Quick Tips for Washing Natural Hair

Hello lovelies! It has been a hot minute. But it's a new year and the blog neglect ends today! I hope all my readers had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. If it was anything like mine, hair care has not been top priority for a few weeks. Time to fix up.

Soooooo I wanted to share a few quick tips for washing natural hair. I hope they're helpful. Make use of the comments section if you have your win tips/routine/advice/questions.

I guess I should start with what NOT to do before, during and after washing your hair. Here's a quick list of don'ts:

1. Do NOT wash your hair when you're tired, angry or hungry. You will rush, you won't be gentle, you'll yank and pull and rip and probably miss something along the way. It can be a long process depending on the condition your hair is in on wash day so you don't want to get frustrated.

2. Do NOT shampoo hair that is really tangled. It's a nightmare trying to sort it out after.

3. Do NOT use your nails to scrape at your scalp when. I made this mistake recently and scrubbed my scalp raw :(

4. Do NOT attempt to de-tangle mid-lather (when there is shampoo in your hair).

5. Do NOT shampoo without conditioning afterwards.

So now for the Dos:

DO divide your hair into sections for ease. DO pre-poo with an oil of your choice (dampen hair, apply oil, cover with cap, apply heat/steam) DO de-tangle your hair under running water with conditioner. Brush/comb/finger-de-tangle in a downward motion in the same direction as the running water. DO be patient and take your time. DO twist/clip hair out of the way when moving on to the next section. DO apply your products (moisturise and seal) your hair in the shower immediately after washing and conditioning. DO deep condition after a shampoo.

Let me not forget my top tip: if you're like me and you need your shampoo to lather and you don't want to have to do multiple lathers and rinses, apply the shampoo on DRY hair, and then wet and it should lather. I only do one lather and rinse when I wash my hair.

Oh and an extra one for the don'ts: avoid vigorous rubbing with a towel when drying your hair. It creates knots, friction that snaps hair strands, and I find it drying as well (not the good kind of drying). Air drying hair that has been twisted or braided helps to stretch hair and to prevent knots. Twisting or braiding the hair also helps to seal in the moisture. It takes a little longer to dry but it's worth the wait.

Hope this helps!

Until next time,

Stay healthy, stay happy, stay blessed! xxx