4C Hijabi Hair Care - How To Maintain Healthy Natural Hair Under Your Scarf

Hi guys and welcome back to my channel and welcome back to the video so um today's video. Basically, at the start of the new year, i asked over my instagram what kind of videos you guys wanted to see from me and one of the suggestions that i had was um how to care for your hair and you're under your head scarf and i'll. Just let you do not have to ask me twice, because black hair care is my absolute favorite topic and i know they're going to be people here are going to be like. Why are you talking about haircare, i'm going to show your hair? Well, i can talk about it because i have it under the scarf and i look after it. And yes, if you don't like it, then you have to stay. So if you've been following me for quite a while now, you'll know that i've actually spoken about my relaxed hair journey when i was relaxed, um i'll leave a link to the videos up there, because i think they're still really helpful for anybody who is relaxed. So i'm gon na kind of break it up and talk about my journey first of all to natural hair and then i'll talk to you about my routine, my cleansing, routine moisturizing, routine protective styles, all that stuff. So you can see here, i've got this mahusiv box. This is my hair care box. It'S like in one of those ikea draw things as a whole compartment and it is mad heavy guys try to do a thumbnail this, but it's so heavy. So i look a bit crazy. Let'S get into it, then okay, so basically um like i said i am obsessed with black hair care and i have been for many many years now. So basically i i'm going to cut it really short. If you want to see, if you want to learn about the relaxed hair, part i'll link the videos up here and down in the description below as well, so you can, if you want kind of like the full story of me, like going on a haircare journey. Growing my hair long and everything so i'll condense it down to. Basically, i was on relaxed hair journey. I had never before go going on my hair journey, then my hair had never been past kind of shoulder length at the most, and i just thought, as most young black girls think um. I kind of just thought that if my head, like my hair, can't grow along like it would never grow along, it wasn't even possible um. Anyway, i went on a hair journey and i grew my hair to brass wrap length. I actually grew it longer than that, but i never say that just because it never grew full length, it kind of my hair's really annoying. I also had this pop this bit in the back that kind of thinned out and it grew it's like an upside down. U-Shape so then i have to keep. I had to keep trimming it um but anyway, so that definitely gave me the confidence in knowing that, if you care for your hair, you can actually grow it long, okay, so yeah. That was a really fun journey to go on and it was amazing and like it was just great being able to prove people wrong and like even like my mom. When i told her that i'm growing my hair long and she's like okay and then it got long and she was like - oh do you want to look after my hair too, so um yeah, so it that's kind of that one and then one day like in In like 2019, i just started watching loads of natural, like find myself watching loads of natural hair videos, and i was just going to look with natural hair and i was just like hmm like. Why have i got thin relaxed hair and i could literally have my natural, voluminous, beautiful, hair kind of thing, and then i started toying with the idea of going natural, and i was just like like weighing up the pros and cons now. The the main reason for me that i've never really considered going natural is because my natural hair is so i've got 4c natural hair. It'S really coarse and really thick, although i'd actually realized just how thick it was until i went natural um but yeah. So i always just thought that would be like a mission and a half to like do anything with it to even get into my hair. That would just be slightly impossible um. So then, yes and the more i kept watching videos and i realized. Actually, there are ways to style it, and then there are. There are ways to make it more manageable and stuff like that, then one day i danced that's my mom and i was like mom: let's go natural and she she was like okay, and that was it. So july 2019 was my last relaxer um october 20, 20. So last year, a few days after my birthday, i just i decided to do the big chop, because i was just not feeling the thin scraggly ends and i just wanted to see what my natural hair was like, because since i was young like, i literally have Not had like a full head of natural hair from what i can remember, so yes, that's what i did and chopped it off in october by myself. It'S like the bravest thing. I'Ve ever done and lots of people are like - oh my god, you're so brave, like for cutting all your hair off - oh my god, but honestly for me the fact i think if i hadn't been on a on a relaxed hair journey and like seen that i Can grow my hair long then i definitely wouldn't have done that, but because i know that i can grow my hair out um, then that's why i was like i felt so empowered doing that it was the best thing ever and oh, my god, it revealed my Beautiful thick natural hair, i literally never in a million years, would have thought my hair was as thick as it was like. It'S super thick like from root to end it's crazy and i absolutely love it. So i'm fully 4c natural um, i'm a fully 4c naturalista. Now and i absolutely love it and yeah, so that's kind of the journey. Let me not go on any further about that. So i'm going to talk about my um, my hair care routine, then so i have kind of two hair care, routines kind of thing. So um what i have been doing ever since i did the big chop in october. Is i've been protective styling back to back to back? So what i've been getting done is basically just cornrows with my own hair, so my mom will just do my hair into like eight cornrows and i leave it in for two months at a time. Yes, it looks rough by the end of it. But honestly, it's like so so helpful like because of how thick my hair is having it like that, just makes it so much more manageable and so much easier to use uh to use to maintain but yeah. So when i'm in in the cornrows, then what i'll do is i will use the lco method as as always that that doesn't change um. So i will spray my liquid, which is this um mix of just a conditioner. I think it was this one. Maybe i don't know i just use any conditioner and um peppermint oil in water and then i'll just spritz, that onto my hair and kind of just squeeze it in and then i'll use my cream. So this is the cream that i use it's this um, it's this shea moisture, strengthening, restore leave-in conditioner, and it's just like a really nice creamy consistency, and i really like it i feel like it absorbs you can see that there, oh, can you it absorbs nicely Into my hair um and then what i have done for the longest time is to then seal with an oil, so i have so many different oils, so i've got um. This is my aloe vera oil that i made. I also have um this. Oh it's oily. This ayurvedic oil that i made i have castor oil, which this one i tend to use just on my scalp, to be honest or i'll mix it in with one of the other ones um, but yeah. So i'm not precious. I just use one of them, but recently just last week, actually i made a whipped, sheer butter, um concoction um, just because i felt like my hair probably would feel even softer if i had something a bit thicker and especially for the ends as well to seal With so i just made this um and if you want me to show you how i made this, then just let me know down in the comments below and i'll be more than happy to show you that um. But yes, that's the cleansing, that's the moisturizing routine! That i use and then when it comes to cleansing my cornrows, then what i'll use is this. This kanto is this cantu shea butter, uh refresh apple, cider, vinegar, root rinse, it's got tea tree oil in it and you just it's got this nozzle there. So you just literally put it on your scalp and cleanse it just massage it all in, and then you rinse it out and it's really nice and you can really feel the tea tree oil as well. It really like tingles in your hair. So i really like this. This is probably like the only cantu shea butter product that i like i've tried. Some of that other products like they're leaving and i hated it just didn't work. For me. I'Ve tried that deep, conditioner hated it just did nothing for my natural hair so - and this is the only product of this that i really actually enjoy, and i use and yeah i have a few bottles of them always stocked up on that. So then, after i i'm done cleansing, then when i'm in um my cornrows, i never actually deep condition um. I always use just like a regular conditioner afterwards to follow up after it like after cleansing um. So i have a range of different ones that i use um. These are two of them i've i usually use purple essence. I'Ve literally got so much stuff that it's overflown into another drawer. I forgot about that, but anyway, here are some of the ones i do use so there's the um, the ogx argan oil conditioner, which is really nice, really really nice actually and the other one. That'S in the drawer over there is um the brown one of this which smells so nice. It smells sweet, really really nice um. I also use, like i said, the herbal essence. The blue one, hello, hydration, smells beautiful um and i also use this one. So i just rotate, whichever one i feel like using, and this aussie three-minute miracle moist also smells beautiful. I there's a theme there. I love my hair for my hair smell, really nice um, so yeah, so i'll, basically just go in with one of those and i think the reason i kind of tend and i'll usually water it down as well a bit when i put it in my hands. I just put water in kind of just so it's not you know, building up too much product in my hair and getting kind of stuck in the cornrows, and i think that's kind of the reason. I don't really use a deep conditioner as well, and these were absolutely fine for me. So yeah, that's what i do for cleansing and when i go to sleep i make sure that i put my satin and bonnet on so i have so. I have this satin bonnet that i put on, and you can see inside is all satin and it's adjustable. So it's really ideal. It'S really cute um, so i never ever lie down on a pillow without something satin or silk on my head and that's really important for protecting your hair from breakage, because cotton, pillows and other material pillows will just suck out the moisture from your hair and also Um, your hair strands can actually get caught in the fabrics of your pillow. So yeah do that and if you want to wear something on your head to sleep, then use a satin or silk pillowcase. So, that's that, oh and also you might be wondering when you have corn, when i have oh and also you might be wondering when i have cornrows in my hair. How do i get volume into my scarf? I have a video for that and i'll leave. It up here but yeah. You literally, wouldn't even know that i had cornrows because from the side there's a nice nice volume um, so yeah like i'll leave the link above so that you can watch how i do that. It'S really easy. So that's when i'm in cornrows, so right now, i'm actually in in jumbo braids. This is the first time i'm doing jumbo braids and actually do it by myself. I was so proud. I'Ve never braided my hair by myself so um. I watched loads of youtube videos and um. I used the elastic band method, i'll leave a link to one of the videos that i used to help me actually do this. So i just got my mom to do the parts for me and put the elastic bands on and then i i kind of did the braiding myself and i love it. Oh my god, it's so nice, your head's, not heavy, it doesn't take forever. I did it myself, so i you know, i didn't, do it too tight, but it just looks so good. I absolutely love it. This is going to be like my new thing, my new go-to protective style um. What i did find really difficult, though, when i did put this styling, is the actually like trying to get my natural hair like to blend in with the braids, because, like i said, my natural hair is really thick, so it was so hard and then it wasn't Until afterwards enough - because i'm obviously i'm still learning um - i'm a new natural, i'm still relatively new, so i'm still learning um. But yes, i discovered that what i should have done is. I should have stretched my hair and i found a video from natural chic um, which i'll leave again down in the description. Sorry memory run out um but yeah. So i'll leave the link to natural chic's video um, showing how to stretch your hair and if i had done that it would have made my life so much easier. But now i know so next time i'll do that and but for this i don't think. I'M gon na leave in for two months. In fact, i'm definitely not gon na leave it for two months. We'Ll leave it for one month just to see how it goes, especially with it being to just see how it goes. And then i might try and increase it to a month and a half and then see how two months goes. Um, but because i've got like the elastic bands in my hair, i just want to make sure that you know everything's. Okay before i take it any any further um but yeah. So that's what i've got and i've actually done. A video um which is yeah should be up already um, showing you how like different styles, different turban styles, that you can wear when you've got braids and like chunky, braids and things uh jumbo braids and things like that, and this is one of them so yeah. I hope you like this one and if you do then make sure to watch that video you can see how to recreate this style and other styles as well, for when you've got braids or any kind of chunky hairstyles in your hair. So after i take down my protective style, so what i use when i'm taking it down is water, so i just get um an empty spray bottle and just put water in it. Not this mix just just pure water, and then where is it? I use this um aloe and coconut water, detangling condition free shampoo. This one right here. You can see that and um. This is really so. It'S actually a a pre-poo as well, but i don't like it as a pre-poo, but i love it as a detangler. So what i do is i'll just spray, my cornrows with water and then i'll, take it out and i'll keep applying this to my fingers and or if there's any knots and i'll put it on and i'll kind of just squeeze it in and then honestly. This is so so so good for detangling um. It melts any knots any tangles that you come across in your hair, so it's really good but like that, i don't use it as a pre-poo, because i just found that i didn't really like do much to my hair doesn't really help much um but yeah. That'S why i use scratch my face and my lipstick off um but yeah. This is what i use to take it out and kind of detangle. This is why i used to take out my braids and to detangle and as i'm going, i do as much finger detangling as possible and then just use this to kind of help take out any kind of shed hairs that may be kind of stuck in there. Um but yeah a wide tooth comb all day every day i did used to when i took my braids down, i used to use this tangle teaser brush, which is actually really really good, and it does help to detangle your hair, but i just felt like i Was losing more hair than i needed to when i was using this um, so yeah, um and also just to emphasize water is a natural hair, natural natural hair girl's best friend? Oh, my god, like i remember he whenever i was watching all the videos and then people did like the ladies would be like water use, water. Don'T ever do anything on your hair dry and it's so true guys, like water, really is your best friend when you're natural. It just helps to make your hair so much more manageable and malleable as well, so yeah, okay. So after i've taken up my hair, detangled, it and i'll do a pre-poo treatment and what i mostly do pretty much. The majority of the time is a hot oil treatment, and i use my where is she? I use my aloe vera oil that i made myself and basically just dip it into a container full full of hot water kettle hot water and yeah you can see. This is why the bottles turned this funny shape because of the heat but yeah. So i'll. Just leave that in there and then start applying it all over my hair and i part my hair wet on wash days when i'm when i take out my braids, i literally have to work with my hair in sections, so i've been doing in four sections and Sometimes more, it's definitely easier when i do it in more sections than four but um. Yes i'll section, my hair into how many other sections and then apply the hot oil onto each section, from root to tip root, to tip root, to taper each tip. And then i put a shower cap on and then i'll put a shower cap on. I actually have like loads of them here that i just buy online um and then i will either just go about my business for 20 minutes or i'll sit under my hooded heat cap um for 20 minutes, and that just kind of will help to really help. The oils to penetrate deep into your hair shaft so i'll do either raw. It doesn't really make a difference to me, but yeah pre-pouring really helps to soften my hair, which is why i love to do it um another pre-poo that i sometimes do. If i can get my hand on the aloe vera is i'll, literally just um use, aloe vera put it in kind of sections, remove one side and i'll just rub it all over my hair and my scalp, and that also makes my hair feel really nice and Soft and aloe vera is really like slimy, so it really helps with detangling as well, actually, which is why that cream is really good. Um. Okay, come to think of it. Now that i've just mentioned that this, it's not really cream, it's more of a gel um, but now that i've mentioned this, the one i said that i detangle with, but i don't like using as a pre-poo. I think the reason that my hair doesn't particularly like it is a pre-poo is because of the coconut oil. I don't really think because when i was not when i was relaxed, my hair did not like coconut oil, and i think my natural hair is probably still the same because my hair lights, aloe vera, so yeah just realized that yes, so pre-poo. And then, once i pre-poo, then i'll wash that out and then i'll shampoo and i would use my herbal essence where is it so much stuff in here guys? This is what i use. So i use this herbal essence. Um sulfate free potent aloe and hemp shampoo, and this is what it looks like you see, that this is the bottle, and this shampoo is so good. So when i was relaxed i used to use, do i still have the bottle? No, i don't. I used to use the elastic qp, cream, conditioning shampoo, um and that's sulfate free as well, and that was really good um and the only reason i really switched. This was because, first of all, they started doing um herbal essence started doing a sulfate, free, shampoo and um. I thought let me give it a go, because this is easier to get because the other one had to go to london or buy online so yeah. I tried this one and it's so good. It lathers so well like really really larges really really well. So i really like that about that i mean you might some people might say well, after a protective style after protective styling for two months, then you should use a sulfate shampoo which absolutely like you might need to, but for me um, this honestly works so so. Well, like you wouldn't even know, it was a sulfate free, shampoo, um other than the fact that your hair is soft when you wash out um, but it really does cleanse your hair and obviously, if my hair does feel like it has so much product build up That i needed a selfie shampoo, then i would use that. But for now this is like the bomb.com and sometimes when i'm in my protective style. If i feel like, i need a bit more of a cleanse than just the the apple cider one, then what i'll do is i'll actually use this, but then dilute it with a lot of water. If i want a bit more of a lather to cleanse a bit better, then that's what i do so again with this, i will do it in sections. I literally never work with my hair as one it's just too much to do that so i'll. Do it in sections um, so i'll double cleanse after a protective style, because i just want to make sure that i really clean the scalp and the hair very well. Um and then, as i finish one section, then i will take this. My aphogee two minute, carotene reconstructor i've been using this for years. Ever since i was relaxed, it's such a good product and i'll just apply it to the section of hair that i've washed move on to the next section, shampoo that apply this move onto the next section and so on and so forth. Now, when i apply it, i feel in the shower i feel like it doesn't really absorb into my hair the way it used to so i think i might just stick with adding it to my deep conditioner or i might try like a different one. So if anybody's got any suggestions of any um protein treatments like protein treatments, then please do share them with me ones that work for natural hair. But yes, after i finish that whole process and wash everything out, then i will come out the shower and i always use a t-shirt to dry my hair. I never use a towel, use a t-shirt. It'S a lot! It'S a lot! Gentler on your hair on your hair strands, and so once i've done that then i'll come out and then dry it and then i will apply my deep conditioner and again i do that in sections. The deep conditioner that i have been using is this. Thank god. I'M natural, oh thank god, it's natural, honey miracle, hair mask and this is this is pretty good. Actually, i must say it's not the cheapest. It'S quite expensive. I think it's like 16 pounds, which is what, like i don't know, 20 25, or something like that um. But you can see this is this is the bottle here um but yeah? You can see i've nearly finished. This smells quite nice as well um. But yes, that's what i've been using and i also bought this strengthen, restore treatment, mask which i don't like it's way too thick and just it smells nice. But it's not great for my hair and it's one of these, the sheer shea moisture. It'S a shea moisture, jamaican black, castor oil, restore restore and strengthen treatment, but yeah - i really don't like it, so i just been mixing in with the other one just to try and use this up as well. But that's one thing: i've really been struggling to find is like conditioners that are really good and like really work for my hair and make my hair really soft. So i um when i was out in town the other day. I saw this one from herbal essence. I really like about herbal essence. They do some really good hair care products that work really nice with like natural hair, relaxed hair. So i saw this they've got a new line of products and this is their nourishing soothing test intensive mask and it's avocado oil and aloe - and it's this right here. So i thought i'd pick it up and try this out and it smells incredible. Oh, my god, i wish you could smell, it smells so nice and it's like a similar texture to the thank god. It'S natural one. So i thought maybe my hair will like it um so yeah when i'm next out my protective style. I think i'll use this. One, but i have been wanting to try like blending avocados and aloe vera with some oils in it to try and see that because i feel like because avocado i know is super moisturizing like even if you just cut an avocado and it's on your hands like It literally feels so moisturizing, and i know that aloe vera, my hair, loves that as well. So that's why i was thinking that if anybody's got any kind of recipes that they can suggest for me for like a deep conditioner, please leave them down below um because, like i really just need to find more deep conditioners that really work for my hair. So yeah so i'll apply the deep conditioner and then i'll go about my business for like 45 minutes to an hour or longer. If i can - or i will just use the heat conditioning cap, if i don't have enough time, um and then i'll go back in the shower - oh, i forgot to mention actually that i do mix oils into my deep conditioner. Always i'm not very particular about which one i use um but i'll usually always include um, my aloe vera, oil and castor oil, but i'm not very particular, like i say, um so yeah, then i'll go about my business for 45 minutes to an hour or more. If i have the time, if i'm trying to be a bit quick, then i will go into my hooded heat cap um for about 20 to 20 minutes to 30 minutes and then i'll go back in the shower and then i'll wash it all out and detangle. As i go now, i try to use my fingers as much to do finger detangling. But i will, if i need to use this as well, just to help make sure that my hair is well detangled and prepared for the next um protective style and then usually the next day. Then my mama will put my hair back into the plait this time around. Of course, i've tried something new and i've gone with the jumbo box braids, but before then, of course, so again come out dry. It with a t-shirt allow it to air dry um, but while it's damp i will apply my leave-in conditioner. So this one that i showed you before the shea shea moisture one i'll apply the leave-in conditioner and then i'll apply an oil or going forward. I will most likely be applying the sha, the whipped shea butter mix that i made and then i'll show out to dry and then, when it dries i'll apply. My my castor oil to my scalp, so i've been using castor oil for years now and absolutely love. It it's really good, it's great for my scalp anyway. So i've been using this for many many years now and i absolutely love it um, so yeah. So once that's all done, then my hair's prepared and ready for the next um protective style. So my mom will go ahead and pull out my hair for me. Obviously this time around, i did the jumbo box braids um, so i'll have line for a month and then literally i just like go back to my protective style, routine, so i'll be moisturizing. Every few days and then cleansing every two weeks and then after i like said after a month, i think i'll take these out. So now what happens underneath my scarf so underneath my scarf, if you've ever watched any of my turban, tutorials or my videos about how i create volume you'll see that i always have a satin scarf on directly on my hair. I never allow any cotton or any kind of material that isn't silk or satin to touch my hair directly and that's because kind of cut your cottons and polyesters, and things like that. They literally do dry your hair out and also, and also your hair, your um hair strands get caught in the fabric. I don't know if you, if you've ever seen like i don't know on, like your clothes and stuff like that um hair stuck in your clothes and you kind of you can pull it out so yeah. So never do that if you, if you're wanting to kind of protect your hair and keep it healthy and growing, also make sure to um protect your edges because wearing turbines and scarves can kind of cause. Friction on your edges. And so you don't want that. You don't want thinning edges, so make sure to keep your edges really moisturized and also when you tie your scarves and stuff try to avoid tying it too tight and also, like, i said, the satin scarf. So that's what you can see here. I'Ve got the satin scarf on. Um can help to protect your edges as well just take as much hair with your edges as you can to help keep them intact and then, obviously, like i'd, say as well. Give your hair as much of a break from turbines and things like that as you can, and so when you're at home. You know if you don't want to take it off, then loosen it or whatever, but don't always have it kind of you know very secure on your head kind of constantly 24 7, because you have your hair. Definitely won't! Thank you for that um and also, if you do have your hair down at any point, then just be mindful of protecting your ends, because if your hair's rubbing on your clothes, it's going to be breaking and then you're not going to see any growth so yeah Protect your hair, protect your ends all the time, even when, like um, when i do my turban styles um, i try to make sure my ends are like tucked in and tucked away as much as possible, and then i've already touched upon the sleeping one, which is To use a silk, which is to use a silk or satin bonnet to sleep um, because that will massively help as well so yeah. So basically, i have been on my journey now, um since big chopping and when i say a big chop by the way i didn't like cut it all off. It was kind of like so like when i stretched it was kind of like down to here. So you know afro in africans it it looked pretty small but yeah absolutely loved it and it's grown so much in four months already. So i'm really excited and by the way, some of the products that i used to use when i was relaxed just do not work for me now, like these ones, and i've not got like three bottles, so i've now got three bottles. Is it the three bottles of these um that i no longer use? That'S a shame, but i'll probably just be slowly like using like mixing them with my deep conditioner just to like finish with them, but yeah. Just like come back and tell you that um and guys, i think i'll, leave links to kind of some of my hero products, the the kind of favorite products down in the uh description box as well. So if you do want to buy anything and try it out, then they will be down there for you, okay, so lengthwise. Let me give you a bit of an idea of where i am um versus where i was when i cut the hair four months ago. Oh, oh, yes, okay, so um from the the front! So when i did the big big chop back in october, it was my hair kind of came down to i'm looking at the picture of it here came down to here and then, when i did the big chop it was down to here so that's grown and Then, on the side, when i did the big chop, it stopped right about here so almost kind of perpendicular to my chin. Is that even the word i don't know, let's pretend it is and then, when i did it the other day, it was almost down to this to my neckline so yeah, so it has grown quite a bit in four months. I'M quite impressed - and i look forward to like my hair, becoming a big fruity afro, but yeah so guys talk to me down below give me some ideas for deep conditioners that i can use or that i can, that can either buy or make and any of The products that you think work so well that i should be trying, because i'm currently at that product junkie stage, where i'm still trying to find my feet and trying to find all the products that work really well with my hair um. So yeah any input from you guys would be really appreciated. And if you'd like me to do any of the kind of videos i'm going into more depth with anything or to show you how i make any of my product mixes, then let me know because, as i said, i love talking about black hair care and i Would be more than happy to do anything else that you'd like me to on this topic? Okay, guys! Thank you so much for watching. If you like this video make sure to smash that thumbs up button comment down below your journey. What products you use all that kind of stuff and subscribe if you're not already and i'll catch you, my next one bye, you