Caring for my own natural hair for 4 years before my second daughter was born gave me a lot of insight into what to do.

Lord knows I didn’t know what the heck I was doing with my hair at the get-go, but after many trials and errors, I came up with a simple system that kept my hair and scalp nourished and free of damage.

I used to have chemically processed hair and decided to grow it out without the big chop. I vowed that my daughters would never go on the path of relaxers like I had done.

I teach my daughters to love their hair and to avoid toxic chemicals that not only harm their hair, but bodies as well. So hopefully these lessons go on with them for many years, and they teach their daughters the same.

My eldest daughter has 4c hair, so I dreadlocked hers. My second eldest daughter, who is now four has my 3b hair and it’s almost to her tailbone.

Her hair has grown substantially in such a short time and it’s very healthy. I didn’t use any commercial products in her hair, just all-natural ingredients and products made by companies that I trust.

Keeping her hair clean and conditioned with shikakai* and amla

I first started out using Kirk’s coconut* castile shampoo and conditioner on her hair, then switched over to a conditioning shampoo bar* made with shikakai*, amla, brahmi, bhringraj and areetha.

Both are great, but I prefer the conditioning shampoo bar* because it is more natural and offers a ton of benefits for the hair and scalp.

Detangling her hair using a paddle brush*

I find that the shampoo bar helps to detangle her hair, which I do in the shower using a paddle brush. As I’m slowly rinsing her hair, I comb it with the paddle brush.

I’m able to detangle her hair without hurting her scalp because it combs right through with ease. I of course start from the tips and work my way up to the roots.

I never use a comb on her hair or my own, unless I’m parting it. The paddle brush* doesn’t pull out much hair at each wash, which is why I have stuck with this detangling method.

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Styling her hair with natural oils*

I don’t like to use any type of store-bought leave-in conditioners and creams. I instead use natural oils like marula, baobab or olive oil*. This leaves her hair with a nice shine and keeps it looking moisturized. I love the way the oils* help her curls become more defined, tempting me to leave her hair out, but I know better than that.

Protective hairstyles 24-7

I don’t ever allow my daughter to wear her hair out — one, because she’s four and it will become a tangled mess in less than an hour and two, because this will cause damage and breakage.

A handful of times, I’ve allowed her to wear ponytails that weren’t braided, but any other time, I give her braided ponytails.

I don’t corn row her hair for any particular reason. Just find it easier to maintain her hair with easy-to-remove braids. I give her 2-6 ponytails and call it a day. I also never use rubber bands on her hair. I prefer to use scrunchies that have no cotton on them to prevent breakage.

How often I wash and style her hair

I wrap her hair in a scarf every night whether her hair is nicely done or not. When it comes time for her hair to be redone, I still tie up her hair simply to prevent any drying and damage caused by her cotton pillow case and her wild tossing and turning.

I wash her hair every week and a half. I find this to be often enough, unless we go out somewhere and she sweats a whole lot. Only then would I wash it again to prevent buildup of dried sweat and dirt.

Until her next wash day, I redo her ponytails when they need to be redone. I take them loose and spray her hair with water mixed with oil. I then use a paddle brush* to get the kinks out and a regular bristle brush to smooth out the edges as I tie her hair into ponytails.

I don’t use protein or deep conditioning* treatments

There’s no particular reason why I don’t use these on her hair, I just simply don’t. I don’t find a need to, since her hair is well oiled throughout the week.

Her hair has a natural gloss to it and it appears to be healthy. I’m a minimalist when it comes to hair management, so if I can get away with doing less, then I won’t push myself or my budget to do more.

Caring for my daughter’s hair is very simple and the results are great. Her hair is just about as long as mine (tailbone length) and she’s not even in kindergarten yet! Growth and shine are signals of health and she has plenty of both.

So what do you do to care for your daughter’s hair? Do you find your method to be strenuous or simple?

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