NATURAL SATURDAYS

PEPPER IN THE FAB HOUSE!

Greetings from the Big Apple! I am writing this post from the Bronx, sitting on top of my little cousin's pink bed in her very pink room to be precise.  I would love to share my FAB NYFW experiences thus far with you all, but ya’ll gatta chill till next week.

It's sooooooo cold out here and I’ve just finished drenching my very dry and thirsty scalp with Natural Saturdays hair oil, which I bought from a very adorable and intelligent young woman called Funlola. I will tell you more about her in a minute.

Exactly a week ago, I got into London from Lagos, I spent pretty much my whole Tuesday, loosening the million and one braids I had done by two Benue Republic boys in Ikeja. I then washed, deep conditioned my hair with an egg and mayonnaise concoction, rinsed it out and then deep steamed my hair with Natural Saturdays hair oil. Now for all my sisters who know how to look after their hair - especially my natural hair gals, I’m sure you feel me when one needs to dedicate half to a full day for your hair on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. My days are usually Saturdays but with all that haematin dust and what not chilling in between my braids I just could not wait till the weekend.

The first time I met Funlola, I was instantly attracted to her innocent, demure beauty and her full head of hair. When she told she made natural hair and skin products branded ‘Natural Saturdays’ she got my full attention. Run with her two besties Sabirah and Itunu, Natural Saturdays was birthed from the extreme problematic skin Sabirah and Funola used to have and Itunu, the product junkie who loved testing and trying every skin product  on the market.

At one point Funlola was forced to use Black soap for her skin allergies by her aunt, whilst her Granma would recommend Shea butter for absolutely everything. When Funola noticed an improvement in her skin due to her aunt and grandma’s forceful advice, she shared it with her friends and they began making their own products to suit their skin types and issues.  Saturdays then became the day of trials and eventually the day of total body and hair TLC. 

Though their formulas are four years old, I love the fact that each product is used and tested by the girls for a year before they sell it. The girls never thought it would turn into the year-old business it is today and a beauty regime that would solve their skin problems. 

One late evening in Lagos, I happened to interrupt Funlola’s natural hair day, who works as a financial researcher.  She was about to give her hair an oil steam and put it into braids because she has been getting complaints at work that she looks too young with her hair out.

Let’s have a look at the products:

Hair Oil – N3000 [Caster oil, Mint and Jojoba]

This smells so lovely and absorbs very well into the hair and scalp. It was created from the need to prevent dandruff and promote hair growth especially for the front hair line and nape.  

Hair Conditioner – N3,500  [Shea butter base, Mint, Aloe Vera and a perfect PH45 balance]

This softens and protects wonderfully.

Body Butter – N2,500  [Shea Butter, Mango, Cocoa Butter]

Unlike Shea butters I’ve used in the past this smells very pleasant and brightens the skin. This was created for dry skin, to lock in moisture, improve skin elasticity and contains natural sun block.

Black Soap – N4000 [Plantain ash, Lemon and Palm Oil]

This smells lovely too and can be used as a body and facial wash but not recommended for hair as it can strip your natural hair oils.

With Natural Saturdays, Funlola tries to promote the habit of buying naturally, eating and living naturally for her and clients though she admits to personally like drinking Sprite, Coke and Fanta. Don’t worry girl we all have our vices! All her family use Natural Saturdays and the trio have managed to convert most of the the women into going natural.

“Our products do not smell like flowers; otherwise it would mean we would have to contaminate them” 

A true ambassador if I ever saw one.

The trio are self-taught and make all their products from home in their respective locations Lagos, London and California and source ingredients from economically developing countries; Shea butter from Nigeria, Mango from India, Cocoa butter from South America and Uganda and Black Soap from Ghana. They prefer making products in small quantities to maintain quality and give room for the tailored specifications of their clients. They also love to teach and empower others to make their own natural skin care products.

naturalsaturdays@gmail.com

Right I’m off to Brooklyn to do some thrifting and buy some Mexican music for my mama.