Eftal Natural Hair & Beauty The Magazine 2007 Contents editor’s Features Letter 4 In the beginning Welcome to So, you want to go natural but don’t know where to begin? Eftal! Follow our guide. Whether you’ve been wearing 7 Natural Selections your hair natural for years or Check out our portfolio of styles you’re only now considering for men, women and children with putting the relaxer to rest, this natural hair. brief guide is for you. 9 Braids and Weaves At Eftal Natural Hair we pride Alternatives for sisters who want ourselves in taking the optimum extra length in an instant. care of your hair, be it in locs, 11 Nappy Ever After braids or a weave. We use only the finest natural products and processes to ensure you leave our salon looking and feeling bet- ter than when you first came in! Our reputation is such that we’ve grown rapidly, opening a new salon in Hackney to add to The best products for keeping our Seven Sisters branch. So why your nappy head happy. not come and experience Eftal 12 Ask Tosin for yourself? There’s never been Your questions answered. a better time. 13 Glossary Natural hair terms explained. Tosin Talabi 14 Salon Focus Owner All you need to know about Eftal. Eftal Natural Hair EFTALEFTAL ISIS ALLALL ABOUTABOUT EMBREMBR “Now, speak of resistance, we’re nappy heads Rhymes, kinks, braids and dreads The mother of creation, epitome of creativity, yeah And keep your heads nappy.” The Fugees, Nappy Heads WHAT does your hair hard pressed not to notice creating a new economic say about you? If you the growth of a new base in the hair and sport a chemically-tamed trend. lifestyle industry. Chemical mane does that mean The natural is making a relaxers and straightening you’re culturally comeback. Be it an Afro, irons are rapidly being disconnected? And is dreadlocks, twists or replaced by essential oils wearing an Afro braids British people of and elegant headwraps. emblematic of your African descent are People of African political beliefs? wearing a multiplicity of descent the world over While these arguments natural designs, embracing are literally going back to may be symbolic of the not just a hairstyle but a their roots, spurred on by social and cultural lifestyle too. a generation of high- discourse of the sixties In recent years a quiet profile culturally-conscious and seventies walk down revolution has been taking artists making waves in any inner city street in the place in the collective popular culture. Think UK today and you’d be black consciousness, India Arie and Jill Scott, 4 │EFTAL ACINGACING YOURYOUR NATURALNATURAL SELFSELF Maxwell and D’Aneglo, have traditionally crafted years Eftal has expanded Lauryn Hill and Erykah styles that are little short three times to cater for Badu, who was of works of art, with their demand. “Eftal’s not just ambassador for intricate creations making about hair. It’s about Adornment, the natural hair and lifestyle show earlier this year. “The whole way of thinking around natural hair and locs has changed beyond recognition and is not what is was fifteen or even ten years ago,” says Margot Rodway-Brown, director of Adornment. “There’s a sense of people reclaiming their right to look like themselves where in the wider society they’ve always been told they should be embracing a European aesthetic. Things have changed tremendously. And that’s not just in the UK but right across the Diaspora communities around the world, in the Caribbean, the USA, and in Europe.” Hair has always played an important role in African culture. In many their way from the streets embracing your natural African societies a of Accra, Dakar and Cape self—mind, body & soul.” woman’s tresses are seen Town to London, Paris as a marker of social and and Amsterdam. This is an extrapolation of political standing, speaking Tosin Talabi, manager of an article that originally both to an ancient history Eftal Natural Hair and appeared on the BBC Africa and the present state of a Beauty salons in North and Beyond website. living culture. East London says black Sylvia Arthur is editor of Hair has also been used people are experimenting What’s On Ghana as an expression of with their hair more than magazine available to buy at creativity. African women ever. In the last three www.whatsonghana.com. EFTAL│ 5 The Men’s Room Whether you’re a professional brother or a man about town follow our tips for keeping your locs groomed. and crafted locs so you EN, don’t feel left out M can trust us to keep your when it comes to taking look tight. care of your mane. W e c a n a l s o At Eftal we offer a recommend grooming range services and services to you through products to keep your our extensive network of locs groomed and your specialist styling partners, scalp in tip-top condition. including barbering and We can also style your other salon services locks, cornrow your specifically for men. natural hair or do just Maintaining locs is very about any other natural different from maintaining style you can think of. other hair styles. While With our highly-trained other hair styles require team of male and female combing to put stray locticians and stylists our hairs back in place, locs client list and portfolio is need to have stray hairs something to be proud tucked back into the dred of. Just drop by and ask so they can dred up and how we can assist your lock with the rest of the styling needs. hair. Eftal has experience of But like other hair maintaining both organic styles locs to need to be kept clean. Contrary to popular belief, clean locs lock up and tighten faster than dirty locs. So whether you’re going to the VIP lounge at the club or heading to the boardroom, don’t let the sisters upstage you. Let Eftal work our magic on your mane for that standout look that will have all the heads turning. 6 │EFTAL Corkscrew curls or tightly coiled twists, the choice is yours Style Council TOP TIPS FOR TIP TOP NATURAL HAIR GET READY to do the twist • Ensure your scalp is thoroughly conditioned and turn heads when you unveil your mane of corkscrew curls or • Use essential oils like Aloe to lightly grease the scalp twists. This popular style • Wash hair regularly with a herbal shampoo fashioned from natural hair is • Always condition after washing easy to achieve but the results • Indulge in a herbal steam every 3 months are truly stunning. First, wash your hair with a herbal shampoo ensuring you cleanse the scalp thoroughly. At Eftal we use our specially- developed hair build-up remover to get to the root of hair problems resulting from excessive product usage. Next, apply a deep conditioner to your tresses making sure the cream goes from the root to the tip of each hair strand. This will fortify your locks and allow the conditioner to get to work. Leave the conditioner on for at least two minutes after working through the hair. Then, wash out the conditioner and towel dry the hair. Eftal can apply a unique herbal rinse to your hair that will leave your scalp feeling ultra refreshed. Part the hair in to four sections then twist two strands of equal thickness together until you’ve competed the whole head. Finally, style in a sweeping up-do or let your hair flow free. EFTAL│ 7 Kiddie style doing yours. Check out our sure sign that the style is ITTLE people deserve L guide to the best hairstyles suitable for every great hair too and there’s for little people: generation. Locks are a no better styling option for good style for children young children than natural Cornrows This clean and because they can be worn in hair styles. Cornrows, twists classic look will take your a variety of funky ways and braid styles are versatile kids from the classroom to during the various growth and long lasting and are the playground and they’ll stages. perfect for the rough and still come home looking Braids A favourite among tumble of school life. At fresh. Cornrows are quick little girls, braids are low Eftal we pride ourselves on to do and lasts from maintenance and can be our portfolio for children so anything between two to worn in a multiplicity of you can rest assured in the four weeks. Wear going all styles. The advantage of knowledge that you’re the way down or in a stylish braids is that kids can leaving your little ones hair up-do. Decorate with beads virtually roll out of bed and in safe hands. At our salons for an added touch of class. in to school with minimum we have a range of services hair fuss. For that extra especially tailored to Dreadlocks More and special touch, dress with children to keep them more youngsters are decorative clips, bands and entertained while they’re growing their hair in locks, a other accessories. doing their hair or you’re 8 │EFTAL Braids, weaves & twists For sisters who like to try before they buy, opting for a style using extensions is ideal for commitment-phobes. for the faint-hearted. If OUR styling options are Y you’re a worrier then even endless if, like millions of the slightest gust of wind women, you decide to opt will set your heart racing! for braids or a weave.