Let’s start with a confession: I was well into my late twenties when I had finally cracked the perfect haircare routine for my hair, products and all. Before that, it was all trial and error, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. Identifying my hair type was half the battle, the next hurdle was figuring out which products worked for natural hair. Sounds relevantly easy but with so many products available on the market, where do you start?
Contrary to popular belief, type 4 hair is fragile and extremely susceptible to dehydration and breakage. Founder of haircare brand Equi Botanic, Ekwy Nnene tells me, there are two main objectives to consider when it comes to caring for type 4 hair, one keeping “hair moisturised’’ and secondly “preventing damage to ends”.
Caring for my hair hasn’t been an easy feat, type hair 4 comes with its own set of delicate requirements. I’ve been on a long quest to figure out the best products and practices for my hair. Nnene, however, has transformed her daughter’s hair and helped many women on their natural hair journey. Her top three tips for caring for type 4 hair include: "always detangle before washing" to reduce breakage, “oiling ends, to prevent hair strands getting caught in drying fabrics like necks of sweaters, caps, cotton pillowcases, synthetic braids’’, and most importantly, “wash your scalp thoroughly” as product build-up can lead to a host of problems.
Knowing my hair type and curl pattern has significantly improved my haircare routine. However, this is not the only factor at play, our hair is affected by several things, including porosity, density and thickness. Yes, this complicates things, but it’s truly the case of kissing a few frogs before you find your perfect army of products. If you need a little assistance, refer to my list of 10 products that have transformed my type 4 hair, from luxurious hydrating shampoos to game-changing silk accessories.
A good shampoo is key to any good hair care routine, especially if you have type 4 hair. Thrice ‘Afro Hairdresser of the Year’ at the British Hairdressing Awards, Charlotte Mensah has rightly earned her crown as the queen of Afro haircare. The manketti oil shampoo is formulated with manketti nut and ximenia oils, ingredients that work to clean the hair while also hydrating and conditioning your locks.
Oils can be quite scary, but trust me on this one. Not only does this oil hydrate, nourish and repair your hair, but it also does so without feeling greasy or heavy. Supercharged with powerful black seed oil to help strengthen the hair, preventing hair breakage and damage.
Formulated with an impressive A list lineup of ingredients, including quinoa protein, babassu oil, aloe vera, and argan oil the Dizziak conditioner always delivers. It contains zero harsh chemicals, is vegan, sulfate and paraben-free—and it doesn’t stop there. This rich thick creamy conditioner leaves your hair ultra-soft and shiny while combatting damage and reducing frizz. I could go on forever but it’s just that good.
Edges, edges, edges, you know it’s about looking after your edges. Not to be deceived by its pretty outward appearance, this luxurious silk headband has transformed my edges. Silk wraps, turbans and headbands are not a hype, I can confirm silk does wonders for your type 4 hair. Reducing friction, which means less damage, and fragility, it also controls frizz, and unlike cotton, it doesn’t sap the moisture out of your hair.
If we refer back to Ekwy Nnene’s holy-grail tips for caring for type 4 hair, you know that just one shampoo on the list isn’t going to cut it. It has stood the test of time, one of the OG clarifying shampoos, and nothing compares. Expect a super-deep clean every time.
Shea Moisture is no stranger to the type 4 hair community, and for good reason. The Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque is a rich, intense and buttery formula enriched with shea butter to restore shine, add moisturise and give life to damaged and overly processed hair.
One pot of Elasticizer sells every 60 seconds the world over, and it’s no wonder. This miracle in a pot literally transforms your hair. Perfect for all hair types, this protein-packed formula works to strengthen your hair strand by strand, giving it a new lease of life.
This is a recent addition to my routine, but it very quickly has assumed a top tier position. An intense weekly treatment formulated to provide just the right balance of protein and moisture to maintain a healthy, shiny, and strong head of hair.
Healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp and, since introducing the Aveda exfoliating scalp brush, I can honestly say my hair hasn’t looked better. Most effective when used before shampoo, the dry brushing process helps to loosen build-up and dirt, and also it just feels nice—like a scalp massage.
This product has revolutionised my haircare practice. Not all heroes wear a cape, this heated cap has changed my deep conditioning game, literally zero to a hundred. The addition of heat means that your hair treatments, oils and masks work doubly as hard. The heat works to penetrate the product deeper into the strands for even healthier hair. You won’t regret adding this into your basket.
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