The new year is upon us and a lot of us are going to be detoxing our bodies, our minds, our lives and our homes, but what about our hair? Yes, your hair could use a detox, too! Myself and natural hairstylist Aeleise J. of HairLoveArtStudio have partnered up for a revolutionary 30 day hair detox.

We’ve partnered together because there’s an epidemic of dry hair happening even when people are doing all the “right” things to their hair. Our intention is to explore simple techniques that lead to proper hydration. For 30 straight days we’re asking participants to forgo the use of coconut oil, shea butter, castor oil and Eco Styler. We’re also asking that participants forgo the use of any products that have these items listed in the first five ingredients on the product label.

We don’t think coconut oil, shea butter, castor oil and Eco Styler are inherently bad, but we want to end the abuse of them.

MUST READ: 10 Things Professional Hairstylists Want Us To Stop Doing To Our Hair

So check out the 9 reasons you should detox your curls in 2016:

1. You think oils and “the butters” moisturize your curls.

It’s simple: water=moisture and oil=sealant. According to The Science of Black Hair, written by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy, “Oils are hydrophobic or ‘water fearing’ substances that repel moisture. If you use oils without a moisturizer or before one, the oil will deter moisture from entering the hair strand and lead to eventual dryness.” So please stop with the oils and butters. They are actually not helping your hair moisture ministry.

2. You only use coconut oil and/or shea butter to moisturize your curls.

According to The Science of Black Hair, “moisturization, or hydration, is a primary characteristic of water. Water is a universal moisturizer. Good moisturizers will always contain water as a first ingredient.” Oil and butter are not the holy grail so again, please use sparingly.

3. You have a serious case of buildup on your hair. 

Hair buildup is one of the main reasons we’re actually doing this curl-changing challenge. The overuse and abuse of coconut oil, shea butter, castor oil and Eco Styler lead to heavy buildup. Not only are these products contributing to buildup but the absence of clarifying shampoo in your hair regimen could also be be a factor, in addition to the layers and layers of product piled up on the hair. When the hair is not properly clarified these products remain on the hair, resulting in buildup along with a continual cycle of shampooing and moisturizing dry, dull hair.

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