Hey Friends! TGIF! We made it through yet another work week! Even though this was a short week due to the holiday on Monday (MLK Jr. Day), this week was still a beast to get through. Hopefully, everyone has some exciting plans for the weekend!
You Asked For It
A few years ago, I shared some natural haircare products that I was loving at the time. Well here we are a few years later, and I’m still on this journey. Back in 2017, I decided to go natural with my hair for the SECOND time. I had done it previously in 2014, but only lasted 2 years. I took a year in between to really pump myself up, and then I tried again.
I know many of you are probably thinking “what do you mean you’re natural?” When it comes to haircare, being natural means that you are embracing the natural state of your hair, by not using any chemicals on your hair. So everything I use on my hair is sulfate and paraben free, free of any other chemicals, and I do not use excessive heat. Most of the time, I “wash and go” with my hair. So for the last 5.5 years, I have been embracing my natural curl pattern……and ya’ll, these curls are TIGHTTTT!
Natural Life is NOT for Everyone
One thing that I learned very early on in this journey, is that being natural is A LOT of work, and it is NOT for the weak. It takes alot of time, patience, trial and error, and money to maintain this lifestyle! I say money because if you decide you want to keep up with your natural hair but realize that you cannot maintain it yourself, you will definitely pay a pretty penny when you find a natural hairstylist who will add you to their client list.
You will spend a lot of time and money in the beginning stages trying to figure out the best products for your hair specifically. What I have found is that what works for one person’s hair, may not necessarily work for another. So I spent the first year of my journey being a “product junkie” buying different brands and lines to see what I liked and what worked for my hair.
The Line-Up
Okay, now for what you all came here for today. So over the last 5.5 years, I have played with many different products. What I have learned is that my hair does not like routine. If I stick to a single brand or product, after a few weeks, my hair starts to have a mind of its own. My curls will not curl the way I want, my edges will not lay down the way I like, it’s not as shiny, its starts to frizz really bad. So what I’ve come up with is a product rotation that works for me. Every other week, I switch up the products I use.
Below is a complete list of every single product that I currently use each week, and every other week.
And in that Order
So now you are probably wondering what order to use these products. As I mentioned earlier, everyone’s hair and the journey is different. But here are the steps I take:
- Hair Oil – I am currently testing this method, so stay tuned for a full review on this in a month or two. But I started “hair oiling” about 3 weeks ago. I use THIS hair oil at night. I oil my entire scalp, and then work my way all the way down to the ends. I then put it in a bun, put on my satin bonnet, and go to bed. The next morning when I wake up, I then start my shampooing process. Stay tuned for an update on this
- Scalp Massage – After applying hair oil, I do a deep scalp massage for about 15-20min. After waking up the next day, before washing my hair, I massage my scalp for another 10min. THIS is the scalp massager I use.
- Reset Rinse – Before I start shampooing, I first do a reset on my scalp with a rinse that is made of rice water complex. Rice water is really good for stimulating growth. I put the rinse on and let it sit for about 5-7 minutes before washing out. I’ve been using THIS reset rinse for the last several months, and I’m really happy with the results thus far
- Shampoo – I am currently alternating between two different shampoos (Hydrating one and Detangling one). When it comes to shampoo, clarifying or hydrating, I only use shampoo once a week on my hair. No matter the brand, no matter the amount, shampoo seems to strip and dry out my hair. Therefore, I shampoo once a week, and the other days, I co-wash with one of the above conditioners. Its amazing how much better my hair feels, and how hydrated my curls stay.
- Conditioners – After shampooing and/or co-washing, I then follow with an intensive conditioner. My hair just soaks everything up, and quick. So I tend to use a conditioner that is really thick and has a lot of slip. When I use my conditioner, that’s also when I like to detangle. I start with finger detangling, and then use a wide tooth comb and start at the ends and work my way up. These are the two I use: Conditioner 1, and Conditioner 2.
- Deep Conditioner – I only deep condition once a month. THIS deep conditioner, plastic cap, and 20-30min under a hooded dryer, and your hair will feel amazing!
- Stylers – I know there are tons of fancy curl creams out there on the market, but for my hair, simplicity is key. To style my hair, I only use a leave-in conditioner, a hair oil, and a gel for my edges and to keep my curls from frizzing.
A Few Tips
A couple of things to remember
- You should always sleep with a satin bonnet/cap or a satin pillow. Or you can be extra like me and do both
- Take care of your edges, morning and night! This hair potion for your edges is amazing!
- Alternate hairstyles when you can. Take it from me; wearing a ponytail or bun, and wearing it in the exact same spot each day for extended periods of time will weaken your strands. So as you can see below, I typically alternate between wearing my hair naturally curly, straight or in knotless braids for an easy protective style.
- Definitely incorporate a liquid collagen into your daily routine if you haven’t already. Collagen is necessary for all of us, especially as we get older. We stop producing as much collagen in our late 20s, so we have to replenish on our own. My award-winning liquid collagen has been amazing in helping to improve not only my hair, but my skin and my nails. My recent increase in length and thickness has been greatly due to my collagen. Check it out HERE!
As I mentioned earlier, being natural is a process. It’s a process of patience, trial and error, and then constantly training your hair. If you can stick with it, the reward is strong, full, long, shiny, healthy hair. Despite the hard work, and the moments I’ve wanted to throw in the towel, going natural has been one of the best decisions for me.
I’ve had so many people ask me about my hair routine over the last few weeks, so I thought this would be a fun post to share. Hopefully I introduced you to some new products and a new process if you are stumped on your journey.
Best of luck friends!
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