The thought of building your hair care routine might seem a bit daunting especially if you're starting out on your good hair journey. However in today's blog we are going to break down exactly what is needed for you to help build a beginner friendly hair routine that you can start today.
The basics of your hair care routine lie in the foundations which consist of shampooing/cleansing, conditioning, drying, moisturising and styling as well as protecting.
If there is one important thing that you should learn from this blog post it is that your hair routine should be centred around your own individual hair profile, goals and your hair needs. What might work for you might not work for someone else and vice versa.
Your hair profile is a breakdown of every single aspect of your hair and how it works. Understanding your hair profile is essential when it comes to your hair care as implementing effective routines and using appropriate products, ingredients and tools will help you achieve your hair goals.
Your hair profile consists of your hair’s density, porosity, elasticity, texture and curl pattern which are determined by genetics as well as lifestyle choices, life changes and practices.
Density refers to the number of individual strands that you have on your head and can be categorised as; Low, Medium and High.
Porosity refers to your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. Having high density means that your hair absorbs moisture easily and having low density means that your hair struggles to absorb moisture easily.
Elasticity refers to how well your hair returns back to its natural curl after being stretched. Having high levels of elasticity means that your hair when stretched, will return almost immediately back to its original curl and having low levels of elasticity means that your hair when stretched snaps as opposed to bounces back to its original curl pattern.
Hair Texture often confused with curl pattern within the curly world actually refers to the size of your individual hair strands and these are classified into three categories; Fine, Medium and Course.
And lastly your Curl Pattern or Hair Type refers to the shape of your individual hair strands; Curly, Coily, Kinky and Wavy.
Cleansing your hair with shampoo is an integral part of your hair routine as your scalp is an extension of your face just covered with hair it's where new growth comes in so you want to ensure that it's clean; free from product buildup which can halt your hair growth.
There has been some debate as to whether reducing the amount of times you wash your hair in a month can help with hair growth, Coily and Kinky hair traps in dirt and produces product buildup a lot more than looser curls patterns and if you don’t regularly wash your hair this can lead to an array of issues such as eczema and dermatitis, breakage and tangling so we would recommend that you wash your hair at least one to two times a week with a moisturising shampoo, free from sulphates as they’re a harsh surfactant that strips dirt as well as your hair’s natural oils.
Shampoo should also be held in the same regard as Conditioner. Shampoos are specifically formulated to help lift dirt and clean your hair while conditioners help restore your hair’s natural oils and proteins that your hair might lose when being washed as well as detangles and reduces frizz.
Shampoo tips: Work in sections and focus your shampoo on your roots while letting it run down your ends!
Conditioner is a curlie’s best friend; its main goal is to help restore moisture that can be stripped from shampooing, detangle, add shine to your curly and natural hair and help reduce frizz.
There are two main types of conditioners; the ones that you use post-shampoo as well as deep conditioners a.k.a. hair masks much like our Moisturising Mango Seed Hydration Masque - and their main goal is to rebuild the structure of your strands.
You’ll normally find that they are very oil and butter heavy as well as having ingredients such as proteins like keratin or the vegan alternative hydrolysed wheat, soy or corn protein.
It's really important to ensure that you have a good moisture and protein balance for strong healthy hair; When your hair has moisture overload you’ll find that it is frizzy and almost mushy to the touch and very limp. While hair with protein overload feels stiff and snaps off easily.
Conditioner tip: Focus your conditioner on your ends, those are the parts of your hair that need the most repairing.
Yes, you've read that right. There is a curl friendly way to drying your hair and it doesn't involve your towel. Microfibre towels or even a cotton T-shirt are able to dry your hair without stripping it of any extra moisture like a towel would do.
While air-drying is the best option, should you want to use heat - opt for a diffuser attachment on your hair dryer and always start on a low heat setting.
If there is one thing your Curly hair needs it is moisture. The best and obvious kind is water (from your wash days) but your products and how you use them plays an important part. The trick here is to keep your curls hydrated in between washes. This will not only help retain length but also helps with shape retention and definition.
Curly and Coily hair is prone to dryness; and if left unmanaged, can lead to 'uncontrollable' frizz, split ends and single strand knots.
Opt for leave in conditioners, creams and lotions; like our Moisturising Mango Seed Hair Lotion that are water heavy with ingredients such as Water, Aloe Vera, Glycerine.
When moisturising start off with the the drier sections of your hair, they need the most love as well as the ends of your hair which are the oldest parts, you then want to follow up with an oil or butter- this is to ensure that the strands of your hair are lubricated and aren't constantly rubbing together and getting tangled; our Moisturising Mango Seed Whipped Butter is light and fluffy in texture but helps your hair feeling silky smooth with the greasy feel.
Moisturising Tip: Shrinkage isn't the enemy! When your hair is wet, it will stretch; and when your hair is dry it will shrink and become tighter, this is a sign of high elasticity!
Protective styles help protect or preserve your hair from the your day to day movement as well as the elements like excess heat and humidity in the summer and the bitter cold weather in the winter; and can also reduce knots/tangles, promote healthy hair growth, and more!
When styling your hair opt for low effort styles the don't require much hand manipulation.
Wigs are a great way of changing up your hair styles without the commitment; protect your edges with The Wig Fix; the first ever skin soft, hypoallergenic, breathable and lightweight silicone headband that secures your wig.
Buns and braids are also a stylish way of protecting your hair; they're quick and simple to style and all you need is a hair-tie, a brush, and your favourite hair products to help smooth down your curls.
And it won't come from your cotton or polyester pillowcases curlfriend! Silk or Satin pillowcases can help your hair retain moisture throughout the night. This will help to reduce frizz and dryness, which is particularly important for those with your curly hair.
And because of the soft and slippery texture of silk and satin, it can also help to preserve a hairstyle, ensuring you can truly say you 'woke up like this'.
- Wash your hair; to refresh your scalp and moisturise your hair.
- Condition; to help restore your hair's oils, PH and keratin levels.
- Moisturise; in between washes to keep your hair hydrated.
- Protective style your hair; to help retain length and reduce, knots and breakage.
Now that you have an idea of the basics of building a hair routine, we'll move onto how to tailor then to your specific hair profiles. But in the meantime we recommend taking the Hair Quiz by, The Good Hair Co. to help you discover your hair profile and get your free guide filled with tips to taking care of it.
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