Natural Hair Regimen

What works for me? - My natural regimen/routine

Coucou transitioners, recent Big Choppers, very well-knowledge naturalistas and of course our frenemeies-our curious creamy crackers ;) welcome and let me share with you what I think is the #1 rule to a successful natural hair journey.  That rule is Find a regimen that you like, stick to it and keep it simple.
Adapting to a particular regimen is not a very easy task and it may take a while before you finally figure out what your hair likes.  Yes! In this natural journey, you must always remember it’s about *your* hair, what *it likes* and not what looks good on your favorite YTuber’s hair.  That said embarking on this natural journey will include a lot of research, experimentation and lots and lots of patience.  Whether your hair is short, long, thick, kinky, and curly, following a regimen will help you manage your hair easier, have fun experimenting while saving energy, time and money.


What works for me?

I’ve learned of these few easy steps that help keep me in charge of my hair and not the other way around:

·        Cleansing:  In the first few months of my natural journey, I’d wash my hair at least 1x a week and would use a sulfate-free shampoo to focus on my scalp and get rid of any dirt/product build up.  Shampoos are also known to strip the hair of its oils which is why it is recommended to always follow it with a conditioner. Several naturalistas do not use shampoos at all during their journey. Some only use shampoos 1x a month.  It’s different for everyone.  I have found an alternative to using shampoo - to wash my hair, I currently use Bentonite Clay treatment.  It is great to cleanse my scalp and my hair.  The main difference than using a shampoo is that the BC Treatment does not strip the hair of its oils, moisture and actually develop curl patterns.
  Conditioning: Conditioners are often followed after use of shampoos or used in the co-washing method which is to solely cleanse the hair by using a conditioner.  For my hair I use silicone-free conditioners and/or conditioners that are labeled deep moisture conditioners i.e. Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner or Giovanni Deep Moisture Conditioner.

·  Deep Conditioning/Deep treatment: Moisture is one thing that keeps our hair growing beautifully.  In our regimen, we should always try to retain moisture in our hair.  By doing a deep treatment/conditioning (at least) 1x a week letting it sit on the hair w/ a heat cap for 45 mins or more we are fighting against breakage, split ends and dryness.

·  Leave-in Styler: a leave-in conditioner that works best for me is Giovanni leave-in conditioner or my homemade concoction (see my DIY leave-in post)

·   Moisturizer: It's a fact that our natural hair tends to get very dry.  I've had one of my friends share with me that 'her natural hair used to break unbreakable combs'.  It sounds very funny but can be certainly true if you are not retaining moisture in your hair.  You can always count on water as the best moisture.  Pour it in a spritz bottle and spritz away!! - You can also use other moisturizing products be sure to use one where water is listed as the first ingredients such as Hawaiian silky 14-in-1 or be sure to check my post on DIY moisturizer.

·  Sealer: As mentioned above, it is very important to keep the hair moisturized.  It is also even more important to seal in that moisture by using a natural butter (shea, mango etc...) or by using your favorite carrier oils (Jojoba, grapeseed, EVOO, EVCO & Castor)

Voila!!!!! This is my current regimen.  I do this regularly once a week.  If for any reasons during this week, my hair feels extremely dirty or I want to try a new style on freshly clean hair I would simply do a co-wash, followed by a deep treatment, apply a leave in, moisturize the hair, seal it in and style as I wish.


What is your current regimen? How are you maintaining your hair?

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