Thank you for entering Michelle. Your hair is gorgeous, and naturally curly. I am a huge fan of curls!!

Michelle’s Natural Hair Regimen

I have been following a natural haircare regimen since Jan 2007 when I cut the remainder of my relaxed hair off; I had my last relaxer in May 2006.  In June 2008, I got an ill-planned cut that left me with very short hair, but its grown out quite fast, which I attribute to my natural regimen… Today, my hair is maybe an inch past my collar bone, very thick and super healthy.  I have lots of curls and a fair helping of fluffy frizz.
 
I try to keep my routine simple: I wash with diluted Dr Bronner’s castille soap weekly and co-wash with a drugstore conditioner almost daily. *My co-wash conditioner is the only non-natural aspect of my regimen.* I detangle in the shower with a wide tooth comb, followed by a brush. I apply a natural leave in, sometimes a bit of coconut or baobab oil, and pull it all back into a bun or ponytail, smoothing the top down with a natural, strong holding gel.  If I’m wearing it down, like in the photo, after I wash and add a leave in, I will twist with a bit of oil, sit under a hood dryer and then take the twists out for smooth, defined individual coils.
 
I trim my own hair every 4-6 months by twisting and snipping the very ends off the twists. I’m not good about deep treatments, but I like to load my hair up with coconut oil the night before I wash. Finally, I will do an occasional Amla treatment for conditioning, but I am a huge fan of henna. While you can’t see it in the photo, henna really shows up in my hair and gives it a cool burgundy color. It also makes my hair super smooth and easy to detangle and work with. I have recently incorporated indigo into my henna to experiment with a darker haired look. My hennaing is not regular, but I will do it a few times a year.
 
I really love my hair like this and encourage more women to embrace natural haircare, because it is all-around so much better for your hair, your health, your wallet and our collective perception of beauty.