How to Determine Your Hair Care Routine

What is a Hair Care Routine?

A hair care routine is a sequence of steps you take on a regular basis to care for your hair. And since everyone’s hair is different, your hair routine may not be the same as someone else’s. 

A typical hair care routine consists of: 

  • Shampooing 
  • Conditioning
  • Detangling 
  • Styling
  • Refreshing 

    Some other steps people take to keep their hair healthy include regular:

    • Deep conditioning
    • Pre-Pooing
    • Protein treatments 
    • Hot oil treatments
    • Trimming

    Many choose to do the majority of these steps at home, but others may get them done at a salon. 

    How Do I Create a Hair Care Routine? 

    For those who like to DIY, to create a hair care routine, the first step is to determine your hair type and what its specific needs are. 

    How Your Hair Type Shapes Your Hair Care Routine

    Depending on your hair type, your hair routine may consist of specific treatments, avoid certain steps, or focus mainly on one or more aspects of healthy hair. 

    Type 1 Hair 
    Type 1 hair, which is straight and has no curl pattern, easily becomes weighed down and oily. It needs a routine that imparts moisture without weighing the hair down. 
    Type 2 Hair
    Type 2 hair is wavy and sometimes wispy, calling for a routine that promotes weightless moisture and frizz-fighters. 
    Type 3 Hair
    Type 3 Hair is curly, fragile, and parched. This makes moisturizing products, a good detangling conditioner, and infrequent shampoo sessions a must!
    Type 4 Hair
    Type 4 Hair screams for moisture and TLC. This is due to its super-tight, kinky coils that easily dry out. A hair care routine for type 4 hair should focus on lasting moisture, deep conditioning sessions, detangling products, and a daily moisture top-up. 

     

    Know Your Hair’s Porosity Level 

    Knowing your hair’s porosity level is imperative when creating a hair care routine.

    Low Porosity Hair
    Low porosity hair is made up of cuticles that are tightly closed, making it difficult for moisture to penetrate the hair, but easier for the hair to hold onto moisture. Protein-free conditioners, and moisturizers with glycerine and honey are good for low porosity hair. 
    Medium Porosity Hair 
    Medium porosity hair has cuticles that are not as tightly closed as low porosity hair. As such, it is easy to impart moisture to the hair and just as easy for the hair to retain moisture. 
     High Porosity Hair
    High porosity hair has cuticles that are spaced out. This makes moisturizing the hair a breeze, but the hair dries out just as easily. Butters and oils, leave-in conditioners, and sealers are ideal moisturizers. 

    What are the Benefits to Having a Haircare Routine? 

    Not having a hair care routine that works for your hair can lead to severe hair damage, causing:

    • Dryness
    • Brittleness
    • Split ends 
    • Tangles
    • Broken Hair
    • Balding

    Conversely, there are several benefits to having a good hair care routine, including: 

    • Stronger hair that resists breakage
    • Moisturized hair that shines brilliantly
    • Cost savings from less hair emergencies
    • Enhanced hair manageability

    What Products Should I Use in my Haircare Routine?

    Generally, at minimum, a hair routine should consist of a shampoo, conditioner, styler, and a style refresher. The exact brands and formulations of these products depends on your hair type and porosity. 

    Above all, no matter your hair type, you should be making sure that your hair is moisturized, as this is the foundation of healthy hair. Daily Dose™ Leave-In Conditioner is a mist spray that moisturizes your curls, waves, coils, or straight hair, without weighing it down in the slightest. This moisturizer also keeps frizz under control and never leaves a residue on your strands. It can be used every day to keep your hair in its healthiest state. 

     

    https://www.healthline.com/health/hair-porosity#can-porosity-be-changed

     

    Author: Andrea Reyes

    Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.

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