Charlotte Mensah’s AM/PM routine
From her love of shea butter to her genius tip for better brows, Afro hair educator and founder of Manketti Oil haircare CHARLOTTE MENSAH shares her daily regime
IN THE MORNING
I eat the same breakfast every day…
…which is porridge with water, nutmeg from Grenada, a little honey and a spoonful of evaporated milk – it’s so delicious and keeps me full until the afternoon.
I’m an oil addict…
…I love Chantecaille’s Rose De Mai Oil for my face and Tata Harper’s Revitalizing Body Oil for my body, but I like to boost them and add 100% raw shea butter, which I bring back in blocks from Ghana. I even brush oil through my brows, which makes them grow super-fast.
I use a body scrub every morning…
…but always follow with a lukewarm rinse instead of hot water, which can dry my skin out.
I like to keep things natural…
…so I keep makeup to a bare minimum. I make my own lip balm by melting raw unrefined shea butter and mixing it with Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.
I switch up my hair looks…
…I have braids at the moment, which are very easy to manage, but I have an urge to cut off all my hair next and have it curly. With braids, the most important thing is to keep them moisturized, so I use a hydrating mist each morning and an oil on the mid-lengths to ends.
When I need energy…
…I go for a walk. I feel like walking is such a refresher for my mind and I can empty my thoughts and put things in perspective.
IN THE EVENING
When I’m stressed…
…I cook for therapy. The more stressed I am, the more dishes I cook. Recently someone crashed into my car while it was parked and knocked down my front wall in the process, and I cooked ten dishes – with a face mask on – including my famous pound cake. Nutmeg is the secret ingredient.
I love to add magnesium salts to my bath…
…It helps with any pains and aches and gives me a real sense of balance and calm – I feel replenished.
Once a week I do a hair ritual…
…usually each Sunday. I cocktail my conditioner with an oil and sit under a steamer for 20 minutes (the only time I put heat on my hair), which makes the oil penetrate deeper into the hair and makes it softer, more malleable and hydrated.
On my bedside table…
…is my Manketti Hair Oil and shea butter. When I cover and tie my hair back at night I add some drops around the hairline to keep it moisturized and hydrated, and I also use it on my cuticles, the backs of my hands and as a lip balm. I always have it with me.
When I’m wired but tired…
…I read inspirational books. I’m currently reading Michelle Obama’s Becoming – she is such an incredible soul and has so much grace. I also read books on Hygge (the Danish way of living) and mindfulness.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given…
…is ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. One of my biggest fears is boats (I’m not a strong swimmer) and I’ve just come back from Venice where I was with the First Lady of Ghana for Ghana Freedom, and the only way to get around, as everyone knows, is on a boat! I conquered my fear and came back feeling so liberated.
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