I’m sure all of my naturalists can agree when I say sometimes you just get tired of doing your own hair! I’d been feeling stuck in a hair rut lately because I had no idea what to do with it anymore. I wore my hair either in its natural curly state, in a twist out, or in a bun. If I wanted to add a little pizzazz, I’d twist my hair and use colorful bobby pins to put it away or throw a scarf on to wrap it in a style. I kept telling Robert I wanted to put my hair away in either braids or a sew-in for a couple months.

I decided on Marley twists and found my stylist Leah on the beauty app StyleSeat. My hair is long so it took about 7.5 hours to have my entire hair braided in individual twists. The ways I take care of my hair in a protective style aren’t new to me; it’s just a twist on my usual wash routine. I modified the routine last year with my sew-in and it cuts down on drying time so much.

What I Use to Wash My Hair

The part that sucks about washing braids is how long it takes for them to dry completely. I used to wash them in the shower and wrap them in a towel to get out some of the moisture. When I got my sew-in, I realized I can always go a different route so I went to my fave hair store  for a dry shampoo to wash my scalp and remove any weekly buildup. I settled on the ORS Herbal Cleanser Dry Shampoo. What I like about the product is the convenience. I don’t have to stand in the shower then wait all day for my hair to dry. It takes me about 30 minutes to go through my entire scalp. When I’m done putting it on my scalp, I like to squeeze a little of it in my hands to run it through the braids to cover my hair. Afterwards, it feels fresh and clean and I can go about the rest of my day.

How I Care for My Scalp

Once I’m done shampooing my hair, I like to apply some Tea Tree oil to my scalp to keep it moisturized. Since it is more exposed than normal, I like to make sure my scalp doesn’t dry out and remains healthy. The oil protects the scalp against a few things like dandruff and I can’t have that going on on the top of my  head.

What I Use to Condition

The last step in my routine is spraying my scalp with this conditioner. It’s chock full of various oils and herbs. It doesn’t leave my scalp feeling greasy or irritated. I like using it as a sealant for the rest of the moisture from the shampoo and the Tea Tree Oil. Plus, I like to think it leaves my scalp smelling fragrant. Just like the shampoo, I spray this all over my head to moisturize and add some shine to my hair.

The entire routine takes about 45 minutes to an hour total from beginning to end. It’s important to take care of hair in a protective style to ensure it remains as healthy as it was prior to the style you choose. What are some ways you take care of your hair in a protective style?