Washing Natural Hair; Creating Black Girl Magic

Respect the Puff!
Natural hair is one of the most beautiful, most compelling and most difficult things to manage. So why manage it, right? For me, my natural hair provides me with a sense of identity and an understanding of who I am. I am BLACK! I am BEAUTIFUL! I am PROUD! I am NATURALLY CRAFTED IN GOD'S IMAGE and some people do not understand that. Fine! 

To be natural, you have to put in work!  I am still trying to find the regimen for my hair, "Nala," but I have grown to love her more and more each day. Her frizz, her flaws, her quirks and her versatility help to define ME!  However, none of this is possible if the first steps aren't executed properly. There are no unique styles without the perfect products. There is no wash and go without first, perfecting the wash! ​Keep reading for my go to products for my best washing experience.

Pre and CO-WASH

Do you all remember the episode of Kim Possible where Dr. Drakken explained to us the steps to washing our hair? Like many others, I was taught to lather with shampoo, rinse and repeat until my hair was squeaky clean. Then, apply conditioner and let it sit. Now that I take care of my own hair, I understand that it is safer for my hair to condition it before washing. Pre-conditioning eliminates some of the unwanted grease build up and also, keeps the hair untangled. 

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​"Conditioning before you shampoo is great for adding nourishment to fine hair without weighing it down," says Nina Dimachki, artistic director for Kérastase. "It also promotes a longer lasting blowdry and primes the hair before cleansing, allowing shampoo to distribute easier and more evenly (US, 2017)." To pre-condition my hair, I use Blue Magic Cholesterol. It costs less than $3 and makes Nala feel soft and weightless.

Main Wash

I've tried a number of shampoos with formulas that are designed specifically for African American hair, but I haven't found any that I love. I'm a huge fan of Cantu products, and many of them work wonders, but the natural hair shampoo, like several others tangles my hair so bad. At one point in time, I was afraid to wash my own hair because I didn't believe that I could untangle the knots. 

My aunt is a professional stylist, so I trust her judgement when it comes to products. She did my hair for years back in New York and for a while since I've been in Georgia as well. For Christmas last year, she bought me ​Tresemme Moisture Rich Shampoo. I don't need much of it to create a really thick lather. It cleans my hair quickly and efficiently and leaves Nala feeling smooth.

Conditioning mix

My favorite step to hair washing is conditioning. This is the step that detangles, moistens, curls, etc. When I condition my hair, I comb and brush through it to make sure all knots are gone and pull apart piece by piece to elongate my curls. Nala isn't really conditioned until my hair is a completely different texture. I leave my conditioning mix in for 15-20 minutes for maximum effects before I rinse it out. My go to mix is equal parts of Natural Oliology Keratin Oil Conditioner and Cantu with Shea Butter for Natural Hair, Cool Calm Detangler. Together, the two allow for me to run my fingers through my hair even after I rinse. Nala is left with her curl pattern in tact and ready for styling.

US. (2017, November 6). We've Been Washing Our Hair Wrong Our Entire Lives. Retrieved December 03, 2017, from http://www.refinery29.com/conditioner-before-shampoo-hair-trick