COMPLETE WASHDAY ROUTINE FOR NATURALISTAS

We’ve all agreed that natural hair beautiful and versatile; but it  should be adequately taken care of. The internet is filled with many things but in the midst of ‘the sea’, it is sometimes hard to catch a fish. In this post, I will guide you through on how to wash your hair properly.

Being a naturalista have given me the privilege to read and research extensively about natural hair and from time to time, I will share my findings.

HOW TO WASH NATURAL HAIR

1. Detangle. This process is often neglected by some naturalistas who exert themselves to do what is ‘easy’ instead of what is right. Detangling is very important. It is usually done with fingers (sometimes with a wide tooth comb) by pulling apart hair tangles and knots gently.

Before I detangle my hair, I part my hair in sections and then I apply water, conditioner and cantu coil detangler. Detangling is good because it can also help with hair retention.

2. Pre poo. This a treatment done before washing the hair so that the shampoo (especially shampoos that contain sulfate as one of the ingredients) will not strip the hair of it’s natural oils and moisture. There are lots of products out there used for pre poo treatment but I use Honey, avocado, banana and a water-based conditioner. I let it sit on my hair for 30 minutes or more depending on my schedules, then I cover my hair with plastic cap.

3. Shampoo .I use Créasoin Shampoo (£7.95 at www.ebay.com) to remove excess build up and dirt on my hair. Créasoin makes the hair very soft and it is very foamy with a nice scent.

4. Conditioner. This is very important to the hair because it softens the hair and makes it more manageable. On my wash days, I deep condition my hair before using  my Vo5 conditioner.

Always find something that works for you because our hairs are different and what works for A might not work for B. Vo5 conditioner has been given 5 stars by naturalistas because of it’s vitamin contents. (You can read more about it here).

5. LOC. This is a technique used for moisturizing the hair.

● L- stands for liquid which entails moisturizing with water.

● Oil- this includes carrier oils like shea butter and essential oils like peppermint, teatree , eucalyptus oil,  etc. For my carrier oil, I prefer shea butter because it prevents moisture loss and makes the hair really soft.

● Cream- I use Shae Moisture leave in conditioner after washing my hair because it helps fight frizz and keeps the hair moisturized.

6. Style. Being a Naturalista have availed an opportunity for me to become my own stylist (most of the time). There are style inspirations on Pinterest or Instagram.

Disclaimer: This is my personal method, it doesn’t mean it’s the standard method and it might not work for someone else.

Photo credits: Chioma Schmitz