Caring for the African hair can be exhausting, time consuming and expensive —even more so when you have natural (virgin) hair. I know this because I am in the ‘Team Natural’ gang.
Some days, it’s arduous to think of protective styles for your hair and on other days, you’re wondering why your hair is not growing… or shedding.
Using the wrong ingredients for your hair, improper hair care and hair damage can cause a lot of ladies to experience hair thinning, loss and breakage.
The cost of maintaining the African hair is no joke. It is more common to see ladies opt to relax their hair rather than keep up with the exhaustive and expensive maintenance of having unrelaxed hair.
Thankfully, this is 21st century and there’s a lot to learn if you know where to look. I have taken out time to research on natural, cost effective and trusted ingredients to include in your hair routine, for a visible thicker and healthier hair growth/development.
This article highlights the natural ingredients that work for all hair types (the natural/virgin hair and the relaxed hair) and is cost effective too, so you don’t have to pinch a penny to take good care of your hair.
Coconut Oil:
This natural ingredient for hair is known for sealing and locking in moisture onto the hair. In addition, coconut hair can enhance the hair’s lubrication, making it easier to comb and manage. Plus it gives your hair a needed shine without making it look greasy.
Black Seed Oil:
This relatively unknown hair ingredient is great for promoting hair health, adding more moisture to the hair, helping with dandruff and reducing hair loss. For best results, apply black seed to your hair and scalp as a pre-shampoo treatment for at least 30 minutes before washing your hair.
Cloves:
Cloves enhance blood circulation. This is because they possess properties that helps to promote hair follicle activity and boost growth. In addition, Cloves are rich in essential oils (which include vitamins, minerals and fibre) that help nourish the hair follicles and promote overall hair health:
Olive Oil:
A lot of us are familiar with this ingredient but did you know that it can be used on the hair? Olive oil is a great natural product for hair because it contains squalene and oleic acid. This means that it helps to prevent hair damage, reduce shedding, boost hair elasticity and softness, and finally, promote hair growth. For hair care, it is advisable go use Extra Virgin Oil for best results.
Castor Oil:
Just like its natural oil counterparts, applying castor oil to your hair helps to hydrate it, along with your scalp. This natural oil is rich in Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acids (which helps to secure moisture in the hair), essential amino acid (ricinoleic acid specifically). To avoid dying your hair out and causing damage, take precaution when using castor oil. To be on the safe side, apply this oil to your hair for at least 15-20 minutes before shampooing it off.
Shea Butter:
Arguably every ‘naturalista’s’ favourite hair cream. Shea butter is great for smoothing the hair and softening hair strands. It contains a lot of fatty acids so it also works as a moisturiser and a hydrator for the hair.
