It’s official: fall is here!
That means crunchy auburn leaves on the ground, and pumpkin spice-flavored coffee… and everything else! The new season also means it’s time for me to tweak my natural hair regimen.
When the seasons change, some curlies feel as if they need to change every step in their natural hair regimen, including their products, techniques, styles, etc. Personally, I try to keep it simple by adding just a few extra steps of care. There are several product lines I adore that are made for naturally curly hair, but during the fall, I try my best to stick to products with natural ingredients. I have learned that my hair behaves better and retains more moisture when I use them.
One of my favorite hair care lines to use during the cooler months is the Curls line by DermOrganic. Many of the products are 75 to 80 percent organic and include ingredients I can read and understand, like aloe vera juice.
To kick off my fall natural hair regimen, I split my hair into sections to create two buns; this makes the washing process much easier than trying to tackle all of my curls at once.
Shortly after hopping into the shower — I don’t wash my hair in the kitchen sink unless I have this item — I take down one section, run it under the water, then begin finger detangling.
I apply a generous amount of DermOrganic Curl Cleanser to my roots only and massage into my scalp for a few minutes. I only shampoo my scalp once before moving on to conditioner. I have found shampooing more than once or applying the shampoo down the length of my hair causes unnecessary dryness.
Next, I rinse and apply (an entire handful”> of DermOrganic Cucumber Curl Conditioner to the length of my hair, only focusing on the ends. This cleanses the length of my hair on the way down. Long story short: I use a lot of conditioner.
Once applied, I create the bun, starting the wash and condition process on the other side of my hair. After both sides are complete, I continue with my normal shower routine and rinse my hair with cool water before hopping out.
To style, I use DermOrganic Curl cream, which I picked up at TJ Maxx and Marshall stores.
During the fall, my goal is to deep condition more – practically after every weekly wash. When deep conditioning I use one of three products combined with my Hot Head deep conditioning cap (check out my review“>.
- WonderCurl’s Restoring Hair Treatment (see my deep conditioning process here“> – $22
- Bask & Bloom Essentials’ Brahmi Root Hair Masque – $16
- Eden BodyWorks JojOba Monoi Deep Conditioner – $10
Once deep conditioning for at least 30 minutes, I can go directly into styling.
Many times I find a way to stretch my hair before styling by using the tension method or African threading before installing twists, braids or halo crown.
The goal with my fall natural hair regimen is not to overthink it and make my routine as simple as possible. If I am really focused, I can wash, deep condition and style my hair within two hours.
Don’t do this on wash day:
- Don’t spend all day on your hair: While your curls deserve the best, there is an entire world to explore. Find quality products that work for your hair and plan ahead. Lay out your products, tools and have a style in mind before you get started.
- ;”>Don’t forget to use gentle hands: Wash day can go from zero to 100 in seconds when you’re frustrated during the detangling process. If you feel a stubborn knot coming along, breathe (walk away for a moment if you need to”> and then gently untangle the section. Frustration leads to split ends and broken hairs.
