Deep Conditioning

There are a million hair products out there and it's easy to get overwhelmed by this, I still do at times. But one product that has made a huge difference for my hair is deep conditioning products. I never used to deep condition before I started reading about natural hair care. My hair was always very dry and frizzy but I still didn't see the need for deep conditioning. Today my deep conditioners are on that list of things I would bring to a deserted island (I would struggle between bringing a leave in conditioner and a deep conditioner though). I could live without regular conditioner, but not without deep conditioner.

A good deep conditioner adds lots of moisture to your hair and leaves it feeling soft and manageable. I judge my deep conditioners by how my hair feels when I rinse it out: if it's soft like silk I've found a great deep conditioner. 

In summer I deep condition anywhere from every other week to once a month. But in winter deep conditioning is key. If you want your hair to survive winter invest in a good deep conditioning treatment. In winter the cold air combined with the heat of indoor hearing usually takes it's toll on our curls and dries then out. This is why your hair needs more regular deep conditioning. In winter I deep condition every wash day. I always use a deep conditioner with water as the first ingredient. Sometimes I sleep with the deep conditioner in my hair, sometimes I leave it in for a few hours, sometimes I'll leave it in for 20-30min. It all depends on the circumstances. I mostly cover my hair with a plastic shower cap or plastic bag and a head wrap while I'm deep conditioning. The heat from your body helps the deep conditioner to get into the hair strands better this way. You can also try a heating cap or hooded drier for even more of an effect.

Some say not to sleep in your deep conditioners, but others say it works well. You'll just have to see what works best with the deep conditioner you are using. But don't skip deep conditioning. Deep conditioning is a must, especially if you live in a cold climate. You hair needs that extra moisture to maintain health. And if you are planning to do a protective style during winter make sure you deep condition you hair before and after as most protective styles don't let moisture reach the hair as well as when it's loose.

I'm not a big DIY person when it comes to hair care, but when my fav deep conditioners ran out I figured it can't hurt to try something new. After looking at countless YouTube videos and reading different blog posts I decided on mixing conditioner, coconut oil, coconut milk, a bit of avo oil (and Haitian black castor oil) and my hair absolutely loved it.

Don't forget to deep condition your hair regularly!