How to grow relaxed black hair part 2: Creating a regimen

It is important to have a regular hair care regimen, which incorporates the basic steps in hair care. Your choice of a hair care regimen depends on the time available, willingness or ability to handle one’s hair personally and possession of hair styling equipment (a steaming cap, flat iron, hairdryer, etc).

Suggested regimens

     

     If you have time on your hands and have the necessary equipment, you can:

• Prepoo once a week with protein and oils (e.g Saturday). Follow this with a shampoo.
• Shampoo once a week (e.g Saturday) and  co-wash later on in the week. (e.g Wednesday).  Follow with a deep conditioner.
• Deep condition twice a week. 
• Air dry/Blow dry/wrap set/roller set. 
• Style (in a bun preferably). 
• Moisturize and seal.
• Massage oil lightly into scalp   
• Moisturize and seal daily or as needed

     If you have equipment but don't have enough time, you can:

• Prepoo once a week with protein and oils followed by a shampoo.
• Deep condition once a week. 
•  Air/dry/blow dry/wrap set/roller set.
• Style (in a bun preferably).
• Moisturize and seal.
• Massage oil lightly into scalp 
• Moisturize and seal daily or as needed

     If you don't have the equipment, just do the above but in a hair salon.

            

         Other suggestions

1. Use a clarifying shampoo once a month (or earlier if your hair feels weighed down or sticky even after washing). Follow this with a protein conditioner and moisturizing deep conditioner.
2. Use a protein reconstructor every 2 weeks in place of your prepoo.
3. Use a protein reconstructor a week before you get a relaxer.

     I prefer products without Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS), silicones (cones), petrolatum and mineral oil so all my product recommendations with SLS, silicones and mineral oils shall be indicated. I'm a product junkie, always looking for the perfect product ! So believe me when I say I've used most of the products that I'm going to list below:

     

     1. Prepoo conditioners/protein conditioners:

• Africa’s best organics olive oil and clove oil therapy. I love this. The day I used this, I didn’t get a single strand on my comb after detangling in the shower. 
•  Aubrey Organics Glycogen Protein conditioner.
• Aubrey Organics Normalizing conditioner
• Coconut oil
• Aloe Vera gel. E.g. Forever living aloe vera gel
• Motions deep penetrating treatment (mineral oil, water soluble cones)
• Motions CPR Treatment conditioner (mineral oil, cones)
• Organic Root Stimulator hair mayonnaise (cones)

     2. Shampoos

• Isoplus additions gentle conditioning shampoo
• Tigi bedhead superstar sulfate-free shampoo forthick massive hair.
• Aubrey organics normalizing shampoo
• L'oreal Sulfate-free shampoos (cones)
• Vo5 clarifying shampoo (SLS) : for clarifying only.

     

     3. Deep conditioners

• Kenra Moisturizing conditioner
• Lustrasilk sheabutter cholesterol
• Aubrey Organics White Camellia
• Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose
• Africa’s best organics cholesterol/tea tree oil (cones)
• Creme of nature professional nourishing and strengthening treatment (cones)
• Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths Replenishing Treatment (cones)

     4. Leave-in conditioners

• Revlon Special feeling
• Dr Miracle’s healing leave-in treatment
• L'oreal Sulfate-free moisture leave-in conditioner (cone)
• Bumble and bumble leave-in conditioner
• S curl activator (cones)
• Mane n Tail Daily conditioner

     

      5. Serum/Heat protectants

• Paul Mitchell super skinny serum (cones)  
• Fantasia IC serum (cones)
• Curly Hair solutions Remane straight
• AG set it straight straightener
• FX special effects flat iron spray 

     6. Moisturizers

• Africa’s best carrot oil
• Africa’s best olive oil (cones)
• Africa’s best Shea butter (cones)
• Jane carter Nourishing cream
• Organic Root stimulator carrot oil
• Organic Root stimulator olive oil (mineral oil). I think it makes hair hard so use lightly.
• Wave nouveau moisturizing finishing lotion
• S curl activator (cones)
• Mane n Tail daily conditioner (soluble cones)

     7. Sealants

• Hollywood beauty mink oil (paraffinum liquidum/mineral oil)
• Coconut oil
• Olive oil
• Hot six oil
• Jane Carter Solution Nourish and shine 
• Jojoba oil
• Safflower oil

     8. Scalp oils

•  Jamaican black castor oil

     9. Protein reconstructors

• Motions CPR Protein Reconstructor (cones)
• Joico K-Pak Deep-penetrating reconstructor (cones)

    Dr Fomsky