Natural Hair Care

Types of Natural Hair Care

Caring for your hair naturally does not mean unwashed, uncut, or unstyled locks, and it does not mean using only sand or salt as a cleanser. Today’s natural care includes a range of all-natural products with formulas similar to completely artificial brands: volumizing, blends for specific hair types (fine, curly, oily, etc.), deep conditioning, and more.

At the same time, natural care does not typically include coloring your hair, straightening or curling with heating tools, or using medicated products. Rather, hair is cared for naturally, allowing it to age gracefully and go through different stages and styles with only modest styling intervention.

Finding Natural Products

There are several different types of natural hair care products available, with different levels of “naturalness” to suit every individual’s personal level of environmental awareness. The basic types of products include:

• All natural formulas of major brand names. These generally do not use artificial dyes or scents and are not tested on animals. They may not be 100% natural, however, and some chemicals may be used for stabilization or preservation. Many of these products are available in major stores.
• Organic product lines. These formulas do not use artificial chemicals of any variety. They are generally more expensive and harder to find than more common name brands. These products can often be ordered from websites or found at specialty stores that offer a range of organic products.
• Ethnic-oriented products, most frequently for African-American hair, that use natural ingredients suitable for specific hair textures and properties.

Another option for natural hair products is to make them from scratch. When doing so, using the freshest possible ingredients will yield the best results, but always test a small amount on an inconspicuous area to be sure it will work appropriately with your hair.

Natural Care Tips

Natural curling techniques are less harmful than chemicals or heat.

In addition to using natural or organic products, natural hair care involves conscious decisions about how certain activities will protect your hair. Natural tips include:

• Leading a healthy lifestyle by drinking plenty of water, not smoking (smoke can damage and dry out hair), and eating a nutritious diet to provide the appropriate proteins and nutrients to your hair.
• Wearing a swimming cap to protect hair from heavily chlorinated water.
• Wearing hats to protect hair from excessive sunlight and UV radiation.
• Avoiding heating tools such as hair dryers or curling irons that stress and damage hair.
• Avoiding overwashing that strips natural oils and dries out hair.
• Treat wet hair gently when detangling or styling to keep breakage to a minimum.

Is Natural Hair Care Right for Me?

Natural techniques may not be appropriate for everyone. Individuals with extremely sensitive scalps may require medicated products, and may even be allergic to totally natural shampoos and conditioners. If you enjoy elaborate styles such as updos, you may need to use harsher styling products such as spray or gel to keep the style in place. If you want to change your hair color, while there are some natural hair dyes available, the options are more limited and you may prefer synthetic products.

Natural hair care is best suited for individuals with easy to manage hair that they prefer to keep in simple, easy styles. At the same time, natural products are more expensive, and may be an obstacle for people on a strict budget. Choosing to go natural with your hair care needs is a personal decision that should be based on the type of hair you have, styles you prefer, and whether or not you care to take the time and expense necessary to find the right products.

Natural Care and the Environment

As society grows more conscious of the effect chemicals have on the environment, trends like natural hair care become more popular. While it may not seem like a few bottles of shampoo or other products affect the environment, each time those products are washed down the drain they have the potential to contaminate water supplies and harm the surrounding ecosystem. Choosing natural care methods demonstrates a commitment to a greener, healthier lifestyle not only for yourself, but for those around you.