Transitioning to natural hair can be a challenge, let alone trying to manage it on a budget. Luckily, there are tips and tricks of the trade for every hairstyle out there making it possible for the wavies, curlies and kinkies alike have an opportunity to feel their natural hair once again. Whether it is finding the best buy on cheap conditioners, searching for the best curly hair products, or even going with a natural approach, there are options for everyone.
Don’t Opt for Expensive Cons Quality isn’t always determined by price!
Transitioning on a budget all depends on what works best for you. There are many expensive hair products marketed towards transitioning to natural hair, but most drugstore brands work just as well and cost more than 50 percent less! That being said, try all of the affordable products before you work your way up the cost scale. As long as you know what you are looking for and follow a couple of guidelines, the cheaper products will work just as well as the expensive products.
Finding the Right Products
For hair types 2, 3a, and 3b, a good clarifying shampoo and deep conditioner should definitely be on your list. Pricing for both items can be as little as a couple dollars apiece. Often times, transitioning to natural hair calls for a remedy such as a deep conditioner. An easy way to enhance a cheaper conditioner is to add special oils or ingredients to make it even richer. Try adding oils such as rose oil or coconut oil.
Type 3C and 4 hair will require a bit more maintenance, especially after a chemical relaxer or straightening treatment which can cause excessive damage to your hair. Many women recommend braiding, twisting, or adding extensions to your hair while waiting for it to grow out. All of these work, but you need to be gentle since kinkier hair has more of a tendency towards breakage. Be sure that you are deep conditioning often, and either reducing the amount of time you wash, going with the no-shampoo method.
There are plenty of easy, inexpensive, homemade hair treatments that you can make simply using what is already in your kitchen. One great treatment for your hair is a homemade hot oil treatment. All you need are essential oils including extra virgin olive oil. Heat up a quarter of a cup of oil in the microwave until warm and work it through damp hair.
The real question is not whether it will work (because this remedy will), but the price in comparison. It really depends on every person’s experience with transitioning to natural hair. A decent bottle of extra virgin olive oil can cost between $7 and $20. However, you aren’t using the whole bottle for your hair, and you can still use it for cooking. Pre-made conditioning products, on the other hand, can cost $2 or more.
Deep Condition Often!
- Regardless of your hair type, it’s important to not only deep condition, but to also do either a deep conditioning or hot oil treatment for your hair.
- When you do this, wet your hair first. This will help to seal the moisture in the cuticle, strengthening the hair and causing less frizz.
I love number one sometimes the stuff right out of your pantry and easily available and cheap stuff works just as well.
hm. I personally prefer deep conditioning on dry hair. And I actually find that cheaper products work much better on my hair than the more expensive. As a matter of fact, products with mineral oil as one of the first ingredients seem to offer more protection to my fine strands than do other more "organic" products.
This is a good post, but there are some points I think that should be added, or considered…
1) the cheaper products may have horrible ingredients. It would be good to research them before buying them.
2) Buy a few good products at a time, and try them one by one. If you buy 1000 things and use them all at once you may not know what works and what doesn't, and you are spending tons all at once.
3) I completely agree with using homemade products instead of buying the pre-made kind. Depending on what you want your regimen to be, you can get along with almost only home made stuff.
And you know? I haven't deep conditioned by wetting my hair first, so I definitely will have to try it. Thank you, this was a good post!
transitioning can become expensive if you allow it to. It all depends on the individual.
Good tips…Im 6 weeks post relaxing!