Keeping your curly (natural or processed) hair in tip-top condition is key to preserving the health of your hair. There are some of us who abhor taking time out of our day to deep condition their hair. But simply putting a rinse-out conditioner in your hair after shampooing is just not enough. As time goes by and our hair strands age, dryness and subsequent breakage become the bane of our hair journey and the task to repair our hair is an uphill battle. Most times the only solution is to cut off several inches of our hair.
So to avoid this from occurring, I do an overnight protein deep conditioning treatment once a month. I find it helps to strengthen my strands and circumvent the dreaded cut vs a to a trim.
I first shampoo my hair with a clarifying shampoo followed with an apple cider vinegar rinse and then I apply a thick creamy conditioner to my sopping wet hair while finger combing out the tangles. I then put on a shopping plastic bag (more about that below) and then I put on my $5 turban and off to bed I go.
When I Use A Protein Deep Condition
There are times when my curls are not “acting right” and I’m shedding a lot even though I’m being very careful not to over-manipulate my hair. When this happens, my go-to is a protein conditioner and my holy grail is Aphogee 2-Step Treatment. I pretty much follow the instructions however, I use my trusty shampoo and ACV then apply step 1 – the protein. I then sit bareheaded under the dryer for several minutes until my hair is crispy dry.
This will take several minutes depending on the density of your hair. I usually wait maybe 10 – 15 minutes without touching it for the heat to dissipate then I step into the shower and again using tepid water allow the flow of the water to wash the product out. Thereafter, I use a mixture of Aphogee conditioner and Hair Rules deep conditioner overnight with plastic bag and turban.
The following morning I remove both turban and plastic bag, allow my hair to cool off a bit and then I simply stand under the shower and rinse the conditioner out. Note, I do not manipulate the strands with a comb or my fingers while rinsing. I simply allow the water to flow through my hair and at times I’ll hold my head as low as I possibly can and give it several shakes. I then follow-up with a creamy leave-in conditioner with a few drops of castor oil or a serum to help seal in the moisture and prepare my hair to be styled.
Products I Use to Protein Deep Conditioner
Products I use are Fantasia Aloe Vera Shampoo, 3 tablespoonful of Apple Cider Vinegar in 3 cups of warm water, and Hair Rules Quench Ultra Rich Deep Conditioner. The leave-in I use varies between Kinky Curly Knot Today, As I Am Leave-In Conditioner and Heritage Castor Oil.
Ladies, if you don’t have a turban your local hair supply store has many colors. I’m sure you’ll be able to coordinate one with your nightwear! I use a plastic bag underneath the turban because they are thicker than plastic shower caps which means more heat is trapped under there. Plus, they’re free!
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