Samara's Natural Haircare Regimen

This page is based on the haircare regimen that I use for my own hair. Every product may not work the same for every person because our hair is uniquely different. Some products may work for me and may not work as good for you. This is why I have given so many options of natural products you can use for your hair so you may venture out and see what works best. I will continue to review more products on the Black Hair Blog and at times my own regimen will change as well. Below is my own haircare regimen. You can try it out and see if it works for you or just use it as a guideline to build your own natural haircare regimen.

My haircare regimen is based on the natural haircare guide, but it uses specific products that I have recommended.

Pre Shampoo Regimen

Before shampooing my hair I always treat my hair with oil, prior to cleansing. I usually add extra virgin olive oil to my hair one hour prior to cleansing my hair. I do not apply the oil to my scalp, just my hair.

Shampooing

The first step to healthy hair is a clean hair and scalp, but I no longer use baking soda in my hair. I have found that baking soda is not exactly natural and it tends to leave my hair drier than shampoo. You can use sodium bicarbonate (order online from a natural vendor) or just use sulfate free shampoo. I use a technique I discovered on Kimmytubeat Youtube. Kudos to her! I first rinse my hair in the shower with warm water under a gentle flow. I separate my hair into sections(4-6) and I apply olive oil and a bit of the Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner and I use my fingers to remove shed hairs. I then use a wide tooth comb to detangle and remove shed hairs as well and rinse. I lather each section with shampoo squeeze out the excess and apply some more conditioner. I repeat all sections and then I rinse. Next I apply the conditioner again and cover my hair with a plastic cap to deep condition.

Co-Washing

I co-wash my hair every 3 days with a silicone free conditioner when my hair feels dry. My favorite conditioner for co-washes as of now is the CURLS Coconut Sublime Conditioner and/or the Curls Ecstasy Hair Tea Conditioner. I first rinse my hair thoroughly making sure the water runs on my scalp. I then section my hair into 6 sections and apply the conditioner to my hair from root to tip and massage my scalp gently with my finger tips. I leave the conditioner on for about 5 minutes and detangle my hair with a wide tooth comb. I then rinse my hair again to remove the conditioner.

Deep Conditioning

I always deep condition my hair with my hair in 4-6 sections covered with a plastic cap for 30 minutes. I usually deep condition my hair every 1-2 weeks. My favorite conditioner by far is the Botanical Spirits Peppermint Mud Hair Softening Mask. I also love using a mixture of Rhassoul Clay, Coconut Milk, Water and oil.

Moisturizing

I spray my hair daily with a mixture of 1 part vegetable glycerin, 1 part water, and 1 part aloe vera juice in a spray bottle. I also use pure unrefined shea butter as a moisturizer and as my heavy cream to style my hair when I do two-strand twists, braids, or bantu knots. I always seal my hair with Organic Virgin Coconut oil after moisturizing my hair and at night to preserve my ends.

Rinses

Sometimes I clarify my hair with apple cider vinegar and water to restore it's natural pH and restore shine. The ACV rinse also has cleansing effects as well. I usually do this prior to cleansing my hair with shampoo. I use 20oz of water and 1 teaspoon of vinegar in a bottle as my final rinse. I do not rinse out the ACV rinse. I let the ACV rinse dry in my hair leaving it soft and shiny.

Styling

I usually wear a defined curly afro, natural fro, 2 strand twists, a mohawk, twist out, and bantu knots. My hair is now shoulder length since I did the big chop in December of 2009.

Curly Afro
I favor the Kinky-Curly Curling Custard to use as a curl definer when I want to wear a curly afro. I first apply the Knot Today by Kinky-Curly as my Leave-In "Pre Curl Definer" Conditioner. I then apply the Kinky-Curly Curling Custard one section at a time working it through my hair from root to tips for a well defined curl. Also flat twists twist outs work great without the heaviness of the Kinky-Curly Custard as long as you use conditioner to twist your hair to prevent frizz.

Natural Afro
While hair is still damp, I mist my hair with my Aloe Vera Glycerin mix. I then take about a quarter size amount of raw African shea butter and rub it in my palms to melt it. I apply the shea butter section by section and I then finger comb each section. I follow up with Organic Coconut Oil to seal in moisture and add shine.

2 Strand Twists
For the 2 strand twists I still use unrefined African shea butter. I apply the Kinky-Curly Knot Today to very tangled hair to loosen the tangles if any. I then follow up with shea butter by first rubbing it with my fingertips and palms to soften it before I apply it to my hair. I do this to each parted section before twisting it. I section my hair into about 1/2 wide square sections using hair clips to hold each section off and I twist the hair from root to tip. The African shea butter leaves me with beautiful shiny twist.

This page will be updated periodically when my hair regimen changes. To keep yourself updated follow me on Twitter or bookmark this page using the buttons bellow!

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