The 6 most important natural hair products to have

When I first decided to go natural with my hair, I knew nothing about hair care talk less of how demanding natural hair upkeep will be. I remember back in 2017, it’s like everybody around me suddenly grew a love for natural hair that they all decided to do the big chop so I thought maybe this natural thing was easy since everyone was doing.

PS: I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

It’s easy to see someone with natural hair and admire wishing your hair could be like that but rarely do we consider the amount of work which may have been put to keep up with the natural hair look.

Once I figured out what natural hair needed consistently, it became easier to manage it or style it. All it took was patience and tons of research. While I had to unlearn and relearn everything I knew about hair, to help you too with your own hair discovery journey, here is a list of 6 most important hair products you’ll need as a “naturalista”.

1. Moisturizers

As a fellow naturalista, moisturisers should be your best friend. A good moisturizer is any water-based product that helps to restore hydration into your strands. Whether you buy from a store or you do it yourself at home, every naturalista should definitely have a good moisturiser in her product collection. Now, let’s understand something when we speak of moisture this doesn’t mean oil. Moisture clearly refers to water and we all know oil is mostly made up of fats, so there’s no way oil can be a moisturizer.

Whether you have thick, coarse hair or thin, fine strands, moisturizing is key to having healthy hair. All hair types, especially curly/coily/kinky textures, thrive off moisture. 

How to spot a good moisturizer

A moisturizer could be a leave-in-conditioner, rinse-out conditioner, curling cream, curl activator etc. Make sure when purchasing a moisturizer, the key ingredient should be water. To know this, you have to check your labels for the ingredient list and make sure that the first ingredient listed in it is water.

Making sure your hair is moisturized is the key to having healthy hair. Spritzing your hair with a good water-based conditioner as well as drinking lots of water will cause a significant change in your hair growth. I like to see my hair like a flower, very delicate and attention-needing, when you water it, it flourishes, grows, shines and its beauty is limitless.

2. Leave In Conditioner

Leave-in conditioners are typically applied after you shampoo and condition. Leave-ins are best applied on damp hair before styling as can help provide extra moisture as well as detangle strands or seal in moisture depending on what the leave-in conditioner is made up of. Generally, leave-in conditioners help make styling easier.

For me, personally, leave-in conditioners are definitely a must have for my hair. I use it every day. Applying a leave-in on my hair instantly makes my hair look and feel more moisturized. Some leave-ins even do as much as detangling and defining your curls while leaving it soft and shiny. If you have natural hair, you definitely need a leave-in to make your hair easier to manage.

A good leave-in conditioner should leave your hair softer and more manageable.

3. Deep Conditioner

With all the manipulation and styling that is done to hair often, it is important to strengthen hair follicles by deep conditioning hair. Deep conditioners contain ingredients that penetrate the hair shaft to provide conditioning, greatly impart moisture and improve hair texture.

Deep conditioning treatments can help reduce breakage, shedding, split ends and generally improve the health of your hair. If you have natural hair, it’s advisable to deep condition at least once every week. Deep conditioning hair helps prevent dryness and damage from heat and styling tools hence keeping hair at its healthiest, most luminous state.

#How deep conditioners work

Deep conditioners work to penetrate the hair shaft to restore and retain moisture while repairing damaged hair. it’s very important to deep condition your hair after shampooing or proper cleansing to replenish nutrients which may have been washed away during the shampooing process.

Although there are many conditioners to choose from, be sure to get a deep conditioner that offers tons of moisture and has a lot of slip to help with detangling. But depending on what your hair needs at the time, you may decide to opt for a hydrating conditioner or a strengthening one.

Your hair will thank you!

4. Oil

Oils are a must have for healthy hair as it is the O in LCO and LOC moisture retention techniques.

Oils are necessary to help seal in the moisture added to your hair from the other products. Most oils help by coating the hair, forming a protective layer for the hair shaft and preventing moisture stored from escaping to the atmosphere.

Oils are very important as they increase the tensile strength of the hair hence reducing frizziness and prevents breakage.

#How oils work

A good hair oil should absolutely be a part of your hair care routine. Whether you are using the LOC method or the LCO method for moisture retention, oils are necessary. Oils work by stimulating the circulation of blood to the scalp, this blood then provides the scalp with the necessary nutrients that nourish the hair. In other words, applying oils can soften your hair and prevent hair from looking dull.

Oils like Jamaican black castor oil and coconut oil are great oils to boost hair growth. You can use oils to help condition your hair for scalp massages, hot oil treatments or prepoos.

Every natural hair girl should at least own an oil. But do not use oils on dry hair, make sure your hair is moisturized before applying oil.

5. Shampoo

Could you imagine that shampoo almost didn’t make it to the list?

I later figured I should include it because it’s always important to clean your hair to avoid the hair products from accumulating and coating your hair strands.

We all know about shampoo for its cleansing properties. Shampoo is very important in any hair care regimen to avoid product build-up.

But shampooing is not necessary always as it can be extremely drying and damaging to your hair especially if done too often. Just rinsing the hair with water can remove most visible dirt and debris. Some people prefer the NO-poo method or using a cleansing conditioner (co-wash). In as much as shampooing or not shampooing is totally a matter of personal preference, using only water cannot rinse off all the accumulated dirt from your hair.

So if you must use a shampoo, make sure it is a sulfate free shampoo as sulfates tend to strip the hair of all its oils. Also, always condition your hair with a conditioner after every shampoo to re-hydrate and re-nourish it.

6. Curling cream

Curling creams are essential for styling. They make your hairdos come out neat and without frizz. Whether you just want have some clean curl definition or rock a bomb twist-out that can turn heads, curling creams are definitely the go-to products for that. They are good at locking in moisture in your hair, keeping it moisturized and giving your hair that gorgeous curly look.

Do you ever incorporate curling creams to your routines? If not, be sure to try out one and enjoy.

Thanks for going through my list of most important natural hair products to have. Now you know what you should take note of the next time you go product shopping.