7 Days to Healthier, Happier Natural Hair

Day 1: Drink Up!
The best thing you can do to maintain healthy hair is stay hydrated! Although hair isn’t made of living cells, it grows from our very living follicles! Nourish them from within. Some sources say we should drink about eight cups of water a day, while others suggest drinking half your weight in ounces! No matter the volume, drink up! You’ll notice your hair is moisturized, your scalp isn’t as dry or irritated and you’ll even have clearer, brighter skin! Don’t stop when the week is over — make it a habit for overall hair health.

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Day 2: Clarify
Curls looking dull or droopy? Your hair may simply need a good clarifying wash to remove any heavy product buildup. If you routinely use a lot of gel, mousse, serum, or globs of conditioner to style your hair, your curls are probably weighed down. For an affordable natural solution, try an apple cider vinegar rinse. It can be found at most supermarkets for around $3!

1. Mix 3 parts distilled water with 1 part apple cider vinegar.
2. In place of shampoo, apply the rinse to dry hair using an applicator bottle or spray bottle for mess-free application.
3. Saturate your roots and massage. Then smooth, and scrunch the mixture into the length of your hair.
4. Rinse with cold water.

Apple cider vinegar’s high acidity will also lay down the cuticle and give you amazing shine! For store-bought options, use a clarifying shampoo like Kinky Curly Come Clean or Elucence Volume Clarifying Shampoo. Clarifying can be harsh on the hair — so only use it for emergencies!

Day 3: Scalp Massage
A healthy scalp grows healthy hair, so treat yourself to a stimulating scalp massage.

1. Mix a few drops of potent oils like peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus and horsetail with a tablespoon of carrier oils like grapeseed or jojoba oil.
2. Apply to fingertips and gently massage your scalp with the balls of your fingers – don’t scratch!

The oils and massage will get blood flowing to your follicles and promote growth.

Day 4: Deep Condition
Your hair is cleansed, your scalp is stimulated, and now you need to bring the moisture back into your thirsty curls! We recommend deep conditioning for at least 15 minutes with heat. Slather your favorite deep conditioner onto damp hair.

1. Pile your hair into a loose bun or clip your hair into manageable sections.
2. Don a shower cap and sit under a hooded dryer for at least 15 minutes. No hooded dryer? Use a blowdryer! If you don’t own one, don’t worry. Use a shower cap to trap your body heat and naturally heat up the conditioner.
3. Rinse with cool water and watch your curls bounce back!

Day 5: Detangle and Smooth
Our schedules can get hectic, and detangling our hair the last thing on our minds and to-do lists. Postponing a detangling session does more harm than good in the long run — weeks worth of loose shed hair is trapped in your curls. Shed hair can wrap itself around your strands and cause all sorts of tangles.

Reserve some time in your evening for a diligent detangling session. You deserve it! Slather on a slippery conditioner and run a wide-toothed comb through your hair from the ends moving up the length of your hair to the root.

Bonus: Use a smoothing brush afterward to clump your curls and coils. This will smooth down the cuticle, increasing shine and defining your natural curl pattern. No frizz and all bounce!

Day 6: Trim or Cut
Sometimes the best thing we can do for our curls is give them a trim or cut! No amount of cleansing, detangling, and conditioning can undo split ends.

1. To ensure an even trim, divide your hair into a couple sections and two-strand twist.
2. Using hair shears, snip about ¼ inch off the twist.

When you undo the twists, the ends curl up instead of fraying out. Letting go of split ends will increase the health of your hair because you avoid the split traveling further up the hair strand. Remember: hair grows back!

Feeling adventurous? Try cutting layers into your hair. If you think your curls are too long or droopy, layers can add dimension and shape.

Day 7: Moisturize and Seal
You’ve hydrated your body on day one, but now it’s time to hydrate the surface of your hair. Water is the best moisturizer! Think of everything else as an added hair treat. Few things actually sink into the hair shaft, so spritz curls with water and seal with a light oil or pomade. This locks the moisture in for longlasting softness and manageability.