I remember it like it was yesterday… I had this friend; his name was Allyn.

 He came over to my apartment one day while I was relaxing my hair and complaining about how bad my scalp was burning. Allyn is White and was something like my high school BFF; our birthdays were a few days apart and we just clicked so effortlessly. So that day Allyn came over and asked me why I would do that to my hair if it was burning my scalp so bad lol. Immediately I thought to myself, so my hair could be straight… duh… but I didn’t say that. I’m actually not sure of the reason I told him but I remember thinking long and hard about his question.

The answer that had come to my mind immediately was all of a sudden not good enough for me anymore. My scalp burned every time I put it in but I knew that if I rinsed it too early, my hair wouldn’t be as straight as I wanted it; so I let it burn for as long as I could take it. I was a broke college student and couldn’t afford to go to the salon twice a month to get my hair relaxed and treated properly, and quite frankly, I just didn’t really know how to care for my relaxed hair on my own. And… it showed, my split ends and damaged roots was proof!

So, fast forward about a year later… BIG CHOP! I cut off my hair and decided to embrace my natural roots. 

Well.. that was cute for a while. But, I didn’t realize how much work went into caring for natural hair… Like omg what am I going to with this hair?! Sew-ins, glue-ins, braids, braid-outs, twist-outs, wash n gos… this list goes on. It was exhausting and I was sick of it.

During this time I was also going through somewhat of a spiritual journey; totally obsessed with Damian Marley and thought for sure I was a Rasta and belonged in Jamaica. So… for my twenty fifth birthday, I decided to ditch the ‘fro and start my locs. I booked a flight to Kingston, Jamaica and was ready to be amongst other Rasta people.

(I’m so serious.. LOL).

The day before my flight, I called up my homie and asked him who started his locs. He linked me with a woman named Denise in Ft. Lauderdale; I booked my appointment, and the rest is history.

I thought I was in the clear with my hair. I thought I had won the battle. But no…

I was losing, again!!!! Like WTF. How hard could it be to maintain locs?! I had a ton of lint stuck in my hair and my locs started breaking at the ends and roots because I wasn’t properly caring for them.

At this point, I was making some money and knew that I needed a professional. My best girlfriend referred me to her loctician here in Orlando. TamK aka iTwistOrlando took me in as a client and explained to me that caring for locs is just as much maintenance if not more than loose natural or relaxed hair. I was completely dumbfounded and realized that my hair journey had come full circle.

Long story short, since – I’ve been getting my hair cared for using K. Essential’s Hydra Moisture Duo by my loctician TamK and wow… this is my favorite hair care product and the ONLY products I use on my locs. I’ve noticed a drastic difference in the health and look of my hair!

I try to use this duo everyday or every other day to keep my hair feeling and looking good. I start with the hydrating mist just to soften my locs and give them a boost; then I follow up with the oil to seal in the moisture. It’s literally the perfect way to give your hair a pick me up in between salon visits.

K. Essentials Hydra Moisture Duo is 100% natural and is good for all hair types including loose natural hair, twist or braids! If I didn’t have locs I would definitely use this product. The best part of it is that it smells amazing!!

My 8-year + natual hair journey hasn’t been the easiest but it has definitely made me feel the most beautiful. To have my natural hair grow long and beautifully the way it has without putting weird chemicals or extensions in it is truly liberating. No shade to anyone using a relaxer or wearing weave; to each their own… No matter your choice, healthy hair is always the goal!

How has your hair journey been and what are your favorite products?