Beauty Of 5: Tea Tree Treatments For Taking Care Of Your Hair After Braids - Page 3
When my best friend gave me a set of 52″ knotless braids a month ago, I was super excited to give my strands a rest. I was also already anxious about taking down all 87 of the individual braids and what state my hair would be in when I did.
Though I managed to care for my hair far better this time than when I had braids in the past — regularly applying scalp serums and oils at night — I could already tell the buildup around some of the braids was going to be a problem. So with a new box of goodies from SoapBox in hand, I turned to the brand’s collection of tea tree products, specifically meant to cleanse and purify hair, to give my own strands some TLC after a month of being under wraps. Here’s what I used.
Tea Tree Soothing Scalp Treatment
The first step in my process after removing all of the braids was applying this Soothing Scalp Treatment. It’s advised to use the treatment like a pre-poo, running the tip of the applicator along the scalp and then massaging the product, leaving it on for 1-3 minutes. This marked the beginning of my finger-combing/detangling effort and I immediately noticed my hair wasn’t nearly as tangled and dry as it had been in the past.
What I recognized upon my first squeeze with the treatment is that the tea tree smell isn’t overpowering. I’d stopped using tea tree products years ago because the odor was too strong and even irritated my eyes sometimes, but this treatment was gentle and the tingling sensation that comes with tea tree wasn’t overwhelming at all. Looking at the ingredients, I’d say Soapbox got it right combining tea tree oil with shea butter, vitamins B5, A, E, and hyaluronic acid to truly soothe scalp with this product.
100% Organic Raw Coconut Oil
I was already committed to the title of this article when I remembered this product doesn’t actually have tea tree in it, but I did combine it with the tea tree scalp treatment to coat my hair as I detangled before washing. This coconut oil is buttery smooth, even in solid form. It took seconds to break down into an oil, which I can’t say is true for other raw coconut oils I’ve tried. In fact, it felt so good on my hair that I also smoothed some across my face to combat some dry, discolored patches I’ve been dealing with lately.
Tea Tree Clean & Purify Shampoo
I don’t know if I was just happy to run my fingers through my hair or if this shampoo is as amazing as it felt (It’s both). Echoing my sentiments about the scalp treatment, the strength of the tea tree in this shampoo was just the right amount. When I got out of the shower I thought, I probably should’ve done two shampoos instead of one, but honestly, my strands were already free of a month’s worth of debris with just one wash which made me an immediate fan. Plus my hair felt soft and wasn’t dry — shout out to jojoba oil, shea butter, and aloe.
Tea Tree Clean & Purify Conditioner
Normally, I don’t apply conditioner to my hair when I know I’m going to use a mask but I wanted to see if this product was going to be equally pleasing to my hair — it was. This was when I truly knew this tea tree combination was a winner because I could literally run my fingers through my hair and it felt as soft as it does when I have actual product on it.
Tea Tree Soothing Hydration Hair Mask
Most experts recommend you deep condition once a week, so after not doing so for a month I knew I was going to conclude my process with a mask of some sort. What I immediately loved about this mask is the creamy texture and, again, the tea tree component did exactly what it was supposed to do, soothe and calm. Anyone who’s ever had braids knows the scalp can be a bit tender after the takedown process and this mask brought me back to normal. Not to mention, my hair is super soft and moisturized. I’ll be making these products a part of my regimen even when i don’t have braids.
