"Every kink, curl or knot in your strands will be a sign that you are golden.” Yasss, Jill Scott spoke the truth with Golden. For all my natural ladies, don’t you love your kinks, curls, and knots? Well I do. But, to be completely honest..not always. I really went through a hate stage with my natural hair. To be precise, it was probably about 3 years. That sucks, as I think back. Hating the hair God gave you, its awful. I became natural after a series of events honestly. And I promise you, I’m never going back! Currently my hair super is cut low and growing nice (unless I cut it out of impulse again). I absolutely love the freedom of natural hair in general; all textures, lengths, and colors. But I won't lie and tell you it's easy. My biggest battle over the years has been learning how to properly maintain and flourish my kinky 4c hair. THE thickest of textures baby. But follow me, (in this thread) and I'll show you my go to products, my crazy hair stages, and some pretty cool routines for growage and glowage.
So my routine is the LCO method. LCO= Leave in Conditioner, Curling Cream/ Custard, and Oil/ Moisturizer. Everybody's hair is different and requires different measures. Some people do the classic, LOC, which is Leave in Conditioner, Oil, and Curling Cream. I have super thirsty hair that requires a lot of moisture so I put my moisturizer in last! I also don't use items with a lot of sulfate, and my products are thick. My products have to be dense so my hair will absorb them, if not my hair will dry up like a sponge.
The First Trio:
1) Bella Curls Leave in Conditioner: great texture, it's whipped, defiently don't have to use a lot because it is quite thick and spreads well, can buy at your local Dollar General or Target.. at most it is 6 dollars! My absolute 1st favorite Leave in Conditioner, provides moisture alllll day
2)Bella Curls Curling Cream: texture is somewhere between a custard and cream, dense and light at the same, time, smells great, is also at most 6 dollars at your local hair store, Dollar General,or Target, is great for girls who need to enhance or define their tight curl patterns
3) Pink Oil Moisturizer: old reliable, creamy and lightweight, has been used for ages and is just as great as any other high end moisturizer, smells great, gives your hear a healthy glow
I’m real big on products that moisturize my hair, and RETAIN moisture. Why? Because I have a super tight curl pattern, and again 4b/4c hair absorbs water like SPONGE. So here are a new trio of products that work and don’t work. Again, everyone’s hair is different so it’s up to you to decide what you want to use. The only way to figure out is through trial and error.
4) Eden BodyWorks/Natural Pudding Souffle (moisturizer)- Okay so this is the BOMB! I watched many youtube reviews and read many top moisturizer lists to discover this bad boy. So here’s the key to good moisture retention for coarse hair.. the product needs to be heavy! Also I realized that products with a lot of alcohol are bound to dry my hair out. So look at those labels and see what is in the product. You really don’t have to use a lot of this because it is so thick. An excessive amount will lead to product build up, which will also lead to flaking! In terms of moisture, I am going to give this a 10/10. Just make sure you let this dry properly.
5) Pink/ Shea Butter Coconut Oil Curling Cream- This is a real cute and lightweight curling product. It’s not really a GOAT, but it’s definitely something to use on a casual day if you don’t need that much definition. Because according to the research I’ve made about maintaining natural hair; you’re not supposed to product overload your hair every day. Like somedays I just put leave-in conditioner in my hair and keep it moving. When I use this Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream, I normally mix it with another curling cream so I don’t have no weak curls going on. But I will say, if you take your time and lather it and manipulate your curls a bit, it’ll grow on you. I get looser curl effects with this curling cream I must say. It kind of looks like a wash and go. With some curling products, you can get your curls popping quick and then slap your moisturizer on after, then head out the door. NO. With this product, you have to let it dry a bit before sealing it with moisture. I’ll give it a 7/10, my loose curl gals would like it.
6) Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deep Conditioner w/ avocado and Australian Jojoba oil- GOAT. AND I AM NOT PLAYING. This is in my top 2 of deep conditioners and it is NOT 2. Contrary to popular belief, Aussie products are not just for white women. They are for all women, and if they work for 4c curls, then I know they can work magic for everyone. I leave this in for more than 3 minutes, because you can not go wrong with an extensive deep conditioning session. It provides so much softness and hair restoration. You can really put this in your by itself and your curls will stay popping. 10/10 my guy, this is something every natural girl needs in her closet.