Bit of a difference! Bear in mind not all of the product had absorbed into my hair when the ‘after’ pic was taken and my waves became fatter/fuller (but not frizzy) after 30 minutes.
This is a great way to keep your waves healthy and natural looking, whilst weather-proofing it against wind, rain and humidity.
Using these four products only and no heat styling tools.
1, Shampoo
If you find a shampoo and conditioner that are full of natural oils and butters then you shouldn’t need any hot oil pre-wash treatments. Choose products which are gentle and, ideally SLS free so they won’t strip your hair of it’s own natural oils. Use the mildest products first and then get tougher ones, only if your hair really needs it.
I add a blob of shampoo to a plastic beaker and then fill the rest with warm water and stir it with my finger. I then wet my hair through and poor it over the places I most need it. It’s a great way of spreading shampoo through thick hair without over-doing the amount you use.
I’m using Faith in Nature, Brave Botanicals Shampoo
2, Condition
Very gently squeeze out any excess water and spread conditioner through hair from roots to tip. Rinse after a few minutes and then when hair is still very wet add a little more to mid-lengths and ends. Leave for a few minutes before gently squeezing out any excess water/conditioner residue.
I’m using Noughty, Intensive Care Leave-in Conditioner
3, Oil
A lot of people think only people with afro hair really need to oil it or it’s only to be lightly used as a finishing product. Wrong. If you have thick hair that’s coarse or frizzy/fluffy this will be like a drink in the desert for it!
You want hair to be as wet as possible, without it actually dripping. Gently pat or scrunch hair dry with a short-pile towel or t-shirt, depending on the porosity of your hair (how much water it holds). Either poor hair oil onto palms, rub together and spread through hair or if you have fine hair mist all over with oil from a spray bottle, paying special attention to the ends.
I’m using Pierre’s Apothecary, Argan Renewing Hair Treatment Mist or olive oil when my hair is freshly bleached or very fluffy as it has a thicker consistency.
4, Style
Let hair absorb the oil for a moment but don’t let it get much dryer and then apply curl cream. If your hair is wavy – rather than curly – gently scrunch or twist to encourage shape and definition. If you only have very slight waves in your hair you might want to use a salt spray to encourage texture and movement instead. Remember, the more you touch hair as it gets dryer – the more it will freak out and frizz up.
I’m using Amika: Curl Defining Cream (since re-packaged) throughout my hair.
Now just leave your hair alone to air dry!
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My hair journey
Between the ages of 13 and 18 I used to think my hair was wonkily wavy but mostly just unruly fluff. I couldn’t do anything with it. So I permed it to get more definition (wow, did that take!) and then years later I used straighteners to get it straighter (which lasted a few hours at most). In my twenties I went to multiple (Caucasian) hairdressers who would straighten it “To calm it” ( even though they’d freaked it out in the first place) and then they’d tong “Proper” waves back in. WTAF!? All that needed doing was gently drying and styling in a way that encouraged – rather than ‘corrected’ it’s natural shape.
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I really hope this has helped some curly girlies and the wavy wenches out there to appreciate and to style their natural hair. Let me know in the comments.
Vamp It Up 