We’ve struggled with our natural hair at some point in our lives. The misinformation within the natural hair community and the surge of natural hair products in the market have made hair care difficult. Most of us get our regimen from our caretakers, who got it from their caretakers, and so on. The problem is that those routines stem from a lack of accessibility and not understanding natural hair. We’re taught that dirt makes our hair grow, but then we struggle with chronically itchy scalps and everpresent dandruff. We’re told that our hair can’t grow, so we avoid trims to maintain length. These actions are counterproductive and typically cause our problems to persist. Then we turn to the hundreds of natural hair care products that promise to fix the issues we’re perpetuating.
The natural hair community accepted that if we wanted to rock our curls and coils, we had to commit to 8-hour wash days and spend even longer letting our hair air dry. The discomfort, annoyance, and frustration that is attached to natural hair cause a bit of resentment. We don’t want to give up our precious free time to maintain our hair. The worst part is that we may spend an entire day styling our hair, only to be disappointed with the results. Talk about disheartening.
Well, we’re here to tell you that many of the surface-level issues we face with our natural hair are due to our regimen. Are you taking care of your hair in a way that sets it up for success? Let’s talk about aspects of the Clean and Simple hair care regimen that has changed our Curlfriends’ lives.
The Real Difference Between Hair Types
The curl-type chart has created chaos within our community. Many of us have tried to figure out our curl pattern in hopes of understanding natural hair better, but we leave confused. For one, most of us have multiple types of curls on our heads. This makes it even harder to shop for products when they’re specified for a singular type. Don’t get us started on the vastly different haircare regimens that each curl type is supposed to follow. We break down the real way our curly hair differs from person-to-person.
“In a physical sense, yes, everyone’s hair is different. You may have a looser curl pattern with medium-dense, highly porous hair. In comparison, I have a tight curl pattern with high density and medium porosity. But scientifically, there is no difference between taking care of our hair and what it needs. When it comes to cleansing, hydrating, & moisturizing, all tightly textured hair needs the same things—cleansing and hydrating with shampoo and conditioner.”
The Relationship Between Water and Shampoo
As mentioned above, selecting products can be an overwhelming process for our curlfriends. Today, there are endless options that are supposedly catering to Black hair. Most of the time, those bottles do more harm than good when used long-term. Beyond the conflict of an oversaturated market, curly-haired consumers aren’t informed about the importance of water in their homes. Understanding what type of water you wash your hair with is important when purchasing shampoo.
“When you walk down the shampoo aisle, there are shelves upon shelves of options. Each product has different fragrances, ingredients, and promises. Maybe it says it’ll make your dull hair shine or make your hair grow faster than ever. The market for hair products that are meant for our hair is oversaturated yet doesn’t truly serve us. Your favorite shampoo is likely low-quality and may have a negative impact on your hair when used long-term.”
What Type of Conditioner Should You Use
Similarly to shampoo, the conditioner you use is vital to your hair care. In order to pick the best conditioner for your hair, you need to consider your lifestyle and your hair’s needs. There are also misconceptions surrounding how to properly use conditioner. YouTube hair influencers have long encouraged leaving the conditioner in over the recommended amount of time, which can actually lead to damage. Learn how to choose the best conditioner for your hair.
“Conditioner is a key staple for just about everyone. We’re often taught that conditioner is what moisturizes the hair, but that isn’t exactly true. As we’ve discussed before, water is what hydrates the hair, not the conditioner. The conditioner acts as a sealant for moisture. It locks in the water your hair has absorbed during the washing process and helps retain it. Some naturals have heard that oils are the best way to seal moisture, but we know here at Brown Skin Women that raw oils and butters will further dry your hair.”
Your Hair Habits Matter
Is understanding natural hair important to you? Then you have to remember how heavily hair habits impact it. If your hair isn’t getting what it needs, then it won’t perform well. You can use the best styling techniques and products, but without healthy hair habits, your hair will struggle. Natural hair doesn’t have a “quick fix,” unlike what you may have been told by companies and influencers.
“This means that what you do to your hair often matters most. Products will only bring out the best in your habits. Dry hair will be dehydrated when styled, just as moisturized hair has a healthy hydration level when styled and set. So instead of focusing on products, let’s shift our attention to our hair habits.”
Unhealthy Natural Hair Problems
If you’re not sure if your hair habits are fostering healthy curls, read this blog! We provide different signs that your hair is facing common struggles. This is a great way to reevaluate your hair care regimen. You may realize you need to cleanse more often or that your products are not serving your hair the way it deserves.
“Ever try a hairstyle that ended in total failure? Been there. You may think it’s either the technique or products used that caused this result. That’s not the case, though. Our unhealthy hair and hair habits are often the reasons for our not-so-decent hair days. Today, we’re going over a few common issues caused by unhealthy natural hair habits.”
You’re Painful Protective Styles Aren’t So Protective
Black hair is versatile. Exploring and wearing protective styles is fine, but this needs to be done mindfully. Improperly installing protective styles or wearing them too frequently can cause chronic hair issues, damage, or hair loss. Just because you have natural hair, you shouldn’t be suffering when you rock extension styles. Even if the pain is minimalized within our community, it’s an indicator that something isn’t right.
“For so long we have been told beauty is a sacrifice we have to face to look beautiful. We were taught to suffer in silence because it’s the cost of being perceived as attractive. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. Pain from a style is usually because the stylist does not completely know what they are doing. That does not mean the hairstyles they offer don’t appear to be well done. I’ve seen some gorgeous styles that were just too tight.”
8 Common Natural Hair Challenges and Myths
Here is one last resource to help you with understanding natural hair. Brown Skin Women has compiled common challenges and myths that we’ve noticed in the salon and within our online community. In this blog we debunk and lead a discussion that’s based on the science of natural hair.
“We can end the struggle forever, for you AND generations to come. We aren’t born with cosmetic hair knowledge but we can learn it. You don’t have to continue facing natural hair challenges alone. Clean and Simple Hair (the name of our @homehaircareacademy signature course) helps you improve your hair and your relationship with it, but only AFTER the mindset shift. You will still struggle because you’ll expect your hair to behave like someone or something else.”
Want to learn how to take care of your hair?
Brown Skin Women originally started as a blog documenting our founder’s natural hair journey. It has since turned into a global enterprise that helps Black and brown women simplify their hair care. We believe that having natural hair shouldn’t be a part-time job. You should be able to rock your curls and not dread your next wash day. You also shouldn’t have to avoid doing certain activities, like exercising, because you fear putting your wash day to waste.
We have helped so many Curlfriends change their lives through seminars, our Clean and Simple training, and in-person events. Our community gets to experience clean hair and consistent, long-lasting styles that show off their curls. Those wonderful results take a fraction of the time they used to spend on their hair. Long gone are wash days, now we have wash-hour. Understanding natural hair is how they were able to make this life-altering change.
If you’re ready to reclaim your time and improve your quality of life, join us Curlfriend! We’d love to have you with us.