12 Beauty Blogs that Every Natural-Haired Girl Should Bookmark

By Sydney Scott, Refinery29

As women everywhere continue embracing their curls and throwing creamy crack to the side, the natural-hair movement only continues to gain more supporters. Seriously, over the past five years, hair relaxers have steadily declined and more and more women are deciding to sport the kinky coils they were born with. But, making the decision to go natural and having the tools and knowledge you need to make that strand shift are two different things. Enter: natural-hair blogs.

When it comes to natural hair, everyone has an opinion, everyone's an expert. But, no need to wade through the sea of blogs to find the best - the work has already been done for you. We've scoured the web to bring you the 12 best blogs for ladies with kinky coils and transitioning tresses. Need to figure out how to style your teeny-weeny Afro? Don't understand why you're hair isn't retaining moisture? These blogs have all your answers. And, if you're not ready to ditch relaxers just yet, that's fine; the ladies behind these blogs can still help you achieve healthy hair.

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Black Girl With Long Hair
If your sister and her friends started a beauty blog, this would be it. Similar to xoVain, the site has tons of first-person essays and stories that readers can easily relate to. The style icons section provides tips based on hair type, length, and style written by women who know exactly what you're going through.

The site also includes a gallery of user submitted images with women rocking everything from tiny Afros to huge manes, plus before-and-after images for ladies who get discouraged and just need a little inspiration. The writers are hairstylists and women who have actually transitioned or decided to chop it all off and start fresh. The product reviews are accompanied with images and extremely detailed descriptions. Readers are active and quite often you can find more hair-care tips in the comments or a reader's account of trying out the author's method of hair maintenance.

Sporty Afros
Running, swimming, and spinning are great exercises - but an enemy for many women who spend a lot of time on their hair. One drop of moisture can ruin painstakingly straightened tresses. And, hot yoga? Forget about it! For ladies living an active life figuring out a way to manage your hair can be tricky. Sporty Afros combines hair, diet, and nutrition to provide content that answers every question you have about woking out, eating right, and how it affects your hair.

Alongside recipes for vegetarians and meat lovers are tutorials for protective styles and permed hair. Need to know how to properly take care of your hair after swimming or the best style for the gym? It's all here. Whitney Patterson and Alexandria Williams are the cofounders of the site and run it along with Monisha Randolph. Williams is a triathlete and sports nutritionist while both Randolph and Patterson are certified running coaches. So, these ladies definitely know what they're talking about.

Madame Noire
Not just a beauty blog, Madame Noire includes everything from business to entertainment. The popular blog is the ultimate site for African-American pop culture. Parked next to numerous general posts, the hair section of the blog is a large reason many readers return. For anyone interested in celebrity hair news, this is the place. Read about Erykah Badu's high top or a school's ban on Afros and braids.

The blog has been around since 2010, and the team behind it has written for numerous publications. The blog has steadily progressed to include well-researched stories and is now linked to a network of popular and well-known websites. With well over 250,000 fans on Facebook and over 50,000 followers on Twitter the site has a large community. Reader comments are just as engaging and insightful as the articles.

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The Natural Haven
If you really want to know how something will affect your hair, then The Natural Haven is where you should look. It explains the science behind hair. Learn the difference between creamy and clear shampoo, read a study on the inversion method, and discover how to open the cuticle for better deep conditioning.

The woman behind this blog has a BSc and a PhD in material science and does incredible amounts of research, linking her sources to her stories. No one here pretends to be a know-it-all, and readers are always ready to discuss things. The audience and author are active on Facebook and Twitter as well, so there's always an opportunity to engage with a community of women who love science and hair.

Around The Way Curls
Antoinette and Shanti are the neighborhood girls you envied growing up. With style for days and the attitude to match, these best friends bonded over their hair and started Around The Way Curls to create a community for women to connect and inspire. Just five minutes on their blog and you're hooked. Every entry reads like a personal conversation with a friend you've known for years, and the girls give detailed breakdowns of their hair regimen and beauty must-haves.

Hair is the focus of everything here, but Shanti and Antoinette also like to give their opinions on things affecting the African-American community. They don't just dish out beauty advice, but provide an in-depth look into natural hair and infuse it with pop culture and women's interests. These smart cookies have created an inspirational blog and their hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. Check any beauty blog for info on natural hair and you'll probably find a write-up or interview with these ladies.

Curly Nikki
What began as a woman's personal journey has evolved into one of the most comprehensive blogs for natural-hair care. Nikki Walton, the brains behind Curly Nikki and a certified psychotherapist, began the blog as way to document her transition to natural hair. Along the way she tackled everything from the best products for dry hair to how natural hair is viewed in the workplace.

Walton doesn't just give tips, but also takes a psychological look at black women and their hair. You'll find interviews with celebrities, like Tracee Ellis Ross and Chaka Khan, who've embraced their natural tresses, and if you still have any questions, the blog has an active community forum where you can find more answers. There's also a mobile app for those moments when you might be between meetings or events and need a quick tip. And, Walton doesn't just bask in the success of Curly Nikki. Instead, she pays it forward by awarding scholarships to hardworking students.

Natural Hair Rules
In 2006, Tamara Floyd chopped all of her hair off and never looked back. Two years later she launched Natural Hair Rules to help encourage other women to love their natural tresses. Since then she's gained a large following of loyal readers with over 450,000 Facebook fans and more than 16,000 followers on Twitter.

How did Floyd become so successful? By listening to her audience. The busy mom behind the blog reads every comment and email to figure out what it is that her readers want to see. And, what's something her readers are really interested in? Motherhood. The biggest draw to Natural Hair Rules is a section dedicated to mothers who've embraced their natural hair. It documents everything from postpartum hair loss to developing a hair regimen for your children. Readers even contribute their own stories about their children embracing their hair and teaching children of color the importance of just being who they are.

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Hair of Heritage
Hair of Heritage serves an extremely neglected group of beauty enthusiasts: the ethnic ladies of Scandinavia. Created after a conversation with a friend, Nandi the lovely Swede behind the blog, decided it was time to start sharing her story with others. Raised by a German mother and a South African/Jamaican father, Nandi's mixed heritage resulted in beautiful soft curls. Unfortunately, her mother had no idea how to maintain them, so she set out to figure it out on her own.

You'll find great product reviews and Nandi gives great accounts of her daily regimen, but it's her regular features on other Scandinavian bloggers that make Hair of Heritage unique. Check her Scandinavian curlies section and you'll find a list of bloggers from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden - a small community but a godsend for the women who need it. There's also a section for parents of mixed-race children dedicated to educating them on the intricacies of natural hair.

Afrobella
You know the relative you have that's funny and really the only person you'll listen to when you need advice? That's Patrice Grell Yursik and Afrobella is her blog. Yursik injects every story with wit and humor, making readers wish they knew her in real life. Launched in 2006, way before natural beauty blogs were even a thing, Afrobella is considered by many to be the godmother of natural hair blogs.

Yursik writes in a no-holds-barred, straight-to-the-point style. She's your wisecracking best friend. She lets her Trinidadian roots shine through as well. Often, you'll see a post about wash day alongside a story about Trinidadian corn soup or one of Chef Julius' many recipes - we're still salivating over the holiday seafood guide. And, since launching Afrobella, Yursik has gone on to do incredible things like writing for Vogue Italia, Essence, Ebony, and being featured in Glamour.

Urban Bush Babes
Written by two ladies in different time zones, Nikisha in Texas and Cipriana in New York, Urban Bush Babes considers not only natural hair, but the culture surrounding it. Launched two years ago, when both ladies resided in Brooklyn, the blog has gained a dedicated following. Interviews with the likes of Danielle Brooks of Orange Is The New Black and Solange undoubtedly keep readers hooked, but it's the women's personal experiences that readers can really relate to.

Both ladies dig deep into their experiences and posts often read like excerpts from a diary. Nikisha, raised by a single mother and a victim of bullying and sexual abuse, struggled with her image and self-esteem. Cipriana, who dealt with racism at an early age in rural Maryland, was also no stranger to bullies but was raised in a tight-knit family. These ladies bring varied experiences, but their stories always resonate with readers. Their take on natural hair isn't just about protective styling and conditioners, but a look into how it's perceived in society. Their mission is to inspire, and they do one heck of a job.

The Lazy Natural
Fashion may be Tumblr's big-ticket item, but beauty isn't too far behind. And, at the head of the pack is The Lazy Natural. Despite the title, Marenna Nicole is anything but lazy when it comes to her hair. The Lazy Natural is the perfect blend of health and hair. Marenna makes a point to not only let readers take a look into her daily routine, but makes sure they understand the importance of health. The blogger shares vast amounts of information, like articles on buying salon products at drugstores, the role diet plays in growing healthy hair, and the benefits of vitamins. Marenna also connects with readers by answering their questions and sharing her personal experiences. She doles out advice on gaining confidence after going natural, reflects on natural celebrities in the media, and gives you a glimpse into what it takes to really maintain her curly mane with product stash posts.

Hey Fran Hey
Here's another Tumblr favorite to add to your list, although this one is actually already pretty well-known. You've probably already heard of Francheska, the lovely young lady behind Youtube channel Hey Fran Hey. Well, along with her successful videos, she also runs a blog of the same name. Francheska posts a new video every Sunday, but between tutorials, she answers questions and shares her inspiration on her blog. Health is a huge factor in having beautiful hair, and Hey Fran Hey could almost be confused for a fitness blog. Francheska provides DIY recipes for deep conditioners and shampoos for naturals who wish to avoid harsh chemicals and embraces natural products. It's a great look into the mind of a natural hair-and-health enthusiast and definitely a good starting point for women wishing not only to change their hair, but their lifestyle, too.

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