Natural Hair Products for Blacks

Concerns For This Hair Type

Coarseness and Dryness

African American hair tends to be typically drier and coarser than Caucasian or Asian hair. This difference in texture can make black hair less versatile and less easily styled than other hair types. Moreover, in order to keep black hair styles looking their best, maintaining moisture and a healthy lubricated hair shaft are key. Many black people tend to over-process their hair through permanent straightening regimes that can wreak havoc on the hair cuticle, resulting in dry split ends and dull looking hair. Moreover, because this hair type tends to dry out quickly, many African Americans cannot wash their hair on a daily basis. Unfortunately, blacks with problematic scalps can suffer a build up of sebum if the latter is not washed from the scalp every day.

Effectiveness

A large concern when it comes to the maintenance of African American hair is that natural hair products for blacks will not prove as effective as chemically based products. This is entirely untrue, however, being that many popular hair care brands employ natural botanicals and plant-derived substances such as avocado oil and shea butter to fuel the effects of their product lines. Many chemical-based shine enhancers and pomades employ harmful mineral oils in order to promote shine. Health conscious individuals will naturally gravitate towards organic products instead of questionably helpful chemical formulae.

The Best Natural Hair Products for Blacks

Some of the biggest names in natural hair care are not specifically designed for black hair, although a large percentage of users comes from the African American population. Some of the best natural products include the Ojon line and products formulated with Jojoba.

The Success of Ojon

Highly Moisturizing

As previously mentioned, the primary concern of most African Americans, when seeking out natural hair products for blacks, is the moisturizing properties of the product in mind. The Ojon hair care line is based on natural palm or Ojon oil which has been the hair care secret of the Tawira Indians for hundreds of years. No, Tawira Indians do not possess the exact same hair type as blacks, although Indian hair tends to run extremely thick. However, the moisturizing properties of Ojon are so penetrating and effective that this fairly recent brand has captured the hearts of many African Americans.

Conditioning Levels

Deep conditioning is pivotal to the maintenance of black hair. Hence the Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment is a remarkable product that can be applied to freshly washed hair or dry hair, depending on your conditioning needs. If your goal is to start the day with extra soft and lubricated hair, then try running the product through your hair when you get out of the shower, and leave the treatment in until your next wash. If you need a quick intensive deep conditioning treatment, apply the product to your hair the night before your next shampoo. Leave the treatment in overnight and your hair will be noticeably softer the morning after.

Palm Oil

Ojon also produces an entire hair care line that utilizes the restorative properties of palm oil. This line includes shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling products that concentrate on moisturizing and reparative effects. The notable success of the Ojon line only serves to fortify the marketing claims, making the name of Ojon a memorable and helpful tool amongst natural hair products for blacks.

The Jojoba Focus

One of the best and most effective moisturizing agents that can be included in shampoos and hair products is the oil of the jojoba seed. This oil is not truly an oil but a pure liquid ester. An ester is a substance that contains similar properties to oil yet does not oxidize and, therefore, never becomes rancid. Jojoba has antioxidant effects which can be extremely beneficial to dry and troubled scalps.

Moreover, jojoba mimics the natural sebum of the scalp, making it the perfect substitute for natural scalp oils. Jojoba oil can be run through dry or wet hair in order to aid shine and overall hair health. Much like Ojon, it can make an excellent deep conditioning agent as well as an every day shine enhancer. Just as importantly, it can be easily purchased in a pure form at your local health store. In fact, running through the hair product section at the health food store will reveal many jojoba-based shampoos and conditioners. Hence, the best aid in locating natural hair products for blacks will be your local organic or health market.

Purchasing Information

The Ojon line can be easily purchased at Sephora stores nationwide or online at the official Sephora site. Jojoba oil as well as many other natural hair products for blacks are widely available at natural and health food stores. Other ethnic-oriented products can be found in most major retailers, though interested customers should read the ingredient lists carefully to determine whether or not they are truly natural products.