photo c/o @lydiajuguna
Starting your natural hair journey can be daunting and Watching YouTube videos where the natural hair gurus are using more than eight products becomes very confusing and sometimes that’s not what our hair needs.
Hopefully I can break down, for all you beginners or pros,on how to go through wash day without it feeling like an absolute chore.
PREPOO
Prepoo is a process that happens before you wash your hair. One normally uses an oil of choice or a concoction of oils depending on your hair needs. Its main purpose is to condition dry bristle hair before shampooing it which tends to strip your hair more hence why oil is applied in order to retain a little bit of moisture after using your shampoo.I personally use coconut oil or if available mix coconut oil with olive oil.
SHAMPOO
Shampooing is a vital part of wash day, for me at least. I try use a sulfate free shampoo which tends to be less harsh to your hair strands compared to clarifying shampoos with sulfate,
CONDITIONER
Conditioner provides slip that enables you to comb through your hair without tagging and pulling on your hair.
DEEP CONDITIONER
Deep conditioning helps in aiding any of your hair and scalps needs, whether its dry hair, itchy dry scalp, breakage you name it their is a deep conditioner for it. It is however recommended that you keep your deep conditioner under high temperatures (heat) in order for it to penetrate your hair shafts easily. I recommend using the BU.KE purple tea range deep conditioner that helps reduce hair shedding ,sooth itchy and irritated scalps.
LEAVE IN CONDITIONER / CREAM
A leave in is used to add back in extra moisture and to condition your hair after your done with washing,conditioning and deep conditioning . Its an essential part of wash day and also helps define your curls. A cream tends to be heavier and more effective for people with high porosity hair,( working on a post on hair porosity )i personally prefer creams to water based leave in conditioners as it helps retain moisture in my hair.
OIL
An oil is used to seal in moisture and products applied to your hair.The oil you use depends on your hair and what you like,there really isn't a preference on what one should or should not use it all depends on you.
Finding a routine that works for you and that would aid in your hairs health is not an easy task but starting with a simple routine gives you a blueprint of what you could use that would make a difference to your hair.