1. Cleansing

Cleanse your hair to remove things like product buildup, bacteria, dead cells, and other contaminants that can clog pores, hair follicles, and stunt your hair growth. Cleanse regularly (i.e. at least once a week) and with a product that’s formulated for your hair needs. There are many excellent shampoos/cleansers to choose from so take your pick. And when you do, here are a few suggestions:

Relaxed Hair: Relaxers drastically dry and alter the pH of your hair. So look for shampoos/cleansers that are specifically designed for “dry/damaged hair,” “color treated hair,” and/or “chemically treated hair.” These products will have special moisturizing and pH balancing effects- which will be very beneficial for relaxed hair.

Natural Hair: If you’re going to wash your hair daily, then pay special attention to the shampoo you use. Regular shampoos contain sulfates- which are very drying. So for daily cleansing, switch to a sulfate free shampoo. And another option is to start co-washing your hair (i.e. washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo).

** Bonus tip- You can go even further with caring for your relaxed hair by also using sulfate-free shampoos and co-washing. This is something a lot of natural haired women do- but it also works great for relaxed hair too!