Even though COVID-19 vaccines have become widely available across the United States in the last month, COVID cases are still high and it still isn't safe yet to go back to our normal lives. It's still important for all of us to stay at home as much as possible in order to prevent the spread of the virus, especially to those who are still at risk or not yet vaccinated.
Unfortunately, unless you've been fully vaccinated, this means it's not quite safe yet to return to the hair salon. For a lot of us naturals, this can cause a lot of worry about how to maintain your hair with no access to salons or your favorite stylist! Look no further- we have a detailed walkthrough on how to easily wash, condition, and style your natural hair from the safety of your home.
Before you get started, you'll need a set of washing and styling products. We recommend NaturAll's Avocado Kiwi Collection, which contains everything you need to get salon-quality curls and coils at home.
1. Prep your hair for cleansing.
Take this time to get rid of some of the shedding hair and tangles before shampooing by applying a pre-poo. NaturAll's Fresh Frozé Treatment Deep Conditioner doubles as an amazing pre-poo treatment, allowing you to easily rid yourself of tangles and knots before shampooing.
This may also be a good time for a hot oil treatment; NaturAll's JBCO Growth Serum works wonders when warmed up and massaged into the scalp! Not only will it help hydrate your scalp, but as you’re wetting/rinsing your hair, it’ll make its way down the hair strand and act as a coating, locking in the hydration from the water.
2. Now it’s time to cleanse!
Every Naturalista has their preferred method for cleansing. If you're not sure where to start, we recommend that you apply your cleanser or shampoo directly to the scalp. The scalp and roots are where the most product and grease buildup can be found, so it's the most important part of your hair to cleanse.
Apply the Sulfate-Free Avocado Kiwi Shampoo to your scalp; you want enough to get a lather. Taking your time, gently massage the shampoo into your scalp. This will stimulate your scalp, getting your blood flowing which can help to promote growth and overall health to your scalp.
3. Rinse!
You can now move on to rinsing out the shampoo. Make sure to target your scalp since that’s where the shampoo is. Working the water through your scalp from root to tip will help to move the water and shampoo suds down the strands of your hair (that’s how your ends get clean! No need to apply shampoo directly to them.)
Make sure you rinse out the shampoo until you don't feel any of the product or lather left in your hair. Even a sulfate-free shampoo can irritate your scalp if it's not properly rinsed out.
4. Condition
With shampooing, your scalp was the center of attention since you were focused on cleansing. Now that your hair is cleansed, you want your attention to be on your ends and focus on moisture. Apply the Hydrating Avocado Conditioner to your wet hair from tip to root, making sure to pay extra attention to your ends and detangle as you go. Sectioning your hair may make this step a little easier! Let the conditioner set for 5-10 minutes and then rinse.
5. Deep Condition & Chill
These next steps will be a lot easier to do with sectioned hair. And if you used the Fresh Frozé Treatment Deep Conditioner as a pre-poo in step 1, you can skip this step! If not, apply the Fresh Frozé Treatment Deep Conditioner section by section from tip to root. The point of the deep conditioner is to nourish and strengthen your curls, so make sure you’re coating your ends.
Apply some product to your roots as well, but don't overdo application on the scalp, especially if you have fine, low density hair or are prone to product buildup. Let the deep conditioner sit for 20-45 minutes. For best results, use a heat cap or hooded dryer to help the deep conditioner penetrate your curls. If you don’t have access to a hot cap or hooded dryer, using the steam from your shower as the heat agent will work just as well! Then you can fully rinse out the deep conditioner.
6. Lock in Moisture
After you’ve rinsed the deep conditioner out, it’s time to move on to styling. Apply NaturAll's Avocado Kiwi Leave-In Conditioner to each section of your damp hair, again from tip to root. The leave-in also doubles as a daily moisturizer and will act as a base for any styler you use on top of it, providing moisture to your strands. Its protein content also means it’ll also work to strengthen your hair.
7. Style
Whether you’re feeling like a twist out, bantu knots, or a wash and go, the next step will be the same. Sparingly apply the Avocado Kiwi Curl Custard to each section of your hair. (If you have thicker, 4C hair, or if you're going for a twist-out, you might prefer the Avocado Kiwi Twisting Paste.)
For the best results, make sure your hair is still a little damp (after applying the leave-in) before you apply the custard. From there, you can twist, knot, or rake your hair to achieve your desired style. The slippage from the custard will make this super easy!
8. Finishing touch
Use the Hydrating Avocado Kiwi Oil to take your hair down or seal in the moisture from your wash and go. This will also prevent strands from frizzing during the takedown process.
How to avoid hair damage at home
Even though caring for your hair at home seems simple, there are some things that can easily be forgotten. Here are some tips on how to not damage your hair while trying to care for it:
- Reduce manipulation! Doing your hair yourself at home doesn’t mean you should be “doing it” every day. This, for most naturals, is too much wear and tear for their curls to take before they start to endure physical damage and breakage. If you do manipulate your hair a lot, make sure you’re providing your hair with plenty of protein and deep condition regularly.
- Don’t be afraid to trim those split ends! If you notice your ends are looking dry, brittle, or damaged, get some hair shears and give them a trim. It doesn’t have to be inches off of your hair. Remember that split ends and damage don’t go away, they must be cut away to stop the damage from traveling further up your hair shaft.
- When deep conditioning, you want a balance or moisture and protein. Too much of one and a lack of the other can result in over moisturizing your hair or shocking it with too much protein.
- Eating nourishes your body, which nourishes your hair. Eating healthily will not only benefit your health, but the health of your hair as well.
If you’re new to natural hair care, here are some blogs to help start your journey:
