My staple hair products and regimen

*Repost from T0B 2/7/13-

Many in the natural hair community have been known for becoming “product junkies”. I have tried my best to avoid that and just keep my stash at a minimum. Let me tell you it’s kind of hard because there is so much I want to try. At the beginning of each year I think about my hair goals and what I’ll need to accomplish those goals. I keep a list of must haves and add to that as I think of new things along the way. Another thing I do is once during the year I budget to purchase some of the pricier products I’ve had on my list that I wasn’t able to get the last year. This year I plan to get some curl formers, bentonite clay, whole leaf Aloe Vera juice, large butterfly clamps, Meta Grip bobby pins, and a new book on natural hair. Doing my big purchase does not mean I don’t buy hair products throughout the year. I do have to make small purchases every other month or I'd run out of supplies to keep my hair clean and smelling nice.  LOL

     
I do have some staple products that I use all the time because they work for me and my budget. Within this post are pics of some of those things. There are other products I use but I have ran out of them so they didn’t make it in the pictures. Some of those are Shea Moisture products, Eco Styler gel, Organic Coconut Oil, and essential oils. I do want to figure out a way to organize and store my things so they will be in one spot that’s easy for me to get to when I need them. At this point I just keep things in the bathroom, on my linen closet shelf, and in the bedroom.

These products you see are part of my regular hair regimen. Since I don’t overbuy on products these get used if not weekly then some time within each month. If you’re interested in my hair care regimen here it is:

   
Twice a month I use a sulfate free shampoo with natural ingredients. Other times I just co-wash using a cheap conditioner. My hair gets shampooed or co-washed once a week when the weather is cold and 2-3 times a week when it’s hot. No matter which I do I always condition my hair before proceeding to styling it.

   
Once a week I do a deep conditioning. I try to buy deep conditioners that help me detangle my hair with ease. Most of the time I cover my hair with a plastic cap for 30 minutes.

Once a week I try to remember to use my Huetiful Hair Steamer. This is really good to use when doing my deep conditioning.

Every other week I do a hot oil treatment. I wear a plastic cap and a hat for up to an hour when I do this.

      I use the flaxseed to make homemade flaxseed gel.

After my hair has been shampooed and conditioned or co-washed, I make sure it’s thoroughly detangled before I put some leave-in conditioner throughout my hair. I section my hair when doing this to make it easier. I also put these sections in fat twists so that my hair won’t tangle back up before I’m finished. By this time my hair is damp instead of soaking wet.

  
I add my Shealoe mix or some type of butter, cream, curling pudding or gel to my hair. I work one section at a time being sure to smooth the product all the way through my hair. I do this because my hair is so thick and I want to be sure every strand gets covered. If the product doesn’t already have any natural oils in it, I follow up by using coconut oil to seal in the moisture before putting my hair in twists. I let these air dry.

  
At night I sleep with my satin scarf and/or bonnet. My hubby just bought me an Ebonnet to replace those. I will be wearing it for the first time tonight since it just came in the mail yesterday. YAY!!!

  
If I need to freshen my hair or retwist it I keep a spray bottle filled with water, a small amount of a natural oil (not always), and a little conditioner. I even add some essential oils for a nice smell.

This pretty much sums up what I do to my hair to maintain and keep it healthy. Whenever I learn something new and helpful I add that to my regimen too. I’ll be back with more hair updates soon. Be blessed!