Hairy Situation

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

As you may have noticed recently, I have colored my hair, technically lightened it! I was admittedly getting bored with my dark kinks and wanted something drastically different, i've never had blonde or at least "blonde-ish" hair and knew that was what I wanted to achieve. I took time out one weekend to try it and 5 hours of grueling intensity with lots and lots of foil. End result, an ombre crown! I totally love it, but I am also aware of the work it takes to maintain lightened hair. The stress of maintenance for naturally coily hair has doubled for me but with a tweak in my routine I can make it manageable!

                                           

It starts with how the wash! Lately I've been using Organix's Brazilian Keratin Therapy shampoo and conditioner. Smells absolutely fantastic but also does it's job, the shampoo is sulfate free and includes a lot of hydrating elements such as keratin proteins, avocado oil, and cocoa butter. When it comes to conditioner, I layer it on! Shampooing natural hair means only focusing on the scalp and conditioners are for the entirety of the hair to the ends. I always leave my conditioners in for about 10 minutes before rinsing it out and comb out the knots while my hair is somewhat calm! I've used other Organix products but I find that the Brazilian Keratin Therapy collection help protect my hair color and hair's moisture. 

   

There is another shampoo in my routine, but this one I use every other week to clarify from Mixed Chicks. Their no fuss shampoo gets rid of residue and leaves your scalp squeaky clean because my kinks tend to use a lot of product and the buildup from that is pretty bad! 

My holy grail products from forever ago! I'm obsessed with Kinky Curly products especially the leave in conditioner and curly custard gel. They smell amazing, keep my hair hydrated, give my curls some definition and keep my hair looking great! The leave in conditioner makes combing out the knots so much easier and my hair KNOTS! It has been a lifesaver for me for the past 8 years.

As i've mentioned before, curly hair needs to be moisturized all the time to be maintained, especially when chemically processed. Something I've come to love recently is Moroccanoil's Intense Curl Cream, it moisturizes my hair and makes it smell absolutely fantastic! It's thick and creamy which means a little bit goes a long way. I've found that this cream helps revive my curls after 2-5 days. Those in-between days after wash day are crucial to keeping your hair's health. 

Last but not least, every curly girl has got to have a pomade or waxy product to tame those edges! I'm currently using Softee's Coconut Oil Conditioner to my edges/ hairline. My edges naturally frizz up and i've found that this pomade works to keep it down. I'll admit I'm not in love with this product but it gets the job done and by far better than previous ones i've used. With this product, a little bit goes a long way too, too much and your edges can look greasy. 

There you have it, my latest hair routine for maintaining length and color. My new hair look is growing on me, but i'm having fun with it! Dear readers, have you done anything new with your 'do lately?