For New Naturals, What Do You Recommend As A 'must Try'?

[BillsBackerz67]

1. Listen to your hair, not other people. If your hair flourishes with old school grease and water then keep using it. Don't switch just because someone says grease is "bad" for your hair.
2. If a product doesn't work for you, don't force it to. You're only setting yourself up for failure. If you can repurpose it (using a conditioner to shave your legs or a shampoo to wash hair tools) then do it but don't keep giving it one more chance, one more month or one more year if it gives you dry hair and breakage. Just toss it, give it away or return it if you can. No product is worth a set back.
3. Experiment and have fun.
4. As for products...OGX dry styling oils, SM deep conditioners, Oyin handmade products and Camille Rose almond jai twisting butter

Right one of my friends was trying to make a popular conditioner work for her by adding oil honey etc to it...I'm told her since she paid a pretty penny for it did it ever occur to her just to return it and get her money back? Doing the absolute most lol

 

[curlyhersheygirl]

Build a regimen or routine that fits your lifestyle.
I've found with hair care consistency is a vital part of the journey. Take the time to find what works and stick with it.

 

[Wildchild453]

Honestly, keep it simple because you will get tired quickly. Yes, have fun and experiment but don't let the whole thing run away from you.

Learning how to do two strand flat twists will save your life.

Products: Oyin Hair Dew, Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo

 

[beingofserenity]

Don't give up lol.

 

[lesedi]

Probably in the minority but sufate-free and cone-free don't work for me natural. If anything sulfate free shampoos dry my hair out. So don't feel like you have to go 100% natural just because you no longer perm your hair. It doesn't work for everybody

 

[YvetteWithJoy]

I like the posts above that discussed trialing based on ingredients and testing products strategically.

I don't feel like I could advise anyone on a product, as each product will behave differently on every individual's hair.

I will say the following FOUR things:

If detangling is an issue, consider trying the KareCo Tangle Buster Brush (I got mine from WalMart)

This brush took my detangling sessions from hours to minutes. I will NEVER be without one, if I can help it. Cost is around $10-$15, depending on where one purchases it. Because of this brush, my previous stress over being natural is completely, 100% gone.

DISCLAIMER: I do not know the LONG TERM effects of using the brush. It could be damaging. I have no idea. So far, after a month or so of use, I do not believe my hair is being damaged from it, but I could be wrong. ​

If you have dense hair, consider trying the Goody Updo Barrettes that kimmaytube recommends (and sells) on her Luv Naturals website

Especially if you have DENSE hair (i.e., a lot of hair per square inch of scalp), consider doing wash day in sections that you create using the Goody Updo Barrettes that kimmaytube recommends (and sells) on her Luv Naturals website. I ordered mine from Ebay and got a few more from Kroger (a local grocery store).

These things have changed my whole life. I will never be without them, if I can help it. When it's time to wash, I clip the barrettes at my roots to section my hair into either 3, 4, or 5 sections on each half . . . and I wash my hair AS A WHOLE (not section by section) from there.

I leave the barrettes in and detangle one section at a time . . . I apply deep conditioner and leave-in one section at a time . . . all facilitated by wearing the barrettes. They are completely plastic so are fine in your hair under a dryer.

I wouldn't dream of trying to apply product to my hair un-sectioned, and these barrettes make this process a BREEZE.

For dense-haired folks, I highly, highly recommend them.​

If you have hard water, consider trying a shower filter

I got mine from Home Depot . . . for about $20, I believe, and now I have peace of mind that less metal is depositing into my hair, making it brittle and/or blocking moisture. It will last me about 6 months before I need to replace the filter.​

Learn about ayurvedic ingredients and determine whether you mainly want to use products that contain them

I wish I had heard of ayurvedic ingredients before I started buying all the products I have purchased. Now that I have learned of ayurvedic ingredients, I realize that I want to use them, and now I have a lot of products that don't contain them. I would rather have spent my money trying ayurvedic products that I am just now discovering but don't own! Instead I own a lot of other stuff. It would have saved me time and money to have started out with this knowledge.​