1)Pre-poo: The conditioning process before shampooing I find works well especially on transitioning hair, hair that is found to be too dry, on hair that is in dry conditions such as winter climates or excessive air condition environments, just plain damaged hair, or hair that has been stripped and dyed.
Pre-poos of choice : an oil pre poo can be done using one carrier oil of choice or a mix of carrier oils and essential oils. Popular oils of choice include extra virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, extra virgin coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, avocado oil, lavender essential oil, peppermint essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, and t-tree essential oil.
Conditioner prepoos include the use of a conditioner be it a cheap rinse out conditioner or a deep conditioner mixed with oils. Egs, Queen Helene cholesterol, organics cholesterol.
And then you can use natural ingredients and make your pre poo. One of my all time favourites is the coconut yogurt pre poo: 4 oz of plain yogurt, 2 tbsps of coconut cream, 1 1/2 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil and 1/2 tbsp of avocado or grapeseed or olive oil. mix all together and apply on dry hair, cover with a shower cap for 1 hour or more.
These prepoos can be left in the hair anywhere from 1 hour to half day and even over night and they condition the hair so that when you shampoo the hair the shampoo takes out the excess oils and conditioners and leaves your natural oils so that the hair is not stripped and left dry.
2)Shampoos: For regular shampoo sessions you would want to use a sulphate free shampoo but once a month or once every 6 weeks please please please clarify your hair to thoroughly with a clarifying shampoo remove product build up and mineral deposits from your pool water or regular tap water. Good sulphate free shampoo, One n only argan oil sulphate free shampoo, Herbal essence has a great clarifying shampoo as well and the Organic Roots stimulator creamy aloe shampoo is a chelating shampoo that works on a deep level than the normal clarifying shampoos and removes everything.
3) Rinse out Conditioners: these 3 minute conditioners do not add anything to your hair they dont add nutrients nothing they are basically acidifiers that work to smooth your hair cuticles and easy the detangling process so naturals especially should not detangle on dry hair but when the hair has been fully saturated with conditioner and divided into sections. My favourite ones: Aussie moist and Aussie cleanse and mend, Tresemme naturals and curl hydration, Herbal essence Hello hydration.
4)Protein Treatments: These work to strengthen the internal structure of the hair shaft however they leave the hair feeling hard, most times and brittle. The must immediately be followed by a deep moisturising treatment to bring back elasticity to the hair and prevent the hair from becoming brittle and breaking. Some good choices of protein treatments are: IC Fanatasia Reconstructor, One n only argan oil restorative mask, Hair Chemist Macadamia oil Deep Recovery hair masque.
5)Deep Moisturising Conditioning Treatment: As explained above they are ti be used after a protein treatment but also can be used when you dont have to do a protein treatment to nourish and moisturise the hair as needed. Some great choices includes: Neutrogena Triple Moisture deep recovery hair mask, one n only hydrating hair mask, IC Fanatasia deep moisturising treatment.
After this washing process it is best to use a clean old t-shirt to absorb the excess water as the normal terry towels aid in the development of frizz. Spritz the hair after with a mixture of glycerine and rosewater, or glycerin and distilled water, as you progress you may desire to add some of your leave in conditioner to this or even a tsp of carrier oil as well...your choice just make sire when you do you use it out in a week of add a preservative.
6)Leave In Conditioners: These are used to moisturise the hair and the first ingredient on any good conditioner or moisturiser must be water or aloe vera juice. OILS AND BUTTER OR OIL AND BUTTER MIXES DO NOT AND CANNOT MOISTURISE. Water moisturises some oils can penetrate the hair to aid in moisture retention but not properly moisturise. Some good ones: African Pride Olive miracle or shea moisture leave in, Parneavu t-tree growth creme, Soft sheen carson daily humectant lotion and finishing lotion, beautiful textures leave ins, kinky curly knot today, Giovanni direct leave in.
After this step you should seal in the moisture with a carrier oil or a little bit of butter.
Most of the products listed and mentioned here can be sourced at pennywise and the your local supermarket as well as your health food store or eco truffles online. Again to reiterate this is a basic regime that can be used as a foundation upon which you tailor and create one specific to your hair needs and should be used to give you some guidance as you navigate your journey to healthy hair.
This regime is just your basic regime and the products mentioned here can be substituted for other products that you know works for you in this same capacity just as well, this document is just to act as a guide to help persons build their own regime and to tailor it based on the needs of their own hair, its not complex and quite simple to say the least.
Natural Hair Care Regime for Beginners
