The key to unlocking beautiful, healthy hair isn't a magic product. We know, we wish it were that easy too! Instead, the key to strong, healthy, and luscious hair is consistency. You need a regimen of products and steps to both nourish your hair with natural ingredients, and protect your hair from damage, and with consistency and commitment, you'll see your hair come to life.
You can use hair products like NaturAll's, which contain innovative and fresh ingredients with no preservatives, but it’s you who has to be proactive in your hair journey by maintaining your hair.
The constant maintenance can be a little overwhelming, especially if you’re constantly on the go and busy with class, work, or hobbies. Most of us don't have time to constantly shop for and order new products, not to mention reading dozens of reviews to see if a product might work for us. That's why we created the NaturAll subscription. This was the solution we created to our own problem of needing more consistency in our hair regimens- we ship products automatically, so you (and we) never forget to take care of our hair.
At 10% off original price, not only will you receive your favorite hair products with free shipping each month, you’ll also earn points and rewards, be entered into giveaways, and more! Read on to learn how NaturAll subscription is the gift that keeps giving all year long, or learn more about the perks of a NaturAll subscription!
What is a hair regimen?
A hair regimen is a routine (set by you!) to keep your hair healthy. A regimen provides structure, repetition, and consistency to the lifelong process of taking care of your hair. Think of your hair regimen as a meal plan for your hair. You plan it out in advance to make sure it includes everything you need, you follow through, and then you repeat. Whether your hair regimen repeats on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis, establishing a regimen that works will be your key to natural hair that always looks and feels its best.
However, not every routine is a good routine.
In fact, if you establish a bad regimen, your regimen might lack important elements (or include harmful habits.) Imagine if you made a detailed meal plan for yourself and followed it to the letter… but your meal plan didn't include any vegetables, and it involved eating cake every day (I know- yum!) But sooner or later, your body wouldn’t feel very good. The same happens to your hair if you have a consistent regimen that isn't right for your hair.
Don't worry- this is what we’re here for! Everyone’s regimen should look different and cater to their unique hair, but we have provided a list of things to avoid, and some guiding principles on what to include in your regimen.
First: What NOT to do
- Don’t follow the regimen of someone with hair that looks like yours. Their regimen might work for you, but odds are your hair has different needs based on porosity, thickness, density, your lifestyle, and other factors.
- Don’t stick to a routine that isn’t working. Don’t quit after one week (give it some time), but if it’s been 1 or 2 months and your regimen isn’t achieving the results you want, adjust it! You’ll need to experiment to get the best results.
- Don’t focus too much on finding the exact right products. Don’t get us wrong, there are a lot of bad products out there that will harm and dry out your hair, and you should avoid these ingredients in your regimen. But it is more important to incorporate the right kind of products (rather than specific products or brands) into a consistent regimen.
- Don't follow your regimen half-heartedly. Remember, consistency is key! You can have the perfect regimen, but if you don't follow it consistently, you won't see the results.
Everything you need in your natural hair regimen
Shampoo
- Your hair needs to be clean and your scalp needs to breathe in order for healthy hair to grow.
- Use a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo, like NaturAll's all natural and sulfate free Hydrating Shampoo. (Avoid relying just on co-washing, because this won't adequately cleanse your scalp of product buildup.)
- Most Naturals wash their hair somewhere between once a week to once a month. You'll need to experiment to find out what frequency works for you. If this is your first time establishing a natural hair regimen, start with once a week and then experiment with longer intervals.
- How to tell if you should change your shampoo schedule:
- If your hair feels limp, dull, lifeless, greasy, dirty, or other products don’t seem to work anymore, you probably need to shampoo more often.
- If your hair feels dry, brittle, or frizzy, try extending the time between washes.
- If you cleanse less often, go lighter with other products to avoid buildup. If you cleanse more often, be more diligent with moisturizers.
Conditioner
There are three main categories of conditioners, and all are important! Here’s the breakdown:
- Daily or rinse-out conditioner- a light conditioner that can be used on a daily basis and is meant to be washed out. It makes your hair easier to detangle, less prone to frizz, and hydrates hair. Use this anytime you get your hair wet (and use it during detangling if detangling is tricky for you.) We recommend NaturAll's Hydrating Conditioner, an all-natural alternative to other rinse out conditioners.
- Leave-in conditioner- use after washing your hair to replenish and maintain moisture in your hair. Apply to damp hair, after washing and before styling.
- Deep conditioner- an intensive moisturizing and nourishing treatment. You leave this conditioner in for a certain amount of time and then rinse it out. While deep conditioners help with the same things as the other types of conditioner (detangling, softening, frizz, moisture), you should think of deep conditioner as a five-star meal for your hair. It provides not just moisture, but all the nutrients your hair needs to be really healthy. Deep condition once every two weeks with an Ice Cream Treatment Deep Conditioner for best results.
Moisturizer
- We talk a lot about moisture at NaturAll Club… because it’s so important! Moisture is the answer to so many problems: breakage, dryness, tangling, matting, even hair loss.
- Depending on the porosity of your hair, you may need moisture on a daily basis. Moisturize all parts of your hair, but focus on the ends.
- Moisturize at night (to protect your hair when you sleep, and to avoid your hair looking weighed down.)
- Methods: steam (in the shower works great!), leave-in conditioner, refresher spray, LOC or LCO method.
Sealant
- Moisturizing is futile if you don’t seal in the moisture!
- Every time you moisturize your hair, use a sealer or anti-humectant to keep your hair moisturized throughout the day.
- Experiment with different oils to see what your hair likes best. Some suggestions:
- For thicker or coarser hair, try Shea butter or Jamaican black castor oil.
- For finer hair, try jojoba oil, avocado oil, or olive oil.
Detangle!
- Detangle often. This will reduce hair loss, matting, dryness, and breakage. The more often you do it, the easier it will be each time.
- Detangle carefully and gently to avoid damaging your hair. Use a wide tooth comb or finger detangle.
- Finger detangling works if you have very fine or brittle hair, but do a full detangle with a comb from time to time. It’s easy to miss parts of hair with your fingers, which can develop tangles.
- Start from the ends, always pulling down, and then work your way up. This will reduce breakage.
- Detangle hair damp (not dry and not soaking wet; your hair is brittle and weak in either state.)
- If detangling is particularly difficult or painful, use a conditioner to add slip or detangle after using one of NaturAll's Ice Cream Treatment Deep Conditioners.
Style
- This part is completely up to you and your hair! Learn the styles you like and can do well, but also practice some low manipulation styles like buns and twists to do on days when you’re tired or don’t have time.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment!
- Watch out for product buildup if you use a lot of styling products.
- Cover your hair with a bonnet at night, or sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase. Use hats and scarves to protect your hair from extreme weather!
Be consistent
Your regimen won’t have results if you don’t stick to it! We have a few rules of thumb to make your regimen easier to stick to.
- Build a regimen that has a weekly or biweekly structure. Odds are, the rest of your life has a weekly rhythm to it. Use the natural routine of your life to your advantage, and work your hair regimen into it. Eventually, it will become a habit and easier to remember.
- Keep it as simple as you can. This will keep you from getting discouraged or giving up on the process.
- If you need to, set a calendar. If Wednesday is wash day, block that time off so you won’t schedule something else.
- Still struggling? Get an accountability buddy. This is just a good friend who can text you or ask you every two weeks, "hey, did you deep condition your hair?" You’ll be surprised how much this helps.
- Automate your hair regimen with a NaturAll subscription! At 10% off original price, not only will you receive your favorite products with free shipping each month, you’ll also earn points and rewards, be entered into giveaways, and more! Learn more about the perks of a NaturAll subscription.
DON'T FORGET!
- Deep condition your hair every 2 weeks, or each time you wash your hair.
- Trim your hair every 3 months to retain length and avoid breakage.
Keep learning about hair regimens
Having trouble keeping all of these guidelines straight? Here's an example hair regimen from our Youtube Channel!
Once you decide which products you want in your regimen, you can shop and subscribe here!
