ToBNatural

Tuesday’s Tips: “Can you please CLARIFY?”

As naturals, we often use oils, creams and butters either to seal moisture in our strands or to sooth a dry scalp. After a some time, though, we may notice some gook on our scalp or that our hair has begun to lose it’s luster although full of product. Welp, therein less the issue: it’s most likely TOO MUCH product… Product buildup to be exact. To get that mess gone, we gotta clarify.

A good clarifying shampoo can do the trick but because these usually contain detergents such as SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) which can strip the moisture from the hair, it’s a good idea to follow up with a deep conditioning session. If you choose to go this route, I would recommend only using this as needed- about once a month or if you’ve been using gobs of gel or butters pretty often and the hair begins to feel icky.

Baking soda has proven to be very effective at cleansing my hair and scalp, especially now that I’m sporting some kinky twists. All it takes is one tablespoon of baking soda with about 1.5 cups of warm water in a spray bottle. Shake it up good! If you feel like you need more because you have long or really thick hair, make sure that if you add more baking soda that you’re adding more water. The mixture shouldn’t feel grainy or gritty. Spray onto the scalp and hair. Work it in a bit, leave on for about three minutes then rinse thoroughly. This will leave your hair clean without stripping the moisture.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is also a great natural option! Recipes for this treatment vary throughout the natural hair community. I like to use an 8 oz applicator bottle (with numbered indicators), filling it with 2-3 oz of ACV and the rest with water. If I’m felling fancy, I’ll add a few drops of Rosemary or Tea Tree essential oil. {Rosemary assists in the removal of dandruff, stimulates growth and gives that nasty buildup a big ole karate chop! Tee Tree Oil aids in treating scalp conditions and is quite soothing, leaving the scalp refreshed.} Massage it in, let it sit a few minutes and rinse well with cool water. The ACV not only removes buildup but, when used as a final rinse, will close the hair cuticle giving you smoother, shinier hair and will help balance the pH of the hair and scalp. BE CAREFUL when applying- get this stuff in your eyes and it WILL burn! The smell may linger when wet but will be a distant memory once the hair dries.