Since color treating my hair, my normal natural hair routine has required a complete overhaul.  I had to eliminate some products and add new ones that work best with color-treated or damaged hair.  Today’s post is all about the products I use for natural hair color care. 

Natural Hair Color Care

Although my hair isn’t damaged, color-treated hair should be treated as such to help avoid breakage and dullness of your new color.

Color-treated natural hair is by no means easy to maintain, but choosing the right products and keeping it as simple as possible should make the job much easier to handle.

Here is each step of my Simple Summer Hair Regimen.

Detangle

One of my favorite products to use for detangling is this Argan Oil Conditioner from Hask.  I use this one in particular because it’s thick and has great slip, making it easier to get through any tangles with my large tooth comb and detangling tool.  You can find the smaller conditioning packs at stores like Sally Beauty Supply or Walgreens.  You can find the full sized bottles at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, CVS, Family Dollar, Rite Aid and Harris Teeter.  This retails at around $5.99 to $7.99

You can use any conditioner you wish, but good slip is a must to tackle thick, super curly or kinky strands.

Tip: Remember to take it slow and be patient when detangling. Try not to get frustrated if you find a pesky little pixie knot (single strand knot) or 2. Keep a small rat tooth comb on hand to assist with those or a pair of scissors to remove the tiniest of resistant knots on your ends. Do all that you can, my new motto is “No Strand Left Behind”

Wash

My bi-weekly shampoo of choice is L’Oreal’s EverPure Sulfate Free Smooth Shampoo.  It is specifically formulated for color treated hair, it’s 100% Vegan and has no harsh salts or sulfates.  Although it’s sulfate free, it does lather up like crazy.  Since I’ve been using this, I do notice a difference or should I say smoothness after washing.  It’s not stripping but leaves my hair feeling soft and moisturized.  This retails around $5.99 and you can find it at most mass retailers, drugstore.com or for less than $5 on Amazon.

Regular Conditioning

I use Giovanni’s 2 Chic Ultra Moist Conditioner with Avocado & Olive Oil.   This conditioner feels more like a deep treatment than a regular conditioner.  It has a thick consistency, so I find myself not using as much at each wash time as I used to.  It’s safe for color treated hair and retails for about $8.99, but you can grab it on Amazon or catch an in-store instant coupon like I did at Target.   I’m telling you, it’s worth adding to your arsenal and your hair will thank you for it.

Deep Condition

Deep conditioning is the 1 step that hasn’t changed for me since coloring.  I still use my regular ORS Conditioning Packs and likely always will. They’re just that good and I say “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.   I normally grab these from Walmart for about $1.39 per pack.  Every once in a while, I’ll spring for the full bottle but I kind of like my little packets because it’s just enough and I can throw it in an overnight bag if needed.

Daily Styling

Since I have chosen to use roller setting as my official summer style, I have incorporated products to help me maintain my daily style between settings.

Whenever my hair begins to feel dry, I just do a few light mists of Obia Natural Curl Hydration Spray and re-coil any frizzy looking curls by wrapping the hair around my finger.  This mist is so fine, so I’m never worried about my curls reverting when using this, it adds just the right amount of moisture. You can find this on the Obia Natural Website for $10 plus shipping

After about a week, if any of my curls begin to look unkempt or out of shape, I simply dab a little Eco Custard on the section and create finger coils wherever needed.  This is actually one of the products I use to do my roller sets and you don’t need a lot to get the job done at all. You can get this for $4.99 from the Curlkit shop or do a price/store comparison online if you wish.

To maintain my edges or to create sleeker styles, I like to use Curls Passionfruit Curl Control Paste.  This particular pomade creates very slick, shiny edges and helps to keep my styles looking polished, when needed.  It comes in a 4 oz. jar and retails for $7.99 at Target.   A very tiny bit goes a long way.

What Are Your Favorite Color Care Products?