Natural hair care routine
- List Item #1
- By Gabriel Gavazzi
You either have natural hair and want to change your natural hair care routine, or you want to go natural and are curious about how you can maintain your natural hair on a daily basis. While developing a natural hair care regimen takes time and may require some trial and error due to the uniqueness of our individual textures, once you learn what products to be using, how they work, and also when to use them, you will be amazed at how simple it is to master the proper natural hair care regimen for your hair type.
What Is A Hair Regimen?
A regimen is usually a routine that you follow in order to properly care for your natural hair
in the best way possible. If you are transitioning from relaxed to natural hair, odds are you
didn't have or need a hair routine for natural hair. When it comes to your natural hair, you
absolutely should have one.
A regimen adds structure, repetition, as well as consistency to the long-term process of hair
care. It will include products as well as procedures to keep your hair healthy and strong. Your
regimen will include how frequently you want to moisturize, wash, and possibly restyle your
hair. As you learn more about what your hair likes and dislikes, your regimen will evolve.
It's crucial to understand that there is no magic routine that will guarantee you waist-length
hair. Your regimen will be largely determined by the advice you receive on your journey. You will need to decide what you want to incorporate and what you will ignore.
Things You Should Include In Your Natural Hair Routine
1. Moisturize
Moisture is the foundation of any hair care regimen. Because natural hair is usually naturally
dry, you have to do everything possible to keep moisture in your hair. Kinky or curly hair is
dry due to the shape of every curly strand. It's a spiral, that makes moisturizing more difficult.
When you wet straight hair, the water travels directly down the hair shaft. Due to the spiral
shape of curly hair, when you spray water on it, portions of the hair strand are missed. As a
result, you should moisturize it a lot more and try to retain the moisture.
4 Natural Hair Tips To Get Moisture
Water
Water is clearly the most basic way to moisturize your natural hair. It's fine to wet your hair
every once in a while, but keep in mind that water naturally dries up over time. You can wet
your hair right now only to find it dry a few hours later. The way your hair absorbs water will
vary depending on whether it is high, low, or regular porosity.
Leave-in conditioner
A Leave-in conditioner is excellent because it has molecules that enable moisture to remain
in your hair rather than evaporate. Always spray your strands with water first and then apply
a great leave-in conditioner.
Aloe Vera
Another fantastic product to add to the spray bottle is aloe vera juice for the 4c hair care
routine, which will help you keep all of that wonderful moisture for as long as necessary. You
could add several drops of aloe vera juice to the spray bottle and use it to dampen your hair as
necessary.
The LOC method
You may have already heard of the LOC method. LOC is an abbreviation for Liquid, Oil, and Cream. You will simply apply these to your natural hair in that order. Some people have discovered that LOC doesn't really work well for them and prefer LCO, which is the same abbreviation but with the letters arranged differently.
2. Wash Day
Moisture is the foundation of any hair care regimen. Because natural hair is usually naturally
dry, you have to do everything possible to keep moisture in your hair. Kinky or curly hair is
dry due to the shape of every curly strand. It's a spiral, that makes moisturizing more difficult.
When you wet straight hair, the water travels directly down the hair shaft. Due to the spiral
shape of curly hair, when you spray water on it, portions of the hair strand are missed. As a
result, you should moisturize it a lot more and try to retain the moisture.
Pre-Poo Your Hair
If you pre-poo your natural hair with oil as often as possible, you will have fewer tangles, and less matted hair and your shampoo will not strip your hair. Pre-pooing is an important part of any hair care routine. Pre-poo your hair and scalp by saturating them with oil. After that, cover up your hair with a shower cap for about 20 minutes.
Gentle Shampoo Bars
Shampoo bars are beneficial to your hair since they are free of chemicals, allowing you to clean your hair without stripping away its natural oils. They will not dry out or damage your hair. They produce a thick as well as natural lather, leaving your hair clean and healthy.
Ensure you avoid using shampoo regularly. Shampoo tends to dehydrate the hair. You might even feel it yourself after using shampoo. The concept is to retain moisture rather than lose it, which is why it is preferred to only shampoo your hair once every several months to clarify the scalp. Or opt for gentle shampoo bars which will not damage your hair.
Try our shampoo bars for fine hair, dry hair, normal hair, and curly hair.
Conditioner
Conditioner is normally the second step in the hair washing process. While shampoo is
designed to clean off dead skin cells, sweat, and hair care products, conditioner softens and
also makes your hair easier to handle. It also shields the hair shafts from damage. Conditioner
tends to leave a protective layer on top of every strand of hair as it softens out the cuticle
layer, helping to protect it from the environment as well as heat from hot water and
hair styling tools. Less damage would mean the hair will remain shiny and silky for a longer
period of time.
Deep conditioner
Deep conditioner is essential for natural hair. Deep conditioning adds another layer of
moisture to your hair. You do not even have to use a deep conditioner after each wash if you
don't want to. You may discover that this is too much for your hair. You may realize that
once a month is more convenient for you. It's always a good idea to try different things and
see what works best for you. Deep conditioners are designed to penetrate the core of your
hair strands. Deep conditioners are designed to wash out, so you will typically leave them on
for about 15 minutes before rinsing them off.
3. Low Maintenance Protective Style
It's crucial that you keep your hairdos low-maintenance. When you wear low-maintenance styles, you are less likely to experience breakage and split ends. You should always train yourself to be extra gentle with natural hair. Even though natural hair appears to be strong, it is not. If you want it to stay healthy and grow, you should treat it with love and care. Twist- outs, small twists, and similar hairstyles are examples of low-maintenance styles. The idea is that no matter what hairstyle you decide, you don't have to invest a lot of effort to redo it each day
4. Trimming
Many people would prefer to skip this step, but it is essential that you include a trimming
routine. Trim the ends every 6-8 months to keep them looking good. Because the ends of the
hair are the oldest, they require the most attention and care. Split ends can cause damage to
the ends of your hair, so it is vital to trim them regularly. While it may appear that you are
losing length, you are simply encouraging your strands to grow much longer.
5. Detangling
Make it a habit to detangle your hair. Finger detangling is the best method, but it does require
some practice. If you can't detangle your hair with your fingers, use a wide-tooth comb and
always comb from the hair ends up and toward the root. Avoid combs with close-fitting teeth,
as these are more likely to cause hair breakage.
It is essential to learn how to finger detangle because it is always much gentler on your hair.
Because curly hair strands are often more likely to twist around one another, don't be
surprised if you notice a lot of tangles. Make a habit to detangle frequently. Doing styles that
stretch your natural hair, such as braid-outs and twist-outs, can help you to manage this.
6. Protein
Depending on your hair type, you may also have to add protein treatments to your regimen.
You can determine how frequently you need to do these by feeling your hair and recognizing
the symptoms. It may appear complicated right now, but everything will become clearer in
time.
7. Nighttime Natural Hair Regimen
Not only should you have a daytime routine, but you should really have a nighttime regimen
as well. There are several things that you will need to keep in mind before you head to sleep.
Pineapple Method
If twist-outs are your preferred hairstyle, ensure you consider utilizing the pineapple
technique to keep your curls intact while you sleep.
Hair Scarf
Try wrapping your hair with a silk or satin scarf before you go to bed. If you sleep directly on
a cotton pillow, you would then find that the cotton has absorbed the majority of the moisture
from your hair. Instead, opt for a satin scarf, which will absorb less moisture.
Satin Pillowcase
If neither of the two options above appeal to you, a satin pillowcase may be more your style.
You could get one to lock in moisture when you sleep.
8. Use Your Hairdryer Less Frequently
Natural hair can appear to be extremely fragile. The frequency with which you use heat on
your hair increases the risk of hair damage. Using a blow dryer on wet natural hair requires
using high heat as well as having to pull with a styling brush. To minimize damage and
tangling, you should avoid friction and heat on your hair.
Air drying your hair is the best alternative because it prevents excessive hair breakage.
Remember to not use a towel to dry your hair! Utilizing a towel roughens the cuticle of the
hair, causing frizz as well as breakage. Instead, use a soft t-shirt to squeeze your hair dry.
9. Eat Healthy Meals To Help Your Hair
Nutritious meals are not only good for your body, but they will also help you have stronger
healthier hair. A nutritious diet rich in low-fat proteins, fruits, vegetables, as well as whole
grains will promote hair growth. Consume foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, including
salmon and avocados, for a better and healthier scalp.
Conclusion
When starting to learn how to properly care for natural hair on a daily basis, there is a lot to
digest. The more you do it, the simpler it will become, and you will discover what your hair
likes and dislikes. Because no two people's hair care routines are the same, keep in mind that
what tends to work for one person may not work for you. Keep learning, and your hair will
grow naturally.