Mixed Race Hair

[KatieMac]

If I start it here they can move it to the right place (If they decide to start a topic (& ever decide what to call it))

where do I start......

[motherinferior]

I keep contemplating this thread re my very, very curly dd1's hair.

[LipstickMum]

I am still struggling to find a product for my mixed afro/european hair, let alone my dd's!

Her's just seems to be'curly' her dad is european. But I can't find anything either. I wash it once a week, but only because we go to swimming lessons then. When it's wet I put pink oil in it (which is what I use) and that gives nice curls, but is too heavy to use every day.

I used to have my head pattred as a child, dd doesn't, her hair is not afro looking really.

[mieow]

misdee, they is a hair care stall in Stevenage indoor market

[Uhu]

This is fascinating. Strangers always comment on my twin DSs hair and sometimes they even touch their hair. I think it is very rude because they are not performing monkeys.

A recent issue of Black Hair and Beauty magazine did a feature on mixed race hair so if you can find it, it should help. Their website is www.blackbeautyandhair.com.

[toky]

Can't find that article Uhu but this is useful - not specifically mixed race, but specific to kids and includes advice for mixed-race hair

[mammya]

I used to use products for afro hair, tried several but settled on BabyLove as the ones with least horrid smell, but have grown concerned at the amount of chemicals in these products. Now I just use a detangling baby shampoo (l'oreal at the mo)every fortnight or so, and desert essence tea tree oil conditioner (also good nit repellent apparently!) which I don't rinse out and then have a good combing & plaiting session. The plaits or cornrows (depends how dextrous I am feeling!) stay until they look too messy and then I let her have an afro till the next shampoo. When she's got an afro I just run my fingers in her hair with a little conditioner every morning. That's when we get lots of disaproving looks from black women but I don't care, I love her hair when it's left natural . ONce in a while when she won't sit still for combing/plaiting I threaten a haircut which calms her right down!

[JuniperDewdrop]

Congrats on your topic!!

I used to use Redken's moisturising products on afro hair when hairdressing. They're expensive but they're very concentrated so you don't need to use much. The ph is perfect for hair whereas if you do a ph test on Johnson's products, yikes!! They're baby shampoo is the right ph for eyes not hair so that if it goes in them it doesn't sting.

[Poshpaws]

Mammya, my sis uses L'Oreal products on her children's hair as well.
Stuff what some Black women think - sometimes you can't win what you do with your mixed race children. And I should know- I am a Black woman with a mixed race child. Oh the shame and treachery

The shampoo I was trying to remember the name of yesterday is Soft and Precious.

[moosh]

Have boys so am lucky. Only hacve ds 8 months hardly any hair but ds1 (4yrs) had tons of it. He would scream when I tried to comb it so when he got to 2.5 yrs I began shaving it regulary every 6 weeks. I am sooooooo glad I haven't got girls I wouldn't be able to make my hair look neat. My own hair is a mess!!!!

[moosh]

Saying that when ds1 was younger and had lush curly hair, I used Loreal s/poo for curly hair but I would rub Lusters PCJ Oil Creame for children. It would keep his hair really soft and well conditioned. I still use it now after I have shaved his head.

[Cha]

My dd has soft brown curls but her hair is quite dry and 'puffy' (hairdresser's term, not mine)especially at the back of her head. When she wakes up in the mornings she looks like the Mad Professor. I tried all sorts of hair products (ranging from olive oil to Frizz ease hair serum) but she always looked like she had wet look gel in her hair, not a good look. Then one day my sister left her expensive hair product behind (she is the kind of sister who takes extraordinarily good care of her hair, unlike me) and went back to the States where she was then living. I tried a little on dd's hair and it was WONDERFUL. It transformed the wild bush into soft, managable curls in an instant and dried without leaving her hair 'crispy'. The name of the product is vitapro fusion leave-in hair treatment, and is a spray in conditioner. All the ingredients are organic - and I mean that - not one single sodium polymorphism or laurthe sulphante or PEG 3 or whatever chemicals we douse our hair in (yes, I am one of those sad people who peruse the ingredient list of bath products whilst lazily soaking) - it is all water and oils - rosemary, nettle, thyme, lavender etc etc. I sprayed it on every morning when I had combed the knots out and it never built up and her hair always smelt lovely. In fact the only time I wash her hair is when she gets nits. Another thread all together.

This wonder stuff is made by a company called Giovanni and as far as my extensive research goes (emailing their website to ask if they sold in the UK - no reply), it is only available in the States. I used to get my sister to buy me bottles of the stuff whenever she came home but now she has returned to England for good and our last bottle has come to an end...... Anyone out there know if I can get hold of this wonder stuff (or a similar product) here?

Just off to cook ackee and saltfish, in an attempt to be the perfect wife and mother. Oh, and by the way, my ds has straight blond hair, just like mine. No one stares, not that I notice anyway, but two little black girls in the playground the other day did ask dp if our two were albino.

[toky]

Hmm, Cha, I think I'm going to have to try this stuff! From a quick web trawl, it looks like it's available from lots of US sites - I've never ordered anything from the States over the web but I see 'The Vitamin Shoppe' sells it on amazon.com?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21, which should at least be reliable.

[toky]

It's here

[mammya]

Cha, thanks for that info. My dd's hair sounds a lot like your dd's and I think I'm going to try this product as well. Toky thanks for the link! I'm also one of those people who read products' ingredients lists, although I don't think it's so sad .

[MarsLady]

How I am loving mumsnet. Just when I think that there's nothing more to discover up pops a multicultural families thread. Loving what I'm hearing about hair. Am a black woman learning new things about my children's hair from white women. My sister would die! lol.

[Cha]

Cheers Toky, will check that out. Do still have an (ex) brother in law in the States who is coming home for Xmas but feel a little shy of asking him to go out shopping from hair products...

For girls with soft curls that go frizzy upon brushing - another thing I have discovered is that once you brush the knots out (and have huge hair standing on end) spraying it with water damps it all down and brings back the curls. I discovered this when the last bottle of the wonderstuff was coming to an end and I filled it with water to make it last a bit longer. It has a similar effect, though obviously not as nice for the hair. It's what I'm using at the moment anyway........... Pleased you are loving mumsnet, MarsLady - i have had a few months 'off' and am very glad to be back! This is a bit cheeky, but you don't happen to know how long you should boil saltfish for. My MIL said 3x, for five minutes each time, changing the water. Did this and it was like rubber.

[MarsLady]

Hi Cha. Ok, saltfish! I boil the kettle and pour the water onto the saltfish. Then I drain it and do it again 3X. I taste it to see if it's too salty. I keep doing the kettle/water thing until it tastes right. When I cook it with the ackee I simmer it and it's lovely. Tip for the ackee, drain the brine then pour over warm water and drain again before adding to saltfish. Hope that's helpful. Mars

[Cha]

OK - so you don't cook it, really, just keep rinsing it with boiling water. Makes much more sense. MIL is not from Jamaica (Aruba) so wasn't very au fait with ackee and saltfish. Can you make it just with ordinary cod? Or wouldn't it taste right? Cheers, Mars, for the top tips - must get some more hair stuff in though or we'll be in trouble. Maybe we should start a NEW TOPIC - multicultural cooking.............

[Blu]

Asian/Caucasian DS's hair is v curly and I found 'black' products too heavy but Body Shop leave in conditioner used v liberally does the trick.

[Uhu]

Cha

I tend to soak the saltfish overnight in coldwater as this drags out much of the salt. I then boil it with water for 5-10 minutes, leave to cool and then flake the fish. I add it, along with ackee, to onions, garlic and red or green pepper which has been previously stir fried. DH (white British)likes it and he is not overly keen on West Indian food. HTH

[Cha]

Cheers, Uhu. Whilst you are all here and such willing and capable cookery advisers.... what's the best way to do rice and peas?

Blu - how's life? Have yet to bump into you in Brockwell Park. going to the fireworks in a minute, though sure won't bump into you there!

[MarsLady]

Hi Cha. I also add peppers to the dish and half an onion to make my ackee and saltfish. Do you make fried dumplings and serve for Sunday breakfast? My mum always did. That was a reason to hurry home from church. lol

[MarsLady]

Oh, and no, you can't make it with cod. not the same at all. kisses