Wash and Go
Wash and Go, let’s just say this particular style took me a long time to adopt to. Well first of all getting used to the texture of your hair and allowing it just to stay as it is was a great learning curve for me. The fact that you grow up in a society where the afro is looked down upon, it took a really long time before I started getting comfortable with it. In my previous post I spoke about self-love and how it has an impact on how you look after yourself. When I had to begin the process of accepting everything about myself including my hair, it took a long time. I was always using a blow dryer and I noticed everytime I used it my ends were thinning. It was quite terrible. I remember at that time I was still trying to figure out what to do with my hair and I discovered a really interesting source of information. I used a few products to help my curls get less frizzy due to the fact I had been addicted to relaxer and now I still had that need to have my hair more manageable.
I ended up using clay as a treatment.
This was amazing for me because I found that it was really safe on the hair and felt good when used on your head.
As I was looking for various resources to assist me during this time, I came across a product known as Kinky curly. To say that this product was one of the best things that happened in my life would be an understatement. I started using it a long time before it became popular and loved how it worked on my hair. I remember being at University at that time, so the cost was a bit of an issue for me but I remember using it on every member of the family and letting them know how it would solve their hair woes.
In terms of my hair type, it’s a mix between 4b and 4c texture. It’s not quite tough and when it’s blowdried it get’s quite soft. Most of the time people think I have used product to make it a certain way. I can only imagine what would happen if I was more consistent with products.
Products
One things I got to discover during the wash and go journey is that we don’t need to use too many products on our hair. I would have been a product junkie if I had access to many of the products that are in the market today, however I try to keep it simple because I think getting a product for $ 24 per item can tend to be alot and imagine if you are a student that can be way too much money for it. So when I started this site, I thought if I was a student again, what would I tell my younger self? I would probably say, don’t spend too much on products and keep it simple, which is what I do today.
In saying all this, does it mean that I always moisturise or stick to a consistent strategy. Well ever since I got my son I can say it’s a challenge, however when I had all the time in the world to fix my hair I was absolutely committed. I think it’s also great to be around individuals that are positive about themselves as that can assist you in learning how to be happy with yourself. I think with the information nowadays we have a great opportunity to meet with other like-minded individuals online. I do remember being part of some groups at that time, but it still took me a very long time to accept myself.
How things change
I find it extremely fascinating that the natural hair journey became a thing when I had been natural for over 10 years. I have finally found the confidence to be myself and not apologize for anything. I know how to look after my hair although I don’t spend too much time like I want to. I always make sure that I wash it every week as it’s curly and use products that are sulfate free such as GIOVANNI Tea Tree . This particular shampoo makes my hair feel amazing. However if the cost seems a bit much I find that using the more natural soaps such as Himalaya Protein Shampoo for Dry,, It’s much cheaper and you can easily get a hold of it.
There are a lot of products nowadays that cater to natural hair, however sometimes when they start becoming too commercialized sometimes you wonder if it still has the same impact. A few years ago the Keratin treatment became a really popular and I even considered doing it. I just think when you learn how to manager your hair in a certain way and then get to revert back to your original texture. It is a challenge. To this day I have friends that probably don’t know the texture of their hair because of the relaxers that they are used to and I can’t judge them because I know the struggle I had and I think everyone is on a different journey when it comes to natural hair.
I can conclude that for me at this point in my life I have finally learnt to accept myself through the good hair days and bad hair days. I think I have learnt how to cope with each situation and this blog made me realise I should probably start getting back to the creative individual I once was. I have accepted my hair for what it is and would not change it for the world.
What do you think of your natural hair and how has your journey been so far?
2 replies on “Wash and Go Styling”
Hi Keri,
Good post here. I’m an Indian but haven’t heard of the Indian Healing Clay. You have shown quite a good list of hair styling products.
Of course, the GIOVANNI Tea Tree Triple Treat Invigorating Conditioner sounds to be an amazing shampoo.
I must say that you have chosen a good niche to start with.
Thanks for sharing this useful information.
Hey doll. Afro is the new relaxed hair now, and i love it, and most women are gravitating there nowadays. Because we grew up not really liking it, we did not invest our times in knowing how to manage our natural hair. And off lately the market is also getting flooded with natural hair products, it gets hard to know which one really works. I will definitely try the Himalaya shampoo because my hair gets dry when i wear wigs, hope it will work wonders.