Daily moisture and bedtime routine: I’m not very strict when it comes to doing bantu knots or two-strand twists before heading to bed, because I’m not that patient. I simply tie a pony to stretch the hair, cover up with a satin scarf and go to bed. In the morning, when I get into the shower, I don’t wear a shower cap so I let the heat seep into my hair to steam it. My hair then just comes alive. I’m consistent with putting coconut oil in my hair. I use the raw, organic Nature’s Choice coconut oil whenever I need to moisturise my hair.
#Washday: I wash my hair every week and a half. I avoid washing it too often because then it gets dry. When I wash my hair I use the Cantu sulfate-free cleansing cream shampoo and follow with the Cantu sulfate-free hydrating cream conditioner, and then rinse it out. On exiting the shower, I apply the Cantu leave-in conditioning cream. I plait my hair while it’s still wet. Only when it’s dry, will I undo, steam it and put in the coconut oil.
I only use the Cantu coil calm detangler after washing my hair, when necessary.
READ MORE: Seven things to know before going natural
Which three products do you swear by?
1. Cantu leave-in conditioning cream
2. Nature’s Choice coconut oil
3. Cantu coil calm detangler
What has been your biggest lesson about black natural hair?
It requires a lot of love and self care. It is very difficult to get away with it when you do not take care of it, as it is very obvious. Unlike when I had relaxed hair, I could easily get away with washing up, combing it back and then I was good to go. But with natural hair you can’t do that, it requires some care and effort on your part.
READ MORE: “I enjoy the freedom of wigs” – Enhle Mbali on her new hair collection
What’s the biggest mistake women make with natural hair?
It’s definitely blow-drying it. I used to do that as well. It damages hair, makes it very brittle; gets dry and breaks. And then we wonder why our hair’s not growing fast enough. It’s because we keep on damaging it.
I’m quite strict about heat; even when I do plaits at the salon with a hair piece, I ask them to do it when it is wet. I never blow-dry it, I let it air dry instead.
