Formulating Hair Regime

Illustrations by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It's been quite some time since i've talked about my hair care routine! Many things have changed, from swapping out this product with that product or treating my hair differently. The one thing that has been constant is my hair's health and strength. Last time I talked about my hair care routine was when I introduced Belle Bar Organics products, in March! Still using a lot of their products but i've been experimenting with more ingredients lately. My hair seems to fare better with a little bit of silicones in it's life, I know all of the strictly "curly girl method-ers" are going to be at me for that! But that is something you learn along the way, not every head reacts to the same products/ ingredients.

1. Pre Shampoo

I have to pre- shampoo before actually shampooing, and what that consists of is a deep scalp massage with oils. I use Design Essential's Scalp tonic, which is infused with tea tree oil and peppermint. I'll leave that in for 30 minutes massaging it into the scalp. I'll also plait my hair into 4 or 6 sections. Pre shampoo helps my scalp to restore and retain moisture and scalp stimulation aids in longer, stronger hair and who wouldn't want that?!

2. Shampoo/ Cleanse

It truly is mind blowing that we often don't know what we are putting in our hair in terms of the ingredients used. I recently discovered this amazing company that let's you personalize your hair care based on your specific needs, called Formulate. One quick and easy survey to help determine your hair needs and you're on to better hair days. You basically get a chemist to create a formula that's uniquely you! My Formulate shampoo is sulfate free and packed with oils and vitamins to match my needs while also cleansing away any buildup. When cleansing the focus is on the scalp, never the lengths of my hair. It's also coconut- y smelling which is a major plus!


3. Deep Conditioning

For my deep treatment I use my personalized Formulate conditioner, since my hair is between normal to high porosity my personalized conditioner contains hydrolyzed keratin among other goodies to replenish and restore my hair. But I also add some fenugreek powder to it, to up the intensity of it and to use it more like a deep treatment conditioner. I usually wrap my hair in plastic and leave it in for an hour before rinsing out.

4. Detangling

After rinsing out the conditioner, I detangle with a wide tooth comb, section by section. While doing this I use Design Essentials detangler to aid in combing out any knots. After combing out one section I rebraid and move onto the next. When I'm done I make sure to squeeze each braid to get rid of excess water, I never use a towel to dry my hair, I find that it always causes frizz. 

5. Styling

I apply my Kinky Curly Knot Today as leave- in, only when wearing it in it's naturally curly state otherwise I would use IGK's Mistress to help from heat damage. I also use a concoction of marshmallow root in a spray bottle as a moisture replenisher (great throughout the week). 

I oil my scalp with mix of mustard seed, vitamin e and Jamaican black castor oil, and i use it on my ends as well. Last step is to seal in moisture, I use argan butter to do so, applied liberally! Depending on the style I'll occasionally use a gel, but I try not to go heavy with stylers. I love Design Essentials Coconut & Monoi Gel and their edge tamer too. 

Now that it's getting colder, my main focus on my hair care routine is moisture. I'm loving this routine the most as I feel that I can notice that my strands are benefitting. After having used the Formulate personalized shampoo and conditioner for over a month I can definitely say it will be a mainstay in my bathroom, even though the scent isn't long lasting. Dear readers, how will you be tending to your haircare needs this winter season? Have you tried Formulate?