I feel like this curly hair regimen was six years in the making. I’ve always wanted my hair regimen to be simple, inexpensive, 100% chemical-free, and not need a full day each week devoted to detangling and washing it. With time and after all of the experimenting that I’ve done over the years, I’ve discovered exactly what my hair loves, and how to care for it on a daily basis that provides consistent results.
My Hair Type
In terms of the hair typing system, I have 3c/4a, fractal/zigzag curls which means tiny s-shaped and spiral curls the size of a pencil. My individual strands are fine/medium in thickness and I have a lot of them, so I have high density hair. My hair is chemical-free from relaxers, texturizers, hair dyes, etc. and is very rarely straightened with heat. My hair is also low porosity, yet it has tested as normal porosity in the past, so it is possible that I have both porosity levels in different areas of my hair.
Before I settled on this regimen, I did end up trying some of my previous techniques and products just to ensure this was the best method for me. At the end of last year I even purchased a bottle of “natural” conditioner that I had used in the past from the beauty supply store. I needed to know for sure after two years of predominately water only hair washing which hair care method worked for me. I gave the remainder of the conditioner to my mother after I reached my findings.
I don’t like using store bought products because they coat my hair with unnecessary chemicals to provide a false sense of softness. I detoxed my hair after using the conditioner with bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar. By following the regimen below, my hair actually feels even softer now. I believe curl definition and hair softness has a lot to do with what you don’t use in your hair.
My Zero Waste Curly Hair Regimen
Daily
I place my hair into five sections, two in the front, two in the back, and one at the crown of my head. I rinse each section of my hair in the shower daily although I do miss a day here and there. I scritch (a light scratching of the scalp) and massage my scalp, then preen (to move down) the natural oils my scalp produces under running water while I gently finger detangle my hair.
Outside of the shower I apply a small amount of shea butter to the ends of each section and work the remainder into the strands. My hair dries in an hour. Once dry I place my hair in my favorite tension-free topknot bun. At night I use a silk scarf to wrap around my bun and that’s it. I sometimes wear my hair loose, but most of the time it’s in a bun.
Bi-Weekly
I wash my hair in the same five sections described above with a simple olive oil soap bar. It has only three ingredients and no fragrance. I honestly thought I was insane to try this, but my hair loves it. I tried a few different shampoo bars and my hair wasn’t crazy about them.
Instead of giving up on finding a zero waste option, I decided to try a basic olive oil soap bar. After washing my hair, I follow up with a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse. I then apply shea butter to my hair. My hair dries within an hour, and I put it in my tension-free topknot bun.
Bi-Monthly
Every other month I do a henna, amla, and coconut milk deep conditioning treatment for my hair. This keeps my hair strong, shiny, and adds a beautiful reddish brown tint. Although I thought about adding a tablespoon of henna to a weekly DIY conditioning treatment, I decided against it to keep my regimen simple.
I love that you can see the different curl patterns in my hair so clearly in this photo!
Why Daily Rinses?
I rinse my hair daily as my version of combing my curly hair. My hair reacts best with finger detangling under running water in terms of minimizing damage and for curl definition. This daily process described above takes me 15 minutes or so. Rinsing daily also allows my natural oils to move down the strands of my hair since using a comb and brush is not the best method for me for distributing sebum evenly or for detangling my hair. Because I am gently finger detangling my hair daily, I do not have shed hairs tangling and forming knots on the ends of my hair anymore.
You Use Plain Soap as Shampoo?
I could not find any clays or dried herbs that I’ve used in the past for hair care in the bulk section of my local grocery store. Finding a package-free or paper only wrapped soap bar which doesn’t not irritate my skin or scalp that my hair responded well to seemed impossible. To my surprise I found one.
Why Shea Butter?
Shea butter is the perfect styler for my hair. It clumps my curls which means fewer knots. I use shea butter in small amounts and only a bit more when I shampoo. Although it is a great moisture sealer, it works well for me with daily rinses. I also purchase the largest order of unrefined organic fair trade shea butter in bulk that I can afford which will possibly last me well over a year and be used in other recipes.
Isn’t This Water Only Hair Washing?
Yes and no. By rinsing my hair daily I take advantage of the benefits of water only hair washing, but by adding a bi-monthly shampoo, it is no longer water only. Sebum conditioning honestly is a better term because my natural oils condition my hair much better than store bought conditioners.
Using a shampoo bar, or in this case olive oil soap, allows me to remove excess sebum from my strands without completely stripping my hair before it builds up causing a grey cast on the hair, an itchy scalp, and ridiculous tangling. My hair breaks when using a boar bristle brush, horn comb, or wooden comb on damp or dry curls. These tools are best at removing excess sebum from hair. Since I don’t wear my hair straight, finger detangling along with this regimen is my perfect balance. I may stretch out my shampoos more in the future, but for now I’m good.
Simple & Chemical-Free
So there you have it, my updated curly hair regimen using only four inexpensive “products”… an olive oil soap bar, diluted apple cider vinegar, shea butter, and my henna/amla/coconut milk hair treatment. I do have this shower water filter because we have hard water in Los Angeles which helps tremendously. You can read why having a shower water filter helps so much here.
UPDATE… My Inexpensive Zero Waste Curly Hair “Products” in detail including brands, where I purchase everything, and the monthly/yearly cost of this regimen.
See my current beauty routine in My MB (Minimalist Beauty).
One Love!
(Images by Briony Albert)
Ashlynn says
Dawn, this is fantastic! After SIX years, you found what works so well for you and your hair shows it, it is beautiful! I am so delighted for you! I love using coconut vinegar for my hair rinse and infuse it with herbs since finding your article about doing this, and I love it! I tried a lot of “no-poo”methods only to find that many of them aggravated my scalp psoriasis to a point that was far too unmanageable and uncomfortable. I use shampoo and conditioner by Acure, which is very clean and silicone free, toxin free. I would like to work out of using even those though.
My journey to natural and healthy living and lifestyle has come a long way in the last year. My skincare consists of only oils and the herb infused coconut vinegar for a toner; it is very simple and minimal. Minimal and simple Haircare though is one thing I neglected after my awful experience with no poo methods and you have given me faith that I can find some way to work, though it may take some time. Over the last 6 months I have been maintaining a balayage color, which is just lightening parts of my hair with..bleach.. and I kept my hair color as my base color. I want to detox and heal my hair and grow it out healthy and strong so I am determined to put away hair processing and just maintain with trims, nutritious diet, and oils. Start paying more attention to my hair like I do my skin! Thanks so much for sharing!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Ashlynn,
Thanks so much! I’ve had tons of hair disasters trying different no ‘poo hair care methods too. I’ve only shared things that actually worked out well here on the blog. Desiring a simple regimen has always been my goal. I’m so happy to have finally found one that balances my easily irritated scalp and the dry nature of curly hair. I’m sure that you will discover what works best for your hair. I’m excited for you!
zelphia says
Hi Dawn,
I have been waiting to read about your next hair regimen!! I have been water only rinsing for 7 months. I love it!! I rinse daily or skip a day. I hardly wear my hair loose but have plans to do so this summer. I use Rhossoul clay to remove the excess sebum but the olive oil soap bar sounds intriguing. My hair shrinks and hold a tight tight curl pattern which I love. I might try a little shea butter. Thank you so much for sharing!
Cheers
Zelphia
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Zelphia,
Water only rinses while working with your natural oils is one of those things that is undeniably amazing for dry curly hair. I had completely given up on it for awhile because I was so frustrated not having figured out how to make it work for me after almost two years. As soon as I decided to try it again without being so strict did I find my perfect balance. That’s the trial and error part that takes patience I guess. Thanks so much for stopping by and for your lovely comment!
Adobi says
Hi Dawn,
I’m so glad that I found your website. I find that the ingredients that work well for your hair, work well for my hair too. I have been using a combination of organic oils and store bought shampoos/conditioners. I am planning to move away from store purchased/generically made products. Do you have any advice on what I can do to my hair before I do my first henna treatment? In terms of washing prior to doing the henna to make sure the generic products are completely removed from my hair? I was thinking about washing with Rhassoul clay and water, then following with the apple cider vinegar/honey/green tea rinse before applying my first henna treatment (using the brand that you say is your favorite). I’d be curious to know your thoughts on the best way to clean my hair before my first henna treatment. Also, when you replace the aloe vera with water when washing with rhassoul clay, do you use the same amount of aloe vera that you would if you were using the water? That is instead of 3 cups of water, do you use 3 cups of aloe vera? Thanks!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Adobe,
If you want to transition away from store bought products doing a detox for your hair with clay is so important so I’m really glad you had already planned to. For detoxing my hair, I like to mix rhassoul or bentonite clay with apple cider vinegar as I feel it is more cleansing than aloe. Aloe is great for a regular clay wash to bring the pH down though. I use as much ACV as needed with the clay to create a yogurt consistency. Using an ACV rinse alone does not detox the hair from the inside, but instead removes surface build-up.
Also clay washes are very cleansing to hair so you won’t need to follow up with another cleansing step on the same day. It can take a few washes to completely detox your hair. If your hair is dehydrated, spread out your detox washes. You may only need one, sometimes two or three. Pay close attention to how your hair is responding and make sure you oil or butter the ends of your hair especially. DIY deep conditioning treatments can make a big difference too. I hope this helps!
Kerdisha says
Let me just say that I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and this is my first time commenting. I love this post so much as well as your others your a real inspiration to me and I hope you keep in blogging ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Kerdisha,
Wow thank you so much! Your kind words mean a lot and thanks for saying hello too! Wishing you the very best of everything!
E says
You look like a model 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Thanks E! ❤️
Pamela Thompson says
I am very interested in the Olive Oil soap. I have to admit that I miss the suds. My clay rinse works well and has ACV and rose water in it. I finally have consistent results but I do not like the residue that it leaves in my tub. I also used a whipped Shea butter with my favorite oils to seal my hair but it melts when I take it with me when I travel. I am still trying to find that tension free protective style that works with my type of hair.
When you air dry your hair in sections do you use hair ties to make five ponytails, twists or braids to dry it in one hour? Do you add any oils or whip your Shea Butter? Are you using the ACV to balance your ph from the soap or for conditioning properties?
Your hair looks amazing. I like this simple method. Thanks for sharing.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Pamela Thompson,
Thank you for the compliment! I am currently air drying my hair loose. I’ll do braid outs again, but I really love my natural curl pattern more than the waves from braids and twists. I only rinse or wash and apply shea butter to my hair in sections. When I use the olive oil soap I follow up with apple cider vinegar to balance the pH and for conditioning. I use shea butter by itself, yet other times I may whip it with whatever oil I have on hand. It just depends. I hope this answers your questions. <3
Pamela Thompson says
Thanks Dawn for getting back to me and answering all of my questions. Your pictures of your natural hair are stunning. I am looking forward to the exact hair products posting.
Dawn Michelle says
You are so welcome Pamela! And thank you <3
Himawari says
Hi, Dawn! You’re beautiful and so is your hair! I’ve been reading your blog for some time and wanted to finally comment to thank you for the hair regimen inspiration. I’m Romanian with German and Ukrainian mixed in so my hair is different from yours but it also doesn’t seem to be like the hair of Germans or other blonde Europeans. I have very coarse hair that is medium-thick and very dense. It’s wavy and resists both curling and straightening! I love wild curly hair and have been looking for ways to get my wavy hair to be more puffy but still be healthy. After reading about your many hair experiments I tried some of the same things. Right now I wash my hair with 1 part vinegar to 6 parts water, and I use a little brush to gently rub my scalp. The vinegar makes the oils go down the length of my hair. I rinse out the vinegar well and then I mix roughly 1 part honey with 3 big teaspoons of Epsom salt and 6 parts water and I pour that over my hair making sure it’s all soaked in. I don’t rinse it out, I just wring my hair gently and let it dry. The Epsom salt makes my hair really thick and wavy and the honey makes it soft and hydrated so it doesn’t feel so dry. It took a while to get here but I love my hair now. Thanks for inspiring me!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Himawari,
Thank you so much for the lovely compliment! I’m so glad that you found a simple hair care regimen that works for you. With some trial and error as well as understanding your hair needs, it all comes together. The leave-in/rinse that you created with Epsom salt sounds similar to the sea salt hair products on the market for beach waves. I’ve seen DIY sea salt spray recipes online too. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Tina says
Hi Dawn, I am absolutely in love with your blog. I have learned so much valuable information. My tempermental skin has slowly returned to the glowiness it had in my 20s, thanks to your ocm suggestions. My skin adores rose hip seed oil (moisturising) and sesame oil (cleansing). My hair was the driest, tangliest, and most fragile head of kinky curls. It is now thriving thanks to expanding your diy fsg recipe. My gel for uber moisture is: marshmallow root, flaxseeds, veggie glycerin, sesame oil and tangerine eo. I’ve read your blog for hours. I’ve scoured your various posts with all these amazing wholesome and natural ingredients, which helped in healing my skin and hair maladies. My beauty routine is simple now, yet so nourishing and functional. I am so grateful to you! I look forward to your product reveal; I was reading your new post hoping you’d hyperlink the olive oil soap info, heehee (I’m a sucker for new natural beauty discoveries!). There is much more on your blog to cover besides aesthetics, of course. I’m finding simplicity is so refreshing. Again, thanks so much!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Tina,
Thank you so much! You are so sweet and I am so glad you are enjoying my blog so much. I’m thrilled that the info has been helpful to you as well. I will be sharing product info soon. I actually need to buy a new olive oil soap bar that is worthy of photographing. Have a great day!
Tina says
Hey Dawn!
What brand is the olive oil soap that you use on your hair?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Tina,
I’ll be sharing it really soon possibly Friday even!
Lisa says
Hey Dawn! What brand is the olive oil soap that you use on your hair?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Lisa,
I will be writing an article which goes more into detail on the hair care products I am using and where I buy them. I really wanted to focus on my actual technique and process taking care of my hair in this article. So many times there is a focus on products, yet my technique is what makes using these products effective for me.
For example if I was washing my hair with the olive oil soap weekly without daily rinses and shea butter applications along with taking advantage of the natural oils my scalp produces, most likely it would not work well and my hair would be dry. The fact that I only use the olive oil soap bar two times a month is what creates the best balance for my hair and moisture levels. I should be posting the details really soon though. <3
cleocreek says
Dear Dawn, May God bless you. Thank you for always sharing with and inspiring us. You have a generous, creative, and friendly spirit and all of these things go a long, lovely way. I have been working to minimize for a long time now (years) and I still am inspired to do more time after each chance that I tune in here. Have a great Friday!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Cleocreek,
Thank you so much for your beautiful and kind words! I wish you the very best of everything along your journey of simple living and whatever your heart desires. Have a wonderful Friday as well and enjoy your weekend! <3
Carolyn says
Hello,
I’m glad to have found your blog as I want to minimalise my skin/ hair care routines! I think I read a previous article of yours (I’ve been reading several sites so I may be confusing them with yours) about the importance of using products that match the pH of the skin, which from what I have read, soap does not. How does the olive oil bar soap fit in in this regard? Is it safe to use soap on our skin/ hair?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Carolyn,
Soap is not pH balanced for skin or hair which is why I use this olive oil soap for my hair only twice a month. I’ve also shared DIY body care that is pH balanced to alternate with soap based products if you like as well. I’ve incorporated this soap into my hair regimen because my hair likes it and is it also part of my effort towards a zero waste lifestyle. I hope this answers your question. Best wishes!
Priya Bhatt says
Hi,
Can you describe more on Olive oil soap bar.
I follow your posts and love the you share all your keeping it Simple life regime.
You inspire me a lot.
Love,
Priya
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Priya Bhatt,
I just posted all the product details of this regimen here. Thanks for the lovely compliment too!
Tenica says
Hi Dawn,
Your blog is amazing, so glad I found you. I am new to the natural lifestyle. I have 4c hair very thick and hard to manage. I’ve been trying to co wash every 3 days however I want to try water only washing. Thing is I have dry scalp but get headache from product buildup. Is there any natural oils o can use for dry scalp?… Would water only washing help with dry itchy scalp. Thank you
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Tenica,
Thank you so much! I used to get headaches from fragrance or other ingredients in conditioners. Water only rinses do help tremendously with allowing your scalp to balance itself as well as produce your own natural oils which you can use to aid conditioning your hair and will eliminate having a dry scalp all together. To begin water only hair washing or rinses, it is important to detox your hair first with bentonite clay mixed with apple cider vinegar.
Daily rinses keep the hair moisturized and using your favorite all natural oil or butter in moderation on your hair focusing on the ends helps tremendously. Not using anything can cause breakage for dry curly hair in my opinion. I now prefer using shea butter as it seems more compatible with my natural oils than othe oils I’ve tried in the past.
Based on your hair texture and personality, you may prefer to initially use chunky twists for your rinses, or you can rinse sections loose. With this method you will truly learn how to care for your hair and its likes and dislikes. You can start with reading my own journey with water only hair washing as its been more than two years for me and I’ve been sharing my experience, frustrations, and revelations with it along the way. Best wishes!
Temi says
Hello Dawn! First time commenter although I’ve stumbled across your blog a few times thanks to google searches. Your posts on oils for skin care really changed my life.
I’m new to this minimalist/natural approach to haircare. For some reason it was easier for me to make the jump when it came to my skin (best decision i’ve ever made), but your description of your hair is just like mine (4a/3c, fine, low porosity, high density) so i’m willing to give it a shot.
Having fine, low porosity hair has been a real challenge for me. I cut off all my relaxed hair November 2015. So right now i’m still rocking a tiny afro…I’ve used every product under the sun and tried so many techniques and i haven’t been able to keep my hair moisturised. soft or maintain some curl definition. So I thought I’d give your method a shot.
2 questions: with this regime, do you ever suffer from build up? I kind of assumed that shea butter would be awful for my hair since its so difficult for it to absorb ANYTHING (even water), but I like the part where you said hair softness has a lot to do with what you DON’T put in your hair. That makes sense… But still, how do you combat build up?
Second question, was there an adjustment period before your hair started responding how you wanted it to? I really want to start a similar regimen but I want to know if I should wait a while to see results.
Thanks 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Temi,
Thanks so much for your comment and congrats on going natural! I don’t experience build up because I am only using one 100% natural product in small amounts daily. When you use store bought products with oils and butters it is much easier to experience build up and product residues. Also I’ve found that shea butter works really well in conjunction with my natural oils.
There definitely is a transition when beginning an all natural hair regimen. If you take the time to read some of the experiences that I’ve had with water only hair rinses you will see some of my journey. Because I now use a pure olive oil soap and ACV rinse, I don’t have any of the problems that I encountered before. Trying to only rinse my hair with water while using ACV rinses alone was not enough for me.
You can read the beginning of my journey here. You can also see all of the other articles I’ve written on water only hair washing. This method is trial and error and you will have a learning curve for your hair. I did go back to using conditioner for a short period in December, but it honestly does not compare to the natural oils your scalp produces to condition your hair. Hope this helps!
Rozie says
Hi – this is an email from London. So pleased to have come across your web page. Totally inspired – thank you so much.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Rozie,
I’m so glad this has inspired you and thank you for stopping by! Have a beautiful weekend!
Daniela Cano says
Hi, Michelle!
I´m Daniela (from Brazil) and trying to get a simple routine hair regimen. But I still use regular shampoo (with sulfate) and conditioners (silicon and petrolatum free). My hair is 2a/2b, porosity and my individual strands are fine/medium and I have little quantity of it (in fact I have androgenetic alopecia). And my scalp is sooooo oily (I think it´s because of the sulfate).
So I thought to desintoxicate my hair with clay and vinegar. How did you do this mask and how often? How long do you think it will take to my hair get free of those syntetic products?
I will buy a olive oil soap bar and try to use only the apple vinegar as a conditioner (or some banana/honey mask).
I do the low poo in my daughter (she´s nine). And if this regimen work well for me I´ll do in her hair too.
*sorry for the bad english.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Daniela Cano,
How long it will take for your hair to fully detox can depend for each person. I shared a bit about my transitioning to natural hair care here. Regardless of the time it takes it is so beneficial for your hair health. It helps to have beautiful updos that you can wear in the process.
The technique of scritching (light scratching) and massaging your scalp while preening your natural hair oils down your strands helps tremendously too. Using a wooden comb/brush or other natural fiber brush also helps to distribute these natural oils. When you begin stretching out your hair washes and using natural cleansing agents, you will retrain your scalp to produce less oil over time. Be patient with this process and don’t give up. I hope this helps!
Juleta says
can you show me a picture of how you section your hair for daily rinse? You talk about skrtiching then detangling with your fingers…I initially thought you hade them in mini bums….but then i was envisioning baby pony tails. 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Juleta,
I’ve been doing braid outs lately so not rinsing daily. Regardless I still section my hair in the same way. I literally section my hair in about 4-6 sections and put each section in a mini bun. I release each section one at a time and rinse or wash, scritch, massage, preen etc. I’ve also used six chunky twists for rinsing and I styled my hair like this. I hope this helps some!
Kellie says
I just found your website by googling “coconut milk conditioner”, but I am going to try your regimen. I have low porosity hair as well, and although water only/oil/acv rinses have worked well for me I have been afraid to make them a normal part of my regimen, thinking I needed to use a cleanser or store bought conditioner. Your hair looks great, and you have let me know that I can stop hunting through all of these crappy otc deep conditioners.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Kellie,
I’m so glad you found the site and I do hope that it will be helpful for you. Thanks so much for the compliment and best wishes creating a new hair regimen!
Tasha says
I really enjoyed this post. I have low porosity hair and I have a lot of build up from products I use. I’m going to test this out and I hope it will help my curls thrive. I did have one question: where did you buy your olive oil bar soap?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Tasha,
You can find the olive oil soap at natural grocery stores. I shared the brands and more info on the products of this regimen here. Have a great weekend!
Safa says
Sounds great, i also have fine, low porosity high density hair. I would like to try this, it just sounds a bit time consuming to do this every morning when you have a toddler that is all over the place.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Safa,
Daily rinsing can sometimes be more time consuming versus having a weekly regimen. I think when you have little ones it is important to have a consistent hair regimen which works best for you. I have spent a lot of time, trial and error trying DIY hair care as well as zero waste hair care and sharing it on the site. In the end you want to create a system that makes sense for your life. Have a great day!
Helena says
Hi, do you also massage and preen the days you dont wash?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Helena,
Because I am not doing water only and have incorporated other things into my regimen, I do not massage and preen daily anymore.
Shirlisa Black says
Hello my name is Shirlisa black and I am truly inspired by everything that you are representing; my question is do you think the water only method would work high porosity hair
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Shirlisa,
I have low porosity hair so I do not have any personal experience working with high porosity hair and water only. I think it would mainly depend upon how often you rinse your hair. I wish I could be more helpful, yet water only and no poo in general is a lot of trial and error. Best wishes!
Jennifer Marie says
Hey Dawn, I love your site. Thank you for the great information. Your hair is beautiful!!!! I’ve been using henna for a while and it makes my hair super soft and manageable. I can really feel the difference. Detangling is so easy and whenever I actually straighten my hair is such a piece of cake. Have you heard of this website for henna and other clays.. http://www.hennasooq.com. I’ve been purchasing my henna from there and I hope everything is natural. I use to finger detangle before my laziness kicked in but I’m back to doing it. I also use to use coconut milk for softness and green tea rinses for shedding. I’m not sure why I stopped, guess I didn’t see growth results fast enough. I would love to try your hair methods of no chemical products. I never though about it but our hair probably grows healthier with minimum and natural products. Did you start your healthy journey before the length you are now? How did you grow you hair so long? You may have answered this already, sorry. I really want to grow my hair out again. Last year I suffered from a lot of stress and unfortunate so did my hair. I have been taking the Maine Choice vitamins along with doing my hennas, drinking lots of water and protective styling, but i could do better. My hair has made a complete transformation, amen to my edges now. Do you take any vitamins to help your hair? Did you experience your hair growth peak… how did you over come it? A lot of naturals complain that their hair will only grow to a certain length and that stretching past that length is difficult. My last question is concerning the Henna tea strengthening & conditioning spritz. Do you think I can use this spritz for my braid down underneath my wigs or box braid and even marley twist?
I never write such long comments but I’m really happy I stumbled upon your site. Thank you so the information, keep those post coming they are really inspiring women like me to enhance ourselves and live healthier lifestyles 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Jennifer Marie,
I started my healthy hair journey after a full big chop in 2009. I cut off my first set of locs a year prior. As for hair growth nutrition is everything. I eat a high raw plant based diet. I don’t take specific vitamins for hair growth. I also used to keep my ends trimmed well. Henna helped me a lot with growing out my hair too. As for the henna tea, I would see how your hair responds on loose hair before trying to use it in a protective style with extensions. I’m so glad that you are enjoying the site and I hope this answered some of your questions!
Brittney says
Hi Dawn, I just want to say that you are such an inspiration! I have a question about your henna treatment. Did you wash before or after? Did you apply anything after the henna treatment? Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Brittany,
I don’t currently use henna because I am locing my hair yet when I did I kept that treatment simple. I didn’t wash my hair on the same day and I would follow up by applying shea butter to my hair. So on the days I used henna, I would do the treatment, rinse thoroughly, apply shea butter, and style. Thanks for the compliment too!
Syeeda Alston says
Hello Dawn,
I am grateful for your experiences/experiments. My spirit told me to do coconut milk and henna on my hair. I had never heard of it so I typed it into the search engine, and was gifted with your blog.
My question is, what do I do after the henna and coconut milk mask? I want make sure I follow all steps to leave me with the best results and maximum benefit of the hair mask.
Again, thank you for sharing your journey. Keep up the great work. You are so beautiful and positive!
Peace and Love,
Sy
Syeeda Alston says
Peace Dawn,
Feel free to disregard my question. I see you answered it in your response to a question in July 2017.
Dawn Michelle says
No worries. I hope you enjoy using henna as much as I do!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Syeeda,
You can follow up a henna treatment with a deep conditioner whether store bought or DIY. After using henna for sometime I later just rinsed and styled, yet if your new to henna a conditioning treatment is very helpful! Happy hennaing and I’m glad you found my blog!
Veronica says
Hi Dawn!! Okay I just started water washing this past Tuesday. I just placed an order for olive oil bar and a few Indian herbs to cleanse my hair. So far my haIr is softer without product and I love it. I also henna my hair, does the henna strip your sebum? I’m due for henna treatment in a few weeks.
Thank you
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Veronica,
I’m thrilled you are having great success with this regimen. For starters you don’t want to worry about stripping your sebum because you are using natural chemical-free products. Henna may remove some but your scalp will continue to produce more daily. I found that you actually can have more issues with too much sebum on your strands which is why I wasn’t 100% water only. I hope this helps!