Ever since I started my natural journey, one of my biggest issues has been the fact that my hair seemed to always look and feel extremely dry, even after it was freshly washed. It wasn’t until I broke down and went to a natural hair salon because I needed a trim, that the stylist shed some light on what my hair care regimen was missing. Ever since then, my hair is no longer super dry, and this is what I learned:
1. No Sulfates
I was a natural newbie so I had no idea that I should have been a using sulfate free shampoo*. Shampoos that contain sulfates can strip your natural hair of its moisture, and in turn leaving it feeling and looking dry and brittle.
2. Rinse, and Repeat!
I use an Apple Cider Vinegar* rinse at least every two weeks to balance out the pH of my hair. It not only gets rid of all of the product build-up, but it restores your strands, and in turn leaving them looking and feeling smooth and moisturized. Another great rinse is a coconut* milk rinse.
I guess I must have been a lazy natural, because I would never deep condition my hair. I thought it was something that only needed to be done before and after a protective style.
However, deep conditioning* is an extra layer of defense to further moisturize your hair. Also, using heat, such as sitting under the dryer, helps to raise the hair cuticle so the conditioner can penetrate deep down into your hair strands.
4. Leave-In, Moisturize, and Seal
After shampooing and conditioning, you should then apply a leave in conditioner* as your first layer of moisture. Next, you then need to seal in that moisture by adding an oil. For good measure you can also add a moisturizing cream or butter over the oil.
A huge mistake I used to make was simply dabbing oil only my hair, without first moisturizing it, and then I would wonder why my hair was super dry. Putting oil on dry hair will only leave you with dry oily hair.
5. Protective Style
Protective styles are my all time favorite! Not only because they give me an extra 30 minutes in the morning to sleep, but also because they are a great way to help your hair retain moisture. Try an easy protective style if you are a newbie, as long as the style lasts for one to two weeks at a time you should be fine.
What do you do to keep your hair soft and moisturized?
I like deep conditioning but I don’t use leave-in conditioners for some reason I sweat them out and my hair ends up smelling sour. My hair is spritzed with water, then I seal with oil while twisting it and the end of each twist gets cocoa butter on it.
Where do you buy pure cocoa butter? I’ve only seen it in body lotions/body cremes.
I buy it from Paradise Beauty Supplies or from Collins (a pharmacy) both in Barbados ’cause that’s where I live.
Thank u