Do you have a natural hair care routine? No? You are in good hands. Or you want to make your hair routine better? Well, still in good hands.
But first, know this your natural hair isn't unmanageable, all it needs is patience and some simple natural hair techniques. Settling into a natural hair care routine might require a little getting used to but trust me you would figure it out.
So to help you build your hair regimen we scoured the internet for the best natural hair care tips and routines from our favorite natural hair youtubers.
Remember no two heads of coils are the same, try out the tips you like to find out which ones work for your hair and which doesn't.
The Millennial Black Girl
The Millennial Black Girl shares her daily morning and night natural care routine for 4B/4C hair.
Her Morning Routine
1. Braid your hair the night before
Queeny ensures she braids her hair before bed so it doesn't tangle and is easier to style the next day. Before styling, she takes off the braids, sprays her hair with water, and detangles thoroughly.
2. Massage your hair and scalp with oil
Because her scalp is so sensitive and dry she uses stimulating growth oil every morning to massage her scalp. The next product she applies on her hair is the grapeseed oil.
3. Do a protective style
Before styling she applies the Aloe vera gel to smoothen out her hair. Then she styles her hair into one of her go-to styles, the low bun or ponytail.
Her Night Routine
1. Massage your hair in sections
After having her hair in a ponytail or bun all day she takes it out and massages her hair with Gold Series Detangler. She parts her hair into four or six sections and massages the detangler into her hair. Next, she finger-detangles and then detangles with a wide-tooth comb.
2. Do a simple protective style
The next step in her hair routine is to put her hair into twists. She would then apply her qoils Hair Boost Oil to the roots of her hair and her edges and lay flat while she sleeps. Finally, she covers her hair in a jumbo bonnet and then wraps her scarf around her hairline to keep her edges smooth.
Naakie Nartey
Naakie shares her natural hair regimen for 4C hair with the products she uses as recommended by a natural hairstylist.
1. Don't wash your hair once a week
You really don't have to wash your hair once a week especially if you have super thin strands. The more you manipulate your hair from shampooing too often the more stress you put on your strands. Essentially her wash days are twice a month.
Once a month she would clarify her hair with a cleanser, the Kenra Clarifying Shampoo. This helps her take off product build-up from her strands. After washing twice with the clarifying shampoo she follows up with a moisturizing shampoo, the AG Balance Shampoo.
2. Use a deep conditioner on every wash day
For every wash day, twice a month she deep conditions her hair right after shampooing. This helps to restore and lock in moisture back into the hair strands. She recommends several products for that like the TGIN Honey Miracle Hair Mask, Camille Rose Buriti Nectar Cholesterol Treatment, and Joico Moisture Recovery Balm.
For her hair follicles to lift up and absorb these products well she sits under a steamer for about 20 to 30 minutes. But if a steamer is above your hair budget you can opt for a plastic cap instead. After deep-conditioning she goes in with a leave-in conditioner, the As I Am Leave-in conditioner.
3. Detangle your hair
Naakie first finger detangles her hair then detangles with a wide-tooth comb and detangling brush. Finger detangling helps to get all the knots out of the way. The wide-tooth comb ensures she doesn't snag her hair or cause friction this way there is little or no breakage.
4. Seal your hair with oil after styling
After styling, she seals her hair with oil, the Camille Rose Buriti Nectar Repair Oil. The trick here is to seal in with other lightweight oils like pure avocado, sweet almond, or apricot oil.
For styling, it is best to not manipulate your hair often. You need to be either doing protective styles, low manipulation styles like twist outs and braid outs, or stretched or blow out styles.
Jenn Jackson
Jenn Jackson her best natural hair routine for extreme hydration and moisture.
1. Pre-poo your hair
When you pre-poo your hair with oil consistently as you can you have less tangles, your hair is less matted, and your shampoo wouldn't strip your hair.
Pre-poo is an important part of Jenn's natural hair regimen. Her favorite way to pre-poo is to saturate her hair and scalp with oil. Then cover up with a shower cap for 20 minutes. She suggests massaging your scalp with oil too for hair growth.
2. Wash your hair in sections
Before washing her hair, she sections her hair into Bantu knots so it is easier for her to manage. This also helps to prevent fewer knots and tangles while in the shower. When shampooing she only puts shampoo on her scalp and runs it through her hair. As she washes each section she puts them in twists.
3. Deep condition and detangle
To deep condition, she applies her deep conditioner evenly to her hair and scalp. She puts on a plastic cap and lets her deep conditioner sit overnight. She then finger detangles with the deep conditioner still in her hair to allow for more slip during the detangling process. Once she's done finger detangling, she detangles with a wide-tooth comb and puts her hair back into twists.
4. Moisturize and seal
When you are done moisturizing your hair it is important that you seal it or all the moisture you have introduced into your hair will evaporate. The easiest sealant you can use for this process is an oil-based sealant like Shea butter or Mango butter. 4c hair is naturally dry and this is the best way to moisturize and seal your hair. You can also explore other methods of moisturizing your hair.
5. Do a low manipulation style
The last step of her hair routine is to do a low manipulation style like cornrows, twist outs, or braid outs. You can also make a protective style if you like but the key is to do a style that requires little maintenance.
Coco
Coco shares her simple natural hair regimen for growing 4C hair
1. Moisturizing with minimal products
Coco suggests moisturizing your hair with minimal products. Don't settle into being a product junkie or trying out every natural hair product you see. Her simple technique is moisturizing with just two oils, coconut oil, and castor oil. You can come up with two oils, a lightweight and heavyweight oil that you can use interchangeably. To deep condition her hair she settles with one deep conditioning product all year round.
2. Shampoo instead of co-washing your hair
Co-washing has no significant change on her hair instead it leads to more buildup on her scalp. So during wash days she uses clarifying shampoo to cleanse her scalp.
3. Find one go-to style
Find one quick go-to style that works for you and stick to it. Find something you can do in 15 minutes and which wouldn't make you frustrated during the styling process.
Jacinta Nwabuogu
Jacinta Nwabuogu shares her natural hair care regimen for 4C hair
1. Moisturize and detangle your hair
First, she would section her hair and spritz it with an Apple Cider Vinegar and water mix. Then she would saturate her hair with a coconut oil and water mix and finger detangle.
After the detangling process, she puts each section into twists and covers up with a shower cap or plastic bag. The next step is to sit under a heating cap for about 30 minutes.
2. Shampoo and deep condition your hair
She washes her hair every two weeks with a shampoo paying special attention to her scalp to ensure that it's clean. When she is finished she proceeds to make her deep conditioner which is a mixture of mayo, Greek yogurt, olive oil, honey, avocado, ripe banana, and egg yolk. She blends this and saturates the mixture all over her hair and then washes off with cold water.
3. Moisturize and style your hair
Before styling, she moisturizes her hair with the Shea Butter Curl Enhancing Smoothie and seals with Shea butter. Her go-to style is usually a braid out style.