Hair is an important accessory for many women; no wonder most of them spend so much time and money on keeping it in the right shape. Maintaining natural hair is the tricky part as it calls for even more attention and love. In fact, to get it right, you must first start by understanding it and working with it and not against it. Natural hair care is difficult, but once you get it, its worth all the effort.
Taking the natural route is a process, its not something you wake up and suddenly do. Its a process of understanding the length, texture, shrinkage and porosity of your hair. There is no perfect or imperfect, wrong or right, everyones hair is good. You only have to understand it and tailor the care routine to suit its uniqueness and demands.
The care schedule chosen must have washing, conditioning and maintaining moisture as part of the routine. While relaxing hair calls for fewer washing times, natural one demands regular washing to maintain the moisture. Once a week is the minimum for most people, although, this may vary between different people. During washing, avoid shampoos with sulfates as they wash away oils from the scalp.
Conditioning goes hand in hand with the washing. After washing, most proteins found in hair are lost and conditioners serve to replenish them. Consequently, the hair becomes stronger and is able to retain moisture better. To ensure more water is retained, use moisturizers to lock it in. Water based moisturizers with humectants are the best since mineral oil or petroleum ones are sealants.
Oils and butters are great for sealing moisture, which is also a critical part of the routine. Most people find coconut oil effective, especially if used before washing. Jojoba oil is also great for sealing moisture in as it has a similar composition to the sebum in the scalp. Others include aloe, Shea butter, olive oil and glycerin. Locking in moisture preserves it in for a long time and therefore, prevents dryness.
When starting the natural journey, it is common to get confused about what products to use. For some, all natural products straight from the garden are the solution. For some others, synthetic products in the shops are the best. However, all these are myths; the best product is the one that your follicles respond best to. So try all of them until you find the one.
Remember not to spend a fortune buying products. Most of them are readily available, just under your nose. Looking around the kitchen, you will find coconut milk, honey, avocado, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. These same products are also great for your care routine. Also, remember to keep an eye on the pH of products use-3.5 to 7 is good enough. You can buy pH test strips to test when not sure.
There are really no guaranteed techniques to maintain your style. Whether straight or curly, you will have to experiment until you get it right. Whatever your routine schedule is, always ensure it is adequately moisturized to reduce breakage and tangling.
Taking the natural route is a process, its not something you wake up and suddenly do. Its a process of understanding the length, texture, shrinkage and porosity of your hair. There is no perfect or imperfect, wrong or right, everyones hair is good. You only have to understand it and tailor the care routine to suit its uniqueness and demands.
The care schedule chosen must have washing, conditioning and maintaining moisture as part of the routine. While relaxing hair calls for fewer washing times, natural one demands regular washing to maintain the moisture. Once a week is the minimum for most people, although, this may vary between different people. During washing, avoid shampoos with sulfates as they wash away oils from the scalp.
Conditioning goes hand in hand with the washing. After washing, most proteins found in hair are lost and conditioners serve to replenish them. Consequently, the hair becomes stronger and is able to retain moisture better. To ensure more water is retained, use moisturizers to lock it in. Water based moisturizers with humectants are the best since mineral oil or petroleum ones are sealants.
Oils and butters are great for sealing moisture, which is also a critical part of the routine. Most people find coconut oil effective, especially if used before washing. Jojoba oil is also great for sealing moisture in as it has a similar composition to the sebum in the scalp. Others include aloe, Shea butter, olive oil and glycerin. Locking in moisture preserves it in for a long time and therefore, prevents dryness.
When starting the natural journey, it is common to get confused about what products to use. For some, all natural products straight from the garden are the solution. For some others, synthetic products in the shops are the best. However, all these are myths; the best product is the one that your follicles respond best to. So try all of them until you find the one.
Remember not to spend a fortune buying products. Most of them are readily available, just under your nose. Looking around the kitchen, you will find coconut milk, honey, avocado, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. These same products are also great for your care routine. Also, remember to keep an eye on the pH of products use-3.5 to 7 is good enough. You can buy pH test strips to test when not sure.
There are really no guaranteed techniques to maintain your style. Whether straight or curly, you will have to experiment until you get it right. Whatever your routine schedule is, always ensure it is adequately moisturized to reduce breakage and tangling.
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