The Lazy Naturals Guide to Adding Moisture
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- July 10, 2014
Hello! I am a lazy natural. I avoid styles that take long to install, I avoid tedious techniques. I use short cuts, and simple tricks to stretch the time in between wash days, and keep my tightly coiled curls happy. Here are just a few of my tricks for LAZY Naturals.
Read On!>>>
Ditch the shower cap
Allow the moisture from your shower to penetrate your curls. As you bathe, the steam from the shower will moisturize your hair. Unless you are looking to preserve a style, bathing without a shower cap is one of the easiest ways to add moisture to your curly hair. Spending 10-20 min in a misty shower will limit any crunch in your curls. Ditching the shower cap is a cheap alternative to buying a hair steamer. Seal in any moisture with oils, conditioners and butters. Unless I am looking to preserve a stretched or straight style, I always shower without a shower cap. This is one of the simplest ways to increase softness and shine, while minimizing breakage.
Sleep with a silk pillowcase
The common cotton pillow case can rob you curls of moisture over night. Despite going to sleep with a satin bonnet every night, I regularly wake up with nothing covering my hair. A cotton pillow case causes more friction than a silk pillow case. Cotton is also highly absorbent, wicking any oil, and conditioner you may have layered on your strands. To avoid a dry frizzy mess, I opt for silk pillow cases to preserve my curls no matter how wild I sleep. Not only is the luxury great for my curly hair, but it’s a great long term investment. There are plenty of nights when I am too tired to twist my hair, and it is my silk pillowcases that save me on these lazy nights.
Re purpose your shower cap (Green House Method)
Since I bathe without shower caps, I had to find another use for them. Not only do shower caps work wonders for deep conditioning, but shower caps can be used over night to help lock in shower time moisture. After stepping out of the shower, I coat my hair with a leave-in, and some oil, and put a shower cap on. The shower cap traps moisture, and prevents my hair from over drying. To get the best results, leave the shower cap on overnight, or for a few hours before removing, and then allowing the curls to air dry. Forcing moisture to remain in my strands has really made a big difference for my 4c, high porosity curls. Since incorporating the green house method 2 times a month, I notice my hair dries slower, breaks less, and frizzes less often. I also use this method to keep my stretched or straightened hair moist while limiting shrinkage. I set my hair for the night before adding any moisture. Instead of applying water directly to my hair, I lightly spray the inside of the shower cap, and leave it on for a few hours before removing.
