Mombasa Diaries: Day 16: I'm Coming Home

Heading home today. The first holiday I've had that I am actually looking forward to going back because my Qhemet products have arrived and I can't wait to try them out!!! #hairnerd

thank you Laura!!

Mombasa Diaries: Days 12-15: Holiday Products

It's a wrap. Party season is over! Thank goodness! I don't think my body could take any more. I haven't exercised a single day because it has been unbelievably, unbearably hot. I've eaten two salads and I've barely swam for trying to preserve my hair for nights out. Feeling blergh!

Mombasa Diaries: Day 11: New Year's Eve with Melissa

Since no swimming happened yesterday, my knot out is still hanging in there. Ok that's a lie. It's puffed up as hell. What I've now realised about coconut oil is that because it's so light, it just sort of disappears after a few days so even though my hair was drenched before, it's just got a nice sheen now. 

We're not going to bother going for any of the big beach parties tonight because they're always full of teeny boppers, far too expensive and always a bust. So we're keeping it local tonight. 

Which is where i meet a lovely young natural, Melissa.  At our local beach bar. Who'd have thunk it. I LOVE the way natural hair brings total strangers together. 

Melissa was WORKING her high puff. Even after days of camping and swimming with her hair open, it was still sooooo soft. Totally lush. I must have her on to tell us her secret. 

Happy Nappy Year lovelies!

Mombasa Diaries: Day 10: 4 Simple Ways to Remove Chlorine From Your Hair

It is notoriously difficult to remove chlorine from your hair!

This is because chlorine is an oxidant which chemically reacts with your hair, making it  difficult to remove with ordinary shampoo, let alone conditioner. It is therefore recommended that you shampoo your hair with a clarifying shampoo after prolonged exposure to chlorine. Swimmers' shampoos are specifically made for this but are very drying and quite frankly, I'm not sure you can buy them here anyway. A chelating shampoo such as Kinky Curly Come Clean would work and is locally available via Aunaturelle but, while researching my salt water post, I came across several interesting and slightly amusing tips on how to cheaply and effectively remove chlorine from your hair using ordinary household ingredients. 

I have already done a post on how to protect your hair while swimming so this is additional information useful particularly for those who swim regularly.

Mombasa Diaries: Day 9: Pool Paaaartay!

I meant to wash off my coconut oil yesterday but I got soooo lazy so it's been on for almost two days now. 

I can't wash it off as I'm going for a pool-party today at the amazing Swahili Beach so I need to be looking equally amazing so nobody notices that I'm not actually getting into the pool. A couple of people we met last night tell us it's going to be a rave and I'm getting ready thinking 'What do people wear to raves?' 'Am I too old to be at a rave?' 'Am I going to have to fist pump?' 'Do I need a glow stick?'

Yeah..I'm fly...

Mombasa Diaries: Day 8: Race and Hair

'Is it true black women don't like to wet their hair?' 

this picture is so wrong...you go Michelle with your bad self!

This is the question directed at me by a little white girl as I paddle in the shallows with The Child. 

'I....er....hmmm....saywhatnow'. 

Ok, so the truth is that this is not an inaccurate observation.  We don't like to get out hair wet ovyo ovyo (that's willy nilly to my non-swahili speakers). Just, how to explain this to a four year old and her thoroughly embarrassed mother? It's also hard to explain it without putting a natural slant to it and do a disservice to the crackettes and the weave posse. (Shoutout!)

How many of us prior to being natural were ok with random, unplanned hair wetting?

Mombasa Diaries: Day 7: Coast Coconut Farms

I finally make it to the coconut factory.  Haaaaaaaallelluyiah!

And find it shut. *primal scream* For the holidays. Until the 2nd. By which point I will be carless and it's too far to bum a ride. This is my second coast trip in a row that I've been here and they're shut. I mean why do they constantly take holidays when their biggest fan comes calling?! #selfish!

Mombasa Diaries: Day 6: The Effect of Salt Water on Natural Hair

Boxing Day is a bust. The only boxing going on is in my head. Damn you sweet, sweet, wine. 

Over the last two days, I've managed to avoid getting my hair in the pool, so I was expecting it to feel much softer than it does. Granted, the scarfless night meant that cotton pillowcase did a number on it but still. It's one night. And my hair was still held up so not too much of it had pillow contact. It really shouldn't have broken the moisture bank. ESPECIALLY considering that I have been spritzing daily land sealing liberally with Kakena's Hair Milk DAILY!  

So I sit down to do some research on the effect of salt on our hair. Because here's the thing. ALL the water where I'm staying, is salty.

Mombasa Diaries: Day 5: It's Chriiiiiiistmaaaaaas!!

Ho ho ho! Meeeery Presents Day Christmas!

It's really hard being Christmassy at the beach, but we try.. 

Mine, mine, mine, mi....

Mombasa Diaries: Day 4: Ghee! 2

My nanny is here!!!!! Glory be etc etc! Seriously, holidaying sans nanny is not for the faint hearted. 

My sister leaves today too *sad face* but nanny's arrival means I can:

a) wash my hair PROPERLY, full detangling session and all and

b) finally try out the Ghee! *seal clap*

After dropping my sister off at the airport, I rush back for phase one of my hair day. It really is pretty sad how excited I am. I also kind of embarrassed about the Ghee! as both my nanny and husband are burning with curiosity about what it is so I wrap it in my sarong and head upstairs, whistling nonchalantly. Pretty slick. 

And here it is! 

Mombasa Diaries: Day 3

It's my sister's last day so we are determined to make the most out of today.

We have a busy day of swimming and lounging around by the pool interspersed with some childcare (the husband is sheepishly attentive after extending the birthday pass for an extra day so childcare on my part is minimal). I soak my hair and spritz it liberally with my oil/conditioner mix (adapted this morning

for coastal conditions by adding glycerine and more oil). I even spritz my sister's weave, bun it and scarf it and it looks super cute if I must say so myself. 

Mombasa Diaries: Day 2: Ghee!

It's my husband's birthday so he gets the do-nothing-all-day pass. (Not technically gender specific but really it should be called the daddy pass. Coz mummy never takes her controlling eye off the ball.) Which means it's up to Lil' ol' me (accompanied by my sister) to make a trip to the supermarket to stock up so, Bantu knots and all, Child, Sister and I set off to the shops. 

The heat is unbearable.  We are meeeeeltiiiiiing. Possibly because of that plus the blazing sun plus mild dehydratrion, my hair is absolutely parched and feels so brittle so I decide to take drastic measures and buy some ghee! (Such a joyful word. Ghee!).  

Mombasa Diaries: Day 1: The Holidays are here!

It's my second holiday at the coast as a 'healthy' natural. I'm a little older and a little wiser (at the hair game at least) so I've decided to document how my hair handles two weeks of sand, sea and surf. 

Night before: I've been wearing a Bantu knot-out for two weeks now. I can't normally pull it off that long but I've been retwisting every so often with Kakena's Hair Milk and it has held really really well. (Unfortunately I didn't have the presence of mind to take a good hair pic so I'm posting a gratuitous fun-times pic.)

Party over here!