Meet Efe and her awesome and detailed morning routine! You had me at DIY flaxseed gel, Efe—a formula we wrote about in the book that I’ve always been meaning to try. Can you post your recipe in the comments? Also, any tips for hyperpigmentation? To the rest of you, we still have some awesome routines in our coffers, but we want moremoremore! If you’ve been meaning to send yours, get on it. xx

Name: Efe

Age: 21

Hometown: New Jersey

Current weather: Sunny, bright and humid for the past couple of days.

Hair: My hair is jet-black, kinky coily/Afro-textured and 12 inches long.

Skin: My skin is dark brown with golden undertones. It is normal-to-dry 
and I rarely get any pimples (when I do they tend to lead to
 hyperpigmentation). I always get compliments on my radiant skin—some most
 decidedly awkward and some not.

Favorite star: Shingai Shoniwa

In the shower…

Every morning I hop into the shower, brush my teeth with Nature’s Gate
Creme de Mint Natural Toothpaste and follow up with a bit of lip
exfoliation. I cleanse my body with Dudu-Osun African black soap and an
African net bath sponge. (My Grandmother brought for me from Nigeria. A
similar bath sponge may possibly be purchased at an African grocery
store). The Dudu-Osun soap smells awesome [citrus-y and fresh] and
cleanses without stripping moisture away. The African net bath sponge
exfoliates my skin gently and effectively (no body scrubs or loofahs for
me!). I finish up my shower by thoroughly exfoliating the soles and heels
of my feet with a pumice stone.

Outside the shower…

I massage unrefined shea butter or Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter
Lotion into my damp skin. I love shea butter—the earthy smell, the feel of
it, the way it makes my skin oh so soft, smooth and supple… *swoons.* I
apply Crystal Essence Mineral Deodorant Roll-On in the Lavender and White
Tea scent. Once a week, I shave my legs using Kiss My Face Fragrance-Free
Moisture Shave and a Gillette Venus Sensitive Skin Disposable Women’s
Razor. I can’t be bothered to do it more often…seriously. The shaving
cream is quite nice–super creamy, extra moisturizing and little goes a
long way.

In the morning, I cleanse my face with Dudu-Osun soap, tone with my DIY
Green Tea Toner (and a cotton pad) and moisturize with Aubrey Organics
Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Moisturizing Cream. These products work perfectly
for my skin. The Dudu-Osun soap is gentle and effective, my DIY Green Tea
Toner works well (I even have some family members using it!) and the
Aubrey Organics Moisturizing Cream makes my skin especially soft and
smooth. At night, I repeat my morning routine and apply Now Foods Tea Tree
Oil on any pimples with a cotton swab. Once a week I do a DIY Greek Yogurt
Mask. It tightens, soothes and softens and my skin quite nicely. I don’t
exfoliate as of right now but I’m looking into a soft yet effective facial
brush for that purpose.
I wash my hair every 5-7 days. On wash-and-style day I detangle/condition,
cleanse, moisturize, set my hair in 16 braids, seal (apply oil to the ends
of my braids and my hairline), air-dry for a day under a cute hat and
style (braid-out, bun or updo). I wash-and-style my hair in the afternoon
or at night and do everything except for outside of the shower. Here are a
list of the hair care products I use— Shea Moisture Purification Masque,
DIY Aloe Vera Gel/Castor Oil Hair Mask or Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin
Coconut Oil (detangle/condition); Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo
(cleanse); Alba Botanica Leave-In Conditioner + Shea Moisture Curl & Style
Milk or Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque (moisturize); DIY Flax Seed
Gel (for buns); Lily of the Dessert Aloe Vera Gel (detangle/condition) and
Heritage Castor Oil (seal, detangle/condition). I love hair care and
styling—it’s my favorite part of my “beauty” routine.

Finishing touches…

I wear very little make-up. First, I apply Burt’s Bees Lip Balm or EOS
Sweet Mint Lip Balm to my lips. Then I fill in my eyebrows with Ecco Bella
Soft Eyeliner Pencil in Velvet and apply Physician Formula Organic Wear
Jumbo Lash Mascara in Ultra Black Organics. When I’m feeling extra glam, I
do a cat eye eyeliner look using Suncoat Cosmetics Natural Liquid Eyeliner
in Chic Black. I also sometimes use Alba Botanica Coconut Cream Clear Lip
Gloss over my lip balm. I don’t wear perfume currently but I would like
to. I’m looking into natural perfumes—I may try the vanilla extract tip
that I read somewhere on this blog.  As for nails, I always use a 3-free
nail polish and an acetone-free nail polish remover for my weekly
manicures. I am doing research into natural nail polishes. It’s a work in
progress…much like everything in life.