My Natural Hair Care Routine

Babes! It’s about time I reveal my favourite hair care tips and routine secrets. It’s no secret by now that I’m not a very girlie-girl. I’m not naturally good at curling my hair, I can’t paint my nails (no matter how many times I try) and I can’t – for the life of me – put on eyeshadow without looking absolutely insane. So I usually stick to the natural makeup look, throw my hair in a braid and put on my comfy hippie clothes. 

But let’s be real –

We all take showers (I think?) and wash our hair (unless you are on the “no shampoo train” already). I took a big, gradual step in the beauty + household cleaning department when I started eating a plant-based diet. When you start caring about your food, a magical thing happens – you start to care for yourself, you care about where your food comes from and who is growing it, you take a good look at your relationships, the ingredients in your cleaning products, the sources of your happiness, and so many other things we just shrugged off in our past. It’s such a beautiful thing because it allows us to be more aware of the world around us. Have I lost you yet? Don’t worry, I’ll get to the good stuff soon.

I made a switch to natural body care products quite quickly. It was a no-brainer for me once I moved out on my own that I wanted to spend my money on natural, organic and cruelty-free products. And with that, my natural hair care routine was born.

A few things I learned really quickly:

• It is not insanely expensive to buy quality, organic, cruelty-free, plant-based products – I shopped at discount stores and bought in bulk when it was on sale. I compared prices and often purchased the “clean/organic” sister brand of class brands my parents have been buying for years. Many big companies now have “eco-friendly” lines – start there if that’s what you can afford. 
• You are worth it. No questions asked – you are 100% worth it, always.
• I started to question the industry. Why isn’t everything natural? The way it’s supposed to be? Why would anyone ever want to put chemicals and toxins on their bodies, in their hair and on their teeth? I honestly just couldn’t fathom the idea of every buying a standard product again. 
• Natural products make you healthier, physically feel better and mentally feel better. You know that you are putting good, natural ingredients on your body so you tend to feel proud about that. Your skin no longer dries up from all the chemicals, your cleaning products don’t make your hands burn (yes, this happened to me all the time), your soap leaves your hands soft and smooth and you begin to develop a love for natural ingredients. I now even make my own products on occasion, but I’ll save that for another post!

Now let’s talk about hair.

I used to have a real problem – I was obsessed with washing my hair. Every single night I would give it a good shampoo and conditioner, stripping my scalp of the natural oil build-up essential for keeping strong and healthy hair. Sure, at the time I was 16 and my hair was still luscious and strong, but over time it began to thin out and dry up. 

The first thing I did (and recommend doing) is: 

• Cut down your washes to 3 times a week, and eventually to 1-2 times a week. 

I now shampoo and conditioner my hair 1-2 times per week, depending on my schedule. Quality over quantity folks! I now go through shampoo bottles just twice a year. No joke.

The next thing I recommend doing is:

• Using all-natural, plant-based hair products. Look for well-known companies like Jäson, or local brands in your city. Here in Vancouver we have a ton of options and couldn’t be luckier! 

I also suggest:

• Avoid heat to avoid damage. I curl my hair 2-3 times a week, max for work or events, but try to stay away from high-heat irons and curlers to avoid dry or frizzy hair. I use a natural oil to reduce frizz and hold my curls or I use a sea salt spray and wrap my hair in a braid for a beachy-wave look in the summer.
• Once a month I love adding raw coconut oil to my ends and after a shower to repair any damage from heat/sun/salt/etc.
• After a sweaty workout, I love using a natural dry shampoo in my roots every once and a while. This takes the grease out but isn’t necessarily stripping all the oils out of your hair from the day.
• Put your hair in a top bun or a french braid during those tough days.

Products I am loving lately:

• Coast Dry Shampoo
• Harlow Hair Tonic Salt Spray
• Jäson Smoothing Sea Kelt Conditioner 
• Jäson Long and Strong Jojoba Shampoo
• United & Free Shampoo and Conditioner (they have travel sizes too!)
• Raw Coconut Oil

This post is in no way sponsored – these are products I truly love and stand behind! Please, feel free to comment and share your favourite natural hair products.