What are the best products for natural hair?
OK, lets face it. There are millions of hair care products , but are they the right ones for your hair type?
For this reason, I decided to put together a few products that I would say have consistently delivered results in catering for the needs of the natural hair community.
Here are the key things I do before settling on a product:
- I research the brand
- Read reviews from people who have a similar hair type as me (4C hair)
- I scrutinize the ingredients on the products
- If samples are available, I order the sample before making a real purchase
- Whenever possible, I start with smaller quantities of the product for testing before committing, that way I don’t lose out much if the product doesn’t work for me.
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Wash Routine – Best products to pre-poo natural hair
Pre-Poo is the process of treating your hair with an oil or a conditioner or a mix of both in preparation for shampooing.
Benefits of pre-pooing include: protecting hair from the harsh shampoo process, improves manageability by softening the hair, restores moisture and shine and it makes the detangling process easier.
You can use various oils on their own or in oil blends to create a perfect pre-poo for your hair. This article goes into the detail.
Below are some of my favorite oils and butters for pre-pooing my 4C hair
Argan Oil
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Handcraft Pure Avocado Oil
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Shea Moisture 100% Pure Raw Shea Butter
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Jamaican Black Castor Oil
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Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Cleansing – Best Shampoos for Natural Hair
As a general rule, if you have type 4 hair and particularly 4C hair, you need a shampoo that will not strip your hair dry because our hair type is already prone to dryness.
When selecting a shampoo for your hair, you really should ensure that the shampoo does not contain harsh and drying ingredients.
I personally prefer to DIY my shampoo or use naturally made shampoo bars or liquids that have mild and as natural as possible ingredients like the ones liked below:
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Clay Shampoo Bar
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Carol’s Daughter Shampoo
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Rosemary Lavender Hair & Body Shampoo Bar
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Apple Cider Vinegar
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Hot Oil Treatment
A hot oil treatment will protect your hair from breakage by moisturizing and nourishing the hair strands making them strong and flexible hence less prone to breakage. The treatment will seal raised cuticles making the hair smoother, shinier and easier to work with. The oils in the treatment also nourish the hair and makes it stronger.
The Hot Oil Treatment below by Green Beauty, my all time, favorite Youtuber, is nothing but gold! This lady knows her stuff, she has done tons of research on natural hair and it shows from her channel. You really should try this treatment!
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Best Conditioners For Natural Hair
A hair conditioner is a product that is used to improve the feel, appearance and manageability of hair.
Conditioners restore moisture lost to the shampooing process and improve manageability by reducing friction between the hair strands hence making the hair smooth and Strong. A good conditioner for 4C hair is one that will improve the feel, appearance and manageability of your hair.
When selecting a conditioner for 4C hair, you will need to check the ingredients to ensure that it’s does not contain toxic ingredients The conditioner you pick should not leave your hair feeling dry and brittle.
Below are some of my favorite conditioners.
Curl & Shine Shea Moisture
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Artnatural Conditioner
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Cantu Argan Oil Leave-in Conditioning Cream
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General Tools and Accessories
Satin Bonnet
One of the major causes of damage in natural hair is physical damage resulting from friction when we toss and turn around in bed. Protecting your hair with a Satin bonnet will prevent this damage by tacking away your ends in the bonnet and preventing moisture from escaping.
If you can’t keep a bonnet in your hair the entire night, consider using a satin pillow case to minimize the damage resulting from using other fabrics such as cotton.
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Spray Bottle
A spray bottle is an essential item in your collection. You need one to mix and hold your DIYs such as rice water or simply to hold water that you use to regularly moisturize.
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De-tangling Brush
If there is a process that most natural hair queens detest- it is detangling! Unfortunately tangles are the reality of kinky hair and hence cannot run away from the fact that we have to detangle, countless times!
The best way to detangle your hair is to gently use your fingers because you can easily feel the knots and tangles and then if necessary, following this with a detangling brush. Using a comb/brush is not recommended unless you understand how to use it and are extremely gently. Using a brush should come after you have run your fingers to removes the heavy notes.
If you MUST use a brush then you can give the one below a try.
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I will stop here for now as I finish compiling my research on other products, be sure to check out this page for an updated list!
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If there are products you swear by and you think I should try or research about, you can let me know about them through the contact us page.
Thanks for stopping by.