Rachel Stewart is a mom and artist from Raleigh, North Carolina. Here she is in her own words…
I’ve been painting all my life, but last year I ventured into making jewelry and accessories. I also collect records, I LOVE vinyl and finding rare albums, I collect black memorabilia too.
Being natural I have been natural for 20+ years, I never transitioned I just decided to shave my head because I liked the style. It was never about trying to be natural back then. It was just another hairstyle for me.
Hair care regimen I co-wash 4-5 times a week, sometimes I simply rinse with water, I don’t use shampoo at all. I deep condition as needed, usually once a month. After I wash and condition my hair, I usually air dry and go.
Trimming I’ve never trimmed my hair, unless your hair is damaged I see no need to trim. I think a lot of naturals still follow the “Permie” rule of trimming every so often. If you have chemically damaged, heat damaged hair with split ends (that comes along with hair that’s relaxed) then of course you need to trim because of the continuous damage. As a natural you won’t have those issues, if your hair is healthy why cut it? That’s like trimming your long, strong healthy nails for the sake of trimming makes no sense to me and if you are trying to grow your hair long I think its counter productive, you grow one inch and turn around and cut it. I know everyone’s hair is different but I don’t think we need to trim as much as we think especially if it’s in good condition.
Heat I do a blow out every few months for product shots and length checks, most of the pictures you see of me are blow outs, but on a day to day basis I wear a wash and go.
Color When I was younger my hair was naturally JET black natural. As I’ve gotten older it’s turning a sandy brown color like my Mom’s. I like my hair black so I use Bigen dye in brown/black every 3 months.
Special techniques When I co-wash I never rinse all the conditioner out. I leave in about 20%. I think that leave in conditioners are just conditioner put in another bottle. I’ve tried leave-ins and they never work as good as my regular conditioner. I save some money and stick to one bottle not two. Less is more and after 20 years of dealing with natural hair, I’ve learned a lot. Piling on 4 products a day is not for me. The way I see it, the more you put on… the more you have to wash out.
Favorite hair products I have been using Queen Helene Cholesterol Conditioner since I was a child. My Mom used it on me as a little girl and even though I tried other conditioners, none have ever worked so well and been SO CHEAP! My second favorite is Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner. I also use it as my leave in. It leaves my hair VERY soft and smelling good. I don’t use a moisturizer. I have found that I don’t need any with this product.
Favorite hair style I love to wear it BIG and blown out!
Most prized hair tool Favorite hair tool is my wide tooth shower comb, I used to be loyal to the Denman brush but I found that it really took out more hair than I thought was necessary…I get no giant balls of hair when I detangle with a regular shower comb, and I get a lot less shrinkage when I use this over the denman.
Link to more Rachel Rachel Stewart Artwork, Target Queen, Rachel Stewart Jewelry, Facebook, Shop, TUMBLR
Photos by Rachel’s Boyfriend, See Creative Silence