Natural Hair Regimen 101:
Why Yours SUCKS + How To Fix It | EfikZara
Zara is back on CurlyNikki! She’s a fabulous naturalista who shares her natural hair journey with her followers. That includes more than 170K subscribers (aka ZeeStarz) on her EfikZara YouTube channel!
Finding the right products for your natural hair regimen and then devising the best natural hair routine to use them in can take A LOT of trial and error. We know!
It’s a part of the reason your natural hair journey is often called a lesson in learning about your hair – its specific type, its issues, and what it needs to thrive. It’s also a part of the reason embracing your natural texture can be both labor-intensive and time-consuming – at first.
Zara gives us a hand sorting through the factors to consider when trying to come up with a hair-healthy, growth-boosting natural hair routine. Keep reading as we give you a preview of what she covers. Or, go right ahead and JUMP INTO THE VIDEO!
Finding the right natural hair regimen
Zara shares that she now has a weekly to biweekly routine that keeps her natural type 4 hair thriving. As you can expect, she does have setbacks when she handles her hair roughly or strays from her routine. But, by sticking to her routine most of the time, she has seen truly awesome results!
In order to come up with the right regimen for you, Zara suggests you begin by writing down your hair woes and your hair journey goals. Seeing what you are currently dealing with and where you want your hair and scalp health to go will help you to decide how to take them there.
Zara outlines the steps you should have in your washday routine, including variations to consider depending on your hair type and the state of your hair.
Pre-poos and shampoos
Wondering if pre-poos are a necessary part of a natural hair regimen? Zara gives us a breakdown of their benefits and highlights why she’s so big on using them. She tells us which oils she loves to use for a pre-poo hot oil treatment.
Plus, detangling (gently!) is a must at least once during your natural hair routine. But, take care your detangling doesn’t cause excessive and unnecessary breakage, especially if you have coilier and kinkier hair. Zara discusses that, too.
She then takes the time to differentiate between the types of shampoos and when you might need each one in your natural hair routine.
Not sure when you should be switching out your regular shampoo for a clarifying shampoo or a chelating shampoo? How about shampoos with or without sulfates? Zara explains!
When it comes to shampoo for curly hair, we’ve covered quite a bit (read: lots and lots!) of them here on Curly Nikki. Here’s a sample of what we’ve got for you to keep in mind as you consider your own natural hair regimen:
- Find out whether you should be avoiding sulfates, silicones, phthalates, and more! Read Natural Hair Care: Are Those “Bad” Shampoo Ingredients Really All That Bad?
- See our pick of sulfate-free shampoos for textured tresses. Check out 7 Great Sulfate-Free Shampoos for Your Naturally Curly Hair
- If dandruff is on your “hair issues” list, then here’s a must-read – Best Dandruff Shampoo for Curly Hair – Top 10 List!
- Rice water rinse has a long history of promoting hair growth. Find out how rice water shampoo can help, too! Read Rice Water Shampoo for Natural Hair Care: Check Out These 3 Must-Try Examples!
- Looking to maintain your natural hair color or the awesomeness of a dye job? Read this: Toning Shampoo for Black Hair – Should You Be Using It?
- Find answers to all your questions about dry shampoo and textured hair: Dry Shampoo for Curly Hair? Here Are 6 Amazing Must-Read Points
Treatments and conditioners
Then, it’s on to treatments. Zara covers the highs, lows, dos, and don’ts of using henna, cassia, and protein treatments for natural hair. She gives us some pretty solid advice on when each works best and what hair issues to consider when selecting which type to use.
Conditioners are next on the list. We get a heads-up on leave-in, regular, and deep conditioners, as well as how often to deep condition. Zara also covers hair steaming to get the most out of deep conditioning.
Selecting moisturizers + detangling tips
Zara stresses that “moisture is ultimately the answer to SO many problems” we encounter in our natural hair regimen. She details her use of grease and oils to maintain her own natural, long hair. She then sorts through leave-in moisturizers vs. water-based moisturizers – what each does and the hair types and issues they are best suited for.
Careful detangling of your hair comes up next on Zara’s list. She talks about whether wet or dry detangling is best and the tools you can use.
Sealing in moisture + styling
Find out how sealants assist with moisture retention and, by extension, how they help with making your natural hair regimen more effective. Zara hints at her own LCO method (as opposed to the LOC method). She also lets us in on the types of sealants we have to choose from.
Last up are some sage words on styling your hair. You definitely will want to show off all the benefits you’re reaping from your natural hair routine, right?! Protective styling is what Zara promotes for assuring length retention. She highlights buns, twist outs, braid outs, and other low manipulation styles.
Yeah, Zara covers PLENTY of good stuff in the video. Let’s check it out, now!
Your Natural Hair Regimen SUCKS
+ How To Fix It | EfikZara
A young woman of many talents, Zara (popularly known as EfikZara) is a professional violinist and composer. Aside from her primary career, Zara is a cinematographer with more than 17 years of experience. She is also a passionate healthy hair advocate with over 12 years of experience caring for her natural hair and the natural hair of her loved ones.
Get more hair and beauty tips from Zara on CurlyNikki, HERE!
What’s your natural hair regimen like. Tell us!
