Natural Hair Care Routine for 4C Hair

Natural hair care routine or best natural hair care products were two phrases I Googled frequently when I started my natural hair journey. My natural hair routine has evolved through the years so this post is to update you on selecting hair care products and how I’ve been taking care of my hair since the medical challenges and subsequent passing of my husband.

Selecting the Best Natural Hair Care Products

We’ve all spent a lot of time, effort and money chasing products recommended to find it was a bust. How disappointing! The solution to this frequently asked question is really simple — The best natural hair care products are products that work for you.

Selecting products by brand is not the proper selection method. The best selection method for hair care products is best done by selecting products with ingredients that appeal to your hair. Ideally, the goal is to find a product line that appeals to our hair vs. having to select a product from this line and that line. However, selecting by ingredients is the best method.

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What Ingredients Are Best?

Protein strengthens the hair and is great for some but also can be harsh to certain hair properties which is my experience. My measuring stick for what ingredients are good for my hair is based on how my hair feels after product use. Soft and moisturized is a win. Dry and coarse is not.

I skim the ingredients list in every product used and take note of common ingredients when my hair feels good and bad. I tend to focus on the bad more often as I desire to stay away from that most. Through the years, I’ve learned protein ingredients make my hair feel dry and coarse. My hair becomes protein overloaded quickly. As a result, I (try to) avoid protein ingredients in daily and wash day products. I (try to) use products with protein only when doing a dedicated protein treatment.

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My Current Natural Hair Care Routine

Below is the current status of my hair:

Don’t cringe but my current natural hair care routine is very lacking. I wash my hair once a month and I do micro-trims each time. Meaning, I dust the ends by removing millimeters of length each wash day. Wash day products vary but my staples page is updated so you can browse or shop my product favorites.

Time is not abundant, motivation is low and energy is even less so I keep my hair in braids or two strand twists. While boring, this is the best method for me right now.

I moisturize my hair a few times a week with spray moisturizer. My favorite has been and continues to be Shea Moisture Hold and Shine Moisture Mist. It is very moisturizing for my hair. I hope Shea Moisture never discontinues it or I will be scrambling to find a replacement.

Wigs Occasionally

I wear wigs on occasion and keep my hair in two strand twists or braids underneath. I moisturize daily or every two days to ensure my hair is properly maintained to ensure breakage is kept to a minimum.

Wig Regimen for Natural Hair

Current Hair Length

I have written many articles on various techniques to balance protein and moisture, reduce shedding, halt breakage, keeping relaxed hair healthy, long term transitioning and being natural. I refer to those documented techniques as needed but keeping it simple has worked for me and allowed me to take my natural hair from short to long without issue.

As a reminder, I long term transitioned. Below is a photo of my hair when I first went natural:

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Below is my current length:

My current length is mid-back length-ish. I no longer have a goal length but I want to maintain a length that offers style flexibility and creativity.

What’s Your Current Length? What’s Your Goal Length?