Be Careful What You Wish For

As a business owner, I have goals for the growth of my business. There is a long term vision for what the company will provide for our customers. I have a 5 year plan for what I want my life to look like as a CEO. Most importantly, there are income goals. Everyone wants to make a million dollars but few think about what that looks like. I mean, we can all imagine having a million dollars in our bank account. I'm talking about the amount of work it takes to make the money.

Fancy Free Hair & Skin has been growing gradually. We have had time to adjust our work flow as the sales volume increases. I've had particular monthly income goal for about 2 years that we haven't been quite able to hit. I've been making slight adjustments to our business model and marketing, testing what works and converts to sales. There's nothing worse than not being prepared for a sudden influx of customers commonly referred to as the Oprah Effect. Gradual is good. You can adjust with minimal consequences while keeping your customers happy.

Then it happened. I hit my goal and surpassed it. It was surreal. Almost as if I didn't think I could do it and that number had been some pie in the sky, unrealistic goal all this time. So, of course, I wasn't prepared. I wasn't expecting so many of our Fancy Friends to be interested in the Clay Wash. I mean, I expected a few who would want to try it but not as many orders as I got. It's different and it takes time for people to shift from what they've always done. Orders were delayed. I spent designated family time fulfilling orders and manufacturing product.
via GIPHY

Actual photo of me trying to make sure all of those orders got filled

As a Virgo or Type A person, I do not like scrambling. I do not like disorganization. I do not like feeling like I don't have everything I need. Once the dust settled, I had to do a real self assessment and then an assessment of where I went wrong in the process. Because I've been asking for this for almost 2 years now. Now I got it and I'm walking around looking crazy. LOL!

Now that I know the number of orders and sales attached to my goal revenue, I can certainly learn from my mistakes and improve the process before things start getting out of hand. Here's what I learned:

1. Have about 8 weeks of planning before your launch date.
2. Have label designed at least 6 weeks prior to launch date.
3. Confirm all new labels and packaging orders have shipped at least 3 weeks prior to manufacturing date.
4. Calculate ingredients required for manufacturing 4 weeks in advance.
5. Have supplies for at least 2 batches on hand.
6. Stock the freezer with whipped shea to prevent any shipping delays when there is the possibility of a heat wave.
7. Double check packing slip with actual order
8. When processing more than 30 orders at once, have a second person check that the order was filled accurately (Although my team only missed something in 3 orders out of the 80 that were processed in one weekend)

I prayed for this life. The desires of my heart have manifested with lots of prayer, work and consistency. I'm not going to lie, this is hard! Some days, actually a lot of days, I am not sure how I'm going to get it all done. Especially when getting it done is even more crucial now with three people on payroll. This life is not easy. There is always some fire I have to put out. But I would not change it. Not one bit of it. I am so thankful for my life, my family and my Fancy Friends for believing in me enough to trust Fancy Free with your hair and skin.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you fancy and free of chemicals." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

Visit www.fancyfreehairandskin.com to subscribe to our mailing list. Become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 10% off your next purchase.

Iontrustit

I started making Fancy Free Hair & Skin's signature product, Whipped Shea for Hair & Skin, back in 2012 because there weren't many options for my thick, kinky hair. The list was short. Miss Jessie's 😕 Kinky Kurly 😝 And Ashea 😐 I called headquarters of Miss Jessie's to ask about the mineral oil listed as the first ingredient (meaning that was the main ingredient) and they assured me that they only use the finest of organic mineral oil. 😦 As a scientist, I was appalled by this response because mineral oil is a by product of petroleum. How can you have organic vaseline? BYE MISS JESSIE'S!!! The Kinky Kurly clumped my curls nicely but left my hair sticky and sometimes flaky. The ingredients of the Ashea was what I needed but it was waxy and I had to microwave a little so it would be soft and not leave clumps of product in my hair. I eventually said "Forget this" and started whipping my own. The rest is history.

So before I get into what I don't trust, let's get into some data because....well....I'm a scientist and I like numbers and data. African-American women spend 9 times more than any other group on haircare products. Relaxer sales have dropped almost 40% between 2012-2017. The natural haircare industry is valued at $2.54 billion. That does not include extensions and other haircare products. Let that sink in. Forty percent of the group that spends the most on haircare products are no longer spending their money with companies that sell products for relaxed hair. That leaves the door wide open for small, apothecary businesses like Fancy Free Hair & Skin.

Most businesses assess sales and revenues to adjust marketing as needed. So what do you think those fortune 500 companies who were selling trash products to the largest consumer of haircare products noticed? You've got it. A decline in sales. So they made changes to their products added "natural hair" product lines. A few claimed to hire some African-American cosmetologists to their research and development teams. At the very least, they changed the labeling and packaging to be more in line with what "naturals" are attracted to. Don't be fooled. Fancy doesn't trust it and neither should you. Here is my assessment of the whole ordeal.

THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US, OUR HAIR, OR OUR HEALTH! ONLY OUR MONEY!!! They've been knowingly using carcinogenic ingredients and chemicals in our products for decades and only claim to have made changes recently. Let's take a closer look, shall we. 

Here are the ingredients for Suave's for Natural Hair Moisturizing Curl Conditioner. 

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, Dimethicone, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Amodimethicone, Potassium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether, Cetrimonium Chloride, PEG-180M, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool

Petrolatum is the third ingredient. Look how far down on the list coconut oil and shea butter are. That essentially means they threw a little bit in there so they could say it's in there but nothing significant. A lot of products use petrolatum and mineral oil because it's cheap and effective. But let's call it what it is. Water, vaseline, 3 drops of coconut oil, one teaspoon of shea butter, emulsifier to hold it together and some preservatives. There aren't any huge changes to the formula. How else can they sell this for $5 with a shelf life of however many years?

I'm not going to get into the hazards of a couple of these ingredients, just know that they're in there.....still. Marketed to us. Black women. We're just trying to maintain our black girl magical hair and health. DASSIT. Fancy Free Hair & Skin puts a lot of thoughts and love into our formulas to offer the highest quality ingredients that are effective and low cost because we care. THEY just want your money. That's why iontrustit.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you fancy and free of chemicals." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

Visit www.fancyfreehairandskin.com to subscribe to our mailing list. Become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 10% off your next purchase.

If It Ain't Broke

When I launched my iFundWomen fundraiser, my plan was to increase marketing budget to increase revenue. Simple. I raised the money and found a marketing team that had great ideas. We got our marketing plan together and started to revamp the Fancy Free brand by emphasizing my role as a scientist behind the products with real knowledge. So we got busy getting things in order. I launched the Fancy Free Hair Profile quiz which allowed women to categorize their hair styling preferences and we would provide instructions on how to use Fancy Free products based on the styling preference. The rationale behind this is that no one really understands all of the natural hair "jargon" that's out there. Low porosity, 4c, blah blah blah. None of that really matters if you keep your hair in a weave most of the time.

Then I decided, without really consulting anyone, that I was going to spruce up the website. Give it a fresh clean look to celebrate being a full-time entrepreneur for one year. I looked at some website themes that I liked. Had the Fancy Free team vote on it. Purchased it. Hired someone to transfer all of my data. Went back and forth with the contracted developer. Did my own tweaking and then finally, it was time to launch.

I took a nap and woke up around 1a so that I could flip the switch and do some testing to make sure everything was working properly. And what happened? You guessed it. All hell broke loose. Well, not really hell, but nothing was going as anticipated.

First thing, my new, upgraded website that I had been working on it for a little over a month, wouldn't go live for whatever reason. I kept getting error messages. *sigh* I wasn't sure if it was my internet connection (Xfinity is known for being janky), my computer (It is 4 years old, so it might be time for an upgrade), or my browser (I always use Chrome, so this was a first). I figured it out, switched browsers and got the new website up and running. Then I went to test it....

Everything was trash. It was really slow to load (a BIG no no for shopping online). None of my vital add on functions were working with the theme. To be clear, I tested the website prior to going live but I was told that the functions I was looking for could only be seen went it was live. 🙄 The product pictures were distorted. There was information and stats visible to customers that shouldn't have been. It was all just trash. So, I made an executive decision to just go back to my old website. I updated the pictures and few other things. It worked fine. Everything was functioning properly. All by a little after 4a. Yaaaaayyy!!! *insert sarcasm*

Lesson: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Sometimes we want to upgrade for the sake of upgrading. Even when the version you're using is working perfectly fine. It could be a phone, car, house, whatever. Making HUGE changes can cost lots of money and time. Save the money, spend your time working on something else because small tweeks and improvements can be just as effective as large overhauls, without the headache.
I spent hundreds of dollars and over 1 month working on something that turned out to be useless while the current version was working just fine.

Lesson learned. I get it now. Before I dive into making a huge "improvement", I will ask myself. Is what you're using working? Can you make improvements to your current process without replacing it? Is it necessary? This entrepreneurship life ain't no crystal stair but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 10% off your next purchase. 

That Time I Had To Eat My Words

In between clients, we would rehearse Beyonce choreography.
Ok. Maybe we would just pause in the middle of a client.
#GoodTimes

One of the reasons for cosmetology education is to train stylists how to use chemicals safely with minimal damage to the hair shaft. I think my natural hair clients loved me because I essentially did what the client told me worked for their hair. Mainly because I didn't know any better, I had a relaxer at the time. LOL! If they brought their own products, I used them. From aloe vera gel and squeezing real lemons to S-curl activator. Yes, jheri curl juice. She liked the results so who was I to say no?

So, when I cut the last of my relaxed ends off of my curly roots, I was on the internet like everyone else looking to see what were the best products. The first product I bought was TRASH. Everyone was raving about so I couldn't wait to try it. My curls were popping but the next day, I had a head full of flakes. I looked at the ingredients and the first ingredient on the product was mineral oil. I clutched my pearls.

"Isn't mineral oil one of the big product no-no's?"

"Someone said that this product was different after they started mass production."

"This product says "natural" but is mineral oil considered natural?"

http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/mineral-oil-0

As a scientist, I had a ton of questions. As a disappointed customer, I was going directly to the source. So I called the company's headquarters. I asked how this product is legally labeled natural but the first ingredient is mineral oil. The person on the other end of the line tried to explain to me that it was "organic" mineral oil. FIRST OF ALL!!!!

1. Mineral oil is not from a plant source so it's not FDA approved organic.

2. If you are referring to it as organic because it has a "carbon" in the molecule structure, I doubt that the average person would consider a derivative of crude oil "organic" in the way that products are labeled as such.

If you knew the 30 y.o. me, you know I went off, running down my credentials and telling them that they should be ashamed of themselves for misleading uninformed consumers in this manner. Then I hung up and promptly returned that product to target for a full refund.

My very first pitch competition!

Seven years later, I've made a business of manufacturing quality products for hair and skin using organic ingredients. We are in exponential growth phase and applying to every opportunity for funding that we qualify for. With that comes finding a way to present your business information to a group of investors that grabs their attention. You have to entertain and spark emotions all while giving boring statistics. iFundWomen hired a coach to help the Maryland Cohort prepare for the Innovation Labs Pitch Competition at Baltimore's Light City Festival. I also read a plethora of books on how to give great business pitches. In short, tell stories that include the data to keep the investors interested. Of course, my story that communicated the "problem" with the current state of products for natural hair care was going to include my personal experience with the trash, mineral oil product.

http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/mineral-oil-0

But you can't just say, mineral oil is bad, you have to give the facts on why, just like we do with aluminum in deodorant causing breast cancer. So, as a scientist, I did the research and do you know what I came up with? Crickets. There was nothing that said mineral oil in hair products was bad for you. No causing cancer. No flaring up of existing skin conditions. No causing of skin conditions. Nothing. I began to dig deeper, as a member of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists, I looked into the studies of mineral oil and petroleum in hair and skin care products. Studies show that it is more effective and longer lasting at "clumping" hair, what we all want for our wash and go days, than most other oils commonly used in hair products.

2 day old vaseline Wash and Go

Of course, I gave it a try. My 2 year old son wears a wash and go, so, after shampooing his hair. I applied a little Free Shea Pomade then worked some good ole vaseline through his hair. And voila! It worked....even better than the flax seed gel I had been experimenting with. 🙈
Disclaimer: Any product that is mainly oil must be applied to wet or damp hair and skin to be effective. The purpose is the seal the moisture, aka water, in. Otherwise, the product will sit on top of your dry skin and you will have oily but dry skin or hair. LOL!

One of the things I take into account when developing new products is that I choose ingredients that are of the earth and can be eaten. And mineral oil can, in fact, be consumed. It's often used as a laxative, an old school solution if you don't have Miralax. Do not worry, I will not be to using mineral oil or petroleum as an ingredient in any of Fancy Free products but I just wanted to let you know, just in case you found a product that you love with mineral oil as a main ingredient. It's ok. You may proceed. LOL!

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 10% off your next purchase. 

12 Months An Entrepreneur

Standard
"This Meeting
Could've Been an Email"
Face

Today marks one full year since I said my goodbyes to everything I had known as a career from 2004-2017. When I graduate from University of Maryland's Department of Medical and Research Technology in 2004, I was set on my career path. I would work in a blood bank, become a Specialist in Blood Bank, manage a blood bank and then, eventually, become a director of a laboratory. Boy, was I wrong. You see, about 2 years in to my Blood Bank management position, my director went on vacation and left me in charge of the entire lab. That changed my entire perspective on what I wanted to do with my life and it was not that. Endless meetings, constant phone calls, 750 emails/day, deescalating trivial personnel issues. No. Absolutely not. I decided to focus on being the best blood bank manager and teach future medical laboratory science. That was good for me.

The 5Linx Gang Sign

Then in 2013, something happened. I got bored. A friend of mine had been asking me to come look at his "business opportunity". (Y'all know what that's code for. LOL!) He had always been pretty business savvy and appeared to be financially successful, so I looked at it, it made sense to me at the time, so I got involved. That one decision to participate in one of those "Pyramid Schemes" changed my perspective on life. $100,000 annual salary was no longer enough if I could make that in a month from home. ( Yes. I know. That is extreme but I saw people doing it.) I began immersing myself in personal development and learning beginner marketing skills. I was changing for the better. My eyes had been opened and I wanted a better quality of life. I did not want to spend my summer days in my corner office with no windows staring at a computer screen, only to come home as the sun was setting so I couldn't enjoy our unheated pool like I wanted to. I no longer wanted to be obligated to take phone calls at all times of the night. I no longer wanted to deal with mediocrity for the sake of status quo only to have to write a thesis to justify why I deserve a 2.5% salary increase when cost of living is increasing 3%, easy.

We were a dynamic duo
in direct sales.

I set out to build my direct sales business, at first, as something to do but then to change my quality of life. But, things happened. My husband and I started having arguments over it and then some major changes in the company's compensation plan left the opportunity less profitable than it had been in the past. The beauty in the situation was that I had grown as a person and I had also learned that I could, in fact, run a successful business.

While building my network marketing team, I had started selling a product that I had been making for myself and family for about two years. I never thought of selling my own products as a business until someone close to me put it plain and simple,"This is good. Sell this." So I started selling it. Hahahahahhaha!!!

I started small. My packaging was deli cold food storage containers. I printed on surplus paper labels I could find in my office supply cabinet. I designed the labels myself. I did not have a website. After about a month, I graduated to an Etsy page and 4 months later I had a real website. That first year was funny. I made so many improvements and spent most of my money on getting things in order. I think I did alright for myself because the second year in business, my profits increase by 500%. That means, I made 5 times what I made in the first year.

The FIRST Fancy Free Samples. TRASH! 🤣

To put that into perspective for you, in the first year, I became pregnant. While pregnant, working full time and building a network marketing business, I was selling my product, Fancy Free Shea Pomade for Hair & Skin. The second year, I was working full time, had a baby and was selling my products. When I looked at the numbers with my husband, I thought to myself "If I accomplished this with all that I had going on, imagine if I gave Fancy Free Hair & Skin my full attention." At that point, I had negotiated a half time situation at work but working half time was becoming more of a hassle than anything. So, I learned more about money, by listening to financial experts like Suze Orman and Tony Robbins, and figured out a way for us to be able to live off of one income, my husband's income. This way, I could quit my job and not worry about losing the house and having food. LOL!

March 30, 2017. Last day of work.

And on March 30, 2017, I left healthcare for good.

Here we are, one year later and I'm still standing. Fancy Free Hair & Skin grew an additional 300% in it's third year, with most of the growth occurring when I dived in head first as a full time entrepreneur. Since leaving my job, I was able to:

• Develop and successfully launch 6 completely new products
• Improve my website
• Raise $8,110 through iFundWomen crowdfunding fundraiser
• Revamp my brand and market position strategy
• Hire support staff and contracted staff
• Write a business plan
• Apply for endless competitions and grants
• Network and collaborate with some amazing women in the business world

But my personal life is also so much better. Let me count the ways....

1. I am happier
   Yes, entrepreneurship is an emotional roller coaster. BUT I now have control over my destiny and my income. It's like controlled chaos, if that makes sense. I can choose who is in my space. Being able to protect your energy is a huge source of power and happiness.
2. I am a better wife because I'm happier
   I no longer come home with lingering stress and irritations from dealing with the woahs of a stagnant work environment. I actually listen to my husband when he's talking instead of waiting for my turn to vent. And, most importantly, I am not as tired at "night".😜
3. I have can spend more focused time with my son
   No stressing when daycare is closed or he needs to stay home when he's sick. While I am more productive when he's not here, I have the ability to shuffle my workload so that I can give him the undivided attention he needs, deserves...and demands. He don't play that multitasking stuff and has been known to smack phones out of hands.
4. I am healthier
   My days are no longer at the mercy of meetings and anticipated start times. While, keeping myself on a schedule is a work in progress, I do not have to forego my morning self care routine (fitness, meditation and personal development) if I oversleep, I just simple get started a little later than normal. Because of that, my mental and physical health has improved.
5. I have lost weight
   I no longer sit at a desk for the majority of my 8 hour work day. I am moving around. I drink more water. I eat healthier because there is no vending machine or random candy jar (I know everyone has a colleague at the office with the candy jar). I have been able to lose my baby fat and keep it off.

Retiring from what I knew to venture into the unknown has been more of a blessing than I could ever have imagined. If your side business is growing and quitting your job has been in the back of your mind, make a plan and do it! JUST DO IT! The timing will never be right. Your situation will never be perfect. You have to just take the leap when your spirit says "It's time." This road is a rough one but if you have the mental stamina and a BOMB support team, like I do, you and your business will be better for it.

The Fancy Free Team
Supportive parents, in-laws, aunties, uncles, friends, family and framily not shown.
Photographer: Kyle Pompey
Janky Editing: Yours Truly

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend to receive a code for 10% off your next purchase. 

The Best Products to Promote Hair Growth

Long locs of love. That's what you want. That's what a lot of women are seeking when they are
caring for their hair. Hair care companies know this and they market their products to you based on this. I'm sorry but I have bad news. I hate to break it to you but products do not make your hair grow longer. That's right! They are LYING TO YOU just to make a couple dollars. Aren't you so glad you found me?

As a scientist, I know the biology behind it. Growing up in a salon and having many years of natural hair care experience, I can tell you with all honesty that everyone's hair grows. The length it grows is determined by genetics. The hair follicle is genetically programmed to grow to a certain length before it sheds from the follicle or hair root. Most people shed 50-80 strands of hair per day. Yes. Biotin and other supplements do promote hair growth. TOTAL BODY hair growth. You may see more/thicker hair but if you're not taking care of it and yourself properly, the length will stay the same.

So why isn't you're hair getting longer? In my experience, people who feel like their hair isn't growing are probably experience breakage before it grows to it's maximum length. So, I have a few tips to maximize hair growth that doesn't include buying products....unless you'd like to buy Fancy Free products. I'm totally fine with that. LOL!

5 Tips To Grow Your Hair
1. Drink water

Dry hair is brittle. Brittle hair is more likely to break before it reaches maximum length. Yes, you can apply moisturizing products but water is the best moisturizer. Let it come from the inside. Take your weight and divide it in half. That's how many ounces of water you should be drinking daily. For example: If you weigh 150 lbs., you should drink 75 ounces of water each day. If drinking that much water is overwhelming, try drinking the bulk of it in the morning as soon as you wake up and sipping through out the day. I have taken to drinking flavored sparkling water to break up the monotony. Drink your water however you like but drink it. Your body and hair love it.

2. Take a multi-vitamin and eat right.

My morning routine along with the capsules

There may be nutrients that you aren't getting from your diet. Take a daily multi-vitamin. I have one that I prefer. The whole family takes it. Avoid processed foods. They are full of preservatives and lab experiments. If it doesn't grow from the earth or come from a butcher, avoid eating it. Jehovah has place everything we need on this earth. Processed foods tend to be high in calories and low in the nutrients that we need for our bodies to function properly. I try to get well rounded meals by using the
following guidelines:

• 4 servings of protein
• 4 servings of green vegetables
• 4 servings of fruit
• 3 servings of unprocessed carbs (sweet potato, corn, carrots, etc.)
• 1 serving of oil or grain (I use 2 tablespoons of flax seed meal in my morning smoothie to cover this)

Now, I'm not strict with this. I do have the occasional slice of cake or piece of candy but this is my guideline.

3. Let your scalp breathe.
Just like every living thing needs water to survive, it also needs oxygen. Shampooing your hair regularly cleanses the scalp of residue from products and sweat allowing oxygen into your hair follicles. If you like to wear weave, make sure you are getting to that scalp with a witch hazel swab or something. Avoid shampoos that dry the hair out because, remember, dry hair tends to break due to damage more often than moisturized hair. I recommend Apple Cider Vinegar rinse (Click HERE for ACV Rinse instructions) for the scalp, followed by a sulfate free shampoo (if you must shampoo), and/or a conditioner (Conditioners can be used in place of shampoo. They have cleansing properties without the drying effects). Make sure you read the ingredients of your shampoo before your buy it. Some products will claim "Sulfate free" on the front but the ingredients include a derivative of sulphate in them.

4. Keep your hair moisturized.
Yes. You are drinking half of your body weight in water daily. Now, we have to address the products. If you are using products that are oil based, like Fancy Free Shea Pomade, and other shea butter products or oils, these should only be applied to wet or damp hair. Why? Well, they are designed to seal moisture - aka water - into hair. When oil based products are applied to dry hair, it's just oil sitting on top of dry hair. Water based products, like Fancy Free Milk, have water in them and can be applied to dry hair as a moisturizer. Again, pay attention to the ingredients on products that you're buying. Ingredients like mineral oil and petrolatum are not designed to moisturize and can actually leave your hair feeling more dry than it did before you used it.

5. Use "low manipulation" styling techniques.
KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF YOUR HAIR!!!  I can't say this enough. Have a professional install your weave. Find a style and products that work for your hair so you don't have to re-twist or roller set your hair more than 2 times a week. Only detangle damp or wet hair. If you want super long hair, let your hair loc. Have you ever noticed that people with locs have the longest hair? That's because locs are low manipulations. You're only twisting the newest hair, at the roots. And those 50-80 strands that shed everyday? Well, they're literally loc'd in. So the hair appears to grow longer because those strands that would normally come out in the comb or brush are still attached.

All hair textures can grow long. I've seen it. I am a witness. It just takes learning your hair and sticking to your routine. One bad heat styling experience can ruin all of your hard work. It's like losing weight. You can diet and exercise but if you don't make the required lifestyle changes, the weight will begin to creep back on. Nourish your hair and it will grow long and flowing, no matter how kinky the coils are.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

Subscribe and become Fancy's Friend 

Updated: Fancy Hair 2017

Back in 2014, I wrote a blog about how I style my hair and what products I use (Click HERE to read that). I've added a few styles and changed some of the products I use.

I wear my hair natural. That means, I don't process it with chemicals to straighten it. I just let it flourish in it's kinky element. It's so funny to me because when I think my hair looks crazy, I get the most compliments. I get approached by hair admirers proclaiming that they wish they could wear their hair natural. I also get a lot of questions about my hair. Often from women who are trying to figure their own hair out. The most common questions I get are what products I use and what do I do to it when I style it. My cousin told me that I should start a separate hair blog, but quite honestly, I don't do enough to my hair to warrant a whole blog about it. I figured I post sporadically post hair stuff among the rest of my blogging.

In true "Fancy" fashion, these rules about how I view my hair and how I treat it still apply. Here we go:

1. I let my hair be great. Sometimes it's fluffy, sometimes it's bushy. I don't fuss over it. I don't try to make sure every strand is in place. I don't try to make my hair look like someone else's. All of our hair textures are different. I have about 4 different textures and curl patterns in my own head. It's all in your mindset.
2. Moisture is the most important player when dealing with kinky hair. Keep your hair moisturized.....not oily. Just want to reiterate this. Water moisturizes. Apply oil to seal moisture/water into your hair or skin. Otherwise the oil will just sit on top of the dry hair.
3. Experiment to find out what works for you. Experiment with styling and products. What's good for one person doesn't necessarily work for someone else.
4. STAY WOKE and read the ingredients on the products you're buying. Avoid products with the following ingredients. These ingredients dry your hair which lead to breakage. ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, MINERAL OIL & PETROLATUM, PEG, PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG), SODIUM LAURYL SUFATE (SLS) & SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES), CHLORINE, DEA (diethanolamine) MEA (momoethnanolamine) TEA (triethanolamine), FD & C Color PIGMENTS, FRAGRANCE, and IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA and DMDM HYDANTOIN.

Up Do

My hair routine is very simple, I don't use a whole plethora of products and I actually don't spend that much time doing my hair. It can seem like a long time but it's less than or equal to the amount of time people spend in the salon.

Cleansing and Conditioning
I am very active. I used to work out 3-4 days/week, now it's 4-5 days and I still sweat...a lot. So it's very important for me to get to my scalp and get rid of the build up. In the summer I may shampoo weekly but mostly every 2 weeks. When I've been swimming, I shampoo using a sulfate free shampoo. Make sure you read the ingredients. All things labeled sulfate free are not. When I don't swim, I do an Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinse. Essentially, I section my hair and, using a spray bottle, I spray the ACV on my scalp and massage my scalp with my finger tips, not my nails. Then, I spray it on the length of my hair. This will loosen up the dirt and build up without drying it out like shampoo does. I twist plait each section as I go because my hair is super thick, getting long and out of control. LOL! Rinse. Then I do a co-wash. A co-wash is when you use conditioner instead of shampoo like you're washing it. I do the same thing I did with the ACV. Massaging my scalp and re-twisting plaiting. Rinse and repeat. If I'm deep conditioning, I apply the conditioner to the length of my hair. Sometimes I put a conditioner cap on....sometimes I don't. Rinse. I'm ready to style.

Wet Twist Out

Styling

My go-to style is a twist out. That works for me. In the summer, I twist it wet and pin it up into a style for a couple days. Then take it out when it's completely dry. In the winter, I alternate with dry twist outs and wet twist outs. The dry twist out tends to last longer. I can get about 3 weeks of styles from a dry twist out. Just witch hazel my scalp when it gets a little itchy.

Wet Twist Out: Results in tight, long lasting curls.
I don't have to spend time detangling because I did that while I was shampooing and conditioning. That also decreases the chances that my hair will dry out while I'm twisting. I take one section at a time, spray some leave in conditioner apply Fancy Free Milk and comb it through. Then I apply the shea butter pomade that I make in my kitchen Fancy Free Pomade and comb it through. Two strand twist to the ends. Dassit.

Twist Out After Blow Drying: Results in loose curls that may require re-twisting every other night or super BIG hair.

Faux Hawk

Sit under a hood dryer to let all the excess water dry. Spray with leave in conditioner. Apply a little bit of my homemade pomade Fancy Free Pomade to each section. Then blow dry each section on low heat until it's no longer damp. For straighter hair, I may hit it on high for a couple seconds but not too much. I don't want to have heat damage. All dry, I part into sections and get to twisting. I spray a little mist of water and apply a creamy pomade  Fancy Free Milk as I twist to give structure to the twist. I might even spray the ends a little so they curl and the twist will stay in.

Up Do:

I don't do them often. They require daily up keep and I'm not about that life.

Flexi-Rod Set: After shampooing and conditioning, I use Fancy Free Milk for Hair & Skin to detangle and a small amount of Fancy Free Shea Pomade for Hair & Skin while my hair is still damp. I may braid or plait my hair to air dry for a few hours or days (depending on my life at the time), then blow dry on low heat. Once my hair is completely dry, I do one or two passes with the blow drier on high heat. Once dry, I section my hair in 1-2 inch section, spray a tiny mist of water on the section. I start with the end and 🤔🤔🤔🤔 (I can't think of another way to describe it) twist the hair around the flexi rod while rolling it. Confusing? If you watch the video it will make perfect sense.

High Bun: My new favorite since my hair has gotten longer. It's my "formal" up do. LOL!

Halo Braid: Also one of my new favorites for right after blow drying and I'm not sure how I want to wear my hair.

Dry Twist Out

Maintenance
Keeping your ends trimmed is important. I get my ends trimmed every 3-4 months. My stylist usually just blow dries and trims that way. I only get it straightened once a year, maybe twice. Straight hair requires too much attention for me and my hectic life as a medical professional mother of a toddler and entrepreneur. Plus, it can cause heat damage if you're not careful. For a naturalista, heat damage is indicated by the straight hair when it should be curly. My twist out gets stuffed in a bonnet at night and fluffed out in the morning. Dassit. LOL!

Hair Product Details

After trial and error I have found that these things work best for me. This is so funny to me. I hardly use any of these products anymore.

• Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse: 1 part ACV and 3 parts filtered water
• Sei Bella Ultra-Luxury Moisture Shampoo
• Affinia Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner for co-wash
• Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Co-Wash Conditioning Cleanser 
• Sei Bella Luxury Ultra-Luxury Creme Conditioner for deep condition
• Sei Bella Hair Repair Masque for deep condition
• Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque for deep condition
• Sei Bella Leave In Detangling & Smoothing Spray
• Babaob Heal & Repair Shampoo - ColorProof
• Shea Moisture Sacha Inchi Oil Curl Defining Smoothie (used as a conditioner)
• Fancy Free Milk for Hair & Skin (leave-in/detangler)
• This is my original shea pomade recipe. I have added olive oil and my "secret ingredient" and now it is perfection. Feel free to make your own using this recipe. Or just click HERE to buy it from me. LOL! Homemade Shea Butter Pomade: 1 cup of raw shea butter and 1/2 cup of jojoba oil. Whip it in the mixer until it appears "whipped". Then add a 1/2 cup coconut oil. Let it mix longer. The coconut oil will make it even more "whipped". 
• I used to buy fragranced shea butter from the Patapsco Flea market (long story behind why I stopped buying from them). I divide the tub in fours and use one fourth of the tub for each batch of pomade I make.
• My hair is thick and kinky, so I need lots of moisture. Feel free to add or subtract ingredients based on what your hair needs.
• I also make the same exact recipe using a different flavor for my skin. I've replaced cocoa butter with my own concoction.

Up do

I guess I can be considered a natural hair stylist. In my former life, I used to work in a salon as a natural hairstylist. If you would like individual coaching through your process, I would love to help you. Visit my website to set up a natural hair consult.

Until next time....let your hair flourish in it's natural state or pass this on to someone looking for guidance in what to do with their natural hair.

Milkshake Brings Naturals To The Yard

I created Fancy Free Shea Pomade for Hair & Skin for me and my kinky hair. I couldn't find any shea butter based products that smelled good and were easy to work with an any store. However, as I've become a business woman of sorts, my market research has shown that some prefer a milky/creamy moisturizer for their hair and skin over a body butter. While most Fancy Free faithfuls love the Shea Pomade in the cooler month, they were looking for something lighter in the warm weather. Say no more, I present Fancy Free Milk for Hair & Skin.

The Milk is not as heavy as the Shea Pomade. In fact, the main ingredient is water. This means that you can apply it to dry hair and skin for moisture. What's super cool about the Milk is that we are able to provide a natural alternative to sunscreen with raspberry seed oil as one of the ingredients. Raspberry seed oil offers SPF protection of 25 - 50 SPF. Combined with the SPF protection of coconut oil and shea butter of 4 - 6 SPF each, it's safe to say the Milk will protect your hair and skin from damaging UV rays while you enjoy fun in the sun.

I don't think y'all understand how excited I am about this product. I have been working on it for over a year. More than 52 weeks. 365 days and then some. With the main ingredient being water, and considering oil and water don't mix, I spent a lot of time figuring out the right ingredients and the right manufacturing technique. I legit had to break out my lab notebook. My family were probably sick of me giving them "lotion" that was too thick to squeeze out of the bottle. LOL! But we did it! I say "we" because I wouldn't have been able to do it without their honest feedback and input on texture, smell, shape and color of the bottle, squeeze versus pump...I could go on. They were right. It all came together. 

The final step in this process was to test the whole SPF protection thing out in the real world. I did my research. But sometimes things work in the lab that don't work in the real world. I needed to test but, I'm a small business owner, I do not have lab animals to test my new products on. But I do have friends. LOL! So, I made small batches for them to use while we were on vacation in the Dominican Republic.  I must say, I did not burn while using the Fancy Free Milk. I did tan though.

Nothing brings a business owner more joy than successfully completing a project than completing a project that required them to fight through failure after failure before getting it right. I will be honest and say that it took me so long because I would get frustrated and give up on it for weeks, even months, at a time. The techniques I had to learn to make this work took me out of my comfort zone. But the sense of accomplishment I get when one of my most harsh critics says "This is nice!" makes it all worth while.

My intention was to have the Milk ready for the beginning of the summer but it wasn't quite right and Fancy doesn't do mediocre. I tweak until I get it right and even after that, I'm still adjusting and improving. There's always room for improvement. So, here it is...the Milk. Check out the details and let me know what you think.

Fancy Free Milk for Hair & Skin is a organic shea butter, oils blended with distilled water for a high quality, creamy moisturizer for hair and skin. It offers SPF protection without zinc oxide or other harsh chemicals. Shipping with both a pump and flip top cap for your convenience.

The fresh scent is an invigorating blend of lemon zest, spearmint and eucalyptus softened by rain kissed blossoms and sheer musk. If you like Bath & Body Works' Eucalyptus Tea scent, you'll love Fancy Free Milk.



The Ingredients

• Distilled water: The ultimate moisturizer

• Organic Shea Butter: Seals moisture in, SPF 4-6

• Coconut Oil: Seals moisture in and has a soothing effect, SPF 4-6

• Olive Oil: Hydrates skin and has anti-aging antioxidants

• Raspberry Seed Oil: SPF 25-50

• Emulsified Wax: Because oil and water don't mix. This ingredient keeps it all together

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin is the manufacturer of quality products for hair and skin. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

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