Hi Friends! I was recently messaged about my hair routine. I was actually quite surprised & humbled because I feel as if I'm the last person to ask about hair care. My hair is definitely NOT beautiful (especially by society and popular opinion) and in need of a lot of attention, especially lately. However, I'm thankful for my hair and how far its come since I stopped chemically treating it to be bone straight. Its been almost 7 years now. But I promised I'd write a post. I hope it'll be helpful to anyone. And if you have any additional tips for us curly/kinky/afro-textured hair girls feel free to leave a comment. I'm always open to helpful tips.
The picture above is my head wrapped in a turban style scarf with a plastic cap underneath while I deep conditioned my hair. Deep conditioning is KEY to natural hair. I try to deep condition my hair once a week for between 30 minutes to overnight, depending on how much time I have.
These items are what I always use and keep on hand. And I've been using them for years now. I used to think the more products the better but I've found for me personally that less is more.
I do not wash my hair with shampoo very often because of its very drying. So this Shea moisture shampoo has lasted me a while. When I do shampoo I usually do an apple cider vinegar scalp massage to lift the dirt and to clarify my scalp of any extra build up and then I shampoo it all out. Afterward, I'll deep condition to restore moisture back into my hair because of the shampoo, although moisturizing can strip your curls of any moisture. After deep-conditioning I'll rinse it out and do another layer of conditioner. The Trader Joes Tea Tringle conditioner is my favorite and doesn't have as much junk in it.
On weeks I'm not shampooing my hair I'll do a co-wash, which is a conditioner wash and deep conditioning too.
Sometimes before I'll do a Jamaican castor oil scalp massage to get the circulation going. I always make sure that I wash that Jamaican castor oil out thoroughly due to its pungent smell. Once washing is done I'll wrap an old t-shirt around my head to soak up the water. T-shirts cause less frizz than a towel and I already have very frizzy hair. once its semi-dry I'll add detangle gently and add ALOT I mean ALOT of leave-in conditioner. Remember moisture is key to healthy curly hair. And I"ll layer my shea butter mixture (usually mixed with coconut oil) to my hair and style it.
Wash days are very extensive so I usually do my hair care over the weekend.
Below are some pictures of my hair with a twist out and worn down natural.
I hope that you enjoyed this post and that it was helpful.
NOTE* I realize everyone has different hair so what works for me may not work for you. It took me 4 years to figure out what was best for me. So you do what's best for your hair. This is my personal routine. Also, this post is not sponsored. I honestly use all of these items. However, I'd love to work with Shea Moisture. Put a good word in for me. LOL
Labels: Life and Style, Natural hair