Building a hair care routine goes way beyond how often you wash your hair. While the basics of how to build a hair care routine lie in the foundations of wash, dry, and style, there are many other factors to consider. The key to developing a great natural hair routine is knowing your hair and finding its tolerance. The rule of thumb here is the more you do to your hair, the more of both moisture and protein you’ll need. Let's get into it!
#1 Know your hair type and porosity, it will be important in a few steps
#2 Determine the condition of your hair; the current state of your hair will tell you what you need to make it healthy or healthier. You may have split or damaged ends, limp/lifeless hair or even something as simple as a dry scalp. Nothing is wrong with any of these, so there is a come back from all of them. The sooner you figure out what issues you are having, the sooner you can fix them. It is recommended to go to a licensed cosmetologist that specializes in natural hair and ask them their opinion. Some may charge for a consultation while others can tell you your issues with a free FaceTime call.
#3 Create a cleansing/shampooing schedule. A clean scalp is a happy scalp! Clean hair and scalp is essential to hair growth, clogged hair follicles will not grow healthy hair. Pick a weekly or bi-weekly wash day that fits your schedule. Some use a shampoo with every wash, some use a Co-Wash. What Is Co-Wash? The “co” in the name is short for conditioner, so when you co-wash your hair, you’re doing it with a conditioner. If you are needing a quick wash in between wash days, a co-wash is acceptable. A monthly clarifying rinse/shampoo should be used also to product buildup and give your hair a fresh start for your next style. The Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Shampoo is a great option for this step.
#4 Create a conditioning schedule. Here is where knowing your porosity is important. NEVER SKIP THE CONDITIONER!! Low Porosity: Deep condition with heat (hooded dryer, steamer or a heated cap). Do a hot oil treatment once every 2 weeks. Warm up the bottle and apply the oil to your scalp, let it sit for 30min. High Porosity: Do protein treatments. High porosity hair and protein treatments go hand in hand, however, don't overdo it. Once every 2 months is enough. Protein treatments fill the gaps in your hair cuticle and make it stronger and when your hair is stronger, it is less prone to breakage. High porosity needs this extra protein in order to be stronger.
#5 Styling and trimming your hair is essential to your hair care routine. You could do everything right with your wash day but could also mess it all up by styles that pull at your hair too tight or not getting trims. Lack of styling can hurt your hair too and cause knots, tangles and split ends. Aim to trim your ends every 3-4 months. You may need to trim more often depending on the styles that you wear.
#6 Detangling & Moisturizing Schedule. Detangling and moisturizing your hair is probably the biggest part of your hair care routine because dry and brittle hair struggles to grow. Tangled hair only leads to breakage and split ends and we don’t want that. Moisturizing can be as easy as spritzing your hair with a watery conditioner. You can use the Almond Berry All-In-One Conditioner for this step as well. Just put a little bit in a spray bottle, add water and spritz away! Be sure to hydrate your scalp as well with an oil. Try the Peppermint & Tea Tree Hair Growth Oil for this step. You can hydrate your scalp with a hair grease or cream for dry flaky scalp. Aim to moisturize your hair at least every other day.
#7 Braid/Under Wig Care. Depending on how long your hair is braided, you will need to wash it in between styling and take down. Anything longer than 3 weeks needs to be washed. The hair still needs to conditioned/moisturized and the scalp needs to be hydrated as well. The following routine is recommended:
*Shampoo & condition every 3-4 weeks
*Oil scalp & spray braids with watery conditioner every 2 days
*Oil your scalp & spray your hair RIGHT BEFORE braid take down to minimize breakage
*Pre-poo your natural hair if you plan to use a shampoo with sulfates. What is Pre-poo? Pre-Poo is the process of treating hair with an oil, a conditioner or a mix of both in preparation of shampooing the hair. The purpose of the Pre-Poo process is to protect hair from the sulfates which may strip your hair of its natural oils.
*Deep condition with heat
*Use a low manipulation style for at least a week or two before braiding your hair back up to give it a break.