Hey all! It’s been ages since I did a hair update. I’ve been quite lazy about taking pictures of it, though I should really be more mindful and document the progress. People keep telling me it’s getting very long quickly, but to me, it still seems short and slowly growing. I guess the pictures will tell. If you hadn’t seen my previous hair update, then please click here. I promise I’ll post some actual hair pictures in my next hair post.
I’ve developed a general routine when it comes to my hair care, although I’ve been slacking lately as I’ve gotten quite busy. Usually I cowash every week or weekend with a VO5 conditioner (I love the Tea therapy ones) which my boyfriend always calls me cheap for but hey, it works! Last college semester I would do this every Saturday evening, and every Friday during vacation.
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I wash with Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo every 2 weeks, then deep condition with the African Pride Hair Mayonnaise treatment. I am currently out of this deep condish and can’t find it anywhere, but I do have a ton of samples to try out, so I may end up buying a different deep conditioner in the long run, but I loved the smell as well as the benefits of that one. The Elasta QP shampoo was raved about in my 2012 favourites video, and I am still in love with it, but I want to try a couple new shampoos as well, may be I can find something even better, although I love the way that makes my hair feel.
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As for leave-ins, I was using my Shea butter mixture, until I realised it was too thick for my hair, as I have fine textured hair. I have been trying to find the perfect leave-in moisturiser for my hair. Light-weight but moisturising, a good amount a product and yet affordable, I’m still looking, but I have used coconut oil as well as Cantu shea butter repair cream (with some coconut oil mixed in, as it wasn’t retaining enough moisture), and a few samples I received from GFE.
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As for heat, I tend to use heat 2 weeks post relaxer, however I don’t use my flat iron everyday, just occasionally when my ends are a bit frizzy and my hair needs sculpting. I use the Tresemme Heat protectant and love how it smells and feels in my hair, plus it doesn’t leave any residue on my flat iron like my previous heat protectant. If I want curls, I would sleep with curlers in, but I am going to invest in a really nice curling wand. I already have one on my wishlist hehe. My hair tends not to hold curls as well as I’d like though, even if I use my Garnier Fructis hairspray. If I use too much I get that annoying crunch and sticking, but the curls last a bit longer.
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That’s basically it for my hair routine. When I realise I’m getting a lot of build up, I use less product and wash as soon as possible. Currently I’m on the hunt for new favourite products. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments. I’d really appreciate that. Or if you share your hair care routine.
Tina Takes Beauty 
I have two biracial daughters (I'm caucasian). One has super coarse, thick, hair and from the photos, it looks exactly like 4C and the other like 4A. They are 12 and 10 and their hair has been a nightmare for years. They don't want to take care of it and no matter how many youtube videos, advice, books and stylists I consult, my styling looks a mess and only lasts until they go to bed. They wear silky hair covers at night, but that doesn't seem to help. I am SO frustrated! I want them to look pretty and feel good about themselves but when you can't even run a brush through their hair, gah!
Anyway, my question is, how do you care for your hair on a typical week? Do you get it wet every day? Do you shampoo every day, a couple of times a week, once a week? Right now, I have them just rinsing their hair with warm water (to get the sweat off) and then using conditioner and washing once a week with a mild shampoo. But I don't know if maybe I should be telling them not to get their hair wet at all, maybe that's the problem? My 4C girl, her hair looks SUPER dry, feels like a brillo pad and she wants nothing more than to have swingy curls 🙂 The other one yanks on her hair and makes it look terrible (she has lots of black friends who have tried to show her, but she's stubborn) so her hairline is receding. Is there any easy mixture that you put on your hair every day to help with the tangles and moisture?
Thanks for reading, sorry it's so long. I love your blog!
Hi, it's not a problem lol, I understand how you would feel, my niece has a whole head of coarse hair and is really naughty when it comes to grooming it. I too remember how frustrated both me and my mother would get when it came to combing my hair.
I'm currently relaxed for ease during my studies, but when I was natural I realised that a great thing for natural hair is water. Just don't douse the whole head. Get a spray bottle of water (some people like to add a little olive oil) and just dampen the hair when it's time to style it. You'll notice that it takes less product and less effort to comb. Then detangle from the ends of the hair to the roots. I would then use a Shea butter mixture to help with the styling and detangling (I could make a post on this mixture as I need to make more). Any other moisture rich hair product would be good though, I used to like Shea Moisture products from target or Walgreens. To keep in the moisture, just add some oil (olive, coconut, jojoba) whatever you choose to seal the ends of the hair.
I would wash my hair every week with conditioner, and do a clarifying wash and deep conditioner every 2 weeks to a month. As long as I had the time to. 4C hair (just loses moisture very fast and takes a lot of product, so keep it moisturised, detangled and not over washed. Try plaiting/braiding it and keep spraying it with water, before styling. It really helped my hair. For the receding hairline, the best thing to use is Castor oil. Then tell her don't pull her hair so tight, or encourage her to try some different styles, take them to a natural hair salon to have it cornrowed or braided if you can't do it. I myself can barely plait cornrow haha, and I had natural hair for most of my life.
BTW you can also try braid-outs, twist-outs or curlers to give more defined neater curls. Or even use the flat iron or blow dryer to soften up the texture before the real styling.
Hopefully this helps, and good luck with the grooming! Black natural hair styling can take a lot of time, but it's usually worth it.