10 Tips to Care For Natural Hair

1. Pre-Shampoo your hair

To lock in moisture and prevent damage to fragile hair, pre-pooing is a good strategy. This means adding a hair treatment before you shampoo to ensure that the washing process doesn’t take away any of your hair’s natural moisture. Natural hair care products like avocado oil, coconut oil and mango butter can be used to pre-shampoo, but our favourite is the Extraordinary Oil Treatment because of its intensely hydrating properties.  

It’s also important not to over wash. For a natural hair care routine, it’s recommended to wash only around once a week. If your hair feels a bit too oily, spritz on some dry shampoo instead. 

2. Treat your hair weekly

A weekly deep conditioning treatment for dry and dehydrated hair can be a wonderful addition to a hair care routine for natural hair. This hair type tends to be the dryest, because the curl shape prevents natural hydrating scalp oils from being able to easily travel down the hair strand. Because of this, a weekly deep conditioning treatment or hair mask can enrich hair with moisture, making it feel softer and silkier. The Hyaluron Plump Hair Mask with Hyaluronic Acid is a good option, as it penetrates the hair follicle to provide 72 hours of hydration. 

3. Oil your strands

Adding in a little moisture is a necessary step in daily care for natural hair, especially for those with protective hair styles like braids, twists and dreadlocks. Grab a hair oil of your choice and smooth through your lengths - just a few drops for a hint of shine, and a little extra to keep protective styles locked in place. 

4. Teasing hair may cause damage

While teasing or backcombing your hair can give it a playful, voluminous look, doing it too often can be damaging. When possible, go for a volumising product instead to keep your hair protected from potential split ends. If you do plan on teasing your hair, make sure you use a texturizing product to give it a little grip. 

5. Stick with your key products

Not all hair products are built the same, and it pays to pick something that’s suited to your individual needs. For afro-textured hair, avoid products that will take away that much-needed moisture. When you wash, aim for natural hair care products like the Dream Lengths Restoring Shampoo. With argan oil, castor oil and keratin, the formula will get rid of dirt and debris without drying out the hair.

6. Try not to use too much heat to style

Because natural hair tends to be more delicate, overusing heating tools is more likely to cause damage. Instead of curling wands or irons for your perfect beach waves, opt for heat-free treatments like rollers. If you do choose to use heat, make sure you add a serum first, like the Dream Lengths Frizz Killer Serum, which protects from temperatures for up to 230 degrees. 

7. Gently detangle from end to root

Detangling is a regular part of natural hair care. Before getting started, douse your hair in conditioner to make the process a whole lot easier. The Dream Lengths Detangling Conditioner is designed to loosen clumps of hair and give hair slip for no-fuss detangling. Working in sections, start at the ends and use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to undo any knots. 

8. Protect hair at night

When you toss and turn at night, the friction between your hair and your pillowcase can cause breakage and tangles. To prevent this, treat yourself to a satin pillowcase, or wrap your hair in a silk scarf overnight. This will protect your hair and keep it smooth and frizz-free until morning. 

9. Massage your scalp

Your scalp needs some love as well. Massaging your scalp with your fingertips is a great way to help distribute the natural scalp oils that help with hair growth and protection. Add a scalp massage to your natural hair care routine during your wash conditioning, or treatment process. 

10. Use a microfibre towel

When drying your hair, don’t rub it with your regular bath towel, as the rough fabric will likely cause frizz and breakage. Instead, one of the best natural hair care tips is to use a cotton T-shirt or a microfiber cloth to scrunch your hair from the root to the tip. This will enhance your natural curls and safely dry your hair.  

The Ultimate natural hair care routine

We know there may seem like a lot of the dos and don’ts to natural hair care, but it’s really all quite simple when we break it down into a daily routine: 

• First, brush and style your hair however you like.  
• Then, pre-poo and wash once a week with natural hair care products, and follow with a good conditioner to keep hair nourished and healthy.  
• When you have the time, treat hair with a mask or a deep conditioner product infused with natural hair care ingredients. 
• Finally, protect hair from physical damage by wrapping at night, avoiding excessive heat, and treating with specialized serums.  
   

Follow these steps, and your natural hair will be bouncy, strong and glowing in no time.  

Enjoyed our guide to how to take care of natural hair? Next, read our hair hydration tips for dry and dehydrated hair, or figure out your unique hair concerns with our hair care diagnosis.