Curly Hair–Not So Minimalist
I'd love to say that I have a Minimalist Beauty hair routine for my curls, but I don’t yet. I’m very careful to steer clear of toxic chemicals in my beauty products and do make many of my own. I’ve more than a few hair products that I use. I'm always making up some unique concoction, trying something new, and falling in love with one product one day and being over it in about a month's time. I’ll share what has stuck with me so far. No doubt I may have a new favorite hair product post in six months.
PRE-SHAMPOO
DIY Herbal Oil Infusion--For Hair
I make the Strengthening and Softening Hair Oil about once every month and a half to use a pre-shampoo treatment on the days I wash my hair. It consists of almond or olive oil, amla, hibiscus, and cassia. To learn more about how I create my herbal infused hair oils go here. I'll massage the oil into my scalp and smooth on my hair overnight to be washed out in the morning.
CLEANSE
Rhassoul Clay
I’m a big fan of using rhassoul clay as a shampoo. Although I'm not crazy about the extra time it takes to whip up one more thing when doing my hair, and I will admit it is a bit messy, yet nothing makes my hair so soft. Sometimes that softness is worth all the mess. Rhassoul clay has a pH of 6.9-7.5 so an acidic rinse or spray of aloe vera juice is great to seal the hair cuticle. Depending on the day I may leave it in for 30 minutes or only as long as my shower lasts. On days I don't use rhassoul clay and especially when I'm traveling I use a shampoo bar for its convenience. Read more about rhassoul clay here.
Shampoo Bars
I’ve discovered through trial and error that shampoo bars are too high in pH for my hair when used alone. Most shampoo bars have a pH of 8-9 when hair's natural pH is 4.5-5.5. An acid rinse of aloe vera or tea is very necessary to balance the pH of hair. When I wasn’t using an acidic rinse, the shampoo bar left the cuticles of my hair open leaving my hair dry and brittle. Chamomile tea rinses are good for blondes, calendula for auburn and brunette hair, and rosemary or black tea for brunette to black hair. Two shampoo bars that I do like using are J.R. Liggetts Shampoo Bar and Godrej Shikakai 3 in 1 Shampoo Bar with amla and bhringraj. (Update… Pure olive oil soap is now my go to as a shampoo bar.)
HAIR TREATMENT
Henna
This March will be my one year anniversary of using henna. I only use natural body art quality henna. It’s completely different than when I purchased store bought "liquid henna" years ago that definitely had chemical dyes and metallics mixed in it. That was a very bad experience. On a brighter note, I can't even explain how strong henna has made my hair. It’s healthier than ever, and the beautiful red highlights seen especially in the sun are an added bonus.
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS
DIY Leave-In Conditioner
This conditioner mix remains a favorite, yet I do need another product to weigh down and moisturize my hair now that it's longer. The reason why this still works so well is that it's a slightly acidic mixture that keeps the hair cuticle sealed and smooth. I don't have hair breakage when I’m using this or at least mixing aloe vera juice with my new trusty conditioner. Go here for the DIY Leave-In Conditioner recipe.
Everyday Shea Moisturizing Conditioner-Unscented
This conditioner finally comes in an unscented formula! I love that this is a fair trade product where 10% of the sales are allocated to Alaffia Community Projects. The ingredients aren't 100% "perfect", yet compared to other natural conditioners on the market that compliment my finicky hair, this one is top on my list. I left it for awhile to see if I could get along only with products I mixed up in the kitchen, and my hair had a two-year-old tantrum. It wasn't a pretty sight. This conditioner is pH balanced and gives the moisture and weight my curls need. I found this amazing conditioner at Whole Foods.
Here are the ingredients: Aqueous Shea Leaf (Butyrospermum parkii) Extract, Handcrafted Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) Butter*, Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Behentrimonium Chloride, Emulsifying Wax, Palm Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is currentlymy absolute favorite hair oil. It smells so yummy. It absorbs quickly into my hair and is also a moisturizing oil. I always use organic raw coconut oil or extra virgin coconut oil which I find at any natural grocery store.
So now that you see a glimpsee of all the DIY and purchased products that I use on my hair, I’ll add that I’m currently using the Tightly Curly Method of hair care. I'd love to simplify my hair routine even further and probably will when I find or create a natural pH balanced shampoo that I like. As soon as I figure it out I will definitely share!
What are your favorite natural hair products?
Image by Dawn Michelle