How I Maintain a 4C Afro on Low Porosity Hair for 10 Days at a Time

I’m a strong proponent of Trader Joe’s underappreciated beauty section, and this is my favorite shampoo I’ve ever used. It only takes a quarter-sized amount to achieve a nice, thick foam and after it’s washed out, it leaves my hair feeling squeaky clean and properly prepared for the deep conditioning phase.

Although I haven’t tried this myself (yet), EDEN’s curl hydration shampoo comes highlyrecommendedby hairstylist Nigella Miller. It’s sulfate-free, cleanses without stripping, and works on color-treated hair as well.

After I shampoo, it’s time to deep condition. And while you can certainly buydeep conditioning masks, I’ve found that half a bottle of this hair mask from Trader Joe’s works better as part of a cocktail of products that I mix up in my kitchen — which I detail below — and slather on to my sectioned, damp hair until it’s completely covered. (A good way to tell if you’ve put on enough product is if you can sort of wring it out if you twist a large section of hair.)

As Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst detailed in her story on the best products forpeople who are newly natural, argan oil “helps to repair any broken strands from the inside out and controls frizz. It also helps with shine and elasticity and curl definition, too.” I’m a huge fan of The Ordinary’s affordable version and add an entire dropper’s worth to my special blend.

Natural hair influencers who make their own deep conditioning treatments often use a staggering amount of different products, which can be overwhelming if you’re just getting used to wearing your hair out. Instead of buyingmoreproducts, I like to purchase multi-oil serums. My favorite is the impossible-to-find Garnier Hair Care Fructis Triple Nutrition Marvelous Oil Hair Elixir, with almond, olive, and almond oils, but a teaspoon or two of Design Essentials will do in a pinch.

Any old organic olive oil will work in a deep conditioning cocktail, but I like to use this olive oil from Lily because I like to think the CBD soaks into my scalp and relaxes me. At the very least, I know that the olive oil is a natural detangler and adds shine.

Yes, the very same honey you put in your tea. Honey is famously a humectant, or as Wikipedia puts it, “a hygroscopic substance used to keep things moist.” The honey bonds with water molecules to keep moisture in your hair, which only helps the conditioners work better. I use about one and a half good squeezes of honey in my deep conditioner.

Finally, I add a squeeze or two of Trader Joe’s tea tree, peppermint, and eucalyptus conditioner because tea tree oil is a known antifungal and really helps with dandruff and dry scalp issues. Plus, eucalyptus and peppermint just smellsogood and I really enjoy the tingle.

Once the whole formula is in my hair, I work it through with a detangling brush. Then I cover my head with a plastic shower cap, hit the cap with a blow dryer to heat things up, wrap my head in a towel for two hours, and let all of that moisture soak in. Finally, I wash the conditioner out, apply a light leave-in conditioner, and stretch my hair by braiding it down, though you can also go right into styling if you’d like.

Once my hair is stretched and dry, I pull it up into a bun, moisten my hair just a bit, and then style the bun section-by-section with just two items: Cantu’s coconut curling cream, which is more oily than water-y and helps define my curl pattern; and a styling brush, which, unlike my belovedFelicia Leatherwood detangling brush, allows a lovely curl pattern to form.

If you’ve worked enough product into the bun (or into each small section of your hair), you will start to see little curls form as you brush it through from root to tip. Then let it dry, and ta-da — you have an incredibly moisturized head of hair that can stay out for at least one week without any worries that your hair will dry out and break off. Every once in a while, when I want to revitalize it, I’ll add a tiny bit of leave-in conditioner between washes.

And to keep it all together, the ingeniously designed puff cuff, which holds my hair up without tearing it out or creating too much tension. No headaches here!