How To Slick Down Thick Natural Hair

I'1000 Lazy virtually Caring for My 4C Hair, but These Products Make Information technology Then Easy

If having 4C hair feels like a part-time job, you'll want these tried-and-tested favorites.

Going natural was the best determination I've ever made—and the worst. Don't become me wrong, I love my coily 4C pilus, just some days it feels like it but doesn't love me back. When I first went natural six years ago, my pilus-care routine was pretty simple: shampoo, condition, and style. I didn't realize that my texture required a lot more TLC. Going to the salon was out of the question, and even if I could afford the trip twice a calendar month, the number of reputable hair salons and stylists in upstate New York that were willing to deal with 4C hair were scarce.

There are already and so many stigmas surrounding 4C hair—misconceptions that it doesn't grow, or that it'south dry with undefined curls. With all this working against me, I was adamant to dispel the narrative and live my life with cute, good for you, and divers curls.

In social club to learn more than, I reached out to the customs of Black women around me for support, merely to be shocked by the amount of work that goes into caring for 4C hair. The routine was supposed to go a petty something like this: pre-poo, shampoo, deep condition, hot oil handling, moisturize with the LOC (liquid, oil, cream) method, then style. That's twice the amount of steps that I was accepted to before going natural, and so clearly, this was a lot to take in.

Just one year into my natural hair journey, I was already over it. Women on Instagram and YouTube made caring for their pilus look and then easy, but spending v-plus hours and using a list of products longer than a CVS receipt was simply not for me. Having 4C pilus felt like a part-time task with no payday in sight.

That'south why I decided very early in my hair journey that I am a lazy natural.

So I simplified it. I felt a little guilty at first, similar I was taking shortcuts and cheating, merely once I realized I could still achieve strong and healthy hair without all the fuss, you couldn't tell me anything. Don't become me wrong—at that place's nil wrong with going through all the steps and having an in-depth hair-care routine. There are fifty-fifty some days where I'll deep-status for an hour AND do a hot oil treatment (just to pass the time).

But if you're anything like me, you want the results with just one-half the effort. If that'due south the instance, here are a few products I use during wash day that make the whole process a little faster and a whole lot easier.

Creme of Nature Argan Oil Perfect vii Get out In Treatment

A skilful leave-in conditioner with sideslip is essential for detangling 4C hair. The job of detangling is always so daunting, especially with a head full of thick, coarse hair, but this leave-in provides enough slip to help the detangling process go by quicker and with a lot less pain.

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Revlon One-step Volumizer Pilus Dryer

$60

This hair dryer changed the game for me! Before this purchase, it would accept me anywhere between one and 1.5 hours to blow-dry out my hair; with this drying brush, the time it takes to achieve a successful home blowout is cut downward to well-nigh 30–45 minutes. It also leaves me with the straightest blowout, which makes it easy to put my hair into any protective mode after.

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Alaffia Whipped Shea Butter & Coconut Oil

$17

Shopping Black-owned is so important to me, then when I discovered this make, I knew I had to incorporate it into my routine. It started equally my go-to winter moisturizer, merely 1 day, while randomly reading the ingredients, I realized information technology might work well in my pilus, and wow, was I right!

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Aztec Indian Healing Dirt

$14

The only fashion you lot haven't heard of this mask is if you alive under a stone. This cult fave is known for being a smashing face mask, but it doubles as a cleansing pilus mask, too. It acts as a purifying handling that removes product buildup, atmospheric condition, and defines curls. It'south my holy grail for when I need a 2-for-one product.

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Creme of Nature Argan Oil Apple tree Cider Vinegar Clarifying Rinse

$10

Sometimes I'll go a few weeks in a protective fashion that requires a lot of gel; my hair doesn't feel dirty enough to practise a full-on wash day, simply I practice need to go rid of the buildup. This product works wonders at leaving my scalp clean and healthy. After a quick shampoo, this gets rid of any excess buildup, especially around my edges.

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Conair Wide Tooth Comb

$half dozen

Every 4B/4C girl knows that the right comb tin make or intermission your wash day (literally). After trying endless combs that claimed to exist 4C friendly, all I was left with was a bunch of broken combs and no willpower to detangle my hair. Enter the Conair wide-tooth comb. It makes detangling my hair so much easier, and it's potent enough to handle my unruly coils.

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Tropic Isle Black Jamaican Black Brush Oil Pilus Food

My hair eats this stuff up! One of the biggest struggles with my pilus is getting it to grow and retain length, and this product helps and so much. It's an oil-based moisturizer that knocks out the oil-and-cream step of the LOC method. Any production that helps my hair grow and lets me skip a pace in my routine is a winner.

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Dream Girls Hair TLC Comb-out Handling

$30

Detangling is the most dreaded part of my launder days, merely proper detangling helps promote growth and reduces breakage. This detangler makes my hair soft and easy for detangling. Information technology'southward formulated with no sulfates, which makes it that much meliorate for 4C hair because sulfates can strip the hair of its wet and natural oils.

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Got2B Ultra Glued Invincible Styling Gel

$14

4C hair is notorious for beingness hard to slick back considering of how thick it is. I had completely given upwards on trying to tame my edges or do a depression bun style until I discovered this product. This gel has a strong hold without any of the white flakes that some other gels can go out. Laying my edges with this as the final pace of my pilus routine is and so satisfying considering it takes less than a infinitesimal, and I know my waves aren't going anywhere for the rest of the mean solar day.

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