For any length of hair: Satin night cap.
SATIN CAP
Cotton soaks moisture out of hair and is more abrasive against hair fibres thereby increasing the likelihood of breakage. A satin cap doesn't have any of these two problems; it provides the best overnight protection for hair.
 Shower caps
SHOWER CAPS
A must have for locking heat in when you're conditioning your hair. I usually put one of these on, blow dry on top of it and put a scarf over the shower cap to trap the heat in during a deep condition.  Wide tooth comb set
SEAMLESS WIDE-TOOTH COMB
It's easier to get a wide-tooth comb through kinky, curly or coily hair without hair breakage. Some naturals also like the "Denman" brush. I've had one for years but I stopped using it when I went natural; it still has relaxed hair fibres on it! When I'm less obsessed about breakage I might start using it again.
When you've left the TWA (teeny weeny afro) stage you also need:
BOBBY PINS
You need these for most styles. Go for those with round ends so that they don't irritate your scalp. One more thing to watch out for, when you slip these out you should hold them apart because if they are too close together they have a tendency to snag and break hair fibres. 
HAIR SIDE-COMBS
This is the best side-comb for natural hair that I have ever found but it's so hard to find! The stems don't break when you slip the comb into hair like I have experienced with other combs. This comb is beginning to look frayed because the top coat is coming off but other than that it's very much intact. 
BUTTERFLY GRIPS/CLAMPS
I actually don't have these myself but I'm planning to get some as my hair is now officially medium length. Hair clamps stop hair that you are not working on from getting in the way during your wash and condition session.
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The Queen of Kinks conditioner can be used for full routine wash, that is, detangle + shampoo + deep condition + moisturize with a different product application at each stage.
Alternatively, if you’re pressed for time or if your hair isn’t that dirty you can detangle your hair, twist it to section, let it sit then rinse, moisturize and go in one easy step. Because the detangler and conditioner are one product you save on time. It’s super convenient as you will see in the below video. Essentially, you are co-washing and deep conditioning at the same time:
First things first, what on earth is a microfiber towel?
Microfiber (or microfiber here in Britain) is a synthetic fiber that is finer than one denier - this diameter is smaller than a strand of silk. A microfiber towel is less fluffy than a regular cotton towel but is actually much more ideal for drying hair because:
How do you use a microfiber towel?
After washing my hair I give it a gentle squeeze to get rid of the dripping and then I wrap the microfiber towel over my head and let it get to work. You don't need to rub or scrunch at all. A gentle pat over the surface is enough. Where can you get a microfiber towel? I got links to the top rated microfiber towels on Amazon.com and .co.uk below. I have Mimi's Diva dryer. It's what I have on my head in the photos.
 Heather's hair caddy
This is an FAQ for sure!
To answer the question, I have an Amazon store with the products that I think work well for hair based on: a) my own usage b) usage by other naturals and most importantly c) reading the product list. Note that I am not the seller of most of these products. Hair care management is most important when you're trying to grow long, healthy hair but products are just as important because the wrong ones will spoil all your efforts. To avoid information overkill, at any one time I'll only ever have a maximum of 9 recommended products in a given category. There's no single product that will work well for everyone because we all have different hair textures and needs. Here's how to shop for good products:  Click for Queen Dominique's hair styles, journey & regimen
SHAMPOO
A GOOD DEEP CONDITIONER
After deep conditioning your hair it should feel soft, springy, strong and "fresh". LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS (aka Moisturizer)
OILS You want high grade oils, even when they are not organic you will get a better quality product if it has been cold pressed (i.e. refined without heat). I'm naturally going to recommend my awesome hair growth oil blend - you can use it for hot oil treatments and scalp massages: 
 Click for Queen Teshna's hair styles, journey & regimen
BUTTERS
I would go for something shea butter based. Butters are great when applied to wet hair. CHEMICALS TO AVOID There are certain chemicals natural black hair does "not like" because they dry hair out or coat hair in a film that makes moisturising diffifult. Some chemicals, e.g. Parabens aren't bad for hair as such but have been linked to cancer. Whenever I buy hair products I go for those that are 100% made from natural materials. I would avoid anything with:
You don't need: a protein conditioner You would only use one if you had hair damage or periodically on relaxed hair where the protein has been depleted. Protein conditioners:
TOOLS The picture below shows all the basic tools you'll need to take good care of your hair. Every product is available in the Neno Natural Amazon Store. I talk about each tool in: 9 Essential must-have tools for natural hair management 
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When water penetrates the hair cuticle and enters the cortex of hair the hydrogen bonds that hold the cortex together are temporarily displaced.
Hair can absorb upto 40% of its own weight in water and once wet it can stretch by 40-50% of its dry length! Hair is much more elastic and pliable when it's wet making it easier to manipulate and style. This is why it is easier to curl wet hair and then let it dry rather than curling dry hair. That said, hair is actually at its strongest when it is dry (The Science of Black Hair by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy) so when you want to detangle hair it is better to work with damp hair rather than either very dry or very wet hair. 
What type of comb should you use?
A smooth one with wide teeth like the one to the right. Click the image to get the stylish trio. At the moment there only seems to be one natural hair product box in the UK, Rosebox. As with all product box companies, you subscribe in order to receive a box filled with products for natural hair. Rosebox offer the option of a one-off box if you're not sure about subscribing and an on-going subscription which can be cancelled at any time. Rosebox sent out their first box in December 2012. From what they have sent out so far I think they are worth the money if you're relatively new to being natural or if you haven't discovered your staple products. I recently ordered my first one-off RoseBox and I have fully subsscribed to GlossyBox for makeup!
 Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.
You might also like: Kinky and Curly Natural Hair Product Boxes in the United States (US) What Are Product Boxes and How Do They Work? 1. You subscribe! 2. Each month, the company sends you a selection of product samples and possibly full-sized products. You don't know what you will get in advance but the box includes a selection of shampoos, moisturisers, conditioners and other hair-related paraphernalia from well-known brands as well as emerging gems. 3. You are normally auto-billed monthly and you get the box like clock work. Curl Collection bill once every two months. OvernightNatural.com say they don't auto-bill you so every month you have to remember to pay for your box. I don't know how that works but I would prefer to be auto-billed and unsubscribe if I don't like the service. How Much Product Do You Get? It varies. Read the website carefully to find out how many samples you'll get before signing up! If you feel you're not getting your money's worth, unsubscribe. Is it a good idea? I think so; if you're new to being natural or if you simply want to sample more products. If you completely stop buying hair products outside of the "box" you're sure to save money. Natural Hair Product Boxes In the UK...coming.
 Natural Hair Product Boxes In the UK...coming. Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. Other Product BoxesIf you want makeup, body products etc. Here are some other product boxes:
 Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.
To ensure you absorb all the good stuff from a deep conditioner many recommend that you apply heat over a shower cap or sit under a hooded dryer with hair covered in a plastic shower cap.
Why doesn't this cause heat damage? The reasons are simple: 1. Heat is not direct The heat is not applied directly to the hair, it's over a shower cap so it is much less intense. 2. The conditioner creates a protective seal At the time you apply heat, your hair is covered in the conditioner and that in itself acts as a strong heat protectant. 3. Water's "specific heat" temperature is very high The specific heat is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a given quantity of 'something' by one degree Celsius. A lot of energy is need to increase the temperate of water by one degree. Conditioner's key ingredient is water. Water acts as a buffer between the heat and your hair and slows down the rate at which your hair fibres take in the heat. It also follows that if your hair is very well moisturised, sealed (e.g. with coconut oil or an oil blend) and has been recently deep conditioned, styling tools that use heat are much less likely to cause heat damage. 
Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. Ref: The Science of Black Hair, pages 171-2 |
I now blog about wealth creation - so if you have any money questions meet me there, you can do all sorts of cool things like leave me a voicemail.
By Heather Katsonga-Woodward
I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx
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