Jules in Barbados // Natural Hair Style Icon

*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally

Introduce yourself!
J: Hi my name is Julie-Ann, but I go by Jules and I’m from the beautiful island of Barbados.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
J: Well I was natural all my life. From a young age I just felt comfortable with the way my hair looked and though I must admit for a good portion of my life I couldn’t handle my hair on my own, I refused to relax it.

How would you describe your texture?
J: I don’t do the whole hair typing thing, as my hair has a personality of its own but I guess it more falls into the 4b type I think. Sometimes it can be thick and then it can be light and easy to manage. A few hairdressers had their blow dryer comb attachment damaged due to the thickness of my hair when I did go to the salon like eons ago. However, I do find that depending on the type of conditioner I use on my hair, it can either be very curly and manageable or it can be a bit coarse and a bit more difficult.

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
J: My regimen is pretty simple. I use very little commercial products in my hair and can say from that decision my hair has grown a great deal and previous breakage is almost non-existent. My styling depends on the mood I’m in and the time I have to deal with my hair. I mostly wear my hair in a two strand twist as this saves loads of time from dealing with my hair during the week and it also acts as a protective method. But on weekends, I love to let my hair down so I go with a nice twist out or a fro. Also I’m a frequent beach goer and salt can damage your hair if you don’t take the time to use the right kind of products to make certain your hair maintains its health. So my hair may be washed daily on some occasions. When I wash my hair I finger de-tangle or use a wide tooth comb during the conditioning as this saves loads of time when I need to style my hair later.

General Regimen:
Cleansing: Shampoo and Condition with Tresemme Naturals Conditioner once a month and I also give my hair an apple cider rinse once a month.
Protein treatment: An awesome hair smoothie from Style Icon Laila. It consists of: 1 large avocado, 1 banana, 1 can coconut milk, 1 egg and 1 tbsp honey all blended together. This is most amazing on hair and the smell is therapy in itself :).
Moisturising and styling: Homemade whipped Shea butter, which contains coconut oil, rosemary, olive oil, castor oil and any fragrant oil I have on hand all whipped together. Also to maintain my two strand twist for long periods without frizz I use Organic Root Stimulator Lock & Twist Gel, but just the whipped Shea butter works great too.
Co-wash: Tresemme Naturals Conditioner. This helps with giving me the best wash and go fro on those days I feel lazy or usually after one of my beach days. I just pat dry and I apply my homemade whipped Shea butter, give my head a shake and that’s it.
Maintenance: Every other night I apple just a little of my Shea butter mix to the ends of my hair and I pin my hair up and sleep on a satin pillow case.

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style?
J: My favourite style would have to be a wash and go fro. I just co-wash with Tresemme Naturals Conditioner, seal with my homemade whipped Shea butter, give my hair a shake and I’m out the door. Also because I go to the beach so often it sometimes makes no sense styling my hair often.

How do you combat shrinkage?
J: I realise that my hair mainly shrinks if I seal and twist it with the whipped Shea butter when my hair is damp. So if I’m hoping to have a big twist out I use this method. However, to reduce the shrinkage I do a two strand twist then twist all my hair together and place it in a bun. If it is kept for a day in a bun, my hair will stretch nicely. However, I do prefer the shrinkage of my hair as its makes for great twist-outs.

What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require extra care and attention?
J: My biggest problem area to me at one point was the very light nature of my temple hair. I have been able to thicken it with periodic massaging and rosemary oil ever so often.

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
J: Always combing my hair when it’s wet. A mistake I made in the past was combing my hair dry and I often had loads of my hair in the comb as a result.

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
J: No heat. One rule I stick by for my hair. I realised heat was a major enemy especially after I went to the salon. This was the only way they were able to manage my hair quickly and my hair looked too straight after, which I hated. Also, absolutely no corn row type styles or flat twists. These generally cause my hair to break when I take them out.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
J: My tumbr account is http://naturalhighlights.tumblr.com/. It’s pretty new, but you can look forward to loads of fun inspiring information there.