This post is not only for my natural hair girls! This post is for everyone who has hair and wants that hair to look lush and nice, this post is also for anyone that doesn’t want all their hair to break off after the season is over.
People, Winter is here and we need to take care of our hair!
Okay maybe I am being a tad dramatic but I take hair care very seriously. I will be sharing a few tips, tricks and products that we will help all of us to still have hair after this season ends.
1. MOISTURIZE
This one is the most important, I cannot overemphasize the importance of H2O a.k.a water. You have to moisturise inside and outside. The trick is to drink alot of water so you stay hydrated at all times. The water within your body will moisturise your skin and hair from the inside. The second step is to moisturise your hair with a leave in spray mix or cream. I use a mix(leave in conditioner, lots of water, coconut oil, glycerine, aloe vera gel, peppermint essential oil, Kui leave in spray) in a spray bottle most days and a thicker, cream leave in conditioner twice a week.
Left: my leave in spray mix. Right: Kuddy Naturals leave in conditioner
My mix has alot of products and I change the mix depending on how my hair feels but a simple mix of water, glycerine and olive or coconut oil works just fine as a start.
2. SEAL
This practice has saved my (hair) life in the last few months. After moisturising your hair, it is important to seal with an oil that acts as a sealant. The logic hair is, moisture can evaporate from your hair easily but putting an oil on top of the moisture will ‘trap’ or ‘seal’ the moisture in the hair shaft therefore making it hard to escape. The result of this is that your hair stays moisturised and feels softer for a longer period of time than if you only moisturised.
I am currently using the African Naturalistas Hair Growth oil elixir as a sealant
Heavier oils such as Olive, Castor and Jojoba are recommended as sealants. I love the oil mix I am currently using because it contains all the above oils including some more oils so its a great buy. Leave a comment below if you want a review of the oil elixir.
3. Satin Bonnet, Pillowcase or Scarf
After all the hardwork of moisturising and sealing, please don’t just put your hair on a cotton pillowcase without any protection. Cotton will just soak up all the products in your hair and you will be back to square one (sobs). Plus all that friction between your hair and the cotton will cause breakage. That is why you should have a satin bonnet, scarf or pillowcase. Satin does not strip your hair of products, the friction with your hair is less so less breakage and it even helps maintain your protective style for longer.
Don’t you just love my vibrant satin bonnet? I made it myself
I use my bonnet at all times of the day when I am indoors. I am not taking any chances this season because I know that exposing my hair to the elements can strip my hair of moisture. I made this scarf using Patsy’s guide in a post she made some months ago (read here). I am no seamstress but it took me about 3 hours to make with breaks in between and it was fairly easy when I understood the general concept. My mum made hers in less time on the same day after seeing mine. The material and everything else used cost me about 1500 naira which is less than most vendors charge so that’s a plus.
4. DEEP-CONDITION
On wash days, I try not to skip deep conditioning. I use a strengthening, moisturing and or softening conditioner to protect my hair against the harsh weather. I usually add some oils, honey, glycerine and aloe-vera gel to whatever conditioner I am using. I also mix two conditioners on most days. This is simply because I have coarse kinky hair and a dandruff prone scalp so no one product can attend to all my needs lol.
This is a good affordable product that gets the job done
I love this product but it is more pricey than the one above and has less product
I deep condition after I wash my hair and I wear a shower cap for 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on whether or not I sleep off lol.
BONUS TIP
On days when I am in a rush and I want a product that can moisture and seal my hair, I reach for the Kui leave in mist. This product is amazing! A little goes a really long way and it gets the job done. Leave a comment below if you want a deeper review of the mist.
BONUS BONUS TIP
After I moisturise and seal in the morning, I immediately wear my bonnet while I am getting ready. This helps the products to really get into my hair shaft and stay moisturised for longer.
This was a lengthy post but I really hope it helps in some way. It may seem like alot of work but as soon as you make these steps a habit, it will take you no time at all, especially the moisturising and sealing.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave your comments on what else you want me to talk about. See you in my next post. Xoxo
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So Jotham grew powerful, because he directed his ways before the Lord his God
2 Chronicles 27:6
