Are you a naturalist who is confused by what products to use for your hair? Well then, read this!
First of all, you NEED to know that products DO NOT grow hair, but they help a lot in length retention. When you use the right products, your hair breaks less and you retain more length. Stop asking "What should I use to grow my hair?" because you won't see any products to grow hair. Instead look for products that'll keep your hair healthy, because once your hair is healthy, you start retaining length.
The products you use depend on your HAIR POROSITY. You can either be high, medium or low in porosity. Your porosity is high if your hair is thin, usually dry, tangles easily, breaks easily, and generally harder to maintain. Your porosity is low is your hair retains moisture for longer periods but takes long to actually be imbursed with products. Most people that complain about their hair being hard to manage and hard to grow are usually high porosity.
As a naturalist you need three essential products;
1. Shampoo
2. Deep conditioner
3. Moisturizer
These three products will help you in creating your hair regimen. You have to know the RIGHT ones to use so that you won't buy the ones that will break your hair off or cause other problems.
1. Shampoo: There are many types of different shampoos around us, but most of the shampoos ARE HARMFUL TO OUR HAIR. This is because most shampoos contain Silicones and Sulfates. These two DRY OUT YOUR HAIR AND CAN CAUSE BREAKAGE, and this is particularly important for anyone with high porosity. If you're high in porosity you can't afford to use any random shampoo. You have to make sure your shampoo is moisturizing and free of these ingredients. I recommend using normal African local black soap as a shampoo.
For low porosity, you can actually afford to use shampoos with Silicones and Sulfates because low porosity hair is generally easier to maintain and usually suffers from PRODUCT BUILDUP, which means your hair gets very dirty often, and Silicones and Sulfates actually help a lot in getting out the dirt. BUT, be careful with using it, and moisturize afterwards. You can also opt for black soap too because it is cleansing.
2. Deep conditioner: Your deep conditioner is your single most important product. Note that I didn't say conditioner, but deep conditioner. Your deep conditioner can be DIY like avocado mask, eggs, olive oil and honey etc. or can be store bought, but I strongly advise that if you have high porosity hair, you DON'T do DIYs but stick to store bought products. This is because your hair needs HYDROLYSED protein as a high porosity person, and most of these DIYs contain proteins that are too large to actually enter your hair. Your chosen deep conditioner must have proteins in it, and you must be consistent in using it twice a month. An example is Organics Hair Mayonnaise.
For low porosity, YOU MUST NOT USE A DEEP CONDITIONER THAT IS HIGH IN PROTEIN BECAUSE IT WILL BREAK YOUR HAIR OFF. Instead focus on deep conditioners that don't contain much protein like Alikay Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner. You might use a protein treatment such as Hair Mayonnaise once in three months, but make sure you don't use it often. Likewise as a high Porosity person, you can also use a deep conditioner without protein AFTER using one with protein as a protein treatment.
3. Moisturizer: You moisturize using LCO method (Leave in, cream and oils) if you're a low porosity person. This is the order in which the products should be applied to your hair. Remember, low porosity hates protein, so make sure you choose a leave in conditioner that doesn't have protein, like Alikay Lemongrass Leave in Conditioner. You should also choose a LIGHT cream because your hair finds it hard for products to penetrate into it. DON'T USE SHEA BUTTER, because it is too heavy. Your oils should be light oils such as almond oil, olive oil or grapeseed oil. Don't use heavy, thick oils for your hair.
The opposite goes for high porosity. You have to moisturize using LOC method (Leave in, oil, cream). Your leave in SHOULD contain protein, for example, Mega Growth Leave in Conditioner. Your oils should be heavy so they'll prevent moisture from leaving. You can use coconut oil, avocado oil, and also olive oil. Your cream should also be thick, for example, Shea butter. I also recommend using aloe vera juice instead of leave in conditioner if you wish, or you can use both of them together in a LAOC method. Remember that for both porosities, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO USE WATER ON YOUR HAIR BEFORE EVERY OTHER PRODUCTS BECAUSE WATER IS THE MAIN MOISTURIZER.
I hope this helped someone.
Have a good day.
