When creating a natural hair regimen, it is important to be consistent. Consistency will allow for you to see the type of growth you desire, and it will give you a first-hand look when there is something wrong with your hair. When you are consistent you get to know your hair on a personal level, and you will immediately know when it is time to switch a product or add something different to your routine. Natural hair women who are new to the natural hair community have to relearn everything they know about their hair. They have to relearn how to care for it, style it, and how to listen when it is having a problem. It can cause frustration at times but creating a regimen will allow you to avoid a lot of the pitfalls that can happen when caring for natural hair. In this article we will discuss how to create a natural hair care wash day regimen.
Detangle
The first step to any wash day is to section the hair and detangle. You will need hair clips or hair ties depending on your preference. It is very difficult to do your hair when it is in a tangled state. This can cause more issues like breakage and damage. Some naturals have found that finger detangling their hair before washing helps them remove the knots that cause damage. Doing this on dry hair using a hair oil helps the process go a little faster. Whether you choose to finger detangle as your first step, make sure to handle your hair gently so no damage or breakage happens.
Shampoo
This step is different for every natural. Some women swear by never using shampoo only conditioners to wash their hair. While others use shampoo but only wash the scalp. Yet still some women believe to wash all their hair because of product buildup. Finding out what works for you is best in this instance. When selecting a shampoo, it is important that you find one that is non-drying for your strands. These drying shampoos can do more harm than good if used too often. Most natural women have sworn off sulfates because they are too drying to the hair. This is going to have to be your decision. You can experiment to see which shampoo nourishes your hair and which one dries it out. A helpful way to find out if a shampoo can help is to watch some YouTube reviews on the particular product you want to try. However, I have found that naturals with the most success with their hair are the ones that wash their hair weekly. Oil and dirt build up on the scalp of the hair and it is best to have a clean surface for the hair to grow.
Condition
Conditioning weekly is a very important step. Deep conditioning with heat allows for the conditioner to penetrate the hair shaft. This allows for flexibility of the hair and maximum hydration absorption. Deep conditioning with either heat for 15-20 minutes or allowing natural body heat with a cap on are both beneficial practices. When the hair is not flexible it is stiff and causes breakage, this can happen with too much dryness. Deep conditioning combats the dryness and allows for the hair to be flexible again. Deep conditioning is not a step you want to skip for the health of your hair.
Leave-in Conditioner
Most natural haired women use some type of leave-in conditioner after deep conditioning. It is a necessary step when locking in the moisture that was received during the deep conditioning step. When you were deep conditioning, the hair shaft cuticles were lifted because of the heat and this allowed for the conditioner and moisture to get into the hair shaft. These cuticles must be closed again because they will allow moisture to escape. A good leave-in conditioner will allow for your cuticles to lay flat again. Whatever leave-in you choose you can improve the leave-in by adding a tablespoon of aloe vera juice. Aloe vera juice closes your hair cuticles because of the acidic nature of the juice. When your cuticles are closed your hair feels smooth and has bounce and shine. It retains moisture longer and has flexibility which limits breakage. You can either buy a leave-in conditioner from your local store or online, or you can make your own if you like the do it yourself.
Sealant
Sealing the hair is the last step in the process. This is usually done with a hair butter or moisturizing cream. There are plenty of hair butters and creams on the market. It's really just about finding the one in your price range that you want to try on your hair. This step is last because now you are locking all of the moisture you have just put in your hair from the previous steps. This step makes your hair very soft and shiny for days after wash day. Kinky and coily hair usually do well with butters like shea, mango, cocoa and kokum butter. You can buy these individual butters online and mix your own recipe; or you can search your local beauty supply chair for the individual butters and try them one at a time. There is no wrong way to use them. You can use as little or as much as you like. If using a butter, there usually isn't a need for adding an oil on top because it is thick enough to hold in the moisture. However, when using a cream sealant some naturals have stated the need to follow with an oil on top. This is because the cream is usually a mixture of a water base and some parts butters and oil. It is of a lighter consistency and not as naturally heavy like a butter. Cream sealant has its benefits though, some people like to use them in between wash day for a mid-week moisture boost. Because they are lighter, they tend not to weigh the hair down as much as a butter can. Either way, it is your choice on whether you want to use a cream or butter to seal your hair. The more time you spend with your hair doing it weekly, you will know which products react well with your hair and which ones do not.
The last step
The last step in all this is to be patient. Hair grows anywhere from 4 to 6 inches a year. And as long as you are watching it, and manipulating your hair too often it may seem like it's not growing. Many naturals say they have had the most success by using low manipulation styles which do not allow for breakage of the hair. If your hair is not breaking, then you are retaining the maximum amount of hair growth for the year. So, have patience, get a hair regimen that works for you, and watch your beautiful tresses thrive, while others are in awe of your beautiful mane.
Where to buy
So, to recap for your wash day regimen you will need shampoo, clips or hair ties to section hair, oil to assist in detangling, leave-in conditioner, and a cream or butter to seal the hair. There are plenty of places to buy products all ranging in different price ranges but the best place to recommend would have to be StoresGo.com. It is an online ecommerce site to sell your products online for free and has a wide variety of products that you may be looking for. They have fair and balanced prices and they process orders either the same day or next day for fast shipping. StoresGo.com is a great website to try and keep on your bookmarked sites.