By: Kaitlyn Rose
To the curly girls who have mastered the art of styling, protecting, and growing their hair without using any heat, I truly commend you. Although I haven’t gone completely natural (yet!) I've found ways to keep my hair growing, moisturized, and looking it's best while still styling with straightening and blow-dried twist outs.
Thanks to my mother, who maintained the health of my hair while also teaching me the importance of hair care, I’ve had a largely positive journey with my tresses. With no perms, and not even applying heat until I started high school, I’ve never had major issues with my hair...until going off to college. Neglecting, overheating, and weighing down my hair in college was a huge mistake, causing my thick and waist-length locks a lot of damage.
As a result, I chopped my hair to my shoulders at the end of my college career, and have been restoring my hair to health ever since... while being very selective on the products and tools I use to treat my hair. As a minimalist, I prefer the bare minimum avoiding products with preservatives, perfumes, and dyes. With my hair almost completely to my waist today, here are 5 super effective gems to help revive your hair this year.
*If you are experiencing any hair loss or extreme damage, be sure to talk to a doctor or hair specialist to receive more detailed and professional assistance!
1. Wash With Apple Cider Vinegar
Unlike my skin, I have hair that gets very oily and Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has been one of my all-time favorite additions to my hair care routine. Not only is it healthy for consumption, but it’s a great natural remedy for dandruff, getting rid of stubborn product buildup, and strengthening the hair. Rich in vitamins and minerals, ACV improves scalp health, helps with hair breakage, and enhances shine. Using this has saved me a lot of time with my washes and the detangling process. ACV works miracles on matted hair, and leaves my curls refreshed and so easy to comb through. To use, dilute a few tablespoons of Bragg’s Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar with cold water in a water bottle. I like to wash my hair with shampoo, then use the ACV/water mixture all throughout my hair including my roots. I, then, let it soak in my hair for about 5 minutes. Then, I’ll rinse and condition. Although it's said that you don’t have to apply conditioner to your hair after rinsing with ACV, I still like to use conditioner...partly to mask the sour smell!
2. Use Argan Oil as a Heat Protectant
Argan oil is one of my favorite natural oils for both my face and hair. It’s super lightweight and contains Vitamin E which protects the hair from heat damage caused by straightening tools. It’s a great alternative, and differing from many other oils, argan oil doesn’t weigh down the hair while adding nutrients and sheen. After blow drying, I usually add a couple dime-sized drops of 100% Pure Argan Oil to my whole head before straightening, making sure I give lots of love to my ends.
3. Turn Down The Temperature
For years, I believed that in order for my hair to achieve my desired straightening results and perfect silkiness, I needed to apply very, very high heat. After realizing how much heat damage that caused, I began lowering the heat setting on both the blow dryer and flat iron. Now, I use my blow dryer with it's detachable comb on “Warm,” which on my dryer is the second to lowest heating setting. I also don’t use any more than 350 degrees on my flat iron. My hair still gets silky and I feel much better without using too much heat on my hair. Everyone has different hair types so see what works best for you!
4. Detangle With A Wet Brush
After washing my hair, I prefer to use a Wet Brush when detangling, rather than with a comb. With my wet brush, I never have to tug on my hair as much as I would with a stiff comb. The wet brush has thin and flexible brushes that gently detangle my hair without causing a lot of breakage and loss.
5. Go Heavy on the Castor Oil
For ages, Castor oil has been a natural alternative and remedy for many medicinal purposes. Castor oil is also known for stimulating hair growth, and is an oil that I consistently use in my hair routine. With anti-inflammatory properties and agents protecting the hair follicles, I like to massage my scalp and hairline with castor oil a few times a month. Castor oil has a thicker consistency, and tends to look greasy and weighed down on my hair, so I like to apply it on week old hair, or days before wash day. Typically, I’ll create a concoction of a castor oil blend for growth, mixing in other beneficial hair oils or serums, such as Coconut oil.
How do you keep your hair refreshed? Drop your secrets below!
*Image by Pexels.com
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