BRIEF INTRO
I have been screaming from the top of my lungs for quite sometime now about how caring for your hair is of utmost importance to its health.
As much as adequate hair care knowledge can have a game-changing effect on the success of your strands, the essential tools and products to put your gained knowledge into practice can never be underestimated.
So with this post, illd be highlighting essential needs for my 4c hair queens (tools and products included)
4c hair must haves
1. Wide tooth comb/ detangling brush
Now, if you don’t possess a good detangling tool as a 4c hair babe then please stop playing. Like, how do you expect to manage your delicate coils without one? I hope those rat tail combs and what not aren’t your go to items, else, I am literally crying on your behalf gurl!
So, aside the fingers which serve as a pretty decent detangling tool, wide tooth combs and brushes made for detangling are also great tools for gently separating knots and preventing breakage. You need to get at least one girl! Trust me.
2. Picking comb
Now please, 4c queens, a picking comb is an indispensable tool on your 4c journey. This is especially for those who have massive hair shrinkage. It’s function lies in the name as it is used to pick your shrunken coils to make your hair look fuller and slightly longer, at least that’s what I notice each time I make use of it. However this should never be substituted for a detangling tool.
3. Edge brush
Who doesn’t know that laying edges for the natural hair community is no walk in the park. It is definitely serious business guys. In case you are new to natural hair laying, let me especially emphasize that them edges were made to defy gravity! Amazing isn’t it? To get your edges to look the way you would like it, you would need a good edge brush. Don’t come for me please, but honestly your good old tooth brush could do this job perfectly just in case these fancy brushes come in too pricy
4. Gels
There are a million and one gels available in the market now for laying edges right. However, I would suggest not getting too carried away with the numbers. Instead, it is best to key into gels that don’t make your hair frizzy and those that do not leave residues. Below are pictures of a few of the gazillion edge controls out there – Cantu Shea Butter Extra Hold Edge Stay Gel, Eco Style Professional Styling Gel and Olive Oil Edge Control Hair Gel. You would do well to get one that tickles your fancy and lay those edges to perfection.
I would like to state that I am no fan of “Got to be glue” that product scares me a lot! I have seen and cannot seem to unsee the damages this product has brought on to many crowns. But then again, maybe the product was not used in the right context. At the end of the day, it is super important to do your research about whatever gel you would like to buy and use it appropriately.
5. Edge scarf
Of course, brushes and gels alone just won’t do to lay those edges Queens, you also need a good edge scarf to aid the slip of your gorgeous edges and to ensure they conform to your desired style. Get one today and thank me later.
6. Cleansing Shampoo
Guys! To get a clean scalp you absolutely need a cleansing shampoo. It’s an important product required for wash day. From the TGin Moisture Rich Sulfate free shampoo to Mielle Organic Strengthening shampoo, to Cantu Shea Butter Cleansing Shampoo, to Shea moisture shampoos there are a variety of options available out there to serve you well.
Please do note that a clarifying shampoo works slightly different from a cleansing shampoo and might not do a complete job of actually getting out dirt and residues from the scalp. Therefore it is necessary to use a cleansing shampoo at least once a month to thoroughly cleanse and refresh the scalp
7. Conditioners
Never underrate the importance of great conditioners guys! They are absolutely necessary. Think about them as food required occasionally to nuture your hair follicles. There is a vast array of conditioners available to tend to the 4c hair type, from deep to leave- ins, the options are truly endless. However, I would suggest keying into those that work great with your texture and porosity. Most times this discovery comes from trying out several deep conditioners at the first instance. When you eventually find the great ones fam, never let them go.
So, in case you are new to conditioners, deep conditioners are usually put into the hair after a good wash and then rinsed out, while leave in conditioners serve as good products to nurture your scalp and hair strands daily but do not require rinsing out of the hair, thus their name; Leave-ins.
Still oblivous to the role of leave in conditioners? Then you need to check out my conditioner post to learn more. Every natural hair girl needs at least one great leave in conditioner. The importance of nurturing your hair with leave in conditioners could never be overemphasized. Get one today and thank me later.
Hair Conditioners (Best regular, rinse out, co wash and leave in conditioners for 4c hair)
8. Silk bonnet and or a silk pillow case
Guys! Do you know that it is necessary to protect your hair strands from friction while asleep? If you twist and turn vigorously like I do at night time, and you don’t own a silk bonnet or pillow case, know that you are doing your hair a huge disservice. Your edges would suffer more from this lack. Please get a good hair bonnet as soon as you can, or better still, change to a silk pillow case.
9, A good hair butter/ oil
This is always essential as it is the “O” of the LOC/LCO regimen guys. Every once in a while your scalp needs a nourishing oil to prevent dryness. Now the exact oil to use would depend on what you notice your hair loves. For instance, I noticed that my strands do so well with Jamaican black castor oil and coconut oil, however, for other people those might not suffice. There are other oil varieties that could be keyed into such as almond oil, olive oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil and so many others. The important thing is to get one that works well for you.
10. Scrunches
10. As trivial as this might sound, you need these babies! Trust me, you don’t want to use those rubber bands that would most definitely yank off your hair strands. Unhealthy is the word that comes to mind when I think about them. Instead, get yourself a scrunchy or any soft hair tie that is gentle to the strands,
In conclusion, purchasing these starter 4c hair kits would align you with actualizing your healthy hair dreams.
