Whether you are a new natural or somewhere further along your hair journey, how to find the right products for your natural hair is not always as simple as it seems. It is easy to become a self-proclaimed product junkie with there being so many products to choose from. To help narrow down the search and avoid wasting funds, there are a few things to keep in mind that can help you find the right products for your natural hair.
The products you use on your natural hair play an important part in maintaining healthy strands. Moisture, definition, and growth, are just a few qualities we all want in our natural hair products.
Here is how to find the right products for your natural hair:
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1) Look at the products you already have:
One easy way to find the right natural hair products that work for you is by looking at your current product stash. Is there a particular brand that you find has had products that have worked well for you? If so, looking at other product lines from that particular brand is a good start.
Also, look at the consistency of the products that normally work for you. Are they mostly butters and creams? Or, do lighter weight products work better for you because you like how they do not weigh your hair down?
2) Consider your hair texture and hair type
Your hair texture refers to the circumference of each of your strands. Hair texture ranges between fine strands, medium, or thick / coarse strands. Someone with fine strands may find more benefit with lighter weight products that won’t weigh down their hair. This includes leave-in sprays or volumizing products that can provide more styling options. If you have thick / coarse strands, you should aim for products that are going to provide a thorough coverage of your strands, such as thicker butters and creams.
Your hair type refers to the appearance of your hair – whether you have curly, kinky, coily, wavy, or straight hair. There are hair typing systems that go more in depth with hair types, such as the Andre Walker system that consists of hair types 1a-4c. However, having a general knowledge of your hair type and texture is still good enough for how to find the right products for your natural hair.
For example, curly hair is more prone to dryness compared to straight hair. The bends and spirals throughout the hair strand in curly hair makes it more difficult for the oils produced at the root to reach the end of the hair strand. This is also true for coily and kinky hair types. So, if this is the case for you, aim for moisturizing products – water-based products, leave-in conditioners, etc.
3) Know your hair’s porosity
Another important tip when it comes to how to find the right products for your natural hair is to know your hair’s porosity. Your hair’s porosity is its ability to absorb and retain moisture. Moisture is key to maintaining healthy natural hair. Whether you have low porosity, medium porosity, or high porosity hair, there are certain products that will serve you more benefit according to your hair porosity. Products that are thicker in consistency like creams, may provide more benefit for those with high porosity hair to help smooth the hair cuticle and retain moisture.
4) What style are you going for?
How to find the right products for your natural hair can also depend on the particular hairstyle you are going for or typically like to wear. If you are doing a twist-out or braid-out, a twisting butter can produce more defined and longer-lasting results. Like to wear protective styles like box braids or faux locs? Try a braid spray to help keep your hair moisturized underneath. If wash and go’s are your thing, you may want to add a styling product to your list to get more wear out of your syles.
5) Try sample sizes first
To avoid wasting funds and becoming a product junkie, try to first order a sample size of the product you are thinking about trying. Some brands may offer a “travel size” option, which can serve as a good sample size try. In stores, they may also have displays providing sample sizes to test out.
6) Determine what your hair needs
To make sure you find the right products for your natural hair, you should first determine what you hair needs / has been lacking in lately. If your hair is in need of more moisture, look for a good leave-in conditioner and an oil to aid in sealing your strands for better moisture retention.
If you are trying to grow your hair out, look at products that contain stimulating ingredients like oils, natural extracts, etc. There are shampoos, conditioners, leave-ins, etc. that are formulated to promote hair growth, like this product here.
7) Is your hair damaged?
If your hair is heat damaged or color damaged, it can affect how to find the right products for your natural hair. Until you cut the damage off, there are some products that can help to alleviate certain problem areas such as doing monthly protein treatments. Commonly, damaged hair is highly porous, thus making it more difficult to retain moisture.
What is your favorite natural hair product? Let us know below!
