I confess that my favorite products are either found in Whole Foods or only available online. Part of the reason for this is that the abundance curly hair products now available at retailers like Walgreens and Target did not exist when I went natural or even a few years ago when I revamped my hair regimen. Also, I only have a few products that are in my war chest of hair care. A leave in, creamy moisturizer and sealant. If you can find three products that work for you, then even if you buy them online you shouldn’t be spending an arm and a leg. I honestly think that most of the cost associated with being natural is product junkism. Can I get an amen? No longer bound to the hair dresser, the temptation to go all out and buy hair products can become, shall we say, obsessive. That is a choice but certainly not the way that it has to be. In fact, I’ve often said that if my hair had to survive with only water, aloe vera gel, castor oil, shampoo and conditioner it would be just fine.
Trying out hair products is fun. I’ll be the first to admit it. But is it necessary? Absolutely not! You don’t have to spend a lot of money to be natural. Anyone who tells you that isn’t telling you the truth. Find the five products that are staples in your regimen and stick with them. I tend to buy in bulk and find that $100 can keep me for an entire year. That’s 12 months of hair care. If I exclusively bought store brands and no longer had to consider shipping and handling that figure may very well drop to $70. That’s less than $6 a month on hair care, which I think is pretty reasonable.
I won’t need to spend much time on this because it should seem obviously ridiculous. This is not to say that for some this holds true. To say, however, that the same regimen “will” work, without considering alternatives, as I thought years ago is naïve. For example, my relaxed hair didn’t need moisture in between washes to retain length. My natural hair does. I would use a comb on my relaxed hair every day. I use a comb on my natural hair about once every two weeks on wash day. I could wash my relaxed hair without sectioning. Doing that with my natural hair causes someone to lose a tooth, get a concussion and end up on the evening news. LOL! Feel free to stick with some of the same products but realize that you will have to treat curly hair differently.
I’d love to hear your hair myths or what you think about the myths I’ve discussed.
For more of Geniece’s thoughts on 4b/4c haircare, check out her YouTube channel: Beautifully Made.
65 Responses
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this
matter to be really something that I think I would never understand.
It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me.
I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Howdy! This post couldn’t be written any
better! Looking at this article reminds me of my previous roommate!
He constantly kept talking about this. I’ll send
this article to him. Fairly certain he’ll have a very good read.
Thank you for sharing!
Glad I read this. The way I’ve been carrying scissors around me all the time to catch and chop these pest SSK’s is ridikalas!
Great blog article. Keep up the good work BGLH.
uhmm… hours?
lol it takes me 15 minutes tops to wash and detangle my hair… 30 minutes to braid.
THANK YOU!!!!! Myth #3 reminds me of what people said to me when I decided to become vegetarian, going natural is no more expensive than having permed hair and when my hair was relaxed and recently texturised, I didn’t use half of the products people say you’re supposed to use on chemically-treated hair.
I agree with you on all the other myths as well and I’ll add one of my own…..
Myth #5 – If you style your own hair it won’t grow as fast as if a stylist does it for you….
new growth four inches and counting and this is still month one of transistioning without running to a natural hair stylist every couple of weeks.
Amen to point #3. I don’t mind sample packs, but to buy a full size product and have it sit in the bath cabinet is not my cup of tea. I learned from two expensive mistakes which were $50 in total. Now I buy on sale and fortify regular conditioners with honey and olive oil. My hair and wallet are both happy.
I have a head of beautiful soft thick curly hair with single-strand knots. And no one can tell that they are there except me. It just comes with the territory, I believe. Definitely not something to stress about or turn you into a slave to protective styles, twist outs, blah blah blah.
thank you so much for pointing this out. the crown of my head is very kinky and it feels dry no matter what, unless it is dripping wet. but it’s always been like that, even when my hair was at its healthiest. but i’ve noticed that that section, even though it doesn’t hold moisture at all (or so it feels, anyway) NEVER breaks off. it is also more prone to accruing single strand knots, which actually help me to prevent split ends in that section, because that section is very resilient and never splits. so i’ve learned that it really varies by the head of hair, and not all dryness is bad. i actually like to see my single strand knots and wish i could reduplicate them myself because they do guard against split ends, even though i’ve never heard anybody mention how helpful SSK’s can actually be. when i trimmed my hair that last time a month back, what i noticed is that the longest strands of my hair? they almost all had knots at the ends. i attribute them to my length retention of those strands. but because i was so used to the hair care boards and how everyone bemoaned getting them and treated them like the plague, i ignored what my hair was telling me and trimmed them off promptly. now looking back wish i had not because those strands would probly easily be touching my midback by now lol
oh the irony! but listen to your hair, everyone!!! that’s the biggest thing i’ve learned so far.
I am so, so glad what you said about single strand knots…though I really don’t get them much since I started keeping my hair stretched, it’s nice to know that they don’t really cause that much harm.
I have women at the mall, at church, at work, at the bank, (everywhere!) stop and ask me about my hair and being natural, and I explain that is really quite simple and not quite as complicated as they imagine. Going into my 9th month natural, I have really simplified my routine. I only use water and whipped shea butter to moisturize throughout the week, and I have found that clay shampoo, and a shea moisture conditioner that work wonders.
Less really is more when it comes to natural hair!
I’m leaving those pesky knots alone!!!
I’ve trimmed off inches of knotted strands yet I never seem to be rid of them.
I don’t use any thing on my hair but,Water and Shampoo (non sulfate)
I don’t use hair dryers or anything appliances with heat
I use warm water to shampoo.
I don’t use creams, oils, gels, pomades, vasoline.
I have 75% gray natural and what is considered very 4B or C hair
I use my fingers mostly unless I a doing plaits or braid with my own hair.
I don’t use heat appliances at all.
I never have scalp problems.
My 4b hair is soft,clean and product free. I never stain linen, coat collars and couches. I don’t leave greasiness on phone receivers or go around all day with a flammable substances on my hair (trying to have shiny hair like other races). I am not afraid to mess up my hair at night (if you get my drift LOL) or get caught in the rain, swim and work out REAL hard (Keeping it tight and right).
I don’t keep my head covered and tied up like I am about to pick cotton or ashamed to let my man or ANYBODY see the real me.
The beauty industry would go under if they had to depend on me.
It is my opinion, unnecessary to spend the little money that many of us make on this BS.
Wow….you almost sound critical, Dove….as if everyone who uses something on their hair is trying to be like other races. Maybe some of us just want the best out of our hair and we need more than water to get that….Some people sound really self-rightous sometimes. I don’t cover my hair either, and my husband loves to play in it….and I don’t “Soul Glow” either. lol….whats good for the goose may not work for the gander.
Hmm, nose in the air?? Everyone can’t use just shampoo and water and still have ‘happy’ hair. Every head of hair is different. Although many products are way expensive, some people do well with purchased products.
And I’ve always hated the assumption that covered hair (on black women) means shame…and what’s with the cotton-picking comment.
Ew, your comment stinks.
Interesting I would love to see your 4b/c hair and you only use water! I can only imagine…..umph…
“I don’t keep my head covered and tied up like I am about to pick cotton or ashamed to let my man or ANYBODY see the real me.”
Oh okay, me and my Nigerian self will go pick cotton. Seriously. The shade you’re throwing is casting a shadow as big as your ego…
I’m a bit crunchier with my hair than you.
I don’t use store made shampoo. ( I use bakingsoda and vinegar with water or acv and water with peppermint oil and sea salt).
I use warm water too.
I use essential oils very sparingly though. Normally my natural sebum is plenty.
I don’t color my hair at all.
I don’t use heat appliances at all. (no blow dryer no hot comb no ceramic tiles)
I have 4C hair too!
I love working out too! But I rarely sweat that hard.
It always amazed me how the head wrap looked…odd. Good for some but my daddy called me a mammy lookin’ like that.
I wish I could let my hair be seen. I wear wigs cuz my hair is short. I don’t need people throwin’ shade at me.
People would call you a natural hair nazi because you are confident and natural. Like, isn’t that the goal?
People make me sick. I didn’t feel you were judging anyone. You’re just showing people you don’t have to do what everyone else does.
When people come on a forum and go “Y’know…you really shouldn’t dye your hair your not natural.” And they go “What?! How dare you?” Like chemical + unpermed hair hair= unpermed hair with a chemical color in it. What’s a matter with people? It’s not like you were pushing your opinion on anybody else.
And to the people who say you can’t only use water on your hair. Yes you can. I tried it before and my hair grew super fast. Everyone’s hair is different. Just do you y’all.
Moisture is very important to me. I don’t feel the need to baggy (anymore), or keep my hair wet for 16 hours straight, but my tightly coiled hair does need a lot moisture. It just feels better when it is moisturized (not greasy/oily). I love the summer because my glycerin/water mix and a bit of olive oil is all I really need.
Not only does it feel better when it is moisturized, but my hair breaks less. Extremes of wet and dry are what cause breakage for my hair.
Also showing that if you take care of black hair it can grow as long as you want it to, check out this youtuber with all of this gorgeous hair. She recently cut off her TBL plus hair drool worthy :). Songsofjoy143 fellow youtuber.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8ehsoh40aU&list=ULy8ehsoh40aU&feature=player_detailpage
If I would have listened to all these myths I would probably still be relaxed.
Awesome post! Thanks! I had been thinking the same thing. Different strokes for different folks, gotta figure out what works best for YOUR hair.
Myth: Natural hair makes you not want to get a perm ever again.
Truth: I so would not mind getting a perm right about NOW! I’m sooooo TIRED. Like ya’ll, I even read the Bible for inspiration of how to overcome this mighty problem.
I’m not going to, but shiiiiiid….
U r so freakin FUNNY!
I agree wholeheartedly on all four myths.
I used to live in an idyllic natural hair world until I read an article on SSK…then I started to panic!! I obssessed about them for a while but I eventually let my hair be and it’s fine.I do not have more tangles or breakage than usual.
As for products,I rarely follow bandwagons so my products pretty generic.I just make sure I have an all natural moisturizer as well as a good deep condtionner.
Other than that, I accept that dryness comes with the territory, I cowash in the middle of the week and moisturize every other day.
Great post. I’d like to add: “I would go natural if my hair was like yours”…..I’m glad that I took the plunge and went natural because my hair IS like I never thought it would be and after 2 1/2 years it still amazes me and I love it. I wish more would take the plunge and learn how beautiful their own hair is. The Myth is: only mixed girls can go natural.
same here! everyone’s hair has its own beauty.
I’m glad to see this post. Especially the part about the dryness. I roll my eyes every time I see someone complain about dryness or write about how they moisturize twice per day. Some hair types really are dry by nature; and if you add water and oil to it every five minutes, well, you’ll just have wet, greasy hair!
Yeah these are all myths to me too. I sleep on cotton pillows without worries and use only soap, Mane n Tales conditioner and shea butter. And lastly I dont use heat except for hot water or steam room heat but I am happy to say that my hair is happy and healthy and grows preeety fast.
Zhe Only problem I have is that my hair shrinks into ear length 3bcurls so i do braid/twist outs that kinda work, but create a lot of frizz, hence my userame :0)
I have used all natural products but I have found that my 3b, 3c curls really like no, no products Hawaiian Silky and S-Curl for moisture and feels so much better after a bi-weekly poo with Cream of Nature poos than it does after using the Kinky Curly Come Clean poo which leaves my hair feeling over stripped and like straw. I too have the same infuriating issue with shrinkage. My hair is now arm pit length but after a wash it shrinks to just above the shoulder after a wash and go. I do twist & braid outs, i’ve tried 1 bun & 2 buns to stretch my curls but like FrizzyBobbed, all I achieve is minimally stretched curls with a frizzy fuzzy halo! Any Tips or Techniques?
I don’t know if natural hair is supposed to stay naturally dry, but mine was ’til I found the right combo. of things to use (gylcerin/water/aloe vera juice and coconut oil) to use. I know afro type hair doesn’t produce oil like the others and we have to put oil and moisture in our hair, but it only stays dry if I don’t put stuff on it, or wear it out too often and the sun dries it out.
Also, I agree with natural hair not taking a long time. The longest time I spend on my hair is wash day. It still sings like less work the relaxer, wash, blow dry, and straighten. Styling takes way less time than washing.
Can you please tell me what exactly are you using that only costs 100 yearly that keeps your natural hair maintained?
It took a while but here’s the trick. Buy in bulk. I will say that I wash my hair every 2 weeks. I’d need more product if I washed every week, which isn’t necessary for me. Okay so the products: two bottles of whole leave aloe vera gel ($13), 3-4 bottles of Giovanni leave in ($35) (the big bottle from TJ Max is even cheaper, 2 Trader Joes shampoo & 3 conditioner (i dilute the shampoo water for easy application reduce build up) ($20), styler ($20), deep conditioner ($10) i like ORS replenishing. i don’t DC too often so 2 bottles is enough for me.
With the aloe vera i add 2 tea spoons to about 3 table spoons of my leave in for extra moisture. It also stretches the product quite a bit. Mind you I like extra things here and there but I don’t use them regularly. A heat protectant for example will last me 2 years or more.
As you can see even with adding in a butter or cream you should be able to target $150 as a goal if you want to.
you can get a 3-pack of giovanni direct leave in for around $19 at amazon.
or try massagewarehouse.com for less expensive giovanni products.
thank you about SSK’s. I hear people wailing about them and Im confused at why sometimes…
Me too! It never occurred to me to work about them. I thought I was the only one who didn’t.
work=worry
My hair is more likely to break when it’s wet, than when it’s dry. Not a whole lot of breakage just a tiny bit.
I love this post. You hit the nail on the head. I think sometimes people make caring for natural hair more complicated than it has to be. Of course, when you are first learning you will make mistakes and develop misconceptions but in the end you’ll figure out what is and is not a myth.
For me, I don’t use all natural products all of the time but I am swaying more to all natural for my hair care just because it’s simpler. The only NOT all natural products I’ll never give up are:
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration
Aphogee 2 Step Reconstructor
I totally agree with you about how some make caring for natural so complicated!!! Everyone always tells me they can’t do it b/c it takes so much time! My comeback is always the same…. I spend less time doing my hair than you do waiting for your hair appointment at a salon! Lol!!!
Amen to that! I don’t miss going to the salon at all. As a matter of fact I realize that stylists don’t always know it all!
One of the biggest myths is you can only use ALL NATURAL products!! When Corrine Bailey Rae confessed she you uses Vaseline, naturals around the world were left with their mouths hanging open!
I agree, if it ain’t broke.
I want to use all natural products (for my hair and anything else) because they’re good for the environment and for my sensitive skin. It’s part of my lifestyle change. It may be a myth, but it works good for some people. I’d never use Vaseline or any kind of grease on my scalp. It would itch like crazy and give me terrible dandruff, not to mention leave everything greasy.
Funny, I dont apply any heavy product to my scalp, oils yes, butter & creams no, It clog your hair follicles…
Great peice!
Thanks for this! I really needed to hear that first point because I only learnt recently what those pesky knots were called and the anthem to deal with them was always cut them out! Thankfully I used to simply cut that strand as opposed to do a full trim. I usually go through my hair every couple of months, but the thing that saved me was my laziness. I have a lot of hair and it takes a while.
Great Article! I’ve only been natural for about 5 months and I learned quickly that you do not need a bunch or products or a complicated regimen! I have 5 staple products and a VERY simple hair regimen! And my hair is soft to the touch!!!
All of these are true for me, especially the “dry to the touch” part. My hair simply will not feel like cotton! I have 4B-4C type hair, and I moisturize daily and wash weekly. It is very thick in density with medium to thick wiry strands, different from the fine hair most people associate with my hair type. Lol the only fine hairs I have are around the edges. I also suffer from those pesky single-strand knots and don’t feel the need to constantly try to cut them out. Loved this post!
Thank you! Especially for tip #2. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve thought my hair was damaged, cut it off, and started all over again. It’s just hard & dry. That’s just what it is & I’m learning to be ok with that. Again, thanks.
Great article, I agree with all four myths along with the previous commentor’s *Merry” re” natural hair takes a lot of time.
I NEEDED TO READ THIS!! I AM PARANOID WHEN I FEEL KNOTS OR DRY HAIR AND I KNOW I AM DOING EVERY THING RIGHT. I DON’T SEE BREAKAGE AND I NEED TO REMEMBER THAT. I ALMOST TRIMMED MY ENDS AFTER DOING IT EARLIER THIS BECAUSE OF KNOTS. WELL I’M OVER IT LOL, MY GOAL IS LENGTH
i would add, ‘natural hair takes a lot of time.’
i always cringe when i hear about people taking HOURS to detangle their hair. it only takes me about 30-40 mins. mine is shoulder-length right now.
people sometimes get the impression that being natural is a hassle and like caring for a child, when it isn’t imo. or at least it doesn’t have to be.
Here it really depends on the people’s hair. It takes me a while to detangle because I do it with my fingers. Everybody’s different.
I would agree with this. Wash day for me takes 2 hours tops maybe. That includes wash, finger detangling, conditioning, deep conditioning, sitting under the steamer, AND putting my hair into some kind of protective style. I don’t know what is taking some women so long.
2 hours is a long time and wash day clearly will defer from woman to woman…it all comes down to length & thickness, clearly someone with a TWA wont need all day to wash and detangle but someone transitioning with 4 inches of new growth & 10 inches of relax hair is going to take longer!
My hair is BSL & it doesn’t take me that long to do my hair; maybe an hour on wash day, but that’s usually because I stretch my hair the first day and let it air dry and do my style the next day (or the end of the day). I detangle with a teezer or a denman brush. My hair length is right on track 🙂
If you take the time to make your hair strong, you don’t have to worry about everything else.
Might I add hair type. I have type 4 hair. And, while it takes me around 2 hours to wash, condition, and detangle, it took me trial and error to decrease that time. I don’t wash/condition/style my hair with free strands; everything must be sectioned. Any addition of water will make my APL hair shrink to a 3 inch afro.
Agreed! My hair is approaching waist length and I spend 4 hours one washing and detangling once every 14 days. With mini twists? no time at all 🙂
Your experience doesn’t equal mine or anyone elses. Some things will take longer or shorter. There’s no shame in that.
Amen.
For some of us, it does take a lot of time. The 3 hours it takes me is worth it.
I love this and so much of it is true for me also….The whole dry hair and single strand knots!? I used to trip that my hair would feel hard and dry and crunches and ALWAYS has single strand knots but finally I told myself…don’t worry so much. my hair was still healthy and maintaining length, so I no longer try to do search and destroys all the time. With the amt of hair on my head, i would NEVER finish…it all goes back to what works for YOUR head! Great post!!!
Love, Love,Love this! So true on all 4 myths!