My O'Natural Regimen (2013)

Greetings, Greetings, Greetings, Ladies and Gents. I pray all is well with everyone. Ok, so I'm updating my regimen and wanted to keep you all abreast to the goings on of my world of O'Natural hair. Not much has changed, but I feel it's always a great thing to keep you all updated. As always, I love to stress that my regimen is not the end all be all, so always tweak the method for what is convenient and what works for you, or simply use my regimen as a guideline. As always, I hope this helps.

MY UPDATED REGIMEN (2013)

• PRE POO: Products of Choice: Natty Moist, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or Sporty Afros Ayurvedic Oil . I usually choose my Natty Moist for my pre poo method and if I opt to do a hot oil treatment, I will use the Sporty Afros Ayurvedic Hair Oil. For my Pre-Poo Method and the benefits of this method, check it out here .

 

• CLEANSE: Products of Choice: ( I must say, I have a few items that I love to alternate and cleanse with: Dudu Osum Black Soap Shampoo, Terressentials Pure Earth Wash, Bobeam Shampoo Bars, or Chagrin Valley Ayurvedic Shampoo Bar (any of these items work extremely well for me and my family). I will also do a special treatment using Bentonite Clay. Feel free to check out my Bentonite Clay Treatment. All of these items are known as Clarifying cleansers which are great for removing buildup from the hair and scalp. Buildup is one of the key things that cause dryness and ultimately breakage to the hair. Due to the natural products that I use, I do not accumulate much buildup, so I cleanse about every 2-3 weeks using one of these preferred cleansers. When absorbing the excess water from my hair, I ALWAYS use an old t-shirt versus a towel to dry. Towels create dryness, cause frizz and increases friction in the hair, which can lead to breakage.

 

• IN BETWEEN CLEANSE (LIGHT CLEANSE): Products of Choice: Natty ACV Hair and Scalp Mist . With my Natty ACV Scalp Mist, I spray a nice amount onto my scalp to ensure that I keep my scalp clean and protected from dirt, debris and other contaminants. Since ACV is a mild clarifyer, it helps keep the product buildup at bay and allows me to stretch my actual need for a thorough (clarifying) cleanse for 2-3 weeks. It's especially awesome after a workout for helping to remove sweat buildup. I simply spray the mist, massage into my scalp and either leave in or hop in the shower and allow the water to rinse away the dirt.

 

• DEEP CONDITION: Product of Choice: Natty Cupuacu & Rhassoul Deep Conditioner: Talk about a yummy treat for my tresses. I absolutely love treating my hair to my chocolatey smelling conditioner. I deep condition my hair each time I do a thorough cleanse. I opt to use my conditioner with a steamer or heat cap due to my hair being of 'low porosity'. The heat helps to lift my cuticle and ensure that my tresses retain its due moisture. After conditioning and rinsing, I mist my Natty ACV Hair and Scalp Mist to help close my cuticle back. This helps to protect my hair from dirt, debris and other environmental contaminants. Also, when the cuticle is closed, it gives the hair a smoother (less frizzy) shinier appearance.

 

• MOISTURIZE: Product of Choice: Natty Moist leave in conditioner or Natty ACV Hair and Scalp Mist : After Cleansing and conditioning, I will use both my Natty ACV Hair and Scalp Mist and then my Natty Moist as my leave ins. Throughout the week when I need to re-moisturize my hair, I will apply my Natty Moist and/or Natty ACV Hair and Scalp Mist to hydrate my hair. Any time I finger detangle, I apply a thorough amount of the Natty Moist or thoroughly wet my hair with my Natty ACV Mist. For my how to video on using these two products, check it out Here .

 

• SEAL: Product of Choice: Natty Butter: Hands down, no matter the oils or butters I have tried, this is my absolute favorite product to seal/lock in moisture for my hair. It is extremely important to understand that butters and oils are not 'moisturizer' but instead to understand that they are 'sealants'. A sealant is like a protection in that it locks in moisture to prevent it from escaping so quickly. To seal my hair, I 'first' apply a moisturizer of choice (my Natty Moist or Natty ACV Mist)..Then, I apply my Natty Butter to lock in the moisture. Using this method has helped me keep my strands moisturized and healthy, minimize breakage and retain length. I normally do not have to re moisturize my hair for about 2-3 days. 

 

• TRIM:  It is very important to keep those ends trimmed. While building your regimen, you may incorporate how often you wish to gradually trim your ends as you draw closer to returning completely natural. This time can range from 1/4 to 1/2 inch per month, two months or a little longer time period. If you are not comfortable trimming your own hair, it is very important to find a stylist that specializes in natural hair care and have them trim your hair for you (one who understands trimming vs. cutting). I normally trim my hair every 2-3 months removing about 1/4 inch of hair from my ends. This has helped keep not only my ends but overall hair healthy and thriving. 

 

• PROTECT: Item of Choice: Satin/Silk Scarf, bonnet and/or pillowcase. One of the key factors of retaining moisture into the hair is protecting the hair at night using fabric that help hold in moisture versus removing moisture from the hair. Cotton absorbs moisture from the hair. Silk and satin help to retain moisture. After I moisturize my hair, I cover it with my silk or satin scarf and sleep on my satin pillowcase for extra protection.  

ADDITIONAL VERY IMPORTANT FACTORS

• DIET: I always stress that healthy clean eating is one of the major factors of achieving and maintaining healthy hair. We must remember, what we put into our bodies affect what comes out of it. Our diet consists of a pescatarian diet, which includes some fish, plenty of fresh fruit and green leafy vegetables. I also incorporate tons of herbal teas such as Dandelion (cleanses the liver), Organic Moringa Leaf, Green Tea, Chamomile, Chai Tea and others. I don't take vitamin supplements as I've always felt that the best way to receive needed vitamins and nutrients is directly from our food source.
• WATER INTAKE
• EXERCISE: Because exercise helps with blood circulation, it's an extremely factor in overall health including healthy hair.