You don’t use a leave-in… Meaning, you actually skip that step? As a naturalista who has been in the game for almost 10 years, I cringe when someone says they don’t use a leave-in conditioner. I seriously want to grab a bottle of Midnite Train and drench their hair! Using one is a crucial key in my hair regimen and with cooler temps approaching, I don’t think anyone can afford to miss this step!
A lot of you may already know that when the seasons change, most of the time you have to switch up your hair care routine in order to adapt to the harsh weather. If there are any of you that don’t know the importance of using a leave-in, I want to share with you some tips on how this step will help keep your hair healthy, moisturized, and weather proof.
Natural hair tends to be a bit more dry during the winter time due to the dry air, heaters cracking at work, home, and in your car, knit hats and beanies being worn, and the list goes on and on. So, it is very important that you incorporate more moisture into your hair regimen.
Since moisture is what you hair needs during this time, here are a few key benefits to using a leave-in conditioner:
- Leave-ins create an extra layer of moisture on the hair. Applying a leave in after your rinse out your conditioning product adds that extra barrier to the hair locking in more moisture.
- They help with detangling and improve the hair’s manageability.
- Leave-ins act as a barrier between your hair and heat for those that want to take advantage of the drier air and heat style their hair for a nice blow out or silk press.
- Leave-ins help to combat frizz and add luster, especially to color treated hair.
- They come in spray or cream formulas. I am a huge fan of spray leave-ins since you can be as light or as heavy-handed as you want to be when applying them. They also seem to penetrate my low porosity strands better too. My absolute fav is Midnite Train from Uncle Funky’s Daughter. This lightweight yet impactful, and oh yes delicious smelling leave-in is a must. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t use this product! I use it on wash day as well as an inbetween daily refresher. Thirsty Curls is also a great spray leave-in product that can be used to refresh your curls, coils, and kinks post-styling.
For post-styling, Thirsty Curls Leave-In Curl Revitalizer is the perfect pick-me-up!
Leave-ins are also essential for the LOC (leave in, oil, cream) or LCO (leave in, cream, oil) method. LCO is my preferred method as the oil seals in all of those beneficial and moisture packed products in.
I hope this was helpful and provides you with some information to help your hair reach its maximum potential during the cooler months. These things can be easily incorporated into your hair regimen and your hair will definitely see the benefits of adding this extra step immediately.
