We all want to fall head over heels with the perfect afro hair products
While many of us are already smitten with our natural hair, the struggle to find the right Afro hair products for our curls can make our haircare love affair a bit tricky. Not only are we looking for moisture, shine, and manageability, we’re often also on the hunt for products that solve problems like breakage, dandruff, and dry itchy scalp.
Of course, there’s no shortage of Afro hair products out there vowing to provide a fix to all our hair worries. Sadly, a few too many of them don’t quite manage to deliver. In short, how would we describe our relationship with our hair when we’re struggling to find the right products? ‘It’s complicated’.
Believe us, we have felt your pain. After all, it was the quest for the right afro hair products that would tick all our hair relationship boxes that led us to create Afrocenchix. But fear not, we’ve created this handy guide to tell you how the right hair products and practices can transform your hair relationship from difficult to delightful:
- Understand the afro hair products you need for your hair routine
You need a hair care routine that’s right for you, and the right afro hair products to make it work. So rather than looking for a complicated routine and stocking up on tons of different types of products promising to work wonders, why not remember that sometimes less is more? Try going for:
Shampoo – Wash your curls every 7-10 days using a sulphate free shampoo that will cleanse your hair and scalp without stripping them of oils.
Conditioner – follow up with a conditioner that offers long lasting moisture but doesn’t weigh down your hair. You should also look for something that gives great slip and makes it easy to detangle your hair.
Lotion, oil and cream (LOC) - Once you’ve shampooed and conditioned your hair, follow with the LOC method for maximum moisture, protection and manageability.
- Get to know the ingredients in Afro hair products
We don’t just need to know which products we should be putting into our hair; we need to know what ingredients are in them. Worryingly, far too many Afro hair products are packed with ingredients and chemicals that not only damage our hair, but have also been linked with a range of health issues ranging from skin irritation to cancer.
Take silicones for example. Promising to bring moisture and shine, they are found in a number of afro hair products. Unfortunately, the shine from these products is artificial as it come from the plastic in the silicone. Silicones also prevent moisture from penetrating into the hair shaft, meaning your strands attract dirt and build up. The result? After some initial shine, your hair will end up dull, limp and brittle, opening the door to breakage. Our solution is to bin the silicones and instead use wheatgerm oil and stearic acid as found in Seal. Like all of our ingredients, these sealants are natural and offer a more gentle solution to managing your hair.
You should also look for afro hair products that clearly state that they are free from parabens, sulphates and phthalates, all of which will cause all types of hair drama.
- Pick the afro hair care products that will solve your hair problems
Chances are that on top of trying to find a routine that works for your curls, you’re also looking for a way to deal with some common hair problems. The good news is that there are Afro hair products that can offer solutions – here are a couple of examples:
Breakage: Yep that old problem of losing our hair faster than we can grow it has led to the myth that Afro hair doesn’t grow. Dryness, wearing styles that are too tight and over manipulation of hair are some of the most frequent causes of breakage. So, as well as laying off the tight styles, heat and fine-tooth combs, picking out Afro hair products that infuse your hair with moisture will help you battle breakage. A great example is our moisture surge set. Each of the products contain moisturising ingredients to fight back against hair breakage, and leave your strands quenched, smooth, and manageable.
Dry, itchy scalp: While a dry, itchy scalp is a common problem that many of us face, it doesn’t make it any less annoying! While factors ranging from hormonal changes to medications and lifestyle can be behind an itchy scalp, some ingredients in Afro hair products (sweet smelling parfum and sodium lauryl sulphate being two of the worst offenders) cause real issues for our scalp. If you want to ditch the itch (who doesn’t?) look for a sulphate-free shampoo like Swish to gently clean away build up without drying out your hair and scalp. You can also add a scalp oil – we obviously recommend Soothe, to relieve the itch, and keep your scalp moisturised.
Let your dream romance with your hair begin!
Other articles:
Five reasons Afrocenchix has the best afro hair products
