Friday, August 21, 2009

Deep Conditioning



I know you’ve heard this before, but I will say it again...moisturize, moisturize, moisturize, it’s one of the best things a curly girl can do for her hair. It helps to reduce frizz and maintain the suppleness in your hair. You would want to deep condition either once a week or twice a week depending on your hair.

First you want to choose a good deep conditioner. I always read the ingredients and stay away from anything that has alcohol or mineral oil listed. I look out for moisturizing agents such as avocado oil, shea butter, essential oils. A good rule of thumb is to see what is listed first, those ingredients have a higher percentage. A deep conditioner usually comes in a large jar as opposed to your daily conditioners which is in a bottle. And be sure to read the directions. They usually tell you they’re a deep conditioner on the label, but also if it says to use a plastic cap and apply heat, you’re in good shape. Whenever possible, open the product and smell it. You want to be sure you’re comfortable with how your hair might smell the rest of the day.

Now that you’ve found a good conditioner, you will need a plastic cap. I like to use a shower cap so that it gets reused. If you don’t have a plastic cap, saran wrap will also work.

Next you want to apply the conditioner to your hair generously. This is best achieved with clean wet hair that has been sectioned off using your alligator clips. Pull all of your hair up and place the plastic cap to cover your conditioned hair.

Here is where your bonnet dryer will come to play. After you’ve applied the deep conditioner and put on your plastic cap, you will want to sit under the hair dryer for 20 minutes. Fret not if you don’t have a dryer, the heat from your scalp should do the trick. The heat is key as it helps the conditioner to penetrate the hair and do its job better.

Finally, use cold water to rinse your hair to seal the strands and promote shine. Use your tee-shirt to squeeze out any excess water, style as usual.

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