Natural Hair: How to Choose the Right Products [Expert Tips]

Natural hair is gaining popularity. Women of all colors had enough of beauty standards. The time has come to let your natural weave run loose.

That freedom has its restraints. You have to pass natural hair 101 to protect your hair.  

 

A Few Secrets About Natural Hair 

A common misconception about natural hair is that you have to let it run free. The truth is a tad different. There are a bunch of products you have to use. Of course, your hair remains natural even if you continue using the products. 

Hair products have been around for centuries. From the ancient queens of Egypt and Africa to medieval princesses of Europe - They all looked for a way to care for their hair. 

Before any cream or shampoo ever came to shelves, women bought oils and creams to enrich their hair. The essence of hair care remains the same. It is the package that is different. 

Take that with an ounce of pride. The natural hair community enlists women from all over the world to enrich and help each other. You can also enter the ranks if you choose to use natural hair products.

How To Choose The Right Products For Natural Hair 

The problem is, however, how to choose the products for natural hair? 

Well, that depends. While that answer is far from satisfactory, the truth is that you have to learn a few things before buying any products. 

You have to learn a few things like:

• What is your hair type 
• What is your hair porosity 
• How fresh is your hair 

When you have that information, you can proceed to buy the right products for your hair.   

What is Your Hair Type 

Ok, you can breathe with ease - Learning about natural hair is a far cry from rocket science. For example, you can learn about your hair type by looking at the mirror. 

There are four hair types: 

• Straight 
• Wavy 
• Curly 
• Coily 

For natural hair treatment, straight hair requires different treatment. You can recognize your hair type by washing your hair and letting it dry. Once the hair dries, you can see whether the hair is wavy, curly, or coily. 

Later on, when you go shopping, you are going to look for products for a specific hair type. But, what’s even more important is to test your hair porosity.  

Hair Porosity 

Hair porosity is the measure of your hair moisture. The moisture of hair determines what products to use. 

There are three basic types of hair porosity: 

• Low porosity 
• Medium porosity 
• High porosity 

If you have low and medium porosity, that means you have healthy hair. However, having high hair porosity isn't good. You can test your hair porosity with a float test. 

The float requires you to take a glass of water and put your hair into the glass. If the hair dives down in a few seconds, that means you have high hair porosity. 

When you have high hair porosity, you have to use additional hair products to regenerate and strengthen your hair. 

You have to determine another thing before you go to buy products.  

How Fresh is Your Natural Hair 

Finally, you have to assess the freshness of your hair. You can say that fresh hair is such hair that has gone without the use of chemical treatments for a few months. 

The problem with this hair is that even if you stray from chemical products, your hair is far from its proper state. So, if you are chemical-free for a few months, you can consider your hair natural. 

Now, it is time to shop for natural hair products.

Natural Hair Products 

Natural hair products are those products that use natural and chemical-free elements. When you shop for natural hair products, you should look for moisturizers, shampoos, sealers, and raw products to enhance your hair. 

But, before you buy anything, learn to read product labels.    

Reading Hair Product Labels 

When you find a product you like, you have to read the label first. Before buying, ensure that the first element is water. The water should be 50-80% of the product. Next up should be natural elements like jojoba oil, coconut oil, and so on. 

Be wary if there’s no water in the first five elements. You can check the manufacturers, but it is best to stay away from them. 

Now, before you go shopping, learn more about natural hair products.  

Choosing Hair Products For Natural Hair 

First up are conditioners. Conditioners are the best way to add moisture or protein to your hair. Also, conditioners are excellent products for dry or damaged hair. 

There are three types of conditioners: leave-in conditioners, rinse-out conditioners, and deep conditioners. The leave-in and rinse-out conditioners are similar due to you using them during or after a shower. Their purpose is to enrich your follicles with protein. 

The deep-conditioners primary purpose is to provide thorough treatment. You use them sporadically or once a month, while you can use the other weekly. Make sure to read labels and buy conditioners with natural ingredients. 

Next up are moisturizing shampoos. You can use shampoos twice per week. However, avoid shampoos with sodium and ammonium sulfate. Sulfates reduce the moisture level and make your hair dry. 

However, while there are shampoos and conditioners, almost nothing compares to butter and oils. Oils and butter are cold, compressed products you can buy in various stores. The most popular oils and butter are: : 

• Yellow shea butter 
• Sweet almond oil 
• Jojoba oil 
• Apricot oil 
• Avocado oil 

Now, you are ready to treat your hair like an expert. 

Buy Products For Natural Hair

Before you go and buy anything, make sure to remain patient. Natural hair is a lot of work. 

But, once you have that beautiful, weaving hair - it’s all going to be worth it. Make an adventure out of it.