Bridging The Gap - Techniques And Products That Work For Relaxed And Natural Hair

In the hair world, there can sometimes seem to be a divide. Many times it can come across as naturals on one side and relaxed ladies on the other. With that, the way we are taught to care for each hair type is divided as well. Information about new techniques or products come from sources that are either strictly relaxed or strictly natural.

The truth is, the divide is narrower than we all probably think. And there are products and techniques that can help us bridge that gap.

Let’s look at some techniques and products that work for relaxed and natural hair.

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo

Shea Moisture* has a broad range of hair and skin care products. If you were to ask someone about the brand’s hair line, they would likely think it’s solely for natural hair care. That’s not the case, though. Shea Moisture’s hair care products work on all hair types.

Their Raw Shea Butter* Moisture Retention Shampoo is great for gently cleansing hair and adding much needed moisture in the form of shea butter*. Their conditioners and deep conditioners are also versatile enough to be used on both relaxed and natural hair.

Jane Carter Solutions Wrap and Roll

Jane Carter Solutions is similar to Shea Moisture* in that, their public image would have you believe that the line is exclusively for naturals. And while there are lots of products that cater to naturals, their Wrap & Roll is designed and marketed as a soft mousse, setting and wrapping product that can be used to create many wet set styles.

Naturals may enjoy the versatility of a flexirod* set or a roller set using this product, while relaxed ladies can use the product to wet mold their hair and prepare it for heat styling. Wrap & Roll boasts a soft, clean hold that doesn’t leave any residue.

Overall, products that are geared toward cleansing, conditioning, and deep conditioning*, tend to be very flexible in terms of being used by both naturals and relaxed ladies. Those products tend to the basics of hair care that aren’t designated to whether or not you rock your natural curls or straighten them out with chemicals.

Moisturizing with oils

Basics are basics and they are never going to change. Certain things will always and forever be a part of anyone and everyone’s hair care routine.

Because our hair has to have moisture in order to thrive, moisture matters. It has mattered since the beginning of time, and it is what it is. There are many ways to infuse your strands with moisture. There are also different types of moisture that you can infuse into your hair.

Water is the best and most effective moisturizer for your hair. Oils* are often used to lock in water for longer periods of moisture retention.

This being the case, water and oils* are moisturizers that cross over that gap between how we care for relaxed hair versus how we care for natural hair. Both hair types can benefit from proper moisturizing.

Now, because you can’t add water to relaxed hair that is already styled, adding oils is a great alternative. Naturals often will spritz their hair with a little water to revive a style, however, spritzing oils onto the hair to liven it up works on both hair types and can be used to perk up a style in the same way that water can.

Deep conditioning

Deep conditioning* can’t be overlooked. Period. If you have hair on your head, you need to be deep conditioning your hair.

Different than regular conditioning, deep conditioning provides benefits to the inner layers of the hair strand. No matter which hair type you rock, the inner layers of anyone’s hair strands can benefit from deep conditioning. Keeping hair strong from the inside out, ultimately will result in healthier, shinier and lusher strands.

It’s for this reason the Jane Carter Solutions and Shea Moisture* brands are able to cross market their deep conditioning* products with success.

There are definite differences in the way relaxed hair and natural hair are cared for, however, there are also similarities.  Brands are conscious of this are they are creating products with dual functionality more and more frequently.

Consumers are also becoming more aware of the basics of hair care that are not restricted by hair type. This means they’re looking for techniques and products that simply work, regardless of the where they sit on the shelves of stores.

Bridging this gap is easy, we just need to start with sharing our knowledge about the products and techniques that work for us. The conversations no longer have to be divided when it comes to what we use to make our hair look amazing. How many of you are still relaxing and what products do you use that women with natural hair also use?