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If there's one thing going natural will teach you fast, it is being organised. Taking care of your Natural Hair can be a bit frustrating at first. It requires a lot of time and patience. But once you establish good hair care routine, things get easier.   No haircare routine is complete without basic hair care tools. These 6 hair care tools are affordable, easy to find, will save you time and will make a world of difference.   Wide tooth comb   Your fingers are the best tools for detangling natural hair. But a good wide tooth comb is a must have. Use it only after a good finger detangle on well moisturised, stretched, dry hair or while conditioning your hair on wash days. It will keep your hair tangle free and prevent unnecessary breakage.   Spray bottle   Water is the secret to moisturised hair. A simple mixture of Distilled water and glycerine in a spray bottle is your best friend on those days when your hair feels a bit dry. Asili's Rosewater Mist is the perfect alternative solution. Not only do you get the goodness of pure rose water, but the bottle also comes in handy when making DIY hair mists...   A Quality Bristle Brush                     A quality Bristle Brush is great for keeping edges neat and tidy. It's also great for daily use on well moisturised, stretched and detangled hair. Make sure the bristles are soft and bendable. Natural fibre and silicone bristles are the best choices...   Satin bonnet   Although not a tool, we can't preach enough about the importance of using a satin bonnet. Less tangles, more moisture. [...]

For some of our little ones, it's the  First year of Big School. An exciting and anxious time for both parents and kids alike. But no need to despair. It's a happy time of many firsts… With school being very regimented, this is also the perfect time to teach your little girl the basics of haircare and maintaining a night-time routine. It's no secret that with the right encouragement  kids learn very quickly. They love the certainty and consistency that comes with routine as long as it's playful, relaxed and not too challenging.. Sadly, the vast majority of us were never really taught how to love and take care of our own natural hair the right way. Most of what we know is due to trial and error, experimentation and occasional but infrequent lessons by friends, an older sibling, mother, grandmother or aunt. Teaching your little girl how to take care of and love her natural hair is a priceless gift. An ideal opportunity for mother/daughter (or father/daughter) time. Whilst they learn how to do homework, pack their school bags, make their bed etc, slip in simple hair grooming lessons. What matters most is consistency. From as early as 6, your little girl can, under supervision, do a lot more than you think. Use dolls to learn simple things like washday, plaiting and twisting. How to neaten the edges of a protective style before bed time. Lightly combing hair before Mom finishes off with detangling. Moisturising hair with a spritz. Putting on a satin bonnet at bed time. Cleaning hair care tools. Redoing a ponytail. The results may not be perfect but the lessons learnt are invaluable... Keep the learning process playful and relaxed as [...]

Hello Summer. The Summer heat is upon us. Although we love those long summer days outdoors, you need to protect your hair and skin. In South Africa, very hot and dry weather reaching temperatures of 40 degrees is not uncommon . The scorching heat takes a huge toll on your skin as well as your hair. Here are simple ways to protect your hair and skin from the summer heat. How to protect your skin this summer Stay hydrated - Drink plenty of water. Keeping your body well  hydrated will also keep your hair and skin hydrated from the inside out. Use a facial Mist - If you plan on spending a lot of time out in the hot sun, investing in a good facial mist can keep you cool all day. Try Asili Rose Water Mist. It’s an all natural, light, rose hydrosol which  can be used on the most sensitive skin and the most fragile hair. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen - No matter your race or skin tone, South African summers require a good sunscreen. Invest in a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Reapply it throughout the day. Wear colours that reflect light - White or lighter coloured, natural fibre clothing are best in hot weather. The colour white refracts light and natural fibres keep the body cool. How to Protect Your Hair Wear a Hat  or use an umbrella - You might not realise it, but your  hair needs protection against the sun too. It can get really dry and brittle causing excessive breakage. When out and about in the hot sun, wearing a hat or using an umbrella will protect your hair. Wear Protective styles [...]

#Try Something New You’ve done everything and nothing is working. Now is a great time to try out something new. Every 4-6 months, it's good to switch up your routine. Changing your products prevents dull hair and build-up.It just might be the reason your hair feels dry and looks dull despite you slathering on as much product as you can. Here’s a few ways you can switch things up. Moisturizing - Try switching to lighter moisturizers and hair spritzes. Sealing - Try lighter hair butters. Keep it simple with just a few key ingredients. Washday - Do a deep cleanse (with a clarifying shampoo) and light protein treatment every 6 weeks. Shampoo - Switch to more moisturising shampoos. The weather is getting hotter so wash more often with a mild shampoo. Technique - Try the LCO instead of LOC method. Porosity - Understand your hair porosity and use products accordingly.   Yes, some of us are nervous about  trying new haircare products or techniques but this could be just what your hair needs. Watch out for Asili’s exciting addition to our haircare collection. It may just be the thing you are looking for...

#Focus on Hydration The weather is changing and so should your hair care routine and products. As summer approaches, hydration should be your top priority.  Before the  scorching, hot months of summer hit us like a ton of bricks, focus on getting your hair as supple and moisturized as you can. Hydration is mostly quality of quantity. Internal and External. Drinking enough water to keep your body hydrated is half the battle won. Switching out your heavy hair creams for lighter hair spritzes or leave in conditioners is  what you should be doing daily. Using a hydrating deep conditioner is the non-negotiable habit that will get you to softer, juicy curls and koils. Don't forget to lock in that moisture with a good hair butter. Asili Hair butter contains Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. Two of the best oils for Kinky, Curly Hair Textures. Stay Hydrated and Seal those locks...

# Let your Scalp Breath It’s time to let your scalp breathe. Yes, you looked cute in a weave. Yes, those box braids are calling your name but your scalp needs to breathe. If you notice any damage to your hairline, breakage or dull ends a nice break from protective styles that include extensions is a must. This is the best time to try simpler styles like ponytails, large cornrows and twists. If you don't like dealing with your own hair too much, block a day in the weekend to focus on caring for your lovely fro. Think of it as self-care. Try a relaxing, scalp massage with Asili’s Peppermint Essential Oil infused Castor Oil.   Your scalp is the secret to healthier hair. Just like your skin, it needs to ‘breath’ to stay healthy. That cute hairdo is only cute if you have healthy hair.

Introduction It’s  one of those things we ignore or dread.  But it’s an essential part of your healthy hair routine. It’s the only way to ensure your ends stay and look healthy at all times. A regular trim.... Why is trimming your hair necessary??? The ends of your hair strands are the oldest part of your hair. As old as 4 years old and more. With time they start to thin out, split, get riddled with tiny knots and look dull. These minor imperfections can have a major effect on the health and success of your hair growth. The only way to establish healthier ends is by getting a regular trim. Healthy ends also prevent your hair from tangling, absorb products easier and just look better. How often should I trim my hair??? There’s really no hard and fast rules about how often you need a trim. Your hair usually tells you when. It will start splitting, knotting, looking dull and fraying at the ends. This hair is usually unhealthy and damaged. It’s good practise to get a trim at least once every 3 months. If you visit a salon for regular treatments and styling, ask them to include a trim (not a cut). Can I use any type of scissors??? This is something that a lot of people don't know about. Trimming your hair is best done with Hair Shears or scissors designed for hair. Your stationery scissors actually can be quite damaging on your ends, especially if they are blunt. Hair scissors are sharper and will ensure you don’t get split ends.. How much should I trim off??? Any visibly damaged or split hair should ideally be trimmed off. Regular trims on healthy [...]

Introduction A rich, deep conditioning treatment is always an excellent idea. Especially when your hair can do with some TLC. If breakage and damage is what you are experiencing now, the simplest, quickest and cheapest way to sort this out is with just one ingredient. An avocado. Avocado, the simplest solution to dry, damaged hair Avocado is perhaps one of the most popular DIY haircare heroes sitting right in your fridge. It’s packed with amazing fatty alcohols (that’s just oils to you and me), vitamin e and nutrients that have been proven to be excellent for dry, damaged hair. If you simply cannot afford another haircare product, no need to sweat. Get an avocado, give it a good and thorough mash (good and thorough as smooth as possible) and blitz it in a blender for good measure. Trust us, you won't want to skip the extra step. Use this as a hair mask after your regular condition. The nourishing oils will soften and strengthen your hair strands. It's a simple, easy and cheap way to revive your dry and damaged hair.  

The other day I noticed a fine rash on my face that looked like I had a breakout just below the surface of my skin. None of the usual suspects present because I made sure to go through the checklist: Have I been drinking water? Introduced any new foods? Used a new face cloth (more about that another time)? I didn’t skip my weekly selfcare day? Could it be hormones? Slept less than usual?  …….. I asked myself so many questions and was not getting that lightbulb moment until my eye fell on an unlikely suspect after two weeks of wondering, my trusted makeup brush. Of course I had not included it in my cleaning routing in the last little while but I really should have with all the live recordings I was doing that have me wearing tons more makeup than what I am used to. Wayyyyyy more than usual. Also makes sense that these brushes would be filled with bacteria from all the expose to both the makeup and contact with my skin. So a little bit of gentle soap (like African black soap or other natural soap), a good rinse with some clean water and air drying and there was no rash or skin irritation after applying my makeup. Ready camera Zoom. Quick Poll How often do you wash your brushes? Never Once every week Every 2-4 weeks 1-2 months Whenever I feel they are dirty Oh, I had no idea I was supposed to wash them. Oops

September is heritage month in South Africa.  Not only is South Africa culturally rich but its heritage is what makes its people truly unique. Heritage not only constitutes the languages we speak, the foods we eat, what clans we belong to, or cultural group, but it’s the colours we wear, the way we dance and even how we beautify ourselves. On the African continent, women have found many ways to express their beauty. From the neck elongating Dzilla or Indzilla rings worn by Ndebele women, to the immaculate jewellery of the Ashanti tribe of Ghana, we have always tried to look for ways to look beautiful. With the increase of urbanisatiion and a tendency to use more convenience products, we have moved away from our traditional beauty roots, in favour of more conventional beauty products. If I think back to my upbringing in the rural Eastern Cape, it was not uncommon to see women wearing Umemezi (a white clay and ground tree bark mixture) or calamine lotion during the day protect their skin from the harshness of the sun. The same calamine lotion was also used by girls in my teen years at boarding school to treat blemishes.  Before beauty influencers and magazines told us of the wonders of all things natural and organic and Korean beauty (K-beauty) became a trend, one may think back to what we had before, and how the women in our lives taught us to take care of our skin and hair using simple compounds from nature. This heritage month, it’s these simple natural compounds we would like to celebrate. Let’s go back to our roots and rediscover A- Beauty (African beauty) and what our beauty heritage is.  Think about [...]