6. Exclusively Using Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Those who couldn’t get down with co-washing quickly adopted the practice of not using very strong shampoos. They found strong shampoos that contained sulfates, dried out the hair and stripped them of their sebum. The issue with this practice is that most naturals use heavy oils and butters and then use very mild cleansers that are not able to thoroughly cleanse the hair. Dimitria C. had a wonderful epiphany related to this while doing some household chores. “As I was hand washing my dishes, and yes, I still hand wash even though I have a dishwasher, I thought about what Aeleise and Aishia Strickland always try to impress upon us regarding washing our hair. Basically, we have to get all the products out of our hair with our clarifying washes,” she says. “If we don’t, it’s like leaving your drinking glasses, cups, or other dishes half rinsed with soap residue on them. Who wants to drink or eat out of half-rinsed dishes?”
7. The LOC Method
According to the LOC method, the proper way to layer on a product is to first add your liquid (water), followed by your oil and then top it off with your cream. In some cases, people have found their own way and do LCO instead, as that works better for their hair. However, women who have participated in the #30dayhairdetox have discovered they are no longer using oils. Monica B. surprised herself when she realized how long it had been since she’s used oil on her hair. “I haven’t used oil in 4 months! Wow, I had to stop and think when was the last time I used oil,” she says. When following a simple regimen of cleansing, conditioning and styling, the LOC method goes out the window because it complicates the simple process of choosing an appropriate product to give you your desired style.
8. Making Your Own Concoctions with Food
Making personal concoctions from the items present in one’s kitchen has added a new level to DIY. These individuals, known as Kitchen Mixologists, have taken a liking to really doing it all on their own, meanwhile, no one is accounting for the fact that the hair strand is not able to process the foods the same way our digestive systems are able to. That avocado that you insist on making a mask out of would be more valuable to your hair if you just ate it. Food molecules are way too large for the hair to gain any nutritional benefits. “Trying to make a salad on my head does nothing for my hair!!!! I need to eat my food so that my hair gets the benefits from the digesting of those foods,” #30dayhairdetoxer Chandra T adds.
9. Protective Styling
Weaves, wigs, braids, crotchets and up-dos have become the new buzzwords in haircare. They have all adopted new identities in this modern world of hairstyling but one hairstylist from California is having a hard time accepting the name and the idea of “protective styling.” “I HATE the term, protective style. There is no such thing. We are always protecting our hair. Is adding and maintaining moisture not protective? Hydrated hair is protected hair,” hairstylist Roni Jones says.
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10. Clay Mask
Clay masks are known in the natural hair community for clarifying the hair. However, I’m not sure where this idea originated but chemist Mellanie Garner sets the record straight. “I will never agree with anyone that says putting clay on their hair is a cleanser, as part of the whole surfactant system and why it works is the actual “mechanical” mechanism of the surfactants,” Mellanie shares. “Shampoo has properties that lift up the dirt and other properties that snatch the dirt up once it has been “lifted” or make it easy to rinse away once “lifted” from your hair! You can’t get that from clay.”
11. ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)
ACV is another item being used by a number of naturals in place of shampoo. Allegedly, ACV is supposed to clarify the hair but natural hairstylist Aeleise J. says otherwise. “My opinion is that ACV can be great as a rinse to address scalp issues. It has some proven effectiveness against fungi and dandruff. But it’s not a hair cleaner,” she says.
12. Baking Soda
Baking soda is a method touted for its “cleansing” and cuticle opening abilities for those that struggle with low porosity. Tarchelle B. gave it a try and she warns naturals to “Stay away from baking soda. Trust me…. I had hard “crack” build up on my hair for months.”
13. Henna
A lot of naturals take being natural very seriously all the way down to having their hair colored. Many naturals are afraid to color their hair for a number of reasons, but a host of them are not interested in putting any chemicals on their hair…even though water is a chemical (but I don’t want to start a riot). “There is a reason you cannot get henna done at any reputable salon. It destroys your hair. From the cuticle to the cortex, it causes permanent, irreversible damage. That initial softness and ‘curl loosening’? A pulverized cortex,” according to hairstylist Jennifer Rose. “That resulting hardness that you mistake for ‘strength’? The cortex hardening into an un-moistrizedable (it’s a word today), un-conditionable (that, too) hot a– mess. It is [a] permanent process. And you guys do it over and over again. If it were actually safe for your hair health, stylists would offer them in salons.”
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It’s great that more people are doing their own hair, but what’s not so great is that lots of people are misinformed and don’t have adequate information on how to simply cleanse/shampoo, condition and style their hair.
I know a lot of you are going to disagree, but I challenge you to try the #30dayhairdetox and prove us wrong. We’re still waiting on someone to contact us to tell us that the #30dayhairdetox is a bunch of bologna. Will it be you?
Aishia Strickland is a full-time mom to a little Chocolate Prince, lover of multi-textured hair, tastemaker, Editor of Chocolate Curls Beauty and co-creator of the #30DayHairDetox!
