Dear ZedHair,
Which products should I use on my hair?
Part 4: Leave in Conditioners
None of these leave in conditioners are available to buy in Zambia.
OK this is where it starts to get a little bit tricky. You see, we’re not used to the idea of leave in conditioners in Zambia. Most salons will offer you grease such as Dax or Blue Magic for your hair and scalp. They’ll probably look at you like you are crazy if you mention a leave in conditioner. I don’t often go to salons but if you are a salon owner or know of a good salon with great products please let me know and I’ll check them out but right now, my hairdresser is not my friend.
A leave in conditioner is applied on damp hair after cleansing and/or deep conditioning. It helps to keep the hair smooth, strong and soft.
If you’ve been to one of our workshops, you’ll probably have heard Masuka talk about the different categories of naturals. You have the vegans; these are strict and only use the most natural of ingredients. They usually mix their own products because they don’t trust anything in the shops. You have the vegetarians, who are also quite strict but don’t mind using the odd store bought product as long as it has good ingredients. Then you have the liberals, they are not particularly bothered about what they use in their hair as long as it looks good and wonder what all the fuss is about.
If you are liberal about your choice of products then you will find plenty of petroleum and silicone laden leave in conditioners’ available in most supermarkets, salons and beauty stores. Now, I’m not about banning products but I will tell you what works from personal experience and scientific analysis. Silicones and Mineral Oil might make your hair look good but they’re not keeping it healthy unless you are very stringent about cleansing and deep conditioning. I choose not to be liberal with my hair care choices.
So that leaves the vegans and the vegetarians. Well, we don’t have many choices. I only know of one leave in conditioner available that I would recommend and that is Kera Care Natural’s. I have read the ingredients list and there are no nasties but I’ll admit, I am yet to try it myself. Your other choices are importing from abroad and mixing natural ingredients with a silicon free conditioner or making your own from scratch .
Here is a great recipe from The Green Beauty YouTube channel:
Aloe Vera Juice 4 Tablespoons
Coconut Oil 1 Tablespoon
Glycerin ½ Tablespoon
Flaxseed Gel 2 Tablespoons
Essential Oils of your choice
Mix thoroughly and keep in the fridge. Only make a small amount at a time as this mixture will not last long without preservatives.
In the next Dear ZedHair column I’ll discuss oils and butter.
Do you have a question related to natural hair care? Send it in to mwanabibi@zedhair.com
