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For three years, I grew my natural hair post chopping it off in September of 2018. As it grew rapidly and widely, my scalp got tender from all the tugging from detangling, and the long 2-hour wash day process was a drain. p.s. I’m a black girl with 4c hair.

In January of 2022, I decided to relax my hair for my birthday the following month, and it’s been such a journey relearning how to care for my now bra-strap length hair. p.s. check out this video on transitioning from natural to relaxed.

Over the last 7-months, I’ve experienced shedding, shiny hair, soft hair, and dry hair as I’ve explored and experimented with finding haircare products my hair love and understanding what it hates.

As of now, I’ve curated a pretty simple and affordable range of must-try products. For the record, my hair is low porosity, meaning it doesn’t absorb moisture easily. Even on wash days, it takes at least 5 minutes before my hair gets fully saturated to add shampoo. Here are a few of my favs so far.

First hair care product you will love – The OlaPlex Range

I know, Olaplex has gotten some frack for having a dangerous product in their most popular product, the No.3, and I was extremely hesitant to add it after the trending news.

“According to the Olaplex class action lawsuit, the Olaplex No. 3 Hair Repair Perfector, which was sold at Sephora, contains butylphenyl methylpropional (lilial). Olaplex failed to inform its customers of the “serious health risks” associated with the ingredient, the class action lawsuit alleges. It states that side effects of exposure to lilial include allergies and potentially even infertility. ” – read more here

However, after doing my research, the brand claims that they no longer use this product in their range, so I decided to proceed with five products that have helped me tremendously.

Before relaxing, my hair would shed and break immensely on wash days, and I had a tone of split ends. I have had to do three trims over the last seven months to get rid of them.

Olaplex claims that its products repair broken bonds, rejuvenate hair, increase tensile strength and restore elasticity, and protect the hair follicle from further breakage. Does it? Well, I think that my hair has gotten stronger since using the Olaplex no 0, 3, 4, 5, 6, or the intensive bond building treatment, hair perfector, bond maintenance shampoo & conditioner, and bond smoother respectively.

I will advise though to please do your research before adding the range to your hair care regimen.

Available at Sephora – Buy Below.

By the way, I’m gifting a 50$ Sephora Voucher when I get 1000 subscribers on my YouTube channel, and f you’ve been wanting to try Olaplex, check out my full review on YouTube or below.

Second hair care product you will love – Tresseme 24hr Volume Shampoo & Conditioner with silk protein & collagen

In its natural state, my hair is thick and full. However, in its relaxed or silk-pressed state, it’s fine and always has been the case since my earlier days of relaxing. Because of this, my hair tangles easily on wash days, and I wanted to manage it better this time.

Additionally, I wanted a bit of volume when it dried up instead of the usual limpness. The Tresemme 24hr-volume range has been my go-to shampoo and conditioner for biweekly wash days. My hair remains smooth and shiny even when there’s a lot of growth in between post my relaxer.

That has reduced tangling and shedding on wash days, which makes my hair care management process easier. Also, it’s the most affordable haircare product I own, even in the value-sized bottles. These also have small amounts of silk proteins, which strengthen and give that added shine post air drying. Have you been looking for an affordable yet great shampoo and conditioner for your hair? Get this range from Amazon.

Last hair care product you will love – Lusters Pink Jojoba & Grapeseed Oil & Coconut Sheen Spray

On my wash day, I seldom add heat. I air dry, and if required, I do a blow-out on low heat to smooth out the frizz. However, it would sometimes look a bit dull, so I add some oil or a small amount of serum. If you have low porosity hair, your goal is to add and retain moisture as much as possible, and water is your best friend.

My hair loves the serums, but it can weigh it down a bit. On the flip side, it doesn’t respond to oils very well. They dry it out even more than it is naturally prone to, but oils give it that shine. I was looking for a product that would balance both of these, so I recently stumbled upon the Lusters Pink JoJoba & Grapeseed oil & sheen spray at the beauty store and picked them up.

Since mixing the two, I’ve had more sleekness without the weight or greasiness, and the shine lasts longer than with serum alone.

Available At Walmart

If you’re a relaxed hair girly, check out my hair care & growth playlist on YouTube. Have you tried any of these? What is your go-to hair cair products? Also, don’t forget your skin. Here’s an affordable skincare regimen you can start today.

Bisous