Source: heygorjess.com
I have recently been approached by people in distress about
products “not working” on their hair. Initially this is a hard one to engage
with but on closer inspection I quickly learn that what they are saying is that
they are not getting the desired results from their products. I too have had
this issue at different points in my hair journey and have found that there
could be a few reasons why this may be the case. For me there are three main
reasons:
The wrong product
– for instance I would be using a heavy protein on my hair when it actually
needed moisture, resulting in very dry and almost brittle hair.
The wrong technique
– I would apply the product incorrectly for the results I wanted to achieve. For
instance, simply putting a water-based spray on my hair without using a sealant
(my koili butter) after is a fail! My hair will be super dry and uncooperative
in no-time. You can see my routine here and here.
Product buildup –
this is one of the more common reasons that I find that my hair isn’t responding
optimally to my products. Hair products coat my hair with every application. While
I wash my hair often with a gentle shampoo, it doesn’t have the right level of cleaning
agents to cut through the buildup. My
hair then becomes hard, dull and drier than usual. To fix this, I need to
clarify my hair. Clarifying is doing a deeper clean on your hair that will
clean away all the residual product in your hair that may be preventing your
products reaching and penetrating your hair shaft. So how does one do this? Well, there are a lot
of options, but I tend to:
·
use a clarifying shampoo (you can find these in
salons that stock products and even some health shops), alternatively I add a
little baking soda (bicarbonate soda) to my regular shampoo. You can buy online or walk into a salon that sells products. You could also visit the Jumbo store (aka hair Shangri-La)
out in Joburg South. I tend to end up at Style Studio in Menlyn mall (its right next to the
Clicks).
·
Do an apple cider vinegar rinse after your
shampoo (mix about ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of clean water – some people
use it undiluted but it’s a little too strong for me). You can find apple cider
vinegar in most health stores and even in Dischem in the health food isles.
·
I also do a bentonite clay mask. I mix bentonite
clay with water and apply that to clean wet hair for 20 minutes – works wonders
for me. I then risnse out an carry on with my routine.You can find the clay powder in the same places you can find apple
cider vinegar. I’ve actually mixed bentonite clay, apple cider vinegar and
water together before and had good results – just really didn’t like the smell
of the vinegar for 20 minutes!
It is important that I follow up my clarifying with a moisturizing
deep conditioner to replenish the moisture in my squeaky clean hair (it
literally squeaks, I’ve tested this). If I don’t, I end up with a tangly, dry
mess on my hands. Once I’ve done this I find that my products do what they should
and it’s happy days for my fro and I. Hope this helps you.
Peace, love and fro’s
Puso
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