Most of my African American friends spend more time and money on hair care products than any of the others I know. This is not an indication of their vanity, but rather a necessity as their hair is among the most difficult hair types to control and tame. Most African Americans have hair that is either in tight kinky curls (hence the ‘Afro’ hairstyle) or hangs limp and dry if not cared for.
Hence, using the best hair products and accessories is essential for most women of colour. This explains why the hair products industry earns billions of pounds from black hair care products and new products hit the market every day! The best thing to do when you are trying to find the best products for your hair is to speak to your stylist.
Most salons offer a free consultation and can give you professional advice on the best products to use. This advice will be based on the kind of hair you have, how you want to style it and whether you can spare a lot of time for hair care. I’ve made a list of some products recommended by my African American friends, so you can try these as well
Best Hair Products To Use For African Americans
For black hair, most people include relaxers and deep conditioning treatments to help settle the frizziness of the hair. Also, the type of hair style you keep, whether it’s an Afro, straight, curly or braids and weaves, will make a lot of difference to the kind of products you use.
The best hair products are usually found when you try out a few different ones, but you could try some of the products that my friends have recommended and raved about!
- Hair Oil: This is an essential product for all hair types and is especially helpful in providing nutrition and nourishment to dry hair. A regular hot oil massage will stimulate your hair roots as well as seal moisture into your hair. The added benefit is that a little oil rubbed onto the ends of your hair will help to keep it from going out of control. Try Jamaican Black castor oil or extra-virgin olive oil for the best results.
- Conditioner: African American hair needs deep conditioning products to help keep it smooth and tamed. The best solution I have heard is to use the natural goodness of raw eggs to your advantage. Beat one egg and apply it all over your scalp and hair, then shampoo it off after about 20 minutes. You can also use deep conditioners like Califa Care Moisturizing Cream or Motions Protein Reconstructor.
- Styling Products: The Kinky-Curly range of hair care and styling products has been very effective with difficult-to-handle curls and Afros. As the name suggests, these products are created keeping in mind the requirements of tight kinky curls, which makes them suitable for African American hair.
If there are any other products that you have used and found particularly effective, I’d love to know about them. Leave me a note or comment and tell me all about it!
