What Angelina, Mariska and Sandra Need to Know About Kinky Hair

Let's face it, African American hair is different. Even biracial children can have a particularly kinky texture of hair. And kinky and/or curly hair requires special attention and care.

Pay attention Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, Mariska, Hargitay and anyone else who has birthed, adopted or is caring for a child with kinky hair. In our increasingly melting pot of a world, between biracial children and cross racial adoptions (it’s not just for celebrities, you know)  more and more non-black women are getting (and needing) lessons in taking care of kinky textured hair.

Rule #1, ladies: Please learn the rules. Do not assume that all hair is the same.

Truth be told, African American mothers would cringe and SMH at certain pictures of Angelina Jolie and her beautiful daughter Zahara. It was clear that Angie needed some help on how to comb, style and care for Zahara's hair. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief, when the Jolie-Pitt's were introduced to the amazing product line of Carol's Daughter (as legend has it, by Will and Jada Smith) and Zahara's hair situation greatly improved (see picture). Carol’s Daughter makes great natural hair and body products—I’ve always used her Hair Milk on my son’s curly fro.

Recently I met the lovely Mariska Hargitay at an event in New York (check out pics of Mariska and me) and she talked about her beautifully brown baby Amaya, that she recently adopted. 

And we’ve all seen Sandra Bullock and her adorable son. We know these doting moms love their children, and making sure they have healthy bodies and healthy hair is part of the mom job.

Even black moms could always use a refresher on making sure we give our sons and daughters great hair care. 

To get the best tips, I asked Los Angeles-based, celebrity hair stylist and natural hair care specialist, Felicia Leatherwood, who is also founder of the popular Loving Your Hair With Natural Care workshops.    With a client list that includes Jill Scott, Sanaa Lathan, Will Smith, and Terrence Howard (to name a few), and work that has appeared in People magazine, Essence, and InStyle, as well as in film and television, Felicia’s reputation is as solid as they come.  She gave me her best tips and fav products for caring for naturally kinky hair.

1. Moisturize the hair. Moisturizing strengthens the cuticle of the hair.
2. Condition the hair regularly. Conditioning grooms the hair to give you the desired curl pattern/texture.
3. Trim natural hair every 8-10 weeks, to keep the hair from shedding and to cut down on split ends.

As for Felicia’s favorite products for babies and kids:

     1. Shea Moisture's Baby's Head-To-Toe Wash and Shampoo

     2.  Kinky Curly's Tiny Twirls Line

     3.  Lavanilla The Healthy Baby Wash for Hair and Body

When buying products, Felicia says make sure you choose products with as little to no chemicals, as possible. Look for products that say 'All-Natural'. Check labels and avoid anything that has parabens (it's been linked to breast cancer), silicone's, petroleum's, mineral oil, sulfates, un-natural fragrances, and something called phthalates (it's been linked to early puberty in girls), she says.  Try to keep it all natural!