The new 'Au Naturel' me

Picture Source: Google

Ever since I moved to the US, I realized that my appreciation for natural products has really increased. Maybe its because I am bombarded with all kinds of processed products so anything natural is a breath of fresh air.
Before coming here, I was looking forward to using all kinds of perceived luxury products which were otherwise,more expensive in Ghana. I couldn't wait to try the famous 'Makari', which is a body cream well known for its toning effects.
 After using some of these products for sometime, with no visible improvements whatsoever, I came to the conclusion that most of these products was just a mixture of laboratory produced chemicals, and so began my long for products made with natural ingredients.
I also started to pay more attention to the kind of food I ate, with the intention of limiting processed food. Thanks to reading all kinds of blog, I was learning how to take care of myself in order to still look good in later years. The first action I took, in the process of my of my 'au naturel' lifestyle started off with me cutting off my permed hair.

I was totally convinced after a lot of reading, that the African natural kinky hair was the most healthiest form we could carry our hair. And it didn't help that there was a sudden wave of African ladies rocking their natural hair. One of the reasons I also cut my hair was because I couldn't get any decent African hair salon in Portland. The ends of my hair was already breaking and thinning, so it was pretty easy to give in to the natural hair idea.

Secondly, I decided to cut down on my intake of junk food. It is still very hard because I have a terrible, terrible sweet tooth. I am one of those people who go to the store to buy books but end up with a packet of sweets alongside. Nevertheless, I cook a lot of traditional African food at home, and I have also  developed a healthy relationship with fruits and salads.

I have also realized that what we put on our body is as important as what we put inside. As most of you would know, I am a strong advocator for cocoa butter. I was very skeptical about it, because I didn't want any cream that would darken my color. Not only did it maintain it, but it moisturized and gave my skin a natural glow. Pure natural shea butter has been recommended to me as the wonder body cream, and I would surely give it a try very soon.

Lastly, I just started using the African Black Soap. It is popularly known as 'alata samina' in Ghana. I remember our mothers using that as a kid, but with time most people diverted to using all kinds of westernized beauty soap bars. It is quite expensive over here in America, but like all 'organic' products, I would just have to keep remembering the benefits when buying.

I don't know if my change to natural products would have any glaringly effects on me, but I just feel good using them, knowing that I am feeding my body with only the healthiest.(Or is it?)