This is a guide for all my curly headed cuties who have just started to try take care of their natural hair or are trying to find new tips/advice for their hair.
This all works for me but it's not guaranteed to work for you although it doesn't hurt...
When I say care for your hair, I mean you really have to care about it. You have to look at ingredients and make sure you know what you need to take care of your hair, what works well with it, how you're brushing it, when you're brushing it, etc etc...
What do people think when hair care is brought up? Shampoo and conditioner. And there's a reason for that. Shampoo and conditioner have a lot of what makes your hair good but it can make your hair awful as well. Shampoos and conditioners (if you're not careful and don't read ingredients) have very damaging and drying products in them. The two main culprits: Sulfates and Silicones.
What does sulfates and silicones do to your hair specifically?
Well sulfates are very harsh detergents and will wash out any type of oil from your hair which is awful which you have a dry scalp. Not so much for our oily counterparts. It's recommended that you only use sulfates when you have product build up on your scalp but don't use it every time you wash your hair.
How do you figure out something has sulfates? LOOK AT THE INGREDIENTS. 10 OUTTA 10 TIMES, IT WILL SAY SOMEWHERE "Sulfates" IN THE INGREDIENTS.
What about silicones you ask?
Silicones are mostly used in plastics and what happens when plastic gets wet? The water sits there and that's a problem when it comes to your dry hair. The silicone creates a barrier around the hair and doesn't let moisture come through.
How do you know a product has silicone, Olivia? LOOK AT THE INGREDIENTS.
I also recommend using cold water for washing your hair because hot water will dry your scalp although I'm gonna have to reaserch that a little more. I vaguely remember something saying that.
(EDIT: I researched how hot water affects your hair and it's said that it opens up the hair shaft and pores so it strips away essential oil from the hair. Hot water also causes frizz but cold water makes your hair flat sooo...)
If y'all didn't know, natural hair products get kinda expensive especially all at once, so if you have that kind of money, go crazy. Maui Moisture is a really good brand that I use that has reasonable prices, a lot of products for multiple types of hair and needs, and they're super moisturizing (especially the hair masks). You can find them in Mejiers, Walmart, Target... But of course, it depends on what your likes. You have to find what works with you just like with skin care so don't be upset if you don't see process right away.
Cowashing is also very helpful and should become a new part of your routine to get rid of shampoo. Cowashing aka conditioner washing is a better and more moisturizing way of cleansing the scalp of product residue. I recommend As I Am Coconut Cowash.
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All of your cowashing/shampooing and conditioning should be happening once a week as to not over wash any oils out and not to overstrain or over-moisturize the hair (yes that is a possibility and it is not fun).
Once out the shower, you should have oils, creams, leave ins, and all that good stuff locked and loaded. Depending on what your hair needs, olive oil, grape oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and etc are great for moisturizing and sealing.
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I've heard of using a shampoo brush from CurlyPenny on YouTube. You basically massage your scalp with it while your shampooing and it helps break up all that product build up. Haven't tried it although I would like to.
Also, it should be said that just because the bottle says it helps repair dry hair and split ends, it could have silicones/sulfates. I remember looking at the blue bottle of herbal essence (I believe), said it helps repair, looked at the ingredients and it had sulfates. Some companies are liars.
Another tip is to use a silk towel or 100% cotton towel to dry your hair to avoid static/frizz/hair pulling.
If you like to blow dry, use a diffuser. I've heard that diffusers are really helpful because it spreads heat evenly and avoids over drying. You do have to drop some money for it though. I think you have to buy a whole new blow dryer with a diffuser attached but don't quote me on that!
While once a week is recommended to be washing you hair, it all depends on you. Some people can go a couple weeks. Some people can't go a couple days. Listen to what your scalp says and if you're trying to get to once a week, try to wean back on washing.
