My natural hair and I have been in a relationship for five years now. Five years in and I must confess I’m in love! Had anyone mentioned not relaxing my hair prior to 5 years go, I’d have scoffed at them. My hair is super thick and I needed the relaxer to tame my mane. I had a very busy schedule juggling school, work and being on a swim team.
My decision to go natural was accidental so to speak; a quick “snip” by my hairdresser was all it took to embrace my new growth. This wasn’t a TWA cut by any means but it sure wasn’t the just below my shoulder length I could easily throw up into a ponytail or top-knot.
That “snip” has created a very new relationship with my hair. I also leaned the creativity it took to take care of it. It’s also been a 5 year journey of recognizing the different textures I have and the dos and don’ts for minimal damage and healthy growth.
I should also confess before going any further that I’m a bit laid-back in my day-to-day care and I’m very frugal about the amount I spend on products that wash down the drain.
MY WASH ROUTINE
Every two weeks I co-wash my hair – this routine can be a bit time-consuming because of the thickness my hair. So, I part my hair into 4 sections and twist each separately, comb from the ends to the root paying close attention to tangles, I then dampen, apply shampoo to each twist, then I’ll go back to the first and gently wash the shampoo out with a bit of massaging to the roots/scalp then re-twist.
With the four sections done, I apply my a deep conditioner mix for about an hour or more. I do this twice a month, the other weeks I’ll simply apply a leave-in/detangler, a few drops of jojoba oil and then two strand twist, rod set or curl former and air dry.
Most nights I wear a satin scarf, I still haven’t acclimated to sleeping on a satin pillowcase. In the mornings, I’ll spritz very, very, lightly and fluff — this usually lasts for about 4 days. Whatever shrinkage I get allows for puffier, bigger hair and the bigger the more I love it!
MY FAVORITE TOOLS
The tools I use include:
• Hercules Sagemann Wide-toothed Comb – so worth the investment so guard it with your life!
• Denman Brush – again ladies and gentlemen guard it with your life, that right there is a whole lotta money.
• Water – there’s always a bottle of water with a few drops of peppermint or spearmint oil close at hand. I love that both mints give my hair a fresh, clean, invigorating smell.
• Hair Dye – I rarely blow dry or hot comb my hair but I dye it: I consider dyes accessories and here again is where I spend the $$$! I’ve never attempted to do my own color. That said, I really have to condition more often then most so my conditioners are a thicker in consistency to combat dryness from hair dye.
PRODUCTS I USE
• Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Shampoo
• As I Am Co-wash Conditioners
• Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Conditioner (also used to co-wash)
• Aubrey Organics GPB
• Hot Jojoba Oil and Conditioner blended into a thick mass
• Daily Spritz with my water/mint blend
SHOP THE PRODUCTS
That’s it really. I hope I was able to give you a more relaxed approach to maintaining and embracing your hair.
Photo Credit: Osha Waiters
