It was just in the Spring of this year that I started putting more effort and time into taking care of my hair. It was also the time I decided I'd like to grow my hair longer than it's ever been before - to hip length. I've always been aware of such things as sulfates and parabens not being good for scalp and hair, so I've been using mostly SLS/paraben-free shampoos and natural conditioners for many years, but after the Spring of this year, I've taken the care of my hair a little further.
Washing (S/C- 'Shampoo and Condition' and WO - 'Water Only')
S/C - Shampoo and Condition
Once a week I use a shampoo that I dilute in a cup of water. I alternate between using a shampoo with and without SLS (Urtekram's Nordic Birch has SLS and Urtekram's Lavender doesn't). I bend over and pour the mixture over my scalp from behind, then the sides, the top of my head and then the front. I massage the shampoo in and let it sit on my scalp for about half a minute before I wash it out.
WO - Water Only
I have to wash my hair once more between weekly shampoo washes, so I do, but with water only. I usually do so some 3-4-5 days after a shampoo wash (depending on what I'm doing). It is when the hair starts feeling a tiny bit oily, especially my fringe, but doesn't feel dirty enough to wash with a shampoo. All I do is massage my scalp as I stand in a warm shower and then either apply some conditioner onto my ends or just oil after I get out of the shower. This usually helps me to stretch the washes for two or three more days when I shampoo-wash again. This has proven to be a great help in preventing dry hair and dry and irritated scalp, which has always been my biggest issue.
Conditioning
After washing out ALL of the shampoo, I apply conditioner (Tresemme Naturals or Garnier Respons Shea Butter and Avocado) to my length and ends only - I make sure none of it gets onto my scalp as my scalp doesn't tolerate conditioner. I leave the conditioner on for a couple of minutes - up to 5 - and then rinse it out first with warm water and then with ice cold water. Sometimes, I spray my hair and scalp with a very weak dilution of apple cider vinegar (ACV) (1tbsp in 400ml of water) before I rinse it with ice-cold water.
Another important part of after-wash hair conditioning is applying an oil in my length and especially ends while the hair is still at least somewhat wet as it's supposed to lock the moisture in and prevent it from escaping the individual hair strands. For this end, I use almond oil, coconut oil or good old mineral oil (read: baby oil with no additives or perfume).
Deep Conditioning
• SMT
About once a month, I do an SMT (Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment) that is made of 4 parts conditioner, 1 part aloe vera gel (as pure as you can get it - with no alcohol, etc.) and 1 part honey (some warm it to get rid of honey's natural peroxide content). I put that on after washing my hair, let it sit for about 30 minutes and then go back in the shower to wash it out with lukewarm and then ice-cold water. Again, I apply the treatment only on my length as applying conditioner to my scalp causes me problems (itchiness, oiliness, etc.)
• Deep Oiling
Again, about once a month, before a shampoo wash day, I apply either a mixture of coconut and castor oils or premixed Amla hair oil mixture that I bought online (from a store that unfortunately no longer exists) both onto my scalp and length. Then I braid my hair and go to sleep with the oil in my hair (I usually put an old towel over my pillow as my hair is soaked with the oil). I wash it out the morning after, first with CO wash friendly conditioner (Conditioner-only wash conditioner doesn't have any silicones, proteins and is of a lighter kind, etc. look it up) that I apply this time even on my scalp and length and let it sit on for at least 2-3 minutes, then wash it out and apply my diluted shampoo mixture (it's better if the shampoo has some SLS in it as it strips the oil better), sometimes I reapply the shampoo mixture if the hair still doesn't feel clean enough and end with either a conditioner or just a ACV rinse (as described above).
• Henna + Cassia
This can be also filed under coloring my hair, but since both henna and cassia are well-known for their conditioning properties, it not only colors the hair, but also protects it, makes it shinier and stronger. I color my hair every 6-8 weeks.
Hair Protection and Styling
Protective Styling
This is definitely an integral part of my haircare as it prevents my hair from further damage.
I wear my hair up in buns and plaits most of the time. I wear it up 100% of the time when at work or out and about running errands. For that purpose, I've bought a few hair sticks and a hair fork. I also own some metal-free hair elastics, pins and bobby pins. My go-to bun is the Nautilus bun. It was fun to experiment with various braids during the summer as the hairstyles were pretty and romantic. Now, in late fall, buns are much more practical.
I honestly never though it could be fun to play around with hair like that, I used to be a strict pony-tail or loose hair kinda girl, but that has changed drastically.
Detangling
One of the most important parts of protecting one's hair is proper handling and detangling. For that purpose, I have a seamless wide toothed plastic comb and a Tangle Teezer, both of which are much more gentle for hair than your regular paddle brush or plastic combs riddled with seems that can damage the hair.
Styling Products
The only 'styling product' I ever use is pure aloe vera gel. I put it on to simply smooth my hair.
The more I've been getting into natural hair-care, the more I appreciate natural beauty and properties of hair. The over-styled perfectly straightened or unnaturally big diffused hair doesn't have the same appeal to me as it used to. I can always 'go there' if I feel like it, but so far, a full head of healthy shiny hair is all I've ever needed and I've gotten enough compliments from both sexes to not have the need to start styling my hair in any other way than I've done so far.
It is all about embracing my natural hair and its properties. It has random irregular waves that never seem to come out the same way twice - so what? Yes, I used to wish it were stick straight and then again to have it much wavier/curly, but I can't and won't have that unless I damage it and I just don't want to do that. To me, healthy has always equaled beautiful and not only with hair.
And that is about it, folks!
With the warmest regards,
//Sssschka
No comments:
Post a Comment