Need A Natural Haircare New Year’s Resolution? Here Are 17 Suggestions!

By Jacqueline Samaroo

Here we go again – the end of the year is fast approaching and the New Year with all of its uncertainties and endless possibilities lies just around the corner. It’s the time when we all start thinking about making a change – for the better. It’s the time when “What should my New Year’s resolution be?” is the question we think about most.

The start of the New Year brings with it a very good opportunity to focus on your natural hair care routine – with purpose. So, why not make your New Year’s resolutions for 2022 be about self-care and, in particular, haircare.

We know, we know – when it comes to resolutions for the New Year, they’re much easier to make than to stick to. It’s true what they say, “Old habits die hard.” That’s why along with sharing our 17 suggestions for New Year’s resolutions, we’ll take a look at why making resolutions for the New Year is really a good idea.

We’ll also share some New Year’s resolution facts we are sure you can relate to. And, we won’t leave you hanging either – we’ve also got some tips to help you stick with the haircare resolution you choose.

Here’s our lineup:

• A New Year’s resolution – good idea or bad idea?
• 3 Interesting New Year’s resolution facts
• 17 New Year’s resolution to choose from
• Tips for keeping your new New Year’s resolution

A New Year’s resolution – good idea or bad idea?

The start of the new year is a very significant time for all of us. Apart from the celebrations that come with it, it is a time of retrospection and introspection. We look back at how far we have come and what is currently going on in our lives. We look ahead to plans we already have in place and what we hope to accomplish. That’s why making a resolution for something we want to change in the coming year is a good idea.

While taking steps to make a positive change is something we can do throughout the year, the new year’s beginning serves as a convenient marker for making purposeful changes in our lives. Making and keeping a resolution for the New Year also comes with some very convincing benefits. What’s more, you can get most of these benefits simply from really making the effort even if you don’t actually keep your resolutions.

Here are six of them:

• Offers a chance to access your current situation and where you would like your life to go.
• Provides motivation to not be stagnant; to keep thinking of how you can improve.
• Can lead to a change for the better.
• Is a chance to practice your goal-setting skills.
• Brings a sense of accomplishment and increased self-confidence in your ability to follow through.
• Leads to improved self-esteem.

Plus, you can learn from any mistakes you made and make a better attempt for next year. The tips we give at the end of this article can help!

3 Interesting New Year’s resolution facts

1. More than half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. A finder.com survey revealed that resolution making is trending up with just over 74% of the population having made a resolution going into 2021. That’s almost 190 million adults in the US wanting to make a change for the better and seeing the approach of a new year as a good time to do it!
2. Self-care is a common resolution topic. Statista reports that most of the resolutions made at the end of 2020 for 2021 had to do with health and general wellness. These included exercising more, weight loss, improved fitness, and improved diet.
3. Beware the twelfth of January! According to exercise tracking company Strava, January 12 is the date most people stop trying to keep their New Year’s resolution. Hey, as depressing as that early resolution-ditching date may seem, you can be encouraged by the fact that if you make it past that date, you’re in good stead to make it all the way.

17 New Year’s resolutions to choose from

1. Pick a wash day and stick to it. Healthy hair is clean and grows from a clean scalp. Set up a regular wash day to focus on keeping your hair and scalp in good condition.

2. Pay more attention to your wash day water temperatures. Aim to use cooler water temperatures on wash day. Try warm water for shampooing then a cold water rinse.

3. Add deep conditioning and hair masks to your hair care routine. Some naturalistas add these to their weekly hair care routine. Others opt for using deep conditioners and hair masks once per month. Let your hair be your guide.

4. Set aside time for a scalp scrub and scalp massage. Scalp care is a necessary part of growing strong, healthy hair. Check out the scalp care tips in our recent post!

5. Use hair oils regularly. Curly and coily hair types are susceptible to dryness. Give them an assist with beneficial and nourishing oils and hair butters.

6. Switch to natural products. Discover which hair ingredients are actually good for your hair and what you should be avoiding. Start switching out some of the stuff you now use for more natural hair care products.

7. Do high-tension hairstyles less often. Braids and other types of protective styling can be quite convenient but can also be damaging to your hair if they are too tight. Have your braids installed more loosely and make the decision to give your hair a break between each install.

8. Take a break from permanent hair color. Permanent dyes and the bleach they use can be very damaging to your hair. Switch to temporary hair color and also check out the natural hair dyes we featured recently. If your hair is already damaged by overuse of permanent dyes, this could be the year to focus on a hair care routine for damaged hair.

9. Wear your natural hair more often. The natural hair movement is well underway! Show your support by flaunting your natural waves, coils, and curls each chance you get.

10. Learn to do your own natural hairstyles. Is it Bantu knots or cornrows you’ve been wanting to learn how to do? Make 2022 the year you upped your game when it comes to doing badass styles in your own natural hair.

11. Pack away your heat-styling tools for good. Or at least resolve to use them less often. Heat damage is irreversible so it’s best to simply avoid it altogether. If you must use heat-styling tools, use them less often and turn the temperature down.

12. Always, always use a heat protectant. If heat styling is a must for you, then a heat protectant should be too. High temperatures can cook and scorch your hair. So, along with using a lower heat setting, make the decision to always, always use a heat protectant.

13. Get regular trims – just do it! It is true that coils and curls hide the true length of your hair. It is also true that length retention is very important to many of us. While trimming away your ends might seem counterproductive to length retention, it actually helps by doing away with split ends and stopping breakage.

14. Treat your hair to the benefits of silk. Silk pampers your hair and helps to keep it healthy. Luxurious silk is super soft and won’t tug on your strands, dry out your curls, or rough up your tresses.

15. Eat healthy for healthy hair. A balanced diet is a complete win-win for your hair and your general health. Give your hair and scalp the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants they need by eating whole, nutritious foods.

16. Smile and say “I love you!” out loud each day to your natural hair. Take a look in the mirror and acknowledge the beauty in your gorgeous kinks, zig-zags, coils, curls, and waves.

17. Think of hair care as a part of self-care – because it is! Make a conscious decision to treat all of you with love in the coming year. From finding time to relax to giving your hair the attention it deserves – more me-time is always one of the best New Year’s resolution ideas.

Whatever New Year’s resolution you decide on, we hope by the time 2023 rolls around you’ll be feeling like this about your hair… Yeah, Baby!!

via GIPHY

10 Tips for keeping your new New Year’s resolution

1. Make it realistic.
2. Make it as specific as possible.
3. Keep it simple.
4. Stick to making just one or two.
5. Put it in writing.
6. Break it up into steps if possible.
7. Reward your progress.
8. Get support from family, friends, or a support group.
9. Keep track of how you are doing.
10. Give yourself daily encouragement and affirmation.

What New Year’s resolution are you making for your natural hair care routine? Share!