 6 months. Your natural tresses need to breathe! Not only will your hair be severely damaged as it lacks moisture, you may cause excessive damage to your edges as you're placing unnecessary tension onto your hair for long periods of time. 

• SEW OVER GLUE - there are more people than before who want to wear lace front wigs without experiencing the damaging effects of glue/tape. There are many hair stylists who are able to install these wigs to give the natural look without having to use anything but thread to secure the wig into the head. Make a conscious effort to seek out stylists in your local area who are able to sew in lace front wigs to minimise hair damage. 

I hope that has been helpful for you!

Au revoir x

How To Buy Jireh Edge Control in the UK or Europe

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I've had quite a few people message me with different queries on the edge control. The edge control is now £12 on eBay (I've lowered the price) and will soon be available on Amazon also. This listing is also open to those in the EU so if you're dying to get a hold of this edge control, this is for you too. The only way at present to place an order is through eBay however if you don't have an eBay account, live in the UK or EU and want to place an order, please feel free to message me. 

This edge control works on all hair types from 3a to 4c hair so if this is what you are looking for, give it a go! I'm not currently selling this on a website (hopefully in the near future though) but you can buy it through eBay. I'll be doing an updated Jireh Edge Control review so you guys can get a more accurate representation of this edge control than what I thought of it June 2015. I'm hoping to sell more US only hair products to you guys in the near future so stay tuned! 

I hope you all love this product as much as I do and stay tuned!