Naturally Fierce Feature: Lauren

July 10, 2013

Hi! My name is Lauren Smith. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA and now reside in Norristown with my husband, Alex and our 2-year-old daughter, Nya…and we have one on the way in September! I transitioned to natural for over a year, and by 2008 I was completely natural. But since I didn’t know how to care for my hair in its curly state, I damaged my hair from constantly straightening it with blow dryers and flat irons just so I could wear it straight. Then in April 2011, inspired by a You Tube vlogger, I began a 7-month no-heat growth challenge, and my hair grew longer than it’s ever been. During the challenge I fell in love with my curly texture and began wearing it that way all the time.

Length check: October 2011 (left), January 2012 (right)

How long have you been natural? Since 2008

November 2010. Natural but only styled with heat and didn’t know what I was doing so this was the longest I could ever get my hair to grow before I went on my no-heat growth challenge.

What motivated you to go natural?

A friend of mine inspired me to “go natural”. She shared how much she loved it and how she thought I would love it, too. At the time I was sold out to my “creamy crack” so I didn’t even consider it. Then a year or so later I decided to transition. I don’t remember exactly what my inspiration was, and I definitely didn’t know what a process I was in for! It took me well over a year to transition and I didn’t know what I was doing at all. But I wouldn’t have even considered chopping it off. At the time, I hadn’t even heard of the term “BC”!

What has been the most memorable part of your journey?

My first growth challenge from April 2011 to November 2011 had an incredible effect on my personal life. I became more confident and believed I could accomplish more. With that confidence, I began running (something I had never enjoyed) for fun. And the next thing I knew I had registered and began training for my first 5K. Completing that 5K within my goal time was such an exhilarating moment for me. And I got there all because I’d started to embrace my curls. Go figure!

2012

What are some of your favorite transitioning hairstyles?

My recent style of choice has been the braid-out. At first I would only take the braids down if they were completely dry so my hair wouldn’t get big. Now that I feel more confident with my hair, I like to take the braids down before they’re dry so I can rock a big, fluffy braid-out!

What have your experiences been as a ‘natural?

I’ve been blessed with positive experiences since going natural (or “returning natural”). I received a lot of compliments and positive comments about my hair when I straightened it for the first time after my first growth challenge because people had been watching my hair journey on Facebook and they saw how much it had grown.

How is it raising a natural child?

I have a two-year-old daughter. I love the fact that we are raising her to love her hair in its natural state. We make a point to tell her how beautiful her hair looks and how beautiful she is. Apparently it’s sinking in because when a stranger compliments her beauty, she will oftentimes agree with them and reply, “Yes I am cute/gorgeous!” It’s a fun challenge learning to care for another natural’s hair. My daughter’s fine, dense, tightly-coiled curls are much different from my mostly thick, dense, looser curls, so I’ve been teaching myself how to do protective styles – rope or “sister” twists stay in her hair the best – to keep her hair healthy. I’m excited to explore more styles as her hair continues to grow!

What is your hair regimen (including fav products)?

I’m currently switching up my regimen. Instead of having wash day once a week, I’ve decided to go back to a low-wash regimen similar to the one I was doing during my first growth challenge. Yesterday was my first wash day in 19 days (my hair needed to be washed several days ago, but I didn’t have time to wash it). I’ll also be replacing my monthly henna treatments with more frequent ApHogee Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor treatments for strength. I decided to do this since my husband and I are expecting our second child in September and I don’t have the energy to do henna right now, even though I love what it does for my hair and I prefer more natural products. One thing I will not change is my leave-in conditioner. I like to mix up variations of Kimmaytube’s leave-in recipe, depending on what natural oils I have on hand. I use this leave-in to set my braids for braid-outs. I believe it is one of the contributing factors to my length retention and it is a staple in my regimen.

What are some of your favorite natural hair websites, YouTuber’s, or blogs?’

My go-to natural hair blog is Hairscapades.com. My girl Shelli shares accurate and detailed information…and her hair is gorgeous!! I don’t watch many You Tube videos for natural hair anymore, but when I started my curly journey Kimmaytube was my most-frequented channel. I learned a lot from her thorough research and growth journey. I also watched Naptural85 – I enjoyed Whitney’s all-natural approach to hair care…and I love her luscious coils!!

Anything you want the readers to know? Inspirational words?

Love YOUR hair! I used to look at others’ curls and wish I had them. But that only made me resent my own hair. If I could share one message with naturals – whether you’re transitioning, newly natural or a veteran – it would be “love YOUR hair!” At the risk of sounding corny, you are beautiful just the way God made you, and He only made one you! Part of your beauty lies in your uniqueness. Embrace that.

Where can people find you for more information?

I can be found on my blog www.ForHisGloryNatural.blogspot.com, on Facebook at ForHisGlory Natural, Instagram forhisglorynatural, Twitter @ForHisGlory5, and Pinterest at Lauren Smith.