Whether you are new to the natural movement or are a seasoned naturalista, we could probably all do with a little refresher on how to take care of our luscious Afro-Caribbean hair. Follow these tips and tricks for your kinks and coils.
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Water is your friendContrary to some old popular beliefs, water is your friend. Washing your hair regularly is essential to refreshing your curls and providing moisture. It is advisable to have a good wash day routine and to cleanse your hair every 7-10 days. Nylahs Naturals products are just the ticket for wash day. Our newly formulated strength and shine shampoo cleans your scalp and hair well without stripping your hair of all its natural sebum. Our super botanicals restorative conditioner does as it says on the tin and restores moisture and oils to your luscious locks. When refreshing your styles in between washes applying water to your hair is also good for hydration. Get yourself a spray bottle and you can make a mixture of water and conditioner or beneficial oils such as coconut, olive or avocado. Aside from applying water to your Afro-Caribbean hair, it is also necessary to drink plenty of water throughout the day. This refreshes and hydrates you from within and does wonders for your hair and body in general. Experts say we should aim for at least 8 glasses of water a day.
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How to care for Afro-Caribbean hair
Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. We cannot stress this enough. You have probably heard of the LOC or LCO method for moisturising hair – L standing for liquid, O standing for oil and C standing for cream. Either way is good, it just depends on individual preference. Using Nylahs’ new moisture retention leave in cream along with the old firm favourite of super seed hair oil will take your hair to the next level, trust us. Another good tip for taking care of your Afro-Caribbean hair, which may not seem so obvious, is to get in lots of sleep. When we sleep our bodies rejuvenate and renew our hair and body cells. Get in at least 6-8 hours sleep a night if you do not already do so and you should see a difference.
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What am I doing wrong?The jury is decided on the use of satin or silk head scarves and pillow cases for hair care. Not wrapping your hair at night or using cotton products is a no no, as they can deplete the hair of essential moisture and rub harshly against your hair cuticles. Got your wash day routine down to a tee but still using cotton towels or heat to dry your mane? Put away the hair dryer and use an old soft t-shirt to naturally dry your hair instead. This is much kinder to your curls.
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Braiding your hair before you sleepIt is also really important as a natural to braid your hair before you sleep. This helps is locking in moisture and also ensures that you wake up with softer, bouncier hair in the morning, perfect for styling.
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Regularly trimming your hair
Some of us with Afro-Caribbean hair may also be scared of a bit of snipping, but trimming your hair regularly is paramount to the health of your coils. Trimming your hair removes split ends, which is left uncontrolled, can stretch up to the lengths of your hair which is very damaging.We hope that you have found this blog useful. If you have any queries or want to share your own helpful tips for Afro-Caribbean hair care, then please leave a comment below.