Blogger Brilliance: Regimen Building in 5 Easy Steps

By Audrey of AudreyCan.com

Years ago, I worked customer service for a fairly well known beauty and hair brand. When I think about my experience working there, I always recollect the countless conversations I had with other naturalistas. The biggest concern I heard can be summed up with a simple question.

Where do I start? It’s not uncommon to want hair that is shining, healthy and Instagram-ready. Most naturals would readily admit to this desire. And the women I communicated with, via telephone and email, expressed this desire immensely. And I would tell them the same thing I am about to tell you now.

The first step to getting on the path to BIG HAIR DON’T CARE greatness is by finding a natural hair regimen that fits for you.  When putting together a regimen, it can seem overwhelming. I know it felt that way for me when I was just at the beginning of my natural hair journey. There is so much information out there. So many people INSISTING that their way is the only way if you want bomb hair.

Now I won’t promise that the tips I’m about to share will have you looking like Misty Knight on her best hair day. But these five steps are what I’ve learned in my professional and personal experience, and I hope that it will help you create the best hair regimen for you

Step One: Know Your Hair Needs

A lot of focus is put on hair typing in the natural hair community. Many believe that knowing your hair type is a miraculous key that will unlock the door to healthy, happy hair. I believe that recognizing your hair NEEDSALL OVER Living someplace with seasonal changes?  Be aware that the products your hair loves during the winter, your hair may hate during the warmer months. Is it hot and humid 24/7/365? I bet your product choices would reflect this. 

For me, I have a tried-and-true product that I use year round. Oyin Handmade’s Burnt Sugar Pomade is everything my hair loves, and it smells fabulous to boot! During the winter, I use it alone to craft my braid outs or twist outs. Once the temperature begins to climb, however, I combine it with a great gel to ensure my curls are still popping! It’s knowing what my hair likes and utilizing it in a way my hair NEEDS. With this knowledge, you can start building an awesome hair regimen!

Step Two: $$$ Does NOT Always Equal Quality

There are countless brands on the market catering to natural hair care, some high cost… some low cost. Some products are good, the others… not so much! I’ve shelled out more money than I can to think about on “high end” products that were utter garbage for my hair. It’s so frustrating. When I was gainfully employed, I was more inclined to shell out the big bucks on products, just to try them out. But now that I am unemployed and broke as a joke, I don’t have the willingness (or the bank account!) to gamble on the products I invest in. 

What I instead focused on was what I WAS willing to spend the money on. If a product is all natural and not chock full of harmful chemicals, I may pay a steeper price. The ingredient list is the best way to determine the worth of a product, not a brand’s name or chic, colorful packaging. Using what you’ve discovered in Step One, it will make you a much more discriminating shopper. Making your choices based on needs and not hype will guide you faithfully towards building your regimen.

Step Three: Don’t Believe the Hype

This step didn’t make my former employers very happy, but they never deterred me from giving this advice because it’s true! Hair products companies will tell you that you HAVE to buy an entire line to gain the maximum effects. It’s not true. Trust me on this. 

If you like a shampoo from one line, and a conditioner from another it’s fine. As long as they work well together, go for it! Don’t feel like you have to be tethered to products that are performing to your satisfaction. Your hair won’t be happy with the results and isn’t the point of building your regimen happy hair?

Earlier in my natural hair journey, I purchased a hair care set from Mixed Chicks because I heard fabulous things about their products. I fell head over heads in love with their Leave-In Conditioner. Their other products? Meh… So, their Leave-In in still a part of my regimen, with a completely different shampoo and conditioner. My hair loves the combination and is thriving as a result. Like in dating, you should settle for less when building your natural hair regimen.

Step Four: Do Try & D.I.Y.

When I started whipping up my own hair products in my kitchen, I feel like my understanding of what my hair likes and needs increased dramatically. My hair loves coconut oil but isn’t a tremendous fan of shea butter. Honey makes my hair super happy, and EVOO is the elixir of hair greatness. Making your own hair products to incorporate into your regimen is a terrific opportunity to take advantage of the abundance of information out there. 

Check out Pinterest, YouTube, and natural hair blogs for recipes on simple concoctions you can whip up at home. A lot of the time, the ingredients consist of items already chilling in your kitchen cabinets, so it’s an economical way to experiment. A great recipe to begin with is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R_UMOBOZG0 Naptural 85’s DIY Homemade Hair and Body Oil It is one that I’ve personally incorporated into my hair regimen for the past two years. It’s easy to make and it has become one of my favorite hair oils to use!  Another great recipe is my (shameless plug) DIY Rhassoul Clay Hai Mask. It’s excellent as a pre-shampoo treatment and is a KILLER deep conditioner. 

Whether you begin with a simple hot oil treatment using items in your home, or go crazy in Whole Foods, experimenting with DIY is a terrific way to build your regimen.

Step Five: Give It Time

I started this talking about my experiences working customer service and talking to women with natural hair about their concerns.  It seems only fitting that I conclude on this subject as well. One conversation I remember having was a woman, who called me quite frantic. She had a class reunion to go to, and wanted to know what product she could buy that would make her hair super long and full in one month’s time. I told her a wig! Now, I wasn’t trying to be shady with this woman. I just wanted her to know off the bat that if she was hoping to stroll into her reunion looking like Cree Summer, it wasn’t going to happen. There is NO product on the market that is a immediate cure-all for your hair concerns. 

My philosopy is that, like vitamins, you should use a product for at least three months to determine if it’s one your hair likes. In that time, you should see a noticable difference which will help you make this decision. Of course it goes without saying that if you have an immediate bad reaction, you should discontinue use right away.

Making an informed decision on what products you use arms you with the knowledge of what your hair likes and needs, and as I mentioned before is the fist step to building your regimen. To make an informed decision, you have to give the product time. Trust me… Your hair will let you know if it’s a must have!

Caring for your natural hair requires patience, because there is no immediate list of what to buy that is tailor made for YOUR specific hair. But it’s a process worth doing, and you’ll know you are making the right choices by how your hair looks and feels. This is what we all want, so believe me… It’s worth it!!

Blogger Brilliance: Regimen Building in 5 Easy Steps
By Audrey of AudreyCan.com