Natural hair shouldn’t equate to an expensive lifestyle.
By: Amanda Anderson
When a woman decides to forsake the clutches of the ever addictive relaxer, she plunges into a new lifestyle that appears to be scary and down right too expensive. As you learn about defining your curls, sealing in moisturizers, and battling frizz; it’s easy to assume that all of these things require expensive products and fat bank accounts. But a woman who refuses to be duped and molded into a product junkie knows that this couldn’t be any further from the truth. And she’ll look to her new natural lifestyle as a means to always keep her natural hair regime simple and affordable despite the wide range of product availability.
So does a natural woman have to become a product junkie to take care of her tresses and maintain a healthy head of thick hair? Well of course not, but she does have to understand that the things she needs aren’t expensive or necessary for amazing hair.
1. Be wary of expensive product lines that contain harmful ingredients.
Why be natural if you’ve got to spend $60 on a curl defining product, or a shampoo, and deep conditioner? You might as well take that money and put a relaxer back into your hair. In reality, both are the equivalent to throwing your money in the trash with harmful ingredients and overpriced products.
All natural hair product lines don’t deserve your support. If the line is too expensive and contains products that are harmful to your hair like mineral oil, keep your money and find an alternative that is more affordable and beneficial to your hair’s health.
2. Any product that doesn’t moisturize isn’t worth the buy.
Natural hair needs moisture, and lots of it. If a product is leaving your hair dry after use, you don’t need to keep buying it. In no shape of form is that product helping your hair in any way.
3. Curl definition doesn’t mean you must fork over hundreds of dollars every month.
Most naturals will spend hundreds on curl defining products. This is something that I’m sure keeps folks like Ms. Jessie’s and company in business, and ultimately, extremely wealthy. Don’t buy into the hype, curl definition doesn’t require a ridiculous amount of product testing.
Want to know what creates defined curls? Hydration and moisture! Yes, that’s it. Find a great moisturizer, I suggest Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding or SheaMoisture Curl Smoothie. Take the moisturizer and apply it to wet hair (a spray bottle is great). Then seal in the moisture with an oil (coconut, Jojoba, or Olive. Hold the curl with a light gel ( I suggest Eco Styler) and bam! You’ve got curls. And you didn’t have to pay hundreds for it.
If your hair type doesn’t have curls, you just need to try styles such as braid outs and twist outs. Use a moisturizer, oil, water and gel to hold on to the style.
4. Your needs outweigh your wants, and will keep you from spending too much money on products.
A natural doesn’t need too many products to maintain healthy hair. So what does she need?
A great shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, moisturizer, oil, and light gel. Yes that is it. No you don’t need curly fizzes and curly jams and etc. As I mentioned earlier, moisture and hydration define curls. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
As always, some people are product junkies because they want to be. If you enjoy product testing, by all means, buy as many products as you would like. But if you are just looking to define your curls and retain moisture, you don’t have to rely on a lot of products. Keep in mind that the best product line is affordable, offers quality products with healthy ingredients, and does what it said it will do in its description.
I have vowed to never be a pj. I splurge maybe 1-2 times per year, but I never spend more than 60 dollars at a time. Usually, I lean toward basic, natural products because they are cheaper and my hair likes basic things, anyway. Beleive it or not, my hair loves a simple moisturization routine of being sprayed with water (or diluted conditioner) followed by olive oil. I'm not going to be a pj, because my whole reason for not going to the salon was to save money (and my hair, so why negate that by spending 1,000+ on hair products per year? Too many companies are capitalizing on bw's hair, anyway. I'm not paying 30 bucks for mineral oil, .1 percent shea butter, and fragrance in a jar.I do think pj-ism has an advantage and it is that you can find out what your hair loves/hates the most, and fast. Luckily, I didn't have to be a pj to find that out, though.
I only buy products by black owned businesses that have the lil black label on it. Bronner Bros Castor Oil Moisturizer is $4 < at Walmart and works fine. Occasionally I'll use Luster's but I don't like that as much. other than that it's pantene pro-v relaxed and natural conditioner and a mayonnaise deep conditioner. I don't know how people have the time/energy/money to do anything more than that.