Relaxed to Naturalista: Part Two
When looking for a new product you have high hopes your hair will be flawless. Sometimes it’s a hit while other times it’s a complete miss. We’ve all been there once in life I'm sure. All my naturalista’s know how much time and dedication is involved with being natural. You’re consistently looking for new products that’ll work for your hair and cute protective hair styles to try. It can also be an expensive journey at times that takes you through a world wind of emotions. However it always eases my mind when I find a recommended product or stumble upon one that works for my hair. I'll leave you with a list of a few products I like at the end.
Note: Get to know your hair! It’s helpful to know your hair type, porosity type and density. This will help you identify the type of product(s) you need.
Let’s jump into the products I’ve tried. As I shared in my previous post “Relaxed to Narturalista”, I learned to do my own hair in college. I was a cheerleader and ambassador for my school, Johnson C. Smith University, during this time which required me to be presentable at all times. Sound familiar? Well, this allotted me the opportunity each week for four years to really get to know my hair. One of my favorite products that I still use from time to time is from Paul Mitchell’s line. I like the super skinny shampoo coupled with the super strong conditioner. I use this particularly when I am going to straighten my hair. My hair always feels luscious with a natural shine and bounce.
There was a short period towards the end of my senior year in college when I decided to give my hair a break from heat - no blow drying nor flat ironing. Instead, I started off with a simple hairstyle, flat twists which turned into a twist out. I’d part my hair in about 8-10 sections then flat twist my hair. I did this in the evening right before going to bed. It gave my hair time to dry overnight. In the morning I’d take my flat twist out to wear my twist out throughout the day. The products I tried were Miss Jessie’s curl pudding, Shea Moisture’s curling gel soufflé and Shea Moisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie. Out of these three products, I enjoyed the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. The curl enhancing smoothie is a thick cream based product which agreed so well with my thick hair. My hair always felt moisturized and never felt weighed down. This is a product I keep on hand even now. I, honestly, didn’t like the other two products at all. I never liked the way my hair felt with the product in it.
Once I graduated and moved back to Virginia, I decided to continue my no heat journey. During this time I began exploring alternative ways to wear my hair. I faithfully had a wash n’ go in the summer months while wearing two strand twists, flat twists, bantu knots or simply creating my own style throughout the year. I've actually continued this process where it's now my norm. Most of the year my hair is an a protective style or out naturally. I typically only straighten my hair 2-3 times a year.
What helped my journey was doing my own hair which I really enjoy! It's a fun way to be creative and expressive with my own hair. At times I use Pinterest and Youtube to get inspiration for hairstyles. Of course, I’ve had many bumps along the way; buying products that I didn’t like, trying a style that didn’t turn out right and even being defeated by humidity. However it’s a process I am committed to. If you are someone who wants to be natural but prefers not to do your own hair, that’s understandable. If you can manage it financially then you have options. You can pay someone to do your hair or wear your hair in protective styles. Some protective styles I’ve tried and enjoyed were feed-in braids, Marley twists and knotless braids. To all my naturalistas doing their own hair. Keep at it friends! I'd love to hear what your favorite products and hairstyles are. Drop your go-to products and styles below in the comment section.
Here are a few additional products I often use today:
Flourish Whipped Butter, TGIN Deep Conditioner , TGIN Leave-in Conditioner, Bronner Bros. Stretch My Curls and Cantu Moisturizing Activator
