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As autumn gives way to winter, it is essential to make sure your natural hair stays as hydrated as possible to prevent dryness and that uncomfortably hard, crunchy feeling that comes with the harsh, cold weather conditions. If left unchecked, natural hair that is not properly hydrated during colder periods tends to become dryer, which causes breakage, split ends, and frizz, which, we can all agree, is not a good state for your hair. Thankfully, here is where upgrading your deep conditioning treatments is an effective way to ensure your hair stays moisturized this season.
As you may already know, deep conditioners ensure every strand of your natural hair is penetrated with moisturizing ingredients to allow it to thrive. As such, upgrading your deep conditioning treatment can be of utmost benefit in preventing your hair from experiencing dullness, dryness, and overall hair damage while helping it remain healthy.
So, without further ado, let’s get right into five ways you can upgrade your deep conditioning treatments this season:
1. Use the Felicia Leatherwood Heat Cap-Flaxseed Bonnet
This microwaveable bonnet allows your hair follicles to open up to gentle heat and absorb the moisture and nutrients from your conditioner. How do you use it? Start by coating your entire hair in your favorite conditioner while heating the bonnet in a microwave for two minutes. When the timer is up, cover your hair with the plastic cap that came with the bonnet, followed immediately by using the bonnet itself. Leave for 15 – 20 minutes before removing the bonnet and plastic cap. Rinse thoroughly.
2. Use an Overnight Hair Mask
Leaving a hair mask overnight not only helps to increase the moisture levels in your hair, but to reduce tangles and knots, restore shine to dull hair, and overall, leave your hair feeling soft and manageable for the next day. The Mielle Organics Moisture RX Hawaiian Ginger Moisturizing Hair Butter is a perfect addition to upgrading your deep conditioning routine because it locks in moisture and boosts shine. Saturate your hair in the conditioner, cover it with a shower cap for security (and a bonnet for extra security and heat), and go to bed in it. Rinse out thoroughly the next day.
3. DIY Deep Conditioner
Adding certain ingredients can help boost the effectiveness of your conditioner when you deep condition. The good news is that these ingredients are found in your kitchen, so you don’t have to worry about spending extra money.
To DIY a deep conditioner, you’ll need:
A cup of your favorite conditioner (or more, depending on the volume or length of your hair)
- ½ cup of Extra Virgin olive oil
- ½ cup of coconut oil
- One spoon of honey
- A stove
- A pan
- A mixer
Start by pouring the olive oil, coconut oil, and honey into the pan and placing on low heat. Once they’re melted, pour them into the cup of conditioner and mix until you get your desired consistency. Apply on your hair from roots to ends, cover in a shower cap, and leave on for 15 – 20 minutes before rinsing out thoroughly.
Watch this video for a practical way on how this is done:
4. Use a Deep Conditioner Based on Your Curl Type
If you have type 3 wavy/curly hair, it’s important for your hair to have a healthy balance of protein to keep it strengthened and healthy. For this reason, you can do a deep conditioning protein treatment once a month (depending on your hair’s protein needs). Mielle Organics Babassu Oil & Mint Deep Conditioner is a protein/moisture replenishment that can help restore dry and damaged hair. It can be easily applied to your coils and curls after shampooing for an intense treatment.
Kinky coily hair is easily prone to dryness and needs moisture to keep it healthy. Camille Rose Naturals Algae Renew Deep Conditioner can help improve hair cell regrowth which can result in thicker and stronger hair and give it lots of natural body and shine. As such, you’ll need a deep conditioner formulated explicitly with moisturizing ingredients to ensure your hair stays hydrated.
5. Opt for Co-Washing Over Regular Shampooing
Co-washing means using a conditioner to wash your hair instead of shampoo. Because shampoos are formulated with (harsh) ingredients to cleanse your scalp and hair thoroughly, they can strip your hair of its natural oils and, during winter, leave it dryer, making it more prone to breakage, split ends, and the like.
Conditioners, on the other hand, are formulated with milder ingredients that can help with gentle cleansing. Conditioners are created explicitly for co-washing, like the EDEN BodyWorks Coconut Shea Cleansing CoWash, which gently removes residue and build-up between wash days.
Now, while you should opt to wash your hair during this period, using a conditioner alone may not be adequate to cleanse your hair of impurities thoroughly. For this reason, you can use a clarifying shampoo occasionally.
Have you added these deep conditioning tips to your routine? Let us know in the comments.
