Natural hair generally refers to the texture of the hair and not the color. By definition, it’s the hair that grows naturally without the alteration of chemical straighteners, relaxers, or texturizers. Once you wash pressed hair, it can still be said to be natural as the texture usually returns to its initial, unaltered state; provided no heat damage had occurred. However, caring for natural hair is not always a walk in the park as your hair needs to be well taken care of and kept moisturized.
Poor maintenance can lead to hair loss, something every natural hair enthusiast dreads. Apart from shampooing your hair, there are several tips you need to take into consideration when it comes to natural hair care. Read along to unleash what’s in store for you.
Use a Moisturizing Shampoo
One of the greatest mistakes a lot of people make is just buying a shampoo without knowing what it contains and the benefits it offers. Most shampoos contain ammonium and sodium lauryl sulfates, which are elements that remove the moisture from your hair, causing dryness.
The best natural hair care shampooing tip is to use a moisturizing shampoo once or twice a week. Such shampoos are generally gentle cleansers that leave your natural hair feeling soft and detangled. However, if you’re a regular user of styling gels and oils, it’s best to use clarifying shampoos once a month to remove all product buildup leaving your hair squeaky clean.
Also see: Benefits of Using Orange on Hair
Moisturizing Deep Conditioner
A great natural hair care routine should always include a moisturizing deep conditioner. Conditioners usually follow after you’ve shampooed your hair. Deep conditioning your hair not only softens the hair but also smoothens the cuticles, minimizes statics, and, most importantly, helps retain water in the cortex. As for deep conditioning, ensure that your hair is wet, and apply the conditioner throughout the hair evenly.
To carry this out effectively, apply the conditioner in small sections. Let the conditioner sit for about 15-20 minutes and then rinse off with warm water and style as desired. As for natural hair, ensure your conditioner contains water, panthenol, wheat protein, caffeine, and coconut oil for the best results. If the conditioner contains no oils, you can generally add some coconut oil or olive oil to allow penetration into the hair strand.
Natural Oils
As for natural hair care, it’s always advisable to use the LOC (Liquid, Oil, Cream) method to ensure that your hair stays moisturized. LOC method is the best technique to use for maximum hair moisturization. First, apply a water-based moisturizer, then oil, and lastly, follow up with a cream to seal the oil. That’s why there are natural oils that work great for natural hair.
They include Jamaican Black Castor oil, Extra virgin oil, Avocado oil, Jojoba oil, and coconut oil. Apart from aiding in the sealing of the moisturizing products, these oils help enhance the shine and pliability of your natural hair. Besides these natural oils, you can try out apple seed oil as it keeps your hair healthy and beautiful.
Protective Styling
If you’re seeking to grow long hair, then you should consider protective styling. It’s one of the vital parts of any natural hair care routine. A protective style is any style that can typically reduce hair combing, keep your hair up and off the shoulders, and lastly, cut back on the use of heat.
Some of the best protective styles include buns, spiral curls, twist outs, and braids. To grow your natural hair fast, make sure you keep the ends of your hair protected from heat damage, as it makes your hair prone to breakage.
All in all, caring for natural hair is not an easy task, but incorporating the given tips will help a lot in enhancing overall hair growth. Many credible companies provide you with a broad range of natural hair products to ensure that you achieve healthy, silky, and beautiful hair.
