My Natural Hair Regimen
I love my natural hair! Learning exactly how to take care of my own head of hair, however, took time. I'd like to share with you the regimen which I developed over the years. It works very well
for me, and though I may vary elements from time to time, the process remains
roughly the same. I’ll list the basic steps, then give more details following
that.
Pre-poo
Shampoo
Deep Condition
Leave-In
Simple, straight forward, and to the point. :-) These steps have
been essential for me in providing clean, well moisturized, strong hair, and I
am steadily progressing toward my length goal of waist length by following them
weekly.
Pre-poo
Every week I give my hair a delicious, nourishing pre-poo in
the form of a hot oil treatment. I apply it directly to the twists which I wore
the previous week. I use an oil cocktail which consists of:
3 ounces of coconut oil
1 ounce (roughly) of avocado oil
15-20 drops of rosemary oil
10 drops of vitamin E oil
Sometimes I add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil as well, and I’ve
even been known to throw some lavender oil up in there. I combine the oils
(which I buy from a health food store here in Jerusalem, located on Agrippas if
anyone is interested J),
then warm them in a mug of hot water. While the oil is warming, I soak my hair
in warm-hot water to open the cuticle. (Note:
I do not spritz my hair with water from a spray bottle. I stick my entire head of
hair under the tap and soak that stuff until it’s dripping wet, then I gently squeeze
out the excess water). The oil is usually warmed by this point and ready for
use. I then apply the warmed oil to my scalp and massage it in, and follow this
up by applying it to my hair, concentrating on the ends. I put a plastic bag on
it, and then apply heat (which for me means a heat sock wrapped around my head
and covered with a plastic bag #cantfindahairdryerinjerusalem.) I leave it on
for 30-45 minutes, then shampoo.
Shampoo
Roots Rosemary Oil Treatment Shampoo
This is a locally made brand. It is mild and pH balanced,
and my hair LOVES it. My hair feels stripped or matted afteward. I have
searched far and wide for a good, gentle yet cleansing shampoo, and am happy to
have finally found one. I first wash my scalp thoroughly with one application
(maybe 2 if I haven’t gotten enough shampoo on the first time) and work the
shampoo onto my hair from root to tip. I rinse, them I may add a bit more
shampoo to my palm and apply it directly to my hair, working my way down to the
tip. This process usually takes about 5 minutes total.
Deep Condition
This is my favorite part of the hair care process, as deep
conditioning adds much needed moisture and strength to the hair. I think of
deep conditioning as a pampering session for my hair, giving it much needed
hydration, and TLC. I’ve found that my hair thrives on moisture, and isn’t so
much in need of protein (there are two basic types of deep conditioners; those which
moisturize and those which strengthen via proteins). I always love the way my
hair feels after a good deep conditioning session, and I noticed immediate
improvement after I made this a daily staple in my regimen. (My main problem
here in Israel has been finding a good deep conditioner that gives me the
results that I love: soft, strong, luscious hair which is well hydrated AND stays
that way over the course of the week. I don’t ask for much, lol.) My absolute
favorite deep conditioner is good ole LeKair
Cholesterol, but alas, I cannot find it here. I tried to deny my love
affair with this deep conditioner at first due to its old school when-I-had-a-relaxer-I-loved-this-product
nature, but eventually I had to stop faking the funk and admit that it really
does do the job, and does it well. It’s my DC boo. So………the verdict is still
out on a deep conditioner right now, which is why one isn’t listed above, but I’m
still on the look out. In the meantime, if you find it in your heart to send me
some LeKair here in Jerusalem………..(NO, I’m just kidding. Don’t do that. ;-))
Leave-In
Kinky Curly Knot Today
Castor Oil
Jojoba Oil
Look familiar?
(If you don’t know what I’m referring to, there is a VERY well known leave-in
concoction floating around the cyber-world which was whipped up and promoted by
one natural sister who has now developed her own product line, and is no longer
advocating the use of the above mentioned concoction.
I am not mad at her. I’ve already ordered her products and am excited about giving
them a try. Just saying.) No, I do not
add the aloe vera juice. I tried to like the recipe with the aloe vera juice,
but it wasn’t doing it for me. I eventually removed it from the mix, and now I
LOVE it. My hair stays moisturized and springy for a week with just one
application of this leave-in on wash day. If I need to go a little longer, I
can get another few days out of it without a new application. This also serves
as a fantastic detangler, believe it or not. I apply the leave in sometimes one
twist at a time, sometimes en mass, then twist by twist, I unravel, finger detangle,
smooth the leave in through the section of hair and retwist. (I usually do not
use a styler or an additional moisturizer unless I’m going for a different
style like a twist out or flat-twists, which I rarely do.) At the end of the
process, there are about 15-20 medium to large sized twists in my hair. After
twisting, I pin up the twists in a cute protective style for the week, and I’m
good to go.
And THAT is my reggy! It took me some time to come up with
it, but through trial and error, I found the regimen that works best for me. It
saves me time, keeps my hair well moisturized, provides a nice professional
style for work, and protects my ends.
What is YOUR regimen?
