Its been a while since my last post, but its because I've actually taken a JOURNEY inside of my natural hair care journey! I've been around the world and back again, trying new products and methods. I went through a whole host of different leave-in conditioners and oils, searching for the best way to seal and moisturize my hair. I searched high and low for the perfect Natural African Hair Care regiment, but then I discovered my original routine is the best overall option for my hair.
WASHING
Although I tried a myriad of new products and methods over the past few months, my wash routine has not changed. I shampoo my hair once a month with Suave Almond and Shea Butter shampoo. I've yet to start washing with a silicone free shampoo, as I find them to be a bit pricey and hard to find. I do co-wash (wash with conditioner only) my hair 2-3 times a week, however, with Suave Almond and Shea Butter conditioner. After I co-wash, I towel dry slightly, then apply Cantu Shea Butter leave-in conditioner. For those readers new to Natural African Hair Care, you may think co-washing 2-3 times a week is too much for your hair. Not true! Nothing provides more moisture than water, as well, co-washing gets rid of product build up and reapplies another coat of conditioner. There's nothing that natural hair loves more than to be moisturized and conditioned!
DEEP CONDITIONING
I deep condition once a week. My recipe consists of one dark green avocado, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil, 1 tablespoon of castor oil, 1/2 teaspoon of tea tree oil, 1/2 tea spoon of lavender oil and 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary oil. I put the avocado, olive and coconut oil in the blender (use a spoon to help mix it while blending - very thick). When the mixture is completely smooth, I add the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl and mix it all very well. After I've washed my hair, I put the conditioner in the microwave to make it very warm, not hot. I then pour it into my hair, making sure its evenly distributed throughout. Then, I put a plastic conditioning cap on and sit under the dryer for 30 minutes. When my time is up, I co-wash the mixture out of my hair two to three times. Afterward, I apply my leave-in, air dry, seal and twist.
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER
One of the products I've changed a few times over the past few months was my Cantu Shea Butter leave-in. I wanted to see if I was missing something, so I began trying different things. I tried Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 and Mixed Silk Elements and I must say there was a noticeable difference. Compared to the Mixed Silk Elements, Cantu goes the furthest for the amount, leaves my hair softer and doesn't cake up. As for the Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1, Cantu wins, hands down, for going the furthest for the amount, smell and softness. After I slightly towel dry, I generously (not too much) apply the Cantu throughout my hair making sure its distributed evenly from the roots to the ends. Then air dry.
SEAL
Its necessary to seal natural hair with an oil after you've applied a leave-in conditioner, as it helps to retain moisture. My staple seal is pure African Shea Butter, but I wanted a change, so I started exploring. I discovered Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum and I must say, its the thickest and smoothest oil I've ever put on my hair. A little goes a long way, but I don't have to conserve, because my hair soaks it right up! And the coconut scent, BONUS! I'm going to continue exploring however, because the Coconut Milk has three to four chemical ingredients in it. To keep it all natural, I'm going to experiment with a combination of Coconut oil, Shea Butter, Castor Oil, Mango Butter and maybe an essential oil to give the mixture a fragrant scent.
I don't comb my hair often. When I changed my style to an up-do, I had to comb and brush my hair everyday in order to achieve the style. After a while, I noticed a lot of hair in the comb and brush. Nevertheless, I kept on combing and brushing for some time thinking it was normal. I briefly went back to my curly Afro just for a change in style. As usual, I co-washed, air dried and two-strand twisted my hair without combing it and noticed I hardly shed any hair. I concluded that constantly combing and brushing was actually pulling my hair out, so I've gone back to only combing when co-washing and there really isn't any reason for me to brush at all. To detangle between combing, I run my fingers through my hair when I two-strand twist. Finger detangling, provides the same evening effect as combing with a lot less hair loss.
When you do comb your hair, its important to always use a WIDE tooth comb, as natural African hair is delicate, thick and nappy in an non-detangled state. Combing with a small tooth comb will tear through natural hair causing hair damage and loss. Further, when combing with a wide tooth comb, its important to section the hair and start at the ends, gradually moving up to the root. Once the entire section is combed out, then it can be combed and smoothened from the root. Starting from the root when combing will also cause hair loss and needles to say, great discomfort.
HEAT
Constant, direct heat is death to African hair, natural or chemically treated. We must use blow dryers, flat irons, hot combs and curling irons sparingly. I blow dry my hair straight to dust (trim) it and I do that every 8 to 12 weeks. In between that time, I may blow dry my hair straight 2-3 times, just for some versatility, but that's it!
Excess heat will cause hair to become brittle, dry and eventually break. There are natural alternatives to heat straightening, such as Shea Butter, when used in conjunction with the two-strand twist. Your hair will still be curly when the twists are taken out, but you'll suffer from less shrinkage. Using heat properly can be beneficial however, as heat makes the hair strand expand, allowing moisture and conditioning agents to penetrate. This is why its important to use a heat source when deep conditioning. To utilize natural heat, apply a thermal heat cap for 30 to 45 minutes, longer for damaged or color treated hair. When using an over head dryer, its essential to cover your hair with a conditioning cap to prevent direct heat exposure.
STYLING
To achieve my curly Afro, I part my hair in 10-11 thick sections. Then I apply Shea Butter, two-strand twist each section and cover my hair with a satin bonnet when I go to bed. Every morning, I just take out my two strand twists, pull the sections apart a little, fluff, pin and go.
TRIMMING
The Science of Natural African Hair Care dictates, "dust" (trim) your hair, RELIGIOUSLY, every 8 to 12 weeks! Dusting takes off most split ends and knots, which prevents tangles and therefore breakage. If while performing your daily hair regiment, you start to notice a lot of breakage, that means its time to dust. When dusting, its not necessary to take off EVERY split end and knot. If you dust too much, then you aren't going to see much growth. Cutting off 1/2 inch or less should suffice.
I've coined the word "Knot Mining" for Natural African Hair Care, which is periodically searching through and cutting out knots that develop on natural hair strands. Because natural hair is so kinky, it frequently folds in on itself, forming tiny knots. I cut the strand directly above the knot, no matter if the knot is on the end or middle of the strand. It is beneficial to knot mine every so often, as these knots frequently tangle up other strands of hair and cause breakage.
Castor and Jojoba oils have been proven to stimulate hair growth. It is important to rub or spray a good amount of either oil, or both, on your scalp every day. Rosemary, Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils are said to stimulate growth as well.